Wednesday, October 22, 2025
Good morning, and welcome to RedState's "Morning Minute" — a brief glimpse at which stories are trending at the moment and a look ahead at what the day may bring. Consider this your one-stop shop for news to kickstart your day.
TOP O' THE MORNIN'
Red-Hot at RedState
According to Hunter, that moment singularly enraged him beyond comprehension. So much so that he almost launched a profane tirade against Obama, got in his face, and threatened him.
"I knew that that was going to be a meme," Hunter says in the book, according to Axios. "That really, really, really, really pissed me off."
Republicans Will Extend Obamacare Subsidies
These are all fine ideas, but the reality will be that Democrats will get an extension of pandemic-era welfare while Republicans will get the talking point of reforming the program. Ronald Reagan said back in 1986 that “The nearest thing to eternal life we will ever see on this earth is a government program.”
Another Woke Industry Is Coming to a Screeching Halt in the Age of Trump
DEI is fading away so fast that not only are DEI positions disappearing, but listing a DEI-related position on your resume may be the kiss of death when it comes to future corporate employment.
Trending Across Townhall Media
Gun World Buzzing Over Glock's Decision to Discontinue Dozens of Models
The new design may have a bigger impact on legislative efforts targeting Glocks, however; not only in California, but in states like Illinois and New York where there are bills similar to AB 1127 that have yet to win final approval from lawmakers.
Karine Jean-Pierre's Book Tour Landing With a Thud
John Kirby, for all his flaws, was miles better than she at the job, but pale skin, gonads, and bland heterosexuality burdened him.
Wait — a Majority of Americans Want the Government Shutdown to CONTINUE?
No, it doesn’t make any sense. But it doesn’t have to: This is what their base wants!
Which means the Democrats have zero incentive to negotiate. Which means the shutdown will go on and on, with no end in sight.
With Thanksgiving on the horizon, the ABC News host tried to say that turkey prices were through the roof, but Furner noted that turkey prices are at their lowest since 2019.
Ooh, We Got a Tough Guy Here: Hakeem Jeffries Warns the Right to 'Watch How You Talk About Me'
Trying to intimidate people into silence isn't really a laughing matter.
WHAT'S ON TAP?
Today on Capitol Hill...
We're on Day 22 of the Schumer Shutdown. Vote number 12 on the clean continuing resolution to fund and reopen the government is set for Wednesday afternoon. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) has been railing against the Trump administration on the Senate floor for roughly 14 hours in a non-filibuster filibuster.
On the plus side, the Senate did get a couple of U.S. District Court judges confirmed on Tuesday:
- Harold D. Mooty III — Northern District of Alabama
- Anne-Leigh Gaylord Moe — Middle District of Florida
They have several meetings/hearings set for Wednesday, including:
- Senate Veterans Affairs — Business meeting to consider the nomination of John Bartrum, of Indiana, to be Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Health
- Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions — Hearings to examine labor law reform part 2, focusing on new solutions for finding a pro-worker way forward
- Senate Judiciary — Hearings to examine the nomination of Andrew Duva, of Florida, to be an Assistant Attorney General, William J. Crain, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Louisiana, and Alexander C. Van Hook, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Louisiana
- Senate Aging (Special) — Hearings to examine modernizing health care, focusing on how shoppable services improve outcomes and lower costs [Cost Plus Drugs co-founder Mark Cuban to testify]
White House What's Up
Wednesday looks to be a somewhat quieter (ha!) day for President Donald Trump. He's scheduled to participate in a meeting with the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, in the afternoon.
Vice President JD Vance is in Israel, attempting to shore up the Gaza Peace Deal.
Vice President Vance tours the newly launched Civil-Military Coordination Center alongside Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
— William Martin (@VPCommsDir) October 22, 2025
The CMCC will serve as the central hub for overseeing implementation of President Trump's 20 point peace plan and humanitarian aid in Gaza. pic.twitter.com/hDDYYoIlnS
Keeping Up With the Cabinet
Sec. Agriculture - Brooke Rollins — Rollins affirmed that, despite the Schumer Shutdown, the USDA will resume its core operations on Thursday.
President Trump will not let the radical left Democrat shutdown impact critical USDA services while harvest is underway across the country. Thursday, USDA will resume Farm Service Agency core operations, including critical services for farm loan processing, ARC/PLC payments, and…
— Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) October 21, 2025
Full Court Press...
We had a few notable court decisions on Tuesday:
- ↔️ U.S. v. Comey (false statement, obstruction) — Judge Michael Nachmanoff (Eastern District of Virginia) orders defense motion to disqualify U.S. Attorney transferred to Judge Cameron McGowan Currie (South Carolina).
- ❌ State of Washington v. Dept. of Education (denial of federal grants) — Judge Kymberly Evanson (Western District of Washington) DENIES admin's motion to dismiss.
- ❌ Los Angeles Press Club v. Kristi Noem (restricting press freedom) — Judge Herman Vera (Central District of California) DENIES admin's request for stay pending appeal.
COMING ATTRACTIONS
Keep your eye on SCOTUS. I think that ruling on the application for stay in the Illinois National Guard case is looming.
On Thursday, the Senate will vote on Sen. Ron Johnson's (R-WI) bill that would allow for paychecks for military members and excepted federal employees.
MORNING MUSING
As noted above, the Senate will again vote on the clean CR to fund/reopen the government this afternoon. (And...it seems unlikely the 12th time will be the charm.) What if....they just never get it done? It's rather fascinating to imagine that scenario playing out. Obviously, at some point, something's gotta give, but the incentives to do so haven't surfaced yet.
From a purely personal standpoint, it's not directly impacting my life — and I suspect that's true for many of us. But it is affecting some — most notably, those who are about to miss a paycheck. And eventually, it will affect us all.
But it is rather a fascinating window into the dysfunctionality of our federal government, no?
LIGHTER FARE
We had the jump-scare. Now we have...#ded. (H/t, the Handsome Beau.)
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