Meaghan McCabe
@meaghanmccabe.bsky.social
Communications Director for U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse. Pizza analyst. Better world a-comin’.
Much credit to @sollenbergerrc.bsky.social sollenbergerrc.substack.com/p/doj-remove...
DOJ Removed Record of Multiple FBI Interviews with Underage Trump Accuser, Epstein Data Shows
The FBI spoke at least four times with a woman who credibly accused Trump of sexually assaulting her when she was a minor, Epstein files show. That document is no longer accessible on the DOJ website.
sollenbergerrc.substack.com
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse@whitehouse.senate.gov · 5mo ago“The Justice Department has withheld some Epstein files related to allegations that President Trump sexually abused a minor, an NPR investigation finds.” www.npr.org/2026/02/24/n...
NEWS: The FBI interviewed an Epstein victim who credibly accused Trump of sexual assault, Epstein files show. substack.com/@sollenberge...
FBI Interviewed Trump Accuser, Epstein Files Show
Trump was credibly accused of sexual assault in the Epstein files. It's unclear what became of the DOJ's investigation.
substack.com
We are selecting diplomats to reduce US influence, which is sort of contrary to how it is usually done
Josh Marshall@joshtpm.bsky.social · 8mo agoTrump’s Pick For Ambassador To South Africa Actively Opposed Fight To End Apartheid talkingpointsmemo.com/news/trumps-...
ProPublica reports Dan Bongino got a polygraph waiver for his security clearance These exams catch foreign ties & blackmail risks Waivers at this level are unprecedented & part of a broader purge of career national-security experts I explained on @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social 👇 - TN
Why I changed my mind about the shutdown. fallows.substack.com/p/why-i-chan... (Paywall near the end.)
Why I Changed My Mind About the Shutdown ‘Surrender.’
Seven days ago, I thought we were seeing another episode of ‘DACO’: Dems Always Chicken Out. Now I think a deal I opposed is giving anti-Trump forces a stronger hand.
fallows.substack.com
This ballroom was made for Trump and his donor friends – not for you.
This is the moment Republicans have been dreaming about…🤢
Hope, as we say in Rhode Island. ⚓️ slate.com/news-and-pol...
This Is the Most Inspiring Thing I’ve Heard About Democracy at the Supreme Court in Ages
It’s not every day that a political leader talking about the state of U.S. democracy is able to hit two tricky notes at the same time: realism and hope.
slate.com
“Americans are being forced to accept masked paramilitary forces stopping you anytime, anywhere—demanding to know where people are from,” says @chrislhayes.bsky.social. “It is an assault on the idea of America itself.”
if i were a reporter i would be asking every republican politician if they agree that leonard leo is a sleazebag who hates america
Are they trying to kill us? Trump proposes a $40 billion cut at HHS—one-third of its discretionary budget. Cuts would hit chronic disease program, rural health initiatives, and HIV work. It would eliminate funding for Head Start. www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
Internal budget document reveals extent of Trump’s proposed health cuts
HHS would be asked to absorb a $40 billion cut, about one-third of its discretionary budget.
washingtonpost.com
Trump Escalates Use of Official Power to Intimidate and Punish His Perceived Foes A presidential decree instructing the Justice Department to scrutinize whether a former official broke the law crosses a new line. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/10/u...
Trump Escalates Use of Official Power to Intimidate and Punish His Perceived Foes
nytimes.com
“Should the precise timing of an imminent surprise attack be classified as secret?” kinda answers itself.
A fantastically important postscript to this piece: David Graham asks Jeffrey Goldberg about possible retaliation, and Goldberg gives a perfect answer — with perfect swipes. www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/...
"Each time Trump succeeds in subordinating his target, his power ricochets far beyond the particular organization in question, affecting the risk-taking calculus of those who fear they might be added to his list." www.justsecurity.org/109439/colle... The imagery is right on point. @justsecurity.org
The Imperative of Solidarity in Response to Assaults on Legal Services, Universities, and Independent Media
Author argues that Trump administration's unconstitutional actions against universities, law firms, and independent media requires collective responses.
justsecurity.org
Keep sharing this because it is vital to understanding this moment. The timing of his entry into politics after this trip, the one position he’s held firm on (at odds with past presidents of both political parties) and the unraveling of the post-WW II world order. www.politico.com/magazine/sto...
The Hidden History of Trump’s First Trip to Moscow
In 1987, a young real estate developer traveled to the Soviet Union. The KGB almost certainly made the trip happen.
politico.com
When civil society institutions — big law firms, Ivy League institutions — cave to Trump rather than fight what appear to be illegal demands, do they expect him to be satisfied and stop? Do they believe others should step in and fight where they have not?
The people who were warning you 8+ years ago were right therecord.media/hegseth-orde...
Exclusive: Hegseth orders Cyber Command to stand down on Russia planning
The secretary of Defense has ordered U.S. Cyber Command to stand down from all planning against Russia, including offensive digital actions, sources tell Recorded Future News.
therecord.media
Russian Lawmaker Predicted the Trump-Vance Ambush of Zelensky State Duma member Oleg Morozov said the meeting would be a lesson in humiliation, designed to condition Zelensky to capitulate to the US—and later to Russia. Me for @thedailybeast.bsky.social: www.thedailybeast.com/russian-lawm...
Russian Lawmaker Predicted the Trump-Vance Ambush of Zelensky
On Thursday, State Duma member Oleg Morozov guessed that “Daddy” Trump would “flog” Zelensky at the White House.
thedailybeast.com
"as with the war, Zelensky didn’t start this Oval Office exchange. Was he supposed to tolerate an extended public denigration of the Ukrainian people, who have been fighting a war for survival for three years?” — WSJ edit board Gift link: www.wsj.com/opinion/puti...
Opinion | Putin Wins the Trump-Zelensky Oval Office Spectacle
Vice President Vance starts a public fight that only helps Russia’s dictator.
wsj.com
Every news outlet reporting Elon Musk's comment about accidentally canceling Ebola prevention efforts and quickly restoring them should also say they haven't been restored, they're still canceled, the outbreak-fighting teams are dismantled, the money is gone www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
Musk says DOGE ‘restored’ Ebola prevention effort. Officials say that’s not true.
USAID’s initiatives to fight Ebola and other diseases have been gutted, current and former agency officials said.
washingtonpost.com
President Trump named bombastic MAGA podcast star Dan Bongino as deputy FBI director — a role that doesn't require Senate confirmation and typically goes to a senior agent. With loyalist Kash Patel confirmed as FBI director, the bureau can function effectively as Trump's private security force.
Trump's loyalty-first FBI
The bureau can function effectively as Trump's private security force.
axios.com
Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
"We cannot have a viable political system that relies on extraordinarily brave people—because there aren’t enough of them." Don't underestimate the intimidation factor in Republican acquiescence. @monacharen.bsky.social from the archives:
The Fear Factor in Republican Politics
The MAGA movement has made political violence and intimidation a regular feature of our public life.
thebulwark.com
👇How it started. Pls read it. "The spy chief wanted KGB staff abroad to recruit more Americans." www.politico.com/magazine/sto...
The Hidden History of Trump’s First Trip to Moscow
In 1987, a young real estate developer traveled to the Soviet Union. The KGB almost certainly made the trip happen.
politico.com
A lot of individuals risk their lives for America in the intelligence community, and I honestly can’t imagine what they’re feeling seeing someone this blatantly compromised rubber stamped by the Senate.
Lauren Ashley Davis@laurenmeidasa.bsky.social · last yr.BREAKING 🚨 🚨 🚨 Senate votes to confirm Tulsi Gabbard as top U.S. intelligence official Gabbard overcame initial skepticism from some Republican senators about her nomination, underscoring Trump's grip on the party. www.nbcnews.com/politics/nat...
Hell yeah. Hold the line. This is what we need people to do. Slow things down, don’t comply in advance so the courts have time to stop them. It’s starting to work.
Ellen L. Weintraub@ellenlweintraub.bsky.social · last yr.Received a letter from POTUS today purporting to remove me as Commissioner and Chair of the FEC. There's a legal way to replace FEC commissioners-this isn't it. I've been so fortunate to serve the American people and stir up some good trouble along the way. That's not changing anytime soon.