Wednesday, May 6, 2026
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
CA Judge Allegedly Bypassed DA to Offer Pro-Hamas Professor a Sweetheart Deal for Killing Jewish Man
At the June 25 sentencing hearing, Judge Malan will hear victim impact statements and review a sentencing report on Alnaji, prepared by the probation department, before formal sentencing occurs. We anticipate that the courtroom will be full and that prosecutors and eyewitnesses will bring forward all possible evidence showing Alnaji is not just a mild-mannered computer science professor.
Marco Rubio's One-Day WH Press Secretary Gig Was Chaotic, Funny, and Surprisingly Brutal
Rubio was behind the podium at Tuesday's White House press briefing, taking on – for one day, at least – the duties of Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt while she's on maternity leave. He entered the press briefing room with a sheepish grin on his face, knowing that he was likely about to be meme'd into next week.
The Trump Effect: Many of the IN State Senators Who Refused to Redistrict Met the Electoral Axe
By a significant measure, it worked to Trump's advantage. For those who predicted this would be a disaster and proof of Trump's waning influence, they are now eating their words.
Trending Across Townhall Media
Bearing Arms — Is Trump Ready and Willing to Try Arming the Iranian People Again?
I'm certainly not opposed to the idea of an armed populace rising up against the tyrannical leaders of the Islamic Republic. I just don't know how easy it will be to get enough guns into the right hands to make a difference.
HotAir — ‘You’re Bailing?’ Ken Griffin Confirms ‘Miami Nice’
Basically, he told her, 'The mayor has made it clear we're not welcome, and I'm okay with that.' The man and his business have options, and he has never been afraid to exercise them.
PJ Media — It’s Official: The Climate Scam Was a Scam All Along
It's nice when something you knew was a fraud all along turns out to be a fraud, but it's even nicer when the people perpetrating the fraud admit it was a fraud all along.
We don’t care, losers. This wasn’t a hard choice, and you just don’t get it. It’s about winning, and if you can’t see how redistricting can help us, then GTFO.
Voters are furious at Republicans who refuse to back Trump’s agenda and don't fight to keep states red.
WHAT'S ON TAP?
Today on Capitol Hill...
Congress, of course, remains out for a District Work Week, but there's still activity on the Hill set for Wednesday.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to appear for closed door transcribed interview before House Oversight Committee today about his relationship with Epstein
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) May 6, 2026
We also saw some interesting results out of Ohio and Indiana's primaries on Tuesday that could shape (or shake up) the midterms.
White House What's Up
President Trump has another busy day on tap for Wednesday:
- 8:00 AM — THE PRESIDENT participates in Executive Time — The White House
- 11:00 AM — THE PRESIDENT participates in a Policy Meeting — Oval Office
- 12:30 PM — THE PRESIDENT and THE FIRST LADY participate in a Military Mother's Day Event — East Room
- 3:30 PM — THE PRESIDENT receives his Intelligence Briefing — The White House
- 5:30 PM — THE PRESIDENT and THE FIRST LADY participate in a Reception for the Trust for the National Mall — Rose Garden
Keeping Up With the Cabinet
Admin. Environmental Protection Agency - Lee Zeldin — Zeldin's been busy. When he's not schooling ignorant Congress critters, he's finding ways at the EPA to save U.S. taxpayers millions billions of dollars.
At the Trump EPA, we’ve proudly saved American taxpayers $30 BILLION through staff reductions, agency reorganizations, real estate consolidations, and canceled grants and wasteful media subscriptions, along with the closure of the Biden EPA Museum almost no one visited or even… pic.twitter.com/cnuDpaxG9I
— Lee Zeldin (@epaleezeldin) May 5, 2026
At the Trump EPA, we’ve proudly saved American taxpayers $30 BILLION through staff reductions, agency reorganizations, real estate consolidations, and canceled grants and wasteful media subscriptions, along with the closure of the Biden EPA Museum almost no one visited or even knew existed.
Full Court Press...
Some notable court decisions/developments on Tuesday included:
- ❌ In Castanon Nava v. DHS (immigration enforcement - settlement), 7th Circuit Court of Appeals AFFIRMS in part, REVERSES in part district court orders of 10/7 and 11/13.
- ✅ In U.S. v. Allen (attempted assassination), D.C. grand jury returns four-count indictment as to defendant.
- ✅ In Lujan v. FMCSA (CDLs for aliens), D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals DENIES petitioners' request for stay of regulation pending review, but GRANTS their request for expedition.
COMING ATTRACTIONS
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is traveling to Italy, where he's set to meet with Pope Leo XIV on Thursday morning. Rubio will also meet with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and several Italian foreign ministers on Friday.
MORNING MUSING
I must confess to a certain degree of ambivalence regarding the phrase, "You snooze, you lose." "Snooz" was a nickname of mine back in the day — it even graced my license plate for a while — and I certainly don't want to be associated with losing. That said, it seems rather apt in summing up the lesson that some Indiana Republicans were just served on Tuesday evening. They failed to be proactive on the redistricting front when they had the opportunity, and now...they've paid the electoral price for it.
There's another apt saying: "Politics ain't beanbag." It isn't. It's rough and tumble, and the better angels of my nature don't like that much either. But the political landscape is much different than it was 10-15 years ago, and those who wish to participate in it are either going to have to wake up to that reality and adapt, or they're going to be shown the door, as they were in Indiana on Tuesday.
LIGHTER FARE
Golden Retrievers are the absolute doggiest dogs of all the dogs 🥹💞 pic.twitter.com/YbV69rjT8h
— The Adorable Pups (@TheAdorablePups) May 5, 2026
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