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Friday Talking Points -- Lakey McLakeface

Chris Weigant — Sat, 29 Aug 2026 00:27:51 +0000

Here we go again. Our toddler-in-chief threw another tantrum this week, because he was mad at Canada. Donald Trump was astonished that Canada didn't immediately knuckle under and agree to all his kooky demands, so he went ahead and opened up a whole new trade war with our neighbor to the north. These demands (to show you how inane the negotiations must have been) included trying to force Canada to reject their bilingual nature and get rid of all that French stuff. Canada refused. So Trump announced a new 50 percent tariff on Canadian goods. Canada then announced their own tariffs on American goods. Trump then threw his tantrum, announcing that he had just renamed Lake Ontario, which will now officially and henceforth be known by the U.S. government as "Lake America" (or possibly "Lake Of America," Trump didn't seem too sure). Which (of course) spurred the internet to respond. The site MapQuest helpfully pointed people to a tool they could use to rename the lake to anything they wished, which (of course) led to all sorts of amusing new names for it (Lake Epstein Files? Lake Hormuz? Lake Cheats At Golf? Lake Gulf Of Mexico?). The funniest one (to us, at any rate) came from "Mister Cool" on the site formerly known as Twitter, who posted an image showing: "Lakey McLakeface."

A New Threat To Tear Down The Kennedy Center

Chris Weigant — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 22:17:14 +0000

In the ongoing legal battle over the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, one Democratic congresswoman has so far prevailed in court. She has gotten a judge to order the removal of Donald Trump's name from the exterior of the building and from any and all references to the name both online and at the Kennedy Center itself (even in the gift shop). The judge ruled that Congress was the one to create the Kennedy Center, so it would take an act of Congress to change that name.

Alaska's Election System Is Up To The Challenge Of Two Dan Sullivans On The Ballot

Chris Weigant — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 22:18:01 +0000

There was some amusement in the headlines today, after the announcement that there will not just be one but actually two Dan Sullivans on the general election ballot in the Senate race in Alaska. But many of these articles missed a very key point, which is that the Alaska election system pretty much guarantees that this will not mean one of them will somehow spoil the chances of the other one. In the end, it is likely not going to matter at all to the result of the race.

Senate Landscape Looking Better For Democrats

Chris Weigant — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 00:05:40 +0000

It's Tuesday, so yet again it is primary day, but this week doesn't have any really exciting races on the Democratic side so I thought it was time to take an overview of how the Senate races are going in all the other states.

At this point, regaining control of the Senate is well within reach for Democrats, but will still require a massive shift towards the party from the electorate. This isn't out of the question, as Donald Trump's polling is still at record lows and he keeps actually going out of his way to remind people why they are so dissatisfied with his economic record. Starting up a new trade war with Canada isn't going to do the Republican Party any good in states like Maine and Michigan, to state the obvious. The war with Iran continues to stagnate, with gasoline prices showing no signs of coming back down to pre-war levels any time soon (indeed, they are still up over a dollar a gallon from when the war started). And Trump doesn't care one whit -- he still says affordability is some sort of Democratic hoax. Voters aren't in the mood for such gaslighting, which is why the wind is at the Democrats' backs.

An Admission Of Defeat

Chris Weigant — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 23:30:16 +0000

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent made an announcement today, unveiling increased sanctions on Iran and also (possibly -- there were few actual details given) on countries which still do business with Iran. It was billed as being a tough declaration of economic warfare (he called it "D-Day"), but what is pretty obvious is that in reality it was an admission of military defeat.

Friday Talking Points -- Progressives Gathering Steam

Chris Weigant — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 00:10:38 +0000

Much is being made over the ideological struggle happening within the Democratic Party, with some likening it to a "Democratic Tea Party," or even a civil war among Democrats. Both terms are a bit overblown, but there is indeed a struggle for the soul of the party happening. It didn't spring into existence overnight, or even with the election of New York City's Mayor Zohran Mamdani, for that matter. Instead it is a movement that has gradually built up steam to reach the point in Democratic politics where it is now.

Shocking Progressive Upset In Florida

Chris Weigant — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 22:28:27 +0000

Progressives just scored a truly shocking victory in last night's Florida primary election, as state lawmaker Angie Nixon defeated Alex Vindman in the Democratic nomination race for a Senate seat, by a whopping 12 points. The biggest takeaway from this race was that Vindman had raised 16 times the amount of money that Nixon did, but in the end it just didn't matter. The other big takeaway from the race is that Nixon's victory was an impressive one for a progressive because she won demographic groups that don't normally go for progressive candidates -- they are usually a stronghold of votes for establishment candidates instead.

60-Day Deadline Passes With No End In Sight

Chris Weigant — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:58:57 +0000

Yesterday was supposed to be a big deadline. Yesterday was 60 days from when Donald Trump signed the "Memorandum Of Understanding" with Iran, and was theoretically going to be when the final peace agreement between the two nations would be finalized. Needless to say, the deadline passed without this actually happening. The M.O.U. completely collapsed soon after it was agreed to, which made the deadline itself completely meaningless.

It was always a pie-in-the-sky deadline, it is worth noting. Even if the two countries had stuck to the agreement, it is highly doubtful that they would have been able to hammer out an agreement by now that covered all the topics it was supposed to -- not least of which was some sort of agreement on Iran's nuclear capabilities and the half-ton of highly enriched uranium it still possesses. It took Barack Obama over a year to get the Iranians to agree to a nuclear deal, after all (a deal that Trump famously ripped up in his first term, replacing it with absolutely nothing). So expecting a fully-fledged nuclear deal to appear inside of two months was always unrealistically optimistic.

Trump's Dangerous WWII Nostalgia

Chris Weigant — Mon, 17 Aug 2026 20:21:27 +0000

Many curmudgeonly older people long for the past. They want the world to be simpler -- as it was when they were growing up. Most of them, however, don't have the power to impose their living-in-the-past will upon the world. So they have to be content with grumbling about modern life and being an embarrassment to their children and grandchildren.

Friday Talking Points -- The Big Progressive Win Nobody's Talking About

Chris Weigant — Sat, 15 Aug 2026 01:00:33 +0000

So doubtlessly you've heard the story -- which has gotten heavy coverage in the political press all week long, of course -- of the very progressive Democrat who not only won the primary for an open Senate seat but also impressively outperformed polling expectations, right? It was a huge story -- because it will mean there will now be three progressives on November Senate ballots in three swing states. Progressives scored a big win, which has given rise to much discussion among the pundits over whether this is a good thing or a bad thing for the Democratic Party, because it is such a risky strategy right now (with control of the Senate hanging in the balance).

What's that? You didn't hear about all of this?

Well, that's because the mainstream media decided a different primary race was worth all their ink and airwave time instead. They obsessed over a progressive who very narrowly lost a primary in a governor's race (which is just not as important, to national politics, as the Senate races), because they could barely contain their relief and glee over seeing a progressive lose (even though the polls said she would win).

The Great Burrito Debate Of 2026

Chris Weigant — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 22:53:25 +0000

I have to begin by pointing out that, technically, that headline should be in quote marks, since it is a direct quotation (from the guy who inadvertently started the whole thing). I was thinking of calling this article "Whistling Past The Graveyard" before I came across that quote, but I had to admit it was indeed a catchier title.

So what is the "great burrito debate," if you haven't already heard about it all? Here's how Forbes explained it (complete with the quote's source):

Making Sense Of Last Night's Primaries

Chris Weigant — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 23:43:36 +0000

Another bundle of primary elections happened last night, and this morning all the political news was focused on what turned out to be the closest race of the evening: an upset victory in the governor's race among Democrats in Wisconsin. Which is understandable enough, I suppose, since it truly was a close contest (decided by less than a half a percentage point, only a few thousand votes), but this focus managed to crowd out another interesting primary next door, in Minnesota.

Earthquake Duration Matters

Chris Weigant — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 22:55:50 +0000

I will warn everyone up front today that I am veering off from politics to comment on something entirely unrelated. While there are multiple primary elections happening today, and I will be watching the returns come in tonight, I think my column from last Tuesday will still serve as adequate commentary on the races everyone will be talking about (one way or another) come tomorrow morning. Instead, today I am going to focus on a pet peeve of mine when it comes to mainstream media science reporting. In particular, earthquake reporting.

Redefining Victory Downward

Chris Weigant — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 23:36:59 +0000

Donald Trump is getting increasingly desperate to declare some sort of victory in his ill-begotten war of choice with Iran (despite his constant bluster that they are the ones who really want a deal right now). Things have gotten so bad that Trump is now reportedly considering just punting the question of Iran's nuclear capabilities altogether. If true, this would be a major development, since while Trump's reasons for starting and fighting this war have changed and evolved over time, the nuclear issue has always remained Trump's main go-to reason for attacking Iran. So throwing in the towel on getting any sort of nuclear agreement with Iran would be seen as an enormous defeat for the U.S. There's no other way to look at it, really.

Friday Talking Points -- A Big Win For Progressives

Chris Weigant — Sat, 08 Aug 2026 00:54:17 +0000

The 2026 primary season is almost over. This week's crop of primaries generated some big news, mostly due to a young and very progressive Democratic candidate winning the nomination for an open Senate seat in Michigan. This was seen as an epic defeat for both the establishment of the Democratic Party and for AIPAC, who spent tens of millions of dollars unsuccessfully trying to defeat Dr. Abdul El-Sayed -- who narrowly won the nomination, despite being outspent almost 9-to-1.

An Orphan Issue That Is Only Going To Get Bigger

Chris Weigant — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 22:53:46 +0000

Every so often in American politics, a potent issue arises that many voters feel very strongly about, but which neither major political party is willing to tackle (or even address). Call them "political orphan issues," since they have essentially been abandoned by both parties, for whatever reason.

Gay marriage was such an issue, a while back, since while Democrats were a lot more sympathetic to gay people in committed relationships than Republicans, very few Democrats were actually willing to stand up and champion full marriage equality for all until after the Supreme Court stepped in and decided the issue. Then it became politically safer to support gay marriage, but this was nothing more than volunteering for a fight that had already been won -- too little, too late, in other words. There are other political orphan issues from the past few decades that spring to mind, but the one that is currently growing like wildfire in the American electorate is opposing the so-far-unchecked explosion of data center construction.

This is currently a truly nonpartisan issue -- that's a very important thing to say, right up front. People opposed to data centers being built in their towns can be full-on MAGA Trump supporters or Democratic Socialists -- ideological labels don't matter on this issue, because the complaints people have about data centers are a lot more personal and immediate than national politics. It could be seen as a variation of the "NIMBY" reaction ("not in my back yard"), but as I said, the labels don't really matter much. What does matter is the white-hot rage people feel, from both the left and the right.

Battleground Michigan

Chris Weigant — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 23:43:51 +0000

This November, Michigan is going to be the most interesting battleground state of all to watch, because it is finally going to put to the test a big political theory. Can a truly progressive candidate who has plenty of charisma win a general election in a swing state where the stakes are high and both parties will be heavily invested in the outcome? This theory has (so far) yet to be tested in a big way, much to the frustration of progressives, stretching all the way back to the 2016 nomination fight between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton. The theory has never been adequately tested, progressives will tell you, because the Democratic Party establishment kept putting its thumb on the scale in order to defeat Bernie and advance their chosen "more electable" candidates instead.

Progressives Get Their Chance

Chris Weigant — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 00:10:51 +0000

August is a big primary election month for Democrats, as tonight kicks off a series of contests in multiple states, the results of which could cause a huge freakout within both the Democratic Party and the world of political commentators. Several very progressive candidates seem poised to win their primaries, not in deep-blue Democratic districts but in very purple battleground states. Will this lead to victory in November or a massive disappointment for Democrats? Nobody knows, at this point, but that is the question on a lot of minds, as we all wait to see the primary results come in.

Pirro Folds Like A Cheap Umbrella

Chris Weigant — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 23:43:32 +0000

It's always amusing (to me, at any rate) when one of the fantasies inside Donald Trump's feverish brain collides head-on into a brick wall of reality. This often happens inside of a federal courthouse, which is where the most recent example comes from. At the close of last week, Jeanine Pirro had to eat a healthy heaping of crow by filing a court motion to dismiss her laughably-thin case against a former Olympian, who had been accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and charged with a felony which could have landed him in jail for 10 years. Pirro did an abrupt about-face in the court filing, admitting that the evidence clearly showed that the damage to the Reflecting Pool was not actually caused by the Olympian in any way, but instead was the fault of shoddy work done by the contractor Trump had personally hired to do the job.

Friday Talking Points -- No End In Sight

Chris Weigant — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:57:49 +0000

Maybe we should call Donald Trump's war of choice against Iran the "On-Again/Off-Again War"? That's what it feels like, at any rate, as Trump and Iran both stumble along, taking potshots at each other, with absolutely no end in sight. Trump in particular seems to have no idea what he's doing, no plans whatsoever to bring the conflict to an end, and an unclear understanding of what that end should look like. Which doesn't exactly build confidence, obviously.

Cornyn And Tillis Make A Stand

Chris Weigant — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 22:30:49 +0000

Republican Senators Thom Tillis and John Cornyn are standing up to Donald Trump (for the time being, as of this writing) by successfully blocking the confirmation of Trump's attorney general nominee. Trump, in a snit, has now threatened to yank the nomination until next year, when both GOP senators will be gone. This might not be the smartest thing for Trump to do, since nobody knows how many Republicans and Democrats will be in the Senate after the midterm elections -- but when Trump gets in a snit, he often doesn't care what the smart thing to do is, instead preferring to do the most emotionally satisfying thing, no matter the consequences.

Maybe This Time?

Chris Weigant — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 23:12:59 +0000

In writing about Democratic hopes for a big win in the state of Texas, I have to start with a humorous quote (from Yogi Berra): "It's like déjà vu all over again." Too cynical? Well then how about a rousing Broadway tune instead:

To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go

To right the unrightable wrong
To love, pure and chaste, from afar
To try, when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star

This is a song from the musical Man Of La Mancha. It is sung by Don Quixote, as he explains his reasons for tilting at windmills -- which is now a standard cliché for devoting your time and energy to lost causes.

A War Of Attrition With Dangerous Implications

Chris Weigant — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 22:19:25 +0000

The war between the U.S. and Iran has now become nothing more than a classic war of attrition. The key question is: which side will run out of missiles first? Nobody knows the answer to that, but every day that Iran and the U.S. trade attacks with each other brings the answer closer and makes it more critical. In the future, this war will doubtlessly be studied as a new paradigm for modern warfare that is similar but different in one big way to the war being waged between Ukraine and Russia -- since neither Iran nor the U.S. is able to easily and quickly replace their dwindling stockpiles of crucial munitions. Which makes it a textbook example of a war of attrition.

The Enthusiasm Factor Could Be Key In Midterms

Chris Weigant — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 23:30:32 +0000

We have now entered the sprint phase of the 2026 midterm election season, with fewer than 100 days left on the calendar until Election Day. While nothing is guaranteed, up until now it has seemed that the Democratic Party has had the wind at its back, heading into the crucial part of the campaign. But there were worrisome reports in the media for both parties lately, so I thought it'd was high time we take a closer look at the state of things.

Friday Talking Points -- No Offramp In Sight

Chris Weigant — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 23:52:16 +0000

Donald Trump has ramped up his war of choice once again, bombing Iran on a nightly basis while Iran launches missiles at U.S. military installations and other targets in the region. Sadly, four more American soldiers lost their lives as a result of all this crossfire. And the war seems to be escalating, as the Houthis in Yemen have now entered the fray by blocking the strait at the southern end of the Red Sea to any Saudi ships. All of this has caused oil prices to spike above $100 per barrel once again, and gas prices here in America to spike to over four bucks a gallon once again.

What's In A Name?

Chris Weigant — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 23:15:05 +0000

Shakespeare posed this question a while back, in his masterpiece Romeo And Juliet. Since the two lovers were from families in a longstanding feud with each other, Juliet begins her famous "balcony scene" railing against how fate has given her new love the wrong last name. Here's how she expressed her frustration:

Make Stuff Cost Less

Chris Weigant — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 23:04:14 +0000

The mainstream political press loves to highlight the differences within the Democratic Party, usually presenting them as some sort of open warfare between opposing factions. But while there are indeed issues that polarize Democratic politicians and voters (support for Israel, for one), there is also an underlying consensus building within the party on a big issue that is much more relevant for most voters. And it has proven to be a winning issue for both progressive and moderate Democrats alike, because it affects everybody.

A Coronation In Maine

Chris Weigant — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 23:48:03 +0000

What was expected to be a free-for-all contest among Maine Democrats instead turned into a coronation this weekend. After Graham Platner ended his campaign to take on Senator Susan Collins in November, Maine's Democratic Party only had a couple of weeks to name a replacement to appear on the ballot instead of Platner. They could have used any method they wanted to select a new nominee, and the method they settled on led to an anticipation of a messy convention fight. Instead, what happened was one candidate essentially swept the field of challengers and will now (barring any unforeseen problems) be officially named the new Democratic Senate candidate at the party convention next weekend.

From The Archives -- Down The Memory Hole

Chris Weigant — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 22:44:04 +0000

The midterm congressional elections will happen in early November, which is now less than four months away. Trump has already been making drastic moves (such as firing all the members of a federal elections security board) seemingly designed to sow chaos (or worse) when the ballots are cast. Which is why tonight's speech is so worrisome. And which is why I felt the need to run the following column again. Trump's Big Lie is poisonous to American democracy, which is why I am not exactly looking forward to tonight's speech.

From The Archives -- Election Nightmares

Chris Weigant — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 21:50:04 +0000

Up until now, some Democratic worries about the upcoming midterm elections have been dismissed by the "It could never happen here" crowd as unfounded nightmares. They pooh-pooh such worries as being laughably outlandish and accuse people who express these worries for overreacting about things that couldn't possibly happen right here in the good ol' U.S. of A. But this week should make such scenarios a whole lot less laughable and a whole lot more worrisome.

Gas Prices Head Back Up

Chris Weigant — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 23:27:11 +0000

As the M.O.U. crumbles, the price of gas is going back up again. That's where America stands with Donald Trump's on-again/off-again war of choice with Iran. The Memorandum Of Understanding that both sides signed less than a month ago now lies in tatters, Trump just announced that U.S. military ships will re-impose the blockade of Iranian ports, and ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz are under attack again from Iran. All of which has spooked the world's oil market, where prices are (once again) rising fast.

Friday Talking Points -- Quick Takes

Chris Weigant — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 23:51:50 +0000

Last week, we warned everyone that July was going to be a sketchy month for us, in terms of our ability to write these Friday columns. So we begin today with a program update. Today's offering is not a complete Friday Talking Points column. It is bare-bones, at best. We're not even really going to attempt reviewing the past week, and we're also not going to write out talking points at the end (although we did complete the two awards sections). Just to warn everyone up front.

Rahm Emanuel Gives A Notable Speech

Chris Weigant — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 21:49:35 +0000

Rahm Emanuel just launched his 2028 presidential campaign -- in Israel. He did so by giving what might be called a "Sister Souljah moment" speech in Tel Aviv, where he delicately tried to thread the needle of addressing the relationship between the U.S. and Israel in a realistic fashion without burning his bridges with either American Democrats or Israeli Jews. That is a challenging thing to attempt these days, which is why Emanuel's speech was such an important political development.

Let Maine's Voters Decide

Chris Weigant — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 22:15:18 +0000

As of this writing, Graham Platner has still not officially dropped out of the Maine Senate race. That may have changed by the time you read this, however, because he is reportedly going to make some sort of announcement tonight. Everyone knows what he's going to do already, though. So the two big questions before Maine Democrats now are: who is going to replace him, and how will the replacement candidate be selected?

Maine Meltdown

Chris Weigant — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 23:03:07 +0000

Once again, the state of Maine is now on the center stage in the American political spotlight. Yesterday, a bombshell report was published with an accusation that Graham Platner -- the Democratic nominee for the Senate race who was going to face Republican Senator Susan Collins in November -- had raped his then-girlfriend only five years ago. Some are calling it "date rape," but at this point quibbling over semantics isn't the important part. The question now is when Platner will bow to the inevitable and drop out of the race, and who will replace him on the ballot?

Shakeup In Michigan's Democratic Senate Primary Race

Chris Weigant — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 22:27:16 +0000

A surprise announcement shook up the Democratic primary for an open Senate seat in Michigan over the holiday weekend, as Mallory McMorrow announced she was suspending her campaign. This leaves the race as a two-person contest, which will pit a favorite of the Democratic Party establishment against an upstart progressive.

Cue The Freakout

Chris Weigant — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 01:32:04 +0000

A paroxysm of hand-wringing and pearl-clutching was set off yesterday, as another Democratic Socialist candidate beat a long-standing Democratic incumbent in a Colorado primary. This likely means there will be at least three new members of the House of Representatives who call themselves Democratic Socialists, which is causing certain political commentators to absolutely freak out.

A Win For The Constitution

Chris Weigant — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 22:45:38 +0000

As one of the last decisions the Supreme Court handed down in this year's term, they upheld the concept of "birthright citizenship" enshrined within the Fourteenth Amendment. Barely.

The stunning thing wasn't the ruling, which was expected. The truly stunning thing is that the decision was partly 6-3 and partly 5-4. It should have been at least 7-2, with the only dissenters being Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas (who always vote the way Republicans want them to vote, no matter how clear the legal evidence is on the other side). Honestly, the decision should really have been 9-0, since the case is so cut and dried. Having it only 6-3 (or 5-4) shows that too many conservative judges are complete hypocrites when they swear up and down that they are "originalists" or "textualists" who only take into account what the Constitution (or any amendment) meant by the people who drafted it. Whenever that lofty principle becomes inconvenient in a case, too many of the conservatives just start making stuff up instead of reading the clear and unequivocal language of a law or an amendment.

Dark Irony

Chris Weigant — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 23:16:30 +0000

It is darkly ironic that we are only a few weeks away from celebrating the 250th anniversary of declaring independence from a king while our own Supreme Court continues to advance a vision of American government where the president has powers that can only be described as kinglike. They don't call it that -- they use the term "unitary executive" instead -- but the upshot is the same.

Friday Talking Points -- Rushed, Simulated, And Oddly Sterile

Chris Weigant — Sat, 27 Jun 2026 00:06:32 +0000

If anyone needed any further proof that everything that Donald Trump touches turns to schlock (or worse), this week's opening of the Great American State Fair certainly provided some. The initial idea wasn't too bad a concept -- have all 50 states send an exhibit to the National Mall, and it would capture the spirit of state fairs held every year across America. Sounds kind of fun, actually.

But, of course, with Trump in charge of it, things didn't turn out as well as they could have. And that's putting it mildly. The whole thing was supposed to kick off with a big concert, but when the musical artists realized it was a pro-Trump event (rather than a nonpartisan celebration of patriotism), almost all of them immediately pulled out. So Trump, in a hissy fit, said that he'd give a speech instead, with the handful of the few musical artists still willing to perform for him also featured.

Housing Bill Chaos

Chris Weigant — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 23:17:07 +0000

At times, I almost feel sorry for John Thune. This is not a normal thing for me to feel, since he is the Republican Senate majority leader. But watching Donald Trump callously make Thune's job a lot harder than it needs to be almost makes me feel sorry for him.

Almost.

Reflecting On Trump's Incompetence

Chris Weigant — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 23:34:31 +0000

Perhaps it is time for some reflection. That (or similar jokes and puns) is now the easiest way to poke fun at Donald Trump's absolute incompetence. Trump subscribes to the Silicon Valley maxim "move fast and break things," which you will note does not include "and fix things" or anything remotely like it. Which is exactly what has happened with the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. This fiasco has now transformed into authoritarian farce, it has all moved so fast.

SCOTUS Season

Chris Weigant — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 22:49:11 +0000

It's that time of year again. "SCOTUS season" has begun. The end of June is traditionally when the weightiest Supreme Court decisions are handed down, as the high court ends its judicial year and begins a summer break that will last for months. The weightiest of the decisions still yet to be announced will answer the question of whether the Fourteenth Amendment means what it clearly says it means or not, on the subject of birthright citizenship. Other high-profile cases will deal with Donald Trump's expansive view of executive power (including the power to fire anyone he wants for any reason he feels like). But the biggest news from the court this year may come right after their term ends.

Personal Thoughts On The Semiquincentennial

Chris Weigant — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 23:38:54 +0000

It is with a very heavy heart that I sit down to write this column today. This is going to be about my personal experiences and emotions, not about anything happening in the headlines right now, just to warn everyone in advance.

Friday Talking Points -- It's Obvious Who Won This War

Chris Weigant — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 00:26:53 +0000

It's pretty easy to see who won Donald Trump's war of choice with Iran -- and who lost. All you have to do is look at the deal both sides just signed, which is obviously heavily tilted in Iran's favor. In fact, it is pretty much impossible to claim otherwise -- to claim that somehow the U.S. won a resounding victory and forced a defeated foe to the bargaining table, where the U.S. would dictate terms of the surrender. In fact, it looks a lot more like exactly the opposite happened.

The Reviews Are In...

Chris Weigant — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 00:02:53 +0000

The reviews are starting to come in, and they're... not good. Not good at all. Donald Trump's "Memorandum Of Understanding" with Iran is not exactly a big hit with anyone, it seems. The emerging consensus is that Trump pretty much threw away any advantage we had gained over the course of his war of choice, while giving the Iranians pretty much everything they had been asking for.

Trump Cries "Uncle"

Chris Weigant — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 21:48:18 +0000

The text of the "Memorandum Of Understanding" between the U.S. and Iran was finally made public today, and it's pretty easy to see why Donald Trump wanted to keep the whole thing under wraps for as long as possible. The deal is incredibly tilted towards Iran's objectives, while America's objectives are barely mentioned in passing. The inescapable conclusion is that Trump got played. Trump was the one who wound up crying "Uncle," not the other way around.

Three Billion Dimes

Chris Weigant — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 23:01:29 +0000

Donald Trump has just been caught in another lie. This is news, but it's hardly shocking, since he's been caught in so many lies it's tough to even keep count of them all. In fact, it'd be a lot easier to tally up the promises Trump has made that didn't turn out to be lies. If there are any, that is.

Today the Washington Post revealed that Trump's grandiose new ballroom has been planned all along to cost the taxpayers a huge amount of money. Trump promised -- over and over again -- that "not one thin dime" of taxpayer money would be used for the project, but now it appears that a whopping three billion dimes will be required from the public treasury.

What's The Deal?

Chris Weigant — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 22:02:28 +0000

I feel like the world is now living a real-life Jerry Seinfeld routine: "What's the deal... with the deal?!?"

Over the weekend, Donald Trump apparently reached a deal with the Iranians. But as of now, it is raising more questions than it is answering. To begin with: Was the deal electronically signed yesterday? Or maybe it was signed today? Or will there be a formal signing ceremony this Friday? The answers seem to shift. Nobody's quite sure even of that basic fact -- is it a "done deal" or not?

Friday Talking Points -- Some Good News, For A Change

Chris Weigant — Sat, 13 Jun 2026 01:20:49 +0000

We start today with some good news, for a change. The first is time-sensitive, so check it out now -- a livestream of workers removing Donald Trump's name from the outside wall of what will once again be known as simply The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts. As of this writing, the scaffolding has been set up, but nobody's on top of it and Trump's name still appears. By judicial order, Trump's name must be removed today, so take a look, maybe you'll get to see them prying letters off the building! They've already removed the odious new name from their website, but removing it from the building will be more satisfying to see.

The second piece of good news is more momentous. Are you sitting down? For once, Donald Trump apparently was not lying about a deal to end his Iran war of choice being finalized. No, really! CNN recently tallied it up and found that, previous to the last few days, Trump had lied about it a whopping 38 times, so it is definitely shocking that this time around the blind pig actually found an acorn!

We supposed we shouldn't be so snarky about something as serious as the end of a war, but after 38 times, we had to express our amazement (and frustration) somehow.

Can't Buy Me Love

Chris Weigant — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 23:20:18 +0000

As the Beatles sagely put it, a very long time ago: "I don't care too much for money / Money can't buy me love." Tom Steyer just found this out, for the second time. Or perhaps we should look to Silicon Valley, which adopted a slogan from the advertising industry a while back: "It doesn't matter how good your dog food advertising campaign is, if the dogs won't eat the dog food."

I glibly say all of this because Steyer just dropped over $200 million of his own money in his campaign to become governor of California -- which set a new record. But even after spending this mountain of cash, Steyer only came in third (which was not good enough for him to advance to the general election). This isn't Steyer's first rodeo, either -- in 2020 he spent almost $350 million on a failed bid for president.

Loving The Inflation?

Chris Weigant — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 22:55:31 +0000

Donald Trump just can't help himself, it seems. He keeps right on providing prime fodder for Democratic campaign ads in the midterms. Today was no different. After the official inflation rate was revealed today to have shot up to 4.2 percent, Trump was asked about it by a reporter. Here's what he had to say: "No, I love it, the numbers were great. I love the inflation."

Cue The Wild Accusations Of Election Fraud

Chris Weigant — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 23:45:17 +0000

It's Tuesday again, which means another round of primaries is happening. Maine's Senate primary will probably be the most-watched of the night, as everyone is waiting to see how Graham Platner does after facing new controversies last week, but there will also be primaries in Nevada, North Dakota, and South Carolina to watch as well.

However, the primary that has been generating the most news for the past week has been California's. After the polling places closed last Tuesday night in the Golden State, the counting began. It's still ongoing. After a full week of counting (as of this writing), only 84 percent of the ballots have been counted. This has left several races still up in the air, and has also resulted in at least one high-profile switch in the standings that were reported on the night of the election.

To Anyone Who Donates To The American Diabetes Association

Chris Weigant — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 22:53:09 +0000

I saw a story over the weekend that made my skin crawl and sent a chill down my spine. The news first broke in what I assume is a technical journal, MedPage Today. From their report:

Members of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) were escorted by police out of the convention center in New Orleans during the organization's annual meeting on Friday as they handed out copies of an editorial criticizing Trump administration changes to U.S. biomedical research.

Friday Talking Points -- Spinal Fortitude Growing Among Republicans

Chris Weigant — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 01:19:20 +0000

There's a political cartoon out there just waiting to be drawn. Picture a coat-check window, with a line of people in front of it. But instead of coats, the sign says "Spinal Check." The person behind the counter is handing the person they're waiting on a full spine, while saying: "Here you go, Senator! Once you get it reinstalled, you'll find it's really liberating to get your spine back!" ...or something along those lines. The people in line would (if the cartoonist was good enough) resemble prominent Republicans who are now increasingly breaking with Donald Trump's agenda, of course.

Open Revolt?

Chris Weigant — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 23:19:47 +0000

It's an old joke, but it's still funny: "The Republicans are revolting!"

Amusing wordplay aside, it is rather shocking (and heartening) to see how at least some Republicans in Congress are increasingly in open revolt against Donald Trump's agenda. At first a few cracks appeared in the dam, but it's now looking like that dam could be on the brink of just bursting wide open. One can only hope, at any rate.

An End To Military Aid To Israel? Or Just Political Symbolism?

Chris Weigant — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 22:33:40 +0000

The Washington Post ran a rather extraordinary exclusive report today, under the headline: "Netanyahu Backs GOP Effort To End U.S. Military Aid To Israel." On the face of it, this is big news. Israel currently receives something like $3.8 billion in U.S. money each year as military aid -- money that (mostly) turns right around and is spent back here at home on American military weapons and weapons systems (which boosts the American economy while giving Israel a whole bunch of free weapons each and every year). But this aid has become increasingly problematic because Americans' views of Israel have turned startlingly negative, ever since the war with Hamas in Gaza started.

Double-Time For Overtime

Chris Weigant — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 21:58:41 +0000

Every so often a political proposal comes along that makes me sit up and take notice, because not only is it a great idea but it's also one that is simple. In fact, this one is so simple it is pathetically easy to fully describe: anyone who works overtime at their job should get double-time pay, not just time-and-a-half. Or, in even fewer words: Double-time for overtime.

Trump Backs Down

Chris Weigant — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 23:01:44 +0000

There's been a rather extraordinary shift coming from the White House over the past week or so, as Donald Trump has been repeatedly forced to back down. This isn't normal for him, of course, which is why it is so notable a development. It has happened on big issues and small, and may signal a shift within his own party away from mindlessly following everything Trump does in lockstep. Or it may just be Trump having a bad week -- it's really too soon to tell.

Friday Talking Points -- Deal, Or No Deal?

Chris Weigant — Sat, 30 May 2026 00:34:18 +0000

Welcome back, to this weeklong edition of "Deal, Or No Deal?" We're all anxiously awaiting word whether a short-term deal will be agreed to by both Donald Trump and the leaders of Iran, while the world's economy hangs in the balance. Will Trump agree? Will his own hawkish Republicans go ballistic when they find out what's in it? What is in it? Are any of the leaked clues as to what it contains accurate? Or will there be some doozies in there that nobody is expecting?

Picking A Candidate For California Governor

Chris Weigant — Thu, 28 May 2026 23:24:35 +0000

Next Tuesday, California voters will go to the polls (unless they've already voted early). In the race for governor, two candidates will emerge from the pack and become the only two choices available to voters on the November general election ballot. And I have to admit, I am personally still undecided as to who I am going to vote for.

The YOLO Caucus

Chris Weigant — Wed, 27 May 2026 23:00:56 +0000

Does the emerging Senate "YOLO caucus" now have a new member? For those of you too out-of-touch to know, "YOLO" stands for "You Only Live Once." It is a slogan designed to urge people to do things they maybe normally wouldn't (for whatever reason). But now the term has been applied to a certain group of senators, and that group just might have picked up a new member.

All Eyes On Texas

Chris Weigant — Tue, 26 May 2026 22:15:35 +0000

Political wonks everywhere will be closely watching tonight as the Texas Republican primary runoff election returns come in. At stake is who will win the GOP nomination for a Senate seat now held by incumbent John Cornyn. Challenging Cornyn is Ken Paxton, who has now been endorsed by Donald Trump. But no matter which candidate emerges victorious, there's going to be a lot of bad blood left over, heading into the general election, which is going to require an enormous amount of money to be spent defending what should have been a fairly safe Republican seat.

Pointless Wars

Chris Weigant — Mon, 25 May 2026 23:27:57 +0000

Today America memorializes 250 years of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country. Since America is currently at war once again, the question on my mind is how many of these brave Americans died in stupid wars? And which one was the stupidest?

Perhaps that's too harsh. Maybe the question should be what was America's most pointless war? That question (phrased politely or not) certainly is relevant now, with the current conflict right up there in the running for that ignominious award.

Friday Talking Points -- Autopsy Of The Autopsy

Chris Weigant — Sat, 23 May 2026 00:37:16 +0000

The most startling development in the political world this week was that Republicans in Congress (some of them, at least) seem to be waking up to the fact that Donald Trump's poll numbers are sinking like a stone and that the only thing he cares about is building his palatial ballroom and wreaking vengeance on anyone who annoys him (including plenty of Republicans).

Is this the beginning of a wider break from Trump for Republicans deeply worried about their prospects in the midterm elections? Only time will tell, but it's rather astonishing how fast things seem to be shifting. And this pushback is happening not just on one issue, but on a whole range of them.

The End Of An Era

Chris Weigant — Thu, 21 May 2026 23:20:39 +0000

Tonight will mark not the passing of a torch, but instead the end of an era. Tonight, the last episode of The Late Show will air. Media historians in the future will probably look back at this as a turning point, signalling the end of the dominance of late-night broadcast television comedians to provide humor and ridicule about current events and the news. For me, this is a sad milestone.

Democrats Eying Senate Control

Chris Weigant — Wed, 20 May 2026 23:48:12 +0000

We are now well into the primary election season, so it's time to take a look at the biggest burning question Democrats have at the moment: will they be able to ride a blue wave in November that is big enough to flip control of the U.S. Senate, or is this merely starry-eyed optimism run amok?

One Down, Two To Go

Chris Weigant — Mon, 18 May 2026 23:05:18 +0000

This Wednesday, we will hit a political milestone which is rather grim for me to contemplate (please read this as a trigger warning: this is going to be a very dismal column, so please stop reading now if you aren't in the mood for that sort of thing). On May 20th, Donald Trump will have been in office for exactly one-third of his second term. It will mark 16 months from when he was sworn in -- but the grim part is that this means we've still got twice as long as what we've all just been through before his term will finally be over. When you consider what has already happened so far, contemplating another 32 months of it is downright frightening.

Friday Talking Points -- Trump Still Doesn't Care About You

Chris Weigant — Sat, 16 May 2026 01:17:37 +0000

We began writing this column series lo these many years ago to help tongue-tied Democrats formulate snappy lines to use when being interviewed on television and/or to use in their campaign ads. These days, however, we have to wonder whether we should just pack it in and not even bother. We say this because Donald Trump keeps providing the best talking points Democrats could ever hope for, serving them up on a weekly basis. And this week's was an absolute doozy.

When a reporter asked Trump if Americans' financial situation was motivating him to make a deal with Iran as soon as possible, Trump responded: "Not even a little bit... I don't think about Americans' financial situation. I don't think about anybody."

Should California Change Its Primary System?

Chris Weigant — Thu, 14 May 2026 23:23:42 +0000

With less than a month to go before California holds its primary election, it now looks as if the state's Democrats are going to avoid disaster. That is good news for Democratic voters in the state, who outnumber Republican voters by about 3-to-2. But even the fact that we got so close to disaster is going to spur efforts to reform the state's current primary system.

Senate Takes A Baby Step In The Right Direction

Chris Weigant — Wed, 13 May 2026 23:36:59 +0000

The U.S. Senate did some interesting things today, including voting on yet another motion to end the war in Iran -- which would have actually passed if John Fetterman had voted with his fellow Democrats, since there are now three Republicans backing the idea. But what caught my eye was a 99-0 vote (!) that is mostly symbolic and merely a baby step, but it is at least a baby step in the right direction.

Trump Doesn't Care About You

Chris Weigant — Tue, 12 May 2026 23:10:09 +0000

Donald Trump is stuck in a trap of his own making, it seems. He has finally met his match in stubbornness. And we're all paying the price for it. But Trump doesn't care -- which he will even flat-out admit, as he did today.

Trump was asked by a reporter to what extent "Americans' financial situations are motivating him" to quickly strike a deal to end the war with Iran. His answer: "Not even a little bit." He later expanded upon his answer: "I don't think about Americans' financial situation. I don't think about anybody."

[Aside: Look for these quotes to appear in a Democratic campaign ad near you, real soon now!]

Trump Goes To China (Maybe)

Chris Weigant — Mon, 11 May 2026 23:45:37 +0000

The political highlight of this week was supposed to be Donald Trump flying to China to meet with Xi Jinping. Now there are doubts whether this will even happen, or whether it will be postponed yet again. This summit meeting was initially scheduled for the middle of last month, but it had to be postponed because of the war Trump had started with Iran. Trump had hopes of wrapping the whole war up in early April just before he went to China, but those hopes were (obviously) never realized. This time around, Trump could actually decide to start attacking Iran once again, unilaterally ending the fragile ceasefire and escalating his war of choice. If this happens, it is doubtful whether Trump would spend a few days in China during a critical phase of the conflict, but then again with Trump, you never know what he'll wind up doing.

Friday Talking Points -- Trump's Lies Getting More And More Obvious

Chris Weigant — Sat, 09 May 2026 01:37:35 +0000

As Donald Trump's war of choice stumbles and staggers into its third month, you'll be happy to hear that not everyone has been economically hit hard by the rise in prices it has caused. That's right -- there is one clear winner in all of this disruption. This headline sums it up: "Shell Reports Nearly $7 Billion Profit Amid 'Unprecedented Disruption'." Good to know that somebody's doing well, right?

Well... no. Not really. It's no comfort to everyone who is footing the bill for these monumental windfall profits to know that a whole lot of the money they are paying at the pump isn't because the price per barrel of oil has gone up, but is instead just going to line the pockets of Big Oil. But then, that's the way it has always worked, really.

More Trump War Lies Exposed

Chris Weigant — Thu, 07 May 2026 23:02:36 +0000

The Washington Post has done an exemplary job this week exposing the lies that the American public has been getting from Donald Trump and his administration over the progress and success of his war of choice with Iran. Yesterday we learned that Iran's attacks on the U.S. military have been a lot more destructive than previously known. Today we learned that America's attacks on Iran have been a lot less destructive than all the boasting and bragging Trump and the Pentagon have been feeding us. Because apparently we haven't actually achieved anywhere near the level of success that has been claimed, from the earliest days of the war onward.

The Damage Iran's Military Has Caused

Chris Weigant — Wed, 06 May 2026 23:14:33 +0000

The Washington Post today released what might normally be called a "bombshell report," but should more literally be called a "missile and drone report." It shows that Iran has been far more successful in its attacks on U.S. military bases in the Gulf region than anyone in the administration of Donald Trump has yet admitted. The Post analyzed before-and-after satellite photos to identify the destruction Iran's missiles and attack drones have caused. And what they found was pretty eye-opening:

Will Trump's Grip Slip Tonight?

Chris Weigant — Tue, 05 May 2026 23:25:26 +0000

Is Donald Trump about to become a lame duck? Well, that's probably optimistic, but the possibility that people will shortly begin using the term about him does actually exist, and tonight's Republican primary election returns in Indiana will give some sort of indication as to the likeliness of it happening.

Trump's Ad-Libbed War

Chris Weigant — Mon, 04 May 2026 23:33:40 +0000

As we enter our third month of what might be called "war by impulse," it's pretty easy to see that Donald Trump is flailing around and grasping at straws. He gets a bee in his bonnet, rants about it on social media for a while and then makes an ill-prepared stab at implementing it, only to change his mind and reverse course when it doesn't work out the way he thought it would. That's been the defining feature of this war from almost the very beginning.

Friday Talking Points -- Shell-Shocked

Chris Weigant — Sat, 02 May 2026 01:30:23 +0000

The term "shell shock" was initially used to describe what is now known as post-traumatic stress disorder (P.T.S.D.). It was created in World War I, to describe how the soldiers engaged in trench warfare felt from being continually bombarded by artillery fire and the sometimes long-lasting mental effects such an experience caused in them. Later, "shell-shocked" morphed into a more hyperbolic use, describing more generically being severely (and negatively) surprised by something. This week, it gained a new and ironically-literal meaning, as the Department of Justice charged James Comey with threatening to assassinate the president because he took a photo of some seashells he saw while walking on the beach. The shells were arranged to spell out "86 47" and what was truly shocking about the whole thing was not the implied message (which most sane people would translate as: "Get rid of the 47th president, Donald Trump") but instead the jaw-dropping ridiculousness of someone being criminally charged over posting a photo of seashells. It wasn't just James Comey who was shell-shocked at that, since it is such a blatant abuse of power and will no doubt get laughed out of court (hopefully sooner rather than later).

Maine Senate Race Shakeup

Chris Weigant — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 23:23:03 +0000

The Maine Senate race has been simplified by today's news that Governor Janet Mills has dropped out of the contest, with over a month to go before the June 9th primary. This essentially clears the Democratic field for Graham Platner, which could be very good news for Democrats.

Mills said she had run out of money, but this may not have been the whole reason she withdrew from the race. She has been trailing Platner in the primary polling, sometimes by 30 points or more. So she could have decided to avoid ending her political career with a crushing primary defeat, instead choosing to make her exit without that stain on her legacy. But whatever her reasons, it now appears almost certain that Platner will take on sitting Senator Susan Collins in November.

$1.50 Per Gallon

Chris Weigant — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 22:06:45 +0000

"A buck-and-a-half per gallon." That is the phrase that should now be on the lips of every Democrat, whenever they are interviewed about any subject. Because today we hit another grim milestone as the quagmire/stalemate with Iran continues with no end in sight.

As of this writing (the prices change almost hourly, now), the average nationwide price of a gallon of gasoline in America stands at $4.26 per gallon. At the start of this calendar year, in early January, that price was $2.75 per gallon. That means it has risen by $1.51 per gallon (basic math).

A Possible Offramp

Chris Weigant — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 23:41:21 +0000

[Program Note: I do realize that bigger news was made this weekend, but I find that I don't really have much to say about it that hasn't already been said -- except to note in passing that the mainstream media haven't really pointed out (at least not to the extent I would expect) that John Hinckley shot Ronald Reagan in front of the same hotel, way back when. That seems an odd omission from the story, but whatever. In any case, perhaps I'll have more to say about it later but just don't feel I have much to add to the discussion at this point. Instead, I chose to talk about the state of the war today.]

Could we be nearing an actual exit ramp in the war of choice Donald Trump started with Iran? It's hard to tell -- these diplomatic negotiations often look completely unproductive right up until both sides agree to some sort of deal, so anything's really possible. This weekend didn't see any tangible progress, as Iran refused to meet face-to-face with the U.S. team in Pakistan, which forced Trump to announce (for the second time in a week) that the U.S. team wouldn't even be flying out to Pakistan at all. This was a pretty big snub by the Iranians, but then again who knows if they had actually agreed to sit down and talk this weekend in the first place? With the best source of information being Donald Trump, you always have to wonder how much is the truth and how much of it is lies and bluster.

Friday Talking Points -- Stalemate

Chris Weigant — Sat, 25 Apr 2026 01:17:09 +0000

Donald Trump's war of choice with Iran ground to a stalemate this week, and it doesn't seem like progress will be made any time soon. One week ago, Iran announced (as a goodwill gesture, most likely) that the Strait of Hormuz was open once again. Trump then made a slew of sweeping announcements of his own (as a bad-will gesture) and refused to drop his blockade of Iranian ports.

Trump is attempting to define the war the way he usually does, by gaslighting and openly lying, in the hopes that everyone will start believing his lies rather than paying attention to reality. Or just by constantly contradicting himself, showing he doesn't really have a clue as to what is really going on. The Iranians, however, aren't playing his game. They responded with a withering: "The President of the United States made seven claims in one hour, all seven of which were false. They did not win the war with these lies, and they will certainly not get anywhere in negotiations either." Iran then promptly closed the Strait back down and attacked two ships (to show they were serious). So the U.S. attacked an Iranian ship and seized it by force. The Iranians responded by seizing a few ships by force in the Strait.

America's Most Pointless War Ever?

Chris Weigant — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 00:02:34 +0000

The more Donald Trump's war of choice goes on, the worse things get for him. And even if the war were to be wrapped up inside of a week, the aftereffects are going to stick around for a long time to come -- meaning things probably won't improve for Trump in time to have much political effect on the midterm elections. Whenever a peace deal is reached, it will probably bear a striking resemblance to the deal Barack Obama had in place with Iran that Trump tore up during his first term in office. These are the conclusions it is now impossible to escape.

The Double-Double Standard

Chris Weigant — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 23:47:49 +0000

The six leading contenders (of both major parties) in the California governor's race will be on stage tonight debating each other. So I thought it was a good time to address an issue with one of them that has been rather frustrating to see develop in the media, mostly because it shows in stark detail not just one but two double standards in play. Call it a double-double standard, I guess.

It's TACO Tuesday Again!

Chris Weigant — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 22:44:11 +0000

Welcome back to TACO Tuesday! Once again, "Trump Always Chickens Out" rules the day....

I shouldn't be so snarky, I suppose. Because in this case, Donald Trump chickening out is a very good thing indeed. As the world waited with baited breath to see whether the two-week ceasefire between Iran and the United States was going to end without a deal being reached between the two countries -- which would have assumably meant Trump making good on his threats to bomb every power plant and bridge in Iran -- Trump put out the following message:

Chaos Ensues

Chris Weigant — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 23:46:53 +0000

I think my zone is now officially flooded.

I don't quite know how else to put it, really. Trying to keep up with political events when every headline seems like it could be just as easily have read "More Chaos Ensues" is a downright daunting task. Donald Trump's "flood the zone" strategy is tough enough to keep up with as it is, but at this point it is almost impossible to comment intelligently about any of the most impactful stories of the day because of the constant contradictions and incoherence emanating from the White House.

Friday Talking Points -- Dr. Jesus, I presume?

Chris Weigant — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 01:06:14 +0000

Last week, Donald Trump threatened to wipe out "a whole civilization" which has been around for thousands of years. This week, he not only picked a fight with the Pope, but for good measure also posted a picture of himself depicted as Jesus Christ. That Nobel Peace Prize should be a cinch for him now, right?

The best commentary we heard about all of this came from Representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove, a Democrat from California. As an aside in an eye-opening comment she made to a reporter (more on this in a bit), she called Trump, "this dude, Dr. Jesus...." Which is where our headline today came from (to give credit where it is due).

Ceasefire Half Over

Chris Weigant — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 23:02:57 +0000

There have been numerous developments since the last time I wrote about Trump's war of choice in Iran, so I decided today would be a good day to review them all. First and foremost, the two-week ceasefire is now half over, and as originally scheduled is due to expire next Tuesday.

High-ranking representatives from the United States and Iran sat across a table from each other in Pakistan last weekend, which is notable since it is the first such direct bilateral talks between the two countries since the 1979 revolution. Vice President JD Vance led the American delegation. It was apparently just one long marathon of a day of talks. The two sides reportedly sat down for over 20 hours straight, but at the end neither one had anything to announce and everyone flew home.

Swalwell's Exit

Chris Weigant — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 22:43:29 +0000

The fall of Eric Swalwell was swift. Last week, Representative Swalwell was the Democratic frontrunner in the California governor's race. Now, only days later, he has ended his gubernatorial campaign and is no longer a member of the House of Representatives. As political flameouts go, the fall from being on top of the governor's race to just being an ordinary citizen was about as quick as could be imagined.

Friday Talking Points -- Trump Threatens Genocide

Chris Weigant — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 01:10:42 +0000

Human beings set a record this week for reaching the farthest distance away from Earth ever, as Artemis II looped around the far side of the moon. Hopefully the astronauts will safely splash down in the Pacific Ocean later today. The whole space mission was a bright spot in the news this week -- in a week that sorely needed some positivity.

This week also saw the president of the United States threatening to commit war crimes in his war of choice with Iran. Even this wasn't enough for him, as he quickly moved on to threatening crimes against humanity. Thankfully, neither actually happened, because he chickened out at the last minute.

Losing The Peace

Chris Weigant — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 23:11:46 +0000

The citizens of the Republic of Ireland have a saying about what happened to them after their successful revolution over 100 years ago. They say: "We won the war, but we lost the peace." Without getting into the details too much, what they mean by this is that after they had won their war of independence against Great Britain, they were still forced to relinquish six of Ireland's counties (which would remain under British control). This situation still exists -- it is how the country of Northern Ireland was created.

It's pretty obvious why I was reminded of this saying this week. The current situation is about as murky as can be, but it does seem as though Donald Trump could be considering a similar outcome. After militarily winning the war with Iran, the U.S. might just wind up "losing the peace," at least to some extent or another.

Good News For Democrats

Chris Weigant — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 23:21:13 +0000

Today the entire world is waiting to see whether the ceasefire announced last night with Iran is going to prove to be meaningful and lasting or not. So far it seems to be shaky, at best. Will the Strait of Hormuz reopen to oil tankers or not? Is Israel going to undermine the ceasefire? Only time will tell, which is why we're going to wait to see whether this endures or not before commenting at length on it.

Instead, we'd like to focus today on some good news for Democrats. Elections last night in Georgia and Wisconsin brought further proof that the Democratic Party has the wind at their backs heading into this year's midterm election season. As Politico put it, "Democrats just had one of their best election nights since President Donald Trump returned to the White House. Again." That pretty much sums up the shift that has been happening ever since Trump took office.

Developments In The California Governor's Race

Chris Weigant — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 22:07:15 +0000

The race to see who will be California's next governor has had some big news break over the past few days, and at least one of these developments may prove to be a real earthquake (that's my mandatory "California earthquake" reference -- I thought I'd get it out of the way right here at the start).

Trump Gaslights The War

Chris Weigant — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 23:18:42 +0000

It's pretty clear by now that Donald Trump sees war as nothing more than a video game. Having avoided going to war as a young man (by paying a doctor to lie about his non-existent "bone spurs"), he has no concept of what a real war is like. Nor is he interested in finding out. His daily briefings reportedly include a two-minute video of American bombs and missiles "blowin' stuff up." And he has no overall plan or even any clear objectives left in his war of choice against Iran. He's just making it up as he goes along, while attempting to gaslight the country to believe his own warped reality.

Friday Talking Points -- Out Of This World

Chris Weigant — Sat, 04 Apr 2026 00:14:00 +0000

It was a very busy week in politics and we've got a lot to get to, but let's start out on a happy note for once, shall we? NASA's Artemis II mission is on its way to circle the moon, the first time humans have done so in over 50 years. So check out some awesome photos the astronauts took of Earth, including one that shows some Northern Lights (at the very edge of image). Out of this world! Something America can be proud of (during a time when that is rare indeed)....

Speaking of things quickly rocketing upward, this week the average national price of a gallon of gasoline blew through the "four bucks a gallon" milestone and hit $4.10 today. To which we can only say: "Ouch!"

A Nothingburger Of A Speech

Chris Weigant — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 23:25:36 +0000

This is going to be a much shorter column than I had expected to write. Because last night, Donald Trump appeared on television to America and said basically nothing. He spoke for 20 minutes and didn't manage to say anything new or informative at all during the entire time. He essentially just read off a series of social media posts he's already made previously. But there was just no substance to any of it.

All the questions, worries, fears, and concerns that Americans had before Trump spoke still exist. None have been answered or assuaged or explained at all. So while I had intended to spend time analyzing Trump's speech today, there's just no "there there" to analyze. It was a giant nothingburger of a speech.

A Foolish Speech On A Foolish Date

Chris Weigant — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 23:12:58 +0000

Last year on this date, Donald Trump wanted to proclaim his "Liberation Day" tariffs to the world. Saner heads prevailed at the White House, and Trump was talked into postponing his announcement for a day. This year, those saner heads obviously weren't available, so Trump is going to address the nation today (of all days) on the state of his war of choice with Iran, with gas prices heading north of $4.00 a gallon. How could anyone live almost 80 years in America without realizing the cultural significance of this date on the calendar? It's a mystery, that's for sure.

Personally, I think it'd be amusing if Trump took to the airwaves tonight and boldly announced he was resigning the office of the presidency at midnight tonight. Then just before the clock struck twelve, he could put out a statement on social media saying: "April Fool's! Gotcha!"

What Next? Boots On The Ground? $5.00 Per Gallon?

Chris Weigant — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 23:09:22 +0000

The national average of the price of a gallon of gasoline now stands at $4.05. It broke through the $4-a-gallon barrier today after spending roughly a week hovering just below it. This isn't really a major change for consumers (it is only the difference of a few pennies), but it is a big psychological barrier that has now been breached. The only time gas prices have been higher in the past decade was at the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine (when not only gas prices spiked but the inflation rate skyrocketed as well). Then, the average U.S. price of gas rose to $5.00 per gallon before falling back again.

Friday Talking Points -- Chaocracy

Chris Weigant — Sat, 28 Mar 2026 01:10:19 +0000

Maybe we need a new word for the way Donald Trump seems to be running the country: "chaocracy." Rule by chaos. The "Madman Theory" writ large. Nobody has any clue what's going to happen next, from Trump himself all the way down to average Americans and the rest of the world.

Of course, this has always been Donald Trump's modus operandi to some extent, but it is much more apparent now that we're in what seems to be a prolonged war. Trump is now attempting a feint in this war, but nobody's really sure what is the feint and what will become reality in the next few weeks. Trump himself probably doesn't know, at this point.