The Common Ills: The Snapshot

Friday, April 24, 2026

The Snapshot

Friday, April 24, 2026. Chump tries to claim that the Iran War has only gone on for five and a half weeks, everyone in the administration appears to be leaking, The Epstein Scandal continues and gets a watchdog, Howard Lutnick faces questions regarding his own ever changing story of him and Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell wants a pardon, Senator Elizabeth Warren gives an update on the Democrats year long battle to save Social Security, and much more.

The Iran War continues as Ben notes this morning on MEIDASTOUCH NEWS.

Finn Hartnett (THE NEW REPUBLIC) notes Chump's claim that he remains on schedule with regards to the war:

Donald Trump would get around to ending the bloody conflict in Iran, but come on—we all deserve a break once in a while!
That was essentially what the president told reporters on Thursday when asked about the ongoing war. After Trump falsely claimed the United States had been involved with Iran for only “five and a half weeks,” a reporter piped up.
“It’s [been] eight weeks that the U.S. now has been involved with Iran,” the reporter said. “You initially had said it would be four to six weeks and it would be over.”
“Well, I hoped that, but I took a little break,” Trump retorted. “I gave them a break.”
If true, the idea that Trump took a two-week-long break from dealing with the war is pretty insane. What was he doing during that period? Watching TV? Brushing up on his figure drawing? DoorDashing McDonalds to the White House? (He actually did do that last one.)

He just lies and lies and the war drags on. And drags the economy with it.

We noted Chump's cabinet yesterday. A lot of people are talking to the press, some of them may be current or former cabinet members. Let's start with a non-Cabinet member. Tom Latchem (THE DAILY BEAST) reports:

President Donald Trump has been privately venting his anger over FBI Director Kash Patel’s embarrassing boozy Olympics antics, according to a new report.

The president, 79, is said to be fuming about the parade of bad headlines triggered by viral footage of his hockey-mad FBI chief celebrating Team USA’s gold medal win over Canada in Milan by slamming beers in the men’s locker room.

While Trump has publicly defended Patel, 46, behind the scenes, he has been griping to confidants about both the locker-room performance itself and the embarrassing coverage that followed, sources familiar with the conversations told CNN.

The Daily Beast had previously reported that the president had also raised the controversy with Patel directly.

But it's not just Ka$h who has stepped in it. Tom Boggioni (RAW STORY) reports:

With three Cabinet members ousted by Donald Trump since March 5, a handful of Republican senators are growing anxious for several reasons that the firing hammer is about to drop on more, in part because the president is in a “bad mood” with his administration flailing.

According to a report from Politico’s Jordain Carney, four GOP lawmakers are anticipating a purge in part because the midterms are coming up and, should the GOP lose control of the Senate, confirmation hearings under a Democratic majority would be problematic at best.

Add to that, Trump appears to be in a firing mood.

The timeline is becoming critical. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer's departure this week follows Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Attorney General Pam Bondi out the door — a pattern that has GOP lawmakers reconsidering the Senate's already compressed legislative calendar.

Senate Republicans face an impossible arithmetic. "The number of working days are very limited," Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) said. "You just do the math. It's a very compressed schedule."

Tillis is urging Trump to move quickly on any remaining Cabinet changes. A group of Republican senators believes the president should make further personnel moves sooner rather than later — before the midterms potentially shift Senate control to Democrats. Waiting, they fear, could mean confirmation delays or complete obstruction if Democrats take over.

Yes, it will be much harder after mid-terms to get Chump's picks through the rubber stamp Republicans who have refused to vote anyone down -- anyone who's made it to a vote. Matthew Rozsa notes one who didn't make it to a vote:

President Donald Trump’s pick to lead a top US security agency withdrew his nomination on Wednesday after more than a year of controversy — including from his own Republican Party.

Sean Plankey, Trump's pick to lead the government’s civilian cyber defense agency, withdrew himself from consideration after his candidacy languished in the Senate, wrote Politico's John Sakellariadis and Dana Nickel on Wednesday, adding that Plankey informed Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) and confirmed the information to POLITICO.”

Trump tapped Plankey last year in March. Although Plankey was initially viewed as a non-controversial choice, but he quickly ruffled feathers. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) reportedly objected to Plankey’s policies regarding a Coast Guard shipbuilding project and resisted advancing Plankey’s renomination earlier this year.

“During Trump’s first term, Plankey served in cybersecurity roles on the National Security Council and the Energy Department,” Sakellariadis and Nickel reported. “Plankey’s withdrawal is the latest leadership shakeup at the top cyber defense agency, which has lost around one-third of its personnel since Trump returned to office. The agency has also cycled through interim leadership, with former acting CISA Director Madhu Gottumukkala reassigned in late February after a series of mishaps that alarmed current and former agency officials.”

Alana Loftus (THE MIRROR) notes, "This week, four GOP senators anonymously spoke to Politico about who they believe will be fired from the Trump administration next. Three top Trump officials stood out: Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard, and FBI Director Kash Patel." Tulsi Gabbard? Alana Loftus (THE MIRROR) reports:

Trump has urged the U.S. Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, to resign before the midterm elections later this year, according to reports.

Trump’s cabinet has been undergoing a serious purge this year. Some of the most notable figures have been ousted in shock exits, including Attorney General Pam Bondi, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. According to two sources who spoke to Sherwood News in recent weeks, the White House has made it clear to Gabbard, who once got a sickening compliment from Trump in a room full of people, that they want her gone before the midterms.

At this point, her departure remains unconfirmed and the timing of any potential exit from Trump’s cabinet remains vague.

And the leaks continue. Why? Because people are angry. Some are angry because they've been let go, some are angry because of talk that they'll be let go, some are just fed up with all the nonsense that has been Chump's second administration. After awhile, the corruption becomes too much for even some insiders to take, the lawlessness grates on even those who support it to a degree. And they talk to reporters. Ewan Gleadow (RAW STORY) notes:

Heather Delaney Reese claims that Trump's team is slowly but surely leaking information to cover themselves as cabinet members and White House insiders worry for their future.

Reese wrote, "The cabinet he promised would be the tightest, most loyal operation in history, is hemorrhaging. Kash Patel is now suing The Atlantic over a deeply reported story about his excessive drinking, which claims his staff has trouble waking him up when he was seemingly intoxicated.

"In the past couple of months, three cabinet members have been fired or forced out: Kristi Noem, Pam Bondi, and Lori Chavez-DeRemer. Every single one of them a woman.

"Every one of those leaks came from someone who is scared. People do not risk their careers and their clearances to talk to reporters because things are going well. They talk because they cannot stay quiet anymore. Because the fear of staying silent has finally overtaken the fear of him.

"And once that starts, it does not stop. Because what they are seeing is serious enough that the fear of staying silent has finally overtaken the fear of him. That is a shift. A real, documentable shift. And once it starts, it does not stop."

Thomas Kika notes one of the Chumpsters employed at Homeland Security:

A deputy assistant secretary in President Donald Trump's Homeland Security Department finds herself embroiled in a messy new debacle, according to new reports, with allegations surfacing that she has been using a "sugar daddy" website to pick up men.

The story, originating in the Daily Mail, concerns 29-year-old Julia Varvaro, a deputy assistant secretary for counterterrorism, who has allegedly maintained a profile on Seeking.com. The Daily Beast described the site as one "that is often used by young, attractive singles looking for older, wealthier partners to help fund their luxury lifestyles."

The profile, listed under the name "Alessia," used the same profile photo as Varvaro's Instagram account and boasted about working for a U.S. government agency, while also promising prospective partners "seductive sophistication." The account also described her as "flirty, fun, and fond of sultry spaces,” as well as “drawn to a masculine man who’s attentive, protective and quietly playful for mutually beneficial experiences.”

The Daily Mail cited accusations from a man, "Robert B.," whom the report described as an "executive." Robert B., a divorced father, claimed to have dated Varvaro after finding her profile on a different site, Hinge. He further claimed to have "spent $40,000 on her over the course of three months, including first-class trips to Aruba and Italy."

Homeland Security. The most unhinged and corrupt of departments. Kristi Noem set the example at the top and continues to do so even though she's no longer Secretary of Homeland Security. Marianne LeVine, Tarini Parti and Michelle Hackman (WALL STREET JOURNAL) report:

Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has continued using a waterfront house on a military base in Washington, D.C., that she took over as a cabinet member, according to people familiar with the matter.

A black Suburban SUV typically used by Noem was seen parked in front of the house earlier this week, those people said, and U.S. Coast Guard officials have spotted Noem on the base in recent days.

Noem moved into the house on Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, which is typically designated for the commandant of the Coast Guard, after President Trump last year fired Linda Fagan, the commandant at the time. The Coast Guard generally falls under the purview of the Department of Homeland Security.

Noem has continued to use the house since Trump ousted her from DHS in early March. She officially left the job after Markwayne Mullin was confirmed as the new secretary.

Noem is now serving as Trump’s special envoy for the Shield of the Americas—Western Hemisphere, a security initiative created by the administration at the State Department.

Turning to Chump's pal Jeffrey Epstein. Yesterday's snapshot noted James Comer Pyle, Chair of the House Oversight Committee, insisting his Committee was split on a pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell -- Epstein's accomplice. The fact that Comer Pyle and the other Republicans on his Committee are apparently wasting time on this discussion (Congress can't pardon anyone) goes to how Comer Pyle will do anything to avoid addressing Pam Bondi's refusal to be deposed by the Committee -- a committee, please remember, that deposed former Attorney General Bill Barr. ATLANTA BLACK STAR NEWS notes:

Robert Garcia, the ranking Democrat on the committee, rejected the idea outright, saying there is no internal debate on his side of the group.

“That would be a huge step backwards, and, quite frankly, so disrespectful to the survivors,” Garcia said. “She is a known abuser. She is a known liar.”

He went further, framing any potential deal as something far more troubling.

“If the DOJ or Oversight Republicans are out there trying to negotiate some sort of pardon that is … not only a huge slap in the face to this investigation, to anyone, to the American public,” he said. “It’s a part of a massive cover-up.”

Outside Washington, public reaction has already been unforgiving, with many questioning the true motive behind any potential deal. Critics argue the exchange may have less to do with uncovering the truth and more to do with controlling it.

“This is vile,” one critic voiced on X. “She participated and encouraged the girls. She is a predator, and anyone who is okay with pardoning her should be removed from office. Also, there is a 100% chance they are all republicans.”

Another person tagged Comer directly: “@RepJamesComer she would be getting a pardon to keep her mouth shut. Folks, this piece of sh-t thinks the American people are this kind of stupid.”

Ashley Fields (THE HILL) notes one member of Congress has called out the notion of a pardon to the DoJ:

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) sent a Wednesday letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) strongly opposing the possibility of a pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell, the longtime partner and accomplice of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

“I am writing to express my disgust at the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) reported willingness to pardon Ghislaine Maxwell,” Krishnamoorthi wrote in the letter.

“Last week, David Oscar Markus, Maxwell’s attorney, said, ‘There’s a good chance and for good reason that [Maxwell] would get a pardon,’” the Illinois lawmaker added, citing reporting from Politico.

Meanwhile, The Epstein Scandal is now receiving a watchful eye from one person. Dan Gooding (NEWSWEEK) reports:

The U.S. Department of Justice is facing an audit of its compliance with the law passed by Congress that required it to release the Epstein files.

In an announcement on Thursday, the DOJ’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) said it was initiating an audit to determine whether the Trump administration had complied with the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

Zachary Folk (FORBES) also notes the development. Steve Benen (MS NOW) adds:

Deputy Inspector General William Blier said in a written statement, “Our preliminary objective is to evaluate the DOJ’s processes for identifying, redacting, and releasing records in its possession as required by the Act.”

“If circumstances warrant, the OIG will consider addressing other issues that may arise during the course of the audit,” Blier said.

The OIG “will issue a public report with the audit’s results when our work is complete,” he concluded.

Republican officials, especially in the White House, have made it abundantly clear that they’re desperate to see the Epstein scandal fade from the news, especially as the midterm elections draw closer. The inspector general’s new investigation suggests, however, that scrutiny into the administration’s handling of the matter is going to last a while longer.

And Sarah K. Burris notes:

Survivors and lawmakers have commented that the DOJ still has documents it hasn't released but should have, CNN reported in March. These include over 50 pages of FBI interviews and FBI notes taken by agents about one of the accusers of President Donald Trump, NPR reported in February. The young woman, who was a minor at the time, was interviewed by the FBI four times about her story. Of that, only a summary of her interview was made public.

"NPR reviewed multiple sets of unique serial numbers appearing before and after the pages in question, stamped onto documents in the Epstein files database, FBI case records, emails and discovery document logs in the latest tranche of documents published at the end of January," the report said. "NPR's investigation found dozens of pages that appear to be cataloged by the Justice Department but not shared publicly."

[. . .]

It has been less than a month since former Attorney General Pam Bondi was ousted from her post and her deputy, Todd Blanche, took over until a replacement could be confirmed.

Blanche told Fox News, “I think that to the extent that the Epstein files was a part of the past year of this Justice Department, it should not be a part of anything going forward."

Blanche is a joke and he's Chump's boy, put in place to protect Chump. Howard Lutnick is the Secretary of Commerce and isn't doing a very good job in that position as evidenced by the US economy; however, Thursday morning he appeared before the House Appropriations Committee and his lies about Epstein were raised. David Edwards (RAW STORY) reports:

Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA) called out Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick after he misrepresented his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.

During a Thursday hearing before the House Appropriations Committee, Dean noted that Lutnick falsely claimed he had never spoken to Epstein again after a single meeting in which his wife was present.

"After speaking with the survivors, I again went to the Department of Justice to review the unredacted Epstein files to seek accountability and justice for the victims, the more than 1,000 victims and survivors," Dean explained. "And today, Secretary Lutnick, I have some questions for you about what I saw."

"Let's start with your relationship with sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein," she continued. "In October, you told the New York Post with colorful narration that the last time you saw Jeffrey Epstein was in 2005 when you took a tour of his house, which happened to be right next door to yours... You swore you would never go back."

Dean pointed out that Lutnick's statement to the Post "was a lie."

"You were forced to admit that you had visited Epstein's private island in 2012," she explained. "Four years after, Epstein pled guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution and was labeled a sex offender."

Even that wasn't the "whole truth," Dean said.

"It turns out that five days after visiting his island, you and Epstein signed a business deal together as co-investors in a digital advertising company," she remarked. "Secretary Lutnick, why did you lie to the New York Post about your relationship with Jeffrey Epstein?"

For his part, Lutnick declined to answer questions about Epstein because he had agreed to talk to the House Oversight Committee about the matter.

"I do not accept that answer," Dean snapped. "We are our own committee. We have our own reason to test your credibility and veracity. Please answer the question. Why did you lie to the Post?"

Lutnick refused to answer the question.

Let's wind down with this from Senator Elizabeth Warren's office:

Warren: “We’re keeping up the fight to protect — and expand — Social Security to make sure it’s here for generations of Americans to come.”

Text of Report (PDF)

Washington, D.C. – Senate Democrats’ Social Security War Room, led by U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), published a new report highlighting how, in its first year, it has fought to protect Americans’ Social Security benefits.

“Since Day One, Donald Trump’s attacks on Social Security have made it harder for Americans to get their benefits. We launched our Social Security War Room a year ago to fight back and stop Trump’s damage, and that’s exactly what we’ve done,” said Senator Warren. “We’re keeping up the fight to protect — and expand — Social Security to make sure it’s here for generations of Americans to come.”

Breaking his campaign promises to “not touch” Social Security, Donald Trump has taken a wrecking ball to the Social Security Administration (SSA), jeopardizing Americans’ access to their hard-earned benefits. President Trump and his SSA Commissioner, Frank Bisignano, have slashed thousands of employees and upended critical services at field offices and on the agency’s customer service phone line — resulting in backdoor benefits cuts for Americans.

Senate Democrats launched the Social Security War Room one year ago to fight for seniors, draw attention to this customer service chaos President Trump and Commissioner Frank Bisignano have caused at SSA, and counter their relentless attacks on the agency and Americans’ benefits. One year later, the War Room has succeeded in stopping many of President Trump’s harmful policies in their tracks, including:

Launched Investigations Revealing True Metrics: Since its launch, the Social Security War Room has exposed the Trump Administration’s attacks on Social Security and initiated nearly two dozen investigations and reports – some of which forced the Administration to reverse course on harmful policies. When Americans reported waiting hours on the phone to talk to a SSA representative while the agency listed conflicting metrics online, Democrats conducted an investigation that revealed the truth about long wait times. The investigation found the average call wait time was over ten times higher than what the SSA claimed online – if the call was even answered at all.

Debunking Myths and Misinformation: When the administration put out inaccurate statements that misled the public about the state of Social Security, the War Room was quick to respond, fact-checking the administration’s statements and debunking its myths. This included the Trump administration’s baseless claims of rampant fraud, along with its outright lies about the impact of Trump and Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill on Social Security benefits.

Secured Key Commitments from Social Security Head: After a personal meeting with Senator Warren, the Social Security War Room secured key commitments from Commissioner Bisignano to better protect Americans’ benefits, including that he would not make it easier to fire SSA workers by shifting them to Schedule F, would ensure Americans who can only access benefits through paper checks would still be able to get them, and importantly, would cooperate with an independent Inspector General investigation of Social Security data and metrics. During the meeting, the Commissioner also admitted he was responsible for a blast email that went out to all SSA beneficiaries inaccurately describing how President Trump’s OBBBA would affect benefits.

Introduced Bills to Support and Expand Social Security: Members of the Social Security War Room have led the charge to introduce legislation to safeguard Social Security and reverse the Trump administration’s disastrous cuts, including introducing the Keep Billionaires Out of Social Security Act. Protecting Social Security also means ensuring future generations can access the program and expanding benefits for seniors and people with disabilities. In the fall, Democratic senators in the War Room also introduced the Social Security Emergency Inflation Relief Act, which would temporarily expand Social Security benefits to ensure they can meet the moment and cover the increased cost of living older Americans are facing under the Trump administration. Later, Social Security War Room leaders reintroduced the Supplement Security Income Restoration (SSI) Act, which would make long-needed updates to the program to ensure beneficiaries can live with dignity and are not trapped in poverty.

President Trump’s policies and Commissioner Bisignano’s disastrous leadership continues to threaten Americans’ benefits, including by haphazardly shifting employees and limiting field office services to cover over the administration’s catastrophic staff cuts. And Trump administration officials and Republicans in Congress have floated alarming proposals that would weaken Social Security – including raising the retirement age.

As the Trump administration, Commissioner Bisignano, and Republicans in Congress continue to undermine Social Security, the War Room will sound the alarm and fight back, preventing the administration from gutting the agency and working to increase Social Security benefits and ensure the program is here for generations to come.

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And we'll close with this from THE BLACK COMMENTATOR:

BlackCommentator.com

April 23, 2026 Issue 1084