House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said he had no idea what was going on when Fox News anchor and senior White House correspondent Peter Doocy asked him about Jared Kushner covertly meeting with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) on Sunday, hours after The New York Times reported it.

The Times report said Kushner — President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and adviser — had met privately with Jeffries in recent weeks to discuss “potential areas of common ground” as the 2026 midterms approach. Johnson said he was clueless and had just heard about it for the first time on Sunday, before downplaying Kushner’s role within the Trump Administration when Doocy asked him about the story.

“Does any part of you think the White House might be trying to figure out which Democrats they can work with, if Democrats win the House, and that is why they would send Jared Kushner to meet with Jeffries?” Doocy asked.

“I don’t know what that’s about,” Johnson said. “I know Jared has interests and lots of other things going on, he’s not really directly involved in the admin, at least in the day-to-day, of the White House.”

Johnson then pivoted to talking about his push to help Republicans campaign and keep their House majority.

His answer seemed to dismiss Kushner has been one of Trump’s go-to negotiators, with Kushner and Steve Witkoff playing a key role in the Israel-Hamas peace deal signed last year; Kushner has now been helping the administration try to hammer out an agreement with Iran — although the president recently contradicted him and said talks were toast, one day after Kushner said Iran’s theocratic leaders wanted to “finish” a deal.

Doocy brought it back to the NYT report one more time, saying perhaps Trump was using Kushner to talk to the “really hard people to deal with.”

Johnson took it as a chance to skewer Jeffries a bit, saying that was assuming Jeffries does not get pushed out by the democratic socialists who are rising within the Democratic Party.

Watch above via The Sunday Briefing.

The post WATCH: Fox’s Peter Doocy Grills Mike Johnson on Secret Jeffries-Kushner Summit first appeared on Mediaite.

NBC News’s Kristen Welker repeatedly noted to Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) that the Trump administration has been in charge of the economy for the past 19 months, after he continued to blame Joe Biden for the nation’s financial woes.

“Let’s look back at the original sin of cost in America in the last eight years,” Scott said when talking about Trump’s tariffs and affordability on Sunday’s Meet The Press. “It goes to Joe Biden, who took inflation up 21% while he was president.”

“Wait! President Trump has been in office for two years!” Welker interjected.

“Let me finish, let me finish!” Scott said, pushing back. “President Trump has brought inflation from a sky-high 21% over the Biden years down to under 5% and right now hovering near 4%.”

“Wait, inflation was at 3% when President Biden left office. It’s at 3.4% right now,” Welker spoke over Scott. “And the average household as paid $1,000 more in 2025 due to the tariffs, Senator.”

“Let’s not forget. Let’s not forget the truth,” Scott shot back, continuing:

The truth tells a great story. On the first piece of legislation in 2021, the Inflation Reduction Act that we should all laugh at, took inflation to 9% in July of 2021. Cumulate the weight of inflation at the end of the Biden years, over $1,100 of lost spending power. President Trump inherited a weak economy and has built a resilient, strong economy with our wages going up and our costs flattening, finally. Every single Democrat in the Senate voted — this is really important, Kristen — voted to take money out of the pockets of senior citizens last year. Voted to stop helping people working over time by letting them keep more of their money. Voted to take money — not out of the rich people, but out of the working-class waitresses.

“But, hold on, Senator. These are the facts. When President Trump took office, inflation was at 3%. It’s now at 3.4%. Gas prices are over $4 a gallon, up over a dollar from a year ago. President Trump’s tariffs have cost American households nearly $2,000. He promised he was going to bring prices down on day one. Did he break that promise? Prices have gone up!”

“The good news is you don’t disagree with the fact that Joe Biden brought 21% extra cost on the American families. We —”

“But we’re not talking about Joe Biden, though,” Welker maintained. “The Biden administration is over! This is the —— we’re two years into the Trump administration!”

Watch the clip above via NBC News.

The post ‘The Biden Administration is Over!’ Kristen Welker Calls Out Tim Scott Blaming Economic Woes on Trump’s Predecessor in Heated Exchange first appeared on Mediaite.

Democratic strategist Yemisi Egbewole threw a CNN panel for a loop when she declared Democrats are “hot again.”

On Saturday’s Table for Five, Abby Phillip and her guests tackled an Axios article declaring Democrats are entering their “thirst trap era,” noting younger politicians are more frequently posting to social media and their use of “sex appeal” not typically seen from politicians.

“There’s also, by the way, the trend of some of these folks who are probably running, growing facial hair to look a little bit more manly, so there’s a lot of stuff going on here. Are they trying to sort of like put on a picture of youthful, you know, vigor?” Phillip asked.

“Yeah, Dems are hot again. They’re coming out of the closet as hot people and I’m so excited,” Egbewole declared, cracking up Phillip and The Fifth Column podcast co-host Kmele Foster.

“Oh my God,” a shocked Phillip said.

Conservative pundit Pete Seat joined in on the laughter when he threw a sarcastic jab Egbewole’s way.

“Forget the policies! They’re nice to look at!” he said.

Egbewole argued Democrats are learning from President Donald Trump in prioritizing “entertainment.”

“I think they’re learning from Trump. Entertainment really sells,” she said.

Commentator Geoff Duncan responded, “I wouldn’t call Trump hot, just for the record.”

Egbewole clarified her remarks:

For the record, I did not say physical attractiveness. Entertainment really sells it and it captured people, particularly, I think Trump’s relationship to young white men was something that people paid attention to. He went on podcasts that are less policy and more entertaining, and it showed Democrats, okay, maybe we do need to loosen up in some ways.

And there is also another generation coming in finally, that is trying to take a little bit of the mantle, and they are more attuned to this economy, which is an attention economy. I’m sorry, but people don’t watch three hours of CSPAN anymore or the Senate floor. It is 15 to 20 second increments. And in that small moment, you have to capture people’s attention. So, frankly, if you don’t get elected, who even cares about the policy? I think it’s really time for Democrats to engage.

Watch above via CNN.

The post CNN Panel Loses It After Strategist Declares Dems are ‘Coming Out of the Closet as Hot People’ first appeared on Mediaite.

Veteran conservative pundit Victor Davis Hanson ended up in a rant about Texas Senate candidate James Talarico’s sexual orientation while pushing back on theories that Democrats are headed for a major win in the Lone Star State.

On Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words, Hanson declared, “Texas is not going to flip in the near future,” as experts have described Talarico’s race against Republican Ken Paxton as a toss up, with the pair polling in a dead heat.

Hanson argued Sen. John Cornyn (D-TX) would have “easily” won the race against Talarico. Cornyn, who has held his Senate seat since 2002, lost in the Republican primary to Paxton after Paxton received a late endorsement from President Donald Trump.

Hanson acknowledged that Paxton is plenty “controversial,” but predicted Talarico is being over-hyped and Republicans will still come out and support Paxton.

“Cornyn would have won this race easily because the MAGA right had nowhere to go and I don’t think they would have sat home in Texas. Paxton, he’s more more Trumpian, but he has a checkered personal life and, you know, all sorts of bad accusations we don’t need to get into. The problem with it, Talarico makes Beto [O’Rourke] look like a conservative,” Hanson said.

O’Rourke is a former congressman who ran unsuccessful Senate and gubernatorial campaigns in 2018 and 2022.

Hanson doesn’t see the possibility of Talarico connecting with Texas voters, mocking him over some of his political ads and his supposed vegetarianism — Talarico has been seen eating meat, but Paxton and others have described him as a vegan.

The conservative pundit eventually questioned whether Talarico is heterosexual, claiming the candidate met his girlfriend in a “gay bar.” According to Talarico, he met his girlfriend when she was chief of staff in his Texas House office.

Hanson then went on to discuss Talarico further:

I mean, he believes, what, God is multi-gender and there’s six genders and he hates meat, he was a vegetarian in Texas. And there’s that one commercial where they show him and he drives up in a Ram truck and a cowboy hat and then he goes in, comes out with a Texas t-shirt. And then right after he made reality confirm myth because he cut a commercial where he’s out there welding or something, and he’s got a pick up, and he’s been seen in cowboy hats — he’s a left-wing liberationist Christian who lived with his mother a long time, never married, there’s a good chance he may not be heterosexual, which I have no problem with that. He says he met his girlfriend in a gay bar. Most women don’t go to gay bars to meet men, I’ll tell you that. And he’s got a squeaky little voice. He looks like he’s about 13 years old, and he’s a socialist in Texas, and he thinks he’s going to win.

Watch above via Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words.

Jason Cohen contributed to this report.

The post ‘Texas Is Not Going to Flip’: Victor Davis Hanson Speculates James Talarico ‘May Not Be Heterosexual’ in Wild Rant first appeared on Mediaite.

We are going through the usual cycle anew now, with complaints that President Trump has been crude towards the media. The latest, courtesy of the Washington Post, concerns an exchange, and the subsequent social media post, involving CNN White House correspondent Kristen Holmes. The outrage is both expected and overblown, but then this is the press corps we are discussing.

Holmes was on her current kick of focusing on presidential aide Natalie Harp and asked the president a direct question about Senator John Ossoff’s mention of Natalie in a recent speech. Holmes delivered a profile on Harp for CNN Digital, and following her query of the president, a tense exchange developed.

President Trump reacted to her continuing to inject questions, the latter about North Korea, and he asked about her outlet and delivered his rebuke that CNN is “fake news.” What has touched off a firestorm was a social media post from the White House Rapid Response account that called out Holmes for her line of questioning and mentioned that her children may one day be embarrassed by her behavior.

.@KristenhCNN: Someday, your children will come across your disgusting and inhumane question. They will be sickened and embarrassed to have a parent be so callous and vindictive. It’s quite troubling. https://t.co/EWgPy7mXQP

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 17, 2026

It was an odd retort from the account, but the level of outrage did not exactly measure up to the comments. Scott Nover says that what they did was “invoking her children,” but that is a stretch. This was not an attack or commentary even of her kids, it was the White House account pointing out that, as a mother, they took issue with her questioning.

Again, it is a ham-fisted comment where one struggles to make a connection, but this was not an “attack” on the children of Kristen Holmes. Yet this is the impression delivered. There is a measure of hyperbole in all of this, and it defies the bold nature many reporters prefer to drape upon themselves.

It always sounds desperate when the press declares that Trump has “attacked” any of them with his harsh retorts. It has been said that this is unseemly and not the way a president should behave with the media, and most of it is unprecedented, as well as un-presidential. But mostly that is a result of Trump never having likened himself to a politician.

Conventions and decorum have long been waylaid with him, and he has refused to play by many of the rules in D.C. since he first took office. That is not a defense of his actions or words; it is stating the obvious. What is also in play is something the Washington Post and the rest of the media do not want to address: They are hardly blameless in these contretemps.

If you want to call out the president for graceless or vulgarian behavior, you will get no argument. But for the press to play it off as if they have no participation in the conflict is ridiculous. For years they have freely accused the president of any worst-case accusation, all while labeling him everything from a “Nazi” to “fascist” and “pedophile.” For them to then follow with gasps and swooning over likewise responses is too precious to digest.

The current fainting couch reactions also undercut the usual narratives self-applied by journalists of their bold, warrior-like status. It is a tough sell to claim to be in possession of stern character and then turn around and let out “how DARE he!” responses to name-calling.

Both sides of this conflict are acting in what most consider an unacceptable fashion. The press needs to either acknowledge that they are just as culpable in the tensions being created, or they need to remember their claims of possessing spines of titanium. Wailing over crude responses is not the reaction of the bold.

The post The President and the Press On Kristen Holmes: Two Sides with Crude Behavior While Only One Can Be Offended first appeared on Mediaite.

The “story” of Natalie Harp and President Donald Trump has been a hot-button topic of a salacious nature this week. Blame Senator John Ossoff. He recently gave a rally speech where he insinuated there was an untoward relationship between the president and Harp, and in little time he walked back his comments, showing there was no basis for his rumor-mongering.

Someone should inform CNN of this lack of development in the non-story.

While Ossoff has been altering his hot take, CNN has decided that Harp is a deeply significant topic, and the network’s gossiping hens have been dispatched. Kristen Holmes has released a profile of Natalie Harp, which is rather curious, considering all the members of the White House inner circle who remain a mystery to the general public.

Highlighting Harp is not an obvious choice, given that Holmes describes her as being a part of the “coterie of aides”. Her attempt here is to paint Harp as being a larger, possibly controversial figure in the president’s inner circle. The gossiping nature of things is seen in one assumed connection to a scandal. 

That would be the “racist video” depicting former President Obama as an ape. (For a refresher: The account did not post that racist video; a brief snippet was displayed as a result of the autoplay function used by the platform from which the actual posted video had been lifted.) Holmes tries to lay this at the feet of Harp, but the connection is less than tangential.

Supposedly staffers speculate that Harp was the one to post that video, but the evidence is scant. According to Holmes, using anonymous sources, some are guessing it was her. But these nameless people are unwilling to name her, because of office politics. As we said – gossip.

One primary anecdote concerning Natalie Harp was a story about possibly being left out of a motorcade excursion. The story goes that as Trump’s entourage was going to a courthouse, a lack of room meant Harp was to be left behind. She complained loudly that she was to be included, and eventually “Harp jumped into an SUV trunk.”

It is unclear what exactly constitutes a “trunk” with an SUV. But also unclear is why this is somehow considered a scandalous event. Can you believe she was eager enough to join the group that she climbed into the back of a vehicle?! Well…yes, that is a rather believable and unimpressive detail. Still, the “episode” (as it is described) was considered grave enough to be part of the headline of this un-scathing profile.

Also picking up on this trunk controversy was Erin Burnett. She brought up this story when she spoke with Natalie Harp’s estranged brother. That description of him alone should describe the network’s vibrating excitement to bring him on the air to disparage the sibling who, one week ago, 99.9673% of the country had been unaware of who she is.

Burnett introduced Preston Harp, for the sake of “weighing on the attention she is now getting.” So CNN hypes the White House aide, brings on her brother to continue that hype, so he can comment on the manufactured hype. And he was so unhelpful to the cause that when Erin brought up the anecdote about the SUV, the guy with the surfer’s drawl laughed at the story he had just heard for the first time. The interview extended for about 10 minutes, as it appeared Burnett was straining to get anything helpful from the brother, but he delivered little of substance.

In this segment Burnett managed to undercut her network’s effort in an unintentional fashion, by running videos involving the White House aide. Remember, the entire hysteria surrounding Ossoff’s comments on Natalie Harp had been insinuating that she was a new paramour for the president. But in setting up the interview with her brother, Burnett displayed how Natalie has been a close member of the president’s team for years.

There is one video circulating on social media that is supposedly another hit on Harp. It is suggested to be a leaked clip showing her operating on the president’s Truth Social account, with Trump visible in the scene. This is a dual dose of amusement taking place.

Unearthed video: Trump aide Natalie Harp personally types out Trump’s Truth Social posts as he sits there rambling pic.twitter.com/6Bv7uUcNZk

— Headquarters (@HQNewsNow) August 17, 2026

To suggest this is the first time a politician is shown to not be operating their named social media account is pure naivete. But better is the suggestion that this is an “unearthed” video clip that needs to be exposed. Unlike a leaked video, it is actually a segment pulled from a TV series, The Art of the Surge, which was an inside look at the 2024 campaign of Donald Trump. 

So this “new” exposed video is actually from a publicly available documentary, which had been approved and vetted by the Trump camp. It serves as yet another example of the hype we are seeing circulating around Natalie Harp. It is an insistence on some new scathing details involving someone who is a longtime figure in the White House, operating in a rather innocuous fashion.

Of course, more amusement is seen with the thought that if successful, chasing off Harp would ultimately have a negligible effect. She is regarded as a typical Yes-man/woman type that the president prefers in his orbit. Those are interchangeable figures, and little would change were her to be replaced with the next compliant figure.

CNN is trying to insist that there is a reason to go after Natalie Harp, when the initial source of the outrage has already backed away from his claims. The network has sensed blood in the water, but has yet to grasp that it is little more than plasma floating in an aquarium. 

The post CNN Strains to ‘Expose’ Trump Aide Natalie Harp Despite the Lack of Scandal first appeared on Mediaite.

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No one does sports comedy like Will Ferrell. His loud, crude, and slightly unbalanced (okay, often extremely unbalanced) comedic persona is ideal for a character like Lonnie Hawkins, aka The Hawk, an aging former pro golfer chasing one last bit of glory while hilariously getting in his own way. What’s great about The Hawk is how precisely pitched it is: Ferrell’s brand of chaos contrasts perfectly with the straitlaced, stuffy world of golf, delivering big laughs with a strong emotional core. If you’re looking for more sports-related mayhem, you should immediately go to Apple TV and watch The Dink.

Why you should watch The Dink if you loved The Hawk

If there’s an actor capable of matching Will Ferrell’s manic energy, it’s Jake Johnson. Though Johnson tends to be a bit more laid back in his approach, he’s one of the few comedians working today who can sell a ridiculous breakdown and a shouty tirade at the same level, and he’s in top form in The Dink. Johnson plays Dusty “The Hammer” Boyd, who was a tennis prodigy as a kid, known for his incredibly precise and powerful serve. When he breaks his wrist during a match with fellow up-and-comer Andy Roddick (yeah, the Andy Roddick), he loses his chance at greatness and the respect of his father, Chuck (Ed Harris in full scowl). As an adult, he’s an instructor at his father’s tennis club, still haunted by his failure and his father’s disappointment.

Dusty is hilarious: Filled with rage, followed around by an obsequious assistant, PJ (Aaron Chen), who stokes his delusions of greatness, and absolutely, positively opposed to pickleball in any form. When club member Skip Pigliani (Patton Oswalt) advocates for an official pickleball court, Chuck agrees to settle the matter with a “tennis duel” per the club’s charter. Dusty wins the chance to represent the club in the duel, but injures his hand, prompting Chuck to replace him. Chuck is advised to play pickleball as rehabilitation, leading him to meet Candace (Mary Steenburgen). Slowly, Dusty realizes how stunted he’s been his whole life—and how much he’s lied to himself about the reasons for his mediocrity.

Along the way, however, we get a lot of Dusty’s very funny outbursts and plenty of over-the-top humor that would make Ferrell proud. The final “duel” is one of the funniest things you’ll see in any pickleball-themed film, including Andy Roddick being recruited by Chuck to play against Dusty, and John McEnroe randomly showing up to eat hot dogs and do a very funny play-by-play of the match. The Dink is funny, but it’s also got a lot of heart, and it has something to say about found family, how competition can sour into obsession, and, yes, pickleball. If you loved The Hawk, it’s the perfect follow-up. Stream The Dink on Apple TV.

The Dink (2026)

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More movies to watch if you liked The Hawk

Need even more athletic chaos in your movie rotation? Here are a few more movies that absolutely fit the vibe that The Hawk is laying down.

Caddyshack (1980)

If you love the “snobs versus slobs” thread embedded in The Hawk, go watch this all-time great golf comedy. With a behind-the-scenes production almost as insane as the comedy on the screen, Caddyshack represents a high-water mark for Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, and Rodney Dangerfield (with able support by an absolutely deranged Ted Knight) as they (sometimes literally) chew the scenery at the uber-fancy Bushwood Country Club There’s a story somewhere in there, but mainly this is just a few comedy geniuses having a great time on the golf course, and fans of The Hawk will love it—especially Dangerfield’s loud and proud Al Czervik. Rent Caddyshack on Prime Video.

Caddyshack (1980)

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Happy Gilmore (1996)

If you want more golf comedy that dances over the line of absurdity with what scientists call enthusiasm, this Adam Sandler classic is required viewing. Sandler plays the title character, an aspiring hockey player with a powerful slapshot, no other skills, and a serious anger problem. When he needs to make a bucket of money to save his grandmother’s house, he discovers that his slapshot skills translate to an ability to drive a golf ball—and begins hustling golfers for cash. When he’s recruited by former golf star Chubbs Peterson (Carl Weathers) to compete professionally, Happy has to up his game and control his anger—and since this is an Adam Sandler film, you can guess how badly the latter goes. If for no other reason, watch this to witness Sandler and Bob Barker have a ridiculously extended fistfight. Rent Happy Gilmore on Prime Video.

Happy Gilmore (1996)

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Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)

If you came for Will Ferrell’s brand of insanity in The Hawk, you might as well lean in. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is the best of Ferrell’s sports-themed comedies, fusing Ferrell’s trademark absurdity with a surprisingly sophisticated take on professional racing. You can tell everyone involved actually likes NASCAR, and thus knows exactly how to make a little fun of it, and everyone is at the top of their game, from Ferrell to John C. Reilly to Sacha Baron Cohen as Ricky Bobby’s nemesis, the very French Jean Girard. Rent Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby on Prime Video.

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)

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Tin Cup (1996)

If you’re looking for a golf comedy with a slightly gentler and less-deranged sensibility, check out Tin Cup. Kevin Costner plays Roy McAvoy, a former pro golfer who blew his big chance and now wallows in alcoholic mediocrity. When he meets and falls for Dr. Molly Griswold (Renee Russo), who is dating his former peer David Simms (Don Johnson), Roy decides to take a (very) long shot at getting into the U.S. Open. It’s a different kind of funny, just as golfy, and a slightly more serious take on a similar storyline. Rent Tin Cup on Prime Video.

Tin Cup (1996)

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DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story (2004)

On the other hand, if you want a more deranged sports comedy, this is it. Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story takes what might be the most despised schoolyard game of all time and generates hilarity. To save his failing gym, Peter LaFleur (Vince Vaughn) and his friends enter a dodgeball competition in Las Vegas, and find themselves playing against Peter’s enemy, rival gym owner White Goodman (a very caffeinated Ben Stiller) and his team of ringers. If you hear the phrase “Rip Torn in a wheelchair throwing wrenches at people” and laugh instinctively, this is the movie for you. Stream Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story on Hulu or rent it on Prime Video.

DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story (2004)

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