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October 20, 2026

97 posts · Tuesday

Vivek Ramaswamy Doubles Down On Ad Despite Backlash

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“Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign for Ohio governor is pouring $4 million into a bombshell ad in which his opponent’s estranged mother attacks her daughter — doubling down on the message despite fierce bipartisan backlash,” Axios reports.

“Ramaswamy is gambling that the deeply personal attack by Amy Acton’s mother — who Acton has said sided with her stepfather after he sexually assaulted Acton when she was 12 — will resonate with voters.”

The New Republic: Vivek Ramaswamy defends disgusting ad with opponent’s abusive mom.

Justice Kagan Says Rulings Have Intensified Polarization

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“Justice Elena Kagan on Tuesday criticized the Supreme Court’s conservative majority for a series of election-related decisions in recent years that she said have led to more polarization and a dysfunctional democracy,” the New York Times reports.

“Justice Kagan, one of the court’s three liberals, delivered the sharp critique two weeks before hotly contested midterm elections and in front of an ideologically mixed crowd of law students and professors.”

JB Pritzker’s Midterm Strategy Wins Attention

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“JB Pritzker is pouring tens of millions of dollars of his own money into boosting Black and Hispanic candidates this cycle. That could help him win over critical voters in 2028,” Politico reports.

“The billionaire Illinois governor — who’s also considered a potential presidential contender — is investing at least $38 million in battleground races.”

Trump Pushes to Evict White House Press Corps

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New York Times: “Mr. Trump has brought up the press-eviction idea before, dating to his first term, and he has never quite dropped it. A growing number of people around him favor the idea.”

“Several close to him believe that moving the news media, most likely to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building across the street, may be the latest escalation in a remarkable series of moves against the news media that have already gone further than most of them expected.”

The Wrap: White House won’t deny Trump is eyeing press briefing room for indoor pool.

Trump Blows Up at Reporter in Oval Office

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“Donald Trump has spent the months ahead of the midterm elections reaffirming his opposition to the free press, and he’s only growing more combative as Election Day nears. The president snapped at reporters again on Tuesday, yelling and lashing out multiple times during an Oval Office press gaggle,” Rolling Stone reports.

Said Trump: “Quiet, QUIET! What’s wrong with you? Are you a sick person? I actually think theres something wrong with you.”

He added: “Hey! I don’t know who the hell you are but you better be careful.”

The Wrap: White House reporter fires back after Trump warns him he “better be careful” in Oval Office.

Officials Fear a Post-Midterms Trump Rampage

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“President Donald Trump still has two weeks to salvage his Republican congressional majorities and defy expectations of a midterm wipeout. But all around him, aides and allies are bracing for what happens if he fails,” CNN reports.

“Administration officials have grown increasingly convinced that steep GOP losses will trigger major personnel shakeups across the government, as Trump hunts for aides to blame and dozens of others weigh abandoning a lame duck presidency at its lowest point.”

“The angst has turned a White House that once prided itself on single-minded cohesion into the nerve center for a resurgence of Trump world infighting and leaking, said several administration officials, advisers and close allies, who described a toxic mix of jockeying for power and preemptive finger-pointing in the critical final days leading up to November.”

The New Republic: Trump hits brutal new polling low—and GOP leaks grow truly humiliating.

MAGA Inc. Unleashes Millions to Turn Out Republicans

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“President Trump’s political operation has rolled out a major get-out-the-vote program online in the final days of this year’s midterm elections, flooding Facebook and Instagram with ads encouraging Republicans in a number of states to cast their ballots,” the New York Times reports.

“Mr. Trump’s super PAC has emerged as the single largest spender nationwide on the two giant social media platforms in recent days, spending more than $1.1. million on Saturday alone. That’s four times as much as the next largest political advertiser that day.”

Democrats Make a Million-Dollar Bet On Florida

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“National Democrats are making a million-dollar bet on David Jolly, the Democratic nominee for governor of Florida, as they hope to put back in play the once crucial swing state,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“The Democratic Governors Association is sending $1 million to boost Jolly’s bid for governor, the group said Tuesday. The money is a welcome infusion of cash for Jolly, who has been vocal in urging national Democrats to spend more aggressively in his face-off against Republican Rep. Byron Donalds.”

Candidate Quality Shifts the Senate Map

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Cook Political Report: “In Senate races, the quality of individual candidates can be magnified in ways that defy national trends, especially in midterm years. That’s the impetus behind three moves we are making today: two in favor of Democrats in South Carolina and Mississippi, and one towards Republicans in Minnesota.”

“The shifts in Democrats’ direction — South Carolina moves from Likely Republican to Lean Republican, and Mississippi moves from Solid Republican to Likely Republican — are further evidence that Democrats have expanded the map into red territory even in the Deep South. However, both races also feature unique factors that are making each more competitive than it should be.”

The Manosphere Stars Are Losing Their Shine

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“The manosphere stars who helped mobilize young men for Donald Trump in 2024 are losing their shine with that very audience,” Axios reports.

“Trump and Republicans rode a wave of cultural cachet to reach young male voters. Now, the president and some of his most influential online allies are showing signs of losing their grip on that audience ahead of the 2026 midterms.”

“New polling from the Democratic project Speaking With American Men suggests some of the most prominent influencers during Trump’s 2024 campaign have lost their luster with young male voters.”

Trump Says He Asked Putin to Release Jailed American

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“President Trump said on Tuesday that he had asked President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia to release Stephen James Hubbard, a Michigan teacher who was seized from his home in Ukraine months after Russia invaded that country in February 2022,” the New York Times reports.

“The United States has maintained that the charges against Mr. Hubbard are fabricated. Accused of being a mercenary, he was sentenced to more than six years in a penal colony.”

All the President’s Hotties

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Helen Lewis: “Yes, after two grinding years of governance, Trump is back in his happy place, out on the campaign trail, voicing whichever disconnected thoughts crackle and fizz through his frontal cortex. His favorite rhetorical theme lately is an unexpected one: the official presidential dreamboat rankings. In multiple rallies, Trump has gone on and on about the relative hotness of male politicians, soldiers, and even protesters.”

“As a result, people on the internet have diagnosed him with a novel medical condition: gay dementia. After putting in a solid shift in the heterosexuality mines, has the former beauty-pageant proprietor now become so disinhibited that he can no longer repress his thirst for man-flesh?”

Trump Gives Conflicting Info on New Fraud Tip Program

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“President Donald Trump told reporters Tuesday that he himself would decide who gets a payout from his administration’s new rewards program for people who submit tips about fraud to the government. That’s not what the Justice Department said,” the Washington Sun reports.

Said Trump: “I will be the arbitrator of all of these decisions. In other words, I’ll determine whether or not the person is deserving.”

“The Justice Department, meanwhile, said that awards will be made ‘in the Justice Department’s sole discretion following the filing of criminal charges.'”

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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