Monday, February 17, 2025
Good morning, and welcome to RedState’s “Morning Minute” — a brief glimpse at which stories are trending at the moment and a look ahead at what the day may bring. Consider this your one-stop shop for news to kickstart your day.
TOP O’ THE MORNIN’
Red-Hot at RedState
’60 Minutes’ Airs an All-Timer, and the Depths They Sink to Will Blow Your Mind
So a major news outlet promoted laws that punish the spreading of “disinformation” and then proceeded to spread disinformation for partisan gain. You can’t make this stuff up. Truly, CBS News is on another level right now.
Presidents Day Is a Fraud!
So, the historic days and teaching tools marking our two greatest leaders in 249 years were perversely turned into a time for stores to combat dreary winter sales by providing incredible deals on mattresses and pillows.
As the Screw Turns: Now Even Jen ‘Circle Back’ Psaki Knifes the Kamala Campaign in the Back
But when a ship takes on water, the rats are the first to jump off. And it appears that Psaki has now belatedly realized that the Democrat boat is sinking.
Trending Across Townhall Media
Hogg Already in Hot Water Over Actions as DNC Vice Chairman
The fact that we all rejoiced when they elected him should have been a sign, but they didn’t see it.
ABC: We Regret to Inform You That Trump Is More Popular Than Ever — And So Is MAGA
It’s a money-laundering operation that Klobuchar’s attempting to defend, and her voice is shaking because the grift has become obvious.
Another Sneaky Little Secret About the FBI
Waller believes the FBI could be dispatched with the stroke of a pen by issuing a similar memo signed by Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Not Many Americans Are Going to Tolerate What These Federal Workers Had to Say Last Night
Trump is popular. His agenda is popular. And the work to shrink government has the support of most voters. Pound sand, losers.
60 Minutes: We Have To Censor People to Promote Free Speech (VIDEO)
They complain that Trump is a wannabe dictator … and then turn around and say that he should have the power to censor them and take away their guns. How does that even compute?
WHAT’S ON TAP?
Today on Capitol Hill…
Monday will be a bit quiet-ish on Capitol Hill — it’s a federal holiday, as we celebrate Presidents Day. (Actually, per the OPM, we’re celebrating Washington’s Birthday. But, as our Andrew Malcolm rightly notes, today is neither Washington’s birthday nor Lincoln’s.)
Also, the House is in recess. The Senate, however, will be getting back to work on Tuesday evening, when they’ll take a procedural vote on Kash Patel’s nomination as FBI Director before voting on Howard Lutnick’s confirmation as Secretary of Commerce. They’ll also be hammering out the details on their budget proposal.
White House What’s Up
Monday’s official schedule is unusually quiet for President Donald Trump — perhaps he’s celebrating Presidents Day by kicking back a bit following his Sunday appearance at the Daytona 500. (I don’t really believe that. I expect we’ll hear something out of the president as we roll through the day.)
Keeping Up With the Cabinet
Sec. State – Marco Rubio — Rubio has been a standout thus far in his new role. On Sunday, he rightly pushed back on Margaret Brennan’s lunatic take on free speech leading to genocide. He’s now in Saudi Arabia to engage in talks to end the Ukraine war.
Sec. Defense – Pete Hegseth — Hegseth is back stateside following his trip to Europe.
(Note: Apologies for the abbreviated version this AM. Will have a fuller rundown for Tuesday’s edition.)
Full Court Press…
The courts are mostly closed today due to the holiday, but not all of them are. U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan is holding a hearing on Monday at 11:00 a.m. Eastern on the case in which 13 states claim “that President Trump has violated the Appointments Clause of the United States Constitution by creating a new federal Department without Congressional approval and by granting Musk sweeping powers over the entire federal government without seeking the advice and consent of the Senate.” We’ll continue to monitor that case and provide updates as they become available.
After much kerfuffling in the Southern District of New York, the DOJ has formally requested the dismissal of the government’s case against Mayor Eric Adams.
COMING ATTRACTIONS
As noted above, the Senate will be taking its procedural vote on Kash Patel as FBI Director Tuesday evening, along with a confirmation vote for Howard Lutnick as Commerce Secretary.
This week also will see a number of conservatives, including many of your favorite RedState contributors, traveling to D.C. for the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) — or, as I like to call it, “the Mother Ship.” We’ll be bringing you coverage of the highlights from that, as well.
MORNING MUSING
Anyone who knows me knows I’m rarely at a loss for words, but hearing Magaret Brennan drop her absurd claim about the Nazis and free speech on CBS’ “Face the Nation” Sunday just about rendered me so. Bookended with the “60 Minutes” gaslighting extravaganza on free speech needing boundaries — both of which followed the apoplexy of EU leaders over Vice President JD Vance daring to point out to them the perils of attempting to squelch speech — it became rather painfully clear that CBS is all-in on the next big push. Indeed, the powers that aim to remain will be doing their level best to paint speech as a threat. Do not let them.
They no more believe that free speech caused the holocaust (or is a “threat to democracy”) than they believe that a video prompted the attack in Benghazi or COVID came from a pangolin.
Simply setting the table for the next battle. #LyingLiars https://t.co/Ahxpft8aWh
— Susie Moore ⚾️🌻🐶 (@SmoosieQ) February 17, 2025
LIGHTER FARE
Spin cycle!
How washing machines work..🐈🏐😂 pic.twitter.com/izZREPoZud
— 𝕐o̴g̴ (@Yoda4ever) February 16, 2025
