“Communities with high birth and marriage rates could soon gain an advantage in securing federal transit money — a long-sought goal of the Trump administration but one that a top Democratic appropriator calls ‘bizarre and dystopian,'” Politico reports.
Daily Archives
October 6, 2026
93 posts · Tuesday
Just dropped · Trial Balloon · Ep. 191
Blue Wave Update
Trial Balloon · Ep. 191: Blue Wave Update
As Trump Voters Sour, Vance Is Changing His Tune
“Voters are increasingly saying they are fed up with the Trump administration. Vice President JD Vance wants them to know he gets it,” Politico reports.
”In recent weeks, the vice president has attempted to campaign as a voice of patience and even empathy as the White House grapples with a series of brutal polls and the possibility of losing control of the House and Senate.”
“Vance on the stump often concedes that many Trump voters are frustrated by the pace of progress and admits that sometimes he is, too. It is followed by a call for patience, a plea for one more chance and a warning that Democrats would be far worse.”
Ex-CIA Officer Admits to Far Larger $145 Million Scam
“A former CIA officer who the authorities say stashed hundreds of gold bars in his home admitted in court on Tuesday to a far larger web of deception, including a $145 million scam involving luxury real estate and providing sensitive intelligence to a foreign government official,” the New York Times reports.
“The shocking details of the case were revealed in federal court in Alexandria, Va. where David J. Rush pleaded guilty to a single count of wire fraud, which could earn him up to 20 years behind bars.”
Justice Department Turns to Conspiracists to Fill Ranks
New York Times: “Since early 2025, upward of 300 nonpolitical career employees, representing decades of experience, have left the division after its leader, Harmeet Dhillon, repurposed it to pursue President Trump’s agenda.”
“As a consequence, the division has opened its doors to recruits, many of them conservatives, some with education and work histories that might have disqualified them from being hired in the past, former officials said. Some have left a trail of hyperpartisan, conspiratorial and, in some instances, bizarre statements.”
French Government Is Willing to Bypass Parliament
“France’s finance minister said the government is prepared to exercise special constitutional powers and circumvent Parliament to pass billions in spending cuts if negotiations stall over next year’s budget,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
Inside Scott Bessent’s Treasury
Wall Street Journal: “Bessent’s behavior was a factor—and sometimes the most-important one—in the departure of multiple key officials.”
“Since he became Treasury secretary in early 2025, Bessent has dressed down senior advisers and junior staffers alike over issues large and small.”
Another Bonus Quote of the Day
“The establishment Democratic Party is a failed enterprise… It is so hard to lose two general elections to Donald Trump. In political terms, to imagine a worse failure than losing two national elections to Donald Trump.”
— Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO), quoted by The Lever.
Exchange of the Day
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Tory Jackson (D) debated in Maine tonight:
COLLINS: I was successful in getting road salt removed from the Canada tariff list.
JACKSON: What about everything else? We can’t eat road salt.
House GOP Leaders Admit Redistricting Fell Short
“House GOP leaders are now openly acknowledging that their mid-decade redistricting push didn’t work out as well as they’d hoped,” Axios reports.
“Republicans kicked off the redistricting wars hoping new maps would give them a bigger cushion against the historical headwinds facing the president’s party.”
“That advantage is looking a lot smaller than they envisioned.”
Young Voters Turn Back to Democrats
New York Times: “As younger voters, particularly young men, drifted toward Republicans over the past few years, there was some concern in the Democratic Party that they might be lost forever. That no longer seems to be the case.”
“Across the eight Senate races The Times and Siena polled, Democrats have a 30-point advantage with voters under the age of 30. When asked which candidate they trusted to handle the cost of living — which voters in this age group said was the most important issue — that margin was even wider.”
Ashley Moody Comfortably Leads in Florida Senate Race
A new NBC6/Telemundo/Mason-Dixon poll in Florida finds Ashley Moody (R) leading Angie Nixon (D) in the U.S. Senate race, 50% to 40%, with GILLESPIE at 2%.
Florida Senate Race
Ashley Moody (R) 50%
Angie Nixon (D) 40%
The same poll in Florida finds Byron Donalds (R) leading David Jolly (D) in the governor’s race, 48% to 41%.
Florida Governor’s Race
Byron Donalds (R) 48%
David Jolly (D) 41%
Kreiss-Tomkins Leads in Alaska Governor’s Race
A new Alaska Survey Research poll in Alaska finds Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins (D) leading Bernadette Wilson (R) in the governor’s race after three rounds of ranked choice balloting, 54% to 46%.
Alaska Governor’s Race
Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins (D) 54%
Bernadette Wilson (R) 46%
Palm Beach GOP Pulls Support for Accused Molestor
“At long last, the Palm Beach County GOP has finally pulled its support for a Florida candidate accused of sexually abusing a child,” MS NOW reports.
“Palm Beach Republicans have been under pressure over their continued association with Mike Caruso, who was serving as the county’s clerk of the circuit court and comptroller before his August arrest on charges including kidnapping, molestation and child abuse.”
Chris Murphy Denied Entry to U.S. Military Base in Qatar
“Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) was barred from entering a U.S. military base in Qatar, the Connecticut lawmaker told reporters on Tuesday,” the Washington Sun reports.
“The senator is currently on a congressional delegation to the Middle East, where he’s met with key officials to discuss the ongoing Iran war.”
Trump Aides Advised Russia-Aligned Government
“As President Trump crisscrossed the country last week trying to help his party avoid a blowout in next month’s midterm elections, two of his top political advisers were in the Balkans helping a pro-Russian government looking to tighten its grip on power,” the New York Times reports.
“James Blair and Chris LaCivita, who are leading a big-money midterm advertising campaign for the Trump political operation, spent some of the past few days in a small self-governing territory in Bosnia and Herzegovina called Republika Srpska ahead of elections there on Sunday.”
“The engagement is the latest example of Trump advisers profiting from far-right politicians abroad who have sought favor from the U.S. president while bucking the international community.”
Trump Hints at ‘Big Surprises’ Right Before Midterms
“Does President Donald Trump have some tricks up his sleeve?” Mediaite asks.
“It sounds like it, after the president teased his administration has some history-making ‘big surprises’ to unveil in the weeks leading up to the 2026 midterms. Trump, during a Tuesday afternoon speech in Sparrows Point, Maryland, said the mystery revelations will be coming from Russell Vought, the director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.”
Said Trump: “We have some big surprises coming up in another few weeks, right Russ? He’s gonna be one of the very important people in the history of our country, in my opinion. He’s got some great things happening.”
Trump Touts Shipyard Owned by Major Donor
“Donald Trump on Tuesday announced the opening of a new $6.6 billion shipbuilding factory in Baltimore, partly funded by the U.S. government but owned by Anduril Industries, a politically connected defense company,” The Guardian reports.
“Trump’s appearance at a currently unused shipyard in Sparrows Point is a boost to Anduril, whose founder, Palmer Luckey, is a major GOP campaign fundraiser.”
Chris Pappas Leads in New Hampshire Senate Race
A new YouGov poll in New Hampshire finds Chris Pappas (D) leading John E. Sununu (R) in the U.S. Senate race, 51% to 43%.
New Hampshire Senate Race
Chris Pappas (D) 51%
John E. Sununu (R) 43%
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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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