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Rubio Seeks to Reassure European Allies

February 14, 2026 at 6:46 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Secretary of State Marco Rubio made an unapologetic defense for American might and pursuit of national interests Saturday while seeking to recast President Trump’s sharp disputes with Europe as a form of tough love with the U.S.’s closest allies,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

New York Times: “Unlike Mr. Vance, who scolded Europeans for sidelining far-right parties and accused them of limiting free speech, Mr. Rubio struck a diplomatic tone, emphasizing centuries of shared history between Europe and the United States, from the colonization of America to the struggle against Communism during the Cold War.”

“Now, the United States wants to work with Europeans, not against them, Mr. Rubio said in his speech, which was met with bouts of applause and laughter, contrasting with the stony silence Mr. Vance faced last year.”

MAGA Turns on Pam Bondi

February 14, 2026 at 6:44 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“A chorus of top MAGA voices are calling for Attorney General Pam Bondi’s removal over her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files and her combative congressional testimony on Wednesday,” Axios reports.

Murder Bimbo

February 14, 2026 at 6:38 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

New York Times: “The premise of Murder Bimbo, Rebecca Novack’s deviously intelligent new novel, is bracingly straightforward.”

Says the narrator: “I’m a 32-year-old sex worker who just killed a politician on what I thought were the orders of the American government.”

Murder Bimbo: A Novel
Murder Bimbo: A Novel
  • Hardcover Book
  • Novack, Rebecca (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 224 Pages - 02/10/2026 (Publication Date) - Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster (Publisher)
Check Price on Amazon

Kamala Harris Sold Her Email List to DNC

February 14, 2026 at 6:27 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The Democratic National Committee, which began 2026 in debt and nearly $100 million behind its Republican counterpart, made a $6.5 million bet in the final weeks of 2025 to buy former Vice President Kamala Harris’s old email list of supporters,” the New York Times reports.

“That money almost immediately went to help Ms. Harris pay off expenses left over from her 2024 campaign.”

“Ms. Harris’s new political group, Fight for the People PAC, spent nearly $7 million in the final month of 2025, new federal filings show, overwhelmingly on presidential campaign expenses that had not previously been disclosed as debts.”

County GOP Chairman Accused of Waterboarding Daughter

February 14, 2026 at 6:15 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Wasatch County GOP chairman David Johnson, who is also a father, was charged with waterboarding his teenage daughter, KSL reports.

Republicans Worry Shutdown Will Overshadow Trump

February 14, 2026 at 5:30 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“President Donald Trump is barreling ahead with the first State of the Union address of his second term, despite concerns among Republicans that it’s set to hit during a partial government shutdown,” Politico reports.

“The speech, set for 11 days from now, is poised to land in the middle of a funding lapse at the Department of Homeland Security – the product of a standoff with Democrats over immigration enforcement that the White House had hoped to avoid. Behind the scenes, some administration officials and senior Capitol Hill Republicans are quietly fretting about the optics, according to six people granted anonymity to describe private conversations.”

Josh Shapiro Builds Out His Donor Network

February 13, 2026 at 8:39 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) is using his book tour and 2026 reelection campaign to further build out a national fundraising network that could prove quite useful in a potential 2028 run, Politico reports.

Bonus Quote of the Day

February 13, 2026 at 8:36 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Who gives a shit who owns Greenland? I don’t.”

— Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), quoted by Politico.

Kelly Says Trump Will ‘Double Down on Stupid’

February 13, 2026 at 8:34 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) told Politico he wouldn’t be surprised if the Trump administration tries to take another run at punishing him over a video telling troops not to obey unlawful orders.

Said Kelly: “I wouldn’t put anything past Donald Trump and this administration. We’ve seen these guys over and over again double down on stupid.”

Pentagon Used Claude in Maduro Venezuela Raid

February 13, 2026 at 7:49 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Anthropic’s artificial-intelligence tool Claude was used in the U.S. military’s operation to capture former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, highlighting how AI models are gaining traction in the Pentagon, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Mark Sanford Eyes a Comeback

February 13, 2026 at 6:00 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford is considering three paths to political redemption — a run for his old House seat, a campaign for the governor’s mansion he once occupied or a primary bid against Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham,” Axios reports.

“A critic of President Trump’s who lost his congressional seat in a 2018 primary to a Trump-backed candidate, Sanford is a politician in search of an office.”

Can You Compete?

February 13, 2026 at 5:00 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

So far, just 17% of today’s quiz takers have gotten every question right.

How will you do? Click here to see.

Trump Says He’ll Mandate Voter ID for the Midterms

February 13, 2026 at 4:59 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

President Trump said on Truth Social he doesn’t need Congress to get voter ID in place by the midterm elections.

Said Trump: “The Democrats refuse to vote for Voter I.D., or Citizenship. The reason is very simple — They want to continue to cheat in Elections. This was not what our Founders desired. I have searched the depths of Legal Arguments not yet articulated or vetted on this subject, and will be presenting an irrefutable one in the very near future. There will be Voter I.D. for the Midterm Elections, whether approved by Congress or not!“

Trump Loses His Grip on Republicans

February 13, 2026 at 4:57 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

CNBC: “The apparent shift is underway as Trump, the Republican Party’s undisputed leader, grapples with stubbornly low approval ratings — especially on the economy, a perennial issue on which he was elected that has only grown more important to Americans chafing under high prices.”

Trump Touts ‘Discombobulator’ Weapon

February 13, 2026 at 4:56 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

President Trump boasted again about a secret U.S. “discombobulator” weapon that can block Russian and Chinese defense systems, as he met the elite troops who captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, the South China Morning Post reports.

Said Trump: “They even talk about the discombobulator, because they never got a shot off.”

He added: “The Russian equipment didn’t work. The Chinese equipment didn’t work. Everyone’s trying to figure out why it didn’t work. Someday you’re going to find out, but it didn’t work.”

Trump at Another Shutdown Standoff With Democrats

February 13, 2026 at 4:50 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Bloomberg: “The dynamics aren’t much different than in previous shutdowns under President Donald Trump. Democrats are making their votes dependent on policy changes — limits on immigration enforcement operations — that are being resisted by Republicans.”

“But this time, Democrats are seizing on what appears to be a genuine moment of leverage after the widespread outrage over the killings of two US citizens in Minnesota by federal agents during immigration enforcement operations.”

Tillis Warns Fed Chair Nomination Will Take a Long Time

February 13, 2026 at 4:45 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) said that Kevin Warsh will have to decide whether he would like to proceed with his Fed chair nomination process because of potential impacts to his business life amid the senator’s pledge to oppose the confirmation of any nominee to the central bank until the Justice Department resolves its investigation into Chairman Jerome Powell, CBS News reports.

Handful of Lawmakers Threaten Trump’s Grip on Congress

February 13, 2026 at 3:35 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“President Donald Trump spent the past year using fear and intimidation to keep Hill Republicans in line, with considerable success. Now those tactics are starting to lose their bite — thanks to a small group of Republicans with nothing to lose,” Politico reports.

“The reasons why this handful of GOP lawmakers feel empowered to spurn their president and their party vary. But they are launching mini-rebellions with increasing frequency. It’s causing headaches for party leaders who want to keep tight control of the legislative agenda in an election year and anxiety among rank-and-file Republicans who are facing intense pressure to stick with Trump.”

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About Political Wire

goddard-bw-snapshotTaegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.

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