Friday, July 18, 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
Watch: Joy Reid Loses Her Race-Baiting Mind After Piers Morgan Points Out She's Always Race-Baiting
As you might imagine, things got even more heated when Morgan continued to point out why Reid was fired from MSNBC.
Sen. John Kennedy Outwits NPR Head Once Again After She Laughably Tries to Claim It’s ‘Non-Partisan’
In a post on Wednesday, the Senator took apart the NPR head's recent claims that tribal and rural areas are desolate and will implode without NPR and PBS.
This is what progressive justice—“judicial reform” and "Defund the Police"—often means in reality. There was a simpler solution in the past—put violent criminals behind bars and keep them there, but leftists think they know better.
Trending Across Townhall Media
A Look at Airport Director's Killing by ATF Agents Shows Nothing's Changed Since Waco
The ATF has yet another black eye to go along with pretty much everything else the agency is known for--seriously, have they ever gotten it right?--and an innocent man is gone, his family left reeling, because agents on the ground got jumpy, antsy, and likely wanted to feel like real badasses for a change.
Trump: I'm Suing the Murdochs Over That WSJ Epstein 'Scoop'
Honestly, the WSJ's subscribers should sue them for false advertising, too.
Dershowitz: Trump Isn't Hiding the Epstein Creeps; These Two People Are
In order to release the names of the accused, a judge would have to call an end to the retractions on the FBI affidavit. But should they? Again, doing so may result in innocent people having their lives ruined.
Why the Left Will Be the Ones Melting Down Over the WSJ's Trump-Epstein Story
In one night, the media got MAGA back together, and Congress passed the rescissions package, which gutted PBS and NPR. Talk about a boomerang to the face.
Scott Jennings: 'One Year After Butler, I Sat Next to a Real-Life EAR-TRUTHER on CNN!'
We love Jennings’ 'WTF?!' face.
Talk about the ultimate 'They walk among us' moment!
WHAT'S ON TAP?
Today on Capitol Hill...
I expect it will be right quiet today on Capitol Hill. While longtime Biden aide Annie Tomasini will be appearing before congressional investigators today for a closed-door deposition regarding Joe Biden's physical and mental decline while in office, that is, as noted, a closed-door proceeding. There are no meetings or hearings set for the day, and the House has adjourned until Monday after pulling a late night on Thursday (and this writer, who stayed up with them to keep tabs on their proceedings, thanks them so — yawn).
READ MORE: Breaking: House Delivers With $9B Rescissions Package
BUT...they did get 'er done. Shortly after midnight Eastern time, the House passed the $9 billion rescissions package. And following that, they passed the FY 26 defense appropriations bill, marking the second appropriations bill passed — two down, 10 to go. (The Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act passed in June.)
White House What's Up
On Friday, President Donald Trump will participate in a swearing-in ceremony for the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service. (Shout out to another Missourian getting things done in this administration — Billy Long.)
After that, he'll participate in a bill signing ceremony for the GENIUS Act, which passed on Thursday. (No word yet on whether they'll wrap the rescissions package bill signing into this ceremony or that will be signed separately.)
READ MORE: A Landmark Crypto Week: House Passes GENIUS Act, Moves Clarity Act Forward to the Senate
Friday evening, Trump will attend a dinner with Republican senators in the State Dining Room.
Full Court Press...
The Trump administration scored a win, two losses, and a what-the-heck-was that?! in the courts on Thursday.
The win: In Does 1-9 v. DOJ (DOJ review of FBI personnel involved in J6 investigations), Judge Jia Cobb (D.C.) GRANTS DOJ's motion to dismiss.
Loss 1: In Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto v. United States Department of Health and Human Services (Contract Termination for Services to Unaccompanied Minors), Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín DENIES admin's motion to dismiss.
Loss 2: In Slaughter v. Trump (removal of independent agency leaders - FTC), Judge Loren AliKhan (D.C.) DISMISSES Plaintiff Bedoya's claims (without prejudice), GRANTS Plaintiff Slaughter's motion for summary judgment, and DENIES admin's cross-motion for summary judgment.
The what-the-heck-was-that?!: In Khalil v. Joyce (removal), Judge Michael Farbiarz (New Jersey) issues order...compelling Immigration judge to vacate her June 20 decision. I...um...well...I've got nothin'. See also:
Holy Crap! A federal district court just ordered Trump Administration to direct an immigration judge to proceed in a certain way and to vacate its decision even though Congress established exclusive jurisdiction for appeals to BIA & then circuit court. 1/
— Margot Cleveland (@ProfMJCleveland) July 17, 2025
COMING ATTRACTIONS
You know...I don't know. There will surely be some intriguing court decisions. No doubt, some eyebrow-raising Truth Social posts or comments to the press from President Trump. The day us young...and full of possibilities.
MORNING MUSING
I have an annoying character trait: I'm an eternal optimist. Oh, sure, I can get down in the mouth about things at times. And certainly, I can be cynical — I don't think you can follow politics and media and not succumb to that on occasion. But my default setting is the sunny side.
So, while I understand the impulse of some to look at $9 billion in spending cuts, measured against close to $37 trillion in debt, and snark that it's meaningless, I don't share that pessimism. I look at the fact that this is the first successful rescissions package to make it through Congress in 26 years, and I see it as — finally — a step in the right direction. A baby step — maybe just a fraction of a baby step — but fer criminy, it's in the right direction. And rather than kvetch about it not being enough, I choose to applaud Congress (the GOP, that is) for taking that step and encourage them to keep at it. Build that momentum. Keep at it.
Look, if nothing else, it's gratifying to see Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Melanie Stansbury (D-NM), and the like howling and stomping their feet over it.
LIGHTER FARE
This makes me want a pet fox!
What happens when you boop the fox's nose..🦊😅 pic.twitter.com/p5hUICF4ka
— 𝕐o̴g̴ (@Yoda4ever) July 18, 2025
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