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Supreme Court Agrees to Fast-Track Louisiana Map

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New York Times: “The Supreme Court on Monday evening agreed to immediately transmit to the lower courts its opinion striking down Louisiana’s congressional map, rather than wait 32 days, as would have been routine.”

“Last week’s landmark opinion from the court, which weakened the Voting Rights Act by concluding that one of Louisiana’s majority-Black congressional districts was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander, has set off a chaotic scramble in the state.”

Washington Post: Supreme Court clears path for Louisiana to redraw map in redistricting fight.

Trump Tries to Downplay Economic Effects of Iran War

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New York Times: “Facing pressure to address the economic fallout of his war in Iran, President Trump on Monday sought to portray his policy wins for small businesses as evidence that he was succeeding in building up the economy.”

“Speaking to business leaders from across the country at an event in the East Room of the White House, Mr. Trump declared that slashing taxes and regulations had yielded ‘record business,’ and that the economy was ‘roaring’…”

“But looming over it all was a war abroad that Mr. Trump had begun, and whose economic impact is compounding cost-of-living concerns among Americans, many of whom increasingly say their economic reality has worsened under his tenure.”

RFK Jr.’s Podcast Is as Weird as You’d Expect

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Wired: “The launch of The Secretary Kennedy Podcast — not to be confused with The RFK Jr. Podcast, which covered similar ground — comes amid signs of trouble in the MAHA movement…”

“The second episode of Kennedy’s podcast is just 15 minutes long and features professional boxer Mike Tyson, who appeared in a MAHA-aligned Super Bowl ad for ‘real food.’ Kennedy introduces Tyson, who was convicted in 1992 of raping a teenager and served three years in prison, as one of his ‘heroes.’”


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Iran’s Attacks Test Trump’s Desire to End War

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Wall Street Journal: “President Trump’s desire to end the Iran war is being put to the test after Tehran fired at American warships on Monday and violently disrupted a U.S. effort to revive shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.”

“U.S. officials say Trump for days has toggled between two competing impulses: severely punishing Iran for failing to abandon its nuclear work, and avoiding a significant escalation that could draw the U.S. deeper into a Middle East conflict. Trump wants to avoid a fresh bombing campaign, officials say, preferring a negotiated end to Tehran’s nuclear advancements and the weekslong war that has raised gas prices and hurt the global economy.”

“Now, Trump has little choice but to make a decision between ordering a fresh round of airstrikes against Iran or brushing off Tehran’s provocations and charging ahead with his diplomatic initiative.”

Chuck Edwards Singled Out Young Female Aides

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Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-NC) told a young female staffer that she had “written a complex chapter in my heart” shortly before she was set to leave his office, according to a handwritten letter he sent her, Axios reports.

“Edwards is now the subject of a House Ethics Committee probe… That probe was prompted in part by Edwards’ conduct toward two female staffers.”

Bill Cassidy Says Primary Is Julia Letlow’s to Lose

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Punchbowl News: “Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) told reporters Monday that his three-way primary race is Rep. Julia Letlow’s (R-LA) to lose, saying his campaign will focus on keeping her out of a runoff.”

“Cassidy is locked in a messy primary battle with Letlow, who has President Donald Trump’s endorsement, and former Rep. John Fleming (R-LA), who has become a real threat in the contest. Cassidy is still in danger of not making it to a runoff as he fights through opposition from Trump.”

Pundit Who Worked for Russian TV Challenges Charges

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New York Times: “An American commentator for Russian television who was indicted during the Biden administration as part of an effort to combat Moscow’s propaganda filed a legal motion on Monday to dismiss the charges on First Amendment grounds.”

“Dimitri K. Simes, who was an adviser to Donald J. Trump’s first presidential campaign, and his wife, Anastasia Simes, were charged in 2024 with violating U.S. economic sanctions against Russia for their work for a state-owned television network.”

House Democrats Take Sides in Contentious Primaries

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“The House Democratic campaign arm on Monday inflamed ongoing tensions over the influence of party leadership by taking sides in several competitive primaries for battleground House seats,” CNN reports.

“The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee waded in by announcing its latest round of ‘Red to Blue’ candidates, a designation that is tantamount to an endorsement.”

“While Democrats are in a strong position to capture the House majority in November, the batch of endorsements shows that the DCCC is not willing to take chances on who the party nominates in some of the most competitive districts.”

White House Considers Vetting AI Models

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New York Times: “President Trump, who promoted a hands-off approach to artificial intelligence and gave Silicon Valley free rein to roll out the technology, is considering the introduction of government oversight over new A.I. models.”

“The administration is discussing an executive order to create an A.I. working group that would bring together tech executives and government officials to examine potential oversight procedures, according to U.S. officials, who declined to be identified in order to discuss deliberations over sensitive policies. Among the potential plans is a formal government review process for new A.I. models.”

White House Already Preparing for a Democratic Congress

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“The White House Counsel’s Office is giving private briefings to the administration’s political appointees on how to best prepare for congressional oversight as staff begin to brace for the likelihood of significant Democratic victories in the November midterm elections,” the Washington Post reports.

“The roughly 30-minute briefings have included a PowerPoint presentation about how congressional oversight works and best practices for handling it… Staff from the counsel’s office have encouraged political appointees to be careful about what they put in writing and provided guidance for how to respond to congressional inquiries in a timely manner.”

Said one White House official: “It’s obvious to everyone that it’s very likely. It was a sober-eyed conversation.”

Trump’s Blockade Bet Hasn’t Paid Off

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President Trump announced Sunday that the United States would begin escorting stranded commercial ships out of the Strait of Hormuz, calling the effort “Project Freedom.”

He described it as a humanitarian mission — a way to free ships and crews that had no role in the fighting but were effectively trapped by Iran’s threat to attack vessels moving through the waterway.

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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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