As President Donald Trump nears the end of the first six months of his second term in the White House, Democrats and media appear to be scrambling for a foothold — a narrative that will stick and give them all something to rally around — but nothing seems to be working.
For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
The walls are not closing in. The Big Beautiful Bill has passed. The border is more secure than it has been in decades. The dire predictions have not materialized. The Trump administration, as James Carville predicted in February, did not implode in the next 30 days. The United States is not at the center of World War III and has not been plunged into an endless recession. And with no clear winning issue to grab onto, Democrats and media spent Sunday morning — one year to the day after a would-be assassin failed to end President Trump&#8217;s life — grasping at straws.
On ABC&#8217;s &#8220;This Week,&#8221; capitalizing on reported tensions between Trump Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, anchor Jonathan Karl questioned whether the Justice Department&#8217;s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case would drive a wedge between Trump and some of his most prominent supporters.
Many seemed unimpressed with the administration&#8217;s final assessment — that Epstein had taken his own life, had not been involved in blackmail schemes, and had no &#8220;client list&#8221; — and pushed back, calling for Bondi&#8217;s resignation or firing. Reports quickly began circulating that Bongino had said he could not stay on if Bondi did, creating what Karl described as an &#8220;uproar that has pitted the leaders of the DOJ and the FBI and possibly the president himself against some of the most prominent voices in the MAGA movement.&#8221;
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The Trump administration’s handling of the Epstein investigation has created an “uproar that has pitted the leaders of the DOJ and the FBI and possibly the president himself against some of the most prominent voices in the MAGA movement,” <a href="https://twitter.com/jonkarl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonKarl</a> reports. <a href="https://t.co/Nz5ssrfvW3">https://t.co/Nz5ssrfvW3</a> <a href="https://t.co/t81XpZKrwB">pic.twitter.com/t81XpZKrwB</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1944390902241284521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
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CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union&#8221; also latched on to the tensions within the DOJ and the FBI over the Epstein case. Bernie Sanders adviser Faiz Shakir blamed Trump — who had long promised to get to the bottom of the Epstein case and release whatever information he found — for the tension.
&#8220;I would say to Donald Trump, you wound this up. You caused this. And I think I&#8217;m on the side of these right-wing influencers who say, hey, if you want to be a paragon of virtue and say you want to take on the powerful, and Epstein… release them unredacted,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/fshakir?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@fshakir</a>: “I would say to Donald Trump, you wound this up. You caused this. And I think I&#8217;m on the side of these right-wing influencers who say, hey, if you want to be a paragon of virtue and say you want to take on the powerful, and Epstein… release them unredacted.”… <a href="https://t.co/EbkdhUmof2">pic.twitter.com/EbkdhUmof2</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1944414714613621006?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
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More and more Democrats have called for any and all <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sen-blackburn-says-democrat-led-senate-committee-chair-blocked-epstein-flight-logs-subpoena">Epstein documents</a> to be released, despite the fact that Democrats were the ones who blocked Republican attempts to get some of the documents – in particular, flight logs — released during former President Joe Biden&#8217;s term in office.
In case the Epstein-related drama failed to pan out, they tried a few other topics as well.
Karl asked about tariffs — set to take effect in short order for nations that have not yet come to the table and worked out mutually beneficial arrangements.
&#8220;These tariffs are real, if the president doesn’t get a deal that he thinks is good enough,” White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said. “Conversations are ongoing and we’ll see where the dust settles.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
White House&#8217;s Kevin Hassett on Pres. Trump announcing new tariffs during trade negotiations: “These tariffs are real, if the president doesn’t get a deal that he thinks is good enough.”
“Conversations are ongoing and we’ll see where the dust settles.” <a href="https://t.co/TSyrYidwZw">https://t.co/TSyrYidwZw</a> <a href="https://t.co/cbwk6p5mIr">pic.twitter.com/cbwk6p5mIr</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1944407493985099944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
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And finally, Karl turned to the Russia-Ukraine War amid reports that Trump had soured on Russian President Vladimir Putin as it became clear that he was not serious about negotiating peace.
&#8220;At a minimum, Trump has been personally embarrassed, you could argue, by how Putin has strung him along,&#8221; The New Yorker&#8217;s Susan Glasser suggested.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“At a minimum, Trump has been personally embarrassed, you could argue, by how Putin has strung him along.”
The New Yorker’s Susan Glasser joins <a href="https://twitter.com/jonkarl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonKarl</a> to discuss Pres. Trump’s “striking shift in tone” about the Russian leader. <a href="https://t.co/S94HKc2RkX">https://t.co/S94HKc2RkX</a> <a href="https://t.co/maDnsVEEoq">pic.twitter.com/maDnsVEEoq</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1944428857798385989?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Meanwhile, Trump ally Senator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/stay-tuned-lindsey-graham-says-trump-is-about-to-wallop-russia-over-frozen-peace-talks">Lindsey Graham</a> (R-SC) argued on CBS News&#8217; &#8220;Face the Nation&#8221; that Trump was getting ready to move on Russia — and although he would not give away the game, he said, &#8220;I don’t want to get ahead of the president, but stay tuned about seized assets. The Europeans want to limit the interest on the assets to go to Ukraine. Secretary Bessent wants to go further. Stay tuned about a plan to go after the seized assets more aggressively. Stay tuned for a plan where America will begin to sell to our European allies a tremendous amount of weapons that can benefit Ukraine.&#8221;
Back on CNN, anchor Dana Bash brought in Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) to discuss recent immigration raids — where he claimed that he would likely be profiled and targeted in a raid because of the way he looked.
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/SenAlexPadilla?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenAlexPadilla</a> responds to <a href="https://twitter.com/RealTomHoman?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RealTomHoman</a> on ICE detention tactics: “They&#8217;re going based on appearance. His words, not mine… What if I was outside of Home Depot, because I like to do some work around the house not dressed in a suit? Would I be a target of ICE enforcement under… <a href="https://t.co/Ug98q2qjcs">pic.twitter.com/Ug98q2qjcs</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1944392092937060845?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
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NBC News&#8217; &#8220;Meet the Press&#8221; went an entirely different direction, and host Kristen Welker opted to interview Governor — and potential 2028 presidential candidate — Andy Beshear (D-KY).
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Gov. Andy Beshear (D-Ky.) tells Meet the Press he wants to show that America “can actually move not right, or left, but forward as a country,” as he faces speculation about a potential presidential bid in 2028. <a href="https://t.co/HnJsCQj2tT">https://t.co/HnJsCQj2tT</a> <a href="https://t.co/0noebD7bA7">pic.twitter.com/0noebD7bA7</a>
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) <a href="https://twitter.com/MeetThePress/status/1944403982266351825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Donald Trump

Spin Cycle: They’re Throwing Spaghetti At The Wall

Spin Cycle: They're Throwing Spaghetti At The Wall

ABC News

CBS News

Media

NBC News

Politics

President Donald Trump scored another victory on Tuesday as Paramount Global, the parent company of CBS News, agreed to a $16 million settlement in a lawsuit Trump had brought accusing the media outlet of election interference.
The lawsuit stemmed from an interview CBS News&#8217;s “60 Minutes” conducted with Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris one month before the 2024 election. CBS News released a promotional clip of the interview showing Harris giving a convoluted answer to a question from host Bill Whitaker, but when the show was aired, a different, more coherent answer was shown.
Whitaker was discussing the United States&#8217; financial support for Israel in its war against genocidal Islamic terrorists in the region. “But it seems that Prime Minister Netanyahu is not listening,” Whitaker suggested.
In the promotional clip, Harris responded with this word salad: “The work that we have done has resulted in a number of movements in that region by Israel that were very much prompted by or a result of many things, including our advocacy for what needs to happen in the region.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Monday, on a 60 Minutes election special, Bill Whitaker asks Vice President Kamala Harris if the U.S. lacks influence over American ally Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. <a href="https://t.co/TG3WOCA23A">https://t.co/TG3WOCA23A</a> <a href="https://t.co/IH6MXMjuCP">pic.twitter.com/IH6MXMjuCP</a>
&mdash; 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) <a href="https://twitter.com/60Minutes/status/1842935494398591073?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2024</a></blockquote>
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However, those words were not included in the television broadcast, the interview when it was posted on YouTube, the interview&#8217;s transcript, or the show&#8217;s “Overtime” segment.
Instead, Whitaker&#8217;s identical statement, “it seems that Prime Minister Netanyahu is not listening,” was followed by Harris saying: “We are not gonna stop pursuing what is necessary for the United States to be clear about where we stand on the need for this war to end.”
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://get.dailywire.com/freedom/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=freedom&amp;utm_content=freedomeditorial&amp;_gl=1*r8odly*_gcl_au*MTQ5MDUzNjQ0NC4xNzQ1ODQ0MzMyLjEwNDAyMzM0NDQuMTc0NzY1MzIxNy4xNzQ3NjUzMjE3*_ga*MTM1OTk4Njg2NS4xNzA2NzE2NTAy*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*czE3NTEyOTIzMDQkbzMyJGcxJHQxNzUxMjkyOTI5JGo1NyRsMCRoMA.." target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/freedom/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=freedom&amp;utm_content=freedomeditorial" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-75638">JULY 4 SALE: Get Six Months Of DW+ Free</a>
“Why did 60 Minutes choose not to air Kamala&#8217;s full word salad, and what else did they choose not to air?” Karoline Leavitt, Trump’s national campaign press secretary, asked at the time. “The American people deserve the full, unedited transcript from Kamala&#8217;s sit-down interview. We call upon 60 Minutes and CBS to release it. What do they, and Kamala, have to hide?”
“I’ve never seen this before, but the producers of 60 Minutes sliced and diced (‘cut and pasted’) Lyin’ Kamala’s answers to questions, which were virtually incoherent, over and over again,” Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/113277179676731743">posted</a> on Truth Social. &#8220;This is a stain on the reputation of 60 Minutes that is not recoverable &#8211; It will always remain with this once storied brand,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I have never heard of such a thing being done in &#8216;News.&#8217; It is the very definition of FAKE NEWS! The public is owed a MAJOR AND IMMEDIATE APOLOGY! This is an open and shut case, and must be investigated, starting today!&#8221;
Former CBS News reporter Catherine Herridge <a href="https://x.com/C__Herridge/status/1844076585567027280">posted</a> on X, “As Trump campaign calls on @60Minutes to release &#8216;full, unedited transcript&#8217; of Kamala Harris interview &#8230; There is precedent. When I interviewed then President Trump in July 2020 @CBSNews we posted the interview transcript.” Herridge noted that the left-wing network did the same thing for its 2019 interview with then-U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr. &#8220;Full transcript = journalistic transparency,&#8221; she <a href="https://x.com/C__Herridge/status/1844203179287904262">added</a>.
Sen. John Thune (R-SD) told The Daily Wire: “If the Harris campaign stands by all of the vice president’s comments, then I’m not sure why they wouldn’t support releasing the full interview. In fact, their refusal to join these calls only raises more questions.”
Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Barrasso (R-WY) also called on “60 Minutes” to release the full interview. “CBS has proven its bias,” Barrasso told The Daily Wire.  &#8220;A news organization should never selectively edit a candidate’s words. The American people deserve full transparency and the full transcript.”
“Trump will receive $16 million upfront,” <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/paramount-global-settles-trumps-lawsuit-against-cbs-news-over-60-minutes-interview">Fox News</a> reported. “This will cover legal fees, costs of the case, and contributions to his future presidential library or charitable causes, to be determined at Trump’s discretion. There is an anticipation that there will be another allocation in the mid-eight figures set aside for advertisements, public service announcements, or other similar transmissions, in support of conservative causes by the network in the future. &#8230; Going forward, the network will promptly release full, unedited transcripts of future presidential candidates’ interviews.”
“With this record settlement, President Donald J. Trump delivers another win for the American people as he, once again, holds the Fake News media accountable for their wrongdoing and deceit,&#8221; a spokesperson for Trump&#8217;s legal team told Fox News. &#8220;CBS and Paramount Global realized the strength of this historic case and had no choice but to settle. President Trump will always ensure that no one gets away with lying to the American People as he continues on his singular mission to Make America Great Again.&#8221;
CBS did not acknowledge any journalistic malpractice. “The settlement will include a release of all claims regarding any CBS reporting through the date of the settlement, including the Texas action and the threatened defamation action,” Paramount stated.

Vice President and assumptive presidential candidate Kamala Harris in North Karolina

Trump Scores $16M Payout From Paramount After Exposing Deceptively Edited Kamala Interview

2024 Election

deceptive editing

Kamala Harris

Lawsuit

word salad

When self-described Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani won the New York City mayoral Democratic primary, critics on both sides of the aisle began to wake up to just how problematic his meteoric rise could be.
For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
The topic of conversation on many of the Sunday morning political shows — in addition to some conversation about Iran and the ongoing battle surrounding President Donald Trump&#8217;s &#8220;One Big Beautiful Bill&#8221; — revolved around Mamdani, his history and proposed policies, and how mainstream Democrats who wanted to keep their House and Senate seats could go about responding to his win.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), for example, appeared to be uncomfortable when pressed on whether or not he intended to endorse Mamdani in the upcoming general election. It&#8217;s certainly possible that Jeffries hesitated because there may be three Democrats running — current Mayor Eric Adams, who won as a Democrat, has announced an independent bid for reelection; and disgraced former Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-NY), who lost to Mamdani in the primary, left the door wide open for a third party run. It&#8217;s also possible that Jeffries, who represents a district that is 11% Jewish, has concerns about Mamdani&#8217;s support for BDS — &#8220;Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions&#8221; — against Israel or his claim that, as mayor, he would have Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrested if he came to New York City.
On ABC News&#8217; &#8220;This Week,&#8221; host Jonathan Karl asked Jeffries to weigh in on Mamdani.
&#8220;I congratulated him on the campaign that he ran, a campaign that clearly was relentlessly focused on the high cost of living in New York City and the economy. He outworked, he out-communicated, and he out-organized the opposition, and that&#8217;s clearly why he was successful,&#8221; Jeffries said — but added that he didn&#8217;t know the Democratic Socialist well enough to make an endorsement.
&#8220;Well, our districts don&#8217;t overlap. I have never had a substantive conversation with him. And so that&#8217;s the next step in terms of this process to discuss his vision for moving the city forward and addressing the issues that are important to the communities that I represent,&#8221; he said, and called on Mamdani directly to &#8220;clarify&#8221; his position on Israel.
&#8220;Globalizing the Intifada, by way of example, is not an acceptable phrasing,&#8221; Jeffries concluded. &#8220;He&#8217;s going to have to clarify his position on that as he moves forward. With respect to the Jewish communities that I represent, I think our nominee is going to have to convince folks that he is prepared to aggressively address the rise in antisemitism in the city of New York, which has been an unacceptable development.&#8221;
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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries hesitated when pressed by <a href="https://twitter.com/jonkarl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonKarl</a> about endorsing Democratic New York City mayor contender Zohran Mamdani.
&#8220;I have never had a substantive conversation with him. That’s the next step in terms of this process.” <a href="https://t.co/XdRBpVxN5K">https://t.co/XdRBpVxN5K</a> <a href="https://t.co/hM0H4CywiC">pic.twitter.com/hM0H4CywiC</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1939335443935281620?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-PA) was far more conciliatory toward Mamdani, arguing that Democrats should learn from the way he made his case on economic inequality — primarily by offering his voters things like rent freezes and &#8220;free&#8221; public transportation.
&#8220;If you&#8217;re a candidate who is laser-focused on bringing down costs, you&#8217;re hitting the right notes,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
. <a href="https://twitter.com/RepDeluzio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepDeluzio</a> on lessons Democrats should learn from Mamdani’s stunning win in New York: “If you&#8217;re a candidate who is laser-focused on bringing down costs, you&#8217;re hitting the right notes.”<a href="https://twitter.com/RepRileyMoore?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepRileyMoore</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ashleyrallison?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ashleyrallison</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/Alyssafarah?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Alyssafarah</a> join <a href="https://twitter.com/jaketapper?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jaketapper</a> to discuss. <a href="https://t.co/20C2AJH1Ag">pic.twitter.com/20C2AJH1Ag</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1939329587076378705?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Mamdani himself joined host Kristen Welker on NBC News&#8217; &#8220;Meet the Press,&#8221; where he doubled down on policy proposals that would shift the tax burden to &#8220;whiter&#8221; neighborhoods. When Welker pressed him on that, Mamdani claimed that he was simply &#8220;describing&#8221; the demographics as they were, not suggesting that white people should be taxed more.
&#8220;It&#8217;s not driven by race,&#8221; he claimed. &#8220;I&#8217;m just naming things as they are.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Mamdani is unapologetic about language in his plan that would tax “whiter” neighborhoods at higher rates:
&#8220;It&#8217;s not driven by race….I&#8217;m just naming things as they are.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/Dnrtij9BxH">pic.twitter.com/Dnrtij9BxH</a>
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) <a href="https://twitter.com/WesternLensman/status/1939320642492661924?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Given the fact that his tax plan also calls for higher taxes on top earners, Welker asked Mamdani whether he believed billionaires had a &#8220;right to exist.&#8221; Mamdani, laughing, said that he did not believe billionaires should exist &#8220;because, frankly, it is so much money in a moment of such inequality.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
ZOHRAN MAMDANI: “I don&#8217;t think that we should have billionaires.” <a href="https://t.co/optpzkp28w">pic.twitter.com/optpzkp28w</a>
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) <a href="https://twitter.com/Osint613/status/1939351985079394555?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Welker also pressed Mamdani on his apparent stance with regard to Israel, asking several times whether he&#8217;d condemn the phrase &#8220;globalize the intifada,&#8221; which she correctly identified as a call to violence against Jews — and while Mamdani insisted that those were not his chosen words, he did not outright condemn the phrase.
&#8220;Do you condemn that phrase, &#8216;Globalize the Intifada?'&#8221; Welker asked, and asked again a short time later when it was clear he was not answering: &#8220;But do you actually condemn it &#8230; which a lot of people hear as a call to violence against Jews?&#8221;
&#8220;For the people who &#8230; feel really concerned by that phrase, why not just condemn it?&#8221;
Mamdani said a lot of words in his response to Welker&#8217;s query, but none of them were, &#8220;Yes, of course, I condemn it.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/kwelkernbc?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kwelkernbc</a> to Mamdani:
Do you condemn that phrase, Globalize the Intifada?
But do you actually condemn it..which a lot of people hear as a call to violence against Jews?
For the people who .. feel really concerned by that phrase, why not just condemn it?
Mamdani’s reply ⬇️ <a href="https://t.co/eZuhMSEO0c">pic.twitter.com/eZuhMSEO0c</a>
— Jacob N. Kornbluh (@jacobkornbluh) <a href="https://twitter.com/jacobkornbluh/status/1939345375594443025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
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So what&#8217;s to be done? Democratic strategist James Carville warned that Mamdani&#8217;s primary win signaled trouble for New York City, but still seemed hopeful that the &#8220;Communist lunatic&#8221; — that&#8217;s according to President Trump&#8221; — could still be stopped on his way to Gracie Mansion.
&#8220;There’s a lot of baseball left here. We’ve got a lot of baseball left to play,&#8221; he said.

NYC Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani Campaigns In Harlem

Spin Cycle: How Do You Solve A Problem Like Mamdani?

Iran

Israel

Military

New York City

Zohran Mamdani

President Donald Trump went on offense on Saturday when he authorized precision strikes on three nuclear facilities in Iran, sending B-2 bombers to deliver the payload and quickly return to U.S. soil, but now Democrats and legacy media are trying to put him back on his heels and force him to play defense, demanding that he and his surrogates justify the move.
For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
Across the major network shows on Sunday morning, the hosts brought in Trump administration officials to defend the strike on Iran — and Democrats to claim that the Trump administration did not have the authority to take military action against Iran without the express approval of Congress.
On ABC News&#8217; &#8220;This Week,&#8221; the first concern was the potential threat to American civilians following the U.S. military&#8217;s precision strike on the nuclear sites in Iran.
&#8220;One of the most immediate concerns is the threat of cyberattacks by Iran or hackers tied to Iran&#8217;s proxies,&#8221; Chief Justice correspondent Pierre Thomas explained.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“One of the most immediate concerns is the threat of cyberattacks by Iran or hackers tied to Iran’s proxies.”<a href="https://twitter.com/PierreTABC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PierreTABC</a> analyzes the threat to domestic security after U.S. strike on Iran nuclear sites. <a href="https://t.co/cjymi6c47e">https://t.co/cjymi6c47e</a> <a href="https://t.co/1Y1Q4pdad0">pic.twitter.com/1Y1Q4pdad0</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1936783647878644029?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Host Jonathan Karl then brought in Vice President JD Vance to talk the American people off the ledge after he asked &#8220;the big question&#8221;: &#8220;Is the United States now at war with Iran?&#8221;
Vance made it clear that a broader war with the Islamist nation was neither the intent of the administration&#8217;s action nor the desired result of any retaliatory strike: &#8220;No, we’re not at war with Iran. We’re at war with Iran&#8217;s nuclear program. And I think the president took decisive action to destroy that program last night.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/jonkarl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonKarl</a>: “The big question, is the United States now at war with Iran?”
Vice Pres. JD Vance: “No, we’re not at war with Iran. We’re at war with Iran&#8217;s nuclear program. And I think the president took decisive action to destroy that program last night.” <a href="https://t.co/522rI06gRm">https://t.co/522rI06gRm</a> <a href="https://t.co/0OWc1eYsJX">pic.twitter.com/0OWc1eYsJX</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1936784966135828610?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Vance did clarify, however, that any retaliatory strikes from Iran that targeted American troops would result in decisive action from the United States: &#8220;If they decide they&#8217;re going to attack our troops, if they decide they&#8217;re going to continue to try to build a nuclear weapon, then we are going to respond to that with overwhelming force.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“If they decide they&#8217;re going to attack our troops, if they decide they&#8217;re going to continue to try to build a nuclear weapon, then we are going to respond to that with overwhelming force,” Vice Pres. JD Vance said after U.S. strikes on Iran nuclear sites. <a href="https://t.co/eyQd9uftab">https://t.co/eyQd9uftab</a> <a href="https://t.co/WJe8ATp08H">pic.twitter.com/WJe8ATp08H</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1936787921706570069?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Karl also brought in Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) to defend the strike — and he warned Iran, &#8220;Our message to the supreme leader is: look at the lessons of history. Do not — do not tempt fate. Do not target Americans. Heed Donald Trump&#8217;s warning.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“Our message to the supreme leader is: look at the lessons of history. Do not — do not tempt fate. Do not target Americans. Heed Donald Trump&#8217;s warning,” Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Tom Cotton told <a href="https://twitter.com/jonkarl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonKarl</a> after U.S. strikes on nuclear sites. <a href="https://t.co/F7DJPeZFSD">https://t.co/F7DJPeZFSD</a> <a href="https://t.co/jkTlaaIXPb">pic.twitter.com/jkTlaaIXPb</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1936802794364625162?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT) also spoke with Karl, warning, &#8220;The president has taken a massive, massive gamble here.&#8221;
He went on to say that if past was prologue, the likely outcome of provoking Iran would not be optimal. &#8220;If you look at the history of our military involvements in the region, they almost never end with the best-case scenario. In fact, they usually end in something approximating the worst-case scenario.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“If you look at the history of our military involvements in the region, they almost never end with the best-case scenario. In fact, they usually end in something approximating the worst-case scenario,” Democratic Rep. Jim Himes said. <a href="https://t.co/Tu9QJdMF61">https://t.co/Tu9QJdMF61</a> <a href="https://t.co/oO3jZqbpbX">pic.twitter.com/oO3jZqbpbX</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1936813045650481431?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Former Governor Chris Christie (R-NJ), who typically opposes the Trump administration, took the president&#8217;s side and praised him for making the call to strike Iran. &#8220;The president saw an opportunity that he might never have again,&#8221; he explained.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Former NJ <a href="https://twitter.com/GovChristie?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovChristie</a> told <a href="https://twitter.com/jonkarl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonKarl</a> that Pres. Trump “deserves an enormous amount of credit” for making the decision to strike Iranian nuclear sites.
“The president saw an opportunity that he might never have again.” <a href="https://t.co/Tn3pnj8BJg">https://t.co/Tn3pnj8BJg</a> <a href="https://t.co/3IBCNcvTPX">pic.twitter.com/3IBCNcvTPX</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1936817834597699912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On CBS News&#8217; &#8220;Face the Nation,&#8221; Senator and failed vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine disputed Vance&#8217;s assertion that the United States was not &#8220;at war with Iran,&#8221; telling host Margaret Brennan, &#8220;When you&#8217;re bombing another nation, ask them if they think it&#8217;s war. They do. Would we think it was war if Iran bombed a U.S. nuclear facility? Of course we would.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Vice President JD Vance’s argument that the U.S. is &#8220;not at war with Iran&#8221; after carrying out strikes on Iranian nuclear sites is &#8220;BS,&#8221; says Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), telling <a href="https://twitter.com/margbrennan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@margbrennan</a>: &#8220;When you&#8217;re bombing another nation, ask them if they think it&#8217;s war. They do. Would we think… <a href="https://t.co/ubslPxGOec">pic.twitter.com/ubslPxGOec</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1936842402326565329?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio also spoke with Brennan on Sunday and defended the strikes — and confirmed that the Trump administration would prefer to see Iran move forward on a path to peace.
&#8220;We&#8217;ll see what Iran decides to do. I think they should choose the route of peace. What happens next will now depend on what Iran chooses to do next. If they choose the path of diplomacy, we&#8217;re ready. If they choose another route, then there will be consequences for that,&#8221; he explained.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;We&#8217;ll see what Iran decides to do. I think they should choose the route of peace,&#8221; Secretary of State Marco Rubio says, when asked about what intelligence the U.S. has on Iran&#8217;s capabilities to retaliate for the U.S. strikes on its nuclear sites.
&#8220;What happens next will now… <a href="https://t.co/gav60W1k2z">pic.twitter.com/gav60W1k2z</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1936824813680460181?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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And on CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; a panel discussion got heated when former Democratic National Committee (DNC) spokeswoman Xochitl Hinojosa claimed that the Trump administration had not shown any proof that Iran presented a clear and present danger. Republican commentator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/scott-jennings-torches-ex-dnc-flack-over-iran-strikes-fiery-but-mostly-peaceful-iranian-butchers">Scott Jennings</a> — who was visiting Israel when the missiles began to fly between Israel and Iran — pushed back: &#8220;Fiery but mostly peaceful Iranian butchers?&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Are Democrats really going to go with “Fiery but mostly peaceful Iranian butchers?&#8221;
This was a RIGHTEOUS strike and the world is safer thanks to President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a>&#8216;s bold leadership. <a href="https://t.co/wTgBM1i2L9">pic.twitter.com/wTgBM1i2L9</a>
— Scott Jennings (@ScottJenningsKY) <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottJenningsKY/status/1936852984203497975?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;You’re arguing that after 46 years of the Iranian regime killing Americans, threatening Americans, saying over and over and over again, ‘Death to America,’ that maybe they just didn’t mean it?” Jennings replied. “That they’re fiery but mostly peaceful Iranian butchers? I mean, I don’t understand! This is a righteous strike!&#8221;

Spin Cycle: Trump Admin Is On Offense With Iran, On Defense With Media

Tragedy struck Minnesota at the end of last week when a gunman, apparently disguised as a police officer, opened fire on two different state lawmakers and their spouses. Two of the four were killed, and the other two were hospitalized with multiple gunshot wounds.
As the horrific news broke, however, Democrats and media talking heads were quick to point the finger at increasingly &#8220;heated rhetoric&#8221; — almost always using President Donald Trump as the prime example of that — and the availability and accessibility of firearms.
For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
On CBS News&#8217; &#8220;Face the Nation,&#8221; Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dem-senator-removed-by-security-after-disrupting-noem-presser-in-los-angeles">Alex Padilla</a> (D-CA) — fresh off his dramatic ouster from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem&#8217;s press conference — immediately blamed President Donald Trump for ratcheting up the temperature in political discourse.
Padilla praised the Senate Sergeant at Arms and the Capitol Police for their attention to the increased threats against lawmakers and for how hard they were working to keep everyone safe.
&#8220;I think it&#8217;s more than appropriate to step back and say, why are tensions so high?&#8230; and I can&#8217;t help but point to the beginning of not just the first Trump term, but the beginning of the campaign, the tone with which the president had launched his first campaign for president, served throughout his first term, and continues in this term,&#8221; Padilla said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The U.S. Capitol Police and the Senate Sergeant at Arms are &#8220;doing what they need to do to ensure the safety of members of Congress,&#8221; Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) says in the wake of Saturday&#8217;s attack on two Minnesota state lawmakers.
He adds, &#8220;I think it&#8217;s more than appropriate to… <a href="https://t.co/mm9w8RxBa3">pic.twitter.com/mm9w8RxBa3</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1934291837763690511?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Senator Adam Schiff took a similar tone on NBC News&#8217; &#8220;Meet the Press,&#8221; telling anchor Kristen Welker that Trump&#8217;s rhetoric was an &#8220;encouragement&#8221; to use violence. Schiff conceded that there was an increase in violent rhetoric on both sides of the political aisle, but only mentioned Trump by name.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
In an exclusive interview with Meet the Press, Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) says that increasingly violent rhetoric from politicians, including President Trump, are an “encouragement” of political violence after the shooting of two Minnesota lawmakers. <a href="https://t.co/ZmKU2W0k8m">https://t.co/ZmKU2W0k8m</a> <a href="https://t.co/99zh7Oaeoy">pic.twitter.com/99zh7Oaeoy</a>
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) <a href="https://twitter.com/MeetThePress/status/1934253330496176291?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) also called for politicians and pundits alike to tone down the political rhetoric, as she joined CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union&#8221; to discuss the tragic shooting.
&#8220;This has gotten totally out of hand&#8230; We actually put out a joint statement that said we speak with one voice in condemning political violence. I think we need to see more of this across our country. People need to call people out. Some people need to look in the mirror and say, hey, I have got to stop this or stop my colleagues from doing this, because it makes it much worse. We need to bring the tone down, and we also need to stand up when people do bad things,&#8221; she said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SenAmyKlobuchar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenAmyKlobuchar</a> on rising political violence in the US:
“This has gotten totally out of hand&#8230; We actually put out a joint statement that said we speak with one voice in condemning political violence. I think we need to see more of this across our country. People need to call… <a href="https://t.co/KM1pBb6dZx">pic.twitter.com/KM1pBb6dZx</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1934260058273075647?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
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During a panel discussion later on in the broadcast, former Rep. Andy Levin (D-MI) and Democratic strategist Karen Finney attempted to blame the situation on the fact that firearms were easily accessible in the United States.
&#8220;My God, we&#8217;ve got to stop thinking we can solve our problems or we can get attention for ourselves or our point of view or whatever that person thought they were doing with firearms,&#8221; Levin said. &#8220;It&#8217;s an epidemic in this country. We used to worry so much about school shootings, all the time, all the time, now people — the president himself was, you know, the target of two assassination attempts. This is something we&#8217;ve got to take on as a policy matter in this country.&#8221;
&#8220;Look, I&#8217;m a gun guy. I wouldn&#8217;t necessarily place the blame on guns,&#8221; Shermichael Singleton added, saying that he did agree that too many people believed violence was the best way to get a point across. Singleton noted that far too many people were &#8220;unstable&#8221; and apparently unwilling to engage in debate or simply vote out the people with whom they disagreed.
Levin pushed back then, claiming that mental health in the United States was not dramatically worse than in other nations, once again arguing that access to firearms was the problem. &#8220;We have a problem of firearms being accessible – sub-machine guns, all kinds of guns, and it&#8217;s — we&#8217;re not going to solve the problem until we step up to the plate and take on this epidemic —&#8221;
Singleton interrupted, saying, &#8220;By the way, you can&#8217;t buy a sub-machine gun anymore, Congressman, that was outlawed decades ago.&#8221;
&#8220;In the 30s,&#8221; another person on the panel chimed in from off camera.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
TODD: “We have a ‘No Kings Day’ every year. It’s July the 4th. We celebrate our independence from the king of Great Britain.&#8221;
LEVIN: “Well, you know what? In America, you can come out on any dang day of the year and express your opinion. And that&#8217;s the most American thing of… <a href="https://t.co/Dmofsa5RU1">pic.twitter.com/Dmofsa5RU1</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1934258508330856497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Rep. Adam Schiff

Spin Cycle: Tragedy Strikes In Minnesota, Dems Blame … Trump And The Guns

Democrats and media were quick to point the finger at increasingly "heated rhetoric" —

Guns

Democrats and media talking heads spent Sunday morning attempting to downplay the violence and vandalism on display in Los Angeles, forcing Republican guests to defend President Donald Trump&#8217;s decision to call in the National Guard.
For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
After Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents attempted to carry out several raids across the greater Los Angeles area — and were met with two days of protests and violence — President Trump activated the National Guard to help get the situation under control. Even as the National Guardsmen arrived in Los Angeles, Democrats on the Sunday talk shows tried to paint the ongoing riots as &#8220;mostly peaceful&#8221; and Trump&#8217;s actions as excessive.
On ABC News&#8217; &#8220;This Week,&#8221; it was noted that the National Guard typically would deploy at the direction of the governor of a particular state — and that Trump&#8217;s move to deploy them over the objections of Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) was something that had only happened a handful of times in the past.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“Typically, the federal government sends in the National Guard only at the governor’s request. Trump is bypassing Newsom, marking the first time a president has bypassed a state governor since the Civil Rights Movement.” <a href="https://twitter.com/TrevorLAult?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TrevorLAult</a> has the latest: <a href="https://t.co/8cI4TBUlYx">https://t.co/8cI4TBUlYx</a> <a href="https://t.co/ANyXHzqsoW">pic.twitter.com/ANyXHzqsoW</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1931700603094216910?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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House Speaker Mike Johnson told host Jonathan Karl that he wasn&#8217;t at all worried that Trump had gotten out over his skis in this particular situation, however.
&#8220;I think the president did exactly what he needed to do … Gavin Newsom has shown an inability or unwillingness to do what is necessary there, so the president stepped in,&#8221; he explained.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“I think the president did exactly what he needed to do … Gavin Newsom has shown an inability or unwillingness to do what is necessary there, so the president stepped in,” Speaker Johnson tells <a href="https://twitter.com/jonkarl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonKarl</a> after Trump deploys California National Guard. <a href="https://t.co/XS5Rl4O1po">https://t.co/XS5Rl4O1po</a> <a href="https://t.co/JtuK9TyuHW">pic.twitter.com/JtuK9TyuHW</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1931704391054025088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On CBS News&#8217; &#8220;Face the Nation,&#8221; anchor Margaret Brennan pressed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on President Trump&#8217;s order saying that protesters would not be permitted to wear masks, noting that many ICE agents continued to cover their faces. Noem was not clear on how Trump&#8217;s order banning masks for protesters might be enforced, but she pointed out that the agents wearing masks were doing so because their lives and families had already been threatened.
&#8220;[It&#8217;s] for the safety of those individuals or the work that they’re doing, as far as protecting their identity.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
After President Trump said that protesters in Los Angeles will not be allowed to wear masks, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says she “won’t get more specific” on how that will be enforced. But she defends law enforcement officers continuing to wear masks, saying it’s… <a href="https://t.co/ArkyBCa9V7">pic.twitter.com/ArkyBCa9V7</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1931738932217057301?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;We are not going to let a repeat of 2020 happen,&#8221; Noem added, referencing the violent riots — dubbed &#8220;mostly peaceful&#8221; by media outlets — that followed the death of George Floyd.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;We are not going to let a repeat of 2020 happen,&#8221; Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says, referring to violent protests that happened that year, as President Trump says he is going to mobilize the National Guard for ongoing protests in Los Angeles.
She says California… <a href="https://t.co/Sv7rCbn5II">pic.twitter.com/Sv7rCbn5II</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1931739078631850018?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) said his main concern was that the riots in Los Angeles were just &#8220;the tip of the iceberg,&#8221; adding, &#8220;What I&#8217;m worried about is, this thing&#8217;s going to escalate,&#8221; he says. &#8220;It&#8217;s not going to be just L.A., it will be cities all over the country as we continue to deport people.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) says the deportations that have led to protests in Los Angeles are &#8220;the tip of the iceberg,&#8221; as the number of deportations nationwide is &#8220;about to go way up.&#8221;
&#8220;What I&#8217;m worried about is, this thing&#8217;s going to escalate,&#8221; he says. &#8220;It&#8217;s not going to be… <a href="https://t.co/dVUNTFdS0f">pic.twitter.com/dVUNTFdS0f</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1931741077599670747?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On NBC News&#8217; &#8220;Meet the Press,&#8221; Sen. Cory Booker actually used the word &#8220;peaceful&#8221; to describe demonstrations that involved protesters hurling concrete and rocks at ICE agents and their vehicles.
&#8220;The reality is we see peaceful protests launching in Los Angeles. And again, any violence against police officers should not be accepted. Local authorities can handle that. But remember, a lot of these peaceful protests are being generated because the president of the United States is sowing chaos and confusion by arresting people who are showing up for their immigration hearings, who are trying to abide by the law,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨CORY BOOKER CALLS RIOTS PEACEFUL PROTESTS.<a href="https://t.co/Zkzh2eXuqz">pic.twitter.com/Zkzh2eXuqz</a>
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/townhallcom/status/1931798529921454588?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) joined anchor Dana Bash to discuss the situation. And while he was supportive of Trump&#8217;s decision to call in the National Guard, he drew the line there — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth&#8217;s promise to have active duty Marines on high alert, he argued, was not necessary.
&#8220;The National Guard ought to take care of the situation,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/RonJohnsonWI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RonJohnsonWI</a> rejects Secretary Hegseth&#8217;s suggestion to deploy active-duty Marines to California: &#8220;The National Guard ought to take care of the situation.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/BuX6Q8Ydyi">pic.twitter.com/BuX6Q8Ydyi</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1931709090448760867?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) offered his full-throated support to Trump, saying, &#8220;I don&#8217;t know why a governor would want to try to protect illegal activity inside a state. And the president has made it very clear, if the governor or the mayor of a city isn&#8217;t willing to protect the citizens of his state or the city, then the president will.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/MarkwayneMullin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MarkwayneMullin</a> on Trump bypassing California Governor Gavin Newsom on deploying the National Guard: &#8220;I don&#8217;t know why a governor would want to try to protect illegal activity inside a state. And the president has made it very clear, if the governor or the mayor of a city isn&#8217;t… <a href="https://t.co/M9qFgYcG82">pic.twitter.com/M9qFgYcG82</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1931712459586384043?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Bash also spoke with Rep. Nanette Barragan (D-CA), who argued that California did not need any help in managing the protests. She claimed that they were peaceful, and that Trump had only called out the National Guard in order to create the illusion of violent confrontation.
&#8220;We agree that, if you&#8217;re being violent, you should be arrested, you should be prosecuted. There is no disagreement on that… But this is not what&#8217;s happening. We are having an administration that&#8217;s targeting peaceful protests, people that are there to protest. The president is sending in the National Guard because he doesn&#8217;t like the scenes. He doesn&#8217;t like the scenes of people peacefully protesting,&#8221; she insisted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BASH: “What is your message to people who are getting violent?”
BARRAGAN: “It&#8217;s, don&#8217;t get violent… We agree that, if you&#8217;re being violent, you should be arrested, you should be prosecuted. There is no disagreement on that… But this is not what&#8217;s happening. We are having an… <a href="https://t.co/qNmYApIamQ">pic.twitter.com/qNmYApIamQ</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1931729761224515822?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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LA Tensions Rise after Immigration Raids

Spin Cycle: The ‘Mostly Peaceful’ Riots (Round Two) Leave Los Angeles In Flames

Spin Cycle: The 'Mostly Peaceful' Riots (Round Two) Leave Los Angeles In Flames

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

With the Republican-led One Big Beautiful Bill over its first major hurdle in the U.S. House, Democrats and media are making sure the knives are out at every opportunity lest it pass the Senate and give President Donald Trump another win.
For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
Discussion regarding what the bill will and won’t cut — particularly with regard to Medicaid — took center stage on several broadcasts as Democrats and show hosts alike insisted people would lose health care coverage if it passed. The bill’s defenders argued that anyone stripped of coverage by this bill — namely illegal immigrants and those who were receiving payments through fraudulent means — should not have been getting Medicaid coverage in the first place.
On ABC News’ “This Week,” former Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus defended the measure, saying that Medicaid had become bloated in recent years but that the cuts being discussed were targeted to remove benefits going to people who were in the United States illegally.
Former Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Donna Brazile pressed the point by first claiming that the Trump administration was cutting aid across the board, particularly to areas hit by recent storms — and she argued that the American people would not be pleased with the &#8220;bone-crushing&#8221; changes.
&#8220;We had 50 million people on Medicaid in 2011. Today we’ve got 80 million people on Medicaid. This bill doesn&#8217;t cut Medicaid, he said. &#8220;It says that for illegal immigrants, there will be cuts.&#8221;
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On GOP-led budget bill, former RNC chair <a href="https://twitter.com/Reince?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Reince</a> Priebus said: “We had 50 million people on Medicaid in 2011. Today we’ve got 80 million people on Medicaid. This bill doesn&#8217;t cut Medicaid &#8230; It says that for illegal immigrants, there will be cuts.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/qjCkcbK2qg">https://t.co/qjCkcbK2qg</a> <a href="https://t.co/1qfVKhXEae">pic.twitter.com/1qfVKhXEae</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1929198183277600981?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The New York Times&#8217; national correspondent Astead Herndon said that Democrats were leaning in to what they saw as disappointment among Trump supporters because he&#8217;d been so focused on getting the budget bill over the line. He went on to claim that there was &#8220;a sense that he is not actually delivering on the core promises&#8221; — but he left out the fact that the One Big Beautiful Bill represents the fulfillment of major campaign promises such as &#8220;no tax on tips&#8221; and the permanent extension of the tax rates implemented under Trump&#8217;s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
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NYT’s <a href="https://twitter.com/AsteadWH?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AsteadWH</a> said some of Pres. Trump&#8217;s supporters are surprised “about the things that he has been focusing on&#8221; like tariffs or the spending bill, adding that there&#8217;s a &#8220;sense that he is not actually delivering on the core promises.” <a href="https://t.co/naOG3dmK1b">https://t.co/naOG3dmK1b</a> <a href="https://t.co/LE58bUd94u">pic.twitter.com/LE58bUd94u</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1929199711711322544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Brazile also brought billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk into the conversation, saying that despite his announcement that he&#8217;d be stepping away from his role in the Trump administration, he had already done more damage than could easily be undone.
&#8220;Elon Musk may have walked away from his temporary special government job, but no one will forget the harm that he has done to not only America&#8217;s reputation across the world, but also the harm that he&#8217;s done to the American people,&#8221;she claimed.
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“Elon Musk may have walked away from his temporary special government job, but no one will forget the harm that he has done to not only America&#8217;s reputation across the world, but also the harm that he&#8217;s done to the American people,” <a href="https://twitter.com/donnabrazile?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DonnaBrazile</a> said. <a href="https://t.co/88pTxxsTQQ">https://t.co/88pTxxsTQQ</a> <a href="https://t.co/pVk9msZd0L">pic.twitter.com/pVk9msZd0L</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1929204844448952549?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On CBS News&#8217; &#8220;Face the Nation,&#8221; anchor Margaret Brennan highlighted the fact that the Senate — if it passed the One Big Beautiful Bill at all — was likely to make changes, and she spoke with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent about how those changes might be received.
Bessent outlined the items that he said &#8220;have to stay in&#8221; — specifically: no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, no tax on Social Security, deductibility of auto loans for American-made automobiles — and made it clear that it was not his call, but President Trump&#8217;s. &#8220;They&#8217;re not necessarily my red lines. The president has his campaign promises that he wants to fulfill for working Americans,&#8221; he said.
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President Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” will be taken up next in the Senate — with some changes expected. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says there are some items that &#8220;have to stay in&#8221; — no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, no tax on Social Security, deductibility of auto loans… <a href="https://t.co/MpAxXs2NBS">pic.twitter.com/MpAxXs2NBS</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1929221177945272465?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) spoke with Brennan about the bill, which he opposes in its current form, saying that in his mind, &#8220;the math doesn&#8217;t really add up.&#8221; Paul has also vocally opposed Trump&#8217;s willingness to use tariffs as leverage to bring foreign nations to the table regarding trade agreements.
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Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) told &#8220;Face The Nation&#8221; on Sunday that &#8220;the math doesn&#8217;t really add up&#8221; on the cost of President Trump&#8217;s &#8220;one big, beautiful bill,&#8221; while outlining his opposition as the legislation moves to the Senate this week. <a href="https://t.co/p7VFMlpZcN">https://t.co/p7VFMlpZcN</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1929251077364322647?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Paul also said that if a provision raising the debt ceiling was removed, he would likely support the measure. &#8220;I would be very surprised if the bill at least is not modified in a good direction,&#8221; he said of possible Senate changes.
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Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) says he thinks there are now four Senate Republicans who would vote to block President Trump&#8217;s &#8220;big, beautiful bill,&#8221; and &#8220;I would be very surprised if the bill at least is not modified in a good direction.&#8221;
Paul adds that he would likely support the bill… <a href="https://t.co/2VDikZ8hjZ">pic.twitter.com/2VDikZ8hjZ</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1929199658779455997?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; anchor Dana Bash circled back to the idea of Medicaid cuts coming from the bill&#8217;s passage during an interview with OMB Director Russell Vought — and she cited Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) and his comments suggesting that there would be cuts to the program.
&#8220;No one will lose coverage as a result of this bill,&#8221; Vought said.
&#8220;That&#8217;s not what Josh Hawley, who is not exactly a liberal Democrat, said. He said, &#8216;It&#8217;s wrong to cut health care for the working poor, and that&#8217;s what we&#8217;re talking about here with Medicaid,'&#8221; she said.
&#8220;Well, we continue to work with people in the Senate as to working them through with the specifics of the bill, what it does and what it doesn&#8217;t do,&#8221; Vought pushed back.
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VOUGHT: “No one will lose coverage as a result of this bill.”
BASH: “That&#8217;s not what Josh Hawley, who is not exactly a liberal Democrat, said. He said, ‘It&#8217;s wrong to cut health care for the working poor, and that&#8217;s what we&#8217;re talking about here with Medicaid.’”
VOUGHT: “Well,… <a href="https://t.co/1w99EWULm9">pic.twitter.com/1w99EWULm9</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1929193721196609694?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Bash also brought in House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), who blasted the bill outright: &#8220;Trump&#8217;s one, big ugly bill narrowly escaped the House of Representatives. And we&#8217;re going to continue to press our case across the country, partner with Senate Democrats in making clear to the American people the type of damage that this bill would do if it ever became law.&#8221;
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/RepJeffries?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepJeffries</a> says Democrats “can’t let our foot off the gas pedal” in opposing Trump’s tax and spending cut bill:
“Trump&#8217;s one, big ugly bill narrowly escaped the House of Representatives. And we&#8217;re going to continue to press our case across the country, partner with Senate… <a href="https://t.co/ikJ5aeUu4s">pic.twitter.com/ikJ5aeUu4s</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1929173562033619424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Spin Cycle: To Deal Or Not To Deal — On Tariffs, Trade, And One Big Beautiful Bill

Economy

U.S. Senate

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent challenged CBS journalist Margaret Brennan on Sunday over the potential inflationary impact of President Donald Trump&#8217;s tariffs.
In a &#8220;Face the Nation&#8221; <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/scott-bessent-treasury-secretary-face-the-nation-06-01-2025/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a>, Brennan insisted &#8220;the reality is there will either be less inventory or things at higher prices, or both.&#8221; Bessent shot back, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/scott-bessent-treasury-secretary-face-the-nation-03-02-2025/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">alluding</a> to a previous conversation they had in March, days before Trump unleashed his &#8220;Liberation Day&#8221; tariffs upon the world.
&#8220;Margaret, when we were here in March, you said there was going to be big inflation. There hasn&#8217;t been any inflation,&#8221; Bessent said. &#8220;Actually, the inflation numbers are the best in four years. So why don&#8217;t we stop trying to say this could happen, and wait and see what does happen.&#8221;
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecScottBessent?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecScottBessent</a>: &#8220;When we were here in March, you said there was going to be big inflation. There hasn&#8217;t been any inflation. Actually, the inflation numbers are the best in four years. So why don&#8217;t we stop trying to say this COULD happen — wait and see what DOES happen.&#8221; 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/1LeTZf2UX1">pic.twitter.com/1LeTZf2UX1</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1929188418249965629?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Earlier, Brennan told Bessent that when he was on the program in March, the two of them were &#8220;trying to gauge&#8221; how American consumers might be affected by the tariffs. She then asked the Cabinet official where he is anticipating price increases.
&#8220;We wanted to make sure that there aren&#8217;t price increases, Margaret. And thus far, there have been no price increases. Everything has been alarmist,&#8221; Bessent said, adding that the &#8220;inflation numbers are actually dropping.&#8221;
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecScottBessent?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecScottBessent</a>: &#8220;We wanted to make sure that there aren&#8217;t price increases, Margaret — and thus far, there have been no price increases. Everything has been alarmist. The inflation numbers are actually dropping. We saw the first drop in inflation in four years.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/asuc8YnHYZ">pic.twitter.com/asuc8YnHYZ</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1929187165830869432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
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A couple of weeks ago, the Labor Department <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/inflation-hits-lowest-point-in-over-4-years-as-april-report-better-than-expected" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> data showing that inflation hit its lowest point — 2.3% — in four years, as Trump pursues trade deals with China and other countries hit by tariffs.
Brennan pressed Bessent on retailers such as Walmart, Best Buy, and Target <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/31/trump-tariffs-here-are-the-retailers-raising-prices.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">raising prices</a>. In response, Bessent noted that other companies, including <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/05/20/home-depot-stock-prices-tariffs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Home Depot</a> and Amazon, have taken a different tack. And he pointed out, &#8220;I know what the South China Morning Post wrote within the past 24 hours that 65% — 65%! — of the tariffs will likely be eaten by the Chinese producers.&#8221;
&#8220;So are there five or eight areas that you have identified, as you said back in March, where American consumers will be able to have lower prices, or should be warned of higher prices?&#8221; Brennan asked.
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&#8220;Well, a lot of it&#8217;s already working its way through the system,&#8221; Bressent replied. &#8220;So we&#8217;ve seen a substantial decrease in gasoline and energy prices. So that&#8217;s down 20% year over year. We&#8217;ve seen the food prices go down, these notorious egg prices. Through the good work of President Trump and [Agriculture] Secretary [Brooke] Rollins, egg prices have collapsed. So we&#8217;re seeing more and more.&#8221;
He added: &#8220;And what we want to do is even that out across all sections of the economy. So inflation has been very tame. Consumer earnings were up 0.8% last month, which is a gigantic increase for one month. So real earnings minus low inflation is great for the American people, and that&#8217;s what we&#8217;re seeing.&#8221;
Brennen also questioned Bessent about the &#8220;One Big, Beautiful Bill&#8221; that passed through the GOP-led House and is now under consideration by the Republican-controlled Senate.
&#8220;In it is increase or suspension to the debt limit that you need delivered on by mid-July. How close of a brush with default could this be, given how massive some of the Senate changes are expected to be to the other parts of the bill?&#8221; Brennan asked.
&#8220;Well, first of all, Margaret, I will say the United States of America is never going to default. That is never going to happen. &#8230; We are on the warning track and we will never hit the wall,&#8221; Bessent said, adding later, &#8220;We don&#8217;t give out the X date because we use that to move the bill forward.&#8221;
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Scott Bessent &quot;confident&quot; U.S.-China trade details &quot;will be ironed out&quot; when Trump, Xi talk" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jTK0fDt9K78?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Interview

Treasury Secretary Busts ‘Alarmist’ Inflation Predictions

Inflation

Margaret Brennan

Scott Bessent

Tariffs

Treasury Department

President Donald Trump is reportedly holding out on a $15 million settlement offer from Paramount Global, demanding more money and an apology.
Paramount and Trump have been locked in negotiations for a month over a lawsuit the president filed last year against CBS News, which is overseen by Paramount. The media company has offered $15 million to settle the case, but Trump’s team rejected the offer, wanting at least $25 million and an apology for interfering in the 2020 election, according to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/business/media/paramount-has-offered-15-million-to-settle-cbs-lawsuit-trump-wants-more-861d857e">The Wall Street Journal</a>.
Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-sues-cbs-news-for-10-billion-over-kamala-60-minutes-interview-edits">sued</a> CBS News in November over an interview the network conducted with former Vice President Kamala Harris during an episode of “60 Minutes.” The lawsuit accused the news company of deceptively editing the interview to make Harris appear much sharper than she actually performed. The network has said the interview was “not doctored or deceitful.”
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The court-wrangling with the president comes as Paramount Global tries to navigate a planned merger with Skydance Media. The high-profile battle with Trump has complicated company dynamics amid the merger.
Earlier this month, CBS News CEO Wendy McMahon <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cbs-news-president-quits-amid-60-minutes-legal-battle-with-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that she was leaving the network after breaking with executives over how to handle the Trump lawsuit. McMahon left in part because of her unwillingness to make an apology as part of a potential settlement.
“It’s become clear that the company and I do not agree on the path forward,” McMahon wrote in a memo to staff. “It’s time for me to move on and for this organization to move forward with new leadership.”
Shari Redstone, Paramount Global’s controlling shareholder and chair, has stepped back from the Trump lawsuit as she navigates the $8 billion merger with Skydance, which must undergo a federal review by the Trump administration.
Paramount Global is the latest major company attempting to settle a lawsuit from Trump. Meta agreed to pay $25 million to settle a lawsuit over Trump’s social media accounts being banned following January 6, 2021. $22 million of the settlement is directed toward the Trump presidential library while the rest of the money covered legal expenses.
The social media platform X agreed to a similar settlement worth $10 million the following month.

Trump Rejects $15M Settlement Offer From Paramount Over ‘Deceitful’ Kamala Interview

Courts

The U.S. House met its stated goal, passing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act ahead of the Memorial Day holiday weekend — and by Sunday morning, the talking heads were doing their best to direct as much rain as possible onto the House Republicans&#8217; parade.
For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
On CBS News&#8217; &#8220;Face the Nation,&#8221; host Margaret Brennan spoke with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) about the total projected cost of the bill as well as some of the provisions that were included before it was sent on to the U.S. Senate.
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Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) says $4 to $5 trillion over the next decade is &#8220;about the right estimate&#8221; for the total cost of President Trump&#8217;s &#8220;one big, beautiful bill,&#8221; which passed the House last week, and he says &#8220;cuts to government&#8221; through the bill will give the American… <a href="https://t.co/VBNuI7huRY">pic.twitter.com/VBNuI7huRY</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1926653258107338988?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Johnson said that $4 to $5 trillion over approximately ten years was &#8220;about the right estimate&#8221; for the measure&#8217;s total cost, but he also said that the cuts included in the bill would provide savings to taxpayers as well.
&#8220;At the same time, we have historic savings for the American people — cuts to government to make it more efficient and effective and work better for the people,&#8221; Johnson said. &#8220;That was a big campaign promise of President Trump and a big promise of ours, and we&#8217;re going to achieve that. So in the calculation here, there&#8217;s more than $1.5 trillion in savings, Margaret, for the people.&#8221;
Johnson referred to the bill as &#8220;arguably the most consequential legislation Congress will pass in many generations.&#8221;
Brennan pushed back, noting that the Kaiser Foundation had evaluated the bill and said that changes to Medicaid could result in 200,000 people in Johnson&#8217;s home state of Louisiana losing their health care coverage. Johnson said that the only thing the bill would cut with regard to Medicaid was waste and abuse.
&#8220;There&#8217;s a moral component to what we&#8217;re doing. When you make young men work, it&#8217;s good for them, it&#8217;s good for their dignity, it&#8217;s good for their self-worth and it&#8217;s good for the community that they live in,&#8221; he explained.
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The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates nearly 200,000 people in Louisiana could lose Medicaid coverage under cuts from President Trump&#8217;s &#8220;one big, beautiful bill.&#8221;
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) denies that there will be cuts and says the focus is on &#8220;fraud, waste and abuse,&#8221;… <a href="https://t.co/JeKUjhH2Gn">pic.twitter.com/JeKUjhH2Gn</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1926657133568839898?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Johnson also acknowledged that some Senate Republicans objected to the expanded SALT (state and local taxes) cap, but noted that the large number of House Republicans in blue states had made the expansion a &#8220;political reality.&#8221;
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Several Senate Republicans may oppose changes to the expanded SALT (state and local taxes) cap in President Trump&#8217;s &#8220;one big, beautiful bill&#8221; that just passed in the House.
Speaker Mike Johnson says &#8220;there&#8217;s got to be a modification to SALT,&#8221; and that this is a &#8220;political… <a href="https://t.co/iRPykObz48">pic.twitter.com/iRPykObz48</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1926664743156142186?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Brennan then spoke with Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT), who was in favor of the expanded SALT cap because Connecticut has a higher state and local tax burden, but opposed the bill otherwise.
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The House-passed budget bill&#8217;s SALT cap increase &#8220;is going to be good&#8221; for Connecticut, which has one of the highest state and local tax burdens in the U.S., says Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT), but adds, the bill &#8220;fails spectacularly&#8221; otherwise.
&#8220;The American people want basically three… <a href="https://t.co/XdAjfZ3pXu">pic.twitter.com/XdAjfZ3pXu</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1926667714690433478?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On NBC&#8217;s &#8220;Meet the Press,&#8221; Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) said that he believed there was enough opposition in the Senate to &#8220;hold up&#8221; the bill.
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Sen. Ron Johnson says there&#8217;s enough opposition in the Senate to hold up Trump&#8217;s &#8216;big, beautiful&#8217; bill <a href="https://t.co/yT8FaA6NBc">https://t.co/yT8FaA6NBc</a>
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) <a href="https://twitter.com/MeetThePress/status/1926727234477256757?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Johnson also made an appearance on CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; where he claimed that the bill was &#8220;immoral,&#8221; and added, &#8220;It&#8217;s wrong. It has to stop.&#8221;
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/RonJohnsonWI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RonJohnsonWI</a> says the House tax and spending cut bill is mortgaging American children&#8217;s future: &#8220;It&#8217;s immoral. It&#8217;s wrong. It has to stop.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/rd0Gnanxlt">pic.twitter.com/rd0Gnanxlt</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1926633584959324344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Speaker Johnson also made a stop on &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; telling anchor Jake Tapper that he hoped to see it move through the Senate without major changes. &#8220;It&#8217;s best not to meddle with it too much,&#8221; he said.
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpeakerJohnson</a> warns senators about making changes to President Trump&#8217;s tax and spending cut bill: &#8220;It&#8217;s best not to meddle with it too much.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/SsBPUkYsev">pic.twitter.com/SsBPUkYsev</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1926628762889703470?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
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House Lawmakers Pass Budget Bill Ahead Of Speaker Johnson’s Memorial Day Deadline

Spin Cycle: Kill Bill — The One Big Beautiful One, That Is

Mike Johnson

CBS News and Stations President Wendy McMahon announced on Monday that she is resigning over disagreements with the network as CBS&#8217; parent company, Paramount, looks to settle a massive lawsuit brought by President Donald Trump.
McMahon said her time with the network was &#8220;a privilege and joy,&#8221; but added that recent months have been &#8220;challenging,&#8221; according to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/business/media/cbs-news-chief-steps-down-over-trump-tensions-rcna207700" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBC News</a>. Her resignation comes as Paramount moves closer to settling a $20 billion lawsuit brought by Trump, which alleges that &#8220;60 Minutes&#8221; deceptively edited an interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris to cover up her poor answer while she was running for president. Paramount&#8217;s controlling shareholder and chair, Shari Redstone, wants to settle the lawsuit as she also <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-04-28/behind-the-60-minutes-upheaval-a-big-merger-seeking-approval" target="_blank" rel="noopener">seeks</a> the Trump administration&#8217;s approval to sell her company to the entertainment company, Skydance.
&#8220;It’s become clear that the company and I do not agree on the path forward,&#8221; McMahon wrote in a memo to CBS News staff. &#8220;It’s time for me to move on and for this organization to move forward with new leadership.&#8221;
McMahon, who took over as CBS News and Stations president in August 2023, put herself in the crosshairs of Paramount executives with her support of former longtime &#8220;60 Minutes&#8221; executive producer Bill Owens, who resigned last month, citing a lack of control over the direction of the stalwart news program, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/19/business/media/cbs-60-minutes-trump-wendy-mcmahon.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The leadership at Paramount was reportedly growing anxious with how the show reported on the Trump administration.
Redstone also slammed CBS News leadership last October after it reprimanded “CBS Mornings” anchor Tony Dokoupil for asking Left-wing activist Ta-Nehisi Coates tough questions about the Israel-Gaza conflict. McMahon informed Dokoupil that he had violated &#8220;the preproduction process where questions are run through Race and Culture and Standards and Practice.&#8221; Redstone <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/09/business/media/ta-nehisi-coates-cbs-interview-shari-redstone.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said publicl</a>y that CBS News&#8217; decision to reprimand the anchor was &#8220;a mistake.&#8221;
“I think we all agree that this was not handled correctly,” Redstone said.
McMahon will continue to work as CBS News president for a transition period that will last &#8220;a few weeks,&#8221; according to George Cheeks, the chief executive of CBS. McMahon will be replaced by Tom Cibrowski, who recently joined CBS News after working for ABC News for 30 years in multiple roles, and Jennifer Mitchell, who currently &#8220;oversees 27 CBS-owned stations and manages stations operations in 17 markets.&#8221;

Wendy McMahon

CBS News President Quits Amid ’60 Minutes’ Legal Battle With Trump

60 Minutes

Business

Legacy Media

Mainstream Media

With just days to go before the release of &#8220;Original Sin&#8221; — a book exploring former President Joe Biden&#8217;s obvious cognitive decline from Jake Tapper (CNN) and Alex Thompson (Axios) — everyone on the Sunday political shows was talking about Biden, who knew what, and when they knew it.
For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
If one were to simply watch those interviews cold, not having lived through four years of a Biden presidency or seen dozens of speeches and interviews even from midway through his single term, one might be inclined to believe the pundits and elected Democrats when they insisted that Biden was absolutely fine at least until his disaster of a televised debate with President Donald Trump — and, according to at least one, he might even still be fine.
But Democrats and pundits said those things to an audience made up of Americans who did watch Biden as he repeatedly got lost on stage, tripped up the stairs of Air Force One, alternately shouted and whispered at awkward times, and lost his train of thought on a regular basis. Still, they committed to the narrative — Biden was definitely at his best until maybe the debate, and there was no reason for anyone to suggest otherwise or believe that anyone was covering up Biden&#8217;s condition.
On ABC&#8217;s &#8220;This Week,&#8221; Rep. Ro Khanna insisted that there was no cover-up, but also said that the people who had been closest to President Biden during the last year or so of his presidency owed the American people &#8220;an explanation — but he did not clarify why they needed to explain if they were not covering anything up.
&#8220;It’s painfully obvious President Biden should not have run,&#8221; Khanna said.
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“It’s painfully obvious President Biden should not have run.”
Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna said there wasn&#8217;t a cover-up of former Pres. Biden mental fitness ahead of the 2024 election, but added those close to Biden and his advisers “owe an explanation.” <a href="https://t.co/MTbOVJxR88">https://t.co/MTbOVJxR88</a> <a href="https://t.co/9UJQqpL4gF">pic.twitter.com/9UJQqpL4gF</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1924122551883645008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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During a panel discussion later on in the broadcast, former Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Donna Brazile claimed that since she had lost a step or two with age, it was totally fine for the same thing to have happened to Biden.
&#8220;I&#8217;m going to stick by Joe Biden. And look, we all — I don&#8217;t have the pep in my step that I used to have,&#8221; she said.
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On questions of former Pres. Biden’s mental fitness ahead of the 2024 election, former DNC chair <a href="https://twitter.com/donnabrazile?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DonnaBrazile</a> says, &#8220;I&#8217;m going to stick by Joe Biden. And look, we all — I don&#8217;t have the pep in my step that I used to have.”<a href="https://t.co/KJmZwLyqkW">https://t.co/KJmZwLyqkW</a> <a href="https://t.co/yPGHteC3gZ">pic.twitter.com/yPGHteC3gZ</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1924134592497271104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Former Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus pushed back, noting that conservatives had been repeatedly mocked and gaslighted — not to mention shut down by legacy media hosts — when they stated the obvious about the president&#8217;s declining faculties.
&#8220;People were put to shame — me and others out there — that talked about Joe Biden&#8217;s mental acuity &#8230; The fact is they were managing his decline in a nursing home in the White House,&#8221; he said.
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Former RNC chair <a href="https://twitter.com/Reince?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Reince</a> Priebus: &#8220;People were put to shame — me and others out there — that talked about Joe Biden&#8217;s mental acuity &#8230; The fact is they were managing his decline in a nursing home in the White House.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/mEq24OQYpx">https://t.co/mEq24OQYpx</a> <a href="https://t.co/glQtYP9iwY">pic.twitter.com/glQtYP9iwY</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1924136867680735338?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On CBS News&#8217; &#8220;Face the Nation,&#8221; Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) took time out from defending criminal illegal alien gang members to address the recently released audio from Biden&#8217;s interview with former Special Counsel Robert Hur — which he said shed light on a problem that no one had been aware of at the time.
&#8220;Obviously, if we could redo this tape and play it over again, we would do things differently,&#8221; Van Hollen said. &#8220;I think we can acknowledge that this was a — people overlooked a serious problem or were just not aware.&#8221;
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&#8220;Hindsight is 20/20,&#8221; Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) says of the audio tapes that have been released of then-President Biden&#8217;s interview with special counsel Robert Hur, highlighting Biden&#8217;s memory lapses at the time.
&#8220;Obviously, if we could redo this tape and play it over again,… <a href="https://t.co/iITJ2PC9aH">pic.twitter.com/iITJ2PC9aH</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1924134615121375425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) took a similar approach on NBC&#8217;s &#8220;Meet the Press,&#8221; saying that Democrats might have encouraged Biden to exit the 2024 presidential race sooner if only they had known. Murphy also said that Democrats had been wrong to brush off voters&#8217; concerns about Biden&#8217;s acuity during the 2024 election cycle.
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In an exclusive interview with Meet the Press, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) says that former President Biden should have exited the 2024 race earlier as newly released audio tapes renew concerns over Biden&#8217;s health and fitness while in office. <a href="https://t.co/KU1cqLKcHR">https://t.co/KU1cqLKcHR</a> <a href="https://t.co/mTJHsYG5rI">pic.twitter.com/mTJHsYG5rI</a>
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) <a href="https://twitter.com/MeetThePress/status/1924102792177725590?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Rep. James Clyburn took things to a whole different level on CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; telling anchor Jake Tapper that he wasn&#8217;t even sure Biden would be incapable of serving a second term in the White House.
&#8220;Yes, I thought [he could serve another term] back then. I still think that, but I don&#8217;t know that,&#8221; he said.
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/RepJamesClyburn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepJamesClyburn</a> on whether he still believes President Biden could have served another term: &#8220;Yes, I thought that back then. I still think that, but I don&#8217;t know that.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/hfRtH5REyl">pic.twitter.com/hfRtH5REyl</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1924123561721000190?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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As to Biden&#8217;s disastrous debate performance, Clyburn continued to play defense. &#8220;Whether or not that was just an incident or whether that was a condition that was being kept from people, we have no way of knowing which one was true,&#8221; he claimed.
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/RepJamesClyburn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepJamesClyburn</a> reflects on Biden’s disastrous 2024 debate performance: “Whether or not that was just an incident or whether that was a condition that was being kept from people, we have no way of knowing which one was true.” <a href="https://t.co/Sso7mSltX0">pic.twitter.com/Sso7mSltX0</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1924100037597884572?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Van Jones and David Axelrod were less magnanimous to Biden, his White House, and the party that enabled him.
&#8220;There are people who knew and said nothing, and that is a crime against this Republic,&#8221; Jones said.
&#8220;I blame the people around him,&#8221; Axelrod added. &#8220;Real loyalty demanded that they say, &#8216;Mr. President, it&#8217;s just not there and it&#8217;s not in your interest&#8217; [to run again].&#8221;
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Longtime Democratic strategists react to new reporting that top Biden aides hid signs of decline from the public.<a href="https://twitter.com/VanJones68?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VanJones68</a>: &#8220;There are people who knew and said nothing, and that is a crime against this Republic.&#8221;<a href="https://twitter.com/davidaxelrod?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@davidaxelrod</a>: “I blame the people around him&#8230; real loyalty… <a href="https://t.co/Obz2wpk3Jm">pic.twitter.com/Obz2wpk3Jm</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1924101934442569760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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