TOP O’ THE MORNIN’
Red-Hot at RedState
The message of Jesus Christ cannot be avoided. You will either accept its truth and surrender to it, or you will be overwhelmed by that truth. There is no middle ground, and He Gets Us is once again attempting to persuade you otherwise.
She got behind the wrong warrior in the election. Now she’s behind the wrong warrior on the gridiron.
This film has all the typical elements of a Michael Bay production and interestingly includes both notable and negative moments from the history of the Secret Service, such as the JFK assassination.
Trending Across Townhall Media
While gun store owners may seem like easy targets, especially in states like Illinois where lawmakers are unsupportive of our Second Amendment rights, this does not mean that the government has the right to confiscate their assets first and then try to prove a crime occurred later.
“This is a coup.” An elected president doing what he campaigned to do is a coup. They really believe that, because they really believe that L’État, c’est moi.
The Democratic Party is like a patient that’s dying of cancer. But instead of chemo, they keeping on upping the dosage of Midol. It’s exactly, precisely, 100% the wrong remedy.
These people don’t watch sports or know what’s happening, but they are really, really which is evident here. Social media isn’t real life, guys.
WHAT’S ON TAP?
Today on Capitol Hill…
There’s only one meeting/hearing scheduled for Monday — a House Rules Committee meeting in the afternoon about the Midnight Rules Relief Act. (It’s as intriguing as it sounds.)
We’re still waiting on the House budget blueprint. That needs to go before the Budget Committee this week so that Republicans can use the reconciliation process and avoid the Senate filibuster.
The Senate will have a procedural vote on Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination as Director of National Intelligence this afternoon at 3:00 p.m. Eastern, which will start the 30-hour clock ticking. They’ll vote on her confirmation likely early Wednesday, with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s as Secretary of Health and Human Services to follow before the end of the week.
White House What’s Up
Fresh off his historic Super Bowl jaunt, President Donald Trump is back in Washington, D.C., Monday where he’ll receive an intelligence briefing at 11:00 a.m. and then sign (more!) executive orders at 1:00 p.m.
Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha have arrived in Paris, France, where he will lead the U.S. delegation to the AI Action Summit. After that, they’ll head to Munich, Germany, for the Munich Security Conference.
Keeping Up With the Cabinet
Sec. Defense – Pete Hegseth — Hegseth joined “Sunday Morning Futures” host Maria Bartiromo to discuss U.S. Military deterrence. This followed some pushback on the reporting of another former Fox colleague, Jennifer Griffin, regarding home repairs being made to the house (government housing) where Hegseth and his family will reside. Also, on Friday, Hegseth conducted a town hall with defense staffers, in which he committed to the Pentagon being able to pass a clean audit within four years. Hegseth is now on his way to Stuttgart, Brussels, and Poland.
Attorney General – Pam Bondi — Bondi has created a special federal task force to investigate the involvement of US persons and organizations in the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. The DOJ will also have its hands full this week on the TRO front as the Dems/left scurry to resist the Trump administration via lawfare, filing multiple suits against the administration and its executive orders.
Sec. Interior – Doug Burgum — Burgum joined Trump aboard Air Force 1 en route to the Super Bowl in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Sunday and helped celebrate Gulf of America Day.
Sec. Transportation – Sean Duffy — Duffy is headed to survey Hurricane Helene damage to I-40 in Tennessee and North Carolina Monday.
Sec. Veterans Affairs – Doug Collins — Collins announced Monday morning that the VA was canceling its $178,000 subscription to Politico.
Sec. Homeland Security – Kristi Noem — Noem indicated on Sunday they believe the leaks regarding ICE enforcement actions were coming from the FBI. DHS unveiled the new Secret Service recruitment video ahead of the Super Bowl.
Admin. Environmental Protection Agency – Lee Zeldin — Zeldin continues to call out government fraud and waste “in the name of climate equity.”
Dir. Office of Management and Budget – Russ Vought — Vought, who’s currently serving as acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in addition to his role as OMB director, has announced a freeze on funding for the agency. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) hardest hit.
Full Court Press…
So, there were several developments over the weekend in regard to the numerous court cases filed against the Trump administration. The one in D.C. regarding USAID employees essentially split the baby. The one out of New York regarding the Treasury Department was an obscene mess, and the government has moved to have that TRO lifted or modified. There will be multiple developments on those fronts today and this week, but if you want a primer on either/both, I recommend going here and here.
COMING ATTRACTIONS
As noted above, the procedural vote on Gabbard will take place Monday afternoon, with her confirmation vote coming on Wednesday. The procedural vote on Kennedy will then follow immediately after, and his confirmation vote will likely come on Thursday, as will the Judiciary Committee vote on Kash Patel as FBI director.
During his overseas jaunt, Vance is set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
MORNING MUSING
I’m a default Chiefs fan, so needless to say, Super Bowl LIX wasn’t my favorite. The game itself was lopsided and kind of ugly. The ads were a mixed bag, with a few that I genuinely liked, some I found annoying, and some I just didn’t get. The halftime show did nothing for me, although I have no idea why some were outraged by it. It just wasn’t my cup of tea, but it wasn’t offensive, in my view. Overall, the whole thing gets a “Meh” rating from me, but you know what? I still love Super Bowl Sunday.
LIGHTER FARE
Now that is the life.
Not a care in the world..🐈🐾😅
Weekend relaxation..🐾😸 pic.twitter.com/OJ7IliwKRA
— 𝕐o̴g̴ (@Yoda4ever) February 8, 2025
