Trump hammered for wild claim that 'Melania' was No 1 movie this year

President Donald Trump’s Wednesday speech in Law Vegas had no shortage of rambling and more than it’s fair share of broken chains of thought. More than enough to keep social media commenters and self-styled comedians busy when the monologue was done. But commenters were particularly tawdry over Trump’s claim of First Lady Melania Trump’s film success. Trump’s boast came after a tortured path through a description of “dirty” blue cities. “I see … a lot of bad results when you have the wrong people and the wrong ideology. But one of the things I see — and you see it here — the blue states run by Democrats, everything’s filthy, dirty all the time. The cities stink, they smell, the sidewalks [are] loaded was horrible stuff. I don’t want to use the term because my wife … she hates it when I use the term,” Trump began. “She doesn’t love it. She hates it when I imitate … no men in women’s sports. She hates it when I do the [woman] weight lifter. She said, ‘It’s not presidential.’ I said ‘Well, it may not be presidential, but I won the election in a landslide’, so I don’t know. Well, she’s very elegant. You know, Melania says hello to everybody. By the way, but she’s very, very elegant, she did a movie, I think it’s the number one movie of the year. She’s very elegant.” He clearly thought wrong, according to the legion of critics that swarmed posts of his video on X. “It wasn’t #1 for even a single day it was in theaters,” said author Hemant Mehta on X. “Let's call it what it is: a lie,” said another X heckler. “Tom Holland would like a word,” said another, referencing another Marvel movie lining up to be a smash. “I heard it was a number two,” quipped another comedian on X. Mediaite reports “Melania: Twenty Days to History” made $7 million in its opening weekend amid claims GOP operatives and candidates bought out entire theaters to funnel it money. But the movie cost Amazon MGM Studios $75 million to make. The documentary debuted as the third-most popular movie upon release, behind Send Help and The Iron Lung.” In February, the movie had received a collective score of just 6 out of 100 from critics, which indicates “overwhelming dislike.” Similarly, Melania scored a mere 6 percent on Rotten Tomatoes’ “Tomameter,” indicating that 94 percent of reviews for the movie had been negative. Even award-winning journalist and media founder Katherine Couric whacked the First Lady’s maligned documentary, handing it a highly sarcastic “riveting” for a scene featuring Melania Trump feebly trickling out karaoke from a car’s back seat.

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Trump’s bizarre pitch to Vegas voters: I might send gas prices up

President Donald Trump has long attempted to deny the sour state of America’s economy, even as rampant inflation causes millions of people to struggle to make ends meet. Yet on Wednesday, during a rally in Las Vegas, the president doubled down on his claim that the economy is improving — even as he acknowledged that things may get worse due to his ongoing war against Iran. “Remember, we inherited the worst inflation in the history of our country,” Trump said. “We took over -- what a mess it was, and we were bringing down prices and we brought down prices and nobody can believe what is going on.” At that point, Trump admitted that oil prices remain high, a condition significantly exacerbated by Iran taking control of the Strait of Hormuz. “When oil goes down, and it's going to go down very rapidly and is already happening, we may have to send it up again, we may have to -- you know what happens when we send it up,” Trump said. “But we don't have to. But when that oil and gasoline go down, everything else follows. But we have done a great job at reducing prices and we have done an unbelievable job in making our country really, really respected and successful again.” He also proceeded to brag about bringing drug prices down, making unsubstantiated claims that during his administration “we are delivering the largest prescription drug price cuts in the history of our country with price differences of- 400 percent, 500 percent and 600 percent.” Speaking with AlterNet in April, Dr. Ed Gresser, Vice President and Director for Trade and Global Markets at the Progressive Policy Institute, explained that Trump’s war against Iran will not cause gas prices to drop, despite claims like the one he made on Wednesday. “I would guess that yes, destruction of Iranian (and some other) energy facilities in the Persian Gulf area will have at least a medium-term effect keeping prices for crude oil and chemical fertilizer high, and that in turn means gasoline prices may come down only slowly,” Gresser told AlterNet. “Same for other petroleum-based products such as plastics, skin creams, and so on. The high potential of conflict also adds risk premiums to shipping and other costs.” He continued, “Longer-term, lots of open questions. One is whether the administration will really concede that Iran has a right to close the Strait of Hormuz and assess tolls on shipping passing through it. That would make the smaller Gulf monarchies and to some extent Iraq reliant on Iranian good will for all of their exports. Likewise, Asian countries are the main buyers of Persian Gulf energy, and their supplies would be much less secure.” Gresser’s view was reinforced by Dr. Robert Shapiro, who served as a top economic adviser to President Bill Clinton. “Even if hostilities do not restart, the price of oil will not return to pre-Trump levels because there’s a new risk premium that they could restart at any time, increasing tanker insurance costs for example, and because oil infrastructure has been degraded, reducing supply for some time,” Shapiro told AlterNet. “An Iran-controlled toll to use the Strait will produce big bucks for Iran, but its impact on world prices for oil, natural gas, helium, etc. should be minimal. Another source of economic friction will be the now-intense uncertainty about what the Trump administration will do next—in the Mideast and in scores of policies at home; and uncertainty dampens investment.” He added, “As it is, the economy was weakening before this crisis began, and these and other factors will exacerbate those downward pressures. A resolution over the next two weeks will not stop the deterioration in economic conditions.” In response to these criticisms, White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told AlterNet that “the United States’ energy dominance status, as the world’s leading producer and a top exporter of oil and natural gas, has positioned us to not rely on the free flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz like other countries. If anything, Operation Epic Fury actually underscored the importance of producing reliable, affordable, and secure energy here at home. Many of our allies that have tried transitioning to intermittent and unreliable renewable energy sources have predictably failed to break their reliance on foreign oil that goes through the Strait." She concluded, "Several countries from around the world are now looking to emulate the President’s energy dominance agenda and are advancing new partnerships that enhance their energy security with the United States.” - YouTube youtu.be

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Federal Judge Weakens The National Firearms Act

The National Firearms Act mandated a permitting process for short-barreled rifles and shotguns, as well as suppressors. A judge ruled that the provision was unconstitutional.

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Trump’s latest panic is a clear threat to America: security expert

Atlantic writer Tom Nicols said it’s not enough that President Donald Trump is a bumbling fool whose mistakes make the nation look like idiots: He’s a vicious bumbling fool who wants to blame others for his buffoonery. “Tom Nichols, you accurately place this conversation in its real moment... Explain,” said MS NOW anchor Nicole Wallace. “Well, he's always been a narcissist. I don't think … you need to be a psychiatrist to reach that conclusion. That's just who he is. But there comes a time in some kinds of regimes, authoritarian regimes, where the leader has become so isolated, so surrounded by people … so unwilling to tell him the truth, so capable of kind of snapping his fingers and, making a reality, like he did with the [Reflecting] pool,” said Nichols. Nichols said the situation is particularly dangerous because “there is no one around” Trump to say “this isn't true or that's a bad idea.” “He now has become completely wrapped up in his own power and surrounded by people that are just footmen rather than advisors. That is incredibly dangerous,” said Nichols. “It's bad when it's the, the head of a corporation or the captain of a sports team, but when you're the president of the United States and you lose touch with reality because you're simply cut off from anybody and anything that can contradict the reality of that movie inside your own head rather than what you see around you, that's just astonishingly dangerous.” Nichols said the unfortunate situation is a hallmark of other regimes, particularly Latin American dictatorships and the old Soviet bloc. “It's just who he is now. And, you know, his team has helped make him that way," said Nichols. Ben Rhodes spoke of the “human toll” of this problem as Trump seeks out targets to blame when his misinformed policies blow up in his face. “Other presidents [have] done things that were mistakes that cost lives, but this is a scenario in which he made a decision to do this reflecting pool with this sketchy, no bid contractor, and it goes to pieces. And he basically instructs people apparently to go find culprits to be guilty of this, and they have to be cast as violent vandals or left-wing terrorists or something,” said Rhodes. “Trump can probably convince himself that what he thinks is the reality. It almost is immaterial whether he believes it or not. But this is different. Like this idea that like, ‘hey, we're going to go find some people to punish, to validate my theory of reality.’” - YouTube youtu.be

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Helicopter Carrying Trump Flies Near Passenger Jet in Washington Airspace

Marine One, the helicopter that ferries the president, came within less than a mile of an Envoy Air flight on Tuesday, raising new concerns about air traffic control in the congested area.

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Trump nominee tears apart 'decrepit' Mitch McConnell

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has been absent from the United States Senate since June, with many observers questioning his story that he simply had a fall and relatively minor post-fall complications. From Kentucky crowds chanting “Where’s Mitch?” to fellow GOP lawmakers questioning his absence (including Sens. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and John Cornyn of Texas), it has become commonplace for American political observers to wonder aloud why McConnell has not confirmed that he is alive and capable of serving. Now the attacks are coming figuratively from inside the house — that is, his own Kentucky Republican Party. And the attacks preceded his June hospitalization. President Donald Trump’s choice for Ambassador to Colombia, Kentucky Republican politician and businessman Nate Morris, slammed McConnell as “decrepit” and even compared him to former President Joe Biden, who infamously blundered during his 2024 debate seemingly as a result of his advanced age. “Who here can honestly tell me that it’s a good thing to have a senior citizen who freezes on national television during his press conferences as our U.S. senator?” Morris told the Fancy Farms picnic in 2025, referring to an incident in which McConnell froze and was unable to answer questions during a press conference. “It seems to me, maybe just maybe, Mitch’s time to leave the Senate was a long time ago,” Morris continued in the speech. “I mean, for goodness sakes, a lot of us here at this picnic talked a lot of smack about Joe Biden and how old he was and how out of touch he was with the American people.” He continued, “So why is it that you all get so defensive when I talk about a man who’s older than Biden, just as mentally compromised and holds the same positions as Biden on amnesty, Ukraine funding, and his hatred for Trump?” Despite being a fellow Kentucky Republican, Morris has long been an adversary of McConnell’s. In February Morris, a friend of Vice President JD Vance, described the future of the Republican Party by saying that “certainly, if you’re with Mitch McConnell, you’re not part of that future.” Morris had been endorsed in his campaign to replace McConnell as Kentucky’s senator by two beloved figures from the American right, Tesla CEO Elon Musk and the late Charlie Kirk. In that same interview, Morris referred to McConnell as a “relic.”

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Lawsuit over Missouri’s congressional map could throw a wrench into midterms

If the court approves the request for a referendum, it could raise questions about whether Tuesday’s primary winners under the new map are the official nominees.

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El-Sayed gives progressives another victory and a new challenge

In Michigan’s primaries, the most progressive candidates won out, extending their movement into the Rust Belt and setting up a major test in November.

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Why Polling Overestimated Abdul El-Sayed’s Advantage in Michigan

Surveys greatly overestimated how Dr. Abdul El-Sayed would fare in the state’s Democratic Senate primary, revealing some typical polling challenges.

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Government watchdog still can’t identify who all worked for DOGE

Over a year after Elon Musk left the government, it remains unclear who was in DOGE and if they understood ethics rules.

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Top conservative magazine calls it: Trump should be impeached

On Wednesday, the National Review – the preeminent conservative magazine since 1955 — called it: President Donald Trump has done the “impeachable.” “There is no plausible defense of Trump's TruthSocial scheme,” declared National Review Senior Editor Charles Cooke. “It is flagrantly corrupt. It is impeachable. Congress should intervene. (It won't, I know.)” He posted this assertion over his latest article, entitled “Truth Social’s Early-Access Scheme Is Indefensible.” As he explains, over the weekend, the Trump Media & Technology Group announced the creation of a “real-time feed on the Truth Social website that will give paying institutions early access to certain high-profile posts for between $60,000 and $100,000 per month.” Cooke doesn’t hold back with his assessment of the scheme, writing, “There is no credible defense of this. The only reason that anyone would want priority access to Truth Social is to gain priority access to President Trump’s pronouncements on that platform. And the only reason that anyone would want priority access to President Trump’s pronouncements on that platform is to act on them for pecuniary gain.” As Cooke elaborates, “Trump often uses Truth Social as the primary forum for his announcements — announcements that include changes to personnel, the imposition or rescission of tariffs, key foreign policy decisions, and more. These announcements are extremely useful to financial institutions, and, in the age of high-speed trading, the faster those financial institutions can obtain them, the more money those financial institutions can make. Facilitating this access is not a byproduct of Truth Social’s API offering; it is its core — perhaps its sole — purpose. Simply put: President Trump is charging Americans a fee — a fee that, in part, goes into his family’s pockets — for the privilege of receiving news about his official actions earlier than those who do not pay.” According to Cooke, it is “obvious how unequivocally corrupt this setup is. Technically speaking, the beneficiaries will not gain the information they seek directly from Trump himself, but indirectly, via an API (Application Programming Interface) whose output will be processed by a bunch of semi-autonomous servers and acted upon according to a set of predetermined parameters. But the results will be the same as if Trump had personally picked up the phone.” He continues, “Good traders do not react to the news on the fly; they have plans of action, which are to be implemented if a war starts or ends, if taxes are raised or cut, if the Federal Reserve’s next chairman is expected to be hawkish, dovish, or somewhere in between, and so on. If, instead of using Truth Social as the middleman, President Trump announced that, for a hefty annual charge, he would call a select group of brokers at the stock exchange to inform them of his important decisions, and thereby give them a head start in executing their plans, we would call that what it is: corruption. Why not here?” Here Cooke concludes in rare agreement with Democratic lawmakers, writing, “Senators Warren and Schiff have described Trump’s plan as ‘an outrageous abuse of the President’s office for his personal benefit that undermines everyday investors and the integrity of our markets, while enriching Wall Street and other wealthy insiders.’ They are correct… It is certainly a grave offense against honesty, transparency, and good government. If it has any self-respect, Congress will respond to the president’s brazen provocation by passing a law that renders his model flatly illegal. And, if that fails to persuade him, it will impeach and remove him from office, the better to drain the swamp.”

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Michigan Senate primary shows Democratic establishment has lost its grip

The upset highlighted how out of touch the power brokers are with the party's surging left wing as they try to retake control of the Senate.

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Cost of Trump’s Namesake Warships Likely to Rise by 50 Percent or More

President Trump’s goal of building a “golden fleet” of 15 battleships could cost $275 billion, according to a government estimate.

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This chaplain may become first trans person elected to Michigan legislature

Joanna Whaley is favored to win the heavily Democratic district in November.

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Why there’s so much heat on Anthony Fauci right now

Public health experts have a few theories.

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The Trump admin just entered a surreal new phase

America has a spoiled brat for a president, not a grown man. I think that's a reasonable conclusion. Tariffs have been a nightmare for the country. Not only have they done great harm, they are a form of theft, as the Supreme Court ruled them illegal. Yet when asked for his message on the economy, what does Donald Trump say? "Tariffs have been incredible." This isn't just a lie. It's the delusion of a prepubescent boy who wants everyone to play along – or face his wrath. And when I say "everyone," I mean a clear and overwhelming majority. The last time Trump's approval rating was at parity was on March 11, 2025, according to the Times. Since April 1 of that year, the day the tariff regime began, it's been underwater. Per the Times, his approval stands at 38 percent today. (The AP puts it at a stunning 33 percent.) What does he say to people who hate illegal taxes, who hate paying higher prices as a result of those illegal taxes, and who constitute a clear and overwhelming majority that is going to act with prejudice against his party in the coming midterms? "Tariffs have been incredible." The consequences of a spoiled-brat president are far-reaching, however. They touch even his own people when they are caught between the truth and his fantasies. Jeanine Pirro, the US attorney for the District of Columbia, was supposed to punish a scapegoat for the administration's screwed-up renovation of the Lincoln Memorial's Reflecting Pool. She thought she found one when she accused David Hearn, a former Olympian, of vandalism. But then she dropped all charges Friday. A court filing said that "the peeling of the liner was the result of a botched installation by a contractor rushing to finish the project ahead of celebrations to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary," according to the Post. Pirro blamed Interior Secretary Doug Burgum for lying to her. Then Burgum, knowing which story President Brat prefers, lied again, saying it wasn't a botched installation. It was vandalism. In turn, Trump said Pirro – a former Fox personality who humiliates herself regularly in shows of loyalty to the president – "choked" and "folded like an umbrella," even though the charges against Hearn had no basis in the real world. The only world that matters is his, and while everyone wonders whether Pirro will have a job by week's end, he reminds us that he's the sole arbiter of reality, and if you don't like it, tough. "I’m the president and you’re not." Having a spoiled brat for a president will yield many outcomes, some predictable, as when he betrays bootlickers, others less so, as when he accuses blue cities and blues states of being "really the threat to the country." He's already denying disaster relief to states run by Democrats, which is illegal in its own right. What would he do in the event of a September 11-type strike on American soil? Iran reportedly launched a cyber-attack on water systems in Minnesota and six other states. The commander-in-chief did not, however, blame Iran, a country against which he is already at war. He blamed Minnesota, claiming it attacked itself. "You know who's behind it?" Trump said. "Minnesota, because they're grossly incompetent." Who's going to tell a presidential brat otherwise when telling him is so costly? Trump's politics are often called authoritarian, but given all of the above, I think that might give him and his cabinet members too much dignity. To illustrate further, let me direct your attention to comments made by a man who is giving dietary advice to "the most powerful men in America" who are, according to the Times, "eating only steak and sauerkraut." Sean O’Mara called such a diet "eating healthy" and the thing about it, he told reporter Willy Staley, is that "you don’t need toilet paper." You could say authoritarians want to be God so badly that they won't stoop to the condition of mere mortals in order to wipe their own butts. Or you can say they are spoiled brats who get mad at the idea of grown ups warning them of the consequences of their petulance. In any case, it's fair to say that nothing says “prepubescent politics" like a Trump dietitian bragging to a reporter from an elite newspaper that his clients' bowel movements are “nearly orgasmic.” They do what they want, for reasons they invent, even if the result is they stink.

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Why did the polls miss so badly in Michigan?

Polls overestimated Abdul El-Sayed’s lead by 12 percentage points. That isn't unusual for statewide primary contests.

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Senate Confirms Dr. Erica Schwartz as C.D.C. Director

Dr. Schwartz, a deputy surgeon general in the first Trump administration, has publicly supported childhood vaccines.

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America First revolts after Trump welcomes Alan Dershowitz to MAGA

President Donald Trump prompted backlash from his MAGA followers and other "America First" Republicans, after making a post hailing Alan Dershowitz as a "Great American Patriot." Dershowitz is a longtime attorney and cable news fixture, best known for his tendency to work with high-profile clients, and ones who are often seen as controversial, including the likes of Jim Bakker and Harvey Weinstein. He also notably served on a legal team for the notorious Jeffrey Epstein, helping to secure his widely condemned 2006 non-prosecution agreement, which saw him walk away from serious charges with relatively light consequences. On Wednesday, Trump's official Truth Social account shared a post promoting Dershowitz's new book, "Why I Quit the Dems: And You Should Too," about his rejection of the Democratic Party and reluctant embrace of Republicans. "The Highly Respected Alan Dershowitz has written a powerful new book, 'Why I quit the Dems and so should you! (confessions of a reluctant Republican*)," the post read. "Alan is a Great American Patriot who understands the Wisdom and Courage it takes to defend Democracy from Communism, and it is our Honor to welcome him into the Party of COMMON SENSE! There are many others, like Alan, who feel abandoned by the Radical Left Dumocrats, and are fleeing the Dumocrat Party, and Blue States, for FREEDOM — This Book is for you." This post, shared on Tuesday night, began to circulate on X, and was received with disgust by many conservative and MAGA followers, who have generally felt betrayed by Trump's handling of the Epstein files. One of the biggest names to react on the platform was Rep. Thomas Massie, the outgoing Republican lawmaker who was successfully primaried after his criticism of the president. "Trump expands his base by welcoming Epstein’s lawyer Alan Dershowitz into MAGA. This should work out great for the midterms," he wrote in a post to X, alongside the famed "This Is Fine" meme. "'THE Highly Respected' Alan Dershowitz," Buckley Carlson, the son of Tucker Carlson and former JD Vance staffer, wrote on X, sarcastically attributing the quote to, "Donald Trump, world-renowned military strategist, Economist, Ethicist, & Deacon." "You can’t make this up. Trump just called Jeffrey Epstein’s former lawyer Alan Dershowitz 'highly respected' and endorsed his new book," Kacee Allen, the former Republican podcast, wrote in a post. "I’m sure there’s no connection between the Trump administration covering up the Epstein files and Trump staying on good terms with ALL of Epstein’s former associates. This is the Epstein Administration." Numerous other reactions emerged from accounts claiming to be conservative or MAGA-aligned, variously calling Trump's post "gross," "crazy" or "evil," and accusing him of "treason" and being a "sleazy traitor."Trump expands his base by welcoming Epstein’s lawyer Alan Dershowitz into MAGA. This should work out great for the midterms. https://t.co/wvwn3N3mtL pic.twitter.com/6cG4u4mTK2 — Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) August 5, 2026

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Democrats ask Interior watchdog to investigate response to Reflecting Pool damage

Sens. Whitehouse and Heinrich say the inspector general must probe the agency’s internal documents after Justice Department officials said Interior concealed information about damage to the pool’s renovations.

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How El-Sayed won the contentious Michigan Senate Democratic primary

Abdul El-Sayed won with a populist platform buoyed by voter discontent with establishment Democrats and Israel.

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Democrats turn out big in Michigan gubernatorial primary

About 1.5 million voters cast ballots in the Democratic primary for governor compared with about 930,000 in the Republican primary, as of midday Wednesday.

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Trump swaps Air Force One plan again — leaving Qatari jet in limbo

The fate of President Donald Trump's hugely controversial Qatari jet is now in limbo, per NBC News, as he once again shifts his plans regarding Air Force One. Trump set off widespread alarms over corruption and abuse of privileges last year when his administration announced that he would be accepting a new luxury Boeing 747-8 jet airplane as a gift from the government of Qatar, and would be retrofitting it to serve as his new Air Force One. Even more alarming, Trump planned to keep the aircraft personally after leaving office, making the allegations of bribery and corruption all the more severe. Trump had attempted to downplay these concerns by claiming that the jet from Qatar would be displayed at his planned presidential library in Miami after he leaves office. Now, however, his son let slip to NBC News that this plan is no longer in place, casting doubt on the president's assurances. "The plan seemed as clear-cut as it was unorthodox: After he leaves office, President Donald Trump said, the Qatari-gifted plane that he has used as Air Force One will be displayed at his new presidential library," the Wednesday report explained. "But that idea appears to have been scrapped. The president’s son Eric Trump told NBC News in a text message Tuesday that the plane that Qatar donated to the Defense Department last year for presidential travel isn’t the one that will go to the library complex in Miami once Trump leaves office." “No. That’s not the plan at the moment for Miami,” the younger Trump wrote in the text. Eric Trump previously told the Palm Beach Post that an older, retired Air Force One jet would be displayed at the presidential library, which he is involved in the planning of, and which appears set to be more akin to a luxury hotel and spa than a traditional library. Speaking further NBC, he cited other presidential libraries as examples, but did not address the discrepancy with his father's past claims. "Many of the presidential libraries have retired AF1’s (Reagan)," he texted. "If an older, decommissioned plane goes to Trump’s library complex, that raises a fresh question about the fate and future home of Qatar’s $400 million 'flying palace,'” the report added. "Will it remain part of the Air Force fleet once Trump leaves office in 2029, or does he have other ideas for an aircraft that he worked to procure?" When reached for clarification, the White House did not answer NBC's questions, providing only a boilerplate statement praising Trump's leadership. Norm Eisen, a former White House ethics adviser for Barack Obama, did not mince words when asked about the advisability of accepting such a gift from Qatar. “I wouldn’t have even allowed the president to take a snack on Qatari Force One,” Eisen said in an interview. “I would not have allowed him to take home a bag of Qatari pretzels! I wouldn’t even have allowed him to take a Qatari eye mask and earplugs, much less an entire plane!”

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