At the September 9, 2026 Republican convention, Democratic Senator John Fetterman introduced Republican Senator Dave McCormick and promised cooperation with President Trump on Pennsylvania steel. Supporters welcomed bipartisanship; critics called it campaign-stage help for an administration Fetterman’s voters expected him to oppose.
Hunter Biden launched the $LAPTOP memecoin, framing it as resilience, redemption, and recovery. Critics called it a scam or “shitcoin” and warned against buying; Channel 5 disavowed promoting crypto after controversy over an audience-list file.
During a September 2, 2026 appearance on The Left Hook, Rula Jebreal described House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries as a “bought and paid by AIPAC monkey” and “basically an errand boy,” while immediately denying racial intent. Jebreal later apologized for the terms. The Congressional Black Caucus and several lawmakers characterized the wording as racist, while Wajahat Ali and Joy-Ann Reid emphasized intent and surrounding context while also criticizing the language.
On September 1, 2026, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reposted an image from the Vernon Cadet Training Centre showing a cadet receiving an award from an instructor, adding a Canadian flag and the words “this is real.” Canadian officials, a cadet organization, a Republican member of Congress, and George Clooney characterized the post as mocking, demeaning, or beneath the dignity of Hegseth’s office. The Pentagon stood by the post but did not specify what the caption meant.