The biggest critics of President Donald Trump&#8217;s efforts to achieve peace between Ukraine and Russia have been &#8220;wrong&#8221; on foreign policy for decades, according to Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO).
During an interview on &#8220;<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6377012120112" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News Sunday</a>,&#8221; Schmitt delivered a retort after being pressed to respond to critiques from his colleagues across the aisle following Trump&#8217;s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last week.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Sen. <a href="https://twitter.com/Eric_Schmitt?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Eric_Schmitt</a>: The people who are most critical of <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>&#8216; pursuit of peace &#8220;have been wrong, for the last 30 years, about every single foreign policy issue under the sun.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/JMkr8ljDEy">pic.twitter.com/JMkr8ljDEy</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1957081966991339558?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;The people who are most critical have been wrong for the last 30 years about every single foreign policy issue under the sun,&#8221; Schmitt told anchor Shannon Bream.
As an example, Schmitt took aim at Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser under former President Joe Biden who had also been interviewed on the program on Sunday.
&#8220;I mean, you just had Jake Sullivan on,&#8221; Schmitt said. &#8220;Jake Sullivan just presided over, in the last four years, the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, the invasion of Ukraine by Russia that he&#8217;s now critical about President Trump.&#8221;
Sullivan also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-biden-adviser-bragged-of-quiet-middle-east-one-week-before-hamas-attacked-israel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bragged</a> in October 2023 about the Middle East region being &#8220;quieter&#8221; than it had been in two decades — just days before Hamas launched a deadly attack on Israel.
&#8220;So, these Wilsonian adventurers who think America can be everywhere all at once all the time have been wrong about everything,&#8221; Schmitt said.
Democrats have argued that Trump is being played by Putin, but Schmitt rejected the idea that a peace agreement is not attainable just because the Alaska meeting did not immediately end the conflict.
&#8220;I look at this from a realistic point of view,&#8221; he said. &#8220;The diplomacy that President Trump is engaging in, which has been very successful since he took office, is about engaging people that, you know, maybe aren&#8217;t your best friends in the world, but you&#8217;re trying to get to a peace deal. That&#8217;s exactly what this was.&#8221;
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders are expected to huddle with Trump at the White House on Monday. Another meeting with Putin could follow.
&#8220;It&#8217;s going to take time,&#8221; Schmitt said. &#8220;So, that meeting led to the next meeting, which is going to happen on Monday, which will likely lead to the next meeting. That&#8217;s how that typically works. I think for some people so used to the 24-hour news cycle, maybe that isn&#8217;t fast enough, but that&#8217;s how the real-world works.&#8221;
Schmitt contended Trump is trying to be a uniter, unlike Biden.
&#8220;We just didn&#8217;t see that the last four years. Joe Biden was out to lunch and his only plan was to send $200 billion of American taxpayer funds over there without a plan,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And so President Trump, I think, is seeking peace. He&#8217;s bringing the parties together. And that&#8217;s what diplomacy is all about. That should always be our first option, and that&#8217;s where we&#8217;re at right now.&#8221;

Senator Eric Schmitt

Critics Of Trump’s Ukraine-Russia Peace Effort Have Been ‘Wrong’ For Decades, GOP Senator Says

Congress

Donald Trump

Eric Schmitt

Russia

U.S.

U.S. Senate

Ukraine

Ukraine-Russia War

Former Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) is ready to run for office again after losing his Senate seat to Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) in the 2024 election amid reported controversies.
Brown will challenge Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH) in the 2026 election, cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer first <a href="https://www.cleveland.com/news/2025/08/sherrod-brown-to-run-for-us-senate-in-2026-challenging-jon-husted.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> on Tuesday, citing Ohio labor leaders. As of press time, Brown had not formally announced his campaign, but other news outlets have confirmed his plans.
In a story published last month, Brown told <a href="https://www.semafor.com/article/07/03/2025/former-ohio-sen-sherrod-brown-weighs-next-political-move" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Semafor</a> that &#8220;everything&#8217;s on the table&#8221; while &#8220;talking to family and friends&#8221; and deciding whether he “want[s] to get back in and do this.&#8221; He also said, &#8220;I’m concerned about the direction of my state; I’m concerned about the direction of my country. So I don’t know.&#8221;
Brown, a former Ohio secretary of state and congressman, first <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/politics-july-dec06-oh_sen_11-07" target="_blank" rel="noopener">won election</a> to the Senate in 2006 against incumbent Mike DeWine, who went on to become governor. During his three terms in the Senate, Brown served as chairman of the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
The Daily Wire covered Brown a number of times while he was in the Senate, including reports on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ohio-democrat-senator-took-thousands-of-dollars-in-donations-from-pharma-companies-at-center-of-opioid-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">donations</a> from drug companies at the center of the opioid crisis and how he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/east-palestine-is-still-suffering-but-ohios-democrat-senator-took-time-for-a-hollywood-fundraiser" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attended</a> a ritzy Hollywood fundraiser while constituents worried about the water quality at their home after the 2023 train derailment in East Palestine.
In the 2024 election, Brown ran for a fourth term against Moreno, a businessman who was endorsed by now-President Donald Trump. Estimates show roughly <a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-senate-ohio-brown-moreno-74c4b91e5866215d4201377fefcadad0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$500 million</a> was spent on that Senate contest, which POLITICO <a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/11/05/2024-election-results-live-coverage-updates-analysis/bernie-moreno-wins-ohio-senate-00185143" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dubbed</a> the most expensive non-presidential election in U.S. history.
Moreno <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/11/05/us/elections/results-ohio-us-senate.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defeated</a> Brown 50.1%-46.5%. Trump&#8217;s margin of victory over then-Vice President Kamala Harris in Ohio was much larger, with the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/11/05/us/elections/results-ohio.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">final </a>results coming in at 55.2%-43.9%.
Brown will now face off against Husted, who was selected by Governor DeWine to temporarily replace JD Vance after he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/vice-president-elect-jd-vance-submits-resignation-from-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resigned</a> from his seat in the Senate in order to become vice president. The winner will serve out the remainder of the term that ends in 2029.
Axios <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/07/28/schumer-sherrod-brown-ohio-senate-meeting-2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) had been urging Brown to get back in the ring, a push that comes as Democrats hope to retake control of the upper chamber. But Husted&#8217;s team shrugged off the pending challenge.
&#8220;Should Brown enter the race as Schumer&#8217;s handpicked candidate he will be starting in the biggest hole of his political career,&#8221; Husted campaign spokesman Tyson Shepard <a href="https://x.com/jpelzer/status/1955287609938190756" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement posted to X by Jeremy Pelzer, the reporter who broke the story.
&#8220;He has never faced a candidate like Jon Husted,&#8221; Pelzer continued. &#8220;Brown&#8217;s slogans will ring hollow as his coalition walks away, tired of the radical policies he&#8217;s forced to support to appease his coastal bosses in California and New York.&#8221;

Sherrod Brown

Ohio Dem Sherrod Brown Plots Senate Comeback

Bernie Moreno

Election

JD Vance

Ohio

Politics

Former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley <a href="https://apnews.com/article/derek-dooley-reepublican-senate-georgia-tennessee-ossoff-a1b7705b3b8d585ba3e5fd683f59f81c">threw his hat in the ring</a> as a Georgia GOP senatorial candidate for 2026 on Monday.
Dooley, 57, the son of famed University of Georgia football coach Vince Dooley, obtained his law degree from the University of Georgia and briefly practiced law before turning to football, where he became head coach at Louisiana Tech, then Tennessee before serving as an assistant coach with the Dallas Cowboys, the University of Missouri, the New York Giants and the University of Alabama.
Dooley is backed by Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who declined to run for the Senate seat to replace Democrat Jon Ossoff, who won his seat in 2020.
“The only thing that matters to me is that people of Georgia are proud of who’s representing them in Washington, D.C.,” Dooley said in his campaign launch video. “President Trump campaigned on things and he’s turned them into results; I haven’t known a president in my lifetime who’s been able to achieve these kind of results. That’s what the people want; they want somebody who means what they say, say what they mean, and then go deliver results.”
Turning to Ossoff, he declared, “Professional politicians like Jon Ossoff are the problem. Lawlessness, open season on the border, inflation everywhere, woke stuff, that’s what they represent. We need new leadership in Georgia. That’s why I’m running for Senate.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0HX7YVxZyiI?si=KhANqp7VVZdu5kbq" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Dooley’s chief rival for the GOP senatorial nod is Congressman Mike Collins, who has gained endorsements from various Republicans, including former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
At the end of March, a non-partisan ethics watchdog, the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT), filed a complaint against Ossoff, accusing him of violating Senate ethics rules by directly linking official action to a request for campaign contributions.
FACT sent a<a href="https://65db7681-e755-4cff-abe7-1d9e373df4db.usrfiles.com/ugd/65db76_c14ec0e53bc2448e9a98a4a0e4c00122.pdf"> letter</a> to Ethics Committee Chairman Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) and Vice-Chairman Chris Coons (D-DE) in which they stated:
<blockquote>
On March 14th, 2025, Senator Ossoff sent out an email that contained only two subjects: (1) that he planned to vote against a specific bill; and (2) a request for a campaign contribution. The email began with the statement, “I will vote ‘NO’ on the Trump/Musk/Johnson ‘CR.’” Following several statements about the bill, he then makes a direct request for a campaign contribution: “If you can afford it, please rush $5 to Jon Ossoff’s re-election campaign today. If you’ve stored your info with ActBlue, we’ll process your contribution instantly.” 
</blockquote>
“Senate Ethics Rules specifically prohibit Senators from soliciting campaign contributions based upon any action taken in their official capacity,” the letter continued. “By linking a promise of official action with campaign contributions, a Senator violates a ‘basic principle’ of Senate Ethics that guards against conflicts of interest.”
Additionally, Ossoff, who is Jewish, voted in favor of a resolution to block the sale of some weapons to Israel in November 2024, and last week voted against selling U.S. automatic assault rifles to Israel, and <a href="https://www.ossoff.senate.gov/press-releases/sen-ossoff-statement-on-jrd-votes/">joined other anti-Israel Democrats</a> in blaming the Israeli government &#8211; and not the terrorist group Hamas &#8211; for starving the people of Gaza. He said, “I do not believe the United States Senate should acquiesce without objection to the extreme mass deprivation of civilians in Gaza, including the intolerable starvation of children, that have resulted from the policies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.”

Tennessee Volunteers v Arkansas Razorbacks

Former Tennessee Football Coach Enters Georgia Senate Race As Republican

Elections

Georgia

Jon Ossoff

Senate GOP

The GOP-led Senate began its August recess on Saturday evening after President Donald Trump condemned a potential deal between Republicans and Democrats on confirming his nominees.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114961522912167613" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) had been &#8220;demanding&#8221; more than $1 billion in exchange for Democrats not impeding the process of confirming a &#8220;small number&#8221; of his &#8220;highly qualified&#8221; nominees.
&#8220;This demand is egregious and unprecedented, and would be embarrassing to the Republican Party if it were accepted. It is political extortion, by any other name. Tell Schumer, who is under tremendous political pressure from within his own party, the Radical Left Lunatics, to GO TO HELL!&#8221; Trump exclaimed.
Trump also gave his blessing to Senate Republicans to begin the August recess, a change in tune by the president who had been pressing Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) to stay in Washington, D.C., and keep confirming his nominees in the face of delay tactics.
&#8220;Do not accept the offer, go home and explain to your constituents what bad people the Democrats are, and what a great job the Republicans are doing, and have done, for our Country,&#8221; the president added. &#8220;Have a great RECESS and, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!&#8221;
The Democrats had sought to unfreeze more than $1 billion in money for the National Institutes of Health and foreign aid, as well as a pledge for no more rescissions packages to claw back funds that have already been allocated by Congress, according to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-tells-schumer-go-hell-over-senate-nominee-deal-funding-demands-after-negotiations-collapse" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News</a>.
&#8220;Let me clear what happened: Donald Trump attempted to steamroll the Senate to put in place his historically unqualified nominees. But Senate Democrats wouldn’t let him,&#8221; Schumer <a href="https://x.com/SenSchumer/status/1951818011523924234" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declared</a> in a post on X.
Senators <a href="https://x.com/CraigCaplan/status/1951802628465361130" target="_blank" rel="noopener">agreed</a> to have pro forma sessions every few days during the August recess, preventing any recess appointments, and not return for votes until September 2. The House, which is also controlled by Republicans, already broke off for the summer.
The Senate did confirm a number of Trump&#8217;s nominees before leaving town, including a vote to keep Jeanine Pirro as U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, and <a href="https://x.com/LeaderJohnThune/status/1951670915214758045" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed</a> some fiscal 2026 appropriations bills ahead of the September 30 deadline.
&#8220;Very proud of our great Republican Senators for fighting, over the Weekend and far beyond, if necessary, in order to get my great Appointments approved, and on their way to helping us MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114961147474079611" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in another post on Truth Social.
He further exclaimed that &#8220;Radical Left Democrat Senators are doing everything possible to DELAY these wonderful and talented people from being approved,&#8221; and stated, &#8220;Thank you to Senator John Thune and our Republican Warriors in the Senate.&#8221;

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY)

Trump Blesses Senate Recess, Blasts Schumer’s ‘Extortion’ Tactics

Chuck Schumer

John Thune

Presidential nomination

Speaking on the floor of the U.S. Senate, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), the third-highest ranking GOP senator who serves as the chairman of the Senate Republican Conference and chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, delivered a blistering speech in which he denounced critics of Israel around the world and in the U.S. Senate, who he said side with Hamas and propagandize to help the terrorist organization.
&#8220;Hamas is on the verge of defeat so it’s cranked up the propaganda machine once again,&#8221; he began. &#8220;Now Hamas wants the world to believe that Israel has undertaken a campaign of deliberate starvation of the Gazan population, and as usual, Hamas can count on an international media and political chorus to fight their battles for them and try to bully Israel in submission.&#8221;
&#8220;Israel has helped bring into Gaza approximately 96,000 trucks containing nearly one and a half million tons of food, 46,000 tons of medical supplies, 60,000 tons of water and around 170,000 tons of shelter equipment,&#8221; he noted. &#8220;Put simply: Children aren’t going hungry because of lack of supplies from Israel; they’re suffering because Hamas uses food and humanitarian aid as a weapon to stay in power.&#8221;
Slamming members of the Senate who have used photos of Gazan children to buttress their attacks on Israel, Cotton asserted, &#8220;&#8216;Gullible&#8217; might be a charitable way to describe their motives, much like The New York Times buying hook, line, and sinker, the images of Gazan children afflicted with terrible diseases, but passed off as malnourished.&#8221; He then displayed photos of the massive amount of pallets of food simply waiting to be distributed to the people of Gaza, noting they are &#8220;are sitting and baking in the hot sun instead of feeding hungry kids. While the situation is shocking, it’s not all surprising; after all, Hamas’ infiltration of UN aid mechanisms is well-documented. Time and again, we have seen Hamas terrorists divert shipments to themselves or loot delivery trucks, only to resell the supplies on the black market at outrageous prices. Last year, this terrorist-infiltrated aid system managed by the UN and others allowed Hamas to rake in more than half a billion dollars in profit, profits that fund Hamas’ campaign of terror against Israel and its own people.&#8221;
&#8220;How critical is this systematic theft to Hamas’ grip on power?&#8221; he asked. &#8220;Well, one of Hamas’s chief demands in recent cease-fire negotiations has been the dismantling of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a new charity created specifically to end Hamas’s stranglehold on aid and supplies. The foundation has even offered to distribute UN aid for free, despite the risk to its own people. And much of this aid, which is sitting in the sun and partly taxpayer-funded, is already inside Gaza; it simply needs to be picked up and distributed. But the offer has fallen on deaf ears because Hamas uses humanitarian aid as a tool to fund, facilitate and fight its war against innocent children, against Israel, against the civilized world. And Hamas’s cheerleaders, apologists, and dupes in Europe and America, and sadly, here in the U.S. Senate, once again, turn a blind eye to Hamas’ crimes, blaming instead Israel and the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. They demand that Israel agree to a cease-fire that preserves and rewards Hamas, while also delivering even more humanitarian aid to Gaza for Hamas to steal and exploit. They expect Israel to feed the very people who attacked, raped, and murdered innocent Israeli men, women, and children on October 7. And I would remind everyone, not a few American victims as well.&#8221;
Turning to history, Cotton — who deployed to both Afghanistan and Iraq and served in combat units including the 506th Infantry Regiment and the 101st Airborne — commented, &#8220;Once again, Israel is facing demands placed on no other nation in the world. I don’t recall from my history lessons, for instance, the United States providing humanitarian aid in Germany and Japan in World War II. On the contrary, the Allies imposed naval blockades that led to widespread shortages in those enemy nations. When in the annals of history has the victim of an unprovoked war of aggression ever been held responsible for the nutrition of the aggressor? Put simply, Israel doesn’t have any responsibility to send a single loaf of bread to Gaza. I wonder why so many senators, pundits, podcasters and European politicians impose this unique standard on the Jewish nation?&#8221;
&#8220;Why could it be?&#8221; he asked bluntly.
&#8220;But despite all that, despite the brutal slaughter of nearly 1200 Israelis on October 7, despite Hamas’ continued repression of its own people, Israel is still delivering aid to Gaza while Hamas rips it from the hands of hungry children,&#8221; he pointed out. &#8220;Once again we see very simply and very clearly in this war who is on the side of justice and who is on the side of evil. And I would ask anyone who places these singular demands on Israel: Whose side do you want to be on? And if you truly care about the children in Gaza, as I do, as Israelis do, as any decent person surely does, I would encourage you to support President Trump’s statement of moral clarity and strength from earlier this morning: &#8216;The fastest way to end the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is for Hamas to surrender and release the hostages.'&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I&#39;d like to set the record straight.
Children in Gaza aren&#39;t going hungry because of Israel. They&#39;re suffering because Hamas uses food and aid as a weapon to stay in power. <a href="https://t.co/a2dGKThz0u">pic.twitter.com/a2dGKThz0u</a>
&mdash; Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenTomCotton/status/1951083222516797451?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Republican Senators Hold Capitol Hill News Conference On Border Enforcement

Tom Cotton Blisters Hamas Cheerleaders In Senate And Across The Globe

Hamas

Israel

New York Times

Tom Cotton

Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts tumbled on the Senate floor on Thursday after a desk she leaned on toppled under her weight.
Warren fell awkwardly backwards to sit on one of the Senate’s tiered platforms before being helped back to her feet. The fall appeared to cause quite a commotion, as over half a dozen senators rushed to help Warren after she fell.
GOP Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas was the first to reach Warren’s side. Warren appeared to give him a few pats of appreciation for his assistance. Warren appears to be unharmed.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨WATCH: Elizabeth Warren FELL DOWN on the Senate floor and knocked over a table. <a href="https://t.co/1vF9hOlsLO">pic.twitter.com/1vF9hOlsLO</a>
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) <a href="https://twitter.com/DailyCaller/status/1950992008299864434?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
Video of the fall quickly went viral online as users poked fun at Warren’s ungraceful display.
“This puts the Tip in Tippecanoe. (I’ll see myself out),” conservative sports commentator Clay Travis <a href="https://x.com/ClayTravis/status/1950996091861717345">posted</a>, a veiled reference to Warren’s past claims of Native American heritage.
Dave Rubin, host of “The Rubin Report,” <a href="https://x.com/RubinReport/status/1950990987846705588">posted</a> that “Warren’s Indian name was Falls On A**.”
“Looks like Senator Warren has been hitting the peace pipe,” another user <a href="https://x.com/sean_spicier/status/1950996074430185785">posted</a>.
Warren’s claims to Native American ancestry trace back decades and she has faced criticism for using a thin genetic connection to Native Americans to identify as a Native American on applications. For instance, in 1986, Warren <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/elizabeth-warren-apologizes-for-calling-herself-native-american/2019/02/05/1627df76-2962-11e9-984d-9b8fba003e81_story.html">identified</a> as a Native American on her registration card for the State Bar of Texas.
Seeking to tamp down criticism of her heritage claims in 2018, Warren released a blood test that said she had a Native American ancestor between six and 10 generations back. That would make Warren anywhere between 1/64th and 1/1,024 Native American.
Warren’s use of the blood test to silence her critics earned her a rebuke from the Cherokee Nation, of which Warren claimed to be.
The Cherokee Nation’s then-secretary of state, Chuck Hoskin Jr., <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/warren-faces-ancestry-question-at-town-hall-i-shouldnt-have-done-it-i-am-not-a-person-of-color">said</a> that the use of “a DNA test to lay claim to any connection to the Cherokee Nation or any tribal nation, even vaguely, is inappropriate and wrong … dishonoring legitimate tribal governments and their citizens, whose ancestors are well documented and whose heritage is [proven].”
Warren later apologized for claiming to be Native American. In a town hall in December 2019, she said she “shouldn’t have done it. I am not a person of color; I am not a citizen of a tribe; and I have apologized for confusion I’ve caused on tribal citizenship, tribal sovereignty, and for any harm that I’ve caused.”

Elizabeth Warren

‘Puts The Tip In Tippecanoe’: Elizabeth Warren Tumbles Over Table In Senate

Ted Cruz

A Senate panel on Wednesday advanced a bill that seeks to prohibit members of Congress, presidents, and vice presidents from trading or holding individual stocks — although the ban would not force a full divestment for current office holders until if and they win and start another term.
Part of an effort led by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), the legislation passed through the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in an 8-7 vote. Democrats joined with Hawley in supporting the <a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/26036909/s-1498-hawley-substitute-as-modified-wal25677.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">measure</a>, while the rest of the Republicans opposed it.
“Americans have watched politicians earn a fortune using information not available to the general public while the average family struggles to get by. It&#8217;s just wrong,&#8221; Hawley said. &#8220;Members of Congress should be focused on delivering results for their constituents, not returns on investments. It&#8217;s time to find out where members stand. It&#8217;s time we restore trust in Congress and ban all members from trading and holding stocks.&#8221;
Featuring a name <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/06/29/opinion/pelosis-prime-profits-prove-its-time-to-ban-congress-stock-trading/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">inspired</a> by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and her strong performance in the stock market, the bill initially offered by Hawley sought to keep just lawmakers and their spouses from stock picking, but allow for investment in diversified mutual funds, Exchange-Traded Funds, and Treasury bonds. President Donald Trump even <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sen-hawley-reintroduces-pelosi-act-to-curb-congressional-stock-trading-trump-signals-approval" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suggested</a> he would sign the legislation.
A change was later offered to add the president and vice president to the ban, part of what Axios <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/07/29/white-house-lobbies-hawley-stock-trading-ban" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> to be Hawley&#8217;s bid to gain Democrat support. But with the White House raising Article II concerns, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee ultimately approved a version that bars only current office-holders from stock trading if they get elected to another term — effectively giving Trump a pass, given he&#8217;s in his second term. Still, that was enough for the Democrats.
&#8220;The American people think ALL politicians, Democrats and Republicans, use our position to enrich ourselves,&#8221; Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) <a href="https://x.com/SenatorSlotkin/status/1950599974686691459" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declared</a> in a post on X. &#8220;Today, we sent a bill to the Senate floor that bans Members of Congress, the President, and VP from trading stocks. It’s not perfect, but it’s a good first step, and we should pass it into law.&#8221;
Business Insider <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/congressional-stock-trading-ban-clears-senate-committee-republicans-arguing-insults-2025-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> that even though full divestment from individual stocks would not be required immediately, it would prevent Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and lawmakers from buying stocks right way and, 90 days after enactment, disallow them from selling stocks.
Now the legislation heads to the full Senate, where the GOP has a 53-seat majority.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), the chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said he opposed exempting Trump because he believes &#8220;everybody should be treated fairly.&#8221; He also bemoaned how it excluded the courts and staff of office-holders.
Another Republican on the panel, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfalT1gSTbo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">derided</a> what he called &#8220;legislative demagoguery.&#8221; He noted that insider trading laws and financial disclosure rules already exist. In addition, Johnson warned the measure would &#8220;make it very unattractive&#8221; for people to run for office, particularly those with business experience.
There is GOP support for a congressional stock trading ban in the House. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) has signaled that she will <a href="https://x.com/RepLuna/status/1950317068911263752" target="_blank" rel="noopener">force</a> a vote.
&#8220;Members of Congress should be banned from trading individual stocks because their access to privileged, nonpublic information creates unavoidable conflicts of interest that erode public confidence in government,&#8221; Luna <a href="https://x.com/RepLuna/status/1950589449600929876" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post on X.
&#8220;As lawmakers, we receive classified briefings, shape economic policies, and interact with industry leaders, giving us insights that can influence stock prices. Even if no laws are broken, the appearance of profiting from this access fuels distrust among Americans,&#8221; she added. &#8220;The American people do not trust the US government and banning stock trading is a step forward to building that trust.&#8221;

Sen. Josh Hawley

Senate Panel Votes To Ban Stock Trading For Lawmakers, President, And VP — But Spares Trump

Corruption

Executive

Josh Hawley

Rand Paul

Ron Johnson

Stock Market

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) responded to the second quarter economic numbers by attempting to gaslight other members of the deliberative body and effectively telling them they weren&#8217;t really seeing what they were seeing.
Schumer took to the Senate floor on Wednesday, where he reacted to the news that the gross domestic product (GDP) of the United States was up 3.0% in the second quarter — surpassing the predicted 2.3% and reversing a 0.5% decline from the first quarter.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Schumer confronts GDP report: Labels strong numbers a “mirage.&#8221;
“If Donald Trump keeps up the chaos, the dangers for the economy will continue to get worse.&#8221;
The collapse they want so badly is always riiiight around the corner. <a href="https://t.co/dxZWlD56eE">pic.twitter.com/dxZWlD56eE</a>
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) <a href="https://twitter.com/WesternLensman/status/1950569645062197428?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;And while the Trump administration will try to wave rosy headlines about the Q2 numbers, today&#8217;s GDP number is, in fact, a mirage,&#8221; Schumer claimed, warning, &#8220;Some ominous numbers lurk under the hood.&#8221;
&#8220;Business investment plunged in the second quarter,&#8221; he said, claiming that Trump&#8217;s economy was so unstable that businesses were afraid to deploy capital. &#8220;Businesses are worried about growing their operations, worried about hiring more workers, worried about trading with their international partners, and worried in general about the future.&#8221;
Schumer went on to blame President Donald Trump&#8217;s tariffs for the whole scenario — which he continued to insist was far gloomier than it looked, warning, &#8220;And if Donald Trump keeps up the chaos, the dangers for the economy will continue to get worse.&#8221;
During his remarks from the Senate floor, Schumer also panned Trump&#8217;s historic trade deal with the European Union — inked during his trip to Scotland over the weekend — and tried to claim that it would be bad for the United States.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨Chuck Schumer is wailing about President Trump&#8217;s historic trade deal with the EU — which has been universally praised as a HUGE WIN for America.
&#8220;Donald Trump is, as usual, trying to hype up, exaggerate, and LIE about his accomplishment!&#8221;
&#8220;Donald Trump ALWAYS LIES — almost… <a href="https://t.co/0G9TCkhqUC">pic.twitter.com/0G9TCkhqUC</a>
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/townhallcom/status/1949923028868927752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Using air quotes around the word &#8220;deal,&#8221; Schumer offered no evidence as he claimed, &#8220;It will result in a $90 billion per year tax hike on American families. When you raise tariffs, the American families pay for it. $90 billion tax on American families in the tariff deal with the European Union.&#8221;
&#8220;Donald Trump is, as usual, trying to hype up, exaggerate, and lie about his accomplishment!&#8221; he claimed, and then lost his place and had to check his notes for the right insult as he continued: &#8220;He — Donald Trump always lies — almost always lies — about his accomplishments — and this is no — exception.&#8221;

Chuck Schumer Gaslights Senate With His Take On Q2 Numbers: You Don’t See What You See

Chuck Schumer Gaslights Senate With His Take On Q2 Numbers: You Don't See What You See

European Union

Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) says he was &#8220;offended&#8221; by President Donald Trump&#8217;s call for him to scrap the &#8220;blue slip&#8221; tradition in which home-state senators can effectively block nominees they do not support.
The rebuke from Grassley, whose panel has been advancing Trump’s picks for U.S. attorney and judge positions, came as Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/thune-warns-dems-are-setting-dangerous-and-ugly-precedent-with-trumps-nominees" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pressures</a> the Senate to cancel its plans for a summer recess and confirm more of his nominees.
&#8220;Last night, I was surprised to see President Trump on Truth Social go after me and Senate Republicans over what we call the &#8216;blue slip,'&#8221; Grassley announced at the beginning of a nominations hearing.
&#8220;Now, to people in the real America — not here in this Washington, D.C., an island surrounded by reality — the people in real America don’t care about what the &#8216;blue slip&#8217; is, but, in fact, it impacts in their states the district judges who serve their communities and the U.S. attorneys who ensure law and order is enforced,&#8221; Grassley said.
He continued, &#8220;I was offended by what the president said, and I’m disappointed that it would result in personal insults.&#8221;
Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-rips-unconstitutional-senate-custom-that-allows-democrat-sleazebags-to-stall-judicial-noms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">urged</a> Grassley to do away with the &#8220;blue slip&#8221; custom in a post on Truth Social, contending that any of his nominees from states with Democrat senators would keep getting shut down because of it.
&#8220;Chuck Grassley, who I got re-elected to the U.S. Senate when he was down, by a lot, in the Great State of Iowa, could solve the &#8216;Blue Slip&#8217; problem we are having with respect to the appointment of Highly Qualified Judges and U.S. Attorneys, with a mere flick of the pen,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114938820270436889" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declared</a>.
The president also said the &#8220;blue slip&#8221; tradition was &#8220;probably&#8221; unconstitutional while pushing Grassley to &#8220;step up&#8221; and &#8220;not let the Democrats laugh at him and the Republican Party for being weak and ineffective.&#8221; He called Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Sens. Mark Warner (D-VA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Adam Schiff (D-CA), and others &#8220;SLEAZEBAGS.&#8221;
Democrats have already used the &#8220;blue slip&#8221; tradition against Trump&#8217;s nominees in the first six months of his second term.
Schumer <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/schumer-intervenes-block-trumps-us-attorney-nominees" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> he would block two picks for federal prosecutor roles earlier this year, but Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-outmaneuvers-schumer-on-pick-for-top-federal-prosecutor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sidestepped</a> the process the Democrat sought to jam by <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/05/nyregion/nocella-edny-us-attorney.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appointing</a> his nominees to be interim U.S. attorneys — a designation that lasts only 120 days.
Grassley has voiced support for Trump’s call for the Senate to cancel its August recess to combat tactics by the Democrats to hinder the confirmation process.
“If Pres Trump asks us to not take [an August recess, I’m with] him. Democrats [have] been slow walking nominations,” Grassley <a href="https://x.com/ChuckGrassley/status/1949630801978495084" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a Sunday post on X written with a lot of short-hand. “We [have] to make up for their wasted time, he went on, &#8220;Trump needs his administration in place.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), who <a href="https://x.com/jordainc/status/1950568488650859007" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> backs Grassley on the &#8220;blue slip&#8221; issue, warned Democrats on Tuesday that they were setting a &#8220;dangerous and ugly precedent&#8221; with their &#8220;historic level of obstruction.&#8221;
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-rips-unconstitutional-senate-custom-that-allows-democrat-sleazebags-to-stall-judicial-noms">Trump Rips &#8216;Unconstitutional&#8217; Senate Custom That Allows Democrat &#8216;SLEAZEBAGS&#8217; To Stall Judicial Noms</a>

Senator Chuck Grassley,

Republican Chairman ‘Offended’ As Trump Pushes Him To Nuke Senate Custom

Chuck Grassley

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) unveiled a bill this week that would offer tax rebates to &#8220;hard-working&#8221; Americans and their families using revenue attained from tariffs championed by President Donald Trump.
The <a href="https://www.hawley.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Hawley-American-Worker-Rebate-Act-Bill-Text.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">legislation</a>, called the American Worker Rebate Act of 2025, aims to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and provides credits of at least $600 to each qualifying adult and child starting this year, with <a href="https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-introduces-legislation-to-send-rebate-checks-to-working-americans/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">potential</a> increases if collections beat projections.
Modeled after the 2020 stimulus payments, the bill proposes decreasing rebates for those who earn more than a certain amount of money. Specifically, the credits shrink by 5% for adjusted gross income above $150,000 for joint filers, $112,500 for heads of household, or $75,000 for other taxpayers.
Hawley introduced the legislation after Trump suggested last week that his administration was considering the prospect of rebates, citing revenue the United States is taking in from tariffs.
&#8220;We have so much money coming in, we&#8217;re thinking about a little rebate, but the big thing we want to do is pay down debt. We&#8217;re thinking about a rebate,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://x.com/Acyn/status/1948745482484023525" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> to a reporter outside the White House.
Tariffs led to concerns about inflation, but revenues from the levies issued by Trump exceeded the expectations of &#8220;experts&#8221; and brought in more than $100 billion over the first six months of his second term, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-trumps-economy-continues-to-defy-the-experts-and-shock-the-panicans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> last week.
&#8220;Americans deserve a tax rebate after four years of Biden policies that have devastated families’ savings and livelihoods,&#8221; Hawley said in a statement. &#8220;Like President Trump proposed, my legislation would allow hard-working Americans to benefit from the wealth that Trump’s tariffs are returning to this country.&#8221;
Trump has struck a number of framework agreements since announcing &#8220;Liberation Day&#8221; tariffs as part of a bid to get other countries to negotiate trade deals and establish more favorable terms for the United States.
On Sunday, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-secures-biggest-of-all-trade-deals-with-eu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> what he called &#8220;the biggest of all the deals,&#8221; in which the European Union agreed to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in the United States, open up its member nations to trade with America, and settle on a 15% tariff rate on many imports from the bloc.

Hawley Bill Sends Tariff Surplus Back To Americans

Hawley Bill Sends Tariff Surplus Back to Americans

Tariffs

Trade War

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) fired a warning shot at Democrats amid <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/key-senator-backs-trump-on-nixing-summer-recess" target="_blank" rel="noopener">calls</a> for the upper chamber to cancel its August recess and confirm more of President Donald Trump&#8217;s nominees.
In remarks on the Senate floor, Thune explained how the Senate has confirmed 107 civilian nominees over the past six months — nearly doubling the pace seen during Trump&#8217;s first term. This is happening in spite of Democrats <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senate-republicans-erupt-over-dem-stalling-of-trump-nominees" target="_blank" rel="noopener">impeding</a> the process by forcing procedural votes in which many of them end up supporting the nominees in significant numbers, he added.
Thune described what he called a &#8220;historic level of obstruction&#8221; being waged by the minority party, noting how Trump is the only president on record not to have a single civilian nominee confirmed by voice vote or unanimous consent at this point in his term. By comparison, the leader pointed out, former President Joe Biden had 44 civilian nominees confirmed by voice vote at this point in his first and only term.
&#8220;Democrats haven&#8217;t offered a shred of courtesy to President Trump, to the voters who elected him, or the people who have stepped up to serve our country in his administration,&#8221; Thune said. Yet ultimately, &#8220;the ball is in [the] Democrats&#8217; court,&#8221; he asserted.
&#8220;They can continue to drag out the process on even the most uncontroversial nominees, and we can spend a lot more hours with each other in the Senate chamber,&#8221; Thune said. &#8220;Or they can rein in their reflexive anti-Trump sentiment and allow some of his rank-and-file nominees to proceed by unanimous consent or voice vote — just as Republicans did when the roles were reversed. And I’d remind my colleagues about the dangerous and ugly precedent that they’re setting here. But the choice is theirs &#8230; whether it&#8217;s the slow way or the fast way, we&#8217;re getting President Trump&#8217;s nominees confirmed.
Earlier this month, after Congress passed the &#8220;One Big, Beautiful Bill&#8221; and a $9 billion rescissions package, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-calls-on-senate-to-cancel-long-weekends-and-get-his-people-confirmed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">urged</a> Thune to keep the Senate busy cementing his second-term priorities.
&#8220;Hopefully the very talented John Thune, fresh off our many victories over the past two weeks and, indeed, 6 months, will cancel August recess (and long weekends!), in order to get my incredible nominees confirmed,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114882283904953607" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on Truth Social. &#8220;We need them badly!!! DJT.&#8221;
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Thune: Democrats’ Historic Obstruction Sets Dangerous and Ugly Precedent" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/l5Fq24NrX4I?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>

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) speaks

Thune Warns Dems Are Setting ‘Dangerous And Ugly Precedent’ With Trump’s Nominees

Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) voiced support for President Donald Trump&#8217;s call for the upper chamber to cancel its August recess and confirm more of his nominees.
The Iowa Republican, whose panel has been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-benchmark-of-excellence-senate-confirms-first-judge-of-trumps-second-term" target="_blank" rel="noopener">advancing</a> Trump&#8217;s picks for U.S. attorney and judge positions, shared his stance on Sunday. He alluded to how Democrats have been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senate-republicans-erupt-over-dem-stalling-of-trump-nominees" target="_blank" rel="noopener">impeding</a> the process with such moves as forcing procedural votes.
&#8220;If Pres Trump asks us to not take [an August recess, I&#8217;m with] him. Democrats [have] been slow walking nominations,&#8221; Grassley said in a <a href="https://x.com/ChuckGrassley/status/1949630801978495084">post</a> on X written with a lot of short-hand. &#8220;We [have] to make up for their wasted time Trump needs his administration in place.&#8221;
Earlier this month, after Congress passed the &#8220;One Big, Beautiful Bill&#8221; and a $9 billion rescissions package, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-calls-on-senate-to-cancel-long-weekends-and-get-his-people-confirmed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">urged</a> Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) to keep the Senate busy cementing his second-term priorities.
&#8220;Hopefully the very talented John Thune, fresh off our many victories over the past two weeks and, indeed, 6 months, will cancel August recess (and long weekends!), in order to get my incredible nominees confirmed,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114882283904953607" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on Truth Social. &#8220;We need them badly!!! DJT.&#8221;
Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) proposed a benchmark for lawmakers to reach before going into a recess or, as an alternative, an off-period without <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/this-is-how-recess-appointments-work-and-how-they-could-help-trump-fill-his-cabinet" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pro forma sessions</a> that prevent the president from making appointments in their absence.
&#8220;The Senate shouldn’t recess before clearing the 135-nominee confirmation backlog,&#8221; Lee <a href="https://x.com/BasedMikeLee/status/1948955024136307064" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on X. &#8220;If the Senate recesses anyway, it should *actually* recess—NO PRO FORMA SESSIONS, as their only purpose is to prevent Trump from making recess appointments.&#8221; He added: &#8220;The Senate can’t have it both ways.&#8221;
Trump seemed to like the proposal.
&#8220;Very Important,&#8221; the president <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114920864979561533" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on Truth Social, along with a screenshot of Lee&#8217;s post. &#8220;Republicans must play to win. Clear the 135. So badly needed!&#8221;
The Hill <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5412770-senate-gop-trump-recess/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> last week that Thune, who is also overseeing efforts to pass appropriations bills ahead of a potential government <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/thune-warns-schumer-may-cave-to-far-left-push-for-govt-shutdown-in-coming-weeks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shutdown</a> in September, was open to the idea of nixing the August recess.
&#8220;We’re thinking about it. We want to get as many [nominations] through the pipeline as we can,&#8221; he said, according to the news outlet.
The Senate has already <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senate-confirms-last-of-trump-2-0-cabinet-secretaries" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confirmed</a> Trump&#8217;s Cabinet secretaries and other nominees over the past six months.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) <a href="https://x.com/SenMullin/status/1949868977976463795" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> on Monday how 107 of Trump&#8217;s nominees have been confirmed so far in 2025 compared to the 55 picks confirmed half a year into his first term in 2017.
&#8220;After confirming the President&#8217;s entire cabinet at record pace, [the Senate GOP] is working [with the White House] to prioritize all remaining confirmations,&#8221; Mullin said on X. &#8220;Like I&#8217;ve said, I&#8217;m in it. Let&#8217;s get it done.&#8221;
The GOP-led House has already begun its August recess.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/not-a-vacation-house-leaders-unveil-rival-game-plans-for-most-important-work-month" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> during a press conference last week that August is &#8220;arguably the most important work month on our calendar&#8221; because House Republicans would return to their districts to meet voters and promote the &#8220;One, Big, Beautiful Bill.&#8221;
Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has knocked the House GOP over leaving for what he calls the <a href="https://x.com/SenSchumer/status/1949165466078924822" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;Epstein recess&#8221;</a> in a supposed bid to dodge the latest controversy rocking Washington, D.C.

Senator Chuck Grassley

Key Senator Backs Trump On Nixing Summer Recess

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