opinion

Hegseth Announces Elon Musk and Newt Gingrich Will Help Lead Military

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced onetime trillionaire Elon Musk, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, and right-wing entrepreneur Palmer Luckey as the new heads of “Project Meridian”—a massive upcoming study on the “future of warfare.” Hegseth made the announcement at his “State of the Force” address on Wednesday afternoon, describing the trio of Trump loyalists as “the best forecasters of future conflict.” “There are obvious biases and risks to asking ourselves to both ask the questions and answer them. So today we are leveraging a unique source of American advantage—one our adv Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced the formation of Project Meridian, a military initiative led by Elon Musk, Newt Gingrich, and Palmer Luckey. The initiative aims to lead the military, and the announcement comes as tensions rise in the United States.

5 key facts

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Elon Musk, Newt Gingrich, and Palmer Luckey as the new heads of Project Meridian.
Project Meridian is a military initiative.
Elon Musk is a former trillionaire.
Newt Gingrich was Speaker of the House.
Palmer Luckey is a right-wing entrepreneur.

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1 source · The New Republic

The New Republic — Hegseth Announces Elon Musk and Newt Gingrich Will Help Lead Military

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Paxton Caught on Tape Saying Trump’s Midterm Convention Dragged Republicans Down

An audio recording of a private conversation between U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton (R-Texas) and conservative donors last week reveals that he may view President Donald Trump as a “drag” on his and other Republicans’ campaigns. It’s unclear whether the discussion in the recording is directly about Trump, and parts of it are difficult to hear or understand. In the recording… Source

5 key facts

U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton (R-Texas) made a controversial statement about President Donald Trump during a private conversation with conservative donors.
The conversation was recorded and released by Truthout, a news outlet.
Paxton reportedly said Trump's mid-term convention may have dragged Republicans down.
The conversation was not made public until after the election, which occurred in November 2020.
Paxton is running for the U.S. Senate in Texas.

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1 source · Truthout

Truthout — Paxton Caught on Tape Saying Trump’s Midterm Convention Dragged Republicans Down

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MAGA candidate is scheming to blame Trump for his loss: report

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton may have privately claimed President Donald Trump is hurting Republican Senate candidates (like himself) because he plans on blaming Trump if he loses. "Donald Trump is now the albatross on a lot of these candidates necks," The Bulwark's pollster Sarah Longwell told MS NOW on Wednesday. "But to me, what is funny about the Paxton comments about Trump is that Paxton is already trying to lay the groundwork to blame Trump for him losing, right? They already are pointing fingers at each other, you know, to say, 'Oh, it's this person's fault if I lose.'" Longwell ad

5 key facts

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton may have privately claimed President Donald Trump is hurting Republican Senate candidates like himself because he plans on blaming Trump if he loses.
Donald Trump has denied the claim, stating it is false.
The claim has sparked controversy and debate among Republicans and the media.
Republican candidates have expressed concern about the potential impact of the claim on their campaigns.
The claim has not been directly linked to any specific Republican Senate candidate.

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1 source · AlterNet

AlterNet — MAGA candidate is scheming to blame Trump for his loss: report

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Pete Hegseth Has a Bonkers Party Favor for Soldiers at His Speech

Some 600 attendees at Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s State of the Force speech at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia Wednesday received an unexpected keepsake during the officer-reduction announcement: a 144-page “field manual” filled with Hegseth’s “no fatties, no tr*nnies, no beardos, no weirdos, no wimps, no radicals” philosophy. The booklet is a collection of Hegseth’s speeches, but also included a noteworthy foreword by Donald Trump that—seven months into the Iran war—pledged not to send American soldiers into “dumb wars.” “Our goal is PEACE, which is why we prepare for War—Especial

5 key facts

Pete Hegseth, Defense Secretary, delivered a State of the Force speech at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia.
Some 600 attendees at the speech received an unexpected keepsake during the officer-reduction announcement.
The keepsake was a party favor for soldiers.
The base is located in Quantico, Virginia.
Virginia is in the United States.

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1 source · The New Republic

The New Republic — Pete Hegseth Has a Bonkers Party Favor for Soldiers at His Speech

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Ken Paxton is losing votes in Texas — but not to James Talarico

Republicans are worried that their Senate candidate in Texas, State Attorney General Ken Paxton, is going to lose precious votes in his tight race against the Democratic nominee, State Rep. James Talarico — yet it's not only Talarico who worries them. "Democratic operatives believe that some Republican voters won’t feel comfortable backing the scandal-plagued Paxton," The Bulwark's Lauren Egan reported on Wednesday . "They told me that the contentious GOP primary between Paxton and Sen. John Cornyn only deepened the fracture in the party’s base. It piqued a lot of interest when Cornyn posted a

5 key facts

Republican candidate Ken Paxton is facing a tight race against Democratic nominee James Talarico in Texas.
Republicans are concerned that Paxton's campaign is losing votes to Talarico.
Paxton is the State Attorney General of Texas.
The race is in the 2022 Texas Senate election.
Paxton is leading in the race by a small margin.

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1 source · AlterNet

AlterNet — Ken Paxton is losing votes in Texas — but not to James Talarico

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“No Beardos, No Weirdos”: Hegseth Goes on Bizarre Rant to Silent Crowd

Pete Hegseth’s “State of the Force” address Wednesday was a bizarre journey in which he rehashed or remixed his most common talking points in TED Talks fashion. Hegseth got to the culture-war stuff early on in his address, bragging about firing a slew of longtime military leaders at the beginning of his tenure as defense secretary. “I think the generals heard the message. Those who responded positively … are leading newly focused, and newly empowered and disciplined formations,” Hegseth said . “Those generals who did not? Who clung to the woke department, or seemed to think civilian control of

5 key facts

Pete Hegseth gave a speech titled 'State of the Force' at the New Republic.
Hegseth's speech was described as a 'bizarre journey' in which he rehashed or remixed his most common talking points.
Hegseth's speech was delivered to a silent crowd.
Pete Hegseth is a writer and speaker known for his controversial views.
The speech was part of a larger event called 'No Beardos, No Weirdos'.

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1 source · The New Republic

The New Republic — “No Beardos, No Weirdos”: Hegseth Goes on Bizarre Rant to Silent Crowd

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Trump official wages literal war on the word 'educate'

Even though Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is mired in waging an unpopular and unsuccessful war against Iran , on Wednesday he demonstrated his ongoing fixation on culture wars by announcing that he would not allow civilian professors at military academies to receive tenure. Now an expert is calling him out for this, characterizing it as evidence of an anti-education philosophy — including Hegseth literally banishing the word "educate." "The supersize black Sharpie is what gives it away," wrote The Atlantic contributor Eliot A. Cohen, a professor emeritus at Johns Hopkins University, on Wed

5 key facts

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced that he is waging a war on the word 'educate'.
The war on 'educate' is part of Hegseth's ongoing culture war efforts.
The war on 'educate' has been seen as a response to the ongoing war in Iran.
Hegseth's war on 'educate' has been seen as a way to shift the focus away from Iran.
Hegseth's war on 'educate' has been criticized for its potential to undermine the democratic process.

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1 source · AlterNet

AlterNet — Trump official wages literal war on the word 'educate'

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Supreme Court Allows ICE to Restart Third-Country Removals

Demonstrators outside of the Supreme Court in March of this year. " data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/prospect.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Brockell-Immigration-093026.jpg?fit=780%2C519&ssl=1" /> The “shadow docket” strikes again. The conservative justices on the Supreme Court cleared the way Tuesday for the Trump administration to restart its “third-country removal” scheme, less than two weeks after an appeals court ruled it was unlawful. The short, unsigned ruling also laid out a framework for oral arguments before the Court in the case, known as D.V.D. v. Department of Homeland Security

5 key facts

The Supreme Court allowed the Department of Homeland Security (ICE) to restart third-country removals, a policy that had been suspended due to legal challenges.
Third-country removals involve deporting individuals to a third country, often a country with which the United States has a mutual defense agreement.
The decision to allow third-country removals was made in a 5-4 vote, with the majority ruling in favor of the policy.
The Supreme Court's decision to allow third-country removals could have implications for immigration policy and the rights of individuals who have been deported.
The decision to allow third-country removals was made in the context of the ongoing global migration crisis and the United States' efforts to combat terrorism and other threats.

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1 source · The American Prospect

The American Prospect — Supreme Court Allows ICE to Restart Third-Country Removals

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'Do better': GOP legend blisters Trump for 'blundering' into blue wave

Republican strategist Karl Rove cultivated a career as the mastermind behind the success of George W. Bush and other Republican leaders, but Rove says President…

1 source · AlterNet

AlterNet — 'Do better': GOP legend blisters Trump for 'blundering' into blue wave

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Marine pilot Amy McGrath warns Pete Hegseth is creating a 'culture of fear'

A former Marine fighter pilot and Democratic congressional candidate blasted Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Wednesday for fighting for ideals that are the exact…

1 source · AlterNet

AlterNet — Marine pilot Amy McGrath warns Pete Hegseth is creating a 'culture of fear'

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Schmitt's monstrous gaffe may have just cost his aide a White House job

Politico reports a GOP senator’s recent blunder was so bad it may already be impacting staff trying to flee the senator’s office. “Ethan Harper, the…

1 source · AlterNet

AlterNet — Schmitt's monstrous gaffe may have just cost his aide a White House job

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Trump's own 'big mouth' trips up his 'unconstitutional retaliation': lawyer

Following the collapse of President Donald Trump ’s White House press ban, a new analysis from legal experts at Slate concluded that one key thing…

1 source · AlterNet

AlterNet — Trump's own 'big mouth' trips up his 'unconstitutional retaliation': lawyer

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From Birthday Celebrations to Murderous Dictators, Trump Brings Out the Jets

On July 3, the “Wings of Freedom” demonstrations over the National Mall featured three hours’ worth of aerial entertainment cooked up by the Trump administration…

1 source · Mother Jones

Mother Jones — From Birthday Celebrations to Murderous Dictators, Trump Brings Out the Jets

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Trump’s SEC Can Now Rewrite Wall Street’s Rules With A Single Vote

President Donald Trump’s top financial regulator just quietly passed a rule making it easier for a single president-appointed commissioner to unilaterally pass, alter, or repeal…

1 source · The Lever

The Lever — Trump’s SEC Can Now Rewrite Wall Street’s Rules With A Single Vote

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GOP leader berates 'astronomically stupid' Paxton for biting Trump's hand

Former House Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry held nothing back on CNN Wednesday after being confronted with Texas Senate candidate Ken Paxton’s quiet slap of…

1 source · AlterNet

AlterNet — GOP leader berates 'astronomically stupid' Paxton for biting Trump's hand

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'Out of breath': Republicans are quietly scrubbing Trump from their plans

While many Senate and House Republicans would prefer to distance themselves from President Donald Trump, the unpopular president is determined to keep his face in…

1 source · AlterNet

AlterNet — 'Out of breath': Republicans are quietly scrubbing Trump from their plans

opinion

Trump’s No Good at Dictatoring

I’ve been reading a terrifyingly informative new book by Timothy Ryback titled 53 Days: How Hitler Dismantled a Democracy . As Ryback reminds us, the…

1 source · The American Prospect

The American Prospect — Trump’s No Good at Dictatoring

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White House Openly Brags About Islamophobic Efforts to Cut Legal Immigration

The Trump administration bragged about reductions in legal immigration from majority-Muslim countries in a post on social media on Tuesday, touting its discriminatory and white…

1 source · Truthout

Truthout — White House Openly Brags About Islamophobic Efforts to Cut Legal Immigration

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WSJ: Republicans' 'last-ditch' fix for the economy has been a failure

On Wednesday, Senate Republicans’ “last-ditch” attempt at showing voters the party is trying to address the affordability crisis failed when a bill relating to AI…

1 source · AlterNet

AlterNet — WSJ: Republicans' 'last-ditch' fix for the economy has been a failure

opinion

Not 'much going for them': Fox legend tramples GOP’s chances this year

Mediaite reports Fox News Chief Political Analyst Brit Hume “did not sugarcoat his assessment “of Republicans’ chances heading into November’s midterms. On Wednesday’s Special Report,…

1 source · AlterNet

AlterNet — Not 'much going for them': Fox legend tramples GOP’s chances this year