(Jose Luis Magana/AP photo)

The New York Times published a new piece questioning President Donald Trump’s mental acuity on Monday, hours after a Sunday night/Monday morning Truth Social tirade that included an attack on Pope Leo XIV and a now-deleted image of the commander in chief as Jesus Christ.

A story entitled “Trump’s Erratic Behavior and Extreme Comments Revive Mental Health Debate,” written by Peter Baker, once again raised Trump’s cognitive ability.

In the piece, Baker writes that Trump is “even less restrained and more incoherent at times”:

In his second term, Mr. Trump seems even less restrained and more incoherent at times. He uses more profanity, speaks longer and regularly makes comments rooted in fantasy rather than fact. He keeps saying that his father was born in Germany when in fact he was born in the Bronx. He repeats an invented story about his uncle, an M.I.T. professor, telling him about teaching the terrorist known as the Unabomber.

Trump has been no stranger to questions about his ability to serve, as he sported hand bruises, swollen ankles, and admitted to multiple MRIs.

Trump, for his part, has claimed for years that he has taken numerous cognitive tests and aced all of them.

The post NY Times Drops Splashy New Feature on Trump’s Mental Acuity: ‘Less Restrained and More Incoherent’ first appeared on Mediaite.

President Donald Trump once again re-upped his repeatedly debunked claim that the 2020 election was “rigged” — and Fox News anchor Maria Bartiromo responded by saying “yep.”

In an interview on Sunday Morning Futures, the president made his comments as part of a rant about his predecessor, former President Joe Biden.

“Biden — who was an incompetent president — he was grossly incompetent,” Trump said. “Look, the election was rigged. You know that? I know that. Everybody knows that now,”

“Yep,” Bartiromo said.

“And it’s all come out, and it’s coming out,” Trump added.

Bartiromo has previously come under fire for pushing debunked conspiracy theories about the 2020 election. Her on-air commentary was cited heavily in Dominion’s defamation lawsuit against Fox News, which the network settled for $787 million.

On Sunday, Trump did not make any targeted claims about the election, or accuse any particular company or jurisdiction of impropriety. But nonetheless he put Bartiromo in an awkward spot by making the broad, debunked claim that the election was rigged against him. And Bartiromo’s reply was brief, but affirmative.

Watch above, via Fox News.

The post Fox’s Bartiromo Says ‘Yep’ After Trump Tells Her ‘The Election Was Rigged’ first appeared on Mediaite.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) is calling for the expulsion of Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) from Congress now that several former staffers have come forward to accuse him of sexual misconduct, including rape.

Luna appeared on Fox News’s Saturday in America to announce she’ll be filing a motion next week to expel Swalwell from Congress.

“It is unacceptable for him to just index his run for governor in California but still sit in the House of Representatives,” Luna said. “Meanwhile, he was allegedly harassing and potentially raping his own staff.”

Luna said she believed there will soon be another motion to expel Rep. Tony Gonzalez (R-TX) for an alleged affair with a staffer who ended up taking her own life.

“Ultimately at the end of the day, this is about accountability for the American people. This should not be happening in the House of Representatives. It is unacceptable and, frankly, I don’t think they deserve taxpayer dollar paychecks while they’re going through all this,” Luna said.

Luna said she’s publicly calling for alleged victims of Swalwell to present evidence directly to her office.

“Shortly after they came forward with these allegations, [Swalwell’s] attorneys sent cease and desists. He then made that public video. And I do believe that unless they present that evidence to us directly, he’s going to try to use his money that he fundraised off his gubernatorial to try to fight them out in court,” Luna said, continuing:

Ultimately, I hate having to be to kind of the hall monitor of Congress, if you will, but it’s gotten really bad,” Luna continued. “I can also share that at the end of the month, Sheila McCormick, the Democrat that stole $5 million of FEMA funds, is going to be brought up on a motion to expel, so if she does not resign beforehand, we will expel her. But Eric has an option. I’m going to bring this vote next week. If Democrats want to protect this type of garbage, I wouldn’t recommend it, but they’re going to be put on the board for this. I’m tired of this, I’m not going to serve with these sexual deviants. That’s not what Congress is all about. And I think we need to focus on the business of the American people, and it doesn’t include this stuff.

Swalwell denied all allegations in a statement, saying, “These allegations are false” and “I will defend myself with the facts and where necessary bring legal action.”

Watch the clip above via Saturday in America on Fox News.

The post Anna Paulina Luna Makes Case For Kicking Eric Swalwell Out of Congress: ‘Wouldn’t Recommend’ Democrats ‘Protect This Kind of Garbage’ first appeared on Mediaite.

Former congressman Peter Meijer had fellow Table for Five panelist Leigh McGowan ready to nearly fall out of her chair as she cracked up at his take on President Donald Trump.

On CNN’s Table for Five on Saturday morning, liberal podcaster McGowan and Meijer found themselves at odds on a few items and things got tense during a debate on the current state of Congress where Meijer called for Trump to be the “last imperial presidency.”

The debate began with the panelists watching Kevin McCarthy talk about Trump being the most “powerful” president since Franklin D. Roosevelt.

“We haven’t seen a president like this in either party since [former President Franklin D.] Roosevelt, where he has come back into power so strong, he has a greater determination of whether a Republican wins reelection than any leader in Congress does. He raises the money,” McCarthy said.

McGowan argued that Republicans have gotten very little done despite being in control of the Senate and House because they only act “at the command of the president.”

The Republicans have the majority, so they could absolutely get things done, and they’re not getting things done because they just wait at the command of the president. You’re listening right here to Kevin McCarthy talking about how the president is both the whip and the speaker and the president, and that is the case,” she said.

Meijer responded and predicted he was about to make a point they would agree on, only for McGowan crack up as he talked.

“Your respect for the filibuster aside, like, I think we have a legitimate problem when we have a Congress that doesn’t feel like it has a sense of ownership. And I — 100%, this is where we’re going to agree — I think that one of the longest lasting and best things that Donald Trump could do is say, you know what, I’m going to be the last imperial presidency,” Meijer said.

McGowan nearly fell out of her chair as she declared hell had “frozen over.”

“Oh my God! Hell just froze over!” she exclaimed. “What are you talking about? He’s talking about his third term, bro.”

Abby Phillip stepped in then and asked, “why does Congress feel like they don’t have owner?”

“It’s self-abdication,” panelist and Axios editorial director Astead Herndon said.

“It’s self abdication!” McGowan agreed. “Oh my God!”

“No one has forced Republican members of Congress to abdicate to Donald Trump. They could stand up against him,” Herndon continued. “I feel like the original kind of core problem here is that districts are being increasingly written in gerrymandered ways, so that Congress is increasingly partisan, there’s less competitive seats, and so, in general, we have less political incentive for them to do anything, because the only thing they’re worried about is losing a primary from their left-to-right.”

Watch above via CNN.

The post Peter Meijer Makes Fellow Table for Five Panelist Nearly Fall Over Laughing with Trump Take first appeared on Mediaite.

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The Daily Wire’s Ben Shapiro shredded conspiracy theorist Alex Jones on Friday’s edition of the former’s show, musing that “testosterone replacement therapy can only do so much.”

“And Alex Jones sitting along for all of this, like, Alex Jones is the guy who had to pay out a bajillion dollar settlement because he was lying about dead kids at Sandy Hook. That guy was welcomed, that guy was treated-, Tucker Carlson literally called that guy a prophet. He literally called him a prophet,” began Shapiro while discussing President Donald Trump’s feud with a quartet of conspiratorial podcasters. “Alex Jones, who by the way says he no longer supports Trump. He put out that tweet yesterday saying that he no long supports President Trump.”

Shapiro then read an excerpt from the following tweet fired off by Jones on Thursday evening:

I have made it very clear that I no longer support Trump and I’m very thankful to him for making it clear that I have nothing to do with him. The new Trump is a rotting husk of the old Trump.

I hope 47 enjoys Mark Levine being his spirit animal..

“Speaking of a rotting husk, do take a look in the mirror, my dude,” added Shapiro. “Testosterone replacement therapy can only do so much.”

Trump disavowed Jones, Carlson, Megyn Kelly, and Candace Owens on Thursday in a Truth Social post that read:

I know why Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Candace Owens, and Alex Jones have all been fighting me for years, especially by the fact that they think it is wonderful for Iran, the Number One State Sponsor of Terror, to have a Nuclear Weapon — Because they have one thing in common, Low IQs. They’re stupid people, they know it, their families know it, and everyone else knows it, too! Look at their past, look at their record. They don’t have what it takes, and they never did! They’ve all been thrown off Television, lost their Shows, and aren’t even invited on TV because nobody cares about them, they’re NUT JOBS, TROUBLEMAKERS, and will say anything necessary for some “free” and cheap publicity. Now they think they get some “clicks” because they have Third Rate Podcasts, but nobody’s talking about them, and their views are the opposite of MAGA — Or I wouldn’t have won the Presidential Election in a LANDSLIDE. MAGA agrees with me, and just gave CNN a 100% Approval Rating of “TRUMP,” not Hand Flailing Fools like Tucker Carlson, who couldn’t even finish College, he was a broken man when he got fired from Fox, and he’s never been the same — Perhaps he should see a good psychiatrist! Or Megyn Kelly, who nastily asked me the now famous, “Only Rosie O’Donnell,” question, or “Crazy” Candace Owens, who accuses the Highly Respected First Lady of France of being a man, when she is not, and will hopefully win lots of money in the ongoing lawsuit. Actually, to me, the First Lady of France is a far more beautiful woman than Candace, in fact, it’s not even close! Or Bankrupt Alex Jones, who says some of the dumbest things, and lost his entire fortune, as he should have, for his horrendous attack on the families of the Sandy Hook shooting victims, ridiculously claiming it was a hoax. These so-called “pundits” are LOSERS, and they always will be! Now Fake News CNN, The Failing New York Times, and all of the other Radical Left “News” Organizations, are “hailing” them, and giving them “positive” press for the first time in their lives. They’re not “MAGA,” they’re losers, just trying to latch on to MAGA. As President, I could get them on my side anytime I want to, but when they call, I don’t return their calls because I’m too busy on World and Country Affairs and, after a few times, they go “nasty,” just like Marjorie “Traitor” Brown, but I no longer care about that stuff, I only care about doing right for our Country. MAGA is about WINNING and STRENGTH in not allowing Iran to have Nuclear Weapons. MAGA is about MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, and these people have no idea how to do that, BUT I DO, because THE UNITED STATES IS NOW THE “HOTTEST” COUNTRY ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD!

— —

The post ‘Speaking of a Rotting Husk…’ Ben Shapiro Shreds Alex Jones Amid Trump Feud first appeared on Mediaite.

Last month, Microsoft announced that it planned to remove "unnecessary" Copilot features in Windows 11. The news was a bit shocking to say the least: Microsoft has been one of the biggest proponents of generative AI, pushing the technology into as many corners of its apps and OS as possible—despite negative feedback from users. Now, it seems the company is paying attention, and is actually sticking to its word.

As spotted by The Verge's Tom Warren, Microsoft has already started removing some "unnecessary" Copilot buttons from certain Windows apps. Warren notes that the latest Windows Insider version of the Notepad app is missing the Copilot button. In its place, Microsoft has added a "writing tools" menu. The Snipping Tool also has a similar situation: When you select an area to take a snapshot of, you won't find the Copilot button anymore.

It's a small start, but at least the company is starting the removal process. In his announcement last month, Pavan Davuluri (Microsoft's President of Windows & Devices) revealed that the company would remove Copilot from both Notepad and the Snipping Tool, but also Photos and Widgets. If the trend holds, expect to see these apps lose their Copilot buttons next.

The keyword here really is "buttons" though. As Warren highlights for The Verge, Microsoft seems to be largely retaining the AI features themselves. "Writing tools" in Notepad still has Microsoft's AI writing tools, in case users still want to access those options. But by removing the large Copilot option, users who want nothing to do with AI in apps like Notepad can easily avoid them. Really, it's evidence that the "in your face" approach Microsoft has taken to AI integration has really backfired. It doesn't help the company's case that, up until last week, Microsoft's official terms of service said Copilot was "for entertainment purposes only."

It's simple enough to remove Copilot buttons from software; it's another thing entirely to deal with the Copilot button affixed to new "Copilot+ PCs." Microsoft had manufacturers add this button as part of its dedication to this new technology, but now that it's pulling back a bit, it leaves these PCs in an odd place. It always seemed like a strange choice to put a Copilot key on a laptop when it wasn't clear how many users really want to use Copilot features in the first place. At least you can remap it to do something more useful if you don't care for Microsoft's AI.

AP Photo/Alex Brandon

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu authorized direct negotiations with Lebanon after facing mounting pressure from President Donald Trump’s administration.

On Wednesday, Israel launched a renewed offensive against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon, which has been firing rockets into the north of the country.

The Israeli military said the airstrikes over Beirut hit 100 targets in less than 10 minutes, including the Hezbollah headquarters and command-and-control centers. Additionally, the Israeli Defense Forces confirmed that Ali Yusuf Harshi, the nephew and personal secretary to Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Naim Qassem, had been killed in the strikes.

Hezbollah violated a ceasefire on March 2 that had been in place since November 2024, resuming its attacks on Israel shortly after the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran.

As of Thursday afternoon, according to Lebanon’s health minister, the death toll from Wednesday’s strikes surpassed 200 people.

As confusion abounds regarding the exact terms of the U.S. ceasefire with Iran, Netanyahu and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt have both said a pause in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah was not part of its terms.

Iran, on the other hand, has called the strikes a ceasefire violation, and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf took to X to warn of “STRONG responses.”

“1- Lebanon and the entire Resistance Axis, as Iran’s allies, form an inseparable part of the ceasefire (Point 1, 10-point proposal),” he wrote. “2 – PM Shehbaz Sharif publicly and clearly stressed the Lebanon issue; there is no room for denial and backtracking. 3 – Ceasefire violations carry explicit costs and STRONG responses. Extinguish the fire immediately.”

In a phone call on Wednesday, Trump and White House envoy Steve Witkoff reportedly encouraged Netanyahu to scale back Israel’s strikes on Lebanon for the sake of preserving the negotiations with Iran.

While Netanyahu declared Israel would continue striking Hezbollah “with force, precision and determination” as early as Thursday morning, he pivoted within hours and announced that he had authorized “open direct negotiations with Lebanon as soon as possible.”

“The negotiations will focus on disarming Hezbollah and establishing peaceful relations between Israel and Lebanon,” he said in a statement.

The post Israel to Hold Direct Talks with Lebanon After Facing Pressure from Trump Administration first appeared on Mediaite.