Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said he was “hopeful” about passing a tough new Russian sanctions bill after the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), saying it would be an “incredible legacy” to honor his colleague.

Graham, 71, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday. The preliminary cause of death was aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, according to a statement released by the senator’s office. His younger sister, Darline Graham Nordone, was appointed Monday by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R) to finish Graham’s term.

The South Carolina senator was a staunch advocate for supporting Ukraine against Russia’s invasion, and the day before his death, he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.

Zelensky posted that he was “deeply saddened” when he heard of Graham’s passing and that he would “always be especially grateful” for the senator’s support.

Thune was on Monday’s episode of CNN’s Inside Edition to talk to anchor Dana Bash about Graham’s legacy, and she asked about some of Graham’s final public comments regarding a bipartisan agreement for a new Russian sanctions bill.

“Is that still going to happen?” asked Bash about the bill. “Will that package be put up for a vote to put more sanctions on Russia?”

“I certainly hope that we can get there to do that,” replied Thune. He added that the White House “obviously had been working closely” with Graham on these sanctions and there were Democrats who supported it as well, so he thought there was a version of the bill “that could get 80 to 90 votes in the Senate,” they just needed to “figure out exactly” what that would look like.

“Lindsey had been working that issue for a long time,” said Thune. “It’s one of those things he was very passionate about. He wants to see a free and independent Ukraine, as all of us do. And he was a big believer that economic sanctions are a huge tool for the president and his administration, for us to achieve that outcome.”

This sanctions bill was probably “in his last days, the thing that [Graham] cared the most about, in terms of an accomplishment,” said Thune, and he was “hopeful we can get that done.”

“So I’m hopeful we can get that done. It’s something we’ve been talking about for a long time.”

“It would certainly be an incredible legacy for him if in fact, we could find a path forward,” he concluded. “It’ll take Democrats and Republicans here in the Senate to do that. But I’m hopeful we can make that happen.”

Watch the clip above via CNN.

The post GOP Leader Thune ‘Hopeful’ Senate Will Pass Russia Sanctions Bill as ‘Incredible Legacy’ to Lindsey Graham first appeared on Mediaite.

CNN’s Kaitlin Collins confronted President Donald Trump about his administration’s ongoing bombing of Iran, asking whether the drawn-out conflict is “just the new normal for the American people.”

Trump accused Iran of violating the fragile ceasefire last weekend with attacks on a Cyprus-flagged container ship in the Strait of Hormuz, derailing all peace deal talks. In response, the U.S. resumed its bombing of Iran.

The president quietly submitted a letter to Congress on Friday to share that the war against Iran had officially resumed on July 7.

During a press conference from the Oval Office on Monday evening, Trump said he hadn’t reached the “conclusion” that a negotiated settlement is off the table, but insisted the U.S. will continue to attack Iran.

“We’re hitting them very heavy tonight, as you know,” Trump said. “We’re heading in. We have tremendous amounts of ammunition. We have numbers that we haven’t had in years, and we’re hitting them very hard. And it will continue, and we’ll see what happens.”

Collins pressed Trump on the timeline of the conflict.

“You noted that the United States is bombing Iran again,” she said. “I mean, you’ve been bombing Iran for months now. Is this just the new normal for the American people?”

Trump responded with an attempt to contrast the Iran War, which began on Feb. 28, with the Vietnam War.

“No, well, you know, we were in Vietnam for 19 years. We’re here for four months. So, I think we’ve done a lot. We’ve knocked out their Navy in a period of one month. We knocked out their Air Force. Their Air Force is nonexistent. We knocked out most of their missiles, most of their drones. We knocked out their drone manufacturing capability, about 92 percent. Their missile capability for manufacturing, we knocked out 89 percent. And they have a little capability, but they don’t have any capability for us. This is almost a military skirmish.”

He went on to slam former presidents, including George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden, for their handling of U.S. relations with Iran while praising his own negotiating prowess:

Now, with all of that being said, you have to get people that want to make something. We had a deal with them two days ago and then they said, ‘Oh, we can’t make that deal. We have to negotiate it further.’ And this is what they’ve done for 47 years. The difference is nobody negotiated like I do. And this should have been done by Bush and Obama and Biden and people before them, frankly. It’s 47 years they’ve been ripping off everybody and really hurting and killing thousands of people.

Watch above via CNN.

The post Kaitlin Collins Confronts Trump on Latest Iran Attacks: ‘Is This Just the New Normal?’ first appeared on Mediaite.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy tested the upper limits of sycophancy during an IndyCar event at the White House on Monday.

President Donald Trump hosted a trio of IndyCar drivers ahead of next month’s Freedom 250 Grand Prix in Washington, D.C. In January, it was first reported that Duffy had his sights set on the nation’s capital as a race venue. The course will take drivers around the National Mall. During the event, Trump watched as a pit crew quickly changed a racecar’s tires.

Speaking at the event, Duffy said tickets will be free for the Aug. 23 race, which is part of the administration’s commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. He praised the president for holding UFC fights at the White House last month and then thanked the drivers and pit crew for coming to D.C. Duffy then pivoted back to Trump:

“And again, just finally, Mr. President, thank you for your leadership,” the secretary stated. “You don’t do anything that’s small. Everything you do is big, it’s huge, it’s the best, it’s the greatest, whether it’s the UFC fight or an IndyCar race in the capital. We appreciate your leadership. America loves you. And thank you for making this happen.”

For what it is worth, Trump’s approval rating is hovering around 40%, with most Americans disapproving of the job he is doing.

Trump’s cabinet secretaries are no strangers when it comes to heaping plaudits on the president. His televised cabinet meetings are rife with cabinet members trying to one-up each other in their praise. In May, The New York Times published a report after analyzing dozens of hours of footage spanning 10 cabinet meetings. The publication found that one out of every six sentences praised the president.

Watch above via Fox News.

The post ‘America Loves You’: Sean Duffy Lays It On Thick, Tells Trump, ‘Everything You Do Is Big… Huge… The Best… The Greatest’  first appeared on Mediaite.

(Screengrab via X)

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) sparked a firestorm of controversy over the weekend when he claimed he was “detained” by violent Israeli settlers, assisted by Israeli soldiers in the West Bank. During a contentious Fox News interview on Monday, Khanna was pressed hard on the facts surrounding his detention, including whether or not he was trying to pass through a restricted military zone without having coordinated his trip with local officials.

Khanna repeatedly said that the IDF and the Israeli ambassador to the U.S. were lying about the circumstances of his so-called detention and pointed Fox News viewers “to watch the videos that came out today” to see what happened to him.

“There’s a body cam video for one minute and 30 seconds by an Israeli citizen, Nadav Weiman,” Khanna added, saying it shows the IDF allowing his detention by the settlers.

And just as Khanna said, Weiman did indeed release a clip from his bodycam video, claiming it showed the detention. “The IDF is lying about the detention of Rep. Khanna,” Weiman wrote, adding:

I was on the ground with him that day, and my body camera captured us being detained by both settlers and Israeli soldiers. The IDF did not disperse the violent settlers, as they claim. They explicitly sided with them.

The only issue, at no point does the video show the IDF or the Israeli settlers detaining Khanna or anyone he is with – including progressive activist and failed congressional candidate Cameron Kasky. Settlers are clearly blocking the road ahead of Khanna’s minibus, and the video evidence does not dispute (or verify) his claims that the settlers kicked his tires and cursed him. But the video, which Khanna points to as the main evidence of his detention, certainly shows no such thing.

In the clip, Weiman, who is the executive director of the anti-IDF NGO Breaking the Silence, goes up to a young female IDF officer and, in a polite exchange, asks that the IDF remove the settlers from the road. The soldier says she would like to wait for the local police to come and deal with them as Weiman protests, saying that the inconvenience will make the congressman late.

Weiman claims to the two IDF officers that the U.S. Embassy had cleared Khanna to proceed, a claim that the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, said on Monday is not true. “He did not coordinate his visit with either the U.S. or the Israeli government,” Huckabee told SiriusXM radio. Another person in the video says that the police had already told Weiman that he was restricted from accessing the road.

The IDF said in a statement that they did eventually clear the road: “Earlier this week (Wednesday), a report was received regarding Israeli civilians who were unlawfully blocking the vehicles of foreign nationals and members of the media in the area of Khirbet Zanuta, within the Judea Regional Brigade. Upon receiving the report, IDF troops were dispatched to the scene, quickly dispersed the Israeli civilians, and reopened the blocked road. The IDF soldiers operating in the area did not take part in blocking the road.”

The IDF’s version of events is similar to what the local police told the media. “Police said by the time officers arrived, IDF soldiers had halted the tour group’s progress in the restricted zone,” reported NBC News on the Israeli Police statement, adding:

Police said officers witnessed no violence during the confrontation, but said the tour group’s leader was warned he could be arrested. Tour participants were told civilians are not allowed there and then released, police said.

“A review of body-worn camera footage confirms that the group leader was explicitly warned by officers, as this was not his first time violating the Closed Military Zone order,” police said. “He was issued a final warning that any future violations would result in immediate arrest.”

While there is no doubt that Israeli settlers are carrying out atrocities against Palestinians living in the West Bank, Khanna’s story simply is not the drama he wants it to be and appears to simply be political grandstanding.

At most, Khanna and his allies are stretching the term “detained,” which usually involves some kind of physical restriction being imposed, to mean his minibus was not allowed to pass into a restricted zone. Anyone who has spent time traveling around Israel, the West Bank, or the Golan Heights knows that traveling in certain areas is heavily restricted, primarily to avoid provocations between the two sides and to also keep civilians and wandering tourists out of danger.

The IDF in this instance was never going to allow a sitting US Congressman to proceed further into an area where he could be attacked, something Khanna and those with him certainly understood. Khanna’s “detention” was the exact response he was hoping to provoke by entering a restricted area without official Israeli chaperones.

Independent journalist Jasper Nathaniel, who helped inspire Khanna’s trip, made a crack on social media to that effect: “If you are an American politician and would like to be held up by machine gun wielding settlers and soldiers, call me.”

Many of Khanna’s critics were also quick to point out that his “detention” in the West Bank came as he was facing an avalanche of criticism over his staunch endorsement of Graham Platner, who dropped his Senate bid after a rape allegation came to light.

While recalling his experience to the New York Times, he couldn’t help but boast of his presidential ambitions, “Free advice to the Israelis: It’s not a good idea to detain long-shot presidential candidates. Not how you’re going to build good will with the next American president, whoever that is.”

MS NOW columnist Michael Cohen jabbed Khanna over the sheer performative politics of it all, “So Ro Khanna manufactured this event, is according to several Israeli officials lying about what happened, and is trying to blame the entire state of Israel for it – and all because he thinks it’ll help his near-non- existent presidential aspirations with Israel-hating Democrats. The cynicism is off the charts.”

Unfortunately, settler violence in the West Bank should be a bigger topic of conversation in the U.S., and Democrats (and Republicans) who care about the issue should press the Israeli government harder to do a better job of cracking down on settler intimidation of Palestinians. But Khanna’s cynical self-serving trip and “detention” did little to draw attention to the real issues and will only spark a mini newscycle about him and whether or not he was really detained when all he had to do was turn his air-conditioned minibus around.

The post Ro Khanna’s ‘Video Evidence’ He Was Detained By the IDF Shows the Exact Opposite first appeared on Mediaite.

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) said a source has told him that a photo of Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released by his office to assuage concerns about the senator’s health is “an older photo.”

McConnell, 84, has been hospitalized since June 14. It was reported that paramedics were called to McConnell’s home that day to tend to someone unconscious due to cardiac arrest. The senator’s office refused to give any updates on McConnell until Sunday. In a statement, McConnell said he is hospitalized due to a fall. He added that he did not break any bones and did not endure a heart attack or stroke, though he did say he had a mild case of pneumonia.

The statement was accompanied by a photo of a smiling McConnell sitting up in a hospital bed with his wife Elaine Chao beside him. Some users on social media and members of the press questioned the authenticity of the photo.

Johnson joined Monday’s episode of The Balance on Real America’s Voice, where host Eric Bolling asked about the photo.

“I saw a picture that I’m not sure I believe is actually Mitch McConnell from the hospital after what I’ve heard and what I’ve seen,” Bolling said. “Do you believe Mitch McConnell is the one who said, ‘I’m ok. Here’s the picture of my wife, Elaine Chao and I’ in that hospital bed?”

Johnson replied:

Well, I just heard from some other source that was an older photo. So, I really don’t know. I haven’t talked to Mitch. I certainly wish he and his family well. I hope he can recover. It’s– listen. It’s sad to watch people age no matter who that person is. I’ve served with Mitch McConnell for 16 years. Obviously, I’ve disagreed with him on a host of things, but I also know he loves this country. He loves. He loves the Senate. He reveres the Senate. And so, again, I do try and put the best construction on things. I try and look for the best in people. Mitch McConnell also loves his country, so I wish him well. I hope he recovers. I hope he can come back and and contribute and vote with the president’s agenda.

McConnell’s health update came on the heels of the sudden death of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who died on Saturday at 71.

Watch above via Real America’s Voice.

The post GOP Senator Casts Doubt on Mitch McConnell’s Health: ‘I Just Heard From a Source…’ first appeared on Mediaite.

President Donald Trump said the U.S. Military will be striking Iran “hard” on Monday and Tuesday during a radio interview with conservative pundit Hugh Hewitt.

The president said because Iran violated the fragile ceasefire last weekend by attacking a merchant ship in the Strait of Hormuz, the talks of a long-term peace deal have been scrapped. Instead, the U.S. will bomb the enemy

“We’re gonna hit ’em very hard tonight, and we’re gonna hit ’em hard tomorrow,” Trump said. “And there’s not a damn thing they can do about it. They have nothing — they have nothing going except they have big mouths.”

Hewitt loved hearing it.

“Keep it up, Mr. President!” the Fox News contributor said.

Trump told him Iran is run by theocrats who are “stone cold crazy” — which he said has made it hard to hammer out a deal.

“We had a deal yesterday… these people are crazy,” Trump said a moment earlier. “We had a deal where we won everything, and they basically break the deal. To them, deals are made to be broken. They are extremely unreliable people, and frankly if they ever had a nuclear weapon they would use it within one day.”

Trump’s interview with Hewitt follows Iran firing on a Cyprus-flagged merchant ship on Saturday, which led to retaliatory strikes from the U.S. military. Iran claimed it was closing the Strait of Hormuz, but U.S. Central Command and Trump both said that was nonsense and that the U.S. was really in charge.

The president reiterated the U.S. was now the “GUARDIAN” of the strait on Monday morning.

Trump posted on Truth Social the blockade against Iranian ships is back on, while all other countries are free to enter and exit the strait. He said the second change is the U.S. will now be reimbursed “at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped” through the strait, which Trump said is a matter of “FAIRNESS” because the United States is the country guarding passage.

Watch above.

The post Trump Reveals US Will Hit Iran ‘Hard’ Over The Next Two Days: ‘Not a Damn Thing They Can Do About It’ first appeared on Mediaite.

President Donald Trump will reportedly use his primetime address on Thursday night to push specific new claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him.

On Monday afternoon, Trump announced on Truth Social that he’d be giving a Thursday speech. The third-person post read:

Donald Trump will be making a Speech to the Nation on Thursday evening, at 9 P.M. Eastern. Thank you for your attention to this matter!

At the time, it was unclear what Trump would talk about during the speech. On Deadline: White House, MS NOW’s Nicolle Wallace revealed Trump’s speech would focus on the six-year-old election — citing a report from the network’s Jake Traylor. Specifically, the president will reportedly point to newly-declassified reports he claims will show foreign interference in the 2020 election. She added:

Donald Trump appears to be taking his assault on the truth, and democracy, and American elections, to primetime. MS NOW is now reporting that Trump will deliver an address Thursday evening where he plans to unveil another round of lies about why he lost in 2020 to Joe Biden. This time, claiming that newly declassified reports reveal foreign interference in that election that his own government didn’t know about at the time, lies that seemed to conveniently obscure that he was the President of the United States. All of his handpicked people ran every facet of the government in 2020. His handpicked Attorney General Bill Barr ran the Justice Department. His handpicked replacement for Jim Comey, Chris Wray, ran the FBI. Both of them have repeatedly and publicly debunked these lies that there was any foreign interference.

Watch above via MS NOW

The post Trump Will Use Primetime Speech to Claim Newly-Declassified Intel Reveals Foreign Plot to Interfere in 2020 Election: MS NOW first appeared on Mediaite.

Screenshots

President Donald Trump posted a lengthy Truth Social on Monday afternoon bashing Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX), a man he pardoned last December.

Cuellar filed for reelection as a Democrat shortly thereafter, saying he had no intention to switch parties, despite the unconditional pardons for him and his wife, Imelda, who were indicted in 2024 on charges of bribery, money laundering, and conspiracy.

Some seven months later, however, Trump decided to post his rant, and included a copy of the pardon request sent by the Cuellar’s daughters.

“Nobody knows Henry Cuellar better than Donald J. Trump,” the president wrote. “I studied his records, learned about his financing, and listened to his two wonderful daughters beg me to help the mother and father that they love. Their letters were heart wrenching and beautiful, but their father had problems that nobody could solve but me, and the daughters very correctly and respectfully knew that.”

Trump continued:

He and his wife were headed to jail for up to 20 years because he was “stupid” in what he did but, above all, because the Biden Administration practiced Political Weaponization on Cuellar and his wife because they didn’t agree with his policies on the Southern Border. He was a weak and incompetent version of me, who wanted the Border closed to criminals, drug dealers, people from mental institutions and, above all, murderers and heavy handed criminals that were sitting in jails and mental institutions, and should never have been given the right to be released into our Country.

Henry’s views on these subjects were not strong, but they were better than other Democrats. Biden and his crew of Radical Left Thugs did not like those things about Cuellar, and they worked hard, and expected to put him in jail for the rest of his life. Being an expert on Political Weaponization, based on what the Biden Losers had done to me, and without having ever met Henry Cuellar, and in particular because of the magnificence of the letter drawn by his daughters asking me to help “Mom and Dad,” I gave him and Mrs. Cuellar a full and unconditional Pardon.

Trump added, “In doing so, I never assumed he would be running for Office again, and certainly not as a Democrat, who essentially destroyed his life even with the Pardon given, but he did, and now, despite doing him by far the greatest favor of his life, 20 years of FREEDOM, I am fighting him for his seat in Congress because his views are not nearly as good or strong as Judge Tano Tijerina, who is much more powerful on the Border issue, cutting Taxes, our Military, and just about everything else than is Henry Cuellar.”

Although it’s not known what set Trump off, Cuellar did post to X on Monday demanding an investigation into the latest ICE-related killing in Maine.

—–

The post Trump Turns on Congressman He Pardoned in Wild Post: Despite Doing Him ‘The Greatest Favor of His Life’ I’m Now ‘Fighting Him!’ first appeared on Mediaite.

Darline Graham Nordone, the younger sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) delivered an emotional speech Monday as she accepted an appointment to finish her brother’s term, saying she believed this is what her brother would have wanted.

Graham, 71, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday. The preliminary cause of death was aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, according to a statement released by the senator’s office. His little sister was only 13 years old when both their parents died within 15 months of each other and he became her legal guardian.

Under South Carolina law, Gov. Henry McMaster (R) has the power to appoint someone to finish Graham’s term, and on Monday, both President Donald Trump and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) urged the governor to choose the senator’s sister. Multiple media outlets reported Monday afternoon that McMaster had indeed decided to appoint Graham Nordone; the announcement was soon made official.

In a press conference at the South Carolina Statehouse in the state capital Columbia, McMaster delivered some brief remarks in tribute to Graham, “this poor boy from a little town in South Carolina,” and said it was his “duty and honor to name someone to serve in the place of this irresistible man, this irreplaceable man, this extraordinary man, for the remainder of his term.”

McMaster said that Graham Nordone had “agreed to serve through tears” and he was “humbled by your quickness to see the duty that you had to serve.” The governor added that he had “called the president afterwards and he thought it was a great idea, and I’m sure that everyone here does as well.”

“Darline, little sister, come forward please,” McMaster introduced her as she stepped up to the microphone to deliver her remarks.

“Thank you, Governor, and just bear with me as I try to get through this, but first, I just want to say one thing I’ve never heard Lindsey described as is ‘irresistible,'” she said, drawing laughter from those gathered as she began her prepared remarks, her voice occasionally wavering with emotion:

First, I would like to thank everyone who has called and reached out over the past couple of days. I can’t tell you how much it’s meant to me and our family. I know Lindsey was loved and respected by many, and I greatly appreciate the memories and even the funny stories that have been shared. These shared experiences, along with our faith, have gotten us through these past two very difficult days.

Next, I want to thank the governor for selecting me to serve the remainder of Lindsey’s term. It is such an honor, Lindsey has always been there for me, and now I will be there for him.

My brother was the most amazing person, outstanding leader, and just a genuinely good man. He was kind and considerate and loved by his family dearly.

As I think everyone would agree, Lindsey worked harder than anyone. He worked nonstop to make our state, country, and world better. He loved his family and loved serving this state and our country. He dedicated his life to our country.

It is such a privilege to get to finish some of his important work, and I promise to work hard over the next several months to support the president and carry forward the efforts of my brother on behalf of the citizens of South Carolina and the United States.

I know Lindsey thought the world of his staff and colleagues, and with their support, I feel confident. I think this is what Lindsey would have wanted, and I plan to honor him in this way.

Now to Lindsey, I miss you more than I can even put into words, but I’m going to do this. I got it. Thank you.

Watch the clip above via CNN.

The post ‘This Is What Lindsey Would Have Wanted’: Graham’s Sister Emotionally Accepts Appointment to Finish His Term first appeared on Mediaite.

Alex Brandon/AP Photo

President Donald Trump wrote a letter to Congress on Friday notifying the body that the U.S. military had resumed its war against Iran as of July 7th.

CNN, Politico, and other outlets revealed the letter was sent late last week in reports on Monday afternoon. Politico noted that Trump’s letter is “giving his administration another 60-day clock to use the military in the region without congressional approval.”

Trump said the U.S. had resumed “defensive” strikes against Iran. “These strikes are limited, measured, planned, and executed in a manner designed to minimize civilian casualties,” Trump added in the letter sent to Senate President Pro Tempore Chuck Grassley (R-IA).

On Fox News Monday morning, Trump said that the U.S. will “take over” the Strait of Hormuz, the flashpoint that has led to the resumption of hostilities in recent days. Iran has attacked commercial vessels trying to transit the key energy hub in recent weeks, a violation of the ceasefire agreement reached between the two sides.

Trump also announced on Truth Social Monday that “The Hormuz Strait is OPEN, and will remain OPEN, with or without Iran.” In an eyebrow raising social media post, Trump added, “The U.S.A. will be, from this point forward, known as “THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT,” but as such, and as a matter of FAIRNESS, will be reimbursed, at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped, for any and all costs necessary to do the job of providing safety and security to this very volatile section of the World. The process and formation will begin immediately. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

Trump has vowed to continue bombing Iran “hard” both Monday and Tuesday.

This is a developing story and has been updated.

The post Reports Reveal Trump Quietly Notified Congress US Is At War With Iran Again first appeared on Mediaite.

(AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Louisiana rapper Boosie Badazz thought he’d been given a new opportunity this January, three years after he was arrested and charged with felony possession of a firearm. Boosie’s legal team told him that the two men he’d hired and paid $600,000 to get him a pardon from President Donald Trump had come through.

Unfortunately, it turned out that the men likely scammed Boosie out of his money, NOTUS reported in a lengthy feature Monday.

Boosie, who was born Torence Hatch, is suing Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman. The men are described as “far-right political operatives and lobbyists at JM Burkman & Associates” by NOTUS, who also received the contract Boosie signed.

The paperwork appears to promise the rapper can receive at least half of his payment if the men fail to come through. But the contract was also improperly dated for 2025 and has several typos and other errors. JM Burkman & Associates also told NOTUS that “no provision to return half the fee was ever actually agreed to.”

The process of issuing pardons has typically fallen under the jurisdiction of the Department of Justice, but that’s not the case under the Trump administration. Now, “a handful of White House aides routinely guide who is considered for a pardon.” Trump has the final say in who is and is not approved.

These changes have altered the ecosystem in which pardons have existed. Now, people who have access to Trump—or, possibly, who can make it appear they do—can sell that access. Boosie first sought the help of Alice Marie Johnson, Trump’s pardon czar. He turned to Wohl and Burkman after he didn’t hear back.

The trio met up. “They were real aggressive, they were talking like they had Trump on speed dial,” Boosie told NOTUS. He signed a contract that he believed held a “provision that would allow Boosie to request a partial refund of the $600,000 fee if the lobbyists had not secured a presidential pardon by ‘close of business’ on Jan. 31, 2025″— a date NOTUS points out was already in the past at time of signing.

The pair also reportedly promised to get the help of Laura Loomer. When Boosie’s lawyer inquired about her effectiveness, they are said to have told him Loomer “is the person for the Jewish guys” and they’d tried to “rapper batch” the pardon “through the Black world.”

Boosie was under the impression a pardon was imminent as recently as New Year’s Eve, when Burkman texted it was “in hand and is ready to sign.” A White House aide told Boosie and his lawyer no pardon application had ever been filed in his name. His relationship with the pair ended this March.

Read the above at NOTUS.

The post Rapper Paid $600k to Two Men in Wild Scheme to Get a Trump Pardon: Report first appeared on Mediaite.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) choked up on the Senate floor Monday as he remembered his friend and colleague Sen. Lindsey Grahan (R-SC), who died unexpectedly over the weekend.

During his address, Thune said he relied on Graham for a “steady flow of humor and encouragement” as they served in the House of Representatives and in the Senate together.

“He always could make me laugh. Always,” Thune said.

“If there is any light to be found in this grief, it is this: That, as a Christian like Lindsey, I know that death is not the end,” Thune continued:

The Apostle Paul writes, and I quote, “Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again. And so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him,” end quote. Or as another Graham once put it, and I quote, “Someday you will read or hear the Billy Graham is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it. I shall be more alive that I am now. I will just have changed my address. I’ll have gone into the presence of God,” end quote. I will miss Lindsey’s friendship, Mr. President, more than I can say. We pray for his staff and for his family, whom he loved dearly, and who loved him dearly in return.

“But I am comforted by the knowledge that in the end, he has just changed address, and that one day Mr. President,” Thune added while pausing to hold back tears, “we will laugh together again.”

A bouquet of white roses adorned Graham’s desk on the Senate floor that was draped in a black shroud.

Watch the clip above via NewsNation.

The post GOP Senate Leader Chokes Up in Emotional Senate Floor Tribute to Lindsey Graham first appeared on Mediaite.

Joy Reid said she is not down with the “Vote Blue no matter who” mantra anymore.

The former cable news star went off on the Democratic Party for taking its supporters for granted and treating them “like employees” on the Sunday episode of her YouTube show.

“You’re treating us like we’re obligated to obey you. You want obedience, not passion. Obedience, first of all, we ain’t giving you obedience, because you’ve not obeyed us!”

The former MS NOW host pointed to ex-President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better plan as one example where the Dems sold out their constituents. Reid said half of that legislation was supposed to help “ordinary” Americans by providing free preschool and subsidized childcare, but then-Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) sabotaged it. That showed the Dems don’t care about their voters, Reid said.

She also bashed the Dems for lacking enough “fighters,” like Democratic Socialist/New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

Reid went on to call herself a “liberated Democrat,” or someone who does not blindly support the party’s leadership.

“The leaders are supposed to be obedient to the people, not the other way around,” Reid said. “Ya’ll want obedience, you don’t want our passion. You want our obedience, you want us to obey you. We should not obey!”

Reid’s rant comes a few weeks after she said she was done supporting the Democratic Party until it commits to completely abandoning Israel as an American ally.

“To me, I, going forward, cannot vote for a Democrat who does not pledge to end this relationship [with Israel]. This relationship needs to end,” Reid said. “This is a nuclear armed expansionist power. They don’t need our money, and they definitely won’t get my vote.”

That came a moment after she complained the Democratic Party has been “married” to Israel just like the Republican Party — “no matter what they do, no matter how many people they kill,” Reid vented.

Watch above.

Jason Cohen contributed to this report.

The post Joy Reid Rips Into Democratic Party for Treating Constituents ‘Like Employees’: ‘We Should Not Obey!’ first appeared on Mediaite.

J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo

TMZ added fuel to the fire Monday when it joined the ongoing speculation surrounding around the latest update on Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

McConnell’s health has been the subject of debate in recent weeks due to a recent lengthy stay in the hospital. At the time of writing, the Kentucky senator had not been seen in weeks.

This had led to growing concerns about McConnell’s health, with some even speculating that he was secretly already dead. Conservative firebrand and Trump ally Laura Loomer, citing a “White House source,” claimed McConnell was on life support and had been declared brain dead.

On Sunday, McConnell addressed the rumors when he released a photo and a statement. In the photo, he could be seen sitting in a hospital bed with his wife Elaine Chao. He detailed the timeline of his stay at the hospital and also revealed he’d been dealing with a bout of pneumonia.

“I’ll keep working hard to get back on the Senate floor as soon as possible,” the senator said. “And I’ll keep you posted on the progress of my recovery. Until then, I’m so grateful for your prayers and well wishes.”

On Monday, TMZ’s Harvey Levin and Charles Latibeaudiere announced they’d join the discussion in an upcoming episode of TMZ Live. The pair said in a video posted online:

LEVIN: On the next TMZ Live, Mitch McConnell’s people saying he is alive and well-ish at a rehab facility.

LATIBEAUDIERE: But nobody’s buying this proof-of-life photo.

During their spirited discussion on the show, Levin argued that it was suspicious for someone in McConnell’s “feeble” condition to wear a buttoned down shirt — calling it “weird. He also explained why he believed McConnell’s health scare was a pivotal “moment” in American politics.

“The real point here is that when you look at what’s going on in Congress,” Levin said, “this is a moment where, all of a sudden, Lindsey Graham dies over the weekend. You’ve got Mitch McConnell infirmed like this, and it really affects the Senate! It affects the House when somebody is MIA for four months and doesn’t say why!”

The post ‘Nobody’s Buying This!’ TMZ Joins Critics Casting Doubt on Mitch McConnell Photo first appeared on Mediaite.

(AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool)

President Donald Trump announced in a Truth Social post Monday that he’ll be addressing the nation on Thursday.

“Donald Trump will be making a Speech to the Nation on Thursday evening, at 9 P.M. Eastern,” the third-person post read. “Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

Although Trump gave no details on what he planned to discuss, the address comes as fighting with Iran intensified in the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend. U.S. Central Command launched a new barrage of strikes Sunday evening, writing on X, “The Commander in Chief has directed the strikes to hold Iranian forces accountable.” The post referred to Iran’s attack of a Cyprus-flagged container ship on Saturday that caused one civilian crew member to go missing.

There is likely to be discussion in media circles about whether some networks will take Trump’s Thursday speech. His last several primetime addresses took on a heavily partisan political tone, and there was grousing from some critics about broadcast networks having to ditch regular programming to air it.

“While Americans might have been disappointed in Trump’s say-nothing address — which glossed over the financial hardships they are feeling, particularly at the gas pump — that might have been nothing compared to the frustration of the networks that had to interrupt regularly scheduled programming,” Poynter’s Tom Jones wrote, adding, “That was probably especially true for CBS and Fox. CBS had to interrupt a two-hour episode of ‘Survivor,’ while Fox was airing the two-hour season finale of ‘The Masked Singer.'”

The New York Times’ Tyler Pager wrote at the time that Trump’s 19 minute speech, “largely repeated the same messages he has in recent public appearances. That will certainly disappoint some Republican allies, as well as investors, who were hoping the president would announce how he planned to end the war.”

The post JUST IN: Trump Announces Primetime Address to the Nation in New Post first appeared on Mediaite.

Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin was clearly unsettled on Monday after his colleague Mike Emanuel reported 44% of American Muslims have a favorable view of Hamas, according to a new survey from Pew Research.

Emanuel shared that stunning figure while Melugin was co-hosting America’s Newsroom.

“That is quite a statistic, Mike,” Melugin reacted.

Pew’s survey was released on July 9, showing Muslim citizens were far more likely to support Hamas than Americans from different faiths. Only 8% of Catholics and 2% of Jews said they backed Hamas, while various Protestant divisions were between 6-17% support.

American Muslims weren’t big fans of Israelis or the Israeli government, either. Pew found 26% of American Muslims had a favorable view of Israelis and 12% had a favorable view of the Israeli government, compared to 78% who had a favorable view of the Palestinians. Muslims showed the least support for Israelis and the Israeli government out of all the religious groups, as well as those who identified as “unaffiliated.”

(Graphic via Pew Research)

Pew’s survey found Israel’s standing among Americans — especially young Americans — has slipped in the past few years.

“U.S. adults under 30 express much more favorable views of the Palestinian people (58%) than of the Israeli people (32%),” Pew said in its report.

The report also showed both Democrats and Republicans have a worse view of Israel than they did in 2022, one year before Hamas terrorists slaughtered about 1,200 people and took hundreds of hostages to Gaza.

Republicans in 2022 had a 77% favorable view of Israelis, compared to 65% now; 62% of Dems had a favorable view of Israelis in 2022, compared to 43% in 2026.

“The youngest Democrats are slightly more likely to view Hamas than the Israeli government favorably,” Pew added. “The opposite is true among older Democrats. However, Democrats of all ages have slightly more positive views of the Palestinian Authority than of the Israeli government.”

Pew conducted its poll between May 4-17; it had 12,574 respondents.

Watch above.

The post ‘That is Quite a Statistic!’ Fox News Anchor Stunned By American Muslims’ Support for Hamas in New Poll first appeared on Mediaite.

CNN

Israeli settlers ambushed a group in the West Bank that included reporters from CNN, the news organization reported Monday. The group, which was led by Jerusalem Correspondent Jeremy Diamond, traveled to the area where American citizen Saif Musallet was killed last year.

Four settlers quickly descended on the reporters, who were joined by Musallet’s father, Kamel. When the CNN group tried to leave, the settlers “blocked the road with their car and tried to keep the vehicles from moving forward,” per a release from the network.

The settlers were armed with wooden and metal rods as well as stones. One brandished a knife and attempted to use it to puncture the tires of the vehicle Diamond and the others traveled in. Diamond eventually called the Israeli military, which has jurisdiction over the settlers, but they reportedly refused to address the behavior.

A second commander sent his soldiers to address the problem. Four settlers were arrested, and authorities pulled clubs and a knife from the suspects’ vehicle.

“Without an armored car, without a bulletbroof vest, how do I get to my land?” Kamel says to Diamond in a video shared by the network. “The Israeli army right now should be here kicking them out.”

Sayfollah “Saif” Musallet, an American citizen who was visiting his family in Sinjil, was beaten to death by a group of settlers in 2025. He was 20-years-old. Musallet was part of a group of Palestinians and people of Palestinian descent who hoped to travel to land owned by their families in the area.

Watch the above via CNN

The post CNN Reports Israeli Settler Pulled a Knife On Their Team in the West Bank, Tried to Puncture Their Tires first appeared on Mediaite.

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster (R) will appoint Darline Graham Nordone, the sister of Lindsey Graham (R-SC), to fill the late senator’s vacated Senate seat, various reports said on Monday afternoon.

Graham Nordone, one of Graham’s only family members who was adopted by her brother after the death of their parents, will be named to succeed him on Monday, according to multiple reports. The official announcement was scheduled for 4 pm on Monday.

Politico’s Jonathan Martin wrote on social media, “It’s happening: @henrymcmaster will appoint Darline Graham Nordone to fill out the rest of her brother’s Senate term this year, per a Repub familiar.”

The appointment will come two days after the 71-year-old’s sudden death on Saturday.

On Monday morning, Graham Nordone was recommended by both President Donald Trump and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott (R) as the best choice to take over.

“I recommended, to Governor Henry McMaster, Lindsey Graham’s wonderful sister, Darline, to serve as interim Senator from the Great State of South Carolina,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. “This would be a fabulous tribute to Lindsey, who loved her dearly!”

“Lindsey Graham’s sister, Darline Graham Nordone, would be a fantastic pick to serve out the remainder of the senate term,” Scott added in an X post. “After speaking with Darline, there is no one better who understands Lindsey’s love for family, our state, and our country.”

Watch above via Fox News.

The post ‘It’s Happening’: Lindsey Graham’s Sister Reportedly Chosen to Fill His Senate Seat first appeared on Mediaite.

(AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Democrats are on track to come away from this year’s midterms with at least 218 seats in the House, per six experts who analyzed the upcoming election’s odds for The New York Times today. Perry Bacon, Carlos Odio, Patrick Ruffini, Nate Silver, Charlotte Swasey, and Lynn Vavreck also generally agree that the Dems will not gain total control of the Senate this fall, but will pick up some seats.

The Times asked each election analyst to choose points of data, races, and candidates that “capture the state of play in midterm contests across the country.”

All six agreed that the Democrats would gain control of the House if the midterms were held today. “Donald Trump’s dismal approval ratings would suggest a massive House defeat for the president’s party, similar to 2006, 2010 and 2018,” wrote Bacon, a staff writer for The New Republic.

Odio, the founder of Eqius Research, agreed, but warned: “All signs point to a Democratic House majority. But there is a drag on Democrats keeping them from a larger tsunami.” That drag may be political groups who supported Trump in the 2024 election, and who haven’t quite given up on him yet. “Today, I can see Democrats pulling off one miracle — but it’s too early to anticipate more. I still think Maine will move on from Susan Collins,” he added.

Swasey, author of the newsletter Medium Data, also cautioned against belief in a “blue wave,” even with Trump’s approval rating, which is below 40%. “My guess is the relationship between approval ratings and midterm results isn’t linear, making 2026 a strong Democratic year but not a re-enactment of 2018,” she explained.

The group also cited key swing states like Michigan (Ruffini) and Ohio (Bacon) as important to keep an eye on—and that’s true for Iowa as well, said Silver Bulletin author Nate Silver. Josh Turek, the Democratic candidate, is in a “tossup” with Representative Ashley Hinson. And while Dems have been burned by polls before, Silver noted that “sometimes being below the radar is helpful” and “The race won’t attract as much money as, say, Texas, and Turek might not be as easy for Republicans to typecast as James Talarico.”

The post Nate Silver and 5 Other Analysts Unanimously Predict Dem House Takeover and Senate Gains first appeared on Mediaite.

(AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

President Donald Trump was ruthlessly trolled with a 10-foot-tall Iran war “Participation Trophy” that mysteriously appeared Monday morning on the National Mall.

The trophy included a plaque that read:

We hereby award President Donald J. Trump this participation trophy for his enthusiastic involvement in the Iran War,” the trophy’s plaque read. “While some concern themselves with military strategy, diplomacy, or measurable outcomes, President Trump demonstrated the courage to participate regardless of the final score.

As the recipient of this prestigious award, President Trump joins the ranks of children everywhere who received recognition for simply showing up.

Taking credit for the new landmark was the guerrilla artist group, Secret Handshake.

A spokesperson told The Daily Beast that the monument also serves as the “Donald Trump Trophy Donation Center,” where the public is encouraged to drop off their own prizes for the president.

“Together, we hope that if enough trophies are donated, he will be perceived as a winner and not feel the need to bomb other countries,” the spokesperson said.

Trump has repeatedly made known his desire to receive a Nobel Peace Prize for “ending” anywhere from eight to 10 wars.
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to Trump, which he gladly accepted.

In addition, FIFA President Gianni Infantino awarded Trump the widely-mocked “inaugural FIFA Peace Prize” at the 2026 World Cup Final Draw in Washington, D.C.

Secret Handshake was the group behind the installation of fully functioning arcade games on the Mall’s West Potomac Park titled “Operation Epic Furious: Strait to Hell,” as well as a golden 12-foot monument to Trump and pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Trump has repeatedly claimed that Iran was desperately begging him for a deal to end the military operation that started in June 2025 and escalated in March 2026. Meanwhile, despite a signed “Memorandum of Understanding,” U.S. Central Command and Iran have continued to trade missile strikes in the Strait of Hormuz, the shipping waterway that Trump claimed Monday was “OPEN, and will remain OPEN, with or without Iran.”

The post Trump Trolled With 10-Foot-Tall Iran War ‘Participation Trophy’ on the National Mall first appeared on Mediaite.