Today in Politics, Bulletin 195. 8/26/25

… The theme of the day was MAGA backlash against three of Trump’s latest policy announcements - admission of 600,000 students from China, his flag burning order, and govt taking an ownership stake in private businesses. That was then followed by a “Cabinet meeting” where Trump officials spent 3 hours and 20 minutes praising him in front of the cameras.

… First up, the plan they announced yesterday to admit 600,000 Chinese students to American universities. Fox host Laura Ingraham made it clear to Howard Lutnick that she wasn’t a fan: "With all due respect, how is allowing 600K students from the Communist country of China putting America first? Those are 600K spots that Americans won't get."

… Lutnick responded: "If you didn't have those 600K students, you'd empty them from the top, all the students would go up to better schools, and the bottom 15% of universities would go out of business in America. President Trump's taking a rational economic view."

… Ingraham: “Why are you helping Harvard? UCLA, Berkeley. You are helping those schools. Why? They're basically factories of anti-American propaganda, now they're getting a big influx of cash because of the Chinese students. I just don't understand it.”

… MAGA podcaster Chase Geiser: “Did Lutnick really just argue that Trump is letting 600,000 Chinese students into America so Americans will go to worse schools and keep them from closing?”

… That’s basically what Lutnick is saying: If they canceled student visas for Chinese students, then the top schools would have to admit American students to replace them with American students from lower tier schools, which would then result in many lower tier schools going out of business. So their solution is to massively increase the number of Chinese students to the US. It’s truly bizarre and MAGA is fuming.

… MAGA influencer Sovereign Brah: “Lutnick’s proposal: give 600,000 Chinese students spots at all the top universities - push Americans to the back of the list - make Americans take spots at the bottom 15% of schools instead, so they don’t go out of business. This is, quite literally, ‘Americans Last.’ You couldn’t screw the American people harder if you tried.

… Right-wing podcaster Clint Russell: “I hope every Trump supporter watches this. Lutnick says explicitly that this is meant to prevent 600,000 Americans from going to better schools. Blatantly America Last policy making. Jaw-dropping honesty here.”

… Lutnick: "Think about this. We give hundreds of millions to each university. Tens of billions, up to $200 billion a year. They take that money and they do research and they get patents. And you know who keeps them? The scientists and the university. And we who pay all the money, the American taxpayers, we get nothing. This has got to change."

… Garry Kasparov: “As if world-leading innovation in tech, medicine, etc. is worth nothing to global US leadership and the American people in high living stand jobs. As Wilde wrote, they know the price of everything and the value of nothing.”

… InfoWars host Harrison Smith: “Absurd. So they'll be educated here and take their education back with them. So American students will be disadvantaged, then we'll be short 600K engineers. Trump fucking sucks now.”

… Laura Loomer: “Paging Stephen Miller. Nobody, I repeat nobody, wants 600,000 more Chinese ‘students’ aka Communist spies in the United States. Now they get to replace us? This cannot happen.”

… Ann Coulter captioned Lutnick’s clip this way: “?????????????????????”

… White nationalist podcaster Nick Fuentes: “Fell for it again.”

… Right-wing podcaster Steve Deace: “So America First is importing a bunch of communists in order to subsidize communists? Come on, man.”

… Maritime journal CEO and Trump supporter John Konrad: “The problem, Howard, is I have a daughter applying to colleges this week. She has a 4.0 GPA, has sailed oceans, hiked deep into the wilderness, competed in varsity athletics, logged countless volunteer hours, secretary of the honor society, president of…the list goes on and on. And yet she has zero chance of getting into a top-tier college. Not a remote chance at top tier. Then we visited London this summer, the TOP universities were begging her to apply. Here at home? The door is slammed shut.”

… “I draw a nice salary but I don’t know how I’m going to pay for two kids in great colleges. How the hell is the average American? Why is it so expensive? Because China is bidding up all the top seats and they pay cold hard cash. Why is this so difficult to understand Howard? All she wants is the best education possible. That’s all. This is not OK.”

… Lindell TV host and former Newsmax WH correspondent Emerald Robinson: “Nobody voted for Trump to allow 600,000 Chinese students to replace your kids in American schools and colleges. That's suicidal madness.”

… Hillsdale consultant and right-wing education activist Christopher Rufo: “We can’t accept 600,000 Chinese students. If anything, we should reduce the number of Chinese visas, especially for students with political connections to the CCP.”

… Blaze Editor Daniel Horowitz: “It should be 0. Especially in this job market, even putting aside the national security issues.”

… Next up, right-wingers reaction to Trump’s new flag burning executive order.

… Former Justice Antonin Scalia’s son Christopher posted this quote from his father’s opinion in Texas v. Johnson: “You should be in no doubt that, patriotic conservative that I am, I detest the burning of the nation’s flag—and if I were king I would make it a crime. But as I understand the First Amendment, it guarantees the right to express contempt for the government, the Congress, the Supreme Court, even the nation, and the nation’s flag.”

… Conservative radio host Erick Erickson: “While I agree with the sentiment, it is unfortunately well-settled constitutional law that burning the flag is a matter of free speech and the executive does not get to create crimes.”

… Radio host Jesse Kelly: “I would never in a million years harm the American flag. But a president telling me I can’t has me as close as I’ll ever be to lighting one on fire. I am a free American citizen. And if I ever feel like torching one, I will. This is garbage.”

… Radio host Dana Loesch: “Flag burning is vile but the government has no right to control speech or expression.”

… Barstool podcast lead host: “I’m not gonna burn a flag, but that’s what America’s about - freedom of speech. I don’t like burning flags - it’s a dick move, but this is nuts to me. I need gas cheaper and food cheaper. That’s what makes this country America - the right to protest. I could call Trump a retard and I’m not going to go to jail for that. But I’m starting to wonder about that now. If I was AOC or someone, I would organize 300,000 people to burn flags - what are they going to, arrest them all?”

… Now, on to Trump and Lutnick wanting to nationalize American businesses like they just did with Intel. Lutnick was asked on CNBC about the govt taking an ownership piece of other companies using the justification that they are doing business with the govt: “We are having a monstrously big discussion about defense contractors. Lockheed Martin makes 97% of their revenue from the US. So they basically are an arm of the US govt. Now we have Trump thinking about what is the right way to do it?”

… He was asked about Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) calling the Intel deal "a step toward socialism": "That is not socialism. I'll tell you what that is. That's the best businessman in the USA, in the Oval Office, doing fair things for us, the American taxpayers."

… Labor market analyst Amanda Goodall: “Here's the thing with the Intel/Gov thing – No board seats, no governance rights, govt agrees to vote with Intel’s board (rubber stamp). Taxpayers own part of Intel but Intel owns the decisions. Let's connect the dots: In 32 days Intel managed to: Cut 15%-20% of its workforce when you count H1 attrition and the announced 15%, take $2B from SoftBank, sell 9.9% of the company to Washington. Pink slips for employees, equity for investors, patriotism as the press release.”

… Iowa Senator and corn farmer Chuck Grassley is upset about Trump’s fertilizer tariffs: “Fertilizer input prices are at ALL TIME HIGH relative to the low low prices of grain. The fastest relief for farmers would be lowering duties on fertilizer imports. Input price/grain price is the ratio historically used to predict profit or loss in farming.”

… Even the Proud Boys are upset with the Trump admin. Leader Enrique Tarrio complained about DOJ’s brief seeking to dismiss their lawsuit against the govt for malicious prosecution over J6: “The govt has officially filed a a MOTION TO DISMISS in our lawsuit against the govt and Special Agent Nicole Miller. The govt is arguing that EVERYTHING that was done to us and J6ers was done correctly and immaculately.”

… Curious, given what Trump said to justify their pardons.

Reminder that there is no Bulletin tomorrow because I do my live podcast Uncovered with Anthony and Ask the Editor with Ben or Brett. Please submit any questions you have or things you want me to talk about more for Ask the Editor in the comments to this Bulletin.

I am also flying to FL for 48 hours on Thursday to see our kids. So there will be no Bulletins Thurs-Fri but I plan to submit an article each day here on other topics I wanted to spend more time on. These are my last two normal days without Bulletins until Christmas. Since this is the last one until the Weekend Bulletin, I made this entire one free for everyone.

If you missed yesterday’s Bulletin, you can find it here.

… So, while MAGA was bitching, grumbling and griping for the past 24 hours about Trump and his admin, the contrast couldn’t be more stark with his Cabinet of Sycophants. With the event covered live by the press, Trump went around the room to each of them to get the report on their agencies. Instead, it turned into a competition of who could glaze Dear Leader the most. Here is a little sample:

… Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer: Republicans will own Labor Day again, not Democrats. We will own it because you are the president of the American workers.”

… Chavez-DeRemer wasn’t done: “Mr. President, I invite you to see your big beautiful face on a banner in front of the Department of Labor. You are the transformational president of the American worker, along with the American flag and President Roosevelt.”

… Special Envoy Steve Witkoff: “Mr. President, working for this government and for you is the greatest honor of my life. I think there were actually more than 7 conflicts that you put to bed in the last 8 months.”

… Witkoff: “There is only one thing I wish for - that the Nobel committee finally gets its act together and realizes you are the single finest candidate since this Nobel award was ever talked about, to receive that award.”

… Feeling a little sick to your stomach right about now? Well, they’re still going.

… DHS Secretary Kristi Noem: “Mr. President, you've arrested and brought to justice hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens, criminals that have perpetuated violence against the American people. Sir, you had 1.6 million people voluntarily go home. Thank you for the opportunity to work for you.”

… DNI Tulsi Gabbard: “This is just such a great opportunity to recognize your leadership as a true champion for working people.”

… Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent: “You, sir, are restoring trust in government.”

… SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler: “Everyone knows there is no stronger advocate for hard-working American families than you.”

… Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy: “Mr. President, it is pretty great to celebrate Labor Day with a builder who loves labor, who loves the men and women who built this country, the people who sweat. You know them very well because you worked with them - all those great Trump projects.”

… Trump became the first president to fire a director of the Federal Reserve yesterday when he tried to fire Lisa Cook. I say “tried to fire” because Cook says she has no intention of leaving and will see him in court: "President Trump purported to fire me 'for cause' when no cause exists under the law, and he has no authority to do so. I will not resign. I will continue to carry out my duties to help the American economy as I have been doing since 2022."

… Cook’s attorney Abbe Lowell: “Trump's reflex to bully is flawed and his demands lack any proper process, basis or legal authority. We will take whatever actions are needed to prevent his attempted illegal action.”

… Under the Federal Reserve Act, Fed governors can only be fired “for cause.” Cook has not been charged with any crime, and her removal is likely to lead to a court battle between the independent central bank and the executive branch. Cook was appointed by President Biden to a term ending in 2038.

… Former Fed economist Claudia Sahm to Bloomberg: “This is a new attempt of the administration to gain more control over the Fed. They’re pulling as many different levers as they can find to get that control.”

… The justification for the firing came from the Director of Federal Housing Finance Agency Bill Pulte: “Trump becomes the first president ever to remove a sitting Federal Reserve governor. Thank you President Trump for your commitment to stopping mortgage fraud and following the law. If you commit mortgage fraud in America, we will come after you, no matter who you are.”

… Pulte came into the agency, which is typically very low-key and non-political, and has weaponized it to open investigations of Democrats for alleged mortgage fraud. He made a criminal referral against Sen. Adam Schiff and others, and he is behind the justification for firing Cook.

… Pulte later posted this on X: “Fraud will not be tolerated in President Trump’s housing market. Thank you for your attention to this matter.”

… Former financial editor James Surowiecki: “The only person involved in all this who's been found liable for fraud by a court of law is President Trump.

… Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-RI): “1. The President does not have the legal authority to fire a Fed Director except in extreme circumstances. 2. She has not been convicted of any crime. This is a wannabe dictator trying to do dictator things. Why? He is looking for someone else to blame for the slowing economy.”

… Economist Justin Wolfers: "If you look at the short list of people being considered for the Fed chair job, at least half of them are totally credible, serious economists. They're not necessarily the folks I'd choose, but they're very serious people. The bad news is that the other half of the group are charlatans."

… Wolfers: “No-one knows how this ends. And so the narrative shifts from pointless tariff uncertainty to pointless monetary uncertainty, and none of this helps the American people.”

… Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent: “The Federal Reserve's independence comes from a political arrangement between itself and the American public. Having the public's trust is the only thing that gives it credibility.”

… House Ways and Means Democrats responded: “Nah, its independence comes from being independent of politics, not some ‘political arrangement’.”

… Former Dem Rep. (PA) Conor Lamb: “Even after everything, I still can’t get over how a president makes BILLIONS on worthless crypto and gets rid of police for crypto fraud, but we’re all talking about mortgage fraud by people who earn government salaries in the low hundreds of thousands. I just can’t.”

… Rep. Mark Alford (R-MO) became the latest Republican to dare face the voters at a town hall after the passage of Trump’s budget, and he got an earful. Some of the comments from his constituents:

• “I am pissed, and I am pissed at you. The man is a dictator. He knows nothing about what he talks about. You need to take your head out of Trump’s ass.”

• “You talked about abuses in the Medicare and Medicaid system and I found interesting that the president pardoned someone that defrauded the Medicaid system for $1.3 billion.”

• “I wonder if you shared with Trump that Putin was the aggressor because he keeps saying that Ukraine was. And we all saw what happened and he continues to lie and lie. Alford: I have never heard him say that Zelensky was the aggressor in this? I don't believe he has.”

• "You wanna straighten out the budget? Start taxing corporations and the wealthy, like we’ve been telling you. Do you think we’re idiots? Do you think we don’t pay taxes? Do you think that we don’t have to make budgets? I’m about to lose my farm. You know nothing about what a working class citizen does.”

… A Utah judge struck down the state’s Republican-drawn congressional maps and ordered the Legislature to redraw boundaries before the 2026 midterm elections, dealing a major blow to GOP lawmakers and a victory for anti-gerrymandering advocates. Judge Dianna Gibson ruled that the 2021 redistricting plan violated a 2018 ballot initiative that established an independent commission to curb partisan influence in the process. The Legislature now has until Sept 24 to adopt new maps.

… At the heart of the case is Salt Lake City, Utah’s Democratic stronghold. The current map splits the city across all four congressional districts, diluting its influence and ensuring Republican control. All 4 seats are currently held by the GOP.

… Sen Mike Lee (R-UT): “This is a great day for Utah’s Democrats—who haven’t controlled the Utah legislature in many, many decades, and have found a clever way to even the score by enlisting the help of their judicial allies. This decision will result in maps that are far more generous to Democrats, and that’s the whole point. This is yet another example of how ‘independent commissions’ are often used to give the left an unfair, unearned advantage in red states—one they could never otherwise secure.”

… Trump decided to weigh in on Cracker Barrel: “Cracker Barrel should go back to the old logo, admit a mistake based on customer response (the ultimate Poll), and manage the company better than ever before. They got a Billion Dollars worth of free publicity if they play their cards right. Very tricky to do, but a great opportunity. Have a major News Conference today. Make Cracker Barrel a WINNER again.”

… These things are really an elaborate scam to extort companies for money after the grifters use their MAGA influencer network to organize boycotts over contrived culture war nonsense. I’ve seen the playbook many times and am going to write a substack article about how they do this with coordination inside the govt with people like Stephen Miller.

… One of the main point men and ringleaders in the extortion scam is Robby Starbuck. He posted this today, among MANY other things about Cracker Barrel: “Someone just told me their pastor brought up my video on Sunday. Good. Talk to your pastor. Every pastor should discuss how spending impacts culture. If your pastor won’t tell the church to stop funding businesses who use it to fund all ages pride events, then find one who will.”

… I always thought Christian churches focused on the teachings of Jesus. I had no idea the main priority was the Cracker Barrel logo.

… A reporter asked Trump about his plan with Pete Hegseth to rename the Department of Defense to the Department of War: Q - But it requires an act of Congress to rename the Defense Department. Trump: “We’re just going to do it. I’m sure Congress will just go along.”

… Pretty much sums up his presidency and the Republican Congress nicely. Or, as one of my followers said, now they’re even saying the loud parts louder.”

… Desperately Seeking Relevance, FL Gov Ron Desantis was on Sean Hannity’s Fox show challenging Gavin Newsom to another debate: “We have talked about Florida being #1 in so many categories, and he says California is #1. They are #1 in a lot of things—just not the things you would want to be #1 in.”

… Newsom responded: "‘Wrong categories’: 4th largest economy in the world. #1 in manufacturing. #1 in farming. #1 in new business starts. #1 for tech and VC investments. #1 for Fortune 500 companies. #1 public higher education system.”

… There will be no rematch. It would be Newsome punching down at this point with Lame Duck Ron’s political career crashing and burning.

… Trump admin officials were all over Fox justifying their military occupation of DC. Kristi Noem: “The American people are feeling freedom again. I think they lived under the oppression of Democratic rule these cities. They forgot what it felt like to be free.”

… Stephen Miller: “President Trump has literally set the people of Washington, DC, free. They are so happy now they can go and live their lives and go to their favorite restaurant or bar or their favorite pool hall or park. They can wear watches again. You see moms taking kids out to parks they haven't been to in years because they know the police are there and that President Trump is there with his law enforcement to protect them.”

… Gun safety advocate Max Steele responded to Miller: “There is absolutely a normal way to say horrible things like this, and yet he cannot help talking about people finally being able to ‘wear watches again’ and go to ‘their favorite pool hall’ like an alien that only got 95% of the human update.”

… Trump: “Half the restaurants closed, because nobody could go, because they were afraid to go outside. Now those restaurants are opening and new restaurants are opening up. It's like a boom town.”

… Chef Jose Andres: “President Trump, I understand why you are confused - all your time in DC you haven't eaten ONCE outside the WH or your own hotel. I've lived here for 33 years, and it's a flat out lie that half the restaurants have closed because of safety. But restaurants will close because you have troops with guns and federal agents harassing people, making people afraid to go out. Cities and towns and rural areas of America need policies that allow small business to thrive and all people including immigrants to live and work with dignity. People shouldn't be afraid of their govt. Govt should have respect for its people, not terrorize them.”

… Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR)on the drop in restaurant business in DC since the military occupation: “A single-digit % change in restaurant reservations could be normal week-to-week variation. But even if it's somehow driven by Trump's great crackdown on crime, is the NYT really arguing this is too high a price to stop murders and carjackings?”

… Trump: “The line is that I'm a dictator, but I stop crime. So a lot of people say, ‘You know, if that's the case, I'd rather have a dictator.’”

… NPR: “A senior federal judge on Monday ordered Trump admin official Kari Lake to submit to questioning under oath in ongoing litigation over her efforts to effectively dismantle Voice of America despite Congressional mandates that it be maintained. Judge Royce Lamberth said Lake was ‘verging on contempt of court’ for failing to comply with his repeated orders to make information available about her intentions for the future of the federally funded international broadcaster.”

… “He said Lake and two aides had to testify by Sept. 15 and provide the court with detailed information she had, to date, withheld about Voice of America and its federal parent, the US Agency for Global Media.”

… Statement from Lake to NPR: "Time and again, we've seen district court judges overstep their authority. It's wrong, but sadly, it's become the norm. The current case against USAGM is a great example of why we need to restore constitutional checks and balances."

… Judge Lamberth was appointed by Ronald Reagan.

… Israeli PM Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on their double strike attack on one of Gaza’s main hospitals which killed 20 people — including 5 journalists: “Israel deeply regrets the tragic mishap that occurred today at the Nasser Hospital in Gaza. Israel values the work of journalists, medical staff, and all civilians.”

… Politico: “The rumor mill is hitting overdrive that Sen. Alex Padilla is contemplating a bid for CA governor — and it’s not just idle talk. A prominent political entity in Sacramento is currently in the field polling the 2026 governor’s race with Padilla’s name included as a potential candidate. Padilla is not ruling out a run, according to a person familiar with his thinking who was granted anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.”

… Padilla wouldn’t have to give up his Senate seat to run for governor. His current term doesn’t end until 2029.

… Hillary Clinton: “Here is the growing list of countries choosing to pause mail deliveries to the US because of Trump's tariff chaos. Did anyone vote in 2024 to become the new Hermit Kingdom? Austria, Australia, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, South Korea, Sweden, Thailand.”

… Trump today: “You have an incompetent governor in California. Gavin. I know him very well. He's a nice guy, good-looking. He has some hand action going on. There’s something strange going on there.”

… Newsom reponded: You really want to have the conversation about hands?

… Trump’s hand today: