Hot Political Takes

Because I mentioned El Sayed:

Here's the most important detail about mid-20s former @HawleyMO staffer Tommy Teepell getting his ass handed to him by @AbdulElSayed. Teepell's Daddy was just offering people $200 to make just THOSE KINDS of stupid comments. Tommy is a paid agitator and he STILL stepped all over his own dick.

— EU says Elon should not lie abt my blue check (@emptywheel) October 18, 2026

Here's the most important detail about mid-20s former @HawleyMO staffer Tommy Teepell getting his ass handed to him by @AbdulElSayed .

Teepell's Daddy was just offering people $200 to make just THOSE KINDS of stupid comments.

Tommy is a paid agitator and he STILL stepped all over his own dick.

Pretty sure El Sayed knew this, or at least wasn’t surprised by, Teepell’s question.

First stop on Ken Paxton’s “Come and Take It” tour in deep-red Rockwall, Texas, and he’s standing on a flatbed trailer inside a half-empty hangar, delivering a speech to a crowd so small you could practically take attendance by name. https://t.co/18PBu1lyeS

— Hey Jo🤍 (@joe_jo9) October 17, 2026

Yeah, about those polls and the models they’re using:

James Talarico draws an energetic crowd in Plano, TX https://t.co/Ws0IoDz73v

— Jacob Wasserman (@jacob_wass) October 18, 2026

Early voting in Texas starts tomorrow.

These are the statues of Qin Hui, a notoriously corrupt 12th-century Chinese official, and his wife Wang, kneeling forever in apology. For centuries, people have spat on, cursed, and slapped the statues to show lasting contempt. https://t.co/lLwGVCewL1

— Molly Ploofkins (@Mollyploofkins) October 18, 2026

As my uncle used to say: “Clever, these Chinese.”

A badly listing Donald Trump walks his wife right OFF the red carpet. Trump reportedly commented: “Make way Melania. Who do you think you are, Natalie Harp?” 😂😂😂 Good Sunday Ukraine and Musk https://t.co/jp6xtQix40

— SM (@sensiblemiddle) October 18, 2026

Trump can’t walk in a straight line. (This should be a baseline qualification to run for the office.)

There are riots and then there are French riots https://t.co/ON7mmy32ev

— Wu Tang is for the Children (@WUTangKids) October 18, 2026

We’ll always have Paris.

Multiple sources have confirmed to me that federal agents went dumpster diving to get DNA from Minnesota Congresswoman @IlhanMN and her family before the raid on her D.C. home earlier this week. Our reporting suggests investigations go far beyond simple immigration fraud. NewsNation sources say the likely coming indictments will be stunning in nature and far beyond anything the public has understood the case to be about.

— Leland Vittert (@LelandVittert) October 17, 2026

News Nation is dumb enough to believe this. But given the track record of this Administration, it’s still credible. “[B]eyond anything the public has understood the case to be about” just means the models of our expectations are as unprepared for reality as the Texas election polls. Well, very likely. The future is still the Great Unknown. And News Nation is still as credible as Trump.