Political Wire

Two Ex-FBI Officials Who Were Targets of Trump Charged

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“Two former FBI officials who have come under withering criticism from allies of President Donald Trump have been charged with allegedly lying to Congress over the investigation into former President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden,” NBC News reports.

“A court docket shows that Nikki Floris, the former deputy assistant director of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division, and Bradley Benavides, another FBI official, were facing one count of the rarely-charged criminal offense which can be difficult to prosecute.”

CNBC: Two ex-FBI officials charged with allegedly lying about Hunter Biden probe.

DOJ Seeks to Preemptively Block Alaska Senate Result

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“The Justice Department has moved to preemptively block certification of the results of Alaska’s Senate race if Republican incumbent Sen. Dan S. Sullivan loses his tight race against Democrat Mary Peltola next month,” the Washington Post reports.

“In a lawsuit filed in federal court Thursday, department officials described the candidacy of a third contender in the race — another Republican named Dan J. Sullivan Jr. — as a bid to mislead supporters of Sen. Sullivan into voting for the wrong candidate.”

Washington Sun: Trump administration lays out path to challenge Alaska’s Senate results.

Could Mississippi Deliver a November Surprise?

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Talking PointsOne of the potential “November surprises” I discussed on today’s episode of Trial Balloon is a race that has received remarkably little national attention: Mississippi’s Senate contest.

Democratic strategists have been quietly pointing to the state as a potential upset opportunity ever since the 2024 election.

Read the rest of this column

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Democrats Warn Economy Should Drive Agenda

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“Democrats are preparing a broad oversight agenda if the party sweeps control of one or both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections, signaling investigations of President Donald Trump, his family, his aides and top Republican donors amid a string of reports of corruption in Washington,” the Washington Sun reports.

“But Democratic operatives are warning lawmakers not to lose sight of what polls show the November election is really about: inflation and the high costs of consumer goods, fuel and health care.”

Weekly News Quiz

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Low-Information Voters Turned Hardest Against Trump

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G. Elliot Morris: “Low-knowledge 2024 voters say they backed Trump by 8 points, according to our poll. Today they give him a net job approval of −27, a 35-point shift. Compare that to Trump’s approval rating among voters who got both questions right: These voters backed Harris by 1 point and now give Trump a net −24 approval, a 23-point shift.”

“Low-information voters have moved against Trump at a higher rate than high-information voters, by 12 points.”

Gas Prices Unlikely to Fall Before Midterms

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“High gas prices continue to weigh on wallets as voters list affordability as a top concern ahead of early November’s midterm elections,” ABC News reports.

“The national average price of a gallon of gas stands at $4.27, marking an increase of nearly $1.30, or 43%, since the outbreak of the Iran war in February.”

“Fuel prices are unlikely to ease significantly before Election Day on Nov. 3, some analysts told ABC News, predicting gas prices would all but certainly remain above $4 a gallon.”

James Talarico Campaign Ad Targets Elon Musk

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“James Talarico’s campaign hit back at Elon Musk Thursday, calling the 2026 election cycle’s top spender out for his cash infusion in the Texas Senate race amid an ongoing feud between the Democratic nominee and the world’s richest man,” CNBC reports.

“A video posted by the Talarico campaign’s account on X Thursday of a new ad targets Musk for his record spending in favor of Republican nominee Ken Paxton, telling him ‘Texas is not for sale.'”

Amy Acton’s Mother Was Convicted of Killing Kittens

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“New information about the criminal history of Donna Arthur, the estranged mother of Ohio Democratic nominee for governor, Amy Acton, is coming to light amid the backlash about her appearance in a Vivek Ramaswamy ad — including her conviction for animal neglect after several kittens in her care died in a hot car,” Mediaite reports.

White House Expects Press Briefing ‘Soon’

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“The White House’s press secretary vacancy won’t necessarily keep the briefing room closed,” Semafor reports.

“President Donald Trump’s communications director, Steven Cheung, told Semafor that the next briefing would come ‘soon’ — but if it happens before the midterms, a new press secretary likely won’t be behind the podium.”

“Trump is in no rush to name a replacement after Katie Zacharia’s abrupt exit, and one person familiar with the situation said a new pick will ‘definitely not’ be named before the election.”

Kushner Pushes Back On Report Involving Hacked Phone

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“Jared Kushner is pushing back on a report involving a hacked iPhone, international spies and billion-dollar transfers from foreign governments,” CBS News reports.

“An upcoming book by journalist Matthew Cole claims Kushner, who is President Trump’s son-in-law, had access to more than $2 billion in ‘slush money funds’ from Middle Eastern leaders in an attempt to influence U.S. foreign policy.”

New · Out October 25, 2026Princes and Thieves
Jared Kushner and Mohamed bin Zayed's Secret Plot to Remake the Middle East
by Matthew Cole · Atria/One Signal Publishers
Buy on Amazon
HardcoverKindle
More on this book from Political Wire →

The Limits of Trump-Style Politics

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Jonathan Martin: “It’s tempting to say that Vivek Ramaswamy’s ad deploying the estranged mother of his opponent in the Ohio governor’s race is the worst sort of ends-justify-the-means politics.”

“But the ends, in this case, are likely to be an even more pronounced rejection of Ramaswamy at the polls next month. The spot isn’t just bad taste, it’s bad politics.”

“What the ad represents, rather, is an opening salvo in the post-midterms fight for the Republican Party’s future. It’s a battle that will accelerate next year but may not culminate until the 2030s. Put simply, what sort of party does the GOP want to be — and what will the market bear?”

Trump Has Just One Option Left On Gas Prices

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“President Donald Trump has just one way left to bring down gas prices: ending the Iran war,” Semafor reports.

“Already, his administration has expanded access to red-dyed diesel; unlocked Russian diesel; waived the Jones Act; and tapped the U.S. strategic reserve in an effort to lower costs. Yet oil prices hit a five-month high today, even as Trump touted that Middle East exports were surpassing pre-war levels.”