This Weekend in Politics, Bulletin 260. 11/30/25

… Ukraine’s peace negotiators met with the US delegation today, which was led by Sec of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner. After multiple recent revelations about Witkoff being owned by Putin, he looked pretty uncomfortable facing the Ukrainians he has worked so hard to sell out.

… This followed an explosive story by the WSJ exposing Witkoff and Kushner’s duplicity: “Three powerful businessmen—two Americans and a Russian—hunched over a laptop in Miami Beach last month, ostensibly to draw up a plan to end Russia’s long and deadly war with Ukraine. But the full scope of their project went much further. They were privately charting a path to bring Russia’s $2 trillion economy in from the cold—with American businesses first in line to beat European competitors to the dividends.”

… “At his waterfront estate, billionaire developer-turned-special envoy Steve Witkoff was hosting Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia’s sovereign-wealth fund and Vladimir Putin’s handpicked negotiator, who had largely shaped the document they were revising on the screen. Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, had arrived from his nearby home on an island known as the ‘Billionaire Bunker.’”

… “Dmitriev was pushing a plan for US companies to tap the roughly $300 billion of Russian central bank assets, frozen in Europe, for US-Russian investment projects and a US-led reconstruction of Ukraine. US and Russian companies could join to exploit the vast mineral wealth in the Arctic. There were no limits to what two longtime adversaries could achieve, Dmitriev had argued for months: Their rival space industries, which raced one another during the Cold War, could even pursue a joint mission to Mars with Elon Musk’s SpaceX.”

… “For the Kremlin, the Miami talks were the culmination of a strategy, hatched before Trump’s inauguration, to bypass the traditional US national security apparatus and convince the admin to view Russia not as a military threat but as a land of bountiful opportunity. By dangling multibillion-dollar rare-earth and energy deals, Moscow could reshape the economic map of Europe—while driving a wedge between America and its traditional allies.”

… “Dmitriev, a Goldman Sachs alumnus, had found receptive partners in Witkoff—Trump’s longtime golfing partner—and Kushner, whose investment fund, Affinity Partners, drew billion-dollar investments from the Arab monarchies whose conflict with Israel he had helped mediate.”

… “Gentry Beach, a college friend of Donald Trump Jr. and campaign donor to his father, has been in talks to acquire a stake in a Russian Arctic gas project if it is released from sanctions. Another Trump donor, Stephen Lynch, paid $600,000 this year to a lobbyist close to Trump Jr. who is helping him seek a Treasury Dept license to buy the Nord Stream 2 pipeline from a Russian state-owned company.”

… Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE): “Putin’s net worth is approximately $200B and he has been an intelligence officer, politician and dictator. Russia is one of the most corrupt countries in the world and Putin wants to share in the plunder with those who will help him enslave Ukraine.”

… Guardian: “A crusading prosecutor in the Balkans comes under pressure to drop a big case. Vietnamese villagers learn they are to be evicted. A convicted crypto kingpin in the Gulf receives a pardon. All have one thing in common: they appear to be connected to the Trump family’s campaign to amass riches around the world.”

… “Since Trump’s re-election a year ago, warnings that his use of presidential power to advance personal interests is corroding American democracy have grown ever louder. What is less understood – and perhaps even more dangerous – is the damage this is doing everywhere else.”

… “Trump’s eldest sons, Don Jr and Eric, formally the custodians of the family business, are conducting a global dealmaking blitz. They have broken ground on new golf courses, received permission for new skyscrapers, rented out the Trump brand, and in cryptocurrency they have embraced a venture with the capacity to bring in more than everything that has gone before.”

… NYT: “In July, David Sacks, one of the Trump admin’s top technology officials, beamed as he strode onstage at an auditorium just blocks from the WH. He had convened top govt officials and Silicon Valley executives for a forum on the booming business of AI. The guest of honor was Trump, who unveiled an ‘AI Action Plan’ that was drafted in part by Sacks, a longtime venture capitalist. Trump declared that AI was ‘one of the most important technological revolutions in the history of the world.’ Then he picked up his pen and signed executive orders to fast-track the industry.”

… “Almost everyone in the high-powered audience - which included the CEOs of the chipmakers Nvidia and AMD, as well as Sacks’s tech friends, colleagues and business partners - were poised to profit from Trump’s directives. Among the winners was Sacks himself. Since Jan, Sacks has occupied one of the most advantageous moonlighting roles in the govt, influencing policy for Silicon Valley in DC while simultaneously working in Silicon Valley as an investor.”

… “Sacks has positioned himself to personally benefit. He has 708 tech investments, including at least 449 stakes in companies with ties to AI that could be aided directly or indirectly by his policies. Sacks stands out as a special govt employee because of his hundreds of investments in tech companies, which can benefit from policies that he influences.”

… WSJ: “Stocks and cryptocurrencies linked to Trump are in a deep slump, leaving some of the president’s biggest fans with steep losses. Shares of Trump Media, which operates Truth Social, have tumbled 75% since Trump’s inauguration. Digital ‘meme coins’ named for Trump and first lady Melania are down 86% and 99% since inauguration day, respectively. And one of the Trump family’s crypto ventures, a token called World Liberty Financial, has dropped roughly 40% since its Sept launch.”

… WaPo: “Republican-led committees in the Senate and the House say they will amplify their scrutiny of the Pentagon after a WaPo report revealing that Pete Hegseth gave a spoken order to kill all crew members aboard a vessel suspected of smuggling drugs in the Caribbean Sea several weeks ago.”

… “Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), the committee’s top Democrat, issued a statement saying that the committee ‘is aware of recent news reports - and DOD’s initial response - regarding alleged follow-on strikes on suspected narcotics vessels.’ The committee, they said, ‘has directed inquiries to the Dept, and we will be conducting vigorous oversight to determine the facts related to these circumstances.’”

… “The leaders of the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL) and Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), followed suit. In a brief joint statement, the pair said they are ‘taking bipartisan action to gather a full accounting of the operation in question.’ The committee, they noted, is ‘committed to providing rigorous oversight of DOD’s military operations in the Caribbean.’”

… “In some closed-door briefings to lawmakers, the Pentagon has declined to bring lawyers who could help explain the legal rationale behind the strikes. There has been extensive frustration among some members of Congress - including some Republicans - at the lack of detail provided to Capitol Hill, ranging from the intelligence to support the strikes to the identities of the people killed.”

… Hegseth posted his response to the report on X: “As usual, the fake news is delivering more fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory reporting to discredit our incredible warriors fighting to protect the homeland. As we’ve said from the beginning, and in every statement, these highly effective strikes are specifically intended to be ‘lethal, kinetic strikes.’ The declared intent is to stop lethal drugs, destroy narco-boats, and kill the narco-terrorists who are poisoning the American people.”

… Sen. Chuck Schumer: “Then release the full, unedited tapes of the strikes so the American people can see for themselves. Your recklessness demands full transparency and strict congressional oversight. We will hold you accountable.”

… Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) on CNN said he doesn’t believe the report that Hegseth ordered people in the water to be blown up: “We’re talking about alleged sources, nothing has been verified. I doubt very seriously that took place.”

… Kristi Noem said the whole thing is fake news: “That entire story is based on anonymous sources. We see the press and that rag use anonymous sources all the time to print things that aren’t true, that are lies, that are completely not based in reality.”

… Hegseth has not denied it, he just keeps saying it is legal and justified. Hegseth also posted this: “We have only just begun to kill narco-terrorists.”

… Mullin: “The president and the secretary of war have been very clear. They’re gonna use lethality against our enemies - at home and abroad.”

… At home?

… Trump was asked about it today while flying back from another 5-day golf outing in Palm Beach: Q - If there were a second strike that killed wounded people, would that be legal? Trump: I don’t know that happened and Pete said he did not even know what people were talking about. I wouldn’t have wanted a second strike. The first strike was very lethal. It was fine.”

… Andy McCarthy, Editor of the conservative National Review: “Even if you buy the untenable claim that they are combatants, it is a war crime to intentionally kill combatants who have been rendered unable to fight. It is not permitted, under the laws and customs of honorable warfare, to order that no quarter be given - to apply lethal force to those who surrender or who are injured, shipwrecked, or otherwise unable to fight.”

… Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) on CBS: “It’s murder from the first strike if their whole theory is wrong, and I think the weight of the legal opinion here is that they’ve concocted this ridiculous legal theory. But even if you accept their legal theory, then it is a war crime. I do believe the secretary of defense should be held accountable for giving those types of orders.”

…. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) told CNN that Hegseth’s reported double tap strike on a boat is a war crime: “If what has been reported is accurate, I’ve got serious concerns about anybody in that chain of command stepping over a line that they should never step over. We are not Russia. We are not Iraq.”

… Kelly: “My concern is with the service members - we’re gonna put these individuals in a really tough place. They may find our down the road that they did something that’s illegal. It’s not fair to them. That’s why need presidents and secretaries of defense who understand the Constitution and rule of law. If orders are illegal, not only do they not have to follow them, they are legally required not to follow them.”

… Kelly: “We have a president who doesn’t understand the Constitution, who installed an unqualified secretary of defense. I cannot think of a secretary of defense in the history of our country that is less qualified than Pete Hegseth. He should’ve been fired after Signal-gate.”

… John McCormack, Editor of The Dispatch: “Was it a coincidence that the admiral in charge of the campaign against alleged drug boats announced his resignation on the same day the US Navy had, for the first time, rescued survivors from one of the strikes? Had the Pentagon given SOUTHCOM any orders about how to treat survivors? A Pentagon spokesman would’t say.”

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… WaPo: “DOD is set to play host to right-wing media at the Pentagon early next week for its first in-person press event and briefing since the mainstream press corps walked out in Oct. Far-right activist Laura Loomer confirmed that she would attend. Turning Point USA, the Daily Signal, and Tim Pool’s Timcast are also among those invited to attend.”

… “The right-winger influencers and media will get a rare briefing from Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson and a meet-and-greet with Secretary Hegseth. This comes after the mainstream press walked out en masse in Oct rather than sign a policy restricting their ability to solicit information about the govt. This will be Wilson’s first on-camera briefing since she joined DOD at the start of the admin. She never briefed the resident press - prior to the walkout - and only gave two off-camera gaggles.”

… Laura Loomer: “Very excited for New Media week at the Pentagon this week. I am really looking forward to being a member of the Pentagon Press Corp. I have so many questions and reports I’ve been waiting to break and follow up on! Thank you, Pete Hegseth for this opportunity!”

… Media reporter Paul Farhi: “Likelihood that Hegseth will face tough questions: Near zero. Which is exactly the plan.”

… Political commentator Kevin Baron: “Next week, a truly Soviet moment coming at the Pentagon. A completely orchestrated and staged fake press event by a fake press corps hand picked by the party leadership to make themselves look good and avoid criticism or accountability.”

… Trump announced he is granting a pardon for one of the largest drug traffickers in history. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX): “Juan Orlando Hernandez was convicted by a jury of conspiring to traffic 400 tons of cocaine into the US. DOJ estimated that this represents 4.5 billion doses of cocaine and that he was ‘at the center of one of the largest and most violent drug-trafficking conspiracies in the world.’ He is responsible for the deaths of countless American citizens, and will now be pardoned by Trump. Don’t tell me Trump is killing people in boats in the Caribbean to stop drug trafficking.”

… Markwayne Mullin said he has no problem with the pardon for the former Honduran president convicted in a US court of drug trafficking: “What the president is doing is always calculated. I haven’t had a direct conversation with the president about it, but I do trust his natural reaction and his approach to foreign affairs.”

… Trump was asked about it: Q - “You have made so clear how you want to keep drugs out of the US? Trump: Right. Q - Can you explain why you would pardon a notorious drug trafficker? Trump: I don’t know who you are talking about. Q - Juan Orlando Hernandez. Trump: Many of the people of Honduras said it was a Biden setup. I looked at the facts and agreed with them. Q - What evidence can you share that it was a setup? Trump: You can take any country you want, if somebody sells drugs in that country, that doesn’t mean you arrest the president and put him in jail for the rest of his life.”

… Francisco Rodriguez with Center for Economic Policy Research: “Those puzzling over Trump’s announced pardon of Juan Orlando Hernández may wish to recall that:
As president of Honduras, Hernández hired lobby firm BGR group for $660,000. Secretary Rubio has been one of the top recipients in campaign contributions from BGR group.”

… NYT: “Trump has set free a private equity executive who had served less than 2 weeks of a 7-year sentence for his role in what prosecutors described as a $1.6 billion scheme that defrauded thousands of victims. David Gentile, a onetime resident of Nassau County, NY, had reported to prison on Nov. 14, and was released on Wed. Gentile was convicted in Aug 2024 of securities and wire fraud charges, and sentenced in May.”

… “In court filings, prosecutors said that Gentile over several years used private equity funds controlled by his company, GPB Capital, to defraud 10,000 investors by misrepresenting the performance of the funds and the source of money used to make monthly distribution payments. More than 1,000 people submitted statements attesting to their losses, according to prosecutors, who characterized the victims as ‘hardworking, everyday people,’ including small business owners, farmers, veterans, teachers and nurses.”

… One of the victims: “I lost my whole life savings. I am living from check to check.”

… “Joseph Nocella Jr., the US attorney in the E. District of NY, said that Gentile had ‘raised approximately $1.6 billion from individual investors based on false promises of generating investment returns from the profits of portfolio companies, all while using investor capital to pay distributions and create a false appearance of success.’”

… Gallup: “Trump’s job approval rating has fallen 5 points to 36%, the lowest of his second term, while disapproval has risen to 60%. Both Republicans’ and independents’ ratings of Trump have worsened significantly since last month. Republicans’ approval has fallen 7 points to 84%, while independents’ has slipped 8 points to 25%. Republicans’ rating is the lowest of Trump’s second term, while independents’ is the worst in either term.”

… Meanwhile, Trump’s approval rating with Democrats remains at 3%. Not sure who they are.

… Acting US Attorney Alina Habba was on Fox complaining about Afghans who worked with the US govt being allowed to emigrate to the US: “There were individuals that were saying this should be a safe harbor. A safe haven. Why? America is America because we protect our own. We don’t allow this to happen.”

… Habba’s parents emigrated here from Iraq. Their asylum claim stated that they were persecuted in their country for being Christians. They were allowed to enter the US, which is why Habba was able to be on Fox decades later complaining about people being granted asylum.

… NYT: “What started as a 500-seat ballroom connected to the East Wing grew to 650 seats. Next, Trump wanted a 999-seat ballroom, then room for 1,350. The latest plan calls for a ballroom much larger than the West Wing and the Executive Mansion. Trump has said publicly that he would like a ballroom big enough to hold a crowd for a presidential inauguration.”

… “The size of the project was not the only issue raising alarms. Trump also told people working on the ballroom that they did not need to follow permitting, zoning or code requirements because the structure is on WH grounds. Trump has pushed to remove any obstacle that could slow down his vision. He has installed his former personal lawyer as the chairman of the National Capital Planning Commission, which is supposed to review plans for the project. That lawyer, Will Scharf, has said there was no need to review Trump’s plans before he ordered the demolition of the East Wing.”

… “Trump has also fired the entire board of the Commission of Fine Arts, an independent fed agency that was established by Congress to advise the president on urban planning and historical preservation. The contractors working on Trump’s ballroom did not go through the traditional govt bidding process. Instead, Trump has been personally selecting each contractor and handling the details of the contracts, including how much the firm will be paid.”

… CEO Jamie Dimon told CNN why JPMorgan Chase is not funding WH Ballroom: “We have an issue, which is anything we do, since we do a lot of contracts with govts here and around the world, we have to be very careful how anything is perceived, and also how the next DOJ is going to deal with it.”

… Economist Justin Wolfers: “Demolishing the East Wing of the WH before finalizing plans for what will be built above its ruins is a near-perfect metaphor for Trump’s approach to economic policy. The only difference is the wrecking crew doesn’t claim the rubble is evidence of unprecedented growth.”

… The Telegraph did an article about how morale is at an all-time low at the FBI: “In his latest gaffe, Kash Patel announced on Wed that he had ‘assembled the full force’ of the bureau to find the suspect in the alleged shooting of two National Guards in DC, despite the fact that Rahmanullah Lakanwal was already in custody.”

… One former special agent: “The mood is miserable. Morale has never been lower among the workforce. There is a feeling that every line agent has a target on his or her back.”

… “Rather than the customary suit and tie, the director frequently shows up to press conferences in hoodies and hunting vests, colloquially refers to agents as ‘cops’ and told podcaster Joe Rogan he found the job ‘fucking wild’. He is said to enjoy the trappings of the job, keeping a selection of luxury whiskey and cigars in his office and handing out personalized ‘challenge’ coins to members of staff.”

… “The medallions, traditionally used by US soldiers to symbolize units or commands, feature an image of the Marvel character the ‘Punisher’, which has become a symbol of distrust in the justice system, and the number nine. Patel is the 9th agency director.”

… Trump continues to pressure the Supreme Court on the tariff case: “Tariffs have made our Country Rich, Strong, Powerful, and Safe. All of this was brought about by Strong Leadership and TARIFFS, without which we would be a poor and pathetic laughingstock again. Evil, American hating Forces are fighting us at the US Supreme Court. Pray to God that our Nine Justices will show great wisdom, and do the right thing for America!”

… The Nation reported on the big special election this Tues in TN where Democrat Aftyn Behn is looking to pull off a massive upset: “With economic frustration mounting, Aftyn Behn says, ‘we have built a coalition of the disenchanted, a coalition of the pissed off. I’ve always said on the campaign trail, ‘If you’re upset about the cost of living and the chaos of Washington, then I’m your candidate.’”

… “The question, of course, is whether that coalition can move the needle sufficiently to give Democrats a win in a district where they have failed to win even 40% of the vote in recent election cycles. Trump won the district by 17 points in 2016, by 15 points in 2020, and by a staggering 22 points in 2024.”

… “So what’s happening now? Behn argues that something of ‘a perfect storm’ has developed in her race against Matt Van Epps, a Republican insider who has spent much of his campaign time appearing on Fox News. While Republicans are dispirited—and, at least in some cases, giving up on their party—Democrats are fired up. That’s especially true in the multiracial section of Nashville that’s included in the 7th district, much of which Behn, one of the TN House’s most progressive members, represents in the state legislature.”

… Behn: “I have a very progressive and engaged district, and I had the highest total voter turnout of any Democratic state rep in the 2024 cycle. I know how to mobilize Democrats, and if I can mobilize the rest of Davidson County, we can win this. This race is winnable—not someday, not theoretically, but right now. Voters are showing up because they’re hungry for leadership that will fight for affordable healthcare and hold corporate power accountable.”

… Trump posted about the race today: “Please GET OUT AND VOTE on Election Day, Tuesday, Dec 2nd, for a phenomenal Candidate, Matt Van Epps. Matt is fighting against a woman who hates Christianity, will take away your guns, wants Open Borders, Transgender for everybody, men in women’s sports, and openly disdains Country music. Do not take this Race for granted. The Radical Left Democrats are spending a fortune to beat one of the best Candidates we’ve ever had, Matt Van Epps!”

… Republican IN State Sen Greg Walker on why he refused an invitation from Trump to visit the WH to discuss redistricting: “’How does Trump have the time to mess with a nobody like me with all of the important matters that are to take his attention as the leader of the executive branch in this nation? There is no way that he should have time to have a conversation with me about IN mapmaking when that’s not his business, for starters. But secondly, doesn’t he have anything better to do? I can make a big list of things that are more important for him to focus on.’”

… Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX) announced he will not seek re-election. His twin brother Trevor Nehls then announced he is running for the seat. Trevor Nehls has previously run for sheriff in 2020 and county judge in 2022, losing both races. He says he will “follow in Troy’s footsteps” if elected.

… Reporter Roger Sollenberger: “The House Ethics Committee has been investigating Nehls for allegedly using campaign donations for personal benefit.”

… As we learning with Matt Gaetz’s case, resigning from Congress ends investigations by the Ethics Committee.

… Stephen Miller’s wife Katie on CNN: “Just because Marjorie Taylor Greene left the party isn’t indicative of some larger MAGA revolt and Trump’s grasp on the MAGA movement. She’s someone who blew up his phone multiple times a day acting like she was the center of the universe and main character syndrome, when in reality, Trump’s job is not member maintenance and dealing with a specific member of Congress. He is the leader of the free world who has a lot more on his plate than returning Greene’s calls back every 5 minutes.”

… Greene responded: “This is factually untrue. I did not ‘blow up’ President Trump’s phone routinely multiple times a day. Never happened! Phone records will actually prove this. There are others who could not prove the same.”

… MN Gov Tim Walz to NBC on Trump calling him a ‘retard’: “We all know both as an educator and parent that using that term is just so damaging. It’s hurtful. We have fought 3 decades to get this out of our schools. Kids know better than to use it. But this is what Trump has done. He’s normalized this type of hateful behavior.”

… Fox brought on MAGA influencer Debra Lea to provide political commentary this morning, which was pretty much incoherent drivel. But despite a brief appearance on a show, she got Trump’s attention. He posted this: “Debra Lea was GREAT on Fox & Friends this morning. There was fantastic Energy and Wisdom. A fantastic show!!!

… Lea responded with this post: “OH MY GOD TRUMP POSTED ABOUT ME!!!!!”

…. This was an Instagram post from Debra Lea.

… I could see Lea as a future Trump Secretary of State. Or DHS Secretary. Maybe FBI Director.