WTF Just Happened Today? – Audio Edition

Matt Kiser
  • 4.9 (465)
  • POLITICS
  • UPDATED DAILY

A sane, once-a-day update on today’s essential political news. Chronicling the daily shock and awe since 2017.

  1. 3D AGO

    Day 1876: "They have no exit strategy."

    Tuesday, March 10, 2026 In this episode: Seven U.S. service members have been killed and 140 troops have been wounded in the first 10 days of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran; Energy Secretary Chris Wright posted – and then deleted – that the U.S. Navy had "successfully escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz," sending oil prices down nearly 20%; U.S. military destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, as Trump warned Tehran to remove any mines “IMMEDIATELY” or face military consequences "at a level never seen before"; the Trump administration told Israel to stop striking Iranian energy infrastructure, saying it was "not happy"; House Speaker Mike Johnson declined to condemn anti-Muslim remarks by Reps. Andy Ogles and Randy Fine, saying instead that he had spoken to them about “our tone and our message”; Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said the Supreme Court’s use of emergency orders is “not serving the court or our country well”; a federal judge ruled that three Justice Department lawyers jointly leading the New Jersey U.S. attorney's office were unlawfully appointed; and a whistleblower complaint alleges that a former DOGE engineer copied two Social Security databases that contain records for more than 500 million Americans and took them to his new job at a government contractor. Read more: Day 1876: "They have no exit strategy." Newsletter: Get the daily edition of WTFJHT in your inbox Feedback? Let me know what you think AI Policy: My AI policy

    4 min

  2. 4D AGO

    Day 1875: "I have a plan for everything."

    Monday, March 9, 2026 In this episode: Trump claimed that fighting in Iran was “very complete, pretty much” and would end “very soon,” but then threatened to strike Iran "at a much, much harder level" if Tehran disrupted oil supplies; Trump demanded Iran's "unconditional surrender" even as a classified U.S. intelligence assessment concluded that even a large-scale military assault was unlikely to lead to regime change in Iran; the U.S. economy lost 92,000 jobs in February, its third loss in five months, and the unemployment rate rose to 4.4%; the FBI subpoenaed records from the Arizona Senate’s 2021 review of roughly 2.1 million Maricopa County ballots; Trump threatened to not sign any legislation until Congress passes the SAVE America Act; a plaque honoring law enforcement officers who defended the Capitol on Jan. 6, was installed at 4 a.m. Saturday – three years after Congress required it by law and with no ceremony or announcement; and the Justice Department released three FBI interview summaries it had withheld from the Epstein files, including one by a woman alleging that Trump sexually assaulted her as a minor in the 1980s after Jeffrey Epstein introduced them. Read more: Day 1875: "I have a plan for everything." Newsletter: Get the daily edition of WTFJHT in your inbox Feedback? Let me know what you think AI Policy: My AI policy

    4 min

  3. MAR 5

    Day 1871: "Getting screamed at to find some good news."

    Thursday, March 5, 2026 In this episode: Trump fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and replaced her with Sen. Markwayne Mullin; Senate Democrats blocked a Republican bill to reopen the Department of Homeland Security for a third time; the House rejected a bipartisan effort to force Trump to seek congressional approval for continued military action in Iran; Trump said he wasn’t concerned about rising gasoline prices caused by the Iran war, saying "if they rise, they rise"; two dozen Democratic-led states sued Trump to stop his new 10% global import tariffs; and a Jan. 6 rioter pardoned by Trump was sentenced to life in prison for molesting two children. Read more: Day 1871: "Getting screamed at to find some good news." Newsletter: Get the daily edition of WTFJHT in your inbox Feedback? Let me know what you think AI Policy: My AI policy

    3 min

  4. MAR 4

    Day 1870: "Why are we doing this?"

    Wednesday, March 4, 2026 In this episode: The Republican-led House Oversight Committee voted to subpoena Attorney General Pam Bondi for a closed-door deposition about the Justice Department’s handling of records tied to Jeffrey Epstein; Senate Republicans rejected a war powers resolution to block Trump from ordering more strikes on Iran; Trump is “actively considering and discussing” America’s role in Iran after the war with his advisers and national security team; Texas state Rep. James Talarico won the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Texas; Republicans Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton advanced to a May 26 Republican runoff; the Office of Congressional Conduct said it had “substantial reason to believe” Rep. Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican, had a sexual relationship with a subordinate who later died by suicide; and 54% of voters disapproved of Trump’s handling of Iran, and 52% said the U.S. shouldn’t have taken military action. Read more: Day 1870: "Why are we doing this?" Newsletter: Get the daily edition of WTFJHT in your inbox Feedback? Let me know what you think AI Policy: My AI policy

    6 min

  5. MAR 4

    Day 1869: "A failure of leadership."

    Tuesday, March 3, 2026 In this episode: Trump warned that "I guess the worst case" from U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran would be “somebody takes over who’s as bad as the previous person”; Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed the U.S. attacked Iran first because “we knew that there was going to be an Israeli action” and that it would “precipitate an attack against American forces”; Sen. Thom Tillis threatened to block Trump administration nominees and stall committee work unless Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem answers his questions about the Charlotte’s Web immigration operation; Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick agreed to a voluntary, closed-door House Oversight interview on his ties to Jeffrey Epstein after Justice Department records contradicted his Senate testimony; the Justice Department abruptly reversed itself and will defend Trump’s executive orders targeting four law firms, less than 24 hours after telling the same court it wanted to drop the appeals; the Interior Department threatened to hold employees “accountable” after an internal database leaked showing National Park Service staff flagging hundreds of items that could “disparage” Americans for possible revision or removal; the Supreme Court temporarily blocked California from enforcing a 2024 law that limited when educators could tell parents about a student’s gender identity or sexual orientation; and voters in Texas, North Carolina, and Arkansas head to the polls today to kick off the 2026 midterm season. Read more: Day 1869: "A failure of leadership." Newsletter: Get the daily edition of WTFJHT in your inbox Feedback? Let me know what you think AI Policy: My AI policy

    4 min

  6. MAR 3

    Day 1868: "The yips."

    Monday, March 2, 2026 In this episode: Trump declined to rule out sending U.S. ground troops into Iran “if they were necessary,” saying “whatever it takes” and adding, “I don’t have the yips with respect to boots on the ground”; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth rejected the idea of an “endless” war in Iran; the Pentagon acknowledged in closed-door briefings with congressional staff that there was no intelligence suggesting Iran was preparing to launch a preemptive strike against the U.S. interests – contradicting Trump’s claim that the U.S. was "very nearly under threat" from Iran; a federal appeals court rejected the Trump administration’s effort to delay litigation over potential tariff refunds; the Justice Department dropped its defense of Trump’s executive orders sanctioning four law firms with ties to Democrats; Trump allies are continuing to press him to declare a national emergency and impose federal election rules without Congress as the SAVE Act’s voter ID and proof-of-citizenship mandates has stalled in the Senate; 34% of Americans approved of the U.S. attacks on Iran; and 60% of Americans said they don’t trust Trump to make the right decisions on U.S. use of force. Read more: Day 1868: "The yips." Newsletter: Get the daily edition of WTFJHT in your inbox Feedback? Let me know what you think AI Policy: My AI policy

    5 min

  7. FEB 26

    Day 1864: "The politics are a lot better."

    Thursday, February 26, 2026 In this episode: Pro-Trump activists circulated a 17-page draft executive order urging Trump to declare an election emergency and use it to impose federal voting rules, including limits on mail ballots and voting machines; the Trump administration believes "the politics are a lot better if the Israelis" attack Iran first, thinking Tehran’s retaliation would build U.S. support for American attacks; the FBI subpoenaed phone “toll records” for Kash Patel and Susie Wiles in 2022 and 2023 during Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigating into Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his mishandling of classified documents; Hillary Clinton’s closed-door deposition before the House Oversight Committee’s Jeffrey Epstein investigation was briefly paused after an unauthorized photo from inside the room was posted on social media; a federal judge ruled that the IRS violated federal privacy law “approximately 42,695 times” by sharing taxpayer addresses with ICE; the U.S. recorded net negative migration in 2025 for the first time since the Great Depression; 61% of Americans say they support deporting unauthorized immigrants, but 60% say ICE agents have “gone too far"; and 56% of Americans say they don’t trust Trump to make the right decisions about using military force overseas. Read more: Day 1864: "The politics are a lot better." Newsletter: Get the daily edition of WTFJHT in your inbox Feedback? Let me know what you think AI Policy: My AI policy

    4 min

  8. FEB 26

    Day 1863: "Is the president working for you? We all know the answer is no."

    Wednesday, February 25, 2026 In this episode: Trump used his first State of the Union of his second term to insist that “our nation is back,” calling it “a turnaround for the ages,” and that “the roaring economy is roaring like never before,” even as 39% of Americans say they approve of Trump’s handling of the economy; Trump’s nominee for surgeon general, wellness influencer Dr. Casey Means, refused to recommend routine measles and flu vaccines for children during her confirmation hearing; the Justice Department said it’s reviewing whether it improperly withheld Epstein-related records listed in evidence logs, including FBI notes and summaries tied to allegations that Trump sexually abused a minor; the Trump administration will not provide Congress with the unredacted intelligence behind a whistleblower complaint involving Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, citing executive privilege; a federal judge blocked the Trump administration from deporting migrants to “third countries” they’re not from; and a White House staffer appears to have operated a large anonymous pro-Trump X account that amplified official Trump administration messaging. Read more: Day 1863: "Is the president working for you? We all know the answer is no." Newsletter: Get the daily edition of WTFJHT in your inbox Feedback? Let me know what you think AI Policy: My AI policy

    6 min
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A sane, once-a-day update on today’s essential political news. Chronicling the daily shock and awe since 2017.

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