Thursday, April 24, 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
Since joining the Supreme Court, Jackson has become perhaps the most reliable left-wing vote on the court. There is no level of partisanship she won't stoop to in order to defend a Democrat viewpoint, and that was on display again in recent oral arguments surrounding parental rights.
New: CBS Has to Walk Back 'Fake News' Hegseth Hit Piece After DOD Puts Them on Blast
The campaign to sabotage Pete Hegseth's tenure as Secretary of Defense is very real, with bad-faith actors from within and outside of the DOD appearing to engage in coordinated smear attempts designed to ramp up public pressure in hopes he'll either resign or be forced out after three months at the helm.
While Governor Pritzker is suggesting due process across the board is his focus, there's little doubt he is doing this in defense of Abrego Garcia, who has been the Democrat party's cause célèbre ever since he was sent to El Salvador.
Trending Across Townhall Media
Did Sig Sauer Just Admit P320 Will Go Off With Trigger Being Pulled
Had Sig just recalled the guns, fixed the design, then moved on, they might have taken a bit of a hit in the short term, but now they're just digging the hole deeper and deeper.
Trump Is Exacerbating Crises, And It is Sadly Necessary
I think--I am guessing--that Trump is courting the sense of crisis to generate momentum for fixing them, and trying to keep his political opponents confused about how to fight him on so many fronts.
Michelle Proves Again That the Obamas Are Totally Hiding Something
The idea that a woman of Obama's fame and fortune couldn't find something to wear is laughable. This isn't about a dress; it's about something far deeper, something she clearly doesn't want us to know. What skeletons are lurking in the Obama closet?
Watch 'America’s Most Controversial White House Correspondent' Wreck a CNN Reporter to His Face
Your influence is waning, your product is subpar, and that’s why millions are turning to new information ecosystems.
PAGING Elon Musk! -> Vigilant Fox Busts MASSIVE Community Notes Scandal WIDE Open In DAMNING Thread
Using multiple accounts to sabotage posts on X. Sadly, it sounds like new Twitter is a lot like the old Twitter, they're just sneakier.
WHAT'S ON TAP?
Today on Capitol Hill...
The big news on Wednesday, of course, was that Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) will not seek reelection in 2026. He's 80 and has been in Congress for over 40 years, so that seems like more than a reasonable decision (and welcome news to those who aren't particular fans of his), but it does leave open the question of who'll step into his shoes — with the seat itself and with his leadership role. Should be interesting.
And while Democrats are falling all over themselves to champion Saint Kilmar, their pilgrimages to El Salvador look rather ridiculous, particularly when contrasted with the efforts of some of their Republican counterparts.
White House What's Up
President Donald Trump has a busy Thursday lined up. He'll greet the Prime Minister of Norway at noon, have lunch with him, and host a meeting with him. He'll sign more executive orders later in the afternoon. Then he's heading to the Trump National Golf Club (in D.C.) to attend a "MAGA, Inc. Dinner."
Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha visited the Taj Mahal with their kiddos.
With three little kids staring into the sun, this was actually the *best* photo we got at the Taj Mahal today 😂 pic.twitter.com/0ipCbkcA3u
— JD Vance (@JDVance) April 23, 2025
Full Court Press...
Trump's appeal in the E. Jean Carroll case (the second one tried that resulted in the $83 million-plus verdict) is now set for oral argument on June 24th.
We got a bit of a surprise Wednesday evening as Judge Paula Xinis (Maryland) granted a brief reprieve on her discovery order/schedule in the Kilmar Abrego Garcia case after the government's sealed motion to stay.
COMING ATTRACTIONS
There will be one more round of formally set oral arguments before SCOTUS next week. And we should see some interesting rulings coming out from them before too long — particularly in the Alien Enemies Act case.
Next week, the critters are back on the Hill and will, no doubt, be up to their regular antics.
MORNING MUSING
What I'm about to share is a tad embarrassing: I went to law school because I didn't know what else to do. My dad was a lawyer — and I adored and admired him — but I didn't aspire to follow in his footsteps necessarily. I just gravitated toward political science and history and wasn't sure what else to do when I finished college, so I figured I'd take the LSAT and see. Well, I saw...that I was a great standardized test taker, so...I really had no excuse not to at least give law school a shot. I did, and it was an overall good experience, though rather humbling. (I have former classmates who govern large states or sit on state supreme courts and are on the SCOTUS short list.) But I was never 100 percent convinced it was my calling. It's just...what I did. And I did it for almost 30 years, and I was actually pretty good at it — at least the courtroom part of it.
Much of that I owe to my former boss and mentor, Sam. He hired me out of law school and spent a good 15 years-plus training me to be a decent trial lawyer — when he wasn't throwing up his hands in exasperation at me as I argued with him over this or that finer point. He's long since retired but, at 86, is still sharp as a tack. (Truly — not in the Joe Biden sense.) I had the good fortune to visit with Sam and a few other good friends/former colleagues (one's now a judge, the others still trying cases) on Wednesday for a mini-reunion/happy hour. We all traded war stories, but the ones still practicing, of course, shared present-day ones, and I was reminded that I really don't miss it. How could I? I get to come here every day and write about the law (and politics), and I don't have to contend with the stress of an active litigation practice. Don't get me wrong — there's plenty of stress in this, too, but it's of a different sort and less brutal.
It does feel rather like I've come full circle — in the best of ways — and found my calling.
LIGHTER FARE
Today, I bring you: a study in contrast. First...twinsies!
The way they both looking 😂 pic.twitter.com/n9mnFEilmU
— contents that ll heal your depression 🌻 (@catshealdeprsn) April 22, 2025
Second...one of these things is not like the other:
Play with me..🐈🐾🐶😅 pic.twitter.com/KTkjIsgo4E
— 𝕐o̴g̴ (@Yoda4ever) April 23, 2025
Enjoying the "Morning Minute"? You can ensure you receive it in your Inbox every weekday by signing up for our newsletter here.
Editor’s Note: Every single day, here at RedState, we will stand up and FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT against the radical left and deliver the conservative reporting our readers deserve.
Help us continue to tell the truth about the Trump administration and its major wins. Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member