It’s always fun to talk politics with the great Julie Mason.
Thune Says Taxpayers Should Not Pay for Trump TV Ads
“Senate Republican Leader John Thune said taxpayers shouldn’t be footing the bill for video advertisements lauding President Donald Trump that the administration has called ‘presidential public service announcements,'” Bloomberg reports.
Said Thune: “It’s a great message, I like the message, but it shouldn’t be paid for with taxpayer dollars.”
Georgia Peanut Commission Chair Backs Jon Ossoff
“Donald Chase is the kind of voter Democrats are fighting over in Georgia,” the Atlanta Journal-Consitution reports.
“The Oglethorpe peanut farmer has voted Republican for nearly his entire adult life. He’s supporting and contributing to GOP candidates elsewhere on the November ballot.”
“But when it comes to the U.S. Senate race, he plans to vote for Democratic incumbent Jon Ossoff.”
Said Chase: “We don’t necessarily elect a party. I like to support people that I can get behind and believe in.”
South Carolina Senate Race Is Tight
A new Trafalgar Group (R) poll in South Carolina finds Darline Graham (R) leading Annie Andrews (D) in the U.S. Senate race, 43% to 42%.
South Carolina Senate Race
Darline Graham (R) 43%
Annie Andrews (D) 42%
Kurt Alme Way Ahead in Montana Senate Race
A new NonStop Local/American Pulse Research and Polling (R) poll in Montana finds Kurt Alme (R) leading Seth Bodnar (I) in the U.S. Senate race, 45% to 26%, with Alani Bankhead (D) at 19%.
Montana Senate Race
Kurt Alme (R) 45%
Seth Bodnar (I) 26%
Alani Bankhead (D) 19%
Trump’s Politically Asinine Ad Campaign
Dan Pfeiffer: “It’s hard to overstate how much of a political self-own these ads are.”
“First, Trump is very, very unpopular. According to Nate Silver’s model, Trump’s net approval is -22. At this point in his first term, it was -12. At the same point in his presidency, Joe Biden was at -10…”
“Second, using taxpayer money for these ads is Trump once again leading with his chin. Plenty of polling shows voters are furious about what Trump and Republicans are spending money on while they cut health care and food assistance and close rural hospitals. These ads are just like the ballroom, the war in Iran and everything else Trump focuses on instead of lowering costs.”
“Finally, the ads are stupid because they’re unnecessary. Trump’s super PAC has more than $400 million in the bank. Republicans have a massive financial advantage and are outspending Democrats in nearly every competitive Senate race. Spending taxpayer money on these ads is all downside and no upside for Republicans.”
Trump Claims New Fuel Economy Rules Will Cut Car Prices
“The Trump administration unveiled new rules Monday rolling back the nation’s fuel economy standards, touting the move as a money-saving measure for American auto buyers struggling with affordability,” the Washington Post reports.
“Analysts were doubtful that car shoppers should expect $1,300 price cuts from the new regulations — and any savings would be hard to notice, with average new vehicle prices currently hovering around $50,000.”
Trump Denies Discussing U.S. Arms Sales with Xi
“President Donald Trump said he has not discussed selling arms to China, contradicting a suggestion made by his ambassador to Beijing,” Bloomberg reports.
Said Trump: “I never heard of that.”
Washington Sun: “David Perdue said Trump raised the prospect of the arms sales from the U.S. to its ascendant geopolitical rival, an unlikely offer that if consummated would upend generations of U.S. policy toward China and Taiwan and expose U.S. technology to a potential foe.”
‘The Polls Are Fake’
Asked this afternoon why Republicans appear to be underperforming this year in states he won by double digits in 2024, President Trump claimed “the polls are fake,” Politico reports.
Proud Boys Go From Prosecutions to Pardons to Premiere
“President Trump has spent the past half decade working with his allies on a revisionist history of Jan. 6, 2021, trying to rebrand the rioters who breached the Capitol that day as persecuted patriots and transform an act of political violence into what he once described as a ‘day of love,'” the New York Times reports.
“The latest chapter in that alternate account was written on Saturday evening when 300 people gathered at an arts center in West Palm Beach, Fla. down the road from Mar-a-Lago, Mr. Trump’s private club and residence. They were there for the debut screening of ‘American Martyrs,’ a new documentary about the far-right Proud Boys who went from being prosecuted for the Capitol attack to being granted clemency by the president.”
Breach at FBI Fuels Fears of Harm to Its Employees
“The theft by a criminal hacking group of reams of sensitive personal data involving potentially tens of thousands of former and current FBI employees is emerging as one of the worst breaches of sensitive government information, leaving the bureau rushing to protect its personnel as a deadline looms,” the New York Times reports.
“Nearly a week after the group, known as ShinyHunters, revealed it had pilfered intimate details about bureau personnel from the agency’s jobs portal and threatened to leak them online, FBI investigators are still piecing together how the breach took place and the total damage.”
“The hack appears to have swept up home addresses, Social Security numbers, secretive job assignments and much more.”
Another Bonus Quote of the Day
“Well, I think elections are won in the summer, and we’re now here in late September. And Donald Trump did everything he could to help Republicans lose over the summer.”
— Former Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-VA), quoted by NewsNation.
Ken Paxton’s Wife Asks GOP Women to Look Past Flaws
“Angela Paxton, who is divorcing Texas Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton, posted a video Monday of recent remarks urging Republican women to support GOP candidates in Texas this fall even if they have reservations about them,” CNN reports.
“In the speech, Angela Paxton, a Texas state senator, did not mention her husband or his hotly contested race against Democrat James Talarico. But she made multiple references to Texas Republicans feeling conflicted about how to vote in the November election, particularly amid Ken Paxton’s long history of legal and ethical controversies.”
Ocasio-Cortez Tours State Ahead of 2028
“It’s an unfortunate fact of life: In just a few short weeks, the 2028 election cycle will officially be underway,” New York Magazine reports.
“And judging by her recent travel schedule, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is getting a head start on those proceedings. The big question is whether she’s aiming for the Capitol or the White House.”
Mysterious Millions Power a Nevada Republican’s Bid
Mother Jones: “On March 31, David Flippo, the Republican nominee for Congress in northern Nevada, loaned his campaign $600,000, according to federal records. In doing so, he massively increased his topline fundraising numbers for a quarter—the last before Nevada’s primary elections—in which he brought in less than $20,000 from outside supporters.”
“Within weeks, Flippo’s campaign repaid him $12,000 of the money he had lent. Two days later, Nevada public records show he was listed as a debtor to a company that specializes in financing home improvement projects. The agreement was collateralized by ‘FLOORING’ at the Flippos’ Las Vegas home.”
“The financing statement is one of many transactions that do not typically fit the profile of an independently wealthy candidate who has reported providing his campaign operation nearly $2.5 million over his past two congressional bids. Adding to the mystery over the source of his funding: Flippo, dating back to his first run for Congress, has failed to submit the required disclosures that would illuminate his personal financial position.”
Trump Asks Court to Limit Transgender Inmate Care
“The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on Monday to allow its policy limiting gender-affirming treatment for federal inmates to take effect while a legal challenge plays out in court,” the Washington Sun reports.
Trump’s Taxpayer-Funded Ads Added to List of Brazen Acts
Aaron Blake: “When the Trump administration began running taxpayer-funded ‘public service announcements’ that looked suspiciously like campaign ads for President Donald Trump last week, the White House gamely maintained they were ‘very clearly not campaign ads.'”
“Then it gave up all pretense.”
“As of Sunday, the administration was running a new ad that was basically an actual campaign ad, repurposed from Trump’s 2024 bid. It effectively just slapped on a ‘Paid for by the U.S. Government’ disclaimer and called it a day.”
Nebraska Senate Race Remains Tight
A new internal GBAO poll in Nebraska finds Dan Osborn (I) leading Pete Ricketts (R) in the U.S. Senate race, 47% to 46%.
Nebraska Senate Race
Dan Osborn (I) 47%
Pete Ricketts (R) 46%
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