Donald's Invitation Got Lost in the Mail

11.20.25

Happy Thursday and welcome back to today’s edition of Common Sense with Ally Sammarco—your daily briefing on politics. Let’s break it down.

Washington’s Most Powerful Gather for Dick Cheney’s Funeral (But Not Trump)….Some of Washington’s most powerful (or former most powerful) gathered at the National Cathedral today for the funeral of former Vice President Dick Cheney. George W. Bush delivered an emotional eulogy, recalling how Cheney tried to talk him out of selecting him for VP — and how Bush chose him “not once, but twice.” Cheney’s daughter, Liz, honored her father’s devotion to the Constitution above party. Bush was seen wiping away tears. The service drew a bipartisan slate: Joe and Jill Biden, Kamala Harris, Mike Pence, Al Gore, Dan Quayle, Nancy Pelosi, and top Republicans like Lindsey Graham and Mitch McConnell. But notably, two people were not invited: President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance—a deliberate snub of a president who openly despised Cheney after Cheney backed Harris in 2024 and called Trump “a threat to the republic.” Trump remained silent on Cheney’s death, with his White House only confirming he was “aware” of it. Cheney, who died Nov. 3 at 84, shaped everything from the Iraq War to U.S. counterterrorism policy. He also spent his final years sounding alarms about Trumpism.

Common Sense takeaway: LOL! It’s only right that Donald Trump and J.D. Vance were not invited to Cheney’s funeral. Cheney knew the dangers of a second Trump Administration, and Trump did not bother to treat him with an ounce of respect. And let’s be real, he probably wouldn’t have gone to the funeral anyway given he didn’t publicly acknowledge the passing. Also, seeing a room of former President and Vice Presidents interact cordially is just another reminder of how far we have fallen.

DOJ Admits The Comey Indictment Was Not Reviewed by a Full Grand Jury…..The Justice Department’s case against former FBI Director James Comey took a huge hit this week—this time from inside the prosecution itself. U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan, the Trump-installed prosecutor leading the case, admitted under oath that the revised indictment against Comey was never reviewed by the full grand jury. Instead, it was approved by just the foreperson and one other juror. That’s it. Two people. This revelation came during a contentious hearing where Comey’s attorney argued the entire prosecution was politically engineered—pointing to Trump firing the previous U.S. attorney, installing Halligan (a former White House staffer with no prosecutorial background), and publicly demanding charges against Comey, Adam Schiff, and Letitia James. Now we learn the grand jury—the constitutional safeguard meant to ensure fairness before the government charges someone—wasn’t even given the revised indictment to vote on. At the same time, DOJ officials are loudly and incorrectly accusing the judge of calling Halligan a “puppet,” attempting to shift attention away from the procedural mess their own hack exposed.

Common Sense takeaway: You mean the former beauty pageant contestant with no prosecutorial experience, who was chosen to prosecute this case solely for political purposes, did something wrong? I’m shocked! She should be disbarred and this case should be tossed out for her attempt to manipulate charges in her favor. Period.

Trump Signs the Epstein Files Bill While Claiming It Will “Expose Democrats”…..President Donald Trump announced Wednesday night that he signed the bipartisan Epstein Files Transparency Act—then immediately used the moment to accuse Democrats of secretly being tied to Epstein, insisting those “links” will be “revealed soon.”

Two problems:

1. There’s no evidence of that, and

2. He’s still calling the files a “Democratic hoax” meant to distract him.

According to congressional aides, the bill landed on Trump’s desk at 4:38 p.m., meaning if he truly signed it Wednesday, the DOJ now has 30 days—until December 19—to release the documents. Attorney General Pam Bondi says the Department of Justice will “follow the law,” but also teased that “new information” has surfaced about the Epstein files without explaining what, exactly, that means. Meanwhile, survivors are reminding the country this isn’t a political game—it’s about transparency and justice. The only catch is that the law is full of exceptions the DOJ can lean on to redact, delay, or withhold major portions of the files. Identities and personal data of victims can be redacted (appropriately), but DOJ can also withhold anything tied to “privacy,” “ongoing investigations,” or “child sexual abuse content.” Still, the bill explicitly bans withholding anything simply because it might embarrass or politically harm public officials—meaning no protection for politicians, period.

Common Sense takeaway: My favorite saying: “We didn’t come this far to come this far.” This may take a little longer than we had hoped for and there will be efforts to withhold information related to the president, but I feel confident in my prediction that the Epstein files will take Donald Trump down. The American people are not stupid, and Pam Bondi is not all-powerful. The truth will prevail here.

Trump Praises MBS’ “Human Rights Record” And Dismisses Khashoggi’s Murder….President Donald Trump rolled out the red carpet—literally—for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday, defending the Saudi leader’s “incredible” human rights record and brushing off the brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi as something we should all “leave at that.” This was MBS’s first U.S. visit in seven years, and Trump greeted him with a lavish Oval Office ceremony, complete with flags and a horse-mounted military honor guard. But when ABC’s Mary Bruce asked the obvious question—why the White House is celebrating a leader U.S. intelligence concluded approved Khashoggi’s murder—Trump snapped. “You don’t have to embarrass our guest,” he scolded Bruce, insisting MBS “knew nothing about it,” even though the U.S. intelligence community said in 2021 that the crown prince did approve the operation to “capture or kill” Khashoggi. Trump’s defense was that Khashoggi was “extremely controversial” and “things happen.” Families of 9/11 victims have condemned the visit, pointing to Saudi Arabia’s alleged role in the attacks. When pressed, MBS said he feels “pain” for the families but blamed Osama bin Laden for trying to sabotage the U.S.–Saudi relationship.

Common Sense takeaway: “America First” was and is all a lie. Donald Trump protects and defends dictators and murderers more than he does American citizens. He’s tougher on journalists than on journalist killers. That is the kind of “man” he is. It’s an embarrassment to the United States to see how he rolls over like a dog and puts America last every single chance he gets.

That’s it for today. Thanks for reading Common Sense. Check back tomorrow for more.