Today, Trump’s comfort blonde Natalie Harp worked for over a year at the White House without a security clearance, religious groups are asking a judge to hold ICE in contempt over an undercover operation, the USS Abraham Lincoln wasn’t resupplied because Hegseth hid the fact that our main supply base had been destroyed by Iranian missiles, FBI agents searched Eric Swalwell’s home as part of a federal investigation, and democrats flipped another Florida school board away from the right wing group moms for liberty this week.

GUEST: John Fugelsang: Host of the John Fugelsang Show on Sirius XM Progress channel 127, weekdays at 9 AM PT / Noon ET and New York Times bestselling author of the Separation of Church and Hate

Click to listen for free. Never any paywalls!

Subscribe now

Sources:

Trump aide Natalie Harp worked at the White House without security clearance for a year

Religious groups ask judge to consider contempt over undercover ICE operation - POLITICO

USS Lincoln wasn’t resupplied because Hegseth ‘hid’ that Iran destroyed main U.S. base: Rohde

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/20/us/eric-swalwell-fbi-search-home.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2026/08/20/florida-school-board-center-culture-wars-loses-conservative-majority/

Today, US Attorney Jeanine Pirro has a meltdown over a judge releasing a woman accused of vandalizing the WWII memorial in DC, Trump walks back his tariffs on Canada, Pete Hegseth travels to Iowa to campaign for republican Zach Nunn and maybe himself, and mixed results emerge from elections in Alaska, Wyoming, California, Pennsylvania, and Florida.

Click to listen for free. Never any paywalls!

Subscribe now

Sources:

Hegseth travels to Iowa in his ‘personal capacity’ amid 2028 speculation - The Washington Post

https://apnews.com/article/tariffs-trump-canada-usmca-trade-aae597c22617bec7a99f670a2c787ef9

https://abcnews.com/Politics/takeaways-tuesday-primaries-trump-endorsement/story?id=135754500

Today, DeSantis ally and Palm Beach County clerk Mike Caruso has been arrested on child sex abuse charges, the Justice Department is asking the court to reinstate the charges against Abrego Garcia, a San Diego Padres coach has been arrested by ICE in Texas, Trump votes by mail again in Florida, Election denier Tina Peters has been hired in northern California, Paramount is asking states to bear the costs of their delayed buyout of Warner Bros. Discovery, the Minnesota Attorney General is suing to extradite an ICE officer from Texas, border construction in Big Bend is suspended after bipartisan pushback, Disney and ABC have sued the FCC to stop the early license renewal process, North Carolina Governor Josh Stein has vetoed a republican voter suppression bill, and the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals says age restrictions on mail voting in South Carolina are unconstitutional.

GUEST: Julie Kay: Founder and CEO of Reproductive Futures.

Click to listen for free. Never any paywalls!

Subscribe now

Sources:

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/17/business/paramount-warner-bros-antitrust-trial.html

Election denier Tina Peters to be hired as elections consultant in conservative California county | California | The Guardian

Trump votes by mail again in his home state of Florida - POLITICO

https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/age-restrictions-on-mail-voting-are-unconstitutional-fourth-circuit-says-in-rare-26th-amendment-case/

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/17/us/big-bend-border-wall-texas-construction.html

Stein vetoes Republican-backed ‘anti-voter’ North Carolina elections bill • NC Newsline

https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/abc-disney-sues-fcc-trump-administration-first-amendment-rcna593088

https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2026/08/18/desantis-ally-in-florida-arrested-on-child-sex-abuse-charges/

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/18/minnesota-sues-greg-abbott-texas-extradite-ice-agent-01040253

San Diego Padres staffer in ICE custody after arrest at Texas airport | CNN

Today, Trump ordered the Pentagon to curtail military exercises with our ally South Korea, a top admiral concedes the abysmal conditions on the USS Abraham Lincoln, Jared Kushner meets with Hamas to advance Trump’s vision for Gaza, the White House took steps to withhold funding from Colorado over Tina Peters, Donald threatens to bomb our ally Oman if they cut a deal with Iran, the Supreme Court again rejects Trump’s push to get his $5.8M back from E Jean Carroll, the NAACP is joining the legal team looking into the death of Nolan Wells, and Washington is poised to elect the first out black trans woman to a state legislature in the United States.

Click to listen for free. Never any paywalls!

Subscribe now

Sources:

Trump Orders Pentagon to Curtail Military Exercises With Ally South Korea - The New York Times

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/16/world/middleeast/kushner-hamas-talks.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/16/us/politics/uss-lincoln-iran-admiral.html

https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/colorado-trump-white-house-tina-peters-governor-polis

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/17/us/politics/supreme-court-trump-carroll.html

Erin In The Morning

Washington Is Poised To Elect The First Out Black Trans Woman To A State Legislature In The US

Read more

3 days ago · 358 likes · 12 comments · s. baum

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/08/17/trump-threatens-bomb-oman-if-it-gets-way/

Today, the Democratic National Committee passed resolutions that could inform the 2028 party platform, the Justice Department is expanding the military’s law enforcement power, the Food and Drug Administration traveled to Mexico a month after linking Taylor Farms to cyclospora outbreak, U.S. and Ukrainian forces went head to head in a drone exercise and Ukraine won, the Tate brothers’ custody hearing was postponed as they fight extradition, and a Canadian petition to oust Hoekstra as the ambassador has nearly 200,000 signatures.

GUEST: Heather Cox Richardson

Click to listen for free. Never any paywalls!

Subscribe now

Sources:

Tate brothers custody hearing postponed as they fight U.K. extradition

Justice Department expands military’s power to detain migrants accused of trespassing - CBS News

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/08/14/fda-mexico-month-after-linking-taylor-farms-cyclospora-outbreak/

Abolishing or reforming ICE sparks disagreement at DNC meeting | AP News

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/15/world/canada/hoekstra-ambassador-petition-canada-trump.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/u-s-and-ukrainian-forces-went-head-to-head-in-an-exercise-ukraines-drones-won-cc3663d5

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/15/world/canada/hoekstra-ambassador-petition-canada-trump.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

Today, the Kennedy Center board votes to put Trump’s name back on the building, the government conducted expansive surveillance against ICE protestors in Minnesota, USS Abraham Lincoln sailors tried to jump overboard amid its extended deployment, Max Miller’s ex-wife is suing him for releasing nude photos of their toddler, Ken Paxton donors have been found in the Epstein files, DHS workers used databases to spy on personal acquaintances, Rubio, Bessent and Leavitt were among those used as decoys on Air Force One, a federal judge has dismissed Trump’s antisemitism case against Harvard, and that small Kansas newspaper that was raided by the cops get $850,000.

GUEST: John Fugelsang: Host of The John Fugelsang Show on Sirius XM Progress channel 127 weekdays at 12 PM ET/9 AM PT, and New York Times bestselling author of The Separation of Church and Hate.

Click to listen for free. Never any paywalls!

Subscribe now

Sources:

https://www.chandralaw.com/blog/federal-civil-rights-suit-congressman-max-miller-and-attorney-published-nude-photo-of-two-year-old-daughter-online

https://www.ms.now/news/family-epstein-files-donated-ken-paxton

Federal judge blocks Trump’s anti-mail voting executive order again — this time nationwide - Democracy Docket

Small Kansas town to pay $850K to settle lawsuit over raid on newspaper | AP News

CBP Workers Allegedly Used Government Databases to Spy on Exes, Crushes, and Colleagues | WIRED

Rubio, Bessent took decoy Air Force One, Hegseth flew on secret flight with Trump - CBS News

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/13/us/harvard-antisemitism-case-dismissed.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/13/arts/design/kennedy-center-closure-board-vote-trump.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/13/us/politics/dhs-inquiry-immigration-protests-minnesota.html

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/12/uss-abraham-lincoln-overboard-extended-deployment?CMP=share_btn_url

Today, mixed results in the August 11th primary elections hand wins to both progressive and establishment dems as some trump-backed candidates falter, Jeanine Pirro has convened a special grand jury in DC, the Trump administration is set to spend nearly a billion dollars on the emotional support ballroom, ICE plans to buy gloves for agents that deliver electric shocks, and the Kennedy Center has been ordered to pay $250,000 in legal fees to an artist that opposed the name change.

GUEST: Demetria McCain: Director of Policy at Legal Defense Fund. Demetria leads the organization’s policy team and its diverse policy advocacy portfolio, including working with senior leadership to set the strategic direction for the organization’s legislative, policy and advocacy work in criminal justice, economic justice, education and political participation.

Click to listen for free. Never any paywalls!

Subscribe now

Sources:

https://apnews.com/article/ice-electric-shock-gloves-85ff746d3e0ee5f39e7a9a3f1f576252

‘A long shot’: Amanda Janoo wins Vermont’s Democratic primary for governor - VTDigger

https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/2026/08/11/kennedy-center-ordered-pay-legal-fees-chuck-redd-after-judge-tosses-suit/

Mike Lindell’s defeat is also Trump’s - Live Updates - POLITICO

Trump administration set to spend at least $900 million on White House construction - The Washington Post

https://www.npr.org/2026/08/12/nx-s1-5928112/four-takeaways-primaries-six-states

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/08/12/pirro-convenes-unusual-grand-jury-dc-that-can-focus-single-case-issue-report/

Today, Trump doesn’t rule out using emergency executive power to interfere with the midterm elections, the transparency president has expanded the definition of executive privilege so his private advisors can’t be questioned by Congress, the White House is asking the Justice Department to consider new reflecting pool charges, Trump was stuffed into a catering cart and spirited to a secret plane after he ditched the Qatari Air Force One in Turkey, weeks after Belgium’s diamond industry gave Trump a ring with 321 diamonds, 56 sapphires, 13 emeralds and six rubies, it was exempted from paying a U.S. tariff, Judge Talwani has expanded her block on the Postal Service tampering with mail ballots, and the government has awarded a $150M contract for migrant children’s lawyers to a Trump-linked Texas law firm.

Click to listen for free. Never any paywalls!

Subscribe now

Sources:

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/10/us/politics/trump-plane-ruse.html

Trump signals openness to unconstitutional plot to take over elections - Democracy Docket

Exclusive | Trump White House Asks DOJ to Consider New Reflecting-Pool Prosecution of Olympic Canoeist David Hearn - WSJ

Democrats want answers about 18-karat gold ring given to Trump

Judge expands block on USPS work on Trump mail voting order : NPR

Trump administration awards $150M migrant child contract to Texas firm | AP News

https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/11/politics/trump-justice-department-presidential-advisers-executive-privilege

Today, the Pentagon is pressing manufacturers to hurry up and build bombs because they’re running out, Iran has decided to stop negotiating with the Trump administration entirely, a magnitude 7.4 earthquake has struck Colombia killing over 100 people, Trump has nominated a loyalist to take over the Inspector Generals job at Interior, Lauren Boebert’s son Tyler has been arrested and charged with sexual exploitation of a child, and Trump signs an executive order spacing out childhood vaccinations for no scientific reason whatsoever.

Vermont, Wisconsin, Connecticut and Minnesota head to the polls today for the midterm primary elections.

Click to listen for free. Never any paywalls!

Subscribe now

Sources:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2026/08/08/pentagon-presses-defense-firms-build-weapons-iran-war-depletes-stocks/

https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/trump-strait-of-hormuz-opening-iran-negotiations-b6a43ad6

https://apnews.com/article/colombia-ecuador-earthquake-26fd40f93272d834fced47a4a673edc9

https://www.coloradopolitics.com/2026/08/10/us-rep-lauren-boeberts-son-faces-charges-of-sexual-exploitation-of-child/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/08/10/trump-nominates-loyalist-office-that-would-oversee-reflecting-pool-review/

https://apnews.com/article/vaccine-research-autism-trump-kennedy-rfk-d10f81f221c4ae9f5b2f83dd0ee98b29

Today, Todd Blanche was confirmed over the weekend in a 4:30 AM vote 50-49, the Trump-backed George Santos of Tennessee Andy Ogles lost his primary Saturday, a U.S. Appeals Court has blocked Trump’s $400M ballroom project, the U.S. lost 23,000 jobs in July as we see the most ICE arrests of Trump’s second term, Senator Mitch McConnell casts his first vote in weeks by proxy but it didn’t count, General Dan Caine is trying to find an off-ramp from Trump’s illegal war of choice in Iran, and Hunter Biden says his dad’s cancer has spread to his bones.

Click to listen for free. Never any paywalls!

Subscribe now

Sources:

Rep. Andy Ogles loses his Republican primary in Tennessee

Blanche wins votes for Senate confirmation - POLITICO

US appeals court blocks Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom project | Reuters

U.S. Lost 23,000 Jobs in July, While Unemployment Ticked Lower - WSJ

https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2026/08/06/july-sees-most-ice-arrests-trumps-second-term/

Court awards over $4 million to tenants represented by Brown, Goldstein & Levy who were charged illegal late fees by Westminster Management. - Brown Goldstein Levy

Sen. Mitch McConnell cast his first vote in weeks—by proxy. But it didn’t count. - WLKY

https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/07/politics/general-dan-caine-off-ramp-iran-war

https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-joe-biden-cancer-bbc-6223999c596e517b488970d394bb5f2e

In case you haven’t noticed yet - though I’m sure you have - my colleague Katie Phang is tough as nails. She’s been able to systematically chip away at the Todd Blanche Epstein and Maxwell cover up, and it could all come down to a court hearing scheduled for August 13th.

Judge Emmet Sullivan ordered Blanche to hand over a sampling of his Epstein redactions, along with documentary evidence justifying those redactions. After review by the judge, it appears that Blanche didn’t quite understand the assignment. The judge has ordered a hearing this week, and Katie and I will discuss what he’s demanding of the Justice Department and Todd Blanche today, August 9th, at Noon PT / 3 PM ET.

Here’s the promised link to the show:

You can also use this link to watch the show after it airs live on the Meidas Touch Network.

Thanks!

~AG

Today, Trump and Hegseth got into a shouting match at Camp David over munitions inventory, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Republicans voted to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt, a federal judge has held the Department of Homeland Security in contempt over Los Angeles immigration sweeps, ICE detained a University of Maryland teacher of the year at the Dallas Fort Worth airport, a federal judge has paused an order for Trump to send financials in the BBC lawsuit, and the Pentagon policy chief can’t seem to get an invite to Beijing.

GUEST: John Fugelsang; host of The John Fugelsang Show on Sirius XM Progress channel 127, weekdays at 12 PM ET / 9 AM PT, and New York Times best selling author of Separation of Church and Hate.

Click to listen for free. Never any paywalls!

Subscribe now

Sources:

Trump, Hegseth clashed at Camp David over Iran missile depletion concerns - The Washington Post

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/6012463-judge-dhs-los-angeles-contempt-immigration/

https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/senate-panel-votes-to-hold-fauci-in-contempt-for-refusing-to-answer-questions-974dde4c

ICE detains University of Maryland “teacher of the year” at Dallas airport - CBS Baltimore

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/06/donald-trump-bbc-business-finances-order

Pentagon policy chief can’t get invited to Beijing - POLITICO

Today, Abdul El-Sayed wins in Michigan and amendments 4 and 5 go down hard in Missouri, new polling says voters prefer democrats on the economy for the first time in a decade, Trump’s immigration crackdown has detained more than 50 military spouses and parents, ICE begins outfitting Haitian migrants with ankle monitors as temporary protected status is taken away, the New Mexico attorney general has sued the Department of Justice for access to the Epstein files, and a pained Judge Mehta has dismissed the seditious conspiracy charges against the Oath Keepers.

GUEST: Stephanie Mencimer from Mother Jones discusses the impact of the destruction of the IRS.

Click to listen for free. Never any paywalls!

Subscribe now

Sources:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2026/08/03/ice-begins-outfitting-haitian-immigrants-with-ankle-monitors-attorneys-say/

Judge Pained as He Grants Dismissal of Jan. 6 Charges Against Oath Keepers - The New York Times

https://www.npr.org/2026/08/05/g-s1-137422/primary-elections

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/08/04/us/elections/results-missouri-amendment-5-eliminate-income-tax.html

https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/new-mexico-attorney-general-sues-doj-for-access-to-epstein-files-4cf0b834

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/democrats-lead-republicans-economy-trump-approval-falls-reutersipsos-poll-finds-2026-08-03/

https://apnews.com/article/military-families-immigration-trump-detained-deported-3337173bff1f06153738c217da52e846

Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced pedophile protector and Trump’s personal attorney Todd Blanche to the full Senate for confirmation, The House Ethics Committee recommended Monday that lawmakers censure Rep. Chuck Edwards for engaging in “persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct towards two young female staffers”, calls grow louder for Max Miller to resign from Congress as former White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham files for a restraining order against him, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld Florida’s anti-drag law, a new republican-led ballot measure in Washington State targets kindergarten girls for invasive physical exams, Jeanine Pirro brought a box of reflecting pool evidence to the White House to show Trump what really caused the damage, and the Trump Justice Department is now zero for twenty in voter roll cases.

Click to listen for free. Never any paywalls!

Subscribe now

Sources:

Blanche assures anti-abortion supporters that Dobbs will be ‘permanent in every single state’ - POLITICO

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/03/chuck-edwards-censure-sexual-harassment-01022753

Kindergarten girls targeted for invasive exams by new GOP-led ballot measure - Raw Story

https://www.ms.now/news/stephanie-grisham-files-temporary-restraining-order-against-rep-max-miller

Trump DOJ now 0 for 20 after judge dismisses Colorado voter roll lawsuit ‘with prejudice’ - Democracy Docket

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/04/max-miller-resign-domestic-abuse-allegations

Pirro brought box of evidence to show Trump what caused Reflecting Pool damage - CBS News

Today, Cornyn and Tillis cave as Todd Blanche writes a legally dubious rescission of the slush fund but keeps Trump’s tax immunity in place, Donald Trump is considering firing Jeanine Pirro over the dismissing the reflecting pool charges and claiming it wasn’t vandals, ICE handed over letters and drawings it seized from children in detention pursuant to my freedom of information act request, the Senate has finalized a stop gap that would block Trump’s grant overhaul, and the Pentagon is relying on closed-door hearings to kick out transgender troops.

Click to listen for free. Never any paywalls!

Subscribe now

Sources:

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/01/us/politics/times-subpoena-reporter-trump-north-korea.html?smtyp=cur&smid=bsky-nytimes

Senate finalizes funding patch that would block Trump’s grant overhaul - POLITICO

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/fauci-diary-obama-trump-idiot-b3025378.html

Todd Blanche on track for confirmation after Cornyn strikes Trump settlement deal - POLITICO

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/03/us/politics/transgender-troops-ban.html

https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/03/politics/jeanine-pirro-removal-reflecting-pool