Journalist Taylor Lorenz, never one to pull punches, just went nuclear — again. This time, her targets are former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a now-viral X post. Lorenz is known for her flair for dramatics. Even by her standards, this was a scorcher. 135z13

Buttigieg’s whiplash COVID hot take 1y2l4e

In a Bulwark podcast interview, Buttigieg recently acknowledged, maybe, just maybe, closing schools for over a year during the pandemic wasn’t an unqualified success. In a moment of retrospective honesty, Buttigieg itted that keeping kids out of school had serious downsides, including academic and social setbacks.

As one comment noted, Lorenz’s “eugenics” allegations were a bit much. It said, “You are leaving out quite a bit here,” the commenter added, noting Buttigieg said in the interview, ‘I think most people would have liked to have found a way to safely get more schools open more quickly.”

Who is Taylor Lorenz? q4y51

In case you’re unfamiliar: Lorenz is a former tech and internet culture reporter for The New York Times and The Washington Post. She’s made a name for herself tracking TikTok trends, influencer drama, and the occasional political flamethrower session — usually from her own .

After leaving WaPo in 2024 amid internal clashes, she launched Mag, an independent Substack-style outlet where she’s free to rage-tweet and write longform thinkpieces on internet culture and public health without pesky editors telling her to chill.

Love her or loathe her, Lorenz has become a lightning rod for internet-era journalism. Her critics say she’s chronically online and catastrophically over-the-top. Her fans say she’s one of the few willing to hold power to in a world that’s all too ready to “move on.”

Buttigieg: Whoops our bad 2q423g

Lorenz’s fury over her perceived “whoops, our bad” approach to school closures wasn’t just performative. It was part of a larger pattern: she believes the pandemic was mismanaged by a leadership class more concerned with optics than lives — can’t say we disagree.

Of course, her delivery may leave even sympathetic readers reaching for Advil. But she’s not trying to be polite. She’s trying to torch the furniture and make sure the smoke reaches every corner of D.C.

Whether that makes her a truth-teller or just another voice screaming into the algorithm — well, that depends on how you feel about the last five years of American politics. One thing’s certain: if you’re looking for nuance, you’re probably not following Taylor Lorenz.

When Donald Trump sauntered into the election season, his pitch was simple: “I’ll fix everything.”

It’s the same greatest hits album MAGA’s been playing on repeat since 2016. But while Trump’s fan club is still busy chanting “Make America Great Again,” the guy’s out here doing the opposite of what they’d expect. He’s apparently decided to make your life a tad more miserable by… fighting to increase your bank fees. That’s his latest flex.

Now, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg, is sounding the alarm.

I am not making this up: Republicans have introduced legislation… to increase your bank fees.

— Pete Buttigieg (@petebuttigieg.bsky.social) February 18, 2025 at 8:31 PM

Reportedly, Republicans are trying to overturn a key Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) rule that would protect consumers from predatory overdraft fees. The CFPB rule, which caps overdraft fees at $5, was designed to stop banks from scamming their customers to maximize profit. The CFPB estimated that this cap could save Americans $5 billion a year. However, saving Americans money is a bridge too far for Trump. House Financial Services Committee Chairman French Hill (R-AR) and Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott (R-SC) have introduced Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions aimed at overturning the CFPB’s overdraft fee cap. If the CRA resolution es, it would effectively nullify the CFPB’s overdraft fee cap.

Meanwhile, Americans are already dealing with record-high costs of living and stagnant wages. Instead of offering solutions, Trump and his team are working to make things even harder. Even though his entire brand is built on the idea that he’s “for the people,” are you really “for the people” if your policies keep punching them in the gut? Speaking of gut punches, Stephen King took to social media to ask a simple question to the MAGA:

Drudge Report dubs the Prez Comrade Trumpski. MAGA, is that what you voted for? A coward bowing to Putin ?

— Stephen King (@stephenking.bsky.social) February 18, 2025 at 10:25 PM

The man who gave us It and The Shining now presents a horror story that’s all too real. For a long time, Vladimir Putin has been working to restore Russia’s superpower status. Thanks to Trump, Putin’s closer to his goal than ever. Trump has repeatedly handed Putin exactly what he wanted, often without asking for anything in return.

Take Ukraine, for example. Putin’s invasion of Ukraine started in 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea. Since then, Ukraine has been fighting to protect its sovereignty, relying heavily on Western . But Trump? Instead of standing firm alongside Ukraine, he sent mixed signals at every turn. His istration delayed military aid to Ukraine — aid that had already been approved — while Trump himself pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to dig up dirt on Joe Biden, using that aid as leverage. At one point, Trump publicly questioned why the U.S. was even ing Ukraine at all.

Shrugging off one of America’s closest allies in Europe while cozying up to Putin sent a dangerous message. It told the world, loud and clear, that the U.S. under Trump wasn’t all that interested in defending democracy or standing up to authoritarian bullies.

Furthermore, Trump’s foreign policy moves have consistently benefited Russia. He has pushed for Russia to be reinstated into the G7, despite the fact that they were kicked out for invading Ukraine. He has openly questioned the value of NATO, the very alliance designed to counter Russian aggression, floating the idea of withdrawing the U.S. from it entirely. Now, as talks between the U.S. and Russia resume, Ukraine isn’t even at the table. Zelenskyy has called this exclusion a “surprise.” The end result of all this? Putin didn’t have to make a single concession. If you’re a dictator looking to expand your territory, just wait for the U.S. to blink.

So here’s the question. How does MAGA reconcile its love for Trump with his actions? Is this really what they signed up for? Did they vote for making their lives expensive and a president who bows to Putin? Both Buttigieg and King are trying to wake people up.

As the world reels from the latest in a string of terrifying plane crashes, former United States secretary of transportation Pete Buttigieg is giving America’s chief decision-makers a free lesson in leadership.

A Delta plane made a fiery crash landing in Toronto, a city in Ontario, Canada, on Feb. 17, adding yet another wreck to a growing list of 2025 aviation disasters. All of the plane’s 80 inhabitants, both enger and crew, blessedly survived, but the crash is none-the-less sparking broad concern.

Largely because it follows several other plane crashes, all of which occurred between Jan. 1 and Feb. 17 of 2025. That’s less than two full months. Between the Black Hawk crash, the Philly crash, the Alaskan crash, the Scottsdale collision, and now the Toronto crash, anxiety over flying is at an all-time high, and that’s not even considering the dozens of lower-profile collisions that have occurred so far this year.

Point being — plane crashes are in the news a lot, these days. And the response from the top has been disted, at best. While President Donald Trump is busy pointing fingers and Marjorie Taylor Greene is trying to figure out whether its Democrats, lasers, or lizard people crashing the planes, a man who left politics weeks ago is busy reminding the world what real leadership looks like.

Buttigieg swept past the typical blame-slinging that followed the Toronto crash to instead highlight one of the only positives in the situation: The incredible response by the flight crew. In a message to his followers on Bluesky, Buttigieg wrote of the “importance & amazing professionalism of flight attendants who safely evacuated the plane in a matter of seconds.”

Buttigieg’s apt acknowledgment of the heroic crew that successfully kept injuries to a minimum sparked a prompt examination of the many positives in this situation. Only 18 people were injured out of eight dozen — that’s impressive. Not to mention the speed with which flight attendants got engers disembarked, even though they were upside down when the plane settled.

As commenters were quick to point out, the Canadian first responders also deserve high praise. They were quick to the scene and incredibly efficient, putting out the fire and once again contributing to the absence of serious injury.

The message prompted a wave of flight attendant appreciation from commenters, who heaped praise on not just the Delta flight attendants, but all the hard working attendants who care for engers on a daily basis. As one person noted, “The thing most engers never realize is the people serving them as flight attendants are a highly trained rescue squad poised to spring into action when disaster strikes.”

The conversation eventually gave way to general praise for Buttigieg, whose poise over the last few weeks has been a lifeline to many an American. His consistent class is by no means lost on the nation’s citizens, particularly when its compared to that of the current president, and his continued leadership is a shining light for no small number of Bluesky s. There’s even rampant for another presidential push across commenters, so you never know. Maybe leadership of this sort can become a new American norm, rather than the exception.

It’s rare when a politician scores a big win for workers and doesn’t brag about it from the rooftops. Blustering hyperbole from former President Donald Trump has made it seem like everything needs to be shouted and every win needs to be politically motivated.

Sometimes, politicians just do their jobs, like how Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg recently handled a dockworkers strike that threatened to logjam goods coming in for consumers from various East coast and Gulf ports. Like Erin Brockovich, Buttigieg came through for the people and scored a big win for dockworkers.

The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) went on strike on Oct. 1, the organizations biggest walkout since 1977. The agreement came at a pivotal time; holiday season is approaching and retailers like Target and Walmart would have been detrimentally affected by it as those stores gear up for a busy season. Perishable goods like bananas were also at risk of spoiling during the strike. About 45,000 workers asked for higher pay, job security and protections against automation. The agreement between the ILA and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) was that wages would increase 62% over a six-year period.

Buttigieg said the increase for the workers had been “a long time coming. They come after a decades-long stretch of widening inequality in our country, and they come at a time that these companies have become enormously profitable.”

Speaking for the workers, the secretary said he didn’t think “the big problem in this country right now is workers making too much money or working conditions for workers being too good.”

Perhaps what stands out the most about the agreement is how it was done quickly and cleanly. There was no posturing, no yelling at a rally, no credit stealing and self-aggrandizing. It was a politician doing what they were supposed to do without all that other stuff that goes along with it. The deal is a huge win for the istration of President Joe Biden, who’s proving that just because he’s nearing the end of his term, he has no intention of becoming a lame duck president.

About three-fifths of merchandise goes through the ports, which include the New Jersey port and Port of New York. Ports in Texas, Virginia and Georgia were also affected. While the ports remained open, the workers did not clear them, and most were at or nearly at capacity when the strike was resolved.

“Well, because it was ended in about three days, I think most consumers will not notice something like being unable to get goods that they were expecting,” Buttigieg said. “But I will say it takes more than one day’s work to figure out the backlog from one day’s stoppage.” A politician concerned about how the issue will affect someone other than himself. Imagine that.

Ever a champion of reason and logical rhetoric amidst the chaos of politics, Mayor Pete has just perfectly encapsulated why Donald Trump would rather spread urban legends of immigrants eating pets than have the conversation steered anywhere near his disastrous istration and all the endless examples of ineptitude that defined it.

It’s a mistake to think of Trump as a populist. The twice-impeached former president has garnered a following not just through spreading misinformation and fear-mongering, but also fallacious deflections and even intentional smokescreens of a controversial nature to deflect from his appalling track record and derail the conversation to the point that instead of addressing the nation’s real problems, we find ourselves discussing something as ridiculous as “immigrants kidnapping and eating people’s dogs and cats.”

There is nothing that Trump truly cares about besides the whims of his own inflated ego. That is why, instead of talking about his plans or giving any concrete idea as to why the people should vote for him, all he’s gone on and on about over the past couple of months are absurd statements ranging from lies about the spiraling number of immigrants in the country, to denying the shrinking crowd sizes of his rallies.

But in case you still have trouble keeping pace with Trump’s strategy to derail everything into a state of absolute lunacy, an environment only he can thrive in, then the Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg, is here to spell it out for us in a way so self-evident that it brooks no further arguments.

“This is a strategy, and there’s even more to it than demonizing immigrants, though that’s obviously part of what he’s doing,” he told CNN. “This is a strategy to get us talking about the latest crazy thing that he did, whatever urban legend he amplifies. Right now, it’s about people eating cats or geese or whatever. Because he cannot afford for us to be talking about his record. He doesn’t want us talking about the fact that we lost manufacturing jobs on his watch even before Covid. He doesn’t want us talking about the fact that his main economic policy promise he actually kept was to cut taxes for the rich.”

Buttigieg continues by saying: “What he wants us talking about is whatever crazy nonsense he can thrust into the center of the internet and media conversation.” Boom. Mic dropped. Never had I seen anyone so eloquently sum up what has infuriated me most about Donald Trump over the past decade in as few sentences.

And if you don’t believe it, just wait a few weeks to see what other crazy, unbelievable rhetoric Donald Trump will come up with next, all in a desperate attempt to retain a smidgen of his former relevancy in the world of politics.

The dust is finally settling on the field of last night’s debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, and politicians, celebrities and everyday Joes are all taking to social media to give their two cents on the matter. One of those voices belongs to Pete Buttigieg, former Democratic presidential candidate and current United States Secretary of Transportation.

Buttigieg has always been an anti-Trump crusader, and this time proved no different. The Harvard and Oxford attending Rhodes Scholar, who was also deployed to Afghanistan for the U.S. Navy Reserve, chose his words very carefully when providing his thoughts on the debate.

Pitting Kamala against Trump, he said that she had “substance” over the former president’s “bluster.” He said that Kamala showed “optimism” over Trump’s “negativity.”

“And yes, a new generation over the same, old, tired show,” he said. “She crushed it tonight.” Other tweets during the debate had a similar tone.

“All night he talked about himself and about her,” he said. “She, by contrast, talked about you. Because that’s who she works for.” Another one talked about Harris and her claim that more manufacturing jobs were lost during Trump’s time in office than were gained.

“She’s right: Trump lost manufacturing jobs. It’s part of why the United Auto Workers are for Harris.” He retweeted Hawaii Senator Brian Schatz’s take as well: “To be clear I was gonna tweet positive stuff about Kamala regardless but this is legitimately a drubbing.”

Other gems include saying Trump was “doubling down on the crazy uncle vibe,” calling out the former president for not saying he wants Ukraine to win the war, or even pretending to do so, and for referring to the January 6 rioters as “we.”

Harris and Buttigieg have a special relationship when it comes to debating. He famously played the part of the former vice president to help her prepare for the debate with Mike Pence.

“I had the peculiar assignment of trying to inhabit the mind of Mike Pence for about a week,” he said at the time. “That is a very kind of weird, challenging headspace.” He’s also close with Harris’ husband Doug Emhoff, who he headlined a Fire Island fundraiser with that raised $321, 000. The trio have also reportedly gotten close over being parents.

Buttigieg has seemingly upped his attacks on the former president recently. When Trump made some eye-raising remarks about child care a few days ago, the transportation secretary said that he couldn’t tell if Trump “even understood the question.”

The Democratic National Convention has wrapped up and I almost feel like I have an excitement hangover, since the four-day event delivered the political equivalent of a sugar rush. 

As the dust settles on the DNC’s mic drop moments, musical numbers and star-studded appearances, actor Billy Baldwin has reflected on who he believes is the future of the Democratic Party, while sharing his excitement around the convention’s best moments. 

The actor, who was quite active on social media during the event in Chicago, took to X to name-check his favorite speakers at the convention, mentioning everyone from potential First Gentleman Doug Emhoff, whose speech was met by a heartwarming reaction from his children, to Hillary Clinton, who pulled no punches when speaking about former president Donald Trump. 

Baldwin also mentioned Michelle and Barack Obama, whose speeches were among the DNC’s hottest-ticket items, as well as Nancy Pelosi and vice presidential candidate Tim Walz, whose son, Gus, basically stole the show.

“Inspiring, motivating, soaring oratory,” the actor wrote of those speakers, before referring to nominee Kamala Harris as “Madame President” and Obama and Bill Clinton as “legends.” 

Baldwin went on to name Pete Buttigieg and Hakeem Jeffries as the DNC superstars who are “the future of the party.” For his part, Secretary of Transportation Buttigieg — who was previously considered a contender as Harris’ running mate — delivered a rousing DNC speech explaining why America is “done with” Trump, but not before launching an official TikTok and gaining some 500,000 followers in a matter of hours. 

Jeffries, meanwhile, set crowds alight with a speech comparing Trump to an ex-boyfriend who “just won’t go away” (I feel Melania’s pain).  The 54-year old House Minority Leader also captured the internet’s attention, with Baldwin ing legions of s in declaring Jeffries as either the future of the Democratic Party, or an imminent presidential candidate.

It wasn’t the only time Baldwin weighed in on the DNC, with the actor elsewhere declaring that Barack Obama’s hand gesture innuendo was a burn worthy of being “put in the Smithsonian,” and otherwise revelling in the atmosphere that “the Dems are on a roll.” Baldwin was one of many celebrities to the fanfare around the convention, with the likes of Bette Midler, Sean Astin, Mark Ruffalo, George Takei, and Mark Hamill also taking to social media to express their excitement throughout the four-day event. 

If Baldwin’s predictions are correct, perhaps in a few years’ time we’ll be covering a Buttigieg-Jeffries ticket, and Trump will be off somewhere sulking in Mar-a-lago.  

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg was on Kamala Harris’ vice presidential shortlist. Although he didn’t get picked, Buttigieg’s visibility has greatly increased this election season, nowhere more so than in Buttigieg’s speech at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) on Aug. 21. But before he spoke, “Mayor Pete” — a moniker he earned as the mayor of South Bend, Indiana — broke some big news on social media.

Yes, it’s hard to believe, but Buttigieg did not have a TikTok profile, and he launched his before he took the DNC stage. “Figured it was time,” Buttigieg captioned his post alongside a picture of himself snapping a selfie, looking very “demure,” as everyone said on that app when he announced the move. Will Buttigieg and his family be performing the Charli XCX “Apple” dance viral trend? We’ll have to wait and see.

Buttigieg’s TikTok followers exploded 6p4z1u

Not long after Pete Buttigieg unveiled his new TikTok, his gathered about a half-million followers, proving Buttigieg fans — and let’s face it, likely some trolls — were ready for him to show up on the app. Even though Buttigieg isn’t on the Harris ticket, it also seems likely we haven’t seen the last of Pete. Axios says he’s a leading contender for U.S. ambassador to the UN in a possible Harris White House. Politico also taps Buttigieg as a potential Democratic presidential candidate in 2028, or beyond. Buttigieg ran in 2020, and at this writing, has not publicly commented on his political ambitions after the Biden White House.

It’s good to have the charismatic politician on TikTok, in any case, one of his generation’s best communicators. Buttigieg has already shown a willingness to reach across the aisle on Fox News and other outlets. And as one comment on Buttigieg’s X post sharing the news pointed out, “So now I have to get TikTok to fangirl .”

At this point, MAGA doesn’t have to look at the poll numbers or at the empty seats at Donald Trump’s rallies to know that their tangerine-tinted sack of gelatinous KFC grease’s chances of winning the election are rapidly dwindling to a rather unsavory zero.

So far, Trump has tried everything a sorry excuse for a human like him can do to attack Kamala Harris — level racist comments at the Democrat candidate, run his misogynistic mouth, toss claims she is copying his epic campaign design, and even dragging her husband and children through the mud. But it has all been in vain.

Now, according to Pete Buttigieg, the Secretary of Transportation who took to the stage at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Trump needn’t have run himself into the ground to explain why Harris is going to deliver a sound defeat to him and the Republicans come November.

Look, at this point, even the MAGAs are divided into two factions — those who were supposed to fill those empty stands at Trump rallies but now know better, and those who are brain-dead zombies proudly flashing plastic cups labeled “JD Vance full family kit” filled with what we fervently pray was a fake semen substitute.

Buttigieg’s sound observation applies to the first half, those who were initially blinded by the manipulation but have since understood the hell that the diaper-clad convicted felon and his couch-loving running mate can and will unleash if given a chance. They, along with other Americans, are fully aware of what they will be choosing if they vote red in November.

“Choosing a guy like JD Vance to be America’s next vice president sends a message, and the message is that they are doubling down on negativity and grievance. Committing to a concept of campaigning best summed up in one word: darkness. Darkness is what they are selling. The thing is, I just don’t believe that America today is in the market for darkness.”

According to Buttigieg, what America needs today and in the future is a political setup that is “empowering, uplifting,” and “even a kind of soulcraft.” He painted his current life as an example, describing that his past, present, and future with his husband Chasten and their 3-year-old twins was possible only because good leaders worked relentlessly to build that world through “idealism and courage, through organizing and persuasion and storytelling, and yes, through politics — the right kind of politics.”

The America that is aware and willing to stamp down on any attempt to regress will reject Trump’s “politics of darkness” and, as Buttigieg underlined, they will turn to leaders who “are out there building bridges” instead of getting mega-focused on “banning books.” Or staging bear cub murders (you know, just covering all the bases).

Political junkies are currently enjoying the heights of Democratic National Convention-mania, as the long-awaited event coasts off the buzz of its shiny new nominee, Kamala Harris.

Feeling like something more akin to the Oscars (but with far greater implications, obviously), the convention has seen an array of big names take to the stage, from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to Hillary Clinton and outgoing president Joe Biden.

Introduced by his daughter Ashley, the current president spoke on the first night of the convention and enjoyed a four-minute-long standing ovation led by some 20,000 attendees. Biden’s speech touched on everything from his legacy and landmark achievements while in office to his unwavering of Harris.

While he still has five months in office, Biden’s speech was effectively a farewell, and has drawn praise from a whole host of high-profile figures, led by former president Barack Obama, who reacted to Biden’s address on X. 

“What I ire most about Joe is his decency, his resilience, and his unshakable belief in the promise of our country,” Biden’s former boss wrote. “I am proud to call him my president, and I’m so grateful to call him my friend.” Obama — who will also speak at the DNC alongside former First Lady Michelle — wasn’t the only notable Democrat to sing Biden’s praises. 

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg — once thought to be a contender for Harris’ running mate — shared an image of himself at the convention alongside his husband, Chasten. “Thank you [Biden], for always putting our country first.”

Buttigieg was pictured holding a ‘We Love Biden’ sign, which doubled as a chant heard sporadically throughout the president’s speech. For her part, Harris — who made a surprise appearance on stage on the first night of the convention — commended Biden for his “historic leadership” and said she will be “forever grateful” to him. 

On the Hollywood front, praise for Biden was led by When Harry Met Sally director Rob Reiner, who thanked Biden for his “extraordinary service” throughout his career. “Biden will go down as one of the most consequential Presidents in American history,” Reiner wrote. “We love you Joe.” Meanwhile, Billy Baldwin also thanked Biden while providing an anecdote about the president from his time as a political intern. 

“Joe Biden came to our office one day and asked me my name,” Baldwin recalled. “He always ed my name. That meant a lot to the young 20-year-old activist working on the hill.” The View’s Ana Navarro-Cárdenas kept her message simple, posting a selfie with a love heart symbol and Biden’s speech in the background. 

Hocus Pocus star Bette Midler got in a quick swipe at presidential candidate Donald Trump before describing the atmosphere during Biden’s speech. “A great speech and a great night,” the actress wrote. “Not a dry eye in the house.” Also name-checking Trump in response to Biden’s speech was Star Trek star George Takei, who sent his well-wishes to the former president now that “Joe isn’t going to swoop in and retake the nomination.” 

For his part, the Hulk himself, Mark Ruffalo (who we already know is not a Trump fan), offered a more holistic take on the events of the DNC, gushing about how “God is loving Democrats tonight” and describing the energy in the room as brimming with “love, kindness, respect, inclusivity, hope, unity, and decency of heart.”

Star Wars actor Mark Hamill ed Ruffalo by offering his boots-on-the-ground perspective of the first night of the DNC, writing that a “sense of euphoria sets in” among the crowds as they envision a presidency without Trump. Political commentator Van Jones went a step further with his praise, declaring tearfully that Biden’s DNC speech was “a legitimate moment of catharsis and love.”

The positive reaction to Biden’s speech mirrors the similarly gushing praise he received when announcing his decision to withdraw from the presidential race. Buttigeig, Hamill and Takei were among the notable names to commend Biden’s decision at that time, alongside the likes of Barbra Striesand, Gavin Newsom, and Andrew Yang.   

Hell hath no fury like an untalented, entitled rich kid getting called out. Sadly, the United States of America have felt the brunt of that truism thanks to Donald Trump.

Despite breaking countless laws, lying like there’s no tomorrow, and attacking everyone from veterans to the disabled, the former Apprentice host remains a stain on national politics and has a genuine shot at becoming the president again in 2024. However, it’s not all plain sailing for the convicted felon and failed casino owner, as in recent weeks a resurgent Democratic Party surges in the polls, while the MAGA campaign has been faltering. All the while, the Republican candidate is scrambling in the only way he knows how: by completely disregarding the truth.

Many of Trump’s lies are issions, and that’s true of his most recent attempt at taking on Democratic nominee Kamala Harris. The former president has recently been claiming on his social network Truth Social that Harris overlaid an A.I.-generated crowd onto film of her at an airport and has been playing the same trick at her campaign rallies. Trump went on to call this “ELECTION INTERFERENCE.”

Trump has continuously lied about the size of the crowds he gets, most famously at his inauguration in 2017. He is also facing federal charges for election interference for his role in the Jan. 6 riots.

While Trump becomes increasingly unhinged, the Democrats are showcasing their new organization and fighting spirit by turning his usual lines of attack against him. One of the best operatives when it comes to this tactic is Pete Buttigieg, the current secretary of state for transport. The politician pointed out that Trump was probably just trying to deflect the national conversation away from his own unpopular policies, especially those around taxation and abortion.

The Trump campaign has lost ground in recent weeks as voters take a closer look at policy positions. The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, and Trump’s close connections to the group, is one of the biggest issues the Republican candidate is facing at the moment, with voters unhappy at how wide-ranging and extreme the measures are. This is especially true when it comes to civil rights and women’s healthcare, two big hot-button issues in this election.

With debates looming, it’s a real make-or-break moment for MAGAs in this election cycle. Their candidate is faltering and becoming increasingly unhinged in public. Additionally, Trump’s running mate JD Vance is proving to be astonishingly unpopular and laden with controversy, even among the American right. As the pressure builds, it will be interesting to see where Trump’s increasingly fragile mental state leads him next.

Donald Trump is a prolific liar, to the point where if he says something that’s even remotely accurate it is a surprise.

This perpetual hiding from the truth has done nothing to dampen the of his most fervent fans, although it also hasn’t been helped by many of those in prominent positions in the media refusing to call out his lies for what they are. However, the Harris-Walz campaign’s new, aggressive strategy seems to have energized Democrats, and they now all seem more comfortable pointing out the lies of the former felon.

This line of attack was again parroted by Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg on CNN, who pointed out that in a recent press conference, Trump told a staggering 160 lies. The Democratic politician wasn’t all negative, though, stating: “That frankly is impressive in of being able to physically do that. It’s like the Olympics of lying.”

The Trump campaign has had a tumultuous couple of weeks, crumbling into complete disarray since President Biden announced he was dropping out of the 2024 race, to be replaced by VP Kamala Harris. Just prior to that, Trump had selected JD Vance as his vice presidential pick, a choice that many are increasingly concluding was a mistake thanks to poor performances in public and a number of unearthed scandals. Many polls now have Harris leading in key battleground states, and her approval rating among young voters is a huge upgrade from Biden.

While it is refreshing to see some elements of the media finally calling out the Trump campaign for their disregard for the truth, the former Apprentice star still has plenty of wealthy media moguls on his side. This includes the incredibly divorced Elon Musk, who is set to interview the former president, and in the process possibly destroy the world with a vortex of entitlement and daddy issues as the two get together.

While in previous years Trump’s lies have managed to have some focus to them, in recent weeks he has been increasingly hazy, and making gaffes and statements that are even less grounded in reality than usual. Many spectators believe that the former president is in a state of cognitive decline that even the most devoted MAGA believers might struggle to defend. Then again, this is the party that claim Ronald Reagan was one of America’s greatest presidents despite his suffering from Alzheimer’s towards the end of his tenure, so perhaps the delusion will remain.

On the bright side, it is good to see that Democrats are at least trying to make the infuriatingly low standard of telling the truth relevant again. Let’s just hope enough voters have been listening come November.