Friday, August 14, 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
Candace Owens' Contempt of Court
Candace Owens’ contempt of courts is no surprise. Her reckless smear campaigns will soon be litigated in courtrooms.
Colorado Woman Finds Out the Hard Way Why You Never Want a 'Smart' Thermostat in Your House
The thought of CA Gov. Gavin Newsom controlling how often I use my appliances makes me nauseous. And believe me, he would.
Another ‘Fake Electors’ Case From 2020 Presidential Election Collapses
Even the remaining cases elsewhere look shaky at best. To summarize, none of the five states that brought charges have fully and successfully prosecuted the core “fake elector” cases to conviction without major setbacks or dismissals of the main charges.
And it's 2026.
Trending Across Townhall Media
Bearing Arms — One City, One Day, Two Armed Citizens in Two Separate Incidents
Granted, a lot is missing from this report that makes it clear these are justified, but then again, this is the media. Either they know what they're doing here, which is to make it look like the shootings were sketchy, or they don't know what they're doing and think that verbal altercations are enough.
HotAir — Insurance Fraud Enabled 'Gender-Affirming Care'
In Plato's Republic, the character Polemarchus argues that Justice is nothing more than helping your friends and harming your enemies, and that is the view of the Left. There is no higher justice; just power. So if we want earthly justice as well as the justice that comes from God's ultimate judgment, we need to see these doctors and hospital administrators punished now.
PJ Media — The Gentleman's Guide to Destroying the DSA, Humiliating El-Sayed, and Saving America!
And we already know where they’re most vulnerable, because they told us when they lied. We heard it straight from the camel’s mouth: It’s what terrifies them the most.
To “other” them is to kill their candidacy. It’s their greatest liability.
If she couldn’t do damage control about her hatred for Thanksgiving, imagine what could’ve happened here if she were the nominee. But that’s hypothetical. She might have hired new political guns, changed her tone and messaging, and retooled. Who knows?
Bodycams for the win once again. Until they issue the police shock GLOVEs (Generated Low Output Voltage Emitters) as well as ICE.
WHAT'S ON TAP?
Today on Capitol Hill...
Okay, I have a confession: Even though I realize the critters are probably inflicting less harm while they're out on recess, I hate not having hearings and such to write about. I guess we've got two-plus long weeks ahead of us until the House returns. In the meantime, come crittercentric coverage:
DSA Rage May Be Causing Elderly Dem Swamp Creatures to Get the Boot Faster Than Republicans
Radical Overhaul: Hakeem Jeffries Vows to Nuke the Supreme Court As We Know It
White House What's Up
Here's what Friday looks like for President Trump:
- 8:00 AM — THE PRESIDENT participates in Executive Time — The White House
- 11:00 AM — THE PRESIDENT participates in a Policy Meeting — Oval Office
- 12:00 PM — THE PRESIDENT participates in Signing Time — Oval Office
- 3:00 PM — THE PRESIDENT departs the White House en route to Garden City, New York — The White House
- — THE PRESIDENT arrives in Garden City, New York — Garden City, New York
- — THE PRESIDENT delivers Remarks — David S. Mack Center for Training and Intelligence
- — THE PRESIDENT departs Garden City, New York en route to Bedminster, New Jersey — Garden City, New York
- — THE PRESIDENT arrives in Bedminster, New Jersey — Bedminster, New Jersey
On Saturday, he'll be at Bedminster, where he's slated to have "Executive Time" in the morning, and then has a Policy Meeting in the afternoon. More Executive Time on Sunday, and then he'll return to the White House in the evening.
Keeping Up With the Cabinet
Dir. Office of Management and Budget - Russ Vought — Vought keeps a fairly low profile on social media, though he's continued to hammer home the importance of accountability in the grant decision process.
People like Fauci are who the Left believes should be making every grant decision instead of the appointees that the President selects—whether it’s gain of function research or pure graft. They are not for science; they are for corruption without accountability. https://t.co/dIlDVLyEYN
— Russ Vought (@russvought) July 26, 2026
Meanwhile, Democrat Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37) is calling for his impeachment, so he's obviously doing something right.
Full Court Press...
We had several notable court decisions on Thursday, including:
- ❌ In U.S. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College (Title VI), Judge Richard Stearns (Massachusetts) DISMISSES case for failure to state a claim.
- ✅ In W.M.M. v. Trump (habeas/AEA/TdA removals), 5th Circuit Court of Appeals DISMISSES appeal for lack of jurisdiction (mootness).
- ✅ In Doe v. Blanche (housing of TG inmates), Judge Royce Lamberth DENIES plaintiffs' motion to enforce preliminary injunction or, in the alternative, for temporary restraining order/preliminary injunction.
If you'd like to read more about those first two:
Judge Tosses Trump Admin's Harvard Case Over Key Title VI Requirement
After All That, 5th Circuit's Trump Alien Enemies Act Case Goes Poof
COMING ATTRACTIONS
I'm at the point of drumming my fingertips on the desk, waiting for SCOTUS to weigh in on the application for stay in the election integrity/USPS executive order matter. Any day now...
We've got primaries next Tuesday in Alaska, Florida, and Wyoming.
MORNING MUSING
We're all familiar with the concept of projection — accusing others of your own flaws or misdeeds. Even as kids, we understand it — "I know you are, but what am I?" pretty well encapsulates it.
Victor Davis Hanson, as he so often does, summed the concept up perfectly in an article on Thursday: "Who's Destroying Norms?"
One of the more surreal things about the new Democratic Party is its habit of charging Trump with legal and ethical transgressions that Democrats themselves normalized years ago. The result is a strange sort of projection, in which the Left’s charges often reveal its own prior…
— Victor Davis Hanson (@VDHanson) August 13, 2026
Succinct and directly on point.
LIGHTER FARE
I realize these aren't cute little animals, but this is so silly it did actually make me laugh — maybe it will do the same for you.
Idk why, but sometimes the absolute dumbest things crack me up, with this being among them😆😆 pic.twitter.com/u2DnsYaUaJ
— Marie Isabella (@MarieIsabellaB) August 13, 2026
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