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A Deeper Embrace of Evangelical Politics

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“Charlie Kirk’s memorial service Sunday left little doubt that his Turning Point USA organization would outlive him as a force in conservative politics — but with more attention than ever to a supercharged evangelical Christian message,” Axios reports.

“The five-hour service, webcast to millions and broadcast at one point by all major networks, was a call to action more than to grief. It canonized the 31-year-old conservative icon as not just a martyr to free speech, but to his faith as well.”

Washington Post: Charlie Kirk’s Christianity-infused politics appear poised to ascend within the GOP.

Inside Trump’s Campaign to Undermine America

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Paul Krugman: “We attracted investment from around the world in part because we had rule of law: Businesses trusted us to honor property rights and enforce contracts. So the Trumpists turned us into a nation where the government extorts ownership shares in corporations and masked government agents seize foreign workers, put them in chains, and imprison them under terrible conditions.”

“We lead the world in science thanks to our unmatched network of research universities and globally admired government agencies like the National Institutes of Health. So the Trumpists are doing their best to destroy both university and government research.”

“And our economic success — the way we have pulled ahead of other advanced nations over the past generation — rests almost entirely on our leadership in digital technology. So the Trumpists are pulling the rug out from under tech, too.”

Why Democrats Can’t Match Trump’s Gerrymandering Push

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“Democrats trying to counter President Donald Trump’s red-state gerrymander are facing a roadblock. Fifteen roadblocks, actually,” Politico reports.

“That’s how many Democratic-led states have a political trifecta — the same setup that helped Texas Republicans push through new maps last month.”

“But of those 15, only California has made a serious effort to respond in kind — and even that initiative may fail at the ballot box. Leaders in 14 other states with a Democratic governor and state legislature find themselves unable to move forward, hampered by reasons ranging from constitutional limitations, legal deadlines and maps that can’t be gerrymandered anymore. In perhaps an acknowledgment of these hurdles, Democrats have turned to the courts to try stopping Republican efforts.”


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Tables Turn as Democrats Use Shutdown for Leverage

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Politico: “On one side is the minority party, using what little leverage it has — a looming government funding deadline — to push for priorities it can’t enact otherwise. On the other is the majority, insisting a short-term funding punt is no place for negotiation.”

“If that sounds familiar, that’s because just such a scenario has played out dozens of times on Capitol Hill over the past decade and a half — usually with Republicans pushing for policy concessions and Democrats insisting on a ‘clean’ stopgap.”

“Not this time. The roles have been reversed between the two parties as Congress barrels toward a government shutdown on Oct. 1 with no obvious off-ramp in sight.”

Punchbowl News: “We’ll be blunt here: Congress is absolutely nowhere in funding the government.”

United Nations Seen as Necessary but Ineffective

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Gallup: “Americans remain broadly supportive of the United Nations as an institution, with solid majorities calling it necessary as well as favoring U.S. involvement and funding, although that support is down slightly from recent measures.”

“At the same time, only about one in three — on the lower end of the trend dating back to 1953 — think the U.N. is doing a good job of solving the problems it has had to face.”

U.S. Increasingly Isolated on Israel

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“The widening rift between the U.S. and a coalition of European and Arab countries over Israel will be on full display next week during the United Nations General Assembly, where a growing number of nations are bucking the Trump administration to recognize a Palestinian state,” Politico reports.

“But the diplomatic gambit is highlighting the limited options available to countries that want to break with Washington on Israel. It also shows the delicate balancing act some are doing to express their displeasure with Israel’s conduct in the Gaza war while staying in the Trump administration’s good graces.”

It’s Gridlock Week in Manhattan

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“It’s that time of year when Midtown East in Manhattan both brims with action and comes to a standstill,” the New York Times reports.

“The 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, starting Monday, will bring together more than 140 world leaders to discuss contentious issues like the war in Ukraine and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. It is known by many diplomats as the World Cup of diplomacy.”

“But it is known by many New Yorkers as a pain in the neck.”

Inside Putin’s Secret Plan to Hack Moldova’s Election

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“Russia has devised a plan to intervene in elections in Moldova and disrupt the government’s efforts to keep the country on the path toward European Union membership,” Bloomberg reports.

“The multi-pronged strategy was finalized in spring and coordinated directly by the Kremlin. The goal is to undermine the chances of President Maia Sandu’s Party of Action and Solidarity in the Sept. 28 vote and ultimately see her removed from power.”

Injustice

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Out soon: Injustice: How Politics and Fear Vanquished America’s Justice Department by Carol Leonnig and Aaron Davis.

A shocking investigation of unparalleled depth into the subversion of the Justice Department over the last decade.

Injustice: How Politics and Fear Vanquished America's Justice Department
Injustice: How Politics and Fear Vanquished America's Justice Department
  • Amazon Kindle Edition
  • Leonnig, Carol (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 11/04/2025 (Publication Date) - Penguin Press (Publisher)
Check Price on Amazon

Kim Says He Has ‘Fond’ Memories of Trump

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“North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un suggested his country can resume dialogue with the U.S. if Washington drops calls for Pyongyang to denuclearize,“ Axios reports.

Said Kim: “If the United States shuts down its hollow denuclearization ideology and wants a true peaceful coexistence with us based on acceptance of reality, then we have no reason not to sit down with the United States.”

He added: “Personally, I still have fond memories of the current President of the United States, Trump.”

Trump to Urge Limited Tylenol Use

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“President Trump’s announcement about autism Monday is expected to include a recommendation that pregnant women refrain from using Tylenol, with exceptions, in addition to identifying a therapy for the neurodevelopmental disorder,” NewsNation reports.

“Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will join Trump in the Oval Office for the afternoon announcement, the details of which have been the subject of speculation since Kennedy earlier this year promised to unravel the mystery of increasing autism diagnoses within the U.S.”

Trump and Musk Reunited

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President Trump and Elon Musk were spotted sitting next to each other in the president’s suite at Charlie Kirk’s memorial service, CNN reports.

Axios says Trump and Musk were captured on camera shaking hands behind bullet proof glass at the memorial service.

Lawmakers Condemn Pentagon Restrictions on Reporters

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The Pentagon’s decision to prevent reporters from accessing military or defense information has sparked condemnation across the aisle and backlash from media organizations that argue the move hampers press freedom, the Washington Post reports.

Said Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), on X: “This is so dumb that I have a hard time believing it is true. We don’t want a bunch of Pravda newspapers only touting the Government’s official position. A free press makes our country better. This sounds like more amateur hour.”

Charlie Kirk’s Widow Feared He Would Be Shot

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Erika Kirk talked to the New York Times about her husband’s murder and revealed that given “numerous death threats over the past year,” she had implored him to wear a bulletproof vest.

“When he demurred, a friend suggested that Mr. Kirk speak behind bulletproof glass. ‘Not yet,’ Mr. Kirk replied. He said he felt confident in his team, and that there would be additional security at the Utah event. But Ms. Kirk, like several of her husband’s subordinates, had occasionally heard him imply that his life could be cut short by violence. She found herself wondering if a part of him had already surrendered to such a prospect.”

Wall Street Journal: “Friends said Charlie Kirk, who was 31 years old when he was killed, had long envisioned a leading role for his wife at the organization if he died—a plan the couple hoped never to have to implement.”

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.

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