More Court Fights and Chaos for this White House -- “The Sunday Political Brunch” - October 18, 2026

We are on unprecedented ground with a raid on a Congresswoman's home and plans for a livestreamed federal execution. And there's another big White House departure. It all comes with just over two weeks until Election Day. Let's "brunch" on that and more this week!

"Stop the Presses!" – Newly-minted White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia didn't even make it a week on the job. Zacharia, who claimed to have done work as a lawyer, was peppered with questions about whether she ever passed the bar in any state. Zacharia graduated from Pepperdine Law School but never passed the bar. Her first press briefing lasted just 14 minutes and she took only three questions. At best, her performance was shaky and difficult to watch. President Donald Trump blamed an aggressive press corps, and told Zacharia to ponder her future, saying, "'Katie, do you need this? I don't think you need this.'" He added that she was unfairly "brutalized by the media." In a late-night post on her last day, Zacharia called Trump on social media, "a kind, wonderful, gracious, thoughtful, enthusiastic, and hardworking man."

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I blame a poor White House vetting process for the ill-timed appointment in the first place.

"Raid on Rep. Ilhan Omar" – This past week, agents from the U.S. Department of Justice raided the Washington, DC home of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D) Minnesota. No one has officially confirmed why, but speculation continues about Omar's true immigration status. Critics have long argued that the Somali-born Omar's father submitted fraudulent information to get her legal U.S. immigration status when she moved here. Omar has been a frequent critic and target of President Trump. Vice President JD Vance said in March that the White House believes "that Ilhan Omar definitely committed immigration fraud." In a statement, House Democrats said, "Now, less than 30 days until the midterm election, his (Trump's) violent mass deportation machine has descended upon the home of a duly elected Member of Congress and her family."

"More on Livestreamed Execution Plan" – A controversy erupted when the Pentagon said it would livestream the December 3 execution of Fort Hood gunman Nidal Malik Hasan. President Trump noted that Hasan killed 13 of his fellow U.S. soldiers and wounded 32 others. Of the execution, Trump said, "he deserves it." Vice President JD Vance said, "So whatever the controversy is about the method of the execution, I hope that people don't forget that this is a guy who brutally murdered a lot of innocent people." But Vance added, "Now, that said, I mean, look, if it's ultimately livestreamed, I'm not going to be watching it." Even key Republicans oppose the livestream. Sen. Thom Tillis (R) North Carolina said, "Hasan should face the death penalty, but making his execution public and streaming it? Beyond disgusting." Tillis added, "Public executions are what oppressive dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan do. It should not be happening in America." I agree with Tillis: execute Hasan, but don't treat it like a sporting event. On Thursday, President Trump announced there would be no livestreamed execution, saying, "many very good and well-meaning people would rather not watch him die, through streaming, or through any other visual device."

"Trump Must Halt Taxpayer-Funded Ads" – Many people were upset when it was discovered that the White House spent at least $20 million on pro-America ads, even though taxpayers funded it. Critics sued to stop it, and for now they have won. U.S. District Judge Jennifer Rochon wrote in her decision, "Defendants (the White House) shall not enter into, renew, or expand any agreement authorizing the development, creation, dissemination, placement, or airing of the challenged advertisements." President Trump called the pro-America ads "rather standard" but said, "the alleged offending conduct will end tomorrow." Trump promised that his MAGA Political Action Committee would reimburse the federal government for the ads.

"Freeing the First Amendment" – A federal judge is again shutting down an edict by the Trump administration that bans news outlets CNN, MS NOW and Politico from being in the White House. U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Kelly said it violated the First Amendment protections for a free press, saying, "Simply put, that is unlawful viewpoint discrimination" — the government taking action against types of speech or coverage it does not like." The White House stated disagreement, saying, "The Fake News has no place demanding a spot in the President's Oval Office… "The lies they smear are a disservice to the American public and tear at the very fabric of our Democracy. They're completely capable of reporting from directly outside." I fully expect appeals and an ultimate ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court, which I predict will be 9-0. I believe the First Amendment is absolute. It is sacrosanct.

"The War: By the Numbers" – There is not much to report from the battlefield, but let's look at the key numbers. According to AAA, the average price for gasoline in the U.S. is $4.33. But the volatile swings may tell the real story. Early this week, gas prices bottomed out at $3.97. It then bounced to $4.29, and is now settled at $4.19. That's 32 cents of volatility within just one week. Oil is at $97 per barrel domestically, but $105 internationally. Higher prices three weeks before Election Day will not help incumbents. Meanwhile, CBS News is reporting that the Pentagon is drawing up plans to use the MOAB – the Mother of All Bombs against Iran. Presumably, the "bunker-buster" bomb would be used to destroy any remaining nuclear weapons infrastructure.

'Inflation Report Bad' – If the oil and gas numbers weren't bad enough, the final inflation number from Election Day is out. U.S. inflation is at 3.7 percent. It's not as critical as double-digit inflation as when Ronald Reagan crushed President Jimmy Carter in 1980, but it's concerning. People are struggling to pay higher prices. They remember that at the ballot box.

"British Air Base Terrorism" – After finding three vans parked near a joint U.S. air base in the United Kingdom, British police arrested seven men, including one with dual Iranian-British citizenship. All are out on bail. Prime Minister Andy Burnham told Parliament, "I can confirm our assessment that it is highly likely to have been coordinated in Iran, almost certainly directed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard." Burnham added, "We will not tolerate these threats on our soil." Iran has not claimed ownership of the plot, but said it had the right to defend itself on any assets used against it in the Iran War. The U.S. has now moved the bombers it had stationed there to other bases. I again raise concerns that similar plots are being hatched for targets on U.S. soil and against our allies on their home turf.

"More on Saudi-Houthis Situation" – I recently said the Yemen-based Houthi rebel attacks on Saudi Arabia are the "short fuse on a bigger Middle East powder keg." The Houthis are backed by Iran, and the Saudis are a major U.S. ally in the region. Houthis have claimed responsibility for attacks on the Riyadh Airport that killed 13 and wounded more than 30. The U.S. has provided Saudi Arabia with missile defense systems, but clearly, they did not hit all incoming attacks in recent days. If the U.S. launches direct attacks on Houthis, there are fears an all-out Middle East war will erupt, including more attacks on Israel. President Trump did not rule out an intervention, saying, "We may. We're going to look at it." Trump added, "We just found out about the recent attack. So, we'll make a decision. We move very quickly."

"Ambassador, Out!" – Just two hours after the White House asked for her resignation, U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle stepped down. Reports in The Wall Street Journal and the Associated Press suggest she may have engaged in improper, if not illegal, behavior before and during her stint as ambassador. Guilfoyle addressed the accusations directly in her resignation post on X, saying, "These allegations are false, and I intend to vigorously defend my name, my reputation, and my integrity." I have known Guilfoyle for a long time. She was an Assistant District Attorney in San Francisco (with Kamala Harris) when I was a reporter there. In 2002, she successfully prosecuted the owners of two large dogs that mauled to death the women's lacrosse coach at Saint Mary's College, which put her in the national spotlight. She then married San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. After divorcing Newsom, she became a Fox News commentator and was engaged to Donald Trump Jr. Despite her resignation at age 57, I suspect she will be on the national stage again soon. She likes the spotlight.

Mark Curtis, Ed.D., is a South Florida-based political writer and analyst who has covered news and politics nationwide for the past 50 years. He is a multiple award winner, including two prestigious Edward R. Murrow Awards. For ten years, he was the Chief Political Reporter for seven Nexstar Media TV stations, covering the Washington DC media market, West Virginia, and its five neighboring states. Curtis is a former Congressional Fellow who worked in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate. Over the years, he has contributed as a writer and analyst at Patch.com. His commentary and political analysis air every Friday at 1:45 p.m. ET on the 22-station West Virginia Metro News Radio Network. www.WVMetroNews.com.

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