Today's Liberal News

David A. Graham

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.

A Supreme Court Decision That Might Improve Politics

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No sooner had the Supreme Court issued its opinion in a big campaign-finance case yesterday than my inbox began filling up with nongovernmental organizations and Democratic leaders decrying the ruling.
In the case, National Republican Senatorial Committee v.

A Watergate Every Week

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Back in 2016, before he converted to the MAGA cause, J. D. Vance was deeply wary of Donald Trump. He wrote to a law-school classmate that he went “back and forth between thinking Trump is a cynical asshole like Nixon who wouldn’t be that bad (and might even prove useful) or that he’s America’s Hitler.

What the Prairieland Prosecutions Reveal About Trump’s America

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Last July, a group of activists staged what they called a “noise demonstration” at ICE’s Prairieland Detention Facility, near Dallas. They shot off fireworks, damaged a surveillance camera, and vandalized government vehicles.

Trump’s No-Limits Presidency

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In an interview with The New York Times early this year, Donald Trump was asked, “Do you see any checks on your power on the world stage? Is there anything that could stop you if you wanted to?” “Yeah, there is one thing,” he said. “My own morality. My own mind.

Trump Can’t Spin His Way Out of His Two Latest Crises

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President Trump spent the weekend trying to calm the waters in Washington and roil them in the Persian Gulf.
Let’s begin with the less serious of these two self-inflicted crises.

Leave Your Airplane-Window Shades Open

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Photos of air travel in decades past can cause almost visceral pain for a modern flier. Faded or sepia images show sharply dressed people eating real food in spacious seats.

The Kennedy Center Is a Metaphor for De-Trumpification

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No event at the Kennedy Center in recent months has drawn as much anticipation in Washington as the removal of President Trump’s name from the building’s facade.

Why the Public Is Gravitating Toward the Hunter Biden Approach

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For some time, the Biden family standings were clear. Hunter, the ne’er-do-well son, resided in the basement. Joe, occasionally buffoonish but a successful and durable politician, sat in the middle.

Trump Thinks His Administration Is ‘Like Pirates’

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The U.S. Navy was born to fight piracy. After the Revolutionary War, the United States maintained no standing fleet, but attacks by the Barbary pirates—corsairs based in North Africa who preyed on American merchant ships and took sailors ransom—drove Congress to reestablish a navy in the 1790s.

Why Did Donald Trump Get So Suddenly Shy?

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For once in his life, Donald Trump wishes he was getting less attention.
“Iran really wants to make a deal, and it will be a good one for the U.S.A. and those that are with us,” the president posted this morning at 1:02.

The Brazenness of DOJ’s Reported Investigation of E. Jean Carroll

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No White House is immune to hypocrisy. What makes the Trump administration’s approach to justice so astonishing is not just the depth of the hypocrisy but its brazenness.
Last night, CNN reported that the Department of Justice is pursuing a criminal investigation against E.

“He May Be the Greatest Virtuoso That Jazz Has Ever Produced”

In August 1958, Esquire invited 58 jazz musicians to meet on a stoop in Harlem for a photo shoot. The resulting picture, now known as Harlem 1958, became legendary for collecting some of the genre’s greatest talents, stretching from the swing era (Count Basie, Gene Krupa) to the peaks of bebop (Charles Mingus, Dizzy Gillespie).

Why Trump Keeps Getting Rolled in Negotiations

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Donald Trump’s reputation and political career were built on his dealmaking prowess, yet the president keeps demonstrating that he is a terrible negotiator.
Repeatedly over the past nine years, Trump has gotten rolled by counterparts during high-stakes exchanges.

The Price of Trump’s Primary Wins

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Is Donald Trump strong or weak right now?
Usually, telling whether a president is up or down isn’t difficult, but the past few weeks have offered reasons to believe both.

Granting Tina Peters Clemency Is a Big Mistake

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Local election officials are the lifeblood of American democracy. They, and not the president or Congress, are most important for functional elections, and that’s what made Tina Peters’s crimes especially egregious.
Peters was the county clerk in Mesa County, Colorado, during the 2020 election.