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Articles by Jay Kuo
Rule By the Ghoul
Newly appointed White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller is seen in Presidential limousine upon arriving on Air Force One.Photo by ALEX WROBLEWSKI / AFP via Getty Images. Three days after getting routed in the midterms, Donald Trump put a new person in charge of his White House.
The Monster Now Holds the Reins
I’m writing today for The Big Picture about Stephen Miller’s promotion to White House chief of staff, and what officials and political observers think it means. Three days after Republicans got routed in the midterms, Trump responded by handing the top staff job to the most extreme member of his staff—a white nationalist who has presided over the fascist mass deportation. Democrats were outraged, some Republicans were dismayed and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) shrugged.
Three Top DOJ Officials Are Out
Image courtesy of Global Beacon Tuesday’s Election Day rout has also triggered a reckoning at the Justice Department. By the end of the week, three Senate-confirmed DOJ leaders were gone. Harmeet Dhillon, who ran the Civil Rights Division (into the ground, I should add), resigned Thursday. On Friday, so did Jason Reding Quiñones, the U.S. attorney in Miami overseeing the absurd “grand conspiracy” investigation of Trump’s enemies, and John Eisenberg, head of the National Security Division.
Just for Skeets and Giggles (11.7.26)
Leading up to the election, no one was quite sure what would happen. Trump had spent the final month campaigning in red states, as if he were genuinely afraid of losing them. But he seemed off his game, even for Trump, as Jimmy Fallon noted. He chose to deliver his final speech at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, because Americans apparently needed to be reminded of his weird obsessions, total incompetence and heavy-handed prosecutions tied to it. Then, just to raise our blood pressure, Rep.
Enjoying The Warm Blue Wave
Greetings from the West Coast! I’m here through the weekend to help lead the Convening For Change summit of the Human Rights Campaign. So I’m giving myself a much needed day off from writing to enjoy the energy and company of my fellow board members and HRC staff. We’re all smiles from Tuesday night, and I hope you are, too! We did it! We really did it!!
Vance Angles for 2028 by Breaking With Trump. Sort Of.
Vice President JD Vance waited less than a day after Republicans lost both chambers of Congress before naming the culprit. “The reason we lost is the war,” he wrote in a lengthy tweet Wednesday morning, referring to the war with Iran. “The president himself said so last night.” Then he issued a challenge: “If you’d like to argue it…
A Special Post-Election Edition
I’m traveling today, so I don’t have a regular column for you. Instead, I put together a collection of reactions, moments and commentary that capture the historic victory voters delivered yesterday, at long last putting a real check on Trump’s power. I’ve never enjoyed pulling something together quite so much. Enjoy! — Jay Before you scroll, consider saying a celebratory thanks with a supporting subscription to The Status Kuo.
What I’m Watching for As the First Returns Come In
People vote during the midterm elections early in the day.Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP via Getty Images. The question on everyone’s mind today is simple: a Blue Wave is coming, but how big will it be? Many of us will be glued to our screens as the returns come in, trying to make sense of it in real time, short of mind-melding with Steve Kornacki. I have the same basic question as everyone else.
Yes, But How Big a Blue Wave? A Guide To Tonight’s Crucial Midterm Results
I’m writing today for The Big Picture about what I’ll be watching tonight, hour by hour and state by state, to gauge how big the Blue Wave really is. The forecasters agree that Democrats are favored to take the House, and the Senate is within reach. But a narrow House majority and a 2018-style rout are very different outcomes, and the early returns can be confusing or even misleading.
Backstabbers, Sore Losers and Goons—Oh Myyy!
The final weekend before a midterm election is normally eerily calm: closing rallies, door knocking and a lot of nervous waiting. This year’s final stretch produced some whoppers. In Michigan, Rep. Haley Stevens, who narrowly lost the Democratic Senate primary to Abdul El-Sayed in August, issued a surprise endorsement of his Republican opponent, Mike Rogers.
A Wonderland Halloween! (and other recent joyful moments)
It’s been a bit since I shared family photos, and what better time to spread some joy and happiness, as we are all thinking about how much brighter the future could be in just a couple of days? This year’s Halloween theme was Alice in Wonderland! Ronan’s white rabbit ears weren’t on for this photo (and he frequently lost them throughout the day) but you get the gist! My best friend from high school Kinnari arrived this month to help with the family.
Just for Skeets and Giggles (10.31.26)
Happy Halloween! And what could be scarier than an election under Trump just three days away? Many of us have been losing sleep, but let’s be honest: Still, there is good cause to believe a blue wave approacheth to washeth out the orange stain. Out, out, damn rot! Seen yesterday outside Trump International Hotel in NYC: Donald himself has had a tough week on the trail, haunted as he is by President Obama.
Fume and Doom
Photo courtesy of ABC News With just four days to go before the midterms, Trump is unraveling. Yesterday, a Reuters reporter asked him whether his decision to skip a planned weekend rally in Kansas had anything to do with being sick of traveling. Trump shot back that the reporter was “way out of shape” and looked “like hell” while insisting he himself felt fine. HuffPost described the president as visibly drenched in sweat during the exchange.
Are We the New Russia?
Image courtesy of MeidasTouch When we think about foreign powers interfering in elections in democratic countries, we usually think first of Russia. Putin has put his finger on the election scales from the 2016 presidential contest in the U.S. to more recent campaigns across Europe. We don’t normally think of the United States that way, but perhaps we should.
The DOJ’s Attack on Our Elections Is Flailing
Photo courtesy of Common Dreams The Trump regime’s drive to expand federal control over elections keeps running smack into courthouse walls. If you’re keeping score, the Justice Department is now 0 for 27 in the lower courts in its demands for states’ unredacted voter rolls. Even at the Supreme Court, the regime’s record is mixed. On Sept. 14, to the surprise of many observers, the justices showed they may also have a line they won’t cross.
Democracy Is on the March
Lula is re-elected president of Brazil for the fourth time.Photo by Isabella Finholdt/NurPhoto via Getty Images. On Sunday, voters in two countries delivered defeats to movements that have spent years eroding their democracies. In Brazil, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva overcame a first-round deficit to defeat Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, son of the former president now serving a 27-year sentence for plotting a coup.
Lessons in Democracy
I’m writing today for The Big Picture about the voters in Brazil, Serbia, and Hungary who beat entrenched, Trump-aligned movements at the ballot box—and what their victories might teach us. On Sunday, Lula da Silva came back from a first-round loss to beat Flávio Bolsonaro, son of the jailed former president, for a historic fourth term. That same night in Serbia, a movement born of student protests over a deadly train station collapse ended Aleksandar Vučić’s 14-year hold on power.
The Attacks on the Vote and the Constitution's Minority Rule
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The Closer and the Hoser
With just over a week to go until Election Day, Democrats brought out their “closer” this weekend. Former President Barack Obama rallied cheering crowds in Cleveland and Detroit on Saturday and went straight for Donald Trump’s vulnerabilities: high fuel prices, the war in Iran and the lack of seriousness among the people running the country. Trump, whom Canadians of my generation might rightly call a “hoser” (an uneducated, unsophisticated and goofy person), held rallies of his own.
Just for Skeets and Giggles (10.24.26)
This month’s news has felt a bit like this: Former White House press secretary Katie Zacharia will soon be forgotten, so here’s Jimmy Fallon on her blink-and-you-missed-it tenure and what her replacement will be asked. Comedian Tommy Brennan is new to me, but I already like his takes. Pundit Adam Mockler showed off his quick wit. It’s all about affordability these days, but Katie didn’t get the memo. (Instagram link.) Trump’s speeches are increasingly unhinged.
Off the MAGA Rails
Photo courtesy of Reuters The MAGA gravy train has officially jumped the tracks. On Thursday, Vanity Fair published an excerpt from Matthew Cole’s forthcoming book, Princes and Thieves. In it, Cole reports that leaders in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia put around 1.5billion (!) into secret bank accounts (!!) for Jared Kushner during Trump’s first term. Dutch intelligence, Cole writes, watched Kushner access one of those accounts on his own iPhone (!!!).
The Trump Pardon Mill
Venezuelan banker Julio Herrera Velutini thought he understood how to get things done in government. Herrera allegedly promised to fund the 2020 campaign of Puerto Rico’s governor, Wanda Vázquez, if she fired the regulator investigating his bank and installed one of his choosing. In 2022, federal prosecutors charged that Gov.
The GOP Projection Is Getting Truly Wild
Less than two weeks before the midterms, Republicans are fighting for ground they once took for granted. As the party grows more desperate, its attacks have grown more vicious and more personal, while Donald Trump dangles ever more outlandish rewards before his followers. Men who built fortunes on hype now brand their opponents as serial liars. A regime that has grown fabulously rich through brazen corruption now wants Americans to turn in their neighbors for fraud.
Trump’s Election Disruption Is Here
People hold signs reading “Protect Our Vote” during a news conference about protecting voting rights ahead of the November midterm elections, in Los Angeles, California.Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images. Last Tuesday, eight days after California began mailing ballots to every active registered voter in the state, a letter from the Department of Justice reached Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan.
Threats, Suits and Arrests: Trump’s Election Mayhem Is In Full Swing
I’m writing today for The Big Picture about the Justice Department’s recent lawsuit to stop California from counting about 20,000 mail ballots—and the escalating threats, including criminal prosecution, aimed at the officials who count them. Over the past week, the regime’s pressure campaign has moved from demands, to court filings, to threats of prosecution then even to arrests. And it is spreading beyond California.
Enemies of Democracy
Photos courtesy of MS NOW In the span of a few days, the Trump regime and its allies in Big Tech attacked democracy and freedom, both abroad and at home. The assaults ranged from granting Russia more sanctions relief, to hobbling Ukraine’s defenses, to silencing democratic organizing against Trump and speech critical of the world’s richest man. Each attack came with an explanation that’s difficult to accept.
Just for Skeets and Giggles (10.17.26)
The midterms are just over two weeks away. Rather than addressing soaring fuel prices, the wars in Iran and Ukraine and rampant corruption, the president and his cronies seem intent on a smash-and-grab. Trump is whining again about not winning the Nobel Peace Prize. If you’re on Russia’s side, it’s hard to pass as a peacemaker. The oligarchs are particularly worried about the latest turn in the Russia-Ukraine war. Widespread reports say that the online right’s yammering has died down lately.
The Best Is Yet To Come!
Images courtesy of MS NOW On Thursday, Trump donor Eric Deters sued Kimberly Guilfoyle. Until December 2024, Guilfoyle was Donald Trump Jr.’s fiancée. And until Tuesday, she was the Trump-appointed U.S. ambassador to Greece—something of a consolation prize for getting dumped. Per Newsweek, the complaint, filed in Kenton Circuit Court in Kentucky, names Guilfoyle and two of her attorneys as defendants.
A Deadly Betrayal
Photo courtesy of Yahoo News Before I turn to the news out of Ukraine, the battle for our own democracy got a boost in the hotly contested NY-17 congressional race. Readers here contributed $44,068 so far to support Democrat Cait Conley to unseat MAGA enabler Mike Lawler. Wow!! Now, I’d love, love, love to see that number pop above $50K. I think we can do it! Please consider donating and helping us get us to that goal. How about $86.47 if you got a $90 “rebate” check from Trump for Medicare?
Trump’s New Press Secretary Is A Hot Mess
Katie Zacharia’s first White House briefing Tuesday, her second day as press secretary, lasted 14 minutes. “I have wanted to work for him for a very long time,” a plainly nervous Zacharia told reporters, then spent most of the appearance reading from a thick briefing book. She opened by lavishing praise on Trump, noting that we are “in the middle of the midterm blitz” and insisting there is “energy and excitement never seen before in the history of midterms, thanks to President Trump.” Huh.
Trump’s October Diesel Surprise
Trump gave Russia the green light to sell diesel fuel again to bring down prices. But the math isn’t mathing, raising questions about his real motives. LEFT: U.S. President Donald Trump. Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images. RIGHT: Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. Photo by Mikhail METZEL / POOL / AFP via Getty Images. Three and a half weeks before the midterms, President Trump made a surprise announcement.
The Diesel Weasels
I’m writing today for The Big Picture about Trump’s surprise deal with Putin to buy Russian diesel. It’s his way of “addressing” the fuel price crisis. If you’re wondering, to accomplish this the Trump regime had to set aside sanctions and violate laws on the books. On Friday, after a phone call between the two men, Trump announced that Russia would ship millions of tons of diesel to American and global markets. Within hours, a compliant Treasury issued a six-month waiver clearing the way.
Drum Roll, Please!
My office is closed today in observance of Indigenous Peoples Day, so no regular Status Kuo today. But I did want to share with you an incredible update: Since last night, this community has already raised $29,308 for Cait Conley in the critical NY-17 House race to unseat Mike Lawler! And here’s a really cool trend: Many readers who are on Medicare relayed that had received $90 “rebates” from Trump, with which he is basically trying once again to buy their votes.
This Is It
We’re in the home stretch of the midterms. Early voting is already happening across the country. And the good news is, we have the GOP on the ropes! But that definitely does not mean we let up. Not one moment. Today is the last time I’m going to ask you to help power the Blue Tsunami. The target of our mission today, should you choose to accept it, is chief MAGA apologist Mike Lawler. He’s among the most vulnerable House Republicans who currently sit in a district won by Kamala Harris.
Just for Skeets and Giggles (10.10.26)
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The Violence Is the Point
As Trump’s hold on power slips, he has cranked up the heat. And that could set off a dangerous spiral. Photo courtesy of CNN Many have long predicted that, as Trump loses his grip on power and grows ever more cornered, he would begin to lash out. Things would turn even darker and uglier than before, which is saying something.
The Attacks on the Vote Are Underway. But So Is the Blue Response.
This week, Democracy Docket has dropped four disturbing reports of the regime’s efforts to suppress the vote. But voting rights groups are fighting back. Hero of the Republic Marc Elias, photo courtesy of Democracy Docket On Monday, the first day California opened its ballot drop boxes for the midterms, masked ICE officers detained the parent of a student in a parking lot at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria—even though ICE claims it has “no record of activity” there.
Trump Is Certifiable. The Press Shrugs It Off.
A week of alarming, unhinged statements by Trump raises the question of whether the press can still report with clarity and courage. Photo courtesy of CNN President Donald Trump has seemed both desperate and filterless lately. In the first week of a 32-day rally blitz before the midterms, he has said plenty that no other politician could get away with. And yet the press lets him do just that, sane-washing and second-guessing his vile words.
Unprecedented Corruption—and How We End It
The Trump family syndicate is in full corrupt swing, but it remains vulnerable and can be checked just like other autocratic regimes Tiffany Trump, Lara Trump, Eric Trump, Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr. Photo by Chip Somodevilla / POOL / AFP via Getty Images. Another corruption story made headlines over the weekend, and the zone is officially flooded. We barely have time to absorb one hit before the next arrives. And that’s the point.
Corruption in Plain Sight, Now Get Ready for the Fight
I’m writing today for The Big Picture about the Trump family’s ever-expanding corrupt business empire—and what a Democratic Congress could do to start dismantling it. Over the weekend, the New York Times reported that Vladimir Putin pitched Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on a multibillion-dollar deal for Lukoil’s sanctioned oil assets.
Say Alito Prayer for Democracy
A possible retirement of one of history’s most radical justices in history looms large over the midterms. Photo courtesy of CBS News So, will he or won’t he? That’s the question on many minds after Jan Crawford’s interview on CBS with Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito. The 76-year-old destroyer of democratic norms said he had “thought about” retiring after the Court’s last term but decided to stay on. He told Crawford he believed he could still make a valuable contribution (cough).
Just for Skeets and Giggles (10.3.26)
As we head into the election that will define our nation’s future, let us reflect upon the wisdom of our dearly departed Dolly Parton. The rest of the world sees him for what he is. Will our voters? If the polls are correct, all he’s got left are the die-hard MAGAs. Some of what happens these days you really can’t make up. Like this moment. Or this one, when the oligarchs and Trump signed the so-called “Super Intelligence” agreement.
Renee Good’s Family Takes on the Trump Regime
Nearly eight months after an unimaginable horror, Good’s family has filed two lawsuits seeking justice and accountability Photo courtesy of the New York Times Becca Good had stayed out of the public eye since Jan. 7 of this year, the morning an ICE agent shot and killed her partner, Renee Good, on a residential street in south Minneapolis.
The Epstein Files Are Back in the News
Sen. Ron Wyden announced another undisclosed FBI Form FD-302, raising questions about what else the government is hiding. Photo courtesy of Salem Reporter If the GOP and DOJ were hoping the Epstein files would finally, magically go away, they were sorely mistaken. On Wednesday, Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, dashed those hopes.
Mr. Schmitt Goes to Washington—and Fails Hard
If you’re going to come for Jack Smith, you’d better have double-checked your work. Photo courtesy of Slate Tuesday was supposed to be Sen. Eric Schmitt’s (R-MO) day to shine. At 5:40 that morning, Axios CEO Jim VandeHei reported that the first-term senator had grown close to Vice President JD Vance and was drawing buzz as a possible 2028 running mate.
The GOP Crisis: Five Separate Stories, One Looming Disaster
If this is the GOP’s posture going into the midterms, it won’t end well for them Photo Credit: Dan Scavino Jr./x.com Most weeks for this column, I take one big story and pull back to show the larger picture. Today I’m working in the other direction, taking a snapshot of the past week’s headlines and walking through how, taken together, they tell a single story: a Republican Party in crisis, with 35 days before the midterm elections.
Keep Digging That Hole, Republicans
I’m writing today for The Big Picture about a single week of headlines that, taken together, show a Republican Party in real trouble with 35 days to go before the midterms. Trump’s disapproval rating topped 60 percent this week, the worst of either term. One GOP strategist told Axios it “looks worse than 2018 now.” Diesel is at record highs in the middle of harvest time, mortgage rates just touched 7.5 percent and the war in Iran has no end date.
You’re Now Paying for Trump’s Campaign Ads
During Fox’s broadcast of the Washington Commanders–Seattle Seahawks game on Sunday, a fairly creepy ad aired.
Just for Skeets and Giggles (9.26.26)
Getting through the first half of Trump 2.0 has been a tough slog. In the latest move by Dear Leader, the president ordered three major media outlets out of the White House. The headline editors have finally had enough. He also kicked them out of the state dinner for Xi. Perhaps he was concerned they’d report what Xi really thinks of him. Or how Donald and Melania really feel about each other. Trump remains more fixated on his legacy than on our country.
An Order, a Defiance and a TACO Thursday
As of Wednesday, President Trump’s press ban had kept CNN, MS NOW and Politico off White House grounds for five days, with the network television pool still refusing in solidarity to operate. So the three outlets upped the stakes by seeking a temporary restraining order at an emergency hearing Wednesday afternoon.
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