President Donald Trump has dismissed concerns about the U.S. economy, grading its performance as “A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus” in a new interview and rubbishing concerns about inflation.
Speaking to Politico, Trump again insisted he had “inherited a total mess” from his predecessor Joe Biden and baulked at the idea that Americans are having to tighten their household budgets going into 2026, telling journalist Dasha Burns: “Don’t be dramatic.”
In the same interview, the president called Europe a collection of “decaying” nations led by “weak” leaders, refused to rule out sending ground troops into Venezuela as part of his war against drug traffickers and urged the Supreme Court’s elderly conservative justices to stay in their posts.
On Monday, Trump said that the decision on whether or not to release footage of the deadly September 2 “double tap” missile strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean rests with his Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
“Whatever Hegseth wants to do is okay with me,” the president told reporters Monday, angrily backtracking on his own comments last week that “whatever” video the Pentagon possesses “we’d certainly release, no problem,” rebuking another female journalist for challenging him over it.
Watch: Trump takes the spotlight in Guatemala’s sinister ‘Burning of the Devil’ pre-Christmas tradition
Analysis: Could the latest liberal darling cost Democrats their best chance at flipping Texas Senate seat?
Jasmine Crockett’s decision to run for the Senate has some sweating in the Lone Star state, but Republicans have just as many problems, Eric Garcia writes.
Karoline Leavitt pushes Trump’s inflation narrative on Fox and Friends
The White House press secretary was on Fox’s breakfast show this morning and attempted to pin inflation, which Trump persists in saying is not an issue, on Joe Biden, tried to rally disaffected Republicans and ducked a question on the release of the boat strike video.
Nancy Mace shreds Mike Johnson: ‘Nancy Pelosi was a more effective House speaker than any Republican this century’
The South Carolina representative has torn into Speaker Mike Johnson for the way he has run the House of Representatives in a New York Times op-ed, the latest sign of discontent among Republicans on the Hill.
Here’s Eric Garcia on Mace taking a leaf out of Marjorie Taylor Greene’s book.
Right-wing podcaster accuses administration of blowing up boats to distract from Epstein files
Tim Dillon slammed the Trump administration for dragging its feet over the release of the Department of Justice’s files on the deceased pedophile, which it has until December 19 to make public following the lightning passage of the Epstein Transparency Act through Congress last month.
Owen Scott has more on the right’s growing impatience.
Watch: The View hosts mock Trump over Fifa peace medal
Trump grades economy ‘A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus’ and rubbishes inflation concerns
The president has dismissed concerns about the U.S. economy, grading its performance as “A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus” in a new interview and rubbishing concerns about inflation.
Speaking to Politico, Trump again insisted he had “inherited a total mess” from his predecessor Joe Biden and baulked at the idea that Americans are having to tighten their household budgets going into 2026, telling journalist Dasha Burns: “Don’t be dramatic.”
In the same interview, the president called Europe a collection of “decaying” nations led by “weak” leaders, refused to rule out sending ground troops into Venezuela as part of his war against drug traffickers and urged the Supreme Court’s elderly conservative justices to stay in their posts.
James C Reynolds has more on his unprovoked attack on America’s European leaders.
Trump and MAGA foe Jasmine Crockett joins contentious Senate race
The Texas Democrat announced Monday that she would join the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate in the Lone Star State – the same day one of her would-be opponents decided to exit the race.
Collin Allred, Crockett’s colleague in the House, withdrew his bid for the seat early Monday morning, hours after news of Crockett’s plans were made public in local media outlets.
Also running for the position is James Talarico, a Texas state senator.
John Bowden reports.
Watch: Duffy and RFK Jr compete in pull-up contest at bizarre airport press conference
Exclusive: Florida man threatened to decapitate ‘subhuman’ Rep. Ilhan Omar and ‘eat’ her kids after Charlie Kirk remark
A 30-year-old Florida man is facing up to a half-decade in federal prison after confessing to posting violent threats on social media that promised to decapitate Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, murder her children, then eat the kids “for protein,” according to plea agreement papers reviewed by The Independent.
Myles M McQuade, a Tampa resident, made the threats on X, the Elon Musk-owned social network formerly known as Twitter, one day after Omar criticized late right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk in an interview with a progressive news outlet.
Her remarks sparked Republican outrage, leading to GOP legislators insisting Omar be stripped of her committee assignments.
Justin Rohrlich has the story.
