Don Moynihan: “The consolidation of Trump’s power has happened very quickly, more rapidly than we have seen in other examples of competitive authoritarian systems.”

“His success is driven by two factors. First, Trump learned a lot from his first term and had personnel with detailed plans in place for his second term. Second, people in institutions decided to accept the new arrangements.”

Daniel Dale: “Trump’s lying has always been notable for its audacity – his willingness to make obviously untrue claims that can be very quickly debunked. But it has also been distinguished by its repetitiveness – his unwillingness to stop deploying an exaggerated statistic, baseless accusation or fictional tale after months or even years of debunkings.”

“Trump has for years had persistently poor poll results on the question of whether he is honest and trustworthy; part of the reason may well be his unwavering devotion to assertions that many Americans already know aren’t true. But his relentlessness also works for him in a way. Because news outlets are naturally focused on new material, some may fact-check a falsehood the first time Trump says it but not the 10th or 100th time. By shamelessly persevering, Trump can eventually get his greatest hits out there with little pushback.”

The Cut: “Amy Tripp advertises herself as ‘the internet’s most notorious astrologer.’ Under the professional name Starheal, she offers her followers wisdom such as ‘Moon opposite Chiron at 3:04pm ET exposes where old wounds meet current vulnerabilities. Something may trigger emotional pain.’ She’s perhaps best known for correctly predicting the exact date when Joe Biden would drop out of the presidential race.”

“Now, court documents show she’s been embroiled in a legal battle with an official in Trump’s Defense Department with whom she allegedly had a 15-month-long affair.”

“Hundreds of thousands of Americans are expected to skip the barbecue and spend their Labor Day protesting President Donald Trump and the billionaires who support him,” USA Today reports.

“President Donald Trump asked Congress to claw back nearly $5 billion in already-approved foreign aid spending, a proposal timed to take advantage of the looming end of the fiscal year and allowing him to cut the funding himself if lawmakers fail to act by the close of September,” Bloomberg reports.

Politico: White House declares $4.9B in foreign aid unilaterally canceled in end-run around Congress’ funding power.

President Trump has terminated former Vice President Kamala Harris’s Secret Service protection, the New York Times reports.

“After backing away from a controversial logo rebrand loudly opposed by many right-wing influencers, Cracker Barrel also quietly made changes to its website this week,” CNN reports.

“The Tennessee-based roadside restaurant chain deleted a dedicated ‘Pride page’ and scrubbed references to employee resource groups, including its LGBTQ+ and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging groups, from another part of its website.”

“For the second time in less than a month, the Justice Department on Wednesday abruptly dropped charges against a client represented by Brad Bondi, the brother of U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi,” ABC News reports.

“The Trump administration is preparing to conduct a major immigration enforcement operation in Chicago as soon as next week, marking the latest escalation between the president and a Democratic-led city,” CNN reports.

“Zohran Mamdani, the democratic socialist and current front-runner in the New York City mayor’s race, sought to distance himself on Thursday from the national Democratic Socialists of America platform, which includes proposals to eliminate all misdemeanor offenses and to close local jails,” the New York Times reports.

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy is planning to announce that he’ll challenge fellow Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski in the 2028 election, Fox News reports.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) said that she spoke to Susan Monarez on Wednesday evening about her removal from the CDC, calling her “a highly capable scientist who brought a wealth of experience to the agency,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

Collins said she was “alarmed that she has been fired after only three weeks on the job” as well as by the departures of the other top officials.

“Former Major League Baseball player Mark Teixeira launched his campaign for Texas’ 21st Congressional District on Thursday, becoming one of the first Republicans to declare for the Central Texas district since the incumbent, Rep. Chip Roy, announced he would give up the seat to run for attorney general,” the Texas Tribune reports.

Playbook: “Trump’s second term has thus far been something of an eight-month mission to test out the limits of his power — one in which he has ripped through the norms that have hemmed in his presidency. In response, Trump’s actions as president are testing another limit: the willingness of a former president to stay out of the political fray.”

“Former President Barack Obama has, in recent days, reengaged in the political moment in ways broadly uncommon for a former Oval Office occupant.”

“The Pentagon is restoring a portrait of Gen. Robert E. Lee, which includes a slave guiding the Confederate general’s horse in the background, to the West Point library three years after a congressionally mandated commission ordered it removed,” the New York Times reports.

Vice President JD Vance told USA Today that he was prepared to take over “if, God forbid,” President Trump dies or is otherwise incapacitated.

“Senate Democrats are trying to recruit Mary Peltola, the one candidate they think can make next year’s race in Alaska competitive. But the former congresswoman hasn’t said ‘yes’ — yet — in part because she hasn’t ruled out a different statewide run,” NOTUS reports.

“With high name recognition, the proven political chops to build a winning coalition in Alaska and a national fundraising machine behind her, the former lawmaker is the Democratic Party’s undisputed favorite candidate to run for governor, Senate or House.”