The Dictatorship

The Trump and Musk mass firing spree is getting increasingly messy

Published

1 year ago

February 23, 2025

The Trump and Musk mass firing spree is getting increasingly messy

Trump’s accidental firings continue

As Elon Musk continues to try to take a chainsaw to the federal governmentthe billionaire seems to be having a hard time keeping track of whom he is actually firing. And the leaders of the gutted agencies will be forced to clean up his mess.

Last week, 950 employees working for the Indian Health Service were laid off, only to be told hours later that new Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had “verbally rescinded” their firing.

This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture “accidentally” fired several employees working on the country’s bird flu prevention response. As of Friday afternoon, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had confirmed 70 human cases of bird flu in the U.S. and egg prices are soaring.

The USDA insists it’s “working swiftly” to rehire the fired workers. Consider me skeptical.

Because we’ve seen this movie before. Just last week, the National Nuclear Security Administration mistakenly fired employees and then couldn’t figure out how to contact them because they hadn’t collected personal contact information.

And let’s not forget the Small Business Administrationwhere the Trump administration fired probationary employees, then told them their termination was a mistake, only to turn around the next day and fire them again.

A story you should be following: Musk’s money in Wisconsin

Musk has already spent hundreds of millions of dollars helping to elect President Donald Trump and Republican House candidates. Now, as I discussed with Wisconsin state Democratic Party Chair Ben Wiklera nonprofit he funds has poured $1.6 million into a crucial Wisconsin Supreme Court race.

Here’s why it matters: Wisconsin’s Supreme Court currently has a 4-3 liberal majority. But with a liberal judge retiring, that balance is at stake. If conservative candidate Brad Schimel wins on April 1, Republicans will gain control of the court and the power to potentially roll back abortion rights, weaken labor protections and undermine voting rights in a crucial swing state.

Musk’s group is using the same deceptive playbook we saw in 2024. Last election, Building America’s Future funded misleading and contradictory ads about Kamala Harris’ stance on Israel, sending different, targeted messages to Arab American and Jewish voters. It also ran Facebook ads designed to look as if they came from Democrats and falsely claimed Harris supported banning all gas-powered cars.

Wisconsin’s last off-year judicial election, in 2023, broke national spending recordswith $51 million spent in total. At the current rate, this election’s ad buys could blow that record out of the water.

The GOP’s Russia reset

For years, Republican senators positioned themselves as staunch defenders of Ukraine — even Sen. Mitch McConnell — calling Russian President Vladimir Putin a “war criminal” and warning that failing to stand up to Russia would embolden dictators worldwide. But now, as Trump openly cozies up to Putin and pursues backdoor deals, many of these same Republicans have gone quiet — or worse, are suddenly on board.

Sen. Lindsey Graham

Then: In 2022, Graham called Putin a “thug” and compared him to Adolf Hitler. He even warned that Putin was “a war criminal that needs to be dealt with.”

Now: Graham has praised Trump’s approach and voiced support for a deal Trump proposed that would grant the United States a 50% stake in all of Ukraine’s rare earth mineral resources in exchange for U.S. support.

Sen. Tom Cotton

Then: In 2022, Cotton warned that letting Putin invade Ukraine would embolden China’s Xi Jinping to invade Taiwan.

Now: Cotton has echoed claims accusing former President Joe Biden of “tempting” Russia to invade and echoed Graham’s support for a deal tied to Ukrainian mineral resources.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune

Then: In 2024, Thune noted “America cannot retreat from the world stage” and warned Russia would invade other European countries in addition to Ukraine if we allowed Putin to be successful.

Now: Thune has changed his tuneclaiming the conflict has “dragged on” and we need to “bring an end to the war.”

Tune in to Episodes 5 and 6 of “The Blueprint with Jen Psaki” on Monday

A huge thank-you to everyone who’s already tuned in to my new podcast, “The Blueprint with Jen Psaki.” On Monday, don’t miss our new episodes with Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and journalist Melon Hill.

Pritzker has been on the front lines of the fight against Trump’s abuses of power, but in this conversation, he also opens up about what shaped him — from his mother’s passion for civil rights to his Jewish heritage and efforts to curb discrimination.

Hill, never one to hold back, calls out the danger of Democrats “playing nice,” the urgency of bold leadership, and why she thinks politicians like Reps. Jasmine Crockett and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are showing the party how it’s done.

Subscribe here for the full conversations!

Only Psaki

Jen Psaki is the host of “Inside with Jen Psaki”airing Sundays at 12 p.m. ET and Mondays at 8 p.m. EST. She is the former White House press secretary for President Joe Biden.

The Dictatorship

Mike Collins wins Georgia GOP Senate primary runoff to face Ossoff

Published

24 minutes ago

June 17, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

Mike Collins wins Georgia GOP Senate primary runoff to face Ossoff

Jun. 16, 2026, 8:43 PM EDT

Rep. Mike Collins won Georgia’s Republican Senate primary runoff Tuesday, defeating former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley.

Now, he will have the far larger task of knocking off Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in one of the most competitive Senate race this election cycle.

The runoff was triggered after Collins and Dooley each failed to win a majority in the May 19 primary, forcing a second round in a contest that Republicans view as one of their best opportunities to flip a Democratic-held Senate seat in 2026. President Donald Trump endorsed Collins over the weekend, boosting his chances in the runoff.

Collins, a congressman representing Georgia’s 10th District, finished first in the primary. The trucking company owner and staunch ally of Trump built his campaign around support for the president’s agenda, border security, immigration enforcement and conservative cultural issues. Collins sought to portray himself as a proven conservative fighter with experience in Washington and strong ties to the Republican base.

Dooley, meanwhile, leaned on his name recognition as a former college football coach and member of one of Georgia’s most prominent political families. His father, Vince Dooley, was the legendary University of Georgia football coach and athletic director. Although Dooley has never held elected office, he has campaigned as a political outsider capable of attracting independent and swing voters in a general election.

Collins argued that Republicans need a candidate with a proven conservative record and close ties to Trump. Dooley has countered that his outsider status and broader appeal would make him a stronger challenger in November.

But some Republicans are worried about Collins, including his hardline stance on abortion rights and an Office of Congressional Conduct probe into his office’spotential misuse of resources that the Republican lawmaker has referred to as a “nothing burger.”

His social media tonewhich includes severely downplayingthe U.S. Capitol attack where some pro-Trump rioters injured members of law enforcement, gives credence to the president’s view of him as a “a true Friend, Fighter, and WARRIOR,” as Trump wrote in his post endorsing Collins.

But those sentiments also spotligh a few of the vulnerabilities for a statewide candidate coming from a reliably red congressional district.

Collins will now face Ossoff, who is seeking a second term after winning a pair of runoff elections in 2021 that helped Democrats gain control of the Senate. Since taking office, Ossoff has built a national fundraising network. His re-election campaign has emphasized lowering costs for families, protecting access to healthcare, supporting economic development and promoting government accountability.

In a statement published shortly after Collins’ win, Ossoff called the congressman a “notorious bigot” who was under federal investigation.

“Donald Trump’s handpicked candidate Mike Collins is a notorious bigot, antisemite, and extremist currently under federal investigation for the illegal misuse of tax dollars,” Ossoff said. “Collins, who is only a congressman because his daddy was a congressman, voted to double health insurance premiums for more than a million Georgians, for the Iran War, and for the Trump tariffs.”

The House Ethics Committee is investigating allegations that Collins used government funds to benefit an aide.

Georgia remains a key battleground state heading into the midterm elections. Once considered a reliably Republican stronghold, the state has become increasingly competitive over the past decade.

Republicans see Georgia as one of their strongest pickup opportunities in a midterm cycle where control of the Senate could once again hinge on a handful of closely contested races. Democrats, meanwhile, are expected to invest heavily to protect Ossoff’s seat, viewing him as a key part of the party’s future.

Ebony Davis is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW based in Washington, D.C. She previously worked at BLN as a campaign reporter covering elections and politics.

The Dictatorship

GOP senators say they want a vote on an Iran deal — for now

Published

24 minutes ago

June 17, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

Jun. 16, 2026, 6:06 PM EDT

Senate Republicans are still waiting for details of the preliminary U.S.-Iran agreement. But they’re already making one thing clear: Congress should have a vote on any final deal.

President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday, formally giving the two countries 60 days to negotiate an agreement.

While there’s a healthy dose of skepticism about the deal and whether it will actually materialize, Republicans want a say on the eventual agreement.

“If there is a final deal, and I hope there is, it should come to the Senate for approval,” Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., told reporters on Tuesday.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., said if the final agreement is a treaty — and it “sounds like a treaty,” he said — then it “certainly seems like” the deal should be subject to a vote by Congress.

And Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, echoed his colleagues.

For now, it appears Trump agrees with Senate Republicans.

During a bilateral meeting at the Group of Seven (G7) summit in France on Tuesday, Trump suggested he would be open to sending the eventual deal to Congress. “I wouldn’t mind,” he said.

“I never thought about sending. Never even thought about it,” Trump added. “But I will — I will send it to Congress. I like the idea.”

Trump’s comments quickly made their way to Washington, where Republican senators like Lindsey Graham and Roger Marshall repeatedly pointed out that Trump said he would give Congress a vote.

“I hope he does,” Marshall said.

Despite the GOP desire for a vote, it’s far from clear Congress will ever hold one. For starters, the talks could fall apart before a final agreement is reached. And if the deal ultimately resembles elements of the Obama-era accord that Republicans long opposed, GOP leaders may be reluctant to force lawmakers into a politically fraught vote — particularly if Democrats line up against it.

The dynamic highlights a familiar tension on Capitol Hill.

For years — decades, even — lawmakers have talked about replacing the sweeping 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force with a more targeted authorization. The law has been used to justify dozens of military operations in more than 22 countries. But when it comes time to take ownership of a new war authorization, many in Congress seem content to defer to the president and the nearly 25-year-old law.

To be sure, there were some GOP voices on Tuesday who suggested a vote on Trump’s emerging Iran deal isn’t needed.

Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., argued that a law signed amid the debate over the Obama-era deal never explicitly required a vote — just congressional review.

“You might decide your opinion is we should vote on it, but there is no requirement that we do,” Schmitt said.

And some other Republican senators kept their cards close to their vest, insisting they need more information on the deal before asserting that a vote is necessary.

“Everybody’s got to see what it is first,” Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., said. “None of us have seen it.”

Pressed on whether he wants a vote, regardless of the terms of the deal, the Oklahoma Republican offered a congressional truth: “It depends on what the deal is.”

Part of the insistence on a vote, Republicans say, is because the Iran nuclear deal brokered under President Barack Obama — formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA — wasn’t affirmed by Congress. That allowed Trump to singlehandedly dismantle it during his first administration.

This time, lawmakers say they want a deal to outlast the Trump presidency.

Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, said Congress should “absolutely” vote on the final agreement, if negotiators reach one.

“That was one of the problems with President Obama’s deal,” Curtis said.

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said he thought it “makes more sense” to have Congress give any agreement its stamp of approval, pointing to Obama’s now defunct deal.

“Obama made a mistake when he didn’t do the work to have it rise to a level of a treaty, and I believe that we should here, otherwise it’s only good for two and a half years,” Tillis said.

“Why don’t we do the hard work of making sure that it has staying power?” he added.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle — particularly Republicans — would be happy to approve an Iran peace agreement that advances U.S. interests. Republicans are inclined to support Trump, and few lawmakers seem eager to prolong the Iran “excursion,” as the president has put it.

But approving a deal that’s less-than-stellar for the United States isn’t such a popular prospect. And congressional leaders might hesitate to put the agreement up for a vote out of fear that lawmakers may shoot it down.

A failed vote would put Trump and the United States in a difficult position.

Just having to vote on the deal could put lawmakers in a tough political spot of their own — and right before the midterm elections.

If the final agreement ends up resembling the Obama-era JCPOA, Republicans could be forced to either support a deal they’ve long criticized or risk drawing Trump’s ire. Neither choice is ideal.

Meanwhile, if Democrats vote against a final deal, they could face accusations that they don’t want the war to end. Some Republicans see political value in forcing Democrats to take a position.

“When there’s a deal, of course, put the Democrats on record,” Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, told MS NOW.

But if the final deal is one Republicans don’t love, don’t expect the agreement to come before Congress.

Already on Monday, several Republicans expressed nervousness about the early contours of a deal, as described in press reports about a yet-to-be released memorandum of understanding. And on Tuesday, the top Senate Republican — John Thune of South Dakota — said he had still not been briefed on the contents of the memorandum.

A handful of Republicans revealed to reporters that they had been in touch with senior U.S. officials to get some of their questions answered.

Moreno, for instance, said he was given some details about the agreement on Monday from Vice President JD Vance and White House peace envoy — and Trump son-in-law — Jared Kushner.

Asked about the delay in revealing the preliminary memorandum, Moreno insisted the Trump administration was just being “methodical,” in part so as not to upend the internal politics in Iran.

“It’s not going to kill everybody to just take a breath and wait until Friday,” Moreno said.

Mychael Schnell is a reporter for MS NOW.

Kevin Frey is a congressional reporter for MS NOW.

The Dictatorship

Rick Jackson wins Georgia GOP governor runoff, will face Bottoms in November

Published

2 hours ago

June 17, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

Rick Jackson wins Georgia GOP governor runoff, will face Bottoms in November

Jun. 16, 2026, 9:49 PM EDT

Healthcare executive Rick Jackson clinched the Republican gubernatorial nomination on Tuesday, pulling off a win over Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and securing a spot in the November election against Democratic nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms.

The pair advanced from the Republican primary after neither candidate secured the majority needed to avoid a runoff on May 19.

The contest came as Republicans seek to hold the governor’s mansion in a state that has become one of the country’s premier political battlegrounds. Gov. Brian Kemp is term-limited and cannot seek re-election, creating the first open governor’s race in Georgia since 2018. Kemp threw his weight behind Jones over the weekend.

Jackson, a businessman who entered politics as an outsider candidatesought to position himself as an alternative to career politicians. His campaign focused heavily on economic issues, government spending and opposition to what he describes as establishment politics.

Jackson has argued that Republicans need a nominee who can energize voters frustrated with the political system. He has also attempted to appeal to conservatives who want a candidate outside Georgia’s existing political leadership structure.

The runoff highlights divisions within the Georgia Republican Party over the direction of the state’s conservative movement after Kemp’s tenure. While both candidates embraced many of the same conservative policy positions, they have differed over experience, electability and the future of Republican leadership in the Peach State.

The race also attracted attention because of Georgia’s importance ahead of the midterms. Democrats have made significant gains in the state over the past decade, winning presidential and Senate races while turning Georgia into a key battleground. Republicans, however, have continued to perform strongly in statewide races, including Kemp’s decisive re-election victory in 2022.

Bottoms, who served as Atlanta’s mayor from 2018 to 2022 and later worked in the Biden administration, secured the Democratic nomination and is preparing for a competitive general election campaign. Democrats view the open-seat contest as an opportunity to regain control of the governor’s office for the first time in more than two decades.

Ebony Davis is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW based in Washington, D.C. She previously worked at BLN as a campaign reporter covering elections and politics.