Today's Liberal News

David A. Graham

The DOJ’s Collapsing Probe Into a Supposed Anti-Trump Conspiracy

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When President Trump returned to office last year, the administration had revenge on the agenda. First, the FBI purged agents who’d been involved in investigations into Trump while he was out of office.

The Problem With Trump’s New Taxpayer-Funded Ads

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Your tax dollars are at work—promoting Donald Trump to the American people.
In the past few days, two new ads appeared on some television channels. One, in black and white, features Trump walking down a hall and staring into the camera.

The Absences Haunting the Trump Administration

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Last week, the White House announced the withdrawal of Lance Schroyer, President Trump’s nominee to direct Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The Doomed Midterm Strategy Some Republicans Are Trying

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With the midterm elections just 40 days away, Republicans are running hard—many of them away from President Trump.

Can the Never-Trump Coalition Last?

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George F. Will joined The Washington Post when Richard Nixon was president, and he’s been espousing the same cerebral brand of conservatism twice a week ever since. His record doesn’t leave much room for surprise.

Why Democrats Might Choose to Impeach Cabinet Members

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If Democrats win control of the House in November, they will face a dilemma: Should they attempt a record third impeachment of Donald Trump?
The president and his allies have warned that this would be a Democratic majority’s first move. “I’m going to be impeached.

Kash Patel Refuses to Take a Republican’s Lifeline

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President Trump appointed Kash Patel to lead the FBI not because of his brief experience in law enforcement but because he is a political brawler.

Everything Trump Wants to Do Causes Inflation

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Just call it the Five-Grand Old Party. This week, at the Republican Party’s midterm faux-convention, President Trump announced something called (inevitably) the “Trump Dividend.” The premise is simple.

The MAGA Movement Is Splintering Without Charlie Kirk

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When Charlie Kirk was assassinated last September, many of his allies on the right memorialized him as a hero of free speech and the founder of an enduring political movement. Critics on the left tended to emphasize his long history of offensive remarks and dismiss him as little more than a troll.

The Vicious Cycle Trump May Restart

By the time he retired from the Marine Corps, in 1931, Major General Smedley Butler had served in Mexico, Haiti, Cuba, the Philippines, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and China. It was the golden age of American imperialism, and Butler was one of its golden boys, among the most decorated fighters in U.S. history.
But over time, Butler began to have doubts about what he was doing. “I spent 33 years and 4 months in active service,” he wrote in 1935.

Why the Flock Backlash Has Gotten So Intense

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As corporate names go, Flock is cleverly flexible. It evokes the many cameras that compose the company’s surveillance system and also a group of sheep, protected by a watchful shepherd.

Trump’s Hatred of Free Speech Is Intensifying

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Desensitization is one of Donald Trump’s most powerful tools: Through repetition, he acclimates Americans to troubling and dangerous ideas. Occasionally, though, his statements and actions are so outrageous that they can still provide a shock.

The Transcendence of Dolly Parton

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Dolly Parton transcended.
It almost didn’t matter what: class, gender, region, musical genre, partisanship. She transcended boundaries in all of them.

Trump Is Losing Touch With the Public

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One of the few issues that unites voters and politicians of both parties right now is data centers. Three-quarters of Americans would oppose a data center being built near where they live, according to a new poll released last week by Heatmap Pro and Embold Research.

Thank You for Your Inattention to This Matter

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One of Donald Trump’s current favorite riffs is to contrast how (in his opinion) the United States was seen under his predecessor, Joe Biden, and how it’s seen now.
“They didn’t respect us two years ago. They laughed at us. NATO laughed at us.

A Stubbornly Naive Group of GOP Senators

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For many observers of American politics, the past few years have been disillusioning, knocking down hopeful beliefs about what the people of the United States will support or tolerate. Even some of Donald Trump’s backers have become disaffected.

Trump Is at Odds With His Own Administration—And With Reality

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A memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States, reached in June and intended to provide breathing room to end the conflict between the two countries, expired today.

Trump’s Déjà-Vu Moment on Birthright Citizenship

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If at first you don’t succeed, appeal to a higher federal court. And if you even lose at the Supreme Court … just try again anyway.
This seems to be President Trump’s approach to limiting birthright citizenship.

Mike Johnson Would Prefer Not To

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This morning, House Speaker Mike Johnson finally broke his silence on the scandal engulfing Representative Max Miller of Ohio. Well, sort of—Johnson didn’t have much to say.
“I haven’t spoken to Max about this in the last few days. Of course, I will,” he told Politico.

Americans Are Turning on Trump

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Fundamental realignments in the way Americans vote are rare, but predictions that they have occurred are not. Nearly as soon as Donald Trump was declared the winner of the presidential race in November 2024, people started saying the election represented a new era.

The Trump Administration Tells the Truth

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In a court filing earlier this month, a government lawyer did something radical: He laid out the truth in plain English.

The War That Shall Not Be Named

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Last week, the Pentagon quietly lowered the death toll of the war with Iran from 18 to 14. This wasn’t happy news about an initial miscount but a sketchy accounting trick.

Five Theories of the Jon Ossoff Moment

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Everyone should be as lucky in their adversaries as Jon Ossoff. On Wednesday, President Trump held a rally in Marietta, Georgia, where he attacked the Democratic senator—or rather, he tried.
“Jon Ossoff, he’s terrible,” Trump said. “He reminds me of Pinky Herman.

North Carolina’s Threat to Legal Assistance for the Poor

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When Hurricane Helene hit western North Carolina in September 2024, it left behind it a trail of death and destruction—and a huge number of legal headaches.

J. D. Vance Isn’t a Fool. Why Does He Act Like One?

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When J. D. Vance announced the title of his new book, some bookworms noticed a curious convergence. The vice president’s first book is Hillbilly Elegy, a title that closely parallels Appalachian Elegy, a poetry collection by the radical Black feminist author bell hooks.

Trump Is Caught in the Trap He Set

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You could, if you were so inclined, tell a story of the Donald Trump era via memes. Pepe the Frog, “This Is Fine” Dog, “Covfefe,” Leopards Eating People’s Faces—things of that nature.

Todd Blanche’s War Against Journalism

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On Wednesday, Todd Blanche will head to Capitol Hill for hearings on his nomination to be U.S. attorney general.

The Supreme Court Ruling That Further Politicizes Everyday Life

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In recent years, ABC’s daytime talk show The View has become an essential stop for top-level politicians. Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, J. D. Vance, and Hillary Clinton are among the many to have visited.

FIFA Is a Cautionary Tale for Trump

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This evening, the U.S. Men’s National Team will take on Belgium in a World Cup Round of 16 match in Seattle. Much to U.S.A. fans’ relief, and to Belgians’ chagrin, the team will have the services of the striker Folarin Balogun.
The star player was sent off during last week’s U.S.A.

The Father of American Pop Music Turns 200

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Two-hundred years ago, on July 4, 1826, the United States celebrated its 50th birthday. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died. And another enduring voice was born: the songwriter Stephen Foster.
The timing is fitting, for Foster is a quintessentially American figure.