Abusing Religion

Our new book is The Comeback: The 2024 Elections and American Politics. The second Trump administration is off to an ominous start.  It is abusing religion to achieve its ends.

Trump has literally claimed that God is on his side.

Eileen Sullivan at NYT:

The Trump administration released guidance on Monday reminding federal agencies that religious expression in the workplace is protected by the Constitution and the Civil Rights Act — guidance that protects employees and supervisors seeking to recruit fellow federal workers to their religion.

Such expressions are protected as long as they do not cross into harassment, the guidance says. Wearing religious symbols and staging them in office cubicles is also protected, the guidance says, as are hosting prayer groups in empty offices and posting about religious events on office bulletin boards.

The Clinton White House issued similar guidelines in 1997, though at greater length and with more detailed examples and caveats. The Trump administration did not say whether its guidelines superseded those issued in 1997. Neither set of directives affects the First Amendment to the Constitution or Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

“This guidance ensures the federal workplace is not just compliant with the law but welcoming to Americans of all faiths,” said Scott Kuper, the director of the Office of Personnel Management, which released the policy, said in a statement.

 On July 7,  David A. Fahrenthold reported at NYT:

The I.R.S. said on Monday that churches and other houses of worship can endorse political candidates to their congregations, carving out an exemption in a decades-old ban on political activity by tax-exempt nonprofits.

The agency made that statement in a court filing intended to settle a lawsuit filed by two Texas churches and an association of Christian broadcasters.

From the Christian Defense Coalition:

In the video, a man’s voice quotes Isaiah 6:8, which says: “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’"

(Here is a link to the video)

DHS is implying it is the Lord, and not the government, who is issuing this call to be sent which is deeply troubling and manipulative.

The video takes an even darker turn as it states: “And who will go for us?” signaling the “us” of Isaiah 6:8 is not God but rather the government and the DHS.

Liking the voice and purposes of God to the voice and purposes of the United States government is offensive and must be challenged.

Also offensive is a song playing in the background with the lyrics: “Run on for a long time, Sooner or later God'll cut you down” which focuses on undocumented immigrants who cannot avoid God’s judgment.

Alexei Laushkin, Founder of Kingdom Mission Society, comments:

“We need to let DHS do their critical work free of politics. Using a video on Isaiah 6:8 is very misguided. The twitter account for DHS should be for critical informational tweets that protect our homeland. The DHS account should not be used to make a mockery of faith.

"God calls people to serve in DHS and throughout the government, but that message should be coming from the pulpit not a government ad.

"We want DHS to uphold the rule of law, to uphold due process, and fulfill its mission, not be a substitute for the voice of the Church. Things are best when there is collaboration, not co-opting.”

Rev. Patrick Mahoney, Director of the Washington, DC based Christian Defense Coalition, adds:

“The Trump Administration and DHS have manipulated and misused Scripture by releasing this offensive recruitment video. The DHS video is using the Bible verse, Isaiah 6:8, to imply it is the Lord Himself and not the government who is issuing the call to be involved with the DHS.

"As a Christian minister, I take issue with the Word of God being used by the Trump Administration as a marketing and promotional tool to deal with the immigration challenges facing America.

"Likening the voice and purposes of God to the voice and purposes of the United States government is harmful and must be challenged.

"The video takes an even darker turn as it states, 'And who will go for us?' implying the 'us' of Isaiah 6:8 is not God but rather the government and the DHS.

"The Bible should be used to reveal the nature of God, point people to a relationship with Jesus Christ and instruct us in understanding the purposes and will of God. It should never be used as part of a manipulative and misleading recruitment ploy by the DHS.”

For more information please contact
Rev. Patrick Mahoney at 540.538.4741

SOURCE Christian Defense Coalition

CONTACT: Rev. Patrick Mahoney, 540-538-4741

Dueling Gerrymanders

Our new book is The Comeback: The 2024 Elections and American Politics. It includes a chapter on congressional and state elections.

NPR:

Republicans in the Texas House of Representatives have released a proposed new redistricting map that seeks to fulfill President Trump's desire to add up to five additional GOP congressional seats in the state.

New district lines in Texas and elsewhere could play a key role in determining which party controls the U.S. House after next year's midterms.

Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott added redistricting to the agenda for a special legislative session, citing concerns raised by Trump's Department of Justice that certain current districts are unconstitutional. But Republicans have also been explicit that they intend to undertake mid-decade redistricting for partisan aims.

According to Dave Wasserman, an analyst with the Cook Political Report, the proposed new map could help Republicans achieve a gerrymander of 30 Republican districts, to eight for Democrats. Currently, Republicans hold 25 of the state's seats.

 Taryn Luna at LAT:

California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta said Tuesday that he believes there is a “legal pathway” for Democrats to present new congressional district maps directly to voters on a statewide ballot, without input from the state’s independent redistricting commission.

Such a move, he suggested, would allow the state to counter Republican efforts to tilt next year’s midterm election by pushing redistricting measures that favor the GOP in conservative states such as Texas. If successful, Republicans would have a better chance of holding their slim majority in the U.S. House of Representatives and protecting President Trump’s ability to enact his agenda.

“I think the governor could call a special election that the voters of the state of California would participate in, and present to them a pathway forward that’s different than the independent redistricting commission, that has maps presented to them ready [and] tangible and specific, and then the people vote,” Bonta said, adding that his staff had been discussing the matter with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s team.

Some Green Shoots for Democrats

Our new book is The Comeback: The 2024 Elections and American Politics. The second Trump administration is off to an ominous start. Democrats have problems, but still take hope.

Mike Allen at Axios:

Here's the five-part theory of the case for why Dems are optimistic about 2026, as laid out by more than a dozen of their top campaign staffers:

1. The "big, beautiful bill" is polling terribly.
2. Cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act are expected to make the "big, beautiful bill" even more unpopular.
3. Prices are still high despite Trump promising to bring them down. Economic approval had long been one of Trump's consistent political strengths. Now it's not.
4. Trump's deportations are getting blowback after going well beyond violent criminals and gang members. Polls show Republicans losing an advantage on one of their key issues in the 2024 election.
5. Democratic enthusiasm. A recent CNN poll found 72% Democrats and Democratic-aligned voters are extremely motivated to vote in the midterm elections, compared to just 50% of Republicans and Republican-aligned voters.

Washington Post:

How closely are Americans following news about government files from the federal investigation of Jeffrey Epstein, and what do they think about President Donald Trump’s handling of the issue? The Washington Post texted 1,089 people Monday to ask.

The Post’s poll found that most Americans are paying at least some attention to news about the Epstein files. Americans largely disapprove of how Trump is handling the issue, with most Democrats and independents disapproving and Republicans expressing a mix of approval and uncertainty. Most Americans strongly support releasing all files in the Epstein case and suspect the documents contain embarrassing information about Trump, Democrats and billionaires.

Epstein, Epstein, Epstein

Our new book is The Comeback: The 2024 Elections and American Politics. The second Trump administration is off to an ominous start.

Trump is using wild conspiracy theories to distract from the mounting Epstein scandal.

 Stephen Collinson at CNN:

President Donald Trump claimed another win for his campaign to transform the global economy and American life, but he still can’t escape intensifying questions over his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein controversy.

The United States clinched a framework deal with the European Union on Sunday that averted a damaging trade war. Trump believes such moves will revive US manufacturing. But the resulting 15% tariff on EU goods entering the US likely means American consumers will face higher prices in the long term.

This is a significant step. So Trump’s insistence that it was not simply a bid to distract from the Epstein saga is reasonable. “Oh, you have got to be kidding with that,” the angry president told a reporter. But his irritation underscored his failure to shrug off weeks of revelations about the case and his own past friendship with the accused sex trafficker, who died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial.

Mystery surrounds the administration’s motives after Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, Trump’s former personal lawyer, met last week with Epstein’s imprisoned accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell. Her lawyer implied that Maxwell was open to a presidential pardon. Trump’s record of using such power for political purposes has critics warning he may be seeking a deal that would politicize justice.

The storm back home isn’t abating. Two lawmakers, one Democrat and the other Republican, vowed Sunday to force a vote on the House floor on the release of Epstein case files. Such a vote could embarrass the administration and create a major political showdown.

The Parties in Mid-2025

Our new book is The Comeback: The 2024 Elections and American Politics. It includes a chapter on congressional and state elections.

Aaron Zitner at WSJ:

The Democratic Party’s image has eroded to its lowest point in more than three decades, according to a new Wall Street Journal poll, with voters seeing Republicans as better at handling most issues that decide elections.

The new survey finds that 63% of voters hold an unfavorable view of the Democratic Party—the highest share in Journal polls dating to 1990 and 30 percentage points higher than the 33% who hold a favorable view.

That is a far weaker assessment than voters give to either President Trump or the Republican Party, who are viewed more unfavorably than favorably by 7 points and 11 points, respectively. A mere 8% of voters view the Democrats “very favorably,” compared with 19% who show that level of enthusiasm for the GOP.

BUT...

Bruce Mehlman:

.It may be “the economy stupid” for Presidential elections, but no economic indicator (consumer confidence, inflation, stock market returns) correlates consistently to midterm outcomes. What does correlate (high R2)? Presidential Approval. Midterms are referendums on the party in power, usually narrowing the mandate given at the last election. And absent >60% approval, the President’s party loses seats. Trump is currently at 44.6% approval. Advantage Democrats.

Gabbard Lies to Divert Attention from the Epstein Scandal

Our new book is The Comeback: The 2024 Elections and American Politics. The second Trump administration is off to an ominous start.

Trump is using wild conspiracy theories to distract from the mounting Epstein scandal.

Dan De Luce at NBC:

The former senior CIA officer who helped oversee the 2017 intelligence assessment on Russia’s interference in the 2016 election says Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and the White House are “lying” when they claim that it was an attempt to sabotage President Donald Trump.

Susan Miller, a retired CIA officer who helped lead the team that produced the report about Russia’s actions during the 2016 campaign, told NBC News it was based on credible information that showed Moscow sought to help Trump win the election, but that there was no sign of a conspiracy between the Kremlin and the Trump campaign.

“The director of national intelligence and the White House are lying, again,” Miller said. “We definitely had the intel to show with high probability that the specific goal of the Russians was to get Trump elected.”

She added: “At the same time, we found no two-way collusion between Trump or his team with the Russians at that time.”Miller spoke to NBC News after Gabbard alleged Wednesday that the 2017 intelligence assessment was based on “manufactured” information as part of a “treasonous conspiracy” by the Obama administration to undermine Trump and tarnish his electoral victory. Gabbard cited a 2020 report from Republicans on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, which she declassified and released this week, that asserted there was insufficient information to conclude Russia had been trying to tip the scales in favor of Trump.

More details at AP 

Trump Makes South Park Relevant

Our new book is The Comeback: The 2024 Elections and American Politics. 

 Sian Cain at The Guardian:

South Park co-creator Trey Parker had the briefest of responses on Thursday to anger from the White House over the latest season premiere, which showed a naked Donald Trump in bed with Satan.

“We’re terribly sorry,” Parker said, followed by a long, deadpan-comic stare.

Parker was asked for his reaction to the fracas on the stage at San Diego’s Comic-Con International at the beginning of a animation panel that also included his South Park partner Matt Stone, Beavis and Butt-Head creator Mike Judge and actor Andy Samberg, who co-created the animated Digman!

Earlier in the day, the White House issued a statement on the 27th season premiere episode, which aired Wednesday night. Unlike other characters in the animated show, Trump is depicted as an actual photo of the US president on an animated body. There is also an extended scene featuring a hyper-realistic, deepfake video of Trump, completely naked, walking in a desert; and repeated suggestions that Trump’s genitalia are small.

“This show hasn’t been relevant for over 20 years and is hanging on by a thread with uninspired ideas in a desperate attempt for attention,” White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in the statement. “President Trump has delivered on more promises in just six months than any other president in our country’s history – and no fourth-rate show can derail President Trump’s hot streak.”

From the Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy:

 A self-refuting utterance is one which is shown to be false in the very fact of its being made, as when someone says: ‘I am not now speaking!’; ‘There are no words on this page’; or, more controversially, ‘I am asleep’, or ‘Words have no meaning.’

By issuing a statement attacking South Park for being irrelevant, the Trump White House affirmed that it is indeed relevant. 

Trump Knew He Was in the Files

Our new book is The Comeback: The 2024 Elections and American Politics. The second Trump administration is off to an ominous start.

REPORTER: Did the attorney general tell you that your name appeared in the Epstein files?

TRUMP: No no. She's given us just a very quick briefing. These files were made up by Comey, Obama, they were made up by the Biden-- we went through years of that with the Russia Russia… pic.twitter.com/Zi5efVzhFA

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 15, 2025

 Sadie Gurman, Annie Linskey, Josh Dawsey and Alex Leary at WSJ:

When Justice Department officials reviewed what Attorney General Pam Bondi called a “truckload” of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein earlier this year, they discovered that Donald Trump’s name appeared multiple times, according to senior administration officials.

In May, Bondi and her deputy informed the president at a meeting in the White House that his name was in the Epstein files, the officials said. Many other high-profile figures were also named, Trump was told. Being mentioned in the records isn’t a sign of wrongdoing.

The officials said it was a routine briefing that covered a number of topics and that Trump’s appearance in the documents wasn’t the focus.

They told the president at the meeting that the files contained what officials felt was unverified hearsay about many people, including Trump, who had socialized with Epstein in the past, some of the officials said. One of the officials familiar with the documents said they contain hundreds of other names.

They also told Trump that senior Justice Department officials didn’t plan to release any more documents related to the investigation of the convicted sex offender because the material contained child pornography and victims’ personal information, the officials said. Trump said at the meeting he would defer to the Justice Department’s decision to not release any further files.

The meeting set the stage for the high-profile review to come to an end. Bondi had said in February that Epstein’s client list was “sitting on my desk right now to review.” Trump said last week in response to a journalist’s question that Bondi hadn’t told him that his name was in the files.

Defying Courts

Our new book is The Comeback: The 2024 Elections and American Politics. The second Trump administration is off to an ominous start. The rule of law is under threat.

Justin Jouvenal at WP:

The Post examined 337 lawsuits filed against the administration since Trump returned to the White House and began a rapid-fire effort to reshape government programs and policy. As of mid-July, courts had ruled against the administration in 165 of the lawsuits. The Post found that the administration is accused of defying or frustrating court oversight in 57 of those cases — almost 35 percent.

Legal experts said the pattern of conduct is unprecedented for any presidential administration and threatens to undermine the judiciary’s role as a check on an executive branch asserting vast powers that test the boundaries of the law and Constitution. Immigration cases have emerged as the biggest flash point, but the administration has also repeatedly been accused of failing to comply in lawsuits involving cuts to federal funding and the workforce.

Preventing House GOP Departures

Our new book is The Comeback: The 2024 Elections and American Politics. It includes a chapter on congressional and state elections.

Andrew Howard at Politico:

President Donald Trump is doing everything he can to keep GOP control of the House, and it’s coming at the expense of some of the chamber’s most ambitious members.

It started in March, when Trump abruptly yanked Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.)’s nomination to serve as ambassador to the United Nations. But in recent weeks, the president has also played an important role in stymieing efforts from vulnerable House Republicans who were looking to seek higher office in 2026.

Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Mich.) is still considering a Senate bid, but that’s much to the ire of Trump’s top advisers and the National Republican Senatorial Committee, who have gone all-in backing former Rep. Mike Rogers for the seat. Rep. Zach Nunn (R-Iowa) was seriously considering a run for governor, until a meeting with Trump ended in a social media post from the president endorsing his reelection to the House.

"Just spoke to Great Combat Veteran Zach Nunn, and he is committed to the mission of, HOLDING THE MAJORITY,” Trump said on Truth Social earlier this month, before Nunn had announced any decision.

The moves underscore the importance of maintaining Republicans' razor-thin majority for Trump's final years in office, and for the most part, the House Republicans are falling in line.

“After prayerful consideration with his family and the strong support from President Trump, Zach is more committed than ever to maintaining the Republican majority and advancing the America First Agenda,” a spokesperson for Nunn said when he made the decision.

Some, however, have not. Rep. John James (R-Mich.) launched a bid for governor without Trump’s endorsement, and the president made his displeasure clear.

“John James, John James," Trump said at a June bill signing. "I don't know; you know he's running for governor, but I'm not sure I'm happy about that, John. Do we have somebody good to take your seat? Because otherwise we're not letting him run for governor.”

The next potential target on Trump’s chopping block? Battleground New York Rep. Mike Lawler, who has been flirting with a bid for governor.

“I’m going to be meeting with the president at some point soon and have a conversation about the path forward,” Lawler told NewsNation last week. “But one way or the other, we need to have a united front — whether it’s me, whether it’s Elise Stefanik — we need to be focused on defeating Kathy Hochul.”

It’s not just about keeping members in the House. The White House also pushed for Texas’ mid-decade redistricting, which could net as many as five seats for Republicans. There’s action on the Senate side, too. Trump’s team met with Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) last week, as some Republicans brace for her potential retirement.

NRSC Hardball Against Paxton

 Our new book is The Comeback: The 2024 Elections and American Politics. It includes a chapter on congressional and state elections.

Charlie Cook:

Thursday afternoon, the National Republican Senatorial Committee released a statement from communications director Joanna Rodriguez on Texas state Sen. Angela Paxton’s divorce filing against her husband, state Attorney General Ken Paxton. “What Ken Paxton has put his family through is truly repulsive and disgusting,” read the statement. Not your everyday Capitol Hill press release, to say the least.

...

Paxton served 10 years in the Texas state House and two years in the state Senate before his election as attorney general in 2014. In 2015, a year after becoming the state’s chief legal officer, Paxton was indicted on securities-fraud charges. The case languished for nine years, during which he was reelected twice, impeached by the state House, and acquitted by the state Senate. In March of 2024, he reached a plea-bargain agreement that required restitution of almost $300,000 but did not require him to step down from his post.

That brings us back to the NRSC. To be very clear, I am not criticizing Rodriguez, the NRSC staff, or its chairman, Sen. Tim Scott. I understand why they did it, but—wow!

If Cornyn is the GOP nominee, he wins the general election easily—period. But virtually all polling shows Paxton ahead in a primary, be it by 9 points, 19 points, or even 22 points. The most reputable survey, conducted by the Tarrance Group for the Senate Leadership Fund (the chief super PAC for Senate Republicans, closely aligned with Majority Leader Thune), showed Paxton’s margin on the lower end of that range, at 10 points.

Given all of Paxton’s baggage, some of that same polling shows that Democrats would have a good shot against Paxton if he’s the nominee. So it’s easy to understand why national GOP leaders have a vested interest in Cornyn winning renomination, in the process saving them a pile of general-election money.

 

Beshear

Our new book is The Comeback: The 2024 Elections and American Politics. The 2028 campaign is just starting.

Hannah Knowles at WP:

PAWLEYS ISLAND, S.C.Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear had plenty to say about the culture wars that have divided his party as he laid groundwork here this week for a possible 2028 presidential run.

As some prominent Democrats warn that the party has gone too far left on trans rights, the governor from the deep-red South quoted scripture to explain why he vetoed “every single piece of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation” that GOP state lawmakers sent to his desk. As some institutions back off racial justice initiatives that have faced a fierce backlash and that Republicans call “woke,” Beshear said he was proud to make Juneteenth an executive branch holiday and remove a statue of Confederate president Jefferson Davis from the Kentucky Capitol.

“I’m a proud pro-choice governor, I’m a proud pro-LGBTQ+ governor, and I’m a proud pro-diversity governor,” Beshear said at his final stop, a dinner for Democrats in conservative Georgetown County. “Now some people would tell you that a Democrat can’t win in a state like mine or yours with that resume. Yet here I am.”

Beshear occupies a singular position in the early 2028 Democratic sweepstakes as a two-term governor in a state President Donald Trump won by 30 points who is pitching himself as a blueprint for the party to start winning again. As Democrats fight over whether they paid a price for moving too far left on some social issues, Beshear is using his red-state experience to argue the party need not run away from those topics.

Trump, the Struggling Artist

Our new book is The Comeback: The 2024 Elections and American Politics. The second Trump administration is off to an ominous start.  The Epstein scandal is causing some difficulty for Trump.

 James Liddell at The Independent:

President Donald Trump has strongly pushed back against the bombshell Wall Street Journal report that alleged he drew a “bawdy” sketch in a birthday message to celebrate convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s 50th birthday.

“I never wrote a picture in my life,” he said in a rebuttal to the newspaper, vehemently denying having anything to do with the card.

In a Truth Social tirade late Thursday, the president declared, “I don’t draw pictures.”

Trump is accused of writing a cryptic note that made mention of a “wonderful secret” in his note to the disgraced financier. The Journal reported that the text was surrounded by a drawing of a naked woman, punctuated by a squiggly “Donald” that mimicked pubic hair.

Analysts were quick to pounce on Trump’s denial, including Media Matters chief Angelo Carusone, who told MSNBC, “I can think of three [Trump sketches] off the top of my head that were auctioned.”

Andrew Egger at The  Bulwark:

He called in every favor to try to stop the article’s publication, making phone calls to the paper’s owner, Rupert Murdoch, and its editor, Emma Tucker, and swearing he would sue if they published. Vice President JD Vance called the story “complete and utter bullshit,” asking “Does anyone honestly believe this sounds like Donald Trump?”

This was flailing, back-to-the-wall damage control. Trump’s claim that “I don’t draw pictures” was disproven within minutes of his making it. In fact, a plethora of comparable black-Sharpie doodles drawn by him around that time are already a matter of public record. Vance’s “Does anyone honestly believe this sounds like Donald Trump” question was, if anything, even funnier: The alleged letter was written in 2003, one year after Trump told a reporter that Epstein was a “terrific guy” who “likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side” and two years before a hot mic caught Trump telling Billy Bush about his strategy for flirting with women he’d just met: “grab them by the pussy.”

The idea that Murdoch and the Journal would publish a story like this—knowing Trump’s penchant for retributive lawsuits—without being on rock-solid legal footing is laughable; a small army of lawyers no doubt inspected every word of the report. Meanwhile, Trump is the only alleged contributor to deny to the Journal that his letter was real; billionaire Leslie Wexner declined to comment, and attorney Alan Dershowitz simply said that “it’s been a long time and I don’t recall the content of what I may have written.”

Epsteingate Is Scratching Trump

Our new book is The Comeback: The 2024 Elections and American Politics. The second Trump administration is off to an ominous start.  The Epstein scandal is causing some difficulty for Trump.

Jason Lange at Reuters:

Most Americans think President Donald Trump's administration is hiding information about accused sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and give it poor marks on the issue after pledging to make public documents in the case, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found.

The two-day poll, which closed Wednesday, showed 69% of respondents thought the federal government was hiding details about Epstein's clients, compared to 6% who disagreed and about one in four who said they weren't sure.

 

California Counter-Gerrymander?

 Our new book is The Comeback: The 2024 Elections and American Politics. It includes a chapter on congressional and state elections.

Trump is pressing Texas to do a mid-decade gerrymander.  Newsom is threatening to strike back.  Mark Z. Barabak:

As part of a recent Southern campaign swing, Gavin Newsom sat down with a progressive Tennessee podcaster to discuss the Republican power grab. (The picnic bench, rolled up shirt sleeves, beer and f-bomb showed the governor was being authentic, in case there was any doubt.)

“They’re not f— around now. They’re playing by a totally different set of rules,” Newsom said of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and his fellow Republicans. Years ago, he noted, California created an independent commission to draw its political lines, which states normally do once a decade after new census figures come out.

But with a super-majority in Sacramento, Newsom said, Democrats could “gerrymander like no other state.”

“We’ve been playing fair,” he continued, but Abbott’s actions “made me question that entire program.” Later, elaborating on social media, the governor accused Republicans of cheating their way to extra House seats and warned, “California is watching — and you can bet we won’t stand idly by.”

There’s a Texas expression for that: All hat and no cattle.

The fact is, voters took the power of political line-drawing away from the governor and his fellow lawmakers, for good reason, and it’s not like Newsom can unilaterally take that power back — no matter how well his chesty swagger might play with Trump-loathing Democrats.

...

[Democrats] could break the law and pass legislation drawing new lines, face an inevitable lawsuit and prevail with a sympathetic ruling from the California Supreme Court. Or they could ask voters to approve different lines through a new constitutional amendment, in a hurried-up special election ahead of the 2026 midterms.

Both scenarios seem as plausible as Newsom delivering universal healthcare and fulfilling his pledge to build 3.5 million new homes a year, to name two other extravagant promises.

MAGA Backflips

Our new book is The Comeback: The 2024 Elections and American Politics

 Shelby Talcott, Burgess Everett, and David Weigel at Semafor:

MAGA may be starting to move on from its infighting over Jeffrey Epstein.

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, who didn’t show up for work on Friday after a fight with Attorney General Pam Bondi and weighed resigning in protest of the administration’s handling of the Epstein case, spoke to President Donald Trump over the weekend. He subsequently returned to the office on Monday — though it remains unclear whether he will stay on at the FBI long term, two sources familiar with the situation told Semafor.

And while several prominent Trump-aligned pundits continued to air frustrations with the Justice Department’s decision to effectively declare the Epstein matter closed, one of them — TPUSA co-founder Charlie Kirk — said Monday he wouldn’t be commenting further. Notably, he also spoke with Trump this weekend.

The Epstein flap, as of Monday night, now appears to be the latest example of a second Trump term that’s been defined by the president’s ability to bend GOP lawmakers and his base to his will. Trump made clear that he wants to get past the circular firing squad that the conservative movement descended into last week over Epstein documents.

Jonathan Lemire at The Atlantic:

President Donald Trump is finally taking the fight to Vladimir Putin. Sort of. For now.

Trump’s deference to Russia’s authoritarian leader has been one of the most enduring geopolitical subplots of the past decade. But his frustration with Putin has grown. Last week, the president said the United States was taking “a lot of bullshit” from Putin. Today, he authorized a significant shipment of U.S. defensive weapons to Ukraine via NATO and threatened Russia with new tariffs if the war does not end in 50 days.

The change, though, is not reflective of Trump adopting a new strategic worldview, two White House officials and two outside advisers to the president told me, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. Trump did not develop a new fondness for Ukraine or its president, Volodymyr Zelensky. He did not abruptly become a believer in the traditional transatlantic alliances prized by his predecessors as a counterweight to Moscow. Rather, Trump got insulted.

...

When Trump recently intensified his calls for a cease-fire—at one point writing on social media, “Vladimir, STOP!”—Putin chose to defy him by escalating attacks on Ukraine yet again. The president was disturbed by his most recent call with Putin, held earlier this month, in which the Russian leader reiterated his goal to “liberate” Ukrainian territory that he believes belongs to Russia, one of the White House officials told me. The conflict’s front line remains largely frozen, but U.S. and European officials believe that Putin is planning a summer offensive and will launch more attacks on civilians in Ukraine’s cities. With Putin continuing to ignore his pleas for a deal, Trump has felt humiliated, fearing that he appears weak, one of the officials and one of the outside advisers told me.