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Raw Story: ‘Please reconsider’: GOP senators plead with Trump to stand down from latest fight

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President Donald Trump’s ploy to bully Senate Republicans into dropping a longstanding rule about presidential nominations appears to have crashed and burned, Politico reported on Tuesday — with lawmakers holding their ground against him in a way they generally dare not do.

The drama began in July, when Trump lashed out at 91-year-old Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley (R-IA), calling him “weak and ineffective” and demanding he axe “blue slips,” the tradition that committees must have the approval of a nominee’s home state senators to advance a nominee.

Republicans already weakened blue slip rules for circuit court nominees in 2017, which is how Trump’s former personal lawyer Emil Bove got a circuit court appointment earlier this year despite objections from both of New Jersey’s senators. But they have been adamantly against eliminating them for district court judges or executive nominations.

Grassley pushed back, taking umbrage at Trump’s “personal insults” against him, and the broader Senate GOP caucus followed suit. According to Politico, there’s no sign of the GOP backing down — they may tinker with nomination rules to speed up confirmations on the Senate floor, but they won’t eliminate blue slips or weaken the committee vetting process.

Unlike in many other cases of resistance against Trump, where GOP lawmakers have given quotes anonymously, some senators are being quite open in rebuffing the president, with Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) telling Politico, “As a practical matter, the Senate’s not going to give up the blue slip. So my appeal to the president is: please reconsider. Why do we want to have this fight for nothing?”

There’s a key reason GOP senators don’t want to undermine their rules for Trump’s benefit here, strategists told Politico: they know it would backfire on them.

Mike Fragoso, a former adviser to Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), “argued that even Republicans wary of crossing the president now have taken advantage of the blue slip policy when Democrats held power. He added that there are relatively few bench seats in solidly Democratic states that Trump could even fill now without consent from Democrats,” noted the report. This means Trump would get very few judges nominated by totally eliminating blue slips, but a future Democratic president could flood red states with district court judges of their own.

Beyond judges, however, Trump is being stymied by blue slips when it comes to appointing federal prosecutors.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has blocked Jay Clayton’s confirmation to be U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, while New Jersey’s senators have blocked another personal Trump lawyer, Alina Habba, for the prosecutor office there, prompting a standoff where Trump’s Justice Department has skirted rules and reversed decisions of local judges to install her on an acting basis.

‘Please reconsider’: GOP senators plead with Trump to stand down from latest fight

https://www.rawstory.com/trump-grassley-2673900010

Independent: Pete Hegseth is requiring so much security it’s taking officers off of criminal investigations

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Members of U.S. Army’s law enforcement arm complain they are being taken out of the field to watch defense secretary’s family and homes

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s security requirements are so extensive that it is placing a strain on the U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigation Division, according to a report.

The Washington Post reports that the CID, which is responsible for protecting top Pentagon officials as well as serving as the Army’s law enforcment arm, has been forced to draft agents who would otherwise be investigating criminal offenses concerning members of the Armed Forces to help watch over Hegseth’s family and their properties in D.C., Minnesota and Tennessee.

“I’ve never seen this many security teams for one guy,” one official told the newspaper. “Nobody has.”

The CID reportedly maintains around 1,500 agents in total, around 150 of whom are typically assigned to VIP security details.

But since Hegseth took office in January, the number shifted over into personal protection roles has risen to between 400 and 500, according to two differing estimates the paper received.

One CID official quoted by the Post expressed their frustration with the situation by saying agents were being prevented from “doing what we are supposed to be doing” in order to “sit on luggage” or “sit in the cars on the driveway.”

Others complained of having to shepherd the secretary’s children to school or patrol the perimeter of his properties.

“It is literally taking away from [CID’s] law enforcement mission,” they said. “You are taking hundreds of people out of the field to provide this level of protection.”

One of the reasons for the heightened security surrounding the secretary is the fact that he received a bomb threat at his Tennessee home late last year shortly after he was nominated to his post by President Donald Trump, which came a matter of months after two attempts were made on Trump’s own life during the campaign, the first of which saw the Secret Service heavily criticized.

Another is the complexity of Hegseth’s blended family, which includes one child from his marriage to Jennifer Hegseth as well as three from her previous marriage and another three from his.

Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell reacted angrily to the Post’s reporting and told The Independent: “In the wake of two assassinations attempts against President Trump, ICE agents facing a 1,000 percent increase in assaults, and repeated threats of retaliation from Iran for striking their nuclear capabilities, it’s astonishing that The Washington Post is criticizing a high-ranking cabinet official for receiving appropriate security protection, especially after doxxing the DHS Secretary last week.

“Any action pertaining to the security of Secretary Hegseth and his family has been in response to the threat environment and at the full recommendation the Army Criminal Investigation Division. When left-wing blogs like The Washington Post continue to dox cabinet secretaries’ security protocols and movements, it puts lives at risk.”

A senior CID official told The Independent: “While the department prioritizes the safety and security of assigned high-risk personnel, CID operates within existing resource constraints and proactively adjusts its efforts to address emerging threats and maintains a robust security posture in both the investigative and protective realms.”

“The secretary of defense never requested additional protection for his former spouses,” the official added, refuting one of the claims made by the Post. “Similarly, the secretary has never affected CID’s recommended security posture.”

Hegseth’s reign as the nation’s top defense official has been tumultuous so far, with U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin’s departure on Monday only the latest in an ongoing shake-up that has seen the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the chief of naval operations, the commandant of the Coast Guard, and the vice chief of staff of the Air Force all changed in recent months.

The secretary has also struggled to replace his own chief of staff, spokesman and senior aides after they left and found himself caught up in the “Signalgate” scandal, which erupted in March when Trump’s short-lived national security adviser Mike Waltz accidentally added Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg to a group chat in which top secret information about an upcoming bombing raid on Houthi rebels in Yemen was discussed.

In addition, Hegseth, a former Fox News weekend host, has been caught up in a number of culture war issues, from the renaming of the U.S.S. Harvey Milk to questions arising from his decision to post a video on X in which a Christian nationalist pastor expressed his support for depriving women of the vote.

Hegseth security requirements ‘forcing officers off criminal investigations’
Members of U.S. Army’s law enforcement arm complain they are being taken out of the field to watch defense secretary’s family and homes

https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/pete-hegseth-security-detail-protection-cid-b2811007.html

Slingshot News: ‘A Lack Of Cooperation’: Secretary Kristi Noem Blames Local American Police For Her Department’s Own Failures In House Hearing

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‘A Lack Of Cooperation’: Secretary Kristi Noem Blames Local American Police For Her Department’s Own Failures In House Hearing
Secretary Kristi Noem blamed local American police her Department’s own failures during a recent House hearing. Noem claimed that a ‘lack of cooperation’ was the reason for her department’s failures.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/a-lack-of-cooperation-secretary-kristi-noem-blames-local-american-police-for-her-department-s-own-failures-in-house-hearing/vi-AA1KRC27

Slingshot News: ‘I Will Find Out’: Pam Bondi Exposes Her Incompetence, Admits She Has Not Secured Sensitive FBI Data In House Hearing

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‘I Will Find Out’: Pam Bondi Exposes Her Incompetence, Admits She Has Not Secured Sensitive FBI Data In House Hearing
During a recent hearing held by the House Appropriate Committee several weeks ago, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi admitted to Congressman Frank Mrvan (D-IN) that she has no idea where potentially sensitive information from the FBI went to. “I will find out, and I will get you that information,” Bondi stated.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/relationships/i-will-find-out-pam-bondi-exposes-her-incompetence-admits-she-has-not-secured-sensitive-fbi-data-in-house-hearing/vi-AA1KRKzO

Slingshot News: ‘I Don’t Have To Listen To This’: Rep. Rosa DeLauro Snaps At A Noisy Pam Bondi For Dodging Questions With Talking Points During Hearing

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‘I Don’t Have To Listen To This’: Rep. Rosa DeLauro Snaps At A Noisy Pam Bondi For Dodging Questions With Talking Points During Hearing
In a recent House Appropriations Committee hearing several weeks ago, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) got fed up with U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi for answering her questions with talking points and “filibustering” during their exchange.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/i-don-t-have-to-listen-to-this-rep-rosa-delauro-snaps-at-a-noisy-pam-bondi-for-dodging-questions-with-talking-points-during-hearing/vi-AA1KRqzG

Slingshot News: ‘You’re Trying To Play A Gotcha Question’: Pam Bondi Gets Paranoid, Believes Dem Senator Is Out To Get Her During Tense Hearing

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‘You’re Trying To Play A Gotcha Question’: Pam Bondi Gets Paranoid, Believes Dem Senator Is Out To Get Her During Tense Hearing
During a recent hearing held by the Senate Appropriations Committee several weeks ago, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi accused Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) of trying to play “gotcha” questions on her. Merkley pressed Bondi on Donald Trump’s crypto schemes potentially inviting foreign influence into politics.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/you-re-trying-to-play-a-gotcha-question-pam-bondi-gets-paranoid-believes-dem-senator-is-out-to-get-her-during-tense-hearing/vi-AA1KRqnd

Daily Beast: Trump, 79, Tells Smithsonian to Stop Saying ‘How Bad Slavery Was’

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The president is annoyed that America’s history museums say “nothing about the future.”

President Donald Trump says the war on woke is not dead yet.

POTUS posted a bizarre screed on Tuesday about museums in Washington, claiming the Smithsonian Institution is “OUT OF CONTROL” and is fixated on the shortcomings of yesteryear, like documenting the horrors of slavery.

“The Museums throughout Washington, but all over the Country are, essentially, the last remaining segment of ‘WOKE,’” he wrote on Truth Social. “Everything discussed is how horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been—Nothing about Success, nothing about Brightness, nothing about the Future.”

Trump, 79, has vowed to rid museums of the “woke” he claims infests them. In doing so, he has pushed the more vital issues of today—like brokering a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, or releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files, a pair of campaign promises—to the back burner.

“I have instructed my attorneys to go through the Museums, and start the exact same process that has been done with Colleges and Universities, where tremendous progress has been made,” Trump said. “This Country cannot be WOKE, because WOKE IS BROKE. We have the ‘HOTTEST’ Country in the World, and we want people to talk about it, including in our Museums.”

It is unclear if Trump intends to bully museums into displaying current matters—like how the U.S. is supposedly the “hottest” country in the world—instead of exhibiting, preserving, and interpreting objects of historical or scientific significance.

Trump did not elaborate on how he intends for museums to display “the future.”

The president’s complaints did not go unnoticed by lawmakers. California congresswoman and Congressional Black Caucus Whip Sydney Kamlager-Dove retweeted Trump’s message with her own, which stated: “Slavery WAS bad, Donald. It’s absurd that this even needs to be said.”

“We don’t whitewash history,” she continued, “we learn from it.” Before adding: “You keep trying to rewrite the past—@TheBlackCaucus won’t let you get away with it.”

Slavery WAS bad, Donald. It’s absurd that this even needs to be said.

We don’t whitewash history; we learn from it.

You keep trying to rewrite the past— @TheBlackCaucus won’t let you get away with it. https://t.co/CoVc7LqY5b— Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (@RepKamlagerDove) August 19, 2025

The president’s threat to unleash lawyers on American museums is akin to how he went after U.S. universities, like Harvard, which refused to bend to his demands and axe programs he deems problematic, like diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Harvard, as a result of its defiance, has been cut off from federal funding. Trump will likely try to do the same to D.C.’s popular Smithsonian museums if changes are not made—though it is unclear what, exactly, the president is upset about.

Trump announced last week that the Smithsonian Institution, which is funded by the federal government, was being put under review to make sure its exhibitions are in line with MAGA’s view of American history.

The White House’s pressure on the Smithsonian is already being felt. It ordered the institution to erase references to Trump’s first-term impeachments in the exhibit “A Glorious Burden” last month.

The National Museum of American History briefly removed Trump from its impeachment exhibit, but told USA Today it did so to improve its appearance, not because the administration ordered it to. The paper reports that references to the impeachments have since been returned to the exhibit.

Trump Tells Smithsonian to Stop Saying ‘How Bad Slavery Was’
The president is annoyed that America’s history museums say “nothing about the future.”

https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trump-79-tells-smithsonian-to-stop-saying-how-bad-slavery-was

Alternet: ‘Novel take on the Constitution’: Trump gives away the game on claim GOP is ‘party of states’ rights’

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CNN analyst Aaron Blake said President Donald Trump is now leading Republican party in its assault on states’ rights.

“[Trump] has spent much of his second term attempting to chip away at states’ rights — or at least, the ones he doesn’t like,” said Blake, adding that Trump more recently referred to states as subservient to the federal government in a pitch to get rid of mail-in voting and voting machines.

“Remember, the States are merely an ‘agent’ for the Federal Government in counting and tabulating the votes,” the president posted on Truth Social. “They must do what the Federal Government, as represented by the President of the United States, tells them, for the good of our country, to do.”

This was not Trump’s first reference to states as “agents” of the federal government, but it was one of the first that referenced himself personally as more powerful.

“This is a rather novel take on the Constitution, to put it mildly,” said Blake, explaining that the Constitution says the “Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections … shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof.” Congress may tweak regulations, but there is no role for the president.

“And Trump isn’t saying that Congress should outlaw mail-in voting or voting machines, mind you. Instead, he’s saying the states ‘must’ get rid of them because he tells them to — apparently because he was elected president and because he has determined it’s “for the good of the country,” said Blake. “This is merely the latest in a long line of drastic Trump claims to power.

Trump claimed during his first term that the Constitution gave him absolute power, even when out of office, reports Blake. He’s “floated terminating portions of the Constitution, while repeating his false claims that the 2020 election was rigged.” Earlier this year, Blake notes Trump suggesting his actions “couldn’t be illegal as long as he was acting to ‘save’ the country.”

These things are inconsistent with decades of conservative orthodoxy, which holds that the federal government should be small and that states should lead the way, said Blake. The 2016, Republican Party platform devoted an entire section to states’ rights, arguing “Every violation of state sovereignty by federal officials is not merely a transgression of one unit of government against another; it is an assault on the liberties of individual Americans.”

But since then, Blake says Trump has issued executive orders targeting state and local governments’ “sanctuary” policies, and he’s directed the DOJ to block states from enforcing their own pollution laws. He’s also dispatched troops to Los Angeles without the consent of the governor and federalized the police in Washington, DC. He also tried unsuccessfully to block funding to New York for trying to curb traffic congestion and threatened other state’s funding over transgender rights.

Blake said “if nothing else,” Trump’s latest Truth Social post “has finally said how he really feels about the concept of states’ rights.”

‘Novel take on the Constitution’: Trump gives away the game on claim GOP is ‘party of states’ rights’

https://www.alternet.org/trump-washingotn-dc-troops

Alternet: ‘Another senior moment’: Concerns swirl after Trump forgets name of Pacific Ocean on Fox News

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After his meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska on August 15 and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House Oval Office three days later, U.S. President Donald Trump talked foreign policy when he called into Fox News’ morning show, “Fox & Friends,” early Tuesday morning, August 19. And he appeared to forget the name of an ocean.

Trump told the hosts, “You know we have an ocean that’s separating us, right? A thing called…. an ocean. A big, beautiful ocean. And, uh, they don’t, they’re right there. So it’s a different kind of a thing for them.”

Trump, the Daily Beast’s Jack Silvers notes, “appeared to be referring to the Pacific Ocean, the largest body of water on Earth.”

Silvers explains, “The coast of Alaska, where Trump and Putin met last Friday, is separated by 55 miles of ocean from the eastern coast of Russia…. Famously, Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin said that ‘you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska’ in 2008, providing fodder for a viral ‘SNL’ spoof starring Tina Fey.”

Trump’s comments are generating some discussion on X, formerly Twitter.

The Daily Beast tweeted, “Trump appeared to have another senior moment as he rambled to Fox News about ‘a thing called… an ocean’ while discussing his meeting with Zelensky.”

Journalist Aaron Ruper said of the Daily Beast’s reporting, “This headline is incorrect. Trump was clearly referring to the Atlantic Ocean, not the Pacific.”

X user Terp Sitone posted, “Clearly a masterclass in geography.”

Another X user, Annie van Leur, wrote, “TRUMP CAN’T REMEMBER THE NAME OF THE OCEAN.”

Van Leur, in a separate tweet, commented, “If not for the Republicans in Congress, he’d be in an assisted living community somewhere. Donald Trump is a ‘Weekend at Bernie’s’ president.”

‘Another senior moment’: Concerns swirl after Trump forgets name of Pacific Ocean on Fox News

https://www.alternet.org/trump-pacific-ocean

Mirror US: Trump mocked by Gavin Newsom on socials as he ditches all caps writing style

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California Governor Gavin Newsom has been relentlessly poking fun at Trump, and it seems to be influencing the way the former US President crafts his social media posts.

Supporters of the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement are taking notice as the high-profile Democrat starts using Trump’s own brash and cheeky tactics against him.

As the leader of the country’s most populous state, Newsom is leading the charge as Democrats try to counteract Trump’s confrontational political style.

This comes after lawmakers in Texas pledged to redraw the state’s electoral boundaries in an attempt to tip the 2026 midterm elections in favor of the Republicans.

In a move reminiscent of Trump’s somewhat erratic style, Newsom announced his plans to implement similar redistricting measures, using all caps and heaping praise on himself. He also took a swipe at Trump’s controversial Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, calling her KaroLYIN and saying she’ll be left scrambling to answer press questions about the new electoral maps.

He even went so far as to claim these maps are ‘the greatest maps ever created’ and ‘even superior to those of Christopher Columbus’.

A statement from Newsom posted late Wednesday night read: “WOW! TOMORROW HISTORY WILL BE MADE. KaroLYIN LEAVITT WILL HAVE NO ANSWERS FOR THE SUPPOSED ‘FAKE MEDIA’ ABOUT CALIFORNIA’S BEAUTIFUL MAPS. PEOPLE ARE SAYING THEY ARE THE GREATEST MAPS EVER CREATED – EVEN BETTER THAN CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS’. DONALD ‘THE FAILURE’ TRUMP BE WARNED, TOMORROW MAY BE THE WORST DAY OF YOUR LIFE. ALL BECAUSE YOU ‘MISSED THE DEADLINE.’ LIBERATION DAY FOR AMERICA! ! ! – GCN”.

It appears Newsom’s jabs are getting under Donald Trump’s skin, with the former President seemingly using fewer capitalized letters in his recent Truth Social posts.

The shift was spotted on X, with one user sharing a screenshot of Trump’s less-capitalized messages. They posted: “The funniest thing about this is ever since Newsom started mocking him, Trump has stopped posting in all caps.”

Trump’s chaotic social media behavior has already resumed, but it suggests Newsom might be making an impression on him.

Texas Legislature Democrats initially fought back by blocking Republican measures through departing the state, but now multiple Democratic governors have pledged to establish new districts within their own states to counter potential Republican gains in Washington. Their approach has built steam through nationwide fundraising drives, media blitzes and public rallies, including demonstrations held across the country on Saturday.

Newsom joined forces with JB Pritzker of Illinois and Kathy Hochul of New York, showing solidarity with Texas Democrats and pledging to retaliate through redistricting. Pritzker mocked Abbott as a lackey who obediently responds “yes, sir” to Trump’s orders.

Hochul labeled Texas Republicans as “lawbreaking cowboys.”

Trump mocked by Gavin Newsom on socials as he ditches all caps writing style
Gavin Newsom has been mocking Donald Trump using his own social media tactics, with the California Governor declaring ‘Liberation Day for America’ in one tweet

https://www.themirror.com/news/us-news/gavin-newsom-donald-trump-1335709