Congress Is Ramming Through A $895 Billion Pork-Filled Defense Bill Before Trump Takes Office
Clocking in at 1,813 pages, the 2025 NDAA is stuffed with items unrelated to defense policy and void of conservative priorities.Clocking in at 1,813 pages, the 2025 NDAA is stuffed with items unrelated to defense policy and void of conservative priorities.Andrew McCabe, other deep state mascots want Mike Rogers for FBI director — but Trump adviser says 'it's not happening'
Andrew McCabe, the former FBI deputy director who shut down investigations into the Clinton Foundation in 2016 then undermined the Trump presidency with Crossfire Hurricane, told CNN Thursday that former Michigan Rep. Mike Rogers would be a "totally reasonable, logical selection" for President-elect Donald Trump's FBI director.
McCabe said that Rogers' "strongest qualification ... is the respect and awareness and knowledge that he has for the intelligence community, for the work they do, for the seriousness of that work, for how those secrets and that sensitive information needs to be protected."
To the likely displeasure of McCabe and other exponents of the Washington security establishment, Trump has apparently joined Michigan voters in rejecting Rogers.
Trump adviser Dan Scavino indicated Friday morning — shortly after Fox News' Brian Kilmeade sung Rogers' praises — that where FBI Director Christopher Wray's replacement is concerned, Rogers is "not happening."
Scavino quoted President-elect Donald Trump as saying, "I have never even given it a thought."
This came as great news to those alternatively keen to see former National Security Council official Kash Patel named Wray's successor.
"Winning," tweeted Donald Trump Jr.
"Boom," wrote Revolver News editor Darren Beattie.
Rumors that Trump was considering Rogers for the position began to circulate last week after the former congressman met with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida.
The prospect of a defense lobbyist associated with censorious groups antagonistic to Trump and historically supportive of mass surveillance programs running the FBI rankled Trump loyalists and other critics of the dysfunctional administrative state, particularly those keen to see Patel nominated.
Mike Benz, the executive director of the Foundation for Freedom Online, told former Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon that Rogers' involvement with the Atlantic Council — "probably the number-one apex predator in the entire censorship industry" — and his help advancing Russiagate were disqualifying.
'There is a lot of damage someone like Kash Patel could do.'
Independent journalist Glenn Greenwald tweeted, "There's literally no worse appointment possible than choosing Mike Rogers for FBI Director, or for any government position. He's the single most devoted loyalist to the US Security State and all of its multi-faceted abuses. It doesn't get worse than Mike Rogers."
Wikileaks highlighted that Rogers, favored by Republican Sens. Susan Collins (Maine) and John Cornyn (Texas), not only pushed for the suppression of a Republican memo critical of the FBI's spying on the Trump campaign but was involved with the German Marshall Fund's Alliance for Securing Democracy initiative and its Hamilton 68 Dashboard. Wikileaks noted that the dashboard's "true purpose appeared to be casting suspicion on Trump supporters and reinforcing claims that his presidency was illegitimate."
McCabe — whom Trump fired in March 2018 after the Justice Department's inspector general concluded McCabe had authorized an information leak to a liberal reporter then lied about it — expressed horror Thursday at the prospect of Patel taking power.
"It's inconceivable to me that an outsider with no experience in the organization, no knowledge of the work and the scope of authority that’s involved there could perform adequately," he told CNN. "If you enter into that position with nothing more than a desire to disrupt and destroy the organization, there is a lot of damage someone like Kash Patel could do."
McCabe is hardly the only establishmentarian fearful of Patel taking over the bureau.
'I'd shut down the FBI Hoover building on Day One.'
Former FBI Special Agent Daniel Brunner told CNN's Jessica Dean on Sunday, "Putting someone like Kash Patel in the position of director of the FBI is, I believe, extremely, extremely dangerous."
"He has clearly stated that he wants to exact revenge upon those that have investigated President Trump and those who have investigated those that are around him. He will conduct a massive amount of damage to the interior of the FBI," added Brunner.
The leftist blog New Republic called Patel an "intellectual lightweight" and warned that "if Trump installs Patel at the FBI, it would certainly further Trump and his MAGA allies' goal of purging the federal workforce of disloyal employees."
Patel wrote in his book "Government Gangsters" that "government tyranny" within the FBI must be eliminated and called for the removal of anyone who "in any way abused their authority for political ends."
"The FBI has become so thoroughly compromised that it will remain a threat to the people unless drastic measures are taken," wrote Patel.
Patel recently told "The Shawn Ryan Show," "I'd shut down the FBI Hoover building on Day One and reopen it the next day as a museum of the deep state."
Blaze News previously reported that despite his characterization as inexperienced, Patel has served as chief of staff to former acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller; as deputy assistant to the president and senior director for counterterrorism at the National Security Council; principal deputy to the acting director of national intelligence; as national security adviser for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence; as a terrorism prosecutor at the Department of Justice; as a public defender; and as a hockey coach.
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Trump's potential pick for FBI director haunted by Russiagate, 'security state' loyalties
FBI Director Christopher Wray's 10-year term does not expire until 2027. President-elect Donald Trump is, however, expected to replace him upon taking office. While Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who Trump said is "a very talented guy," might be in contention, the two men whose names keep popping up in discussions of a potential successor are former National Security Council official Kash Patel and former Michigan Rep. Mike Rogers.
Establishmentarians have piled on Patel, characterizing him as inexperienced, revenge-driven, and "dangerous."
While Rogers, who specialized in organized crime as a special agent at the FBI's Chicago office, has so far avoided similar abuse, Trump loyalists and critics of the American intelligence community have expressed concerns about his past associations with individuals and censorious groups antagonistic to Trump; his historic support for surveillance programs; and the role he apparently played in pushing Russiagate.
Former Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon asked Mike Benz, the executive director of the Foundation for Freedom Online, this week why the "MAGA right" would be "particularly upset about a guy like Mike Rogers, who in normal times would be looked at as a fine, center-right candidate put up by a Romney-type Republican administration?"
'You can't really have a compromised candidate.'
Benz, keen to see Patel nominated, suggested that Rogers' involvement with the Atlantic Council — "probably the number-one apex predator in the entire censorship industry" — and his help advancing Russiagate were disqualifying.
"The relationship between the Justice Department and the FBI is the same relationship that's shared between the U.S. State Department and the CIA. They need to be constantly in sync," said Benz.
"You can't really have a compromised candidate where one person supports the president and the other person is looking to put a knife in the president's back. That is simply untenable when you're dealing with the kind of special, compartmentalized operations that happen at the FBI level."
The Daily Caller reported that Rogers is not only a member of the Aspen Cybersecurity Institute, a left-leaning think tank, but also served as an adviser to the German Marshall Fund's Alliance for Securing Democracy initiative, spearheaded by a former foreign policy adviser to failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and aimed at tackling supposed Russian interference in the 2016 election.
The ASD launched the Hamilton 68 Dashboard in 2017 to monitor hundreds of then-Twitter accounts allegedly linked to Russian influence efforts online — a project likened by investigative reporter Matt Taibbi to "digital McCarthyism that was repeatedly used by establishment media publications as a source to push the Russian influence and interference narratives that Democrats, in turn, exploited during Trump's first term."
According to Taibbi, when Twitter executives attempted to recreate the group's list of accounts, they determined that the accounts were "neither strongly Russia nor strongly bots," and indicated that "there is no evidence to support their statements that the dashboard is a finger on the pulse of Russian information ops."
When pressed for comment, Rogers' spokesman Chris Gustafon said in a statement to the Caller, "President-elect Trump is once again assembling a fantastic administration to help the American people and Make America Great Again."
Wikileaks, which has been highly critical of Rogers as an FBI director aspirant, suggested that the ASD was a "central player in efforts to tie President Donald Trump and his supporters to Russian interference in the 2016 election" and that the Hamilton 68 Dashboard's "true purpose appeared to be casting suspicion on Trump supporters and reinforcing claims that his presidency was illegitimate."
Wikileaks also highlighted how in 2018, Rogers advocated for the suppression of a Republican memo critical of the FBI's spying on the Trump campaign.
Rogers told NPR at the time the memo should not be released because
you're only going to get a small part of the picture. And so what they're purportedly alleging is going to come out in the memo today is that there was some misconduct on behalf of FBI agents and some DOJ officials, lawyers at the Department of Justice, in the application for something called the FISA, which is the secret court that does counterintelligence, espionage cases, terrorism cases, where it needs to be in a classified setting.
Independent journalist Glenn Greenwald, responding to a video of Rogers apparently joking with Hunter Biden "intel" letter signatory Michael Hayden about having Edward Snowden assassinated, tweeted, "There's literally no worse appointment possible than choosing Mike Rogers for FBI Director, or for any government position. He's the single most devoted loyalist to the US Security State and all of its multi-faceted abuses. It doesn't get worse than Mike Rogers."
While Rogers' past remarks and associations may serve as red flags for the president-elect, Trump endorsed him in March for his unsuccessful bid for a U.S. Senate seat in Michigan — months after the former congressman and defense lobbyist criticized the Biden Justice Department's "war" against Trump.
Patel endorsed Rogers for Senate in April, saying he would "hold the FBI and DOJ accountable."
"I am a big fan of Mike Rogers, and should there be an opening [for FBI director], he would be my choice," said Maine Sen. Susan Collins (R).
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said, "Mike Rogers is a terrific guy. I don't know Kash Patel."
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Americans Can’t Trust Mike Rogers To Give The FBI The Reckoning It Needs
Mike Rogers has spent his entire political career funding and defending the very agencies being weaponized to target Americans.Elissa Slotkin narrowly wins Michigan US Senate seat
Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin defeated Republican challenger Mike Rogers Wednesday in the race to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow.
Slotkin secured her electoral victory by 48.6%, while Rogers pulled in 48.3%, according to Politico. Although Democrats have held onto the contested Michigan Senate seat, Republicans have managed to flip seats in Montana, West Virginia, and Ohio, securing the GOP's majority.
Democrats have dominated the Michigan Senate seats for decades, but Rogers was able to narrow Slotkin's nearly six-point polling advantage from August to just a 0.3 point margin on Election Day.
The Michigan Senate seat was one of four races rated "toss-ups" by Cook Political Report going into Election Day, alongside Pennsylvania, Ohio and Wisconsin.
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6 Senate seats Republicans can flip to take back the majority
Less than a week from Election Day, six crucial Senate seats remain within striking distance for Republicans.
Republicans are currently in the minority, holding 49 seats, while Democrats and Independents combined hold the remaining 51 seats. While Republicans would have to flip only two seats to win back the majority, there are several pickup opportunities for the GOP.
Despite his previous double-digit wins, Casey's polling advantage has plummeted to just a few points, which is a good sign for his Republican challenger.
The two most likely seats Republicans are looking to secure are in Montana and West Virginia. West Virginia's Senate seat is an open race between Republican Gov. Jim Justice and Democratic candidate Glenn Elliott. The candidates are running to replace Independent Sen. Joe Manchin after he announced his retirement in November 2023.
Cook Political Report has rated the Senate race in West Virginia as "solid Republican," which is reflected in the massive polling advantage Justice boasts over Elliott. In addition to the Mountain State, Republicans are enjoying some rosy poll numbers farther west.
In Montana, Republican candidate Tim Sheehy has pulled Democratic incumbent Sen. Jon Tester, who has previously won his seat by narrow margins. Recent polls put the three-term Democratic Senator at a substantial polling deficit, and Cook Political Report rated the seat "lean Republican."
Although the race is closer than the one in West Virginia, the tide has turned in Sheehy's favor, and Tester is taking notice. Tester's campaign has repeatedly labeled him "bipartisan" and has even held off from endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris, making him the only Democratic Senator to do so. Tester's decision to distance himself from his party is reflective of Sheehy's momentum in the red state.
While winning Montana and West Virginia would be enough for Republicans to flip the Senate, there are four more seats rated "toss-ups" that the GOP could secure.
In Michigan, Republican candidate Mike Rogers and Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin are going head-to-head in the race to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow. Although Slotkin initially had a several point polling advantage, Rogers has narrowed her lead and even surpassed the Democrat in some polls.
Another key race Republicans have managed to tighten is in Ohio, where Democratic incumbent Sen. Sherrod Brown is battling GOP candidate Bernie Moreno. Although Brown has won all three of his terms by a substantial margin, Moreno has chipped away and even pulled ahead of the incumbent's increasingly narrow polling advantage.
In Pennsylvania, Democratic incumbent Sen. Bob Casey is facing a similar challenge from Republican candidate Dave McCormick. Casey first won in 2006 by a significant margin and easily held onto his seat for two more terms. Despite his previous double-digit wins, Casey's polling advantage has plummeted to just a few points, which is a good sign for his Republican challenger.
Further east in Wisconsin, Republican candidate Eric Hovde has gained ground against Democratic incumbent Sen. Tammy Baldwin. Like other races along the Rust Belt, Baldwin's initial polling advantage has rapidly diminished as Election Day approaches. Although the race remains tight, Republicans remain optimistic.
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The blue wall is crumbling, and Republicans are chipping away at it
Democratic "blue wall" Senate candidates have turned away from Vice President Kamala Harris in an attempt to regain their footing amid their dwindling polling advantages.
Most recently, Democratic incumbent Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania released an ad campaign Friday distancing himself from his own party and aligning himself with former President Donald Trump. The ad paints Casey as an "independent" who has "bucked" President Joe Biden and "sided with Trump." The ad notably omits his Democratic Party affiliation and his lockstep voting record.
The tonal shift in Casey's campaign comes as his Republican challenger, Dave McCormick, narrows the incumbent Democrat's lead. Casey currently holds just a 1.9-point average lead, a far cry from his 7.7-point advantage in August. With just two weeks until the election, Cook Political Report shifted the race on Monday from "lean Democrat" to "toss up."
“We knew this race was a toss-up when Bob Casey started running ads claiming he was President Trump’s best friend even though he voted to impeach him twice," Philip Letsou, a spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said in a statement Monday. "Bob Casey is desperately trying to throw Kamala Harris under the bus to save his own political career — it won’t work.”
Democratic incumbent Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin has similarly avoided tethering herself to Biden and Harris. During her Friday-night debate against Republican candidate Eric Hovde, Baldwin focused on issue areas while her challenger hammered her as an extension of the Biden-Harris administration.
A recent ad from Baldwin's campaign also focused on her bipartisan policy achievements, saying she "got President Trump to sign her Made in America bill" as well as getting "President Biden to make it permanent." Baldwin's reliably blue voting record, however, disputes her attempts to appeal to key moderate and independent voters she will need to secure her re-election.
“These Senate Democrats all voted to impeach President Trump twice, so it is surprising that they are now running ads praising his work as President," Mike Berg, communications director for the NRSC, told The Hill.
'Disingenuousness aside, these are the type of ads you run if you think your nominee for president is going to lose.'
Baldwin's poll numbers may have been what sounded the alarm, with Hovde trailing the incumbent by just two points compared to his 6.7-point deficit in August. The Wisconsin Senate race also went from "lean Democrat" to "toss up" in early October, according to Cook Political Report.
Democratic candidate Elissa Slotkin, who is wrapping up her third consecutive term in the House, is also competing for the Michigan Senate seat against Republican candidate Mike Rogers. Although she has campaigned alongside Harris, Slotkin has also tried to moderate her positions and appeal to independents.
While Slotkin has turned her attention to her bipartisan accomplishments, her voting record regarding electric vehicle mandates specifically may come back to haunt her. EV mandates, which would require manufacturers to boost production and uphold EV quotas, are particularly unpopular among Michiganders. Despite distancing herself from EV mandates, Slotkin has repeatedly voted to support them.
"Autoworkers are the backbone of Michigan's economy, but now their jobs are at risk because Elissa Slotkin refuses to stand up to Harris-Biden EV mandates that will devastate Michigan's auto industry," Maggie Abboud, spokeswoman for the NRSC, said in a statement. "Michigan autoworkers deserve a senator who will stand up for them."
Like Casey and Baldwin, Slotkin's change in tone comes after concerning poll numbers show the Democrats' advantage is slipping. Slotkin is currently an average of 2.1 points ahead of Rogers, which is less than half of her 5.4-point advantage in September. The Michigan Senate race is also rated as a "toss up," according to Cook Political Report.
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Can Republicans take back the Senate? Dem strategist reveals Midwest may be the key.
Republican Senate candidates may have a leg up going into November thanks to former President Donald Trump's down-ballot momentum.
The most likely pickup opportunity for the GOP lies in Montana, where Democratic incumbent Sen. Jon Tester is lagging an average of seven points behind his Republican challenger Tim Sheehy, according to RealClearPolling. Other Senate polls across the Blue Wall states are closer, but the Republican Party's policy priorities are tightening races that have historically been layups for the Democratic Party.
“These voters just feel a greater degree of cultural synergy with the Trump-Vance ticket, and it’s having a downwind effect," Len Foxwell, a Democratic strategist based in Maryland, told Blaze News.
"These Senate candidates are in a region of the country where economic concerns such as inflation and cost of living remain paramount," Foxwell told Blaze News. "Voters simply invested a greater degree of trust in Donald Trump's perspective towards the economy, and I think we're seeing that reflected in the Senate races."
Democratic Senate candidates in the Rust Belt, such as incumbent Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, incumbent Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, and Rep. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, are all polling just a few points ahead of their respective Republican challengers.
Republican Senate candidate Eric Hovde of Wisconsin closed in on Baldwin's nearly seven-point advantage from August to just three points in October, despite the fact that she won her seat by 5.6 points in 2012 and 10.8 points in 2018.
In the Michigan race to replace Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow, Republican candidate Mike Rogers slimmed Slotkin's advantage from five points in August to less than three points in October. At the same time, Stabenow won her seat by 20.8 points in 2012 and 6.5 points in 2018.
Similarly, Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick of Pennsylvania shrank Casey's eight-point lead in August to just three points in October. In contrast, Casey won his seat by 17.3 points in 2006, 9.1 points in 2012, and 13.1 points in 2018.
The Ohio Senate race reflects the same trend, with incumbent Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown currently scraping by with just a 2.6-point average lead over GOP challenger Bernie Moreno. Previously, the three-term senator won his seat by 12.3 points in 2006, by 5.2 points in 2012, and by 6.8 points in 2018.
These polling trends across the Rust Belt and the Midwest are a reflection of a shift toward Trump but, more importantly, away from Vice President Kamala Harris and Democratic policies.
“The fact of the matter is that presidential administrations get the credit when things are going well, and they shoulder the blame when things aren’t," Foxwell continued. "So when voters, not only in the Rust Belt but anywhere in the country, go to the grocery store and see the price of milk and eggs, not to mention gasoline, continue to go up, they’re going to hold the current White House occupant accountable.”
The economy ranks as the top priority, with 28% of Midwestern likely voters saying it is the most important issue in deciding their vote in November, according to the New York Times/Siena poll from Oct. 8. At the same time, 47% of Midwestern likely voters trust Trump to handle the issue they think is most important, while 45% said the same for Harris.
“This election is to be based upon economics," Foxwell told Blaze News. "Victory is going to go to the candidates, be it at the presidential level or in the Senate races, who are able to make the case they represent the straightest, most correct line to economic recovery and prosperity."
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