Trump’s ‘Catch-Me-If-You-Can’ Approach to the Law
“A plain reading of the law about presidents on coins says the face of a living president should not be on currency. And yet President Donald Trump’s is, after his Treasury Department exploited a different law related to commemorative coins,” CNN reports.
“The law says a president must not commit the U.S. military into hostilities for longer than 60 days without congressional approval. The U.S. has been in a conflict with Iran for more than six months, although the administration says it has taken time-outs in the war. Previous presidents from both parties have danced around this requirement, but nothing on the level of Trump’s war on Iran.”
“Chief Justice John Roberts called it ‘likely unlawful’ for Trump to tear down part of the White House and build something else. And yet construction is happening around the clock to get that White House ballroom done for Trump to enjoy.”
Missouri Asks Supreme Court to Allow New Map
“Missouri appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday to allow the use of new congressional districts backed by President Donald Trump in the fast-approaching midterm election,” Associated Press reports.
“The appeal comes after Missouri’s highest court blocked the new map and ordered a statewide vote in November on whether to keep or reject it.”
Trumpism’s Shadow Looms Over German Election
“Leaders of an extremist, far-right party in Germany have quietly borrowed pages from President Trump’s playbook to cast doubt on the integrity of absentee voting — alleging without evidence that residents of nursing homes have had their ballots manipulated and calling for an end to postal voting,” the Los Angeles Times reports.
“The attack on mail ballots comes as Germany approaches a potentially historic state election that could shatter one of the taboos of its postwar political order by opening the door to a far-right government.”
“Politicians across the ideological spectrum, mindful that polls show Trump to be widely unpopular, don’t invoke his name. But the specter of the American president nevertheless hangs over the election that could have reverberations across Europe if the Alternative for Germany, or AfD, party — tacitly echoing Trump’s attacks on migrants, the media and the integrity of elections — pulls off an unprecedented political shock in postwar Germany.”
Musk Has Started Spending Money to Help Ken Paxton
“For months, Texas Republicans have anxiously awaited the arrival of national resources to help boost Ken Paxton, one of the GOP’s most vulnerable Senate candidates,” CNN reports.
“Now, Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, has entered the scene, this week disclosing the first spending from his super PAC to benefit Paxton and raising GOP hopes that the floodgates soon will open wide to help the Texas attorney general overcome a deep financial deficit with his Democratic rival James Talarico.”
Democrats Outnumber Republicans Ahead of Midterms
“The share of Americans who associate themselves with the Democratic Party has grown significantly over the past year, according to data from Gallup. The shift, which signals the party’s largest advantage since 2008, is the latest sign of backlash against Republicans and the president ahead of the midterm elections,” the New York Times reports.
“The latest data shows Democrats with a 10-percentage-point advantage over Republicans when voters are asked which party they identify with and when independent voters are asked which party they lean toward.”
GOP Candidates Tone Down Trump On Their Websites
Washington Post: “At least seven Republican House candidates in battleground races have de-emphasized or removed mentions of Trump and his priorities on their campaign websites ahead of the general election.”
”Candidates from both parties have long shifted messages after a primary to appeal to a broader electorate. But changes this year highlight the particularly challenging balancing act some Republican candidates face.”
Looking Back On the Summer of High MAGA
“When the history of this time is written, it may be observed that the United States of America celebrated its 250th anniversary with one, big Donald Trump-themed party in the nation’s capital that lasted for one whole summer,” the New York Times reports.
“That is how it has looked, at times, over these last few months in Washington, where Mr. Trump used the occasion of the nation’s birthday to throw a series of parties done up in the distinct and florid style of the political movement he created, even as his presidency faced new perils.”
“It was an absolute MAGA-extravaganza, all summer long, and the imagery was something to behold.”
Campaigns Use AI Despite ChatGPT Ban
“Artificial intelligence has subtly entered the machinery of the 2026 midterms, with major-party candidates acknowledging in campaign filings and website fine print that they are using the technology to court voters — despite limits imposed by leading AI companies to protect elections from the technology’s risks,” the Washington Post reports.
Surveillance Cameras Face Bipartisan Backlash
“There are plenty of issues Republicans and Democrats disagree on, but increasingly, they’re aligned on this: they want Flock surveillance cameras gone,” NPR reports.
“The widespread backlash against AI-powered license plate readers, which allow police to track people over time, is becoming more of a political issue as the midterm elections approach in races from Florida to Ohio and Wisconsin.”
GOP Convention Googlers Sent to Info On the Epstein Files
“Internet pranksters have successfully been redirecting people searching for information about the upcoming midterm GOP convention to the Justice Department’s website about the Epstein Files,” Mediaite reports.
“A website purporting to be the Republican National Committee’s official convention page is one of the top results when searching Google or other web browsers for information about the event. The catch, however, is that it’s a dummy website that simply takes users to the DOJ’s Epstein File dump.”
New York Times: Fake Republican midterm convention website redirects visitors to Epstein files.
Supreme Court Sides with Republicans Over Ad Rates
“The Supreme Court on Friday granted Republicans’ request to halt a lower court decision that prevented political party committees from receiving more favorable broadcast advertising rates, giving the GOP a win weeks before the November elections,” CBS News reports.
“The order from the high court restores guidance from the Federal Communications Commission that allows political parties and committees access to cheaper rates for political ads in the run-up to the midterms. The decision could be a boon for national Republican groups, which have amassed bigger war chests than their Democratic counterparts and can flood the airwaves with more ads in support of GOP candidates.”
Ex-Fetterman Aides May Expose Internal Messages
“Senator John Fetterman, Democrat of Pennsylvania, has for years detested the day-to-day duties of his job, dismissing such tasks as going to hearings and casting votes as a ‘performative’ waste of time,” the New York Times reports.
“Now, a group of his disillusioned former staff members — of which there are many — is threatening to reveal more about his private disdain for what is expected of him as an elected representative of 13 million constituents.”
Judge Again Blocks Trump’s Plans to Restrict Mail Ballots
“A federal judge in Boston ruled for the third time on Friday that the Trump administration’s plans to restrict mail-in voting are likely unconstitutional and it should be prevented from implementing them ahead of the midterm election,” the New York Times reports.
Pentagon Expands Leak Hunt with Polygraphs
“U.S. government investigators have taken the extraordinary step of subjecting roughly 50 members of the U.S. military’s Joint Staff to polygraph tests over leaks to journalists, including about how the Iran war has created a shortage of crucial munitions,” the New York Times reports.
“The investigators asked military officers and civilian employees on the Joint Staff if they disclosed classified information to members of the press, and about whether they provided information about diminished U.S. munitions stocks.”
The Wrap: Pentagon puts roughly 50 Joint Staff members through polygraph tests in leak hunt.
Tetris Distances Itself From Trump’s Wall-Building Game
“The maker of Tetris criticized a new White House digital game that mimics its classic puzzle by having players build a wall to stop migrants from crossing the U.S. border,” Bloomberg reports.
“Build the Wall is one of five games the White House released this week that inserted Trump administration themes into versions of old-school video games. It asks players to ‘protect the border from the coming horde’ by building a wall with blocks resembling Tetris pieces as pixelated extraterrestrial-like figures approach.”
New York Times: The Tetris Company denounces Trump White House clone of Tetris.
New Jersey Lt. Governor Under Investigation
New Jersey Lt. Governor Dale Caldwell (D) “is the subject of an internal investigation by Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s office for alleged inappropriate behavior with women and possible ethics violations that include the purported offer of state jobs,” the New Jersey Globe reports.
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