memeorandum: The presidential contender successfully trolling Trump's White House (Vox)

9:40 AM ET, August 30, 2026

Top Items:

Inside Trump's Plan to Give the Pentagon a Stake in Venezuela's Oil Riches — The deal caps months of secretive negotiations to give the U.S. rights to the some of the world's largest proven oil reserves — President Trump spent months declaring his ouster of Venezuela's leader had secured the country's oil for America.

Discussion: Reuters, The Japan Times, CBS News, Townhall, France 24, Grabien, Al Jazeera and Bloomberg

Ben Meiselas / Meidas+: Important Quick Saturday Updates

Associated Press:
What we know about Trump's deal giving US access to vast oil reserves in Venezuela

Washington Post:

Military leaders warn Hegseth against extending Iran war operations — A recent classified assessment advised that prolonged large-scale operations in the Middle East risk weakening U.S. capabilities elsewhere. — Summary — Several U.S. military leaders have advised Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth …

Benjamin Mullin / New York Times:

Treasury Bars Some Reporters From G20 Finance Meeting — Specific reporters from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg were not granted credentials to cover the meeting of financial leaders next week in Asheville, N.C. — When leaders from the world's …

more at Mediagazer »

Reid J. Epstein / New York Times:

Postal Service Rule Could Bar Millions From Voting By Mail — A judge temporarily blocked the agency from refusing to deliver ballots in noncompliant states, which could disproportionately affect Democrats and many battleground elections. — Voting by mail would become much more difficult …

Discussion: Fox News and Palm Beach Post

Simon Ormiston / Associated Press:

Breaking news. Iceland votes ‘No’ to reopening EU accession talks, official count confirms — Iceland has voted to reject the resumption of European Union accession talks with a record turnout for a referendum that swung back and forth through the night. — Iceland's ‘No’ camp …

Discussion: CNBC, Politico, Associated Press, BBC, The Gateway Pundit, France 24, Fox News, Bloomberg, NPR, Reuters, Agence France-Presse and Al Jazeera

Politico:

Judge declares Rubio's speech-based student deportations violate the Constitution — A federal judge on Friday declared that the Trump administration's efforts to deport noncitizens for political speech run counter to the Constitution's First and Fifth Amendments, the latest legal rebuke …

Discussion: The Foundation …, UPI, NOTUS, The Gateway Pundit and Newsweek, more at Mediagazer »

Associated Press:
Trump cannot deport students for criticizing Israel, judge rules

Discussion: Mercury News, Reason, Washington Examiner, Al Jazeera, The Hill, MS NOW and New York Times

Mark Banchereau / Associated Press:

Trump administration deports relative of Afghans who helped US military to Central African Republic — The United States on Saturday deported dozens of people to the Central African Republic, including an Afghan whose brothers collaborated with the U.S. military, his lawyer and an advocacy group said.

Discussion: Associated Press

New York Times: Relative of Afghans Who Helped U.S. Military Is Deported to Africa

New York Times:

How Trump's Policy Agenda Runs Through One Federal Court, in Texas — For years, conservative litigants flocked to Judge Reed O'Connor's district. Now, North Texas has become a favorite destination of the Justice Department. — President Trump's Justice Department had a problem.

Mariana Alfaro / Washington Post:

These Democrats used to be Republicans — and hope that will help them win midterms — In races across the country, former GOP politicians are leaning into their pasts. — Summary — Democrats have struggled to win over Republican voters in recent elections.

Ben Meiselas / Meidas+:

Sen. Mark Kelly on Trump's Purge of Top Military Leaders and More — Sen. Mark Kelly tells Ben Meiselas why Trump's military purges, handling of the Iran war, and demand for loyalty could leave lasting damage. — MeidasTouch Network and Ben Meiselas — 🚨 You've unlocked 35% OFF Meidas+.

Discussion: Mediaite

New York Times:

Milo Yiannopoulos, Right-Wing Agitator, Deported Home to U.K. — Mr. Yiannopoulos, an early supporter of President Trump and vocal supporter of mass deportations, was himself sent back to his home country, part of a long fall from right-wing grace. — Milo Yiannopoulos …

Discussion: The Wrap, Daily Mail, Mediaite, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Instapundit, Althouse and HotAir

Edward Helmore / The Guardian:
Far-right media provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos deported by ICE from US to UK

Discussion: NOTUS, Daily Mail, Associated Press, The Independent, Straight Arrow, MS NOW, CBS News, The Signorile Report, Washington Examiner, Salon, The Hollywood Reporter, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, The Daily Wire, UPI and Al Jazeera

Chris Kirkham / Reuters:
Far-right commentator Milo Yiannopoulos deported to UK

Discussion: Associated Press, The Hill, Legal Insurrection, The Daily Caller, Breitbart, UPI and The Verge

Kyla Guilfoil / NBC News:

Minnesota Supreme Court rejects Mike Lindell's bid to recount GOP gubernatorial primary — Lindell, a longtime 2020 election denier, previously said he would pay $825,000 to cover a full hand recount of his lost GOP gubernatorial primary in Minnesota. — MyPillow founder Mike Lindell …

Discussion: The Hill, Washington Examiner and MPR News

Colby Smith / New York Times:

Warsh, After Talking Tough on Inflation, Faces a ‘No-Win Situation’ on Rates — Kevin M. Warsh, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, must soon decide whether to raise interest rates if inflation does not ease, even if it draws President Trump's ire. — Kevin M. Warsh cleared a crucial hurdle …

Discussion: Financial Times and Axios

Vox:

The presidential contender successfully trolling Trump's White House — How Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff became “the nation's assignment editor.” … Until recently, Natalie Harp was an omnipresent but low-profile aide to President Donald Trump: always there, but rarely part of the story herself.

Jonathan Martin / Politico:

The Republican Party's Midterm Nightmare Is Taking Shape … As with every modern presidential campaign, it runs through the Midwest. — If Democrats flip Republican-held seats in Ohio and Iowa while retaining Michigan, they will almost certainly net the four seats total needed to take control …

New York Times:

Deportees Sent to Liberia Recount Harrowing Details of U.S. Expulsion and Treatment by ICE — Ten deportees said they experienced or witnessed what they called abusive or violent treatment by ICE. They spent months in detention, they said, before being sent to nations where they had no ties.

David Lawder / Reuters:

US Treasury's Bessent faces G20 diplomacy test amid tariffs, Iran war, bond turmoil — U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent faces a major test of his economic diplomacy skills this week as he presses finance leaders from the G20 major economies to shrink global trade imbalances …

Reid J. Epstein / New York Times:

Ed Markey Defends Transgender Athletes in Massachusetts Senate Race — Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts has emerged as a vocal defender of transgender rights as he tries to fend off a primary challenge from Representative Seth Moulton. — Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts might …

Discussion: Associated Press and Washington Post

Richard Rubin / Wall Street Journal:

Congress Is Finally Talking About Saving Social Security — Discussions on how to stave off automatic benefit cuts accelerated this summer, but concrete action remains elusive — WASHINGTON—Social Security's looming insolvency is the country's most foreseeable problem …