#john-thune — Trump Fail

Trump Put His Housing Official — Who Had No Security Clearance, No Intelligence Experience, and Asked If He Could Take the Presidential Daily Brief Home — in Charge of 18 Spy Agencies, Then Told Him to Mass-Fire Intelligence Workers: He's Fired 50+ Officials, Plans to Cut 300-400 from the Counterterrorism Center Built After 9/11, and Even Republicans Say "We Don't Need a Weaponized DNI"

Acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte — who had no security clearance, no intelligence experience, and previously ran the Federal Housing Finance Agency where he filed criminal referrals against Trump's political enemies for alleged mortgage fraud — began mass-firing intelligence officials on July 2, sending termination notices to over 50 career intelligence professionals. Pulte has ordered staff to identify 300-400 employees for dismissal from the National Counterterrorism Center, the operations floor built after 9/11 where CIA, FBI, and ODNI personnel monitor active terrorist threats. He was appointed after Tulsi Gabbard resigned as DNI in May, citing her husband's cancer diagnosis. Trump had nominated Jay Clayton as permanent DNI but then sabotaged his own nominee's confirmation hearing, canceling it hours before it was scheduled and conditioning it on Congress passing the SAVE Act voter ID bill — which the Senate has rejected twice. This caused FISA Section 702 surveillance authority to lapse for the first time in history, as Democrats refused to reauthorize it with an unvetted acting DNI. Senator Mark Warner revealed Pulte asked to take the Presidential Daily Brief home — "the most classified information" in government — and "didn't even know" that was against the law. In his only briefing at ODNI, Pulte asked what level security clearance he had and whether he got a government plane. At FHFA, Pulte filed criminal referrals against Senator Adam Schiff, Fed Governor Lisa Cook, AG Letitia James, and Rep. Eric Swalwell — all Democrats — using Palantir AI tools to search mortgage records of Trump's perceived opponents. Trump told Pulte he could declassify "whatever" he wants. Senate Majority Leader John Thune: "We don't need a weaponized DNI. We need professionals there." A former intelligence official: "This is a fantasy. It only hurts U.S. national security, and it's helpful to Russia, China, and Iran." Another: "It would be like me taking over a hospital and firing dozens of surgeons in a matter of days." Rep. Jim Himes: "If he just starts willy-nilly firing people, it is going to increase the probability that there is a terrorist attack inside the United States." Gabbard had already cut ODNI by 30% — over 500 staffers. Pulte is cutting deeper. The agency created to prevent another 9/11 is now being dismantled by a man who didn't know he couldn't bring classified documents to his house.

Trump Loses Mail Ballot Case at Supreme Court 5-4 — His Own Appointee Barrett Writes the Majority Opinion — Then SCOTUS Denies His Carroll Appeal, Meaning He Must Pay $5 Million for Sexual Abuse

The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in Watson v. Republican National Committee that states may continue counting mail ballots that arrive after Election Day, provided they were postmarked on time — rejecting the RNC's argument that 19th-century federal election-day statutes require ballots to be received by Election Day. Justice Amy Coney Barrett, Trump's own appointee, wrote the majority opinion, joined by Chief Justice Roberts and the three liberal justices. Barrett wrote: "The electorate's choice is made when voting is complete, not when ballots are received." She added: "At bottom, plaintiffs' theory is that because we are governed by 19th-century election-day laws, we are also governed by 19th-century voting practices." The ruling reversed the Fifth Circuit and protects laws in more than half the states and D.C. that permit late-arriving mail ballots. Alito dissented, warning of "lamentable consequences." Trump called it a "tremendous loss" and renewed his demand for the SAVE America Act — the voter ID bill the Senate has already rejected twice (four Republicans joined Democrats both times), that Trump held a bipartisan housing bill hostage over, that he canceled his own DNI nominee's hearing over, and that Senate Majority Leader Thune says "doesn't have the votes." The same day, the Court denied Trump's appeal in the E. Jean Carroll sexual abuse case without comment, meaning the $5 million verdict — for a jury finding that Trump sexually abused Carroll — stands. Nearly one in three Americans voted by mail in 2024. The noncitizen voting "crisis" the SAVE Act claims to address: Heritage Foundation's own database documents 68 cases out of over one billion ballots cast in 40 years.

Trump Cancels His Own Signing of a Wildly Popular Bipartisan Housing Bill — Hours After the Set Was Built — to Hold It Hostage for a Voter-ID Bill That Can't Pass

On June 24, 2026, hours before a scheduled noon signing ceremony in the Capitol's Statuary Hall, Trump abruptly canceled his signing of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act — the most comprehensive housing legislation in decades — and held it hostage to his stalled SAVE America Act voter-ID bill. The housing bill had passed with crushing, veto-proof bipartisan margins: 85-5 in the Senate and 358-32 in the House. It increases housing supply, lowers costs, and caps how many single-family homes private equity can buy — exactly the affordability message both parties wanted to run on in the midterms. Trump posted that the signing was "hereby cancelled until such time as we pass the desperately needed SAVE AMERICA ACT, which I consider to be a National Emergency," dismissing the housing measure as "The Elizabeth 'Pocahontas' Warren centric housing bill, which is of minor importance." A full set with podium and flags had already been assembled; House GOP leaders were literally on stage touting the bill when his post landed, and staff scrambled to pry the presidential seal off the podium while Democrats moved in to use the stage as a backdrop. This is the same SAVE Act demand for which Trump days earlier sabotaged his own DNI nominee's hearing and let FISA Section 702 lapse. The SAVE Act lacks the 60 Senate votes to pass; Thune has refused to kill the filibuster for it. Republicans called it a "shocker" and said Trump was "digging a hole." Because of the veto-proof margins, the housing bill will likely become law anyway — making the cancellation a self-inflicted political wound for nothing.

Trump Sabotages His Own DNI Nominee's Hearing, Holds National Security Hostage for a Voter ID Bill That Can't Pass — FISA Lapses for the First Time Ever

Trump blindsided Senate Republicans with an overnight Truth Social post from the G7 in France, ordering the cancellation of Jay Clayton's confirmation hearing as Director of National Intelligence — hours before it was scheduled to begin. His demands: (1) the Senate must first confirm Jamie McDonald, his pick to replace Clayton as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and (2) Congress must attach his SAVE America Act voter ID bill to any FISA renewal. The result: FISA Section 702 — which provides 60% of the president's daily intelligence briefing — has lapsed for the first time since 2008; Bill Pulte, a housing official with zero national security experience who is under GAO investigation for weaponizing mortgage fraud allegations against Trump's critics, remains as acting DNI; and the qualified, bipartisan-backed nominee sits idle. Sen. Cotton initially said he'd proceed with the hearing anyway, then reversed. GOP Sen. Cramer: "Frankly, I was disappointed again." Thune acknowledged the SAVE Act "doesn't have the votes." Schumer: "Trump is holding our national security hostage." Homeland Security Secretary Mullin warned the threat level is "the highest it's ever been" — during the FIFA World Cup and Freedom 250 celebrations — while the president insists a surveillance program he calls essential cannot be renewed unless Congress passes a voting bill the Senate cannot pass.

Trump's $1.776B Slush Fund Blows Up His Own Agenda: Republican Revolt Derails Immigration Bill

Senate Republicans revolted against Trump's $1.776B "Anti-Weaponization Fund," forcing leaders to delay the $72B immigration enforcement bill past Trump's own June 1 deadline. A two-hour meeting with acting AG Todd Blanche — described as a "shitshow" — failed to calm the rebellion. Sen. Tillis called the fund "a payout pot for punks." Sen. Johnson called it "a galactic blunder." Trump's slush fund to pay Jan. 6 rioters just torpedoed his top legislative priority.