Dan Scavino, longtime Trump aide and former golf caddie, erupted on social media after critics, including Adam Kinzinger and The Lincoln Project, mocked his haircut, comparing it to Hitler’s. Posting late Tuesday night, Scavino warned that those mocking him “know exactly what referring to me as Hitler does” with his 2.8 million followers, calling the critics “sick and twisted” in a rare public outburst.
CNN anchor Boris Sanchez cornered Rep. Ben Cline (R-VA) in a fiery back-and-forth live interview on Wednesday over claims dropped in the explosive Vanity Fair article exposing the inner workings of the Trump administration.
Sanchez pressed Cline to respond to his questions as the conversation became tense.
"I didn't hear you answer the actual substance of the question, but nevertheless, Congressman, I do wonder what you make of what we heard from the White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles acknowledging to Vanity Fair that Trump doesn't wake up thinking about retribution, but when there's an opportunity, he will go for it," Sanchez said.
"Do you think Republicans run the risk of coming across as though they're simply trying to facilitate the president getting his version of payback?" Sanchez asked.
Cline responded and shifted the conversation.
"The Judiciary Committee is conducting its constitutional duty of oversight over the Department of Justice," Cline said. "Not only do I sit on the Judiciary, sit on the Appropriations Subcommittee on the Judiciary. So we have an obligation to follow the taxpayer dollars. It was over $50 million spent on this targeted weaponization against President Trump, against members of Congress and against conservatives. And we're going to find out the facts and ensure accountability follows."
The two discussed expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies, and the conversation turned back to the revealing Vanity Fair story featuring Wiles and major revelations about Trump's inner circle shared in the article — including the administration's viewpoint on Venezuela and escalating military operations in the Caribbean, where multiple alleged drug boats have been struck.
"One final question, Congressman. Going back to Susie Wiles, specifically her comments on Venezuela, she says that the president wants to keep on blowing up boats until Nicolás Maduro cries, uncle," Sanchez said. "Now the president is announcing this blockade of sanctioned oil tankers in Venezuelan waters. At what point does President Trump need the authority of Congress to help him carry out these actions? Shouldn't lawmakers on Capitol Hill have a say over these matters?"
Cline appeared to approve of the Trump administration's actions without Congressional input.
"We are conducting oversight. We had the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense in front of all members of the House and Senate yesterday, explaining in a confidential briefing the legal justification for these strikes. It is sound. It is constitutional, and it is warranted, given Maduro's behavior, the trafficking that is going on that is killing Americans each and every day," Cline said.
But Sanchez wasn't fully satisfied with that answer.
"You're talking about the boat strikes here. Susie Wiles is essentially talking about regime change. Is that not something that should go through Congress?" Sanchez pressed again.
Cline claimed that he had not read Wiles' statements.
"I haven't read this Vanity Fair article you're speaking of, but I do know that Congress will continue to assert its oversight role and make sure that the president's actions and these strikes are constitutional and within the scope and letter of the law," Cline said.
Sanchez encouraged him to read the article, saying, "It's a long read, but I bet it's worth your time."
The Daily Beast reported Wednesday that the two-story edifice will include sweeping staircases, residential quarters for guests, and a secure bridge connecting the new space to the presidential residence. On Tuesday, Trump "let it slip" that the project now carries a staggering price tag of $400 million, double the initial estimate.
Court filings released this week provided fresh details about the scope and scale of the now-significantly larger undertaking.
The National Park Service, which maintains the White House grounds, noted the ballroom would "dominate the eastern portion of the site, creating a visual imbalance with the more modestly scaled West Wing and Executive Mansion."
To boot, streets surrounding the complex would be closed through 2028, and the project has necessitated the removal of historic landscaping, including gardens associated with former first lady Jackie Kennedy and a magnolia planted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1942.
Beyond the primary 90,000-square-foot ballroom, the development encompasses a renovated colonnade with a second-floor component, an expanded public entrance featuring grand stairs, and interior spaces for administrative functions.
“The new building will be approximately 90,000 square feet and will be connected to the Executive Mansion through the East Colonnade. The East Colonnade will be renovated to include a secure second story that will provide direct access from the East Room to the State Ballroom, while maintaining existing ground-floor access to and from the main Executive Mansion,” the documents say.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has sued the president, asserting that “No president is legally allowed to tear down portions of the White House without any review whatsoever—not President Trump, not President Biden, not anyone else."
However, a federal judge this week indicated he would likely allow the project to continue, but required the administration to present completed designs to oversight bodies within two weeks.
First Lady Melania Trump made the last-minute decision to skip a solemn dignified transfer ceremony to honor two U.S. service members killed in action in Syria.
President Donald Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Chief of Staff of the Army General Randy George attended the ceremony for the Iowa soldiers on Wednesday.
Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, were killed in the Syrian desert on Saturday.
"First Lady Melania Trump was scheduled to join them, but a White House official said she could no longer attend," CBS News reported.
The ceremony took place on the day the first lady released a trailer for her film "MELANIA."
Bulwark editor Jonathan Last delivered scathing criticism of President Donald Trump on Wednesday after the president dropped his plan to escalate military pressure on Venezuela in a Truth Social post rant.
Last described in his Substack how White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles' revealing Vanity Fair interview, paired with Trump's most recent comments, laid the groundwork for a potential military offensive — and what the motives actually are behind them — "that Trump is seeking regime change in Venezuela."
Trump wrote this on Truth Social late Tuesday:
"Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America. It will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before — Until such time as they return to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us."
Last slammed Trump for the comments.
"This is a suboptimal way to conduct foreign policy. It is erratic, unfocused, vague, and ultimately dangerous—both to America’s short-term and long-term interests," he wrote. "Pick whatever foreign policy disaster you’d like from American history—Bay of Pigs; Iran-Contra; Mission: Accomplished. The thinking behind Trump’s Venezuela adventure is worse."
"In fact, I’d go so far as to say that Trump’s ultimatum last night is the single stupidest and most irresponsible presidential statement in the 249-year history of American foreign policy. I defy you to find something—anything—dumber," Last wrote.
Last argued that Nicolás Maduro is no saint or even "good guy."
"Maduro is a b-------," he wrote. "A corrupt, authoritarian gangster who has oppressed the Venezuelan people for years."
Trump, who has spent the last few months striking alleged drug boats in the area and claimed the move is to combat drug trafficking, has signaled plans to elevate the conflict.
Wiles, in one of the 11 interviews conducted with Vanity Fair journalist Christopher Whipple, described Trump's goal:
“He wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle. And people way smarter than me on that say that he will," she said.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) accused President Donald Trump of following former President George W. Bush's playbook by lying to the country to start a war.
"The framers understood a simple truth. To the extent that war-making power devolves to one person, liberty dissolves," Massie said during a Wednesday speech on the House floor. "If the president believes military action against Venezuela is justified and needed, he should make the case, and Congress should vote before American lives and treasure are spent on regime change in South America."
"Do we truly believe that Nicholas Maduro will be replaced by a modern-day George Washington? How did that work out? In Cuba, Libya, Iraq, or Syria?" he continued. "Previous presidents told us to go to war over WMDs, weapons of mass destruction, that did not exist. Now it's the same playbook, except we're told that drugs are the WMDs."
"If it were about drugs, we'd bomb Mexico or China or Colombia. And the president would not have pardoned Juan Orlando Hernandez. This is about oil and regime change. "
Earlier this week, Trump officially designated "fentanyl and its core precursor chemical as weapons of mass destruction (WMD)."
A former U.S. Army Reserve lieutenant colonel and Green Beret who has become a far-right political operative and activist recorded himself heckling former special counsel Jack Smith on Capitol Hill, following Smith and shouting derogatory names.
Ivan Raiklin, who previously billed himself as Donald Trump's “secretary of retribution” during the campaign, recorded himself hassling Jack Smith for targeting him with a subpoena.
"Jack Smith. Jacka-- Smith," Raiklin says for the camera. "Hey, Jack? Why did you come after me in your subpoenas?"
Raiklin said four subpoenas targeted Save America PAC, Save America Joint Fundraising Committee, MAGA PAC, and Trump MAGA. He claimed Smith wanted to find out of Trump campaign official Chris LaCivita and now Chief of Staff Susie Wiles had communicated with Raiklin
"Sir, you can hear me," Raiklin said, following Smith through the hallways as he ignored Raiklin. "Respond. Jack, why do you think many people out there call you Jacka-- Smith, sir? With all due respect. Sir!"
Raiklin continued shouting at Smith and shouting questions about his January 6th investigation.
"Why do you have to be so ignorant, just like Jamie Raskin, just like Bennie Thompson, just like the entire Pelosi Fedsurrection cover-up committee? Care to respond, Jack? I'm waiting Jack! And so is the rest of America! How about you respond, Jack? The hunters become the hunted, huh? Come on Jack!"
Raiklin previously fantasized about "live-streamed swatting raids" that round up politicians, government officials and journalists.
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino isn't planning on returning to work for the rest of the month and reportedly plans to make his departure formal in the coming weeks.
The former Secret Service agent-turned-right-wing podcaster has quietly told confidants he will formally leave his post at the start of the new year and doesn't intend to return to headquarters for work, eight sources briefed on the matter told MS NOW.
"Bongino told his team and some senior FBI officials that he tentatively planned to announce his departure on Dec. 19, according to four people," the network reported. "Several people said some of Bongino’s personal effects have been cleared out of his office as of last week."
The deputy director has long been rumored to be eying an exit from the FBI, especially after staying out of the office for days after a clash with Attorney General Pam Bondi, and President Donald Trump appointed Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey to share some of Bongino's duties, and the White House is considering whether to elevate Bailey to replace embattled FBI Director Kash Patel.
“Agents are counting down the days,” one law enforcement source commented to MS NOW about Bongino’s pending departure.
Bongino has faced backlash after the Justice Department and FBI announced no further evidence would be released from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation despite conspiracy theories about the case that he spread on his podcast, and he never publicly renounced claims he had made about the Jan. 6 pipe bomb case that were refuted by the arrest of a suspect earlier this month.
MS NOW asked Bongino to confirm or deny reports of his departure, but he declined.
“Print whatever you’d like," he told the reporters. "No one believes you anyway. Thanks.”
The FCC changed its website during a heated hearing with FCC chair Brendan Carr.
Carr was responding to questions from lawmakers about whether the agency was independent.
Carr told lawmakers "the FCC is not an independent agency" — within minutes, the FCC had scrubbed the word "independent" from its website, CNN reported.
CNN media analyst Sara Fischer said it only took the agency 25 minutes.
"So clearly they have made a decision to change their talking points around how they describe this agency," Fischer said.
CNN host Dana Bash was surprised by the information, saying "Wow."
"I should note it comes in a broader context of the Supreme Court basically saying they intend to allow the president to fire FTC commissioners," she added. "Broadly speaking, agencies that were once considered independent don't feel independent anymore."
Fischer had actually screenshot the website, saying "I knew something like this was going to happen and it did."
Carr signaled that President Donald Trump had the power to fire whoever he wants, a major question that the Supreme Court will decide that could overturn a 90-year-old decision to protect heads of federal independent agencies from firing by the president.
"And one of the things that the justices were talking about in the questioning was whether independent agencies should be independent. But, I mean, it does feel like something out of 1984 for the documents of the government to change after someone says it. It's really it's a stunning thing in itself," CNN reporter Edward-Isaac Dovere said.
Carr was scolded by Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) after the agency boss threatened to pull comedian Jimmy Kimmel off air over a joke he made following MAGA influencer Charlie Kirk's death. Carr had effectively threatened to pull ABC's broadcast license if the network did not take Kimmel off the air.
A Republican lawmaker admitted Wednesday that MAGA is splintering over President Donald Trump and his policies.
Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) told CNN's Wolf Blitzer that even with the friction among lawmakers over the president, he still thinks Trump has power in the Republican party and 2026 midterm elections — but he has seen division growing among conservatives.
"Well, I think President Trump still has tremendous power in Republican primaries. There's no question about that," McCaul said.
He pointed to Trump's former ally who has now publicly spoken out against him, and the feud between them now.
"I do find this dialog and this conversion, if you will, Marjorie Taylor Greene, talking about how we need to tone down the rhetoric when she's been one that's thrown a lot of that out, has been very fascinating to watch," he added.
Republicans have hope that Trump will help bring voters to support them in midterms, McCaul explained, despite the fissure.
"And what you're seeing is now sort of a break within MAGA between Marjorie Taylor Greene and the MAGA crowd, if you will, and maybe a division within MAGA itself. I don't know but to say that President Trump has no power in the midterm elections, I can tell you, most Republicans desperately want his support in their primaries because the voters are still in the Republican primaries. Trump is still a very popular," McCaul said.
A grim new jobs report points to mounting economic trouble under the Trump administration, University of Michigan economist Justin Wolfers warned Tuesday. He said unemployment has climbed to 4.6 percent, while wage growth weakens and earlier job gains appear poised for steep downward revisions. Wolfers told MSNOW that the economy may have created virtually no jobs since April, calling the labor market stalled or even slipping backward. Citing the Sahm Rule — a key recession indicator triggered when unemployment rises by half a point — Wolfers said the data suggests the U.S. is now on the cusp of a recession, adding that since April even Canada has added more jobs than the United States.
President Donald Trump's so-called "Presidential Walk of Fame" now includes text that labels former President Barack Obama as the "most divisive political figure" and calls former President Joe Biden "by far, the worst."
Images circulated on social media on Wednesday showed text on new plaques added under the portrait of each president. Biden's "portrait" continued to be represented by a photo of an autopen.
"Barack Hussein Obama was the first Black President, a community organizer, one term Senator from Illinois, and one of the most divisive political figures in American History," the text under Obama's photo claimed. "As President, he passed the highly ineffective 'Unaffordable' Care Act, resulting in his party losing control of both Houses of Congress."
The plaque also accused Obama of spying on Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.
Biden was described as "by far, the worst President in American History."
"Taking office as a result of the most corrupt Election ever seen in the United States, Biden oversaw a series of unprecedented disasters that brought our Nation to the brink of destruction," the text said.
Chaos broke out Wednesday on the House floor after Republicans shut down a vote on discharge petition to extend expiring Affordable Care Act tax credits.
Four moderate Republicans signed on to the discharge petition Wednesday circulated by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) to force a vote on on the measure, which would extend the tax credits for three years, but House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) ended the voting before it was completed.
"Crazy scenes going on in the house floor," reported Reese Gorman for NOTUS. "The chair just closed the vote on ordering the previous question when it was at 204-203. Some democrats hadn’t voted yet and were trying to vote no. They are livid rn and shouting at the chair."
The Washington Post's Marianna Sotomayor blamed the "mess" on Johnson's decision to not allow moderates an amendment vote last week on subsidies.
"The House floor is just exploding right now after Republicans -- frantic they would lose a procedural hurdle that would force a vote on a Dem discharge petition -- closed the vote early," Sotomayor reported. "Rs really are playing with the floor right now in ways that's not usual. They're nervous."
The Republican signers – Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Mike Lawler (R-NY), Rob Bresnahan (R-PA) and Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA) – joined all 214 Democrats in signing the petition, which is the first step to forcing a House vote on the legislation.
“Leadership left us no choice,” Lawler told reporters after signing. “From my perspective, this issue is too important to fuck around with. You have people’s health care at stake, and it requires a vote. Ultimately, this will pass the House, and I bet you there will be a lot more people voting for it than you expect.”
