* “I think it’s going to be a rocky period, but I no longer think that Trump is going to pull an Orban and fundamentally consolidate authoritarian control of this country the way that it looked like he was going to do in March or April.” That was Ian Bassin, a founder of (legal and advocacy group) Protect Democracy, referencing right-wing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
* Democratic strategist James Carville is more optimistic in the short term. He’s predicting that the 2026 midterm elections will be a “wipeout” for Republicans, with Democrats picking up 25 seats “at a minimum. In all likelihood, the Democrats will carry the Senate,” predicted Carville.
* Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly took down “Secretary of War” Pete Hegseth at a Congressional oversight hearing. The former Naval combat pilot and NASA astronaut is also suing Hegseth and other senior military leaders over the Pentagon’s attempt to censure and punish him for telling troops not to follow illegal orders. He could become more of a national player during Trump’s second term.