Thursday, November 12, 2026

TODAY'S TOP MADDOWBLOG POSTS

The proof the president came up with to show his lack of corruption is actually evidence pointing toward his apparent corruption.

MORE FROM THE MADDOWBLOG

• GOP’s Grassley defends scramble to confirm Trump’s judicial nominees with unserious claim

• Trump’s Justice Department accused of targeting Ilhan Omar by charging her bodyguard

• Rubio relies on costly military jets to attend college football games
• Thursday’s Campaign Round-Up, 11.12.26: Ohio’s Turner tries to explain his defeat

OUT OF THE FRYING PAN, INTO THE BOOK TOUR

The highlight of today's "Where in the World is Rachel Maddow" as she heads to Milwaukee on the book tour is yesterday's appearance on The View, see below. But looking at the clips that are showing up in the Maddow YouTube playlist, she also dropped in on Alicia Menendez and spent a significant amount of time with the Morning Joe folks. Watch that in two parts, here and here.

And so, by now you may have already read the book, or you've certainly heard Rachel's arguments about the Department of Justice and especially the disgrace of Donald Trump's criminal defense attorney turned attorney general, Todd Blanche. If you're wanting to weigh in on these issues Rachel is raising, MS NOW Members can join in the discussion board on that topic:

The collapse of the Justice Department under President Trump “gives us an opportunity to refound it in a different way,” Rachel Maddow told Lawrence O’Donnell. What’s a change you’d want to see in a reformed Justice Department?

Rachel Maddow on the View, November 11, 2026.

If you're watching the full episode Rachel is introduced around coming out of the commecial break at 14:39.

WHAT'S ON RACHEL'S BLUESKY RADAR

• "Ukraine said restrictions on its military-grade Starlink satellite-internet service are once again hindering its drone operations, renewing disruptions to defenses against Russian attacks that hit the country last month."
  (Wall Street Journal)
  
  

• Aliya Rahman Is Suing ICE For Abuse. DHS Deleted Its Tweets About Her. — A department spokesperson wouldn’t say when ― or why ― it erased its posts defending ICE agents’ violent arrest of the Minneapolis resident.
  (HuffPost)
  
  

• "The Department of Homeland Security says it’s not detaining Americans.

  
  In written statements, it has said that “allegations that ICE is arresting and deporting U.S. citizens is FALSE.”
  
  

  It has said that “when individuals are briefly questioned under ‘reasonable suspicion’ and are found to be U.S. citizens, they are immediately released.” And it has said that “U.S. citizen agitators are only held while they actively remain a safety threat to our officers and the public.”

  
  But ProPublica has identified more than 500 citizens detained since President Donald Trump returned to office."
  (ProPublica)
  
  

• North Carolina GOP pays the ultimate price for a bona fide dummymander — Democrat Raymond Smith just won a district Republicans would’ve been better off leaving alone
  (The Downballot)
  
  

• "Democrats set to control key congressional investigative committees are questioning President Trump’s chief fundraiser Meredith O’Rourke, requesting information about her role in raising more than $800 million for the president’s key projects and saying that her operation “reeks of potential corruption.”"
  (Wall Street Journal)
  
  

• "MS NOW reviewed exclusive audio of Navy leaders telling families of sailors in the USS George H.W. Bush carrier strike group that the carrier would not be home before the holidays. Family members confronted officials over broken equipment, dwindling supplies of fresh food and a lack of mental health care."
  (MS NOW)
  
  

• Democrats Target Trump’s Warship as They Look to Slash His Signature Projects — Lawmakers will also unpick Hegseth’s ‘War Department’ rebrand and other defense priorities when they take control of Congress next year
  (Wall Street Journal)
  
  

• "For years, Russia has sought a European security deal that limits NATO expansion and scales back its military presence in Eastern Europe. The U.S. has rejected those demands in the past, but now appears open to them in some form as part of a broader agreement to end the war in Ukraine."
  (Axios)

Follow Rachel on Bluesky here.

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