“Right-wing activists have slowly taken control of a significant part of America’s local election apparatus. The country isn’t prepared for what they might do,” The Atlantic reports.
White House Threatens Medical School Funding
“The Trump administration’s mounting investigations and attacks on diversity initiatives have left medical schools facing a tough choice as they consider how to select incoming classes: stick with policies they see as core to their mission or risk critical federal funding,” the Washington Post reports.
“The legal landscape is unresolved, leaving some schools to weigh potential consequences in a high-profile, high-stakes fight.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“California already has two senators; it doesn’t need a third. But that’s exactly what James Talarico would be.”
— Texas U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton (R), quoted by USA Today.
If Trump Can’t Fill a Dallas Arena, Can He Turn Out Voters?
“There were scores of empty seats in the upper tiers of the American Airlines Center for President Trump’s keynote address at the Republican convention. And there were plenty of empty seats in the lower sections too,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“It was a five-hour drumroll of speakers leading up to the president’s remarks, but those seats never filled.”
A cameraman zoomed out last night to reveal hundreds of empty seats after Trump claimed “you don’t have any seats that are empty.”
Democrats to Take On Hegseth if They Win in November
“Congressional Democrats are promising to target Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth if they win control of Congress in November,” Politico reports.
“Emboldened by the possibility of a sweep at the polls, they’re plotting a blitz of public hearings and inquiries, using their agenda-setting authority and potentially the power to subpoena Trump administration officials over the Iran war, allegations of war crimes, Pentagon business dealings, purges of top military officers and a host of other controversies.”
“Some Democrats want to go even further, raising the possibility the House could push to impeach Hegseth — an increasingly polarizing figure whose leadership has drawn howls of protest, even from some Republicans.”
Jimmy Kimmel Will Not Air James Talarico Interview
“Jimmy Kimmel will not air his interview with Texas senate candidate James Talarico after threats from the FCC,” The Wrap reports.
“During Wednesday’s monologue for ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!,’ the comedian explained that he would release a sit down with Talarico on his YouTube channel, rather than broadcasting it on ABC.”
Deadline: Kimmel says Trump’s FCC has threatened show, so his James Talarico interview will air on YouTube instead of ABC.
Trump Warns Tehran Over Activity at Pickaxe Mountain
“President Donald Trump has urged Iran ‘not to get cute’ over activity at a suspected nuclear site on Pickaxe Mountain, following a barrage of attacks between both countries on tankers around the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz,” CNBC reports.
Said Trump: “We notice there’s a little activity at Pickaxe. I would advise Iran not to get cute because we will have to hit them very hard.”
Trump Told Iran War May Last Through His Term
“Top White House advisers have raised privately with President Trump the prospect that the Iran war could drag on through the remainder of his term, U.S. officials said, a message at odds with Trump’s public assurances of a swift victory,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“In the Oval Office and Situation Room, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and others have discussed with the president that Tehran could continue to resist U.S. pressure under the blockade and other military tactics, potentially extending the conflict past Inauguration Day in January 2029, the officials said.”
The Democrats Who Aren’t Criticizing John Fetterman
“Sen. John Fetterman has faced a tide of public criticism from fellow Democrats as he stakes out lonely ground as a critic of the far-left wing of his party — and another wave rolled in Wednesday after he made a surprise video appearance at the Republican midterm convention,” Politico reports.
“So far, however, his Senate colleagues haven’t joined the pile-on.”
“Democratic senators are staying above the fray as they work to flip the majority in November amid constant speculation that the 57-year-old Pennsylvanian could trigger a nightmare scenario by leaving the party and caucusing with the GOP.”
Associated Press: Fetterman’s isolation from Democrats grows stark in Pennsylvania.
‘Trump Dividend’ Wins Instant Republican Critics
“President Donald Trump dropped a hot mess of a half-baked midterm promise in lawmakers’ laps last night,” Politico reports.
“Trump at the GOP’s convention pledged to send $5,000 to every adult in the U.S. if Republicans retain control of Congress in the midterms… And while the crowd of thousands of his supporters gathered at Dallas’ American Airlines Center cheered the announcement, GOP fiscal hawks were balking at the effort before Trump even left the stage.”
“The payout, which would need to be approved by Congress, would dwarf the amount distributed during the Covid pandemic and likely explode the deficit.”
“A GOP operative, granted anonymity to discuss the idea, expressed skepticism, calling it ‘a desperate attempt to change the political mood.'”
Bloomberg: What is the $5,000 “dividend” Trump is proposing?
Quote of the Day
“Vance is smart to be laser focused on the midterm elections. He has proven to be one of the most prolific fundraisers the GOP has. It is pretty clear that if he runs for president in ’28, he will be the nominee.”
— A person close to the White House, quoted by Politico.
Ford Leads Lombardo in Nevada Governor’s Race
A new KLAS-TV/Emerson College Polling poll in Nevada finds Aaron Ford (D) leading Joe Lombardo (R) in the governor’s race, 44% to 42%.
Nevada Governor’s Race
Aaron Ford (D) 44%
Joe Lombardo (R) 42%
Trump Pledges $5K Dividend if GOP Wins Congress
“President Trump pledged a $5,000 payout to U.S. adults on Wednesday, but only if Republicans hold onto their majority in Congress come November,” The Hill reports.
Said Trump: “Here is my promise: if the Republicans win the House of Representatives and the United States Senate, both of them … because of our tremendous strength and success economically, I will issue a dividend to every adult citizen in the United States of America for $5,000.”
”The legality of this disbursal is unclear.”
Bloomberg: Trump’s dividend promise would cost more than $1 trillion.
Trump to Send $500 ‘Obamacare Rebates’ Before Election
“The Trump administration plans to send $500 rebate checks to as many as 1 million people who it says were overcharged for their coverage under Obamacare,” Axios reports.
“The direct-deposit payment would be sent to people in 30 states before the Nov. 3 midterm election, as Trump touts savings from his tax-cut legislation and prescription drug plan.”
Trump Has Promised Cash Payments Before
“First, at the start of his second term, President Trump promised a DOGE dividend, a pledge to take the money that Elon Musk’s team would cut from the federal budget and send it to the American people,” the New York Times reports.
“Then Mr. Trump moved on to a ‘tariff refund,’ a plan to use the money the government was collecting in import taxes to fund payments for the public.”
“Those ideas never panned out. Nevertheless, Mr. Trump is again talking up the possibility that the federal government will send Americans thousands of dollars in cash.”
Iran Shows New Appetite for Escalation
“Iran is increasingly trying to escalate its conflict with the U.S. as it seeks to break a stalemate in the Strait of Hormuz that is strangling its economy,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“At least three times in the past week, Iranian forces have launched missiles at American warships, including an aircraft carrier, taking direct aim at the U.S. Navy in a way it hasn’t done since the start of the war. Iran also fired a large missile salvo at U.S. forces stationed in Jordan on Wednesday.”
“The attempted strikes on warships have led to much closer calls than previous attempts, with Iran using maneuverable warheads.”
How Trump’s Social Media Reflects His Version of Reality
“Just before noon on a holiday weekend, while many Americans were at the beach, President Trump’s social media account roared to life. In what has increasingly become his weekend habit, he unleashed a daylong barrage of posts that put the bully in the modern bully pulpit,” the New York Times reports.
“There were images of Mr. Trump intimidating Canada’s prime minister with a hockey stick, personally bombing enemy targets and patrolling dark streets with killer robots. There were maps showing the United States taking over other countries, and maps renaming a state. There were attacks on the ‘Dumocratic Party’ and tributes to himself as ‘the Greatest President of All Time!'”
“The 60 messages posted online over 10 hours and 41 minutes offered a window into Mr. Trump’s own unique reality, one anchored not in fact but in an expression of ego.”
South Korea Nears Agreement On U.S. Investments
“The South Korean government is nearing the announcement of a major energy investment project in the U.S. to support America’s artificial-intelligence build-out, a long-awaited development of the trade deal struck between Washington and Seoul last year,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“The deal, potentially worth more than $100 billion, envisions South Korea financing the construction of up to eight nuclear power plants and a natural-gas project.”
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