Trump’s Shutdown Diversion Fails As Democrats Demand Epstein Files, Confront GOP Cowards, Defend Healthcare, and Call Out Racist AI and Military Cosplay

While Trump stages distractions, real leaders rise and real people demand real solutions

Since Trump and his GOP accomplices shut the government down, I’m glad to have some good news for you today. I hope it gives you relief from all the chaos—even if just for a moment. Thanks for being here. Let’s dive in.

THEIR FACES SAY IT ALL

Hegseth and Trump spoke at their gathering of generals as if it were a maga rally, but it ended up being a complete dud. The whole thing was a pathetic waste of time and money, and I won’t repeat any of the terrible things they ranted about.

Ret. Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling said the event was “shocking” and “offensive … I would suspect it’s not being taken well … I found my mouth open, I just couldn’t believe some of the things that were being said.” Neither could we, but I’m glad the event was a major failure for the regime.

HEALTHCARE OVER BILLIONAIRES

There was a rally held in DC yesterday, calling out Trump for stealing healthcare from millions of Americans. People shared personal healthcare horror stories, and Democrats delivered powerful speeches.

Dem Rep. Greg Casar said: “We’re willing to fight to make sure that everyday people don’t have to check their bank account on their way to the doctor.”

While Dem Rep. Sarah McBride stated: “Congress cannot afford to wait to address this healthcare cost crisis.” McBride said that’s why Democrats are “holding the line” in the shutdown fight, while “Republicans in their shameful and cowardly actions are nowhere to be seen.”

KELLY LAYS IT OUT

Dem Sen. Mark Kelly spoke plainly about the key issue in the shutdown fight, stating: “This is a question about how much people have to pay for their healthcare. Trump and Republicans ... prioritized billionaires over hardworking people and stuck them with a really bad deal … their healthcare costs are gonna skyrocket.”

Democrats may not get another chance to push back like this until after the 2026 midterms, so it’s imperative they don’t back down now.

SHAME ON YOU

More than 100 Democrats were present in the House when Republicans called for a recess yesterday—refusing to work on a plan to keep the government open.

Democrats chanted “swear her in,” referring to Rep.-Elect Adelita Grijalva—who Mike Johnson has refused to swear into office. Grijalva will be the last signature needed to trigger a vote on releasing the Epstein files. You could also hear Democrats chant “shame on you!”

CONFRONTING A SNAKE

Dem Rep. Madeleine Dean confronted Mike Johnson on Capitol Hill yesterday, demanding accountability for Trump’s latest gross behavior.

Dean wanted Johnson to condemn Trump for posting an AI video of Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Dean said: “It’s disgraceful. It’s bigoted. It’s racist. You should call it out.” The fact Johnson refuses to is absolutely deplorable.

CROCKETT BRINGS THE FACTS

When it comes to Republicans trying to blame everyone else for their shutdown, Dem Rep. Jasmine Crockett laid out the truth.

Crockett stated: “Fact: Trump wants to distract from Epstein. Release the files. Fact: Republicans run the House, Senate, & White House … Real Math says it’s the Republican’s shutdown. Fact: Republicans only know how to break s**t & then deflect & deny any accountability.”

This is the kind of fire that needs to be brought to Republicans at a constant. Just like we’ve done while taking on Trump for nearly a decade.

For 451 days straight, we’ve delivered unfiltered news briefs to 173 countries around the world. Our Contact Congress campaign has reached lawmakers half a million times. And our social media operation is the biggest ever mobilized against Trump.

Yesterday, we led the charge behind the #DonaldTrumpsShutdown hashtag—which trended #9 on Twitter/X, generating 534 million impressions.

We do it all with no advertisers and no outside investors, because everything we do is funded solely by readers like you.

So if you haven’t yet, help us keep up the fight by becoming a paid subscriber today:

Onward!

Scott

---

Don’t forget to like this post and re-stack using the ♻️ button below! It helps this news break through the noise!

I have two questions for you today.

What do you think about this shutdown?

What are your thoughts on Trump and Hegseth’s event with military leaders?