Tuesday, October 21, 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
Dem Senators Now Fear Fallout of 'No Kings' Absurdity
Two Democrat Senators and one Dem-caucusing Independent Senator have been voting to re-open the government: John Fetterman (D-PA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Angus King (I-ME). The rest of the Democratic Party is in the thrall of the nutbar left, and much good may it do them.
The Democrats are placing their own political agenda ahead of those people.
'21st Century Digital Watergate': Another GOP Senator’s Phone Records Were Targeted by Biden’s DOJ
This is the clear weaponization of the Department of Justice (DOJ) under President Biden. And it will go without so much as a peep of acknowledgment from the "No Kings" rubes on the left.
Trending Across Townhall Media
How Not to Lose Your Gun Rights
Of course, my own take is that if a crime is so heinous that a person should be stripped of their gun rights forever, it should have been made a felony and everyone just call it a day. Alas, that's not what happens.
Trump on Hamas: 'We Will Eradicate Them If We Have To'
If these nations want to be part of the we of Trump's vision, they have some hard choices to make. Soon.
Petro's Manic Monday: El Presidente Throws a Tantrum, Threatens to 'Take Out' Trump
While the Western Hemisphere's dictators and narco-terrorist club might back Petro, he's not getting a ton of support from within his own country (and I have a feeling that'll get much worse if Trump stops that flow of money).
Lefty Trump Supporter Guts the Left's No Kings Nonsense in a Little Over a Minute
The Left’s No King’s protests were overwhelmingly elderly white ex-hippies who have no idea what’s going on.
They take matters into their own hands and go to the polls, asking voters to support school board members who will restore girls-only and boys-only sports and spaces.
Pretty cool, eh?
WHAT'S ON TAP?
Today on Capitol Hill...
We're on Day 21 of the Schumer Shutdown. On Monday, the Senate voted down (50-43) the clean continuing resolution to fund/reopen the government for the 11th time. At this point, it would only be good for one month (to November 21). Round and round and round we go.
There are a handful of Senate meetings/hearings on Tuesday:
- Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry — Business meeting to consider H.R.4550, to reauthorize the United States Grain Standards Act, S.1462, to improve forest management activities on National Forest System land, public land under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management, and Tribal land to return resilience to overgrown, fire-prone forested land, S.277, to release a Federal reversionary interest and convey mineral interests in Chester County, Tennessee, S.1680, to designate additions to the Rough Mountain Wilderness and the Rich Hole Wilderness of the George Washington National Forest, S.2440, to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to convey certain National Forest System land located in Franklin County, Mississippi, H.R.197, to provide for a land exchange in the Chippewa National Forest, Minnesota, S.1262, to require the Secretary of Agriculture to release a reversionary interest in certain land in the Black River State Forest in Millston, Wisconsin, S.2548, to designate the Camp Hutchins Wilderness and establish Special Management Areas in the Shawnee National Forest in the State of Illinois, S.1681, to establish the Shenandoah Mountain National Scenic Area in the State of Virginia, H.R.1612, to designate the Flatside-Bethune Wilderness in the Ouachita National Forest, S.1350, to modify the boundaries of the Talladega National Forest, S.1376, to amend the National Trails System Act to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a study on the feasibility of designating the Benton MacKaye Trail as a national scenic trail, S.1876, to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to relocate a memorial honoring the 9 Air Force crew members who lost their lives in an airplane crash in the Cherokee and Nantahala National Forests during a training mission on August 31, 1982, S.638, to amend the Act of June 22, 1948, and an original bill to require the Secretary of Agriculture to convey a parcel of property of the Forest Service to Perry County, Arkansas
- Senate Armed Services — To receive a closed briefing on the Joint Interagency Task Force 401
- Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation — Business meeting to consider S.1070, to establish a National STEM Week to promote American innovation and enhance STEM education pathways for all students, including those in rural, urban, and underserved communities, S.2126, to reauthorize the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act of 2009, S.2245, to amend the Digital Coast Act to improve the acquisition, integration, and accessibility of data of the Digital Coast program and to extend the program, S.2357, to reauthorize the Young Fishermen's Development Act, S.2563, to direct the Secretary of Commerce, in coordination with the heads of other relevant Federal departments and agencies, to conduct an interagency review of and report to Congress on ways to increase the global competitiveness of the United States in attracting foreign direct investment, S.2666, to direct the Federal Communications Commission to establish a taskforce on unlawful robocalls, S.2975, to amend title 49, United States Code, to enhance the safety of pipeline transportation, S.2503, to require all aircraft to be equipped with Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast In, to improve aviation safety, and the nominations of Joyce Meyer, of Virginia, to be Under Secretary for Economic Affairs, and Harry Kumar, of New York, to be an Assistant Secretary, both of the Department of Commerce, and Seval Oz, of California, to be an Assistant Secretary of Transportation
- Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, Housing, Transportation, and Community Development Subcommittee — Hearings to examine innovation in U.S. housing, focusing on solutions and policies for America's future
- Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control — Hearings to examine Hezbollah's Latin American drug trafficking operations
White House What's Up
President Donald Trump has a fairly busy Tuesday:
- 11:00 AM Eastern — The president participates in the Richard Nixon Architect of Peace Award Ceremony in the Oval Office.
- 12:00 PM Eastern — The president hosts a Rose Garden Club Lunch in the Rose Garden.
- 4:00 PM Eastern — The president participates in a Diwali Celebration in the Oval Office.
- 7:00 PM Eastern — The president hosts a Rose Garden Club Dinner in the Rose Garden.
Plus...renovations are underway at the White House to construct the grand ballroom President Trump has promised.
READ MORE: Meltdown Underway: Democrats Lose Their Minds Over Trump 'Demolishing' the White House
Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance is now in Israel and will be working to shore up the Gaza peace deal.
NOW: Vice President @JDVance and Second Lady Usha Vance arrive at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel 🇺🇸🇮🇱 pic.twitter.com/w7EF9QhLDW
— William Martin (@VPCommsDir) October 21, 2025
Keeping Up With the Cabinet
Sec. Interior - Doug Burgum — Burgum is touting the "Trump effect" on nationwide gas prices.
The Trump Effect. pic.twitter.com/SRwpep8oEx
— Secretary Doug Burgum (@SecretaryBurgum) October 20, 2025
Full Court Press...
There were a handful of notable court decisions on Monday, including:
- ↔️ President and Fellows of Harvard College v. HHS (termination of federal funding) — Judge Allison Burroughs (Massachusetts) enters final judgment (consistent with 9/3 summary judgment) - (in favor of P on Counts 1, 3, 4; D on Counts 2, 6; split on Count 5).
- ↔️ American Association of University Professors - Harvard Faculty Chapter v. DOJ (actions toward universities) — same as above.
✅ State of Oregon v. Trump (National Guard federalization/deployment) — 9th Circuit Court of Appeals GRANTS administration's motion for stay pending appeal.
READ MORE: 9th Circuit Hands Trump Administration a Big Win in the Oregon National Guard Case
The Supreme Court also held off on ruling on transgender athlete Lindsay Hecox's request to dismiss the case until after it hears oral argument.
SCOTUS defers respondent Hecox's request to dismiss case as moot pending oral argument. pic.twitter.com/mJkxReXDkp
— Susie Moore ⚾️🌻🐶 (@SmoosieQ) October 20, 2025
COMING ATTRACTIONS
I'm anticipating a SCOTUS ruling fairly quickly on the Trump administration's application for stay in the Illinois National Guard case.
While high-level advisors from the administration, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, are set to meet with their Russian counterparts this week, President Trump will head to Asia next weekend, with planned visits to Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea (and rumors of a potential meeting with North Korea's Kim Jong-Un).
MORNING MUSING
Virtue — it's a good thing. Virtue signaling? Not so much. That's one of the nasty side effects of social media. It's so easy to let your Virtue Flag fly in digital space. And, look, I'm certain I'm guilty of it at times, too. I suspect most people are. It's just that some of the ways in which the Progressive Left in particular chooses to let us all know they're the virtue-y-ist of all are...well, frankly, both silly and annoying.
On the plus side, they can also be entertaining, so I guess there's that.
On a personal note, I have some fun news to share: Starting next Monday, I'll officially be the co-host of the Mike Ferguson in the Morning Show on NewsTalkStL. (That's in addition to what I do here, so neither I nor the Morning Minute is going anywhere.) Will try to sprinkle in some of our fun segments here from time to time. (And, of course, we'll regularly have RedState contributors on as guests.)
LIGHTER FARE
Me...for about 15 seconds during the first snowfall of the season. (After that, I'm ready to return to Summer.)
Kitty's happy reaction to seeing a snow for the first time..🐈🐾🌨️😍 pic.twitter.com/PGp9pP6ArZ
— 𝕐o̴g̴ (@Yoda4ever) October 21, 2025
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Editor’s Note: The Schumer Shutdown is here. Rather than put the American people first, Chuck Schumer and the radical Democrats forced a government shutdown for healthcare for illegals. They own this.
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