Greetings! Democracy 1, Autocracy 0. Hungarians voted their autocratic prime minister and Trump pal Viktor Orbán out of office. (BBC)...The Boss Slimes The Boss: Last night, Trump attacked Bruce “The Boss”  Springsteen by posting an obviously AI-generated image of the rock superstar with this caption: “Bruce Springsteen prior to plastic surgery???” The highly unflattering doctored image shows a withered Springsteen with bad teeth, damaged skin and a severely thinning hair line. The photo headline reads: “Whatever happened to Bruce Springsteen?” Here's the better question: Is this how our president spends his time while a war with Iran spins out of control and gas prices continue to rise? The answer, of course, is yes, as my next two items prove...He also posted an uncaptioned AI-generated image of himself draped in robes healing a sick man lying in a bed. The far-right Daily Wire described him as “dressed like Jesus” and called the post a “blasphemy.” The sick man bears an uncanny resemblance to Jeffrey Epstein...Finally, Trump took the time over the weekend to repost an item from Truth Social claiming that in 2008 he quietly bought the Los Angeles home of legendary Johnny Carson sidekick Ed McMahon who was in danger of losing his house to foreclosure. Yesterday, Newsweek refuted the claim, writing, “The story shared by Trump is untrue, with no evidence that Trump bought McMahon’s property or leased it back to him free of charge.”....Tucker Carlson, book publisher. The prolific one-man media brand is launching Tucker Carlson Books in partnership with independent publishing house Skyhorse Publishing. The Wall Street Journal has the exclusive....If you keep reading, I’ll keep Righting. Howard

Greetings! Dept. of Sticks & Stones: FrontPage has called California Governor Gavin Newsom’s controversial wife “Barbie Bigot.” Jennifer Newsom has been the target of vicious attacks by the right-wing press in recent weeks. And the attacks seem to be picking up steam....Low blow? The Bulwark’s Tim Miller criticized Melania Trump's English after her defensive-sounding public comments yesterday denying substantial ties to Jeffrey Epstein. “Why can’t the First Lady speak English?” he wrote on X. “It’s been 10 years since her husband ran for president. “Consider getting a tutor.” As much as I find Melania’s voice and accent grating, it’s worth noting that she reportedly speaks at least six languages: Slovenian, English, French, Italian, German, and Serbian. I’m not sure whether I should be cheering Miller’s tweet or condemning it...And speaking of grating voices, one reader responded snarkily to yesterday’s item about RFK Jr’s pending podcast. He wrote that RFK’s fans would be “better off listening to a gravel truck making deliveries.” I think that podcasts may not be the best platform for the wacko head of the HHS...Weekend Watch: I’m a sucker for the literature of survival, that’s why I’m hooked on the current season of Alone (season 11).  The Netflix show drops 10 rugged contestants in a remote location – in this season it's above the Arctic Circle in Northern Canada – with only a few items like fishing hooks, several arrows and a tarp.  The winning contestant gets $500,000 assuming he or she can survive the longest without “tapping out.” At times, the show seems like a metaphor for our desire to escape from the relentless grip of the age of Trump...If you keep reading, I’ll keep Righting. Howard