Coming soon: Next by Pete Buttigieg.
Pete Buttigieg sets out his vision for the country in a new book, which is an indication he’s almost certainly ramping up a run for president in 2028.
Trump Says He May Not Endorse a Candidate in 2028
“President Donald Trump says he may not put his thumb on the scale when it comes to picking the Republican Party’s 2028 presidential nominee,” Fox News reports.
Said Trump: “Probably, not necessarily. So I may or may not get involved… Maybe I’m better off not getting involved.”
Where the GOP’s Big Cash Flopped
“In the end, money didn’t really matter,” Punchbowl News reports.
“Republicans dumped a tidal wave of cash into major House and Senate contests to push their candidates to victory. In dozens of races, it seemed to make no difference.”
“Across the country, in every state and region, Democrats triumphed in an election that’s been compared to the party’s golden age of the post-Watergate era.”
“It’s easy to say this after the fact. But Democrats privately wondered about some of the GOP’s spending decisions as they watched Republicans drop resources into contests their own data showed weren’t close.”
For members: Republicans Bought Tons of Ads But Did Anyone Watch?
U.S. Received $12 Billion From Venezuela’s Oil
“The U.S. government received and disbursed more than $12 billion in revenue from Venezuela’s natural resource exports in the first nine months of this year,” the New York Times reports.
Biden Economist Pitches $1,000 Down Payment Mortgages
“A top Biden administration economic official is pitching Democrats on a low-down-payment proposal to bring millions of new homebuyers into the market, as incoming congressional leaders take stock of affordability measures that might help them notch early legislative wins,” Bloomberg reports.
“A new policy group chaired by former National Economic Council Director Lael Brainard is pushing for the creation of a Federal Housing Administration program to facilitate home purchases with as little as $1,000 down for first-time buyers who meet ‘strong underwriting criteria.'”
Democrats Flip State Legislatures
Fox News: “Heading into the election, Republicans controlled 28 of the nation’s 49 bicameral state legislatures, compared with 18 controlled by Democrats, while three states had divided control. Democrats now control both chambers in 24 states, compared with 22 for Republicans. North Carolina and Texas have split legislatures, while races in Alaska and Georgia remain pending. Even if Republicans win the uncalled chambers in the pending states, Democrats will still control more state legislatures than Republicans.”
“Nebraska is included in the Republican count because its officially nonpartisan, unicameral legislature is led by a Republican majority.”
Extra Bonus Quote of the Day
“I like to watch the call-ins because it gives me a little bit of an indication of where we are. I do okay in that. We have some great Republicans calling in, and I’m not so sure the Democrats are thrilled, but the Republicans seem to be.”
— President Trump, quoted by the New York Post, making a surprise call-in to C-SPAN last night.
Price Pressures Persisted in October
“Inflation remained hot in October, according to data from the Labor Department released on Tuesday,” Axios reports.
“The Consumer Price Index shows that even as gasoline prices steadied, inflation pressures elsewhere remained stubborn.”
Hegseth Vows to Keep Job
“Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth forcefully pushed back against a growing impeachment threat and questions about his leadership following Republicans’ sweeping midterm losses, calling the articles of impeachment a ‘circus’ and vowing to continue in the job,” the Washington Sun reports.
Said Hegseth: “What one disgruntled and defeated congressman is attempting is not oversight, and it’s not accountability. It’s a farce, and it’s a stunt and everybody knows it.”
Rubio Says U.S. and Europe Are Aligned On Ukraine
“Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that the U.S. is closely aligned with Europe in trying to reach an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine, now in its fifth year,” Bloomberg reports.
Said Rubio: “We know where we stand: on Ukraine’s side. We are supporting Ukraine militarily, financially and in the energy sector, while continuing to exert sustained pressure on Russia through our sanctions and our efforts to combat the shadow fleet.”
Pete Hegseth Deflects JD Vance’s Criticism of Iran War
“Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in a Tuesday morning press conference deflected Vice President Vance’s earlier criticism that the Iran war led to stunning Republican losses in the midterm elections, telling reporters he respects Vance ‘greatly’ but was ‘not going to exchange any finger pointing,'” NewsNation reports.
Said Hegseth: “Thankfully, politics is not really my thing. I do the Department of War and making sure we’re prepared and ready. So a lot of people are going to look at the conflict and assess it.”
Deadline: Pete Hegseth defends tenure, lavishes praise on Trump and calls impeachment threat “sabotage” in rare Pentagon press conference.
Dan Patrick Backs Stripping Powers From Successor
“Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) told a conservative radio host Monday that Republican lawmakers should strip the Democrat who defeated him of power as the state Senate president before she takes office,” the Washington Post reports.
“The lieutenant governor of Texas is powerful, unlike those in other states. The officeholder can write the budget, appoint committees and chairs, and set legislative priorities with the governor.”
“Texas GOP state senators can use their simple majority once they reconvene in January to transfer powers from Democrat Lt. Gov.-elect Vikki Goodwin to a Republican majority leader.”
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Republicans Bought Tons of Ads But Did Anyone Watch?
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Hegseth Slams Massie Impeachment Push
“Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth lambasted Rep. Thomas Massie’s (R-KY) push to oust him, likening the impeachment effort to Democrats’ successful impeachments of President Trump,” Axios reports.
“As the possible first impeachment of a Cabinet secretary during the second Trump era and a Democratic-led Congress loom, Hegseth isn’t going down without a war of words.”
Bloomberg: Pentagon chief Hegseth slams impeachment push in Congress.
Cruz Launching GOP HQ for Taking Back Texas
“Sen. Ted Cruz is wasting no time on a campaign to win Texas back for Republicans, announcing a new Austin headquarters for his group Saving Texas,” Axios reports.
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A Quiet Push for a Schumer Exit?
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Talking Points is my analysis of the political landscape, written only for Political Wire members.
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- Trending News, the Polling Dashboard and the Political Calendar
- Inside Elections and Ballot Access News
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Bonus Quote of the Day
“It’s important to me that I’ve got a governing partner. I’m going to do what I can to make sure that I get one.”
— Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed (D-MI), quoted by Politico, on the 2028 Democratic presidential hopefuls.
Democrats Seek Prediction Market Ban for Trump Staff
“As the Pentagon and Congress crack down on government insiders using prediction markets, two Democratic senators want to know what steps the White House is taking to guard against potential insider trading among President Donald Trump’s staff — particularly after a White House teleprompter operator allegedly made $100,000 on Kalshi by betting on which words the president would use in his speeches,” MS NOW reports.
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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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