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Trump’s Triumphal Arch Draws Eye Rolls in France

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“For someone who regularly disparages France in matters of war and commerce, President Trump is not above appropriating its culture. Last year, Mr. Trump ordered up a military parade inspired by the Bastille Day celebration he was invited to watch in Paris in 2017 by President Emmanuel Macron,” the New York Times reports.

“Now, Mr. Trump is pressing ahead with a plan to construct a triumphal arch in Washington that he envisions, among other things, as one-upping the Arc de Triomphe in the French capital. That has prompted jaded reactions in France, a land that is no stranger to political leaders afflicted with edifice complexes.”

“It has also cast a fresh light on the Arc de Triomphe and its tangled history, which could serve as a reminder to Mr. Trump of both the ephemeral nature of power and the contested legacy of monuments.”

Economy Grows at a 2% Pace

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“U.S. economic growth accelerated at the start of the year, bolstered by a massive AI-driven upswing in business investment,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“Inflation-adjusted gross domestic product increased an annualized 2% in the first quarter after the longest-ever federal government shutdown limited growth in the closing months of 2025.”

Scalise Says Republicans Could Still Win the House

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House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said Thursday that Republicans could still win a majority in the 2026 midterm elections despite the party’s intense headwinds ahead of the pivotal November contest, CNBC reports.

Said Scalise: “Midterms are always tough for the incumbent party, but this is not your father’s Democrat Party. Democrats in Washington have voted every step of the way against those measures, including now shutting down the entire Department of Homeland Security. At the end of the day, this is not good for them … so they’re going to have to answer for that in November.”

Rising Fuel Prices Could Force Excruciating Choices

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“With the flow of energy through the Middle East still mostly blocked and oil prices rising, policymakers in Europe are confronting the immediate impact of higher costs and trying to decipher the potential economic damage of a prolonged conflict,” the New York Times reports.

“On Thursday, officials at the European Central Bank and Bank of England are expected to hold interest rates steady, but investors are betting that each central bank will raise rates at least twice later this year.”

Janet Mills Drops Out of Senate Race in Maine

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Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) is dropping out of the state’s Senate race, setting up a head-to-head match-up this November between Graham Platner (D) and Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME).

Said Mills, in a statement: “I very simply do not have the one thing that political campaigns unfortunately require today: the financial resources.”

Reevaluating the Redistricting Wars

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Early handicapping of the political fallout suggests a meaningful — though still fluid — shift in the House landscape following the Supreme Court’s rollback of key Voting Rights Act protections.

Initial estimates from the biggest election analysts are strikingly consistent.

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Top GOP Super PAC Warns Senate Majority at Risk

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“Top Republicans are growing increasingly anxious that the Senate, once seen as a lock for the party to hold in the midterms, is at risk of flipping as Democrats continue to hammer President Donald Trump for the cost of living and foreign intervention in Iran,” Politico reports.

“That fear is laid out in a new memo, from the powerful GOP and Koch-aligned super PAC Americans for Prosperity Action, whose leaders are calling on the GOP to lock in on the cost of living or risk losing power in Washington.”

Good Government Is Bad Politics When It Comes to Maps

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“Not long ago, Democrats had dreams of restoring fairness to America’s grotesquely gerrymandered political maps,” the New York Times reports.

“Their party began a major push for independent commissions to draw congressional districts after President Trump and Republicans swept into power in 2017. Democrats, panicked about Republicans’ structural gains after the 2010 census, succeeded in enacting such commissions in Colorado, Michigan and Virginia, while Republicans mostly kept politically minded state legislators in charge of drawing maps in red states.”

“Now Democrats are finding that their old good-government policies have become bad politics.”

How the Iran War Could Break the U.S. Economy

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“At its linguistic core, the two-word phrase ‘demand destruction’ feels severe, harsh, maybe even violent,” CNN reports.

“In practice, that’s not far off: It means that the magnitude of a price shock can be so large, so persistent and so painful that spending behaviors shift – sometimes to the point where they permanently alter the course, the structure and the stability of a sector or an entire economy.”

U.S. Seeks to Deploy Hypersonic Missile Against Iran

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“U.S. Central Command has asked to send the Army’s long-delayed Dark Eagle hypersonic missile to the Middle East for possible use against Iran, seeking a longer-range system to hit ballistic-missile launchers deep inside the country,” Bloomberg reports.

“If approved, it would mark the first time the U.S, will have deployed its hypersonic missile, which is running far behind schedule and hasn’t been declared fully operational even as Russia and China have deployed their own versions.”

Thom Tillis Isn’t Done Blocking Trump’s Nominees

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“Thom Tillis took on President Donald Trump’s administration in a monthslong battle to quash the criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell — and won,” Politico reports.

“Now he’s urging those around the president to take his latest ultimatum seriously — that he won’t confirm for attorney general anyone who excuses the events of Jan. 6, 2021.”

White House Opposes Plan to Expand Access to Mythos

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“The White House opposes a plan from Anthropic to expand access to its powerful artificial-intelligence model Mythos, complicating the rollout of an AI tool capable of carrying out cyberattacks and sowing widespread disruptions online,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“Anthropic recently proposed letting roughly 70 additional companies and organizations use Mythos, which would have brought the total number of entities with access to about 120.”

Trump to Be Briefed on New Military Options in Iran

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“President Trump is slated to receive a briefing on new plans for potential military action in Iran on Thursday from CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper,” Axios reports.

“The briefing signals that Trump is seriously considering resuming major combat operations either to try to break the logjam in negotiations or to deliver a final blow before ending the war.”

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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