Sean Duffy’s reality series is getting slammed for all of the obvious reasons, but don’t look past the fact that his show is being sponsored by companies his department oversees and regulates. In other words, it’s not just a political mess, it’s also an ethical one. www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

Schumer's new "Dear Colleague" letter makes repeated use of a notable phrase: "Ballroom Republicans."

"1) How and why did Hegseth prepare false talking points for sworn congressional testimony; and "2) Can Hegseth maybe now answer truthfully and specifically about his possible plans for the 2026 midterm elections?" www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

I made the case last week that Trump is President Bystander, blissfully unaware of events unfolding around him: tinyurl.com/vmxxhudv He keeps proving the thesis true.

Exactly two months ago today, Trump said he would not sign any other bills until the SAVE Act reached his desk. We now know that he was bluffing — and we also know that the SAVE Act has been shelved. www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

There’s a difference between lies and self-defeating lies. When Trump points to a “very substantial” drop in gas prices, and says prices at the pump are “way down,” consumers know better for the most obvious of reasons: their own life experiences. www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

Jack Smith wasn’t able to make his case in court, but with increasing frequency, he’s bringing his arguments to the public in forceful ways. Given what he has to say, that’s very good news. www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

I get the sense that Republicans find this terribly inconvenient, but Jeffries borrowed the “maximum warfare” phrase from a Trump White House official. It appeared in an August 2025 NYT article (tinyurl.com/mrx24tdm) about Trump’s gerrymandering crusade.

I have no idea whether the case against Virginia's L. Louise Lucas has merit. But I do know that the DOJ's and FBI's hyper-partisan leaders haven't exactly earned the benefit of the doubt. Not to put too fine a point on this, but this is why we don't politicize federal law enforcement

The political cases that the Justice Department has pursued matter, so do the cases that federal prosecutors have dropped for political reasons. Take, for example, scandal-plagued Republican Rep. Andy Ogles. www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

Trump’s offensive against the pope, which did the White House no favors, had run its course. This week, he not only renewed the scolding, he also offered the world a timely reminder about his delicate sensibilities, brazen dishonesty, and total lack of impulse control. www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

Media Matters’ victory over Trump’s FTC is a timely reminder: Fighting back against administration abuses works, and appeasement doesn’t. www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

It was two months ago today when Trump boasted, “Yesterday, my administration announced decisive action to help keep down the oil prices.” He quickly added that prices “have pretty much stabilized.” Today seemed like a good day to revisit that quote. www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

Pressed on whether he’d deploy troops to local voting precincts, Hegseth deflected and pushed a false claim — while under oath — about the Biden era. A week later, maybe he could give us a straight answer about the underlying question? www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

When the latest polling showed 2-to-1 opposition to the WH ballroom project, the survey question emphasized private financing. Now congressional Republicans want to spend $1 billion in taxpayer money on a $400 million project. www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

"As it happens, there is an unambiguous answer: In this country, members of Congress cannot, in fact, be impeached. The thing is, a sitting American president really ought to know that..." www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

The percentage of Americans who believe that Trump is “mentally sharp” has dropped well below 50%. He’s apparently responding with manic rhetoric about cognitive tests. I have a hunch that won’t turn things around for him. www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

Trump’s call for Republicans to impeach Hakeem Jeffries is absurd for a variety of obvious reasons, but I found myself stuck on one thing: Shouldn’t a sitting president in his sixth year in the White House know that members of Congress can’t be impeached? www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

It was a real treat to be able to talk with @gregsargent.bsky.social on his terrific podcast, and I hope folks will check out this latest installment. (I can't speak for Greg, but I think we had a good time with this one.)

“I don’t know. I’m not sure, you have to ask the various people involved...” www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

As Hegseth made the case that Americans are “the biggest adversary,” he failed a basic test of patriotism. He envisions an environment in which people say what he says, believe what he believes, and support what he supports. Others are an enemy to be defeated, or at least bullied into silence.

Watching Republicans like Steve Scalise rewrite recent history on gas prices is exasperating. Watching Republicans like Tim Scott rewrite the present is worse. I mean, really, who looks at this and decides to tell a national audience, “Gas prices continue to come down”? www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

The good news is that the Pentagon, after two months of avoiding the question, finally shared a price tag for the war in Iran. The bad news is that the administration’s figure is very hard to believe. www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

If he’s looking for evidence of sedition, I’d recommend Trump take a look at some of the people who were actually convicted of seditious conspiracy — whom he pardoned and freed from prison. tinyurl.com/5enzx52u

The White House is so bad at choosing nominees, even Senate Republicans won’t confirm some of them. Take, for example, wellness influencer Casey Means — the second of two failed surgeon general nominees. www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

Late last year, @jamellebouie.net wrote, “There is a presidency at work in Washington, but it is not clear that there is a president at work in the Oval Office.” This came to mind seeing the latest mind-numbing examples of President Bystander’s cluelessness. www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

Trump suggested yesterday that Comey’s seashell message “probably” put his life in danger. Put it this way: When even Troy Nehls — who recently said Trump is “the almost the second coming” — thinks a case is “a stretch,” it’s clear that the White House is out on a limb. www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

During an energy crisis, confronting an obvious need for renewables, Trump admin officials used taxpayer money to scuttle a renewable energy project. Then they did it again. And then they did it again. Total price tag in wasted taxpayer money: ~$2 billion and counting www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

I had the same reaction to the war's price tag. By most independent estimates, the war has cost ~$1 billion a day, every day for two months. It's nice to get a specific figure from an administration official for a change, but the $25 billion figure is literally unbelievable.

The case against Comey will obviously fail, but a conviction isn’t the point. For Trump, the indictment: - makes clear that he can prosecute his enemies based on nothing but his whims, without regard for merit or evidence - scares other prosecutors into obedience - imposes hardships on a foe

The indefensible second Comey indictment is obviously evidence of a weaponized and corrupted Justice Department. But it’s also one of many unsubtle steps Todd Blanche has taken lately to delight Trump and try to nail down an AG nomination. www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

As the State Dept adds Trump’s picture to passports, I updated the list documenting the scope of the ridiculous glorification crusade. It includes adding his name/face to currency, buildings, battleships, fascistic banners, park passes, “Trump Gold Cards,” “Trump Accounts,” and “TrumpRx.”

Republicans like Lindsey Graham and Karoline Leavitt spent yesterday arguing that Americans resolve our differences at the ballot box, not with violence. That’s unambiguously true — though it seems fair to ask whether they remember Jan. 6. www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

It’s as if the White House came up with a list of words and phrases Trump and his team have repeatedly pushed, and then effectively declared, “Trump’s critics should stop using these words and phrases.” www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

Asked yesterday on Fox when he last spoke to Putin, Trump said, “Well, I don’t want to reveal that.” He’s been offering similar answers to the same question for about a decade now, and the White House has never explained why. www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

Trump’s pardon for Michael Flynn was among the most corrupt moves of his first term. The pardon, however, wasn’t enough. The disgraced former White House national security adviser wanted a taxpayer-financed payout, too. Then he got one. And now he’s getting another. www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

On executions, there’s been a generational pattern of adopting methods considered less gruesome and less barbaric than previous methods. But when it comes to firing squads, Trump, Blanche, and Co. are rolling back the clock — because they just don’t seem to care. www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

After Saturday night’s shooting, how long did it take for Trump to begin trying to stifle dissent? Less than a day. www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

“To settle this, it would be great if the White House would release the case files and any FBI recordings of Homan’s meetings with undercover agents posing as businessmen...” www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

So you’re saying that a corrupt former president who abused the powers of his office can be charged, tried, and possibly even held accountable with a lengthy prison sentence? Tell me more.

Under enormous pressure, Powell did his job without making any effort to appease Trump, cater to his ego, accommodate his demands, or offer some compromise. There’s a lesson here for everyone about the value in fighting back, ignoring bullying, and doing the right thing. www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

In the Trump era, the right has largely moved on from concerns about moral relativism, which has apparently given way to *mathematical* relativism: It’s a worldview, embraced by the White House, that rejects the idea of arithmetical truths. www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

I was delighted to see my second book on @muellershewrote.com's bookshelf, alongside some terrific gems.

If Trump nominees acknowledge Trump’s 2020 loss, he’ll pull their nominations. If they peddle conspiratorial nonsense under oath, they risk alienating key senators. The result is 15 months of mind-numbing confirmation hearing exchanges — including Kevin Warsh's hearing this week.

As divided as Americans are, it’s nice to see there’s one thing that 86% of the country can agree on: This Republican-led Congress sure is awful. All things considered, though, that number should arguably be higher. www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

So much to know about John Phelan’s ouster as Navy secretary: - driven by Hegseth’s insecurities - firing a Navy secretary 10 days after launching a naval blockade? - Phelan was a poor choice for the job, especially in light of his Epstein ties - scope of the Pentagon purge is staggering

On the one hand, the White House budget wants to increase defense spending by roughly a half-trillion dollars, while ignoring deficit reduction. On the other, RFK Jr defended “painful” NIH cuts — by pointing to the national debt. The closer one looks, the dumber it appears.

A trio of Senate Dems are pushing for more answers about Tom Homan and the $50,000 he allegedly took in a Cava bag. They’re facing some predictable DOJ resistance. Much of the fight, oddly enough, is over whether the controversy is “a matter of widespread and exceptional media interest.”

I have a hunch Kash Patel won’t like the fact that House Democrats are demanding that he submit to alcohol abuse screening. www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

When Trump and his allies launched a partisan redistricting arms race, it really does seem as if they assumed Democrats would just capitulate and grumble about how frustratingly impressive the GOP’s hardball tactics are. That’s ... not what happened. www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...