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October 15, 2026

86 posts · Thursday

Just dropped · Trial Balloon · Ep. 191

Blue Wave Update

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Trial Balloon · Ep. 191: Blue Wave Update

Secret Documents Reveal Donors Behind Trump’s Ballroom

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“A list obtained by The Washington Post reveals all the major donors to President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom project, including previously undisclosed contributors who have benefited from regulatory decisions, government contracts and, in one case, a pardon for a family member,” the Washington Post reports.

“Tech giants Nvidia and Apple each committed $25 million, the top contribution amount, the list shows. The Adelson family, one of the GOP’s largest donor dynasties, committed that sum as well, as did billionaire Charles Ergen, co-founder and chairman of telecommunications company Dish Network.”

Angie Nixon Explains Why She Wouldn’t Abolish Prisons

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“Democratic Florida Senate hopeful Angie Nixon insisted Wednesday she doesn’t want to abolish prisons — because she would like to see her Republican rival, Sen. Ashley Moody, thrown behind bars,” the New York Post reports.

Said Nixon: “They are spreading, like, a lot of disinformation and lies on commercials about me, of saying things like, I want to abolish prisons and I want to defund the police. Why would I want to do that when I want her her locked up and punished in jail for what she has done?”

Nearly Half of Voters Want ‘Total Upheaval’ in Midterms

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Mediaite: “With just 19 days to go until the Nov. 3 midterm elections, voters say they’re hungry for ‘substantial change’ — while some are looking for ‘complete and total upheaval,’ according to a new Associated Press-NORC poll.”

“Nearly half of Republicans, or 45%, said they are hoping for ‘substantial change’ in the midterms while 13% chose the ‘complete and total upheaval’ option, the poll found.”

“By comparison, 47% of Dems want substantial change while 50% of that group is looking for upheaval.”

It’s Still the Economy, Stupid

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The Guardian: “As the midterm elections loom into focus, suggesting a stark Republican defeat, Trump and his minions are hoping that this ideological lens, shaping economic reality to fit political preferences, can prevent an electoral bloodbath in November. Maybe Trump can somehow dupe the MAGA base into believing that ‘we’re growing at a faster rate than we’ve ever grown before.'”

“From three weeks out, it seems pretty clear that the gambit is not going to work. Polling by Harris for the Guardian suggests that the economy is looking pretty bad even for their most loyal acolytes. Too bad to convince them otherwise.”

Susan Collins Tries to Outrun Trump

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Bloomberg: “The GOP senator’s independence from Donald Trump — or lack thereof, depending who you ask — has become the key dividing line in the critical race. Maine voted against Trump by 7 percentage points in 2024 and is struggling with his tariffs on Canada and heating prices spiked by the Iran war.”

“This should be one of the most ripe states for Democrats to pick up, given its blue lean (as we’ve noted). But even as they push for wins in conservative Texas and Kansas, the Pine Tree State looms as a potential stumbling block.”

“Democrats, who have tried (and failed) to defeat Collins for years, accuse her of mostly breaking with Trump when it doesn’t change outcomes — but does make for good campaign talking points. They are quick to note she supported two of the president’s three Supreme Court appointees — who later overturned Roe v. Wade — despite her own public support for abortion rights.”

CEO Confidence Drops Into Negative Territory

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“CEO confidence in the U.S. economy sank into negative territory earlier this month, finds a survey out Thursday morning from the Conference Board,” Axios reports.

“Business leaders are mind-melding with most consumers, whose opinions on the economy are now lower than during the pandemic.”

Glitch Delays 600,000 Voter Registrations in Texas

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“A computer error caused a backlog of hundreds of thousands of voter registrations in Texas, sending election workers scrambling to process them before early voting starts on Monday,” the New York Times reports.

“The backlog of nearly 600,000 applications stemmed from a glitch in software run by the Texas Department of Public Safety, according to a lawsuit filed last week by voting rights groups. They accused the agency, as well as the secretary of state, who serves as Texas’ chief election officer, of failing to to maintain a reliable online voter registration system.”

Republicans Believe the Polls, Even if You Don’t

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Dan Pfeiffer: “I don’t know a single Democrat—not a political operative, elected official, activist, or Message Box reader—who feels anything but trepidation about the polls. Everyone is so worried about having their hearts broken that if you talk about the unrelenting run of good polls, people around you knock on wood or tell you to lay off the hopium…”

“But here’s the thing: even if Democrats don’t believe the polls, Republicans clearly do. Just follow the money. If you track how the various Republican Super PACs are spending their money, you can see that their polls are showing a big blue wave bordering on a tsunami.”

Trump’s Ice Maiden Is Under Fire

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Playbook: “At moments of frustration and adversity, President Donald Trump has long made a habit of calling up friends to ask what they think of his advisers — and whether he should consider making changes.”

“These days, he’s asking about Susie Wiles, the once-unassailable White House chief of staff.”

“Trump has been soliciting allies’ views of Wiles and musing about replacements for his top aide.”

How Trump’s Megabill May Be Affecting You Right Now

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“When Republicans ask voters to keep them in the majority, they frequently point to the most significant policy achievement of Trump 2.0 — the tax and spending cuts bill known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” CNN reports.

“Among the main selling points Republican candidates cite are popular cuts to taxes on tips and overtime, things that have a populist appeal, although many of the tax savings are more likely to benefit wealthier Americans.”

“But the law offsets tax cut provisions by slashing federal funding for many programs that help make up the social safety net in the U.S. which means fewer Americans are getting aid from the government to afford food or obtain health insurance.”

Trump Touts Booming Economy at Montana Rally

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“On a day when the U.S. inflation rate was shown to have climbed 3.7% over the past year, President Donald Trump said at a rally in Montana on Wednesday, ‘We have very little inflation,'” NBC News reports.

“Trump touted a booming economy as he campaigned for Republican candidates on the final leg of a Western campaign swing, three weeks before the midterm elections.”

Rolling Stone: New numbers show just how badly Trump wrecked the economy.

Mother Jones: Trump claims the economy is alright. But the numbers tell a different story.

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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