White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt fielded multiple questions on Tuesday after President Donald Trump, during a Monday press conference, repeatedly claimed he would meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia on Friday.

There is some fringe controversy in Russia over Alaska—some falsely claim the United States’ 1867 Alaska Purchase was actually a 99- or 100-year lease and technically now belongs to the Russian Federation and not to the United States.

Controversy also swelled on Monday as critics quickly concluded that Trump’s claims that he is meeting President Putin in Russia were evidence of a diminishing mental capacity.

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Although not mentioning the Russia slip-up, popular American historian Heather Cox Richardson on Monday night wrote: “Trump’s performance at the press conference—an event for which his handlers would have made sure he was at the top of his game—made it clear that his mental deterioration is moving rapidly.”

American historian Timothy Snyder did mention the Trump-Russia-Alaska snafu.

Pointing to a video titled, “Trump says he’s meeting with Putin in Russia, but their summit is in Alaska,” Professor Snyder wrote: “Russia has been making a claim to Alaska for years. I was meaning to predict they would exploit this but waited because I thought [they] would wait until the day [of the meeting] itself to use it to deride Trump. But he’s using it against himself and ahead of schedule.”

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The Washington Spectator’s Dave Troy, who has written in-depth on several occasions about Russia and Putin, remarked on Tuesday: “The reason Putin wants to meet in Alaska is because he wants it back. He thinks because it’s former Russian territory he’s psyop-ing and dominating Trump.”

At the White House on Tuesday, a reporter asked Leavitt: “The President said at the podium yesterday—twice—that he was planning to go to Russia. Was that a verbal slip-up, or does he actually plan to go to Russia?”

“Perhaps,” Leavitt replied, “there are plans in the future to travel to Russia. On Friday, the President will be meeting with the Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, as you know.”

Asked again by a reporter, this time about the choice of Alaska, Leavitt was forced to reiterate that Alaska is not in Russia.

“There were many sites discussed,” she said, “but of course Alaska is a state within the United States of America, so the President is very honored and looks forward to hosting President Putin on American soil.”

Watch the video below or at this link.

Leavitt: The president is honored, and looks forward to hosting Putin on American soil pic.twitter.com/oUn8EaDLFB

— Acyn (@Acyn) August 12, 2025

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Image via Reuters

President Donald Trump’s pick to head the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Heritage Foundation economist E.J. Antoni, is facing backlash after reports that he would consider suspending the crucial monthly jobs report, calling it flawed.

“How on earth are businesses supposed to plan – or how is the Fed supposed to conduct monetary policy – when they don’t know how many jobs are being added or lost in our economy? It’s a serious problem that needs to be fixed immediately,” Antoni told Fox Business.

His solution is to publish the data less often—a move that could send shockwaves through the business world.

“Until it is corrected, the BLS should suspend issuing the monthly job reports but keep publishing the more accurate, though less timely, quarterly data,” he said. “Major decision-makers from Wall Street to D.C. rely on these numbers, and a lack of confidence in the data has far-reaching consequences.”

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President Trump fired the previous Commissioner of Labor Statistics, Erika McEntarfer, after the BLS released downward revisions of more than 250,000 for April and May.

“I was just informed that our Country’s ‘Jobs Numbers’ are being produced by a Biden Appointee, Dr. Erika McEntarfer,” Trump wrote in an August 1 social media post, baselessly accusing her of having “faked the Jobs Numbers before the Election to try and boost Kamala’s chances of Victory.”

The 141-year-old Bureau of Labor Statistics is an independent statistical agency and part of the U.S. Department of Labor. Installing what critics are calling a highly partisan commissioner would be unprecedented in modern times.

Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich issued a warning: “The independence of the Bureau of Labor Statistics is vital. If politicized, it can’t be trusted as a source of information. Who did Trump just put in charge of the agency? E.J. Antoni — chief economist at the Heritage Foundation and contributor to Project 2025.”

“On top of being the Heritage Foundation’s Chief Economist, E.J. Antoni is literally the 5th Contributor named in Project 2025,” noted journalist Ahmed Baba. “You can’t make this up. Trump is seeking to put the BLS — and America’s economic data — in the hands of a Project 2025 extremist.”

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Economics writer Joey Politano wrote: “An ‘economist’ so dumb I had to explain to him how the import price index works last month will now lead the BLS…”

Former Obama White House Chief Economist Jason Furman, a professor of economics remarked: “I don’t think I have ever publicly criticized any Presidential nominee before. But E.J. Antoni is completely unqualified to be BLS Commissioner. He is an extreme partisan and does not have any relevant expertise. He would be a break from decades of nonpartisan technocrats.”

The Atlantic’s Dr. Norman Ornstein, a political scientist warned: “Be sure to absorb the latest inflation and jobs reports from BLS. They are the last accurate ones you will see at least for the next 3+ years.”

U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) wrote: “Installing a crank economist to only publish favorable or distorted data on the economy (inflation, jobs numbers, etc.)  Textbook authoritarianism – mum from my GOP colleagues.”

“Can’t have bad jobs numbers if there are no jobs numbers,” snarked Aaron Fritschner, Deputy Chief of Staff for U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA).

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Image via Wikimedia/Public Domain

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) is being mocked after it posted what it said is a “Top-secret Democrat memo found on DC street” that “reveals their ‘Project 2026′ nightmare agenda.” They claim the document was “leaked.” The “memo” contains the logo for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and reads: “LEAKED MEMO: Democrats’ ‘PROJECT 2026’ AGENDA Internal Strategy Memo – Not for Public Distribution.”

The “memo” goes on to claim that it was prepared by the “DCCC Braintrust.”

In it, it lists eight alleged parts of a “plan to fundamentally remake America.”

They include:

“Repeal the Trump Tax Cuts. Raise Taxes on the Middle Class.”

“Open Borders. Full Stop.”

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“End Fossil Fuels, Gas Stoves, Cars, and Common Sense.”

“Nationalize the Grocery Aisle.”

“Impeach President Trump. Again. And Again.”

“Rewrite the Constitution via Executive Order.”

“Bring Back Wasteful Government Spending and High Crime.”

“More Woke, Less Rational.”

At the very bottom of the two-page “memo” it includes an admission it is from the NRCC: “NRCC NOTE: This is the America Democrats want to build.”

No such disclaimer appears on the NRCC’s social media post (below), although a Fox News article the NRCC later linked to calls the memo “satirical.”

Critics slammed House Republicans for the “memo.”

“Everyone hates how we are governing so to keep power we will embrace a new strategy of forging documents,” wrote Aaron Fritschner, Deputy Chief of Staff for U.S Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA).

“This gives me solace. I’ll never be worse at my job than this,” remarked Monica Venzke of the progressive group American Bridge.

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Former Joe Biden and Kamala Harris spokesperson Seth Schuster wrote: “somehow people believe this s— is real.”

“Apparently using your rival’s letterhead/logo without permission is fair game now per NRCC. Get to downloading and copypasta-ing, everybody!” observed journalist Jonathan Nicholson.

“Honey wake up, Republicans are embarrassing themselves again,” commented Marcus W. Robinson, Senior Spokesperson for the Democratic National Committee.

See the NRCC’s post below or at this link.

LEAKED: Top-secret Democrat memo found on DC street reveals their “Project 2026” nightmare agenda

Higher taxes, open borders, skyrocketing gas prices, no more gas cars, crime in the streets, trans sex changes for kids, and no more freedom – this is their deranged blueprint pic.twitter.com/YtETMm6kQW

— NRCC (@NRCC) August 12, 2025

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Image: NRCC Chair U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson (public domain photo)