The Cost of a Useless War

7.20.26

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

Epstein Survivors Criticize Todd Blanche After DOJ Meeting…Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche met with several survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse after pressure from lawmakers considering his confirmation as attorney general. Following the meeting, survivor Annie Farmer said Blanche was “abrasive” and “condescending,” accusing him of refusing to commit to investigating why early reports about Epstein were ignored or to provide greater transparency into the Justice Department’s handling of the case. Blanche called the meeting “productive,” said he encouraged survivors to share any new information with the FBI, and reiterated that the DOJ would prosecute anyone if sufficient evidence exists. The meeting comes as Republican Sen. Thom Tillis has made speaking with Epstein’s victims a condition for supporting Blanche’s confirmation.

Common Sense Takeaway: Surprise, surprise. Todd Blanche is a total a**hole. I don’t have any faith in this DOJ or any Attorney General under the Trump Administration that Epstein accomplices will be brought to justice. They will delay as long as they possibly can, until the victims and the public are worn out. We can’t let them get away with it.

Appeals Court Gives Trump Administration Temporary Win on Mail-In Voting Rule….A federal appeals court temporarily sided with the Trump administration in its effort to expand federal oversight of elections by pausing a lower court ruling that blocked the U.S. Postal Service’s proposed mail-in voting restrictions. The policy would require states to provide voter lists to the Postal Service or risk having mail-in ballots withheld. However, the rule remains blocked for now because a separate federal injunction in Massachusetts is still in effect. While the decision doesn’t allow the policy to take effect immediately, it signals the administration could gain momentum as the legal challenges continue ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Common Sense Takeaway: The mail-in voting restrictions proposed by the USPS essentially allow the federal government to create a list of “authorized voters” who are allowed to cast a ballot. Does anyone believe that the Trump Administration a) can conjure up and routinely update an accurate list of eligible voters in the country and b) will not doctor or rig those lists? I don’t.

Pentagon Identifies Two U.S. Soldiers Killed in Iranian Strike….The Pentagon has identified two U.S. soldiers killed in an Iranian missile and drone attack in Jordan as 25-year-old Tyler James Feehan of Hawaii and 19-year-old Isabella Gonzales of Texas. A third service member was also killed in a separate incident in Iraq involving unexploded ordnance. The deaths come as fighting between the U.S. and Iran continues despite earlier ceasefire efforts, with U.S. forces carrying out additional strikes on Iranian military targets in response to recent attacks. According to the Pentagon, 15 U.S. service members have been killed in combat since operations against Iran began, and roughly 140 others have been wounded.

Common Sense Takeaway: What a tragedy. Two young lives taken, among others, for a war that never needed to happen. A war started by warmongers named Pete Hegseth, J.D. Vance, and Donald Trump. A war that we have gotten nothing out of, other than dead American troops, increased gas and oil prices, and civilian deaths in Iran and across the region.

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