Happy Tuesday and welcome to today’s edition of Common Sense with Ally Sammarco—your daily briefing on politics throughout the world. Let’s break it down.
WHITE HOUSE CHAOS, ON THE RECORD….In unusually candid interviews with Vanity Fair, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles offered strikingly blunt assessments of Donald Trump, describing him as having “an alcoholic’s personality,” an appetite for retribution, and a belief that there is “nothing he can’t do.” Wiles acknowledged that some prosecutions of Trump’s political opponents could appear vindictive, admitted Trump was wrong about claims involving Bill Clinton and Jeffrey Epstein, and said he ignored her advice on deportations, January 6 pardons, tariffs, and foreign policy. She also criticized key allies—calling JD Vance a longtime conspiracy theorist and expressing alarm over Elon Musk’s influence. While Wiles later claimed the piece was a “hit job,” she did not deny making the remarks—leaving Washington stunned and openly questioning what this level of internal candor says about Trump’s second-term White House.
Common Sense takeaway: A broken clock is right twice a day. Thanks for the candid interview confirming what we all knew, Susie. Now it looks like she is trying to walk back her statements in hopes of not being fired. Unforutunately, her interview read more like an exit interview than a woman who wants to keep her job for the next three years.
LABOR MARKET STALLS OUT….New data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the U.S. economy shed 105,000 jobs in October and added just 64,000 in November, pushing unemployment up to 4.6%—the highest level since 2021. Earlier job numbers were revised down, federal employment has plunged by more than 270,000 this year (driven in part by deferred resignations under Elon Musk’s short-lived government efficiency push), and wage growth has barely kept pace with inflation. While health care and construction added jobs, losses in transportation, leisure, and hospitality point to weakening consumer demand—a warning sign as Americans feel squeezed by high prices and slowing growth.
Common Sense takeaway: Under Trump’s economy, rising prices are stifling job creation, slowing growth, and suffocating small businesses. On top of that, people have been let go due to intense government cuts and healthcare prices are about to go through the roof! This is not sustainable.
ACA SUBSIDIES SET TO EXPIRE…..House Speaker Mike Johnson confirmed he will not allow a vote to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies, virtually guaranteeing higher health insurance premiums for millions of Americans next year. GOP leaders failed to reach a deal with centrist Republicans from swing districts, despite warnings that costs will spike for constituents—many of whom live in Trump-won states. Democrats, led by Hakeem Jeffries, are pushing a discharge petition to force a vote, but timing makes relief before the deadline unlikely. If nothing changes, millions of families will see higher monthly bills simply because House Republicans refused to act.
Common Sense takeaway: This is what Republicans do. They kill Democratic policies and plans with absolutely nothing legitimate to replace them with. Then, the American people suffer. This playbooks is exactly what we knew would happen, which is why Democrats pushed so hard to extend these subsidies during the government shutdown. They deserve every ounce of blame for their incompetency.
BROWN UNIVERSITY SHOOTING….Authorities are still searching for answers after a deadly shooting at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, left two students dead and nine others injured. Police have not named a suspect but released images of a masked “person of interest” captured hours before the attack, urging the public to come forward with information. A man previously referred to as “the suspect” by Donald Trump was later released due to a lack of evidence. The victims were identified as Ella Cook of Alabama and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov of Uzbekistan. In the aftermath, Brown canceled all classes and final exams for the rest of the semester as the campus community mourns and authorities continue the investigation.
Common Sense takeaway: I genuinely hope the perpetrator is found soon and taken into custody. After a flurry of misinformation from Donald Trump and local authorities after the shootings, there was so much confusion as to what was true and not. Republicans are already blaming the “far left” because one of the victims, Ella Cook, was a member of the schools College Republicans chapter. The sooner the truth comes out, the better.
REINER FAMILY TRAGEDY…..Nick Reiner, the 32-year-old son of Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, was not medically cleared to appear in court following his arrest on suspicion of murdering his parents. He has not been formally charged but is being held without bail. Rob and Michele Reiner were found stabbed to death in their Los Angeles home over the weekend, shocking Hollywood and prompting an outpouring of grief. Nick Reiner, who has spoken publicly about long struggles with addiction that inspired the film Being Charlie, was reportedly seen behaving erratically at a party days before the killings as authorities continue investigating the case.
Common Sense takeaway: The whole story is devastating. Rob Reiner was a fantastic and talented person and didn’t deserve to be murdered in his own home by his own son—no matter what the narcissist-in-chief says. I hope Nick Reiner is held accountable for every aspect of his involvement (if any, although it is increasingly looking there was) in this murder.
That’s it for today. Thanks for reading Common Sense with Ally Sammarco. Check back tomorrow for more.
Having grown up with alkie dad Pat Summerall, Susie Wiles now has spent a year with office dad Trump and his “alcoholic personality.” Having given the frank interview to Vanity Fair that Wiles claims was “taken out of context,” it’s likely to unplug “the refrigerator,” as DJT had called her, keeping her and Steven Cheung out of camera range whenever possible.
Concerning ACA Subsidies. Your comment is spot on: Common Sense takeaway: This is what Republicans do. They kill Democratic policies and plans with absolutely nothing legitimate to replace them with. UNFORTUNATELY, you left out the part where the Grand Oligopoly Party then LIES TO EVERYONE THAT IT IS THE DEMOCRATS FAULT and the right wing echo chamber that so many people get AOO of their news from repeats the lies over and over until, for a third of the voting population, it becomes the truth.