MAGA Republicans stooped to new lows this week with their extremism, hypocrisy, chaos, and — as President Biden would call it — malarkey. In case you missed it: Donald Trump encouraged Russia to do “whatever the hell they want” to our NATO allies; Trump’s MAGA Minions in Congress rushed to his defense; MAGA Mike Johnson prioritized Donald Trump’s wishes by refusing to support a bipartisan national security bill; House Republicans decided to follow through on their baseless sham impeachment of Secretary Mayorkas to give Trump fodder for his campaign; MAGA Mike Johnson is under scrutiny for leading the House GOP clown show that is now taking a two-week recess; and Democrats won yet another special election in a stark warning for Trump and MAGA Republicans who are blocking border security legislation. 

Trump reminded voters that he is an embarrassment and danger on the world stage when he said that he would “encourage” Russia to do “whatever the hell they want” to our NATO allies. 

Politico: “Trump says he would ‘encourage’ Russia to attack NATO allies who don’t pay up”

Rolling Stone: “​​Trump Plots to Pull Out of NATO — If He Doesn’t Get His Way”

“Donald Trump wanted to pull the United States out of NATO during his first term, but was repeatedly talked out of it by senior administration officials. For a possible second term in the White House, [Trump] is already discussing how he could actually get it done, if his demands aren’t met by NATO.”

The Independent: “Trump refuses to commit to NATO in second term at Fox News town hall”

Politico: “Trump vowed he’d ‘never’ help Europe if it’s attacked, top EU official says”

Trump’s MAGA minions in Congress are refusing to condemn or even comment on Trump’s comments on NATO.

New York Times: “G.O.P. Officials, Once Critical, Stand by Trump After NATO Comments”

“After Donald J. Trump suggested he had threatened to encourage Russia to attack ‘delinquent’ NATO allies, the response among many Republican officials has struck three themes — expressions of support, gaze aversion or even cheerful indifference. Republican Party elites have become so practiced at deflecting even Mr. Trump’s most outrageous statements that they quickly batted this one away.”

CNN: “Rubio dismisses concerns about Trump’s NATO remarks as backlash mounts”

Trump endorsed conspiracy theorist and election denier Michael Whatley to be RNC chair – making it abundantly clear that election deniers are right at home in Trump’s GOP. 

CNN: “Likely frontrunner for RNC chair parroted Trump’s 2020 election lies”

Raleigh News and Observer: “Whatley has frequently repeated Trump’s false 

claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election. In November 2020, he told a local radio show that ‘massive fraud’ took place in Democratic cities and claimed before the election that Republican poll observers were being prevented from entering voting places.”

New York Magazine: “Election Deniers Lara Trump, Michael Whatley to Lead RNC”

MAGA Mike Johnson has repeatedly said that addressing the border should be a priority, but he told Republicans to not even consider the Senate’s bipartisan national security bill.

Axios: “Mike Johnson signals blockade of Senate national security bill”

The Hill: “Johnson slammed the package for excluding border security provisions … But earlier this month … Johnson declared the foreign-aid-plus-border-security package dead on arrival.”

Johnson: “Our immigration system is broken. Reforming that system is a job for Congress.”

Johnson: “The crisis at our southern border has deteriorated to such an extent that significant action can wait no longer.”

Johnson: “We must insist — must insist — that the border be the top priority.”

Johnson: “I do think it’s past time to secure the border.”

Johnson: “I have said that very clearly from day one, we have to solve the [border] problem.”

House Republicans baselessly impeached Secretary of Homeland Security Mayorkas to do Trump’s bidding instead of supporting a bipartisan deal to secure the border. 

HuffPost: “House GOP Impeaches DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas — Just To Help Trump”

Politico: “As Republicans accuse Mayorkas of grossly mishandling the border, Johnson is actively refusing to consider the Senate’s bipartisan deal to ramp up border security.” 

CNN: “Trump, who is hoping to make immigration a key plank of his presidential campaign, has suggested on Truth Social that approving additional resources for the border would make Republicans ‘look bad.’”

Rolling Stone: “Border Patrol Supports ‘Strong’ Immigration Deal. Republicans Don’t Care”

New York Times: “Republicans Against Border Enforcement”

MAGA Mike has been slammed for leading the House GOP clown show through a string of failures that show “a stunning sign of weakness.”

Punchbowl News: “The disaster that is the House Republican leadership”

“Just this week, Speaker Mike Johnson has: Seen Democrats win a special election in New York, narrowing the already minuscule GOP majority to two votes.

“Lost a sixth rule vote on the House floor — a measure that would’ve allowed an increase in the state-and-local tax (SALT) deduction — when 18 Republicans bucked their own leadership and voted no. This Republican majority has lost more rule votes than any other majority in five decades, a stunning sign of weakness.

“Abruptly pulled a bill to overhaul FISA due to Republican infighting. The GOP leadership said the House would vote on the bill before locking down the votes, despite some senior Republicans raising internal objections.” 

“This is the most chaotic, inefficient and ineffective majority we’ve seen in decades covering Congress. It started this way under former Speaker Kevin McCarthy and has gotten worse under Johnson.”

“[Speaker Johnson’s] a backbencher plucked from obscurity to be the third-highest-ranking official in the American government.”

In the NY-03 special election, Democrat Tom Suozzi ran on bipartisan solutions for the border and won after Republicans made clear they are all talk and no action when it comes to securing the border.

NBC News: “A decisive victory Tuesday for Tom Suozzi flipped a bellwether New York House district into the Democratic column, thinning an already small House GOP majority and potentially offering a preview of the campaign tactics in 2024 battleground races nationally. … Republicans went all-in on the issue of immigration as their ticket to victory — and fell short.”

HuffPost: “Suozzi affirmed his commitment to border security in two TV ads, and in the final days of the campaign, slammed Pilip for opposing a bipartisan Senate deal to shore up the border after Trump warned that it would benefit Biden. What’s more, Suozzi and his allies were apparently able to get the latter point across without the benefit of advertising and direct mail.”

New York Times: “When Ms. Pilip rejected a bipartisan Senate deal to boost deportations and fortify the border, Mr. Suozzi turned the tables, arguing that she was putting base politics above national security.”

CNN: “Many voters in the swing district pointed to immigration as a top issue, something that could also be true for voters across the country during this year’s general election. … Suozzi argued that he was the only person offering solutions in the race and criticized some Republicans in Congress for killing a bipartisan deal on the border.”

Wall Street Journal: “Democrat Tom Suozzi won a special election Tuesday on Long Island, flipping a seat in Congress from the GOP and sending a signal that his party can withstand Republican attacks on immigration in swing districts far from the border.”

NPR: “This race was dominated by GOP attacks on immigration. Republicans spent more than $8 million on campaign ads in this race, a huge number for a special congressional election. They hammered Democrat Tom Suozzi on immigration on the airwaves. Republican Mazi Pilip even held rallies near a makeshift tent city in Queens that houses migrants. … Democrats showed they can defend themselves on this issue.”

Washington Post: “The victory also validated Suozzi’s decision to invest heavily in countering the GOP on immigration, suggesting that Democrats in tight races can benefit from talking tougher on the border and highlighting Republicans’ abrupt abandonment of a bipartisan deal on the matter negotiated in Congress.”