Author: Karen Givens

Michelle Obama told a podcast audience that millions who voted for Donald Trump did so out of desperation, not racism, while also stopping short of saying those voters made a rational choice. Michelle Obama’s recent podcast interview pushed Democrats to stop writing off Trump voters as racists and instead recognize economic frustration and failed government promises as driving forces. Her words broke with the usual progressive script by admitting that people who once supported Barack Obama later turned to Trump because they felt abandoned. She framed those votes as cries for help rather than pure ideological statements, a stance that…

Thomas Massie lost his Kentucky primary to a Trump-endorsed challenger after a long run of votes opposing the president, repeated provocative comments about Jewish influence, and a record that offered little tangible results for his district, while spending and outside groups shaped a narrative that leaves the voters — not foreign interests — as the decisive factor. “I would’ve come out sooner, but I had to call my opponent and concede. And it took a while to find Ed Gallrein in Tel Aviv.” That was Thomas Massie’s concession Tuesday night after losing his primary in what became the costliest House…

President Trump toured the construction site for the planned new White House ballroom, speaking with reporters and stressing that private donors, including himself, are funding the project and that it will be “the most beautiful building in the nation’s capital.” He walked the site with a confident, hands-on tone, pointing out progress and details as crews worked nearby, and he reminded reporters that this effort leans on private generosity rather than more government spending. The message was simple: donors are stepping up, trimming the burden on taxpayers while renovating a key public space. That contrast is a point he made…

The Air Force launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile from a base in Southern California early Wednesday as part of the service’s continuing effort to evaluate the weapon system’s reliability and readiness. The launch was an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile fired from a base in Southern California early Wednesday, carried out to check system performance and gather technical data. Officials described the test as routine and planned, part of an ongoing program of evaluations aimed at ensuring the missile force functions as expected. The exercise involved ground crews, range support and telemetry systems working together to…

A strong night for Trump-backed Republicans on May 20, 2026 shifted the landscape in several key primaries, with veteran congressman Thomas Massie failing to advance while other endorsed candidates notched notable firsts that signal an assertive direction for the party. The primaries delivered clear outcomes that conservatives notice and talk about. Voters pushed forward candidates aligned with former President Trump’s agenda, and those wins carried weight beyond local districts. The president again put his brand on the GOP with a string of firsts in Tuesday’s primaries. Thomas Massie, long known for his independent streak and libertarian instincts, did not survive…

President Donald Trump has announced his endorsement of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the state’s GOP Senate primary, a move that landed on Tuesday and sent an immediate jolt through Texas Republican politics. The endorsement included Trump’s exact words: “WE HAVE ALREADY MADE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, BUT NOW, WE WANT TO MAKE OUR NATION BETTER THAN EVER BEFORE. Therefore, Ken Paxton has my Complete and Total Endorsement […]”. Trump’s public backing of Ken Paxton instantly reframes the primary contest and hands momentum to a candidate who positions himself as a relentless conservative fighter. For…

Ed Gallrein’s primary win over Rep. Thomas Massie reshaped a bitter, costly House contest into a clear Republican signal about who sets the party’s direction and which priorities matter in 2026. Ed Gallrein defeated Rep. Thomas Massie on Tuesday in the most expensive House primary in history, handing President Trump another high-profile victory and cementing his standing as the center of gravity in the Republican Party. The result ended a bruising intra-party fight that drew national attention and deep-pocketed spending. Voters in the district made a choice that will reverberate well beyond one House seat. The race became a national…

Talks with Iran remain unsettled, Vance offered no assurance of a swift deal, and that uncertainty is raising questions about leverage, verification, and next steps. Negotiations with Iran still appear to be in limbo, as Vance could not confirm that a deal would be struck sooner rather than later. That one sentence captures both the diplomatic freeze and the leadership gap in communicating a clear path forward. The uncertainty feels less like prudent caution and more like stalled momentum at a moment when stakes are high. Across the board, Republicans are watching this unfold with healthy skepticism about Iran’s intentions…

Democrats turned a bruising redistricting loss in Virginia into another attack on the courts, launching a fast, public campaign against the U.S. Supreme Court after SCOTUS rejected a petition related to the case. The reaction was immediate and loud, and it shows how partisan pressure is being used to punish judges instead of accepting legal outcomes. Republicans see a clear pattern: when they lose at the ballot box or in court, Democrats go looking for institutional fixes. That tendency showed up again after a humiliating redistricting loss in Virginia, when party operatives shifted focus from the vote to undermining the…

Sen. Bill Cassidy says his 2021 vote to convict President Trump on a House impeachment charge of inciting the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol may have ended his political career, and he stands by that choice without regret. There is a GOP argument that sometimes doing the right thing costs you politically, and Sen. Bill Cassidy’s experience fits that line of thinking. In 2021 he voted to convict President Trump on the House impeachment charge tied to the Jan. 6 violence, and Cassidy now acknowledges the fallout has been severe. He has repeatedly said the vote may have…