Trump Boat Bombings Suddenly on Shakier Ground as Damning Info Emerges  —  Are Republicans really about to exercise real oversight on President Trump's reprehensible bombings of alleged drug smugglers in the Caribbean Sea?  They're talking a good transparency game in response to the jarring news …

Damning report labels FBI ‘rudderless ship’ under Kash Patel — with him and Dan Bongino more concerned with building ‘personal résumés’  —  FBI Director Kash Patel is facing withering criticism from an alliance of active-duty and retired agents and analysts …

Johnson and Trump Try to Avoid an Upset House Loss in Tennessee  —  Speaker Mike Johnson put the president on speakerphone during a Monday stop in the state, underscoring the unusual amount of national attention on a House special election.  —  The crowd milling around the sleek multimillion-dollar barn full …

Sex Crimes.  State Crimes.  War Crimes.  —  You really just can't take breaks around here, huh?  While we were all busy digesting dinner Thanksgiving night, Donald Trump was tapping away at his phone doing a little supervillain brainstorming on Truth Social.

Appeals Court Says Alina Habba Is Unlawful U.S. Attorney  —  The judges wrote that the Trump Administration appeared to have become frustrated by legal and political barriers that have prevented its preferred U.S. attorneys from leading federal prosecutors' offices.

Costco sues the Trump administration, seeking a refund of tariffs  —  The wholesaler is the latest company to file a lawsuit against a federal agency over the president's signature economic policy.  —  Costco Wholesale has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration …

The Bubble-Wrapped President  —  For a decade, Donald Trump's rallies were intertwined with his political identity.  His big crowds were how he first got the media and the Republican Party to take him seriously, and they provided real-time feedback.  Those who followed him closely could watch …

At least 9 Indiana Republicans were targeted in swatting attacks amid redistricting pressure from Trump  —  The threats came after Trump publicly called on state lawmakers to pass new congressional maps that would benefit Republicans.  —  At least nine elected Republicans in Indiana …

Trump's embrace of ‘remigration’ echoes Europe's far right  —  The conspicuous term he deployed on Thanksgiving probably entered his orbit via the politics of ascendant far-right parties in Germany and Austria.  —  In President Donald Trump's first term, we got used to hearing “dog whistles.”

Republican mayor in Kansas facing deportation over voter fraud  —  Joe Ceballos, a longtime Republican and small-town mayor in Kansas, is facing felony voter fraud charges and possible deportation from the presidential administration he voted for.  —  Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach …

Dem.  Senator Gallego's Leaked Texts Echo Far-Right Gender Panic And Misogyny  —  Erin In The Morning is a reader-supported publication.  To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a subscriber.  —  In recent months, a handful of Democrats have tried to court a strain …

Netanyahu's Pardon Request Borrows From Trump's Playbook  —  In many ways, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's request mimics how President Trump has assailed his perceived enemies and attacked legal proceedings against him.  —  Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's request on Sunday for a pardon …

Top Jewish donors take stock of GOP infighting over Israel and antisemitism … “There's no black-and-white here, but I do think that I do see forces lining up to push back against this agenda,” said Eytan Laor, a Republican bundler and founder of the American Principles PAC of elected officials and pro-Israel donors.

Record-setting personnel issues are marring Trump's second term … The pace of withdrawals, the highest since at least the Ronald Reagan presidency, has flown below the radar in the day-to-day churn on Capitol Hill, with many Republican senators expressing surprise at the data in interviews.

Thune casts doubt on passing government funding bills before Christmas  —  Senate Majority Leader John Thune acknowledged Monday that his chamber might not have time this month to pass another package of government funding bills, after trying for more than two weeks to fire up debate.

Top Mace adviser leaves her campaign, citing loyalty to Trump … That conversation, he said, was the catalyzing moment behind his decision to leave the campaign.  POLITICO has not independently verified the claim.  —  “My name has been used publicly, while going back on her word to pay me …

Trump's Fury at NYT Explodes Amid Fresh Concerns About Mental Decline … President Trump dreads being seen as weak.  He exploded in a long, crazed rant about a harsh new piece in The New York Times about his ongoing decline.  Though the piece documented his deterioration in careful detail …

Trump Crypto Partner Alt5 Sigma May Have Violated SEC Rules After Another Filing Discrepancy  —  Topline  —  Alt5 Sigma told regulators it learned in November its accountant had resigned, but the accountant says he stepped down three months earlier — a fresh discrepancy that marks …