Free Republic

President Trump has always defied the laws of political gravity, seemingly impervious to setbacks that would sink any other figure and immune from the traditional ebb and flow of campaign cycles. But his capitulation in the fight over releasing the Epstein files, and other recent developments, suggest that, when it comes to Congress, the president is subject to at least some of the same currents as his predecessors, as the first signs of his lame duck status emerge. The willingness of congressional Republicans to defy Mr. Trump and back legislation requiring the disclosure of federal files on Jeffrey Epstein, the...

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order allowing a range of food products, including coffee, bananas and beef, to escape his sweeping tariffs. The move comes as his administration faces mounting pressure over rising prices. While Trump previously downplayed concerns about the cost of living, he has focused on the issue since his Republican Party's poor performance in last week's elections. The dozens of products included on the White House's list of exemptions range from avocados and tomatoes to coconuts and mangoes. These goods, the Trump administration said on Friday, cannot be produced in sufficient quantities domestically. Trump...

Conservative activist Scott Presler is sounding the alarm for Republicans, warning that unless the party immediately changes its strategy, November could bring devastating losses. In a late-night video, Presler said he wasn’t trying to spread doom and gloom, but reality. “I’m not here to bring you a happy video. I’m here to give you a dose of reality,” he began. "I'm here to tell you, Republicans are gonna lose everything this November unless we change things and quickly." Presler pointed to three key battlegrounds—Virginia, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania—where Republicans are in danger of losing everything. “You’re gonna lose the governorship...

Republicans are three steps from a November shellacking - each a grim possibility if habitually divided Democrats get their acts together. Republicans are three steps from a November shellacking - each a grim possibility if habitually divided Democrats get their acts together. First step: Voters must focus on the national landscape on Nov. 7 rather than local issues and personalities that usually dominate midterm elections. That would sting Republicans, who trail badly in national polls. Second step: Voters must be so angry at Washington and politics in general that an anti-incumbent, throw-the-bums-out mentality sweeps the nation. That would wound Republicans,...