Raw Story

Republican lawmakers are reportedly fed up with housing official Bill Pulte and view him as "a nut," Politico reports.

The Trump administration's Federal Housing Finance Agency director is now at the center of President Donald Trump's heated campaign against the Federal Reserve and has become "one of his most vociferous social media attack dogs" for the commander-in-chief.

Last week, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confronted Pulte, threatening physical violence during an exclusive Georgetown event for Trump administration officials.

During the cocktail hour, Bessent launched into an aggressive confrontation with Pulte, claiming the housing official had been speaking negatively about him to Trump. Witnesses reported Bessent's explosive verbal assault, with him demanding, "Why the f--- are you talking to the president about me? F--- you," and declaring, "I'm gonna punch you in your f---ing face."

Republicans are reportedly pleased that Bessent confronted Pulte.

Speaking anonymously to Politico due to the sensitive nature of the administration infighting, one lawmaker shared frustration over Pulte.

“I think he’s a nut,” one House Republican told Politico.

“The guy’s just a little too big for his britches,” said another GOP lawmaker and member of the House Financial Services Committee. “I’ve got great respect for Bessent for taking him on.”

Pulte initiated mortgage fraud allegations against Fed Governor Lisa Cook — Trump later moved to fire her. Like Trump, Pulte also attacks Fed Chair Jerome Powell, claiming his handling of monetary policy and the expensive renovations to the central bank's Washington headquarters.

"Rank-and-file Hill Republicans" appear to back Bessent and see him as "a key stabilizing force on economic policy within the Trump administration."

Many Republicans see Bessent as "the adult in the room."

Rep. Dan Meuser (R-PA), chair of the House Financial Services oversight subcommittee, prefers Bessent's approach.

“I’m always in line with where the president wants to go, and I believe [Pulte] is as well,” he said. “I know Secretary Bessent is, and that’s where my loyalties lie, with the president and with Secretary Bessent.”

“I would have done the same,” another Republican who spoke anonymously to Politico said.

CNN contributor and New York Times podcast host Lulu Garcia-Navarro warned on Tuesday that President Donald Trump is taking a "double-edged" sword to the economy, as evidenced by the latest job numbers.

The Department of Labor published data on Tuesday that revised the previous quarter's job numbers downward by 900,000, which was the largest downward revision in the agency's history. The revision came about a month after Trump removed the Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner because the agency published what he described as unreliable data.

Garcia-Navarro said the data BLS published shows there are "real problems" surfacing in Trump's economy.

"To me, what's most interesting about these numbers is manufacturing," Garcia-Navarro said. "There are some real problems in manufacturing."

Trump has made it a goal of his second administration to re-establish America's manufacturing base. To that end, he has implemented numerous tariffs that seek to protect American manufacturers from foreign competition.

"This whole idea that somehow manufacturing is going to be resurgent, I think, is showing a lot of weakness," Garcia-Navarro said.

The data also adds to the growing skepticism about the state of the U.S. economy. Trump has repeatedly said the U.S. economy is in good health, although some experts like J.P. Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon have their doubts.

“I think the economy is weakening,” Dimon told CNBC on Tuesday. “Whether it’s on the way to recession or just weakening, I don’t know.”

Garcia-Navarro said part of the economic weakness is being driven by decreased federal spending.

"You're seeing a double-edged sword here, where they are actually limiting the economy in two different ways that are showing," she added. "I think the word recession is a word that we haven't seen in a while, but we might be due for it."

Watch the entire clip below or by clicking here.

Crashing lumber prices are sending a "troubling" warning sign for the U.S. economy following uncertainty over President Donald Trump's tariffs and a "deteriorating housing market," the Wall Street Journal reported Monday.

"Crashing wood prices are troubling because they have been a reliable leading indicator on the direction of the housing market as well as broader economic activity," according to the Journal.

Two U.S. sawyers last week said they will decelerate production and "curtail output, slowing the decline."

Trump tariffs and import taxes have caused unpredictable impacts on supply chains.

"During the Covid-19 lockdown, two-by-four prices nearly tripled the prepandemic record, an early sign of the inflation and broken supply chains that would bedevil the economic reopening," the Journal noted. "When the Federal Reserve began raising interest rates in 2022 to curb inflation, lumber was among the first assets to decline in value. Now, prices are signaling caution again."

Lumber prices have had a turbulent road. In anticipation of Trump's threatened higher duties on Canadian imports and tariffs on wood, a surplus of wood was set aside in the United States.

Wood prices climbed in the spring when the White House claimed "it was investigating national security aspects of imported lumber and Trump threatened steep tariffs on all Canadian goods."

The price plummeted when Trump let down tariff talk on Canada, and then prices surged again in May when buyers were looking ahead.

"In May, they started surging again as buyers began stocking up ahead of the scheduled hike in existing Canadian lumber duties and Trump’s threatened tariffs," according to WSJ.

The Trump administration is reportedly considering more tariffs — as it did with aluminum, steel and copper products — on imported wood, citing national security concerns.

Producers plan to continue cutting back on production.

In July, residential building permits slipped to just 1.4 million units, a seasonally adjusted annual rate, and the fewest units in construction since June 2020.

Construction spending in the U.S. dropped by 3.4% in July compared to the record amount set in May 2024.

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released a risque birthday note from President Donald Trump to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

In July, the Wall Street Journal first reported that Trump had sent Epstein the note written inside of a doodle of a woman's silhouette. The note referenced a "wonderful secret" shared by the two men.

Trump quickly sued the paper, claiming that the note did not exist.

The note was reportedly provided to Congress by Epstein's estate.

"President Trump called the Epstein investigation a hoax and claimed that his birthday note didn't exist. Now we know that Donald Trump was lying and is doing everything he can to cover up the truth," Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) told the Journal on Monday. "Enough of the games and lies, release the full files now."

Christian MAGA influencer Charlie Kirk criticized "modern women" who prioritize financial security over having children.

On his Monday podcast, Kirk cited an NBC poll that indicated men who voted for President Donald Trump ranked having children as their top priority. In contrast, women who voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris placed more emphasis on financial independence.

"Modern women, this polling shows modern women have become incredible narcissists," Kirk remarked. "And that's not an accusation. It's just what the data shows."

"Men are worrying more about duty and obligation," he continued. "Getting married and having children is a values-based decision. And women have to stop thinking about themselves all the time. Me, me, me! My body, my choice, my decision."

"Yes, of course, you have the freedom and the agency to do that. But not only are you ending up miserable, the country is suffering because of it."

According to Kirk, the poll showed that the "values of American women have been corrupted."

"Instead of my body, my choice, it should be my family, my community, my church, my country," he insisted. "Instead of my body, my choice, it should be my kids. Your body, your choice will end up having you miserable."

"Men are natural leaders, so men know that they must lead society towards having lots of children and lead women towards having lots of children," he added. "The silver lining is that if men are coming around, women will likely kind of come around."

"My message to the women of America: Get married and have children."

Watch the video below from Real America's Voice.

Academy Award-winning actor Tom Hanks had the rug pulled out from under him after a military award ceremony previously scheduled to honor the actor as an “outstanding citizen” was cancelled, the Washington Post reported Saturday.

The alumni association at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point had planned to present Hanks with the Sylvanus Thayer Award, which has been presented by West Point alumni to non-West Point graduates since 1958, and is awarded to those who “exemplify” a devotion to West Point’s motto of “Duty, Honor, Country.”

On Friday, however, Retired Army Col. Mark Bieger sent out an email notifying West Point faculty that the ceremony would no longer be held, according to the Washington Post, which obtained a copy of the email.

“This decision allows the Academy to continue its focus on its core mission of preparing cadets to lead, fight, and win as officers in the world’s most lethal force, the United States Army,” Bieger wrote in the email.

Hanks was first announced as a would-be recipient of the award in June, with the alumni group citing his work on films such as “Saving Private Ryan” and “Greyhound,” as well as his involvement in producing the war drama miniseries “Band of Brothers.”

Hanks expressed excitement at the announcement, calling it an “honor” to be recognized by an institution he held dear.

“To have my first ever visit to the Academy be to accept such an honor as the Thayer Award is simply astounding,” Hanks said back in June. “West Point’s legacy of leadership, character, and service to the nation is a powerful example for all Americans.”