You Won’t Find Trump in Many Republican Ads
“President Donald Trump may be omnipresent in American politics, but one place you won’t find him during the midterm elections: starring in Republican TV ads,” CNN reports.
“A new CNN analysis shows that Trump is a bit player – often seldom mentioned at all – in a blitz of Republican messaging increasingly filling the airwaves in some of the biggest races of the year. Since the start of September, Democrats have been much more likely to invoke Trump’s name than Republicans.”
Trump’s Quid Pro Quos Are Getting More Explicit
Aaron Blake: “Few things have defined President Donald Trump’s second term as much as his transactionalism. He’s gone to great lengths to wield potential official actions for political and even personal gain in ways simply not seen since at least Watergate.”
“It’s this same sensibility that led to Trump’s first impeachment in 2019, after he suggestively tied Ukraine’s military aid to that country investigating the Bidens ahead of the 2020 election.”
“But while that and many of Trump’s transactions have relied on implied threats or quid pro quos, he’s increasingly coming out and saying them out loud.”
Democrats Call for More Aid for Talarico
“Republicans are pouring in tens of millions of dollars to shore up the Senate campaign of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has faced major struggles in his race against Democrat James Talarico. But Democrats are divided on whether to direct valuable resources to what’s been a solidly red state,” the Washington Sun reports.
“Some Democrats want their party to commit more money to aid Talarico on the expensive Texas airwaves. Republicans are outpacing Democrats in the spending race by more than $70 million this month, with Election Day fast approaching.”
Merz Says U.S. Friendship ‘Probably Over’
“German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the era of ‘unconditional’ ties between the U.S. and Europe built since World War II are over, at least for now, the latest pronouncement of a breakdown in relations under Donald Trump’s presidency,” Bloomberg reports.
Said Merz: “This era of unconditional transatlantic friendship is probably over for the foreseeable future. On the other side of the Atlantic, we are seeing a change in political attitudes, a change in the assessment of the transatlantic alliance, which we might not have thought possible.”
Mike Pence Has ‘No Plans’ to Run for President
“Former vice president Mike Pence said he has ‘no plans’ to run for president in 2028,” the Washington Post reports.
Roy Cooper Way Ahead in North Carolina’s Senate Race
A new Carolina Journal/Harper Polling poll in North Carolina finds Roy Cooper (D) leading Michael Whatley (R) in the U.S. Senate race, 49% to 34%, with Shannon Bray (L) at 3% and Michael Dublin (G) at 2%.
North Carolina Senate Race
Roy Cooper (D) 49%
Michael Whatley (R) 34%
‘Why I’m Voting for a Texas Democrat’
Karl Rove: “Republicans turned Texas red by fielding candidates who understood the strength of our state’s diverse population and welcomed voters who shared our conservative values.”
“The GOP has a growing number of Bo Frenches—and not only in Texas. Conservatism and the party it dominates have an increasing number of bigoted advocates of a ‘heritage America’ composed of white descendants of the original European settlers. There are ‘just asking questions’ Jew-haters, misogynists who worship hypermasculinity, conspiracy nuts seeking clicks for profit, and religious bigots who won’t differentiate between Muslim terrorists and Muslim American patriots.”
“These people are diminishing the Republican Party, not building it. I’ll have no part of it.”
Iran Downed at Least 2 American Drones
“Iranian forces in recent days have brought down at least two American MQ-1 unmanned aircraft,” CBS News reports.
Are Trump’s Official Papers His Personal Property?
Adam Liptak: “Supreme Court justices work for the government but treat their official papers as private property. As my frequent reporting partner Jodi Kantor wrote this month, that means they can withhold them from the public until long after they have died, or destroy them entirely.”
“In a brief filed last week in a federal appeals court, the Trump administration twice cited Jodi’s article to argue that presidents should have the same power. A 1978 law requires White House documents to be preserved and disclosed relatively soon after the president leaves office. The brief says that law violates the Constitution.”
Republicans Mull Retreat in Georgia and North Carolina
“Republicans may have to make hard choices this fall as they shape their strategy for keeping the Senate — and some think it might not include North Carolina or Georgia,” Semafor reports.
“Just 10 years ago, those two southern states formed the bedrock of Republicans’ Senate majorities. But as President Donald Trump’s low approval ratings hamper the party’s candidates nationwide and widen the battleground map, some in the GOP want to adjust tactics and consider moving money away from races where its candidates are struggling to gain traction.”
Trump Withdraws His Nominee to Lead ICE
“The White House on Thursday withdrew without explanation its nomination of Lance Schroyer to lead U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, less than three months after President Donald Trump selected him to run the agency at the front of his mass deportation campaign,” the Washington Post reports.
Universal Getting Cold Feet On Elon Musk Movie?
Hollywood Reporter: “When it screened at the Venice Film Festival earlier this month, Musk got the kind of reception every international distributor dreams about. Attendees applauded enthusiastically for five minutes and saluted director Alex Gibney, even shouting ‘thank you’ inside the festival’s Sala Grande for his hard-hitting investigation into the world’s richest man.”
“But despite that instant and reassuring focus group, Universal Pictures, which controls worldwide rights to the film outside of North America, now appears to be having second thoughts on a documentary it paid a significant sum to acquire.”
Ex-GOP Governor Slams Roger Marshall
“Former two-term GOP Kansas Governor Bill Graves (R) released a scathing video clip this week shredding incumbent Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) and endorsing Marshall’s Democratic Party challenger Adam Hamilton,” Mediaite reports.
Said Graves: “With our nation facing increasing partisan gridlock and division, it’s time Kansas does something different. For the last six years, Senator Roger Marshall has turned his back on Kansas.”
He added: “In contrast, Adam Hamilton stands as a bulwark of kindness, humility, and service to others. It is for those reasons and many more that I believe Kansas should send Adam Hamilton to the U.S. Senate, and I’m proud to endorse him.”
Senate Democrats Seek Full Accounting of Iran War
“Nearly the entire Democratic caucus in the Senate is demanding that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth provide Congress with a full accounting of the cost of the Iran war along with related budget requests, as frustration grows that the Pentagon is not being forthcoming about the conflict and its fiscal impact,” NBC News reports.
“Forty-six Democratic senators sent a letter to Hegseth early Thursday demanding a detailed breakdown of the cost of military operations against Iran. The letter was spearheaded by Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan.”
“Only Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, who has faced ongoing questions about leaving the Democratic Party, declined to sign the letter.”
Republicans Try to Spend Their Way Out
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Trump Fantasizes About Dipping Iwo Jima Memorial in Gold
Rolling Stone: “The war against Iran is continuing, the affordability crisis is worsening, and the Republican Party’s chances to retain control of Congress in November are looking increasingly grim. Donald Trump, meanwhile, is laser-focused on renovating Washington, D.C.”
“The president mused on Wednesday evening about ‘ripping down’ the Kennedy Center if the courts don’t let him put his name on it, and a few hours later posted an image of the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial surrounded by construction equipment and coated in gold.”
Peltola Leads in Alaska’s Senate Race
A new AARP Alaska poll in Alaska finds Mary Peltola (D) leading Dan Sullivan (R) in the U.S. Senate race, 46% to 41%.
Alaska Senate Race
Mary Peltola (D) 46%
Dan Sullivan (R) 41%
And Peltola still leads after ranked-choice tabulations:
Alaska Senate Race
Mary Peltola (D) 53%
Dan Sullivan (R) 47%
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