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June 24, 2026
Some or most Texas State Offices are closed today to recognize the anniversary of the Dobbs decision
I just talked to a friend who works at the Texas Attorney General office under Paxton. This friend had the day off to celebrate the anniversary of the Dobbs decision outlawing abortion. I hated hearing about this "holiday",
June 24, 2026
Today marks four years since the Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade, stripping away a constitutional right
Today is the fourth anniversary of the Dobbs decision.
https://x.com/NewDemCoalition/status/2069814118668734955
I just found out that the Texas AG and some other Texas state offices are closed today because of this anniversary.
I hate Ken Paxton even more than I thought possible
June 24, 2026
MaddowBlog-Years later, Obama enjoys a level of public support that Trump can only dream of
The latest national poll suggests Trump’s yearslong smear campaign against Obama has failed spectacularly.
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-obama-favorability-poll
About a year ago, a national YouGov poll found that Barack Obama was “by far” the nation’s most well-liked political figure. A national CNN poll released last week pointed in a similar direction. From the network’s report:
(The poll was conducted before the recent coverage of the opening of the Obama Center in Chicago, which offered the former president a hearty dose of positive coverage.)
While only about one-fifth of Republican voters say they have a positive view of Obama, that’s actually relatively high by contemporary standards: Other living presidents have far less support from voters of the opposing party.....
As for Trump — who, incidentally, finished dead last in the Presidential Greatness Project Expert Survey — the Republican incumbent didn’t comment on the CNN poll, though it stands to reason that he found it disappointing, not just because of his poor showing, but because it suggests his yearslong smear campaign against Obama has failed spectacularly.....
The New York Times reported soon after, “The focus on Mr. Obama on Wednesday underscored Mr. Trump’s obsession with persuading people he is a superior leader to the former president. Over the course of the 3-day summit, Mr. Trump — who has had a fixation with the nation’s first Black president for more than a decade, starting with pushing a racist lie that he was not American — mentioned Mr. Obama by name nearly two dozen times.”
The more the Republican incumbent tries to convince people to prefer him to Obama, the more we’re confronted with evidence that most Americans still have far more favorable views of the former president than of Trump.
Obama is viewed positively by 57% of Americans, a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS finds, far surpassing the ratings for his two Oval Office successors. Only 34% of the public offers a favorable opinion of President Donald Trump, with former President Joe Biden’s favorability trailing at just 30%.
Obama’s standing among political independents is more than twice as high as either Biden’s or Trump’s.
(The poll was conducted before the recent coverage of the opening of the Obama Center in Chicago, which offered the former president a hearty dose of positive coverage.)
While only about one-fifth of Republican voters say they have a positive view of Obama, that’s actually relatively high by contemporary standards: Other living presidents have far less support from voters of the opposing party.....
As for Trump — who, incidentally, finished dead last in the Presidential Greatness Project Expert Survey — the Republican incumbent didn’t comment on the CNN poll, though it stands to reason that he found it disappointing, not just because of his poor showing, but because it suggests his yearslong smear campaign against Obama has failed spectacularly.....
The New York Times reported soon after, “The focus on Mr. Obama on Wednesday underscored Mr. Trump’s obsession with persuading people he is a superior leader to the former president. Over the course of the 3-day summit, Mr. Trump — who has had a fixation with the nation’s first Black president for more than a decade, starting with pushing a racist lie that he was not American — mentioned Mr. Obama by name nearly two dozen times.”
The more the Republican incumbent tries to convince people to prefer him to Obama, the more we’re confronted with evidence that most Americans still have far more favorable views of the former president than of Trump.
June 24, 2026
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/us-global-standing-trump-pew-poll
MaddowBlog-The U.S.' global standing deteriorates as Trump loses international respect
Two years ago, Trump said improving U.S. “respect all over the world” was his top priority. There’s new evidence that he’s failing spectacularly.
Two years ago, Trump said his top priority for his second term was improving international respect for the United States.
— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-06-24T17:19:40.492Z
A stunning new global survey makes one thing clear: He’s failing spectacularly.
www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/us-global-standing-trump-pew-poll
At a White House Cabinet meeting last summer, Donald Trump boasted about one of his favorite subjects. “We’re respected all over the world — like never before, probably,” the president said at the outset. A few days earlier, pointing to evidence that only exists in his imagination, he added, “Our nation now is the most respected nation anywhere in the world, by far.”
It wasn’t true at the time, and it’s even worse now. Axios reported:
Going through the details of the Pew Research Center report, there is effectively no good news for those hoping to see the United States maintain a leadership role in international affairs.
Views of Trump are especially brutal. While Barack Obama and, to a lesser extent, Joe Biden, enjoyed fairly broad support on the global stage, the latest findings showed 76% of people across 36 countries have no confidence in the incumbent Republican president. In fact, Trump’s standing is even worse than international confidence in Russia’s Vladimir Putin.....
Even in his strange farewell address in early 2021, delivered on the final full day of his first term, Trump found it necessary, one last time, to tell Americans, “The world respects us again.” The Republican added, in an apparent message for his Democratic successor, “Please don’t lose that respect.”
None of this made any sense. A Pew Research Center analysis from September 2020 noted, “In several countries, the share of the public with a favorable view of the U.S. is as low as it has been at any point since the Center began polling on this topic nearly two decades ago.”
Nearly six years later, Pew is showing us slipping to similar depths anew.
It reinforces the fact that Trump is failing, not by some random metric, but by one of the standards he personally elevated above all others.
It wasn’t true at the time, and it’s even worse now. Axios reported:
The U.S. is losing standing abroad as President Trump’s foreign policy fuels doubts about whether America can still be counted on, according to new polling.
The Pew Research Center findings capture how Trump’s second-term approach is reshaping America’s image, with allies and partners increasingly viewing Washington as unreliable, self-interested and less committed to global cooperation.
Going through the details of the Pew Research Center report, there is effectively no good news for those hoping to see the United States maintain a leadership role in international affairs.
Views of Trump are especially brutal. While Barack Obama and, to a lesser extent, Joe Biden, enjoyed fairly broad support on the global stage, the latest findings showed 76% of people across 36 countries have no confidence in the incumbent Republican president. In fact, Trump’s standing is even worse than international confidence in Russia’s Vladimir Putin.....
Even in his strange farewell address in early 2021, delivered on the final full day of his first term, Trump found it necessary, one last time, to tell Americans, “The world respects us again.” The Republican added, in an apparent message for his Democratic successor, “Please don’t lose that respect.”
None of this made any sense. A Pew Research Center analysis from September 2020 noted, “In several countries, the share of the public with a favorable view of the U.S. is as low as it has been at any point since the Center began polling on this topic nearly two decades ago.”
Nearly six years later, Pew is showing us slipping to similar depths anew.
It reinforces the fact that Trump is failing, not by some random metric, but by one of the standards he personally elevated above all others.
June 24, 2026
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-signing-ceremony-housing-bill
MaddowBlog-In a surprise move, Trump scraps signing ceremony for bipartisan housing bill
The president was supposed to sign the only bipartisan accomplishment of his second term. Then he changed his mind for a deeply unfortunate reason.
The bipartisan housing bill was poised to be the only good bill to emerge from this Congress. All Trump had to was sign it and let his own party take the pre-midterms win.
— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-06-24T15:10:19.349Z
He instead threw an unexpected tantrum, canceled the signing ceremony, and pulled the rug out from under his own allies.
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-signing-ceremony-housing-bill
Since Donald Trump’s second term as president began, the grand total of major bipartisan legislative breakthroughs has been zero. That is, until this week, when the Republican-led House easily passed a landmark housing bill on a 358-32 vote. The move followed a similarly lopsided 85-5 vote in the GOP-led Senate, sending the bill to the White House to become law.
The legislation, several months in the making, was poised to be the single greatest accomplishment of the current Congress. It’s not perfect, and it was nearly derailed several times by Republican infighting, but as Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, one of the principal co-authors of the bill, explained via social media, “I don’t say this often these days, but Congress actually passed something good. My bipartisan housing bill to build more housing, lower costs, and stop private equity’s housing grab is becoming law.”,,,,
Just a few hours before the scheduled signing ceremony, Trump published an item to his social media platform downplaying the importance of the bill, which seemed like an odd thing to do: Instead of taking the win and giving his party a much-needed pre-midterm boost, the president was stepping on the only bipartisan success story of his term.
A half-hour later, he went considerably further, publishing this statement online:
The legislation, several months in the making, was poised to be the single greatest accomplishment of the current Congress. It’s not perfect, and it was nearly derailed several times by Republican infighting, but as Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, one of the principal co-authors of the bill, explained via social media, “I don’t say this often these days, but Congress actually passed something good. My bipartisan housing bill to build more housing, lower costs, and stop private equity’s housing grab is becoming law.”,,,,
Just a few hours before the scheduled signing ceremony, Trump published an item to his social media platform downplaying the importance of the bill, which seemed like an odd thing to do: Instead of taking the win and giving his party a much-needed pre-midterm boost, the president was stepping on the only bipartisan success story of his term.
A half-hour later, he went considerably further, publishing this statement online:
Today’s Housing News Conference and Signing is hereby cancelled until such time as we pass the desperately needed SAVE AMERICA ACT, which I consider to be a National Emergency. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DJT[/blockquote]
In other words, Trump was prepared to sign this important and worthwhile legislation into law, but at least for now, he’s changed his mind, instead directing Congress to pass an unrelated bill that would make it harder to vote and impose new restrictions on transgender Americans.LMAO -- GOP Rep. French Hill is literally right now during a news conference touting the bipartisan housing bill and the president's support for it, unaware that Trump moments ago angrily announced he won't sign it
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2026-06-24T14:32:51.998Z
.....For his part, House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters that he spoke to White House officials “about an hour” before the president’s announcement and made the case that the housing bill is worthwhile. Evidently, Trump ignored the Louisiana Republican’s wishes.
Despite the obvious fact that Trump blindsided his ostensible congressional allies, Johnson added that he “wouldn’t call it a blindside.”
Will Trump change his mind again? Will GOP leaders convince him that he’s hurting them for no reason? Will the president ever understand that the votes simply aren’t there to pass his poorly named SAVE America Act? Watch this space.
June 24, 2026
Hegseth is a real asshole who hates real heroes
Hegseth thwarted internal efforts to extend key Army general's career
Gen. Christopher Donahue, seen as a top warfighter, is the latest apparent casualty in a purge of senior military leaders by the Trump administration.
https://x.com/washingtonpost/status/2069856896731779198
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/06/24/effort-extend-army-generals-career-falls-flat-with-hegseth/
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stonewalled a behind-the-scenes effort within the Army and on Capitol Hill to extend the career of an influential general, people familiar with the matter said, leading to that officer submitting retirement paperwork and preparing to step down.
Gen. Christopher Donahue, head of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, will leave his role on July 2 after an unusually brief 18-month tenure, these people said, some speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters. Hegseth’s move has exasperated some Army officials, considering Donahue’s background as a highly regarded Special Operations commander and the secretary’s stated focus on making the military more lethal.
“He’s singularly our best warfighter at every level,” one retired senior Army officer said of Donahue.
The general’s expected departure makes him the latest apparent casualty in Hegseth’s purge of senior military leaders whom the secretary has deemed insufficiently loyal to the Trump administration or branded “woke” for their past defense of diversity initiatives.
Hegseth has fired or otherwise removed dozens of generals and admirals, often without specifying a reason. In April, the Army’s top officer, Gen. Randy George, and two other generals were forced into retirement. The administration has not yet nominated anyone for those roles.
Gen. Christopher Donahue, head of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, will leave his role on July 2 after an unusually brief 18-month tenure, these people said, some speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters. Hegseth’s move has exasperated some Army officials, considering Donahue’s background as a highly regarded Special Operations commander and the secretary’s stated focus on making the military more lethal.
“He’s singularly our best warfighter at every level,” one retired senior Army officer said of Donahue.
The general’s expected departure makes him the latest apparent casualty in Hegseth’s purge of senior military leaders whom the secretary has deemed insufficiently loyal to the Trump administration or branded “woke” for their past defense of diversity initiatives.
Hegseth has fired or otherwise removed dozens of generals and admirals, often without specifying a reason. In April, the Army’s top officer, Gen. Randy George, and two other generals were forced into retirement. The administration has not yet nominated anyone for those roles.
Hegseth is a real asshole who hates real heroes
June 24, 2026
https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/2026/06/24/judge-asks-kennedy-center-explain-tarps-covering-building
Pilgrims have journeyed to the Kennedy Center over the past week and a half hoping to see proof that President Donald Trump’s name is gone from the building’s exterior. They’ve all left frustrated, many with the same question: Why is the tarp-covered scaffolding still up, 11 days after crews used it to take Trump’s name down?
This judge is not happy
Judge asks the Kennedy Center to explain tarps covering the building
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper also pressed the center to answer the core question about its future: Will it stay open during two years of renovations?
Judge asks the Kennedy Center to explain tarps covering the building
— Jan McVicker (@jmcvicker.bsky.social) 2026-06-24T16:51:58.327Z
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper also pressed the center to answer the core question about its future: Will it stay open during two years of renovations?
www.washingtonpost.com/style/2026/0...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/2026/06/24/judge-asks-kennedy-center-explain-tarps-covering-building
Pilgrims have journeyed to the Kennedy Center over the past week and a half hoping to see proof that President Donald Trump’s name is gone from the building’s exterior. They’ve all left frustrated, many with the same question: Why is the tarp-covered scaffolding still up, 11 days after crews used it to take Trump’s name down?
Now a federal judge is asking the same thing — and has directed the Kennedy Center to give an answer.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper on Wednesday ordered the center’s board of trustees to file updates about the tarp-covered scaffolding and the center’s plans for maintaining operations and arts programming after July 5, the date it had intended to close for two years of renovations.
On May 29, Cooper ruled that the Trump-aligned trustees had illegally voted to rename the center, which Congress had exclusively named after the assassinated President John F. Kennedy, and ordered Trump’s name be erased from official materials within two weeks. On June 12, a 14-member crew erected scaffolding to comply with the deadline. The workers missed it, taking down the letters around 3 a.m. on June 13, and the center’s lawyers confirmed in a court filing later that morning that the work was done.
But the center left the scaffolding and tarps in place. Barricades staffed by security guards have kept people from approaching and blocked any view of the exterior.
In a statement last week, Kennedy Center spokeswoman Roma Daravi said the tarps and scaffolding “will remain up as crews address maintenance needs of the marble and soffit panels.”
On Monday, The Washington Post obtained photos showing the first public look at the facade since the name came down.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper on Wednesday ordered the center’s board of trustees to file updates about the tarp-covered scaffolding and the center’s plans for maintaining operations and arts programming after July 5, the date it had intended to close for two years of renovations.
On May 29, Cooper ruled that the Trump-aligned trustees had illegally voted to rename the center, which Congress had exclusively named after the assassinated President John F. Kennedy, and ordered Trump’s name be erased from official materials within two weeks. On June 12, a 14-member crew erected scaffolding to comply with the deadline. The workers missed it, taking down the letters around 3 a.m. on June 13, and the center’s lawyers confirmed in a court filing later that morning that the work was done.
But the center left the scaffolding and tarps in place. Barricades staffed by security guards have kept people from approaching and blocked any view of the exterior.
In a statement last week, Kennedy Center spokeswoman Roma Daravi said the tarps and scaffolding “will remain up as crews address maintenance needs of the marble and soffit panels.”
On Monday, The Washington Post obtained photos showing the first public look at the facade since the name came down.
This judge is not happy
June 24, 2026
Trump Blames Vandals for Reflecting Pool Problems. Internal Records Tell Another Story. (New York Times Gift Article)
The documents do not indicate that the peeling blue coating and algae blooms were caused intentionally.
https://x.com/lookner/status/2069550592872140983
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/23/us/trump-reflecting-pool-green-peeling.html?unlocked_article_code=1.sVA.nyXA.mp2GBJl0wRbk&smid=url-share
President Trump says the peeling blue coating and algae blooms that mar his $16.4 million renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool are the fault of vandals working with “knives” in the “dark of night.”
But government documents obtained by The New York Times show that while National Park Service workers found two cuts in sections of foam between the pool’s expansion joints, those were not directly related to the “American flag blue” coating that is now peeling, or to the algae that has turned the pool a bright shade of green.
Even as the documents show workers were attempting to address deteriorating conditions, Trump administration officials were insisting publicly that the pool was pristine.
The pool had been drained, resealed and then refilled by June 5. Four days later, Park Service workers discovered holes, cracks and peeling caulking in parts of the pool, along with cuts in sections of the foam, according to the documents.
The cause of the cuts was unclear. While a June 9 report by the U.S. Park Police described the cuts as “razor blade slashes” made along a 20-foot-long stretch of the foam, the administration has yet to present evidence supporting that assertion. The documents reviewed by The Times described them as two 171-foot blade cuts but did not address how they were made.
By June 16, workers had noticed that chunks of blue sealant that covered the pool’s bottom were peeling and floating to the surface, the documents show. That sealant was separate from the foam in the pool’s expansion joints, which allow its concrete slabs to expand and contract.
The workers had also discovered that some devices installed to kill algae were not working as intended, according to the documents. And enormous algae blooms had turned portions of the pool bright green instead of dark blue.....
Though Mr. Trump claimed vandals dumped fertilizer in the pool, his administration refilled it with D.C. municipal water, which is treated with phosphate to keep lead from leaching out of old pipes. But phosphate also provides nutrients for algae, as do droppings from ducks swimming in the pool.
Anthony Flett, the chief executive of U.S. Coating Specialists, a Florida-based company that specializes in waterproofing coatings, reviewed the documents at the request of The Times. He wouldn’t dismiss vandalism, but said it appeared that the sealant may be peeling off because not enough material was applied.
“I don’t want to totally blame the vandalism,” he said. “If they put more material down, maybe none of this would be an issue.”
“There’s people in the pool industry whose whole life is polyurea, and they should have been called in,” Mr. Flett said. “They should have been there to watch over the project to make sure that these failures weren’t prevalent. I think it was just done too hastily.”
But government documents obtained by The New York Times show that while National Park Service workers found two cuts in sections of foam between the pool’s expansion joints, those were not directly related to the “American flag blue” coating that is now peeling, or to the algae that has turned the pool a bright shade of green.
Even as the documents show workers were attempting to address deteriorating conditions, Trump administration officials were insisting publicly that the pool was pristine.
The pool had been drained, resealed and then refilled by June 5. Four days later, Park Service workers discovered holes, cracks and peeling caulking in parts of the pool, along with cuts in sections of the foam, according to the documents.
The cause of the cuts was unclear. While a June 9 report by the U.S. Park Police described the cuts as “razor blade slashes” made along a 20-foot-long stretch of the foam, the administration has yet to present evidence supporting that assertion. The documents reviewed by The Times described them as two 171-foot blade cuts but did not address how they were made.
By June 16, workers had noticed that chunks of blue sealant that covered the pool’s bottom were peeling and floating to the surface, the documents show. That sealant was separate from the foam in the pool’s expansion joints, which allow its concrete slabs to expand and contract.
The workers had also discovered that some devices installed to kill algae were not working as intended, according to the documents. And enormous algae blooms had turned portions of the pool bright green instead of dark blue.....
Though Mr. Trump claimed vandals dumped fertilizer in the pool, his administration refilled it with D.C. municipal water, which is treated with phosphate to keep lead from leaching out of old pipes. But phosphate also provides nutrients for algae, as do droppings from ducks swimming in the pool.
Anthony Flett, the chief executive of U.S. Coating Specialists, a Florida-based company that specializes in waterproofing coatings, reviewed the documents at the request of The Times. He wouldn’t dismiss vandalism, but said it appeared that the sealant may be peeling off because not enough material was applied.
“I don’t want to totally blame the vandalism,” he said. “If they put more material down, maybe none of this would be an issue.”
“There’s people in the pool industry whose whole life is polyurea, and they should have been called in,” Mr. Flett said. “They should have been there to watch over the project to make sure that these failures weren’t prevalent. I think it was just done too hastily.”
June 24, 2026
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/army-general-steps-down-hegseth-pentagon-purge
MaddowBlog-Army general abruptly steps down as Hegseth's Pentagon purge intensifies
Gen. Chris Donahue was described as “the latest casualty” in the defense secretary’s “purge of the military’s senior ranks.”
As Gen. Chris Donahue, commander of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, joins the ranks of leaders involuntarily exiting the military, Pete Hegseth’s purge deserves to be seen as a genuine scandal.
— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-06-24T13:05:47.412Z
www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/army-general-steps-down-hegseth-pentagon-purge
In the years that followed, the general took on other high-profile duties, becoming the head of Army forces in Europe and Africa. He was also widely seen as the next chief of staff of the Army. This week, however, Donahue’s career became notable for a very different reason. The Hill reported:
An Army spokesperson soon after confirmed Donahue’s departure in an official statement, thanking the general “for his leadership of U.S. Army Europe and Africa.”
While military leaders retire with some regularity, there’s reason to believe that Donahue’s decision — announced after just 18 months in his position — was not altogether voluntary. CBS News, citing multiple sources, reported that the general exited the military after a lengthy and decorated career because he had “earned the ire of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.”....
In fact, the New York Times reported in November that Hegseth had fired or sidelined dozens of officials “with little explanation,” creating “an atmosphere of anxiety and mistrust” within the department. Politico published a similar report the month before, noting that the secretary’s firings have “injected a fresh wave of fear into the Pentagon over the cost of speaking up and who might be next.”
Early last year, five former defense secretaries, including retired Gen. Jim Mattis, Donald Trump’s first defense secretary, condemned the pattern of firings as “reckless.” In a joint letter, addressed to Congress, they asked the House and Senate to hold “immediate hearings to assess the national security implications” of the dismissals.
Hegseth and the administration appear to have ignored those concerns; the purge is still going on; and GOP leaders on Capitol Hill have scheduled no such hearings.
Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, who served as a Marine officer in Iraq and now serves on the House Armed Services Committee, spoke to Politico about Hegseth’s purges, which the congressman described as politically motivated.
“That’s a recipe not just for a politicized military, but an authoritarian military,” Moulton said. “That’s the way militaries work in Russia and China and North Korea.”....
For his part, Hegseth recently defended the pattern during congressional testimony, telling lawmakers who asked about his personnel purge, “Under Barack Obama, 197 general officers were removed. So this is not something specific to this administration.”
We learned soon after that the statistic the secretary cited was entirely made up and had no basis in fact.
Gen. Chris Donahue, commander of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, submitted his paperwork to retire after a little over a year in his position, a Pentagon official told The Hill.
The Pentagon official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal military deliberations.
An Army spokesperson soon after confirmed Donahue’s departure in an official statement, thanking the general “for his leadership of U.S. Army Europe and Africa.”
While military leaders retire with some regularity, there’s reason to believe that Donahue’s decision — announced after just 18 months in his position — was not altogether voluntary. CBS News, citing multiple sources, reported that the general exited the military after a lengthy and decorated career because he had “earned the ire of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.”....
In fact, the New York Times reported in November that Hegseth had fired or sidelined dozens of officials “with little explanation,” creating “an atmosphere of anxiety and mistrust” within the department. Politico published a similar report the month before, noting that the secretary’s firings have “injected a fresh wave of fear into the Pentagon over the cost of speaking up and who might be next.”
Early last year, five former defense secretaries, including retired Gen. Jim Mattis, Donald Trump’s first defense secretary, condemned the pattern of firings as “reckless.” In a joint letter, addressed to Congress, they asked the House and Senate to hold “immediate hearings to assess the national security implications” of the dismissals.
Hegseth and the administration appear to have ignored those concerns; the purge is still going on; and GOP leaders on Capitol Hill have scheduled no such hearings.
Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, who served as a Marine officer in Iraq and now serves on the House Armed Services Committee, spoke to Politico about Hegseth’s purges, which the congressman described as politically motivated.
“That’s a recipe not just for a politicized military, but an authoritarian military,” Moulton said. “That’s the way militaries work in Russia and China and North Korea.”....
For his part, Hegseth recently defended the pattern during congressional testimony, telling lawmakers who asked about his personnel purge, “Under Barack Obama, 197 general officers were removed. So this is not something specific to this administration.”
We learned soon after that the statistic the secretary cited was entirely made up and had no basis in fact.
June 24, 2026
https://www.rawstory.com/todd-blanche-2677088680/
Todd Blanche faces 'unusual' and 'unique' complaint that may actually stick: ex-prosecutor
This is a very well written complaint that is backed up with a ton of examples of unethical practices and conduct. Blanche needs to be disbarred.
Todd Blanche faces 'unusual' and 'unique' complaint that may actually stick: ex-prosecutor #RawStory
— #TuckFrump (@realtuckfrumper.bsky.social) 2026-06-24T12:53:04.000Z
https://www.rawstory.com/todd-blanche-2677088680/
One hundred and one former judges have asked the New York State Bar to investigate Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche for ethics violations — and legal experts say this complaint is different from the ones that went nowhere against his predecessors.
The complaint, filed by Democracy Defenders Fund and Lawyers Defending American Democracy, targets Blanche on three fronts: his role in the Trump v. IRS settlement, his use of DOJ authority to pursue political enemies of his former client Donald Trump, and his handling of the Epstein files release, including a Ghislaine Maxwell interview that raised conflict-of-interest concerns.
Bar complaints against sitting attorneys general are not new. Similar referrals against Eric Holder, Jeff Sessions, Bill Barr, and Pam Bondi all fizzled. But legal analyst Joyce Vance, a former U.S. attorney, argues the Blanche complaint is different in two key ways: the allegations are unusually serious, and the complaint comes before he has even been confirmed to the position.
"The American public deserves an Attorney General who serves the interests of the Nation, and not those of a single man," the complaint states.
Norm Eisen of Democracy Defenders Fund told Vance that Blanche "has fallen short again and again with the most serious consequences for vulnerable individuals and our nation."
Adding urgency is the fact that the DOJ earlier this year proposed a rule that would let the attorney general suspend state bar proceedings against current or former DOJ lawyers if an internal investigation is open. Critics called it a naked attempt to shield DOJ attorneys from outside accountability. The internal watchdog system at DOJ, they note, has effectively been dismantled under Trump.
The complaint, filed by Democracy Defenders Fund and Lawyers Defending American Democracy, targets Blanche on three fronts: his role in the Trump v. IRS settlement, his use of DOJ authority to pursue political enemies of his former client Donald Trump, and his handling of the Epstein files release, including a Ghislaine Maxwell interview that raised conflict-of-interest concerns.
Bar complaints against sitting attorneys general are not new. Similar referrals against Eric Holder, Jeff Sessions, Bill Barr, and Pam Bondi all fizzled. But legal analyst Joyce Vance, a former U.S. attorney, argues the Blanche complaint is different in two key ways: the allegations are unusually serious, and the complaint comes before he has even been confirmed to the position.
"The American public deserves an Attorney General who serves the interests of the Nation, and not those of a single man," the complaint states.
Norm Eisen of Democracy Defenders Fund told Vance that Blanche "has fallen short again and again with the most serious consequences for vulnerable individuals and our nation."
Adding urgency is the fact that the DOJ earlier this year proposed a rule that would let the attorney general suspend state bar proceedings against current or former DOJ lawyers if an internal investigation is open. Critics called it a naked attempt to shield DOJ attorneys from outside accountability. The internal watchdog system at DOJ, they note, has effectively been dismantled under Trump.
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