Presumptuous Politics

Wednesday, August 19, 2026

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Russia Reportedly Resupplying Iran as US-Russia Tensions Persist

Russia Reportedly Resupplying Iran as US-Moscow Tensions Persist

Russia is reportedly shipping drone components, ammunition, and explosives to Iran to help Tehran replenish military stockpiles damaged by U.S. and Israeli strikes, according to NBC News.

NBC News reported Tuesday that the shipments are traveling across the Caspian Sea to Iran's Amirabad port, 

Amirabad Port on Track to Become a Rail Grain Hub; 77% Growth in Rail Cargo  Transport - Negashteh Magazine 

citing a document from a European government that the network said was verified by a Western official.

More than two dozen Russian vessels have reportedly transported the materials, with many of the ships operating under U.S. or European sanctions, according to NBC.

The reported shipments include drone components, small-arms ammunition and TNT, which NBC said is used in Iranian ballistic missile warheads and drones.

Former CIA analyst Jim Lamson said Iran's purchases from Russia suggest the U.S. and Israeli strikes have damaged Tehran's ability to manufacture some of those materials domestically.

"Iran's procurement of drone components and small arms ammunition from Russia strongly suggests that Israeli and U.S. military strikes on Iran's facilities that produce these items have degraded Iran's domestic capability to produce them," Lamson told NBC.

He said Iran would likely have to rely on foreign suppliers in the short term while rebuilding damaged production facilities.

A Russian official rejected the allegations when contacted by NBC, saying, "We don't dignify fake news with an answer."

The reported shipments would represent another development in an increasingly close military relationship between Moscow and Tehran.

Iran has supplied Russia with Shahed drones used extensively in its war against Ukraine, while Russia has developed and upgraded versions of the Iranian-designed weapons.

The Wall Street Journal reported in March that Russia had expanded military and intelligence cooperation with Iran, including providing satellite imagery and improved drone technology that could help Tehran target U.S. forces in the region.

 

European officials also raised concerns about Russian assistance to Iran directly with Secretary of State Marco Rubio at a G7 meeting in March.

Reuters reported that European foreign ministers pressed Rubio over allegations that Moscow was aiding Tehran, including through satellite imagery and drone technology.

Rubio appeared to downplay Russia's involvement at the time.

Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images 

"I think Russia is primarily concentrating on the war they have going on right now," Rubio said, according to Reuters. "Beyond that, I don't have anything to add right now."

The reported military resupply also comes as Russia's relationship with Washington remains deeply strained for reasons that extend well beyond the Iran conflict.

Russia has been at war with Ukraine since its full-scale invasion in February 2022, and the Trump administration's efforts to broker a settlement have repeatedly run into major differences between Moscow and Kyiv.

Rubio met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov Rejects Western Demands for Peace  Plan 

 in Manila in July, but Rubio said afterward that new ideas would be needed to move the peace process forward. Reuters reported that Lavrov reaffirmed Russia's readiness for a political and diplomatic settlement.

On Aug. 14, Lavrov accused Washington of being deeply involved in Ukrainian attacks against Russia through the provision of intelligence and said Moscow was seeking answers from the U.S. State Department.

Russia and Iran have increasingly aligned against U.S. pressure and Western sanctions, although Moscow has stopped short of entering the Iran conflict directly.

The precise quantity and military significance of the reported shipments remain unclear, and Russia has denied the allegations.

© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.

 

Trump's Indiana Revenge Tour Ends With a New Senate Leader — and One Brutal Parting Shot

The glow emanating from the Oval Office right now can probably be seen from the International Space Station, it's so bright. The source? President Trump’s enormous grin after Indiana Republicans chose a new state Senate president pro tempore, replacing the man who betrayed him on redistricting.

In a Tuesday afternoon Truth Social post, Trump sent hearty congratulations to state Sen. Chris Garten 

Chris Garten for Indiana State Senator District 45 

after he was unanimously chosen by his GOP colleagues to replace Rodric Bray as pro tem. 

Martinsville's Rodric Bray to succeed David Long as leader of Indiana  Senate – Indianapolis Business Journal 

Trump noted that Garten had led the effort to primary all Indiana state Senate Republicans who had not supported the president's efforts to redistrict Indiana's congressional map ahead of the 2026 midterms. Six Republican senators who defied Trump on redistricting were subsequently bounced in their primary races back in May.

Congratulations to Indiana State Senator Chris Garten, who I was proud to ENDORSE, on being unanimously voted by his colleagues to be the next Senate President Pro Tempore for the State Senate of Indiana! This finishes off my working against Political Leaders in the State Senate who let our Country down. If they did what they should have done, and what every other State did, as requested, we would have had two more seats in the House of Representatives! Chris led this effort for me, along with Trevor De Vries, Brian Schmutzler, Blake Fiechter, Tracey Powell, Paula Copenhaver, and Michelle Davis, who all beat their Opponents. Thank you also to Brenda Wilson. She’ll be back next time where there won’t be two Candidates running with the exact same name, a dirty trick! Rod Bray should resign from Office because he has no chance of winning. Indiana was the only State this happened with, and I won it six times, in LANDSLIDES, including with the Highest Vote in the History of the State. Remember, Bray was responsible for us not having TWO additional Seats, for the Republican Party, in the House of Representatives.

The bad blood dates back to last year, when Trump pushed Republican-led states to redraw their congressional maps to help protect the GOP's razor-thin House majority. The Indiana state House approved the plan, but it died in the Senate in December after 21 Republicans joined all 10 Democrats to defeat it, 31-19. Bray was among the Republicans who voted no.

Trump had warned the holdouts that there would be political consequences, and he followed through on that by backing primary challengers against most of the senators who opposed the map. Garten played a key role in helping take out the dissenters.

The fallout eventually caught up with Bray, and he announced last month that he would step aside as Senate president pro tempore, making way for Garten to take on the role.

Garten was raring to go after being elected pro tem, saying, "Leading this caucus is a profound honor, and my commitment to my colleagues and the people of Indiana is simple: unapologetic conservatism, decisive action and absolute transparency."

Once again, Trump got his guy. Oh, and he had some advice for Rodric Bray: resign. 

 

The Ossoff-Platner Similarities, and How They Could Sink the 'Pee-Wee Herman' Reelection Campaign

Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) has always come off as an arrogant jerk, to put it mildly, presenting himself as the white Barack Obama of Georgia who can give a decent speech while throwing in a lot of yada yada-ing about unity that he doesn't really mean

That was more than apparent this week after the disgusting jab he took at cancer survivor Natalie Harp, a top aide to President Donald Trump, during a campaign rally in the Peach State. For those who missed it, here's what Ossoff said:

“He doesn’t want to do the job,” Ossoff claimed during a campaign speech. “He wants to build his ballroom and travel with Natalie on their apparently defenseless flying palace gifted by the emir of Qatar.”

Watch:

Ossoff says that Trump doesn’t want to do his job but wants to “travel with Natalie” pic.twitter.com/aDLMKFeMmR

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 16, 2026

Even more icky was how, after the fact, Ossoff, a possible 2028 presidential contender, tried to act like he was insinuating something else other than an affair when he made the cheap shot. "Well, I’ve heard this particular aide referred to as his security blanket. And I think we could say that about any number of the senior aides in the White House," he stated. 

 

"They’re not telling him what he needs to hear," he went on to allege in an "interview" with MS NOW anchor and former Joe Biden press secretary Jen Psaki.


SEE ALSO: Ossoff Tries Some Desperate Clean-Up After 'Natalie' Comment - It Doesn't Go Well

Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff Has a Few Hundred Thousand Reasons to Stay Mum on SPLC Scandal


When I initially heard the remark, one of the first thoughts that came to my mind was how this was in some ways reminiscent of the Platner campaign, when the allegations of domestic abuse were reported in May. No Democrat called for him to drop out, with most trying to cast doubt on the allegation since it came from a former girlfriend who also happened to be a conservative Republican. 

People were free to draw their own conclusions about the story, but it had more contemporary corroboration from close friends than anything Christine Blasey Ford ever accused Brett Kavanaugh of doing. But Ford was supposed to be believed, you see, because her allegations had the potential to derail a conservative Supreme Court nominee. The allegations of Lyndsey Fifield, the domestic abuse accuser, were to be ridiculed because they had the potential to spoil the Democrats' hopes and dreams of retaking the Senate.

For Democrats, "Believe All Women" suddenly became "Believe Some Women" - until a leftist accuser came along, alleging sexual assault. Then and only then was the pressure put on Platner from Democrats to withdraw.

 

One of the dirty little worst-kept secrets about Democrats, including Platner and Ossoff, is that they believe women are very expendable, especially Republican women. They are "traitors" to their gender for having the audacity to be pro-life, pro-family, pro-femininity, and for choosing to believe that men are not the root of all evil in this world. 

For that, their stories must be discounted, and their motives distrusted. And for those in Trump's circle, a pretty face with which to curry favor with the powerful.

This was a point Salem News Channel host Scott Jennings made much better than I in a fiery rant against Ossoff on Tuesday, accusing the man he described as the Democrats' "flavor of the month" of reducing Republican women to "sex objects" rather than people with valid opinions on the important issues of the day:

Jon Ossoff's despicable attack on Natalie Harp https://t.co/X8oPVqZl7v

— Scott Jennings (@ScottJenningsKY) August 18, 2026

DIVE DEEPER: With Guys Like Jon Ossoff, Why Would Democrats Think They Need 'Real Men'


Disrespect for women who choose not to think like him is not the only thing Ossoff (aka "Pee-wee Herman") has going against him in Georgia, and is not the only thing he has in common with Graham Platner.

Ossoff, who is Jewish, is not doing so well with Jewish voters in Georgia, some of whom see his wishy-washy position on the Israel-Hamas war, where he has, in some instances, voted against support for Israel, as a betrayal:

Then, hypocritically and ironically, he posed with freed Israeli hostages, smoothing over the fact he had voted to deny Israel the arms its soldiers needed to fight the very captors who took them.

His own community was loud and clear in their response – not once, but twice. Nearly 50 Georgia Jewish organizations, representing the vast majority of its engaged members, signed a formal rebuke; 22 rabbis added their own.

Opinion | Sen. Jon Ossoff cannot be trusted. When the only Jewish state was fighting for its life, he broke faith – and no scorecard, no invocation of his own heritage, can buy it back.https://t.co/G927sBtadZ

— The Jerusalem Post (@Jerusalem_Post) August 15, 2026

As the NRSC has pointed out, Ossoff has - like Platner - stood more with criminal illegal aliens than the citizens of his own state, flip-flopping on the Laken Riley Act only when it was politically convenient for him to do so.

Something else about Ossoff to remember, but which is not connected to Graham Platner, was his admission after the fact that he deliberately lied about what he knew about Joe Biden's declining health because he was afraid it would help Donald Trump win in 2024:

I think that like the most brutally honest answer to that question is, you know, when you're facing the spectre of Donald Trump potentially being reelected to the presidency and you have in the sitting president the presumptive nominee, it's understandable that you're not going to be inclined to do or say things that might weaken that presumptive nominee against Trump, given the threat that he posed and poses.

Watch:

🚨 WATCH: Jon Ossoff admits that he knowingly lied to the nation about Joe Biden's cognitive decline because beating President Trump was more important to him.

Georgia, your Senator lied to you— because he cares more about Democrats having power than our state’s best interests. pic.twitter.com/k8y3zX3hxn

— Mike Collins War Room (@TeamOverhaulGA) September 26, 2025

Ossoff and other Democrats kept quiet even though they had to be aware that it undoubtedly meant that unelected people were running our country and would have continued to had Biden stayed in the race and somehow gotten reelected.

In essence, to "save democracy" (his words) or whatever, Ossoff was perfectly willing to destroy it by keeping a figurehead in the Oval Office whose handlers had to do the heavy lifting while we were continually gaslit about Biden's ability to lead.

Mike Collins, who is now the GOP nominee in the race, called him out for it at the time:

— Mike Collins (@MikeCollinsGA) September 26, 2025

As I noted at the time, Ossoff has said and done some foolish things in office, but this might be the most dangerous thing he's ever said. Georgia voters should think long and hard before they cast their ballots in the 2026 Senate election as to whether they want someone like this to continue to "represent" their interests in D.C.

 

The First Trump Resistance Is Likely Dead With Alex Vindman's Brutal Primary Defeat in Florida

The First Trump Resistance Is Likely Dead With Alex Vindman's Brutal Primary Defeat in Florida

Alex Vindman has joined an unfortunate club: the Solyndra of politics club — those who raise an inordinate amount of money for their campaigns, have name recognition, and are roundly rejected by voters. It’s not just a Democrat-only establishment. Jeb Bush is the Hall of Fame addition here. Vindman was supposed to beat Florida state Rep. and democratic socialist Angie Nixon handily. He was supposedly within striking distance of Republican Sen. Ashley Moody (FL), who is serving the remainder of Marco Rubio’s term. Moody handily won the Republican primary, whereas Vindman lost by double digits to Nixon. It was a blowout, and his supporters are shell-shocked right now. 

Vindman was a key figure in the Trump impeachment circus over the alleged Ukrainian quid pro quo, which was fake news, a manufactured political operation by then-Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), 

Adam Schiff - Ballotpedia 

and a biased intelligence officer. Maybe he thought that could carry him over the finish line. It didn’t. He also moved to Florida like three years ago. He raised over $15 million. Nixon came nowhere close, but beat the Trump resistance peddler 55-44. 

After October 7, Angie Nixon pushed a Gaza cease-fire resolution that her own party asked her to withdraw.

The final vote: 104–2. https://t.co/FLBsPWgApm

— Erik Telford (@ErikTelford) August 18, 2026

Congratulations to Alex Vindman and his whole team on duping ActBlue boomers out of $16.2m only to lose a DSA nobody https://t.co/8XA6lQOsnU

— Philip Letsou (@philipletsou) August 19, 2026

World's biggest douchebag @AVindman raised $16 million and lost his primary by double digits. 🫵😂🫵 pic.twitter.com/S4UWYKzdh1

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) August 19, 2026

But I was reliably told that the DSA takeover was confined to far left enclaves. https://t.co/qVaYiGqyeJ

— Michael Duncan (@MichaelDuncan) August 19, 2026

Recommended

pic.twitter.com/6Ph6JN5Fpx

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 19, 2026

Holy shit.

Another insane DSA candidate, Angie Nixon, just upset the Democratic Party’s favorite anti-Trump hero Alexander Vindman.

She raised ~$800k while Vindman had the full backing of the party and ~$20 million. pic.twitter.com/iOrIHczU96

— Geiger Capital (@Geiger_Capital) August 19, 2026

Nixon had a total meltdown when the new Florida maps were passed and later staged a shoddy sit-in at Gov. DeSantis’ office. She was arrested for this stunt. Nate Silver added that it seems with the defeats of Rep. Dan Goldman, George Conway’s dismal showing in his congressional bid, and now Vindman being put through the shredder, people are tired of the anti-Trump resistance folks. The schtick is over. 

It's kind of been a rough set of primaries for Heroes of the Resistance 1.0 between Vindman losing tonight, Dan Goldman losing his seat (although there were other issues there) and George Conway getting only 6% of the vote in NY-12. People want to move on.

— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) August 19, 2026
— Matt Vespa (@mVespa1) April 29, 2026

Anyways, congratulations on her election win, Sen. Moody. 

Sen. Ashley Moody draws a DSA opponent, wastes zero time in defining her pic.twitter.com/eEKvJa2ks6

— Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) August 19, 2026

Crystal Ball Senate rating change

FL-SEN moves from Likely R to Safe R after Angie Nixon upsets Alexander VIndman in the Dem primary.

— Kyle Kondik (@kkondik) August 19, 2026

 

What the Hell Was CNN Thinking With This Segment?

What the Hell Was CNN Thinking With This Segment?

Natalie Harp is a longtime and dedicated Trump aide.

Meet Natalie Harp, the aide so close to Trump she once rode in an SUV trunk  to accompany him : r/politics 

 She’s with him all the time, as any close aides are, and somehow that’s become a story. Newsflash: the president’s body person or persons are around him a lot. There is a sexual element here as well: they’re hoping a sex scandal rests beneath the mountain of innuendos that’s been lobbed at Harp and Trump, specifically from Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA),

 Scoop: Senate GOP hits Ossoff over shutdown

who really needs to know his place. My dude, you’re a little senator. Trump is president. It’s not a contest between the president and soy boy Jonny. 

Yet, CNN decided to fan the flames on this non-story, taking the extra step of finding Harp’s estranged brother, Preston,

Family secrets of Trump's closest White House aide: Natalie Harp's  estranged socialist brother reveals ugly details of feud... and the tragedy  that shattered everything | Daily Mail Online 

to get into the psyche of Ms. Harp.

Three words: gross and weird. Harp is also a survivor of bone cancer, and this whole segment really took an aberrant turn. Corey clipped this bizarre event, in which Preston claimed his estranged sister might be obsessed with Trump, adding to insinuations of an improper relationship while also taking swipes at the president. He got his fifteen minutes. 

Erin’s full interview with the estranged brother of Trump aide Natalie Harp as CNN reports Harp is constantly around Trump all hours of the day: “It really blows my mind.” pic.twitter.com/4jWjuNCMys

— Erin Burnett OutFront (@OutFrontCNN) August 19, 2026

When asked if he had a message for Ms. Harp, it was this:

“I hope that you change and that you wake up and you realize that everybody on this earth is part of a human family, and no country is better than any other country. And the history of the United States is, unfortunately, really sad,” he said. 

What the hell was even this, folks? 

 

Minn.: Somali immigrant honored with ‘Outstanding Refugee Award’ charged in $1.5M Medicaid fraud scheme tied to sex trafficking ring

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison testifies during a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing in the U.S. Capitol Building on March 04, 2026 in Washington, DC.

A man previously awarded the “Outstanding Refugee Award for Entrepreneurship” by the Minnesota Department of Human Services is now facing charges in connection with a Medicaid fraud scheme tied to a sex trafficking ring.

On Monday, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison charged Somali immigrant Salman Ahmed Elmi

Minnesota man honored as 'outstanding refugee' charged in Medicaid fraud  case | FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul 

 in Ramsey County District Court with 8 felony theft counts — three counts of aiding and abetting theft by swindle and five counts of aiding and abetting theft by false representation.

 

The criminal complaint alleges that Elmi’s company, Reva Health, fraudulently billed Medicaid for over $1 million since 2023 in services that were either unauthorized or never provided.

State investigations and court documents associate Elmi and his co-conspirators with additional healthcare and housing entities — including Reva Autism, Helpful Housing, and Homefelt Assisted Living — which collectively billed state and federal programs for millions in fraudulent claims.

Three other individuals involved in the scheme included Frank Reeves, Viktoriya Komonash and former Anoka County prosecutor Andrea Sampson

Ex-Anoka County prosecutor, others charged in sex trafficking ring 

who were busted last week in Hennepin County for running a sex-trafficking enterprise.

The operation purportedly preyed on vulnerable young women struggling with addiction or homelessness, forging documents to rent apartments under the victims’ names and forcing them into a pay-for-sex scheme.

According to investigators, the defendants stole the victims’ personal information to submit millions of dollars in fraudulent Medicaid claims through entities such as Elmi’s Reva Health.

With the defendants facing numerous felony counts, authorities cautioned on Monday that the scope of the scheme is likely far larger than initially uncovered. Prosecutors further allege that Elmi used his partial ownership in Tavolo — a Minneapolis startup that secured investment from Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary in 2024 — to obtain the initial funding for Reva Health.

He was later awarded in 2021 the “Outstanding Refugee Award for Entrepreneurship” by Minnesota’s Department of Human Services.

Ellison emphasized further that Elmi’s charges serve as “another warning” that those who “cheat Minnesotans” will be caught and prosecuted.

“Medicaid fraud steals money meant to provide healthcare to our low-income friends and neighbors,” said Ellison. “It is illegal and it makes my blood boil, which is why I’m filing these charges and why I’ve built a strong record of holding fraudsters accountable. My team and I have won over 340 Medicaid fraud convictions so far, which is an average of one fraud conviction every eight days since I’ve been your Attorney General. These charges serve as yet another warning that those who try to cheat Minnesotans will be caught and charged.”

Since Governor Tim Walz (D-Minn.) took office in 2019,

Minnesota's Tim Walz drops out of governor's race, citing distraction of  fraud investigation 

 his administration has come under sharp scrutiny over widespread fraud schemes across several state agencies. Prosecutors estimate potential losses could exceed $9 billion, with high-profile cases mostly involving members of the state’s Somali community.

 

Judge Pauses ICE Removal After Check‑In Arrest Exposes Media Spin

Fundraiser by Jeff Markwardt : Support Alex Pereira-Alves
Alex Pereira-Alves

ICE hauled a West Hollywood resident into custody this week after a routine check‑in turned into a sudden detention. Lawyers rushed to federal court, and a judge hit the brakes on a planned removal while the habeas petition is considered. The story is simple — and the headlines are not. What followed should make anyone who cares about both the rule of law and honest reporting raise an eyebrow.

What happened at the check‑in

Immigration and Customs Enforcement told the man to appear at a federal building and then placed him in handcuffs minutes after he arrived. He was transferred to the Adelanto processing center while the agency said it intended to remove him to a third country that friends say he has no ties to. Friends and his attorney say he has medical needs and is frightened. That, in short, is why his lawyer filed an emergency habeas corpus petition asking a judge to stop the government from shipping him out while paperwork and procedures are sorted.

Legal reality: withholding of removal ≠ permanent legal status

Here’s the legal wrinkle too few reporters explained. An immigration judge once issued a final order of removal, but also granted withholding of removal with respect to the man’s home country. Withholding prevents return to the specific country where he faces danger, but it does not automatically block removal to a different country that will accept him. In plain English: withholding can stop deportation to Country A, but it doesn’t stop deportation to Country B if the paperwork and diplomatic arrangements exist.

 

 Judge steps in — and Adelanto heightens concern

The emergency habeas alleges the man received no proper notice and no credible‑fear or similar processing tied to the country ICE named. A federal judge paused the removal while attorneys brief those claims. That pause is the right call if process was skipped. It’s also worth noting he’s being held at Adelanto, a facility that has faced court scrutiny over conditions and medical care. Friends worry he isn’t getting daily medication. Courts should protect due process; detention facilities should not be places where the sick are forgotten.

Why the media’s framing matters

Some local headlines rolled out the feel‑good version: “living and working legally.” Cute. But that headline leaves out the final removal order and the legal nuance of withholding. The media’s job is to tell readers what actually happened, not perform magic tricks that make legal reality disappear. Conservatives who want strong borders should also want clear reporting — and due process when the government acts in haste.

Bottom line: the judge’s temporary block is a check on agency power while lawyers sort the facts. The case also exposes two truths the press should stop ignoring — first, withholding is not the same as legal residency; second, sudden check‑in detentions raise real due‑process and medical‑care questions. Keep an eye on the court docket; honest answers have to come from the record, not from the headline writers.

Ninth Circuit Rules Nevada US Attorney Appointment Illegal

Trump-Appointed Prosecutor Sigal Chattah Loses Appeals Court Fight

 

The Ninth Circuit just handed down a clear rebuke: Sigal Chattah’s run as Nevada’s top federal prosecutor was unlawful. The appeals court affirmed a lower court decision that the Justice Department’s personnel shuffle violated federal law, and that means Chattah can no longer supervise the prosecutions at issue. In plain English: the administration tried a clever end-run and the judges slapped it down.

What the court actually held

The three-judge panel said the Justice Department could not sidestep the statute that limits interim U.S. attorney appointments. The government’s move — put someone in as interim, then relabel her “first assistant” after the vacancy to keep her in charge — was ruled impermissible. The court’s message was simple and sharp: Congress wrote rules for a reason, and the Attorney General can’t rewrite them by sleight of hand.

Why this matters beyond Nevada

This is not a tiny procedural quarrel. The ruling follows similar decisions from other districts that rejected the same tactic. The practical fallout is immediate: judges and the DOJ now must decide who runs the prosecutions Chattah had been overseeing. The administration nominated George Kelesis

The White House has nominated George Kelesis to be U.S. Attorney for Nevada  as a possible replacement to Sigal Chattah. For the full story, see the  link in the bio 

for the permanent job, and the Senate should do its job and consider that nomination rather than letting personnel games fester. If the Justice Department asks the Supreme Court to take this up, we’ll have an even bigger showdown over the executive’s power to staff offices without Senate oversight.

A conservative take: rule of law beats political tricks

Call it inconvenient for a Republican administration if you like, but the court’s ruling is a win for the rule of law and separation of powers. If you want your preferred U.S. attorney in place, go through the Senate. Don’t invent a workaround and then act surprised when judges enforce the statute. That’s not bold leadership — it’s sloppy governance dressed up as creative personnel management. And no, sarcasm aside, the GOP should not cheer a tactic that undermines the very checks and balances conservatives claim to defend.


What should happen next

The smart path is obvious: the White House should proceed with the nomination process for George Kelesis and ask the Senate to move swiftly. The Justice Department should stop using procedural contortions that invite costly litigation. If the administration decides to appeal to the Supreme Court, it should be ready to defend the principle it claims to embrace — that appointments require Senate accountability. For now, the courts have reined in a messy stunt. Let’s call it what it is and fix it the right way.

 

Tuesday, August 18, 2026

CartoonDems


 







Redistricting Scrambles Florida as Alaska Pits Dan Sullivan V. Dan Sullivan

What to watch Tuesday: Redistricting scrambles Florida as Alaska pits Dan  Sullivan v. Dan Sullivan

 As a long and contentious primary season nears its end, attention is turning to Florida, Wyoming, California, and Alaska, where primaries Tuesday will highlight Republican-led redistricting efforts that have scrambled congressional maps and new battles between the Democrat establishment and progressive left.

Also in the mix are a handful of scandal-plagued candidates, multiple people running with matching last names, and several incumbents at risk of defeat.

Tuesday's contests will help shape the fiercely contested midterms this fall to determine control of Congress, where Republicans have a narrow edge, and offer a referendum on President Donald Trump's second term.

Here's a closer look at what to watch.

Trump-backed Florida Rep. Byron Donalds, a rising star in the Republican Party, is running to succeed term-limited Gov. Ron DeSantis to become the first Black governor of the state. 

If Donalds wins, he'll become part of a historic slate of Black gubernatorial nominees that includes Republican Rep. John James in Michigan and Lisa Demuth, who defeated pillow-selling conspiracist Mike Lindell in Minnesota.

On the Democrat side, David Crowley won a razor-thin primary against a democratic socialist in Wisconsin, joining Attorney General Aaron Ford in Nevada, State Rep. Jermaine Johnson in South Carolina, and former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who is running in Georgia to be the nation's first Black woman governor.

There is currently only one Black governor in the nation, Democrat Wes Moore of Maryland, who is seeking reelection in November.

Wes Moore, Democratic primary candidate for Maryland Governor | WYPR

 

The most contentious pits veteran Democrat U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz against former U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick in a South Florida district that is almost majority Black. Cherfilus-McCormick resigned earlier this year under threat of House ethics sanctions, but now wants her seat back.

Wasserman Schultz, a former national party chair seeking a 12th term in Congress, is the only white candidate competing against four Black candidates in an area of Broward County that has helped send Black Democrats to Congress since 1992. Her decision to run has raised questions about representation and stirred deep animosity, including charges by one rival that "she stabbed us in the back."

The race to fill Donalds' House seat features a cast of characters akin to a reality show reunion, including several who have spent time in prison and a handful who have run in other states.

The field includes two former members of Congress who are mounting comeback bids after departing in scandal. Former North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn's 

Report: Rep. Madison Cawthorn's sad trail of fibs continues to grow • NC  Newsline

 tenure was marred by repeat traffic stops, guns at airport checkpoints, and a claim he had been invited to a Washington orgy. Former New York Rep. Chris Collins, who resigned before pleading guilty to insider trading charges, served prison time before he was pardoned by Trump.

Trump-endorsed Catalina Lauf ran twice for Congress in Illinois. She lost the 2020 primary to Jim Oberweis, a former state senator, who has also decamped to Florida and is running for the seat.

Another candidate, Ola Hawatmeh, previously ran unsuccessfully for Congress in New York, while Linda Sawyer once tried in Michigan.

Also in the race: John Strand, a former television actor, underwear model, and romance novel cover model, who served prison time for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 assault of the U.S. Capitol.

The internal battle between progressive and establishment candidates that has been roiling the Democratic Party in states like Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan, now arrives in more conservative territory.

Progressive state lawmaker Angie Nixon is facing retired Army Lt. Col. Alex Vindman, a former National Security Council official who delivered searing testimony against Trump in his 2019 impeachment trial. They're both running in the Florida special election to fill the last two years of Secretary of State Marco Rubio's former Senate term.

The winner is likely to face interim Sen. Ashley Moody, the Republican appointed by DeSantis to the seat.

Other races will also put fault lines on display. In South Florida, U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz is running for reelection in a new Republican-friendly district against union organizer and democratic socialist Oliver Larkin.

Meanwhile, Republican incumbents are facing their own challenges. Rep. Cory Mills, running for a third term, has been plagued by an ethics investigation stemming from allegations of assault, domestic violence, and campaign finance violations, which he denies.

In a Senate race that is expected to be one of the country's most closely watched this fall, incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, a Trump ally seeking a third term, is facing another candidate also named Dan Sullivan.

Republicans have argued the second Sullivan, who'll be appearing on the ballot as "Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.," is a sham candidate running at the behest of Democrats to cause confusion. Dan J. Sullivan Jr., a retired teacher, has denied the charge.

Also in the race is former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola. She was the first Alaska Native to serve in Congress, and she would become the first Alaska Native senator if she wins in November.

Under Alaska's open primary system, all candidates appear on the same ballot, and the four who receive the most votes move on to a ranked-vote general election.

There are other surnames for Alaskans to keep straight.

Republican Rep. Nick Begich faces a crowded field in his bid for a second term in the state's lone congressional seat. His uncle, former state Sen. Tom Begich, and former state Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins are the two Democrats in the race for governor. Tom Begich is the brother of Mark Begich, a former Democrat U.S. senator whom Sullivan defeated in 2014.

For the first time in more than 30 years, Wyoming has open seats for governor, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House all up for grabs in a state where registered Republicans outnumber Democrats by a 7-to-1 margin.

Republican Sen. Cynthia Lummis' decision to retire after a single term has set off a chain reaction, with Rep. Harriet Hageman running to replace her.

She has an overwhelming fundraising advantage and became well-known after defeating former Rep. Liz Cheney, one of Trump's harshest Republican critics, in 2022.

Nine Republicans, meanwhile, are competing to replace Hageman as the state's lone U.S. representative.

Wyoming's current governor, Republican Mark Gordon, considered seeking a third term and challenging a state term limit law but ultimately decided not to.

In California's Bay Area, voters will be picking a replacement for Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell, whose resignation amid sexual assault allegations ended his run for governor.

California's 14th District will remain under Democratic control as state Sen. Aisha Wahab and Bay Area Rapid Transit Board President Melissa Hernandez advanced from a special open primary.

The race is reprising a theme that cropped up in other Democrat primaries this year: outside spending, particularly from pro-Israel lobbying groups. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee's super PAC has spent more than $2 million against Wahab and backing Hernandez, and another group with funding from the super PAC has spent nearly $2 million in support of Hernandez.

Pro-Israel group spending seemed to backfire in Michigan's recent Democrat Senate primary, where Abdul El-Sayed emerged victorious despite tens of millions of dollars backing his opponent Rep. Haley Stevens.

DHS Torches 'Sanctuary Spanberger' After ICE Deports 'Depraved Freak' Who Found Refuge in Virginia

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has placed Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) in the hot seat after it was revealed last week that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had deported "Marcelo Vasquez-Reyna, a depraved freak who sexually abused HIS OWN DAUGHTER."

Records from Albemarle, Virginia, show that Vasquez-Reyna, a Mexican national, 

Criminals like this sicko have NO sanctuary in our nation." DHS says ICE  has deported Mexican national Marcelo Vasquez Reyna, an illegal immigrant  convicted in Virginia of sexually abusing his own teenage 

was convicted back in March of this year after pleading guilty "to a charge involving a parent violating a child between the ages of 15 and 17." A local outlet reported that he was arrested multiple times over allegations that he groped his teenage daughter and tried to forcibly rape her, leaving the girl terrified that he would attack her again.

He was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison, with five years suspended. Six months in prison for abusing his daughter wasn't good enough for ICE and they picked him up immediately after his criminal conviction.

ICE deported a Mexican national who sexually abused his own teenage daughter in Virginia — and DHS isn't mincing words, calling him a "depraved freak" who has "NO sanctuary in our nation."

Marcelo Vasquez Reyna pleaded guilty in March to violating his daughter, who was between 15 and 17 at the time of the abuse. He was also charged with rape and abduction. According to the Daily Progress, he repeatedly groped the girl and attempted to rape her using force, causing her to live in fear of new attacks.

The case lands as Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger faces mounting criticism over illegal immigrant crime in Virginia. On her first day in office, Spanberger rescinded her Republican predecessor's order directing state law enforcement to assist federal immigration authorities — and terminated all 287(g) agreements with ICE.

After ICE sent Vasquez-Reyna back to Mexico, DHS decided to highlight the sanctuary policies of Spanberger. On her first day in office, the new governor nuked the cooperation that had existed between state law enforcement agencies and ICE, effectively making Virginia a sanctuary state.


SEE ALSO: Fresh Humiliation for Abigail Spanberger As Fiddlers' Convention Boos Her Off the Stage


DHS wasn't holding anything back when it tagged Spanberger in a tweet reading, "This depraved freak who sexually abused his OWN DAUGHTER is yet another illegal alien who flocked to Sanctuary Spanberger’s Commonwealth of Criminals. Virginia continues to be a HAVEN for criminals like this who know that @GovernorVA and Virginia sanctuary politicians will try to shield them from justice."

NO SANCTUARY FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS. 

This depraved freak who sexually abused his OWN DAUGHTER is yet another illegal alien who flocked to Sanctuary Spanberger’s Commonwealth of Criminals.

Virginia continues to be a HAVEN for criminals like this who know that @GovernorVA and Virginia sanctuary politicians will try to shield them from justice. 

The heroic men and women of ICE will continue to hunt down, arrest, and REMOVE illegal aliens like this monster from Virginia communities.

While Spanberger is doing everything she can to put distance between Virginia law enforcement and ICE, the men and women of ICE are doing the dangerous work of removing men like Vasquez-Reyna from Virginia communities. And that makes everyone safer, something Spanberger and her fellow Democrats do not seem to favor.

Virginia's governor may chafe at the “Sanctuary Spanberger’s Commonwealth of Criminals” label, but cases like this "freak" are exactly why it’s likely to stick to her for a long time to come.

Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump, illegal immigration into our great country has virtually stopped. Despite the radical left's lies, new legislation wasn't needed to secure our border, just a new president.

 

CNN Throws a Hissy Fit After Trump Humiliates Reporter — There's Just One Problem

A war of words between the White House and CNN is escalating Monday afternoon following the Oval Office berating President Trump was forced to give one of the far-left outlet's reporters for her inappropriate question – and obnoxious attempt at a follow up – in the Oval Office.

Before we get to the statement that CNN just put out, the setting and context are important. 

The president invited the White House press pool into the Oval Office earlier Monday as he met with with a 16-year-old lifeguard who went viral on social media last month for rescuing a boy struggling in extremely rough surf at a California beach. 

That lifeguard, Ryder Williams, was joined by the boy he saved, 10-year-old Nathaniel Rai, as the president awarded Ryder a civilian honor for his bravery that day.

 

When the press was invited to ask a few questions, CNN's Kristen Holmes opted to ignore the boys – and the heroism being honored – to go right into the gutter with this question:

Jon Ossoff said you would rather travel with your aide, Natalie Harp, and build the ballroom than do your job as president. What is your response?

First off, a seamy allegation from a seamy politician is the best Holmes could come up with? Also, how incredibly inappropriate and unprofessional of her to go there at an event for children. 

She acted without decorum, and the president called her out on it. 

 


SEEOuch: Trump Humiliates Obnoxious CNN Reporter After Oval Office Outburst


The @RapidResponse47 X account followed up with a tongue-lashing of its own:

It seems like this tweet is what prompted the indignant response from CNN, which put out a statement calling Holmes "one of the most respected and accomplished journalists covering the White House" and praised her for asking a "tough, relevant, and newsworthy question."

“Kristen Holmes is one of the most respected and accomplished journalists covering the White House. This afternoon, she did her job and asked the President of the United States a tough, relevant, and newsworthy question on behalf of the American people. Public officials are free to challenge reporting they disagree with, but personal attacks on journalists for asking questions are beneath the office and inconsistent with the principles of a free press. We stand firmly behind Kristen and reject these attacks in the strongest possible terms.”

One thing the outraged CNN statement failed to address was that Holmes' Oval Office outburst was in direct defiance of the guidelines set forth by the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA), which calls on the press pool to be respectful and neutral when covering the president.

Kristen Holmes (@kristenholmesreporter) • Facebook 

The WHCA also states that "disruptive behavior is unacceptable" and instructs poolers to keep their reporting "fair, tasteful and objective" and to "stick to relevant facts." Holmes fell far short of her own industry's standards, not that CNN will ever admit that.

All of this could have been avoided if Holmes had shown a little professionalism, read the room, and saved her gutter question for a more appropriate setting – and audience.

 

A John Cornyn Staffer Pulled a Benedict Arnold Move. Here's His New Boss. You Won't Believe It

A John Cornyn Staffer Pulled a Benedict Arnold Move. Here's His New Boss. You Won't Believe It

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) lost his bid for reelection in the primary runoff to Attorney General Ken Paxton, who secured a zero-hour endorsement from President Trump. Cornyn has been licking his wounds, and now one of his staff has pulled the ultimate Benedict Arnold move: he joined the James Talarico campaign. I’m not kidding. 

This person deserves to be taken to the woodshed, but more to the point, it shows how Republicans of this stripe are really Democrats at heart. No true Republican does this. No conservative does this — there is nothing in the Talarico platform that could induce cross-party voting. Sorry, those who do are spineless moderates who should be purged from the party entirely. Oh, and the kid’s statement confirming his switch is even worse (via NOTUS):

— Igor Bobic (@igorbobic) August 17, 2026

Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico’s

Texas state Rep. James Talarico launches campaign for U.S. Senate 

campaign hired a staffer from Republican Sen. John Cornyn, NOTUS has learned.

Jacob Smith,

Jacob Smith - Deputy Legislative Director | LinkedIn 

who worked for Cornyn for five years as a deputy legislative director and policy adviser, is taking on the role of deputy policy director for Talarico’s campaign.

“I’ve worked for Republicans like Senator Cornyn my entire career, but this year I’m proud to be joining James Talarico’s campaign,” Smith confirmed in a statement through the Talarico campaign. “Instead of playing partisan politics, Talarico speaks to the needs of everyday people who day in and day out work too hard for too little. In the Senate, James will fight to lower costs for all 31 million Texans, whether they’re Republicans, Democrats, or independents, so that Texans of all ages have a fighting chance at the American Dream of starting a family, owning a home, and leaving a little behind for their children.”

Yeah, it’s this crap that makes me chuckle. It’s so transparent. Dude, this guy isn’t some moderate, bipartisan vessel. The ‘do good’ line is laughable. You’re just pissed that this guy didn’t have the moxie to cross the finish line. Hey, maybe betraying us on gun rights in 2022 was a bad idea — just saying. 

These aren’t Republicans, folks. These are traitors. It’s the lizard people, and they need to be taken behind the barn. 

I’m proud to be working for a man who opposes everything I stand for, but I’m mad, so I’ll whore out for a Democrat who will kick me off the ledge if he wins’ is quite a swampy move. The good thing is Paxton will win by six or more, so it won’t matter. 

 

Holy Hell: FBI Docs Showed Evidence of Eric Swalwell Taking Illegal Chinese Donations

Holy Hell: FBI Docs Showed Evidence of Eric Swalwell Taking Illegal Chinese Donations

This is incredible stuff — we knew former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) was screwing around with the Chinese honeypot. Now we have the documents to prove it, all provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Even if Swalwell avoided having his gubernatorial bid derailed in California by the sexual misconduct and rape allegations, he wouldn’t have served a full term with these new memos showing he allegedly accepted illegal donations, with Christina Fang, aka Fang Fang, as the source of these transactions. 

Swalwell admitted to a physical relationship with Fang, with the FBI later dropping Swalwell from their probe and focusing solely on her activities. They even tried to recruit her, knowing she had ties to Chinese intelligence (via JustTheNews):

#BREAKING: Declassified files show Chinese spy Fang Fang routed illegal donations to Rep. Swalwell (D-CA).

— Insider Wire (@InsiderWire) August 17, 2026
 

The FBI developed evidence that a Chinese woman with direct ties to that country’s intelligence service had potentially compromised a Democratic congressman from California with sex, foreign interns and illicit donations while she was being recruited to become a bureau informant a decade ago, according to bombshell memos that expose another threat to America’s political system from Beijing.

The files chronicling the relationship between Rep. Eric Swalwell and the Chinese national Fang Fang – also known by her English name Christine Fang – were declassified by President Donald Trump and released Monday by the White House Government Transparency Task Force as part of a broader effort to unmask foreign threats to U.S. political and election systems.

They show the FBI opened a predicated investigation, which is a formal law enforcement inquiry backed by a factual basis or allegation that indicates a crime or national security threat already exists.

The FBI probe targeting Swalwell and Fang was opened on March 17, 2014, and codenamed “Freshman Fifteen,” according to a now-declassified “Interim Authority” memorandum, which was reviewed by FBI headquarters and the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section. 

The FBI assessment, which later became a full-fledged investigation, centered on allegations that Swalwell awarded internships at his offices in exchange for campaign contributions. The FBI identified Fang “Christine” Fang, a Chinese national, as the alleged facilitator of this exchange and alleged she employed conduits to route illegal donations.

“Investigation has revealed Fang ‘Christine’ Fang, a Chinese foreign national residing in the United States, is the facilitator of a scheme to trade access to Swalwell and internships in his congressional office in return for campaign contributions […]” the memo reads. The FBI specifically gathered evidence that Fang “used conduits to conceal herself as a prohibited Foreign National source,” for illegal campaign contributions “at least twice in 2013 and at least two more times in 2014.”

In the early stages of the probe, the FBI team sent regular updates to the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section (PIN), which was then headed by the now-controversial prosecutor Jack Smith. Smith would later lead the Biden administration’s investigations and prosecutions of Trump. PIN oversees investigations and prosecutions that involve federal crimes like bribery of public officials and election crimes, including campaign finance crimes.

Eventually, however, after interviewing Swalwell on multiple occasions, the FBI determined that the investigation had found no violations of federal statutes by the congressman. As a result, the FBI eventually reclassified the probe on February 8, 2017, dropping Swalwell as a subject and focusing the investigation solely on Fang’s alleged violations of campaign finance laws.

Before the probe was opened into Fang’s alleged illegal activities, the FBI engaged in a months-long effort to recruit her using an undercover bureau employee and a fictitious company. The goal, according to contemporaneous memos, was to turn Fang into an informant on Chinese efforts to conduct influence operations targeting public officials, with whom Fang was close with several. 

The Rusty Thumbs memos, identified by the codename agents gave Fang, show that the undercover employee met with her on several occasions to get to know her background and aimed to offer Fang a consulting job where she would use her Chinese connections to help the undercover employee’s fictitious business. 

According to the memos, Fang was vague about her past in China, refused to elaborate on her parents’ Chinese government jobs and where she went to undergraduate school. However, she bragged about her political activities in the United States, including her work to connect donors to Swalwell’s congressional campaign, they show. Eventually, Fang agreed to work with the fictitious company. On June 14, 2013, she signed a contractor agreement for the consulting gig. That contract is contained in the FBI’s files.

What a scumbag. He threatened to sue Axios when the first Fang Fang breadcrumb fell, though everything seems to be true. 

BREAKING: Newly declassified @FBI files show @ericswalwell admitted a sexual relationship with Christine Fang, aka "Fang Fang," and that the bureau attempted to recruit Fang Fang without her knowledge. pic.twitter.com/3E19g1jBtX

— James Rosen (@JamesRosenTV) August 17, 2026

NYP: Eric Swalwell confessed to a drug-fueled sex romp with a suspected Chinese spy in newly released files that reveal the disgraced former congressman’s relationship with the woman went way deeper than previously known.https://t.co/J5lu5h03e2

— Politics & Poll Tracker 📡 (@PollTracker2024) August 17, 2026

 

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