Tom Boggioni

President Donald Trump’s increasing reliance on controversial aide Natalie Harp despite massive scrutiny is a sign that he needs her more than she needs him.

In an interview with former CNN anchor Jim Acosta, the president’s psychologist niece, Mary Trump, admitted she has concerns about both of them.

As more and more details about the pair’s relationship are revealed, Mary Trump explained to Acosta, “I think the Natalie Harp situation is a piece of Donald’s general decline.”

Continuing in that vein, she elaborated, “It makes him look like such a pathetic, frail, needy old man that he has to have a woman young enough to be his granddaughter constantly with him, protecting him, making sure that he sees positive press clippings about him, positive articles, most of which are probably fictional.”

“It’s a very bad look for him,” she asserted.

According to the president’s niece, Harp exists in Trump’s inner circle to keep his spirits up as his approval numbers rocket downward.

“Because he’s in so much trouble and he is really lashing out and is really desperate to change the narrative and his ego is being threatened at every turn, he needs somebody constantly filling his head with compliments and positive messages — and she fits the bill, I have to say that.”

Pointing out that Harp is also “somebody who needs help,” she claimed their codependency is beyond alarming, particularly with regard to what Harp may be witness to.

“What I do care about—besides, again, the fact that it’s just another example of how far gone he is—she presents a very real national security threat to the United States of America all because the president is a flailing, failing old man whose ego is fragile,” she told Acosta before warning, “That’s the most alarming thing about it to me.”

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The target of who or whom U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro's special grand jury will be hearing testimony on makes her choice to invoke the rare legal tool all the more baffling, the Washington Post is reporting.

More than two weeks ago, the Post first reported that Pirro, a former Fox News personality, had quietly empaneled a separate grand jury under murky circumstances, coming not long after President Trump had sharply criticized her.

Legal experts told the Post at the time that the maneuver stood out as "notable," particularly given Trump's openly stated wish to see Pirro go after his most prominent political rivals.

Now, in a Thursday follow-up, the Post reports that the grand jury's actual focus appears to be something far removed from criminal prosecutions: the District's public school system.

"The scope of the investigation appears broad with prosecutors focused on supervision and oversight of children in the District," the Post's Perry Stein is reporting. "The people said prosecutors have contacted multiple D.C. Public Schools teachers and other personnel in recent days to question them about truancy and graduation rates, and how attendance records are kept. The people, like others interviewed for this article, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation."

The scrutiny arrives against a backdrop of genuine concern over D.C. schools — truancy rates have climbed in recent years, and the Post has separately documented how lax enforcement of attendance rules has coincided with a rise in youth crime.

Even so, a criminal investigation into how schools track absences is "even more unusual" with Pirro reaching for a special grand jury to assist her as she implements "an investigatory tool that has rarely been used in the District," Stein noted.

Unlike an ordinary grand jury, a special grand jury can issue a potentially damaging report about its subject even if prosecutors never assemble enough evidence for an indictment, the report notes.

"The federal investigation into D.C. schools could reignite tensions between the Trump administration and the local government," based on past comments by the president calling the community "crime-infested and dirty."

As conservative media outlets see audience numbers drop precipitously, one network closely aligned with President Donald Trump is betting that reality TV and lifestyle programming can shore up its fortunes.

According to NBC News, Real America's Voice, home of Steve Bannon's "War Room," plans to expand into reality television, music and dating show programming — a slate of "MAGA-branded shows" inspired by channels like MTV — on the bet that its fiercely loyal audience will follow the brand wherever it goes.

Rather than lose viewers to competing entertainment channels, executives hope to keep them inside the network's ecosystem, said Parker Sigg, the company's vice president.

"We want to be able to reach into people's lives, in every facet of it," Sigg told NBC News. "Political news is our bread and butter, but I don't think it's healthy to watch 24/7." The company plans to invest "a seven-figure sum" in the effort, though Sigg "declined to give an exact number."

The push comes as pro-Trump media faces mounting pressure: viewership drops since the 2024 election peak, fractures among prominent right-wing influencers, and a movement debating its direction as Trump's approval ratings sink toward record lows.

According to reports, all 20 of the top right-wing news websites posted year-over-year traffic losses in 2026, with 90% seeing double-digit drops — The Federalist alone fell 52%.

New offerings include "Left Right Love," a dating series pairing liberals and conservatives set to debut early next year, and a talent competition working-titled "Star Spangled Talent," alongside music videos and lifestyle programming; comedy, cooking and variety shows remain in development.

Executives are banking on a devoted audience built through live events — Sigg said one couple credited the network in their wedding announcement for helping them connect.

"We just did a broadcast in The Villages, where some audience members traveled for at least eight to nine hours to go to this show," Sigg claimed, referring to the sprawling Florida retirement community.

“We have a secret weapon,” Sigg boasted to NBC News. “Our audience.”

A GOP congressman already humiliated over lies on his Tinder profile is now facing more serious allegations that he fabricated his business background.

Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-Pa.), who narrowly won election in 2024, is being accused of résumé padding by Democrats, according to The Guardian. Mackenzie has been accused of "embellishing his résumé "with private-sector real estate experience amid a bitter fight to hold his Pennsylvania seat.

According to the report, Mackenzie's LinkedIn profile and campaign biographies have described him as "a real estate salesperson licensed in PA," listing it as his former profession.

However, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee told The Guardian the embattled lawmaker "fabricated a career ... that never existed," and noted Mackenzie's campaign would not say "whether he ever used his real estate license or made any sales," and his office did not respond to questions about the Tinder allegations or reports that a staffer scrubbed the episode from his Wikipedia page.

Mackenzie is defending Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District, which "he won in 2024 by just 1 percentage point." He's running against Democrat Bob Brooks, former president of the Pennsylvania Professional Fire Fighters Association, and has called Brooks a "fraud," a "conman," a "lobbyist" and a "dumpster fire candidate." Mackenzie's campaign manager said Brooks has "all the hallmarks of a common criminal."

"Ryan Mackenzie was already disgustingly caught lying about his age on his Tinder profile by nearly 10 years. Now it looks like Mackenzie and his allies have embellished his résumé and fabricated a career in real estate that never existed," DCCC spokesperson Eli Cousin said in a statement. "The truth is that Mackenzie is a career politician who has seemingly never worked a day in his life outside of politics."

Mackenzie's Tinder profile, which surfaced in 2024, listed his age as 29 in 2020, when he was actually 37 — an eight-year gap. His office did not deny the allegations at the time, according to The Guardian.

Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-NC) is trying to salvage what is left of his reputation after sexual harassment allegations, even though he's already leaving Congress after the midterms.

According to NOTUS, the embattled congressman sent a 23-page letter to his colleagues defending himself after the House Ethics Committee found "substantial evidence" that he engaged in "persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct towards two young female staffers" — findings that led him to abandon his reelection bid while facing censure before he departs.

The alleged conduct detailed in the committee's report included lavish gifts such as jewelry worth over $1,000, designer purses, handguns, spa treatments, one-on-one dinners, a Las Vegas trip, and "skipping House votes to decorate a Christmas tree with a staffer."

The full House could vote on the censure resolution next month, which would require Edwards to stand in the chamber while it's read aloud.

In the letter, obtained by NOTUS, Edwards said the committee found "that I neither engaged in sexual activity with nor explicitly propositioned any individual staff member," and argued there's "no House rule prohibiting members and staff from being friends" or "spending social time together."

He complained, "Friendship is not misconduct. Generosity is not misconduct. Social interaction is not misconduct. Caring deeply about colleagues who have become important parts of your life is not misconduct."

He also pushed back on the harassment framing directly by asserting, "Conduct does not become sexual harassment merely because someone looking backward through thousands of pages can construct a theory under which it 'could be interpreted as romantic.'"

House rules bar members from romantic or sexual relationships with employees they directly supervise, and from "unwelcome sexual advances or conduct" toward any House employee, the report notes. Edwards noted he gave gifts to male staffers too — "olive oil, wine, cookware, rum, Kennedy Center tickets and even a handgun" — and claimed one female staffer called him her "second dad."

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is under pressure to nominate a new Army Secretary in the midst of a war with Iran, and he's reportedly considering his own Pentagon press secretary — a man who once dropped a Senate bid over accusations he choked his wife and abused their children.

According to The Hill, Sean Parnell could be tabbed for the high-pressure job.

Parnell, also a senior adviser to Hegseth, "has privately expressed his interest in the role," The Hill reported. He would succeed Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, who is eyeing an exit from the Pentagon in the coming months, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

The pressure on Hegseth to fill the position intensified after The New York Times reported this week that Army leadership has been "gutted" under him: the service has had no chief of staff since Hegseth fired Gen. Randy George without explanation in April, with no signs a replacement is imminent.

Parnell, a decorated Afghanistan War veteran awarded two Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart, ran for Congress twice before mounting a Senate campaign in Pennsylvania. He withdrew in November 2021 after losing a custody battle for his three children; the judge in that case said he found the abuse allegations from Parnell's estranged wife credible. Parnell has denied them, saying, "I never raised a hand in anger towards my wife or any of our three children."

According to the Washington Post, "[Laurie] Snell has accused Parnell of multiple forms of abuse before their separation, including choking her and hitting one of their children so hard he left a “full handprint” mark on the child’s back. She testified that Parnell has thrown chairs across the room toward her; pinned her down and screamed profanities at her; called her crazy in front of the children; and once dropped her off on Interstate 79 when she was six months pregnant and told her to get an abortion."

Reacting to The Hill's report, a Pentagon spokesperson told The Hill that Parnell is on Hegseth's short list despite his troubled history.

"Mr. Parnell has a deep bench of supporters throughout the Administration and has worked tirelessly to enable cultural change and accountability in the Pentagon,” they stated.

Republican candidates, already facing an uphill battle because of President Donald Trump's unpopularity, are about to face new headwinds due to his self-absorption.

According to MS NOW's Zeeshan Aleem, a report from The Atlantic that Trump plans to spend millions of his hoarded MAGA dollars on an ad campaign promoting his record is the last thing GOP candidates need.

In a recent White House strategy meeting, Trump reportedly decided that as Election Day approaches, he would spend "hundreds of millions of dollars" promoting himself. The strategy serves as yet another example of how Trump's "self-adulation" frequently becomes the source of his biggest strategic mistakes.

According to The Atlantic, citing three people familiar with the meeting, Trump gathered his political advisers to determine how to spend the $400 million in funds available to his super political action committee, MAGA Inc. He reportedly settled on trying to "lean into the Democratic strategy of focusing on himself" and ordered "a series of television advertisements about his own record that will serve as a backdrop to the hundreds of individual House and Senate contests."

The report notes that Trump apparently wants ad makers to "mine his own on-camera statements" for these ads, focusing on his tax breaks, the stock market's rise and his failed war on fentanyl, among other things.

That led Aleem to point out, "There’s a great deal of evidence from political scientists demonstrating midterm elections function as a referendum on the president and his management of the economy. Given those trends, the Republican Party is poised to fare poorly in November. Trump’s approval ratings are at or near the lowest point of his time in office; even some of his most loyal supporters are wavering. And a big part of this decline is tied to dissatisfaction with the cost of living, exacerbated by Trump’s foolish misadventure into Iran. Polls conducted in July indicate that about two-thirds of Americans disapprove of his handling of the economy and believe that his policies have worsened economic conditions in the country."

Adding that, polls conducted in July indicate that about two-thirds of Americans "disapprove of his handling of the economy," Aleem advised, "At this point, a judicious president would show restraint in their messaging, allowing lawmakers in battleground districts and states to try to distance themselves from the president while making the case to voters."

Stating the 80-year-old president is "indulging in make-believe," he added, "If Trump fills the airwaves with ads about how the midterms are about nothing other than his record, he could easily nullify GOP candidates’ attempts to present themselves as independent-minded politicians intent on going to Washington with an agenda distinct from Trump."

The husband of a GOP candidate running for a Senate seat is being scrutinized for setting up meetings with lobbyists representing an industry that puts money in his pocket.

According to a report by NOTUS, eyebrows are being raised after an insurance industry executive admitted in a trade magazine that the husband of Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) has been a reliable conduit to accessing lawmakers.

While Hinson has built her U.S. Senate campaign around "fighting special interests," her husband's ties to the insurance industry are raising questions about access.

According to the report, Hinson's husband, Matt Arenholz, owns millions of dollars worth of interest in "a private equity-backed insurance brokerage" and held a government affairs post at a major insurance industry lobbying group — a role not previously reported.

Arenholz chaired the government affairs committee for the Iowa branch of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America and helped arrange meetings between the group and Hinson along with other members of Iowa's congressional delegation, documents reviewed by NOTUS show.

The group's magazine credited Arenholz directly.

"In fact, Matt was able to arrange a meeting with all four of our congressional members in one large conference room," CEO Tom O'Meara wrote, adding it "prevented us from having to bounce around from building to building in D.C."

In another edition, O'Meara recalled bragging that his group met with all six of Iowa's congressional delegation members during a Washington trip. "I was given several strange looks when I responded that we met with all six of ours from Iowa," he wrote. "Several replied to me that they were not talking about congressional staff members rather the actual elected officials themselves. My answer remained the same, ALL SIX!"

Jeff Hauser, executive director of the watchdog Revolving Door Project, told NOTUS the arrangement "blurs the line."

"No one's saying that if your significant other gets elected to Congress, you have got to stop being in insurance," Hauser said. "Then you tell me he's involved in government affairs, right off the bat that's not normal. Most people don't do government affairs work."

The Supreme Court just cleared the way for the Postal Service to screen voters' eligibility before mailing out ballots — but one longtime postal official is undercutting the administration's demand that they can make it happen before the midterms.

According to NOTUS, the Court this week temporarily allowed USPS to move forward with a plan, based on a Trump executive order, requiring states to submit lists of eligible voters so the Postal Service can block ballots from going to anyone not on the list. The rule still faces legal challenges, but USPS "must now bring thousands of state and local election offices up to speed" before some states start mailing ballots as early as September.

Tom Day, a 35-year Postal Service veteran who helped build the agency's network technology and now sits on the Postal Regulatory Commission, called the timeline unworkable, telling NOTUS, " USPS has proposed something it has never done before, which would require a heavy lift."

“This is not something where you just flip the switch and turn it on,” he told NOTUS. “I don’t know how the hell they’re going to do it.”

Pointing out, “No system works at 100% accuracy,” Day elaborated that the USPS "would normally spend at least a year rolling out a system like this," including training roughly 8,000 election boards nationwide.

Without that runway, he predicted a 20% to 30% error before warning, "and that would be a disaster."

He added: "We haven't run the tests to give us the validity that the damn thing will work. To do it in three weeks, my God, there's no way."

A senior postal official echoed the concern about burdening states with little notice, telling NOTUS: "We're getting near Labor Day here. Just the uncertainty, I can only imagine trying to be a state election official. What can you do?"

President Donald Trump and Republican Party leadership's complacency on a looming financial crisis has some members of the GOP caucus hitting the panic button.

According to a report from Politico, Social Security, always a hot-button subject for both parties, is facing a financial cliff, and no one seems to want to talk about it.

The trust fund that bankrolls monthly checks to retirees "is set to be drained of reserves" in late 2032. That means tens of millions of Americans age 62 and older, as well as children and widowed spouses who depend upon survivor benefits following the death of a family member, would witness their monthly payments "shrink by more than 20 percent" — or an average of about $500 a month — unless Congress and the president act.

According to the report, "Capitol Hill saw a noticeable surge this summer in the sense of urgency to enact a fix, and alliances have started forming between prominent Republicans and Democrats rallying for a solution. But President Donald Trump and congressional leaders have yet to join the calls to action or back any of the numerous bipartisan bills aimed at preventing benefit cuts."

"This train wreck is going to happen," Rep. Steve Womack (R-AR) told Politico. "So as early as six years from now, we're going to have to have a plan. And of course, I'm a big believer that we need to deal with it now, or we need to start the process of dealing with it now."

Trump has yet to signal interest in a specific fix for the federal government's single largest safety-net program, instead sticking to broad, vague "promises to safeguard benefits."

House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole (R-OK) recalled discussing the issue with Trump during his first term as president. "He said, 'Tom, I'll be for this the first day of my second term,'" Cole told reporters this summer about trying to get Trump to push for a fix. "Well, we're here."

Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Speaker Mike Johnson rarely discuss the approaching benefit cliff, nor have they called to advance any of the bills lawmakers have proposed to prevent it. This prompted criticism this summer from top Democrats "demanding the two GOP leaders put forward their plan to protect Social Security."

The leadership of the Small Business Administration (SBA) under President Donald Trump is prepared to make major changes to the rules for getting loans and contracts.

Under the proposed changes, mom-and-pop operations and small startups would have to compete with companies that pull down "$1 billion or employ more than 3,000 people, more than some publicly traded corporations," the New York Times is reporting.

The proposal, which the Trump administration says would allow businesses to continue to benefit from the agency's programs as they grow, represents a major overhaul of standards that have remained relatively unchanged for decades.

Many business owners support some increase in the revenue and employee limits that define what qualifies as a small business. However, the magnitude of the proposed increase would force small businesses into direct competition with significantly larger rivals for contracts and loans, prompting concerns that the agency could undermine the businesses it was designed to protect.

The SBA, headed by former Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA), who is married to Jeffrey Sprecher, chairman of the New York Stock Exchange, would allow newly eligible companies already receiving federal contracts worth $71 billion in fiscal year 2025 to benefit from the changes.

Sam Le, who served as director of policy, planning and liaison at the Small Business Administration from 2020 to 2025, called the proposed changes unprecedented. "These are the biggest size standard changes in history, no question in my mind about that," Le told the Times.

Le noted that smaller businesses would face "increased competition for federal contracts and reduced opportunities for subcontracts." Larger companies that previously had to share work with smaller competitors would now qualify as small businesses and could take on contracts independently.

Any hopes that President Donald Trump may have had about Canadians bowing to his trade demands likely died on Wednesday afternoon.

With the American president going toe-to-toe with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in a growing trade war, MS NOW’s Alex Tabet interviewed voters in Ontario and they had a lot to say.

And more than a few words were bleeped when it came to talking about Trump after Tabet claimed most feel they have “been pushed to the brink.”

One man challenged Trump to keep up the attacks after being asked, “What would you tell President Trump right now?”

“Snuggle up, boy. Elbows up, Canadians,” he replied with a grin as his partner laughed. “We don't take that stuff, we don't back down from a fight. Never have, never will. Bring it.”

A woman in a Toronto Blue Jays jersey stated, “I’m fully behind what Carney has done. F--- the U.S.”

Another man was asked, “He's recently threatened to rename Lake Ontario, Lake America. What do you make of that threat?”

Without pause, the man replied, “So I think there's also talk about renaming Lake Michigan 'Lake Epstein'.”

“I tell him to f--- off,” another man in a cap told Tabet. “Be honest with you? Do something else. Get somebody in there that’s got some respect for people and his country.”

After an edit he added, “I think they should shove it right where it belongs. I like Canada. Canada is Canada. It's been that way all the time, been a free country. I know we have some problems in our country, but poor states, we got health care. They look after us and it's fun being up here. Go down there, what do you get? Nothing. You got to pay for everything. How's that? How's that happen?”

Returning to the studio and host Peter Alexander, Tabet dryly added, “You heard it there. Lots of flowery language. But in classic Canadian fashion, those curse words were immediately preceded by — I was going to say the Canadians are generally about as nice as folks get, but they had some tough words for the president.”

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Ivanka Trump’s tribute to the late country music superstar Dolly Parton was not well received — perhaps because it began with her quoting herself on a podcast.

The First Daughter joined the parade of commenters who flooded social media to praise Parton, who brought joy to millions with both her music and her humanitarian efforts.

"A couple years ago on @lexfridman podcast I cited a piece of wisdom from @DollyParton that has resonated within me since I first heard it," wrote Trump.

"'I don't criticize and condemn; I love and accept.' That quote, like so much of what made Dolly Parton an American icon, was deceptively simple — uncomplicated on its face but profound and deeply moving beneath the surface."

This comment didn't land well with readers who found themselves unconvinced that similarities existed between Trump and Parton.

Replied Robert J. Ellingworth, "Tell that to Daddy."

“She was what you will never be," Dede Watkins, an X influencer with 105,000 followers, replied. "Dolly was a very authentic and philanthropic person. She gave so much to her community and the world. You and your family are corrupt grifters who are destroying our country.”

That led follower Nunya to pile on with, “And Dolly hated everything you and your disgusting family stands for so you might want to sit this one out Babe.”

Podcaster Kyle Kulinski noted Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner’s current development project — a resort in Albania and quipped, “aren't you building a new epstein island?”

Ex-Republican Deanna published an epic screed:

“It’s amazing what truly decent people can do with their fortune," Deanna wrote. "She mailed free books to children every month, sent instruments and uniforms to schools in the South, donated millions to hurricane recovery, donated to childhood cancer research and covid vaccine development. She created an amusement park in her home state. And, always supported musicians. The outpouring of love for Dolly Parton is because she was such a great person, not because of her fame. She is who those with wealth should aspire to being. It’s never too late. There’s a lot of need all around you. It’s about your own heart and priorities in life. You can either be a giver or a taker. How we choose to live this one life is how we’ll be remembered when we’re gone."

Another critic pointed out: “You or anyone affiliated with trump, of the administration, or ties to your family should not mince a word about Dolly. Your lives, morals, and obligations are nothing near what she is. Read the room. Get a clue.”

"Love and acceptance," added Damin Toell, "definitely the Trump family brand."

Podcaster Glenn Beck found himself in a sticky conversation with President Donald Trump on Wednesday.

Beck's exclusive interview with Trump hit a snag about about 15 minutes in as the president rambled on and on about his many Canada problems.

The president's ramblings had also covered the death of country superstar Dolly Parton, the war in Iran and finally landed on a mounting trade war with Canada, at which point Beck began to fidget and grimace.

“I had a deal, a pretty good deal, you know, quite good, and because they’re afraid I won’t do any business, they don’t have anything that we have to have,” Trump insisted.

“Okay, we can get by,” Trump added. “I mean there are a couple of things that make it inconvenient, but we can get them elsewhere.”

“It’s time to teach Canada — you know you can’t do this anymore, but we lose $60 billion,” he continued as Beck tried to cut in and shifted in his seat.

As the president continued on, Beck finally broke in and stated, “Mr. President, I can’t believe I have to say this to you: I have a network break!”

“You can hold on, but I know you’re busy,” he offered. “I so appreciate your time, sir.”

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Outrage erupted on MS NOW host Wednesday morning as news broke that social media giant Meta had been awarded a slap-on-the-wrist settlement agreement in its highly watched court case.

“Meta and a coalition of state attorneys general have settled a major federal trial centering on allegations that the social media giant misrepresented the extent of child-related mental health harms caused by apps like Facebook and Instagram,” CNBC reported early Wednesday morning.

In a case where experts agreed it could result in hundreds of billions being awarded, Meta is walking away with an agreement to pay a maximum $16.68 billion.

That led MS NOW’s Stephanie Ruhle to lose her cool and rail against the attorney generals she argued failed to do their jobs.

“If the company lost, Meta could have faced hundreds and hundreds of billions of dollars in damages,” she said.

“I get that on its face people are going to be like, wow, it could be $16 billion,” she explained. “$16 billion is not much. We thought it was going to be hundreds of billions."

Yale School of Management Dean Jeffrey Sonnenfeld was also appalled.

“It's unbelievable,” he blurted. “ This was, you know, a $1.4 trillion lawsuit that here you have 29 states, red states and blue states combined that — and it's being tried in Oakland, California, by a very good attorney general…somehow they've dropped the ball on this, because this was this was a home-court advantage for Rob Bonta, the attorney general, a Democrat, and, of course, California, a blue state.”

“This was a very favorable setting, and everybody was anticipating this is going to be billions of tens of billions of dollars, not this near 16 billion,” he continued. “It is a mere 16 — that's two weeks of revenues."

“That’s just peanuts!” Ruhle interjected.

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