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Mona Burns

@monaburns.bsky.social
5.8K followers 1.9K following 12K posts

Political writer. Covering Congress. Vincit Omnia Veritas. Diversity is our strength. Unity is our power. 🩵 "Freedom is not just an absence of evil, but a presence of good." -Timothy Snyder

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Mona Burns @monaburns.bsky.social · 8h
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Mona Burns @monaburns.bsky.social · 9h
AP: "The airport in the Saudi capital has been attacked again, officials say. One official said the airport in Riyadh has been evacuated and another said air traffic has stopped." apnews.com/article/saud...
apnews.com
The airport in the Saudi capital has been attacked again, officials say
The airport in Saudi Arabia's capital has been attacked again, according to two regional officials. They say the Riyadh airport has been evacuated and air traffic has stopped.
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Reposted by Mona Burns
Dawn Humphrey @dhumph.bsky.social · 9h
I think most of us knew this is how it would end up. Trump has always been a Putin operative. The only question was when/how Trump would publicly reveal his true allegiance. That question is answered and the Republican party is his enabler.
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Mona Burns @monaburns.bsky.social · 9h
Senator Tammy Duckworth: "Putin told Iran the locations of our warships. Today, Trump rewarded him by lifting sanctions and allowing American dollars to fuel Russia’s war machine. Our troops are in harm’s way, and the President cut a deal with the adversary putting a target on their backs."
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Mona Burns @monaburns.bsky.social · 9h
Chris Murphy: "The United States government is now a funder of state sponsored terrorism. I know that sounds political and hyperbolic, but it is factually true. Russia is intentionally targeting civilians in Ukraine at scale, and Trump is intentionally funding their efforts."
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Mona Burns @monaburns.bsky.social · 9h
Philips O'Brien on the diesel 'deal' Trump made with Putin: "Now, the US is coming out as a more direct supporter of Russia" This is Trump getting into business with Russia for their own benefit while blaming Ukraine for attacking Russian refineries phillipspobrien.substack.com/p/this-is-ab...
phillipspobrien.substack.com
This Is About Much More Than Just Diesel
What Really Matters From The Last Few Hours
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Mona Burns @monaburns.bsky.social · 10h
Daniel Dale in CNN: Trump’s lengthy gripe about why he should’ve won the Nobel for the US was filled with nonsense Such as his claims to have “settled” a) two wars that did not exist and b) three wars that never ended or in which violence resumed: www.cnn.com/2026/10/10/p...
cnn.com
Trump is griping he should win the Nobel for settling eight wars, which he hasn’t done | CNN Politics
Again, President Donald Trump did not win the Nobel Peace Prize. Again, he complained about his non-victory at length. Again, his griping was centered on the false claim that he “settled eight wars.”
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Mona Burns @monaburns.bsky.social · 10h
Katie Zacharia will now be the face of the WH every single day We have fallen so far And I am just so tired of being deeply embarrassed
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Mona Burns @monaburns.bsky.social · 10h
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on the diesel deal Trump brokered with Putin: “It looks like a happy birthday present for Putin. It looks absolutely terrible.” AP on the so-called 'deal': apnews.com/article/trum...
apnews.com
Trump strikes deal with Putin to get diesel in sharp reversal of US policy weeks before midterms
President Donald Trump says he has struck a deal to obtain diesel from Russia. It's a stunning reversal of years of U.S. pressure on Moscow over its war with Ukraine and an attempt to address high fue...
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Reposted by Mona Burns
Mike the Mad Biologist and Trump's Press Corps Approver @mikethemadbiol.bsky.social · 10h
A functional Congress would be subpoenaing Open AI executives and employees over this (including getting prompts etc.).
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Roland Gerritsen van der Hoop @rgh1205.bsky.social · 10h
My idea for the AI runaway train cure (US tort style): Anyone using AI to make a product or provide a service and anyone providing AI capabilities is fully responsible for any damages occurring due to the use of that AI, no matter whether the client signed a disclaimer or not.
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Mona Burns @monaburns.bsky.social · 10h
“It’s a big, undercovered story. His numbers with independents are just absolutely terrible,”
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Mona Burns @monaburns.bsky.social · 10h
New this morning on Derek Guy's research into Trump's (apparent) anti-body odor rally suit: “I wonder why Trump chose the cheap import over the US-made suit,” Weird, a little funny and kinda gross But this is where we are, kids www.rawstory.com/trump-suit-2...
rawstory.com
Menswear expert exposes 'body odor' detail about Trump's rally suit: 'The ultimate stench'
A menswear expert has found something new about the suit Donald Trump keeps wearing on the campaign trail. It’s built to fight body odor.Derek Guy, a menswear writer who posts as @dieworkwear, looked ...
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Mona Burns @monaburns.bsky.social · 10h
Eddie a 43 yo Trump 24 voter in Miami: “He’s grabbing the best chapters from Communist countries and Communist leaders to apply that here so everybody’s distracted by this shit and he can do whatever he wants.”
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Mona Burns @monaburns.bsky.social · 10h
The Bulwark: "It’s become pretty clear that people hate the idea of the gov't using taxpayer money to broadcast [ads]. And I mean, they truly hate it" These guys did a focus group of Fla Trump 2024 voters on the ads They're pissed Read this: www.thebulwark.com/p/voters-in-...
thebulwark.com
‘I Need Some Pepto-Bismol’: Trump’s Taxpayer-Funded Ad Bombs in Focus Group
It’s not *just* the corruption that bothers them. It’s the actual content, too.
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Mona Burns @monaburns.bsky.social · 10h
NYT (gift link) Anthropic is the latest lab to report rogue agent activity, which included applying for visas with the State Dept "Safety experts have warned that rogue AI could take down critical infrastructure like electric grids or banking systems." www.nytimes.com/2026/10/09/t...
nytimes.com
Anthropic Agents Tried to Fill Out Visa Forms on State Dept. Website (Gift Article)
The Philadelphia Police Department said the agents had also sent in a false homicide tip. The incidents led the White House to call for better disclosure of rogue A.I. behavior.
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Mona Burns @monaburns.bsky.social · 11h
ProPublica: After he was impeached on charges of abusing his office for personal gain Ken Paxton was suspended, during that time he took at least 17 trips costing taxpayers tens of thousands for trips unrelated to his job as AG Welcome to October, kids Read this: www.propublica.org/article/ken-...
propublica.org
Ken Paxton’s Security for Travel Cost Taxpayers Millions. Just 1 in 6 of His Trips Had a Stated Business Purpose.
Records show the Texas attorney general has taken nearly 1,000 trips during his tenure, costing $3.3 million in security. We could only connect 138 of those trips and $553,000 in security costs to sta...
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Eric Columbus @ericcolumbus.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
I’ve found only three GOP congressmembers — only one of whom is on the ballot next month — slamming Hegseth’s plan for a public execution. Did I miss anyone?
Rep. Austin Scott &
@AustinScottGA08
GOP
X.com
I absolutely support the sentence of death, but live-streaming executions is what jihadists do.
America is better than that.
Pete Hegseth v
@PeteHegseth • 22h
Correct.
CBS News +@CBSNews•23h
Fort Hood shooter's execution will be livestreamed,
Pentagon says
The U.S. military plans to livestream the execution of Nidal Hasan, the ex-Army...
9:59 AM • 10/9/26 • 777K ViewsSenator John Curtis v
@SenJohnCurtis
X.com
Seneca warned that Rome's bloody spectacles corrupted the people who watched them. A civilization erodes when it cultivates an appetite for executions as a form of entertainment.
Secretary Hegseth's plan to livestream the Fort Hood execution risks feeding that appetite. The victims deserve justice administered with solemnity. Broadcasting a death diminishes us and is not an effective deterrent. I urge him to reconsider.
12:16 PM • 10/9/26 • 219K ViewsSenator Thom Tillis 1
@SenTho... • 19h
Hasan should face the death penalty, but making his execution public and streaming it? Beyond disgusting. Public executions are what oppressive dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan do. It should not be happening in America.
CBS News *@CBSNews •23h
The U.S. military plans to
BREAKING
Fort Hood shooter's execution will be livestreamed, Pentagon says
livestream the execution of Nidal Hasan, the ex-Army major who was convicted of the 2009 killing of 13 people...
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Mona Burns @monaburns.bsky.social · 11h
And his remarks last night in NY about not winning the Nobel Peace Prize were nothing compared to this meltdown earlier in the day 👇 He's such a marginal person
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Mona Burns @monaburns.bsky.social · 11h
First thought I had when I saw he was beaten by a woman for the Nobel Peace Prize yesterday was that he'd be exceptionally cranky And look 👇
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Mona Burns @monaburns.bsky.social · 11h
Happy October Here comes the good oppo.. There are texts, audio recordings, photos and calendar items from 2020 showing KS Sen Roger Marshall and his COS may have used taxpayer $ for Marshall's campaign. www.ms.now/news/roger-m...
ms.now
Roger Marshall’s complicated history of blurring the line between taxpayer dollars and campaign cash
In a joint investigation, Kansas Reflector and MS NOW obtained records from Marshall's first Senate run that raise concerns about his use of office resources.
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Emmogene 🇨🇦 🇺🇸 @emmogene.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Trump is actually going to Syracuse to help win NY 21 and shore up support for other GOP candidates. Reminder that NY 21 is Stefanik's seat. The GOP is flailing. www.wwnytv.com/2026/10/09/w...
wwnytv.com
With race for 21st tight, Constantino to appear with Trump in Syracuse
A new poll gives the Democrat in the race for the 21st, Blake Gendebien, a slight advantage.
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Mona Burns @monaburns.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
From 'Hunter' @statisticurban.bsky.social on Twitter: In Kansas: "6 of the 8 living governors of Kansas, current or former, have endorsed Adam Hamilton, including multiple Republicans. Marshall has no endorsements from any of them"
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Mona Burns @monaburns.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
The Bulwark: "The most obvious and arguably most important principle at stake here: Nobody, not even a president, gets to bribe the voters. Yet that is precisely what Trump appears to be doing." www.thebulwark.com/p/donald-tru...
thebulwark.com
Donald Trump Is Buying Votes at $500 a Pop
He’s calling it an Obamacare “refund,” but it’s nothing of the sort.
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Mona Burns @monaburns.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Beaten by a woman He's going to be exceptionally cranky today
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Mona Burns @monaburns.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
"Guilfoyle was right to worry about secrecy. She was about to begin confirmation hearings for her ambassadorship, and understood the pay-to-play could hurt her. Yet neither she nor Deters could stop breaking the Stringer Bell rule by recording their skullduggery in writing."
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Roland Gerritsen van der Hoop @rgh1205.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
“Traditional” Republican voters need to realize that voting Democrat is not just better for them financially, but also that it is the only decent thing to do if you stand for the Rule of Law, against corruption, and want the Epstein Files disclosed.
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Mona Burns @monaburns.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
The Atlantic (gift link) "There’s a long .. pattern of fmr officials capitalizing on gov't & political work, but Trump’s aides aren’t even willing to wait until they take their leave .. Forget a team of rivals. Trump world is a team of mercenaries" www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/...
theatlantic.com
Trump’s Team of Mercenaries
People around the president are using their roles to cash in. They learned it by watching him.
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Mona Burns @monaburns.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Eric Deters is reportedly the 'donor' Guilfoyle asked for $100k to clean up her Amex debt And now, he's outing her Guessing Deters didn't get what he wanted from Trump?
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Mona Burns @monaburns.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
"[H]ere’s a crazy thought: What if Democrats win nearly all of these races? What if they end up with 52 seats heading into the 120th Congress, making Chuck Schumer the SML once again? .. [Senate Dems are] getting closed-door briefings from DSCC Chair Kirsten Gillibrand and other party strategists.."
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Mona Burns @monaburns.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
"Many of the key races are within the margin of error, with Democrats close or leading. Republicans are being forced to spend tens of millions of dollars to defend their “red wall” in Texas, Alaska, Iowa and Ohio. The momentum is clearly on Democrats’ side" punchbowl.news/article/camp...
punchbowl.news
Democrats are dreaming in shades of blue
Many of the key Senate races for the 2026 midterm elections are within the margin of error, with Democrats close or leading.
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Tara Calishain @researchbuzz.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Y'all remember when those ex-Fetterman staffers said they'd start spilling tea? Haven't heard a peep out of THEM! Meanwhile in Texas
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Mona Burns @monaburns.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
This is ridiculous Susan Collins sounds utterly desperate End this nightmare, Maine Don't reelect this calculating, self dealer ..
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Mona Burns @monaburns.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Johnson is running all over the country right now As he's evidently making plans to start a lawn business (?!?) if Dems take the majority, he's in Eastern Iowa today stumping for GOP candidates in a district Trump took by 10 pts in 2024 It is *not* going well punchbowl.news/article/camp...
punchbowl.news
Will the blue wave sweep over Iowa’s 2nd District?
House Speaker Mike Johnson is touring to save the GOP House majority with rallies for Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Joe Mitchell in Iowa.
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Mona Burns @monaburns.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
In NYC yesterday: "Early reports indicate agents surrounded him and a 5-year-old child in his car before firing multiple rounds. .. Get ICE out of our neighborhoods. Get ICE out of our hospitals. Get ICE off our streets. Get ICE away from our children."
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Mona Burns @monaburns.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
More Paxton tape leaks .. He's doing a lot of whining In this one: Ken Paxton privately complained John Cornyn “wants me to lose,” as their years-long feud boils over in a high-stakes Senate race www.cnn.com/2026/10/09/p...
cnn.com
‘He wants me to lose’: Paxton complains about lack of support from Cornyn in leaked audio | CNN Politics
Ken Paxton has publicly said he would “love to have” John Cornyn’s support after their bruising Republican primary runoff in the Texas Senate race. But privately, Paxton has grown frustrated with the ...
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Mona Burns @monaburns.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
"More shutdowns could be on the way too. The current CR runs out Dec. 11. If Democrats do win the House — or even the Senate — who knows how far Trump will push his plan for a massive $350 billion reconciliation bill for the Pentagon during the lame-duck session." Read this, it'll make you feel good
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Mona Burns @monaburns.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
AM today: "If you thought the government funding fights of the 119th Congress were bad-including the two record-breaking shutdowns-wait until you see what happens if Democrats take the House" "a whole new level of power to go after Trump and OMB Director Russ Vought." punchbowl.news/article/poli...
punchbowl.news
The House Democrats to watch on Appropriations next year
Democrats' control of the House Appropriations Committee next year would give them a whole new level of power to go after President Trump.
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Mona Burns @monaburns.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
From the National Hurricane Center: Hurricane #Isaias Advisory 11 (4 AM CDT, Fri Oct 9): Isaias Strengthening. Preparations Should Be Rushed to Completion as the Weather Will Go Downhill Quickly Today www.nhc.noaa.gov
nhc.noaa.gov
JavaScript is currently disabled in your browser or you are using an older browser that is incompatible with this map. To view the interactive map, please enable JavaScript or update your browser if possible. Direct links to the latest high-resolution forecast images are provided below:
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Mona Burns @monaburns.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
NYT (gift link) DOJ's civil rights division, down about 300 career lawyers, has hastily hired a new crop of 130 people -- some w/ criminal records, minimal experience, tarnished work histories, hyperpartisanship and downright bizarre public statements. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/06/u...
nytimes.com
Justice Dept. Turns to Partisans and Conspiracists to Fill Depleted Ranks (Gift Article)
The civil rights unit has recruited people whose questionable work histories and dearth of education and experience might have disqualified them in the past, former officials said.
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Mona Burns @monaburns.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
You got that right ..
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Reposted by Mona Burns
David Darmofal @daviddarmofal.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
One of the concerns has been whether Mike Johnson will seat a new Democratic House. The more chastened Johnson is, the. more likely our democracy survives. And that means the larger the Democratic win next month, the larger the Democratic majority, the more likely our democracy survives.
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Mona Burns @monaburns.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Dear god ..
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Mona Burns @monaburns.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
So .. he's thinking about running? There will be *no* running for any of these guys What's most interesting about this to me is that just a month ago Johnson wouldn't even speak about any potential loss on background
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Mona Burns @monaburns.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
"Mike Johnson is in panic mode and is reportedly planning his next moves if Republicans lose"
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Mona Burns @monaburns.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
As long as the bad actors in the Trump admin can continue to get away with using Trump's crazy as cover for their nefarious agenda, they'll keep him in office Also Vance won't 25A him before Jan 20, 2027 because per Constitution: if POTUS is vacated after 2 yrs/1 day VP can then run for 2 terms
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Mona Burns @monaburns.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
New from WIRED: "Elon Musk's America PAC is focusing its war chest on key Senate races this cycle-overall spending 3 times as much on digital ads & mailers hitting Dems as defending GOP candidates amid cratering support for Trump's record" And it's not working .. www.wired.com/story/elon-m...
wired.com
Elon Musk’s America PAC Is Quietly Funding November’s Most Consequential Elections
America PAC’s approach has been unusual: for every dollar it has spent supporting GOP Senate candidates, it has spent almost three dollars attacking Democrats.
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Mona Burns @monaburns.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
NYT (gift link) "[T]he Democrats’ dream blue wave could come from Republicans who sour on President Trump and stay home. It already has a name: the red undertow." www.nytimes.com/2026/10/08/u...
nytimes.com
‘He’s Not Making Sense’: How Trump Has Alienated Voters for the G.O.P. (Gift Article)
Signs are emerging that dispirited Republican voters may stay home in November, bringing a Democratic surge without many conversions.
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Tom Schaller @schaller67.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Guess who is going bankrupt again? Except this time he’s burning through his remaining *political* capital. My latest for @atrupar.com Public Notice. Please read, like, share—and subscribe to PN. Thanks, Tom open.substack.com/pub/aaronrup...
open.substack.com
Trump faces his worst bankruptcy yet
His political capital is gone and the repo man is on the way.
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Mona Burns @monaburns.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
"Should November 3 be the disaster for Republicans that analysts are predicting, Trump will morph overnight into something less than a lame duck president with a ticking, two-year expiration clock: he will become politically bankrupt in ways all-too-familiar to him as a businessman." Excellent read:
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