We witnessed a national tragedy this week when two National Guard troops were shot near the White House, and one of them lost her life. Meanwhile, the Trump White House won a big court case, but lost another, pending appeal. And a third legal battle looms. Between all that, the nasty side of politics also made headlines. Let’s “brunch” on all of that this week.
“Two National Guard Troops Shot in DC” – This story hits me on so many levels. 20-year-old U.S. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, died from her injuries after being shot in an ambush in Washington, DC. Her fellow soldier, Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe remains in critical condition. The suspect is in custody. As a fellow military parent – our daughter is a U.S. Army captain – my heart breaks for Sarah’s family and I think, “There but for the grace of God, go I.” Both Beckstrom and Wolfe are members of the West Virginia National Guard. While I did not know them in my ten years in West Virginia, I worked closely with the National Guard during natural disasters and COVID-19. They are the best of the best. U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R) West Virginia said, “West Virginia will never forget Sarah’s service, her sacrifice, and the dedication she showed to her state and her country. We will continue to stand firmly with her family and with the West Virginia National Guard community during this incredibly painful time.” Capito added, “She was a peacekeeper. She answered the call.”
“Georgia Off My Mind” – A state court judge in Georgia has now dismissed any potential criminal charges against President Donald Trump and his associates, over attempts to overturn the 2020 election results. The dismissal comes after a new prosecutor said pursuing the charges would be too time-consuming and costly. Special prosecutor Pete Skandalakis took over the case from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis after she developed a romantic relationship with the special prosecutor she had hired. Trump’s defense attorney Steve Sadow said, “The political persecution of President Trump by disqualified DA Fani Willis is finally over. This case should never have been brought. A fair and impartial prosecutor has put an end to this lawfare.” This was the final state or federal attempt to prosecute Trump.
“Comey and James Freed” – Just last week, I predicted in this column that federal charges would be dropped against former FBI Director James Comey. And it was several weeks ago that I suggested charges would also be dropped against Attorney General Letitia James (D) New York. This past Monday, federal charges against both were dismissed. The substance of the charges was not the issue, so it’s possible they could be refiled. But Judge Cameron McGowan Currie said the prosecutor, Lindsey Halligan, was illegally appointed by the White House, without Senate approval. In her ruling, the judge wrote, “All actions flowing from Ms. Halligan’s defective appointment, including securing and signing the indictments, were unlawful exercises of executive power and are hereby set aside.” Attorney General Bondi said she will file an “immediate appeal.”
“RIP as DOGE Shuts Down” – The much-ballyhooed Office of Government Efficiency, better known as DOGE, no longer exists. It was quietly shut down about eight months ahead of schedule. Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor wrote on X, saying, “The principles of DOGE remain alive and well.” He said efforts to cut waste, unnecessary regulations, and to create more efficiency will continue within his department and the Office of Management and Budget, or OMB. Initially, DOGE was guided by Tesla founder Elon Musk, with the intent of saving trillions. Instead, Trump and Musk got entangled in a nasty public feud, and Musk departed the White House.
“Quiet, Piggy!” – Presidential squabbles and disfavor with the press happen in every White House. It’s just the nature of the beast. Certain reporters get under a politician’s skin. I think of ABC’s Sam Donaldson and his shouting “Q & A” sessions with President Ronald Reagan. Yes, they were combatants, but it never got personal. On the other hand, President Trump had a recent exchange with a reporter aboard Air Force One. A scrum of reporters was asking Trump about the Jeffrey Epstein files, and a young, female reporter tried to follow up on Epstein. “Quiet! Quiet, piggy!” Trump said sternly, pointing at the reporter. The reporter is Catherine Lucey, who writes for Bloomberg but previously worked at the Wall Street Journal. An unnamed White House spokesman told People Magazine, “This reporter behaved in an inappropriate and unprofessional way towards her colleagues on the plane.” I disagree, and the video is out there for all to see. I believe the president was unkind, unprofessional, and downright rude for addressing the reporter that way. She is due an apology.
“An Ugly Turkey Pardoning” – Things did not fare much better at the annual granting of traditional pardons for two White House turkeys, “Gobble” and “Waddle.” Somehow, the tables got turned, and the president started lambasting Illinois officials for not accepting his promise to combat crime in that state with National Guard troops. Most of his remarks were aimed at Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) Illinois. Trump said, “I’m not going to tell my Pritzker joke. I have a very cute little joke. Some speechwriter wrote some joke about his (Pritzker’s) weight. I would never want to talk about his weight. I don’t talk about people being fat. I refuse to talk about the fact that he’s a fat slob. I don’t mention it.” Pritzker responded to similar remarks by Trump back in August, saying, “From my perspective, it takes one to know one on the weight question. The president himself is not in good shape.” Pritzker was not Trump’s only target Tuesday. Earlier, when the president said they named this year’s birds “Waddle” and “Gobble,” he added, “I was going to call them Chuck (Schumer) and Nancy (Pelosi),” the president said. “But then I realized I wouldn’t be pardoning them. I would never pardon those two people. I wouldn’t pardon them.”
“Justice for Justice” — I write this gingerly, because I consider Senator Jim Justice (R) West Virginia and his wife Cathy my friends. I’ve known them for more than a decade, including his two terms as Governor of West Virginia. They have been kind to my family and especially supportive of our U.S Army daughter. But I still had a job to do, and over the years I’ve had to ask Justice some pretty tough questions during press briefings. The questions were about his personal finances and the finances of more than one hundred Justice family-owned businesses, including unpaid vendor bills, tax debts, and fines. On Monday, the Justices agreed to pay the Internal Revenue Service $5.2 million in back taxes. Justice has not commented about the settlement yet, but when the IRS tax lien was filed in October, he said, “I think the bottom line, the whole thing is we have a dispute.” Justice added, “I think they owe me a whole lot more money than I owe them.”
“Senator Mark Kelly Under Fire” — This week, Secretary of War (formerly Defense) Pete Hegseth announced the Pentagon and Justice Department will investigate Sen. Mark Kelly (D) Arizona, for alleged “seditious” remarks. Kelly, a decorated, retired Navy officer and astronaut, appeared in a video with five other members of Congress. They told current military troops to disobey any orders from above if they knew the orders were illegal. Secretary Hegseth said, “Kelly’s conduct brings discredit upon the armed forces and will be addressed appropriately.” Kelly responded, “I’m not going to be silenced here.” Kelly added, “Is it stressful? I’ve been stressed by things more important than Donald Trump trying to intimidate me into shutting my mouth and not doing my job. He didn’t like what I said. I’m going to show up for work every day, support the Constitution, do my job, hold this administration accountable.”
“The FBI Presses On” – Despite the controversy over the Congressional video, the FBI is moving forward. It has now formally requested the six members of Congress to sit for formal interviews. Aside from Sen. Kelly, Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D) Michigan is on the list. The two senators are joined by Reps. Chris Deluzio (D) Pennsylvania, Jason Crow (D) Colorado, Maggie Goodlander (D) New Hampshire, and Chrissy Houlahan (D) Pennsylvania. All six of the Senate and House members have served as military or intelligence officers. Hegseth calls them the “Seditious Six.” It’s worth noting that many courts have ruled members of Congress possess some of the most extensive free speech rights in the land. For example, they enjoy legal immunity from anything they say on the House or Senate floors.
