politics

The reason Obamacare and Medicare won't be touched.

Protecting Trump’s enemies from prosecution just reinforces the idea of politics as retribution. Instead, Democrats should be defending his most vulnerable targets.

Summary

Lara Trump, RNC Co-Chair and daughter-in-law of President-elect Donald Trump, announced her intention to step down from the RNC amid speculation she may be considered to fill a potential Florida Senate vacancy.

This follows Marco Rubio's nomination as Secretary of State in Trump's incoming administration.

If confirmed, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis would appoint Rubio's replacement to serve until 2026.

Trump expressed openness to the role, stating she would "seriously consider" the opportunity while awaiting further clarity on the decision.

Summary

The 2019 ICE raids on Mississippi poultry plants, which detained 680 workers, have left the immigrant community in Morton scarred and fearful of renewed workplace raids under Trump, who plans mass deportations.

Residents recall the trauma, with children left stranded and families torn apart. Local businesses, reliant on immigrant workers, suffered economically, while poultry plants quickly resumed operations.

Activists and nonprofits are preparing families for potential detentions, emphasizing the economic and social impacts of such raids.

Many undocumented workers fear another round of disruptions and family separations.

Summary

Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, Trump’s nominee for US surgeon general, was involved in a 1990 gun accident at age 13 that killed her father.

A handgun fell from a tackle box she knocked over, discharging and fatally wounding him.

Nesheiwat cites the tragedy as her inspiration to become a physician but omits specifics of the incident in her upcoming memoir.

If confirmed, she would replace Dr. Vivek Murthy, who declared gun violence a public health crisis.

The nomination highlights GOP opposition to addressing gun violence through public health policy.

Summary

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis faces criticism for quickly scheduling primaries to fill Republican-held House seats vacated by Trump appointees, contrasting with his nine-month delay in replacing a Democratic seat in 2021.

Critics, including Florida Democratic Party chair Nikki Fried, accuse DeSantis of hypocrisy and prioritizing political gain to bolster the GOP’s narrow House majority.

Analysts suggest DeSantis is using the move to regain national prominence after his failed presidential bid, potentially eyeing roles in Trump’s cabinet or Senate maneuvering.

Critics also highlight voter mail-in ballot challenges due to rushed timelines.

Summary

Rep. Ro Khanna advocated for Medicare for All following debates on health care inequities sparked by the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

While denouncing violence, Khanna highlighted waste in the insurance industry and supported Bernie Sanders’ call to prioritize health care as a human right.

He backed Trump’s plan for a “Department of Government Efficiency,” led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, to cut federal waste but opposed cuts to Social Security and Medicare.

On TikTok, Khanna reiterated his opposition to a potential ban, citing First Amendment concerns.

Summary

Donald Trump’s Dec. 8 interview on NBC’s Meet the Press showcased his continued pattern of lying, dodging, and ignoring questions about his intentions to go after his perceived political enemies and his plans for healthcare and immigration.

While Kristen Welker attempted pushback, Trump largely dominated the conversation, reiterating his intent to target perceived political enemies, referencing loyalty-tested appointees like Kash Patel and Pam Bondi.

He expressed openness to working with Democrats on immigration issues like DACA but offered vague answers on healthcare and abortion policies.

The interview highlighted the challenge in interviewing Trump and his loyalists, as they often misstate facts and need to be called on it.

Summary

Trump renewed his promise to end birthright citizenship via executive action, despite the legal precedent set by the 14th Amendment and the 1898 Supreme Court ruling in United States v. Wong Kim Ark.

Altering this requires a constitutional amendment, a challenging process. A two-thirds majority in Congress and ratification by 38 state legislatures are needed.

Trump’s estranged niece, Mary Trump, criticized his stance, noting the irony given their family’s immigrant history.

Friedrich Trump, Donald’s grandfather, emigrated from Germany under controversial circumstances, and his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, immigrated from Scotland.

Summary

In a “Meet the Press” interview, Donald Trump made several false claims, including that 13,099 undocumented immigrants convicted of homicide entered the U.S. during Biden’s presidency—a misinterpretation of data spanning 40 years.

He also falsely claimed Venezuela is emptying its prisons into the U.S. and inaccurately took credit for “saving Obamacare,” despite efforts to repeal it during his presidency.

Trump refused to concede the 2020 election, citing baseless fraud claims, despite no evidence of widespread voter fraud in either the 2020 or 2024 elections.

Summary

Trump vowed to pardon individuals jailed for their role in the January 6 Capitol attack on his first day in office, reiterating his campaign promise.

Trump criticized the justice system and the conditions faced by those detained, many of whom pleaded guilty.

Over 1,500 people have been charged in connection with January 6.

Trump also discussed empowering his incoming Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel to investigate political rivals.

President Biden is reportedly considering preemptive pardons for key figures targeted by Trump.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is vowing to make swift and sweeping changes as he takes office on January 20, deporting millions of migrants in the country illegally, imposing tariffs on imported goods that could raise consumer prices for Americans and pardoning rioters who tried to upend his 2020 reelection loss.

“I’m looking to make our country successful,” he said. “Retribution will be through success.”

From the Article:

It’s hard to think of a time when the Democratic Party was more bereft of real leaders. As the losing presidential candidate, Kamala Harris is not held in warm regard, and her continuing fundraising efforts have added to the irritation. Joe Biden, who accomplished more than his critics give him credit for, is going out on a low note.

Usually, the chair of the Democratic National Committee is a technocrat and not the face of the party. But this time could be different.

A number of names have been mentioned in the press coverage and in self-promotion, but it’s clear that the two finalists will be Ken Martin, 51, Minnesota party chair, and his neighbor, Ben Wikler, 43, who chairs the Wisconsin state party. Both are excellent party-builders, both are substantive progressives, and both have earned wide respect. The election is set for February 1.

Summary

Donald Trump’s FBI pick, Kash Patel, co-hosted “Kash’s Corner,” a show on the far-right outlet The Epoch Times, promoting conspiracy theories about election fraud, the FBI, and the “deep state.”

Patel, a former Trump official, criticized the FBI’s leadership and called for a “major overhaul,” often pushing debunked claims, including FBI involvement in the Jan. 6 riots.

His association with The Epoch Times, which faces federal fraud allegations, raises concerns ahead of his Senate confirmation.

Critics argue his role legitimized fringe narratives and threatens the FBI’s credibility under his leadership.

From the Article:

For weeks following Joe Biden’s disastrous performance, his campaign publicly maintained the illusion that he was still well-positioned to defeat Donald Trump. Privately, they knew otherwise. As Pod Save America co-host Jon Favreau revealed days after the election:

After the debate, the Biden people told us that the polls were fine, and Biden was still the strongest candidate. They were privately telling reporters, at the time, that Kamala Harris couldn’t win. […] Then we find out, when the Biden campaign becomes the Harris campaign, that the Biden campaign’s own internal polling, at the time when they were telling us he was the strongest candidate, showed that Donald Trump was going to win 400 electoral votes.

The implications of this are staggering, and it should be treated as a massive scandal.

Donald Trump said he can’t guarantee that his promised tariffs on key U.S. foreign trade partners won’t raise prices for American consumers and he suggested once more that some political rivals and federal officials who pursued legal cases against him should be imprisoned.

The president-elect, in a wide-ranging interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday, also touched on monetary policy, immigration, abortion and health care, and U.S. involvement in Ukraine, Israel and elsewhere.

Trump often mixed declarative statements with caveats, at one point cautioning “things do change.”