Wednesday, December 31, 2025
Good morning, and welcome to RedState’s “Morning Minute” — a brief glimpse at which stories are trending at the moment and a look ahead at what the day may bring. Consider this your one-stop shop for news to kickstart your day.
TOP O’ THE MORNIN’
Red-Hot at RedState
Duffy warned Newsom and the state DMV that if they fail to meet the January 5th deadline, the USDOT will cut off nearly $160 million in federal funding.
Bari Weiss’ Response to Clooney’s Attack – C’est Magnifique
This is exactly how you crush lies and accusations from the left, with daylight. Well done.
There’s no reason not to believe this is what Grenell is hearing, and, if true, it’s shocking, chilling, and utterly unsurprising. What’s being exposed here is left’s long-held belief that they own institutions like the Trump-Kennedy Center; the dawning realization that they don’t means now no one gets to enjoy it. It’s the fans that suffer, of course, but apparently that doesn’t matter to these performers because … Trump.
Trending Across Townhall Media
Anatomy of Terrible Anti-Gun Op-Ed: A Dissection
So even if enough was enough–and I assure you, no one on this side of the divide is happy about murders–banning guns entirely wouldn’t do jack squat, because only an idiot would think that so-called gun homicides wouldn’t translate to some number of non-gun murders.
Can We Now Talk About Voter Fraud, Or Is That Still Forbidden?
You would think that people would understand the transitive property of fraud—if you see it rampant in one area, you should suspect it elsewhere when the same people are involved.
Trump 47 Team Landed One Body Blow After Another on Corrupt and Hostile Media in ’25
None of the punches thrown back at the Dem bootlickers in the media have been knockouts. That would require some sort of self-awareness on the left, and that’s not happening anytime soon. As I wrote in the headline, though, they’re landing body blows. Those eventually wear down an opponent. My fervent wish for 2026 is that we all keep landing them.
Watch What Happens When Journalists Knock on the Door of a Somali-run Daycare Center in Washington
Higby did this investigation with Jonathan Choe. We need to expose and uproot these operations. It’s not racist or xenophobic. These people are breaking the law. They should be deported—end of story.
Tim Walz’s Worst Nightmare: A Round-Up of the Funniest Somali Fraud Memes Taking Over X
All this talk of migrant fraud rings and Somali daycares can be pretty distressing. When one thinks of all the money being wasted and how they are disrespecting the American taxpayer, it can all be too much to handle. That’s why sometimes you just have to laugh or you’ll cry.
WHAT’S ON TAP?
Today on Capitol Hill…
The critters remain back in their districts for the holidays. When they return to the Swamp next week, they’ll have to hit the ground running if they hope to get those appropriations bills passed before the January 30 deadline. What’s that going to look like? Safe bet it’s going to be chaotic. Be sure to have the popcorn ready. One member of Congress we won’t be seeing in the midst of it all (at least not on the Hill) is Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA-14), who’s resigning early in January.
READ MORE: Here’s What Supposedly Prompted MTG’s Transformation – and I Have Thoughts
White House What’s Up
President Trump remains at Mar-a-Lago for the holidays. He’ll be attending a New Year’s Eve celebration this evening, and then has no formal events on his schedule for New Year’s Day.
Vice President JD Vance is applauding the move by the Trump administration, specifically the Department of Health and Human Services, to freeze federal childcare payments to the state of Minnesota, such that “all ACF payments across America will require a justification and a receipt or photo evidence before we send money to a state.”
Turning off payments and forcing verification before taxpayer money flows out the door is one of the most important steps we can take to end the fraud in Minnesota. But there will be many more to come.
Great job to @HHS_Jim and @SecKennedy. https://t.co/OwDf3JeloS
— JD Vance (@JDVance) December 31, 2025
Keeping Up With the Cabinet
Sec. Transportation – Sean Duffy — Duffy is calling out California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) over the January 5 deadline for revoking illegally issued CDLs.
Gavin Newsom is lying. The deadline to revoke illegally issued, unvetted foreign trucker licenses is still January 5.
California does NOT have an “extension” to keep breaking the law and putting Americans at risk on the roads.
Miss the deadline, Gavin, and the @USDOT will act —…
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) December 31, 2025
Full Court Press…
We had a couple of court decisions of note on Tuesday:
- ❌ National Treasury Employees Union v. Vought (dismantling of CFPB) — Judge Amy Berman Jackson (D.C.) GRANTS plaintiffs’ motion for clarification.
- ❌ American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO v. USA (dismantling of Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS)) — Judge Arun Subramanian (Southern District of New York) GRANTS plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment; DENIES admin’s motion to dismiss/for summary judgment.
And a hearing was held on Tuesday in the case of accused J5 pipebomber Brian Cole Jr., with his attorneys arguing that he should not be detained pre-trial, while the DOJ contends he should be. The judge took those respective motions under advisement and will be issuing his ruling shortly.
COMING ATTRACTIONS
2026 — that’s what’s coming. So brace yourselves!
America’s 250th birthday kicks off on New Year’s Eve! Come join other patriots starting tomorrow night at the Washington Monument to celebrate @250Freedom_! pic.twitter.com/LUUvpBn62f
— Secretary Doug Burgum (@SecretaryBurgum) December 31, 2025
MORNING MUSING
I had some fun compiling the Yearly Briefing — a look back at our top stories from each month of 2025. But I was struck by how many of the stories that clearly caused a big to-do at the time they were reported had largely faded from memory in the intervening weeks. It’s a testament, of course, to our frenetic news cycle.
I also think that so much of what made 2025 a blur surrounded Donald Trump returning to the Oval Office armed with an agenda and determined to move on it quickly, recognizing he’s got a very narrow window of time in which to operate. And, of course, the unhinged response from the Left to his every move.
If nothing else, it’s been interesting. And I don’t expect 2026 is going to let up in terms of pace, so I hope everyone has fun celebrating tonight, but then rests up well tomorrow. We’ve got a new year to tackle!
LIGHTER FARE
What sorcery is this?!
It’s magic.. 😂 pic.twitter.com/Ey8OJjnfeK
— Buitengebieden (@buitengebieden) December 31, 2025
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