Chief Justice Roberts has before him the request from President Trump to stay the order halting construction at the White House, including its below-ground national security facilities, the ballroom above ground, and whatever is intend for the roof (drone defenses perhaps?) We don’t know and should not know how the White House is defended from all threats, or what is in the building —or under it or over it. Justice Roberts requested the Trust’s response, due by noon (EDT) on Tuesday, August 18, 2026 I hope the Chief Justice stays the D.C. Circuit order Tuesday by COB and makes it clear that construction may continue until and unless the Supreme Court orders it halted. Not only are there the standing issues that should have barred the Trust from getting to the merits as President Trump noted yesterday, but the heart of the debate is presidential authority over the Executive Mansion and its related grounds and other structures related to the role of Commander-in-Chief. This is not a close case. A terse opinion may follow on the ongoing, urgent need to allow this president and all future presidents authority over their home/office/national security facilities within that area as well as associated areas such as Camp David. To ignore the rapidly evolving threats to the White House and any facility used frequently by any president against this reality would be reckless beyond reason and defy common sense. Judge Rao’s dissent from the D.C. Circuit decision is persuasive but it is too long. The idea that there has to be a process to change the White House facilities (or Camp David or any national security facility threatened by continually changing capabilities of the country’s enemies) is ridiculous and should be declared so in short, sharp sentences aimed at restoring common sense to the country’s awareness of the threats it faces. The backdrop to this case is not just repeated attempts on the lives of this and other presidents, but also rapidly evolving surveillance technology that has to be countered, and of course the astonishing evolution of the threats from drones and hypersonic missiles over the past three years. This president and future presidents should not be hindered in securing their homes, offices and national security facilities from a threat matrix that has soared off the charts. Imagine the consequences of a state sponsor of terror successfully targeting the White House if necessary defenses that would have deflected the attack are not in place because of this ridiculous litigation. TDS has spread far and wide, but while the hard left in this country (and the terror-based regimes which align with the objectives of the radicals) would love to see a Commander-in-Chief denied authority over his command structures and defense of his residence, the Supreme Court should move quickly to end this circus.

Overview of the battle with Iran and the strangulation being applied to the rump regime and options going forward with Rear Admiral @MarkCMontgomery, Senior Fellow at @FDD (and an assessment of the most effective member of President Trump’s Cabinet):

Serving as the White House Press Secretary over the past year and a half has been the honor and adventure of a lifetime. I am incredibly grateful to President Trump for granting me so many extraordinary opportunities, such as working in the West Wing and spending countless hours in the Oval Office, flying around the world and meeting foreign leaders, and traveling across our beautiful country and meeting Americans from all walks of life. Most of all, I am thankful to the President for entrusting me with the distinct privilege of speaking on his behalf at the White House podium. I have spoken with great pride about the many historic accomplishments of this Administration, and I have relished holding the liberal media accountable and ensuring the American people hear the truth about President Trump’s successes. Being a mother and welcoming a new baby while working in one of the most demanding jobs in the world has been the most rewarding yet challenging season of my life, to say the least. The truth is since returning to the White House after the birth of my daughter, I have felt in my heart that I cannot be the best mom my two young children deserve while devoting the constant time, energy, and attention required of the White House Press Secretary — and that is why I have ultimately made the bittersweet decision to depart the White House and embark on a new chapter in my life. President Trump has asked me to continue serving as a top advisor to him on the outside, and I will always remain a vocal advocate for MAGA and the Republican Party. Our country is facing an existential threat from an increasingly extremist Democrat Party that seeks to destroy everything great about America, and I believe it is incumbent upon all of us who care about this country to fight back against that threat. My fight is entering a new phase, but it is far from over. Thank you again to the President, the First Lady, and the entire Trump family for your kindness and generosity over the years. Thank you to our amazing Chief of Staff Susie Wiles for empowering me since the day she hired me on the campaign, and to the President’s cabinet, my staff, colleagues, and friends at the White House who work so hard on behalf of our nation. It has been a privilege to serve alongside so many accomplished and impressive people, and I look forward to cheering them on over the next two and a half years. And of course, thank you most especially to my loving and supportive husband and family for the sacrifices they made for me to serve in this role. ♥️🇺🇸

Up next: @noahcrothman. Guests to follow: @BretBaier, @jpodhoretz, @JimTalent, Admiral @MarkCMontgomery (USN, Ret.) and @comfortsblyof the @RuthlessPodcast. Topics today: Iran and American election polling. Both are the scenes of significant destruction.

Also from “News Items” from @EllisItems ( “Bloomberg: The number of employers who expect entry-level workers to be AI-competent has nearly tripled since last fall, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. Workers’ anxiety about AI has surged, along with demand for quick training programs. In 2022, before the launch of ChatGPT, just 2% of the professional certificate market was focused on AI. By 2026, short-term AI training programs — often called boot camps — had exploded to nearly a third of the credential market, according to workforce database Revelio Labs. Policymakers in Washington are encouraging schools and companies to launch more programs as part of a bid to boost workforce training. Some employers are even willing to foot the bill to prepare their workers for what they see as the fast-approaching future. And colleges are scrambling to meet the moment, betting on short-term credentials — and AI in ­particular — to shore up flagging revenue. (Source:

From “News Items” from @EllisItems ( “6. The US is running “dangerously low” on the key munitions used during the war against Iran, according to a Bloomberg Economics report published yesterday. The Pentagon’s stocks of hard-to-replace air defense interceptors are “critically low,” while long-range missile supplies are “under pressure,” Bloomberg Economics defense lead Becca Wasser and Courtney McBride said in an analysis. The report found the US has likely fired more than half of its most advanced Patriot variant — the PAC-3 MSE — and about 40% of its Terminal High Altitude Area Defense interceptors as the US defended itself against Iranian retaliatory attacks. The Pentagon also burned through various types of long distance, so-called stand-off strike missiles in the opening days of the war, with numbers of Precision Strike Missiles “likely exhausted,” as commanders tried to keep US troops out of harm’s way. “The US isn’t out of missiles, but it is running low on the right ones. And the choices that remain all come at a cost,” write Wasser and McBride. “The war has consumed important weapons faster than they can be bought and built. That is creating a generational gap in US stockpiles of air defense interceptors and exquisite long-range munitions that cannot be quickly overcome.” While US missile inventories are classified, the Bloomberg Economics report is based on Defense Department budget documents and public reporting on weapons stocks. It adds to a growing list of other evaluations highlighting the impact of the war on US weapons stocks. (Source:

After a second consecutive double-digit miss by pollsters, this time in WI after last week’s terrible numbers in MI, the new polling showing @NassauExec Bruce Blakeman ten points behind NY Governor Hochul should be understood to show the race in the Empire State is tied. Why keep publishing polling data when methodology is clearly broken and cannot be fixed?

🗣️ Hugh Hewitt is interviewing Behnam Ben Taleblu, — “a senior fellow” at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, regarding the current status of the U.S. conflict with Iran as of August 11, 2026. The key 🔑 discussion points being fully addressed are as follows, namely; 1. Strategy: The administration is utilizing a two-pillar strategy: maximum pressure sanctions and a physical blockade of the “Persian Gulf” to disrupt Iran's energy exports and create a budgetary crisis. 2. Regime Resilience: Ben Taleblu argues that the Iranian regime is highly cohesive, "calcifying" rather than fracturing, despite intense economic pressure. 3. Military Infrastructure: The conversation addresses Iran's "magazine depth" and missile production, noting that while the regime has been damaged by recent conflicts, they are attempting to improve the precision of their remaining arsenal. 4. Nuclear Concerns: The discussion covers the risks posed by Pickax Mountain, a deeply subterranean facility that remains a potential site for centrifuge manufacturing or uranium enrichment. 5. Potential Future Action: The interview concludes with a discussion on whether a potential "October surprise" involving a return to full-scale combat could impact the political landscape ahead of the midterms. Credit: @hughhewitt @therealBehnamBT @FDD 🚨 A review of the battle with Iran after Iran’s “announcement” of new mili... via @YouTube

Guests today: @BretBaier, @therealBehnamBT, @Lileks, and @Continetti. Plus Election Day in MN and WI: Get out and vote for normies. Enough the El-Sayed/Piker types. We need a functioning Democratic Party. Tune in or @WatchSalemNews