Skeets Of The Day

 

Operation Epic Fail: escalation time,  war crimes --

An extremely significant step in the cycle of war escalation: "Bahrain and Kuwait secretly sent jets to attack sites inside Iran, their first such direct retaliation against Tehran and an indication of the difficult position Arab states find themselves in as the war grinds on."

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— Scott Horton (@robertscotthorton.bsky.social) July 24, 2026 at 10:31 PM

 

Trump refuses to say whether he would be committing a war crime when asked about striking civilian power plants and bridges in Iran.

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1.bsky.social) July 24, 2026 at 5:20 PM

The buffoon Malignant Fascist and his bungling regime on full display -- 

President Grandpa isn't home right now, call back later

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— Kevin M. Kruse (@kevinmkruse.bsky.social) July 24, 2026 at 7:44 PM

 

The U.S. has broken its own measles record for the second year in a row. And it's only July. Check ABC News' map to identify your risk-level based on your zip code: abcnews.com/Health/new-m...

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— Emily Guskin (@emgusk.bsky.social) July 24, 2026 at 11:13 AM

 

As Trump returns to tariffs, it's worth checking out what we've gotten from the trade war so far.

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— Justin Wolfers (@justinwolfers.bsky.social) July 24, 2026 at 11:11 AM

 

The Trump effect, summarized

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— Scott Horton (@robertscotthorton.bsky.social) July 25, 2026 at 9:28 AM

JUST POSTED: A deep investigation by The NYT of shortcuts taken to get President Trump his Qatari-donated plane in time for POTUS to show it off during 250th anniversary events-compromises that leave the plane more vulnerable to potential threats (Free link) www.nytimes.com/2026/07/25/u...

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— Eric Lipton NYT (@ericlipton.nytimes.com) July 25, 2026 at 6:52 AM

 

White House Stenographers Association dinner wrap up -- 

An absurd event given the time we are in. How out of touch can the WHCA possibly be? Let’s just normalize this autocratic disgusting person by carrying on with tradition while he burns norms, traditions and institutions to the ground. bsky.app/profile/atru...

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— Ron Filipkowski (@ronfilipkowski.bsky.social) July 25, 2026 at 5:21 AM

 

The legacy media sat there while Trump lied about the past elections and "joked" about running again in 2028. They did not boo. They did not walk out. They just sat there and ate their dinner. The journalists in that room will be remembered as the journalists in that room.

— Marc Elias (@marcelias.bsky.social) July 24, 2026 at 10:51 PM

 

Remarkable camera angle of President Trump as he listens to Wall Street Journal reporters receiving an award for their investigation into Trump’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein — which they pursued despite Trump’s threats and lawsuit.

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— Dan Diamond (@ddiamond.bsky.social) July 24, 2026 at 9:14 PM 

In the MF's regime, "diplomacy" is nothing more than corrupt business dealings -- 

 

You can’t be a negotiator to end a war if your main goal is to make business deals

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— Joni Askola (@joniaskola.bsky.social) July 24, 2026 at 3:53 AM

AI and Oracle on hard times. Sad! --

“.. “It’s like driving a Lamborghini to go to the grocery store to pick up milk when that was designed to be raced around a track,” he said in an interview. @wsj.com www.wsj.com/business/chi...

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— Carl Quintanilla (@carlquintanilla.bsky.social) July 25, 2026 at 8:29 AM

 

Oracle shares, now a 67% drawdown. $ORCL @barchart.com

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— Carl Quintanilla (@carlquintanilla.bsky.social) July 25, 2026 at 8:30 AM

Who can question the Very Stable Genius' knowledge of foreign countries? --

you just know he sees countries as “good tits and ass / bad tits and ass” and treats them accordingly

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— shauna (@goldengateblond.bsky.social) July 24, 2026 at 4:33 PM

The drooping mouth is the tell --

 

Everyone In Oval Office Meeting Currently In Some Stage Of Stroke

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— The Onion (@theonion.com) July 24, 2026 at 11:00 AM

 

Quotes Of The Day -- Supreme Court Illegitimacy

 

"...[I]t is imperative that we stop according legitimacy to the Court. The Supreme Court is an existential threat to constitutional democracy. This threat cannot be dismissed as ‘merely’ an ideological disagreement about outcome legitimacy (which, I recognize, is a strange thing to write about an institution that is systematically dismantling the foundations of American electoral democracy. But whatever). The Court has also lost any claim to procedural legitimacy. Which is kind of a problem for the branch of government most dependent upon rational-legal authority.* The Court is quite literally lawless. Justices affirm, or even pen, decisions that rely on incommensurable standards of adjudication. They are contemptuous of long-standing precedents, including ones that have guided decades of legislation. Their opinions are riddled with misrepresentations and fabrications.

"The Roberts Court has, in essence, replaced the rule of law with a permanent state of exception — and appointed itself sovereign. Yes, it has often used that power to give legal cover to the Trump administration’s own lawlessness. But that is a symptom of its underlying corruption, not the rot itself.

"Once we recognize the fundamental illegitimacy of the Roberts Court — and the threat it poses to democracy and the rule of law — the obvious response is reform: unpacking, stripping, and all the rest. But that’s not enough. We must treat the Roberts Court’s decisions as ‘null and void.” A Court that cares nothing for precedent loses the right to make precedent. The Court can choose to create a state of legal exception. We can honor their choice. We can treat their dictates as exceptional and, by definition, irrelevant to any Court, or any regime, that governs according to the rule of law." -- Dan Nexon, professor of Government and Foreign Service at Georgetown University, on the illegitimacy of the Republican Supreme Court.  If we're ever to restore the rule of law and common decency in this country, this Court (and the judicial system as a whole) needs to be reformed and restructured.  But we're not alone in thinking we have a foundational problem (see below).

______________________

"... The [U.S. Supreme] Court overrides what Congress passed. It overrides what the people chose. All to serve its own ends. 

"What this Court has done to constitutional rights, democratic institutions, and the rule of law explains why Hawaiʻi’s Constitution takes no instruction from it.  [snip]

"... Rulings run in one direction, time after time. Weakening protections for those with less power. Fortifying those with more. The pattern speaks for itself. A court that systematically dismantles democratic safeguards, steamrolls constitutional liberties, and tramples human dignity does not chart the course for the Hawaiʻi Constitution. 

 

"Our constitutional system was designed for times like these. Federalism is not a formality. It is the architecture. The framers built dual sovereignty into the structure of American government as an independent check against concentrated federal power. A Supreme Court driven by agenda and intent on swiping power that belongs to the people is exactly what that check was built for..."  -- excerpt from Hawai'i Supreme Court opinion in Granillo v. State of Hawai'i, p. 77.  The reaming of the Reppublican Supreme Court begins around p. 72, and is worth a look, as it synopsizes most of the major anti-democracy, anti-American rulings of the Court in the past 15 or so years, demonstrating the importance of state courts to exercise their constitutional sovereignty in these illegitimate times.

Trump Son Under Scrutiny For Tate Ties

 

A few days ago, the criminal Tate brothers were taken into custody in Florida on an extradition request by the UK on rape charges.  The brothers, who have been accused on multiple sex trafficking and rapes over the years, are part of the MAGA-aligned toxic "manosphere" movement, which denies women equal rights and subjects them to abuse and worse.  It's bizarre, but not that surprising given his father's character, to learn that Barron Trump was one of their online fans, and now it appears his defense of their behavior may bite him back.  Some excerpts from Salon:

"On Thursday, federal marshals in Miami took the Tates into custody. In addition to the charges they face in the U.K., the brothers remain embroiled in grave human-trafficking and minor-exploitation proceedings in Romania and investigations in Florida about new allegations.

In the days since their arrest, their attorney Joseph McBride — who has also represented Jan. 6 defendants — has insisted the arrest is political persecution, and he has been amplifying supportive commentary online from media figures with close ties to the Trump administration. MAGA influencer and white nationalist Nick Fuentes wrote that it would be a “national humiliation” if Trump agreed to extradite the brothers to Britain over what he called “trumped up ‘Me Too’ charges.” Other far-right influencers reportedly joined in, but to no avail.

Trump’s refusal to intervene in the Tates’ extradition fight is a much-delayed correction. For years, the brothers were treated by the MAGA ecosystem not as alleged traffickers facing serious criminal scrutiny, but as useful avatars of male grievance and anti-feminist rebellion. That bargain is now boomeranging in the direction of a different Trump: Barron."

The article goes on to say that the Malignant Fascist's reversal on the Tate brothers was prompted by Andrew Tate's furious denunciation of the MF's war on Iran, at the behest of Israel according to Tate.  But it turns out that the strange, reclusive youngest son of the MF and icy, calculating Melania, had a close personal relationship with Andrew Tate, along with other MAGA luminaries.  Now, Dems are eager to investigate the ties between these serial rapists and the MF's regime and family.

"What has been less investigated, at least until this week, is how deep the personal relationships ran — specifically, the friendship between Andrew Tate and the president’s 20-year-old son.

According to reporting in the New York Times, Tate spoke with Barron Trump over a Zoom call last year with a mutual friend present, and the two discussed their shared belief that the Romanian case against Tate was an effort to silence him. That claim — the idea that a rape and trafficking prosecution amounts to censorship — the same framing Tate’s MAGA allies have pushed for years. [snip]

Barron Trump was not an unwitting bystander dragged into a media storm. He was an active participant in defending Andrew Tate, using his influence to validate an accused predator because it fit the edgy, anti-establishment aesthetic of the modern manosphere media. Now, as congressional scrutiny looms and the Tate brothers prepare to face trial in a U.S. federal court before being extradited to London, the president’s youngest son is left facing the stark consequences of his MAGA alliances."  (our emphasis)

That the youngest son of an adjudicated rapist, felon and con man would follow the likes of the Tate brothers and come to their defense is not that surprising after all.

(photos: Dead eyes /Andrei Pungovschi/Getty; Chip Somodevilla/Getty)

"It All Started With The Mexicans"

 

 Parable:  What makes a neighborhood?

Today's Cartoons

 

(click on images to enlarge)

(Michael de Adder, caglecartoons.com, Canada)

(Nick Anderson, Tribune Content Agency)

(Adam Zyglis, The Buffalo News)

(Matt Davies, Newsday)

(Dave Granlund, politicalcartoons.com)

(Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

(Christopher Weyant, Boston Globe)

(Bill Bramhall, New York Daily News)

(Steve Sack, stevesack.substack.com)

(Theo Moudakis, Toronto Star, Canada; context here)

(John Deering, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

(Dan Misdea, @airmailweekly)

The Fart Of The Deal: Saudi Nuke Edition

 

Master deal breaker and unfit orange buffoon the Malignant Fascist has apparently scuttled his own nuclear deal with the corrupt Saudi government by adding a requirement that they join the so-called "Abraham accords" and give Bibi "Bomb Bomb" Netanyahu's government full diplomatic recognition.  The Saudis insist that Israel recognize Palestinian statehood first as a condition.  From the Bezos Bugle:

"The nuclear deal — which was fiercely opposed by Israel and others concerned about nuclear proliferation — is 'totally subject' to Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords, Trump said in a social media post, referring to the effort from his first term to normalize relations between Israel and Muslim-majority countries from which it had long been estranged. The Saudis have thus far refused to join the accord.

It was the latest whiplash-inducing policy shift from the White House, which had faced-down considerable political opposition to push forward with the Saudi deal. The Biden administration also discussed a nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia, but tied any agreement to opening diplomatic relations with Israel, a move that has the potential to reshape dynamics in the Middle East, but which remains distant.

If the Saudis 'don’t join the Abraham Accords, the deal is off,' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said a few hours after Trump’s post, responding to questions from reporters.

Asked why that condition had not been included in the deal when it was announced Wednesday, Leavitt said that Trump is 'always the final dealmaker."” (our emphasis)

Translating KKKaroline Leavitt: "our far right hand doesn't know what our other hand is doing, as was pointed out by Bibi in an angry call...."  Whether it's this screwup, launching the war of choice against Iran, imposing tariffs on the world, or so many things this inept and corrupt regime does, it's chaos with a healthy dose of incompetence and cruelty.  It's all out in the open for the world to see the MF as America's lasting shame.

(photo: Smelling trouble. PBS / Frontline)

 

Skeets Of The Day

 

The Epstein-Trump files coverup / scrutiny round-up --

 

www.axios.com/2026/07/21/e...

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— Piyush Mittal (@piyushmittal.bsky.social) July 23, 2026 at 9:34 AM

 

Operation Epic Fail / mis-counting the dead --

 

The Pentagon removed the names of 4 servicemembers who died in Jordan from their official list of Iran war casualties. They explain that this is because "their deaths occurred after President Trump declared a cease-fire in the war in April." Free gift link: www.nytimes.com/2026/07/23/u...

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— Aric Toler (@aric.bsky.social) July 23, 2026 at 6:17 PM

 

📌Deleting the names of 4 US troops from the war dead is one of the most despicable things the draft-dodging, America-attacking Trump has ever done. It also points to sheer panic in his regime as their unpopular war spirals out of control, threatening to bring down the GOP House and Senate in Nov.

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— D. Earl Stephens (@dearlstephens.bsky.social) July 24, 2026 at 8:36 AM

 

Trump's tariffs --

New: As renewed fighting with Iran sends oil and gas prices soaring once again, President Trump has imposed new global tariffs -- a series of shocks that could push up prices further at a moment when Americans are frustrated by the cost of living www.nytimes.com/2026/07/24/b...

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— tony romm (@tonyromm.bsky.social) July 24, 2026 at 7:56 AM

 

Trump's endless health insurance con game --

Ten years later, sweaty and slurring, he's still promising a health care plan he's never delivered on. Instead, Americans got the highest health care costs ever and hospitals laying off staff or shutting down entirely. All thanks to Trump's health care sabotage & Medicaid cuts.

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— Senator Patty Murray (@murray.senate.gov) July 23, 2026 at 8:46 PM

 

New York Effing Times fail:  Trump "grieving"?! 😆😆 --

oh, come on — “Grieving”! As if he felt a thing for the guy except as a tool.

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— Philip Gourevitch (@pgourevitch.bsky.social) July 24, 2026 at 7:29 AM

 

The corrupt Trump Crime Family, Junior edition --

The main investment fund of Donald Trump Jr.'s firm generated returns of roughly 200% as of June 30, a person familiar with its performance tells Maureen Farrell. "People are paying for proximity to power." www.nytimes.com/2026/07/22/b...

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— Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt.bsky.social) July 23, 2026 at 5:01 PM

 

Justice for a J6er --

Massachusetts has just permanently revoked January 6 insurrectionist Dr. Jacquelyn Starer's right to renew her medical license after Trump pardoned her. Starer was sentenced to prison for punching a police officer after storming the Capitol. www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...

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— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen.bsky.social) July 24, 2026 at 9:06 AM

 

Republican values, pedophile edition, cont. -- 

It’s always the ones you most expect apple.news/ArxGzYjy2RMG...

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— The Volatile Mermaid (@ohnoshetwitnt.bsky.social) July 23, 2026 at 5:44 PM

 

Defeat this worse-than-useless career pol --

 

Nobody in the U.S. Senate is more responsible for the overturning of Roe v. Wade than Susan Collins. In November, we will defeat her.

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— Troy Jackson (@troyjackson207.bsky.social) July 23, 2026 at 5:53 PM

 

It never gets old --

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— D. Earl Stephens (@dearlstephens.bsky.social) July 23, 2026 at 8:41 PM

 

Can't find the book? (Happy Friday!) --

 

If you can’t find the book you’re looking for, you might be in the…

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— 𝔸𝕞𝕓𝕖𝕣 𝔻𝕒𝕨𝕟 (@amberdawn1116.bsky.social) July 24, 2026 at 8:37 AM

 

 

Weekend Music

 

A couple of weeks back, brother Hackwhacker featured a new song by pioneering Southern California band Social Distortion. Well, we liked that so much that we're going with another song from their long-delayed album, "Born to Kill," titled "Tonight."  Hope you enjoy.

Stenographers Dinner To Be Held Tonight

Tonight, the White House Stenographers Association will host the lying and historically corrupt Malignant Fascist for their annual dinner, which is a self-congratulatory event with corporate media bosses, and celebrities from the entertainment world.  In his year-and-a-half back in the White House, the MF has pursued the press through threats by his FCC, extortion of payments for alleged "bias" (ABC, CBS), and lately subpoenaing reporters for their story about the MF's "Bribe Force One" jet's security inadequacies.  From Tom Jones at journalism watchdog Poynter.50:

"Friday’s dinner won’t be the big, swanky affair the traditional dinner usually is, yet it still has a chance to devolve into a big embarrassment because of one man:

President Donald Trump.

Trump is expected to talk and, given his history, he’s likely to spend his time mocking and criticizing the press instead of offering a few polite jokes and celebrating the importance of the First Amendment and the role of the press in a free democracy. Care to bet that he’ll use phrases such as “fake news” and “lame-stream media” while whining about how mistreated he is?

Trump is not self-aware. He never shows an ounce of self-deprecation. He rarely even shows that he has a sense of humor. And he certainly seems incapable of playfully jabbing the press with a few harmless jokes. He’s more of a sledgehammer speaker, interested not in laughs but in insults." (our emphasis)

Some journalists are objecting to the spectacle of someone like the MF who despises a free press and engages in vindictiveness toward reporters and organizations critical of him. 

"Even before the first dinner back in April, a group of 500 retired and former journalists sent a letter to the WHCA, asking them to stand up to the Trump administration’s attacks on reporters and press freedoms.

Now, in a new letter, the group is renewing its call.

The updated letter says, 'Since that evening, the administration’s attacks on journalists and press freedom have become even more egregious. The President’s Department of Justice has subpoenaed journalists and their phone records. President Trump has threatened to revoke licenses of broadcasters who refuse to acquiesce to his demands.'”  (our emphasis)

Sadly for the First Amendment, the clown show will go on with the stenographers pretending everything is normal and that they don't fear an unstable, vindictive MF going after them and their employers.  They'll take it in the rear end from him with frozen smiles, because to them access is everything.  Everything.

 

Trump's New Tariffs And Bond Market Red Flags

 

The Very Stable Genius businessman (6 bankruptcies, including casinos, and multiple business failures) Malignant Fascist is seemingly bound and determined to drive the American economy further into the ditch:

New Trump tariffs

Dozens of America’s trading partners, from Europe to China to India, now face new tariffs of 10% to 12.5% on goods shipped to the United States, according to the office of the US Trade Representative.

The tariffs, announced Thursday, went into effect Friday morning. Goods from the 60 affected trading partners make up 99.4% of US imports.

The timing coincides with the lapse of a 10% near-blanket duty President Donald Trump imposed earlier this year that was deemed unlawful by the Supreme Court.

“The president is not going to allow his trade policy and overall objectives to be undermined simply because one tool may be limited by a court or something else,” senior White House officials told reporters Thursday on a call previewing the actions.

The latest action follows a monthslong investigation by the US Trade Representative into the alleged use of forced labor to produce goods exported to the US and the failure by various countries to address the practice.

The European Union questioned the new tariff, with its foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas calling it a “negative surprise” and rejecting the forced labor claims as unfounded. Switzerland also opposed the allegations, while Norway said it does not plan to retaliate by imposing tariffs on American goods.

In a statement on Thursday, Brazil rejected the 12.5% ​​tariff on its goods and reiterated its call for reciprocity. And in a video on social media, Mexico’s economy minister said, “We do not see a change in the effective tariff Mexico is paying today.”

Australia, subject to a 12.5% tariff, also voiced opposition to the new tariffs. Trade Minister Don Farrell told reporters Friday that Washington’s move is “completely unjustified,” adding that Canberra would continue to lobby the US to remove all tariffs on Australian goods.

The new rates apply to imports from countries that supply nearly everything the United States buys from abroad. A variety of imports, including oil and gas, as well as products that can’t be sourced domestically, were granted exemptions, administration officials said... 

The ignorant and vengeful MF is bypassing the Republican Supreme Court's decision knocking down the broad tariff powers he claimed, by finding a convenient point of law (Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974) to further alienate our longtime trading partners while undercutting American exports and passing the costs along to consumers.  A trifecta.  Brilliant!

Bond market red flags

Rising oil prices, persistent inflation fears and shifting expectations for rate hikes are rattling the world's largest bond market, sending Treasury yields higher and pushing up borrowing costs for consumers.

The 10-year US Treasury yield on Thursday rose four basis points, to 4.71%, its highest level since January 2025. Prior to the war with Iran, which started in late February, the 10-year yield dipped below 4%.

Renewed tensions between Washington and Tehran have pushed up oil prices once again, with Brent crude surging 7% on Thursday to hit $100 per barrel.

The conflict has rocked the massive US Treasury market — with roughly $30 trillion in value — as investors weigh the impact of surging oil prices and the possibility that the Federal Reserve could keep interest rates higher for longer, or even raise them, if inflationary pressures intensify. Bond yields rise when prices fall.

Markets are pricing in a 36% chance the Fed hikes rates at its policy meeting next week, according to CME FedWatch.

Investors are also demanding a higher yield on Treasuries to compensate for the risk of inflation eating into their return.

The US 10-year yield helps determine borrowing costs across the economy, including the 30-year mortgage rate. The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate was 6.58% this week, the highest level in almost a year.  [snip]

US stocks closed lower Thursday as rising bond yields and a slide in shares of tech companies weighed on markets. The Dow fell 507 points, or almost 1%. The S&P 500 fell 1.2% and the Nasdaq Composite sank 2.15%... (our emphasis)

The MF, a "billionaire" who continues to claim "affordability" is a "hoax," is doing his best/ worst to spread the misery to both the average consumer / potential home-buyer, and to the big and small investor class.  His incompetence and that of his advisors is one of the greatest weapons we have against him, but unfortunately it comes at a great cost to the majority of Americans.

Today's Cartoons

 

(click on images to enlarge)

(Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

(Clay Jones, claytoonz.substack.com; context here)

(Michael de Adder, Globe and Mail, Toronto, Canada)

(Jesse Duquette, @misterjesseduquette)

(Bob Eckstein, @theamericanbystander)

(Joe Heller, hellertoon,substack.com)

(R.J. Matson, CQ/ Roll Call)

(Jimmy Margulies, King Features)

(Chris Britt, Creators.com)

(Adam Zyglis, The Buffalo News)

(Scott Stantis, The Chicago Tribune)

(Jeremy Nguyen, @now.voyager.mag)

Trump Losing Support For War Among MAGAts; Dems Surge In Congressional Ballot

 

MAGAts continue to sour on Moron Metternich's Operation Epic Fail:

Half of President Donald Trump's MAGA base thought the Iran war was worth its economic costs in May. Now, just a little more than a third do.

That precipitous, 13-point drop in just two months, according to a new POLITICO Poll, reveals how the president's most die-hard supporters are starting to agree with the majority of Americans who have long opposed the U.S.' involvement in the war.

Additionally, 37 percent of self-identified MAGA Trump voters say the U.S. should continue its involvement only if it doesn't increase costs, up from 29 percent who said the same in May, according to the survey, conducted by independent polling firm Public First. Nearly 1 in 5 MAGA voters believe that the U.S. should end its war in Iran, regardless of the costs.

That flagging support among the president's most loyal supporters is the clearest sign that Americans' patience is wearing thin as the economy continues to dominate as voters' top concern heading into a critical midterm cycle... (our emphasis)

There's also this, from the highly respected Emerson College Poll on the generic Congressional ballot:

 

Eleven points.  Even with the built-in Republican gerrymandering advantage, might be a spread that even Moron Metternich the Malignant Fascist would have a hard time selling this mid-term as a "stolen election," not that he and his cultists won't try his damnedest.

The usual caveats apply, mostly that the only poll that counts is the one on Election Day.

Skeets Of The Day

 

Operation Epic Fail: destroyed redefined,  oil prices up, Houthi hoohah--

“.. the country maintains an ability to inflict damage on precise targets, despite the Trump administration’s repeated claims that Iran’s military capabilities have been diminished or destroyed.” @nytimes.com www.nytimes.com/2026/07/22/w...

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— Carl Quintanilla (@carlquintanilla.bsky.social) July 23, 2026 at 5:49 AM

 

captures the essence. based on the means he's willing to use, Trump lost this conflict in early March. He's just been putting off accepting that. the things he would have to do to change that equation he has shown zero willingness to do.

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— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm.bsky.social) July 23, 2026 at 9:33 AM

 

BREAKING: NEW YORK (AP) - International benchmark oil prices cross $100 a barrel again as violence escalates in the Middle East.

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1.bsky.social) July 23, 2026 at 9:30 AM

Under Trump/Hegseth, the US already went to war with the Houthis in Yemen. Started Mar 2025 with White House fanfare. Spent valuable munitions, lost a few jets, killed some people, failed to stop Houthi fire at ships in the Red Sea, lied about it, leaked plans on Signal, blustered more, then quit.

— Nicholas Grossman (@nicholasgrossman.bsky.social) July 23, 2026 at 6:36 AM

 

A second Trump-Epstein files bill introduced in the House as Blanche stonewalls --

 

Khanna: Katie Phang brought a lawsuit under the original Epstein transparency act, and the judge has ruled that Todd Blanche needs to release the remaining files. And he has been in defiance of already a federal judge's order

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— Acyn (@acyn.bsky.social) July 22, 2026 at 9:32 PM

 

Also, to expand the Supreme Court, abolish ICE, etc. -- 

This should be a lightbulb moment for Democrats: You are free to run on this platform because Republicans are going to accuse you of it whether you do or not!

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— Brandon Friedman (@brandonfriedman.bsky.social) July 22, 2026 at 7:57 PM

Abolish ICE. Dismantle DHS. ICE’s funding needs to be canceled. The employees fired. Investigations conducted. Trials, where appropriate, held. DHS needs to be broken up and the useful functionality moved to other departments. Return it to pre-2001 organizational structure.

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— Jim Teeth (@drjamesjteeth.bsky.social) July 23, 2026 at 5:42 AM

 

Some ominous polls for the corrupt and demented Malignant Fascist. Sad! --

 

A new Fox News poll has Dems up 53/46 on the generic ballot. Says Fox: “Notably, 53% is the highest percentage either party has received on the generic House ballot in Fox News polling since 1996.” www.foxnews.com/politics/fox...

— Taniel (@taniel.bsky.social) July 22, 2026 at 6:37 PM

 

Democrats have the enthusiasm advantage. We are sick of the Trump/Republican nightmare. Turns out “I’ll vote for Trump” and “I’ll vote in the midterms” aren’t the same thing. Fox News poll

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— Christopher Webb (@cwebbonline.com) July 23, 2026 at 8:54 AM

 

The Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act, the Malignant Fascist, and Ferris Bueller. Prepare for a Depression -- 

The irony of Trump saying multiple times he doesn't want to be Hoover but then using the Smoot-Hawley Act to enact ridiculous tariffs. 😆😆

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— Lynne (@lynne-sails.bsky.social) July 23, 2026 at 8:51 AM

It's a cult. A deeply sick, dangerous one --

 

There is "I'm going to pretend an incompetent buffoon is accomplishing imaginary things to help me" kind of being in a stupid cult—and then there is "I don't mind if a notorious pedophile sexually abuses my own children" kind of being in an extremely dangerous cult. Sheesh.

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— Mrs. Betty Bowers (@mrsbettybowers.bsky.social) July 23, 2026 at 11:21 AM

 The MF's continued corrupt, retribution campaign hits Medicaid --

Let me get this straight... Trump is blocking $1B in Medicaid payments to blue states over spurious accusations of mass fraud. Meanwhile, he's literally pardoned over 70 convicted fraudsters — including a nursing home owner who stole over $1.3B from Medicare and Medicaid. Hello?

— Robert Reich (@rbreich.bsky.social) July 22, 2026 at 5:15 PM

"I'm angling for a larger cubicle....." --

 

Please, step into my office.

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— Cats with Jobs ⚒️ (@catworkers.bsky.social) July 17, 2026 at 10:31 PM

 

Trump's Sketchy Nuke Deal With Corrupt Saudis

 

It appears that the lucrative "business" links between the corrupt and felonious Malignant Fascist and his counterpart Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin "Bone Saw" Salman are coming to fruition. Yesterday, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia announced a deal to permit Saudi Arabia to enrich nuclear fuel by itself, an act that could result in a race in the region to develop enrichment capabilities.  The New Republic reports:

"The Trump administration on Wednesday signed a nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia that, per The New York Times, 'could lead to the country enriching its own fuel for nuclear reactors' and is estimated to 'provide billions of dollars for the U.S. nuclear industry.' This news took much of Washington by surprise, given the rift between the two countries over the U.S. war against Iran. Nuclear experts have long been expecting such a deal, but President Trump’s reported concessions to Saudi Arabia raise legitimate concerns and unless addressed could lead to a Middle East filled with nuclear weapons programs. This would undermine decades of U.S. work to prevent the spread of the most destructive weapons humanity has ever created."

The U.S. has agreements with 26 nations including Japan and the European Union for selling nuclear reactors and low enriched uranium that can't be used in weapons, as provided under Article 123 of the Atomic Energy Act.  This deal with the Saudis is different:

"Almost all of the deals omit permission for states to pursue uranium enrichment or plutonium reprocessing—thus reducing global risk, as highly enriched uranium and separated plutonium can both be used to produce nuclear weapons. Japan and the European Union, with their strong legal systems and acceptance of the most stringent inspection obligations conducted by the International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA, are the only two 123 deals that allow significant enrichment or reprocessing of U.S. materials.

Saudi Arabia is not Japan or the EU, and its agreement with the U.S. sounds a lot different from the standard 123 deal. This raises concerns that Saudi Arabia is using its close financial ties to the Trump family to manipulate U.S. cooperation to pursue a nuclear weapon option, especially if Iran continues to be a nuclear threshold state.

Of greatest concern is a provision that could open the door to Saudi Arabia having a uranium enrichment facility." (our emphasis)

The MF's loosened requirements on the Saudis are detailed further in the article, and represent a threat of proliferation.  It's something the MF won't let stand in the way of more payoffs to his interests from the Saudi regime and big profits for the U.S. nuclear industry.

 

Houthis Close Key Strait To Saudis

 

Iran-allied Houthi rebels in Yemen reportedly struck two Saudi Arabian oil tankers in the Red Sea earlier today, as they attempt to close off the Bab el-Mandab Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea to Saudi shipping.  From the Associated Press:

"The Houthis’ SABA news agency said the rebels had struck two tankers, the Encelia and the Layla, in the Red Sea, leading to fires on both. That would be their first reported attack on a vessel since they announced a blockade of Saudi-linked shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait earlier this week in retaliation for the kingdom’s blockade on Yemen and a recent attack on the international airport in Yemen’s rebel-held capital, Sanaa.

Bab el-Mandeb, at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, is a vital shipping chokepoint connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. Around 12% of the world’s trade, including a fourth of global container traffic, passes through there, moving between Europe and Asia via Egypt’s Suez Canal.

A senior Houthi official said the blockade on Saudi-linked shipping would remain in effect until a years-old Saudi blockade against the Houthis is lifted. The official gave no details of the attack and spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media." (our emphasis)

The Houthis have been the target of airstrikes by Israeli and U.S. in the past over their assaults on shipping in the Red Sea near the vital Strait.  This blockade is targeted at the Saudis, who have backed the government in Yemen for years and provided military support to them.  With the closure of the Strait of Hormuz forcing higher oil and gas prices, the Houthi action puts additional pressure on the reckless regime of the Malignant Fascist and his corrupt friend Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin "Bone Saw" Salman, not to mention world oil prices already rising due to the MF's war on Iran.