Today in Politics, Bulletin 160. 6/27/25

… Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL) went on Fox to blame Democrats because she wasn’t initially able to get treatment for her ectopic pregnancy because of FL’s abortion ban: "The left absolutely played a role in making sure that doctors and women were scared to seek out the help that they needed."

… Gov. Gavin Newsom filed a defamation lawsuit against Fox and host Jesse Watters after he showed a deceptively edited clip and made false claims about his communications with Trump. Newsom is asking for $787 million in damages, matching the massive settlement Fox paid Dominion Voting Systems in 2023 over election misinformation. However, his lawyers said they will drop the lawsuit if Fox issues a public retraction and Watters apologizes on his show.

… Newsom to Meidas: “The gloves are off. Let’s go. We’re gonna call out the bullshit, the propaganda, and the weaponization of lies and disinformation on networks like Fox, and we'll do it in every capacity on behalf of the people I represent and an individual capacity. Enough. It's time to assert ourselves much more forcefully with character and conviction and have the backs of people that don't have the voice that some of us have and the ability to do what some of us can do. And that's what this whole case is about.”

… Meanwhile, Steve Bannon was on Matt Gaetz’s show calling for Fox to be investigated by DOJ as a foreign agent: “Fox has been cheerleaders for the Iraq War and Afghanistan. It’s the Iraq War playbook. Then theys had Ukraine, and now they are very focused on Israel - an Israel-Iran war. It’s at the behest of the Israel First crowd. And Fox never put out a counterargument on any of them.”

… Trump is going after Canada again: “We have just been informed that Canada, a very difficult Country to TRADE with, has just announced that they are putting a Digital Services Tax on our American Technology Companies, which is a direct and blatant attack on our Country. Based on this egregious Tax, we are hereby terminating ALL discussions on Trade with Canada, effective immediately. We will let Canada know the Tariff that they will be paying to do business with the USA within the next seven day period. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

… CNBC: “Prices that consumers pay rose slightly in May, while the annual inflation rate edged further away from the Federal Reserve’s target. The personal consumption expenditures price index, the Fed’s primary inflation reading, rose a seasonally adjusted 0.1% for the month, putting the annual inflation rate at 2.3%.”

… Along with the inflation numbers, consumer spending and income showed further signs of weakening. Spending fell 0.1% for the month, compared with the estimate for an increase of 0.1%. Personal income declined 0.4%. It was the first monthly decline in personal income in 4 years.

… Treasury Sec Scott Bessent on Fox Business: “Q - What is the next country we should expect a trade deal to do with the US? Are you gonna be able to get some deal announcements beyond just the UK before this August deadline? BESSENT: With all things, they get done at the end. I think we could have trade wrapped up by Labor Day.”

… WH economic advisor Kevin Hassett was asked on Fox Business if there were at least the “framework” of any trade deals coming together: “They are in various stages of being done, but it's more than 20 underway.”

… That’s exactly what they have been saying for two months.

… So it’s Labor Day now. They promised 90 deals in 90 days. Today is Day 76.

… Economist Peter Schiff: “Tariffs are not working. The US trade deficit in goods surged to $96.6 billion in May, up 11% from April and 6.5% above expectations. Most problematic was the 5.2% decline in exports. Trump’s goal to reduce trade deficits while expanding markets for US exports has backfired.”

… The Guardian: “The wealth of the world’s 3,000 billionaires has surged by $6.5 trillion in real terms over the past decade, equivalent to 14.6% of global output. In total, the richest 1% of the global population has gained at least $33.9 trillion in real terms.”

… SCOTUS ruled today 6-3 that nationwide injunctions likely exceed the authority Congress has given the courts. In doing so, the Court is narrowing nationwide injunctions that blocked Trump's executive order ending birthright citizenship.

… Norm Eisen, who is involved in the lawsuits: “This is yet another compromise opinion from them that occupies a middle ground and denies the Trump admin the full extent of their lawless and authoritarian worldview. That is because for all the flaws in the decision, it leaves in place the underlying injunctions of the blatantly unconstitutional EO as to the particular plaintiffs. Moreover, it does nothing to preclude class action and other remedies that will allow full nationwide relief and that will undoubtedly be forthcoming rapidly in courts across the land.”

(A class-action was immediately filed today after the ruling)

… “So the court leaves a place for nationwide orders using other vehicles. We will continue vigorously working with our partners to make the case that birthright citizenship is of course protected by the Constitution and the Trump admin’s assaults upon it are grossly illegal. If the admin had its way, we would see a chaotic landscape of disparate decisions with regard to millions of people and babies across the country. Of course we can’t have that and the Sup Ct did not countenance it either. We will keep fighting to protect this and the other constitutional rights that make us the USA.”

… Paul McLeod with Capitol Forum says this decision cuts both ways: “Basically everything Biden tried to do - ban noncompete agreements, student debt forgiveness, cracking down on payday lenders, etc. - was immediately blocked by nationwide injunctions from the Fifth Circuit. The next Democratic president may have just been unshackled.”

… Constitutional lawyer George Conway summed the decision up this way: “It’s more like going to the DMV and being told you filled out the wrong form and them telling you here’s the right form and there are some pens over there you can use.”

… SCOTUS also ruled today that public schools must allow parents with religious objections to withdraw their children from classes where LGBTQ themes are discussed.

… Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD): "If you can opt out of mandatory classroom readings because it offends your religious objections, you can do it because it offends your philosophical beliefs, your political beliefs, your moral beliefs, and the Court basically says, 'We'll deal with all that down the road' - you're gonna have a lot more cases where people are saying 'Our family doesn't believe in evolution. So we don't want our kid to be in class when evolution is taught.'"

… The Telegraph reports that Iran’s nuke capabilities were not “completely obliterated” as Trump claims: “Before the strike, 16 lorries were seen queuing up outside Fordow, and an expert on Iran’s nuclear program told The Telegraph the regime had moved much of its highly enriched uranium to a secret location before the US was able to bomb its facilities. Tehran had hidden sites housing ‘hundreds if not thousands’ of advanced centrifuges capable of producing weapons-grade uranium needed for a nuclear bomb.”

… The belief is that the uranium was transferred to Pickaxe mountain, which was not struck in the bombings. French President Macron said the risk of Iran building a bomb has doubled, and they will use the ceasefire to do just that: “The risk has indeed increased with what has happened recently. We must absolutely prevent Iran going down this path.”

… Telegraph: “The bombing of the nuclear sites sealed off two of the facilities, but failed to collapse their underground buildings, officials told the NYT. With Iran still in control of most of its nuclear material, it means Iran could still make a bomb within 6 months. The report’s findings suggest that Trump’s claim that Iran’s nuclear facilities were obliterated were oversold.”

… Fox Nat Security reporter Jennifer Griffin, who was just attacked by Trump and Hegseth for her honest reporting on the bombings, on Pickaxe mountain: “Experts believe this is the suspected third site that the Iranians told the IAEA about before the US strikes and where Iran may have moved some of its highly enriched uranium. It is near Natanz and was not targeted or bombed.”

… Trump was asked at a press conference today if he was concerned about the report about Pickaxe mountain: “Not really. I’m not worried about it at all.”

… Former Obama NSC member Tommy Vietor: “Every intelligence expert has the opposite view, but I hope he's right.”

… CNN reported on Joint Chiefs Chair Dan Caine’s briefing to Congress: “The US military did not use bunker-buster bombs on one of Iran’s largest nuclear facilities last weekend because the site is so deep that the munitions likely would not have been effective. The comment by Caine is the first known explanation given for why the US military did not use the MOP against the Isfahan site. US officials believe a significant quantity of Iran’s already-enriched uranium was stored at Isfahan deep underground.”

… CNN’s Natasha Bertrand, who was also attacked by Trump and Hegseth for her reporting: “The Trump admin has discussed possibly helping Iran access as much as $30 billion to build a civilian-energy-producing nuclear program, easing sanctions, and freeing up billions of dollars in restricted Iranian funds – all part of an intensifying attempt to bring Tehran back to the negotiating table.”

… NYT reporter Julian Barnes: "Hegseth and his staff have made clear they believe the role of the press is to cheer the military and President Trump, rather than to report objectively about the news."

… Trump posted: “Why would the so-called ‘Supreme Leader,’ Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, of the war torn Country of Iran, say so blatantly and foolishly that he won the War with Israel, when he knows his statement is a lie, it is not so. As a man of great faith, he is not supposed to lie. His Country was decimated, his 3 evil Nuclear Sites were OBLITERATED, and I knew EXACTLY where he was sheltered, and would not let Israel, or the US Armed Forces, by far the Greatest and Most Powerful in the World, terminate his life. I SAVED HIM FROM A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH, and he does not have to say, “THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP!”

… “During the last few days, I was working on the possible removal of sanctions, and other things, which would have given a much better chance to Iran at a full, fast, and complete recovery - The sanctions are BITING! But no, instead I get hit with a statement of anger, hatred, and disgust, and immediately dropped all work on sanction relief, and more. I wish the leadership of Iran would realize that you often get more with HONEY than you do with VINEGAR.”

… Reporter Dominic Michael Tripi: “BREAKING - US used 20% of its total THAAD defense missile stockpile in 11 days, costing $800M to defend Israel from Iranian missiles.”

… Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) on DNI Tulsi Gabbard getting excluded from the briefing to the Senate on Iran: “I've never, ever been part of a major Cabinet-level classified briefing where the director of national intelligence was banned from the room.”

… Former Chair of Nat Intelligence Council Gregory Treverton to Michael Isikoff on the SpyTalk podcast on Gabbard: “I do wonder why she's there. By this time, it seems to me she should have resigned if she didn't get fired. She's plainly not part of the team and not trusted, even though she was obviously selected for her presumed loyalty to the president.”

… Iran Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi: “The Parliament of Iran has voted for a halt to collaboration with the IAEA until the safety and security of our nuclear activities can be guaranteed. Director Rafael Grossi directly facilitated the adoption of a politically-motivated resolution against Iran by the IAEA BoG as well as the unlawful Israeli and US bombings of Iranian nuclear sites.”

… Araghchi: “The IAEA and its Director-General are fully responsible for this sordid state of affairs. Grossi's insistence on visiting the bombed sites under the pretext of safeguards is meaningless and possibly even malign in intent. Iran reserves the right to take any steps in defense of its interests, its people, and its sovereignty.”

… Daily Beast columnist Julia Davis: “Johnny Noviello, 49, is the 9th person to die in ICE custody since the beginning of the year, and the 4th to die in a Florida facility.”

… Fox: “DHS has announced it is terminating Temporary Protected Status for more than half a million Haitians in the US, arguing that conditions in Haiti have improved enough for them to return home. The termination will take effect on 9/2/25, effectively giving the Haitians a little more than 2 months to leave the country or find another form of relief or legal status.”

… Immigration lawyer Aaron Reichlin-Melnick: “The Trump admin claims, despite all reality, that Haiti is a safe country to return to - even though large portions of the country are ruled by vicious gangs and civil governance has collapsed. The gangs still control large parts of Port-au-Prince, the international security force is failing, and displacement has hit record levels.”

… New Dem House Oversight ranking member Robert Garcia: “Stephen Miller is doing what he loves to do, which is be essentially the biggest piece of shit in this country. We’ve got to continue winning in the courts, and that’s going to continue. And the other piece of it is people’s reaction, the protesting, the anger, the rising up against these actions also is having an effect. And you’re seeing that - what’s happening in LA, which was mostly peaceful.”

… PBS: “Senate to vote tomorrow at earliest - But. They don't yet have a Medicaid framework that straddles the 3 incongruent corners: Byrd bath requirements, 51 Senate votes and 218 House votes. And so: - The House is GOING HOME. Not staying the weekend.”

… Budget analyst Marc Goldwein citing new data from the Joint Committee on Taxation: “The Senate bill is shaping up to add $3.5 to $4.5 trillion to the national debt. That's WAY MORE than the House.”

… Politico reported that Senate Republicans are now considering an increase in federal employee contributions to the fed retirement system at an astonishing 15.6% of their salary. They are also exempting themselves and their staff from the increase.

… NBC reported that Trump has canceled his golf outings this weekend at Bedminster to stay in DC to work over Republican holdouts on his budget reconciliation bill.

Despite the fact that it will be raining for the 13th out of the last 14 Saturdays here in Maine, we are still going to the Maine Oyster Festival tomorrow in Freeport. Next Bulletin will cover the entire weekend out on Sunday night. If you missed yesterday’s Bulletin, you can find it here.

Thank you again for supporting my work and everything we are doing!

… Steve Bannon to NBC on Dem nominee for NYC mayor Zohran Mamdani: “He did something that AOC and Bernie haven’t been able to do – he connected populism to affordability. Republicans better start taking this guy seriously and they better stop wishing that he wins and they will automatically run against his policies in 2026. This guy is a very skilled politician. He’s clearly had a lot of training. He’s got radical ideas, but he presents them in a sunny upbeat way and people feel like he’s fighting for them, particularly on an issue that Republicans haven’t connected on yet: