Democrats are already sharpening their knives over Donald Trump's nomination of Dr. Heidi Overton to lead the FDA, with Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) declaring on X that Overton is a "far-right, anti-abortion extremist who has no business leading the FDA." Murray, who sits on the Senate health committee, vowed to vote NO, adding that Americans deserve someone who puts "science and facts FIRST, not another Trump sycophant." Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) piled on, accusing Trump of "throwing down the gauntlet" by nominating an FDA head who "demeans vaccines, denounces reproductive rights, & degrades science." Blumenthal warned Republicans to learn from past mistakes and stand up now, rather than handwringing later about Trump officials who threaten public health.

Meanwhile, Trump was busy touting his "good" relationship with Kim Jong-un, admitting he didn't anticipate the North Korean leader doing anything during the remainder of his term. "Now, I didn't like the fact that we're doing these massive military exercises really against North Korea … when I'm friendly with him … when I don't see anything happening for, certainly, two and a half years - it's not going to happen with me," Trump said, explaining why he ordered the US to scale back "inappropriate and hostile" joint military drills with South Korea. He also revealed that North Korea has 57 "very powerful" nuclear weapons, an unusually specific assessment from a US president, and said he plans to meet Kim later this year.

In other tariff drama, Trump said he delayed tariffs on Canadian goods because he thought a deal had been reached with Prime Minister Mark Carney. "We delayed it for three days because I think we have a deal with the prime minister and [a] good deal for everybody," Trump told reporters. The pause came hours before a 50% US tariff on $20bn worth of goods, including wine and hockey sticks, was set to take effect. Trump also hinted at lowering steel and aluminum tariffs from 50% to 25%, but added, "We're getting zero for our farmers, who have been hurt very badly by Canada."

At a White House event with tech and crypto leaders, Trump boasted about leading in AI, saying he plans to discuss the tech with China's Xi Jinping on September 24th. SEC Chair Paul Atkins flattered his boss, declaring, "We're making IPOs great again by cutting red tape." Trump also pushed for lower interest rates, claiming that when good numbers are announced, rates should fall, but "they're so afraid of inflation." He called the US "the hottest country" anywhere, referring to the economy, and took a dig at "crooked Joe Biden," claiming without evidence that Biden's administration attacked innovation, particularly in crypto. Trump's own crypto ventures netted him at least $1.4bn last year, per financial disclosures.

In other news, House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-KY) threatened to hold private equity investor Leon Black in contempt for not cooperating with the committee's investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. Comer's letter to Black's lawyer revealed that if Black refuses to provide documents or appear for his September 3, 2026 deposition, the committee will use "all tools at its disposal, including contempt." Black's lawyer, Susan Estrich, called the letter a "political witch hunt." Black had voluntarily agreed to be questioned in June but ended abruptly after one hour when he refused to answer questions about non-disclosure agreements.

And in a surprising flip, Democrat Brandon Dukes appears to have won a Pennsylvania state house seat that had been Republican since 1999, leading by just 97 votes over Republican Scott Timko in a special election. With over 99% of votes counted, Dukes leads 8,469 to 8,372 in the conservative 12th district, which includes Butler County - the site of Trump's assassination attempt in July 2024. Trump won the county by more than 18 points, but Dukes' apparent victory expands Democrats' narrow majority in the state house and could boost momentum ahead of November's midterms. Pete Buttigieg, who endorsed Dukes, called it "a big deal," while Governor Josh Shapiro celebrated Pennsylvanians "rising up" against "chaos, cruelty and corruption."

Health Secretary RFK Jr. defended the FDA pick, praising Overton's "exceptional judgment, professionalism, discipline, and an unwavering commitment to the American people." He claimed she will make the food supply safer, modernize drug approvals, and "restore Gold Standard Science." Democrats remain unconvinced, and the confirmation battle is shaping up to be a circus - but hey, at least the FDA will have a leader who believes in something, even if it's not science.