This Weekend in Politics, Bulletin 206

… Fox host Brian Kilmeade was forced to issue a 30 second “apology” today after his comments on Fox & Friends Wednesday where he said we could solve the homeless problem by giving them lethal injections: “I wrongly said they should get lethal injections. I apologize for that extremely callous remark. Homeless people deserve our empathy and compassion.”

… In the segment, co-host Lawrence Jones was talking about homeless people who commit crimes: “We shouldn’t have to live in fear while they figure out what is going on right there. Put them in a mental institution. Put them in a jail. People having to duck and dive on the trains and the buses, walking through the street, this is one case, but this is happening all across the country. And it is not a money issue. They have given billions of dollars to mental health and the homeless population. A lot of them don’t want to take the programs. A lot of them don’t want to get the help that is necessary. You can give them a choice - either you take the resources that we are going to give you, or you decide that you are going to be locked up in jail. That is the way it has to be now.”

… Kilmeade responded: “Or involuntary injection or something. Just kill them.”‘

… The comment was clipped and circulating on social media since Kilmeade said it on Wed. He did not apologize on Wed, Thur, Fri or Sat. Then the clip broke out and went really viral on Sat with lots of backlash. Fox then made Kilmeade apologize on Sunday morning. He receives no disciple or punishment from Fox, and he will be on the air as scheduled tomorrow.

… Bulwark Editor Bill Kristol on the apology: “Brian Kilmeade deserves praise for this.”

… Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA): “America’s homeless population includes over a million children and tens of thousands of veterans, many of whom served in Iraq or Afghanistan. Nobody deserves to be murdered by the govt for mental illness or poverty. These Fox hosts are calling for mass murder—it’s sick.”

… Business Insider: “In the days since Kirk's death, some companies have been forced to navigate a delicate situation: employees sharing their personal views about the conservative activist in public. For employers, those remarks highlight the growing challenge of balancing free expression with corporate values and workplace harmony. Major corporations like Microsoft and Delta Air Lines are taking action against employees who have made social media posts critical of Kirk's own views, or even ones celebrating his death, which could be considered a violation of company values.”

… CBS: “The Trump admin is sending a $58 million request to Congress to increase security for the executive and judicial branches in the wake of the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. A WH official confirmed the extra funds would be directed to the US Marshals Service and would also include enhanced
protection for Supreme Court justices.”

… Scrutiny continues of FBI Director Kash Patel after his bizarre behavior during the Kirk investigation. NBC: “Kash Patel was dining at Rao’s in NYC on Wed night after the fatal shooting of Kirk. Patel had posted on X at 6:21 pm ET that the ‘subject’ in Kirk’s killing was ‘in custody.’ Rao’s, a well-known restaurant that is notoriously tough to get into, opens at 7 pm. Then, at 7:59 pm, Patel posted a follow-up that the ‘subject in custody has been released after an interrogation by law enforcement.’”

… Comedian Milo Edwards: “Kash Patel permanently has the facial expression of someone walking through Dubai customs with a brick of cocaine.”

… NYT: “President Trump and his top advisers are escalating their attacks on their opponents in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s killing, placing the blame for political violence on Democrats alone and signaling a broad crackdown on critics and left-leaning institutions. Trump blamed the ‘radical left’ almost immediately after Kirk was shot, before the authorities had identified a suspect. He promised to find those responsible for political violence, as well as the ‘organizations that fund it and support it.’”

… “Trump has an expansive view of those he deems radical, applying that term to almost all of his political adversaries. In his second term, Trump has pushed the boundaries of his authority to exact retribution on political opponents and institutions. Critics of the admin now worry that Kirk’s murder could be used as a pretext to move even more aggressively against those who speak out against Trump.”

… Pete Buttigieg on NBC: "We are not getting the leadership we need to bring this country together from the WH. In order to deprive political violence of its power, we have to reject anyone who would try to exploit political violence. The response to this cannot be for the govt to crack down."

… “Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that his agency was closely tracking any military personnel who celebrated or mocked Kirk’s death, and Christopher Landau, the deputy secretary of state, suggested the admin would strip visas from individuals who celebrated Kirk’s death. Trump also renewed his call for prosecutors to file racketeering charges against George Soros. Trump and his allies have long claimed without evidence that Soros foments violent protests.”

… “Stephen Miller characterized the current moment in America as a battle between ‘family and nature’ and those who celebrate ‘everything that is warped, twisted and depraved.’ He said the ‘fate of millions depends upon the defeat of this wicked ideology.’”

… Eric Trump on Fox: "This is a hit on our country. It's a hit on our movement. It's a hit on Christianity. It's a hit on religion. It's a hit on freedom. This could have been greatest mistake these people have ever made."

… Elon Musk: “The left is the party of murder and celebrating murder.”

… X user Unfiltered Boss: “Musk says that the left is the party of murder and unless we fight back, they are going to kill us all. These words are truly irresponsible and so far from the truth that it's laughable. I am a Republican from CA who lives in an area where Dems win elections 90-10, and I have never once feared for my life. Both times that I voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020, I wore my red hat to the voting booth, and although people gave me dirty looks, I didn't fear for my life. The lunatics are a small fringe that the media loves to highlight.”

… “In a country with 75 million Democrats and 75 million Republicans, the violent incidents are tiny by comparison. These broad generalizations need to stop. It is disgusting and obvious that those who peddle the idea that the other side wants you dead are doing it for their own monetary or political gain. Americans on all sides need to start rejecting these merchants of hate no matter what side of the political aisle they are in.”

… Rep. Greg Murphy (R-ND): “The assassin has been apprehended. It is imperative that Members of Congress on BOTH SIDES calm the rhetoric and look towards peace. It is OK to disagree. It doesn’t mean the other person is evil.”

… Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT): “Pay attention. Something dark might be coming. The murder of Charlie Kirk could have united Americans to confront political violence. Instead, Trump and his anti-democratic radicals look to be readying a campaign to destroy dissent. Leaders across the political spectrum have spoken out about the need to depoliticize our fight against violence. GOP Gov Spencer Cox has led the way. But Trump and his lieutenants are spinning a lie. That the only threat is from the left.”

… “The latest post from Laura Loomer, who clearly has the ear of Trump, calls on Trump to use dictatorial powers to destroy his political opposition. This kind of rhetoric is gaining traction in MAGA world, and Trump is now echoing it. For instance, he is now saying George Soros, a wealthy political critic of Trump, should face racketeering charges. He claims Soros is involved in violence, which is just made up out of thin air. Totally, completely false.”

… “The Trump/Loomer/Miller narrative that Dems are cheering Kirk's murder or that left groups are fomenting violence is also made up. There are always going to be online trolls, but Dem leaders are united (as opposed to Trump who continues to cheer the J6 violence). But the right has been looking for a pretext to destroy their opposition for a long time. Increasingly, the right views the left as an existential to a white, Christian majority nation and thus must be destroyed, as Michael Anton wrote, at any cost.”

… “That's why it was so important for Trump sycophants to take over the DoJ and FBI, so that if a pretext arose, Trump could orchestrate a dizzying campaign to shut down political opposition groups and lock up or harass its leaders. This is what could be coming - now. I hope I'm wrong. But we need to be prepared if I'm right. That means everyone who cares about democracy has to join the fight - right now. Join a mobilization or protest group. Start showing up to actions more. Write a check to a progressive media operation.”

We make the entire Weekend Bulletins available to free subscribers while about the first 30% of the daily ones are available to them to remainder of the week. If you missed the last Bulletin you can find that here.

The Downton Abbey grand finale movie was a masterpiece - definitely the best one by far. The writing of Julian Fellowes was genius and the acting from the incredible cast was perfect. If you didn’t watch the series it probably wouldn’t have the same impact, but to fans it is a must see. Bring tissues!

… The Trump admin is ramping up the public pressure on the Supreme Court to reverse a lower court ruling that his tariffs are illegal. The court will hear arguments on the case Wed. Treasury Sec Scott Bessent: "Delaying a ruling until June 2026 could result in a scenario in which $750 billion - $1 trillion in tariffs have already been collected, and unwinding them could cause significant disruption."

… William Reinsch, with International Business at the Center for Strategic and Intl Studies to Business Insider: "My experience with the Supreme Court is that when it comes to an economic issue, they don't always break along typical ideological lines. The economic stakes here are significant in addition to the foreign policy stakes. I don't think it'll be unanimous, but I wouldn't rule out the possibility that this is the first big case where they go against the president."

… International trade attorney Will Planert: "In Biden's attempt to modify the student loan program, for example, the justices have been very skeptical of the idea that Congress can confer very broad economic powers on the president or the federal agencies. If the tariffs are illegal, then they are illegal irrespective of fiscal impact. In that case, the govt would have collected a very large amount of money that it's not entitled to, which would be all the more reason to have it returned."

… The more we learn about the raid on the Hyundai plant in GA the worse it gets. NYT: “Obtaining a B1 visa requires submitting proof of the worker’s credentials, such as degree certificates and proof of employment. It is supposed to be used for consulting with business associates, negotiating contracts or attending conferences. Jongwon Lee, a lawyer who has worked with S. Korean companies operating in GA, said the official guidance left little clarity on how expansively the B1 visa could be interpreted: ‘Installing software, giving instructions of how to set up machines, is that consulting or not? Nobody knows. No update, no instruction, no case law.”

… Immigration lawyer Charles Kuck, who represents several of the Koreans, says the warrant ICE had was for 4 Hispanic workers but they ended up grabbing all the Koreans with them: “They just transported everybody to the jail to sort it out later. What ICE is doing here is illegal, and people should be held to account. If we’re turning from ‘let’s enforce the law against people who violate the law’ to ‘let’s enforce the law against everybody regardless of their legal status,’ I think we’ve changed the kind of country that we’ve become.”

… Seoul-based journalist Raphael Rashid: “A repatriated Korean worker from the Hyundai-LG battery factory secretly wrote a detention diary about their 7-day experience in ICE custody in Georgia. The worker says ICE officers mocked them with words like as ‘North Korea’ and ‘Rocket Man’ despite holding a business visa. Workers were initially housed in a 72-person room with bunks, 4 shared toilets and 2 urinals. There were no clocks or outside view. Mattresses had mould on them. The provided water smelled bad. No basic supplies were initially provided to the detainees.”

… On 7 September, 4 officials from the Korean Consulate General and Foreign Ministry met the detainees. The consulate reportedly told workers: ‘Getting home first is the most important thing. Sign whatever they ask you to sign unconditionally.’ The Korean officials warned that disputes could mean detention for anything from 4 months to several years. They informed detainees that signing would mean forced removal, visa cancellation, and a charter flight home.”

… NYT: “Trump has celebrated his success in driving down illegal border crossings and in cracking down on immigration more broadly. But he walks a careful line when his hard-line policies collide with his economic agenda — particularly when it comes to foreign workers, student visas and industries that rely on immigrant labor. The changing positions have not only infuriated his far-right allies, but have also confused those aiming to carry out his deportation policies.“

… David Bier, director of immigration studies at the conservative Cato Institute: “His heart isn’t in the nativist purge the way that the rest of his admin’s heart is into it. He’s always been someone who likes to dabble in that type of rhetoric. But at the same time, he’s always had a soft spot for the economic needs from a business perspective.”

… It looks as though the much-hyped criminal referral from Federal Housing Finance Dir Bill Pulte against Federal Reserve Gov Lisa Cook, which is being used to justify an attempt to fire her by Trump, is falling apart. Reuters: “A loan estimate for an Atlanta home purchased by Lisa Cook shows that Cook had declared the property as a ‘vacation home’. The document, dated May 28, 2021, was issued to Cook by her credit union in the weeks before she completed the purchase and shows that she had told the lender that the ATL property wouldn’t be her primary residence.”

… “The document appears to counter other documentation that Cook’s critics have cited in support of their claims that she committed mortgage fraud by reporting two different homes as her primary residence, two independent real-estate experts said.

… “The report goes on to note that the documents the Trump admin cites ‘include standardized federal mortgage paperwork which stipulates that each loan obtained by Cook for the Atlanta and Michigan properties is meant for a ‘primary residence.’ But one of the documents clearly says the stipulation exists ‘unless Lender otherwise agrees in writing.’ The loan estimate, a document prepared by the credit union, states ‘Property Use: Vacation Home.’”

… As many Republicans in Congress call for Trump to do something after Putin’s drone incursions into Poland and Romania and escalation of attacks in civilians in Ukraine, Trump issues a post setting out impossible preconditions to try and give him another excuse to do nothing: “I am ready to do major Sanctions on Russia when all NATO Nations have agreed, and started, to do the same thing, and when all NATO Nations STOP BUYING OIL FROM RUSSIA. I am ready to go when you are. Just say when?

… “I believe that this, plus NATO, as a group, placing 50% to 100% TARIFFS ON CHINA, to be fully withdrawn after the WAR with Russia and Ukraine is ended, will also be of great help in ENDING this deadly, but RIDICULOUS, WAR. China has a strong control, and even grip, over Russia, and these powerful Tariffs will break that grip. This is not TRUMP’S WAR (it would never have started if I was President!), it is Biden’s and Zelensky’s WAR. If NATO does as I say, the WAR will end quickly, and all of those lives will be saved! If not, you are just wasting my time, and the time, energy, and money of the US.”

… The Atlantic’s Tom Nichols: “It really is the perfect encapsulation: Russia invades Polish airspace, so Trump issues an ultimatum to…. NATO.”

… Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE): “ Saying ‘it is Biden’s and Zelensky’s war’ is so morally blind and factually wrong. Mr President, Putin is the one who is the invader. And, now this war is on your watch and you’ll be judged in the history books in the decades to come by your actions or lack thereof.”

… Trump on Saturday night at Bedminster: “Smart people don’t like me, and they don’t like what we talk about.”

… Sec of Defense Pete Hegseth on Fox: Q - “What about Russia attacking Poland? Hegseth: We've projected power for a long time in far-flung places that had a nebulous connection to our own security in the homeland. We're securing the homeland.”

… A NATO country and one of our closest allies is now a “far flung place” that we don’t need to care about. How far we have sunk as a nation in such a short period of time.

… Rep. Don Bacon: “SecDef Hegseth with some disgusting comments. He is an empty suit.”

… After Trump’s threats to seize Greenland, Denmark responds by announcing it will make its purchases in Europe for construction of their new missile defense system. Portugal also announced they are buying from a French jet manufacturer instead of American F-35s.

… Denmark MP Rasmus Jarlov: “It pays to be a good ally. Denmark yesterday announced our biggest defense investment ever. We will buy air defense for 8 billion euros, and it will all come from European producers. It has been a strong political desire to buy from reliable and non-threatening partners. For long range protection, we will buy the French-Italian SAMP/T. For mid-range, we will buy from Norwegian, German and French producers. The first systems will be up and running already this year significantly strengthening our defense.

… Republican Rep. Don Bacon: “The ugly and foolish diplomacy this Admin showed towards our great ally, Denmark, is costing us money. It should not surprise us.”

… Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC) teamed up with Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) to launch a bipartisan effort in Congress to bypass Trump and impose sanctions on Russia. Their ploy is attach it to the CR which funds the govt to avoid a shutdown on Oct. 1. Graham: “Time is of the essence. We urge our colleagues to consider attaching this legislation to the CR.”

… Fitzpatrick: “For months, we’ve worked across the aisle and across chambers on this landmark legislation to target not only Putin himself, but every nation, bank, and entity financing his illegal war. With 100 cosponsors in the House and 85 in the Senate, the Sanctioning Russia Act represents the most united, bipartisan push yet to choke off the cash fueling Putin’s aggression. This is more than a matter of policy—it is a test of resolve. The free world must act, and America must lead. This week, we’re calling on all our colleagues to join us. Let’s get this done.”

… Politico: “The gambit is, unsurprisingly, the brainchild of Graham, who has been pushing his colleagues and the administration for months to embrace a measure that would impose secondary sanctions on nations such as India and China that are effectively propping up Moscow’s wartime economy.”

… “The idea is that by linking the measure to the eventual stopgap bill to fund the government, congressional GOP leaders could overcome the isolationists in their own conference, pressure Democratic Russia hawks otherwise uneasy about supporting the CR and move a major foreign policy bill without raising Trump’s ire.

… CNBC: “Democrats are zeroing in on health care as a key sticking point in negotiations with the threat of a government shutdown looming. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries have said that they will not support GOP-backed legislation to keep the govt funded unless it includes certain health-care provisions, setting up a bitter policy fight with GOP lawmakers that could trigger a shutdown.”

… “With funding on the brink, congressional Democrats are demanding that any legislation that would avert a shutdown include an extension of the Affordable Care Act tax credits, which are set to expire at the end of this year unless Congress intervenes. If the tax credits disappear, average premiums could soar by about 75%, according to KFF, a nonpartisan health policy research group.”

… Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) is the latest House Republican to announce he has had enough and will not seek reelection. He is very pro-Ukraine and frequently criticized Trump’s comments on the war, including his recent comments that Putin’s drone flights into Poland was “maybe just a mistake.” Fellow Texas Republican Rep. Morgan Luttrell announced on Thurs he also won’t seek reelection.”

… A viral video on social media shows an activist in DC annoying National Guard troops by following them around as they walked the streets while blasting John Williams’ Imperial March, which was used in Star Wars whenever Stormtroopers appeared on screen. A Sgt finally turned around and said: “I can contact Metro PD to come get you if that’s what you want to do? Is that what you want?”

… The activist said yes, and the troops turned around and continued walking while the activist continuing following with the music.

… Proud Boys leader Joe Biggs, whose sentence of 17 years for seditious conspiracy was commuted by Trump: “I am announcing my exit from the Proud Boys. After long consideration and the way we were treated tonight by our so called family and brothers at our yearly event. I'm out. Not once were my fellow J6ers brought up or recognized. I thought I was part of a family and the minute I asked the club to recognize my friends a fight ensued. This is not a club who respects its men who Stand up for it. It instead mocks those of us who lost everything for something we believed was bigger than ourselves. So from here on out. I am no longer a Proud Boy.”

… Sad!

… Republican US Senate candidate and current TX AG Ken Paxton has yet another scandal. Daily Mail: “Paxton was secretly seeing a married Christian influencer behind the backs of both their partners. Tracy Duhon, who is also an author, is the reason the politician's relationship crumbled earlier this summer. TX State Senator Angela Paxton announced in July their 38-year marriage was over in a stinging tweet, citing 'biblical grounds'.”

… “It is not the first time Ken Paxton has been rocked by scandal, having been caught cheating on Angela in 2023 with his former mistress Laura Olsen. He was impeached by the state house, accused of misusing his office and taking bribes while trying to get a job for his lover, allegations he denied all along and was acquitted of in the state senate. His wife stood by him through that first scandal.”

… “But the latest incident with Duhon appears to have been the last straw, and could threaten Paxton's latest bid to become a US senator. The romance between Duhon and Paxton started after the pair met at the Kentucky Derby last year. Since May 2024, the lovers have had multiple rendezvous on trips across the country and even overseas. The getaways were essential to keeping the entanglement secret as both were married at the time.”