A producer on MS NOW's The Rachel Maddow Show, editor of The MaddowBlog, and author of Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past
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2026-07-16T19:03:04+02:00 Event JSON
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Last Notes npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen As emails show Kash Patel’s Hawaii trip included “VIP snorkel” at the Pearl Harbor memorial, two things stand out: npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen For Michael Flynn, the corrupt pardon he received from Trump wasn’t enough. He wanted a payout, too, claiming federal law enforcement subjected him to malicious prosecution when they charged him with crimes he’d twice pleaded guilty to. npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen The law firms that fought back against Trump’s unprecedented offensive prevailed — the DOJ is now dropping its appeals — while the firms that tried appeasement have struggled. npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen 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!” npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen In rapid succession: npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen As deadly military strikes against civilian boats in international waters continue, we still don’t know npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen Trump’s pardons for Jan. 6 rioters were already indefensible. npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen It’s easy to roll one’s eyes at the right’s whining about Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show. npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen As layoffs surge and job openings fall, Trump has a talking point he’s excited about: The workforce is the biggest it’s ever been. npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen One of the things about the Gabbard/DNI/whistleblower story that I keep thinking about: npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen Step 1: Trump begs voters in the Fort Worth area to back a GOP candidate in a special election in a red district. npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen The arrest of journalists is a dramatic escalation, but the pattern is straight out of Orban's script: npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen It’s good to see Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) asking the same obvious question: npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen The White House has confronted questions for months about whether presidential pardons are effectively for sale. npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen For 99 years, it’s been illegal under federal law to use the U.S. Postal Service to send concealable firearms through the mail. npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen The White House has uncovered the key to civility and domestic tranquility: We’d all be better off, Team Trump keeps telling us, if only the left agreed to stop saying the same things Trump says. npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen Dec. 18: Trump asks, “What ever happened to separation of Church and State?” npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen Democrats keep accusing the White House of playing petty partisan games with federal disaster aid. npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen It was rather easy to come up with a top 10 list of Trump’s most brazen lies from his year-end prime-time address. npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen After Trump filed a ridiculous defamation case against the Pulitzer Prize Board, its lawyers started demanding records as part of the discovery phase, including his npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen Kash Patel’s FBI personnel purge has become so ridiculous that the FBI Agents Association accused him of having “disregarded the law and launched a campaign of erratic and arbitrary retribution.” npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen As federal food aid expired, Trump focused on a marble bathroom, marble columns, and a Gatsby-themed party at his glorified country club ahead of his latest golfing weekend. npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen If the “No Kings” protests weren’t such a triumph, Trump’s over-the-top reaction to the events would’ve been far less ridiculous. https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trumps-top-reaction-no-kings-events-was-proof-success-rcna238603 npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen This didn’t generate a ton of front-page headlines, but Trump this week signed an executive order rewarding Qatar with a NATO-like security guarantee — without bothering to go through Congress. npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen After Trump said he "hates" his political opponents, JD Vance said the president was “joking.” npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen Trump’s directive to Pam Bondi should be seen for what it effectively was: a confession in which he acknowledged his guilt in a corrupt and authoritarian scheme. https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trumps-directive-ag-bondi-seen-impeachment-level-scandal-rcna232888 npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen Trump’s first summit with Putin was a national embarrassment. His second was even worse. npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen How weak is the job market? Excluding the pandemic, Americans haven’t seen employment numbers this bad since 2009 — during the Great Recession. npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen Right-wing influencer/conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer has helped oust: npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen A Jan. 6 rioter was caught on video encouraging insurrectionists to "kill" police officers. Now he has a job in Trump’s Justice Department. npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen Trump keeps insisting that failure to pass the Republican megabill would lead to a 68% tax increase. Indeed, it’s arguably the one talking point he’s repeated more than any other. npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen The problem isn’t just that AG Pam Bondi too often sounds like a partisan operative. npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen The New York Times’ David French recently noted that Trump “is at his absolute worst in a crisis,” adding, “He is not a man who is ready to meet important and dangerous moments.” npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen Trump has spent years insisting that international respect is one of the most important metrics for any president. npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen - Arresting a judge, a mayor, a House rep, a House staffer, & a labor leader npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen Voters last fall might not have realized that a Republican victory in 2024 would mean cuts to cancer research, but here we are. npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen Trump insisted last night, “So many false statements are being made about ‘THE ONE, BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL.’” npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen I don't care that Trump wants to reopen Alcatraz. I care that much of the Republican Party is playing along, as if this ridiculous idea has merit and the emperor with no clothes is fully dressed. npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen Trump, a few days ago: Trade tariffs are "here to stay," and "MY POLICIES WILL NEVER CHANGE." npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen Confronted with key questions about life-or-death issues, Trump keeps offering shrugged shoulders and blank stares. npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen Problem: Trump calling for the impeachment of a federal judge who's done nothing wrong. npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen The problem is not just that Hegseth halting cyber operations against Russia. npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen You know what would be great? If the political world stopped pretending that there are "moderate" House Republicans. npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen In recent weeks, corporate executives have gone out of their way to avoid criticizing Trump and the White House agenda. npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen Last week, Republican Rep. Andy Ogles unveiled a proposal to allow Trump to run for a third term. npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen The administration apparently intends to transport tens of thousands of migrants to a military facility on an island — but we're apparently not supposed to see them as "the camps." https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-guantanamo-bay-immigration-executive-order-rcna189974 npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen The through line between the GOP offensive against Rev. Budde and JD Vance clashing with Catholic bishops: npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen As Trump suggests the future of FEMA is in doubt, let's not forget: npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen The state of American politics in a nutshell: On Inauguration Day, Biden pardoned Jan. 6 officers, and hours later, Trump pardoned Jan. 6 criminals — many of whom violently clashed with the officers protected by Biden. https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/biden-pardoned-jan-6-police-officers-trump-pardoned-jan-6-criminals-rcna188509 npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen In a healthy political environment, Pam Bondi's election-denying record, coupled with her ongoing refusal to acknowledge the legitimacy of the 2020 results, would obviously be disqualifying and career-ending. https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/even-now-pam-bondi-refuses-acknowledge-trumps-2020-defeat-rcna187819 npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen Years ago, I fiddled with a possible movie script about staffers at a fictional GOP White House, one of whom wanted to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America.” npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen The Republican Party's line on Elon Musk was already weird. npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen Among the questions to consider as the Matt Gaetz ethics report reaches the public: npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen The Republican Party isn’t exactly ending 2024 on a positive note, but those expecting calmer waters in 2025 probably ought to lower their expectations. https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/republicans-expect-disarray-continue-2025-rcna185009 npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen It's easy to forget, but in recent years, Trump has repeatedly barked orders at Capitol Hill, only to see plenty of Republicans ignore him. npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen As Mitch McConnell complains about people playing “political games” with judicial nominations, irony lies weeping in the corner. https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/mcconnell-wrong-guy-whine-political-games-judicial-nominations-rcna182685 npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen Republicans can keep using the word "mandate," but that won't change the arithmetic: npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen As the dust settles on the election cycle, it's no small thing that progressive policy measures — from education to abortion rights, minimum wage to family leave — fared quite well in 2024, even in red states. https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/ballot-measures-deliver-big-wins-progressive-policy-priorities-rcna179308 npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen At the presidential debate, Kamala Harris said that people start leaving Trump's rallies early "out of exhaustion and boredom.” npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen Let me see if I have this straight: According to Trump and his allies, his second term would be "nasty," "bloody," and filled with "hardships" for much of the population? npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen Healthy economic growth, low unemployment, shrinking inflation, record highs on Wall Street, and low gas prices: npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen Trump's Madison Square Garden event was ugly. It was vulgar. It was hateful. It drew obvious parallels to a 1939 event at the same venue. npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen It’s not always obvious what constitutes an “October Surprise,” but it seems to me this counts: npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen There's no reason to believe the Kremlin is preparing scripts for Trump to follow. npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen The day after Jan. 6, Trump said of the attack, "I am outraged by the violence, lawlessness, and mayhem.” He went on to describe the insurrectionist riot as a “heinous attack.” npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen Shortly before Election Day 2016, Trump tried to silence Stormy Daniels. npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen Many of those who worked side-by-side with Trump keep warning Americans about how dangerous he was, is, and will be. npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen We'll probably never know for sure, but when Trump slammed Detroit while speaking in Detroit, did he (a) not know where he was; (b) not care where he was; or (c) both? https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-trashes-detroit-delivering-speech-detroit-rcna174949 npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen Trump's private chats with Putin make it all the more relevant that Trump (and Bill Barr) tried to prosecute John Kerry under the Logan Act for speaking to foreign officials. https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trumps-record-makes-alleged-putin-chats-look-even-worse-rcna174695 npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen As Election Day 2024 approaches, Republicans want voters to believe the economy is terrible. Reality, however, keeps getting in the way of GOP talking points. npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen There's no great mystery as to why JD Vance grew agitated in response to a brief debate fact-check: npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen Republicans in August, amid a brief and temporary stock market downturn: Kamala Harris is directly responsible for the economy. npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen If you think Americans with preexisting conditions should pay more for health care coverage, you're going to love the new details of the Trump/Vance approach to health care "reform." https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/vance-signals-new-troubles-preexisting-conditions-rcna171442 npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen Dems have spent months warning voters that Trump would endanger the future of the ACA in a second term. npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen What's worse than JD Vance promoting a racist conspiracy theory about immigrants eating pets? His woeful defense for why he did it. npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen On debate microphones, Trump got what he wanted. So why is he trying to preemptively delegitimize the debate anyway? npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen In a normal, healthy political environment, Trump’s Arlington National Cemetery controversy would probably dominate the political conversation for months. npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen When Ron Johnson starts talking about Tim Walz's wedding anniversary and Tiananmen Square, and James Comer suggests the Minnesotan is a sleeper agent for China, you know the Republican smear campaign has gone off the rails. https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/gops-offensive-tim-walz-takes-decidedly-weird-turn-rcna167343 npub1s58g2dauljgrxp8ulrfkl8jkdp3rvtg78qc4ym02t2kqjuxmtcrqeqqy7t Steve Benen It's hard to say how much voters will care, but for those interested in governing experience, Trump picked one of the least experienced running mates in history, and Harris picked one of the most experienced running mates in history. https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/governing-experience-tim-walz-tops-jd-vance-election-2024-trump-harris-rcna165394
