Freshly sworn-in Sen. Darline Graham Nordone (R-SC) made her loyalty to President Trump and the rest of the MAGA movement known with a simple post on X this week when she announced the SAVE America Act would be “the first bill I am cosponsoring in the Senate.”
Trump has, of course, made his monomaniacal fixation with getting the SAVE Act — a sweeping voter suppression bill — passed before the midterms known for months, often derailing his own agenda and torpedoing Republicans’ efforts to accomplish anything legislatively ahead of the midterms in the process. In the wake of Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-SC) death earlier this month, Trump had few words for his late friend beyond bragging publicly that one of his last conversations with Graham was about the SAVE Act, as TPM has reported:
“He literally called me about the SAVE America Act,” Trump told Meet the Press, describing his last call with Graham, which came hours before his death. “Think of it: He’s traveling for many, many hours — thats a long flight, that’s a long trip. And he calls me about SAVE America Act.” Graham had returned from Ukraine Saturday.
“He thought we were going to get it passed,” Trump continued. “This is a big blow to the SAVE America Act, let me tell you.”
In the hours after Graham passed, Trump made it known that he wanted Graham’s sister to serve out the rest of this term while an election is held for his replacement. She recently announced that she will run for the full six-year term as well.
In the days after she was sworn in, Graham Nordone tried to make her political independence from her brother and his policy priorities known, raising eyebrows among some of Trump’s most fervent supporters.
“I am not Lindsey. I have my own way of doing things,” she wrote on X. She also has indicated that she would be more focused on domestic issues, a shift away from her brother’s focus on foreign affairs.
But with the SAVE Act post, she blotted out any questions about her allegiance to Trump, who has said he has given her his “complete and total endorsement.”
“These reforms are common sense and need to be enacted quickly. I look forward to working closely with @POTUS to get the SAVE America Act signed into law,” she said.
In That Vein
House Republicans have reportedly attached provisions of the SAVE Act to a defense bill that’s being sent over to the Senate, despite the fact that nothing has changed in the upper chamber and the legislation does not have the votes to pass there. Here’s the latest gymnastics House Republicans pulled to try to take some sort of action on the voter suppression bill to appease Trump’s demands, per NYT:
Under a complex maneuver the G.O.P. engineered on Tuesday, if the defense bill passes, it will be merged with major pieces of the voting restriction legislation, which the House passed in February, before being sent to the Senate. The budget plan includes $10 billion that could be used for enforcing new voting requirements, which is aimed at allowing Republicans to try to include the SAVE Act in a party-line, filibuster-proof budget measure they want to push through Congress. And the stock trading bill includes an unrelated provision requiring photo identification when casting a ballot in person or by mail.
Trump Voters Losing Patience With His War
A new Politico poll run by the independent polling company Public First has found that support for Trump’s war with Iran is falling among his base of supporters, specifically due to economic reasons.
Per Politico:
Half of President Donald Trump’s MAGA base thought the Iran war was worth its economic costs in May. Now, just a little more than a third do.
That precipitous, 13-point drop in just two months, according to a new POLITICO Poll, reveals how the president’s most die-hard supporters are starting to agree with the majority of Americans who have long opposed the U.S.’ involvement in the war.
What Else to Read From TPM Today
Josh Kovensky and Emine Yücel write on Sen. John Cornyn’s (R-TX) threats to block Trump nominations over PEPFAR funding that the Trump administration has not released — only to retreat after receiving “assurances” from the White House: Cornyn Threatens to Block Trump Noms Over Unreleased PEPFAR Funds — And Quickly Relents
“Weeks after the Iran War began, Rep. Joe Morelle (D-NY) predicted to TPM that it would become a billion-dollar-a-day “mess.” Now, with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth taking to Capitol Hill to request almost $67 billion in supplemental war funding, Morelle says his fears have been confirmed.” More from Hunter Walker’s exclusive conversation with Morelle here: A Key House Dem Breaks Down the White House’s ‘Unfathomable’ Iran War Funding Requests
Layla A. Jones gets us up to speed on Keith Sonderling, Trump’s nominee for labor secretary, ahead of the vote on his nomination this week: 5 Points on Trump’s Loyal Labor Secretary Nominee
Yesterday’s Top Story
Conceding Major Screwups, DOJ Pauses NYT Subpoenas
What I’m Reading
Donald Trump Jr.’s Investment Firm Posts Staggering Returns of 200 Percent
French modelling scout linked to Epstein found dead
Government Overhauls Teen Pregnancy Program to Focus on Marriage and Starting Families
To wit, women can be fascists too. Darline (what kind of name is that???) is proof positive. Bitch, please!! F_cked up people support other f_cked up people.
Remind me what qualifications Lindsay Graham’s sister possesses to be a senator.
The administration’s priorities, it said, do not align with “content that encourages, normalizes or promotes sexual activity for minors.”
Oh yes it does.
I don’t suppose there are any qualifications needed if it’s just to fill the vacancy for a few months tho there had to be better seat fillers available. But running for the 6 year term just seems delusional and hopefully voters will agree. But does her being named as replacement actually get her name on the ballot in November ? That seems beyond ludicrous and I think there would be other possible candidates howling about it