A cartoon by Clay Jones.
Saturday, September 5, 2026
Wednesday, September 2, 2026
Whistleblower reveals USPS plot to ‘derail’ the midterm elections
A person drops applications for mail-in-ballots into a mailbox in Omaha, Nebraska, in 2020.AP
A whistleblower has revealed that the U.S. Postal Service is moving to implement elements of an executive order from President Donald Trump that could “derail the midterm elections” this fall.
The disclosure was sent to the office of Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, and was revealed in a letter he sent to Postmaster General David Steiner, a Trump appointee.
The whistleblower explained that the administration has been hurriedly putting in place an online system to purportedly screen ballots, which they say could lead to “catastrophic failure.”
Of particular concern is the extreme sensitivity to purported errors built into the system. For instance, the complaint notes that if even one ballot out of a batch of 10,000 sent has an improperly scanned barcode, every single ballot in the batch would be sent back to the state—leaving thousands without a ballot to vote in the election.
Blumenthal’s office also relays that the whistleblower contends that the rollout of the online system has been “sloppy” and “rushed,” and that “millions” may not receive their ballots in time to vote this year.
Blumenthal also notes that much of the work on the system should not have occurred. Between June and August, the executive order was held back by federal court rulings that said it couldn’t be implemented. It wasn’t until the conservative majority on the Supreme Court gave the order the green light on Aug. 24 that many of these changes could have been made. However, on Aug. 27, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order on USPS’s implementation of the order, setting up yet another Supreme Court battle.
In his letter, Blumenthal demands details on what has been implemented so far. He is also seeking access to records showing changes made to the mail system regarding how ballots are being processed.
The manipulation of the nation’s mail system is just one way in which Trump and other Republicans have tried to rig the outcome of the election.
In multiple states, the party has tried to get away with gerrymandering congressional districts to lock in Republican majorities and power. Democrats have fought against this process through legal challenges and in some instance, redrawing maps to counteract the GOP offense.
Based on Trump’s failures with the economy, the Iran War, and a host of issues, signs have continually pointed to a likely election disaster for Republicans in the midterms. If left to the voters, Republicans are on the verge of losing congressional majorities leading to increased oversight of Trump corruption and incompetence. Rigging the vote is one of the few paths forward the party has to holding on to its power.
A poll worker sorts vote-by-mail ballots. (photo: Getty Images)
Tuesday, September 1, 2026
GAZETTE DOUBLEHEADER: 1. Even Republicans are calling Trump’s midterm convention a ‘sh-tshow’
Attendees must cough up $25,000 to watch "Trump humping an American flag"
I’ve been laughing at President Donald Trump’s idiotic midterm political convention for several months now (here and here).
In short, Trump wants to make the midterm elections about himself, because of course he does. He wants to be onstage, humping an American flag, with the cameras rolling and his crowds looking on adoringly.
Never mind all the people actually running for office. He doesn’t care about them, and not a single Republican in even a vaguely competitive race will want to be seen anywhere near their toxic and deeply unpopular president.
Related | Second part of GOP’s midterm strategy is dumber than the first part
And if they lose, it certainly won’t be his fault, will it? After all, he won … all the way back in 2024.
While most Republicans likely wish he’d forget about the whole thing, distracted perhaps by an askew helipad or ungilded statue, he most certainly has not. And to add injury to insult, he won’t even tap into his precious super PAC war chest to pay for it. (Trump claims he has $850 million, but he lies a lot. It’s at least $480 million.)
“President Trump announced last month that Republicans would hold the first-ever midterm convention in September, promising ‘lots of Great Entertainment’ and ‘a RALLY like none other,’” reported Puck News in their email newsletter:
“Yet, it’s turned into a ‘shit show,’ said one G.O.P. campaign strategist, and few lawmakers want to go. For starters, the National Republican Campaign Committee is asking House members to cough up $25,000 for themselves and a guest to attend the two-day convention in Dallas, according to three people who have reviewed the invitation. And that’s the cheap rate, with the highest tier asking for $100,000 from lawmakers.”
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Trump wants them to pay for their own execution!
And it somehow gets even better:
“[W]ith no party business being conducted (as would be typical at a presidential nominating convention) and poor planning (invitations were sent in the last several weeks, way after lawmakers had already committed to other events), campaign strategists are seething that it’s little more than a fundraiser for an unnecessary Trump production, at a time when some swing-district lawmakers aren’t exactly clamoring to be associated with the president,” Puck further noted. “‘It’s yet another opportunity to shake down corporate America,’ said one Republican strategist. Added the campaign strategist: ‘Nobody understands why we’re doing a midterm convention. It’s just another show that Trump is going to put on to remind the voters that he is sitting there, and maybe they don’t want to be reminded of that.’”
That last line is their biggest problem.
Republicans desperately need the midterms to be about anything other than Donald Trump. Trump desperately needs everything to be about Donald Trump.
And he’s making them pay for the privilege.
We know Trump has somewhere between $480 million and $850 million socked away, yet he hasn’t spent much of it helping Republicans—just $17,901 in a Georgia House race and $560,000 to defeat a member of his own party, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky.
So why does he need to raise even more money that he apparently has little interest in spending to elect Republicans?
Because he’s a grifter first and foremost, and you better believe he’ll find a way to use all that donor money on himself, just like he thinks he’s keeping Qatari Force One after he leaves office.
The best part is that Republicans will find excuses to avoid the convention and distance themselves from him. Trump, being Trump, will notice. And then he’ll react with his typical fury, publicly attacking the very Republicans whose seats he is supposedly trying to save.
Show up, and they get photographed next to a hated president blabbing about how $4 gas is “okay” and that affordability is a “hoax” that Democrats invented.
Stay away, and they become the target of that deeply vindictive unpopular president.
They’re trapped in a no-win situation entirely of Trump’s making. And it couldn’t be happening to a worse bunch of people.
GAZETTE DOUBLEHEADER: 2. Six Reasons Republicans Dread Trump’s Midterm Convention
Margaret Hartmann New York Magazine
Voters at a polling precinct. (photo: City of Fenton)
"The actual theme is the glory and the greatness of Donald J. Trump."
There was a time, not too long ago, when Republicans would be totally stoked to gather together and enjoy some classic Donald Trump rally rants. They’d pop on their MAGA hats, listen to some Lee Greenwood jams, and cheer as the president talked about how great he is and lashed out at the “Dumocrats.”
Now the first-ever Republican midterm convention is imminent. The party is set to gather at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, on September 9 and 10. President Trump will appear both nights and has promised this will be “THE GREATEST RALLY OF THEM ALL.”
Yet judging from the morose and catty comments GOP officials and operatives have made in recent days, it seems they’re not looking forward to it. Some fear the whole thing could backfire, making the GOP’s midterm prospects even dimmer.
Here’s a roundup of the Republicans’ major gripes about the GOP’s midterm convention.
1. It’s largely pointless.
Theoretically, the point of the usual party conventions held every four years is to nominate a presidential candidate. Some have argued we should do away with this relic of a bygone era because the nomination is no longer settled on the convention floor. But it’s still an opportunity to rally around the nominee and introduce them to the voters.
The reason for holding an unprecedented midterm convention is even less clear. When the plan was announced a year ago, it seemed Republicans might have wanted Trump to make a high-profile pitch to voters since a president’s party almost always loses seats in the midterms.
Now, Trump is so unpopular that Republicans aren’t sure they want to be parading him before swing voters. But as our own Ed Kilgore explained, things are so bad the party is just worried about mobilizing the MAGA base:
Based on the poor results of the 2018 midterms and special elections for years now, Republican strategists are convinced that they need to functionally place Trump on the ballot to turn out his base. That this will also have a baleful effect on swing voters is considered beside the point: Without an energized MAGA base, Republicans won’t even be in the vicinity of victory. And so they are making a virtue of necessity with the biggest, loudest, most abrasive Trump rally one could imagine, while hoping that swing voters can be convinced to climb aboard or at least stay home by a savage crusade of lies about a Bolshevik takeover of the opposition party.
Still, some worry the convention will hurt more than help. A GOP campaign strategist told Puck, “Nobody understands why we’re doing a midterm convention. It’s just another show that Trump is going to put on to remind the voters that he is sitting there, and maybe they don’t want to be reminded of that.”
2. It’s poorly timed.
Regardless of how many people tune in, our ratings-obsessed president can brag that he drew an unprecedented audience for a midterm convention. But the party hasn’t set itself up for a ratings smash. For some reason, the convention is taking place opposite the first two NFL games of the season, “pitting its primetime speakers against the most-watched sport in the country,” as CNN noted.
The convention is also happening on the two days leading up to the 25th anniversary of 9/11. The schedule the RNC released says there will be a 9/11 remembrance featuring “the children and families of first responders” on the night of the 10th. But on September 11, we’ll still see images of GOP elites partying in Dallas the night before right next to commemorations of one of the darkest days in United States history. The optics may not be great.
3. It’s in Dallas.
You can see why the RNC went with Texas. Recent polls suggest Ken Paxton may need all the help he can get against Democrat James Talarico in a key U.S. Senate race. But there has been some grousing about pulling GOP candidates off the campaign trail for several days so they can make their way to Dallas, as CNN reported:
The sheer logistics of the convention have also muted enthusiasm among some lawmakers and party operatives, requiring Republicans to spend two days off the campaign trail to gather in Dallas in what are likely to be sweltering conditions.
“It’s not easy to get to Dallas,” said one person close to the White House. “They should’ve done it in Florida, or in D.C.” Dallas was chosen in large part because it could host such a big event, an RNC official said.
4. It’s poorly planned.
Maybe the RNC looked at the calendar and potential host cities and decided making everyone roast in Dallas for a few days in early September was the least-bad option. Or perhaps this whole thing just wasn’t that well organized. Puck noted that “invitations were sent in the last several weeks, way after lawmakers had already committed to other events.”
5. It’s insanely expensive.
Well, at least everyone will enjoy the free work trip? Nope, very much the opposite. Puck reported that tickets start at $25,000:
For starters, the National Republican Campaign Committee is asking House members to cough up $25,000 for themselves and a guest to attend the two-day convention in Dallas, according to three people who have reviewed the invitation. And that’s the cheap rate, with the highest tier asking for $100,000 from lawmakers.
That doesn’t mean GOP officials and candidates are being asked to donate $25,000 from their own bank accounts, of course. One Republican lawmaker told CNN, “It’s not the members themselves; it’s donor money.”
Aside from shaking down individual Republicans and the fat cats who fund them, the RNC is also taking money from corporate sponsors that “is being funneled into a nonprofit that doesn’t have to disclose its donors,” per Puck.
6. It’s a self-described ‘Trumpapalooza.’
The RNC press release on the convention lineup suggests it will focus on GOP candidates and everyday Americans:
Each night will not only showcase the dedicated men and women running in key races around the country but also the voices of everyday Americans — who want to fight to continue President Trump’s common-sense revolution.
But the actual theme is the greatness of Donald J. Trump, and the RNC isn’t really hiding that. Politico reported that RNC chairman Joe Gruters has been referring to the event as “Trumpapalooza.”
Vice-President J.D. Vance is delivering the keynote speech on Wednesday, with Trump speaking on Thursday starting at 9 p.m. ET (theoretically). But everyone expects the convention to be extremely Trumpy throughout, and some GOP insiders told CNN they aren’t hyped about putting even more attention on his unpopular, ballroom-centric agenda:
Republicans nevertheless acknowledged that the convention will inevitably revolve around Trump, who is slated to headline its second day and be a constant presence throughout the event.
With the White House still consumed by the war in Iran and struggling to ease consumer costs, some in the GOP cringed at the prospect of focusing even more attention on Trump’s presidency and record. The president, they worried, is just as likely to spend his own speech boasting about his White House ballroom and dismissing affordability concerns as he is promoting the most popular elements of the party’s agenda.
Others shrugged this off, saying GOP candidates have already fully cast their lot with Trump, so it doesn’t matter if the president rambles about his arch for 15 minutes or serves up another “affordability is a hoax” clip during the convention. In other words, they’re saying, Eh, we’re probably all doomed anyway. That’s the spirit!
Saturday, August 29, 2026
‘Missing’ Epstein files containing major allegations against Trump discovered: report
Left: Jeffrey Epstein in an undated photograph released by the Justice Department (DOJ).
Right: President Donald Trump addresses the nation on the shooting of two National Guard soldiers in Washington, D.C. (White House)
Interviews with “Jane Doe 4”
sexual and physical abuse
beginning when she was 13
Supposed FBI files that have previously been referred to as
“missing” were recently discovered sitting on an online
document-sharing platform, files that former MSNBC host
Katie Phang said Saturday contain “allegations of sexual
abuse committed by Donald Trump” against a 13- to
15-year-old victim, according to a report published Saturday.
Back in February, the Justice Department (DOJ) announced
it was investigating claims that it had withheld a select
trove of files related to Jeffrey Epstein. The DOJ had
justified withholding some of the files by describing them as
"duplicative" of material already turned over, a
characterization that has since come under scrutiny.
A growing number of critics increasingly pointed to a trove
of 37 pages of FBI handwritten notes taken during a 2019
interview with “Jane Doe 4,” a South Carolina woman who
accused Trump and Epstein of sexual and physical abuse
beginning when she was 13 years old.
The woman was interviewed four separate times by the FBI
and was found credible by the agency, according to a DOJ
source who spoke with the Miami Herald. While some
details of her account have since been verified, her
specific allegations against Trump remain unsubstantiated,
and Trump is not being criminally investigated and has
denied any wrongdoing as it relates to Epstein.
The “missing” 37 pages were aggressively pursued by
investigators, including Phang, whose ongoing lawsuit
against the DOJ specifically sought the release of said
pages, alongside a trove of foreign-language documents
related to Epstein.
This week, however, New York-based writer Amy Gabrielle
appeared to have uncovered an online archive containing
some of the sought-after FBI files. Writer and data
researcher Rye Howard-Stone picked up where Gabrielle
left off and, in a detailed write-up published on his
Substack Saturday, revealed the alleged source of the
mysterious upload: Kaelan Deese, a journalist with the
conservative outlet Washington Examiner.
The Washington Examiner published a report written
by Deese on March 7 titled: “What’s still missing from
the Epstein files,” but according to Howard-Stone,
Deese had “quietly released” 22 pages of the missing
37 on Scribd – the online document-sharing platform –
just one day before. Those pages would go unnoticed
by major media outlets for months.
“This meant that, for the last five months, anyone
with internet access could view the notes, which
had Jane Doe 4’s real name all over them, as well as
significant biographical details and the names of
childhood friends and family members who she
said could corroborate elements of her story –
all of which she gave the FBI in confidence, and
all of which the DOJ had redacted,” Howard-Stone
wrote.
“But Deese, who regularly publishes articles with
a favorable conservative gloss, was part of a small,
select group of people that DOJ brass secretly
decided were – unlike the public and members of
Congress – able to be trusted with these allegedly
‘duplicative,’ ultra-sensitive files. Entirely
unredacted.”
Howard-Stone claimed that while Deese “took the
files down shortly after” he contacted a Washington
Examiner editor, Deese had also shared additional
FBI handwritten notes with “one random person
who had discovered the posts.”
“We found that person, who shared his text
message exchanges with Deese,” Howard-Stone
wrote.
Phang was contacted for comment on the
revelation, and told Howard-Stone that the “timing
of the discovery and release of these unredacted
handwritten notes” was “interesting,” and that it
also undermined the DOJ’s rationale for
withholding them.
“There also remains an open question as to the
authenticity of these published notes. That
question could be readily answered if the FBI
would just comply with the Epstein Files
Transparency Act and release the notes they’ve
been legally required to do,” Phang said.
“Regardless, what these notes DO show is that
they are not 'duplicative' of the FBI 302s as
Blanche has asserted and they clearly contain
allegations of sexual abuse and physical abuse
committed by Donald Trump with a victim who
was 13-15 years old at the time. So the Trump
DOJ has no incentive to release them.”
Wednesday, August 26, 2026
Top cardiologist puts Trump’s iffy health under the microscope
A high-profile heart doctor is raising concerns about the White House’s failure to fully disclose President Donald Trump’s health issues, and Trump’s team is lashing out in response instead of leveling with the public.
Dr. Jonathan Reiner made his case in an op-ed published in the New York Times on Thursday. Reiner is a professor of medicine and surgery at George Washington University and served as former Vice President Dick Cheney’s cardiologist for 27 years, including from 2001-2009 when he was in office.Together, he and Cheney authored the book “Heart: An American Medical Odyssey,” chronicling the former veep’s battle with heart disease.
In his column, Reiner noted that Trump has several ailments that are “easy to see” and do not comport with the effusive writeups on Trump’s physical state released by the current White House physician.
“Despite reassurances from the White House to the contrary, at times over the past year, the president has not looked well,” Reiner wrote.
Related | Trump’s new ‘do raises hairy questions about his health
“Mr. Trump is probably the most photographed president in American history, and a variety of physical ailments are easy to see. He’s had large bruises on both hands, swelling in his legs and episodes when it appears that he is struggling to stay awake,” the doctor said. “He’s also had advanced imaging performed for unclear reasons. The public is again left to wonder whether the nation’s leader is OK.”
In May Dr. Sean Barbabella, the physician to the president, claimed in a report that Trump “remains in excellent health.” But Reiner said that the information released about Trump raises more questions than answers.
He notes that Trump’s medical report said he spoke to more than 22 physicians but doesn’t say why he is seeing so many medical professionals. Reiner said the report doesn’t explain Trump’s skin discoloration, why his ankles continue to swell, his inability to stay awake, or why he has taken so many cognitive tests.
In examining the cone of silence around Trump’s health, Reiner notes that Buckingham Palace keeps a similarly tight lid on King Charles’ medical issues but concludes, “The United States does not have a king. In a representative democracy, the people must have confidence in the health of their leader, and in the leader’s capacity to guide the nation.”
Reiner isn’t alone. For years now Trump’s appearance has led to viral videos and photographs of his condition, particularly in the context of his constant attacks on the health of Democrats like former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Joe Biden. Even photographs of Trump’s hair looking unnaturally thick after previous photos showed signs of thinning renewed questions about his health and apparent efforts to cover up the truth.
It doesn’t help that Trump himself has posted AI-enhanced photos of himself to hide blemishes and obvious signs of aging.
As is often the case, the White House lashed out instead of taking Reiner’s questions seriously.
“Jonathan Reiner is an asshat engaging in armchair diagnosis for political purposes. He is a disgrace to the medical profession,” administration spokesperson Davis Ingle said in a statement.
elated | Trump thinks an AI filter can mask his physical decrepitude
Appearing on CNN, Reiner noted that the Trump White House gave the so-called “asshat” a certificate hailing the work of his medical unit within the past year. The doctor reiterated to the network that the angry response underlines “a picture of a president who has active medical issues who doesn’t appear well in public.”
If Trump is healthy and fine, there would be no need to bash doctors or hide the details of his medical status from the Americans he works for. Instead, the Trump administration continues the cover-up.
Monday, August 24, 2026
Trump is clueless. His new attempt to troll Iran proves it.
President Donald Trump, shown in July.AP
President Donald Trump’s “edgy” antics have
lost their luster. Once upon a time, they roiled
markets and created drama in
world capitals.
Now many just roll their eyes.
Trump’s latest trolling effort, coming via Truth Social, is
the claim that the Strait of Hormuz is “U.S. territory."
On his withering Truth Social platform, Trump posted an
image showing the Strait of Hormuz, with a circle
encompassing parts of Iran, Oman, and the United Arab
Emirates. The caption: “New U.S. Territory.”
This has about as much credibility as his maps of
annexed Canada and Greenland. In fact, given his
losing war with Iran, the post is mostly a reminder
of Trump’s impotence.
The war has left Iran effectively controlling the
Strait, disrupting global shipping and roiling the
world economy. And Trump’s much-ballyhooed
ceasefire plan did nothing to solve the problem.
Its vague language over control of the strait was
so bad that Iran claimed the deal recognized its
authority over the waterway. The agreement also
promised $300 billion in reconstruction incentives
if a final deal could be reached.
As one Emirati political strategist said at the time,
“Iran saw the deal as a recognition it was in control.
Now countries in the region are paying the price.
… It’s a disaster, and we are back to square one.”
The deal was such a disaster that it looked like
Trump was willing to sign anything if it let him
declare victory and walk away from the mess
he created.
Except he didn’t get to walk away. The ceasefire
collapsed. Iran continued attacking ships. The
strait remained largely closed. Oil prices surged.
And now Trump is threatening to bomb Oman—
an ally!—while pretending a waterway thousands
of miles from the United States somehow
belongs to us.
Iran is seemingly no longer afraid of U.S. bombs.
Bombs can destroy things, but they can’t
control territory. And if those bombs hurt the
Iranian people? What do the mullahs care?
They slaughter their own people
indiscriminately.
Worse, Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu handed the Iranian regime exactly what
authoritarian governments crave: an
external enemy around which to rally
their people.
A regime that had faced massive public
demonstrations now appears
to be firmly back in control, digging
in for a long fight and betting it
can wait out that doddering old
fool in the White House. Whatever
hopes existed that the Iranian people
might finally rid themselves of their
murderous regime are now vastly
diminished.
And Trump? All he has left are words
and stupid AI memes. Or, as they say
in Texas, he’s all hat, no cattle.
Trolling doesn’t open the Strait of
Hormuz. It doesn’t lower oil prices.
It doesn’t defeat Iran. And it sure
as hell doesn’t magically turn Iranian,
Omani, and Emirati territory into
American soil.
But here’s the funny silver lining.
Just weeks ago, the Supreme Court
rejected Trump’s attempt to end
birthright citizenship, ruling that
children born in the United States
to undocumented or temporarily
present parents are U.S. citizens
under the 14th Amendment.
So Trump might want to think through
this whole “U.S. territory” thing.
Because if he really wants to declare
those parts of Iran, Oman, and the
United Arab Emirates to be American
territory, he might also be volunteering
to give a whole lot of Middle Eastern
babies U.S. citizenship.
Is that what MAGA really wants?
and things to do.
Saturday, August 22, 2026
‘Here I am’: Melania Trump turns up amid Natalie Harp firestorm
First lady Melania Trump showed her face at the White House on Thursday for the first time in weeks, as chatter about her husband’s relationship with 35-year-old aide Natalie Harp has exploded into public.
“I heard you missed me,” Melania Trump said at an event in the tackily paved Rose Garden, the first time she appeared at the White House in more than a month. “Here I am.”
She was accompanied by President Donald Trump, who is facing questions about his bizarre interactions with Harp after Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) brought up Trump’s desire to “travel with Natalie” rather than do work to help the American people.
Ossoff never said that the relationship between Trump and Harp was an untoward sexual one, but rather that Harp is part of a “circle of sycophantic aides” who give Trump his “daily dose of delusion and flattery.”
The only ones bringing up sexual connotations between Trump and Harp were the White House, Republican members of Congress, and the right-wing media personalities who slammed Ossoff for bringing up Harp’s name at all.
And it’s that reaction that has raised questions about the nature of Trump’s relationship with Harp. And the fact that Melania showed her face as the whispers about Trump and Harp have turned into a scream looked like an obvious attempt to show she and Trump are still a couple.
Melania’s appearance became even more notable, as she showed her face at the White House hours before the Daily Beast published letters Harp wrote to Trump. The Daily Beast got the typed out notes from author Michael Wolff, who told the news outlet that he was given the correspondence during the 2024 election by Trump campaign aides who were uncomfortable with Trump and Harp’s relationship.
In one cringeworthy letter obtained by the Daily Beast, Harp wrote:
Dear Mr. President,
I’m sorry. I thought I was the only one left behind last night, and had no idea Margo’s car was also pulled over, and sent back to the Airport. Since I was alone in the van outside Customs without my passport, I panicked, and should have just called Secret Service instead of you. I also am sorry if I was an embarrassment walking the course in Scotland. The first day I was told there were no carts, and people walked, which is why I walked. The second day, I was specifically asked by, I forget who his name was, but one of the main people who worked there, if I could continue walking, and tell any other girls who would head out there to do the same to spare the Course any more Carts. If there is anything else I have done to cause you trouble, please forgive me. I know that some people have said I haven’t been texting them back, and there have been some International cell issues (John was having technical issues on the Plane too, so asked me to help him out).
I want things to always be right between us. I also know I’ve been distracted all week (forgetting to eat throughout the days, and even forgetting to sleep, and only catching a couple hours at a time). I haven’t been myself, dwelling on the Past, and the pain of losing my Dad, and I started letting the remarks of people who haven’t bothered me before, get to me—not because I care what others think, but because I see myself being lowered in your eyes and good opinion. That is the fear you see, because I never want to bring you anything but joy. I’m sorry I lost my focus.
You are all that matters to me. I don’t want to ever let you down. Thank you for being my Guardian and Protector in this Life—That’s what I wanted to use this card for, when you saw me at the Cash Register, and once again did what you didn’t have to do, and gifted me with Mementos of this Trip of a Lifetime, a Coming of Age. I will return a better person. I have to sign off now, as the cars are leaving. See you soon.
With all my heart.
Natalie.
Then came this next creepy letter:
Dear Mr. President,
Now this is the Note I wanted to write (But the apology needed to come first.)
I have learned so much about myself on this Trip—I always knew coming home to my roots would be enlightening, but I had no idea how much. For the first time, in I don’t know how long, you forced me to “unplug.”
We could be out on the Course, with no machines, and even forget what time it was! I didn’t have to be “Human Printer.” I could take time to enjoy good conversation, and still get all my work done at the end of the day. In fact, I even had time to take long morning and evening walks to enjoy each Sunrise and Sunset (though I did forget to eat and sleep!). With so much thinking time, I confess it did have a slightly negative effect at times, that I know you picked up on, but the end result, I believe, will be worth it.
I had no idea how rapidly I was approaching burnout, and starting to envy those whose only “job” seems to be to talk with you, and look pretty. I want that job!! So many times, I’m just trying to stay afloat with all that’s coming in for you, I look like a hunchback who didn’t have time to freshen up (at least you know what I should look like)!
Plus, I miss the days when you used to call, during my Talkshow days, and we’d talk about everything and nothing. I want to get back to that synergy. We shouldn’t have to talk about work all the time!!
I’ve always felt like an in-betweener, somewhere between Staff and those you enjoy talking to “on the Plane or at Dinner, because that’s who I used to be to you when I was a “Talkshow Host” (as much as I hated that actual job!). I wish I could hear every conversation, because that’s when you’re having a good time, getting away from it all, at least for a few moments.
But after going through all this self-analysis, my conclusion? I need to reunite my past self with my current into a better version who will make you proud. And please, when I fail, will you tell me? You have the absolute right to cuss me out, if need be, when I deserve it, because no one else knows or cares about me. Thank you for always being there for me—I’ll never forget when you made that promise to me after losing my Dad, and I know how happy he is right now that I did get to go to Scotland and Ireland, as he always wanted for me.
To modify a classic, “I could not have parted with you, to anyone less worthy”—And, I will add, it is I who is unworthy.
Always,
Natalie
The letters do not explicitly confirm a sexual affair. However, they are extremely weird and not something an average human would write to their boss—let alone the president of the United States. And they would be weird no matter what gender the sender was. Harp clearly idolizes Trump in an unhealthy way, and the fact that Trump encourages it by keeping her close at all times is equally strange.
Still there is some weird language that raises eyebrows, including that Trump gave her “Mementos of this Trip of a Lifetime,” which she also called “a Coming of Age.” And that before she worked in the White House Trump would call her to “talk about everything and nothing.” Sounds like love letters a teenager would write to her crush.
Ultimately, Melania’s appearance didn’t squash the chatter about Trump and Harp’s relationship. In fact, it only made it louder.
Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's off to work they go...
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