Mark Penn, a former advisor to the Bill and Hillary Clinton campaigns, says ABC News must launch an investigation into Tuesday’s presidential debate to determine whether employees attempted “rigging the outcome.” The network is facing significant criticism over its handling of the debate between Donald J. Trump and Kamala Harris, in which they frequently interrupted “fact-checked” the former president. On the other hand, Harris was never corrected by the moderators—despite making several false or misleading claims.
“I actually think they should do a full internal investigation, hire an outside law firm. I don’t know how much of this was planned in advance,” Penn said in a recent interview on the John Solomon Reports podcast. “I don’t know what they told the Harris campaign. I think the day after, suspicion here is really quite high, and I think a review of all their internal texts and emails really should be done by an independent party to find out to what extent they were planning on, in effect, you know, fact-checking just one candidate and in effect, rigging the outcome of this debate. I think the situation demands nothing less than that.”
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The National Pulse conducted its own fact-check of Kamala Harris, noting at least nine blatant false statements made by the 2024 Democratic Party presidential nominee. In addition, it was revealed shortly before the debate that Kamala Harris has maintained a close friendship with ABC News executive Dana Walden for at least 30 years.
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President Donald J. Trump has greeted Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, where the two leaders are expected to discuss a ceasefire in Ukraine and a possible deal on nuclear arms control.
Initial reports indicated that the pair would meet one-on-one, with only interpreters present, but the White House has since advised that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will join PresidentTrump. President Putin will also be joined by Russian officials, possibly including Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov, who arrived in Alaska earlier in the day.
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Trump said en route to Alaska that he is not sure a deal can be struck today, but added he is “not going to be happy if it’s not today.” He added, “Everyone said it can’t be today—but I want the killing to stop.”
“I’m not doing this for my health, OK?” Trump told reporters. “I don’t need it. I’d like to focus on our country, but I’m doing this to save a lot of lives.”
Trump has indicated that the meeting could be cut short if Putin tries stonewalling him, warning, “If he doesn’t want to cooperate, then I’m gone.”
This story is developing…
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President Donald J. Trump has greeted Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, where the two leaders are expected to discuss a ceasefire in Ukraine and a possible deal on nuclear arms control.
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By Popular Demand.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump’s Office of Personnel Management (OPM) estimated that efforts to reduce the federal workforce would lead to 300,000 layoffs by year-end.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: OPM Director Scott Kupor and the Trump administration.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The estimate was shared on Thursday, August 14, 2025.
🎯IMPACT: The administration targets a 12.5 percent reduction in the federal workforce, with most reductions coming from voluntary buyouts.
IN FULL
A new report from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) estimates that President Donald J. Trump‘s efforts to cut government waste and federal redundancies will result in an estimated 300,000 federal workers being laid off by the end of the year. According to OPM Director Scott Kupor, 80 percent of the workforce reduction number stems from personnel accepting voluntary buyouts, while 20 percent is the result of direct layoffs.
The Trump White House says its goal is a 12.5 percent reduction in the federal workforce. It has offered two rounds of buyouts so far. An initial round in February resulted in 75,000 federal employees accepting the offer, and a second round was offered in April.
Democrat-backed legal challenges to the buyouts and layoffs have been largely unsuccessful. Earlier this year, Massachusetts U.S. District Court Judge George O’Toole ruled against unions seeking to block the buyouts, stating they lack standing in the legal challenge. Additionally, Judge O’Toole determined his court lacked jurisdiction even to hear the matter.
Meanwhile, in July, jobs data showed that between January and May, the total number of government jobs in the Washington, D.C. area had been slashed by 22,000. The layoffs appear to have substantially accelerated after the U.S. Supreme Court lifted a lower court order earlier last month that had blocked the Trump administration from cutting workforces across 19 federal departments and agencies.
❓WHAT HAPPENED: Anti-Trump Congressman Thomas Massie (R-KY) has seen a sharp drop in polling numbers following a MAGA-backed campaign targeting him for defeat in an upcoming Republican primary.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Rep. Thomas Massie, MAGA Inc. SuperPAC, President Donald J. Trump, and McLaughlin and Associates.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The poll was conducted August 10-12, 2025, among likely Republican voters in Kentucky’s 4th congressional district.
💬KEY QUOTE: “MAGA Kentucky’s advertising campaign has turned Thomas Massie’s polling numbers up-side-down, leaving him exposed and extremely vulnerable in a Republican primary election for Congress,” the poll stated.
🎯IMPACT: The poll suggests Massie’s approval has dropped significantly, leaving him vulnerable to a Trump-endorsed challenger in the 2026 Republican primary.
IN FULL
Anti-Trump Congressman Thomas Massie (R-KY)—once largely thought untouchable in Kentucky’s 4th congressional district—has seen his polling numbers turn upside down following a series of recent spats between himself and President Donald J. Trump. The Kentucky congressman’s opposition to Trump’s America First agenda is being emphasized in a series of advertisements and a voter education effort backed by the MAGA Inc. SuperPAC.
A new internal poll by McLaughlin and Associates shows Massie’s favorability rating dropped from 54 percent in June to 43 percent this month, while his unfavorability rating rose to 54 percent from 40 percent. President Trump himself highlighted the polling data in a post on Truth Social.
The Massie campaign is dismissing the data, calling it unreliable. “This poll does not reflect reality in Kentucky’s 4th district,” a campaign spokesman claimed following the McLaughlin poll.
They contend that MAGA Inc.’s campaign against Massie isn’t having an impact, alleging the SuperPAC is funded by “three socially liberal globalist billionaires who are upset Congressman Massie doesn’t vote for wars and foreign aid.” Notably, The National Pulse has reported that Elon Musk is still a major donor to MAGA Inc.
McLaughlin and Associates made a strong argument that MAGA Inc.‘s $1.8 million ad campaign is negatively impacting Massie’s voter support. “MAGA Kentucky’s advertising campaign has turned Thomas Massie’s polling numbers up-side-down, leaving him exposed and extremely vulnerable in a Republican primary election for Congress,” the pollster states.
The poll, conducted between August 10 and 12 among 500 likely Republican voters from Massie’s district, had a margin of error of ±4.4 percentage points. It also highlighted that 57 percent of GOP primary voters would be more likely to back a Trump-endorsed challenger, and Massie’s “reelect score” fell to 30 percent, below the 40 percent threshold considered safe for incumbents.
Massie has clashed with Trump on key issues, including airstrikes on Iran that crippled its nuclear weapons program and the U.S. debt ceiling. Earlier this year, Trump labeled him “lazy,” “disingenuous,” and the “worst Republican congressman” after Massie voted against the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a signature Trump policy.
Trump has threatened to back a primary challenger against Massie for the 2026 midterms, and MAGA Inc. has been heavily involved in efforts to unseat him.
❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump announced he spoke with Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, to thank him for the release of 16 prisoners and discuss the potential release of 1,300 more.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko, and the recently released prisoners.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The announcement was made on Truth Social as Trump traveled to Alaska for a meeting with Putin.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Our conversation was a very good one. We discussed many topics, including President Putin’s visit to Alaska. I look forward to meeting President Lukashenko in the future.” – Donald Trump
🎯IMPACT: The discussion highlights international diplomatic efforts and the potential for further prisoner releases in Belarus.
IN FULL
President Donald J. Trump shared on Truth Social that he spoke with Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko about prisoner releases ahead of his Alaska summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday afternoon. “I had a wonderful talk with the highly respected President of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko. The purpose of the call was to thank him for the release of 16 prisoners. We are also discussing the release of 1,300 additional prisoners,” Trump stated.
He related that the conversation “was a very good one,” and that he and Lukashenko “discussed many topics, including President Putin’s visit to Alaska.” He added, “I look forward to meeting President Lukashenko in the future. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Russia and Belarus are close allies, joined together in a Union State involving deep economic and military ties, although each remains sovereign. Belarus has not participated directly in the Ukraine war, but it has allowed Russian forces to operate from its territory, with the 2022 offensive towards Kiev being launched largely across the Belarusian border.
President Lukashenko pardoned the 16 prisoners, many of whom were charged with extremism—a common charge used against political dissidents in Belarus—last month. Over 1,000 political prisoners are believed to remain detained in the country.
In June, Belarusian political figure Siarhei Tsikhanouski and 13 others were freed and transported to Lithuania, a NATO and European Union (EU) member on the Baltic coast, after a meeting between Trump’s Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, and Lukashenko.
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By Popular Demand.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: Three MS-13 gang members, all illegal aliens, were arrested in Nassau County, New York, and face numerous charges, including 14 counts of attempted murder and 49 counts of assault.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Elias Wilfredo Serrano Bonilla, Edras Daniel Velasquez Giron, and Jeffrey Bladimir Valladares Archaga, all MS-13 gang members, were arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Nassau County Police, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
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📍WHEN & WHERE: Arrests occurred during a joint operation earlier this month in Nassau County, New York—a sanctuary state.
💬KEY QUOTE: “America is no longer a dumping ground for foreign criminals and gang members,” said Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons.
🎯IMPACT: ICE has lodged detainers against the individuals, aiming to take custody if they are released.
IN FULL
In Nassau County, New York, three MS-13 gang members who entered the country illegally now face numerous charges after their capture in a coordinated effort by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Nassau County Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). In total, the three gang members have racked up 14 counts of attempted murder and 49 counts of assault.
The arrested illegal immigrantsinclude Elias Wilfredo Serrano Bonilla, aged 21 from El Salvador; Edras Daniel Velasquez Giron, aged 19 from Honduras; and Jeffrey Bladimir Valladares Archaga, aged 20 from Honduras. Detainers have been filed by ICE against the trio, with the goal of taking them into federal custody upon any release from local jail.
Serrano Bonilla, who crossed into the U.S. unlawfully before December 2016 during the Obama government, had been arrested before in January 2020 on charges of first-degree assault and gang involvement. In the operation on August 8, he was hit with various charges, such as eight counts of attempted murder, along with several weapons violations.
Velasquez Giron made an illegal entry into the U.S. before June 2022 under the Biden government. He received an in absentia deportation order in September 2023 for not showing up to his immigration hearing. His current charges encompass six counts of attempted murder, gang assault, and various weapons offenses.
Valladares Archaga illegally traversed the U.S.-Mexico border in 2022, and he was taken into custody last month on charges including fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon and additional infractions.
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons remarked on the arrests, stating, “America is no longer a dumping ground for foreign criminals and gang members. ICE will continue to find, arrest, and remove MS-13 and other terrorists who come here to wreak havoc on communities and destroy this nation.”
The three individuals are still detained by the Nassau County Police Department.
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By Popular Demand.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) announced the opening of a new immigration detention center, “Deportation Depot,” at a former prison in Sanderson, Florida.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Governor DeSantis, Florida National Guard, and state contractors; detainees and state and local law enforcement in collaboration with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The facility, located at Baker Correctional Institution near Jacksonville, is expected to begin operations within two to three weeks.
💬KEY QUOTE: “We’ll enforce the law, we’ll hold the line, and we will keep delivering results.” – Ron DeSantis
🎯IMPACT: The facility will expand Florida’s capacity to detain and deport migrants, supporting federal immigration enforcement efforts.
IN FULL
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has revealed plans for a new immigration detention center, “Deportation Depot,” at the shuttered Baker Correctional Institution in Sanderson, Florida. The facility, located about 43 miles west of Jacksonville, will initially house 1,300 beds with capacity to expand to 2,000. This move builds on the state’s existing efforts to enforce federal immigration laws by establishing facilities such as “Alligator Alcatraz,” which President Donald J. Trump inspected in person earlier this year.
“There’s a massive part here at Baker Correctional that’s vacant and isn’t being used for any state correction activity,” DeSantis stated during a press briefing. He emphasized the cost-effectiveness of repurposing the dormant prison, estimating a $6 million build-out cost compared to the hundreds of millions spent on facilities in southern Florida’s Everglades. The site is expected to be operational within two to three weeks and will be staffed by the Florida National Guard and state contractors.
The new facility comes amid efforts to deport tens of thousands of illegal immigrants in Florida with final orders of removal. DeSantis highlighted the state’s collaboration with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) through the 287(g) program, allowing state and local law enforcement to assist in immigration enforcement. “We have done more on this than any other state by a country mile,” he remarked.
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By Popular Demand.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: A federal judge appointed under former President Barack Obama issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from sharing Medicaid enrollees’ personal data with immigration officials.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: District Judge Vince Chhabria, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and 20 states that filed a lawsuit.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The ruling was issued earlier this week, affecting Medicaid data-sharing policies in the United States.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Using CMS data for immigration enforcement threatens to significantly disrupt the operation of Medicaid—a program that Congress has deemed critical for the provision of health coverage to the nation’s most vulnerable residents.” – Judge Vince Chhabria
🎯IMPACT: The injunction halts data-sharing until HHS provides a reasoned decision-making process or until litigation concludes, potentially disrupting the detection of many illegal aliens.
IN FULL
District Judge Vince Chhabria, appointed by former President Barack Obama, has issued a preliminary injunction halting Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from sharing Medicaid enrollees’ personal data with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The ruling followed a lawsuit by 20 states to end the data-sharing practice.
The injunction bars HHS from providing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with Medicaid data for deportation purposes. Judge Chhabria, whose parents are immigrants from India and Canada, argued that using Medicaid data for immigration enforcement could undermine the program’s critical role for vulnerable populations, stating, “Using CMS data for immigration enforcement threatens to significantly disrupt the operation of Medicaid—a program that Congress has deemed critical for the provision of health coverage to the nation’s most vulnerable residents.”
While noting that DHS collecting data from other agencies is not “categorically unlawful,” Chhabria pointed out that ICE had avoided using Medicaid data for enforcement for over a decade. He complained about the absence, as he saw it, of a reasoned decision-making process for the policy shift, writing, “The record in this case strongly suggests that no such process occurred.”
Introduced under the Trump administration, the data-sharing policy aimed to equip DHS with tools to track migrants. In July, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) agreed to provide DHS daily access to personal data of 79 million Medicaid enrollees, including Social Security numbers and home addresses, without public announcement. HHS insists the policy is legal.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) condemned the policy, stating, “The Trump Administration’s move to use Medicaid data for immigration enforcement upended longstanding policy protections without notice or consideration for the consequences.” Washington Attorney General Nick Brown (D) added, “[E]veryone should be able to seek medical care without fear of what the federal government may do with that information.”
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: The National Guard has officially deployed all 800 troops mobilized as part of President Donald J. Trump’s 30-day federalization of law enforcement in Washington, D.C.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The National Guard, President Donald J. Trump, Department of Defense spokeswoman Kingsley Wilson, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, and criminals.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Thursday evening, August 14, 2025.
💬KEY QUOTE: “As of today, all 800 Army and Air National Guardsmen are mobilized… as part of Joint Task Force D.C., and they are now here in our capital.” — Kingsley Wilson
🎯IMPACT: The deployment will last for at least 30 days, and could be extended if President Trump is able to secure the votes he needs in Congress.
IN FULL
The National Guard has officially deployed all 800 troops mobilized as part of President Donald J. Trump‘s 30-day federalization of law enforcement in Washington, D.C., aimed at cracking down on violent crime in the United States capital. According to the U.S. Army, the National Guard troops, while not engaging in direct policing, “[are] to provide a visible presence in key public areas, serving as a visible crime deterrent.”
“As of today, all 800 Army and Air National Guardsmen are mobilized… as part of Joint Task Force D.C., and they are now here in our capital,” Department of Defense spokeswoman Kingsley Wilson said, adding that they “will assist the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and federal law enforcement partners with monument security, community safety patrols, protecting federal facilities and officers” and assisting with traffic stops.
Wilson went on to state that the National Guard troops “will remain until law and order has been restored in the District, as determined by the President.” The National Pulse reported on Thursday that President Trump will pursue “long-term extensions” from Congress to maintain control of Washington, D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
“We’re going to need a crime bill that we’re going to be putting in and it’s going to pertain initially to D.C. We’re going to be asking for extensions on that, long-term extensions, because you can’t have 30 days,” Trump said. While Republicans hold majorities in both chambers, at least seven Democratic votes would be needed in the Senate to meet the 60-vote threshold for passage.
Late Thursday evening, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi officially transferred the powers of the Washington, D.C. police chief to the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), solidifying federal control. The move prompted a response from D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter): “We have followed the law… there is no statute that conveys the District’s personnel authority to a federal official.”
The Democrat D.C. Attorney General, Brian Schwalb, is challenging the transfer of powers in court.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: The District of Columbia’s city government filed a lawsuit challenging federal control over its police department, following a directive from the Trump administration naming a federal official as the emergency head of the department.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) head Terry Cole, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, and Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Chief Pamela Smith.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The lawsuit was filed on Friday in Washington, D.C., following federal directives issued earlier in the week.
💬KEY QUOTE: “The administration’s unlawful actions are an affront to the dignity and autonomy of the 700,000 Americans who call D.C. home. This is the gravest threat to Home Rule that the District has ever faced, and we are fighting to stop it.” – Brian Schwalb
🎯IMPACT: Federal forces, including National Guard troops, have been clamping down on crime in the American capital, but a successful legal challenge could disrupt this.
IN FULL
The District of Columbia has taken legal action against the Trump administration’s decision to place its police department under federal control. The lawsuit, filed by D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb (D), argues that the administration’s move violates the autonomy of the district and its residents.
The legal challenge follows an announcement late Thursday by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, who stated that Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) boss Terry Cole would assume the powers of the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Chief of Police. Bondi’s directive also rescinded local policies limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement and mandated that all new directives receive Cole’s approval.
Mayor Muriel Bowser and Police Chief Pamela Smith have pushed back against the federal actions. Bowser stated there is no legal basis for transferring the district’s personnel authority to a federal official, while Schwalb advised Smith to continue following orders from local leadership rather than federal officials.
The Trump administration has justified its actions as part of a broader crackdown on crime and illegal immigration, citing a state of emergency to bolster its authority. Federal forces, including National Guard troops and DEA agents, have been deployed across D.C., with visible patrols in high-traffic areas and checkpoints in popular nightlife districts.
❓WHAT HAPPENED: A federal judge struck down Trump administration guidance aimed at curbing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in federally funded schools.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Judge Stephanie Gallagher, the Department of Education, and teachers’ groups, including the American Federation of Teachers.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The ruling was issued on Thursday in a Maryland District Court.
💬KEY QUOTE: “The administration is entitled to express its viewpoints and to promulgate policies aligned with those viewpoints. But it must do so within the procedural bounds Congress has outlined.” – Judge Stephanie Gallagher
🎯IMPACT: The ruling blocks the enforcement of guidance that sought to end racially-based DEI programs, raising constitutional concerns about procedural requirements.
IN FULL
Maryland District Court Judge Stephanie Gallagher has struck down Trump administration guidance warning schools against adopting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs that discriminate against white or Asian students. The decision also invalidates the Education Department’s requirement for schools to certify non-discrimination in their DEI initiatives.
“This Court takes no view as to whether the policies at issue in this case are good or bad, prudent or foolish, fair or unfair,” Gallagher stated. “But… it must closely scrutinize whether the government went about creating and implementing them in the manner the law requires. Here, it did not. And by leapfrogging important procedural requirements, the government has unwittingly run headfirst into serious constitutional problems,” she claimed.
The ruling follows a lawfare suit from the American Federation of Teachers and other teachers’ groups. Issued in February, the guidance required state education agencies to submit compliance certifications by April and threatened funding cuts for schools maintaining race-based DEI programs.
The Department of Education voiced disappointment with the ruling. “While the Department is disappointed in the judge’s ruling, judicial action enjoining or setting aside this guidance has not stopped our ability to enforce Title VI protections for students at an unprecedented level,” a spokesman said. “The Department remains committed to its responsibility to uphold students’ anti-discrimination protections under the law.”
The original guidance declared, “American educational institutions have discriminated against students on the basis of race, including white and Asian students, many of whom come from disadvantaged backgrounds and low-income families. These institutions’ embrace of pervasive and repugnant race-based preferences and other forms of racial discrimination have emanated throughout every facet of academia.”
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