As Congressional Republicans struggle to "craft a message" on affordability, President Donald Trump is offering no help to them, according to Bloomberg Government's Mica Soellner.

"More than a dozen House and Senate Republicans interviewed by Bloomberg Government said there’s been minimal guidance from the administration on discussing the issue of affordability, which President Donald Trump has referred to as a 'hoax' this week," Soellner writes.

The White House has had its own issues coming up with "an effective message on the cost of living and the economy, as Trump grapples with falling approval numbers driven by pocketbook issues," Soellner adds.

Republicans have followed the White House’s lead, Soellner explains, but they are having trouble finding "abetter way to reassure voters they are taking economic anxieties seriously."

Rep. James Comer (R-KY) tells Bloomberg that Trump has his work cut out for him.

“It’s going to take the president probably another full year to get inflation under control,” he says.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) has told the public to "relax," saying Republicans' "best days are ahead of us," but many are dubious of his claims.

Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) told Bloomberg Government he spoke about affordability with Trump directly by phone last week, and says Trump said he was “frustrated” by the slow pace of declining costs, but also “hopeful” about the next few months.

"There's a lot of inflation," Van Drew says.

Democrats, meanwhile, have seized upon the Republicans' struggle with affordability, using Trump's own dismissal of peoples' struggles to their advantage.

"It’s preposterous that he’s calling this a hoax,” Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-MI), who represents a swing district, tells Soellner. “It’s the first, second, third, fourth and fifth issue in my district. American people are really struggling, and we need to take that seriously.”

Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA) says high costs are the top issue in her district too.

“People who never felt financial insecurity before are feeling it now,” McClellan says. “For people who have felt it most of their lives, it’s getting worse.”

As a pre-Thanksgiving Fox News poll found that a staggering 76 percent of voters view the economy negatively, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) says the American Dream “has been broken” for many people, criticizing Trump for his rhetoric.

“It’s unconstructive for him to conclude that it’s a scam and Democratic hoax,” Jeffries says. “The American people know it’s not a scam. It’s not a hoax. It’s very real.”

The selective outrage of the MAGA cult is telling, writes Rebellious Magazine's Michelle Duster, who says President Donald Trump's supporters will exhaust themselves while everyone else builds a diverse future.

"Over the last 10 years, those who believe in empathy, equality, social progress and joy have had to endure the chronic whining, rage, fury, insults and complaints from the miserably mad MAGA cult," Duster writes.

And despite Trump's appeasement of this cult with "an unrelenting flurry of exhaustive measures to dismantle and defund institutions, departments and programs that provided opportunities and protection for Black people and other racial minorities," they're still miserable, she says.

"The scorched earth approach that has harmed millions of hard-working people will still not make America White," Duster notes. "The grievances and whining of the MAGA cult led them to elect a Confederate-sympathizing president for a second time."

In shunning those who have different cultures, values views than theirs, Duster says their performative outrage is doing nothing to cover their racism.

"In their insatiable determination to rage about everything, they’re fuming about Bad Bunny, an American citizen from Puerto Rico, performing at the 2026 Super Bowl. All their whining, promises to produce a counter-programming concert, plus a petition with over 100,000 signatures apparently influenced the NFL to schedule a first “pre-Super Bowl concert” featuring Sting, who is White and a British citizen," she writes.

"The selective outrage of the MAGA cult is telling. These same people who are content watching a game where over half of the players are Black (compared to 14 percent of the population) fume about hearing 'Lift Every Voice and Sing”'(the Black national anthem) or a Hispanic man perform the half-time show," she adds.

The undertones are obvious, Duster writes, saying, "the message is that Black and Hispanic people can use their bodies to entertain them in a violent sport, but there is no desire to hear or appreciate the voices or concerns of those same people."

Trump supporters' will exhaust themselves with their hate, she says.

"Instead of embracing the beauty and diversity of the United States and working with their fellow citizens as one people to make the country great for everyone, they choose to stew in hatred," Duster says.

The resilience of those at whom the MAGA hate is aimed, however, goes unnoticed by them.

"They don’t understand that generations of Indigenous, Black, Hispanic and Asian people have lived their entire lives navigating the hate-filled MAGA mad and their ilk," she notes. "The MAGA mad are the ones who seem obsessed with us."

"Rather than up their game to compete on an even playing field, they’d rather spend their time, energy and money on trying to keep everyone else down or out. All that does is make their insecurity even more obvious," she notes.

And MAGA won't rain on anyone's parade but their own, she writes.

"Black and Brown people will enjoy life together in January 2026 — celebrating the political wins of historically underrepresented people including Black women," she writes.

"We will cheer as Zohran Mamdani is sworn in as New York City’s youngest mayor in over 100 years and the first African-born Indian Muslim American. A month later, we will dance along with Bad Bunny as he makes history as the first Latin male artist to perform solo at the Super Bowl halt-time show. And doing so in Spanish will make the MAGA cult extra fester in their bile of hatred," she adds.

Duster says that while MAGA continues to exchange "foul, hate-filled text messages and fantasize about an all-White country," everyone else will be busy doing other things.

They will be building "a diverse, multi-cultural, multi-religious world where people of all genders and abilities love their neighbors as themselves; believe in and work towards a government of, by and for all people; and create systems where everyone enjoys a fair chance to compete and succeed," she says.

MAGA, meanwhile, "will exhaust themselves seething on the sidelines and miss all the fun," she concludes.

In a contrast to his rage-baiting Truth Social spree from earlier this week, President Donald Trump spent his executive time Thursday posting a string of nostalgic posts of his earlier days as a New York City public figure, reports the Irish Star.

"Trump appeared to end his Thursday by reflecting on bygone encounters with left-leaning cultural figures, including artist Andy Warhol, Reverends Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, and singer James Brown," writes Peter Rubenstein.

"Trump expressed an apparent fondness for a time in which he was friendlier with creatives and left-leaning activists," he adds.

In this posting spree, "Trump uploaded a series of wistful posts on Thursday evening that included photos of a younger Trump standing next to celebrities, civil rights leaders, musicians and artists during 'the good old days,' some of whom he said no longer want to spend time with him," Rubenstein says.

Trump's unusually reflective posts of the olden days recalled much friendlier times.

"In the good old days, long before Reverend Al Sharpton had massive stomach surgery, he would do anything to be with me, but he has to be faithful to the Radical Left in order to keep his job as a Television Commentator for NBC," Trump wrote alongside a photo of him speaking with a grinning Sharpton. "Also in the group is the Great James Brown — I knew ‘em all, the good, the bad, and the ugly!"

Trump followed that post with a photo of himself and pop art icon Warhol walking alongside a horse as Trump holds its reins.

"Donald Trump talks with Andy Warhol as he holds the bridle of a polo pony, Nov. 4, 1983," read the photo's description, written by pro-Trump account MythoMAGA. "Trump was often seen at Studio 54, the infamous New York celebrity club."

Warhol had a beef with Trump over an unrealized commission according to his personal account in "The Andy Warhol Diaries."

“The Trumps came down... I showed them the paintings of the Trump Tower that I’d done. I don’t know why I did so many, I did eight. In black and grey and silver which I thought would be so chic for the lobby. But it was a mistake to do so many, I think it confused them," Warhol wrote of a meeting with Trump and his first wife Ivana in August 1981.

"Mr. Trump was very upset that it wasn’t color-coordinated," he continued. "I think Trump’s sort of cheap, though, I get that feeling."

"Over the next few years, after the commission fell through, Warhol repeatedly expressed disdain for the Trumps. When he was invited to judge cheerleading tryouts at Trump Tower in 1984, he slighted them by intentionally showing up late," Rubenstein notes.

“It was the first tryout, and I was supposed to be there at 12:00 but I took my time and went to church and finally moseyed over there around 2:00. This is because I still hate the Trumps because they never bought the paintings I did of the Trump Tower," he wrote.

Though Trump didn't reflect on Warhol at all, these "seemingly sentimental posts" are a huge departure from his marathon overnight social media blitz earlier in the week.

"The following day, during the final Cabinet meeting of the year, Trump appeared in several moments to be dozing off," Rubenstein notes.

MAGA billionaires are about to juice up on performance-enhancing drugs and compete in sporting events in a new competition known as the Enhanced Games, aka the “Steroid Olympics”, according to Bloomberg's Chris Bryant.

The billionaire-backers of the games, Bryant writes, are doing this "as part of their plan to take their events-slash-telemedicine company public via a special-purpose acquisition company."

"That makes me even warier," he adds.

The Enhanced Games, scheduled to take place in Las Vegas in May, is understandably a controversial, proposed international multi-sport event where athletes will be permitted to use performance-enhancing substances (PEDs) under medical supervision. The event is designed to challenge the traditional Olympic movement by advocating for athlete autonomy, fair pay, and scientific advancement in sports.

"Instead of toiling away for years for fleeting and poorly compensated Olympic glory, Enhanced Games athletes can take testosterone, anabolic steroids, human growth hormone and other performance-enhancing compounds to win a share of $25 million in potential prize money," Bryant says.

"Incentivizing competitors to pharmaceutically push their bodies to the limit for our enjoyment feels unethical," he adds.

The events organizers claim to be empowering athletes — literally, telling Bryant in a statement, "All enhancement protocols will be based on substances already approved by the US Food and Drug Administration."

Athletes will also need to pass a medical screening to ensure they enter the competition “healthy and safe," Bryant explains.

"More than 60 percent of Enhanced’s social-media audience is aged 18 to 34 and almost all male. Steroid abuse is rife among this group," he writes.

The investors in this startup include what Bryant calls "a blend of Silicon Valley’s libertarian, longevity and self-optimization obsessions and MAGA’s transactional and anti-establishment credentials."

" Until now it’s been bankrolled by a who’s who of cashed up libertarians: Executive Chairman Christian Angermayer, who’s also chairman of psychedelic-drug company Atai Beckley NV and founder of Enhanced’s biggest shareholder, Apeiron Investment Group; venture capitalist Peter Thiel; and the Winklevoss twins. Donald Trump Jnr is also involved via venture firm 1789 Capital, where he’s a partner," he writes.

So far, only about a dozen have signed up for the games, Bryant says, including British swimmer Ben Proud, who won silver at the Paris Olympics and track athlete Fred Kerley, a two-time Olympics medalist over 100 meters.

"The organizers aren’t only relying on creating a sporting spectacle. The bulk of future revenues is expected to come from selling over-the-counter supplements and prescription hormones to US consumers," Bryant says.

And while the steroids promise to pump up the athletes, the startup's bottom line may be deflated.

"Enhanced could end up with a deflating share price and just $40 million to fund its controversial business plan, setting back its ambitions to make us superhuman. Fans of sporting fair play won’t shed many tears," Bryant notes.

Over a third of those who voted for President Donald Trump say they're facing the worst cost of living yet, blaming the president for their economic woes, according to The Independent.

"MAGA is feeling the pinch," writes Brendan Rascius, who adds that "more than one-third of President Donald Trump’s own voters believe the cost of living in the U.S. is the worst they’ve ever seen."

Pointing to the most recent poll by Politico, Rascius adds that "more than half say that the president bears at least some of the blame."

Based on these dwindling poll numbers, "the Republican Party have their work cut out for them in selling voters on their economic vision before next year’s midterm elections," he writes.

As Democrats "romped to victory" in the November elections "by honing in on the issue of affordability," he writes, Republicans are taking note and raising red flags.

"This is a small warning, but it’s one that Republicans need to understand, is that to hold the House in 2026, it’s going to be an all-hands-on-deck effort,” says GOP strategist Ford O’Connell.

In September, the consumer price index (CPI) rose by 0.3 percent month-over-month and by 3 percent year-over-year, according to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Gas and food prices "also crept up, though the results were better than economists expected," according to CNN.

Respondents of the Politico poll were also asked who they hold responsible for the current state of the economy.

About half, 46 percent, said Trump holds all or most responsibility, while 29 percent said the buck stops with former President Joe Biden, Rascius notes.

In that same poll, 56 percent of Trump voters says the president "has taken his chance" to fix the economy and failed, yet he is still clinging to a popular strategy of his that also seems to be failing.

"In recent weeks, he’s repeatedly asserted that prices are decreasing and described Democrats’ fixation on affordability a 'con job,'" Rascius writes.

Meanwhile, as Trump and his administration fails to convince Americans their policies are working, Axios reports that Trump, who has been recently called out for being increasingly isolated and disengaged, will embark on a tour across the U.S. focused on selling his economic agenda.

Although President Donald Trump has threatened to remove citizens and legal immigrants from the United States, Bloomberg reporter Erik Larson says he's likely to face significant legal challenges in court.

"The Trump administration has unveiled plans to remove legal immigrants from the US, including by canceling green cards and “denaturalizing” some US citizens, after an Afghan national who entered the country in 2021 was accused of shooting two members of the West Virginia National Guard," Larson explains.

Following the shooting, Trump took to Truth Social to say, "Only REVERSE MIGRATION can fully cure this situation."

And while presidents have "wide latitude over immigration," Larson writes, "experts say that at least some of Trump’s new initiatives are likely to face significant legal challenges in court."

The "reverse migration" Trump mentioned is a non-legal term to describe the "process by which immigrants in the US voluntarily leave the country," Larson explains.

But what Trump is proposing, he writes, "is different: steps to ramp up removals by stripping immigrants of their legal status or denying their applications to stay in the US, essentially forcing them to leave."

"In a pair of Nov. 27 Truth Social posts that disparaged immigrants, Trump said he would 'remove anyone who is not a net asset to the United States, or is incapable of loving our Country,' without providing detail," Larson notes.

Joseph Edlow, the head of US Citizenship and Immigration Services, said that under Trump's orders, his agency was conducting “a full scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern.”

"A June presidential proclamation lists 19 countries the US considers “deficient with regards to screening and vetting” of its citizens, including Afghanistan, Haiti and Somalia," Larson explains.

Trump also said on social media that he would terminate what he called “illegal admissions” into the US under President Joe Biden, end federal benefits for non-citizens, and “permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries,” which is, writes Larsen, "an outdated term for developing nations."

Without providing any details, Trump also posted that he would"denaturalize migrants who undermine domestic tranquility."

Although the president has "broad say over who gets admitted to the country" per the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act, a power upheld repeatedly by the US Supreme Court, Larson says there are constitutional exceptions.

"Under the 5th and 14th amendments to the Constitution, virtually all people in the US, regardless of immigration status, are entitled to due process, which has been interpreted to mean that individuals have the right to a fair trial to challenge a deportation order," he notes.

"Significant policy changes also must meet the requirements of the federal Administrative Procedure Act, which mandates that the public have a chance to comment on major rule changes by the executive branch and that the changes can’t be implemented in an “arbitrary and capricious” manner. It isn’t clear how Trump’s new policies would be implemented or what legal challenges if any might arise," he adds.

Under Trump's dubious proposals, Larson notes, "all types of legal status for immigrants and non-citizens appear to be at risk to some extent."

Immigration lawyer Michael Jarecki says they will also discourage "some immigrants from continuing their green card applications or otherwise attempting to remain in the US lawfully."

Millions of immigrants in the United States will get the message “that no one is in a stable immigration position, including naturalized US citizens," Jarecki says.

Larsen writes that although "naturalized US citizens can be stripped of their citizenship under certain established circumstances," "in each case, the Department of Homeland Security is required by law to conduct an investigation and refer the matter to the Justice Department."

The Justice Department, however, has had some problems in the past, Larsen notes.

"The Justice Department has admitted authorities made mistakes in several deportation cases, which could hinder future removal attempts," he adds.

A handful of MAGA influencers spent Thanksgiving on a press junket to Qatar where they marveled in the Middle Eastern nation's wealth and modernity, remarking that it made America look third world, according to The Bulwark's Will Sommer.

"The Gulf Arab monarchy is on a clear campaign to charm Donald Trump and those around him, starting with the 'gift' of a Boeing 747 jumbo jet (supposedly to the Air Force, not Trump) in May, and extending to the building of new facilities at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho (which Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth inaccurately reported as a Qatari military base)," Sommer notes.

"The latest Qatari charm tactic has less to do with aviation than with recreation for some B-list MAGA social media personalities," he adds.

Among that B-list: Emily Wilson (better known as “Emily Saves America”), Turning Point Action's Caitlin Sinclair, and podcaster Rob Smith, Sommer notes.

The influencers, he writes, "documented their visits to luxe Doha restaurants, a nightclub, the Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix, and even an audience with Serena Williams. They posted videos of themselves walking the red carpet at the Formula 1 Paddock Club, where tickets can run into the mid-four figures."

They even had meetings with Qatari officials that, Sommer notes, "Smith robotically called ... mutually beneficial military and financial partnerships."

While Sommer says while it's not clear who paid for the trip, the influencers certainly didn't, and "the assumption that some Qatari group was behind their good times and Smith’s new pro-Qatar stance has roiled the right, with one Newsmax contributor calling it proof of a 'hostile subversion campaign.'"

So-called "MAGA Whisperer" and new member of the Pentagon press pool Laura Loomer "has been on a days-long meltdown over the trip, at one point declaring that she’d rather eat canned tuna and beans in her apartment than sell out to the Qatar lobby in such a way," Sommer writes.

Loomer criticized Smith, who is openly gay, for going to a country "where homosexual acts are outlawed."

Smith snapped back at Loomer, saying she was trying to get him killed by posting his sexuality online, Sommer notes.

"The influencers, by comparison, appear to have dined at Cipriani Doha, a place so fancy its online menu doesn’t even have prices," he adds.

Wilson has taken the most heat for the trip, Sommer reports, reminding of her involvement "as one part of the vicious influencer engagement ring drama earlier this year or for her stance that slavery should be legal on a state-by-state basis."

Wilson, who falls into the pro-Israel camp of MAGA influencers and took an "influencer trip" to Israel over the summer, was questioned by fellow conservative Seth Dillon, who asked, “Does Qatar pay better than Israel?”

“Guess Israel needs a non-compete clause!” cracked former InfoWars host Owen Shroyer, Sommer notes.

Wilson snapped back saying "it was cool to go to Qatar," and that she was a Formula 1 fan, Sommer reports.

She also found her foot in her mouth, Sommer says.

"Wilson used her trip to run down her comparatively clout-less homeland, the United States," he writes.

“Honestly it was amazing to finally feel safe and not be surrounded by homeless crackheads and criminals for once,” she wrote. “I could actually relax and enjoy myself.”

On her podcast, she praised Qatar for having “no black people on EBT going to Walmart to get fat” and “definitely no gay dudes rollerblading.”

“Wow, America’s like really third world compared to these places,” Wilson said.

Wilson also said she prefers Qatari Muslims to American.

"All the Muslims there are extremely smart, successful, and productive,” Wilson said on her podcast. “The ones [in the United States] and in the U.K. are the ones they don’t f——tolerate in their country, and they kick out — that’s why they suck and they’re pieces of s——.”

Sommer says these trips are increasingly common among MAGA influencers.

"As for Wilson, she appeared to offer a sort of list of potential junkets she’s interested in on her podcast, saying she’d also like to visit Japan and Russia. As someone once said, 'Russia, if you’re listening,'" he quips

Public reaction to a recent Christmas card greeting posted on the White House's official X account probably isn't what President Donald Trump was expecting.

A graphic of Trump giving his signature thumb's up along with the words "Daddy's Home," accompanies the White House's exuberant greeting of "HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS!" posted late Wednesday night.

The phrase "Daddy's home" has been adopted by Trump's supporters and used in official White House communications as a catchphrase and meme, particularly during the holiday season and following a NATO summit event in 2025.

But not everyone is embracing it, with many posting tweaked versions of the original showing, among other things, Trump sleeping and Vice President JD Vance on his lap dressed as an elf.

Daily Kos staff reporter Emily C. Singer shared it on X, saying, "This is so f—— weird."

Geopolitical commentator Marcus d'Osint posted, "I don't think this appropriate considering a bunch of evidence out of the Epstein files just dropped."

Retired pastor who goes by Dr. Mike on X used Elon Musk's AI tool Grok to construct his reply, saying, "GROK's ADVICE: 'IT Would NOT be ADVISABLE to ENTRUST YOUR DAUGHTER to TRUMP!' 'His comments about women, including inappropriate remarks about Ivanka, such as calling her a 'great piece of ass' & saying he 'might date her if she weren't his daughter', raise major concerns."

OTC trading platform Unich.com wondered, "Did the White House just drop a Christmas album cover?"

Over on Instagram, comments range from “soooo cringe" and “creepy” to “creep,” and “gag," while others wondered if that home meant "the nursing home?"

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) "prefers secrecy to sunlight" when it comes to his probe of former counsel Jack Smith, writes MS NOW's Steve Benen.

House Republicans, led by Jordan, subpoenaed Smith for a closed-door deposition on December 17, 2025, as part of their oversight investigation into his probes into President Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his handling of classified documents.

Smith's lawyers have stated he volunteered to appear for an open, public hearing but will comply with the deposition request.

On Capitol Hill, GOP lawmakers remain eager to treat Smith like a "punching bag," Benen writes.

"Rep. Michael Rulli of Ohio recently accused the prosecutor of acts that he said bordered on 'treason[,]' Sen. Marsha Blackburn referred Smith to the Justice Department for a misconduct investigation, based on misguided allegations the Tennessee Republican did not appear to understand[,] and several GOP members have even pushed for Smith’s disbarment," he notes.

Jordan sent a letter to Smith to demand his closed-door testimony and NBC news reports that Smith’s lawyer Peter Koski said he's "disappointed ... Republicans rejected the Trump prosecutor’s offer to provide public testimony."

"Jack looks forward to meeting with the committee later this month to discuss his work and clarify the various misconceptions about his investigation," Koski tells NBC.

Benen says that "Smith clearly wanted more transparency, but he wasn’t in a position to dictate the terms."

The New York Times reported that House Republicans “have been reluctant to give [Smith] a prime public platform out of concern that he could embarrass Trump by making a compelling case for the indictments over the president’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election and his retention of classified documents.”

These concerns, Benen writes, "gave away the game," adding that "Smith is an experienced, credible and capable prosecutor who’s familiar with Trump’s criminal cases at a granular level."

"The more Republicans drag him back into the spotlight, the more Smith is positioned to remind the public not only of the variety of alleged presidential felonies, but also of evidence the party would prefer to forget," Benen says.

While Trump says he, too, would rather see Smith testify in public, Jordan isn't keen on it at all.

"Jordan will likely ignore the White House’s preference, even as the president probably ought to be careful what he wishes for," he concludes.

A doctor tells the Irish Star that he suspects that President Donald Trump's October MRI is not only sketchy, but that they may have scanned the wrong part of his body.

Dr. Jeff Foster, director of British men's health company Manual, says "the information provided gives a limited indication of cardiovascular health only. It doesn't even give a measure of heart disease."

Foster also notes that “an MRI scan may give information about heart size, and heart failure, but you cannot see if arteries are blocked or damaged (it is not an angiogram), you cannot see if he has high cholesterol, diabetes or even high blood pressure."

While Trump feigned ignorance over what the MRI was for, after much pressure from the public and Governor Tim Walz (D-MN), the White House released information about "advanced imaging tests," about which his physician, Dr. Sean Barbabella, stated the results were "perfectly normal" and indicated he remains in "excellent overall health."

On Tuesday, Trump was seen with two large Band-Aids on his hands, where he is prone to bruising, the Daily Beast reports.

Dr. John Gartner, a former assistant professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins, has said that Trump exhibits "clinical signs of dementia" which may be exacerbating an underlying personality disorder.

Gartner, who hosts a podcast called "Shrinking Trump" where he and other mental health professionals discuss these observations and the potential dangers they pose, also says Trump is experiencing a "gross, progressive deterioration" of his cognitive function.

Barbabella said the scans were of Trump's cardiovascular systemcardiovascular system and abdomen, but Foster remains skeptical and even questions the accuracy of the scan's alleged targets.

“Most importantly, if the question is related to brain function and questions over competency, you have simply scanned the wrong area," Foster says.

The New York Times is being criticized for giving Erika Kirk, CEO of Turning Point USA and the widow of slain MAGA influencer Charlie Kirk, a platform at their 2025 DealBook Summit Wednesday in New York City.

During her interview with NYT financial columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin, Kirk discussed her new leadership role, the murder of her husband and her views on "career-driven" women.

Kirk also "said her pain at losing Mr. Kirk had 'morphed into a form of purpose that you see will outlive you,' and that realization offered her comfort," the Times reports.

According to the event's official X account, "Kirk called it 'ironic' that so many women voted for Zohran Mamdani in New York's mayoral election" at the 2025 DealBook Summit. She expressed concern that career-driven women view the government as a "replacement" for family, potentially leading them to delay marriage and having kids."

Journalist Jonathan Cohn called the newspaper of record out on X, saying, "The anti-feminist grift going back to Phyllis Schlafly is to travel the country, run a well-funded nonprofit, and ignore their own children in order to focus on telling other women that they belong in the kitchen."

"Erika Kirk: Has multiple degrees and is currently studying for a doctorate • Got married in her early 30s and had children in her mid-30s, on her own timeline • Was 5 years older than Charlie Kirk • Is a CEO and businesswoman …She’s not going to 'end' feminism. She is a product of feminism," noted X user Jamie Bonkiewicz.

Another X user wanted to know "why is the New York Times giving Erika Kirk a platform to tell the women of nNew York (a place she doesn’t live) to not be career driven (as she grifts off her husband’s death)?" to which another X account replied, "She’s was most likely prepped with a bunch of questions. It’s so obvious she’s so well rehearsed. She doesn’t know what the average young woman is facing because if she did, she would have a completely different view."

President Donald Trump is worried that Republicans will lose a seat in Congress if Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) moves to Texas to run for a redistricted seat there, according to Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX).

Journalist Mark Davis posted on X, "Per Rep @LanceGooden: Rep Ronny Jackson informs the TX delegation that Pres Trump has asked Issa to run in his current seat “because they are worried a new person has no chance of winning it and the President thinks Darrell can.”

According to a report by Punchbowl News, Issa is considering a run for a House seat in Texas if the Supreme Court upholds California's redrawn congressional district map.

California's congressional district maps were recently redrawn after voters approved Proposition 50 in a special election in November.

The new maps, which are considered a partisan response to Republican-led redistricting efforts in other states like Texas, are designed to favor Democrats and will be in effect for the 2026, 2028, and 2030 elections.

Reps. Issa and Jackson previously filed a lawsuit challenging California's redistricting effort, claiming it was an assault on representative democracy. But a Texas federal judge dismissed the case before the special election.

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson Anna Elsasser told ABC's San Diego affiliate, “Darrell Issa knows his record of self-dealing, raising costs, and gutting health care is going to cost him his seat, so he’s ready to move over 600 miles to keep doing Mike Johnson and Donald Trump’s bidding, before facing the Californians he’s failed. It’s cowardice at its finest. The mere fact that he’s considering this proves Darrell Issa doesn’t care about - or work - for the people, he only wants to stay in power to enrich himself.”

Republicans are growing increasingly frustrated on their inability to sell the American people on the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," reports Al Weaver in The Hill.

"Talk about the massive tax package largely evaporated after Labor Day amid high-stakes fights over releasing documents related to Jeffrey Epstein and the 43-day government shutdown. Yet even before those controversies, polls showed the GOP legislation was unpopular," Weaver writes.

As Democrats hammer Republicans on the issue of affordability, he writes, GOP lawmakers are concerned by their lackluster sales pitch on their party's signature accomplishment.

When asked if he was happy about his party's message on the bill, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), said "No. There’s so much good stuff in there, and I just think it’s inherently difficult to sell something that has that many moving parts and is that complex.”

"We hopefully learned a lesson that while the ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill [Act]’ doesn’t poll well by that name, if you change it to the ‘Working Family’s Tax Cuts Act,’ it polls much better,” Cornyn said, "referring to the GOP’s attempted rebranding of the bill’s name dating back to near Labor Day," Weaver notes.

“So we need to go back to Marketing 101, I guess," Cornyn said.

The "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" (H.R. 1) was signed into law by President Donald Trump on July 4, 2025. The expansive law makes permanent many provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and introduces new, temporary tax deductions alongside significant spending cuts to programs like Medicaid and SNAP.

Roughly two-thirds (63 percent) of the public hold an unfavorable view of the law, compared to only 36 percent who view it favorably, according to a July 2025 poll by KFF. Other polls show similar figures, making it one of the most unpopular major pieces of legislation passed since at least 1990.

In addition to its unpopularity, the "measure has largely gotten buried," Weaver writes, thanks to the government shutdown and the Epstein scandal.

When asked how much the tax package comes up on the campaign trail with voters, Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), who is running to become the next governor of Alabama in 2027, replied: “Not much.”

“Most people don’t really understand what’s in it,” he said.

An anonymous GOP source tells Weaver, "It’s way too f—— expensive to live in this country right now. We need to be seen as at least caring about that.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) says the party needs to work on better messaging for the bill, saying, "I think it is one of the most … undertold [stories], and we need to change that."

Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC), the chair of the House GOP’s campaign arm, agrees , reportedly telling "lawmakers this week that more work has to be done in the coming weeks and months to sell the bill and popular components of it, including no tax on tips, the expansion of the child tax credit and the tax cut extension," Weaver reports.

The president hasn't done much to sell the bill lately, either, and Republicans are frustrated by that as well, Weaver says.

"Has the president gone to a single event about OBBBA? Have they gone to Toledo? Have they gone to Scranton? … I don’t know — use the bully pulpit for a minute while we’re at it? Would be nice," the anonymous GOP source says.

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WVa) agrees, saying, "I think we could do better. I wouldn’t give us an ‘A.’”

Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, the married hosts of MS NOW's "Morning Joe" have been conspicuously absent lately and are sending the show's producers into a panic, reports RadarOnline.

"Insiders now claim the couple's increasingly high number of absences has sparked a 'workplace meltdown' as the network scrambles to cover for them," Radar reports.

Before the network rebranded from MSNBC, the hosts "reportedly appeared together in just 70 of 124 episodes," Radar notes.

"Scarborough couldn't be found for 29 episodes, and Brzezinski was absent from 41, which worked out to about one missed show every three days. In July alone, Brzezinski missed two straight weeks of episodes," they add.

The couple typically hosts the program "from a decked-out studio at their Jupiter, Florida, home," Radar explains.

"Given their extremely short work commute, many speculated whether the absences were due to one partner sleeping in while the other goes live on-air at 6 a.m.," they say.

The pair's schedules, whatever they are, have ruffled feathers of the show's staffers, according to Radar, leading to "chaos" behind the scenes.

"There’s no leadership," a senior producer tells entertainment journalist Rob Shuter, who writes on Substack. "Every day is a scramble. Who’s hosting? What’s the tone? Who’s running the ship? No one knows."

An anonymous insider tells Radar that the show's producers are panicking as they head into a big election year.

"They have special deals, endless vacation time – but this summer went too far. We're headed into an election year, and we're stuck with empty chairs," the source says.

Days before the network became MS NOW, however, the couple started to reappear more regularly, they report, clocking "their longest consecutive streak of appearances since Memorial Day at three weeks and counting."

Americans are blaming President Donald Trump for high costs and that blame, reports Politico, is starting to shift politics, as the president continues to lose the affordability battle to Democrats.

According to a new Politico poll, 46 percent of Americans say the cost of living in the U.S. is "the worst they can ever remember it being, a view held by 37 percent of 2024 Trump voters."

That same 46 percent also say that the affordability crisis is Trump’s responsibility, saying it is his economy now and his administration is responsible for the high costs.

Politico says this is a huge warning to Republicans, as "some of the very groups that powered Trump’s victory last year are showing signs of breaking from that coalition, and it’s the high cost of living that’s driving them away."

The Democrats, they write, have seized upon this "growing vulnerability," as the focus on affordability led to their sweeps in the November elections as well as "an overperformance in a deep-red House seat in Tennessee on Tuesday."

GOP strategist Ford O’Connell says it's a warning sign, especially after Tuesday's Tennessee election in which Republican Matt Van Epps beat Democrat Aftyn Behn by 9 points, "but underperformed against Trump’s 22-point margin in 2024," Politico notes.

“This is a small warning, but it’s one that Republicans need to understand, is that to hold the House in 2026, it’s going to be an all-hands-on-deck effort,” O'Connell says.

The Politico poll "found that despite Trump’s continued support among the Republican base, his softest supporters — the ones the GOP most needs to hold onto next year — are expressing concern."

"Republicans were already worried about how they can turn out lower-propensity voters during a midterm cycle when Trump himself is not on the ballot. Now Democrats are also trying to peel away their voters by focusing aggressively on affordability, which remains a top priority for 56 percent of Americans," according to the poll.

Arizona-based Republican strategist Barrett Marson also agrees the GOP is in trouble, saying, "Republicans have long had the advantage on dealing with the economy, but if [it] remains in the doldrums and prices remain high, it’s harder to find a good job, they will blame the party in power, and that’s Republicans."

This trouble, Politico writes, presents "an emerging splintering in Trump’s 2024 winning coalition as his party heads into a high-stakes midterm fight."

Trump's weakness is especially seen among Republicans who do not identify as MAGA, Politico explains.

"His numbers are far weaker among those who say they voted for him, but do not identify as MAGA Republicans — 61 percent, compared to 88 percent of MAGA-aligned voters — pointing to a possible weak spot in his coalition," they note.

This poll, Politico notes, shows how the economy is the issue that will overshadow next year's elections, much to the dismay of Republicans.

"The poll underscores just how pervasive the affordability crisis cuts across Americans’ everyday lives," they say.

Marson says that even those who continued to blame President Joe Biden for Trump's faltering economy will move on from that narrative.

“Voters aren’t going to go, ‘I voted for Trump to better the economy, but Biden just hamstrung [him] too much,’” Marson says. “Voters are going to very quickly forget about Joe Biden and just as quickly turn their ire to Trump unless things get better.”

Republicans "who repeatedly hammered Biden over his handling of affordability concerns are increasingly concerned that Trump is taking a similar tact," Politico notes.

Michael Strain, the director of Economic Policy Studies at the historically conservative-leaning American Enterprise Institute, agrees.

“It’s striking to see President Trump make the same mistake,” he says.

Democrats, meanwhile, are ramping up the message less than a year out from the midterms.

CJ Warnke, a spokesperson for the Democratic super PAC House Majority PAC, says "House Republicans should 100 percent expect to see ads next year calling them out for their broken promise to lower prices and for supporting Trump’s tariffs."

New satellite images at a UNESCO World Heritage site in Saudi Arabia for which there are plans to create a "multibillion-dollar tourism hub" have caught the attention of President Donald Trump's family business, according to Newsweek's Middle East reporter Amira El-Fekki‎.

"American engineering firm Parsons Corporation is leading phase two of the design and construction in the historic city of Diriyah, northwest of Saudi capital Riyadh, as part of a recent contract worth $56 million," El-Fekki explains.

"Diriyah — home to the At‑Turaif UNESCO site — is undergoing a major transformation into a $63 billion international business attraction," she adds.

Parsons, focused on defense, intelligence and critical infrastructure, has had a very cozy relationship with the Trump administration, announcing a collaboration with IBM to design a new, state-of-the-art air traffic control system for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in alignment with the vision of Trump and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

Parsons most recently won contracts for infrastructure and urban development projects in the Middle East, including serving as the Project Management Office for the King Salman Park Foundation in Saudi Arabia.

"Saudi Arabia is investing heavily in tourism projects to diversify its economy and rebrand politically. Lingering human rights concerns overshadowed Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s November visit to the White House, where he cemented his status as a major Trump ally," El-Fekki writes.

The Trump Organization is already involved in projects in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere in the Middle East, El-Fekki explains, and "is reportedly planning to develop new property in Diriyah."

"The U.S. president's family business interests in the Gulf and globally have raised questions over potential conflicts of interest, although Trump has always denied any inappropriate conduct," she notes.

Diriyah Company, owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) overseeing the country's massive projects, is redeveloping 5.4 square miles of Diriyah, she explains.

Jerry Inzerillo, the Diriyah Company CEO, told The New York Times that it was "just a matter of time” before the Trump Organization sealed a deal about a branded property at the site.

Trump, meanwhile, says he has nothing to do with any of it.

"I have nothing to do with the family business. I have left, and I've devoted 100 percent of my energy. What my family does is fine.⁠ They do business all over," he said in November.

A Republican Georgia mayor won his fourth term Tuesday with the help of Democrats, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

"Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul never wanted his bid for a fourth term to become a political dogfight, telling voters that 'potholes don’t have parties,'" the AJC writes.

Paul, a former Georgia Republican Party chair, they say, "won with plenty of conservative muscle," but he had help from Democrats, too.

"He routed progressive challenger Dontaye Carter on Tuesday with help from both Republican heavyweights and key Democratic allies," they explain.

In fact, "Paul was quick to note that his lopsided victory wouldn’t have been possible without a surge of Democratic support," they write.

That support included an endorsement from state Rep. Esther Panitch (D-GA), who, the AJC explains, "helped blunt backing for Carter from Stacey Abrams and other Democratic figures."

Panitch, the only Jewish member of the Georgia Legislature, says she backed Paul, along with other area Jewish leaders, because she says he has directly confronted antisemitism.

“In a lot of ways, this has been the toughest election. In some ways, it’s been easier because I was more relaxed in this election,” Paul said. “Because one way or another, this is my last one.”

But though Paul is a Republican, his win is no sign of Republican momentum, they write.

"After all, Democrats swept last month’s statewide Public Service Commission races by roughly 26 points. And in nearby Roswell, former Democratic state Rep. Mary Robichaux ousted Mayor Kurt Wilson despite his endorsements from Republican Gov. Brian Kemp and U.S. Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Suwanee," they note.

But state GOP Chair Josh McKoon drew one conclusion from Paul's win.

“I’m very pleased that a former chairman of the Georgia GOP won over 70% of the vote in a city that everyone acknowledges is a very purple place,” he said.

The New York Times editorial board says that President Donald Trump's behavior related to the scandal of deceased convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein is indefensible and is a case study in how he has manipulated the public and abused power.

"Even if the Epstein files that the Justice Department must release by Dec. 19 contain no significant revelations about Mr. Trump, the president is already guilty of acting with contempt for the public at nearly every turn in this saga," they write.

They also say that had any other president been involved with Epstein in the way Trump was, it "would be a major scandal on its own."

The Epstein case, they write, became a MAGA obsession after Trump promised them he'd release the files during his 2024 presidential campaign as they became consumed with conspiracy theories fueled even by Trump's now Vice President, JD Vance.

Once Trump returned to the presidency, he and his allies took a different approach.

"Once Mr. Trump returned to the presidency, he had the power to do as he had indicated he would and order a broad release of the files. He did not. Instead, his subordinates tried to make it seem as though they were champions of transparency while avoiding the release of new information," they write.

The timeline of the approach Trump and his allies have taken in terms of Epstein is, they write, "damning" as they went from promising their base everything on Epstein to the ultimate betrayal of Attorney General Pam Bondi telling them there was nothing to release.

"During the 2024 campaign, the Trump team had profited from indulging speculation; once in power, and apparently worried about Mr. Trump’s vulnerability, their opportunism was exposed," they write. "At this point, Mr. Trump undertook an aggressive effort to prevent the release of additional information."

As the bipartisan push for release of the Epstein files eventually passed with Republicans joining Democrats in the passing of the bill mandating more disclosure, "Trump reversed himself again," they note.

"Trump flipped his position on the House bill two nights before the scheduled vote, urged Republicans to vote for it and then ridiculously claimed credit for its passage," they add.

The editorial board writes that they are conflicted about the release of these files.

"Investigative materials are not normally part of the public record for a reason. They typically include a mixture of facts, speculation and false leads, and can unfairly damage reputations. The material can sometimes hurt victims," they explain.

"We also recognize that Mr. Epstein’s case is not typical. It suggested a moral rot in America’s elite circles because Mr. Epstein remained a part of some of those circles long after he had to register as a sex offender," they continue.

And while many of Epstein's victims feel "betrayed by them justice system," they "understandably want the files to be public."

"Even if the wisdom of releasing the files is a nuanced issue, Mr. Trump’s behavior has been indefensible," they write.

"His campaign took advantage of monstrous crimes for his political benefit. He misled the American public about his dealings with Mr. Epstein and his attitude toward the files’ release. He politicized the Justice Department on this matter, as on so many others," they explain.

The editorial board cautions that Trump and his allies will go to great lengths to interfere with the process.

"There is every reason to believe that the Trump administration will exploit the process to protect any of its allies named in the files (starting with the president himself) and to embarrass Democrats and other perceived Trump enemies," they say.

"Congress should be ready to defy Mr. Trump on this subject again and investigate the Justice Department’s handling of the release. Regardless of how often Mr. Trump himself appears in the files, Americans should not define deviancy down. They should expect more from their presidents, even this one," they conclude.