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Leland Vittert’s War Notes: T’was the week before Christmas

NewsNation Chief Washington Anchor and On Balance host Leland Vittert was a foreign correspondent for four years in Jerusalem. He gives you an early look at tonight’s 9 pm ET show. Subscribe to War Notes here.  

See you in New York 🗽: Well, Massapequa Park to be exact.

Wow😱: The shocking win in Georgia this week could spell trouble for Trump’s hopes of flipping John Ossoff’s Senate seat come 2026, and maybe even cost the GOP the governor’s seat. 


The Healthcare ‘Countdown’⏰: Nothing gets Congress to spend money like a combination of the holidays, a deadline and a countdown clock on cable news. 

Head coach Sherrone Moore of the Michigan Wolverines reacts against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Michigan Stadium on November 29, 2025 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)

What took so long?❓: University of Michigan’s head football coach Sherrone Moore was on the sidelines last weekend, now he is sitting in a jumpsuit in jail.

Watch tonight📺: College football sideline reporter for ESPN Stephanie Otey joins us tonight.

President Donald Trump. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Hurting the Victims‼️

🎄‘Twas the week before Christmas and all the world will be talking about is Jeffrey Epstein — next week is the first deadline for release of the Epstein files, but Democrats wanted to get ahead of the game. 

🤦🏼‍♂️Democrats try the old guilty by association ploy, releasing selective pictures to paint President Trump in the worst possible light. 

🔥Releasing pictures on a Friday morning thinking it’s a slow news morning is like pouring gasoline on embers — it cheapens the whole idea that we have victims we need justice for. 

Watch tonight📺: Our power panel Ben Weider, Tom Dupree and Rachel Foster on why the cheap political tactics hurt the victims without finding justice.

Tune into “On Balance with Leland Vittert” weeknights at 9/8 CT on NewsNation. Find your channel here

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily of NewsNation.