Gaslighting 101

7.28.26

Happy Tuesday and welcome back to Common Sense with Ally Sammarco. Let’s break down the latest news.

Beshear Calls on McConnell to Prove He’s Fit to Serve….Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is calling on Sen. Mitch McConnell to either publicly demonstrate that he’s still capable of serving in the Senate or resign. McConnell, 84, has been hospitalized since June after a fall that left him briefly unconscious and was later treated for pneumonia. Beshear argues that with major issues facing the country, Kentuckians deserve direct proof that their senator can continue doing the job. McConnell says he’s recovering through physical therapy and working toward returning to his full Senate schedule, while his office released a recent photo to show his progress. If McConnell were to leave office, Kentucky law would require a special election rather than allowing Beshear to appoint a temporary replacement.

Common Sense Takeaway: If Mitch McConnell can have extensive conversations on foreign policy over the phone with multiple people, he can surely take a 30 second video to address the public and prove he’s alive. I believe that if he’s not dead, his condition is far worse than we know—and his team is waiting until after August 3rd to announce his death or resignation. Currently, if his seat becomes vacant after August 3rd, there is not enough time for a special election and the seat would remain open until the November election. We need to get to the bottom of this before then.

Trump Meets with Zelenskyy and Netanyahu….President Trump met separately with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday as the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East continue to intensify. Netanyahu sought U.S. support on Israel’s security and Iran, despite recent public tensions with Trump over ceasefire negotiations and regional arms deals. Zelenskyy pressed for faster military support as Ukraine faces growing weapons shortages and accused Russia of helping Iran target U.S. military bases with satellite intelligence. Trump said he would ask Vladimir Putin about the allegation while insisting the U.S. has sufficient military stockpiles despite concerns from defense officials. Both leaders were also in Washington to attend the funeral of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, a longtime ally of both Israel and Ukraine.

Common Sense Takeaway: Israel and Ukraine are in incredibly different situations. Israel is currently in a war of choice with both Iran and the civilians in Gaza, while Ukraine was brutally invaded by a dictatorship in Russia. Trump’s skepticism over President Zelenskyy’s allegations makes it obvious that he is still buying (and getting played by) Putin’s bullshit. How pathetic. Our only ally right now should be Zelenskyy, not Putin or Netanyahu.

Trump Orders Warning Signs Outside Smithsonian Museum…..President Trump has ordered the National Park Service to install temporary warning signs outside the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, claiming the museum has been “ideologically captured” and presents a distorted view of American history. The move follows a White House report accusing the museum of promoting “radical activism” and directing visitors to seek “accurate” accounts of U.S. history elsewhere. Smithsonian leaders strongly rejected the accusations, saying the museum is nonpartisan, guided by scholarship, and committed to presenting the full story of America’s triumphs and failures—not a political agenda. This is the Trump administration’s latest attempt to reshape how American history is presented in federally funded institutions.

Common Sense Takeaway: Let’s be clear: U.S. history is NOT all sunshine and rainbows—and it doesn’t always exude unity when we recount it. Being accurate about it means telling the bad parts and the good parts. That’s not proof of an “ideological agenda,” it’s just the truth. Unfortunately, we all know Donald Trump isn’t interested in telling the truth. He’d rather take a page out of the Kim Jung Un playbook and make sure his version of history is the only one remembered.

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