The Needle: Most Americans Don’t Want That Stupid Ballroom, Trump’s War Has Cost $25 Billion, And Supreme Court Guts the Voting Rights Act

Home [Unofficial] April 30, 2026

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Host with the most detractors : By a margin of 2-1, Americans oppose convicted felon and President Donald Trump ’s vanity ballroom, according to a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll. No points, just info. 0 [Post]
The price we pay : Trump’s war with Iran has cost U.S. taxpayers $25 billion so far. That figure is likely an underestimate because it doesn’t include the cost of repairing damage to U.S. bases in the Middle East. Minus two points for more expensive wars. -2 [NBC News, CNN]
No one is surprised : Silence buyer and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth provided false information during his testimony to a House committee yesterday when he defended his decision to fire or sideline nearly 30 generals and admirals with little explanation. Hegseth claimed that 197 general officers were removed under the Obama administration, but that figure “has no basis in fact,” the New York Times reports. Minus one point for lies. -1[NYT]
Supreme dorks : The conservative-majority Supreme Court continued its gutting of the Voting Rights Act on Wednesday. In an opinion by Justice Samuel Alito , the majority said a congressional map in Louisiana that created a second majority-Black district was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. Justice Elena Kagan , who voted with the minority, read her dissent from the bench, saying the majority opinion has made Section 2 of the VRA that protects against intentional racial discrimination “all but a dead letter.” Southern states are now scrambling to redraw congressional districts to diminish Black voting power. Minus three points for racial discrimination. -3 [AP, SCOTUSblog, Guardian]
Wednesday’s Needle rating: +1 Today’s score: -6 Today’s Needle rating: -5

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