NewsNation Chief Washington Anchor and “On Balance” host Leland Vittert was a foreign correspondent for four years in Jerusalem. He gives you an early look at tonight’s 9 p.m. ET show. Subscribe to War Notes here.
Valentine’s Day: Nothing says romance on Valentine’s Day more than kissing your fiance goodbye and promising to be home a little after 10 p.m. still wearing your makeup.
- That’s exactly what I did this afternoon.
- Response: Rachel, of course, smiled and told me she would be waiting up.
- We’ve been together a little less than four years, sometimes it feels like 40, other times like four weeks – which is a good thing, I guess.
- Thoughts: I am beyond lucky to have someone so kind, trusting and loving as my partner.
- Trump is tough on romance: She hasn’t seen me much the last four weeks, and when she has, it’s while I’m working on my laptop or doing live shots from the kitchen.
Click here for the “Forever Valentine” Instagram post.
MAGA Men: The New York Times reports it’s now “sexy” to be a Republican.
- Polling shows the youngest Americans are the most positive about the direction of the country.
- 55% of Gen Z approves of the job Trump is doing, higher than millennials and boomers, according to a recent CBS poll.
- Watch tonight: Influencer Emily Wilson on whether MAGA men are really more attractive and whether we’ve finally stopped demonizing traditional values.
Mic drop: Vice President JD Vance at the Munich Security Conference:
- “The biggest threat to Europe isn’t external — it’s internal. A retreat from its own fundamental values, values shared with the U.S.”
Watch tonight: George Will on the warnings to Europe – maybe this is like the 1930s, but that’s not how the Left wants you to think.
Must read: Erick Erickson headlines, “I Like to Golf Alone,” as part of his EXCELLENT “ShowNotes” newsletter subscription, where Erick writes essays about life and politics.
- His golfing alone piece this morning is a must-read – there are too many good lines to quote just one.
- But his point about riding the short bus to hell as Washington blindly cheers or vilifies only its own side is particularly good – hence the title of today’s newsletter and our “Why it Matters” segment on tonight’s show.
- And if you don’t subscribe to his Substack – it’s quite literally the best 8 dollars I spend every month.
Loyalty Over Competence
In a devastating one-two punch, President Trump learned this week the cost of choosing people blindly loyal regardless of competence.
- Be fair: Note that I didn’t say over competence.
- Every president deserves a Cabinet loyal to him and his policies.
- But every president needs a Cabinet competent enough not to commit unforced errors.
- Unforced error No. 1: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth forgot he’s not on Fox News anymore and said Ukraine wouldn’t join NATO.
- Truth teller: From Politico:
- “‘Hegseth is going to be a great defense secretary, although he wasn’t my choice for the job,’ [Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker] told POLITICO on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. ‘But he made a rookie mistake in Brussels and he’s walked back some of what he said but not that line.’
- ‘I don’t know who wrote the speech — it is the kind of thing Tucker Carlson could have written, and Carlson is a fool,’ Wicker said, referring to the pro-Putin broadcaster.”
- My guess: Hegseth himself wrote it.
- Roasting roundup: Mediaite with the hottest takes, headlining, “Pete Hegseth Roasted Over ‘Huge F*ck Up’ on Ukraine Policy.”
- First off, he got in front of the boss – which is never a good look.
- Second, he gave Putin a huge win that Trump wanted as a negotiating chip.
- Third, he had to walk it back in front of America’s allies, making them all wonder if he really does speak for the president.
- Fourth, he forced Trump to answer for his mistake in the Oval Office.
- Note: I haven’t said anything about whether Ukraine should or should not join NATO. That is for Trump to decide.
- Truth teller: From Politico:
- Unforced error No. 2: Team Trump announced the dropping of charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, only to have it blow up as an apparent payoff for Adams allowing ICE into New York City’s jail.
- Adams went on “Fox & Friends” this morning with border czar Tom Homan, appearing like a hostage video.
- Homan warns Adams, “If he doesn’t come through … I’ll be in his office, up his butt, saying, ‘Where the hell is the agreement we came to?’”
- Click here to watch the clip.
- Homan warns Adams, “If he doesn’t come through … I’ll be in his office, up his butt, saying, ‘Where the hell is the agreement we came to?’”
- Adams went on “Fox & Friends” this morning with border czar Tom Homan, appearing like a hostage video.
- WAIT, WHAT?: Never mind that multiple conservative, career officials from the Department of Justice resigned rather than dropping the charges against Adams.
- Hagan Scotten, an assistant U.S. attorney, writes in his resignation letter to acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, “If no lawyer within earshot of the President is willing to give him that advice, then I expect you will eventually find someone who is enough of a fool, or enough of a coward, to file your motion … But it was never going to be me.”
- Reality check: Bove was picked because of his loyalty – not his competence or experience.
- Hagan Scotten, an assistant U.S. attorney, writes in his resignation letter to acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, “If no lawyer within earshot of the President is willing to give him that advice, then I expect you will eventually find someone who is enough of a fool, or enough of a coward, to file your motion … But it was never going to be me.”
- Danielle Sasson, a member of the conservative Federalist Society and former clerk to conservative hero Justice Antonin Scalia, wrote a scathing eight-page resignation letter laying out the quid pro quo and demands by Trump’s Attorney General Pam Bondi to destroy notes associated with it.
- Be fair: Sasson blew up her life in Republican politics and a very likely chance at a federal judgeship rather than going along with Team Trump.
- It’s not hard: Trump could have accomplished the same thing without any of the embarrassment or scandal by simply pardoning Adams.
- Say Biden weaponized the DOJ against Adams – even many Democrats agree the charges were pretty thin.
- Slip it in with the January 6th pardons or when pardoning Rod Blagojevich.
- Nobody would have cared or noticed.
- BUT: He’s surrounding himself with people who aren’t willing to tell him no to dumb or illegal ideas like trading ICE cooperation for dropping charges.
- MAGA alert: For those of you who will say it wasn’t a quid pro quo, why did the DOJ make a point of dropping the charges without prejudice, meaning they could be refiled?
- Last point: Again, we have said nothing about the “policy” of dropping charges against Adams – but we are pointing out once again how Trump’s loyal band royally screwed up.
- Next week: The Senate will (almost certainly) confirm the last of Trump’s Cabinet picks.
- He has the team he wants. Now, he will own that.
Watch tonight: Tom Dupree with more on Trump’s rookie mistakes.
Tune into “On Balance with Leland Vittert” weeknights at 9/8C on NewsNation. Find your channel here.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily of NewsNation.
