La victoire appartient au plus opiniatre
Victory belongs to the most tenacious, the lesson of the week
There is remarkably little that would get me up at 6 am on a Saturday morning voluntarily, and even fewer things that would have me up happily. But today’s French Open Final feat. Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka was both of those things, to the point that my body actually woke me up sans alarm. It was a great match despite shitty (shité) weather conditions, and in the third set, something Americans can actually be proud of happened—a rare and welcome win for us right now. Of course, as is the case for all important moments in sports, Spike Lee was courtside.
Hot Tip will be on a short hiatus this upcoming week, while I work on something exciting I can tell you about later this year! A very cool opportunity for me to for once in my life be mysterious. In the meantime, don’t forget to share with friends and/or subscribe to “the most unhinged and by far the best political newsletter” in town.
In politics: You know where we’re going to have to start this weekend. It’s the sad, empty race car bunkbeds sitting out on the curb in front of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, their former occupants now beefing on the internet for all to see.
It was all perfectly chummy last week, when Trump gifted Musk a “golden key” (I assume to the gates of hell?) to thank him for his work in D.C. But Elon and Trumpy Wumpy hit a completely predictable snag on Thursday after the former accused his buddy of 1) creating a recession with his budget bill + tariffs and 2) being named in the Epstein files. Trump threatened to cut Elon’s billions in contracts with the federal government and said he was “very disappointed” in the Space X-owning/pants pissing (by his own admission) richest man on earth.
Then it got weirder. Ted Cruz referred to Musk and Trump as his “mommy and daddy” (not a joke, totally real) on his podcast, and adding that they should “kiss and make up,” an image that will haunt us all until the AI finally rises up and kills us. (But also, an endorsement of Pride Month from Ted Cruz? Or I’ll just say it is for the Google SEO of it all?) Even Kanye tried to be the voice of reason.
Yes, it’s all objectively hilarious—and genuinely thrilling to watch Elon’s net worth dip to the tune of $34 billion—but as many have correctly pointed out, we need to keep our eye on the ball. And elect more women, who would’ve squashed their issues in a few group texts and one hour at a wine bar.
Federal agents wreaked havoc in my city of LA yesterday, with 44 people arrested. A brain-dead woman is being kept on life support because she was just barely pregnant when she passed, her body now being treated as a human incubator. RFK Jr. is actively dissolving the US’ main mental health agency, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration. And those are just a selection of this week’s terrors.
So after we all have the laugh we need—and frankly, deserve—about two ugly weirdo creep addled billionaires turning on each other, we must return to the very important life lesson I learned this morning via the billboards hanging in the stands at the French Open: “La victoire appartient au plus opiniatre,” or “victory belongs to the most tenacious.” Let’s make it us and not them.
Quick tips:
A wrongly deported man from Maryland, Kilmar Ábrego García, was quietly returned to the US—but is now facing criminal charges here.
The State Department told global consulates to restart processing Harvard student visas, though with “enhanced vetting,” or what we here at Hot Tip like to call censorship.
Simone Biles, ever the GOAT, took a stand for trans athletes against bigot loser Riley Gaines (literally, she got fifth place once and can’t get over it) online.
Trump issued a new travel ban on 12 countries with—if you can believe it—wildly inconsistent and confusing standards.
Andrew Yang sucked when he ran for president in 2020, and he still sucks today.
The carpenter who oversaw sets at SNL for 50 years is retiring, and his team has never missed a single deadline.
The Tony Awards are this Sunday evening on CBS, hosted by Cynthia Erivo. Hot tip: The Wicked: For Good trailer was released this week as well.
If the definitive generational stylist dressing Millennials is Danielle Goldberg (and it is), then for Gen Z it’s Jared Ellner.
On theme for the news of this week, Sabrina Carpenter has released a certified summer bop called “Manchild,” and we should all thank her for it.
In recent purchases: There’s much ado about strawberry and tomato girl summers, but I’m going with persimmon girl summer using this blush from Merit. A perfect sun-kissed look to accompany your well-applied SPF. Hot tip: This is mine.
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A v good (bad? But good?) roundup of news. Happy to have found your newsletter!!
Thank you for keeping Adriana Smith & RFK Jr’s names in media posts. Aside from USAID, healthcare, & social welfare programs being gutted, these are the real horrors that are, strategically, getting little to no press. Good looking out. Sending much love to LA 💙