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This is really smart stuff from @davidsirota explaining how a Dem victory in the midterms could create an opening for a major recalibration via a revitalized exercise of Congressional power. Transcript: newrepublic.com/article/209291…

Crucial from @davidsirota: If Dems win House, they must use power of the purse to stop Trump. Ds can't fear the politics of defunding. Trump is weak. It's an opening to reassert "congressional authority in a real way." On the pod David explains this well: newrepublic.com/article/209287…

Trump is starting to echo the language he hears daily from his sycophants who are telling him how great everything is going

"This all could have been avoided if Trump had just stayed in the JCPOA...but it was Obama’s brainchild, which meant it had to be torn up, simply because Trump is such an insanely insecure and vindictive man." Good refresher on Iran deal from @mtomasky: newrepublic.com/article/209256…

"Not one of these companies can say with any clarity where their multi-million-dollar donations to Donald Trump’s library slush fund are, or where they will go." -Elizabeth Warren, to me, in this piece:

Trump's plan for a presidential library, a monstrosity in Miami, combines many of the worst aspects of his imperial presidency all in one project: newrepublic.com/article/209254…

Where’s the $?

Trump has basically turned the presidency into a giant Bribe Delivery System. newrepublic.com/article/209254…

The money very well may end up in another foundation set up to fund the library. But even if so, we have no idea whether Trump controls that entity or what the money will really go to. The whole presidential library fundraising racket has to be reformed. newrepublic.com/article/209254…

News --> Paramount, Meta, and X won't say what happened to their huge donations to Trump's presidential library after Sen Elizabeth Warren raised questions about its fund getting dissolved. Dems say tens of millions remain unaccounted for. Details here: newrepublic.com/article/209254…

After the companies settled with Trump in his shakedown lawsuits, the money was pledged to his presidential library. But the fund was then dissolved. Senate Dems asked the companies where the money went. They have now replied. I obtained their answers: newrepublic.com/article/209254…

First, let's note that the Trump library saga combines the worse of his imperial presidency all in one: his use of lawsuits to extort private entities for tribute; his garishly awful decorative and architectural taste; and his Nero-scale megalomania. newrepublic.com/article/209254…

@JoshSchwerin only he could match such a stellar performance

@GregTSargent I think first term Trump managed it

Trump continues to crater. New NBC poll has his approval down to 37-63, which is 26 points underwater. Crucially, 50% disapprove *strongly.* Has any other president had half the country strongly disapproving? nbcnews.com/politics/donal…

Adding to @sullydish's point: Don't forget that when Hegseth said his Pentagon prayer about the war, he chose a verse that suggests God *does not hear* the Iranian enemy's prayers. Now juxtapose *this* with the Lincoln quote: newrepublic.com/article/208322…