Good evening, and welcome to Raw America. I’m British Chris.
Trump’s White House is already making plans to deal with a Democratic-controlled Congress as his approval rating continues to sink. A right-wing rapper just got fired from her tour after a Texas crowd booed her off the stage. A MAGA social media influencer with ties to Trump was just arrested in a massive human trafficking bust, and Floridians are fighting back against Ron DeSantis’ new gerrymandered redistricting maps. Let’s get into it.
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Trump’s White House Quietly Preparing for a Democratic Wave
Something telling is happening inside the Trump White House, and the administration would very much prefer you didn’t know about it.
The White House Counsel’s Office has been holding private briefings for political appointees — roughly 30-minute sessions complete with PowerPoint presentations — walking staff through how congressional oversight works and how to handle it.
The guidance reportedly includes advice on being careful about what gets put in writing, and how to respond to congressional inquiries. Staff who attended the sessions describe the tone as “sober-eyed.” One official said it’s “obvious to everyone” that Democrats could very well take back at least one chamber in November.
Now, the White House is calling this routine. But reporting from the Washington Post makes clear these recent sessions have “a strong overtone” of midterm preparation. And the context matters.
Trump’s approval ratings are sagging under the weight of the Iran war. Democrats now hold a five-point advantage on the generic congressional ballot, up from two points just a few months ago. Even Trump himself has acknowledged his predicament, saying in January that if Republicans lose the midterms, “they’ll find a reason to impeach me.”
MAGA Rapper Fired After Getting Booed by Texas Crowd
M.I.A., the Sri Lankan-British rapper best known for her 2007 song “Paper Planes,” was set to open for Kid Cudi’s “Rebel Ragers Tour” across North America. That’s not happening anymore.
At a May 2nd show in Dallas, M.I.A. told the crowd she wouldn’t perform her song “Illygal” because, she said, “some of you could be in the audience.” The crowd booed her loudly.
Kid Cudi fired her Monday. In a statement, he said he’d warned her team before the tour started that he didn’t want anything offensive at his shows. After fans flooded him with messages of frustration, he made the call.
M.I.A. responded on X in all caps, invoking Satan, Jesus, and immigrants, but notably didn’t address Cudi’s statement directly.
M.I.A. has been openly pro-MAGA and anti-vaccine for years. She appeared on Alex Jones’ Infowars to promote a clothing line. She endorsed Trump in 2024 after RFK Jr. dropped out. And she’s not even a U.S. citizen, meaning she couldn’t vote in any of the elections she was so loudly cheering.
There’s something satisfying when someone builds a political brand around a movement that isn’t even theirs to participate in — and then faces swift consequences.
MAGA Influencer with White House Access Arrested in Human Trafficking Bust
Polk County, Florida just completed a massive human trafficking and prostitution sting operation that resulted in 266 arrests.
Among those arrested: Craig Long, a self-described MAGA influencer with more than half a million social media followers. Sheriff Grady Judd showed a photo of Long with the president, noting that Long was an “influencer” who “moves in big circles even with the president,” Judd then added, “Well there you go, you got arrested in a human trafficking sting. Influence that for a while.”
January 6 rioter Ryan Yates was also arrested. Yates had pushed against and battered police officers trying to breach the rotunda. He was sentenced to six months in prison. Then he received a blanket pardon from Trump. As Judd put it on stage, “We’re not giving him a blanket pardon, are we, sir? I didn’t think so.”
These aren’t isolated cases. There’s a documented pattern of individuals who participated in January 6, received presidential pardons, and have since faced serious criminal charges in completely separate cases. Violence at the Capitol. Child exploitation. Soliciting minors. Threats against federal agents.
Nobody’s saying every Trump supporter is responsible for crimes like these. But it’s entirely fair — it’s necessary — to ask questions when you keep seeing the same overlap between extremist political networks, a willingness to break the law for a cause, and more criminal behavior down the road.
Florida Voters Sue Over DeSantis’ New Republican Gerrymander
Florida voters have officially sued Governor Ron DeSantis’ administration in federal court.
DeSantis signed a new congressional map Monday that gives Republicans an advantage in 24 of the state’s 28 congressional seats. That’s four more seats than Republicans currently hold. Voters filed suit the same day in Leon County, arguing the map violates a provision of Florida’s own constitution that explicitly prohibits drawing districts to favor or disfavor a political party.
That provision — Section 20 — was passed by Florida voters themselves. The legislature, according to the complaint, chose to ignore it.
DeSantis has argued he’s following the lead of a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that limited how race can be considered in redistricting. But legal experts say the high court didn’t go nearly far enough to invalidate Florida’s partisan gerrymandering ban. The state’s anti-gerrymandering law, they argue, still stands on its own.
This matters beyond Florida. The complaint calls this part of “an unprecedented nationwide effort to redraw congressional maps for partisan gain outside the traditional decennial redistricting cycle.” In other words, Republicans aren’t waiting for the next census. They’re redrawing maps right now, while they still can, to lock in advantages before the midterms.
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Thanks for watching. I’m British Chris, for Raw America. We’ll see you tomorrow evening.
STORIES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED:
Trump Hints at Serving Two More Terms. During comments to reporters at the White House’s Small Business Summit on Monday, President Donald Trump suggested he wouldn’t leave office for “eight or nine years” during his rambling, off-script remarks. While he didn’t elaborate, the 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prevents the 79 year-old president from being able to serve for an additional term after 2029.
Trump Sparks New Questions After Visiting Off-Campus Dentist. Over the weekend, Trump visited a dentist in Florida for a scheduled appointment while he was at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach County. Trump has previously visited the same Florida dentist in January, even though the White House has its own dental suite. The Independent noted that Trump has been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, and that he has been seen in public with large blotches on his hands (which he sometimes covers with makeup).
Secret Service Shoots Man Near White House Who Allegedly Had a Gun. The U.S. Secret Service announced Monday that an unnamed suspect was shot near the White House after allegedly pointing a firearm at agents. While no agents were hit, the suspect allegedly shot an unnamed bystander, who is a minor, before he was eventually fired upon by Secret Service. He is currently hospitalized, and his condition remains unknown as of Monday evening.
Republicans Warn White House Against Speaking Positively of Economy. Trump’s optimistic message about the U.S. economy isn’t landing with voters and could cost Republicans the midterms, according to several GOP operatives. One unnamed White House source told Politico that the longer gas prices hover near the $5 mark, the less likely it is that Republicans keep both chambers of Congress. Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Republicans’ best bet is to try the “scare tactic” of trying to convince voters that a Democratic-controlled Congress would be worse.
Senate Republicans Alarmed at State of House Republican Majority. Several Republicans in the U.S. Senate recently observed that the fractious atmosphere in the House of Representatives is a signal that the GOP is about to lose control of the chamber. Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) remarked that the constant infighting paralyzing the House is happening in spite of Senate Republicans going out of their way to make it easier for the House to pass bills to Trump’s desk. One unnamed Republican senator confided to The Hill that the House was “like a wreck” and that “everybody is fighting.”
