Tuesday Short Cuts
Notable quotables from Chuck Schumer, Jeff Zeleny, JD Vance, Keir Starmer, Peter Beinart, Harry Enten, Bill Maher, Jay Leno, Michael Reagan, and more.
Demagogue
“Donald Trump is, as usual, trying to hype up, exaggerate, and lie … about his accomplishments.” —Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer on Trump’s EU deal
A Blind Squirrel Finds a Nut
“[Trump’s] been issuing many threats of tariffs, but they clearly have been working.” —CNN’s Jeff Zeleny
Make America Win Again
“The entire European press is singing the president’s praises right now, amazed at the deal he negotiated on behalf of Americans. Tomorrow, the American media will undoubtedly run headlines like ‘Donald Trump Only Got 99.9 Percent of What He Asked For.’” —JD Vance
Lack of Self-Awareness Awards
“We’ve had free speech for a very, very long time here, so we’re very proud about that.” —British Prime Minister Keir Starmer
“We’re not censoring anyone.” —Keir Starmer
Spin Doctor
“The blood is on our hands as Americans because it is our weapons that is [sic] responsible for those [Gaza] children starving to death.” —CNN panelist Peter Beinart
Eating Crow
“This one was a surprising one to me given everything that’s going on in Russia, what happened in Iran, what happened in Gaza, but the bottom line is: Democrats in the American voters’ minds cannot hack it. … Despite everything that’s going on in the world right now, Republicans are more trusted [than] Democrats when it comes to foreign policy and the world at large.” —CNN’s Harry Enten
Friendly Fire
“The stupidest thing the Left does … is having this attitude toward the Right that, ‘We won’t even break bread with you. We are so far above you that we won’t even sit down at the same table with you.’” —Bill Maher
Upright
“It was funny to me when I got hate letters [from Republicans and Democrats] over the same joke. And I go, ‘Well, that’s good.’ So that’s how you get a whole audience. Now you have to be content with half the audience because you have to give your opinion. … I like to bring people into the big picture. I don’t understand why you would alienate one particular group. … Just do what’s funny.” —former “Tonight Show” host Jay Leno
What Changed?
“Carson, Leno and Letterman made you laugh, not mad. They had fun every night — and it showed. They and their bosses knew it was bad business to hate one party or politician because it would quickly drive away half of their audience.” —Michael Reagan
For the Record
“The only way to stop [the Epstein files] from metastasizing into a long-term crisis is transparency. Whatever the files may — or may not — contain, the perception of a cover-up is eroding public trust, and there is not much left to erode — not just in this administration, but in our government as a whole.” —Tony Perkins
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