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WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

🏫 Three are dead, two are in critical condition after a school shooting. A teenage shooter opened fire at the K-12 Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, killing a teacher, a fellow student, and injuring six others before dying by suicide. The shooter has reportedly been identified as 15-year-old Natalie Lynn Rupnow, who, in her manifesto, expressed hatred for her parents and humanity, and expressed racist and neo-Nazi views.

🤖 Trump, SoftBank announced a $100 billion AI investment in the US. President-elect Donald Trump and SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son revealed a $100 billion investment plan at Mar-a-Lago, pledging to create 100,000 US jobs in artificial intelligence and infrastructure during Trump's second term. The announcement mirrors a 2016 promise by SoftBank, though questions remain about whether the pledged jobs were fully realized.

🕵️ Ex-FBI informant admitted to lying about the Biden bribery scheme. Alexander Smirnov, a former FBI informant, pleaded guilty Monday to falsely claiming Ukrainian energy executives paid Joe and Hunter Biden $5 million each. Though Smirnov was indicted back in February for fabricating his story, Joe Biden, as vice president, pressured Ukraine to fire its top prosecutor investigating Burisma, where Hunter Biden worked at the time.

🏛️ Judge denied Trump’s appeal to overturn his felony conviction. New York Judge Juan Merchan rejected Donald Trump’s bid to overturn his felony conviction for falsifying records, ruling that the Supreme Court's recent decision on presidential immunity does not apply to this case. The judge clarified that the trial focused on Trump’s personal actions, unrelated to his official duties, and cited "overwhelming evidence of guilt."

WHAT WE’RE HEARING

• The Free Press Editor Bari Weiss implored Americans to “re-stigmatize political violence” and shame individuals who contextualize political violence.

• Donald Trump asserted that “the government knows what is happening” with the mysterious drones flying around the East Coast.

• Trump also does not expect Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) to appoint Lara Trump to the Senate.

• Megyn Kelly ripped CNN for rushing to publish the footage of them “rescuing” the Syrian prisoner without first verifying his identity.

• Candace Owens celebrated her “Antisemite of the Year” award from the group StopAntisemitism.

NARRATIVE TRACKER

🔒 This section is for members only

Your go-to section for spotting and debunking the media's latest manipulative spins and political half-truths.

Mentioned behind the paywall: CNN, Vox, MSNBC, Stephanie Ruhle, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, the famous Syrian prisoner, the Madison Square Garden rally, and January 6 pardons.

The Perfect Gift for Your Woke Cousin

This holiday, skip the arguments and gift the Tuttle Twins Guide to Modern Villains. Perfect for kids—and adults who think a Trump presidency is the end of the world—it exposes the truth about real dictators and totalitarians.

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IN THE LOOP

• Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson achieved a “lifelong goal” of hers by performing in a Broadway musical.

• Donald Trump met with the TikTok CEO at Mar-a-Lago as the app is just weeks away from a potential US ban.

• Democrat Rep. Jared Moskowitz (FL) is reportedly a top contender to lead FEMA in the incoming Trump administration.

• A judge ruled that Derek Chauvin's lawyers can test preserved samples of George Floyd's heart as part of their challenge to his 2022 federal conviction.

• The most clicked link in our last newsletter was Stephan A. Smith slamming Democrats for the FBI’s role in the Jan 6 riots.

MY THOUGHTS

Panic, Or Outrage?

Good morning. The “drone” situation in New Jersey — are they really drones? It’s unclear. Police say they have no heat signature and go into “stealth” mode when pursued. Trump claims the federal government knows exactly what’s happening and should tell the public.

The government, meanwhile, is dismissing it all. They’re telling New Jersey residents it’s just hobbyists, regular planes, or even stars — yes, really.

Panic, or outrage? Hard to tell. Either the government knows and won’t tell us, or they’re just as clueless as we are.

I’ll be speaking to officials in New Jersey today and digging for more information. If you have any tips, just reply to this email.

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WASHINGTON

What Trump’s TIME interview revealed about his lofty ambitions

After being named TIME Magazine’s 2024 Person of the Year, President-elect Donald Trump sat with them for an extensive interview to discuss his campaign, different aspects of his presidential transition, and his plans for the future.

Trump opened up about the last stretch of his “flawless” campaign that he dubbed the “72 Days of Fury.” “There were no days off. There were no timeouts,” said Trump. On his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump remarked that her biggest mistake in the campaign was “taking the assignment … because you have to know what you're good at.”

When it came to Democrats in general, he said the opposing party did not get “the feel of the country,” highlighting their allowance of mass illegal migration. Trump said “the border” was the biggest factor in his victory, which spurred his call for a mass deportation operation.

He was then asked about some of his cabinet appointees, including Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) for attorney general, who was forced to withdraw after it became apparent the Senate would not confirm him. Trump claimed he had the votes for Gaetz if he really wanted them, but implied that it was not worth spending the political capital.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s positions on vaccines and their possible links to autism also came up. Trump said that his administration will look at all “the numbers” before making any decisions to ban certain vaccines “if they are not beneficial.”

On foreign policy, Trump revealed that he believes allowing Ukraine to fire missiles directly into Russia is “a major escalation” and called it “a foolish decision.”

Regarding both the Russo-Ukrainian war and the wars between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah, Trump is ambitiously aiming to resolve these conflicts, even if all parties must make concessions. He added that there “are some very productive things happening” at present.

Trump sidestepped the transgender issue when asked about the recent Capitol Hill bathroom debate, saying, “I don’t want to get into the bathroom issue. Because it's a very small number of people we're talking about.”

However, earlier in the interview, Trump criticized Democrats for not realizing Americans do not want men in women’s sports. The issue has become a major sticking point for Trump’s core supporters, and some — like Megyn Kelly — have lambasted the president-elect for signaling a newfound softness.

Donald Trump is setting a high bar for himself. His goals — to broker peace in multiple war-torn regions, complete a mass deportation operation, bring down the price of food and gas, and push for sweeping overhauls to the administrative state — are ambitious.

What was made abundantly clear from his interview, however, is that Trump wants to be a president for every American. He has some core issues — such as immigration — on which he will likely not bend. On others, like transgender issues, he may end up compromising more than some conservatives would like.

COMMENT OF THE DAY

On Why Are Drones Flying Over New Jersey?:

“I live in New Jersey and I feel that flying unidentified drones over our homes and cities is an unconstitutional invasion no matter who is doing it. Americans, yet again, are faced with the truth that we are not the ones in charge.” — Kate D

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