Political Wire

Silicon Valley Braces for a Democratic Congress

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Washington Post: “As Trump’s approval rating plummets, Silicon Valley companies that ingratiated themselves with Trump’s Washington are bracing for the possibility of a Democratic Congress — and with it congressional investigations targeting their dealings with the president and his administration.”

“Democrats are preparing to investigate some defense technology firms, as well as manufacturing and mining companies that serve the military supply chain, according to conversations with nearly a dozen congressional staffers, political lobbyists, lawyers, investors and executives.”

“The firms make a tantalizing target for Democrats because of their close ties to the Trump administration and mounting public anger over unregulated AI, autonomous weapons and data centers.”

Wes Moore Campaigns in Virginia

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Washington Post: “Moore, the only Black governor of a U.S. state, is up for reelection next month. But his Suburban with Maryland plates recently logged more than 650 miles crisscrossing Virginia, where he rallied Black and veteran voters in the commonwealth’s most competitive House districts instead of campaigning at home.”

“In the newly minted early presidential primary state, Moore also was fortifying his ties to Virginia’s Black political power structure ahead of a widely presumed 2028 presidential bid.”

Sleeper Issue Could Decide the Texas Senate Race

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“Americans’ concern with what they view as government corruption is defining midterm races across the country, as voters from both parties consistently rank the issue second only to the economy and high prices,” the Washington Post reports.

“Corruption has particularly animated the crucial Senate battleground of Texas, where Republicans are scrambling to prevent the first Senate Democratic victory since 1988 as state Rep. James Talarico (D) pounds Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) with tens of millions of dollars in advertising calling him corrupt.”

New York Times: Ken Paxton’s state-funded jet-setting draws campaign scrutiny.

A Flurry of Diplomacy in Iran

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“Senior representatives from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan met with Iranian officials in the capital, Tehran, on Monday, amid widespread concern that the United States and Israel could soon launch fresh attacks on Iran,” the New York Times reports.

“The visit is the latest in a flurry of diplomatic efforts by regional mediators to stave off further turmoil in the Middle East. American and Israeli officials are said to be drawing up plans to potentially attack Iran after the U.S. midterm elections next week.”

Bloomberg: Top Saudi, Turkish officials travel to Iran to quell war tension.

Trump Enlists Football Stars for Final Midterm Push

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“President Trump will campaign with three football stars in Texas on Tuesday, leaning into America’s favorite sport as Republicans scramble to turn out voters in the final week before the midterms, Axios has learned,” Axios reports.

“Trump is trying to mobilize the low-propensity voters who helped return him to the White House in 2024 — but who may be less inclined to vote when he isn’t on the ballot.”

Trump Hides Court Ruling About Spying On Americans

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“Two Democratic senators who have long overseen U.S. intelligence say the Trump administration is illegally withholding a secret court’s findings from Congress until lawmakers renew a program that lets federal agents read Americans’ communications without a warrant,” Wired reports.

“Seven months ago, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court objected to search filters that let intelligence analysts pull Americans’ messages from intercepted data without the approvals, written justifications, or records the law requires. The court approved another year of surveillance anyway. The ruling has never been made public, and Senators Ron Wyden of Oregon and Adam Schiff of California say the administration’s own deadline for releasing it passed in September.”

Trump Tariffs Test Republicans Ahead of Midterms

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“President Trump faces an uncomfortable political dilemma ahead of the impending midterm elections: how to stand by the tariffs at the heart of his economic agenda when Republican voters are less convinced of their benefits,” Axios reports.

“Since returning to the White House, Trump has moved more aggressively than any modern president to remake the global trading system, with sweeping tariffs at the center of that effort.”

Netanyahu Goes Into Full Panic Mode

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Graeme Wood: “When the going gets tough, the tough don’t get subtle. Yesterday, with polls casting doubt on his continuing as Israel’s prime minister after Tuesday’s election, Benjamin Netanyahu posted a closing argument on Instagram: an AI-generated image of Tel Aviv destroyed by a nuclear blast, with accompanying text that asked, roughly, Would you prefer to reelect Netanyahu, or be incinerated along with your family?”

“The text—written by the commentator Yuval Bloomberg and reproduced approvingly by Netanyahu—called all of the other campaign issues a ‘smokescreen,’ and accused Netanyahu’s opponents of being so blinded by hatred that they would rather increase their chances of being burned alive than see their country’s political maestro win another election. If you support another candidate, the Instagram post cautioned, ‘your hand should tremble’ as you vote.”

Axios: Trump allies fall in two elections as Netanyahu faces next test.

Trump Hit with New Lawsuit Over Press Restrictions

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The Wrap: “Six Americans sued President Donald Trump on Monday, arguing that his administration’s restrictions on White House press access violate the public’s First Amendment right to independent reporting about the government.”

“Unlike earlier lawsuits brought by individual media outlets, the new case seeks protections for the entire White House press corps, arguing that the threat of losing access discourages journalists from reporting critically on the president.”

The New Republic: Six citizens sue Trump over White House media ban.

Trump Fires Back at Obama’s ‘Cheesecake Factory’ Jab

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“President Trump fired back Monday at Barack Obama’s weekend jab comparing Trump’s White House renovations to a branch of The Cheesecake Factory, claiming his predecessor did not take proper care of the historic residence,” the New York Post reports.

Said Trump: “For you to say it’s a Cheesecake Factory — that just shows why you were a lousy president.”

He added: “We have to explain that to Obama because he doesn’t understand it because he’s not a smart guy. He’s not smart at all because of the way he ran the country. Only a stupid person would run the country like that.”

Democrats Lead in Michigan Races

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A new Michigan State University/YouGov poll in Michigan finds Abdul El-Sayed (D) leading Mike Rogers (R) in the U.S. Senate race, 48% to 46%.

Michigan Senate Race
Abdul El-Sayed (D) 48%
 
Mike Rogers (R) 46%
 
Michigan State University/YouGov poll · likely voters · ±4.4%
Michigan Governor’s Race
Jocelyn Benson (D) 53%
 
John James (R) 41%
 
Michigan State University/YouGov poll · likely voters · ±4.4%