It’s Tuesday, October 13. Brett here. Let’s take you through today’s news—so far.
The headlines:
New Press Secretary Katie Zacharia’s disastrous first briefing and questions about whether or not she is actually a lawyer as she claims to be
Kimberly Guilfoyle gets dumped and forced out as Ambassador to Greece
Trump’s South Lawn gaggle before his Alaska rally
Trump threatens the Houthis, again
Russia escalates across Ukraine and off NATO member Bulgaria
Midterm updates and GOP triage
More Paxton corruption
And more…
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The Worst Debut in Press Secretary History?
That was rough!
Let me first set the stage. Even before Zacharia reached the podium, Judd Legum of Popular Information reported there’s no evidence she’s ever been licensed to practice law, despite calling herself a lawyer for years.
So after her presser today, the White House press asked her and Trump which state she passed the bar in. Her response was to point to her time in China, which raises more questions than it answers.
Back to the briefing. It lasted a paltry 14 minutes or so, mostly an opening statement she stumbled through, then taking questions from 3 outlets—Fox, Breitbart, and the Daily Mail—before abruptly leaving.
She said the midterms are seeing “energy and excitement never seen before in the history of midterms.” She called Trump “the most family friendly president we’ve ever had.” At one point she accidentally slipped when talking about her family, saying: “My president, excuse me, my husband.” Peter Doocy asked her whether or not the U.S. stopped sharing intel with Ukraine. Her response? She’ll have to get back to him on that.
Even Trump regime officials knew it was bad. One told MS NOW’s Jake Traylor she’ll “break Scaramucci’s record” (11 days) unless she improves fast. Other officials told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins it was “unusual” and “brutal.” A former senior Trump aide told Peter Alexander, “I think she is going to be a train wreck.” Trump spox Steven Cheung on the other hand called it “a tremendous start.” Zacharia has a long history of bizarre QAnon posts, including praise of Putin.
Guilfoyle Gets Dumped
Zacharia’s one piece of news, whether she was supposed to say it or not, was to tell the Daily Mail that the White House has asked Guilfoyle to resign as Ambassador to Greece. Guilfoyle has been mired in scandal. Most recently, the WSJ reported how before her confirmation hearing, she allegedly pressed a Trump donor to cover $100,000 of her AmEx bill in exchange for help in reaching senior officials. Shortly after the presser, Guilfoyle announced her resignation. When Trump was asked, he pretended like he didn’t really know her. “Kimberly Guilfoyle was not a member of my family. I guess she dated my son a long time ago,” he told the press. She was literally engaged to his son Don Jr. for years. She was the marquee speaker at RNC events.
Earlier this year, here’s what Trump said about her: “Kimberly Guilfoyle has been my friend for a long time. I love calling her Kimberlay. That’s my little pet name, right? But you are the greatest and I heard they love you over there. And I hope you come back here in 12 years or whenever the term ends.”
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Trump’s Gaggle and the Middle East
Trump of Russia’s invasion: “It’s going to all work out. You know why? It always does.”
Like a miracle, it will go away. Where have I heard that one before?
Trump was asked about Russia hitting 6 energy sites on Monday and said, “Ukraine hit many sites the day before.” On cutting off intel sharing, he said “No, we haven’t. We help them.” Yesterday he said both sides agreed to his ceasefire “because I said they agreed.” That’s now how ceasefires work. He also praised Russia for releasing diesel “to the entire world,” weeks after signing the Graham secondary sanctions law. The volume is tiny and may well be Iranian diesel moving through Russia. Diesel prices have continued to spike. Overnight, he posted that Russia and China aren’t really helping Iran, even as Putin just met Iran’s president at the CIS summit and Rosatom sent more 135 workers to Iran’s Bushehr nuclear plant. He said only “morons” think they’re helping Iran. Pete Hegseth and Scott Bessent have both acknowledged, under oath, that Russia and China are doing just that.
On Truth Social, he threatened the Houthis again, blamed Iran, and wrote, “I’ve already won, IN A MASSIVE LANDSLIDE.” Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia reported a new barrage of incoming fire and kept Riyadh’s airport closed.
Israel’s Channel 12 reports Netanyahu urged Trump last week to restart the Iran War before Israel’s October 27 election and our midterms. Netanyahu’s office denies it.
Also, the UK prime minister formally blamed Iran’s Revolutionary Guard for a suspected plot against RAF Fairford, and 6 tankers were reportedly hit around the Strait of Hormuz. Kim Jong Un fired more ballistic missiles, too. Brent crude is still above $105 a barrel.
Russia Keeps Escalating
In the past 24 hours, Russia has launched 121 drones plus ballistics, hit the Kyiv thermal power plant, and killed at least 10 civilians, injuring about 70. In Kharkiv, a strike on a high-rise killed 5 and injured 42. In Kyiv, a Geran drone hit a 25-story residential building near a playground, killing at least 2. Off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast, 2 cargo ships were struck by drones about 24km offshore and one sank. Bulgaria is a member of NATO.
Zelenskyy and Ukraine held off on Russian energy targets to show Trump he’d be willing to honor his ceasefire. Russia attacked anyway. Peskov said Russia wants “a lasting peace, not a ceasefire,” meaning Russia wants Eastern Ukraine. Lavrov said Zelenskyy deserves no respite. In Warsaw, Poland’s Donald Tusk warned anyone weakening Ukraine out of “betrayal, stupidity, or money” is acting against their own nation.
21 Days Till Midterms
MAGA Mike Johnson took to Fox to insist that Republicans are “on offense,” while explaining why Republicans are defending normally red Texas. CNN reports the House GOP’s largest super PAC is cutting off 2 of its own incumbents for the rest of the cycle. The DCCC is launching $13 million in TV ads across 39 districts. Georgia early voting begins TODAY and CNN’s tracker already shows over 3.5 million ballots cast nationwide.
At Trump’s Youngstown rally, he told the crowd he “looked at” Sen. Jon Husted’s ass. Seriously. His Trump TV YouTube stream is now drawing around 140 viewers. A woman in a “Release the Epstein Files” shirt appeared to be punched repeatedly by rallygoers.
In Texas, the WSJ reports that Ken Paxton spent New Year’s in Dubai with 2 Americans indicted for healthcare fraud. One had given his campaigns about $190K, including $25K the day after the indictment. The Washington Post also reports that Paxton took money from donors with cases before his office. MeidasTouch exclusively reported that despite Paxton’s super PAC running ads saying “China’s got Talarico,“ in June 2010, then-state Rep. Paxton co-led a McKinney delegation to Shanghai’s World Expo with Rick Perry. The delegation hosted Chinese business leaders, pitched as an “Export in Texas” seminar, and then went to Shenzhen to court Chinese investment in McKinney. Paxton also took a 2019 China trip as AG against his staff’s advice. The GOP has poured over $100M into his campaign to try to prop him up.
The NYT, meanwhile, confirmed through home security footage that Talarico was in fact home sick with the flu, putting the final nail in the coffin of the right-wing smears.
In Georgia, Republican Rick Jackson skipped his debate against Keisha Lance Bottoms and was represented by an empty podium.
That’s your update for now. Ron will be back in a few hours with even more, so stay runed.
Remember, it is now just ONE WEEK until WTF America?! is OUT! Please consider pre-ordering today and thanks to everyone who has!
Shoutout to the Meidas Mighty!
JFC!! Can you hear my screaming?? This regime, with having a decrepit slowly-shriveling up man at the helm, is making my blood pressure rise every day. I know that this is their goal. They want us to give up but this 75 year old body ain’t having it! VOTE Meidas Touch readers and do it NOW
Another Trump Trollop bites the dust and yet, all the Trump Toadies remain. G I JERK.