Trump and Zelenskyy are about to have one seriously awkward meeting

Posted on by Morgan Stephens

President Donald Trump is set to meet face-to-face with the man he’s repeatedly trashed online. During his first Cabinet meeting, Trump confirmed that he would meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenkskyy on Friday, during his visit to Washington, D.C. And it’s sure to be uncomfortable to watch after his awkward bilateral with French President Emmanuel Macron earlier this week. 

Trump said the session with Zelenskyy aims to solidify a deal that would give the U.S. $500 billion worth of Ukraine’s rare earth mineral rights in return for financial and military support. 

Trump has used his first month in office to push false pro-Kremlin narratives about the cause of the war in Ukraine, saying that Russia did not invade and Ukraine “should have never started it.” 

While the details of the negotiation remain unclear, Zelenskyy told reporters he’ll review the deal’s draft text. He said the text should include a line guaranteeing “security guarantees for Ukraine” from future Russian attacks—a critical point given Trump’s recent history of wavering on U.S. commitments to Ukraine and cozying up to Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

Puti and Trump sure seem chummy.

“Of course, this agreement is about economics. But I asked for there to be at least an understanding that we are seeing things the same way and that all of it is part of future security guarantees,” said Zelenskyy at a news conference on Wednesday, later adding, “My question will be very direct: if the United States will stop support or not? Can we buy weapons? If it’s not aid, can we buy weapons directly from the United States?”

When Trump was asked plainly by reporters earlier on Monday, the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, if he thought Putin was a dictator, Trump couldn’t muster the words. 

“I don't use those words lightly,” he said instead. 

But Trump has more than just a recent history of parroting Russian talking points. 

He’s gone on despicable tirades against Zelenskyy online, calling him a “dictator” on Truth Social and siding with Russia on its desire to rejoin the esteemed G7 forum. In an unprecedented move on Monday, the U.S. voted with Moscow-friendly nations at the United Nations against a resolution to condemn Russia for the war in Ukraine. 

During his first term in office, Trump called Ukraine “corrupt.”

The last time Zelenskyy and Trump met in person was in September 2019 at the U.N. Their “improper” quid pro quo phone call in July 2019 led to Trump’s first impeachment. Zelenskyy visited the White House in September during Joe Biden’s administration only a month before the election took place.

“Support for our state and people guarantees of peace and security—this is the key to ensuring that Russia will no longer destroy the lives of other nations,” Zelenskyy said in an address to the Ukrainian people on Wednesday. “I will meet with President Trump. For me and for all of us in the world, it is crucial that America’s assistance is not stopped.”

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Lindsey Graham wants to rewrite the Constitution to suck up to Trump

Posted on by Morgan Stephens

On Sunday, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, a sycophant to President-elect Donald Trump, praised Trump's push to end birthright citizenship.

“We are one of a handful of countries in the world that allows birthright citizenship,” Graham said in his post. “If you’re born in the United States, you’re automatically an American citizen. This and birth tourism from developed countries like China have become one of the biggest magnets for illegal immigration.”

“I have introduced legislation to end birthright citizenship, and I’m now working on a constitutional amendment to put an end to this practice once and for all,” Graham added.

To end birthright citizenship would mean amending the U.S. Constitution, whose 14th Amendment guarantees citizenship to “[a]ll persons born or naturalized in the United States.” For a new constitutional amendment to take effect, it needs to be passed by a two-thirds majority vote in each chamber of Congress as well as ratified by 38 of 50 state legislatures.

Graham’s comments followed Trump’s Sunday appearance on NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” where he declared he would move to end birthright citizenship.

“We’re going to end that because it’s ridiculous,” Trump said in the interview. “We’re the only country that has it, you know.”

Trump’s claim that America is the only country with birthright citizenship is false. More than 30 countries have it, according to a 2018 report by the Library of Congress. However, that mattered little to Graham, who was focused on how it “cheapens” American citizenship. 

"I believe legal immigration is important to our economy and future," Graham continued. "However, birthright citizenship and birth tourism … cheapen American citizenship." 

He concluded with his usual flair: "I look forward to working with President Trump to go beyond his executive order and end this disastrous policy once and for all."

Such a move would directly challenge the landmark 1868 Supreme Court decision in United States v. Wong Kim Ark, which upheld the 14th Amendment’s guarantee of full citizenship to anyone born on U.S. soil, regardless of their parent's immigration or citizenship status.

Graham has long advocated for ending birthright citizenship. In 2018, during Trump’s first term, he said, “Finally, a president willing to take on this absurd policy of birthright citizenship. And in a series of posts railing against the constitutionally protected right, he declared his plans to introduce legislation in the Senate. 

This past September, he did just that. 

“This legislation will change the laws that exist today,” he said in a press conference announcing his bill, the Birthright Citizenship Act of 2024. “There’s an 1898 Supreme Court ruling that basically suggested that if you’re born in America, you’re automatically a citizen. I do not believe that is a sound policy to have, and the Supreme Court will revisit this if challenged.”

This push to end birthright citizenship comes on the heels of a 2020 Trump administration policy that sought to curb “birth tourism”—a purported practice where foreign nationals travel to the U.S. to give birth, hoping their child will be granted American citizenship. Through the State Department, the Trump administration restricted access to temporary visitor visas for foreign nationals hoping to give birth on American soil, though the administration didn’t provide a clear explanation of how it might know the intentions of pregnant travelers. (It also exempted 39 countries, most in Europe, from the rule.)

Graham’s relationship with Trump has been, to put it mildly, a rollercoaster. 

In 2015, amid the Republican presidential primary, Graham called Trump a “jackass,” and Trump called Graham an “idiot.” 

Eventually, Graham and Trump developed a friendship over their shared disdain for the Affordable Care Act. Since Trump’s first term, Graham has often aligned himself with Trump, from calling Trump’s impeachment hearings a witch hunt, to publicly defending Trump in the media. 

However, earlier this year, the relationship hit a rough patch after Trump reportedly refused to back a federal abortion ban, leading to some reported tension between the two. Yet Graham has remained a staunch supporter of Trump’s immigration policy—one of the agendas that swayed American voters to catapult him back into the White House. 

By challenging the 14th Amendment, Graham and Trump are not just targeting immigration policy—they’re aiming to rewrite what it means to be an American.

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Democratic leaders show how to lose with grace—unlike, well, you know

Posted on by Morgan Stephens

Democratic leaders are taking the high road in the wake of Vice President Kamala Harris’ defeat at the polls, but reminding Americans that the fight is far from over. 

President Joe Biden addressed a grieving nation from the White House Rose Garden on Thursday, and stayed true to America’s democratic values. 

“I’ll fulfill my oath. I will honor the Constitution. On Jan. 20th, we’ll have a peaceful transfer of power here in America”, Biden said. 

This is the first presidential election since the Jan. 6th insurrection that then-President Donald Trump encouraged as he tried to overturn the results of the 2020 election while claiming voter fraud. Millions of Americans are once again mourning the possibility of America’s first woman president—along with the daunting reality of Trump’s second term in the White House. 

“You’re hurting. I hear you, and I see you,” Biden said. 

But he had a pep talk for the disillusioned.

“Setbacks are unavoidable, but giving up is unforgivable,” he said. “We all get knocked down. But the measure of our character, as my dad would say, is how quickly we get back up. Remember, defeat does not mean we are defeated. We lost this battle. The America of your dreams is calling for you to get back up.”

During her 12-minute concession speech at Howard University on Wednesday, Harris also encouraged a peaceful transfer of power in the wake of her loss to Trump.

“We must accept the results of this election,” she said.

She also had a message of resilience.

“Don’t you ever listen when anyone tells you something is impossible because it has never been done before,” said Harris, the first woman of color to ascend as a nominee for president. “You have the capacity to do extraordinary good in the world. And so to everyone who is watching, do not despair. This is not a time to throw up our hands. This is a time to roll up our sleeves.”

Former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama posted a joint statement on X on Wednesday that exuded grace. 

"This is obviously not the outcome we had hoped for, given our profound disagreements with the Republican ticket on a whole host of issues," they wrote. "But living in a democracy is about recognizing that our point of view won't always win out, and being willing to accept the peaceful transfer of power." 

They praised Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, as “two extraordinary public servants who ran a remarkable campaign.”

Here's our statement on the results of the 2024 presidential election: pic.twitter.com/lDkNVQDvMn

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) November 6, 2024

Former Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, also released a joint statement on X Wednesday. 

“We wish them well and hope they will govern for all of us,” they said about Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance. “We must remember that America is bigger than the results of any one election, and what we as citizens do now will make the difference between a nation that moves forward and one that falls back.”

Our statement on the result of the 2024 election. pic.twitter.com/1YYdGElPMP

— Bill Clinton (@BillClinton) November 6, 2024

“The Daily Show” host Jon Stewart gave a hopeful, rousing speech to his audience on election night when it became clear that Trump was going to win. 

“We have to continue to fight and continue to work, day in and day out, to create the better society for our children, for this world, for this country, that we know is possible,” Stewart said. “It's possible.”

As painful as this election was for many, this moment calls not for despair, but determination. And while leaders called for strength and patience, some Democratic voters felt compelled to express their understandable anger and frustration.

“Americans chose a known, obvious fascist and now America will get whatever this wannabe dictator wants to enact from here on in,” The White Stripes musician Jack White posted on Instagram. “We all know what he is capable of: Project 2025, deportations, nationwide abortion ban, ending his own 2 term limit, backing Putin and his war, shutting down the Board of Education, adding to climate change, limiting LGBTQ rights, controlling the DOJ, keeping the minimum wage down, etc. etc. etc.”

Singer-songwriter Ethel Cain sounded an equally furious note on her Tumblr page.

“If you voted for Trump, I hope that peace never finds you,” she wrote. “Instead, I hope clarity strikes you someday like a clap of lightning and you have to live the rest of your life with the knowledge and guilt of what you’ve done and who you are as a person.”

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With GOP poised to take the Senate, Democrats must do this to stop them

Posted on by Morgan Stephens

Every vote matters—more than ever. 

The latest poll from Siena College for The New York Times suggests Republicans are on track to retake the Senate, with their candidates leading in Montana—which is held by Democratic Sen. Jon Tester—as well as in Florida and Texas, Democrats’ two best pickup opportunities. 

With the retirement of Sen. Joe Manchin, Republicans are all but sure to nab his seat in dark-red West Virginia. If this poll’s results bear out, Democrats’ 51-49 Senate majority would slip to a 49-51 minority, assuming they win in every other contested Senate seat they currently hold.

This should energize every Democrat to get out to vote and drive turnout to record levels. And there’s some evidence that may already be happening.

In Montana, Tester faces Republican Tim Sheehy, a political newcomer. The Donald Trump-esque play of presenting nonexpertise as being a “political outsider” appears to have resonated in the Big Sky State. The Times poll shows Tester down 8 percentage points, with 44% to Sheehy’s 52% among likely voters. However, 538’s polling average shows a closer race, with Sheehy ahead by 5.4 points.

Losing this seat and Manchin’s would effectively halt the agenda of a President Kamala Harris if she were elected this year. It would slow down cabinet appointments or force her to use acting secretaries. It would enable politicized impeachment trials if Republicans also held their House majority. Perhaps most consequently of all, a Republican Senate majority would be able to swat down any of Harris’ potential Supreme Court nominees.

Given Tester’s long odds of holding his seat, Democrats turn to their two best Senate pickup opportunities: Texas and Florida. 

Vying for his third term, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz lead’s Democrat Colin Allred by 4 points, 48% to 44% percent, in what the Times calls Democrats’ “best opportunity” for flipping a seat. The poll’s result is in line with 538’s polling average for the race, which shows Cruz ahead by 3.6 points.

In Florida, Republican Sen. Rick Scott holds a large 9-point lead over Democrat Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, 49% to 40%. That being said, 538’s polling average shows a tighter race, with Scott half that lead, at 4.5 points. 

As Daily Kos reported in September, polls are not election results, and because of that, “they can be changed by donating, mobilizing, and voting for Democratic candidates.”

Turnout is already breaking records. In New Mexico, early voting indicates a historic level of turnout. The same goes for Ohio, whose most populous county saw a higher level of first-day early voting this year than in 2016. Ohio is also where Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown is fighting to keep his seat. 538’s polling average shows him leading by 2.3 points.

But Democrats need to keep the momentum. Mobilizing their voters will be crucial in not only defending vulnerable seats but also expanding their majority where possible. Grassroots efforts, shoe-leather canvassing, and targeted outreach can make a difference in galvanizing support and turnout.

You can help turn out the vote for the election by simply chatting to your neighbors. This is a cool one! Click here to sign up for Daily Kos/Indivisible’s Neighbor2Neighbor get-out-the-vote program.

House GOP’s latest attempt to cling to power is just so lazy

Posted on by Morgan Stephens

Members of Congress are heading home for the final reelection sprint, and you can almost hear the scurrying footsteps as Republican lawmakers flee from their duties. They’re vacating the Capitol earlier than usual, and that’s not a shock. As Daily Kos reported, House Republicans have trouble with actual governing—but when it comes to vindictive “investigations,” their energy is endless

This exodus will take place after a Wednesday night House vote on a funding bill that will keep the government open through Dec. 20. The continuing resolution is expected to pass, but it’s worth keeping an eye on which Republicans vote against it—and why, other than to throw spokes in the wheels of legislative efficiency. 

Congress will return after the November election to a long to-do list, including annual defense authorization funding, a farm bill that needs extending, and tax and health care provisions that need finalizing. As Punchbowl News writes, “all of this is being left undone as lawmakers head home to take care of their ultimate must-have—getting reelected.” 

But instead of focusing on, you know, keeping the government running, the House GOP is going after President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and a Cabinet member. 

On Wednesday, the Republican-led House Oversight Committee announced it is investigating the Biden-Harris administration for flying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Pennsylvania ahead of the 2024 presidential election, alleging that he was in effect campaigning for Harris.

“If the Biden-Harris Administration attempted to use a foreign leader to benefit the Vice President’s presidential campaign, this is an abuse of power and misuse of taxpayer dollars,” the committee wrote in a statement on X. 

Another misuse of taxpayer dollars would be to use them to fund futile investigations, hearings, and impeachment efforts. 

The fractured and feckless House GOP has more lofty plans when Congress comes back in November: Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Michael McCaul on Tuesday announced a resolution to hold Secretary of State Antony Blinken in contempt of Congress for not appearing before the committee on days when Blinken was in Egypt, France, and at the United Nations General Assembly doing his actual job. The committee demanded that Blinken show up to testify on the United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The full House could vote to hold Blinken in contempt of Congress, and kick it up to the Justice Department. That seems like an important objective when their efforts to impeach Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, Attorney General Merrick Garland, and Biden all went nowhere. 

Republicans’ focus on all the wrong issues highlights their struggle to show Americans that they are actually working to improve their lives. However, this hasn’t stopped them from resorting to familiar obstructionist tactics. 

While Wednesday’s stopgap government spending bill may have the votes, the future remains uncertain. House Speaker Mike Johnson has promised to torpedo the so-called Christmas omnibus bill, which has historically been used to fund the government in one fell swoop. His obstinance means Congress members may not be able to return home in time for the holidays. Bah humbug.

“There won’t be a Christmas omnibus,” Johnson vowed at a Tuesday press conference.

As Americans struggle with a housing affordability crisis, slashed reproductive rights, and high food costs, Republicans are running fool’s errands as they keep targeting Biden and administration officials who will be out of office come January. 

Who needs to fund the government anyway?