Steve Benen
MSNBC
Essex, VT, United States
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Past articles by Steve:
Despite reality, Trump blames Pence for Jan. 6 violence
Donald Trump blaming Mike Pence for the Jan. 6 riot is bonkers, but I’m curious whether the former president realizes he's taking a risk with such talk. → Read More
Why Republicans’ fixation on ‘woke’ banking is so unsettling
The more Republicans whine incoherently about "woke" banks, the more we're reminded how unprepared they are to take policymaking seriously. → Read More
Fearing indictment, Trump changes his story in hush money mess
Facing a possible indictment in a hush money scandal, Donald Trump changed his story — and then he changed it again. That’s not a great sign. → Read More
Kevin McCarthy’s limited foresight gets him into trouble (again)
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has earned a reputation as a chess player who can’t think more than one move at a time. → Read More
Republicans in several states try to make child labor great again
The Labor Department’s top attorney is concerned about efforts to weaken child labor laws. There are plenty of such bills to worry about. → Read More
Former state House speaker’s conviction part of a striking pattern
As a jury convicted a former Republican state House speaker in a corruption case, the guilty verdict was noticed nationwide. → Read More
On Jan. 6 violence, does McCarthy agree with Carlson or himself?
Either Tucker Carlson is right about what transpired during the Jan. 6 attack or Kevin McCarthy is. It can’t be both. → Read More
Trump envisioned deal to let Russia ‘take over’ parts of Ukraine
Donald Trump has a vision, and it involves Ukrainian officials giving up parts of their country to Russia. What could possibly go wrong? Quite a bit. → Read More
Former Trump lawyer admits post-election misrepresentations
One of Donald Trump's high-profile lawyers pushed his post-election lies. She's now acknowledged that many of her claims simply weren't true. → Read More
Republicans advance plan to investigate the Jan. 6 investigation
The “investigate the investigation” tactic is a go-to move for Republicans confronting politically inconvenient facts. Now, it's the Jan. 6 committee's turn. → Read More
Disclosed communications push Fox News scandal to a new level
The Dominion Voting Systems lawsuit against Fox News was already a problem for the network. Newly disclosed internal communications make the problem worse. → Read More
Tucker Carlson pushes the bogus Jan. 6 story he wanted to tell
As Tucker Carlson presents the results of exclusive access to Jan. 6 footage, it’s important to remember that the deception is the point. → Read More
In hush money case, Kellyanne Conway reportedly meets with prosecutors
If Kellyanne Conway is now meeting with prosecutors, Donald Trump has new reason to worry about the investigation into his hush money scandal. → Read More
DeSantis raises prospect of political interference with Disney content
To appreciate the degree to which Republicans have gone from denouncing to embracing “gangster government,” consider Gov. Ron DeSantis' approach to Disney. → Read More
Trump now sees special counsel Jack Smith as a ‘mad dog psycho’
Targeting special counsel Jack Smith, Donald Trump is lashing out with hysterics. These are not the actions of a man expecting to be cleared of wrongdoing. → Read More
Governor to restrict drag performances, despite awkward photo
Gov. Bill Lee will sign a bill to criminalize some drag performances, which makes a photo of the Republican from his high school days rather inconvenient. → Read More
On aid to Ukraine, sharp Republican dividing lines take shape
The most basic of questions — “What is the GOP’s position on providing aid to Ukraine?” — is vastly more difficult to answer than it was a year ago. → Read More
Why a new round of attack ads about Medicare ‘cuts’ are on the air
Before the 2022 elections, Republicans pointed to Medicare "cuts" that weren't real. There's a reason the public is confronting similar messages now. → Read More
McCarthy made a ‘promise’ with his Fox News gambit, but to whom?
Kevin McCarthy said he gave Tucker Carlson exclusive access to Jan. 6 security footage because he “promised.” But to whom did he make this “promise”? → Read More
As Guantanamo’s prison population shrinks, GOP faces challenge
The Guantanamo Bay prison now has just 32 inmates. If Republicans are looking to cut wasteful spending, this seems like an obvious place to start. → Read More