Politics Chat, February 24, 2026

Heather’s State of the Union address, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and the federal deficit, the Supreme Court ruling on Liberation Day tariffs and emergency powers, economic slowdown and shifts in federal spending toward ICE and the military, U.S. policy on Ukraine and Russia after the Budapest Memorandum, Europe’s defense buildup and new trade alignments, middle-power “variable geometry” diplomacy, foreign policy corruption tied to crypto investments and Nvidia chip access, presidential immunity and expanded overseas strikes, the blocked release of Jack Smith’s classified-documents report, Epstein files release deadlines and withheld records, ICE raids and detention without bond, court challenges and FOIA disclosures, nationwide protests and organized pushback, and the DHS funding standoff and TSA PreCheck threat.---Politics Chat is recorded live on YouTube and Facebook every Tuesday and Thursday at 6 pm Maine time (3 PM PT / 6 PM ET).Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g_PnMMXlKXY?si=iVF-9NnFkJG0kxMK Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe