Monday, December 22, 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
Meltdown at CBS News: 60 Minutes Dumps Fawning Illegal Alien Deportation Segment at Last Second
Bari Weiss said in a statement that more context was needed, which is code for “the story was hopelessly biased and leftist, and we’re trying to become something more trustworthy under my leadership.”
Democrats' Latest Epstein Effort About Photo of Trump Fails Again—There Are a Few Big Problems
This is clearly Epstein's "famous people I've met" pile. We could play this game with the Democrats, too, and ask why Joe Biden's DOJ sat on these pictures and didn't release them, and why they aren't talking about all the Clinton pictures?
Sleigh It Ain't So: Dem Mayor's Nativity Takedown Fails as SC Town Keeps Baby Jesus Up
Pickett's Grinchy attitude is not only an attempt to defy basic decency, but an attempt to defy Supreme Court precedent allowing Nativity scenes in mixed holiday displays. She hasn't a leg to stand on here.
Trending Across Townhall Media
Canadian Gun Owners Push Back Over 'You Can Still Hunt' Argument
It doesn't matter if people can still hunt, though, because that's not what guns are uniformly meant for.
Why Nicki Minaj Appearance at TPUSA AmericaFest Matters
Does one appearance by a rap star at a conservative event signal a cultural shift? Of course not. But will it matter that Minaj is speaking out about her faith in God?
I suspect the answer is "Yes."
Gaza Imam Reveals the Key to Understanding the Entire Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
The longer Western “experts” ignore the fact that Palestinian authorities routinely repeat that this is a religious war, the longer they will continue to recommend solutions, such as the vaunted two-state solution, that are not solutions at all. If you’ve been misdiagnosed, the medication you’ve been prescribed will not heal you. And that’s the situation today regarding Israel and the Palestinians.
The Tweet That Perfectly Captures the Reaction to CBS News' Bari Weiss Reportedly Spiking This Story
Whether it airs or not, it’s nice to see someone pumping the brakes on stories aimed at attacking the Trump administration and enforcing federal immigration laws.
How many more people need to be hurt or killed because of progressive policies?
When will enough be enough?
WHAT'S ON TAP?
Today on Capitol Hill...
Well, it'll be quiet on Monday — and for the whole week — on the Hill as the critters have departed the Swamp for the holidays. Of course, that doesn't mean we won't be hearing from them along the way.
READ MORE: Thune Calls for Major Shift in How US Deals With Putin, As Russia Continues to Wage War on Ukraine
Now Hakeem Jeffries Appears to Be Sabotaging a Bipartisan Ban on Congressional Stock-Trading
White House What's Up
President Trump remains in Palm Beach, Florida, for the holiday, but he's keeping busy. He'll receive his intelligence briefing at 3:30 PM Eastern. Then, at 4:30 PM, he's set to make an announcement alongside Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Secretary of the Navy John Phelan.
Vice President JD Vance spoke at AmFest on Sunday and had an important message to impart:
SEE: 'You Don't Have to Apologize for Being White Anymore' – JD Vance Brings the Heat to TPUSA AmFest
'By the Grace of God': JD Vance Reminds America Who We Are
Keeping Up With the Cabinet
Attorney General - Pam Bondi — Bondi is reiterating the DOJ's commitment to transparency and accountability as it relates to the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
The Department of Justice previously stated we will bring charges against anyone involved in the trafficking and exploitation of Jeffrey Epstein’s victims. We reaffirm this commitment, and ask any victim to please come forward with any information pertaining to any individuals…
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) December 21, 2025
Full Court Press...
We had a couple of court decisions of note over the weekend:
- ↔️ American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO v. OPM (disclosure of personal financial records to DOGE) — Judge Denise Cote (Southern District of New York) DENIES admin's motion to dismiss and DENIES plaintiffs' motion for extra-record discovery.
- ❌ State of Washington v. Dept. of Education (denial of federal grants) — Judge Kymberly Evanson (Western District of Washington) GRANTS plaintiffs' partial motion for summary judgment; DENIES admin's.
I expect a few more will sneak their way into this week. We'll be watching.
MORNING MUSING
Sunday was, of course, the Winter Solstice — the shortest day of the year. The older I get, the more I miss the sunlight, and so, I've been counting down the days until we hit what, in some ways, is the low point. From here, we head on into Christmas and New Year's, and the days start getting longer. So, you might say things are looking up....or you could say it's all downhill from here. I know — that's subject to more than one interpretation, but in this instance, I mean it in the good way: Little by little, we're ooching back towards the light. And that's a good thing.
— Susie Moore ⚾️🌻🐶 (@SmoosieQ) December 22, 2025
LIGHTER FARE
Mmmm...biscuits. 😊
Making serious biscuits..🐈🐾😅 pic.twitter.com/c0bHyiJaP4
— 𝕐o̴g̴ (@Yoda4ever) December 19, 2025
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