{"id":6108,"date":"2026-07-14T19:30:31","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T14:30:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=6108"},"modified":"2026-07-14T19:30:31","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T14:30:31","slug":"the-brief-get-ready-for-trumps-2026-disinformation-deluge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=6108","title":{"rendered":"The Brief: Get Ready for Trump\u2019s 2026 Disinformation Deluge"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"article-content\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h2-defea027-f558-4f0b-9bdd-ca53b513ac71\"><strong>Its Time to Flood the Zone With Shit Again<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Trump announced Monday evening that he\u2019s hauling out an old trick \u2014 the prime-time address \u2014 on Thursday at 9 p.m. What will the topic be? \u201cJust gonna be a speech like a lot of my speeches,\u201d he <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/kaitlancollins\/status\/2076766759047073978\" target=\"_blank\">told Hugh Hewitt<\/a> on Monday. Indeed.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2026\/07\/13\/trump-2020-election-intelligence-speech.html\" target=\"_blank\">MS Now reported last night<\/a> that the president, joined by CIA Director John Ratcliffe, acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte, FBI Director Kash Patel and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, is expected to advance a new set of allegations \u2014 or, more likely, warmed-over old ones \u2014 that foreign interference played a major role in the election in 2020.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2026\/07\/14\/trump-speech-iran-election\" target=\"_blank\">Axios<\/a> was more hedged, saying the president would offer thoughts on \u201ca potpourri\u201d of topics including Iran, the need to pass the SAVE Act and \u201cfindings from his intelligence officials about the administration\u2019s review of the 2020 election.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That review is chugging forward, examining \u201cthousands of pages of classified intelligence and law enforcement documents\u201d for \u201cirregularities,\u201d per a separate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ms.now\/news\/trump-classified-intelligence-midterm-elections-2026\" target=\"_blank\">MS Now report<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>The foreign interference conspiracy theories that will almost certainly make their return before the midterms are numerous, and often whimsical. A plot by Hugo Chavez to control U.S. voting machines; an intervention by Italian satellites; skullduggery by China, detectable only through bamboo fibers on ballots. We\u2019ve heard these before, including in the days immediately after the 2020 election.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s not to dismiss the effort the Trump administration is currently undertaking. In 2020 and early 2021, Trump\u2019s strongest allies included an ink-streaked Rudy Giuliani, Mike Lindell, a handful of internet-addled lawyers and a tight core of loyalists in the White House. It was a circus, and it still produced January 6, the greatest threat to the peaceful transfer of power in U.S. history.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>On Thursday, Trump may choose to return to this familiar territory flanked by his acting director of national intelligence, his FBI director, his CIA director. Each has enormous resources that they\u2019ve already turned toward the task of discrediting 2020. Nothing should surprise us when it comes to their plans for November 2026.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h2-a08dabbf-7c34-40d4-80d5-c3ba56180762\"><strong>Federal Agents Kill Young Father in Maine<\/strong><\/h2>\n<div class=\"GalleryImageWrapper\">\n<h2 class=\"GalleryImageWrapper__Title\"\/>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"536\" width=\"804\" src=\"https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2285367850.jpg?w=804\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1552123\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2285367850.jpg 3000w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2285367850.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2285367850.jpg?resize=804,536 804w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2285367850.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2285367850.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2285367850.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2285367850.jpg?resize=1000,667 1000w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2285367850.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w, https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2285367850.jpg?resize=98,64 98w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 804px) 100vw, 804px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>BIDDEFORD, MAINE \u2013 JULY 13: A woman sits in front of a monument during a vigil for a man that was killed in a shooting involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), on July 13, 2026 in Biddeford, Maine. The victim has been identified as Joan Sebastian Guerrero, a 26-year-old man from Colombia. (Photo by Ryan Murphy\/Getty Images)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>A second fatal shooting by immigration agents in recent weeks \u2014 this one in Biddeford, Maine \u2014 has left dead a man identified by immigrants\u2019 rights groups as a 26-year-old native of Colombia. Sen. Angus King\u2019s (I-ME) office identified him as Joan Sebastian Guerrero.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The groups say the man who was killed was authorized to work in the U.S. <\/li>\n<li>Witnesses described a woman and a young girl <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pressherald.com\/2026\/07\/13\/biddeford-woman-recounts-seeing-victim-familys-after-deadly-shooting\/\" target=\"_blank\">with a pink backpack and bluey pajamas<\/a> \u2014 who neighbors believed to be the victim\u2019s daughter \u2014 standing by the side of the road following the attack. <\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/ice-shooting-maine-immigration-dhs-f26f8c2256aa6f0748582ea4adbb515c\" target=\"_blank\">Security footage obtained by the AP<\/a> \u201cshows a white vehicle approaching an intersection at a modest speed before making several slow circles. A law enforcement SUV blocked its path and two officers open the driver\u2019s door and dragged out a limp body.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>One neighbor <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/video\/witness-heard-man-say-i-tried-to-stop-after-ice-shooting-in-maine-5c0736b4da674c28a548f812fd582635\" target=\"_blank\">told reporters<\/a> he \u201cclearly heard the victim say, \u2018I tried to stop.\u2019\u201d<\/li>\n<li>DHS head Markwayne Mullin initially told King that the person who was killed had been the target of an arrest warrant, but then later called back to correct himself, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/07\/13\/us\/biddeford-maine-ice-shooting.html\" target=\"_blank\">according to a King spokesperson<\/a>. The man had not been the target. <\/li>\n<li>Protesters crowded into Sen. Susan Collins\u2019 (R-ME) Biddeford office on Monday afternoon, demanding action. Collins\u2019 office released a statement defending her recent vote for ICE funding, noting that the funding included money for expanded use of body cameras. Though the bill passed last month, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2026\/07\/14\/us\/live-news\/ice-shootings-maine-houston?post-id=cmrka3lkc00003b6rxf0d9npy\" target=\"_blank\">neither set of agents<\/a> involved in shootings in recent weeks was wearing body cameras. <\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pressherald.com\/2026\/07\/13\/shooting-reported-in-biddeford-2\/#d38340e4-aa09-45c2-a93a-7007e3ff3280\" target=\"_blank\">ICE released a statement<\/a> claiming that the person killed was an \u201cillegal alien\u201d who \u201cattempted to flee the scene.\u201d It used stronger, familiar language in a message to members of Congress, claiming that he \u201cweaponized his vehicle toward law enforcement,\u201d per <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/07\/13\/us\/biddeford-maine-ice-shooting.html\" target=\"_blank\">the New York Times<\/a>. Witness accounts do not seem to support either set of official statements.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h2-2de3311e-e92a-4037-bc57-fd76adefd2bb\"><strong>Tabs<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Trump administration appears to be abandoning a proposed rule that would deny hospitals Medicaid and Medicare funding if they provide gender affirming care, per <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/07\/13\/nx-s1-5888586\/transgender-gender-affirming-care-medicare-medicaid-hhs\" target=\"_blank\">NPR<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Trump on Monday ordered Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments be dramatically reduced to 10 percent of their current size, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/07\/13\/climate\/trump-national-monuments-utah.html\" target=\"_blank\">the New York Times reports<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h2-d8934da6-4c3c-4cac-9b72-d41f4481ff5e\"><strong>Man of the Hour<\/strong><\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-bluesky-social wp-block-embed-bluesky-social\"\/>\n<p>It\u2019s <strong>Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI)<\/strong>, never hesitant to advance a conspiracy theory and, this week, <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/atrupar.com\/post\/3mqklwfbq522i\" target=\"_blank\">declaring<\/a> that the proof-of-life photo McConnell posted over the weekend is, per \u201ca source,\u201d an \u201colder photo.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h2-72527c6c-0012-4cc2-830c-87a3a77a1072\"><strong>Are We At War?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Yes, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/07\/13\/trump-notifies-congress-of-new-war-against-iran-00995170\" target=\"_blank\">officially now<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n    window.fbAsyncInit = function() {\n      FB.init({\n        appId: \"101800829865996\",\n        xfbml: true,\n        version: ' v2.6'\n      });\n      window.fbAsyncInit.__didInit = true;\n    };\n    (function(d, s, id) {\n      var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];\n      if (d.getElementById(id)) {\n        return;\n      }\n      js = d.createElement(s);\n      js.id = id;\n      js.src = \"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js\";\n      fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);\n    }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));\n  <\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Its Time to Flood the Zone With Shit Again Trump announced Monday evening that he\u2019s hauling out an old trick \u2014 the prime-time address \u2014 on Thursday at 9 p.m. What will the topic be? \u201cJust gonna be a speech like a lot of my speeches,\u201d he told Hugh Hewitt on Monday. Indeed.\u00a0 MS Now&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6109,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/talkingpointsmemo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2283181995.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6108","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-political-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6108","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6108"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6108\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6109"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6108"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6108"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6108"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}