Lance Gooden

Just over the president's shoulder you may have spotted a small, handwritten sign. It read, "This is NOT Normal," in black ink.

President Donald Trump’s speech to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night was filled with falsehoods and bigotry and featured Republicans working to suppress dissenting voices—but in the mainstream media, these issues were largely glossed over, and the spectacle was presented as mostly normal, despite the decidedly abnormal state of the union.The Republican roster of guests at the address included hateful right-wing influencers and bigots, there to amplify key Trump themes, like transphobia and opposition to immigration. They stood in stark contrast to the Democratic guests, which included federal workers purged at the command of Trump’s billionaire benefactor Elon Musk, who loomed over Trump from the balcony.Republican Rep. Lance Gooden of Texas set the tone early when he ripped a sign reading “This is not normal” out of the hands of Democratic Rep. Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico as Trump walked by. The hostility to dissent skyrocketed as House Speaker Mike Johnson ordered the removal of Democratic Rep. Al Green of Texas, who protested during Trump’s speech, noting that the president does not have a mandate for his extremism. House Republican leaders are now pushing to unjustly censure Green over his protest.But in the headlines of the mainstream media, everything was more or less normal, and Trump was the belle of the ball.Democratic Rep. Nydia Velázquez of New York holds a protest sign with fellow Democrats as President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the Capitol on March 4, 2025.The New York Times: “A Combative Trump Says ‘America Is Back’ and Taunts His Political Rivals”The Washington Post: “Defiant Trump signals full speed ahead on divisive policies”Politico: “Trump celebrates disruption and defies backlash”Other major outlets echoed Republican annoyance at Democratic protests. NBC said Green’s statement “overshadowed” other protests, while CNN highlighted that members had “ignore[d] party guidance.”The tone of the coverage is even more remarkable when compared with the right-wing New York Post (owned by Fox News owner Rupert Murdoch): “Trump hails his whirlwind, six-week ‘common sense revolution’—as downbeat Dems protest address to Congress.”The so-called “liberal media” is essentially in lockstep with the most pro-Trump media conglomerate around.The tone of the coverage does not reflect the reality of the moment. Trump is engaged in an unprecedented right-wing attack on core American institutions, including the departments of Education and Veterans Affairs, the FBI, and even the U.S. Postal Service.The mainstream press has clearly decided to bend their collective knees to Trump. In some instances, this has even gone to the point of open payoffs, like when Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos’s company Amazon paid big money for a documentary on Melania Trump while Bezos flipped the paper’s opinion page into a libertarian-only zone.The minimal coverage of Trump’s absurdities and of Republican attempts to squash opposition voices is turning “sanewashing” from an election sideshow to the main event—and freedom suffers because of it.Campaign Action

President Donald Trump's first address to a joint session of Congress Tuesday night alternated between chaotic and boring, while also being predictably boastful and filled with outright lies.In attendance were federal workers who have been laid off by Elon Musk and his so-called Department of Government Efficiency, as well as random right-wing influencers like pundit Ben Shapiro, professional transphobe Riley Gaines—and Musk himself, who elicited stony silence from the Democrats in the audience and cloying adoration from the Republicans present.The havoc kicked off early when Rep. Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico held up a sign as Trump entered the chamber and walked down the aisle. The piece of paper she held read: “This is not normal.” GOP Rep. Lance Gooden of Texas kept it classy when he reached across the aisle, ripped the paper out of her hands, and waved it above his head in triumph.xxYouTube VideoTrump began the speech by throwing out some polling numbers—with zero context. “Now, for the first time in modern history, more Americans believe that our country is headed in the RIGHT direction than the WRONG direction—an astonishing record 27-point swing since Election Day alone,” Trump claimed. Considering that Trump’s approval ratings have steadily declined since he took office while his disapproval ratings have increased, it’s a classic Trump lie/boast. And according to RealClear politics, while an increasing number of people believe we are going in the right direction, the majority of Americans still believe we are on the wrong track.As Trump began asserting that voters gave him a mandate, Democratic Rep. Al Green of Texas rose up in protest, yelling that Trump had no “mandate.” Bullies don’t like confrontation, and a seemingly shaken Speaker Mike Johnson ordered Green removed from the chamber.Trump proceeded to brag about all of his disastrous moves so far, like renaming the Gulf of Mexico; pulling the U.S. out of climate agreements; making English our “official” language; and getting rid of whatever he believes “woke” is. And two minutes after Green was removed from the chambers for voicing his opinion, Trump announced, "I've brought back free speech."“Joe Biden especially let the price of EGGS get out of control,” Trump shouted, then proceeded to blame Biden for just about everything before promising to “drill baby drill.”Trump then got around to introducing the world’s richest unelected bureaucrat: his co-President Musk. He listed off a slew of supposed savings and waste that Musk and his unvetted DOGE stooges have found. Chances are very high that 99% of the “savings” Trump bragged about are wildly inaccurate descriptions or completely fabricated.xThis is almost laughable.Trump is the one who let an unelected billionaire bring the swamp of corruption right to the White House.Elon Musk is the unelected bureaucrat who must go. #JointAddress[image or embed]— Congresswoman Robin Kelly (@robinkelly.house.gov) March 4, 2025 at 7:11 PMSen. Elizabeth Warren and the rest of us can agree with Trump on one thing, for sure.xI agree with Donald Trump that an unelected bureaucrat should be fired. Let’s start with Elon Musk.— Elizabeth Warren (@warren.senate.gov) March 4, 2025 at 7:11 PMTrump then began rambling about the “millions” of mythical elderly people stealing from Social Security in a factually barren attack on the very popular program that assures senior citizens won’t live in poverty. It was standard rhetoric for Trump and the GOP, who want to gut the program in order to fund tax breaks for the rich—and ultimately privatize the system entirely.Trump then promised those huge tax cuts, and Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan expressed what so many of us were thinking.xTrump just promised to cut taxes for everyone, but we all know he just wants to pass tax cuts for himself and his billionaire broligarchs so he can keep avoiding paying his fair share.[image or embed]— Democratic Socialists of America (@demsocialists.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 7:12 PMThen Trump addressed his disastrous tariffs on China, Canada, and Mexico, and his strategy seems very serious and not at all petty. “Whatever they tariff us, we tariff them. Whatever they tax us, we tax them,” Trump promised.That’s sure to help accomplish his promise to bring “relief to working families.” Sane viewers weren’t the only ones who needed a break from Trump’s BS, as some Democrats walked out of the speech in protest. xWe just walked out of the state of the Union. My shirt showed Trump an important message: NO KINGS LIVE HERE. In the spirit of student protestors from the Civil Rights Movement, I’m proud to have protested and walked out with many of my colleagues. This is NOT a normal time.[image or embed]— Maxwell Frost (@maxwellfrost.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 6:52 PMTrump’s speech dragged when he started spouting numbers and his droning prompted Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to write, “This list is so long and taking up so much real estate in his speech it’s almost like they want to distract from their massive cuts to Medicaid.”xThis list is so long and taking up so much real estate in his speech it’s almost like they want to distract from their massive cuts to Medicaid— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@aoc.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 6:47 PMIn a nod to his cheesy reality TV roots, Trump used his crypto-stoolie Vice President JD Vance as a prop when signing an executive order honoring a 12-year-old girl who was allegedly killed by undocumented immigrants.xxYouTube VideoThen it was time for Trump to pretend he supports law enforcement, so he promised to pass a law that would make the death penalty the mandatory sentence for killing a police officer. “We have to take care of our law enforcement,” Trump told Congress. This is the same convicted felon who pardoned 1,500 criminals—many of whom were convicted of attacking law enforcement officers at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.x#GVerse via @mmpadellan.bsky.social "We have to take care of our law enforcement..."says guy who pardoned January 6th attackers who assaulted cops[image or embed]— Gaetano (@gmf1369.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 7:19 PMFormer Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn spoke for all of us.xDude says we have to take care of our law enforcement FUCK YOU!!! YOU ASSHOLE YOU PARDONED OUR ATTACKERS— Harry Dunn (@libradunn1.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 7:10 PMTrump wrapped up the record-long speech by boasting that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wants to sign the deal that Zelenskyy was reportedly ready to sign before Trump and Vance decided to perform an embarrassing bully act in the Oval Office. He forgot to mention how he has spinelessly folded to Russian President Vladimir Putin and restricted U.S. military aid to Ukraine. The temperamental tyrant then lashed out at Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren, calling her “Pocahontas” in a strange moment of nastiness.xxYouTube VideoTime really drags during a Trump administration, and his speech truly felt like 100 years of boring blather. If his plan was to put America to sleep while Musk and the rest of his billionaire Cabinet members continue to dismantle the government, he succeeded—at least for a couple of hours.Click here to support Daily Kos’ continued coverage—free of paywalls or billionaire owners. Unlike legacy media, we will never bend the knee to Trump—and your support ensures that we can keep holding him accountable and bringing you the independent, unapologetic, unafraid news you count on.

More than 30 House Republicans voted against the government funding bill to avert a shutdown on Friday night. The legislation cleared the lower chamber with a 366-34-1 vote, surpassing the two-thirds requirement needed as the Republican House leadership brought it up under the suspension of the rules process. Every member of the Democratic caucus, outside [...]

'This is an unacceptable dereliction of your duty'

'Inexcusable'

Republicans wrote to law enforcement and intelligence heads Friday requesting weekly updates on foreign election interference after bomb threats in Springfield, Ohio, were hoaxes.

Renamed the 'CCP Initiative,' the program focuses on countering espionage by the Chinese Communist Party in both commercial and academic spheres.

The Russian émigré who acquainted the world with the salacious rumor of Donald Trump's unverified encounter with full-bladdered sex workers says Americans missed a darker figure lurking behind the former president. Igor Danchenko, the primary source behind the notorious Steele Dossier, remains deeply concerned about the significance of Trump's "pee tape" story and what it means for his potential reelection, Rolling Stone reported Monday."It sounds like this stupid college prank," he said. "But it also symbolized to me — at the time, certainly — this sort of strange, perverted closeness that Trump, before he became a candidate, established with certain important politically-exposed individuals in Russia.”Danchenko gave an in-depth interview to Rolling Stone on the explosive dossier about Trump's alleged ties to Russia and the reactions from Americans he found baffling. Buzzfeed first published the 35-page Steel Dossier in 2017, just 10 days before Trump would take office. Many of the unverified rumors were collected by Danchenko during about a half-dozen trips to Russia in 2016, he told Rolling Stone. Danchenko, who worked for a business intelligence firm at the time, didn’t know his work was financed by the Democratic National Committee, nor did he predict Attorney General Bill Barr would declassify reports from his subsequent FBI interviews and effectively out him as a government informant, Rolling Stone reports. ALSO READ: Inside the Democratic National Convention corporate moneyfest“I’m chained to this dossier, to Trump,” Danchenko said. “And I can’t unlink myself from it.”The most memorable rumor outlined in the dossier takes place two years after former President Barack Obama humiliated Trump at the 2011 White House Correspondents’ Dinner and motivated him to run for president.The rumor goes that Trump, staying in a Russian Ritz-Carlton for a Miss Universe pageant, hosted oligarchs and sex workers in his presidential suite."According to Danchenko, several sources in Russia — sources he still won’t reveal — told him rumors about what Trump did next," Rolling Stone reports. "He instructed the sex workers to pee on the bed."Trump denied the rumor in a press conference by pointing to his understanding of Russian surveillance and his fear of germs. No evidence has ever surfaced to substantiate the claim. But Danchenko's boss Christopher Steele added this rumor to an eponymous dossier and sent it to David Kramer, an aide of Sen. John McCain, who leaked it to Buzzfeed without the informant's knowledge, according to Rolling Stone. The Russian émigré was outraged that the document was published "unsanitized" because his personal goal had not been to provide the news cycle scandals, but to better inform the American public about its ascendent leader, Rolling Stone reports.“There’s a serious national-security issue here, a serious investigation," he said. "[But] it’s just, ‘Who is going to publish the bigger scoop with the most likes and retweets?'"Danchenko regrets the inclusion of the pee tape rumor, which Rolling Stone posits "hijacked the dialogue of serious allegations about Russian influence with huge geopolitical importance."Americans, distracted by the salacious scandals Danchenko still believes were correct, forgot about one important person: Russian President Vladimir Putin. "I still think there’s some leverage they hold against Trump," he said. "You want to call it pee tape? Call it pee tape.”

Kamala Harris' campaign taunted Donald Trump and his "handlers" in a dispute over the rules for their upcoming presidential debate.The former president has suggested he might not take part in the Sept. 10 debate because he doesn't believe ABC News would be an impartial host, and his team would like for the microphones to be muted except for when it's a candidate's turn to speak – a condition that the Harris team rejects, reported CNN.“We have told ABC and other networks seeking to host a possible October debate that we believe both candidates’ mics should be live throughout the full broadcast,” said Brian Fallon, the Harris campaign’s senior adviser for communications.The campaign spokesman then goaded the Republican nominee by casting doubt on his ability to behave himself onstage.“Our understanding is that Trump’s handlers prefer the muted microphone because they don’t think their candidate can act presidential for 90 minutes on his own," Fallon said. "We suspect Trump’s team has not even told their boss about this dispute because it would be too embarrassing to admit they don’t think he can handle himself against Vice President Harris without the benefit of a mute button."ALSO READ: Donald Trump exploits AP photo error for new $99 'Save America' bookThe Trump campaign has argued that it was agreeing to the same guidelines as the previous debate, with President Joe Biden, where microphones were muted unless a candidate was taking their turn to speak.“Enough with the games. We accepted the ABC debate under the exact same terms as the CNN debate,” Trump campaign senior adviser Jason Miller said in a statement.

Juleanna Glover, the CEO of corporate consultancy Ridgely Walsh, recently took a look at former President Donald Trump's campaign spending reports and delivered a stark warning to anyone who has forked over significant sums to his reelection bid.Writing in the New York Times, Glover makes the case that giving money to Trump is a highly risky investment, given where donors' money has been going."Anyone who has spent time reviewing Donald Trump’s campaign spending reports would quickly conclude they’re a governance nightmare," she contended. "There is so little disclosure about what happened to the billions raised in 2020 and 2024 that donors (and maybe even the former president himself) can’t possibly know how it was spent."Drilling into specifics, Glover said that an analysis of Trump's 2020 campaign expenses showed that large sums of money went "into a legal and financial black hole reportedly controlled by Trump family members and close associates" and she says that this year's campaign is shaping up to be largely the same.ALSO READ: Trump drastically inflates annual Fentanyl death numbers: fact checkIn 2020, notes Glover, roughly two-thirds of all money spent by the Trump campaign was shoveled into American Made Media Consultants, a Delaware-based firm whose first president was reportedly none other than Lara Trump, the daughter-in-law of the former president who has since been installed in a leadership position at the Republican National Committee.Given this, it's little surprise that the same pattern that governed the Trump campaign's spending in 2020 is now being replicated this year."This election, the Trump campaign and four of its PACs have paid Red Curve Solutions, another private company, at least $18 million," writes Glober. "The Campaign Legal Center says Red Curve appears to pay Mr. Trump’s legal bills and then gets reimbursed by the PACs. (The law is murky on what types of legal bills can be paid by campaigns, but some are allowed.) The head of Red Curve also serves as the treasurer for the Trump campaign as well as the affiliated PACs. What percentage of donor contributions go to lawyers defending Mr. Trump? It’s impossible to know."Read the full piece at this link.