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Mike Johnson Scrambles to Pass Pentagon Bill

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“House Republicans spent this week venting about Mike Johnson, questioning the speaker’s hold on his tenuous House majority. Next week, he has to prove he’s capable of governing,” Politico reports.

“The annual Pentagon policy bill is due on the floor just in time to test Johnson’s ability to command and cajole his conference with must-pass legislation at stake. Already GOP leaders have had to delay release of bill text as they deal with a host of 11th-hour intraparty flare-ups that show just how hard it will be for the speaker to lead ahead of next year’s midterm elections.”

Hegseth Keeps Trump’s Favor for Now

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“In the high-frequency churn of President Donald Trump’s first term, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s repeated missteps would have fueled guessing games about his imminent firing,” Bloomberg reports.

“In the second, he has maintained White House support — at least for now.”

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Supreme Court Allows Texas to Use New Map

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“The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed Texas to use a congressional map that will boost President Donald Trump’s effort to keep Republicans in control of Congress, blocking a lower court decision that found the new boundaries were likely unconstitutional because they were drawn based on race,” CNN reports.

“The decision could have significant consequences for next year’s midterm elections, which will determine control of the House for the final two years of Trump’s presidency. Had Texas been blocked from using its new map, it would have upended Trump’s nationwide push to avoid a Democratic House majority.”

Trump Delegates Pardon Power to Subordinates

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“When Donald Trump issued a sweeping pardon for allies in his bid to subvert the 2020 election, he stretched the boundaries of the pardon power in unprecedented ways,” Politico reports.

“The pardon’s language is so vague and limitless that it could apply to thousands of people. And now Trump’s Justice Department says it’s up to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Pardon Attorney Ed Martin to decide who, and which possible crimes, Trump actually meant to cover.”

“There’s no modern precedent — and maybe no historical precedent, either — for a president to delegate his pardon power to subordinates on a pardon this vaguely worded.”

Exchange of the Day

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White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett was interviewed on Fox News:

FOX ANCHOR: 76% of people say the economy is “only fair” or “poor” and 62% of people say Trump is responsible for economic conditions. What would you say?

HASSETT: When there’s a govt shutdown, the survey data tends to really really tank because everybody’s in a terrible mood.

Few Trust the Government to Do the Right Thing

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A new Pew Research poll finds just 17% of Americans now say they trust the federal government to do what is right “just about always” (2%) or “most of the time” (15%).

Frustration has long been Americans’ dominant emotion toward the federal government and 49% say they feel frustrated. Another 26% say they are angry, and 23% say they are basically content.

Trump Hires New Architect for His Ballroom

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“President Trump has hired a new architect to help design the White House ballroom, but the current architect, with whom the president has had some disagreements, will remain on the team,” CBS News reports.

The Wall Street Journal reports the White House “intends later this month to formally submit plans for a new White House ballroom to a key planning commission, as President Trump moves quickly to begin construction on the massive project.”

How They Got the Suspected Pipe Bomber

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Prosecutors helped identify Brian Cole Jr. as the suspected pipe bomber by tracing purchases he made in 2019 and 2020 that included all the components of the pipe bombs discovered outside the Republican and Democratic headquarters on January 6, 2021.

They also used cell phone tower pings and license plate reader checks to see that he was in the area.

There is no information given on his motive.

About Political Wire

goddard-bw-snapshotTaegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.

Praise for Political Wire

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— Charlie Cook, editor of the Cook Political Report

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— Larry Sabato, Center for Politics, University of Virginia

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— Joe Scarborough, host of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe”

“Taegan Goddard has a knack for digging out political gems that too often get passed over by the mainstream press, and for delivering the latest electoral developments in a sharp, no frills style that makes his Political Wire an addictive blog habit you don’t want to kick.”

— Arianna Huffington, founder of The Huffington Post

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— Glenn Reynolds, founder of Instapundit

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