Friday, August 22, 2025

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READ: Biden Indulged in 10 Minute Rant About Country Clubs and Burnt Penises During Special Counsel Testimony.

President Joe Biden delivered a long and rambling response when pressed by Department of Justice special counsel Robert Hur regarding document retention during the final days of the Obama government. The 81-year-old Biden, ignoring Hur’s question, went on a nearly 10-minute rant discussing country clubs, interview practices of almost 60 years ago, and how a man he knew lost his genitals in a fire.

Hur asked Biden: “So now let’s talk about the Naval Observatory. So you’ve been living there for eight years. So at the end of your vice presidency, what kinds of papers or documents or files were at the Naval Observatory as you were preparing to leave and move out?”

The President began to respond substantively but quickly spiraled into a bizarre and unhinged tangent comparable to the iconic Simpsons scene where Homer Simpson’s father indulges himself in a winding story that ends up nowhere.

Read it for yourself:

PRESIDENT BIDEN: Well, if you’re talking about anything that was a substantive matter, classified or otherwise — you know, the fight in the Judiciary Committee over whether or not — I was the guy who wrote the Violence Against Women Act. It was — really meant a lot to me. And so they might find stuff on the Violence Against Women Act in one section of a drawer or in the shelves of the library or of the Naval Observatory.

Or issues, you know, relating to — I know it’s gonna sound strange to you guys, but agriculture is a $4 billion industry, agriculture is a $4 billion industry in Delaware and the Delmarva peninsula, and so — or, you know, I’d have a lot of political things that — I, I don’t know where they were, but I know I had material that — where I, you know — like, there’s a whole, whole bunch of stuff around about how -~ what made me run for President in the first place, and about how things were — you know, I mean, for example, I, I was a — I got a job with a — I didn’t take law school very seriously, but I won the International Tort Competition. I was in — matter of fact, the first time in tort class, we had a really difficult professor. I mean, very well-known, Professor at Syracuse, and he called on me to — you know how they do in law school, discuss a case, you know, in your first torts class. And I had never read the case, and I stood up and I spoke for 10 minutes. The whole class stood up, started clapping.

The transcript notes there was laughter among those in the interview at this point.

PRESIDENT BIDEN: And he said, Mr. Biden, you’ll be a hell of a trial lawyer. He said, not a single thing you — had to do with that.

Again, the transcript denotes laughter.

PRESIDENT BIDEN: And — but at any rate, so — but in law school, I got in law school, and I got, believe it or not, a job offer from some prestigious law firms. I was not sure where I wanted to go, out west and where — I wanted to move to Idaho, I thought, and so I was going to go out and interview with Boise Cascade. That’s all I’d really — and — but I took a job with the best-known trial firm in Delaware in mostly civil defense issues. And, and so — and I remember a guy named [REDACTED] (phonetic), a brilliant guy that went to Amherst and Harvard and said — when he was interviewing me said, in those days, you had to — today you would be killed. You had to put your photograph in the upper right-hand corner when you’re applying for a job. And he looked at me and said, I assume you’re expecting to be hired on your looks.

Once again, the transcript denotes laughter.

PRESIDENT BIDEN: And I said — and I thought the job was over, and I said, I said, well, it would improve the look of your firm.

Those present respond with laughter again, according to the transcript.

PRESIDENT BIDEN: I mean, I was just — So anyway, to make a long story short, they ended up offering me a job. And in Delaware, it has -~- used to have the lowest pass rate in the country because we’re not big on encouraging lawyers to come and play in Delaware. It’s a very tight bar. And, and so what happened was you take the bar, you graduate, and you have to clerk for somebody for six months. (Indiscernible 0:11:51.6). And they don’t give the bar exam until the middle of September. You don’t get your results to your — for the bar exam until January. And, and so — I — but I got hired in the meantime by this firm appropriately named Prickett, Ward, Burt Sanders. And, and to make a long story not quite so long, I was sitting second chair with the, with the, with the guy who ran the firm, Prickett, Mr. Prickett, and there was a young man who we were representing, [REDACTED] (phonetic) getting — and (indiscernible 0:12:34.3) construction company, you know, I had to turn those — we have more oil refineries than any place other than in Houston in Delaware and Pennsylvania, (indiscernible 0:12:43.6) up in that area.

And this poor kid is down a hundred-foot vessel, chimney, scraping the hydrogen bubbles off of the inside. They were made to shut the plant down once every — whatever, about eight months or six months or a year, whatever it is. And he was wearing the wrong pants, wrong jeans, and he -~- a spark caught fire and got caught in the containment vessel and he lost part of his penis and one of his testicles and he was 23 years old.

And I sat through the -~ his presentation with the, with the senior, and we had in Delaware, which is – the Dupont family had no influence of course – contributory negligence. If you were slightly contributory negligence, you were out.

And so the senior partner turned to me and said, write a memo for tomorrow, we’re going to make a motion to dismiss after presenting this case. So I did. I wrote this memo. And son of a bitch, it prevailed. And I looked over at that kid and his wife home with two little kids, and I thought son of a bitch, I’m in the wrong business, I’m not made for this.

It is at this point that Biden transitions to discussing the admission practices of private country clubs in Delaware, before explaining his decision to become a public defender.

PRESIDENT BIDEN: And I — there was a famous club called the Wilmington Club — no blacks, Catholics are allowed — have been allowed to be members. The DuPont family name. And we went to a place called the Wilmington Club, and he thought he was doing — he said, take the lunch at Wilmington. I said — the only time I ever lied that I can remember looking somebody in the eye, and I mean sincerely, I said, oh, my dad’s coming in today, I was going to see -~ okay. He didn’t give a damn where I went. I walked across and walked through to the second — the basement on a public building and walked in with a guy named Frank and I said I want a job as a public defender. He said, don’t you work for Prickett. He said, he said, are you okay, like what the hell’s the matter with you. I quit and became a public defender.

The process of that was that’s what got me — I had been involved in the civil rights movement. That got me deeply involved in trying to reform the Democratic Party, which was a southern Democratic Party. We were a slave state by law. We were one of the border states so we couldn’t figure — anyway, but the Democratic Party was a conservative party in Delaware. The DuPont family ran the Republican Party, but they were like Rockefeller Republicans at the time. And so I got involved with a group of people trying to reform the Democratic Party.

At this point Biden informed Hur his story was meant to illustrate the amount of materials he has kept over the years.

PRESIDENT BIDEN: And the whole point of telling you all this is I had a lot of material that I kept notes on and, and when that — where as I was taking on the Democratic Party. And they came to me and asked me to — this group, this new Democratic coalition — I had, in the meantime, it’s two years down the road, I was 26 years old, 27. And I went to work part time for a criminal defense firm mainly, a real estate — there were five people. And so I was no longer a public defender because I couldn’t be a public defender and work for that firm.

President Biden’s moment of clarity does not last however, and he again plunges into a lengthy rant — several times to “make a long story short.”

PRESIDENT BIDEN: And one thing led to another and I joined this group to try to reform the party. And they came to me about and I was making the case we’ve just got to get more candidates to run, to — we’re not, we’re not represented. And the southern part of the state of Delaware will talk at you like this, for real, you go down — you think I’m joking, I’m not joking. “Damn, boy, I don’t agree with a damn thing you say,” but he said, “I know where you stand, know where you stand.” That’s how they talk. And it was solidly democrat, southern democrat. We were the only state in the nation occupied by the military for 10 months with drawn bayonets at every corner when Dr. King was assassinated, and that’s really what got me going. Long story, and I’ll end, because it relates to maybe some of the other things you may ask about, is that I had a lot of material that I did recent. When you’re the youngest guy in the room, you get to turn the lights on and off. And so I, I amassed a lot of material making the case why the party had to change and, and they — and it ended up that about 10 months in, the group from the area where I lived came to me and said they wanted me to run for the state senate. I said, no, no, no, I can’t do that. I just — I’m thinking of starting my own law firm and it’s going to — no, I can’t do that. And because they meet in Dover and dah, dah, dah.

And then next thing that happened was I came back about three weeks later. They said we want — to the office I was in at the time. I had now started my own office. And I didn’t realize no one my age ever started his own law firm. I hired two lawyers. I had no freaking money. But I hired them and paid them more than I was going to make, and I started this firm. And there — I remember standing looking out over the public and they said how about running for the county council. I said, no, no, I can’t go down. He said, they meet right across the street there only twice a week at night. You can do this. So to make a long story short, I ended up doing it. But I wanted to be sure that I was going to lose because — so I ran ina district that no one’s ever won, a Democrat had never won.

And I won it.

And next thing you know, I’m in a tough position.

My generic point was there was a lot of material that I had amassed that I wanted to save. I probably still have it somewhere. And so that stuff would travel wherever the hell

I was —

Hur, at this point, finally interrupts Biden. The special counsel steered the conversation back to the relevant question of document retention.

“Do you recall having these types of things with you at the Naval Observatory and this was part of the stuff you were trying to move out?” Hur asked the President.

“No. I had most of it at my house in that office,” Biden finally answered.

By Popular Demand.
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Elon Musk, X Settle Lawsuit with Former Twitter Employees.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Elon Musk and his social media platform X (formerly Twitter) have reached a tentative settlement with former employees who sued for $500 million in severance pay.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Elon Musk, X (formerly Twitter), and former employees led by Courtney McMillian.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The settlement was reported on Wednesday in a court filing in San Francisco.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The parties have reached a settlement agreement in principle and began negotiating the terms of a long form settlement agreement,” according to court documents.

🎯IMPACT: The settlement, once finalized, could resolve disputes over severance pay for approximately 6,000 former employees.

IN FULL

Elon Musk and his social media platform X (formerly Twitter) have tentatively settled a lawsuit with former employees seeking $500 million in severance payments. On Wednesday, a court filing showed that both sides asked a San Francisco U.S. appeals court to postpone an upcoming hearing to finalize the settlement documents.

The lawsuit, spearheaded by ex-Twitter employee Courtney McMillian, alleges that around 6,000 workers were denied benefits outlined in the company’s severance plan. Employees claimed the company offered some of them only one month’s severance pay at most, while others received none, despite promises of up to six months’ salary.

According to court filings, “the parties have reached a settlement agreement in principle and began negotiating the terms of a long form settlement agreement.” The settlement’s specifics remain undisclosed and await court approval.

The layoffs at Twitter followed Musk’s 2022 acquisition of the company, part of aggressive cost-cutting that slashed over half the workforce. This move preceded a broader tech industry trend, with companies like Facebook, Google, and Microsoft also cutting thousands of jobs over the following years.

Musk is known for using significant workforce reductions to lower costs. He attempted similar reforms to the federal workforce at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) during the early months of the Trump administration, albeit with limited success.

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FBI Raids John Bolton’s Home in Patel-Led National Security Investigation.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents raided the home of former national security adviser John Bolton in Bethesda, Maryland, as part of a national security probe involving classified documents.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: John Bolton, FBI agents, FBI Director Kash Patel, and senior U.S. officials.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Friday morning, August 22, 2025, at Bolton’s residence in Bethesda, Maryland.

💬KEY QUOTE: “NO ONE is above the law… [FBI] agents on mission.” – Kash Patel

🎯IMPACT: The Trump administration is stepping up its probes into the misuse of classified documents and the politicization of federal investigations.

IN FULL

Early on Friday, August 22, 2025, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents executed a high-profile raid at the Bethesda, Maryland, residence of former National Security Adviser John Bolton. The operation began around 7 AM, reportedly under the direction of FBI Director Kash Patel.

The FBI head posted on X (formerly Twitter) shortly after the raid commenced: “NO ONE is above the law… [FBI] agents on mission.” The investigation centers on alleged mishandling or retention of classified documents, a probe initially launched during the first Trump administration but, according to a senior U.S. official, later halted by the Biden administration “for political reasons.” It has been revived since Trump’s return to office in January.

Bolton, a longtime neoconservative, previously faced legal scrutiny for his 2020 memoir, The Room Where It Happened. The Justice Department initiated an inquiry alleging that the book included classified content, in violation of a nondisclosure agreement signed during his tenure.

Bolton’s pro-war positions on Iran, North Korea, Venezuela, Russia, and regime‑change policies often placed him at odds with Trump, whose preference for deal-making and peace clashed with Bolton’s hawkish worldview. When Trump publicly canceled an airstrike on Iran during his first administration, reports indicated that Bolton was “devastated.” Similarly, Trump excluded him from key diplomatic moments, like summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and discussions about Afghanistan peace talks, due to fears that Bolton would leak internal disagreements.

Eventually, the relationship frayed to the point where Trump posted on social media that Bolton’s services were “no longer needed.”

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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New Trump White House Art Honors America’s ‘Tariff Men.’

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: A new framed meme featuring “Tariff Men” has been placed in the West Wing of the White House.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The image includes Alexander Hamilton, Henry Clay, Donald J. Trump, Abraham Lincoln, and William McKinley.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The meme was placed in the West Wing as of Wednesday, August 20th.

💬KEY QUOTE: “….I am a Tariff Man. When people or countries come in to raid the great wealth of our Nation, I want them to pay for the privilege of doing so.” – Donald J. Trump, 2018.

🎯IMPACT: The meme underscores the historical and ongoing significance of tariffs in American economic policy.

IN FULL

A new framed meme has been placed in the West Wing of the White House, featuring prominent figures known as “Tariff Men.” This gold-framed image includes historical and modern advocates of tariffs.

Alexander Hamilton, the first U.S. Treasury Secretary, is depicted on the far left. He was instrumental in establishing the nation’s financial system and supported protective tariffs to boost American industry.

Next to him is Henry Clay, a Senator and Congressman known as the “Great Compromiser.” Clay was a major supporter of the American System, which heavily relied on tariffs to promote domestic manufacturing.

Donald J. Trump is prominently placed at the center, highlighting his presidency’s focus on tariffs, particularly in trade disputes with China. In 2018, Trump tweeted about his stance, stating, “….I am a Tariff Man. When people or countries come in to raid the great wealth of our Nation, I want them to pay for the privilege of doing so.”

Abraham Lincoln, who supported the Morrill Tariff to protect Northern industry and fund the Civil War, and William McKinley, known for the McKinley Tariff, are also featured. The image serves as a reminder of the historical importance of tariffs in U.S. economic policy.

White House Senior Counselor for Trade and Manufacturing Dr. Peter Navarro posted the following video foreshadowing the new West Wing imagery on August 13th, explaining its relevance:

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BREAKING: Obama Appointee Uses Environmental Loophole to Try to SHUT DOWN Alligator Alcatraz Migrant Facility.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: A federal judge appointed 14 years ago by President Barack Obama ordered the Trump administration to halt the transfer of illegal migrants to a Florida detention center and stop construction on the site.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and environmental groups.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The ruling was issued Thursday night in Florida, concerning the detention center at the Dade-Collier Training Airport in the Everglades.

💬KEY QUOTE: The judge ordered the removal of “all generators, gas, sewage, and other waste and waste receptacles that were installed to support this project” within 60 days.

🎯IMPACT: The government has appealed the ruling, and the state is expected to request a stay during the appeals process.

IN FULL

An Obama-appointed federal judge in Florida on Thursday night ordered the Trump administration to stop sending illegal migrants to its immigration detention center, dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz,” and ordered a stop to all construction on the site.

Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an emergency order to repurpose the old Dade-Collier Training Airport into the detention center in the Florida Everglades earlier this year, which is expected to hold up to 5,000 people.

U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams determined in her preliminary ruling that the administration may not expand the facility, and that no more detainees may be sent there.

“The project creates irreparable harm in the form of habitat loss and increased mortality to endangered species in the area,” she wrote.

She referred to migrant detainee as “people seeking refuge and opportunities in our nation.”

Williams also ruled that the facility must remove “all generators, gas, sewage, and other waste and waste receptacles that were installed to support this project,” within the next 60 days, along with lights that were installed for the project. Additionally, all temporary fencing must be removed to give Native American tribe members access to the site.

An attorney for environmental groups argued that the site violated the National Environmental Policy Act, while the government contended the act does not apply since the project is under Florida’s jurisdiction. The government has already appealed the ruling, and the state is likely to request a stay during the appeals process.

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LIV Golf Revokes Reporter’s Credentials for Questioning Saudi Links.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: A reporter had his credentials revoked by LIV Golf after refusing to remove questions about Saudi funding from an interview.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Bill Hobson, host of Michigan Golf Live, golfer Pat Perez, LIV Golf officials, and Saudi Arabia.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The incident occurred ahead of LIV Golf’s tournament at The Cardinal at Saint John’s in Michigan.

💬KEY QUOTE: “I told them, ‘Those were perfectly fine questions and [Perez] answered them fine.’ They said, ‘No, he didn’t answer them fine. He was out of his lane and he shouldn’t have gone there.'” – Bill Hobson

🎯IMPACT: LIV revoked Hobson’s credentials and offered him spectator tickets instead, which Hobson called “largely unprecedented.”

IN FULL

Bill Hobson, host of the radio show Michigan Golf Live, had his media credentials revoked by LIV Golf after refusing to edit an interview in which he asked about the league’s ties to Saudi Arabia. The interview, conducted with LIV golfer Pat Perez, was arranged by LIV to promote its upcoming tournament at The Cardinal at Saint John’s in Michigan.

During the podcast, Hobson asked Perez about LIV’s funding from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which owns and operates the league. According to Hobson, Perez answered without issue. However, within ten minutes of the interview’s conclusion, Hobson said LIV officials contacted him to request the removal of the Saudi question, as well as another regarding former LIV CEO Greg Norman.

“I told them, ‘Those were perfectly fine questions and he answered them fine,’” Hobson recalled. “They said, ‘No, he didn’t answer them fine. He was out of his lane and he shouldn’t have gone there,'” Hobson continued, relating that he explained to LIV that he had “not agreed to any limitations or, you know, ‘I won’t go there’ categories… And I wouldn’t have done the interview with that.”

Hobson said multiple LIV representatives followed up over the next two days, continuing to pressure him to edit the podcast. He refused. Seemingly in retaliation, Hobson was informed on Tuesday that his media credentials for the Michigan tournament had been revoked and that he was instead being offered general admission spectator tickets. He called the decision “largely unprecedented.”

The situation reflects growing concerns about foreign influence in U.S. sports. LIV Golf is fully funded by Saudi Arabia’s PIF, a government-controlled entity that has spent billions investing in global sports as part of the Kingdom’s broader “Vision 2030” economic diversification plan. These moves are widely seen as attempts at “sportswashing”—a strategy to improve the nation’s global image despite criticism of its human rights record.

Saudi Arabia is not alone. Other countries have expanded their sports investments in the U.S. and beyond. Chinese firms have held stakes in NBA franchises, and Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund has taken positions in European soccer and tennis and recently explored opportunities in American sports as well.

Image by MEAphotogallery.

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Trump Backs Ukrainian Strikes on Russia.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump defended Ukraine’s direct strikes on Russian territory, calling it a necessary move for their defense.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Comments made on August 21 via Truth Social.

💬KEY QUOTE: “It is very hard, if not impossible, to win a war without attacking an invader’s country. It’s like a great team in sports that has a fantastic defense, but is not allowed to play offense.” – Donald Trump

🎯IMPACT: Trump’s remarks come as discussions with Zelensky and Putin have yet to yield a framework for ending the conflict.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump has voiced support for Ukraine’s decision to carry out strikes inside Russian territory, calling it a necessary part of the country’s defense. In a post on Truth Social on August 21, Trump criticized former President Joe Biden for placing restrictions on how Ukraine can use U.S.-supplied weapons, suggesting those limitations had undermined Ukraine’s ability to defend itself.

“It is very hard, if not impossible, to win a war without attacking an invader’s country,” Trump wrote. “It’s like a great team in sports that has a fantastic defense, but is not allowed to play offense. There is no chance of winning.”

Trump went on to say that the war would never have occurred if he had been in office during the 2022 invasion. “Crooked and grossly incompetent Joe Biden would not let Ukraine FIGHT BACK, only DEFEND. How did that work out? This is a war that would have NEVER happened if I were President — ZERO CHANCE,” he added.

Trump’s comments came just days after a high-profile meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, where the two leaders held nearly three hours of private talks. The meeting marked one of the most direct efforts to date by Trump to engage diplomatically on the war.

Following the meeting, both Trump and Putin described the discussion as productive, though no formal agreements were reached. Trump said the two sides had made progress on several issues but acknowledged that key disagreements remain. Putin described the talks as being conducted in a “constructive atmosphere,” and called the meeting a potential starting point for future negotiations. No ceasefire or roadmap for peace was announced.

Meanwhile, the war continues to escalate. Russia launched a major drone and missile attack this week, targeting infrastructure in western Ukraine. A U.S.-owned civilian factory in Mukachevo was destroyed, leaving at least one dead and several injured. Ukraine responded with drone strikes on Russian territory, using both local and foreign equipment.

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Several Trump White House Aides Are Leaving For K Street Lobbying Gigs.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Several senior White House aides are leaving for lobbying jobs.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Harrison Fields, Trent Morse, Bo Hines, and May Davis Mailman, among others.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The announcements were made in August 2025 in Washington, D.C.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The demand for these folks is so high that business and folks are looking for a sherpa for this administration,” said Ivan Adler, known as the “Lobbyist Hunter.”

🎯IMPACT: The moves highlight ongoing concerns about the revolving door between government and lobbying.

IN FULL

Several senior Trump administration officials have recently left the White House for roles in Washington’s influence industry, raising fresh concerns about ethics and the revolving door between government and lobbying.

On Wednesday, CGCN Group, a prominent Republican lobbying firm, announced it had hired Harrison Fields, formerly the White House’s principal deputy press secretary. Just a day earlier, Trent Morse, a deputy assistant to the President and deputy director of the Office of Presidential Personnel, confirmed he is leaving to launch his own lobbying firm, partnering with the Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck firm.

The departures come amid growing demand from businesses and organizations seeking help navigating the Trump administration’s policymaking. “The demand for these folks is so high that business and folks are looking for a sherpa for this administration, just because it’s so different,” said Ivan Adler, a veteran D.C. headhunter known as the “Lobbyist Hunter.”

Fields and Morse are not the only ones making the jump. Earlier this month, longtime Trump adviser May Davis Mailman left to start her own government affairs firm. Meanwhile, Bo Hines recently stepped down as executive director of the White House’s crypto council and joined digital asset giant Tether to advise on U.S. crypto policy.

Despite federally mandated one-year cooling-off periods preventing Fields and Morse from lobbying the White House or working for foreign entities directly, they are still permitted to lobby Congress and advise others seeking influence.

Kedric Payne, head of ethics at the Campaign Legal Center, called White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles’s public praise of Morse “a commercial for him. It’s great for business.”

Wiles, a former lobbyist who worked with Morse at multiple firms before, was blunt in her endorsement of Morse’s value as a lobbyist. “Nobody is better able to [guide clients] than Morse,” she said, citing his knowledge across virtually every department due to his role vetting over 3,000 administration hires.

Fields, in a statement, said he leaves the White House “with a heart full of incredible memories,” and looks forward to continuing to support the “MAGA movement” in a new role.

While such moves are common near midterms, the speed and volume of early exits from Trump’s White House have drawn attention. Adler noted, “Trump staffers can command top dollar.”

Image by AgnosticPreachersKid.

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Editor’s Notes

Behind-the-scenes political intrigue exclusively for Pulse+ subscribers.

RAHEEM J. KASSAM Editor-in-Chief
If you can’t drain ’em, become ’em, I guess!
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By Popular Demand.
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Chip Roy Joins Packed Field for Texas Attorney General.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Congressman Chip Roy (R-TX) announced his candidacy for Texas attorney general, entering a competitive race to succeed Ken Paxton as the state’s top prosecutor.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Chip Roy, a conservative member of the House of Representatives and policy chair of the House Freedom Caucus, along with other candidates, including Paxton’s former deputy Aaron Reitz, Mayes Middleton, and Joan Huffman.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Roy announced his campaign on Thursday, with the race taking place in Texas.

💬KEY QUOTE: “It has been my honor to represent the 21st congressional district of Texas—the best part of the best state in the greatest country in the history of the world… But representatives should not be permanent,” said Roy.

🎯IMPACT: Roy’s entry into the race is expected to shake up the primary, with a poll showing nearly three-quarters of Republican voters undecided before his announcement.

IN FULL

Congressman Chip Roy (R-TX) launched a bid for Texas Attorney General on Thursday, entering a crowded race to replace the Lone Star state’s current Attorney General, Ken Paxton, as the state’s top prosecutor. Roy, who serves as the policy chair of the House Freedom Caucus, enters the race with $2.5 million in campaign funds and notable name recognition due to his prominence on Capitol Hill.

“It has been my honor to represent the 21st congressional district of Texas—the best part of the best state in the greatest country in the history of the world,” Roy said in his campaign announcement. He added, “I am particularly proud of our work to deliver on President Trump’s agenda and fight to drain the swamp. I could do it forever and be fulfilled professionally. But representatives should not be permanent.”

Roy also emphasized his desire to return to Texas, stating, “My experience watching Texans unite in response to the devastating Hill County floods made clear that I want to come home. I want to take my experience in Congress, as a federal prosecutor, and as First Assistant Attorney General to fight for Texas from Texas.”

However, the Texas Republican could face headwinds among supporters of President Donald J. Trump, as Roy has been a critic of the America First leader and was the subject of an infamous social media meltdown during the 2024 Republican primary when Kevin McCarthy was ousted as Speaker of the House.

“Some of our brothers and sisters, particularly in the, uh, you know, MAGA camp, I think, particularly enjoy the circular firing squad,” The National Pulse reported Rep. Roy saying in October 2023 after McCarthy’s removal for failing to honor his commitments to America First conservatives on spending, border security, the Ukraine war, and impeaching Joe Biden. Rep. Roy added, “You want to come at me and call me a RINO? You can kiss my ass.”

He also endorsed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis against Trump in the Republican primary.

Roy’s entry into the race adds to a growing list of candidates, including former Department of Justice (DOJ) appointee and Paxton deputy Aaron Reitz—who has Paxton’s endorsement—and Texas state senators Mayes Middleton and Joan Huffman. A recent poll by Texas Southern University showed that nearly three-quarters of Republican primary voters were undecided, though the survey was conducted before Roy’s announcement.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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Trump Has Sealed a Deal to Mass Deport Migrants to This African Country:

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump secured a deportation deal with Uganda, allowing the U.S. to send illegal immigrants to the East African nation.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump, the U.S. State Department, and Ugandan officials.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The agreement was confirmed by Uganda on Thursday, with similar deals involving other nations taking place over the past year.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The U.S. State Department continues to work with international partners to manage illegal immigration.” – U.S. State Department.

🎯IMPACT: The deal is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to expand deportations and manage migration more effectively.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump has finalized a significant new immigration agreement with Uganda, allowing the United States to deport certain illegal aliens to the East African nation. Under this arrangement, third-country nationals who are denied asylum in the U.S. but cannot be easily returned to their countries of origin can be resettled in Uganda instead.

Uganda currently accommodates nearly two million refugees, mainly from neighboring conflict zones such as South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Its government has described the deal with the U.S. as “a temporary arrangement with conditions, including that individuals with criminal records and unaccompanied minors will not be accepted,” per Foreign Affairs Ministry official Vincent Bagiire Waiswa.

Comparable arrangements have already been made with countries like Honduras, Paraguay, and Rwanda. Panama and Costa Rica have also joined similar efforts, accepting migrants from Africa and Asia. Several highly violent migrants have already been deported to the small African kingdom of Swaziland, or Eswatini, pending final removal to their countries of origin. President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador has also made a deal with the U.S. to host criminal migrants at his CECOT super-prison.

Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the federal government’s authority to deport migrants to third countries without requiring hearings about potential risks they may face upon relocation.

Since President Trump began his second term, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has seen a sharp rise in enforcement actions. ICE arrests have doubled, and for several months running, deportations have topped 10,000 per month.

Image by B722N.

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By Popular Demand.
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White House Tours Halted for Trump Ballroom Construction.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Tours of the White House have been postponed indefinitely as construction begins on a new $200 million ballroom.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump, White House staff, and the general public who had booked tours.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Construction begins September 1, 2025, on the White House East Wing.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Beginning on September 1st, 2025, the White House will be undergoing extensive renovations. As a result, all tours of the White House are postponed indefinitely,” reads a statement on the website of Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-VA).

🎯IMPACT: Disappointment among visitors and criticism from some Democrats over the indefinite postponement of tours.

IN FULL

The White House has indefinitely suspended tours as construction begins on September 1 on a new $200 million ballroom funded by President Donald J. Trump. The new ballroom will be built on the East Wing of the White House grounds, between the Executive Residence and the Treasury Department’s main headquarters.

Visitors who had booked tours have received cancellation notices. It remains unclear when public access will resume. “Beginning on September 1st, 2025, the White House will be undergoing extensive renovations,” a statement on the website of Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-VA) reads. “As a result, all tours of the White House are postponed indefinitely.”

Some members of Congress, including Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), have criticized the decision. “Seriously? School trips. Families. All shut out indefinitely for the building of a ballroom?” Klobuchar wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter). Other social media users also expressed frustration.

The White House Press Secretary has not provided a timeline for when tours might resume. In the meantime, some have suggested alternative attractions in Washington, D.C., such as monuments and museums, which remain accessible to the public. “I was super excited for the White House tour during our trip and it turned out to be a bit underwhelming,” one social media user commented, advising others to explore the People’s House and other landmarks instead.

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