Today in Politics, Bulletin 240. 10/31/25

… Mike Johnson started off his daily shutdown press conference this morning with another blatant lie: “President Trump has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that if there is any way to fund these programs that are drying up, he will do it. If there was any way to fund SNAP during the Democratic shutdown, you can be assured that your commander in chief would do it.”

… “They even filed a lawsuit. Why? Because they wanted a talking point. They know that’s a frivolous piece of litigation. They know they’re going to lose. I believe they know for a fact that what they filed in the court is false. They’re lawmakers. They’re supposed to know how the law works.

… Except that a federal judge hours later granted the request and ordered the Trump admin to release the emergency funds for SNAP immediately. I guess now that there is not only a way, it is an actual court order, we will see whether Trump and Republicans appeal it or attempt to ignore it.

… Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA): “Republicans want all of us to believe that Trump has unchecked power to do whatever he wants—but when it comes to making sure SNAP benefits continue so that hungry kids and seniors are fed (which, by the way, is required by law) his hands are somehow tied. What a sick joke.”

… Each day, Johnson has a special guest from the admin at his presser. Today it was moronic Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins, who went off script from the Republican talking points: “If you are in a position where you cannot feed your family, and you are relying on that $187 a month for an average family in the SNAP program, we have failed you.”

… Johnson then quickly hurried over to take the podium from Rollins to do a little cleanup: “To clarify, when she says we have failed you, she means we the Democrats.”

… Rollins on Trump’s approach to the shutdown: “All day, every day, 7 days a week, 20 hours a day. This is what he is thinking about. As the world greatest dealmaker - from his perspective, as a businessman, how do we end this nonsense and how do we again open the govt and support these families that need support?”

… While Rollins was saying this, Trump was on AF1 flying to Palm Beach for an extended golf weekend while posting pics of his remodel of the Lincoln Bathroom in the WH and the Kennedy Center. (More on both of those later).

… Trump was asked about SNAP on the flight: “When you’re talking about SNAP, when you look, it’s largely Democrats. They’re hurting their own people.”

… Rep. Hakeem Jeffries on MSNBC: “One of the five states that would be most impacted, if SNAP benefits are cut off is Louisiana, the home state of both Speaker Mike Johnson and Maj Leader Steve Scalise. But they could care less.”

… Newsmax host Rob Schmitt: “People are using SNAP benefits to get their nails done, to get their weaves and their hair. This is a really ugly program. Sen. Ron Johnson: That program needs to be dramatically reformed.”

… Rev. Dr. Marvin Tiller, Jr: “At this point MAGA nuts are just choosing to be loud wrong and racist.”

… Gavin Newsom to Meidas: “We’ve got to completely shift gears - in terms of now dominating, flooding the zone - but also becoming the party that is empathetic. It’s not about power, dominance, and aggression. It’s about empathy. It’s about compassion. It’s about collaboration. Those are the superpowers.”

… Johnson, who has had the House adjourned with Republicans sent home for the last 42 consecutive days, then said this: “Where are the Democrats? The Democrats have skipped town. They have abandoned their post.”

… Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA): “Insanely dishonest. Democrats have been here, ready to work. Republicans have total control of govt and are doing nothing. Speaker Johnson kept the House in recess for 6 weeks - that was his decision and he should stop blaming others for it. Stop lying and do your job.”

… Last night, Trump went to the all-caps to call for the filibuster to be abolished: “BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THE DEMOCRATS HAVE GONE STONE COLD ‘CRAZY,’ THE CHOICE IS CLEAR — INITIATE THE ‘NUCLEAR OPTION,’ GET RID OF THE FILIBUSTER AND, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

… Andrew Desiderio with Punchbowl: “It should go without saying that Senate Republicans - from Thune down to the rank-and-file - oppose getting rid of the legislative filibuster. And even with Trump calling for it now, there probably aren’t the votes for it. When Sen. Bernie Moreno suggested recently it may be worth having that conversation, leadership quickly got to him. In the immediate, all this does is create a rift between Trump and R’s - one that senators will argue is an unnecessary one.”

… Sen John Curtis (R-UT): “The filibuster forces us to find common ground in the Senate. Power changes hands, but principles shouldn’t. I’m a firm no on eliminating it.”

… WaPo: “After Trump took over the Kennedy Center, he and the executive he put in charge repeatedly accused the institution’s former leadership of not doing the very thing they are responsible for: selling tickets. Trump’s director Ric Grenell in March: ‘We had spent way too much on programming that doesn’t bring in any revenue.’ According to Grenell, the center hadn’t been making money. It was too woke and niche. The new team was, in Trump’s words, going to make it ‘hot’ again.”

… Nearly 9 months after Trump became chair of the center and more than a month into its main season, ticket sales for the 3 largest performance venues are the worst they’ve been in years. Tens of thousands of seats have been left empty. Since early Sept, 43% of tickets remained unsold for the typical production - and some tickets may have been ‘comps,’ which are given away, often to staff members or the press. That compares with 93% sold or comped in fall 2024.”

… A former staff member: “Given the unprecedented takeover of a nonpartisan arts institution combined with the inexperience and rhetoric of the new management, I expected a decline in sales; however, it is truly shocking to see that these actions have been worse for business at the Kennedy Center than the aftermath of a global pandemic. These numbers are likely more dire than they appear, as they don’t account for canceled productions or shows moved into smaller theaters due to weak ticket sales.”

… House Dem staffer Aaron Fritschner: “Trump gave Ric Grenell two jobs: running the Kennedy Center and leading diplomacy with Venezuela. Hard to say which one is going worse.”

… Trump posted this today: “I just inspected the construction on The Kennedy Center. It is really looking good! The exterior columns are completed, and look magnificent in white enamel — Like a different place! Marble is being done, stages are being renovated, new seats, new chairs, and new fabrics will soon be installed, and magnificent high end carpeting throughout the building. It is happening faster than anticipated, one of my trademarks. We are bringing this building back to life. It was dead as a doornail, but it will soon be beautiful again!”

… He also posted this:

… Newsom was asked on NBC for his reaction to Trump’s meeting with China’s President Xi: “I was embarrassed. I was humiliated watching the President of the US in front of Xi. He was negotiating away this country in the first 5 minutes of the photo op. He came back with nothing. He got played by Xi. He’s wrecking this country.”

… Howard Lutnick was on Fox gushing about Trump’s meeting with Xi: “I have to tell you, the strength and power that comes from my president. President XI showed him so much respect, so much respect. It was impressive. It was a masterclass on how to be classy, elegant, the most powerful politician in the world. The atmosphere in the room is you feel the power of your man. The president’s power.”

… Newsom. Q - “I want to get your reaction to Trump announcing that he plans to resume nuclear weapons testing. Newsom: He doesn’t even know the right agency - he said the Pentagon should do it. Wake up Mr. President. It’s the Dept of Energy. He doesn’t even know which agency is responsible. This is weakness masquerading as strength. This guy is historically weak. And these are acts of a weak person trying to appear strong.”

… Whoopi Goldberg surprised the audience of The View this week when she announced that Marge Greene would be a guest: “I don’t know how many things we agree on. But I know the one thing that she and I and all of us at this table agree on is this should not be affecting the American people.”

… Greene posted on X: “I look forward to joining the ladies on The View on Tuesday!”

… MAGA influencer Philip Buchanan (Catturd) posted this response to his 4 million followers: “Is there any decent primary opponent running against Greene? If so, it’s time for all of us to unite behind them and get her out of office. She’s a complete fraud who’s getting filthy rich and making millions since she’s been in office, and she’s now undermining Trump at every turn.”

… Turd: “Let’s all join together and get her the hell out of office. Any primary opponent that’s actually really MAGA, contact me and let’s end this sham once and for all. Now is not the time for grandstanding frauds. I was born and raised in N. GA. There actually has to be someone who’s not a complete phony to win this. Let me know.”

… Greene responded to Turd: “There are pathetic Republican men (mostly paid social media influencers) attacking me for going on Bill Maher’s show and The View. Sorry I’m not sorry I don’t obey Republican men’s demands that I, as a woman, don’t remain seen but not heard.”

… Wired is reporting that ICE is looking to privatize some of its deportation operations: “ICE is exploring plans to launch a privately-run, statewide transportation system in Texas. The agency envisions a nonstop operation, funneling immigrants detained in 254 counties into ICE facilities and staging locations across the state. Early planning documents describe a statewide transport grid designed for steady detainee transfers across TX.”

… “Every county would have its own small, around-the-clock team of contractors collecting immigrants from local authorities deputized by ICE. It is a subtle transfer of the physical custody process into the hands of a private security firm—authorized to carry firearms and perform transport duties in any and all local, county, state, and ICE locations.”

… IL Gov JB Pritzker responded to Kristi Noem’s refusal to halt ICE raids in Chicago on Halloween while kids are out: “We know Noem must love Halloween because she always dresses in law enforcement costumes, but what is truly shameful is that she refuses to agree that we shouldn’t tear gas children trick or treating.”

… Noem made this preposterous claim on Fox: “No American citizens have been arrested or detained. We focus on those who are here illegally. And anything you would hear or report that would be different than that is simply not true and false reporting.”

… At least 214 US citizens have been detained by ICE so far this year. Those are the ones we know about.

… Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) was asked on MSNBC about the briefing Dems were finally able to get on Trump’s boat strikes: “I found their justification for what they’re doing so flimsy that it makes the case for the Iraq War look like a slam dunk. It was that bad.”

… Even Republicans weren’t satisfied with it. Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH): “Yesterday, there were not very good answers as to what is occurring. People were very frustrated with the level of information that was provided and certainly the level of legal justification that was provided.”

… Mike Johnson was asked on Fox about criticism from Dems and some Republicans of Trump’s illegal strikes on boats: “They are motivated out of fear and Trump Derangement Syndrome.”

… Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA): “This country has not agreed to have the death penalty for drug smuggling. If we want to have that policy conversation, we can have that policy conversation, but the president has unilaterally decided that lethal force is going to be applied. It’s an enormous expansion of power.”

… Miami Herald: “The Trump Admin has made the decision to attack military installations inside Venezuela and the strikes could come at any moment. On Oct. 24, Pete Hegseth ordered the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and its strike group—including the cruiser USS Normandy and the destroyers USS Thomas Hudner, USS Ramage, USS Carney and USS Roosevelt—into the Caribbean. The carrier strike group, with more than 4,000 personnel and roughly 90 combat aircraft.”

… “So far, the force has been used mainly in maritime operations. As of this week, US strikes have targeted fast boats the admin says were carrying narcotics—most intercepted off Venezuela’s coast; the attacks have killed 61 suspected traffickers. Admin officials say the task force will shift operations ashore because traffickers are now less willing to risk voyages that can be detected and targeted at sea. The sheer scale of the deployment has led many analysts to conclude that the mission’s ultimate aim is the removal of Maduro.”

… Clips and photos continue to go viral all over social media platforms of JD Vance’s interaction with Charlie Kirk’s widow Erika at a recent event - especially after he then mentioned his efforts to persuade his wife Usha to convert to Christianity from Hindu. Some have speculated that her religion could be an issue for many Republican primary voters in 2028 - something Vance would be keenly aware of.

… This is what Erika said when she introduced Vance at the event: “No one will ever replace my husband. But I do see some similarities of my husband in JD. I do.”

… Brit Koch had this viral post: “JD Vance took the phrase, ‘I am Charlie Kirk’ a little too seriously.”

… Heritage Foundation director Kevin Roberts set off a civil war among Republicans when he posted a video today responding to Tucker Carlson’s interview of white nationalist leader Nick Fuentes. Tucker has gone even further off the deep end this year platforming Nazis, anti-semites, conspiracy theorist and racists in steady succession, and Fuentes has attempted to mainstream himself more to step into the void left by Charlie Kirk. This has caused many on the right to distance themselves from both.

… Roberts’ video got over 17 million views today: “The Heritage Foundation didn’t become the backbone of the conservative movement by canceling our own people or policing the consciences of christians, and we won’t start doing that now. We will always defend our friends against the slander of bad actors who serve some else’s agenda. That includes Tucker Carlson. The venomous coalition attacking him are sowing division. I disagree with things Nick Fuentes says, but canceling him is not the answer.”

… Conservative talk-show host Eric Metaxas: “This is a hostage video. I love Kevin Roberts and cannot imagine why he made it. Tucker should be ASHAMED of platforming a truly evil figure like Nick Fuentes. ASHAMED. And he should be told that by anyone who cares about him.”

It has certainly been a long week with some monster Bulletins due to a lot of extremely heavy news stories - including many that I thought were really important and simply haven’t gotten enough attention. There is still a lot more to go with this one.

I just hope we can get through the weekend with people somehow getting their SNAP benefits and without a war in Venezuela. If you missed yesterday’s Bulletin, you can find it here. Thank you for reading, subscribing and sharing my work.

… Ted Cruz has been a frequent recent target of Tucker. He responded to Roberts: “Now is a time for choosing. If you sit there with someone who says Adolf Hitler was very cool and that their mission is to defeat ‘global Jewry,’ and you say nothing, then you are a coward, and you are complicit in that evil.”