This Weekend in Politics, Bulletin 431

… Rep. Max Miller (R-OH) posted a video today that he was not dropping out of the race despite horrific domestic violence and child abuse allegations made by his former wife Emily Moreno, who is the daughter of Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH). His statement was widely criticized on social media for making him sound even more guilty by adopting typical abuser language. It also prompted his former father-in-law to finally issue a statement denouncing Miller.

… Miller said his ex-wife “struggled with significant mental health challenges.” He added, “If I had assaulted her, would she have offered to cook me dinner 6 days later?” On the allegations he scalded her chest by throwing boiling water at her: “Horseplay in our kitchen. It was not boiling. She was laughing during it.”

… As far as his comment about making dinner 6 days after she was abused, anyone who has worked with domestic violence victims, has been one, or been a family member or friend involved in that situation knows that things like that are sadly very common.

… Emily Moreno spokesman Stefan Mychajliw: “It is shameful that Max Miller decided to go on a bizarre and lie-filled rant about his ex-wife to desperately try to save his political career. There is a documented trove of evidence that Miller has a history of violent and dangerous behavior and no amount of victim shaming will change that.”

… “It is despicable and abhorrent that Miller lied on an unhinged and humiliating video for their daughter to watch one day. No loving parent would have ever used their daughter as a PR pawn to save their own political career. Miller can lie and spin on X, but he cannot do so under oath in a court of law. We are confident that justice will prevail in court.”

… Sen. Moreno: “As a father and husband, I can tell you the last two years have been pure hell for my wife Bridget, our daughter Emily, me, and our entire family in the aftermath of Emily's divorce. It has been horrific to watch this play out in full public view, all while knowing an innocent two-year-old girl is caught in the middle. Our priority has always been protecting our daughter and our granddaughter. Out of concern for the safety of my family, I hoped to keep this matter private but Max Miller’s increasingly erratic and dangerous behavior has made that impossible.”

… “As he has admitted privately, Max Miller needs serious psychological help. He is a danger to my daughter, and I hold my breath every minute he has custody of my granddaughter. If there are any basic standards of character required to hold elected office, Max Miller fails them. He should not serve in the House of Reps. I believe Max Miller needs to seek professional help to end the clear pattern of abuse he has left in his wake. I believe he should not be free to continue endangering others until he does.”

… “I ran for office because I wanted to make a difference for the country that gave me every opportunity to succeed, and to leave this nation better for my children and grandchildren. That sacrifice has been especially hard on my wife Bridget, whose big heart and steady support have never wavered. I owe it to her, to Emily, and to my granddaughter to speak the truth now.”

… It’s about time.

… Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) on CBS: Q - “Should there be an ethics probe to look into Max Miller? Turner: This is a matter of litigation. This is best handled in a courtroom, not a TV studio. This type of speculation is better for TMZ than CBS. Q - Is it at least something Republican leaders should look into it? Turner: The courts need to handle this, not a TV studio. Q - So it doesn’t matter to you? Turner: The court needs to handle this.”

… Trump and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum both posted that they are not happy with DC US Attorney Jeanine Pirro dropping the Reflecting Pool case:

• Trump: “I disagree 100% with Jeanine Pirro on the Reflecting Pool. I don’t know what she was thinking? To me, it was a pure case of VANDALISM, that included the grass, which had a big 86 47 emblazoned in giant letters on it, and other elements of the surrounding area. There may have been some contractor difficulty, but the major damage was caused by VANDALS!”

• Burgum: “The evidence is clear, vandals have repeatedly caused damage to the Reflecting Pool. We also provided the UA Attorney’s office expert and eyewitness testimony to the damage done by vandals and provided every piece of evidence they asked for in the requested time line detailing each area of damage at the pool.”

• “Trump cares deeply about protecting our sacred national monuments. Intentional damage done to the Reflecting Pool is no different than defacing any one of our other national monuments. We won’t back down to deranged people who want to destroy, deface, or degrade our monuments.”

… Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) was asked about it on CNN: Q - “Should David Hearn be eligible for money from the anti-weaponization fund? Jordan: That’d be up to the board. Q - Well, what do you think? Jordan: I don’t make the decision. Host - But you have an opinion. Jordan: Well, I don’t know all the facts. This story just broke. Host - I want to talk to you again when you get all the facts.”

… RFK Jr was on Dana Bash’s CNN show:

• Q - “How do you prepare for the next pandemic? That’s part of your job now. RFK Jr: We did almost everything wrong with covid. Q - But what about now? RFK Jr: We need to protect our constitutional rights. Q - What does that mean? RFK Jr: During covid we completely dismantled our rights. Q - But I’m asking what to do during a public health crisis. RFK Jr: You were part of the problem. Bash: You want to sit here and attack me?”

… Dr. Rob Davidson: “He’s an abject failure. He’s attacking the real frontline doctors by spewing total BS about ‘treatments’ for COVID that don’t work. I was there. People were dying and we were doing everything we could to help them. He’s failing us on measles and explosive diarrhea. He must go.”

• RFK Jr: “We had the highest death rate from covid of any nation on earth. Bash: That’s not accurate. RFK Jr: What I said was accurate. Bash: There are other countries that had higher. RFK Jr: When Fauci was mismanaging the pandemic, he was doing it under the Biden admin.”

… The US was 16th in death rate.

• Q - “The WSJ reported the president wants you to go further to probe a link between vaccines and autism. Is that true? RFK Jr: He certainly does.”

• RFK Jr: “Dana, you probably don’t understand this because you’re not a scientist. Bash: Well you’re not either! RFK Jr: I know you’re flustered now. Bash: I’m not flustered at all. RFK Jr: You’re frustrated. Bash: I am frustrated because you are the HHS Secretary and you are talking about things that lead to vaccine hesitancy.”

• RFK Jr: “Trump wanted to end the lockdowns. In Fauci’s diary, he talks about how Trump was calling him every day trying to get him to reopen the country. Bash: The lockdowns were done by governors. RFK Jr: They were doing it citing Fauci. Bash: Governors were hearing from hospitals that their ICUs were overrun. RFK Jr: That’s not true.”

… Dr. Peter Hotez: “It was absolutely true. The governors had no choice. ICUs were being overwhelmed and mortality was climbing rapidly as a result. This was never a federal decision. The governors did the right thing. The revisionist history is depressing.”

… TACO Trump backed down again from his latest threat to bomb infrastructure in Iran: “The U.S.A. is locked and loaded and ready to go against Iran, at levels of Military Terror, Strength, and Power not seen since WW II. Despite this, we have just been asked by Iran, and other Middle Eastern Countries, to hold off any attack in that the perimeters of a deal has been agreed to. This would include the Immediate, Complete, and Total OPENING OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT, and an end to Iran’s nuclear threat. Based on this request, I have agreed, for the future benefit of the WORLD and, likewise, the survival of a successful and prosperous Iran, to cancel the attack, subject to being able to rapidly make a DEAL. The Country of Israel joins me in this commitment. Get to work, everybody, and get it DONE.”

… Mohammad Marandi, a senior Iranian figure associated with the regime’s negotiating delegation, posted: “Trump retreated again.”

… Iran state media Fars responded by reporting that Trump’s claims that Iran has agreed to a deal with the US to reopen the Strait of Hormuz are false. Iran said that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed to any ship that does not coordinate with the IRGC.

… Iran state media Mehr reported that the country’s military officials deny that Iran agreed to end its nuclear program and open the Strait of Hormuz as a “complete lie,” saying it is a “desperate attempt to manipulate the market.” Iran adds that it has not requested any halt to the planned attacks, and that it was purely Trump who chose to stop them with false claims of a deal.

… Former Israeli intel official Nadav Pollack: “The pattern is becoming clear - Trump can’t get the Iranians to comply. They are not willing to concede on anything and are willing to use force to pressure Trump. Trump is getting frustrated and decides to maybe use military force again and announcing it to the whole world to try and pressure Iran to comply before he uses force. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey and Pakistan convince him to deescalate. See you here in a few weeks after Trump again won’t get what he wants from Iran.”

… Longtime Trump supporter and Christian Broadcasting Corp. host David Brody: “How many times are we going to do this? Once again, Trump has reportedly pulled back from striking Iran because another deal is supposedly within reach. At some point, enough is enough. Iran has mastered the art of dragging out negotiations while the US keeps hitting the pause button. This cycle is becoming beyond frustrating—it’s starting to look ridiculous.”

… NYT media reporter Bill Carter: “This appears to be the ELEVENTH time Trump has threatened Armageddon and backed off w promise of a deal - almost always on a Sunday to get ahead of stock and oil markets opening on Monday.”

… NYT: “To America’s allies, Trump’s war in Iran, now in its 6th month, seems headed for a strategic defeat. They worry that the inability of the US to turn military superiority into a sustainably changed Iran has displayed a vulnerability that Russia and China will welcome. In addition, Trump’s goals remain unmet, and the US military is running short on key armaments that it needs for global reach.”

… “For the moment, Iran is seemingly resolute under a more radical govt, its nuclear and ballistic missile programs are degraded but not destroyed, and the Strait of Hormuz is effectively under its control. The war has left both the US and Israel in weaker positions - and blaming each other for the mess.”

… “Iranian missiles and drones not only restrict traffic through the strait and damage the economic infrastructure of allied energy production, but they also continue to threaten American bases across the Middle East and have killed or injured American service members. With Trump’s aims shifting, Washington is losing credibility both militarily and diplomatically. Its conduct in the war underscores the impression that the US is an unpredictable instrument of global disorder.”

… Robin Niblett, a former director of Chatham House, a think tank in London: “The war has been a strategic loss and an embarrassment. For US allies and those who rely on the US for security, this is confirmation that you can’t trust the US. People won’t forget that their security and their future were dragged into question by an unpredictable and wavering US foreign policy.”

We make the entire Weekend Bulletin available to free subscribers who are also able to participate in the comments section. About the first third of the daily Bulletins during the week are available to everyone. Tomorrow is also my Ask the Editor show, where I choose 5 of your questions or topics to answer that are posted in the comments section to this Bulletin. So if you have any post them below.

If you missed the last Bulletin, you can find it here.

We had a fun kayak trip on the Presumscot River yesterday - saw some Blue Heron, loons, ducks and turtles along with lots of colorful water lilies. We took a break by a covered bridge over the river to watch some kids using the rope swing from the bank to drop in the river. At no point did I remotely consider doing it myself.

… WaPo: “The top US general in Europe privately warned the Pentagon this week that he lacks sufficient naval forces to continue protecting Israel from incoming ballistic missiles, officials said, illustrating how the ongoing Iran war has imposed constraints on the military. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich sent written notification to senior Pentagon officials saying that without another Navy destroyer he will be forced to choose defense of the US ‘homeland’.”

… NYT: “A freelance reporter has been fighting a subpoena from the Trump admin seeking to force him to reveal his sources for a NYT article about a failed top secret mission in N. Korea. The subpoena reflects the admin’s intensifying campaign to investigate leaks of govt secrets by pressuring reporters to divulge their sources. Until Trump began his second term, federal subpoenas to reporters were exceedingly rare.”

… In February, FBI agents showed up at the NY home of the reporter, Matthew Cole, to deliver the grand jury subpoena, which was issued by prosecutors in VA. The investigators are seeking his testimony about two years’ worth of info about Cole’s contacts and conversations, as they try to identify his sources for the article about the operation.”

… Last fall, Cole, along with staff reporter Dave Philipps, revealed the details of a Navy SEAL Team 6 mission in 2019 that went awry. The article described how the SEAL members killed two or three unarmed N. Koreans who appeared to have stumbled upon the mission, a classified op to plant a secret eavesdropping device near the country’s coastline. The article also noted that the Trump admin did not notify key members of Congress who oversee intel operations, before or after the mission, an omission that may have violated the law.”

… “Cole is also the author of ‘Princes and Thieves,’ a coming book about the finances and global entanglements of Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.”

… Reuters: “During a cabinet meeting at Camp David on Friday, Scott Bessent carelessly revealed plans for the US to buy $5-$10 billion ⁠in Japanese yen in a scribbled ‘to do’ list left visible to a Reuters photographer. The image, taken over Bessent’s shoulder during a portion of the meeting open to journalists, showed a notepad with the underscored words ‘To Do’ followed by ‘Buy Japanese Yen $5-10 bil’.”

… “The Financial Times reported later that the Federal Reserve Bank of NY sold euros to buy yen on behalf of the US treasury dept. The depreciation of the yen, which dipped last week to its weakest level since 1986, has been driven by a number of factors, including rising oil prices.”

… Zelenskyy: “Since last night, response efforts have been underway in Kyiv and the surrounding region following Russia’s strike. There were numerous fires across the city. 7 districts were affected, and, as usual, the Russians struck ordinary residential buildings. 18 residential buildings, a school, the Lithuanian Embassy, and infrastructure facilities were damaged. As of now, 9 people have been reported killed in this attack. Dozens of people were injured.”

… “Overnight, the Russians launched 35 missiles at Ukraine, including 27 ballistic missiles, as well as 185 attack drones of various types. Kyiv was the primary target, but strikes also hit the Dnipro, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Poltava regions. Only one ballistic missile was intercepted, simply because there are no interceptors for the Patriot systems. And it is this shortage of ballistic missile interceptors that only encourages Russia to launch such attacks that take human lives.”

… “It is critical that partners hear that these capabilities are needed not somewhere in stockpiles for hypothetical scenarios, but here and now, to contain and stop the Russian war in Ukraine. Every package of ballistic missile interceptors saves the lives of our people. And every night without them results in more casualties.”

… Trump made another series of bizarre posts on Truth Social this weekend, which included an altered photo of Bruce Springsteen missing several teeth, a meme claiming he is aging in reverse, an AI photo of himself as a Revolutionary War general storming a British position, a photo showing Venezuela as the 51st state, a giant pic of himself in the sky looming over Greenland, a meme of George Washington morphing into Trump, a picture of himself with an alien at Roswell, a painting of himself kissing Jesus’s forehead on the cross, an AI pic under the banner ‘Trump 2028’, and an AI photo of himself as Elvis.

… Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC): “Despite comments as late as yesterday that the fund is dead, Trump clearly intends to resurrect the payout pot for punks either by inappropriately establishing another bogus fund or pushing Congress to vote for a bill that the majority of Republicans in the Senate would be against. It’s unfortunate that Todd Blanche, who I consider qualified for the job, will not be confirmed because of this reversal. Hopefully, we can resolve this by Tues.”

… Trump Media has officially launched its new paid data service, providing faster access to Truth Social posts from Trump. The new service is called ‘Truth API’ which gives firms "a direct, licensed, real-time feed of the platform’s most market-moving Truths," the company's CEO said in a press release. The service reportedly costs as much as $100,000/month.

… CNBC: “Trump’s family is also the largest shareholder in Trump Media, the public company that operates Truth Social. The launch comes after Sens. Adam Schiff and Elizabeth Warren took aim at the new service, urging the SEC to investigate whether the company is violating the law.”

… Letter to SEC chair Paul Atkins from Schiff and Warren: “This appears to be an outrageous abuse of the President’s office for his personal benefit that undermines everyday investors and the integrity of our markets, while enriching Wall Street and other wealthy insiders.”

… Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO): “This is insider trading. It’s Trump’s latest cash grab—for himself, Wall Street, and the elite. Anyone involved in this illegal and brazen corruption should be prosecuted.”

… Market analyst Jesse Livermore: “Hard to even process - a president selling market-moving info to banks and wealthy investors in advance of everyone else, and personally pocketing hundreds of millions of dollars from it. This alone is more worthy of impeachment than 100 Watergate cover-ups. Democrats need to make it extremely clear to Wall Street that any corporation or person that pays Trump for this info and then trades on it will be prosecuted under the next Democrat admin.”

… Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) revealed that Trump lied publicly about the reason he vetoed a water bill that she sponsored for CO: “It was vetoed - we were told because Tina Peters was in jail. I said well I’m still going to fight to help the president keep his promise. He made this promise. He’s not a liar and we’re going to help keep this and so I’m still moving that legislation and it’s going to get over the finish line one way or another.”

… Politico: “The grownups are worried. In group chats and at happy hours, some GOP veterans fret about the rising generation of young staffers in their party. The recurring complaint: The pipeline that feeds young conservative talent into govt jobs is defective - if not broken. This isn’t just the standard middle-aged lament that the kids aren’t all right. It’s a criticism aimed at institutions like the Heritage Foundation that purport to identify and train the party’s future governing class.”

… “To conservative critics in and out of govt, many of whom ascribe to more traditional, pre-MAGA Republican beliefs, some such institutions have spent the last decade selecting for rigid conformity to Trumpist ideology over more typical markers of expertise. Maybe that helps for enforcing the party line in the new GOP. But these critics fear a decline of merit and skill, along with a tolerance for darker ideologies that could cripple the party’s ability to govern in the long run.”

… A senior GOP congressional staffer: “Everyone knows what the problem is: The organizations that bring young staffers to DC have spent the last decade prioritizing blind ideological loyalty instead of competence or intelligence. We have a generation of rabid, incompetent idiots.”

… Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI): “If Democrats can figure out how to win in the middle of the country, we can make it work everywhere else. But what works on the coasts does not automatically work in MI, in IA, in OH. So we’ve got to figure out the middle first.
That is why I have been spending time in the middle of the country, in purple and red places. I’ve been talking with folks who voted for Trump about how they view things and what they’re looking for in new Democratic leaders.”

… “And I want to say something about the Democrats organizing in tough places.
These are people doing the hard work in red places, being good Democrats when it’s hard. It is easy to show up where everyone already agrees with you. It is something else to show up where they don't, and do it anyway, because you believe it matters.
I believe it matters. And I am going to keep showing up in those places. I hope you will too.”

… The Amsterdam Pride Parade featured a float with Trump in a dress trying to kiss Putin.

… The Atlantic: “When you approach the freshly gilded twin statues near the Lincoln Memorial, there is no mistaking that they are gold. Very, very gold. Distractingly gold—or, more precisely, covered in 23.75-karat gold leaf costing $5.1 million. The 19-foot statues, called The Arts of War, were once easy to miss but now look a bit like oversized children’s trophies, especially next to the classical and austere Lincoln Memorial. Seeing them is as if, on the walk between Arlington National Cemetery and the National Mall, you’d suddenly stumbled upon a P. F. Chang’s.”

… “This is how Trump is approaching his redecoration of Washington: glitzy and gaudy, even if out of place. He has already splashed gold all around the WH, but these statues are the most prominent symbols of Washington’s new gilded age. As the scaffolding around the statues came down this week, marking one of the few completions of a Trump-ordered renovation project, the president giddily posted photos on social media—and tourists, commuters, cyclists, and runners paused to take photos of their own of the capital’s latest can-you-believe-it attraction.”

… “Trump has worn his love of gold like a blinging billboard. Mar-a-Lago’s ballroom is inspired by Versailles, and he has proudly bragged of golden bathrooms, golden airplane-seatbelt buckles, and a gold-infused penthouse suite. The Oval Office now looks like a Middle Eastern bazaar crossed with an opulent Cracker Barrel. Thick, gold frames line the walls; gold vases and ice buckets adorn the fireplace mantle; gold stars form a circle on the ceiling; and gold appliqués fill any gaps. (Trump insists that these are real gold, and not painted flourishes from Home Depot.)”

… “Last year, he exempted gold bullion from his reciprocal tariffs, and he named his special visa program for wealthy foreigners the Trump Gold Card. He has taken his personally designed presidential challenge coin (which is golden) and glued it to the center of the Oval Office door, at about eye level. The coasters are gold, the curtains are gold, and guests know to come bearing gifts of gold.”

… “It’s one thing for Trump to have a personal fascination with one of the world’s most expensive metals. It’s another for the president to flaunt it at a time when many Americans are struggling to pay rent, losing their health insurance, and seeing high prices at the gas pump. It may not quite be a ‘Let them eat cake’ moment, but it is one where he seems to be saying: Let them see that I just spent $5 million in taxpayer funds on golden statues.”

… Trump allegedly won his 43rd Club Championship on one of his courses today, this time at Bedminster where he supposedly shot a 70 in his final round to win the title. He has never won a golf tournament at any course other than the ones he owns, where he is apparently invincible.

… In a new court filing, Capital One says Trump’s accounts were closed in 2021 after months of analysis by its anti-money laundering (AML) professionals, not because of politics, as Trump has long claimed. The bank says its AML team conducted a careful review that identified suspicious transaction patterns and made the decision under federal anti-money laundering obligations.

… Trump, Eric and Junior have claimed for years that they were the victims of “de-banking” because of J6.

… Bloomberg: “Capital One said in a court filing late Friday that it closed accounts belonging to Trump’s sprawling real estate company in 2021 for legitimate reasons after an internal review by the bank’s anti-money laundering team.”

… Gov. Andy Beshear on Republican attacks against him after he didn’t attend the big annual Fancy Farm bipartisan picnic in KY where politicians roast each other: “Sorry to miss Fancy Farm today, but let me get in on the fun. Rand Paul apparently said I’d been ‘neutered’ by my legislature. Rich coming from a guy who’s never had a pair of balls and if he did they’d be held by Trump.

… “I’m told Andy Barr also spoke. We aren’t the same. Yes, same first name, hometown and high school, but I don’t run racist ads. Yes, Steve’s my dad, but Trump’s his daddy.”

… “Funny how the Republicans are all mad I missed one political event to watch my son play baseball. But no outrage that Mitch McConnell has been nowhere to be seen for 50 days. Fancy Farm is a great Kentucky tradition and it’s all in good fun. I can take it. Hope they can too.”

… It is Maine wild blueberry harvest week and I stocked up on 25 pounds of blueberries from a small family farm yesterday. You can only get these during a very short window of time here and Maine wild blueberries are unique and the absolute best in my opinion. I made a little dessert last night, and it is a good thing that I have lots of blueberry recipes.