“A federal appeals court reinstated Missouri Republicans’ 7-1 House map to be used in time for the November elections, delivering a boost for several GOP candidates who wanted a more favorable map for the party to be used in the midterm elections,” The Hill reports.
“The ruling offers a temporary victory for Republicans who are looking to add pickup opportunities in the House ahead of November, though the decision is all but certain to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.”
“New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani hosted President Donald Trump on Monday at Gracie Mansion, one of the president’s ‘favorite places in the World’ and the mayor’s official residence, as the two leaders continued a cordial relationship despite their sharp political differences,” the Washington Post reports.
“It was their third meeting and the first on the mayor’s turf since he won election in November. Although Trump has derided Mamdani as a ‘communist’ and warned that he would tear New York apart, the president has also appeared charmed by the 34-year-old mayor.”
“The meeting was especially unusual for taking place just weeks ahead of midterm elections in which Trump has tried to rally his base by warning it about left-wing candidates.”
“A group of 53 former federal prosecutors and agents told a court Monday that President Trump’s media company is likely committing federal crimes by selling Wall Street investors faster access to his Truth Social posts,” CBS News reports.
“President Trump has repeatedly discussed kicking journalists out of the White House, where they have worked for decades, and moving them to a nearby building, according to current and former administration officials,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“The president raised the matter as recently as last month, as his frustrations with media coverage of his second term escalated, one of the officials said. Some of Trump’s advisers have cautioned against the move, the people said.”
“The defining moment of 2025’s gathering of world leaders at the United Nations may have been Donald Trump’s accusation of ‘sabotage’ after his teleprompter blinked out and an escalator stalled while he was on it,” Bloomberg reports.
“Now the world body is working overtime to make sure nothing similar happens again to distract from its focus on solving the world’s problems this week.”
“Donald Trump’s ban on CNN seems to already be taking on water,” The Wrap reports.
“The news organization has already been credentialed to cover one of the First Lady’s events at the United Nations just days after the president announced a White House ban on them, MS NOW and Politico.”
“Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) said he still has concerns about Sen. Mitch McConnell’s ability to carry out the duties of his office following the Kentucky Republican’s return to the Senate last week after being hospitalized in June,” ABC News reports.
Said Beshear: “I still have concerns and I think anybody who actually watches the video has concerns, both for him and for the position.”
He added: “I still have concerns and I think anybody who actually watches the video has concerns, both for him and for the position. But this is what’s broken about the current Senate: they don’t think they work for anybody. I mean, Mitch McConnell was gone for three months, three months away from work, and wouldn’t tell his boss, which are the people of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.”
“President Trump arrived Monday afternoon at Gracie Mansion for a meeting with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani — making the first presidential visit to Hizzoner’s official residence since Ronald Reagan visited Ed Koch in 1981 to tout federal investments in a local roadway project,” the New York Post reports.
Said Trump: “I spent lots of hours there over the years, with some great Mayors, some average Mayors, and some bad Mayors. It will be interesting to see how it looks now, invited by Mayor Mamdani.”
“Donald Trump has vowed to appeal a judge’s ruling in the networks’ challenge of his ban on their access to the White House, even though a federal judge has yet to issue a ruling in the case,” Deadline reports.
A Republican source familiar with the U.S. Senate race in Kansas said private polling also showed Adam Hamilton (D) with a slight lead over Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS), The Hill reports.
“Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson, a senior Appropriations Committee Republican, questioned whether federal funds should be spent on construction of President Donald Trump’s triumphal arch, which the president claimed over the weekend could be used for military purposes,” Politico reports.
Said Simpson: “There’s a lot of things that we need the military funding for — in fact, we’re short on military funding right now. If it was my choice, I wouldn’t put any of that money into the arch.”
The Guardian: Trump accused of “manufacturing a national security justification” to push arch plan.
“Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-ME) warned Monday that President Donald Trump would be defying Congress if he moves forward with empowering top political appointees to decide who gets grant funding for health research,” Politico reports.
Said Collins: “Any attempt to politicize grantmaking… is contrary to congressional intent.”
A new Reuters/Ipsos poll finds President Donald Trump’s approval at 32%, while 66% disapprove.
The same poll finds Democrats leading Republicans on the generic congressional ballot, 43% to 35%.
“Doesn’t sound like a Democrat to me. And his voting record doesn’t show he’s a Democrat either.”
— A House Democrat, quoted by the Washington Sun, on Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) crossing party lines to endorse Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY).
“Republican lawmakers are ratcheting up pressure on Donald Trump to ban diesel exports as surging prices squeeze American farmers and truckers just weeks ahead of pivotal midterm elections,” the Financial Times reports.
“There was a rising clamour for an intervention on Monday from politicians representing agricultural districts as the price of diesel, the lifeblood of American industry and its farming heartlands, jumped to a fresh record of $6.51 a gallon.”
“President Trump unveiled his new granite helipad on Monday, but none of the major TV networks carried the event as tensions between the media and the White House escalated,” the New York Post reports.
“The White House aired the event on its social media channels but Marine One, sitting on the helipad behind the president with its engine on, was so loud that Trump’s remarks could not be heard.”
“What do a White House ban on journalists, a 250-foot arch near the nation’s capital and Greenland have in common?” Axios reports.
“President Trump needs all of them for national security purposes, he and his administration have argued.”
“As he’s unilaterally shattered presidential norms, Trump has justified his sweeping policy priorities with a familiar two-word rationale: national security.”
John Avlon: “The biggest political story of 2026 isn’t the socialist surge. It’s the motley crew of military veterans, pastors, former Republicans, and independents putting red America in play for Democrats.”
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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