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‘Darkness’: Buttigieg Warns on Trump, SCOTUS, and Democracy

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Pete Buttigieg, fresh off a clash with his successor, Sean Duffy—who, just days into his new job, lashed out at the Democratic former U.S. Secretary of Transportation after a series of air travel crises—joined The Late Show’s Stephen Colbert on Tuesday night to discuss—and denounce—President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress, and his own—and the nation’s—political future.

Buttigieg blasted Trump’s speech, the longest of its kind in recent history, declaring it was filled with “darkness” and “dazzle,” while decrying the President’s refusal to understand and promote the role of government. He described the state of our union as “complicated,” “roiling,” and “confused about why our leaders are talking about renaming things on a map instead of getting the price of eggs down.”

And he lamented that “there was very, very little” in Trump’s speech “about the things that most affect our lives.”

“I believe politics is about everyday life,” Buttigieg continued. “It’s about what government can and must do to make our everyday lives better. And the biggest issue on people’s minds, the affordability of everyday life is not something that got more than a a few seconds of mention in his speech, nor did he mention some of the biggest things in dollar terms that he’s doing.”

“I mean, objectively , the biggest thing that he’s working on is tax cuts for the rich. $5 trillion, minimum. No mention in a speech that was what, two hours?”

READ MORE: ‘Betrayal’: Democrats Blast Trump’s ‘Assault’ on VA Over Plan to Cut 80,000 Employees

“But it’s always like this, right? It’s always gonna be about—they’re gonna talk about Greenland, and about pronouns, and about mice, and not about what’s gonna actually make our lives better.”

As it turns out, with many Democratic voters grappling with a party they feel has lost its way amid the onslaught of President Donald Trump’s takeover, transformation, and demolition of the federal government—and, as Buttigieg mentioned, with Americans struggling to pay their bills, even ahead of Trump’s sweeping and unpredictable tariffs—the former Secretary of Transportation finds himself in an enviable position, boasting a wealth of political opportunities ahead.

A father of two who often talks about raising two young children—twins—with his husband, Buttigieg and his family moved to the Great Lakes State to be closer to Chasten’s parents.

Last week, Buttigieg sat down with Senate Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to discuss a possible run for a seat opening in his home state of Michigan. Democratic U.S. Senator Gary Peters is not seeking a third term, setting off what is expected to be a closely watched and pivotal race in 2026—one that could help swing control of the U.S. Senate back to the Democrats.

But Buttigieg’s name has also been tossed around for a gubernatorial run: Michigan’s Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer, is term limited. While he has not officially weighed in, The Detroit News, which broke the story of Senator Peters’ retirement, says one source indicates Buttigieg is “very seriously focused” on a potential run for the Senate, not the governor’s mansion.

While Buttigieg’s 2020 presidential run did not get him a seat behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, it cemented a close relationship with President Joe Biden, who declared publicly that Buttigieg reminds him of his late son, Beau.

Some say Buttigieg could run again for the White House in 2028, although it’s far too early for him to make that decision. And some believe he has the clout, experience, and support that few other Democrats can currently boast, given the state of the party. There’s even an active Reddit page for his fans, which apparently number around 31,000 on the platform.

But he also has concerns, which he shared Tuesday night.

After Colbert blasted the President’s message from earlier on Tuesday—during which Trump appeared to ignore the First Amendment and declared anyone on a college campus engaging in “illegal protests” will be deported or imprisoned, Buttigieg denounced the broader problem.

“We have to stand up to this, and by we I don’t just mean Democrats. Like, freedom loving conservatives, libertarians, where are you?” Buttigieg, once known as “Mayor Pete,” declared. “We might not agree on everything, but if you are so committed to liberty, as a libertarian or a freedom loving conservative, that you think the clean air act is ‘tyranny,’ then what do you have to say about the head of your government threatening to expel or imprison people who protest in disagreement with his politics?”

READ MORE: SCOTUS Hands Trump a Loss in Multi-Billion Dollar USAID Case

“Where are you? We should be able to come together around that,” he insisted.

“Our nation has always been at its best when it widens the circle of belonging and equality to take care of more people and not less,” he continued, when asked about Trump’s anti-LGBTQ remarks Tuesday night. “And our nation’s been at its worst when we’ve been discriminating.”

Asked point-blank if he has any concerns about the Roberts Supreme Court overturning Obergefell, the landmark 2015 ruling that recognized same-sex couples have the same rights and responsibilities as different-sex couples when it comes to marriage, Buttigieg definitively replied: “Sure.”

Buttigieg insisted that Democrats have “got to focus.”

“You gotta be engaged. Doesn’t mean being online every minute, but you gotta be engaged. You’ve got to hold elected officials accountable, like, what’s going on at these town halls, and you’ve got to be organized.”

“I campaigned on freedom, security and democracy back when I was running for president, and I still believe that is the core that should drive our message,” he said, speaking of Democrats. “And we need to take that message everywhere.”

“It’s not just what we say, it’s not just how we say it, it’s where we say it,” he continued.

And he predicted Trump will continue to lose support, which he has already since entering the Oval Office for a second time.

Colbert, hoping to make some political news, asked Buttigieg, “Is there anything you’d like to tell us?”

“Not tonight,” the former Secretary replied. “I’ve been looking at it,” he said of the Michigan Senate race, where currently there are several possible Democratic contenders and a Republican who, according to the polls, holds a lead over him.

“I’ve decided that I’m going to continue to work on the things that I care about, to defend the values, that I was just talking about. I have not decided what that means professionally, whether that means running for office soon or not, but, I will make myself useful.”

Watch the videos below or at this link.

READ MORE: ‘Sell the White House Too’: Trump Could Sell DOJ, FBI Headquarters, Agency Says to Outrage

 

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‘Lame Duck’ Trump Loses Major Battle in Indiana: ‘Not Even Close to Being Close’

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December 11, 2025

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President Donald Trump’s efforts to compel Indiana lawmakers to enact a mid-decade congressional map that could have wiped out all of the Hoosier State’s Democratic seats in the U.S. House of Representatives has failed.

“Republicans hold a 40-10 advantage in the state Senate but still rejected Trump’s pressure,” The Washington Post reported. HuffPost called it a “a furious pressure campaign by Trump.”

“Indiana’s proposed congressional map goes down in flames in the state Senate, 31-19,” Votebeat managing editor Nathaniel Rakich observed. 26 votes were needed for the new maps to have been adopted.

Politico reported that the “failed vote is the culmination of a brass-knuckled four-month pressure campaign from the White House on recalcitrant Indiana Republicans that included private meetings and public shaming from Trump, multiple visits from Vice President JD Vance, whip calls from Speaker Mike Johnson and veiled threats of withheld federal funds.

RELATED: ‘Shakedown’: Outrage Over Claim of Trump Plan to Defund Indiana in Map Clash

“Not even close to being close,” noted Bloomberg Government’s Jonathan Tamari. “I certainly did not predict the Indiana state Senate as a hotbed of Trump resistance.”

“Trump’s such a lame duck that he is getting his a– kicked by the Indiana State Senate,” remarked former Obama senior advisor Dan Pfeiffer.

Journalist Todd Zwillich called it a “Wholesale rejection” of a “threat” from the conservative Heritage Action.

Aaron Fritschner, deputy chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), noted that Trump “didn’t just lose that vote, he got blown out.”

“Lesson for national Republicans,” wrote Jessica Riedel of the Brookings Institution. “You don’t have to sell out every principle and publicly worship Trump. Really, you can just do things. And you should ask why it took some state legislators in Indiana to finally stand up for common sense governance.”

“You do, unironically and in earnest, have to hand it to the Indiana GOP for not giving in to the threats on their lives etc.,” declared Everytown Senior Director of Communications Max Steele. “Trump is a duck getting lamer by the day. Hopefully this emboldens others to do what’s right.”

READ MORE: ‘Where Is Antifa Headquartered?’: FBI Official Struggles Defending Top Threat Label

 

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‘Shakedown’: Outrage Over Claim of Trump Plan to Defund Indiana in Map Clash

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20 hours ago

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December 11, 2025

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Heritage Action and President Donald Trump are coming under fire after the conservative advocacy organization made a claim that the president threatened to defund the state of Indiana should lawmakers not pass legislation to redraw its congressional district maps.

“President Trump has made it clear to Indiana leaders: if the Indiana Senate fails to pass the map, all federal funding will be stripped from the state,” Heritage Action wrote on social media on Thursday. “Roads will not be paved. Guard bases will close. Major projects will stop. These are the stakes and every NO vote will be to blame.”

The post ended with, “#PassTheMap.”

While President Trump has publicly threatened to support primary challengers against lawmakers who oppose his redistricting push, NCRM has not found any news reports confirming Heritage Action’s assertion. It is possible the group is relying on information that has not been reported or made public.

READ MORE: ‘Where Is Antifa Headquartered?’: FBI Official Struggles Defending Top Threat Label

Should Indiana pass legislation to redistrict, it reportedly could pick up only two more GOP-held seats.

Critics blasted Heritage Action, a sister group to the Heritage Foundation, for appearing to support Trump’s alleged threat, and blasted the president as well.

“The president and one of the most influential conservative groups in the country are threatening to deprive all Indiana residents of paved roads, guard bases, and major projects if they don’t pass an extremely gerrymandered map to deprive voters of choice,” noted Isaac Saul, founder of Tangle News. “Awesome stuff.”

“Heritage sure loves authoritarianism,” remarked Media Matters researcher Zachary Pleat.

Calling it “nonsense,” Joel Griffith, a senior fellow at the conservative group Advancing American Freedom wrote: “Appalling to see @Heritage_Action endorse this unconstitutional threat by @realDonaldTrump. The President does not have power to coerce state legislators to redraw congressional maps.”

Others appeared to aim their ire directly at the president.

READ MORE: ‘Shaky’ House GOP Leadership ‘Losing Control’: Report

“This is the behavior of a madman,” declared Tim Carney, a senior fellow at the conservative American Enterprise Institute.

“This isn’t conservative. This is fascist,” commented former Republican U.S. Congressman Joe Walsh.

Mother Jones’ D.C. bureau chief David Corn declared the move “dictatorial.”

“This does not sound like an appropriate or legal use of federal authority or presidential discretion,” observed Bloomberg columnist Matthew Yglesias.

“Nothing about this shakedown is conservative,” noted CNN’s Jake Tapper.

Jacob Stewart, the deputy opinion editor for the IndyStar called the move “illegal.”

Jonah Goldberg, editor-in-chief of the conservative online magazine The Dispatch, wrote: “I remember when Heritage cared about federalism, the rule of law, separation of powers, and all that stuff. Now it’s all ‘We love Trump’s musk, do what he says (or what Tucker says).'”

“This is called extortion,” wrote former White House correspondent Sam Youngman, also deeming it “illegal.”

“If this comes to pass,” wrote IndyStar columnist James Briggs, “then the story will be that Trump is punishing Indiana citizens for reasons that have nothing to do with them and so-called Indianans will see the punitive measures for what they are.”

READ MORE: ‘You’re a Loser Dude’: Carville Scorches Trump as ‘Done’

 

Image via Reuters

 

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‘Where Is Antifa Headquartered?’: FBI Official Struggles Defending Top Threat Label

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22 hours ago

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December 11, 2025

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A top FBI official struggled to explain his claim that Antifa is the “most immediate violent threat” America is facing, as he was challenged to provide details.

Former Trump FBI Director Christopher Wray stated in 2020 congressional testimony that Antifa is “not a group or an organization. It’s a movement or an ideology.” The BBC has explained that Antifa is “a loosely organized, leftist movement that opposes far-right, racist and fascist groups.”

“Antifa is short for anti-fascist,” BBC added. “It is a loose, leaderless affiliation of mostly far-left activists.”

House Homeland Security Committee Ranking Member Bennie Thompson on Thursday asked Michael Glasheen, FBI National Security Operations Director, to describe “organizations that pose, on the domestic side,” the number one and number two threats to the homeland.

READ MORE: ‘Shaky’ House GOP Leadership ‘Losing Control’: Report

Glasheen asked for clarification.

“Any domestic terrorist organizations that poses a threat to the homeland as we speak,” Thompson replied.

Pointing to President Trump’s designation of Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization, Glasheen said, “That’s our primary concern right now.”

He described Antifa as “the most immediate violent threat that we’re facing on the domestic side.”

“So, where is the Antifa headquartered?” Thompson pressed.

After a pause, Glasheen said: “What we’re doing right now —” before Thompson cut him off.

“Where, in the United States, does Antifa exist?” he asked. “If it’s a terrorist organization — and you’ve identified it as number one.”

“We are building out the infrastructure right now,” Glasheen responded.

READ MORE: ‘You’re a Loser Dude’: Carville Scorches Trump as ‘Done’

“So what does that mean?” Thompson pressed. “Where do they exist? How many members do they have in the United States as of right now?”

“Well, that’s very fluid,” Glasheen said, describing it as “ongoing,” before comparing the situation to Al Qaeda and ISIS.

“I asked one question, sir,” Thompson replied. “I just want you to tell us. If you said Antifa is the number one domestic terrorist organization, operating in the United States, I just need to know where they are, how many people. I don’t want a name. I don’t want anything like that. Just, how many people have you identified with the FBI, that Antifa is made of?”

“Well, the investigations are active,” Glasheen replied.

“Sir, you wouldn’t come to this committee and say something you can’t prove. I know. I knew you wouldn’t do that. But you did.”

READ MORE: ‘His Heart Just Ain’t in It’: Report Reveals Trump’s ‘Achilles Heel’

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