Friday, February 27, 2026
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
Trump found out the hard way in his first term that there are many people deep in the vast bureaucracy of the federal government who were not on board with his vision for the country and who work feverishly to undermine it. If Noem’s allegations are true, it looks like some of them are still playing their old games.
What a story — a tale of draconian overreach and no accountability at the top of the Biden Justice Department. Whenever the Left talks about Trump, they bring up fascism, but I bet they’ll suddenly find themselves tongue-tied when these oppressive tactics are brought up.
As Gavin Newsom Stacks Up the Disasters, His Comms Team Is Melting Down
Gavin’s celebrated comms team has delivered the opposite of their mission statement. They felt at ease churning out reactive content, but they never developed proficiency in actual messaging. Now, at a time when Newsom needs relief from his public relations, they are turning out to be anti-social.
Trending Across Townhall Media
Bearing Arms — Gun Owner Sues Police After Spending Almost 24 Hours in Jail for Legally Possessed Pistol
The consequences for Livingston were and are pretty serious. Not only did he have to spend nearly a day in jail before prosecutors refused to accept charges, he's going to have to disclose and explain his arrest to potential employers in the future.
If this is some sort of covert action with tacit American approval, Pakistan could be in for a nice thank-you from Washington.
PJMedia — Cuba Gets Oil? Boat Story Busted? And Marco Meets The Crab?
Rubio swears we will learn the truth and respond accordingly. "And I am very, very confident that we will know the full story of what happened here and we will know it soon, and then we’ll respond appropriately based on what that information tells us," he said.
Townhall — Watch Brady Tkachuk Masterfully Handle the Loser Canadian Media Regarding Trump's Joke
So, everyone simmer down. Canada, you still lost. Trump is still president. And you can’t cancel these guys. Stop picking fights you cannot win.
Commenters are confused by how a deep red state like Oklahoma and others can’t seem to elect genuine conservative representation.
WHAT'S ON TAP?
Today on Capitol Hill...
There are no hearings or meetings set on the Hill today, it being Friday. However, the House Oversight Committee is continuing with its Epstein work, deposing former President Bill Clinton today. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was deposed on Thursday, and of course, steadfastly maintains: She don't know nothin'.
READ MORE: Hillary Clinton Issues Pugnacious Statement As Oversight Committee Grills Her at Epstein Deposition
White House What's Up
President Trump is traveling on Friday — this time to Texas.
- 10:00 AM — THE PRESIDENT departs the White House en route to Corpus Christi, Texas
- 3:05 PM (Central) — THE PRESIDENT receives an Energy Briefing — Port of Corpus Christi, Texas
- 3:35 PM (Central) — THE PRESIDENT delivers Remarks on Energy — Port of Corpus Christi, Texas
- THE PRESIDENT participates in a local TV interview — Port of Corpus Christi, Texas
- THE PRESIDENT departs Corpus Christi, Texas, en route to Palm Beach, Florida
Keeping Up With the Cabinet
Sec. Housing & Urban Development - Scott Turner — Turner is touting the drop in the FHA mortgage rate — the lowest it's been in four years.
First-time homebuyers: FHA rates have dropped to 5.64%. This is the lowest rate since 2022!
— Scott Turner (@SecretaryTurner) February 26, 2026
Huge news for renters looking to unlock the American Dream of homeownership. pic.twitter.com/reoFYXTkLj
Full Court Press...
We saw some wins in the courts on Thursday (and one from Monday I missed earlier):
✅ In National Trust for Historic Preservation in the U.S. v. National Park Service (construction of WH ballroom), Judge Richard Leon (D.C.) DENIES plaintiffs' motion for preliminary injunction.
❌ In State of California v. USDA (disclosure of personal financial records to DOGE), Judge Maxine Chesney (Northern District of California) GRANTS plaintiffs' motion to expand preliminary injunction.
✅ In American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO v. Trump (rescission of collective bargaining), 9th Circuit Court of Appeals VACATES district court preliminary injunction.
✅ In Adirim v. CIA (challenging termination), Judge Michael Nachmanoff (Eastern District of Virginia) GRANTS CIA's/Ratcliffe's motion to dismiss.
✅ In Thakur v. Trump (termination of grants), 9th Circuit DENIES plaintiffs' motion for reconsideration/en banc [of order granting partial stay pending appeal]. [2/23]
The Supreme Court will hear additional oral arguments next week. We don't yet know when the next decisions will be handed down.
COMING ATTRACTIONS
President Trump will be in Palm Beach for the weekend, where he's expected to participate in a MAGA Inc. meeting and then dinner on Saturday evening.
And all eyes are on the Middle East/Iran, particularly given the latest news that the State Department has "authorized the departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel and family members of U.S. government personnel from Mission Israel due to safety risks."
Could be a busy weekend...
MORNING MUSING
There's an account I follow on X that consistently shares good content/perspective. I happened upon his/her tweet this morning, and it grabbed my attention. So, I'm sharing it here — definitely some things to bear in mind:
The 10 year treasury is flirting with sub 4%.
— unseen1 (@unseen1_unseen) February 26, 2026
Mortgage rates fell below 6% for 1st time in 3 years.
Inflation per truflation is below 1%
Unemployment is less than expected and around 4.3%
The budget deficit is lower than expected
Income tax returns are running 15% higher…
The 10 year treasury is flirting with sub 4%.
Mortgage rates fell below 6% for 1st time in 3 years.
Inflation per truflation is below 1%
Unemployment is less than expected and around 4.3%
The budget deficit is lower than expected
Income tax returns are running 15% higher than last year.
The stock market is flirting with record highs
Company profits are at records
Net migration is negative
The southern border is secure
Foreign investment at record highs due to tariffs.
Prescription drug prices are falling thanks to Trump's MFN
State farm is reducing auto insurance premiums by 10%
Home prices are falling.
Consumer spending is steady
Grocery prices are steady or falling
Gasoline is below $2.50 in many states
Wages are increasing
Cartels are imploding
Illegal truck drivers are being cleared from the road.
Crime is down.
Military recruitment is at record highs.
Corruption is being addressed.
Stop dooming, if you are, the present is great and the future looks even better.
(S)he's right: Stop dooming.
LIGHTER FARE
Awww...
Cat sleeping with his fish pillow during a thunderstorm.. 😊 pic.twitter.com/sb5KVqSQB4
— Buitengebieden (@buitengebieden) February 27, 2026
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