Political Wire

Trump Is Considering Striking Iran Before the Midterms

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“After months of on-again, off-again fighting, the United States hasn’t struck Iran in several weeks,” The Atlantic reports.

“The stretch of relative tranquility is coinciding with the final phase of the midterm-election campaign, and the assumption has been that President Trump will want to keep it going through November 3 so as not to remind voters of an unpopular war that is dragging Republican candidates down nationwide.”

“But that may not be what happens. The White House has asked the Pentagon to develop strike options against Iranian targets that could be exercised ahead of the midterms… The planning underscores just how much the president wants to reduce gas prices and demonstrate progress in the conflict before the vote.”

Abdul El-Sayed Leads in Michigan Senate Race

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A new Public First Action/Guidant (R) poll in Michigan finds Abdul El-Sayed (D) leading Mike Rogers (R) in the U.S. Senate race, 48% to 43%.

Michigan Senate Race
Abdul El-Sayed (D) 48%
 
Mike Rogers (R) 43%
 
Public First Action/Guidant poll
Michigan Governor’s Race
Jocelyn Benson (D) 50%
 
John James (R) 45%
 
Public First Action/Guidant poll

James Talarico Leads in Texas Senate Race

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A new Public First Action/Guidant (R) poll in Texas finds James Talarico (D) leading Ken Paxton (R) in the U.S. Senate race, 47% to 44%, with Brown at 4%.

Texas Senate Race
James Talarico (D) 47%
 
Ken Paxton (R) 44%
 
Public First Action/Guidant poll · likely voters · ±3.46%
Texas Governor’s Race
Greg Abbott (R) 46%
 
Gina Hinojosa (D) 44%
 
Public First Action/Guidant poll · likely voters · ±3.46%

Kimberly Guilfoyle Pushed Donor to Wire $100,000 to Her

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“Kimberly Guilfoyle was preparing for her congressional hearing to become U.S. ambassador to Greece when she reached out to a Trump donor with an urgent request: She needed $100,000 that she said she owed American Express—in a way that wouldn’t leave a paper trail,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

Said Guilfoyle, in a message on Signal: “It won’t show up anywhere if you wire money to American Express. Please.”

Trump Faces Lawsuit Alleging Misuse of Taxpayer Funds

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“The Democratic Party’s national organization filed a lawsuit accusing the Trump administration of unlawfully using government money to pay for video advertisements lauding the president that have been airing on cable and broadcast television stations across the U.S. in recent weeks,” Bloomberg reports.

Washington Sun: DNC sues Trump administration, alleging taxpayer-funded ads violate propaganda law.

Fed Sees Higher Rates Ahead

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Bloomberg: “Policymakers at the Fed, whose day job is to control inflation, are warning that borrowing costs are going to have to push higher if prices are to be brought under control.”

“Minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee’s Sept. 15-16 meeting, where officials decided to raise interest rates for the first time since 2023, showed that all 19 Fed policymakers backed the decision with several indicating there’s more work to do.”

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Trump Says Reflecting Pool Will Be Refilled This Week

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“On Tuesday, President Trump told reporters that the second round of renovations for the Reflecting Pool — necessary after the pool’s new ‘American flag blue’ coating peeled because of what the Justice Department deemed a ‘rushed and botched installation’ — are ‘totally complete,'” the Washington Post reports.

Said Trump: “I think they’re going to fill it up this week. The Reflecting Pool is totally complete, and we changed the old pipes. We wanted to get open for July Fourth, and now we went and got rid of all of the old pipes, which we were going to do later during the winter. We did it, and I think it’s almost complete… I’m going to visit.”

Another Bonus Quote of the Day

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“I could’ve done very bad things to Hillary Clinton. I could’ve done very, very bad things to Joe Biden. I could’ve done very bad things to Barack Hussein Obama. I thought it was inappropriate to do so because you have to treat the office of the presidency with respect. Then I found out that they impeached me. Twice. And … I can do whatever I want, if I want. They’ve done some very bad things.”

— President Trump, quoted by the New Republic.

Midterm Spending Hits Record Levels

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“These midterm elections may be remembered as the year the wealthy dominated in political spending for congressional and state elections — to questionable results,” the Washington Post reports.

“The elections are on track to break spending records… And some of the richest Americans and corporations are dominating the spending.”

“But money doesn’t seem to be solving Republicans’ problems yet, and all the spending can even backfire amid voters’ discontent with the economy and their government.”

GOP Candidate Brags About Physically Abusing His Wife

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“Colorado minister and Republican gubernatorial nominee Victor Marx has declared that he shoved his wife in the past—and he’d do it again,” the New Republic reports.

“The admission came by way of a campaign video call with his supporters Tuesday evening, during which Marx shamelessly confessed that he pushed his wife against a door supposedly to teach her a lesson about self-defense.”

Three Things to Understand About Ken Paxton

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Ed Kilore: “The first is that his party is frantic to save him from an increasingly plausible loss to Democrat James Talarico. Both statistically and symbolically, losing a Senate seat in the second-largest state, a GOP bastion for a generation, could be catastrophic for Republicans…”

“The second thing to know is that Paxton is, in a word, unlovable. Yes, he is an ideological MAGA warrior of the highest order with a base of loyalists in Texas that has saved his career again and again. But he’s a man of many vices, a serial adulterer (or so his estranged wife has suggested) with questionable financial ethics who seems perpetually on the brink of the scandal that will finally bring him down…”

“The third important thing to understand is that even as Republicans go to the mat for this difficult man, spending money they’d far rather spend elsewhere, Paxton is undermining the effort to help him with comments that enrage his would-be saviors.”

Trump’s Cheap Suit Is Out of Character

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“The fact that President Donald Trump was photographed flashing a suit tag from a bargain brand of imported suits should not really be news,” CNN reports.

“Any woman in politics would tell you we should not dwell on how a politician dresses.”

“But the fact that Trump, a billionaire, was photographed wearing a suit jacket with tags from Jos. A. Bank, the relatively inexpensive brand, is interesting for a number of reasons.”

86% Oppose Trump’s Taxpayer-Funded Ads

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“Nearly nine in 10 voters say using taxpayer money to pay for election-related ads featuring the president or Cabinet members is inappropriate, including 80% of Republicans, according to a recent Reuters-Ipsos poll,” Axios reports.

And that’s why Trump backed down and said he would pay for them from his PAC.
Taegan

Candidate Is Raped While Fixing Her Campaign Signs

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Phoenix New Times: “It was just after 2 a.m. on a pitch-black Friday morning when Bernadette Greene-Placentia’s life changed. The Democratic candidate for Congressional District 8 strolled across a parking lot to repair a damaged campaign sign. It was a routine she’d followed all summer. This time, she only made it a few yards.”

“An attacker smashed her over the head. She blacked out. She woke up to find a strange man on top of her.”

Another Trouble Sign for Republicans

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We’ve seen poll after poll pointing to an enthusiasm gap heading into the midterms.

And it works in both directions: Democrats appear more motivated to turn out, while a meaningful share of Republican voters seem more inclined to stay home.

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Key Fuel Savings Measure Touted by Trump Is Fraying

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“Cargoes of American-made fuel and crude to parts of the country that badly need them have dropped in recent weeks after the White House pared back a waiver of longstanding shipping requirements, raising the risk of even higher pump prices while frustrating oil traders,” Bloomberg reports.

Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire -- which for more than two decades has been one of the nation's most influential political news sites.

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