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President Donald Trump's efforts to make deals with Russia and end its years-long war with Ukraine are "certain to fail," according to Sen. Mitch McConnell, with the Republican breaking his silence to accuse the president of "coddling" Vladimir Putin.

As The Hill reported Monday morning, former Senate Majority Leader McConnell has largely remained "silent" on issues surrounding the Russia-Ukraine war until now. Despite his recent months-long brush with illness and the questions it caused about his fitness for office, he remains chairman of the Senate defense appropriations subcommittee, and used that authority this week to blast Trump's recent claims that Russia "has been fine on Ukraine," even after it violated the terms of an energy-related ceasefire.

"This is factually wrong, strategically naive and morally bankrupt," McConnell wrote in a new op-ed for the Wall Street Journal. "His obsequious accommodation of Russia, rewarding the aggressor with sanctions relief, won’t persuade Mr. Putin to stop. History shows that such behavior emboldens Russia’s autocrat, who sees it as weakness."

He added later: "Threatening to withhold security and intelligence assistance or access to crucial satellite communications systems won’t materially weaken Ukraine’s will to defend itself, but it may allow Mr. Putin to make battlefield headway that had until now been out of reach. This could prolong the war, not shorten it."

McConnell further criticized Trump's desperate attempt to wrangle down soaring diesel prices by making a deal to purchase fuel from Russia, despite past economic sanctions against the country. The move has drawn widespread criticism across the political spectrum in Washington, with McConnell being far from the first Republican to take issue with it.

"When Russia’s limited supply of diesel has changed hands, it will have done little to bring down prices at the pump," McConnell wrote, echoing the same sentiments as numerous industry experts and economists. "Russian victory would have far worse consequences for our economic and national security and our global influence than temporarily high diesel prices. He is an ally of [Chinese leader] Xi Jinping. He will continue to seize opportunities to weaken America — and Europe."

Responding to the recent comments from Trump's special diplomatic envoy, Steve Witkoff, in which he praised Putin as a "humanitarian," McConnell added that, "If the president means what he says about ending the conflict, he should look to the wisdom of the American people, not naive businessmen who seem to think diplomacy entails fawning over adversaries. Mr. Putin is many things, but he is no humanitarian."

Former chief of staff to Homeland Security, Miles Taylor wants to see state governments go after President Donald Trump and his allies for their attempt to steal the 2020 election, particularly now that Trump is trying to change the election again.

In his Monday column, Taylor argued that the Trump administration is preparing to challenge unfavorable midterm election results through lawsuits filed with the Justice Department. He thinks the DOJ will pressure election officials and possibly interfere with certification.

But Taylor also warned that loyalty to Trump will not necessarily protect them from prosecution or professional consequences.

A new Justice Department lawsuit filed last week seeks to block Alaska from certifying its Senate election if Republican Dan Sullivan loses, citing potential confusion with another candidate with the same name. The differences between the Dan Sullivans is obvious on the ballot.

"The brazenness is remarkable," wrote Taylor. "On October 22, DOJ sued Alaska to bar the state from certifying its Senate race if Republican Senator Dan Sullivan loses to Mary Peltola, on the theory that a second man named Dan Sullivan on the ballot might confuse voters. The election hasn’t even happened. Yet Trump told reporters he personally directed it, and even Senator Sullivan’s campaign said it never asked for DOJ's intervention."

Another federal effort tried to segregate California ballots linked to suspected noncitizens, arguing that inaccuracies in the underlying data undermine those efforts. The district attorney ultimately admitted he may not have accurate information on the voters. Former federal prosecutors chatting about it couldn't help but laugh.

All of these actions pair with Trump's demands for voter rolls, prosecution threats and federal monitoring, as an intimidation campaign rather than routine election oversight. Taylor interpreted officials’ refusal to rule out blocking certification as evidence that the administration may contest results it dislikes.

"DOJ has fired off letters to all 50 states threatening election officials with prosecution. The Department has already brought thirty lawsuits seeking the voter rolls of various states," Taylor cited. "They’re deploying a thousand federal 'monitors' to the polls, and armed agents were literally knocking on voters’ doors in nine states until a judge blocked it last week as voter intimidation. A DOJ official tells NBC that more states could be sued before or after Election Day, leaving open the possibility of ballots being frozen right through certification. And Todd Blanche says that blocking certification is a 'doomsday scenario' he won’t rule out."

But if the administration thinks it can pardon its way through election interference, Taylor said it should exercise caution.

Taylor explained that presidential pardons cover federal offenses, not state crimes, and argued that presidential immunity does not automatically shield advisers, lawyers or prosecutors. In fact, he argued, officials who unlawfully pressure state election administrators could face investigations under state laws addressing threats, conspiracy, forgery or election interference.

"So to Trump’s henchmen, let me offer a friendly reminder before you move to decertify election results or prevent the peaceful transfer of power: the man you’re doing this for is putting you at risk… he doesn’t care about you… and even if he did, he cannot save you from accountability," Taylor closed.

President Donald Trump’s close relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is fueling a civil war inside his administration, as senior officials increasingly weigh the costs of supporting his longtime ally amid the most unpopular war in American history.

A Trump administration official told Semafor Monday that frustration with Netanyahu extends beyond lower-ranking staff and reaches senior levels of the administration.

“At the mid-level and upper levels of the administration, there is not only real frustration, but real anger with Netanyahu’s government,” he said, continuing: “There’s a feeling that they oversold what they could do vis-a-vis Iran, and about how fragile the Iranian regime was. There’s a feeling that we had to bear a lot of the brunt for actually defending Israel.”

Trump has continued to support Netanyahu, even endorsing his embattled reelection campaign. He took it a step further, threatening to withdraw US military support if Bibi doesn’t win.

The next president will face a tough call when it comes to US military aid to Israel, as support for the nation has plummeted across party lines.

Vice President JD Vance also faces a political hurdle as he tries to maintain relationships with traditional pro-Israel Republicans while appealing to populist America First conservatives who are scrutinizing the relationship.

Vance has privately reassured influential supporters of Israel that he does not oppose the country, according to the report. At the same time, he has told the America First crowd that Washington’s relationship with Israel should benefit Americans at home.

Notably, Vance has not endorsed Netanyahu, a sign of his political quandary.

Tucker Carlson, a longtime Vance ally and conservative influencer, has become one of the most outspoken critics of Israel and has publicly split with Trump over the war.

Carlson is among the America First faction that symbolizes the growing civil war over Israel support.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas are regarded as more reliable supporters of Israel by some Republicans, making Vance stuck in the middle.

A May Pew Research Center survey found that young voters are in opposition to the older generation, as only 28% of Republicans aged 18 to 34 viewed the Israeli government favorably, compared with 68% of Republicans aged 50 and older.

This could be down to growing social media awareness of alleged war crimes committed by Israel in its many war fronts in the Middle East.

Netanyahu has himself acknowledged that Israel may not be able to count on US aid in the future, stating in an interview: “Tens of billions of US aid dollars to the defense budget — get used to it — won’t keep coming. Because America has changed. Not because Israel has.”

The growing rift on support for Israel could become a policy referendum in future elections, with a pro-Israel candidate on one side going up against an America-first candidate in the first post-Trump battle in over a decade.

Republican Mark Lenzi was a State Department diplomat until he and his family ended up suffering from traumatic brain injuries that are being treated at Walter Reed National Military Center. They have Havana Syndrome, the name for the disease those abroad suffered from after an attack that involved pulsed microwaves.

Writing for The Hill Monday, Lenzi noted that when he spoke to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, he provided evidence of the attack and alleged it was at the hands of Russia.

"These attacks have injured hundreds of U.S. government personnel, including myself, my wife and my two children," he wrote.

But after he penned an op-ed about what he and his family were experiencing, he was retaliated against, he claimed, alleging a cover-up by the State Department and intelligence community.

"I testified with the expectation that the committee would do as it had promised — hold officials accountable for, among other things, willful negligence and denied medical care that led to many of our traumatic brain injuries (especially those of my two children) being much worse than they should have been," wrote Lenzi.

That hasn't happened. While the "committee produced a bombshell report" about the matter, Lenzi said it hasn't been released to the public when it should have been months ago. Lenzi is still seeking accountability.

Although he initially praised Republican committee Chairman Rick Crawford (R-Ark.) for hearing victims’ testimony, he is now criticizing Crawford for not releasing the resulting report.

A 2023 report from the CIA claimed that there wasn't a foreign government involved in the attack. Lenzi doesn't buy it and thinks the Congressional probe will show something different. Secretary of State Marco Rubio didn't buy it either.

According to Lenzi, committee leaders say the CIA is causing the delays by withholding the report from declassification. He wrote that letting the very agency under investigation to stall publication undermines the point of congressional oversight.

The other problem, he fears, is President Donald Trump's cozy relationship with Russia and the White House deference that comes along with it.

"I am far from being alone in believing the State Department and U.S. intelligence community possess evidence of Russian involvement but are avoiding releasing it. As someone personally affected by this, I want the truth to be revealed," he wrote for The Hill.

"Instead of treating Russian President Vladimir Putin with the deference that the executive branch seems to want, the committee should exercise a modicum of independence and conduct some real oversight for a change," he blasted. "The fact that members would sit on this information sets a troubling precedent that should concern every U.S. citizen."

Ultimately, Lenzi wants the report released and those responsible held accountable, politics be damned. But while Lenzi watches his family suffer the aftereffects of the attack on them, he saw Trump welcome Vladimir Putin to U.S. soil with open arms.

"Until he is publicly held accountable by Congress, Putin will continue to be treated like a friend of this White House and receive invites to visit the U.S. Each time that happens, take a moment to consider the role Russia played in inflicting horrific brain injuries on U.S. government personnel using directed energy attacks," Lenzi closed.

Pete Hegseth has received a threat from a top Democrat warning the Pentagon chief that he could face subpoenas and a congressional investigation over his handling of military promotions and be forced to answer.

Rep. Troy Carter, D-La., the incoming chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said Democrats would investigate allegations that Hegseth engaged in racial and gender discrimination if the party wins control of the House in November, The Washington Sun reported Monday.

“We will have subpoena power, and he can test it if he wants to,” Carter warned, adding, “This is a new and improved Democratic Party, and we enforce the rules. The time to play nice is far spent.”

The warning follows reports that Hegseth stopped the promotion of at least 45 senior officers who were on the military promotion lists, more than half of them women or Black officers, according to an investigation by The New York Times.

The report found that Hegseth's vetting process included officers' speeches, public statements, photographs, and participation in diversity programs.

Only eight of 201 officers who were nominated for promotion to general or admiral in the first seven months of 2026 were women, making it the smallest proportion in over two decades.

Carter accused Pentagon leadership of unfairly targeting service members based on their race or gender rather than rewarding their military service based on established norms.

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell denied the allegations of discrimination, saying military promotions were awarded on merit:

“As we’ve said before, military promotions are given to those who have earned them,” he said in a statement, continuing: “The Department will never consider the color of a service member’s skin or their gender as a factor in promotions. Under President Trump and Secretary Hegseth, meritocracy reigns supreme at the War Department.”

Hegseth argued that diversity initiatives elevated race and gender over meritocracy. However, some lawmakers and military advocates believe the Trump administration is prioritizing political or ideological alignment over military qualifications

Democrats on the House Armed Services Committee are already documenting the Pentagon's actions as they consider their options for investigations into their conduct.

Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., the committee's top Democrat, said the oversight is focused on Hegseth's decision-making, but the committee has yet to decide whether to launch an investigation.

Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers have introduced legislation that would put limits on the reasons why officers can be removed from the promotion list, including written documentation justifying the move.

Military advocates warn that blocked promotions hurt morale and staff retention by leaving qualified officers uncertain about their future and opportunities to advance in training.

With the midterm elections just one week away, it won’t be long before we find out if Hegseth will face a congressional reckoning as promised by Democrats.

An incendiary new 50-page report has dropped, per a report from MS NOW, making clear that President Donald Trump's least favorite issue is not going away and is primed to haunt him even more after the midterms.

On Monday morning, the House Judiciary Committee Democrats released an unsigned staff report detailing "the case against Donald Trump emerging in the Epstein Files and DOJ’s desperate efforts to cover it up." As MS NOW noted, the content of the 50-page report contained little in the way of new evidence and repeated several "unsubstantiated" allegations against Trump, but nonetheless, it made clear the opposition party's intention to press the issue further in the wake of the midterms.

The report further calls for an "independent special counsel to investigate the president" on his connections to Jeffrey Epstein and the alleged cover-up of the government files related to the deceased sex trafficker, as well as Attorney General Todd Blanche's "conflicts of interest and the Justice Department’s reluctance to share relevant evidence with state and foreign law enforcement."

"The more than 50-page report alleges that Trump was 'an active participant in Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse of young women in the mid-to-late 1990s,'" MS NOW detailed. "Although it also contains at least one entirely new allegation against the president, it provides no direct evidence other than the woman’s own conversations with Judiciary Committee staff. For years, Trump has denied that he engaged in any sexual misconduct with any woman connected to Jeffrey Epstein, and he has also said that he knew nothing about Epstein’s crimes. The report also repeats several other longstanding, unsubstantiated allegations against Trump."

The report added: "A Democratic Judiciary Committee source told MS NOW the report draws on publicly available accounts as well as conversations with survivors. The source declined to provide additional details about those conversations, citing concerns for survivors’ privacy. The source also declined to quantify how many survivor conversations they had. The report also compares Trump’s statements about Epstein in recent years to documentary evidence — including emails, deposition transcripts, Trump’s prior public statements, and Trump’s drawings and signatures. Among the discrepancies highlighted in the report are inconsistencies with what Trump has said about his awareness of Epstein’s crimes."

The report further alleged that Trump's Justice Department has been working to keep the public "in the dark" about the true nature of Trump's connections to Epstein. It also suggested that Blanche "may have engaged in criminal obstruction of justice while acting on a mission to protect Trump," as well as potential "witness tampering and obstruction of an official proceeding" as part of his interview with Epstein's incarcerated lieutenant, Ghislaine Maxwell.

"Blanche’s apparent instructions not to discuss a specific Epstein victim, and how that victim could implicate Donald Trump, could easily run afoul of 18 U.S.C. § 1512, which forbids hindering or delaying the communication of information relating to the potential commission of a federal offense to a law enforcement officer, as well as corruptly influencing the testimony of any person in an official proceeding — such as a congressional interview and investigation," the report detailed.

President Donald Trump’s administration has broken an embarrassing record not seen since Ronald Reagan was in office almost four decades ago.

The Trump White House has accumulated more unfilled Senate-confirmed leadership positions than any administration since Reagan, according to a new report on a chaotic staffing problem across the federal government.

A nonpartisan analysis by the Partnership for Public Service found that vacancies have reached levels unseen in roughly four decades, despite Republicans controlling both chambers of the U.S. Congress and Trump’s team initially filling positions at a frantic pace, The Washington Post reported Monday.

As of this month, the report found that 249 positions requiring Senate confirmation had no nominee, while 110 nominees remained unconfirmed. The backlog has frustrated administration officials who fear crucial jobs will remain empty and potentially be filled by Democrats if the GOP loses the Senate. The roles include national security, immigration, energy, and economic policy.

The report blames the crisis on the administration’s high turnover, slow confirmations, and numerous nominations that didn’t qualify for the role or were forced to withdraw

During Trump’s first year of his second term, his administration filled 452 Senate-confirmed positions, which was faster than in his first term. However, by October 20, the White House had submitted only 186 nominations this year.

WaPo quotes Trent Morse, the former deputy director of personnel during the transition and the first year of the current Trump administration, who said: “At the beginning, every week was a march to get as many appointees as we could in a record amount of time. That’s not the responsibility when you’re in that second year.”

Another reason for the slow rollout is responsibility. Deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino warned that those who recommend a candidate will have their “name is 100 percent attached to them.”

Some officials believe the operation has become rather cautious and, as a result, is making staffers extra cautious to avoid controversial picks. Others feel more thorough background checks are needed given the number of staffing issues we've had.

Katie Zacharia, who was handpicked by the president, served as a warning about proper vetting, per the report.

Zacharia has a record-breaking five days as press secretary before quitting amid questions about her legal credentials and a widely panned debut. The personnel office was not responsible for her appointment since Trump picked her without thorough background checks.

Meanwhile, the White House is standing by Scavino and his deputy, Morgan Dewitt. Chief of staff Susie Wiles defended Scavino and praised his experience working with Trump in a statement:

“Having served throughout the first administration, Dan brings unmatched experience, professionalism, and institutional knowledge. He has earned the President’s trust, and he certainly has mine.”

The report also notes that the White House provided other statements praising Scavino’s work.

A Reagan appointee warned that if the Republicans lose the Senate, the staffing crisis is “going to get a lot worse.”