GOP Rep. Thomas Massie defiant as Trump seeks to oust him in primary: “I’m going to win”

Politics – CBSNews.com — 2026-05-18 19:32:00 — www.cbsnews.com

Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky has faced a barrage of attacks from President Trump heading into Tuesday’s primary against former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein, who has the president’s endorsement. But Massie doesn’t appear to be sweating it, even after several of Mr. Trump’s perceived adversaries have suffered primary defeats stemming from the president’s ire — most recently GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana. In the days leading up to the contest in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District, Mr. Trump has labeled Massie “the worst congressman in the history of our country” and has called him “a disloyal, ungracious, and sanctimonious FOOL.” He has also threatened to primary other congressional Republicans who have campaigned with Massie, who has voted against several of the president’s legislative priorities, opposed the war with Iran, and defied him in pushing for the release of the Epstein files.

“He knows I’m tough to beat,” Massie told CBS News in an interview Monday in his hometown of Vanceburg, Kentucky. “He’s literally losing sleep over this race, because he’s in with both feet. I think their polling shows what our polling shows, which is there’s a better than half chance that we’re going to win this race.” Massie later said, “I’m going to win.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth campaigned with Gallrein earlier Monday in a hotel ballroom across the street from the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport, using a 23-minute appearance to accuse Massie of “constant obstruction.” Hegseth said he was there in his personal capacity, and after stopping earlier Monday at the Fort Campbell Army Base, though the visit marked a break from military officials’ longstanding practice of avoiding partisan politics. Massie told CBS News that Hegseth’s appearance underscores how concerned the president and his allies are about Tuesday’s outcome.

“How much personal time do you have when you’re supposed to be monitoring a war in Iran?” Massie said. “You don’t send the Secretary of War to Kentucky during a war if you think your candidate is up 10 points. That’s what you do when you realize your whole campaign is imploding.” But Massie said millions in spending by pro-Israel interest groups is causing more disruption in the race than the president. In a typical year, Massie said he would have won the primary with 80% of the vote. He estimated Mr. Trump’s endorsement of Gallrein lowered his support to 60%, and spending from the pro-Israel lobby further eroded it. “I think what would have been a 60-40 race is now a 50-50 race,” Massie said, citing Gallrein’s support from AIPAC, the Republican Jewish Coalition, and GOP megadonors such as Miriam Adelson. The congressman called the race, which has become the most expensive House primary in history, “a referendum on whether the Israeli lobby can buy a seat in Congress.” He accused the interest groups of trying to “intimidate the entire Republican Party into having zero dissension on foreign policy toward Israel.”

Massie is one of the few Republicans in Congress who has opposed the war with Iran and has voted with Democrats to rein in Mr. Trump’s authority to carry out further military action without congressional authorization. He has also voted against symbolic resolutions backing Israel, as well as a resolution condemning antisemitism that he argued promoted censorship. Asked whether he’s antisemitic, Massie responded “hell no.” Massie warned that it’s a “big disfavor” to Jewish Americans to equate anti-Zionism or criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s war in Gaza with antisemitism. He defended his stance on Israel, saying his policy has “always been no country is special and no country deserves my constituents’ taxpayer dollars.” “I have never voted for foreign aid to Egypt, to Syria, to Israel or to Ukraine,” he said. “But the ones in Israel, since they’re the biggest recipients of it, that makes them a little bit mad.” Massie said he doesn’t support aid to Israel because “we’ve got debt” and it’s a “one-way” arrangement. “At least with NATO, there’s the promise of a reciprocal arrangement,” he argued, also accusing Israel of dragging the U.S. into wars.

Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/thomas-massie-trump-ed-gallrein-kentucky-republican-primary/

DOJ creates $1.8 billion fund that could compensate ‘targeted’ Trump allies

PBS NewsHour – Politics — 2026-05-18 17:55:00 — www.pbs.org

The Justice Department announced the creation of a nearly $1.8 billion fund aimed at compensating Trump supporters who claim they were unjustly investigated or prosecuted by previous administrations. This announcement is part of a settlement with President Trump, who agreed to drop a $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS regarding the leak of his tax returns in 2019. During an interview, President Trump stated, “This is reimbursing people that were horribly treated, horribly treated. It’s anti-weaponization. They have been weaponized. They have been, in some cases, imprisoned wrongly. They paid legal fees that they didn’t have. They have gone bankrupt. Their lives have been destroyed. And they turned out to be right.”

The lawsuit filed by Trump and his family alleged that the leak of classified tax returns during his administration caused significant financial and reputational harm. The leaker, a federal contractor, is currently serving a five-year prison sentence. The DOJ’s new fund, referred to as the anti-weaponization fund, will be available to individuals who claim to have suffered from what the DOJ describes as “weaponization and lawfare.”

While the fund has been met with criticism from Democrats, who have labeled it a “slush fund,” the DOJ clarified that President Trump cannot apply to be a claimant. However, it remains unclear whether individuals associated with him will be barred from filing claims. Nearly 100 House Democrats have filed a lawsuit to block the fund, with Senator Elizabeth Warren calling it “corruption on steroids.”

Source: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/doj-creates-1-8-billion-fund-that-could-compensate-targeted-trump-allies

America’s 250th: How long has the US used the phrases ‘In God We Trust’ and ‘Under God’?

PolitiFact – Rulings and Stories — 2026-05-18 16:54:00 — www.politifact.com

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., led thousands of people on the National Mall in prayer as part of a religious event for the nation’s 250th anniversary. Johnson asked God to “hear these solemn petitions, just as we in the beginning dedicated this land to your most holy name today. Here Lord, in this 250th year of American Independence, we hereby rededicate the United States of America as ‘One Nation, Under God.’”

The May 17 “Rededicate 250” jubilee in Washington, D.C., also featured Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and video remarks by President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. In an interview from the mall, Fox News’ Shannon Bream asked Johnson about criticism that a religious event was hosted on federal land and partially paid for by taxpayer dollars. Johnson said the event was “a recognition of the deeply embedded history and religious and moral tradition of the country” and that the event’s critics “want to erase the history of America and pretend as if we’re not a nation that was dedicated originally to God.”

Johnson then referenced an inscription in the House chamber of the U.S. Capitol. “If you walk into the House chamber this afternoon with me, Shannon, you will see ‘In God We Trust’ inscribed in the marble right above the head of where I stand as the speaker of the House,” Johnson said. “Congress put that there as a recognition of who we are. We are one nation under God, and to come here and gather for a happy, hopeful celebration to rededicate ourselves in that way as one nation under God is a healthy and appropriate thing.”

The religious orientations of the United States’ founding generation have been a contentious academic subject for generations, and scholars have found mixed evidence about the role of religion and Christianity in the nation’s founding. The First Amendment’s guarantee of freedom of religion has prompted a long-running legal battle over how much the federal government can interact with religion.

Two of the phrases Johnson used in his remarks about the 250th event — “One Nation, Under God” and “In God We Trust” — are sometimes assumed to date to the founding period, but their widespread usage has modern roots. Both gained official status in the Pledge of Allegiance, on U.S. currency, and as the official U.S. motto in the 1950s. The impetus, historians say, came from the stark ideological battle lines of the Cold War against the officially God-less Soviet Union.

Source: https://www.politifact.com/article/2026/may/18/religion-pledge-allegiance-currency-250th/

Florida’s Alligator Alcatraz may close. Trump, DeSantis’ statements about center clash with facts

PolitiFact – Rulings and Stories — 2026-05-18 15:54:00 — www.politifact.com

Alligator Alcatraz, the controversial detention center constructed in 2025 in the Florida Everglades, could be on the verge of closing. Officials affiliated with the center notified companies that operate it on May 12 that the facility will be shut down and deconstructed, with the remaining 1,400 detainees expected to be moved in June, The New York Times and NBC 6 reported. Operating costs for the facility have escalated, with Florida officials putting its total price tag at $1.1 billion by June.

Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis said May 11 that federal officials haven’t told him to shut it down, but he would do so if the facility is not needed anymore. Several days later, Kevin Guthrie, Florida Division of Emergency Management executive director, told a local television station he had not heard from federal officials about a shutdown, but the first reimbursement had arrived. DeSantis has championed the detention center and Florida’s efforts to assist President Donald Trump’s mass deportation efforts. He has said the facility was intended to be temporary. The facility has been mired in lawsuits about its environmental impact and treatment of detainees.

With the facility’s future in flux, PolitiFact rounded up fact-checks of statements by DeSantis and Trump that miscast its detainees, environmental effects and funding. Trump, federal officials and Florida Republicans have characterized Alligator Alcatraz as a place to detain the “worst of the worst,” or immigrants who were ordered for removal anyway. “Very soon this facility will house the most menacing migrants, some of the most vicious people on the planet,” Trump said when he visited the facility in July 2025. That hasn’t been the case. Within two weeks of Alligator Alcatraz opening, reports showed that people with criminal convictions made up a small fraction of detainees.

In July 2025, of the roughly 750 people detained at Alligator Alcatraz, more than 250 had no criminal convictions or pending charges in the U.S., a Miami Herald and Tampa Bay Times investigation found. One-third, or about 233 people, had criminal convictions. Some were for violent offenses such as attempted murder, while others included traffic violations and illegal reentry. The Associated Press also reported in July 2025 that people with no criminal records or charges, including a 15-year-old boy, were being held at the center. White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson previously told PolitiFact that the absence of a U.S. criminal record is “irrelevant.”

The Republican Party of Florida’s X account shared images of people it said the state was detaining at Alligator Alcatraz in what appeared to be an effort to sell merchandise. None of the people were on the list of detainees in the Herald/Times report, and the Florida GOP didn’t respond to PolitiFact’s request for information showing the people were at the facility. DeSantis said in July 2025 that every detainee had been issued a “final removal order” and must be deported. The orders, which people typically receive after going through immigration court, are not public. But lawyers for at least 11 Alligator Alcatraz detainees told PolitiFact and other outlets their clients had no final removal orders.

After DeSantis launched the project, he said the Department of Homeland Security’s agreement with Florida involved the agency “reimbursing” the expenses. The federal government on May 15 reimbursed Florida $58 million for costs associated with Alligator Alcatraz. The Trump administration approved a $608 million reimbursement for Florida’s immigration enforcement in September 2025 through a Federal Emergency Management Agency “detention support grant.” The federal government specified that the funds could only be used for operational costs, not construction or modification.

Records show Florida has spent at least $460 million on Alligator Alcatraz and the Deportation Depot detention center near Jacksonville. News reports said the state spent $390 million on Alligator Alcatraz in its first four months of operation and more than $1 million per day operating the center. However, the federal government froze the payment until March as a lawsuit proceeded that accused officials of not conducting an environmental review for the Alligator Alcatraz site, as required by the National Environmental Protection Act for federal projects. The hold was lifted March 10, although it’s unclear whether the review was completed. State officials had to wait until a partial federal government shutdown ended April 30 to request the FEMA money. “The reimbursement is approved, so that will happen,” DeSantis said May 13. “FEMA doesn’t reimburse immediately. It just takes time.”

DeSantis said the 39-acre facility would have “zero impact” on the Everglades. We rated that False. Alligator Alcatraz sits atop a remote airstrip in Big Cypress National Preserve, about six miles from the Everglades National Park border. The preserve protects over 729,000 acres of freshwater swamp ecosystem and habitat for a variety of plants and animals, including the critically endangered Florida panther. When a jetport was proposed in the area in the 1960s, studies showed it would destroy the ecosystem. That project was never built. DeSantis provided no evidence showing how state agencies or officials determined that Alligator Alcatraz would have no environmental impact. The state did not conduct an environmental assessment before construction as required by law for federal projects, the basis for the federal lawsuit brought by environmental groups. A court ruled that the facility is state run and not subject to the National Environmental Protection Act requirements. Environmental lawyers and scientists told PolitiFact that increased human activity within a sensitive ecosystem is reason enough to be skeptical of the argument that there would be “zero” consequences. They pointed to collateral damage from greater traffic in the area; waste management complications, including spills, light and air pollution; and habitat degradation for endangered species.

Source: https://www.politifact.com/article/2026/may/18/alligator-alcatraz-florida-close-immigration-cost/

Trump says he’s called off plans for “scheduled attack of Iran” after request from Gulf partners

Politics – CBSNews.com — 2026-05-18 14:53:00 — www.cbsnews.com

Washington — President Trump said Monday that he’s called off a U.S. attack on Iran that had been “scheduled” for Tuesday, after the United States’ Gulf partners requested it to allow for continued negotiations. The president made the announcement on Truth Social Monday afternoon, following a request from the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Iran says it’s relayed an amended set of terms for a possible deal to the Trump administration, through Pakistani mediators.

“I have been asked by the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, and the President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to hold off on our planned Military attack of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which was scheduled for tomorrow, in that serious negotiations are now taking place, and that, in their opinion, as Great Leaders and Allies, a Deal will be made, which will be very acceptable to the United States of America, as well as all Countries in the Middle East, and beyond,” Mr. Trump wrote.

“This Deal will include, importantly, NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS FOR IRAN!” he continued in the post. “Based on my respect for the above mentioned Leaders, I have instructed Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, The Chairman of The Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Daniel Caine, and The United States Military, that we will NOT be doing the scheduled attack of Iran tomorrow, but have further instructed them to be prepared to go forward with a full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment’s notice, in the event that an acceptable Deal is not reached. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

Mr. Trump also extended his original April 7 ceasefire indefinitely at the request of Pakistan’s leaders. During the ceasefire, the Pentagon has said that it has planned for the possibility of resuming strikes against Iran, if the president decided to do so. Over the weekend, the president warned the “clock is ticking” for Iran to accept a peace agreement, saying there “won’t be anything left of them” if the leaders of the Islamic Republic don’t “get moving, FAST.”

The Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed, continuing to roil the oil market and affect the sectors that depend on it.

Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-says-called-off-scheduled-iran-attack-gulf-partners/

Trump settles $10 billion lawsuit against IRS over tax returns, sets up $1.7 billion fund for claims of “weaponization”

Politics – CBSNews.com — 2026-05-18 11:55:00 — www.cbsnews.com

President Trump and the Justice Department reached a $1.7 billion settlement in the president’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service and Treasury Department over the leak of his tax returns, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced Monday. The Justice Department said that Mr. Trump and the other plaintiffs in the suit — two of his sons and the Trump Organization — will receive a formal apology but “no monetary payment or damages of any kind.” Instead, a $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” will be created at Blanche’s direction to “provide a systematic process to hear and redress claims of others who suffered weaponization and lawfare.”

The announcement came hours after court filings indicated a settlement had been reached. Mr. Trump had accused the agencies of unlawfully allowing a government contractor to leak his tax returns and those of his sons and company. The lawsuit, initially seeking $10 billion, was filed in Miami federal court in January in Mr. Trump’s personal capacity and alleged the government mishandled his tax returns, leading to their improper disclosure to media outlets in 2020. Mr. Trump’s sons, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., and the Trump Organization are also plaintiffs in the suit.

Mr. Trump and his legal team also agreed to drop their administrative claims against the Justice Department after he asked the government to pay him about $230 million to settle two federal damage claims over investigations targeting him during both his first administration and the Biden administration, the department said. “The machinery of government should never be weaponized against any American, and it is this Department’s intention to make right the wrongs that were previously done while ensuring this never happens again,” Blanche said in a statement. “As part of this settlement, we are setting up a lawful process for victims of lawfare and weaponization to be heard and seek redress.”

In a court filing Monday, 93 Democratic members of Congress attempted to intervene in the case, arguing any settlement would “siphon billions of taxpayer dollars into the pockets of the President, his family, and his allies.”

The Justice Department said that the fund, which will consist of a commission of five members appointed by the attorney general, will have the power to issue formal apologies and issue monetary relief owed to claimants. The department said the fund will stop processing claims on Dec. 15, 2028, just over a month before whoever wins the next presidential election would be inaugurated. Any money remaining in the fund will revert back to the federal government, the department said.

Last week, ABC News was first to report that the suit was expected to be dropped in exchange for the creation of such a fund. A spokesperson for the Trump legal team said in a statement that Mr. Trump “is entering into this settlement squarely for the benefit of the American people, and he will continue his fight to hold those who wrong America and Americans accountable.”

In a court filing in April, both sides in the case asked for an extension on deadlines in the case in order to “engage in discussions designed to resolve this matter and to avoid protracted litigation.” In a footnote at the bottom of Monday’s filing, Trump’s lawyers argued that the motion to dismiss is “self-executing” and does not require a judge to sign off on the settlement or the motion to dismiss — effectively bypassing U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams, who was assigned the case in the Southern District of Florida. “No judicial analysis is appropriate,” after the dismissal, Mr. Trump’s legal team said.

Last month, Williams ordered a hearing on whether the Constitution allowed Mr. Trump to sue his own government. “Although President Trump avers that he is bringing this lawsuit in his personal capacity, he is the sitting president and his named adversaries are entities whose decisions are subject to his direction,” Williams wrote, adding, “it is unclear to this Court whether the Parties are sufficiently adverse to each other so as to satisfy Article III’s case or controversy requirement.”

The nonprofit Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington issued a statement condemning Monday’s settlement as “the most brazen act of self-dealing in the history of the presidency.” “While Americans are struggling with an affordability crisis, President Trump plans to use nearly $1.8 billion in taxpayer money to pay off his friends and allies — including potentially the violent insurrectionists who attacked the Capitol on January 6th,” CREW president Donald K. Sherman said, adding that it “quite likely” violates the Constitution’s Domestic Emoluments Clause.

Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-settles-10-billion-lawsuit-against-irs/

Taiwan’s president defends U.S. arms purchases after Trump sowed doubts following visit to China

PBS NewsHour – Politics — 2026-05-17 11:42:00 — www.pbs.org

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan’s president on Sunday stressed that arms purchases from the United States are “the most important deterrent” of regional conflict and instability, after President Donald Trump called into question continued U.S. support of Taiwan following his visit to China. U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and security cooperation between the two sides are not only governed by law but also a catalyst for regional peace and stability, President Lai Ching-te said in a statement. “We thank President Trump for his continued support for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait since his first term, including the continuous increase in the scale and amount of arms sales to Taiwan,” he said.

His statement came days after Trump raised doubts over his willingness to continue to sell arms to Taiwan, the island democracy that China claims as its own breakaway province, to be retaken by force if necessary. The U.S., like all countries that have formal ties with China, doesn’t recognize Taiwan as a country but has been the island’s strongest backer and arms supplier. Washington is bound by its own laws to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself and sees all threats to the island as a matter of grave concern. Trump already approved in December a record-breaking $11 billion arms package to Taiwan including missiles, drones, artillery systems and military software.

In an interview aired Friday on Fox News, just as Trump wrapped up a high-stakes visit to China, he said he has yet to greenlight a new $14 billion arms package to Taiwan and that it “depends on China.” “It’s a very good negotiating chip for us frankly,” he said. His comments raised concerns on the island, which the Taiwanese government has sought to disperse, noting that the U.S. official policy on Taiwan has not changed. “Taiwan will not provoke or escalate conflict, but it will also not relinquish its national sovereignty and dignity, or its democratic and free way of life, under pressure,” Lai said in his statement, calling China “the root cause of undermining regional peace and stability and attempting to change the status quo.”

China has framed Taiwan as “the most important issue in China-U.S. relations” during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent talks with Trump. In one of his strongest statements to date, Xi on Thursday warned Trump of “clashes and even conflicts” if the issue of Taiwan was not handled properly. China and Taiwan have been governed separately since 1949, when the Communist Party rose to power in Beijing following a civil war. Defeated Nationalist Party forces fled to Taiwan, which later transitioned from martial law to multiparty democracy.

Source: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/taiwans-president-defends-u-s-arms-purchases-after-trumps-visit-to-china

Despite retribution, Cassidy attempted to make amends with Trump after impeachment vote

PBS NewsHour – Politics — 2026-05-17 15:08:00 — www.pbs.org

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — When Charles Wandfluh voted in Louisiana’s Republican primary over the weekend, he could only conjure the unflattering image of a panicked rodent when talking about Bill Cassidy’s desperate attempt to cling to his U.S. Senate seat despite opposition from President Donald Trump. “He’s just a squirrel running around the tree, chasing nuts to find whatever he can get to benefit him,” said Wandfluh, 57, in a suburb of New Orleans. Cassidy’s scramble was in vain, and his defeat on Saturday demonstrated the near-impossibility of a political future within the Republican Party without Trump’s acquiescence. Despite outspending his rivals, Cassidy finished third in the primary, falling short of even making a runoff. The outcome was the latest and perhaps most spectacular failure by a Republican who tried to cross Trump and get away with it.

Even within a party notorious for its political contortions during the Trump era, Cassidy stood out. As a doctor, he overlooked Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s anti-vaccine activism to support his nomination as Trump’s health secretary, only inevitably to clash with Kennedy once he took the job. Cassidy was also unable to repair his relationship with Trump five years after voting to convict him during his impeachment trial over the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Although Cassidy tried to assure Republican voters that he remained committed to Trump’s agenda, that did not satisfy their loyalty to the Republican president. “He was trying to portray himself side by side with Trump, like he has worked with Trump on this and that,” Wandfluh complained. “I’m like, ‘You voted to impeach the guy!'”

Trump’s endorsed candidate U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow, endorsed by Trump, and state Treasurer John Fleming, a former Trump administration official, will compete for the Republican nomination on June 27. “There is no greater endorsement than the endorsement of President Trump,” said Letlow, who was first in the voting Saturday. “We’ll always be singing that from the mountaintops.” Trump liked what he heard, posting on social media that it was a “great victory speech tonight by Julia!!!” The president stomped on Cassidy’s electoral grave, describing the senator as ungrateful for previous support. “His disloyalty to the man who got him elected is now a part of legend, and it’s nice to see that his political career is OVER!” Trump wrote.

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican who feuded with Trump in the past but has since become a model of loyalty to the president, had no sympathy for his vanquished colleague. “What’s the headline? Trump’s strong. Those who try to destroy Trump politically, stand in the way of his agenda, are going to lose,” Graham said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “You can disagree with President Trump, but if you try to destroy him, you’re going to lose. Because this is the party of Donald Trump.”

Graham once described Trump as a “kook” who was “unfit for office,” and he appeared to break with Trump after the Jan. 6 riot by saying “enough is enough.” But Graham did not vote to convict Trump during the impeachment trial, unlike Cassidy and six other Republican senators. Four of them — Richard Burr of North Carolina, Mitt Romney of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania — did not run for another term afterward.

Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski, who remains in office and is a vocal Trump skeptic, won reelection in 2022 when Trump was out of office. There also is Maine’s Susan Collins, who has faced Trump’s wrath but not a primary challenge as she runs for a sixth term in November. As a Republican senator from a state won by Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the last presidential election, she remains crucial for her party’s control of Congress. Trump’s grip on his party is noteworthy given his lame-duck status — he is constitutionally prohibited from running for a third term even though he has mused about it — and his low poll numbers. He is presiding over lingering inflation, economic dissatisfaction and an unpopular war with Iran, yet Republicans remain largely in lockstep with him.

As he approaches the back half of his second term, Trump appears to be finalizing a wholesale makeover of the party that he began a decade ago, and his appetite for retribution does not appear to be waning. Earlier this month, he successfully dislodged five Indiana state senators who opposed his redistricting plan. On Tuesday, he is backing a challenger to U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie in Kentucky’s primary. Massie angered Trump by opposing his signature tax legislation over concerns about the national debt, pushing for the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files and opposing his decision to go to war with Iran. Over the weekend, Trump suggested that he could next target U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado because of her support for Massie. “Even though I long ago endorsed Boebert, if the right person came along, it would be my Honor to withdraw that Endorsement, and endorse a good and proper alternative,” Trump said, although the filing deadline for Colorado candidates passed months ago.

After his defeat, Cassidy addressed Trump’s influence without naming him. “Our country is not about one individual. It is about the welfare of all Americans, and it is about our Constitution,” the senator told supporters in Baton Rouge. “And it is the welfare of my people, and my state, and my country, and our Constitution to which I am loyal.”

But Trump’s role was central for many Republican voters. Mark Schulingkanp, who is 46 and works in the shipping industry, said he voted for Letlow precisely to avoid the conflict that has marked Cassidy’s relationship with Trump. “Getting federal dollars into the state is the most important thing to me, to help people with jobs,” he said. “Clearly having a senator that the president doesn’t like could cause a challenge or impede federal dollars coming to the state for roads, bridges, so many different programs.” Jeanelle Chachere, a 66-year-old nurse, described Cassidy as a “phony” and said she voted for Letlow solely because of Trump’s endorsement. “I’m going by what he says because I like what he does,” she said.

In a sign of how Cassidy had backed himself into a political corner, he also lost support in some quarters for going along with Trump’s demands. Mark Workman, a 75-year-old retired physician, said he voted for Fleming to punish Cassidy for backing Kennedy’s confirmation. “If Cassidy had stood up and blocked RFK, I would definitely have supported him because that would have been a strong, ballsy move,” Workman said. “He had the ability to stop him and he was too weak to do that.” Beaumont reported from Des Moines, Iowa. Associated Press writer Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report.

Source: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/despite-retribution-cassidy-attempted-to-make-amends-with-trump-after-impeachment-vote

New York governor pleads with unions to resume talks amid North America’s largest commuter rail system shut down

PBS NewsHour – Politics — 2026-05-17 12:50:00 — www.pbs.org

NEW YORK (AP) — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul pleaded with unions representing workers for the Long Island Rail Road, North America’s largest commuter rail system, to resume bargaining Sunday, saying the workers and hundreds of thousands of commuters stand to lose if a strike drags on. “This is my official invitation. We didn’t want you to leave. You left. You’re welcome to come back. I’ll provide refreshments, whatever you like. Just c’mon back,” Hochul told a news conference as the strike — the first in three decades — entered its second day.

Hochul, appearing with the chief executive of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority that runs the railroad more commonly known by commuters as the “LIRR,” pleaded with the unions to try to reach a deal before Monday’s morning commute. “We all know that the railroad is the lifeblood of Long Island. Without it, life as we know it is simply not possible. The bottom line is, no one wins in a strike. Everyone is hurt,” she said.

After the news conference, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers and the Transportation Communications Union said in a statement that the union workers “are not asking for special treatment — they are simply fighting to keep up with the skyrocketing cost of living in the New York region after years without a raise.” The railroad, which serves New York City and its eastern suburbs, ceased operations and went on strike just after midnight Friday after five unions representing about half its workforce walked off the job.

The unions and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the public agency that runs the railroad, have been negotiating for months on a new contract, with talks stalled over the question of workers’ salaries and healthcare premiums. President Donald Trump’s administration tried to broker a deal, but the unions were legally allowed to strike starting at 12:01 a.m. Saturday. Kevin Sexton, national vice president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, has said no new negotiations have been scheduled. “We’re far apart at this point,” Sexton said Saturday. “We are truly sorry that we are in this situation.”

MTA Chairman Janno Lieber said the agency “gave the union everything they said they wanted in terms of pay” and that to him it was apparent the unions always intended to walk out. The walkout, the first for the LIRR since a two-day strike in 1994, promises to cause headaches for sports fans planning to see the Yankees and Mets battle this weekend or to watch the Knicks’ playoff run at Madison Square Garden, which is located directly above the railroad’s Penn Station hub in Manhattan.

The station was devoid of its usual weekend bustle in the afternoon Saturday. Only a few dozen people were seen traversing the main concourse, many dragging rolling luggage from departing or arriving Amtrak trains, which are not affected by the strike. Departure boards normally showing upcoming trains by destination instead listed ghost trains marked “No Passengers.” A few signs affixed to customer service windows explained that the railroad was shut down because of a strike. Access to platforms was blocked off with bicycle-rack style barricades and roll-down gates as MTA police officers stood sentry, directing people to alternative transportation.

If the stoppage continues into the workweek, the roughly 250,000 people who ride the system each weekday will be forced to find other routes to the city from its Long Island suburbs. For many that likely means navigating the region’s notoriously congested roads. Hochul, a Democrat, blamed the Trump administration for cutting mediation short and pushing the negotiations toward a strike. Trump, a Republican, responded on his Truth Social platform, saying he had nothing to do with the strike and “never even heard about it until this morning.”

“No, Kathy, it’s your fault, and now looking over the facts, you should not have allowed this to happen,” Trump said, renewing his endorsement of Long Island politician Bruce Blakeman, who is challenging Hochul’s reelection bid. “If you can’t solve it, let me know, and I’ll show you how to properly get things done.” The MTA has said it plans limited shuttle buses to New York City subway stations. Hochul urged companies and agencies that employ workers from Long Island to let them work from home whenever possible. “It’s impossible to fully replace LIRR service. So effective Monday, I’m asking that regular commuters who can work from home, should. Please do so,” she said.

The MTA has said the unions’ initial demands to raise salaries would have led to fare increases and impacted contract negotiations with other unionized workers. The unions, which represent locomotive engineers, machinists, signalmen and other train workers, have said more substantial raises were warranted to help workers keep up with inflation and rising living costs.

Source: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/new-york-governor-pleads-with-unions-to-resume-talks-amid-north-americas-largest-commuter-rail-system-shut-down

Transcript: Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick and Tom Suozzi on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” May 17, 2026

Politics – CBSNews.com — 2026-05-17 11:37:00 — www.cbsnews.com

The following is the transcript of the interview with Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, Republican of Pennsylvania, and Tom Suozzi, Democrat of New York, that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on May 17, 2026.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Welcome back to Face the Nation, and the co-chairs of the bipartisan House Problem Solvers Caucus, Republican Brian Fitzpatrick joins us from Langhorne, Pennsylvania, Democrat Tom Suozzi from Queens, New York. Good morning to you both, gentlemen.

REP. TOM SUOZZI: Good morning.

REP. BRIAN FITZPATRICK: Good morning.

MARGARET BRENNAN: I want to start with you, Congressman Fitzpatrick. You know, CBS estimates that the net impact of all this redistricting is that Republicans are going to get roughly nine seats—get them nine seats closer, I should say, to keeping control of the House. I mean, presumably that’s the outcome the president was looking for here. Why are you concerned that driving towards the majority through these methods is actually a negative for your party?

REP. FITZPATRICK: It’s a terrible thing for our country. Margaret, gerrymandering is one of the most, if not the most, corrosive things to our democracy that I can imagine. Tom and I completely agree with it. Our entire bipartisan Problem Solvers caucus agrees to it. We met this past week to start taking measurable steps to fight back, because you know part of the challenge, Margaret, is you know much like how elections are conducted, these district lines, it’s largely a function of state government and state legislative action. The only jurisdictional hook we have on the federal system is funding, so particularly the Help America Vote Act, the so-called HAVA funding that passed after the Bush v. Gore hanging-chad election. You know, we can tie that money—it’s billions of dollars that get sent to the states to carry out their elections. We can tie that funding to certain reforms, and one of the things that has to happen—only seven states, by the way, do this in America—is have independent citizen commissions, with computer-generated line drawing assisting them, to make sure that we have more balanced districts in this country.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, I understand the effort and the intent, but Congressman Suozzi, your party’s leaders also gerrymander—gerrymandering, and your group, as we just heard from Congressman Fitzpatrick, you’re supporting efforts to stop it. But it looks like your members are going to be directly impacted themselves. About 45 members of your caucus may face redistricting. You’ve said it’s going to kill the country. I mean, how does it actually kill the ability to reach across the aisle like you gentlemen are doing?

REP. SUOZZI: What happens is, when you create the safe seats through gerrymandering, is that the only elections that matter are not the general election, but the primary, so everybody panders to their base, the Republicans talk to their base, the Democrats talk to their base, instead of talking to all of their constituents about what they care about, and there’s a lot of pandering that goes on. So you know we’re in this—this battle right now, this race to the bottom, and we’re going to fight fire with fire. The Democrats are going to fight the Republicans, Republicans going to fight the Democrats. It’s bad for America. It’s bad for America to have all the safe seats where no politician is incentivized to listen to people and to reach across the aisle.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So I misspoke. It’s 45 members in your caucus, more than a dozen of them may be directly impacted, but still I take your broader point here that it’s damaging to the ability to work cross aisle. But I want to ask you, Congressman Fitzpatrick, from the Republican perspective, we just saw what happened overnight down in Louisiana, where Senator Bill Cassidy lost in this three-way primary. The President himself, the leader of your party, who wanted this redistricting, has also been directly involved in some of these primary races, picking candidates, he came out hard against Cassidy. He’s also now focusing in on Congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who has taken votes in opposition to the president, including for the release of the Epstein files. Is the message here for Republicans that if you dissent from the President, he is going to take you down?

REP. FITZPATRICK: Well, it is one of the many reasons, Margaret, why we need to open primaries up in all 50 states, another cause that Tom and I are behind. Over half the states in this country have closed primaries, meaning that if you are a registered independent, you are excluded from voting in 50% of elections, and let’s just put this into context. You could be a 98-year-old World War Two veteran who stormed the beaches of Normandy, saved civilization, who registers independent in the land of independence, which we’re celebrating 250 years of, and in half of the states of this country, including, unfortunately, our home state here in Pennsylvania, if you register independent, you’re told you’re not welcome to vote in half of elections. That is insane. And not only is it an injustice, Margaret, it has a terrible corrosive effect on the floor of the House. Tom and I see it all the time. We call it the vote no, hope yes crowd. They go to the House floor wanting to support a policy, knowing that policy is the right thing to do. But because they live in a closed primary state, and 18% of Americans, 18% of Americans vote in primaries, they’re going to the House floor thinking about 18% of their electorate instead of 100% of their electorate. So, closed primaries, coupled with gerrymandering, your previous question, are really, really hurting our country. They’re causing gridlock on the House floor.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah. It would seem, though, that you are really swimming against the tide here, both of you gentlemen. I want to ask you, Congressman Suozzi, about your—

REP. SUOZZI: Can I just make one quick?

MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah, sure. I was going to ask you about your race, but go ahead.

REP. SUOZZI: Let me just. Let me just make a quick point. I’m in a district that Donald Trump won by 19,000 votes.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah.

REP. SUOZZI: Brian’s in the—and I’m a Democrat. Brian’s in the district as a Republican that Kamala Harris won. For me to win my race, I have to listen to everybody. I need the large majority of Democrats to vote for me. I need the majority of independents to vote for me. I even need a few Republicans to listen, to vote for me. So, I’ve got to listen to everybody, and that’s what’s good for America, is when their elected officials have to listen to their people. When you do all this gerrymandering and create all these safe seats, the politicians in the safe seats, most of the elected officials in Congress right now only have to win their primary because they’re guaranteed the Republicans are going to win the Republican seat, the Democrats can win the Democratic seat, and then they only listen to their base and they pander to their base. That’s contributing to the division of our country, along with social media, cable news, our foreign adversaries filling our social media feeds with a bunch of dreck.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Not going to push back on you on those points here, sir. But back to the question I was going to ask you in regard to your race. I know that when it comes to people like you have to go out and persuade, you believe that Democrats can really make a case on the affordability argument. We’ve been talking about the polling that CBS has done, showing how worrisome it is for the President’s party, but it also shows neither Democrats nor Republicans own the message. It’s pretty evenly split. 35 percent say Democrats would be better. It’s 31 percent who think Trump and Republicans would be. 34 percent neither or not sure. No one’s really convinced that either the parties have an answer here. So, how do you actually make that an edge?

REP. SUOZZI: Yeah, there’s no question that this is a major problem. Affordability is the number one issue in America. Your polling just shows that, and we see prices are going up like crazy. Why? Because of the tariffs, because of the war, because of the new data centers, and because of all the debt. And we have to propose policies that Democrats and Republicans will work together. You know, the tariff issue, the President supposed to come to Congress, the war powers, the president’s supposed to come to Congress. Let’s work together to actually put solutions in place, so we can get back to a place in America where everybody, whether you’re a left-wing progressive or a right-wing conservative, you believe that in return for working hard, you make enough money so you can afford to buy a house, educate your kids, pay for health insurance, and retire without being scared. We’ve got to get back to those basic fundamental, fundamental messages. Enough with the finger pointing and the culture wars. Let’s focus on the economics of people’s lives, so we can rebuild the middle class and help those folks that are aspiring to the middle class.

MARGARET BRENNAN: But in some ways, that polling Congressman Fitzpatrick says people want something different from what they’re hearing from both of the parties, they’re not hearing new ideas. Go ahead.

REP. FITZPATRICK: Yeah. Over half of the people in this country live paycheck to paycheck. A lot of the things that are being discussed inside the state capitals across America, inside the US Capitol, is not laser focused on that all day, every day. Yes, we have to focus on national security. Yes, we have to focus on foreign policy. We got to do it all.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Yep.

REP. FITZPATRICK: But we cannot ignore the fact that half of Americans are stressing over their family budgets, and that’s got to drive the legislative agenda. I believe that it was that reason that President Trump won in 2024. I think that’s why Zoran Mamdami won in 2025 and I think both parties, Margaret, are failing to get that message that we have to focus like a laser on the economy on these family budgets and identify the silos. What’s causing high energy costs? What’s causing high childcare costs? What’s causing high health care costs? Tom and I step forward through a discharge petition and passed the, through the house, the premium tax credit extension. We’re trying to do our part to cross the aisle to work in the center to focus on the issues that people really care about, which is the kitchen table issues.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, to that point, President Trump told my colleague Nancy Cordes that he endorsed a federal gas tax holiday. Believe it still would have to go before Congress. Would both of you gentlemen, vote for that? Suspending it?

REP. SUOZZI: I think you know we have to consider short term fix. It’s going to affect the (CROSSTALK) Yeah, it’s a short term fix. We really got to get to the president’s got to come to Congress to discuss the war and how to, how to move forward to get out of the—out of the war, and to affect the gas prices. That’s the real issue here. The tariffs are what are really affecting people’s prices. Come to Congress, work with Democrats and Republicans. Let’s try and move our country forward.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Congressman—

REP. FITZPATRICK: My answer. Yeah, my answer to that question. So we work with a lot with the labor unions, they’ve expressed some concerns about this federal gas tax holiday, that it might raid the highway transit fund, which they rely on heavily for all the local infrastructure and national infrastructure projects, for that matter. So, I think the devil is in the detail when we say federal gas tax holiday, where is that money coming from? That’s really going to be the driving question. Yes, we want to do everything possible to lower gas prices, but we don’t want to rob Peter to pay Paul, so we have to, we have to look at the details here.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Quickly before I let you go. Congressman Fitzpatrick, you’re a big supporter of Ukraine. You did get some additional support for additional assistance when it comes to the House. This is like a vote on authorizing new security aid and imposing new sanctions on Russia, even after the House votes, we’re hearing in the Senate from Leader Thune, he’s got no time to take it up. What do you do next?

REP. FITZPATRICK: We’re going to do everything we can, Margaret, to make sure they find time to take it up, because our—the heroes that are on the front lines of the Ukrainian military in Kharkiv and everywhere, everywhere else along the eastern coast of Ukraine, need our help. They need the morale boost. I’ve been there on the front line several times. I have pledged my unequivocal support for them. We reached 218 signatures, as you know, this week on a massive, massive discharge petition that is far greater than even just Russia sanctions. That’s a big piece of it, but it’s an overall a package to Ukraine. So, my message to our Ukrainian friends: help is on the way.

MARGARET BRENNAN: All right, gentlemen, thank you for speaking to us in this bipartisan setting. Appreciate it. We’ll be right back.

Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/brian-fitzpatrick-tom-suozzi-face-the-nation-transcript-05-17-2026/