Today in Politics, Bulletin 434. 8/6/26

… When NV Gov. Joe Lombardo attempted to pay tribute at the Trump rally last night to a local police officer who recently was shot and killed in the line of duty, MAGA supporters reflexively booed him as soon as they heard his name since it sounded Arabic: “So I know the pastor spoke about Officer Abdelnabi-- Crowd: Boooooo! Lombardo: No, no! We’re not booing him. He’s the officer that passed away here recently.”

… Austin Abdelnabi was also a US Marine veteran.

… Trump at the rally: “We’re taking a lot of oil from Venezuela - billions and billions of barrels of oil. To the victor belong the spoils.”

… Michael McFaul, former US Ambassador to Russia: “That this outrageous statement celebrating imperialism was not page one news today underscores how numb we have become to Trump. This is not normal! In my view, this is un-American! We are not imperialists. Who believes, ‘to the victor belong the spoils’? I dont. This money belongs to the people of Venezuela, not us.”

… A new poll now has Democrat Brian Poindexter surging into a big lead in the polls after credible allegations surfaced of domestic violence and child abuse against Republican Rep. Max Miller. Poindexter leads 47%-33%.

… The federal judge overseeing MeidasTouch reporter Katie Phang’s lawsuit against Todd Blanche is turning up the pressure on DOJ after finding that it still has not complied with key portions of his previous orders in the battle over the release of the Epstein files.

… “US District Judge Emmet Sullivan scheduled an Aug 13 status hearing and directed the parties to be prepared to address 3 specific issues where the DOJ appears to have fallen short. The order comes just one day after DOJ missed its deadline to answer her complaint. Phang sought a court order forcing the govt to finally respond, and the DOJ ultimately requested a retroactive extension. Oddly enough, the DOJ filing was made by US Attorney Jeanine Pirro.

… Sullivan said DOJ failed to provide the documentation he explicitly ordered to justify its claim that certain names redacted from the Epstein files belong to victims. Instead, the govt merely asserted that attorneys for certain individuals had contacted DOJ requesting they be treated as victims. That wasn’t enough: “The Defendant’s assertions do not comply with the Court’s Order.”

… He ordered the DOJ to come prepared next week to explain what evidence it will actually provide. That issue has been central to the case ever since Sullivan ruled in July that the Epstein Files Transparency Act sharply limits the govt’s ability to withhold material. While the Act permits redactions for victims, the judge has repeatedly insisted the govt must substantiate those claims rather than rely on conclusory assertions."

… Sullivan also renewed his scrutiny of another major dispute: the FBI’s handwritten interview notes. Back in June, Sullivan ordered the govt either to produce the underlying handwritten notes that formed the basis of FBI FD-302 interview reports or explain why they should remain withheld. The DOJ argued that the notes were “substantially similar” to the typed reports already produced and that handwritten notes presented a greater risk of inadvertently exposing victim info.

… Sullivan was not buying it. He observed that nothing in the Epstein Act creates an exception for documents simply because they are duplicative. He also pointedly noted that the govt itself has already published “substantially similar” draft indictments. The judge ordered DOJ lawyers to explain why the handwritten notes cannot simply be redacted manually, or by some other method, before being released.

… The third issue concerns another statutory requirement DOJ has yet to satisfy. The Act requires every redaction to be accompanied by a written justification that must be published in the Federal Register and submitted to Congress. The DOJ has acknowledged it intends to comply, but the parties disagree over whether it has already missed the deadline to do so.

… The Hill: “New Mexico is suing DOJ for access to a set of unredacted Jeffrey Epstein records, alleging the agency is withholding documents that could aid the state’s investigation into the convicted sex offender’s alleged crimes at a remote ranch outside Santa Fe.”

… “The complaint, which also names acting Todd Blanche, accuses the DOJ of ‘stonewalling’ the state probe into Zorro Ranch, a property reportedly mentioned thousands of times in the Epstein files where survivors say they were subjected to trafficking and sexual abuse.”

… From the lawsuit: “USDOJ and Acting AG Blanche are refusing to facilitate the investigation of state law crimes by hiding information about Epstein and his co-conspirators from AG Raul Torrez and state law enforcement, when NM is one of few jurisdictions that still may have an opportunity to hold Epstein’s associates accountable or otherwise provide some sense of justice to survivors.”

… “Torrez is asking a federal judge in the DC to declare the DOJ’s actions unlawful and grant his office access to full, unredacted copies of investigative files that the agency has purportedly refused to hand over, including a 2019 email from an anonymous sender that alleged two girls were buried in the hills near the ranch.”

… AP: “The Senate Homeland Security committee voted to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress and refer him to DOJ for potential prosecution over his refusal to answer questions at a hearing last week focused on his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Committee held the vote one week after Fauci invoked his 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 100 times when he appeared before the panel.”

… “Sen. Rand Paul, the committee chairman, has said that constitutional protection did not apply since Fauci last year received a pardon from Joe Biden and thus did not have to worry about the threat of prosecution. Fauci and Democrats who opposed the contempt resolution say he had a well-founded fear of self-incrimination given a public desire by Republicans to seek his prosecution.”

… “The full Senate has typically considered contempt charges even when they originate with a committee. But Paul is sending the matter directly to DOJ, bypassing the full Senate in a move Democrats decried as illegitimate. That means the referral will land in the office of DC Attorney Jeanine Pirro.”

… “So, now, Pirro could end up deciding whether to prosecute Fauci. Sen. Gary Peters, the committee’s top Democrat, also questioned whether the referral would be valid if Paul bypassed the entire Senate, where the 60 votes needed to pass the resolution are seen as unlikely.”

… Peters: “If this committee now seeks to punish a witness for asserting their constitutionally protected 5th Amendment rights, future witnesses will argue that appearing before Congress exposes them to punishment regardless of whether they comply with a subpoena and invoke a constitutional protection.”

… Fauci’s lawyer David Schertler: “Today’s partisan committee vote is a crude political stunt intended to punish Dr. Fauci for exercising his constitutional rights. The Senate should reject Senator Paul’s meritless and politically-motivated contempt resolution. For years, Sen. Paul has proclaimed to anyone who would listen that Dr. Fauci should be prosecuted and put in prison. Dr. Fauci has committed no crime — and Senator Paul knows it.”

… Sen. Mitch McConnell issued a new statement today: “Earlier today, I was discharged from the rehabilitation center to continue my recovery at home. Elaine and I are grateful for the many well wishes and support from friends, colleagues, and Kentuckians, and for the attentive care I’ve received from excellent doctors, nurses, therapists, and hospital staff.”

… “On the advice of my doctors, I’ll maintain an intensive regimen of physical therapy from home during the state work period, and I’ll continue to engage with my staff and colleagues on important Senate business.”

… WaPo: “Trump’s frustration over the Iran war boiled over at Camp David last week, where he demanded answers from Pete Hegseth on why he had apparently been misled on extreme munitions shortages that now threaten to limit military options with Iran. The encounter took place on the sidelines of his Cabinet meeting on Friday where Trump vented at Hegseth that he thought the munitions issue ‘had been fixed’.”

… “The shortages, particularly in long-range guided missiles and air-defense interceptors, have been part of the reason Trump has pulled back from launching additional massive strikes against Iran in recent days. Trump said Monday that he had ordered and subsequently called off ‘the biggest attack since World War II,’ pending claims of new negotiations over the Strait of Hormuz.”

… “In the first month of fighting alone, the US fired off more than 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles and more than 1,000 Patriot and TTHAAD systems. The US also used more than 1,300 of the Army’s tactical ballistic missiles in the initial weeks of fighting. The ATACMs stockpile — a short-range missile also in demand by Ukraine — is drained to the extent that there’s basically none left.”

… “As he was confronted by Trump over the bare weapons stockpile, Hegseth defended himself and blamed his deputy, Stephen Feinberg, for the shortages and for not ensuring Trump was fully apprised of the issue. The exchange underscored Trump’s increasing frustration with his defense secretary, who was one of the biggest early advocates for taking military action against Iran, convincing Trump it would be a quick and relatively easy win.”

… ABC6 (NJ): “Two municipal water systems in NJ were targeted in cyberattacks in the last week, widely thought to be the work of Iran, the state said. The affected utilities, which were not named, were temporarily blinded when automated systems went down.

… “Our NJ Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell responded to two cyber incidents affecting NJ municipal water systems this past week. The investigations found that the incidents involved vulnerable internet-exposed control systems, which temporarily limited operators’ ability to monitor or manage them remotely. In both cases, staff shifted quickly to manual operations, and there was no disruption to service.”

… “Sources told ABC News that Iran remains the prime suspect, perhaps showing how it could retaliate as Trump threatens to escalate the war.”

… NBC: “The Trump admin has awarded a $150 million contract to give legal representation to migrant children traveling alone to the US to a small Texas law firm with ties to the admin but little experience in immigration law. The move has prompted legal aid groups who’ve long represented those children to warn that the move could make them vulnerable to deportation.”

… “The contract to Burke Law Group comes as the Trump admin ramps up its mass deportation campaign across the country and after the admin last week let a key contract with a network of legal groups working with immigrant children around the country expire with no replacement. The providers have increasingly raised worries that children won’t have the experienced legal help they need at a time when the admin is intensifying efforts to remove people from the country.”

… Michael Lukens, who heads the Amica Center: “Upsetting and shocking. It really does forebode a situation where children are going to get no meaningful due process, no meaningful day in court. We cannot have a random law firm entrusted to take care of children.”

… The firm has given over $1.7 million in campaign contributions to Republicans.

… Democratic nominee for senate Abdul El-Sayed and Rep. Haley Stevens had a great moment today at a Democratic Unity Breakfast in MI after their contentious primary.

… Stevens: “Friends, I want to thank you for your support in this race. I’m so grateful for each and every one of you who stepped up to fight for a stronger Michigan. Now, it’s time to come together to make sure we beat Mike Rogers and keep Michigan blue. Let's go win!”

… Mallory McMorrow, who dropped out of the race shortly before the election: “This week, the entire country watched MI to see which direction the Democratic party would go. But in the most MI way, we rejected the premise. In MI, the Democratic Party IS a big tent party. One side didn’t outright trounce the other side. And we saw record turnout: 1.5 million voted in the Democratic primary. 0.9 million voted in the Republican primary. Let’s keep this up and win big in Nov.”

On Uncovered yesterday, we talk about the Max Miller abuse allegations and Chuck Edwards’s sexual harassment cases, Mike Johnson standing by them, Pirro and the Reflecting Pool, Fetterman’s appearance on Jon Stewart, Tillis, Cornyn & Susan Collins fakery on the Blanche confirmation, Trump cheating at golf, Mike Lindell’s new legal problems and lots more! Link to the show is here.

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

… Conservative GA radio host Erick Erickson on Sen. Jon Ossoff: “You talk to farmers in South GA, they can get him on the phone. They can get his staff on the phone. They can get help. You talk to Republicans in Houston County, very Republican part of the state, they know they can reach out to Ossoff, and he doesn’t care that they’re Republican. If they need something, he’s going to get it done.”

… James Talarico at a rally today: “For too many Texans, the American dream has become an American nightmare. It is too expensive to buy a home. It’s too expensive