Tuesday, December 16, 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
Pentagon ‘Escalating’ Review of ‘Serious Allegations’ Against Mark Kelly
Kelly and his 'seditious' colleagues wanted to play politics with the military. Now they're finding out that such a dangerous game might just have consequences.
Australian Prime Minister Has Finally Figured Out What 'Inspired' Bondi Beach Terrorists
At some point, one would think, a desire for self-preservation would come over leftists as they watch what's happening in countries that have allowed Islamists to stream across their borders. It doesn't look like we're at that point yet in Australia.
'It's All Crap': Tom Homan Drops Mic on the Real 'Most Inhumane' President
Homan has been a pretty great spokesperson for the Trump administration. He doesn’t use a lot of legal jargon to explain the success on the border. Instead, Homan points out that the proof on the border is really simple, because putting an end to the flow of illegal aliens and drugs on the southern border is saving lives, and that is why President Trump is making America safer after Biden’s disastrous open-border policy.
Trending Across Townhall Media
Rittenhouse Goes to Bat for Florida Man Accused of Murder
I keep hoping that Kyle Rittenhouse will decide he doesn't want to be a one-dimensional figure known only for shooting people in self-defense, mostly for his sake.
Hey Boomers and Gen X, if You Think DEI Has Been Bad for You, Ask a Millennial or Gen Z Guy
If one is defined by race, pious talk about racism sounds worse than hollow: it seems weaponized to make you shut up.
Liberal Comedian Pens Piece Explaining Why Liberals Are Impossible to Talk To
“We’re afraid we’ll be mistaken for Republicans, when, really, isn’t this something we should all be able to agree on?” Sedaris wrote.
After Failing to Engage Bondi Beach Terrorists, Guess Who the Australian Police Did Shoot
For his bravery, he ended up being shot by the police who refused to engage the actual terrorists.
They're always more concerned about how mean we're being to terrorists than they are about what the terrorists are doing to Americans.
WHAT'S ON TAP?
Today on Capitol Hill...
There are multiple meetings/hearings set on the Hill today, including:
- House Small Business — “American Resilience: Examining the SBA Disaster Assistance Program”
- House Foreign Affairs, Europe Subcommittee — Hybrid Warfare in Europe Against U.S. Interests: Moscow and Beijing’s Playbook
- House Transportation and Infrastructure, Aviation Subcommittee — "The State of American Aviation"
- House Energy and Commerce, Communications and Technology Subcommittee — Legislative Improvements to Public Safety Communications in the United States
- House Judiciary, Constitution and Limited Government Subcommittee — “Partisan and Profitable: The SPLC’s Influence on Federal Civil Rights Policy”
White House What's Up
On Tuesday, President Trump participates in an Ambassador Credentialing Ceremony in the Oval Office. In the evening, he'll participate in a Hanukkah Reception in the East Room.
Vice President JD Vance will visit Allentown, Pennsylvania, and deliver remarks "celebrating President Trump’s economic success and the administration’s commitment to lower prices and bigger paychecks."
Keeping Up With the Cabinet
U.S. Trade Rep. - Jamieson Greer — Greer recently touted the good news regarding America's trade deficit:
Economists’ forecasts of doom and gloom are wrong again as America’s trade deficit in September hit its smallest level since mid-2020 and U.S. exports continue to surge.
— United States Trade Representative (@USTradeRep) December 11, 2025
This is America First Trade Policy in action. pic.twitter.com/TuNiPfARlv
Full Court Press...
An interesting development in the appeal involving the contempt proceedings in that TdA/AEA case in front of Judge James Boasberg means it will be a while before that's all hammered out:
- ↔️ In Re: Donald J. Trump et al. (writ taken from J.G.G. v. Trump) — D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals orders respondents to file response by 12/29/25 and petitioners (admin.) to file reply by 1/5/26, addressing: On what legal basis may a district court (1) investigate possible grounds for indirect contempt and (2) delay a referral for prosecution until it finds probable cause that indirect contempt occurred?
COMING ATTRACTIONS
On Friday, President Trump will travel to Rocky Mount, North Carolina, where he'll deliver remarks, presumably on the economy and with an eye toward the hotly contested Senate seat ahead of the midterms.
MORNING MUSING
I'm a true Gen-Xer — born in 1968, enjoyed childhood in the 70s, and came of age in the 80s. Movies played a significant role in our culture — in our lives. Spielberg was huge, turning out oodles of hits, not least of which was Poltergeist. I think I was around 13 when I saw that one — and it scared me right good. (I didn't go to bed without first checking to make sure my closet doors were firmly shut for years after that. And no stuffed animals were allowed under the bed. Thankfully, there were no clowns.) There are multiple iconic scenes and quotes from that one, but one in particular jumped out at me (no pun intended) this morning as I was contemplating all the darkness that seems to be surrounding us at present: "Run to the light, Carol Anne!"
We need to — turn our faces to the Light, run to it, and embrace it. That's really the only answer, isn't it?
I went to a wonderful little Chanukah celebration tonight that lifted my spirits at a dark time. It was the first little burst of holiday cheer for me this year and reminded me how dear our civilized traditions are. I hope we can all experience anew this season the preciousness…
— Walter Kirn (@walterkirn) December 16, 2025
I went to a wonderful little Chanukah celebration tonight that lifted my spirits at a dark time. It was the first little burst of holiday cheer for me this year and reminded me how dear our civilized traditions are. I hope we can all experience anew this season the preciousness of life and love and friendship. We are in a terrible spiritual predicament as a society right now and need all the light we can get. Simply hosting a few friends for a good meal is a heroic act right now. Let warmth win out.
LIGHTER FARE
Rrrrr. Hsss!!
Void fights back..🐾😅 pic.twitter.com/WF990gSA6w
— 𝕐o̴g̴ (@Yoda4ever) December 16, 2025
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