Wertheimer Political Report, February 19, 2026

TRUMPWATCH 2.0

The Epstein Files and the Hidden World of an Unaccountable Elite
“The search continues in the documents for ironclad criminal conduct, but the story of a sexual predator given a free ride by the ruling class has already emerged.” – New York Times

DOJ acknowledges violating dozens of recent court orders in New Jersey
“The self-assessment came amid rising concern among judges managing a flood of immigration cases.” – Politico

‘Make sure to never mention the Constitution’: Judge mocks Trump admin’s ‘three-step maneuver’ to lull courts to sleep, says it won’t work with her
“A federal judge apparently had enough of the Trump administration’s ‘frivolous arguments’ and ‘indefinite detentions,’ so she sided with class action plaintiff noncitizens and repeatedly mocked the government in a lengthy order.” – Law & Crime

Judge throws out ruling backing Trump mass detention policy
“A federal judge on Wednesday vacated an immigration court ruling giving the Trump administration broad powers to detain migrants, forcing them to give bond hearings and then possibly release thousands in custody.” – The Hill

Trump claims US trade deficit decreased by 78 percent due to tariffs
“President Trump on Wednesday touted the decline in U.S. trade deficit ahead of official data showing a small reduction in the country’s overall balance of trade.” – The Hill

U.S. trade deficits remain high in 2025, despite Trump’s tariff policy.
“Trade shifts away from China to other Asian exporters, but overall deficit remains little changed” – Washington Post

Hassett says Fed staff should be ‘disciplined’ for reporting the US pays tariff costs
“The Trump economic adviser called it ‘the worst paper I’ve ever seen in the history of the Federal Reserve System.’ [Article notes, ‘Other reputable sources have produced similar findings, including Harvard Business School; Yale’s Budget Lab; the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, a German think tank; and the Congressional Budget Office.’]” – Politico

A Case Against 6 Democrats Lacked Urgency. Then Came a Swift Bid for an Indictment.
“Prosecutors have been repeatedly caught between the president’s insistence that they undertake weak or baseless cases and the necessity of having to go to court.” – New York Times

Trump Is Having to Work Harder Than Ever to Keep GOP In Line
“As midterms approach, some rank-and-file Republicans are starting to show independence.” – Wall Street Journal

Protests Planned for Trump’s State of the Union: What We Know
“A group of Democratic lawmakers plans to boycott President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address next week and attend a coordinated outdoor rally on the National Mall near the U.S. Capitol, organizers and members said Wednesday.” – Newsweek

Amid Mass ICE Arrests, Trump Pardon Recipient Juan Orlando Hernández Given Special Treatment
“After the former Honduran president was pardoned, ICE dropped its detainer on him, and he was whisked away to a luxury hotel in New York City.” – ProPublica

MEANWHILE, ON CAPITOL HILL

DHS shutdown talks hit a wall as GOP fumes. – The Hill

Kennedy’s push to find cause of autism divides Hill Republicans. Advocates warn against misinformation as HHS focuses on unproven links to vaccines. – Roll Call

Lawmakers try to halt ICE plans for new detention centers. – Roll Call

MONEY IN POLITICS, VOTING, ELECTION & OTHER RELATED INFO

Tracking the Battle to Reshape Congress for the Midterms. – New York Times

GOP angst over voter turnout builds as losses pile up. – Axios

What Meetings Among Trump Lawyers Reveal About the FBI’s Seizure of Election Records in Georgia. Thomas Albus, the federal prosecutor from Missouri overseeing an investigation into the 2020 vote in Georgia, had several meetings set up with top administration lawyers last fall to discuss election integrity. – ProPublica

FBI election probe lacks ‘faintest possibility of probable cause,’ Fulton County says in court filing. The FBI last month seized 2020 election ballots from a Georgia election site.  – ABC News