Steve Benen

If Trump wanted to apologize for having made the spectacularly wrong call on the JCPOA, that would be a welcome development.

But the idea that he prevented a “nuclear holocaust” by rejecting an international agreement that was working as intended is utterly insane.
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-clings-to-self-defeating-argument-about-obama-era-nuclear-deal-with-iran

The DOJ lowered its standards for prosecutors, which followed the FBI lowering its standards for agents, which followed ICE lowering its standards.

Trumpism is a grand experiment in what happens when an administration embraces amateurism and de-professionalization.
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/doj-reportedly-lowers-standards-for-federal-prosecutors-adding-to-an-unfortunate-pattern

The truth is, Joe Kent never should’ve been confirmed as the director of the National Counterterrorism Center in the first place.

But his decision to resign in protest — the first such resignation since the offensive in Iran began — creates a notable counterterrorism vacancy during a war.
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/joe-kent-resigns-iran-war-trump-counterterrorism

An unidentified former president told Trump how right he was to launch the war in Iran. Unidentified foreign officials also told him they’re enthusiastic about Strait of Hormuz assistance.

It’s amazing how Trump enjoys the support of his many secret friends, isn’t it?
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/as-war-continues-trump-points-to-support-from-his-many-secret-unnamed-friends

As Trump blurts out Rep. Neal Dunn’s terminal diagnosis, what obviously matters most is the congressman, his treatment, and his future.

But a related thought for those who interact with Trump: Don’t trust this guy with information you’d prefer to remain private.
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-blurts-out-republican-congressmans-terminal-diagnosis-in-weird-moment

Trump knows he’s been accused of being Putin’s puppet for years. He has an incentive to show he hasn’t been compromised by the Kremlin.

But as Moscow helps Iran target Americans, Trump is giving Russia a pass anyway, reinforcing his critics’ worst fears. https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-gives-putins-russia-a-pass-on-assisting-iran-during-the-u-s-war

So to sum up:
1. Trump alienates/insults allies
2. he launches an unnecessary war with no international legitimacy
3. he declares war “over,” dismisses need for allies’ help
4. he sees the war go sideways
5. he “demands” allies help us solve a problem he said doesn’t exist
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/after-alienating-allies-and-declaring-victory-trump-demands-foreign-help-in-war

When wars are going well, administrations tend not to whine incessantly about media coverage and threaten independent news organizations.

Someone ought to let Trump, Hegseth, and Carr know.
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/team-trump-gives-away-the-game-with-its-crusade-against-media-coverage-of-the-iran-war

Economic growth in the first year of Trump’s second term was already disappointing, but new data paints an even uglier picture.

Remember when Scott Bessent insisted that economy is “really going to pick up in the fourth quarter” of 2025? Yeah, about that...
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/new-gdp-data-paints-an-even-uglier-picture-on-the-faltering-trump-era-economy

Senate Democrats have presented some credible proposals to reopen and fully fund TSA while the broader fight over Homeland Security funding continues.

It’s tough to defend Republicans rejecting these plans.
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/republicans-reject-proposal-to-reopen-much-of-dhs-including-tsa

It seems Team Trump thinks the way to make the war popular is through references to “fun” and meme videos that appear to have been made by over-caffeinated children.

Perhaps the best thing you can say for this PR campaign is that at least it accurately embodies the pointless, slapdash amorality of the military offensive it’s meant to bolster.
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/in-second-week-of-the-iran-war-the-white-house-emphasizes-fun-and-meme-videos

Asked about rising prices, Republicans keep arguing that Americans are going to have to accept wartime sacrifices — because as Sen. Roger Marshall put it, “Freedom isn’t free.”

But they’re badly missing the point: There was no binary choice between a war that increased the cost of living or the collapse of American liberty.
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/republicans-ask-americans-to-accept-wartime-sacrifices-but-keep-missing-the-point

Trump, in late October: “With the Democrats, you’ll be paying $4, $5, and $6 a Gallon.”

Trump, today, as gas prices approach the levels he warned about five months ago: “When oil prices go up, we make a lot of money.”

If Dems are lucky, the White House will keep pushing this line.
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-and-his-allies-pitch-a-new-idea-maybe-higher-gas-prices-arent-bad-news

Whether Hegseth realizes this or not, it’s not photographers who are making him look bad.

He’s managing to do that all on his own.
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/pentagon-puts-restrictions-on-photographers-adding-to-hegseths-anti-press-campaign

Confronted with evidence of Russia aiding Iran during the war, Team Trump decided to:
- shrug
- then boost Russia’s economy
- then vouch for Moscow’s trustworthiness

Subtle it is not.
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/white-houses-witkoff-vouches-for-russias-trustworthiness-on-iran-and-alleged-war-assistance

Pete Hegseth keeps insisting that the war isn’t “spreading” to other countries and is “actually quite contained.”

Perhaps he’s confused about what “spreading” and “contained” mean.
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/hegseth-rejects-the-idea-that-the-war-in-iran-is-spreading-despite-reality

Asked about House GOP members’ overt anti-Muslim bigotry, it would’ve been easy for Speaker Mike Johnson to say, “The Republican Party does not support religious bigotry of any kind.”

He instead made an ugly story worse with ridiculous “Sharia law” nonsense.
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/pressed-on-religious-bigotry-speaker-johnson-makes-an-ugly-problem-even-worse

As Jeremy Carl’s indefensible State Department nomination collapses, questions hang overhead:

Why did Trump nominate this guy, and why did Trump continue to support Carl’s doomed nomination after his white-supremacist worldview was exposed?
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/accused-of-being-a-white-nationalist-trump-state-department-nominee-withdraws

After an upset red-to-blue win in New Hampshire, a revised tally:

Number of state legislative seats Dems have flipped since Trump's second term began: 10

Number of state legislative seats Republicans have flipped over the same period: 0
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/dems-score-upset-win-in-new-hampshire-special-election-giving-gop-fresh-reason-to-worry

As a growing number of Republican officials push anti-Muslim messages, it’d be easy for a GOP leader to issue a perfunctory statement saying the party is against religious bigotry.

But that hasn’t happened — which speaks volumes.
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/as-too-many-republicans-push-anti-muslim-messaging-gop-leaders-remain-silent

This is a little off the beaten path, but hear me out:
- Trump admin endorses a deal between the UK and Mauritius over the Chagos Islands
- Trump rejects the Trump admin’s line
- Trump admin rejects Trump’s line
- Trump again rejects the Trump admin’s line

Credibility counts, and these guys don’t have any
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/on-advice-for-the-uk-trump-keeps-contradicting-his-administration

When RFK Jr. was on the campaign trail in 2024, he vowed that if he joined Trump’s team, he would “ban the worst agricultural chemicals.”

I have some bad news for the voters who actually believed he'd follow through on this.
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-executive-order-on-a-weed-killer-chemical-didnt-do-rfk-jr-any-favors

In 2013, Trump tweeted, “Obama will someday attack Iran in order to show how tough he is.” He added, “Obama will attack Iran because of his inability to negotiate properly — not skilled!”

In 2012, he tweeted, “Now that Obama’s poll numbers are in tailspin — watch for him to launch a strike in Libya or Iran. He is desperate.”

Yeah, about that... https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/whether-americans-are-ready-or-not-trump-inches-u-s-closer-to-a-war-in-iran

In rapid succession:
- former British royal arrested
- former Korean president sentenced
- former Norwegian PM charged
- former French and Brazilian presidents imprisoned

And then there’s Trump and the Republican-appointed justices on the U.S. Supreme Court.
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/former-prince-andrews-arrest-yoon-suk-yeols-sentence-and-the-power-of-accountability

Pastor Doug Wilson wants to ban women from voting and end First Amendment protections for minority faiths he doesn’t like.

Hegseth invited this fringe Christian nationalist to the Pentagon yesterday to lead an official prayer event.

How is this not a scandal?
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/hegseth-welcomes-radical-christian-nationalist-to-lead-an-official-pentagon-prayer-service

As deadly military strikes against civilian boats in international waters continue, we still don’t know
- who we’re killing
- whether they’re guilty
- whether any of this is legal

The developments no longer appear on front pages, but the questions still need answers.
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/key-questions-go-unanswered-as-u-s-military-strikes-on-civilian-boats-claim-more-lives

If you’re late to the controversy surrounding Trump and the Gordie Howe International Bridge (as I was), it’s a doozy:
- billionaire donor wants a lucrative monopoly
- he calls Lutnick
- Lutnick calls Trump
- Trump rejects his own position, does what the billionaire wants
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/democrats-launch-investigation-into-trumps-bridgegate-controversy

As the midterms draw closer, and the GOP looks for villains, party officials have sent an unmistakable signal:

In the contemporary Republican politics, overt anti-Muslim bigotry is certainly tolerated, if not encouraged.
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/as-the-midterms-draw-closer-republicans-anti-muslim-messaging-gets-less-subtle

Kristi Noem went to Arizona to condemn its elections system as “an absolute disaster.”

Asked for one example of fraud, she replied, “Oh, I’m sure there’s many of them” — a clumsy way of admitting, “I assume my conspiracy theory is true, but I can’t back it up.”

In GOP politics, this keeps happening.
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/kristi-noem-voting-conspiracy-theory-arizona

In November, Trump said late-night hosts who mock him are engaged in “probably illegal” misconduct.

It seems to me we can draw a line from that declaration to CBS telling Colbert not to air an interview with Texas’ James Talarico.
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/colbert-accuses-cbs-of-blocking-on-air-interview-with-texas-democrat-james-talarico

Why is Trump publicly condemning the president of Israel?

Because when Trump can’t abuse his own pardon power to reward an ally accused of crimes, he demands that others abuse their pardon power in order to make him happy.
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-publicly-condemns-israels-president-for-the-trumpiest-of-reasons

Whatever happened to Trump’s plan for 10% credit card rates?

It met the same fate as his tariff rebate checks. And his health care “plan.” And the DOGE rebate checks. And 50-year mortgages. And...
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/for-trump-rapid-fire-policy-gimmicks-come-and-go-at-breakneck-speeds

The more Trump hosts overtly partisan campaign-style events with active-duty troops on military bases, the more it might start to seem normal.

But nothing about this dangerous trend should be seen as routine.
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trumps-efforts-to-politicize-the-u-s-military-become-even-more-brazen-and-radical

The idea that the Department of Homeland Security is taking steps to ensure that “the right leaders” get elected is ridiculous.

But that’s precisely what Kristi Noem said is happening during a press conference Friday in Arizona.
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/kristi-noem-generates-another-mess-says-dhs-is-ensuring-the-right-leaders-get-elected

It might’ve been tempting to shrug when Steve Bannon talked about deploying ICE to local voting precincts, since he’s not a public official.

When GOP lawmakers push the same idea, it’s worse. https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/its-not-just-bannon-republican-lawmakers-want-ice-agents-at-local-voting-precincts

After Trump claimed he’s been “100% exonerated” in the Epstein scandal, I asked Jamie Raskin for his reaction.

“‘I’m 100% exonerated’ will go down in history with ‘I am not a crook’ as one of the great criminal confessions of all time,” he replied.
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/despite-reality-trump-claims-he-has-been-100-exonerated-in-the-epstein-scandal

By all appearances, Jeremy Carl’s State Department nomination is in real trouble.

That’s good news, but it doesn’t negate the underlying question that the White House needs to answer: Why did Trump nominate this guy?
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/accused-of-being-a-white-nationalist-trump-state-dept-nominee-faces-bipartisan-pushback

Pam Bondi set her credibility on fire because she was desperate to please her audience of one, who’s complained that she’s “weak and an ineffective enforcer of his agenda.”

Evidently, her ridiculous theatrics worked like a charm.
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/ag-pam-bondi-performed-for-an-audience-of-one-who-was-predictably-impressed

The DOJ tried to charge sitting members of Congress, who’d done nothing, with felonies that would’ve sent them to prison for decades.

Despite the gambit's failure, Schumer characterized the effort itself as “a constitutional crisis.” I don’t think that’s hyperbolic. https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/democrats-want-to-turn-the-tables-on-pirro-following-failed-indictment-effort

Trump’s pardons for Jan. 6 rioters were already indefensible.

The fact that so many of those who received pardons went on to commit additional crimes, including many felonies, makes the move look so much worse.
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/pardoned-jan-6-rioter-convicted-on-child-molestation-charges-adding-to-pattern

The arrest of journalists is a dramatic escalation, but the pattern is straight out of Orban’s script:

• suing outlets for reports Trump doesn’t like
• vowing punishments for outlets over polls he doesn’t like
• threatening to sic prosecutors and pull broadcast licenses https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trumps-arrest-of-journalists-is-the-latest-front-in-his-effort-to-orbanize-the-media