Political Wire

Archives for 2026

Alito Will Not Retire From Supreme Court Immediately

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“Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. has told people close to him that he does not intend to retire immediately from the Supreme Court, despite Democrats’ commanding win in Senate contests on Tuesday, which means Republicans will hold the chamber for only a short time longer,” the New York Times reports.

“As a result, Republicans may have missed the window for President Trump to name a fourth or even a fifth justice to the Supreme Court in the final two years of his presidency.”

Bloomberg: Trump’s power to shape Supreme Court doused by Democratic rout.

Trump Faces a Tough New Reality

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Wall Street Journal: “Trump and some of his top aides had already been expressing doubts about the defense chief, some of the people said. After the scale of the midterm defeat became clear, angry GOP lawmakers began discussing a new proposal, the people said: Get rid of Hegseth if you want anything to get done in the coming lame-duck session.”

“The idea that Congress would demand anything from Trump—let alone the job of the country’s top military official as the U.S. is fighting a war in the Middle East—had been inconceivable since Trump returned to the White House in 2025.”

Vance Takes a Step Toward 2028 in MAGA Power Play

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“Vance’s presidential ambitions are entangled in the wreckage of a war he privately opposed but publicly defended. His path to 2028 demands a delicate political calculation,” Axios reports.

”Vance must convince MAGA’s disillusioned voters that he understands their sense of betrayal, even as he remains a central figure in the administration responsible for the Iran war.”

“His maneuvering will take place under the gaze of a president who doesn’t seem particularly eager to leave the stage — and who isn’t shy about reining in those on his team who overstep.”

NBC News: Vance tiptoes out on his own after a midterm wipeout for Republicans.

House Democrats Debate Their Agenda

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“Hakeem Jeffries will have the largest House majority in decades next year, and he’s gearing up to use it,” Semafor reports.

“House Democrats’ initial plans involve voting to repeal cuts to Medicaid enacted in Republicans’ megabill, restore lapsed healthcare subsidies, end the Iran war, and sunset tariffs. He and Democratic leaders plan to talk as a caucus about plans to tackle AI and other issues.”

“The larger-than-expected House majority along with control of the Senate opens more legislative options for Democrats — though President Donald Trump still has veto power.”

CNN: Democrats debate what to do with their midterm mandate.

Quote of the Day

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“2026 was not simply a blue wave; it was a blue tsunami. It was an ass kicking. It was not simply a bad 2006 midterm election. It was a Watergate-level repudiation.”

— Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), quoted by the New York Post.

Republicans Blame Trump for Midterm Losses

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“Seismic political change is coming to Washington, D.C., and as Republicans sift through the wreckage that was Election Night, fingers are pointing in several directions over who’s to blame,” Fox News reports.

“The blue tsunami Tuesday tore the GOP’s coalition asunder, flipping the balance of power in both chambers heading into the final two years of the Trump administration. And as Republicans search for where things went awry, GOP operatives and insiders told Fox News Digital that it starts at the top with President Donald Trump.”

Vanity Fair: Republicans in Washington watch the midterms wipeout as Trump deflects blame.

Republicans’ Senate Comeback Could Get Even Harder

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“Senate Republicans are staring into the abyss. It could be very difficult for them to reclaim the chamber in two years, especially if Democrats win still-uncalled races in Mississippi and Alaska,” Semafor reports.

“Those seats may not be decided for days, and would represent the potential 55th and 56th seats of a Democratic majority — the largest since the first two years of Barack Obama’s presidency.”

“Republicans’ top Senate pickup opportunities in 2028 are Arizona, Georgia, Ohio, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Nevada. Democrats have solid winning streaks in all of those states except Pennsylvania and Ohio.”

Democrats to Control Most State Legislative Chambers

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“Democrats are on track to take control of a majority of legislative chambers, ending 16 years of Republican dominance over America’s statehouses,” Axios reports.

“If current leads hold, 75% of Americans will live in a state with a Democratic governor, and 53% will live in Democratic trifectas.”

The Guardian: Democrats’ blue wave washes over state legislatures across U.S.

Triumphal Arch Set to Win Final Approval

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“A federal panel led by President Trump’s allies is expected on Thursday to issue final approval for his planned 250-foot triumphal arch, allowing a blitz of construction that the Trump administration has said could begin almost immediately after the vote,” the New York Times reports.

“But broader, perhaps existential, challenges to one of the president’s prized projects lie ahead.”

“At the same time, a federal judge is considering whether to halt the project for circumventing congressional approval and a host of other laws. Democrats in Congress, fresh off a landslide victory in Tuesday’s midterm elections, are threatening to kill Mr. Trump’s arch when they take control of both chambers in January.”

NPR: Trump’s arch is on the verge of federal approval. But a judge could block construction.

Midterm Losses Complicate Trump’s Options On Iran War

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“President Trump’s loss of the House and Senate intersects with one of the most consequential decisions of his presidency: whether to resume intense combat operations against Iran, in a war that Mr. Trump’s vice president said Wednesday was the primary reason for the Republican Party’s crushing defeat,” the New York Times reports.

“The results across the country in Tuesday’s midterm elections drove home how deeply unpopular the war was among Americans — and how much backlash Mr. Trump could face if he renewed major strikes against the country, which the United States and Israel jointly attacked in February.”

“The political blow deepened the challenge Mr. Trump faces in ending a war of his choosing.”

Bloomberg: Trump plays down prospect of strikes on Iran after midterm rout.

Trump Hasn’t Called Jeffries

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Punchbowl News: “We spoke to Hakeem Jeffries Wednesday, the day after Democrats romped to the House majority. We wanted to hear about his plans for legislating and changes he wants to make to the institution.”

”There are a few things you need to understand about Jeffries at this moment.”

”First of all, as of late Wednesday, he still hadn’t spoken to President Donald Trump, Speaker Mike Johnson, or anyone in the White House or House GOP leadership.”

”Trump said Wednesday that Democrats were calling him, asking to make deals. That apparently doesn’t include Jeffries, who, with at least a 255-seat majority heading into the next Congress, is instantly in the driver’s seat in any power battle against Trump.”

House GOP’s Old Guard Is in for a Fight

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“House Republican leadership races after the party’s catastrophic losses are shaping up to be a battle between the old versus new guard,” Politico reports.

“Party elections are set for Tuesday morning and will test how closely GOP members — angry over Republicans’ deep defeats and eager to chart a different course — tie their existing leadership team to the thrashing.”

MS NOW: House Republicans are already having a leadership fight — but are avoiding a reckoning.

Polling Experts Hail ‘Great Night’

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“Political polling experts hailed a ‘great night’ for the industry after surveys accurately foresaw much of the Democratic blue wave that swept across the U.S. in midterm elections,” The Guardian reports.

“In only a handful of U.S. Senate races, including Texas and New Hampshire, key polls failed to gauge the scale of the Democratic victory over Republicans on Tuesday.”

Moderate Democrats Increase Their Clout

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“For much of the midterm campaign, progressive Democratic insurgents commanded the spotlight in the fight to wrest control of Congress, defeating establishment incumbents in primaries, drawing enthusiastic crowds and promising to reorder their party’s priorities and remake American politics once they got to Washington,” the New York Times reports.

“But the path to Democrats’ sweeping victory this week, when they seized control of both chambers of Congress, was paved overwhelmingly by moderates who had spent months persuading voters in Republican-leaning states and competitive congressional districts that they could be trusted to govern and would deliver dissatisfied voters a practical alternative to President Trump.”

Republicans Quickly Turn Against Pete Hegseth

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“President Donald Trump may have made the decision to launch the war that tanked voters’ support for the GOP and dealt them a midterm shellacking. But the historic losses are accelerating a push for someone else to take the fall: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth,” CNN reports.

“And the House could vote as soon as next week to impeach the Pentagon’s top leader.”

“Many Republican lawmakers and allies alarmed by Tuesday’s wipeout are moving swiftly to pin blame for the election results on Hegseth, arguing behind the scenes that he played a chief role in convincing Trump to attack Iran with no exit strategy — and no plan for managing the inevitable political fallout.”

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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