Politics Chat, February 26, 2026

State of the Union marks the administration’s shift into campaign mode, fraud commission led by JD Vance, Somali community Minnesota fraud claims, Supreme Court limits on Trump tariffs, CBO projections for Medicare Part A trust fund exhaustion in 2040, CBO projections for Social Security trust fund depletion by end of 2031, House Oversight Committee closed-door Hillary Clinton Epstein deposition and a leaked photo, NPR reporting on the missing pages from the Epstein files, ICE and Border Patrol detention policy shifts and Fourth Amendment raid warrants, the death of a blind Myanmar refugee in Buffalo, SAVE Act prospects, federal emergency proposals for election control, and the “war for your mind.”---New episodes of Politics Chat are available 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/3QdheXKAkPg?si=ACWeLHJUnCx1XgAY Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe