This Weekend in Politics, Bulletin 463.

… Trump is now running the same playbook on his massive triumphal arch as he did on the ballroom when he was losing the lawsuit against him - claim that it is not a vanity project and is all about “national security.” He is absurdly claiming that sniper ammunition and drones will be stored in the arch.

• “At the strong request of the Military, and for National Security purposes, I have agreed to convert the magnificent Triumphal Arch, planned since the Civil War Era many years ago, at the Receptive Circle adjoining the Arlington Memorial Bridge, into a top grade Military Complex/Triumphal Arch, to house, store, and have the rapid ability to use large numbers of drones, plus Snipers, on both the roof and plaza areas, and additionally have and hold large quantities of sniper ammunition in storage.”

… Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA): “Putting a drone launching site directly in the landing path for DCA is a stupid, dangerous, and unworkable idea. Trump clearly expects to lose a lawsuit and therefore wants to set up a pretext to argue that the arch is tied to national security. Which is obviously idiotic.”

… Since Trump claims that it was “the military” that requested to use the arch to store sniper ammo and drones, these are the times when a Democratic majority could bring Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine before Congress to find out from him if that is true and why. As usual, Republicans will do nothing. I’d willing to bet no general asked for this.

… NYT: “A storm brought down a 5-foot piece of ceiling plaster at the Kennedy Center this month and its leadership sprang into action. One thing they did not do was repair the damage. Instead staff members left the mess on the carpet for nearly two weeks, posting photos on social media with commentary like ‘the place is falling apart and Trump wants to fix it.’”

… “They measured plaster shards and mapped the ‘debris field’ like investigators after a plane crash, for a 55-page briefing for the center’s board about the building’s decay. No one was injured but Trump claimed online that a security guard had narrowly avoided ‘certain death.’ Less than two hours later, his allies on the board voted to close the center, citing safety concerns.”

… “Trump’s threats this past week suggest that saving face, not lives, better explains why he shuttered the Kennedy Center for what officials said would be a temporary closure. The president, who is the center’s chairman, first announced in Feb that it would close for two years of renovations. Democratic lawmakers on the board said it was an excuse to avoid the humiliation of plummeting ticket sales and fleeing artists.”

… “The closure is the apotheosis of the wreckage and chaos created in the less than two years since Trump’s takeover of the center, once a bipartisan global model of public access to the arts. Internal emails and documents demonstrate the political capture of the institution by the whims of Trump, who at the start of his second term installed a board that made him chairman. Audiences and donors fled, and its finances cratered.”

… “The center’s first Trump-appointed director, Richard Grenell, pursued a plan, not previously reported, to replace works in the center’s art collection, including gifts from foreign nations honoring Kennedy, with art selected by Trump patrons.”

… Politico: “Trump’s move to ban CNN, MS NOW and POLITICO from the WH caught much of his own team by surprise. Many senior staffers were surprised by Trump’s directive and didn’t know it was coming until they saw his Truth Social post. It happened while Chief of Staff Susie Wiles was out of town.”

… The press shop was also blindsided Friday and initially unsure how to respond. But the WH is taking the directive seriously. Source close to the WH: “It’s real and permanent as far as POTUS is concerned.”

… “The striking thing: Even people inside Trump’s orbit don’t seem to have a clear explanation for why this is happening now. More than a dozen current and former Trump WH officials we called, texted and Signaled were puzzled. Others reached out unsolicited to call it a head-scratcher.”

… “A person close to the WH tells us there have already been discussions about adding more news organizations to the ban. Trump specifically cited NYT and WaPo as possible additions.”

… House Majority Leader Steve Scalise on ABC: Q - “Do you support Trump banning news orgs because he doesn’t like their reporting? Scalise: Look, Joe Biden removed the press credentials from over 400 different agencies. Host Jonathan Karl: That’s not true. 400 reporters who had credentials didn’t reapply. They weren’t banned from the WH. That did not happen.”

… Barack Obama: “I’m trying to think what would have happened if I had said, ‘you know what, Fox News, you’re out of here!’ It’s unimaginable!”

… Financial Times: “The State Dept is stonewalling efforts to find out how much oil money Washington has collected from Venezuela, including by failing to engage with a government watchdog or to share audit reports with Congress. The dept has yet to meet with the GAO, an independent spending watchdog that has been investigating Venezuela’s oil money since July.”

… “Top Democrats are threatening to issue subpoenas to the dept as they seek to force the Trump admin to disclose what has happened to billions of dollars of oil revenues from Venezuela if their party wins the midterm elections. 9 months after the US asserted control over Venezuela’s oil exports, the admin has yet to say how much money it has collected from the country and how much has been returned to the interim govt in Caracas.”

… “In April, the State Dept, which controls the Venezuelan funds, said the accounts holding the money were being audited by KPMG and that it would share reports from the auditor with Congress, but it has not so far done so. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX), and other leading Democrats wrote to the dept last week requesting the KPMG reports by Oct 8.”

… “Members of Congress from both parties are also pushing to see the contract that the Pentagon agreed with the controversial Venezuelan businessman Alejandro Betancourt earlier this month, which could enable the US govt to take a 35% stake in his oil business in the country. Castro said there was an ‘unprecedented lack of accountability’ about the admin’s dealings with Venezuela.”

… Telegraph: “Denmark has mocked Trump for his Greenland deal, which commentators said amounted to a continuation of the status quo. The US president celebrated the agreement in a surprise announcement, saying it would give Washington permanent control of security on the Arctic island and resolve ‘all of our many US concerns’. However, Danish commentators said the deal would not change much between the US and Greenland, where American bases are already located.”

… Henrik Dahl, a Danish member of the European Parliament: “A wise Danish politician once said that you can achieve almost anything if you are willing to let others take the credit. So let us give Trump the credit for something very close to the status quo. From a Danish and Greenlandic perspective, it could hardly be much better.”

… “Analysts in Copenhagen pointed out that the current security arrangement, which dates back to 1951, already gives the US considerable scope to extend its security presence on the frozen island.”

… Marc Jacobsen, a researcher at the Royal Danish Defence College: “Trump gets out of it that he can appear as a winner - that he has been a good businessman who has pushed Denmark and Greenland into something new.”

… Danish media responded with mockery, with one correspondent writing: “Shhh. Don’t tell Trump that it’s the Kingdom of Denmark that has prevailed.”

… 6 days ago, Trump claimed he had brokered an agreement between Putin and Zelenskyy to stop bombing energy infrastructure. I said at the time it was likely a lie and another attempt at market manipulation. Russia and Ukraine have since denied that they reached any agreement, and Ukraine just launched their largest strike on refineries in and around Moscow.

… Kyiv Post: “A major wave of Ukrainian strike drones targeted Moscow and the surrounding region early Sunday morning, igniting a large fire at the Moscow Oil Refinery in Kapotnya and destroying a logistics warehouse complex in the Ramensky district. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin confirmed that a drone impact damaged a facility on the grounds of the refinery in southeastern Moscow.”

… “Sobyanin formally designated the barrage as the most massive Ukrainian drone assault launched against the capital to date. Geolocation analysis of footage published by local residents and verified by independent outlet Astra confirmed an extensive fire at the Gazpromneft-owned refining complex.”

… “The Moscow Oil Refinery, operated by Gazprom Neft, ranks among Russia’s most critical refining assets, with an annual processing capacity of approximately 11 million metric tons of crude oil. The facility provides approximately 40% of the fuel supply for the capital city and accounts for roughly 70% of all gasoline and aviation kerosene consumed across the wider Moscow region.”

… Zelenskyy: “Our long-range responses had a very significant impact in the Moscow region last night. One of Russia’s key oil industry facilities and the aggressor’s logistics facility were hit. These are billions of dollars that sustain the war machine. The systems used included FP-1, RZ-100, MICH-2000, Palianytsia, Vendetta, Liutyi, Bars, Flamingo, Sichen, and Pelican.”

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

… WaPo: “Trump’s sprawling family business empire has become increasingly intertwined with the boom in AI, at the same time that he has resisted calls to slow the development of the technology. Trump also has a personal financial stake in industries benefiting from the AI build-out, creating potential conflicts of interest as his administration makes decisions that could affect the value of those investments.”

… “Unlike his recent predecessors, Trump has not placed his assets in a blind trust, and he has continued to buy and sell stocks while in office.”

… Don Fox, a former director of the Office of Govt Ethics under Obama: “No president since we’ve had this regime of conflict-of-interest statutes has ever conducted their finances this way. His predecessors in the post-Watergate era wanted the American people - whether they agreed with them or not - to believe the president was doing what was in the best interest of his country.”

… “Trump has purchased shares in companies including Dell, Micron, and GE Vernova. Those companies’ profits are tied to the enormous spending on computing and electricity infrastructure needed to develop and operate advanced AI systems.”

… Trump posted: “We will not in any way hinder or stifle the Growth of this incredible Industry. Rather, we will cherish it, help it, and watch over it, as it grows! However, we will also be looking for BAD, and we can do that, very easily, with our already existing Criminal and Civil Justice System. For this purpose, I am forming the AI Force, much like I did Space Force. To that end, I will be announcing, in the near future, the AI ‘Czar’ - Only High I.Q. individuals need apply!”

… Barack Obama at Colgate University:

• “The government has to regulate this. I heard one of Trump’s main advisers on this make the argument that the market will take care of it - that these companies will solve the safety issues because they have every incentive to do so. That’s not how we treat airlines, or drug companies, or food companies.”

• “We now have 150 years of experience just letting the market do whatever it wants when it comes to things that deeply affect our health and our safety. And so, there’s no replacement for an effective, government regulatory structure.

• “The challenge we have is that, obviously, we have a president currently that has said that’s for losers. So we’ve got a gap of at least a couple of years where things are moving really fast and we have an admin that is not capable of or willing to - I would argue both - putting together a serious regulatory framework.”

… WSJ: “With Election Day approaching, Republican worries about voter enthusiasm are spilling beyond swing states into red bastions such as KS, TX, AK, OH, IA and NE. Trump’s approval rating sits near record lows, and frustrations are growing over the state of the economy, tariffs and the war in Iran.

… Danedri Herbert, chair of the KS Republican Party: “If Republicans don’t turn out, we’re in a world of hurt.” Herbert urged national Republican groups to pour more resources and money into Kansas before it is too late. “KS gets overlooked a lot because we are reliably red, but this is a weird cycle.”

… AFP: “As dawn breaks over the Texas prairie, where a herd of cattle grazes peacefully, there’s growing discontent among ranchers over Trump’s moves to lower beef prices. His policies are testing the loyalty of ranchers here - among his staunchest supporters - just weeks before the midterm elections in which affordability is a top concern.”

… “In a bid to ease prices for consumers, Trump authorized an additional 300,000 tons of ground beef to be imported starting Sept 1, with reduced tariffs. But TX ranchers warn that the move could hurt an industry already struggling with the smallest cattle herd in 75 years and higher fuel and fertilizer costs thanks to the war with Iran.”

… “The stakes are particularly high in TX, home to the nation’s largest cattle herd, with 12.1 million head. The state is a Republican stronghold where Trump won more than 56% of the vote in 2024. Cattle numbers have declined in TX amid a regional drought the past 3 years. And now they’re being hit by soaring diesel fuel prices. Those concerns could cost Republicans in Nov, despite their firm grip over the years on many of the state’s congressional districts.”

… TX Ag Commissioner Sid Miller: “It’s going to be a closer election than we’ve ever had. I think we’re going to lose some statewide offices, because the beef issue has disappointed a lot of ranchers and farmers.”

… Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-NE) was asked on Fox about Trump importing beef: “We are absolutely talking with the WH about their policies and how it’s actually detrimental to the long-term goal of what they want, which is bringing beef prices down.”

… USA Today: “A new TX Pulse poll shows the Democrat widening his lead over the Republican in the TX Senate race, with Election Day more than a month away. The ReconMR/Texas Pulse poll showed that James Talarico‘s lead has grown to 6 points - outside the poll’s margin of error - over Ken Paxton, 49%-43%.”

… ReconMR Senior Research Analyst Lindsey Hendren: “This movement can also be seen by looking at independent voters who now favor Talarico by 40 points, 64-24%, up from 23 points, 53-30% in July.”

… Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA): “With diesel $6.57 in Iowa why doesn’t Trump put an embargo on diesel exports like presidents in the 70s put embargoes on Ag products because food prices were inflated. High diesel prices ARE KILLING FARMERS INCOME.”

… Financial Times: While Trump focuses on oil, Hormuz remains shuttered to other commodities. Container ships down 94% compared to a year ago. Shipments of everything from limestone to fertilizer down by more than half. What the Americans are doing now is not viable long term - it’s only focused on getting oil and gas out, it’s not focused on getting cargo and commodities in.

… Trump threatened genocide again today. Fox correspondent Trey Yingst: “I just spoke with Trump about the situation with Iran. He said, ‘my question is, if and when do I blow the entire nation up? They better behave’.”

… Mike Johnson on CNBC: Q - “At what point does Congress step in and address the Iran war? Johnson: Well look, the admin doesn’t consider this in an ongoing war. It’s not. They’re trying to resolve an operation - Operation Epic Fury, which was an epic success. I don’t think we need liberal Marxist Democrats in Congress trying to tell the commander in chief what to do with the military right now.”

… WH economic advisor Kevin Hassett on Fox:

• Q - “Only 23% of voters think the economy is excellent or good, 12% of voters describe their personal financial situation as getting ahead. Hassett: They poll way too many Democrats. Republicans see what we see which is a strong economy with low inflation.”

… Apparently the polls are rigged and everyone thinks the economy is great.

• “Inflation is way down. I go to the grocery store every weekend and I just noticed the hamburger for by barbecue was down $2 from a couple of weeks ago. Prices are higher because of the inflation we inherited from Joe Biden.”

… A clip of Hassett’s statement received this fact-check Community Note on X: “Hassett’s anecdote of one hamburger price drop does not show inflation is way down. BLS data shows CPI up 3.4% year-over-year through Aug 2026 while ground beef averaged a record $6.92/lb, up 9.6% from a year earlier.”

… Can an interviewer please ask Hassett at some point to name the price of 5 random things in the grocery store? Can we try that with Trump too? Just pick out 5 common items and see what they say.

… Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) was asked about Trump’s $5,000 check midterm bribery scam on CBS: “It’s absolutely inflationary. If Joe Biden had proposed that, conservatives would’ve been all against it.”

… WSJ: “This week, Pete Hegseth narrowly dodged another distinction: He came within a whisker of becoming the first civilian defense chief to face an impeachment vote in the House since William Belknap was impeached in 1876. That political rebuke was avoided when Mike Johnson sent House lawmakers home early, ensuring that an impeachment resolution introduced by Rep. Thomas Massie wouldn’t be taken up until after the midterm elections.”

… “Johnson vociferously defended Hegseth and insisted the move had nothing to do with the defense secretary. But the controversy underscored the slipping support for Hegseth in Congress and the mounting criticism among lawmakers that the Pentagon chief is politicizing the military with his ousting of top generals and crusade against ‘woke ideology,’ all while directing an increasingly unpopular war that still lacks a clear exit strategy.”

… “Another indication of his sliding relationship with Capitol Hill is firm opposition on the Republican-led Senate Armed Services Committee to Hegseth’s top pick for Army secretary—his chief spokesman Sean Parnell.”

… Economist Justin Wolfers on the MeidasTouch podcast: “Scott Bessent is all bluster. It feels like testosterone poisoning. It feels like someone fell down an internet rabbit hole. He’s putting on this front that doesn’t accord well with the office. This pointless provocation leads everyone to discount everything else he says, and the Treasury Secretary’s words are and should be among the most powerful things in the world.”

… Politico: “Trump is moving to put political appointees in charge of billions of dollars in federal health research grants in another attempt to cut Harvard’s funding. In an Oval Office meeting on Friday, Trump directed his budget director, Russ Vought, to draft an executive order to create a board that would decide which grants the NIH should fund.”

… “Congress this month signaled disapproval of an earlier Vought plan to give political appointees control of health grants. Lawmakers included a provision in a stopgap funding bill that temporarily blocks the admin from implementing that earlier plan. Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins personally rejected Vought’s plan.”

… “The arrangement would give Vought a direct role in determining how the nation’s largest biomedical research agency distributes its $48 billion in congressionally-appropriated money.”

… Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) at a campaign rally:

• “Did you see this business about Don Jr.‘s wedding in the Bahamas? Where he received, apparently, a cash gift from a Russian oligarch connected to the Kremlin? This is the president’s son. This man, Kremlev, was apparently in China with Putin two days before he flew to the Bahamas for Don Jr.’s wedding to hand Don Jr. a 6-figure check.

• They are behaving as if they believe themselves untouchable, entitled to impunity beyond the law. And it reminds me of the story that Amos told us about his times 2,000 years ago in the West Bank. Amos said that in his times, while they, the elite, trample on the poor, they build houses hewn of stone. In our time, while they throw people off their health insurance, they build ballrooms with your money.

• Amos said they lie on beds of ivory and anoint themselves in the finest oils. They were living in Mar-a-Lago-like conditions.”

… Rep. Maria Salazar (R-FL) on CBS:

• Q - “You have described Delcy Rodriguez as a 'thief' who 'destroyed Venezuela.' Should the American president be welcoming her and sitting across from her in NY? Salazar: Delcy is just a necessary evil for now. The Venezuelans love Trump. Soon there will be elections.”

… There will never be elections in Venezuela while Trump is president.

• On her video criticizing Trump on immigration: "I think that some of Trump’s advisers are compromising his legacy."

… It’s always “the advisors” who are to blame - never Dear Leader.

… RawStory: “An explosive sworn complaint filed with the House Ethics Committee alleges Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) carried on a sexual relationship with her district director in the office, in a car and in campaign-paid hotel rooms - and that roughly $200,000 changed hands when the staffer threatened to go to the committee.”

… The complaint says that after Clarice Navarro Ratzlaff left the office and told Boebert she intended to file an ethics complaint, a payment of about $200,000 followed in March 2025. Navarro Ratzlaff is a former Colorado lawmaker who served as a US Dept of Ag official during the first Trump admin. She ran Boebert’s district operation for 4 years.”

… Daily Beast: “Lauren Boebert has long cast herself as a ‘family values’ crusader. Now, she’s facing a sworn complaint accusing her of having inappropriate sexual relationships with 3 staffers and paying one of them $200,000 to keep quiet. Boebert says the allegations are ‘utterly false.’”

… Boebert”: “Well, I’m not a lesbian or bisexual, and I have never, ever been in any inappropriate relationship, nor have I ever been sexually involved with any staff.”

… “The complaint, filed by American Muckrakers’ David Wheeler, was published by Wheeler on Friday. In it, he details the allegations against Boebert. The 3 staffers named in the complaint are Clarice Navarro, Jeffrey Small, Boebert’s chief of staff from 2021 to 2025; and Raven Finegan, Boebert’s current district chief of staff.”

… Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) made this post from the South Carolina Gamecocks football game.