Political Wire

Donors Were Misled by Trump-Backed Freedom 250

July 2, 2026 at 9:15 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Some donors who intended to give money to a bipartisan effort to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary were, instead, steered to a White House-backed initiative under false pretenses, House Democrats allege in a report released Thursday morning, citing whistleblower interviews and newly obtained documents,” the Washington Post reports.

“The donors meant to give money to America250, a congressionally chartered initiative to celebrate the nation’s semiquincentennial… They instead were given routing and account numbers that directed their funds to Freedom 250, which President Donald Trump established last year to organize anniversary events.”

Quote of the Day

July 2, 2026 at 8:42 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“We told you bro, we fucking warned you.”

— Democratic Socialists of America co-chair Megan Romer, quoted by the Wall Street Journal, on the Democratic party establishment.

U.S. Hiring Continues at Steady Pace

July 2, 2026 at 8:40 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Employment figures for June showed the American economy continues to stride past obstacles including the inflationary pressures of the war with Iran,” the New York Times reports.

“Employers added 57,000 jobs last month and the unemployment rate fell to 4.2 percent from 4.3 percent the previous month. In recent years, economists have remarked with surprise at the resilience of the American economy. At the midpoint of 2026, with the volatility caused by President Trump’s tariff hikes mostly baked in and the war with Iran potentially winding down, economic durability may be the emerging norm.”

Ocasio-Cortez Endorses Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan

July 2, 2026 at 8:27 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, one of the nation’s most prominent progressives, is endorsing Dr. Abdul El-Sayed for Senate in Michigan, wading into her first contested Senate primary of 2026 in one of the nation’s top battlegrounds,” the New York Times reports.

“Her endorsement represents one of Ms. Ocasio-Cortez’s most assertive moves so far this year to build up the left flank of the Democratic Party. And it puts the congresswoman from New York in direct conflict with Senator Chuck Schumer, who has backed a more moderate candidate, Representative Haley Stevens, who he argues is more electable.”

The U.S. Is Nearly Alone in No Paid Time Off

July 2, 2026 at 8:25 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The U.S. is one of only nine countries in the world that doesn’t guarantee workers some kind of paid annual leave, according to a comprehensive new analysis of all 193 United Nations member states,” Axios reports.

“Why it matters: These policies have become fairly standard around the world — they’re not merely some European August vacation thing — but paid vacation in the U.S. is seen more as a privilege managed privately by employers.”

Alaska’s Senate Race Is a Toss Up

July 2, 2026 at 8:24 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

The Cook Political Report moved the Alaska Senate race rating in Democrats’ direction to a Toss-Up.

Are MAGA and MAHA Heading for Divorce?

July 2, 2026 at 8:22 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Rolling Stone: “Kennedy’s HHS was supposed to purge cozy relationships and conflicts of interest from health care policy; to rid the food supply of contaminants sickening Americans, from pesticides to artificial dyes; to stop advancing Big Pharma’s interests and, instead, scrutinize the safety profile of multiple vaccines.”

“But the withdrawal, which left Kennedy in the dark, shows the limits of his influence in the Trump administration and the way the White House has used the MAHA coalition for votes and talking points, while undermining its priorities when politically advantageous.”

Republican Tax Cuts Anniversary Overshadowed

July 2, 2026 at 7:44 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The one-year anniversary of the Republican tax cut law is set to come and go with a whimper amid America’s 250th birthday celebrations, depriving the party of a key opportunity to sell the package as it struggles to coalesce around an economic message ahead of the midterms,” NOTUS reports.

“Touting the benefits of the law has turned out to be a yearlong bugaboo that has been mired by constant issues – the chief one being the lack of consistent messaging from President Donald Trump, who has been particularly attuned to the nation’s semiquincentennial and pet projects across Washington.”

Republicans Plot an Investigative End Run

July 2, 2026 at 7:19 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Congressional Republicans could bank on an unorthodox investigative strategy if they lose the House this fall: relying on the threat of parallel probes by Trump’s administration to power the House minority’s congressional investigations next Congress,” Semafor reports.

“It could amount to an unusual assertion of power from the House minority, which historically has almost no ability to enforce any of its own investigative requests.”

There Are Very Few Socialists in America

July 2, 2026 at 6:40 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Paul Krugman: “The fact is that very few Americans — even among politicians who call themselves ‘democratic socialists’ — are really socialists.”

”What many, I’d say a majority, of Americans support is what Europeans call social democracy — an ideology that is OK with living in a mostly market-driven economic system in which some people make much more money than others, but one that advocates policies to tame markets and inequality with progressive taxation, safety net programs, and regulations.”

GOP Candidate’s Wealth Claims Don’t Match Disclosures

July 2, 2026 at 6:38 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Brandon Herrera, the Republican set to replace former Rep. Tony Gonzales in Texas’ 23rd District, is refiling his financial disclosures,” Punchbowl News reports.

”There is a massive disparity between how Herrera, a gun salesman and influencer, speaks about his wealth publicly and what’s listed in his financial disclosure reports. Herrera purports to have made millions of dollars in the past and said he’d be taking a large pay cut by joining Congress.”

”Herrera’s financial disclosure reports don’t reflect that, however.”

Inside John Thune’s Judicial Blitz

July 2, 2026 at 6:32 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Senate Majority Leader John Thune has been consumed by near-daily drama and chaos largely brought on by President Donald Trump, who’s been blindsiding GOP leaders and undermining their shared agenda as part of his push to get rid of the filibuster,” Punchbowl News reports.

”Yet in the background, Senate Republicans have been confirming circuit and district court judges at a pace that now exceeds their clip from the first Trump administration. It’s a rare bright spot for the Senate GOP majority, despite several unresolved legislative crises.”

Tucker Carlson Says He’s Starting a New Political Party

July 2, 2026 at 6:27 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Tucker Carlson intends to start a new political party after disavowing President Trump and the Republican Party over the Iran war,” the New York Post reports.

Said Carlson: “’I’m going to help build a third party. There should be a good-faith effort to figure out what benefits the country.”

Supreme Court Sidelines Congress in Latest Term

July 2, 2026 at 5:36 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The Supreme Court spent its just-completed term sidelining Congress and amassing power for the ascendant branches of government: the presidency and the court itself,” Axios reports.

“As the court strips Congress of its power, decisions over people’s money, jobs, votes and health shift toward the president and nine justices appointed for life.”

”After this term, Congress can’t insulate regulators from the president, limit political parties’ spending or require race-conscious voting districts.”

CNN: Takeaways from a divisive Supreme Court term that expanded Trump’s power.

Colorado Governor Fires Clemency Board Members

July 2, 2026 at 5:30 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Gov. Jared Polis of Colorado on Wednesday fired two members of his clemency board after they spoke out against his decision to commute the prison sentence of the election denier Tina Peters,” the New York Times reports.

“The board members, Hannah Seigel Proff and Azra Taslimi, had objected to Mr. Polis’s decision in May to release Ms. Peters from prison after pressure from President Trump.”

“After the commutation, Ms. Proff and Ms. Taslimi revealed that the board — appointed by Mr. Polis — had twice voted unanimously to reject Ms. Peters’s application for a shortened sentence. Mr. Polis, a Democrat, has the final decision, and overruled the board.”

Trump Doesn’t Worry About Conflicts of Interest

July 2, 2026 at 5:28 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

New York Times: “By tradition, American presidents have generally tried to avoid appearing to profit from the presidency, often taking actions to separate themselves from the kinds of corporate entanglements that could create conflicts of interest.”

“Mr. Trump has chosen a different path, smashing through the few norms he paid even glancing attention to in his first term, like having his family restrain its international business activity.”

Mother Jones: The presidency is making Trump exponentially richer.

The GOP’s Dirty Little Secret About the SAVE America Act

July 2, 2026 at 5:21 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“House conservatives bristled this week over the Senate’s refusal to pass the SAVE America Act — the GOP elections bill that President Donald Trump has called his ‘No. 1 priority’ in Congress — and shut down the floor in protest,” Politico reports.

”Their outrage has obscured an inconvenient truth for the Republicans locking arms with the president to push for the bill: It can’t even pass the House — at least not the version Trump is pushing.”

GOP Senate Candidates Launch Own Super PACs

July 2, 2026 at 5:20 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

New York Times: “For the first time, most Republican nominees in battleground states are drawing support from their own well-funded super PACs. The little-noticed shift allows them to raise more money, adding to the party’s advantage in super PAC cash over Democrats. That edge could prove important in the midterms, even if the Supreme Court’s major recent campaign-finance decision shakes up how much candidates rely on super PACs.”

“The move could also make Republican candidates less reliant on the Senate Leadership Fund. There is often drama each fall when the group makes difficult decisions about which states to prioritize — or abandon.”

July 4th Special