Hey everybody. I’m back. Hope you had a great weekend.
I just got back from a few days on the ground in Ukraine, and I want to thank my friend Terry Virts for holding down the show while I was gone. I’ll be putting out a longer piece tomorrow that gives a full de-brief from my trip, and you’ll get a sneak peek during our second segment today. This is exactly the kind of exclusive reporting I want to be doing more of, and it’s only possible because of your support. So thank you.
Now to the news.
Our top story today: Don Jr’s lavish island wedding was bankrolled by a Russian oligarch in Putin’s inner circle. The mysterious benefactor spent hundreds of thousands of dollars renting the island and paying for a massive fireworks show. You can even see him in the group photo, lurking in the back like a creepy Russian uncle.
We’ll also get into the industry dedicated to selling pardons from Trump, Steve Witkoff’s 250 million dollar year as a humble public servant, and the investigations Democrats are preparing if they win in November.
So do me a favor. Like this video, share it with someone who needs to see it, and subscribe so you never miss an episode.
Let’s get to it.
1. Putin's Circle Paid for Don Jr.'s Wedding
In May, Trump’s son got married on a pair of private islands in the Bahamas. It was lavish, even by Trump standards. A three day party with transport helicopters and seaplanes, cakes airlifted from the mainland, and huge firework shows. On his podcast, Don Jr. said only close friends got the invite to the small and intimate event. As a reminder, his dad RSVP’d no for the wedding.
But others made the time. One of them was a guy named Umar Kremlev. He runs the International Boxing Association, which has deep ties to the Kremlin and Russia’s state-owned energy giants. He and Putin go way back, and are still close today. Just days before he landed in the Bahamas, Kremlev was at Putin’s side in China. He’s also received high honors from the Russian state.
According to records reviewed by ProPublica, this close friend of Putin dropped hundreds of thousands of dollars on Don Jr.’s wedding, and was also involved in the planning. His contributions apparently got him on the guest list. Take a look at this photo.
You can see Kremlev lurking in the back. And apparently he wasn’t alone: At this supposedly intimate event, guests described a mysterious group standing apart and speaking Russian. Nobody seemed to know them. Even Don’s brother said he had no idea who Kremlev was, and had never heard his name.
Don Jr.’s spokesman didn’t dispute any of the payments. He called Kremlev a personal friend who Don bonded with over hunting and boxing.
But it goes without saying that a Russian oligarch has plenty of incentives to have a friend in the Trump family. One reason is sanctions relief. People close to Kremlev say he’s been afraid of American sanctions since the invasion of Ukraine, and moved much of his operation out of Europe to avoid them. You could easily imagine Trump carving out an exception for the guy that bought his son a fairytale wedding. There’s also the Trump family business, which Don Jr. helps run.
A retired FBI official put it this way: “If I’m paying for your wedding, at some point you’re going to owe me something.” He’s exactly right.
The Trumps have always been grifters, but this one’s different. This isn’t a shady hotel deal. This is Putin’s inner circle buying goodwill with the president’s family, in the middle of a war Putin is waging on innocent people. And I just spent a few days seeing what that war actually looks like.
2. On the Ground in Ukraine
Last week, I began my journey to Ukraine with a group called With Honor.
They’re a cross-partisan organization that supports veterans who serve in Congress, and they took a small delegation over to see the war up close and attend the Yalta European Strategy conference in Kyiv.
As you can imagine, traveling to Ukraine is pretty difficult these days. The airspace is closed. So for us, getting there meant flying to Munich, then Warsaw, then five hours on a bus, then eleven or so more on a train. It’s a long trip.
Once you’re in, you’re reminded pretty quickly that this is a country at war. I personally heard four strikes while I was there. And I was only there for a few days. But for Ukrainians, this is just life now. It’s hard to imagine living like that.
If you’ve paid attention to the Ukraine war, you know that drones are a big part of it. While we were there, we met with a drone manufacturer and a military drone unit. And these drones do more than just attack. They move supplies and some of them even work as medics. They have ground medical drones called UGVs that help rescue the wounded that are stuck on the battlefield. It was interesting to see all the different ways they’ve adapted this technology, and it was a big reminder of how far behind we are.
Then there was the conference itself. Leaders from all over the world were there. It matters who shows up to these things. And I’ll be honest, at times I was kind of embarrassed to be there as an American. But that’s exactly why this trip was so important. Our delegation was there to tell Ukrainians in person that millions of Americans still support them, even when Washington doesn’t act like it.
When it was time to head home, we drove out in a convoy. Most delegations leave the way they came in, on the train back to Poland. On Sunday morning, a Russian drone hit a passenger train at the border crossing, about a mile from Poland. The people on that route that morning were heading home from the same conference I’d just been at. Thankfully, Ukraine’s air defenses tracked the drone coming, and the crew got everyone off in time. But I very well could’ve been on that train.
Overall, it was an important trip. And I can’t wait to go back. My big takeaways? The Ukrainians are adapting faster than anyone thought possible. They’re not asking us to fight for them. They’re just asking for the tools to defend themselves.
Anyways, that’s a quick re-cap. I’ll have a lot more for you guys tomorrow.
3. 60 Minutes Catches the Pardon Brokers
The CBS investigators worked with Ammon Covino, a convicted felon who had failed to secure a pardon through the normal DOJ process. He secretly filmed a meeting with two pardon brokers, who promised him one by October for 300,000 dollars.
Have a listen to one broker during that conversation:
“Because he’s tired of hearing about it.” That’s the pitch. Nothing about justice or deserving a second chance. Just annoy the president until he caves. There’s a whole industry trading on that carelessness, including lobbyists, MAGA influencers, and business partners. Anyone with West Wing access can peddle their influence.
And they have peddled, again and again. Over the last two years, we’ve watched Trump pardon MAGA donors and allies, including the January 6th rioters who attacked police officers and stormed the Capitol. Even as the administration talks a big game about fighting fraud, they’re pardoning some of the biggest fraudsters in the country.
Covino told 60 minutes he doesn’t like that this kind of system operates. But he acknowledged this is simply how the game is now played. He’s right. And it’s not just pardons. This is how the game is now played across the administration. The right strategy comes right from the boss: if you can’t win, cheat.
4. Witkoff's $250 Million Year
Steve Witkoff has been sent by Trump to negotiate the Ukraine War in Moscow, and to negotiate the Iran War in the Middle East. While Witkoff has fallen well short of achieving peace, as his title would suggest, he does seem to have a knack for using his political positions for personal gain. Perhaps he has learned something from his sleazy boss.
In his most recent financial disclosure, Witkoff reported more than 250 million dollars in income and more than 400 million in assets on a government salary. And that is likely a low estimate, given the form lists many of his holdings as “over 50 million” with no ceiling.
Where did his grift come from? Look no further than his business associations with the Trump family. Witkoff made about 107 million from the holding company that owned his stake in World Liberty Financial, a crypto company he founded with Trump and his three sons. Last year, it became highly lucrative when an Emirati firm dubiously bought a major stake.
And let me remind you: Witkoff’s financial disclosure comes from just a year in government. Imagine what kind of backdoor deals he might pull off as long as Trump remains president.
The White House claims that his business practices had nothing to do with his diplomacy, following their typical defense of corrupt administration officials. The Atlantic has a different opinion. Its most recent piece argues that this administration has only one foreign policy legacy: making the world safer for elites engaged in corruption.
And Witkoff is just one beneficiary. Think about his record as a peace envoy. He hasn’t ended a single war. But he did make 250 million dollars while trying. In Trump’s Washington, that’s what success looks like.
5. Democrats Are Ready to Investigate
Think about what we’ve discussed today. Russia bankrolls Don Jr.’s wedding. Presidential pardons up for sale. Witkoff profiting from his office. Notice the pattern of corruption and abuse? Well so have Democrats.
The Washington Post talked to House Democrats and staffers who would run oversight if the party wins the majority. They’re already mapping out the investigations, strategizing with outside groups, and planning for a hiring push. The necessary steps for carrying out the justice that the American people deserve.
Rep. Robert Garcia, who will likely chair the Oversight Committee, has a monumental task ahead of him. “There’s so much corruption and grift,” he said in a recent interview, “that it’s going to take the entire House on the Democratic side to do an investigation properly.”
Let me walk you through the major items on the agenda:
Start with Trump’s self-enrichment while in office. The crypto companies, the foreign money, the family deals.
Then there’s the ballroom, the arch, the reflecting pool, and the rest of DC’s fast-tracked, 900 million dollar makeover.
There’s the prosecution of Trump’s political enemies, alongside the pardons of his criminal loyalists.
There’s the abuse of executive power behind the Iran War and the mass deportation campaign.
And of course, the Epstein Files, which the administration has been covering up for their dear leader.
When you put all of it together, this is the most corrupt and abusive administration in American history. And it’s not even close.
But we have an opportunity to put an end to this chapter. The Democrats are ready to investigate all of this. All that’s missing is a majority, and that part is up to the voters. So please, do me a favor, go out and vote in this upcoming November election. The future of our country depends on it.
Some other stories that caught my eye:
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is pushing to make Canada an “Associate Member” of the European Union, a title he has floated directly to European leaders. The Wall Street Journal reported the story this week, drawing on officials from a dozen governments involved in the talks. Carney has instructed his special envoy to scope out the deepest possible integration short of full EU membership, which would bring the frictionless movement of goods and workers, as well as services in energy, critical minerals, and defense. One Canadian official called it “tectonic change by working groups and bureaucracy. It’s terribly unsexy but terribly consequential nonetheless.” The stakes are high. Canada currently ships two-thirds of its exports across the U.S. border. A shift in the flow of that trade toward Europe would significantly bolster its economy, which is only growing at half of America’s pace. This pivot is a direct response to growing tensions with the United States, which have erupted over the ongoing trade war. Carney will address the European Parliament on Thursday to lay out his vision, with a bilateral summit to follow.
ESPN’s “College GameDay” gave Senator Ted Cruz nearly 10 minutes on Saturday to pitch the Protect College Sports Act, his bipartisan bill headed for a Senate vote as soon as this week. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr saw no problem with the interview. He argued that the equal-time statute is a “totally different universe” because it applies to broadcast stations and legally qualified candidates, not cable shows and sitting senators. But the contrast is hard to miss. Just last week, Jimmy Kimmel pushed his interview with Senate nominee James Talarico to YouTube, under pressure from the same equal-time rules. That interview has since topped 8 million views. Cruz hardly received the same support. University of Texas students actively booed his appearance on the show.
