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Trump’s Approval Falls to 33%

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A new Financial Times/Focaldata poll finds Donald Trump’s approval at 33% — an all-time low.

The president’s approval rating among Republican voters also slipped by more than two points, to 72% — another all-time low.

Key takeaway: “Nearly two-thirds of registered voters told pollsters the economy was headed in the wrong direction, and 57% said they were financially worse off under the Trump presidency — a four-point increase over last month, when 53% of voters said they were worse off.”

Trump Approval
Approve 33%
 
Disapprove 58%
 
Financial Times/Focaldata poll

Ukraine Considers Legalizing Porn Industry to Fund Its War

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Wall Street Journal: “Unlike in most European countries, the production, distribution and possession of pornography in Ukraine is illegal, punishable by up to seven years in prison. Still, Ukraine has been unable to curtail a vast and lucrative porn industry, which officials say operates with the protection of corrupt police. “

“Ukrainian authorities are now demanding taxes from people who work in the porn industry. But anyone who complies is effectively confirming their involvement in criminal activity.”

New Hampshire Democrats Sound an Alarm

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“Two months before the midterms, Democrats are devoting vast financial resources to red states like Ohio, Iowa and Texas, daring to hope their party can reclaim the Senate with victories in a series of states President Trump won in 2024,” the New York Times reports.

“New Hampshire would like a word.”

“In recent weeks, a tide of anxiety has risen among Democrats in the Granite State who are concerned that a party with big dreams of expanding its map could let the seat left open by the pending retirement of Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat, slip from its grasp.”

Republicans Find There Is No Escape From Trump

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“In the White House Rose Garden last week, President Trump gathered some of the most politically endangered House Republicans for a dinner where he promised to make himself the face of the party’s uphill battle to keep control of Congress,” the New York Times reports.

“The scene encapsulated the box that GOP lawmakers have found themselves in as they stare down a bleak political environment.”

“They cannot afford to snub Mr. Trump, needing help from his enormous financial reserves and strong turnout from his base to win their campaigns. But they also do not want the election to be a referendum on the president, whose popularity is at a record low. And so far, he has shown little appetite for focusing on anyone’s political needs besides his own.”

Trump Attacks On Mail Voting Sow Confusion

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“President Trump’s legal and rhetorical assault on voting by mail — and the flurry of contradictory court decisions around it — has left voters confused and local officials scrambling just eight weeks before November’s critical midterm elections,” the New York Times reports.

“The contortions have county registrars dusting off Election Day contingency plans developed for natural disasters like floods and wildfires. They have struggled to make it through planning meetings before the latest version of the rules change, and many are encouraging voters to avoid the U.S. Postal Service all together.”

“Among voters, confusion abounds.”

Democratic Socialists Turn to Social Events for Recruitment

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Wall Street Journal: “The socialists, it turns out, are highly social.”

“In chapters across the country, they enjoy DSA barbecues, beach days, running clubs, happy hours, karaoke, prom nights, transgender rights and bodily autonomy game nights, reading groups, Marxist study circles and more. The DSA is even moving into affairs of the heart with a recent ‘Socialist Speed Dating’ event in New York’s Lower East Side.”

Ulrich Siegmund Is Bringing the AfD to the Cusp of Power

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“During the coronavirus pandemic, a little-known German state lawmaker with an upbeat patter and a telegenic smile started railing on TikTok against pandemic regulations. Complaining about masks, vaccinations and other government requirements that he deemed ‘crazy,’ the lawmaker attracted millions of viewers with his videos by using an affable tone to deliver an anti-establishment message,” the New York Times reports.

“Now, that lawmaker, Ulrich Siegmund, has harnessed his online popularity to come closer to power than any other far-right politician in Germany since the Nazi era ended in 1945.”

Iran’s Attacks Keep the Strait of Hormuz in a Stalemate

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“For months the U.S. military has sought to protect tankers from Iranian attacks as they carry Persian Gulf oil through the Strait of Hormuz,” the New York Times reports.

“But last week, a Saudi vessel trying to go through the strait was struck close to Oman’s coast, killing two of its crew members. Two other sailors died in attacks in August, making it the deadliest month in the strait for merchant seamen since March. At least 23 ships were hit in the waterway in July and August. On Saturday, the United States struck three Iranian oil tankers in retaliation for what it said were unprovoked attempts by Iran to attack two U.S. warships.”

“After more than six months of war, analysts said the strait remained in a lethal stalemate.”

Gloria Steinem’s Final Essay

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Gloria Steinem, in her last essay for the New Yorker:

“For me, saying that I am a feminist has always meant that I believe in the social, economic, and political equality of all males and females of all races and groups. I know this sounds too simple to need a word, but equality is still the exception, not the rule.”

“Maybe we should call it egalitarianism, or even humanism. The problem with humanism is that it is often interpreted as being anti-religion, so I don’t think it’s inclusive enough. Regardless of what we call it, it just means treating each of us as uniquely human. The experiences of race and gender and class are very real and important, but they are also constructed and changeable. Our humanity is consistent and sacred.”

“Still, for some, it remains a mystery why women need a movement to distinguish our efforts toward equality. For me, it seems quite obvious.”

Republican Midterm Convention Speakers Revealed

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“President Trump and his top allies will share the stage with Republican candidates in some of the nation’s most competitive races at next week’s GOP midterm convention in Dallas,” Axios reports.

“The lineup underscores a central purpose of the convention: firing up Trump voters and getting them to turn out in November, even though the president isn’t on the ballot.”

“Trump will speak both nights of the Sept. 9-10 convention, while Vice President Vance will deliver a keynote address on the second night.”

GOP Warns Rank-and-File Members Not to Alienate Base

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“The Republican National Committee is issuing a warning to rank-and-file lawmakers up for reelection who are considering shying away from President Trump during the campaign: do so at your own peril,” the New York Post reports.

Said a RNC spokesperson: “If members are choosing to keep an arm’s length from the president, they risk alienating their base and they risk 15 to 20 percent of their key Republican voters not turning out because they don’t feel like they’re a good supporter of the president’s policies.”

Trump Removes White House Shrouds

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“Workers on Saturday removed drapes shrouding the White House’s iconic North Portico, as President Donald Trump prepares to show off his renovation work when Chinese President Xi Jinping visits the White House later this month,” the Washington Post reports.

“Teams of workers had been working under the shrouds for two months to repair the North Portico’s tall, white columns, as well as fortifying the portico’s entrance to the White House.”

Trump Says Beef Imports Coming from Argentina, Brazil

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“President Trump said Friday that tariff-free imported beef will be coming from Brazil and Argentina, among other places, as his administration works to alleviate stubbornly high prices,” NewsNation reports.

Said Trump: “It’s coming from Argentina. It’s coming from Brazil. It’s coming from a couple of other places. We have our inspectors down. It’s very clean. It’s very good.”

Trump’s Super PAC Drops $10 Million in Texas Senate Race

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“Donald Trump’s super PAC, MAGA Inc. spent $10 million this week to support Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in his tight Senate race, a financial disclosure filed Saturday afternoon revealed,” NOTUS reports.

“The president faced criticism from Republicans for not spending enough money to support Paxton, whom he endorsed over incumbent Sen. John Cornyn this spring.”

About Political Wire

Taegan 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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