July 9, 2026

Once again, we are reminded that Trump screws up everything, and his go-to "remedy" is to lie about it. ~~~ 

~~~ About That “Gift” Plane. Tyler Pager of the New York Times: Donald “Trump flew out of Turkey on Wednesday night on the old Air Force One instead of his new Qatari-donated Boeing 747-8 as a security precaution related to the resumption of hostilities with Iran, according to people briefed on the plans, who said the change came at the urging of the Secret Service. The swap deepens questions about whether the new plane, which the president had pressed to be ready as soon as possible, was retrofitted with sufficient security measures over the last year. Lawmakers and some officials have raised concerns about whether the expedited timeline allowed for the addition of an advanced missile defense system and other modifications used to protect the president.... People briefed on the new plane’s capabilities ... said the new plane does not have all the features of the older plane....

[Lie No. 1.]“The president on Wednesday denied that the change in his aircraft was made because of security concerns. Instead, he asserted that the swap was so the new jet could leave early and make stops at U.S. military bases to show it off to the troops because the aircraft is 'magnificent.' But when pressed by reporters in Ankara about the reason for the change, Mr. Trump also repeatedly noted that he was Iran’s No. 1 target, and referred at one point to having seen or been briefed on a list of Tehran’s targets in recent days.” Update: the link has been changed to one that appears to be a gift link. ~~~

     ~~~ Lie No. 2. Michelle Price & Konstantin Toropin of the AP: “Trump offered little clarity on the swap, instead saying he would fly on the legacy aircraft 'for old time’s sake,' and indicating that both aircraft would make a previously unscheduled stop on the way back to the United States at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, a base used by U.S. troops.” ~~~

~~~ Update. And There's This. Luxury Launches: "The palatial 747 donated by Qatar to the United States is so big and heavy that Turkey had to spend more than $120 million and eight months rebuilding an entire military airport runway just so the new Air Force One could land for the NATO summit." Thanks to Patrick for the link. See his commentary below, in which he suggests that the Qatari plane might not have been able to take off during the day from the Ankara runway when loaded with passengers & gear.

Another “Sir” Story. Tyler Pager & Shawn McCreesh of the New York Times: Donald “Trump’s head-spinning appearance at the NATO Summit in Ankara on Wednesday began with him insulting vast swaths of Europe during the morning sessions and finished just hours later with him declaring that the whole thing had been one big kumbaya session. 'I just want to say there was tremendous love in that room,' he said at a news conference not long after he had said repeatedly that 'I’m not happy with NATO.' Describing his meetings behind closed doors, he boasted: 'They said, “Sir, we love you.” These are grown people saying that. Isn’t that nice?'” MB: It is unlikely that the presidents & prime ministers of other NATO countries address the POTUS* as “sir.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ BUT. Did somebody slip a happy pill into Trump Diet Coke? ~~~ 

~~~ Paul McLeary, et al., of Politico: “... Donald Trump spent his first hours at the NATO summit publicly bashing the alliance and reciting a list of grievances that had allies fearing the worst. Then he went behind closed doors and changed his tune. The president was far more positive on Wednesday, when he gave a final 30-minute speech which left out his desire to annex Greenland or criticize Spain, his latest European punching bag, according to four people, who were granted anonymity to relay details of the private meeting. While there was some criticism, there were also plenty of compliments. 'We want to remain with you,' Trump said, according to a second participant in the meeting.” ~~~

~~~ Say What? Michael Birnbaum & Cleve Wootson of the Washington Post: “... Donald Trump heaped praise on Ukraine’s president and war effort Wednesday, speaking in unusually positive terms about Kyiv’s deep strikes inside Russia and appearing to grant one of Ukraine’s long-held requests: the ability to produce U.S.-designed Patriot air-defense missiles on Ukrainian soil. Trump’s words on Ukraine were a dramatic departure from his tone during his first year in office, when he called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ungrateful for U.S. help and accused him of 'gambling with World War III.' Wednesday he spoke in admiring terms of Ukraine’s war effort and offered dramatic new assistance, first in a closed-door meeting with NATO leaders and then in a one-on-one with the Ukrainian leader.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

    ~~~ Marie: Well, maybe it's not so surprising; he might not have known whom he was talking to. During the joint press availability, Trump twice referred to President Zelensky as "President Putin." During the same event, he also said the Islamic Republic of Japan had been lobbing missiles at U.S. aircraft carrier. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Earlier, he fell asleep during a presser with President Erdogan of Turkey:

“A Tale of Two Summits.” Steven Erlanger of the New York Times: “The first [summit] belonged to ... [Donald] Trump, who dominated the news cycle with a steady stream of complaints, grievances and insults aimed at his NATO colleagues, with his unpredictable changes of tone and mood, and with his decision during the meeting to unleash new airstrikes against Iran. As usual, Mr. Trump’s targets were many — the alliance itself, some of its leaders, their various failures to show loyalty to him, the Spaniards and the Iranians. But the second summit belonged to the alliance itself, as it worked to show its commitments to more military spending, more trans-Atlantic industrial cooperation and continued support of Ukraine in its war with Russia. That summit was marked by a kind of quiet, steady progress toward a new kind of NATO, the one Mr. Trump says he wants, where Europeans would take primary responsibility for the conventional defense of the continent, letting Washington concentrate its resources on the threat of a rising China.”

Paul Krugman starts with the image of a confused Trump unsure of what he was doing on the tarmac at Ankara's airport (see the image on yesterday's page), but he takes it much further, to show how "our erstwhile allies are now treating Trump as the senile uncle who says crazy, outrageous things, but shouldn’t be taken seriously." That's fine, but what isn't fine is that Krugman makes a good case that "Thanks to Trump, the U.S. has seen its global influence plunge." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Here's Krugman again in a post he titled, “The Pain in Spain is Mainly in Trump's Brain”: Yesterday, Donald Trump ordered Scott Bessent, the Secretary of the Treasury, to cut off all trade with Spain. Bessent said 'Yes, sir.'... This is completely insane stuff. In any kind of normally functioning political system..., we would have a massive bipartisan call across the aisle, across almost everybody except for a handful of members of congress who are themselves crazy, to say okay this guy is non compos mentis. We cannot leave the fate of the United States or the world in the hands of somebody who is completely irrational, who is making demands and believing himself to have powers that he does not. And of course, instead, not only does everybody pretend that he’s still a rational human being, but the Republican Party, the Trump administration, is full-on engaged in trying to build a personality cult.... Something is wrong with a country and a system that lets this guy remain in a position of power.” ~~~

~~~ Heather Cox Richardson picks up on remarks by Krugman, the Atlantic's Tom Nichols, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker [D] & others, all of whom asserted, with evidence, that Trump really doesn't know what he's doing. ~~~

~~~ Here's Tom Nichols of the Atlantic: "If Donald Trump ever had any control over the war he started with Iran, he’s lost it. The Iranians are now setting the terms of this conflict and are routinely humiliating the American president. The “cease-fire” Trump declared last month — a move probably meant to both soothe international markets and avert legislative action from the United States Congress — never really existed, because neither side ever ceased firing. The situation is now back to a kind of slow-motion punch-up: In the past few days, the Iranians struck three tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, the Americans attacked some 80 targets in Iran, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps now claims it hit some 85 U.S.-affiliated targets in Bahrain and Kuwait." Thanks to akaWendy for this gift link. 

Michael Sisak & Larry Neumeister of the AP: “Writer E. Jean Carroll can collect $5.8 million awarded to her after a jury found that ... Donald Trump sexually abused and defamed her, a federal judge [Lewis A. Kaplan] ruled Wednesday. Trump’s lawyers immediately appealed to stop the payment. The president has already deposited the money in an account.” Update: the New York Times story is here. (Also linked yesterday.) 

Jen Psaki last night reviewed Trump's bad week ("it's only Wednesday," she noted): ~~~

~~~ As Psaki said, "The President has never met a sexual assault allegation he didn't want to question." ~~~ 

     ~~~ Myah Ward of Politico: “... Donald Trump told reporters [aboard Air Force 1 Wednesday] that the firestorm engulfing Maine oysterman Graham Platner is 'really a question of whether you believe the woman' who accused him of sexual assault.... 'A lot of people say big falsehoods. It’s a — he’s in a bind. He’s in a bind. But should they be able to do it? Well, I guess he’s going to lose. I would imagine he’s going to lose. It’s very interesting when a Republican woman came out with the same charge, nobody believed her. When this woman came out, everybody believed her.” More on Platner linked under “Maine Senate Race” below.

Erica Green & Abbie VanSickle of the New York Times: Donald “Trump said on Wednesday that he would ask the Supreme Court to reconsider its decision to strike down his executive order that aimed to revoke birthright citizenship, a request that the justices are highly unlikely to take up.... Mr. Trump said [in a social media post] that he would ask for a 'rehearing' of the case 'IMMEDIATELY,' and that the justices would 'destroy America if they don’t change their absolutely insane decision.' As of Wednesday evening, administration lawyers had not filed a request with the court.... Mr. Trump claimed that signs and billboards were being placed along the southern border and in Mexico advertising the [birth]right, and that citizenship would be granted to 'anyone willing to pay.' The president appeared to be referring to a Fox News report that identified a hospital in Texas that had advertised paying for 'Birth Packages in South Texas' on billboards in Mexico. The outlet reported that Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas, a Republican, had ordered an investigation into the hospital, which told Fox News that 'marketing materials regarding maternity services are no longer in use due to any unintended misunderstanding.'” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I'm not sure that accusing Supreme Court justices of "destroying America" and issuing an "absolutely insane decision" constitutes a convincing argument, but insults are Trump's go-to response to anyone who disagrees with him. 

The New York Times is liveblogging developments in the Iran War. From the pinned item at 5:30 am ET: “The U.S. military struck Iran in a new round of attacks on Wednesday night, military officials said, hours after ... [Donald] Trump said he thought a three-week-old cease-fire between the two countries was 'over.' Iranian state media reported that explosions had been heard in at least three port cities along the country’s southeastern coast. Shortly after the U.S. strikes, early Thursday local time, Kuwait’s army said it was intercepting drones and missiles and Bahrain’s interior ministry said warning sirens had been activated, without saying what triggered them.... The U.S. military said its latest strikes were intended to undercut Iran’s ability to threaten ships in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for global energy supplies that has become a key issue in the conflict. Mr. Trump called the new American strikes 'retribution' for attacks on commercial vessels by Iran. 'If it happens again, it will get much worse!' he wrote on social media.”

“Freedom Fuel”? Katie Hawkinson of the Independent: “Donald Trump’s team bragged about 'lowering the price at the pump' after launching its new Freedom Fuel gas stations, but a new report suggests one of those locations charged an even lower price for fuel before the president took office. Trump’s White House shared a video Tuesday announcing the opening of Philadelphia’s first Freedom Fuel gas station, which charges $3.47 per gallon in honor of the 47th president. There’s now a total of 25 locations across Pennsylvania and New Jersey, according to the Freedom Fuel Network’s website. Google Maps photos reviewed by MeidasTouch News indicate the location featured in the video was once branded as a Sunoco gas station and charged customers just $2.99 per gallon in November 2024, two months before Trump’s second term began.” ~~~

     ~~~ ABC 6 News Philadelphia: Donald "Trump announced the privately-owned network on social media last week, saying it will help drivers save money at the pump.... That [$3.47/gallon] price has already started to rise after the president announced new U.S. strikes, sending oil and gas prices higher.... A White House official told ABC News the administration is not involved with the company and is not providing any funding or subsidies. Instead, the company says it is cutting its own profit margins to offer lower prices.... Trump is also encouraging other gas retailers to lower their prices. He has not identified the company behind Freedom Fuel, saying only that it's a private retailer."

Pooja Salhotra & Clarence Williams of the New York Times: “Three more people accused of damaging part of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington last month have been criminally charged, according to court documents. The three people face misdemeanor charges of destroying property and causing damage worth less than $1,000. According to court documents, the defendants, Sophie Dennison-Gibby, 49, Justin Carreno, 47, and Cameron Thiers, 26, were detained between 1 and 3 p.m. on June 20 after they peeled and removed pieces of paint from the reflecting pool....”

Emily Cochrane of the New York Times: “Tennessee authorities are investigating the second fatal shooting in four days by a member of the federal task force dedicated to confronting crime in Memphis.... The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said on Wednesday that the shooting involved a Drug Enforcement Administration agent with a team of agents trying to serve an arrest warrant at a Memphis hotel on Wednesday morning. A spokesman for the U.S. Marshals Service said agents forced their way into the hotel room after commands to open the door were ignored. A man inside pointed a handgun at the group, and the agent shot and killed the man, the spokesman said.... Steve Mulroy, the district attorney for Shelby County, which includes Memphis, also asked the state bureau to investigate a fatal shooting days earlier. In that episode, on Sunday, two National Guard members fired on Tyrin Johnson, 20, killing him, according to the bureau, among several shootings in nine states during the Fourth of July weekend. At least two other people have been killed after altercations involving agents working with the Memphis task force.”

Edgar Sandoval of the New York Times: “The son of a man from Mexico who was killed Tuesday by an immigration enforcement agent during a traffic stop in Houston called for an independent investigation into his death. Ronaldo Salgado, the son of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, described learning that his father had been on his way to work when he was shot inside his car. During an emotional press briefing Wednesday, Mr. Salgado held back tears recalling the moment he saw a video in which he heard his father cry in agony moments after he was injured.... Mr. Araujo, 52, was mourned by his family as a father, husband and business owner who had been in the country for 35 years and was trying to obtain legal residency.... Federal authorities said that ... Mr. Araujo, whom they described as an 'illegal alien,' ... 'weaponized his vehicle' and tried to run over the agent, who then fired at him. No evidence was immediately provided to support that account.” (Also linked yesterday.) The AP report is here. ~~~

~~~ In Case We Imagined Markwayne Was Better Than the Puppy-Killer. David Nakamura, et al., of the Washington Post: Sean Teare, “the district attorney in Harris County [Houston], Texas, said Wednesday that federal authorities have sidelined local officials from participating in an investigation into the fatal shooting of a Mexican man in Houston by an immigration officer.... Teare, whose office oversees local criminal prosecutions, called on eyewitnesses to come forward with their own accounts, including videos or photos, of the shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who was killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer during a traffic stop arrest on Tuesday.” ~~~

~~~ Adrian Carrasquillo of the Bulwark: “Lorenzo Salgado Araujo came to the United States thirty-five years ago — a few years too late to benefit from the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, popularly known as the 'Reagan amnesty.' He worked in construction. By the 2000s, he was a small business owner who provided jobs and work for other men. They would drive to the North Houston suburbs and build houses. His dream was to build his own home for his family one day — a dream he achieved. On Tuesday morning, Lorenzo was picking up workers as usual shortly after 6 a.m. when he was confronted by ICE and killed. He was 52 years old.”

Patrick Marley of the Washington Post: “A former judge convicted of obstructing the arrest of an undocumented immigrant was sentenced Wednesday to a $5,000 fine but spared time behind bars. A jury in December convicted Hannah Dugan of a felony count of obstructing an official proceeding for interfering with the arrest outside of her courtroom while she was serving as a Milwaukee County judge. Dugan resigned as a judge in January. U.S. District Judge Lynn S. Adelman of Wisconsin’s Eastern District fined Dugan $5,000 but did not sentence her to probation or prison time, according to local media reports. Adelman, a former Democratic state senator, was appointed to the bench by President Bill Clinton.” The AP's report is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Thomas Frank of Politico: “... Donald Trump denied disaster aid to four Democratic-led states in a move that is raising new questions about whether he’s injecting political motivations into emergency management decisions. Trump on Friday rejected $227 million in aid requests from New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Rhode Island for help recovering from a major snowstorm in February. Two days earlier, Trump approved Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster aid for six Republican-led states, while extolling the political virtues of GOP politicians and candidates in the states.... Democrats immediately ... argu[ed] that [the denials] follow a pattern disclosed by Politico in March of Trump mostly rejecting disaster aid for Democratic-led states while approving it for states that are led by officials in his party.... Politico’s past reporting showed that in this term Trump had approved just 23 percent of disaster requests from states whose governor and two senators are Democrats, compared to approving 89 percent of requests from states with Republicans in those positions.”

Elahe Izadi & Geoff Edgers of the Washington Post: “Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III issued a defense of the National Museum of American History to staffers on Tuesday, in response to a caustic White House report accusing the museum of pushing 'extreme political activism.'... Bunch wrote [in an email] to staffers that 'we continue to review the report and its findings carefully” and that “there will always be room for improvement.' But the report 'is not a fair characterization of the work and totality of the National Museum of American History,' he added. 'At the Smithsonian, our work is driven by scholarship, accuracy, and an uncompromising commitment to tell the fullness of America’s story.'” Update: the link has been changed to a gift link.

Bill Barrow of the AP: “Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is directly asking Sen. Mitch McConnell, the state’s most powerful figure in Congress, to disclose more about his condition after three weeks of silence from the 84-year-old since he was hospitalized in Washington. The letter released Wednesday from Beshear, a Democrat who is considered a potential presidential candidate in 2028, to the former Senate Republican leader says 'Kentuckians have grown increasingly concerned about the current state of your health and well-being, and ability to hold office.'” MB: Hmmm. Team Mitch might have to get them an AI Mitch to chat with Beshear. (Also linked yesterday.) The New York Times story is here. 

Annals of "Journalism," Ctd. Margaret Sullivan on how New York Times headlines normalize Trump corruption -- even when the underlying stories expose it. With examples. 

~~~~~~~~~~ 

Maine Senate Race. Kimberleee Kruesi & Meg Kinnard of the AP: “Graham Platner said Wednesday that he plans to withdraw from the U.S. Senate race in Maine after facing an allegation of sexual assault, shuttering an insurgent campaign that had withstood months of controversy only to implode and imperil Democrats’ attempt to regain power in Washington.... In an 11-minute video posted to social media, Platner said the process to replace him needs to be 'open, transparent and democratic' and to reflect the will and values of people who supported him. He also lashed out at Democratic leaders in Washington, D.C.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ The New York Times is liveblogging developments. MB: I think this video is Platner's full statement. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: It seems to me if Platner really wanted to advance his "movement" to change U.S. politics, he would not have trashed every institution that withdrew support from his candidacy. He also denied the rape allegations. If we suspend disbelief & assume for a moment that Jenny Racicot made up her accusation out of whole cloth, he might at least have apologized for involving himself in a relationship with a wacko who would make such false accusations, and that is how he let Mainers down. Instead, he blamed everybody else for a criminal episode during which Racicot claimed he was "blind drunk." What we have learned from Platner's pity party on the porch is that, for Platner, the race was never about the people, it was never about public service, it was always about him. He's Donald Trump without the made-in-China long red tie.  

Lisa Lerer, et al., of the New York Times on the rise and fall of Graham Platner. An interesting read, especially on how Platner got in the race in the first place. It is also a strong practical lesson in how not to recruit local talent.

Jessica Piper & Andrew Howard of Politico: “The Maine Democratic Party approved tentative plans for a nominating convention in the event Senate candidate Graham Platner drops out of the race, it announced Wednesday evening. The convention would include roughly 600 people who would be selected by county-level Democratic committees, according to two people familiar with the specific plans and granted anonymity to share them. Every county committee would have to meet prior to the state nominating convention to elect 500 of those delegates, and the 100 current state committee members will also serve as delegates. State committee members voted to approve the plan Wednesday evening at the end of a lengthy emergency meeting.”

Sophia Cai of Politico: “Republicans may be publicly using Graham Platner’s exit from Maine’s Senate race to ratchet up their attacks on Democrats, but behind the scenes..., [Sen. Susan] Collins’ team had long viewed Platner as a uniquely vulnerable opponent whose personal controversies could help offset one of the biggest challenges she faces in 2026: running as a blue-state Republican in the Trump era.... From the Collins campaign’s perspective, Platner offered an unusually favorable contrast.”

Oh Noes. Dr. McDreamy rules himself out.