Wednesday, August 26, 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 Essex Files: Jelly Roll Just Learned the Hard Way Why Country Stars Avoid Late-Night Politics
Jelly Roll is certainly entitled to his viewpoint, and monologues exist to land punches. But country radio and ticket buyers have proven time and again that they will withdraw support when an artist appears to lecture or mock their core values.
USS Lincoln Finally Gets a Port Call After 250 Days at Sea — and It's a Doozy
Over on social media, some users are having a grand time envisioning what shore leave – in Thailand (!!) – is going to be like for the Lincoln's 5,000 Sailors and Marines.
Trump Slams the Brakes on Immigrant Visa Applications Worldwide
It looks like President Trump got the message loud and clear: It's time to shut it down. Shut it down, now.
Trending Across Townhall Media
Bearing Arms — Virginia Assault Weapon Ban Status Leaving Dealers, Customers Confused
The state could have easily avoided the confusion. All statewide officials needed to do was stick to their campaign promises to try to address affordability instead of focusing on gun control from day one. They failed to do that, and now it's blowing up in their faces in a slow-motion explosion that's glorious to behold.
HotAir — Clarity Is a Good Thing, Most of the Time
Elon Musk bought Twitter because they censored The Babylon Bee over their mocking of Richard Levine, and the world is a better place for it. Perhaps something good will come out of Freedom's and White's challenge to the WNBA. At least they are standing up for an important truth.
PJ Media — A Disturbing New Poll — and Dennis Prager's Warning for America
“Frightening” is perhaps a word used too often by people on both sides of the political aisle when reacting to polls that seem to capture a momentous societal change. But when Dennis Prager is the one giving the warning, I listen carefully.
Townhall — Latest James O'Keefe Video Obliterates Lisa Murkowski's Anti-SAVE America Act Stance
Throughout this investigation, O’Keefe has been threatened with legal action and possible prosecution for blowing up Murkowski’s spot.
Too late and too bad.
Political violence is now the FIRST resort of most people in the Left, including elected officials.
WHAT'S ON TAP?
Today on Capitol Hill...
They're...still on break! Just a few more days 'til the House critters are back there. In the meantime, there were some runoff elections on Tuesday, in case you missed it. Democrat Everton Blair will now serve out the remainder of this Congress, representing Georgia's 13th Congressional District (in place of Rep. David Scott, who passed away in April). And Sen. Darline Graham will be the GOP nominee on the ballot in November for South Carolina's Senate race.
White House What's Up
President Trump’s Wednesday schedule includes:
- 8:00 AM — THE PRESIDENT participates in Executive Time — The White House
- 9:00 AM — THE PRESIDENT participates in a Live Radio Interview with Glenn Beck, The Glenn Beck Program — The White House
- 11:00 AM — THE PRESIDENT receives his Intelligence Briefing — The White House
- 2:00 PM — THE PRESIDENT participates in Signing Time — Oval Office
- 3:00 PM — THE PRESIDENT participates in a Policy Meeting — Oval Office
- 4:00 PM — THE PRESIDENT participates in a Print Interview — Oval Office
Also note: President Trump has ordered U.S. flags lowered to half-staff for a week to honor Dolly Parton on her passing.
"Rest in Peace, Dolly! The World loves you." - President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/ZPf8IzybNe
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) August 25, 2026
Keeping Up With the Cabinet
Sec. Commerce - Howard Lutnick — As Lutnick announced last week, Commerce released its Census Bureau analysis, revealing some startling numbers regarding noncitizen voting.
The Department of Commerce’s Census Bureau just released its analysis showing more than 24,000 noncitizens illegally voted in the 2020 election. Not just registered but literally illegally voted. And that is just the beginning. More than 32 million more voters’ records will be…
— Howard Lutnick (@howardlutnick) August 18, 2026
Full Court Press...
Some additional rulings of note were issued on Tuesday:
- ❌ ↔️ In League of Women Voters of Massachusetts v. Trump (mail-in ballots), Judge Indira Talwani (Massachusetts) FINDS Trump administration violated preliminary injunction by completing USPS mail-ballot rulemaking but imposes no additional remedy.
- ❌ ↔️ In King County v. Turner (ban on DEIA initiatives), 9th Circuit Court of Appeals AFFIRMS preliminary injunction in part, but remands for narrowing of one portion of it.
(I gave both of those a double emoji, because while they were losses for the administration, they weren't total losses.)
COMING ATTRACTIONS
President Trump will head to Houston, Texas, on Thursday, to rally for state Attorney General and U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton. The President will be heading to Ireland in mid-September.
MORNING MUSING
Like most, I suspect, I was stunned by the news Tuesday of Dolly Parton's sudden passing. She's...just always been a part of the world that I know — that we all know. And while I knew on some level she was mortal as we all are, I think perhaps the fact that she was a near-perfect embodiment of an angel kept me from thinking of her in those terms.
There are countless songs I could share just for us all to enjoy, but after hearing the news, this question immediately landed in my mind: Did Dolly ever perform "This Little Light of Mine"? I was sure she must have — and she did, though the examples are spare. She sang it once with Oprah on her show (way back in the early Oprah days), and the video below is of her and her sisters singing it with their Grandpa, Rev. Jake Owens, at The Little House of Prayer (circa 1960s).
But I can't think of a better way to encapsulate the beautiful spirit — the absolute wonder — that was (and is, and always will be) Miss Dolly Parton. Her light shone brighter than bright — it made the world more sparkly and brought us all a bit closer to the true meaning of the word Love.
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
LIGHTER FARE
H/t to the Handsome Beau for this one as well — not often do we get to see baby moose playing!
Two Baby Moose and Their Cheerful Battle with the Sprinkler 🦌💓
— Beauty of music and nature 🌺🌺 (@Axaxia88) August 25, 2026
I watched this video and suddenly found it so adorable.
Two twin moose calves in Alaska happened to discover a sprinkler spraying water in someone’s backyard. And just like that, the battle began.
One of them had… pic.twitter.com/hyhEm5ALxe
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