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Trump is considering an unconventional midterm strategy after his top political advisers met at a private Capitol Hill Club to discuss campaign plans. According to the Wall Street Journal, a key component involves sending Cabinet secretaries to competitive districts. Former President Joe Biden press secretary Jen Psaki sarcastically endorsed the idea, calling it "phenomenal." She criticized Vice President JD Vance as a potential surrogate, noting his awkward demeanor and history of being booed at public events, including the Olympics opening ceremony in Milan. Psaki also mocked Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr., highlighting an official HHS video featuring him and musician Kid Rock exercising in a sauna, cold plunging in jeans, and drinking whole milk in a hot tub. She characterized these Cabinet members as ineffective campaign surrogates for reaching voters in competitive districts.

Anderson Cooper is leaving CBS News and "60 Minutes" after nearly two decades, delivering what insiders characterize as a rebuke to Bari Weiss' new leadership. Months earlier, Weiss offered Cooper the opportunity to anchor "CBS Evening News," but he rejected the role and is now departing entirely. A senior CBS News staffer told Zeteo that Cooper's exit "has to sting for Bari," describing the decision as an unambiguous rejection. Cooper recently signed a fresh deal with CNN and released a statement citing his desire to spend more time with his young children. He described his two-decade tenure at "60 Minutes" as "one of the great honors" of his career, crediting the network's producers, editors, and camera crews.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) described far-right Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL) Tuesday as a “disgrace” and warned “accountability is coming” if Democrats reclaim the House in November. Fine drew outrage over racist and Islamophobic remarks when he compared Muslims to “dogs.” This stunned even MAGA media figure Megyn Kelly. Jeffries called out Speaker Mike Johnson and House Republicans for their silence, signaling that a future Democratic majority would pursue consequences. Expulsion would require bipartisan support, but Jeffries clearly stated, “Accountability is coming to all of these sick extremists when the gavels change hands in November, if not sooner."

Democrats are planning an unprecedented response to President Donald Trump's upcoming State of the Union address next Tuesday. Rather than attend the speech, a substantial number of Democratic lawmakers plan to boycott and instead host an alternative "People's State of the Union" event at the National Mall near the Capitol. This marks a shift from last year's approach, when Democrats protested inside the chamber with signs and Rep. Al Green was ejected after interrupting the president. Sen. Christopher Murphy stated Trump "doesn't deserve an audience," citing his tendency to spread misinformation and attack Democrats. Sen. Chris Van Hollen added that he refuses to be "a prop" while Trump "shreds our Constitution." The alternative event, organized partly by progressive group MoveOn, represents a historic break from tradition, as sitting out a president's State of the Union address on this scale is unprecedented.

Republican operatives are privately expressing concern about the 2026 midterms, hoping voters will forget Trump's first year in office before November elections. According to a Zeteo report, even pro-Trump pollsters are worried about GOP prospects. While Republican Party leaders publicly dismiss predictions of a "bloodbath," insiders admit behind closed doors to significant anxiety. Trump's polling has declined in recent weeks due to harsh immigration policies, ICE enforcement actions, and economic concerns. Notably, some of the most Trump-friendly pollsters are reaching similar conclusions to nonpartisan polling firms, warning administration officials and MAGA insiders of a likely "disaster" or "blue wave" in November. The disconnect between public confidence and private concerns reveals deep anxiety within Republican circles about maintaining power in the upcoming midterm elections.

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Republican House staffer, Regina Ann "Regi" Santos-Aviles, who died after setting herself on fire last year, claimed in text messages to have had an affair with Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX), according to a report. According to The San Antonio Express-News, a former colleague said Santos-Aviles told him about the 2024 affair and that she spiraled into depression after her husband discovered the relationship and Gonzales abruptly ended contact. A text message screenshot shows Santos-Aviles acknowledging an "affair with our boss." Gonzales is a married father of six. While Santos-Aviles' husband's lawyer said the relationship was an open secret and didn't contribute to her death, a concerned colleague warned the congressman's district director months before her death about her well-being. Gonzales, who recently received President Trump's endorsement, currently faces a tough primary against gun rights activist Democrat Brandon Herrera.

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DHS Secretary Kristi Noem ordered the purchase of two $170 million Gulfstream jets to replace Coast Guard aircraft, a decision some officials viewed as unnecessary and expensive — but DHS officials told NBC News they were instructed to keep concerns to themselves. The tension escalated after Noem's Coast Guard plane broke down, forcing her to use a backup jet. Noem had deviated from protocol by keeping personal items, including a heated blanket, on board for convenience. When she realized she left these items behind, Homeland Security advisor Corey Lewandowski berated flight staff and demanded the plane return to retrieve them. When the Coast Guard pilot refused, Lewandowski announced the pilot was relieved of duty. The pilot explained that firing him would require immediate landing and finding a replacement pilot. Lewandowski ultimately backed down, and the pilot was reinstated. A DHS spokesperson declined to comment on the in-flight confrontation.

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Tucker Carlson claimed Israeli security forces briefly detained him at Tel Aviv airport after meeting with U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. Carlson flew to Israel following an online disagreement with Huckabee over the country's treatment of Christians. Carlson frequently criticizes Israel's military actions in Gaza. "Men who identified themselves as airport security took our passports, hauled our executive producer into a side room and then demanded to know what we spoke to Ambassador Huckabee about," said Carlson. Sources told the Daily Mail that the Israeli government initially opposed allowing Carlson entry but ultimately decided to permit his visit to avoid a "diplomatic incident." Carlson has recently shared his platform with overt Nazi apologist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes. This alignment caused conflict at the conservative Heritage Foundation last year over the merits of such engagement.

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Federal prosecutors failed to secure indictments against six Democratic lawmakers who produced a video reminding military service members to disobey unlawful orders. According to The New Republic's Greg Sargent, prosecutors couldn't even name a statute the Democrats allegedly violated. When asked directly by defense attorney Preet Bharara what law was broken, prosecutors had no answer. They resumed grand jury proceedings anyway, despite failing to identify any criminal liability. Sources indicate the prosecutors were at a "very preliminary" investigative stage when presenting evidence, suggesting pressure from above rather than solid legal grounds. It's unusual to pursue indictments without first stating a criminal liability, according to experts. Sargent warned that while these failures appear comical, they mask serious authoritarian abuses and may leave citizens unprepared for future attempts.

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On her Monday night broadcast, Rachel Maddow opened with what she called a Presidents’ Day “present” for history lovers: a federal judge ordering the Trump administration to restore references to slavery at the President’s House site in Philadelphia’s Independence National Historical Park. Maddow walked viewers through the fraught history of the long-lost home where George Washington and John Adams once lived, "— while Adams was not a slaveholder, George Washington was," said Maddow. She then blasted Trump’s effort to scrub that truth from public view. In a stinging ruling that invoked George Orwell's 1984, a George W. Bush appointed judge declared the government cannot, “assemble and disassemble historic truths” at will. The injunction forces the administration to put the slavery exhibits back, delivering what Maddow gleefully framed as a court-ordered restoration of reality.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) tried to score points Monday by blasting California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) ahead of a planned trip to Nashville, but instead got scorched in return. Blackburn, who’s running for governor, accused Newsom of turning California into “the most unaffordable [state] in America” and warned Tennesseans against his radical leftist policies. Newsom shot back, calling out Tennessee’s violent crime rate and highlighting California’s higher incomes, longer life expectancy and overall quality of life. “Time to turn Tennessee blue,” he added. The clash comes as Newsom ramps up his national profile, openly criticizing Trump abroad. "Donald Trump is temporary. He'll be gone in three years," Newsom said at a summit over climate policy in the U.K., adding that California will be "stable and reliable." Newsom is visiting Tennessee to meet with former Californians who have moved there.

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A former FBI agent says she was “personally distraught” by communications tied to Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, warning they may have involved coded language between Guthrie’s daughter and her mother’s abductor. After concerns the ransom messages may not have been legitimate, Savannah Guthrie has shifted strategy—publicly insisting her mother is still alive, urging public help, and sharing a detail that could aid investigators.

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President Donald Trump is rapidly losing support from non-college-educated voters who powered his past victories, a collapse that now appears to be dragging down the Republican Party as well, according to CNN data analyst Harry Enten. Trump went from winning those voters by 14 points in 2024 to sitting nine points underwater in approval—a staggering 23-point swing just a year into his second term. Enten warned the damage is spilling into congressional politics, with Republicans’ once-dominant 13-point advantage among non-college voters shrinking to a razor-thin four points, even as Democrats surge among college-educated voters. The numbers, Enten said, signal serious trouble for both Trump and the GOP heading into November.

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