Monday, July 13, 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
The hunt continues. Several hundred of the rabid beasts who killed and raped with glee on October 7 and the following days and who held innocent people hostage still roam the earth. And as long as they do. they'll be looking over their shoulder and ignoring their pager.
Analysis: Democrats Have Too Many Senate Seats That Are Competitive
The Democrats understand how tough their Senate path is this year to win the majority. This is why they are constantly pushing propaganda to depress GOP turnout, playing the Indy Imitation Game, utilizing other electoral tricks, and ditching the Oysterfuhrer in Maine after his polling soured.
Remember this. Don’t believe their lies.
Downer Ending? Iconic Hollywood Studio Considering Ditching Tinseltown for Friendlier Waters
Note that although Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison, son of billionaire Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, has said he wants Paramount to keep politics at arm’s length and focus on business, he’s made a number of moves that make Hollywood leftists sad, like purchasing Bari Weiss’ Free Press and appearing with President Trump at events. Coincidence?
Trending Across Townhall Media
Bearing Arms — Talarico Pushes 'Well Regulated' Myth. Jonathan Turley Takes It to Woodshed
You see, unlike Talarico's claims suggest, we have read the Second Amendment. We read all of it, not just the parts that serve as a justification for something we know from the Founding Fathers' own words that they never had any interest in.
HotAir — Ro Khanna Is a Shyster
He is smart and polished, but dull and obviously contrived. His shtick, at least before he started running for president, was sucking up to the tech bros while spouting meaningless left-wing bromides for the masses.
PJ Media — E. Jean Carroll's Billionaire Backer Exposes the Oligarch Double Standard
Billionaire influence doesn't become pure because the recipient is popular with Democrats. Money can expand access to justice, but it can also shape which cases receive elite lawyers, endless resources, and national attention.
Townhall — No Democrat Has the Brains or Courage to Not Be Crazy
And that is why the lonely normal lane is going to remain wide open for now even as the Democrats crowd into the gridlocked kook lane. Don’t look for a maverick in 2028. They’ll need another electoral humiliation or two before they’re desperate enough to try not being complete idiots.
Spencer Pratt compared and contrasted Newsom and Musk, and the California governor should just take all the seats.
WHAT'S ON TAP?
Today on Capitol Hill...
The critters are back from the holiday and their District Work Week. They're starting off slow with only two hearings/meetings set for Monday:
- House Veterans' Affairs, Technology Modernization Subcommittee — PACT Act Implementation: Modernizing VA Disability Claims Through Effective Technology
- House Rules — H.R. 139 – Sunshine Protection Act of 2025; H.R. 8595 – National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2027; H.R. 9237 – Take Care of America’s Veterans Act, 2027; H.R. 9237 – Take Care of America’s Veterans Act; H.R. 1181 – Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act
Of course, the primary focus of the day will be the sudden and rather shocking passing of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) over the weekend. While we wait to learn of the arrangements for his funeral and who South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster will appoint to serve in his stead, those who knew Graham continue to share their reflections on their colleague.
Some added perspective on Graham's tenure.
A couple of notes about what’s next for the seat held by late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC).
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) July 12, 2026
We truly don’t know much about potential funeral arrangements. There could be a push for him to lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda or in the Senate chamber. In recent years, late Sen.…
A couple of notes about what’s next for the seat held by late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC).
We truly don’t know much about potential funeral arrangements. There could be a push for him to lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda or in the Senate chamber. In recent years, late Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI) and late Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole (R-KS) and Harry Reid (D-NV) have laid in state.
Late Sens. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Robert Byrd (D-WV) laid in state in the Senate chamber.
Also, Graham’s passing marks the near end of an era. Graham came to Washington as part of the “Republican revolution” in the historic midterms of 1994. Republicans seized control of the House for the first time in 40 years. Graham then served in the House until becoming a senator in 2003.
With Graham’s passing, the last remaining lawmaker of that freshman class of 1995 is Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS).
White House What's Up
President Trump has another busy Monday in store:
- 8:00 AM — THE PRESIDENT participates in Executive Time — The White House
- 1:30 PM — THE PRESIDENT participates in a Freedom 250 Grand Prix Showcase — The White House
- 3:00 PM — THE PRESIDENT participates in a Meeting with the Speaker of the House and Chairman of the NRCC — Oval Office
- 4:00 PM — THE PRESIDENT participates in a Live Radio Interview with Hugh Hewitt — Oval Office
- 4:30 PM — THE PRESIDENT signs an Executive Order — Oval Office
Keeping Up With the Cabinet
Dir. Office of Management and Budget - Russ Vought — Vought recently shared a clip of White House Domestic Policy Council Director Vince Haley discussing the National Museum of American History's drift away from actual history...
White House Domestic Policy Council Director @vincehaley: "The bottom line is that there's no national story at the National Museum of American History. That's what has happened under the ideology that reigned supreme over there." https://t.co/qYCWZ33NSb pic.twitter.com/HqZFkWW2fy
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 7, 2026
Full Court Press...
There were a few interesting nuggets over the weekend from the courts. We'll have a full rundown of those in tomorrow's column.
COMING ATTRACTIONS
Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett are slated to testify before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government and the Senate Appropriations Committee next week. And Jay Clayton's committee hearing for the DNI nomination is set for Wednesday.
MORNING MUSING
Like most, I suspect, I was stunned by the news of Sen. Lindsey Graham's unexpected passing Saturday night. Like many, I was ambivalent on Graham's congressional tenure. There were things about him that I really liked, and things I liked not so much. Still, I'd take a room full of Lindsey Grahams over his Democrat Senate colleagues every day of the week and twice on Sunday.
Speaking of those colleagues, let's take a moment to reflect on which of them sat on the Senate Judiciary Committee back in 2018, during the Brett Kavanaugh hearings:
- Dianne Feinstein (CA) - Ranking Member
- Patrick Leahy (VT)
- Dick Durbin (IL)
- Sheldon Whitehouse (RI)
- Amy Klobuchar (MN)
- Chris Coons (DE)
- Richard Blumenthal (CT)
- Mazie Hirono (HI)
- Cory Booker (NJ)
- Kamala Harris (CA)
And then let's remember Lindsey Graham's righteous anger — and well-founded concern — expressed so memorably during what many rightly consider his finest hour: "Boy y'all want power - God I hope you never get it!"
This was a profoundly necessary, cathartic moment, giving voice to the righteous fury and disgust of millions. It marked a striking departure from his typically charming, winsome, humorous, bipartisanship-minded demeanor. Arguably his finest hour. Thank you, Senator. RIP. https://t.co/lXJd4jdD4g
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) July 12, 2026
Unfortunately, they did. And we all saw how that went.
Whatever your thoughts on Lindsey Graham, there is no denying he was spot on with this.
LIGHTER FARE
Wheeeeee!!
Foxes having fun.. 😊 pic.twitter.com/XL3tQkQ1R5
— Buitengebieden (@buitengebieden) July 12, 2026
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