Ro Khanna goes into the lion's den to roast Donald Trump, leaving the president to whine about Fox News making it "hard to win elections" for Republicans

(Jacqui Heinrich and Ro Khanna on Fox News)

Who is the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in Congress right now? My vote goes to Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), who has boldly shown he is willing to put maximum pressure on Donald Trump and his band of Republican enablers to ensure the public gets acquainted with uncomfortable truths held in the Epstein files. Khanna has not managed to take down Trump, yet, but it isn't from lack of trying. Working hand-in-hand with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), Khanna has gone to the mat to make sure the Epstein documents are not just dusty files sitting in what used to be Pam Bondi's office.

Khanna has shown a talent for getting under the tissue-thin skin that barely covers Trump's elephantine form. The latest example came on Sunday when he went on Fox News, of all places, to shine a spotlight on what is left of Trump's shattered credibility on the global stage. In typical Trumpian fashion, Dear Leader fired back, showing he still has no well of dignity or good will to draw upon when under stress. 

Occupy Democrats (OC) was on hand for the Fox-induced fireworks as Trump could only turn to his failing Truth Social site in a feeble attempt at third-grade style name calling. Occupy Democrats reports at its Facebook page under the headline "Congressman Ro Khanna brilliantly destroys Trump after he called him "SCUM" and a "SLEAZEBAG" in a deranged meltdown — and gets in a perfect Epstein jab":

This is a master class in getting under the President's thin skin... "Trump's second attack of the day on me," Khanna wrote on X, sharing a screenshot of a Truth Social post. "This is why I go on Fox. This is why I talk about an economic agenda to build steel, ship & battery plants in hollowed out communities." "This is why I talk to everyone, including Trump voters, without hurling insults. This is how Democrats will win & unite the country," he added.

Trump, of course, does not want the country to be united -- he thrives on division and chaos -- so he was left to helplessly lob insults at a rival who seemed unbothered by tussling with a supposed "master dealmaker." OC reports:

Khanna's level-headed, intelligent, truthful post stood in stark contrast to the furious Trump post that he was responding to— "You could listen to FoxNews all day long, absolutely devour it, but then, when you hear SLEAZEBAGS, like Congressman Ro Khanna, 'a wolf in sheep’s clothing,' LIE, LIE, LIE, AND LIE AGAIN, without any pushback, or competent rebuttal from an anchor, in this case, Jacqui Heinrich, the entire Common Sense dialogue that has been going on all day at Fox is completely obliterated!" Trump wrote. The suggestion that Fox News deals in "common sense dialogue" is laughable to anyone living outside of the right-wing bubble. The network peddles conspiracy theories, fascist propaganda, and overt racism. But apparently, that constant deluge of conservative garbage isn't enough for Trump, who wants to be able to watch without ever encountering a sane voice like Ro Khanna.

Did Trump point to any specific Khanna statement that amounted to a lie? Of course not. The president does not know how to deal with truth, so he was left to adopt the only role he can capably fill -- toddler in chief.  From OC:

"Why would Fox put SCUM like this on, or others, such as Low Rated Bill Maher, who gains 'credibility' by constant referral to him as though he were a Liberal source of 'Wisdom,' or very Low IQ Hakeem Jeffries, who considers the Supreme Court 'illegitimate,' and probably hates our Country," Trump continued. "No matter how 'Fair and Balanced' the day’s News at Fox may be, the end result is destroyed by professional Liars, Conmen, and Liberal, Crooked Politicians," he added. "This is why MAGA Republicans, who are actually close to 100% of the Party, hate Fox, despite the wonderful contributions made by so many of their great anchors and commentators. Hard to win Elections like this! President DONALD J. TRUMP" Of course, it's not just Khanna's messaging on the economy and manufacturing that has triggered Trump. The congressman has been one of the most outspoken voices calling for the full release of the Epstein files. Since Trump appears all over those files, including credible accusations that he's a pedophile rapist, he has marked Khanna as one of his most hated enemies. One post wasn't enough to vent that hatred, because he also penned another against Khanna. But once again, the congressman got the last laugh—

Trump actually made the following statement in a report at NJ.com. (We invite you to pay particular attention to the part highlighted in yellow.): 

“No matter how ‘Fair and Balanced’ the day’s News at Fox may be, the end result is destroyed by professional Liars, Conmen, and Liberal, Crooked Politicians. This is why MAGA Republicans, who are actually close to 100% of the Party, hate Fox, despite the wonderful contributions made by so many of their great anchors and commentators. Hard to win Elections like this!” he concluded.

So Trump expects Fox to help Republicans win elections? That probably is not a surprise to viewers who actually watch Fox News (I am not among them.), but the statement suggests Trump knows no more about journalism than he does about governance -- which is zero. Let's return to Occupy Democrats:

"The Sleazebag, Radical Left Congressman from the failed State of California, Ro Khanna, should not be allowed on FoxNews unless you have an 'anchor' who is capable of disputing his lies, one after another, and closing down his FAKE (Bullshit!) narrative," Trump wrote. "He is similar, but worse than Hakeem Jeffries, only with a somewhat higher IQ. This morning he tried, on behalf of the Dumacrats, to take credit for the Steel Industry pouring back into the U.S., knowing full well that the Dumbs virtually destroyed it, and I SAVED IT, through strong Tariffs (PLUS!)," he continued. "Our Country was DEAD during the last 'Administration,' and now it is hotter than ever before. We can’t allow the Dumacrats to take credit for this. If elected, they will fully destroy our thriving, and now very respected, Nation. I will NOT let that happen!!! President DONALD J. TRUMP"

Trump seems to think he should choose who anchors what on Fox News, making a network that broadcasts over public airwaves an arm of the Republican Party. This is one part laughable and two parts a sign of how dangerous Trump and the postmodern GOP have become to democracy. Let's conclude by returning to Occupy Democrats and its coverage of the fearless Ro Khanna. We need more Americans like this guy, especially in Congress:

Khanna responded with a brilliant zinger on X–– "The man building a ballroom with foreign steel probably shouldn’t call himself the champion of American steel," he wrote. "But as you learned from the Epstein files, I’m open to working across the aisle. So how about signing my steel bill to actually rebuild the American steel industry?" The most important takeaway here is that Khanna's appearances on Fox News are working. Trump is terrified that his messaging is going to penetrate through to his base and turn even more voters against his failed presidency. Getting attacked by this President is the clearest sign that you're doing something right. Keep at it Congressman Khanna!

Trump DOJ is so incompetent it can't cite actual law in James Comey "seashells" case; maybe that's because it's all just an attempt at Epstein-related distraction

(Times of India)

One of the nation's most widely read legal websites is giving the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) a much-deserved thrashing for indicting former FBI director James Comey in what has become widely known as the "seashells" case. The site says the Comey case marks a historic ethical nadir for a department that once was known as perhaps the world's foremost crime-fighting outfit.

Now, it is subject to ridicule from fellow lawyers as seen at Above the Law (ATL) under the headline "James Comey indicted for playing with seashells in new low for DOJ integrity." This is more than a blow to DOJ's image; it is a sign that a lack of seriousness has taken hold in the halls of justice. How do we know? Joe Patrice, who like a number of ATL staffers is both a journalist and a lawyer, explains that DOJ documents in the case include embarrassing snafus, including misstating the applicable law -- twice:

It’s said that history repeats itself, first as tragedy, then as farce. When it comes to indictments, the Trump administration’s Department of Justice has streamlined the process by skipping straight to farce and then somehow doing it twice.

A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of North Carolina has indicted former FBI Director James Comey for the high crime of arranging seashells. Specifically, posting a photo to Instagram last May of shells on a beach spelling out “86 47,” captioned “Cool shell formation on my beach walk.” The indictment levels two counts — making a threat against the president under 18 U.S.C. § 871(a), and transmitting a threat in interstate commerce under § 875(c).

Because Comey arranges seashells by the seashore.

With that line, Patrice injects humor into a story that could use some. That's because it's a grim chore to ponder the incompetence and corruption that has become a hallmark of the DOJ during Donald Trump's second term. In fact, this is the second time a baseless criminal case against Comey has exposed the rot now at the core of the U.S. "justice apparatus," Patrice writes:

This indictment arrives following the DOJ’s faceplant late last year, when insurance lawyer Lindsey Halligan attempted to indict Comey for making false statements in the Eastern District of Virginia. Halligan, an illegal appointment with no more authority than a random person off the street — to use the federal judge’s language — had been unlawfully appointed on top of turning in a fake indictment the full grand jury never voted on. This epic screw up resulted in the putative charges against Comey becoming time-barred.

That earlier indictment was bullshit. But at least it was serious-sounding bullshit. Going after Comey for lying about authorizing leaks seems like something a real prosecutor might charge.

By contrast, the new indictment in the Eastern District of North Carolina lacks such gravitas. The government lodged criminal charges against the former FBI Director for using Prohibition-era slang for tossing an unwelcome guest… in shell form.

If this wasn’t stupid enough, the indictment manages to MISSTATE THE LAW in the indictment. Count I describes Comey’s supposed crime as creating an image that “a reasonable recipient who is familiar with the circumstances would interpret as a serious expression of an intent to do harm to the President of the United States.” Any first-year law student who completed Crim Law — a competence bar EDNC US Attorney Ellis Boyle seemingly failed to clear — will note that the Supreme Court in Counterman v. Colorado (2023), replaced the “reasonable recipient” standard, requiring instead a showing the speaker subjectively understood that the statement would be perceived as threatening. Even if the indictment included the proper standard, the government would face an uphill battle since Comey deleted the post the same day, saying that he hadn’t realized “86” had violent connotations — which it doesn’t really, but whatever — and apologized.

The second count, that Comey then distributed the threat, suffers the same defects as the first. 

You might be thinking "the silliness has to end here," but there is more, Patrice informs us. And as you read the following "countdown to comedy," try keeping this in mind -- our tax dollars, yours and mine, are paying for these Comey indictments:

The genuinely unhinged part of the indictment appears on the next page. A forfeiture notice seeking “any property, real or personal, which constitutes or is derived from proceeds traceable to the said offense.”

Do they want the shells?

As many people learned from the Afroman case, law enforcement’s forfeiture powers are extensive and deeply corrupt. The language of the indictment flags the government’s authority to seek “substitute assets” in the event they can’t actually find the supposedly ill-gotten gains. But even with broad latitude to steal from defendants, it’s hard to imagine what the government expects to get out of James Comey. He’s not a Kardashian — he’s not paid thousands of dollars for posting viral vacation Instas. Perhaps this forfeiture language is copypasta the government mindlessly drops into every indictment. But given the cynical and petty nature of this Justice Department, it’s hard to see this as anything but a threat to rob the former FBI Director.

Kash Patel, current FBI director, has stated he considers protecting Trump's reputation to be a top priority. Does that mean anyone who tarnishes Trump's orange glow by sending criticism in his direction could be subject to legal action? Joe Patrice does not seem to think that question is far-fetched in today's environment:

In some ways, it’s fitting that the pursuit of Comey found its way back to the 8647 nonsense. When the image first appeared, current FBI Director (for now!) Kash Patel told America that he was prioritizing protecting Trump’s reputation over child sex predators. Or, more accurately, over catching child sex predators. That’s a key clarification or else the sentence doesn’t actually make sense, does it?

At least it’s not all bad news for the Comey family. A federal judge let Maurene Comey’s lawsuit go forward. Now the administration is arguing in one court that they would never retaliate against the Comey family, while in another court prosecuting Jim Comey for a beach photo.

Could the Comey indictments, like so many actions the Trump administration takes, simply be an effort to distract the public -- most likely from the president's documented ties to the late sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Patrice suggests the answer is yes:

Why did this loser of a case drop now? It’s pretty simple: the DOJ wants to tie this shell picture from a year ago to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner incident. The administration needs to bootstrap as much on top of that story as it can before it fades from the headlines and bring attention back to topics like Todd Blanche covering up the Epstein files or why Kash Patel is being called “J. Edgar Boozer” behind his back.

Is this prosecution frivolous? Yes. Is it an ominous uptick in the administration’s willingness to chill civil liberties and stifle criticism? Also yes. It’s an uncommon intersection: Frivolinous.

Court orders release of apparent Epstein suicide note, but case is clouded by the presence of a man with reported ties to the mob and 'gangland-style' slayings

A suicide note that appears to be written by the late sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein has been released as part of a court case involving The New York Times, adding to an already lengthy list of questions surrounding Epstein's 2019 death in a New York City jail.

Perhaps the four most prominent questions about Epstein's death become: (1) Did he actually kill himself? (2) Did he write the suicide note? (3) If he did not kill himself, who murdered him -- or had him murdered? (4) If he did not write the suicide note, who did and why? Here is another question that already hangs over the case: Could a handwriting analysis yield important information about the note's origin -- ruling in or out Epstein as its author, perhaps pointing to someone else?

A jointly published article at Fox News and Yahoo! News addresses a number of those issues. Greg Wehner and Michael Ruiz write under the headline "Jeffrey Epstein's purported suicide note unsealed by federal judge in cellmate's case":

A federal judge in New York has ordered the release of a purported suicide note written by Jeffrey Epstein to his then-cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione, siding with The New York Times in a request to unseal the document.

The note had been filed under seal as part of Tartaglione’s case, in which the former police officer was convicted of multiple murders.

U.S. District Judge Kenneth Karas ruled the document should be made public, finding no sufficient reason to keep it sealed.

In the handwritten note, Epstein appears to reference past investigations and expresses frustration, writing in part, "They investigated me for months – found nothing!!!" and "Time to say goodbye." Portions of the note are difficult to read.

Is it truly a suicide note? That is how it's portrayed in court documents, according to the Fox/Yahoo! report:

The document is described in court filings as a "suicide note purportedly authored by Jeffrey Epstein," which Tartaglione allegedly recovered while the two were briefly housed together at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan.

Epstein was found dead in his cell Aug. 10, 2019. The disgraced financier, whose death was ruled a suicide by hanging, was awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.

Tartaglione’s attorneys later submitted the document as part of court proceedings, where it remained under seal for years. 

How did The New York Times get involved in the matter? Wehner and Ruiz explain: 

The New York Times sought access to the note along with several other materials tied to a legal inquiry into potential conflicts among Tartaglione’s defense attorneys, known as a Curcio hearing.

Those materials included attorney reports, hearing transcripts, and prior court orders. Karas said the note qualifies as a judicial document subject to a strong presumption of public access.

"The public has a strong presumptive right of access to certain judicial documents, established by the First Amendment, as well as a weaker presumptive right to all judicial documents, established at common law," the ruling said.

"The common law right of public access to judicial documents is one "firmly rooted in our nation’s history" that provides "a measure of accountability" for federal courts and protects the public’s "confidence in the administration of justice."

The judge raised a number of other issues that went into his decision to unseal the suicide note. He also said additional proceedings will be required before the court rules on certain matters raised by The Times:

The court found Tartaglione waived attorney-client privilege by discussing the note’s contents publicly, including in interviews.

In addition, the judge said privacy concerns were limited because Epstein is deceased and details about the note have already entered the public domain.

While the note itself will be unsealed, the court stopped short of granting the Times’ broader request for additional documents. Instead, Karas directed attorneys for both sides to propose redactions and provide legal arguments before a final decision is made on those materials.

Tartaglione long has been a prominent figure in the Epstein case, but his troubling past raises questions about credibility. His reported ties to the mob and "gangland-style murders also don't help. From the Fox/Yahoo report: 

Tartaglione, who was convicted of multiple murders tied to a drug trafficking scheme, was briefly housed with Epstein at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan while awaiting trial, according to the court. He was no longer Epstein’s cellmate at the time of Epstein’s death. 

As a central figure in the note's release, Tartaglione already has demonstrated an ability and willingness to kill people. Perhaps that is why some quickly raised doubts about whether the note is real:

Questions about the note’s authenticity have already emerged.

Epstein’s brother, Mark Epstein, told Fox News Digital he does not believe the note is legitimate and had not seen it prior to its release.

"Makes no sense," he said. "We know the event in July was not a suicide attempt. Hence, there would not be a note from then. He was not in the same cell with NT after that."

Jeffrey Epstein had previously accused Tartaglione of assaulting him about a month before he was found dead in his jail cell.

Tartaglione later told guards Epstein had attempted to hang himself, but Epstein’s lawyers and his brother disputed that account, saying he had been attacked.

The ruling marks a significant step toward public disclosure of records tied to both Tartaglione’s case and Epstein, whose death in federal custody has remained the subject of widespread scrutiny and speculation.

The court ordered that the note be formally unsealed and entered into the public record, while setting a deadline for further filings on the remaining documents. 

As for the possibility of handwriting analysis, an online query yields this information from AI Overview:

Based on reports as of early May 2026, handwriting experts have not been called to testify in open court about the suicide note attributed to Jeffrey Epstein, but legal counsel for his former cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione, did have handwriting experts examine the note privately.  

• Private Examination: Lawyers for Tartaglione, who was cellmates with Epstein during a July 2019 suicide attempt, said in 2025 that their "handwriting experts" examined the note in late 2019 or early 2020, according to The New York Times.

Primary results indicate Trump still sways voters in Indiana, but races later in May will determine if that translates to Louisiana, Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia

The bad news in yesterday's primary elections is that Donald Trump still has influence in Indiana. The good news is that Chedrick Greene won Michigan’s special election, ensuring Democrats will maintain control of the state Senate through the remainder of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s term at year’s end. Even more good news is that former Sen. Sherrod Brown has won the Democratic nomination in Ohio’s special Senate election, paving the way for a nationally watched general election matchup against Republican incumbent Jon Husted for J.D. Vance's old seat.

In hopeful news, according to  a report at Politico, "We're about to find out if Trump is a kingmaker or lame duck; so far, his chosen candidates are struggling to dominate their fields.

Let's take a closer look at races in Indiana, where Trump has shown he still holds sway despite the war in Iran, a struggling economy, high gas prices, and other self-inflicted GOP wounds. That Indianans seem willing to overlook all of Trump's negatives does not speak well for the Hoosier state. Here is a special Legal Schnauzer advisory: Do not move to Indiana; after all we have learned about the Trump admin, Hoosiers still think this White House is worth supporting. That is stupid on steroids. Avoid! From a report at NBC News:

President Donald Trump exacted revenge on Indiana Republican legislators who foiled his redistricting push last year in the state, backing challengers who unseated five incumbents in Tuesday's primaries, NBC News projects.

One other GOP state senator who faced a Trump-endorsed opponent was locked in a tight race, while another survived.

The double-digit defeats of the five incumbents, some of whom are veterans of the Indiana Legislature, underscore the influence Trump continues to wield over the Republican Party, even as his approval rating among Americans broadly sags amid rising gas prices and the Iran war. Several other GOP-led states redrew their maps at Trump's urging. But ultimately, the heavy-handed pressure campaign from Trump and his allies backfired in Indiana. Six months later, several of those lawmakers paid the price for crossing Trump.

“Big night for MAGA in Indiana. Proud to have helped elect more conservative Republicans to the Indiana State Senate,” U.S. Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., whose aligned groups spent heavily ahead of Tuesday's primaries, wrote in a post on X. . . . 

One state senator who drew Trump's ire, Greg Goode, won his primary Tuesday. Goode bested Vigo County Council member Brenda Wilson, who was backed by Trump, and Alexandra Wilson, a network engineer. One of the primaries remained too close to call Tuesday night. With nearly all of the expected vote in, state Sen. Spencer Deery led Paula Copenhaver, an aide to Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith, by 3 votes.

Other high-profile races, in other states, will be decided later this month. This is from a summary at Politico:

May 16: Louisiana

Trump-backed Rep. Julia Letlow is struggling to dominate the polls in her primary challenge to unseat incumbent U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, who earned MAGA’s ire for voting to convict Trump on impeachment charges in 2021. The latest Emerson College poll shows Letlow locked in a close three-way race, with her at 27 percent, State Treasurer John Fleming at 28 percent and Cassidy at 21 percent. Nearly 1 in 4 likely GOP primary voters are undecided.

Letlow entered the race at Trump’s urging. She boasts endorsements from Louisiana’s GOP Gov. Jeff Landry and national groups like the Make America Healthy Again PAC, which has promised $1 million in support like distributing mailers — a needed financial boost given her middling war chest compared with Cassidy’s.

But Trump has not sent the cavalry for Letlow, withholding his own war chest and not making any trips to Louisiana on her behalf. The president recently doubled down on his campaign against Cassidy, telling GOP primary voters to kick the incumbent “OUT OF OFFICE” — but Trump notably did not name-drop Letlow or urge voters to back her.

May 19: Kentucky, Alabama and Georgia

Trump faces two very different tests of his influence in Kentucky, where he is simultaneously boosting Rep. Andy Barr as retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell’s successor and pushing to oust a longtime thorn in his side in Thomas Massie.

The president waded in late for Barr, endorsing the representative less than three weeks before the primary while also offering one of his two rivals, businessman Nate Morris, a job in his administration — a move that could help propel Barr past former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron.

But it is Massie’s 4th District race that may prove more troublesome for Trump. The president finally fronted a challenger to the renegade Republican after Massie voted against the party’s signature tax-and-spending package last year, and Trump’s allies have now poured more than $10 million into sinking the incumbent.

So far, Massie has withstood the onslaught. He leads his rival, former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein, in polling, fundraising and name ID. One recent survey showed half of likely voters in his deep-red district with a libertarian bent preferred an independent-minded lawmaker, compared to 37 percent who wanted a strong Trump supporter.

Massie, who threads that needle by saying he’s with Trump “91 percent of the time,” argues that supporting him and the president aren’t “mutually exclusive things.” And he thinks the Trump-directed flood of outside money against him has its limits.

“If outside billionaires spend millions of dollars, they can change somebody’s profile,” Massie said in a recent interview. “But I think what they’re going to find out is that my brand is established well enough … that [they] can persuade some of the people, but they’re not going to be able to persuade enough of them.”

The president isn’t being driven by revenge in Alabama. But even there, his chosen candidate is battling to break through a crowded GOP primary field for Senate: The Trump-backed Rep. Barry Moore has a slight lead in public polling, while Attorney General Steve Marshall, who has been in office for nearly a decade, is holding his own.

Meanwhile in Georgia, Trump’s backing of Lt. Gov. Burt Jones’ gubernatorial run is a rebuke of Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who rose to national prominence by defying the president’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election and is himself running for governor.

Still, Trump’s endorsement has its limits: Rick Jackson, a health care executive, has a slight lead over Jones in most polls for the GOP primary as he also makes a play for the MAGA base. He’s been pummeling the lieutenant governor with millions spent on attack ads.

“If any other candidate had received that amount of negative, they would be polling within the margin of error of zero,” said a Georgia-based Republican strategist who is unaffiliated with any candidate and was granted anonymity to speak openly. “When you’re looking at the reasons why [Jones] is now in a toss-up race, I would say the President’s endorsement is by far the top reason why.”

May 26: Texas run-off

After Sen. John Cornyn finished ahead of Attorney General Ken Paxton in Texas’ March primary, Republicans in Washington were on standby for Trump’s expected endorsement. It never came.

Perhaps in the clearest example of MAGA beginning to make decisions without Trump’s explicit approval, Texas Republicans have rallied around the scandal-plagued Paxton. Polling now shows that a Trump endorsement for Cornyn, at this point, likely wouldn’t sway voters significantly — and Paxton would maintain his edge.

GOP Texas consultant Vinny Minchillo says if Trump does decide to weigh in, he “will have to sell this to the faithful and tell them exactly what to do. Especially if he endorses Cornyn.”

Trump’s endorsement still matters, he said, but “less so with each day that passes.”