PUMP Newsletter

Jack Smith, Trump’s Target, Shifts From Defense to Counterattack

Former special counsel Jack Smith, long painted as the architect of a politicized witch hunt by President Trump, is pivoting hard to offense. In a series of pointed moves this week, Smith signaled he's done playing defense against the barrage of investigations and firings targeting his team. Sources close to him say he's weighing public testimony before House Democrats and pushing to unseal Volume 2 of his classified documents report, currently locked away by Trump-appointed Judge Aileen Cannon.

The shift comes amid escalating retaliation. The FBI fired four agents from Smith's Trump probe last month, though two reversals followed internal pushback. Trump, fresh off his inauguration vow to go after the deep state, demanded Smith's full case files in a Truth Social rant, calling the investigations treasonous hoaxes. Smith's response? A blistering NPR interview last month where he warned the rule of law faces existential threats from executive overreach.

Democrats see an opening. House Judiciary ranking member Jamie Raskin invited Smith to testify next week, aiming to spotlight what GOP hardliners like Kash Patel dismiss as Russiagate fabrications. Patel, Trump's incoming FBI director, claims the Mar-a-Lago raid lacked predicate, yet Smith holds surveillance footage showing aides shuffling boxes. Releasing it could flip the script, exposing obstruction angles Cannon buried.

History's Longest Shutdown Looms

As the federal government shutdown stretched into its 35th day, it teeters on the edge of becoming the longest in U.S. history, surpassing the 35-day mark from Trump's 2018-2019 standoff. The human toll sharpened with SNAP benefits facing a cliff. After initial delays, the administration relented under court pressure, announcing partial November payments using a $5 billion contingency fund, covering about half of usual allotments.

Federal judges in Rhode Island and Massachusetts ordered the release, averting total cutoff but igniting bipartisan fury.  Democrats decried the cruelty, with Rep. Rosa DeLauro slamming the unnecessary delay as a ploy to pressure Congress. But the Republicans countered that the shutdown stems from Democratic obstructionism over healthcare. Economists warn of $1 billion daily losses, while markets dipped, with the Dow shedding 400 points amid uncertainty.

Trump Threatens NYC Funding Cut Over Mamdani's Mayoral Bid

New York City's mayoral race hurtled toward Tuesday's polls with President Trump's explosive Truth Social endorsement of Andrew Cuomo, casting the contest as a battle for the city's survival against Democratic socialist frontrunner Zohran Mamdani. In a lengthy post, Trump warned that a Mamdani victory would trigger minimal federal funding, slashing aid for transit, schools, and housing in the $100 billion-dependent metropolis, leading to complete and total economic and social disaster.

He urged voters to back Cuomo despite personal qualms, dismissing Republican Curtis Sliwa as a spoiler. Mamdani, leading polls at 42% to Cuomo's 35%, fired back during a fiery march from the Brooklyn Bridge to City Hall, vowing to defy unauthorized threats and fight for rent relief, fare-free buses, and immigrant protections. Obama reportedly called to bolster his bid, while activists like Lawrence Hamm rallied for Mamdani as a civil rights beacon.

Cuomo awkwardly echoed Trump on WABC radio, agreeing a Sliwa vote aids Mamdani before hanging up when pressed on the endorsement. At a Manhattan presser, he positioned himself as Trump's toughest foe. Sliwa shrugged off the interference in Brooklyn, insisting voters prioritize local grit over national noise.

Trump's Prosecutor Blunder

Acting U.S. Attorney for Central California Bilal "Bill" Essayli handed critics a gift: He shared a court order on X declaring his service unlawful, then kept prosecuting like nothing happened. Judge J. Michael Seabright ruled Essayli violated the Federal Vacancies Reform Act by overstaying a 120-day interim limit after Trump fired the previous prosecutor, disqualifying him from solo sign-offs on cases. For more on this:

Essayli cropped the damning unlawful line in his post, tweeting:

Seabright let him stay on as First Assistant (a technical step down) but nixed his solo work, preserving ongoing LA probes against immigration protesters. This fits Trump's rush to install allies like Alina Habba in New Jersey and Lindsey Halligan in Virginia, all skipping Senate votes for quick probes into immigration protests. Courts are pushing back, but ongoing LA cases (co-signed properly) survive.

Senators Snub Trump's Filibuster Gambit

As the government shutdown hits its 35th day, Senate Republicans on Monday dismissed President Trump's aggressive push to scrap the filibuster and ram through funding without Democratic input. In a Mar-a-Lago 60 Minutes interview aired Sunday night, Trump railed against extortion from Democrats demanding Affordable Care Act subsidy extensions, vowing no compromise unless they cave on border security and spending cuts. "

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., swiftly rebuffed the idea, telling reporters there's no changes to the Senate rule any time soon. Thune signaled optimism for a bipartisan spending resolution this week, potentially averting catastrophe by funding through December without deep policy riders. But Democrats, led by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, branded the GOP's latest bill a non-starter, insisting on protections for 42 million SNAP recipients and healthcare for millions.

Thune Signals Shutdown End, But Hurdles Persist

Senate Majority Leader John Thune projected confidence that the shutdown could wrap by midweek, calling talks as close as we've been. Speaking after a closed-door GOP huddle, he outlined a path, a short-term continuing resolution through March, sidestepping Democrats' push for permanent ACA subsidies.

The timeline aligns with post-election dynamics, Democrats, eyeing Tuesday gains in Virginia and New Jersey, may soften post-vote. House Democrats passed a full-year bill last week, but Senate Republicans blocked it over bloat. Johnson's chamber preps a counteroffer, bundling $50 billion in farm aid to appease tariff-hit heartlands.

The timeline feels urgent. Treasury pegs economic bleed at $18 billion already, with 850,000 furloughs grinding services to a halt. VA claims backlog swells, parks close, refunds stall. Trump's partial SNAP fix eases some pain for 42 million recipients but draws fire as a cruel half-measure.

Senate Republicans Strike Down Democratic Proposal to Fully Fund SNAP

Senate Republicans blocked a Democratic-led resolution to fully fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), deepening the sting of the ongoing government shutdown now in its 35th day. The measure, sponsored by New Mexico Sen. Ben Ray Luján, sought to unlock $40 billion in full November benefits for 42 million low-income Americans, including 10 million children, after the Trump administration announced partial payments using contingency funds. The vote failed 48-52, with no GOP defections, as Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso dismissed it as partisan posturing during a floor speech.

Democrats erupted in fury. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the rejection unbelievably cruel, accusing Republicans of letting Trump use food as a weapon to pressure for concessions on ACA subsidies and border funding.

Schumer thundered, noting the partial funding could delay aid for weeks, leaving food banks swamped and grocery lines lengthening. Advocates like the Food Research & Action Center warned of a 15% spike in child hunger rates, especially in red states like Mississippi and Louisiana, where SNAP reliance tops 14%.

The White House defended the half-measure as pragmatic, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt tying it to tariff revenues rerouted amid stalled talks. But critics, including four GOP senators who broke ranks on prior shutdown votes, see it as fiscal brinkmanship. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, eyeing a clean continuing resolution by Friday, urged Democrats to stop the games and pass a bipartisan bill through March. Trump's veto threat over missing wall funds looms, however, risking further delays.

That’s all for today, thanks for reading.

We’ll see you tomorrow!

— The PUMP Team