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Steve Benen
"The Rachel Maddow Show" producer and Maddowblog editor
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Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MSNBC political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MSNBC political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
Today’s edition of quick hits.* The expected plea: “James Comey pleaded not guilty Wednesday to criminal charges that were demanded by President Donald Trump and secured by one of his former personal lawyers, who has never prosecuted a case before.”* Challenging diplomacy: “President Trump said negotiations over a cease-fire in Gaza and the release of hostages being held there is ‘going very well.’ ... ‘I may go there,’ he said, first suggesting a trip on Sunday and later adding perhaps it could be on Saturday evening.”* We knew this was coming, but that doesn’t make the news any better: “Some 500 National Guard members have arrived in the Chicago area and are mobilized for an initial period of 60 days, despite an ongoing lawsuit challenging their deployment there, according to a statement Wednesday morning from U.S.
The Republicans' “Arctic Frost” controversy has largely collapsed under scrutiny. It led FBI Director Kash Patel to fire at least three special agents anyway.
The political world is overdue for a conversation about the severity and frequency of the conflicts between the Trump administration and the faith community.
Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.* In this week’s congressional special election primaries, Tennessee’s Matt Van Epps easily won his 11-way Republican contest, thanks in part to an endorsement from Donald Trump.
One professor joked, “’Who was president in 2020?’ is the question of our time.” The number of Republicans who can't answer the question accurately is amazing.
Republicans are claiming that the Biden-era FBI was caught “spying” on congressional Republicans and “tapping” their phones. That's really not what happened.
The Constitution gives Congress what’s known as the “power of the purse.” When Donald Trump effectively responds, “I now have my own purse,” there’s a problem.
During an oversight hearing, Attorney General Pam Bondi was unprofessional and partisan, but most importantly, she was evasive, rejecting key lines of inquiry.
Today’s edition of quick hits.* I think we know how this one is going to turn out: “The Supreme Court on Tuesday appeared poised to back a free speech challenge to a Colorado law that bans conversion therapy aimed at young people questioning their sexual orientations or gender identities in a case likely to have national implications.
