The New Republic

Transcript: Trump Tirades Take Weird Turn as Poll Collapse Rattles GOP

6 hours agoLeft

The following is a lightly edited transcript of the May 26 episode of the Daily Blast podcast. Listen to it here.After we recorded, The New York Times posted a piece reporting at length that Trump’s ballroom, slush fund, and overall “self-indulgence” (translation: deranged megalomania) have “alarmed” Republicans about the midterms, again confirming the thrust of this conversation.Greg Sargent: This is The Daily Blast from The New Republic, produced and presented by the DSR Network. I’m your host, Greg Sargent.Donald Trump has been spinning wildly about his success in ousting disloyal Republicans in primaries, and he has been succeeding at that. But underneath this story is a much bigger truth. Trump is losing control of the GOP on many fronts, and his political project is failing more broadly. Trump’s corruption is forcing Republicans to abandon him, and he’s trying really hard to turn that around, as a crazed tirade on Truth Social reveals. There are other signs of failure too. For instance, the Kilmar Abrego Garcia criminal case was just dismissed as a vindictive prosecution.We’re trying to make sense of all this with New Republic deputy editor Jason Linkins, who’s been arguing well that Trump’s corruption and criminality are actually political liabilities for him. Jason, thanks for coming on.Jason Linkins: It’s great to be here. Thanks for having me.Sargent: So here’s where we are. Trump succeeds in ousting a bunch of disloyal Republicans, but that’s now backfiring. Republicans are so pissed that they’re granting him less leeway on his corruption. They’re turning against the funding for the ballroom. Republican senators just unloaded on acting Attorney General Todd Blanche over the slush fund. House Republicans shelved a vote on a measure ending the war because they didn’t have the votes to defeat it. Jason, how do you explain this sudden GOP move against him?Linkins: Right now, I think that we’re seeing both the strengths and the limitations of Trump’s thrall, his hold on the party and his base. We’ve seen in a couple of elections now that his base, when they’re riled up, are still capable of dealing a primary defeat to a Republican that steps out of line of Trump. But the cartoon villainy has gotten to a point that, outside of a rump that I think you’ve argued in the past—and I believe you’re going to be correct—is starting to shrink, he doesn’t really have the same kind of power and influence. We’ve seen now on a few votes, and specifically some related to what I would term graft corruption—this ballroom he wants to build and this insane slush fund that he wanted to assemble for himself to dole out to his political allies—you’re seeing prominent elite GOP electeds balk at this.Sargent: Trump just let out an angry, self-pitying rant on Truth Social over the slush fund. He said this:“I gave up a lot of money in allowing the just announced Anti-Weaponization Fund to go forward. I could have settled my case, including the illegal release of my Tax Returns and the equally illegal BREAK IN of Mar-a-Lago, for an absolute fortune. Instead, I am helping others, who were so badly abused by an evil, corrupt, and weaponized Biden Administration, receive, at long last, JUSTICE!”Jason, that’s funny because the original lawsuit that he filed against the IRS that he gave up was a total scam. That aside, the idea that Trump is setting up a slush fund to reward allies in an act of great selflessness and public service is just a farce. Your thoughts on that?Linkins: Well, I think one thing that stands out to me is the fake magnanimity that he’s trying to project in that statement. He had the good fortune of negotiating both sides of the settlement. There was no real conflict. The conflict was to get this matter out from under the auspices of a judge who was prepared to call this whole lawsuit bogus. And he had the good fortune of having a Justice Department that essentially treats him as a client. There used to be consequences for stuff like Teapot Dome or Watergate. But this Republican Party is so clapped out and absented that there’s no accountability possible until, you know, such when the day comes and perhaps Democrats have power again.Sargent: I’ve not seen a Republican uprising like this in a long time against Donald Trump. It doesn’t happen that often. But this one, according to all the reporting, there was genuine anger from Republican senators at Todd Blanche for sticking them in this position. The ballroom is already a problem for them. You’ve had Republicans telling the press that they don’t want to defend the ballroom precisely because it’s impossible to do when there’s so much economic pain out there. Now, Donald Trump is asking them to defend this ridiculous slush fund. And not only is it absurd and difficult for them to do because of the economy—the money would go to the January 6 insurrectionists and they won’t rule out giving the money to people who beat cops.

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Internet mocks 'shameless creature' Trump official over 'optimistic' consumer claims

Raw Story

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Internet mocks 'shameless creature' Trump official over 'optimistic' consumer claims

President Donald Trump's top economic adviser Kevin Hassett claimed that American consumers are "optimistic" in an interview with Fox News on Tuesday, prompting people to push back online.Hassett was responding to reports that skyrocketing gas prices amid the Iran war and the rising cost of living have sent consumer confidence plummeting. Earlier this month, he praised how credit card spending was "through the roof" for higher-priced gasoline."The thing that I've seen when I look at credit card data and other things that I can get for the private sector, is that while people have been spending more money at gas stations they've been spending more money on everything else, which means that they're very, very optimistic about the state of the economy — and they should be — if you look at GDP right now it's north of 4 percent," Hassett said. "And so despite this disruption, all the momentum that we've built with the Big Beautiful Bill and AI and everything else is really what the main economic story in the U.S. is."The internet didn't hold back from responding to Hassett's comments, with several political, economic and media experts weighing in."Americans are optimistically choosing between food and medicine," attorney and writer David R. Lurie wrote on Bluesky."Probably a top 5 entry in the Kevin Hassett hall of fame," reporter Jake Lahut, who covers the White House for New York Magazine, WIRED, Columbia Journalism Review and other outlets, wrote on Bluesky."When we stop beating you up, it's gonna feel GREAT," Village Voice writer Roy Edroso wrote on Bluesky."It is a day that ends in 'Y' so Hassett is out there lying on a national broadcast that consumers *love* the economy," Tahra Hoops, Director of Economic Analysis at tech industry trade group Chamber of Progress, wrote on X."Kevin is a firm believer in TALE: Trumpers Always Lie about Everything," Dean Baker, senior economist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, wrote on X."Sometimes I wonder how these people sleep at night being such shameless creatures with no self respect. It’s truly remarkable stuff," content creator and political commentator Chris Mowrey, who has more than 83,000 followers, wrote on X.sometimes I wonder how these people sleep at night being such shameless creatures with no self respect. It’s truly remarkable stuff https://t.co/GsFq56k3pT— Chris Mowrey (@chrisdmowrey) May 26, 2026

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Dems delete Memorial Day post using US service members’ deaths to criticize Trump: ‘Disgusting’

New York Post

29 minutes ago

Dems delete Memorial Day post using US service members’ deaths to criticize Trump: ‘Disgusting’

"Never forget Democrats used fallen soldiers to score political points and for clicks. The most disgusting thing I have ever witnessed!"

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'This is a disaster': Trump's stated goals from February thrown in his face on MS NOW

Raw Story

51 minutes ago

'This is a disaster': Trump's stated goals from February thrown in his face on MS NOW

The number of goals Donald Trump set out on Feb. 28 when he launched the unprovoked attack on Iran was held up to the light by MS NOW’s David Rohde on Tuesday morning, who made clear the president's war so far has been a failure.Well beyond the Strait of Hormuz stalemate that has the Trump administration grasping for an answer, Rohde singled out five claims that the president made when he announced the attack, with only one coming to fruition -- and even that appears doubtful after this weekend's events.Speaking with “Morning Joe” co-host Jonathan Lemire, Rohde got right to the point as the producers displayed a graphic showing the administration coming up far short of its goals.“Remind us, please, about the goals that this administration first set out for this conflict and what has actually been achieved,” Lemire prompted his guest.“Look, I want to give credit to all the service members that are out there in particularly the day after Memorial Day, but this has been a disaster for this administration to have the Secretary of State [Marco Rubio], as we just saw him on his plane, trying to play down, almost trying to placate the Iranians and the American public about how this conflict has gone was extraordinary,” he began.“I looked up President Trump's speech on February 28th when he announced the war, so achieved: ‘annihilate their navy.‘ Maybe. I mean, I think that's generally true. But this morning, the New York Times has reported that there are hundreds of these speedboats and this — look, I believe the United States Navy, I don't believe the Iranians at all — if they're laying mines with one of these speedboats. That's why it was part of the attack yesterday; that's extraordinary. That shows how emboldened the Iranians are. So that's maybe achieved or partly achieved.”“And then everything else. 'Destroy their missiles,'” he continued. “The latest assessment is that 70% of Iran's missile capacity remains intact. They have knocked out some of the factories. But again, that is not an achievement. Overall, ensure the region's terrorist proxies no longer destabilize the region — That's not happening at all. That's not even part of these negotiations. And the missiles aren't either.”“Ensure that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon,” he continued. “That's not even part of the current negotiations that will come in this 60-day second round of talks. And then, most tragically, what he said to, as he said to ‘the great people of Iran, take over your government,’ and the regime remains in place.”“So it's astonishing to me that an American president is in this position,” he concluded. “And they just, you know, this administration … just continues to mismanage this war.” - YouTube youtu.be

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Trump's Iran deal is failing because he lacks key ability Ronald Reagan possessed: expert

Raw Story

1 hour ago

Trump's Iran deal is failing because he lacks key ability Ronald Reagan possessed: expert

Despite an agreement to end the U.S. war against Iran appearing within reach on Saturday, the negotiations look poised to fail due to one critical “ability” President Donald Trump lacks, and one that former President Ronald Reagan demonstrated decisively during his first term in office, a political analyst and expert warned this week.Trump boasted on Saturday that a deal to end the war had “been largely negotiated," but within days, jeopardized his own negotiations by floating a last-minute demand to Middle East nations, as well as by authorizing new strikes targeting Iran on Monday.And yet, while Trump’s actions have been scrutinized for potentially compromising a path toward a negotiated settlement, Trita Parsi, co-founder of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, warned on Monday that the president was not the “greatest threat” to achieving peace.“In recent days, it was not the Persian Gulf that emerged as the greatest threat to the agreement. It was Israel’s potential refusal to fully adhere to the regional ceasefire and halt its bombardment of Lebanon. That danger remains acute,” Parsi wrote in an analysis published on his Substack Monday.Iran has demanded that Israel halt its bombardment of southern Lebanon as a key condition in its negotiations with the Trump administration, a demand that Israel has largely ignored. On Friday, Israel launched what’s referred to as a “double tap” strike in southern Lebanon – following up an initial strike with a second to target emergency responders such as paramedics. More than 3,100 Lebanese have been killed by Israeli air strikes since early March and nearly 10,000 wounded, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.To secure a peace deal, Trump could demand Israel’s compliance, much as he unsuccessfully tried to do in April when he explicitly demanded Israel halt its attacks on Lebanon. Israel strikes continued, however, with Parsi noting a similar scenario that occurred in 1982, though one that elicited a very different response by the U.S. president at the time.“Trump could still choose to put American interests first and compel Israel to comply, much as Ronald Reagan did in 1982 when he pressured Prime Minister Menachem Begin to halt Israel’s devastating assault on Lebanon,” Parsi wrote. “Reagan reportedly expressed outrage at the bombardment of Beirut, warning Begin that America’s support could not be taken for granted. Within hours, the bombing stopped. Trump, by contrast, has thus far shown little ability to ensure sustained Israeli compliance with his demands.”

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NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani takes jab at Cavaliers after Knicks’ sweep

New York Post

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NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani takes jab at Cavaliers after Knicks’ sweep

Just like the Knicks, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani can dunk when needed.

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Data analyst sees 'collapse' for Trump — even among his base

Alternet.org

1 hour ago

Data analyst sees 'collapse' for Trump — even among his base

"The calls are coming from inside the house," CNN host John Berman said on Tuesday.CNN data analyst Harry Enten agreed."Why don't we talk about the key issue of inflation," Enten began. "And what are we talking about? We're talking about a complete collapse of the floor. Look at this. Republicans' net approval of Trump on inflation. You know, you go back when he was running for reelection back in 2024. For term number one, look at that net approval rating. It was plus 68 points in terms of how they viewed Republicans' views on inflation and Trump."Term number two is a different matter."Look at this! Collapse!" exclaimed Enten, citing the Ipsos poll. " ... There are now multiple polls showing that Donald John Trump is underwater within his own Republican Party."On gas prices, Enten said that Republicans are "calling again." The numbers last summer show a 51-point approval, while it has now shifted to minus four, a 55-point swing."This isn't just something about the center of the electorate. This is with Donald Trump's base as well. This is a huge shift. He's underwater again, the floor completely collapsing underneath," said Enten. "So, you know, we're talking about the collapsing floor, but, you know, if this is an old ruddy house that we don't really care about, then who really cares?" Enten said about the GOP's poor polls. "But this is the house that is most important because you take a look here. Okay, Republicans' top issue is the economy and the cost of living."In Jan. 2026, 43 percent of Republicans identified the cost of living as the most important issue. That is now 54 percent of Republicans who say it's important. "Multiple polls showing him underwater on inflation," Enten closed. "A very, very, creaky floor."

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Trump triggers 'rare and dramatic GOP revolt': Fox News analyst

Alternet.org

1 hour ago

Trump triggers 'rare and dramatic GOP revolt': Fox News analyst

According to Fox News analyst Howard Kurtz, a change has come over congressional Republicans in recent days. Instead of rubberstamping President Donald Trump’s every demand and whim, a new dynamic has emerged. This time, and for the first time in his second term, “Trump did something beyond the pale and the brave Republicans are standing up to him.”“It's a revolt,” writes Kurtz. “Practically a revolution,” as Republicans are finally pushed to a point that “seems to be breaking, or at least loosening, Trump's iron grip on power.”Kurtz says that the key issue driving this change was “Trump's decision to use $1.8 billion largely for those convicted of crimes on Jan. 6,” which the Fox contributor argues was “the culmination of a five-year effort by the president to recast the protestors, who he had summoned to Washington and directed to march to the Capitol, as patriots, not lawbreakers. That is inconveniently contradicted by the relentless violence we all saw on our television screens as the riot unfolded. It was one of the darkest days in American history.”Many Republicans expressed disgust at what has been criticized as a “slush fund” immediately after it was announced, but according to Kurtz, things really “exploded” after Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche met with Senate Republicans. "My guess is there’re probably 45 senators in the room, at least half of them were blasting the attorney general… They were screaming at the acting attorney general," said Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), calling it a "full-on revolt." And Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) put it like this: "So the nation’s top law enforcement official is asking for a slush fund to pay people who assault cops? Utterly stupid, morally wrong – Take your pick." Following the “fiery session” with Blanche, Republican leaders killed a vote that was scheduled the same day on one of their key priorities — funding immigration and border enforcement — rather than risk the possibility of having to vote on the slush fund, which would force them to give a public “yay” to the widely criticized idea or a “nay” to the president. At the same time, they also failed to approve $1 billion for Trump’s ballroom obsession. What’s more, for the first time, Republicans are broadly criticizing Trump’s plans regarding Iran. "Doesn’t make too much sense to me," said Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC). And said Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) — arguably the staunchest Iran war hawk in Congress — the current situation "makes one wonder why the war started to begin with." “Maybe the previously unthinkable idea of Republicans openly challenging Trump is catching on,” Kurtz concludes. “They're mad as hell, and they're not going to take it anymore.”

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Trump Undergoes a Physical Exam at Walter Reed

NYT > U.S. > Politics

1 hour ago

Trump Undergoes a Physical Exam at Walter Reed

President Trump, whose health has been a subject of public scrutiny, will turn 80 next month.

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