Political Wire

Biden Refutes Allegations He Hid Cancer Diagnosis

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“Former president Joe Biden expresses frustration and delivers a rebuke to those who suggested he covered-up and failed to disclose his cancer diagnosis in a timely manner, according to excerpts from his new memoir,” MS NOW reports.

Wrote Biden: “What did surprise me was the cynical twist the story took in the political press and among political commentators. Almost immediately, the reaction was: ‘You hid it from us.’ ‘You must have known it.’ ‘You’re lying.’ Let me tell you something: There isn’t anyone in this world with stage 4 cancer who doesn’t wish it had been caught sooner.”

Pre-order · Out November 17, 2026Promise Me, America
by Joe Biden · Little, Brown and Company
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Quote of the Day

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“I’m sorry that the voters made the wrong choice. I really do believe that the next two years is going to be a bit of a circus. It’s going to be chaos… and that’s a great tragedy.”

— Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), quoted by the New York Post.

2028 Republicans Split Over Midterm Election Losses

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“Republicans are still reckoning with a historic midterm wipeout, but the fight to assign blame and inherit President Donald Trump’s political movement is already underway,” CNBC reports.

“Vice President JD Vance faults the war in Iran. Secretary of State Marco Rubio defends it. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says Republicans fought the wrong battles. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) argues the party lost touch with voters’ economic struggles.”

“The competing visions from potential presidential contenders offer an early glimpse of the Republican infighting ahead of 2028. But all face the same dilemma: How to convince voters the party can change course without alienating Trump or the MAGA base they need to win the nomination.”

“The biggest obstacle may be Trump himself, who has shown little appetite for a political retreat.”

Fox News: Rubio’s defense of Trump’s Iran war draws sharp contrast with Vance’s midterm blame.

Trump Shows No Contrition After Midterms

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“It’s as if the midterms never happened,” CNN reports.

“The Trump administration is heading into this week’s impeachment showdown over Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth— the first major test of the president’s power after his election debacle — with a clear warning that it plans to use executive authority with even greater force in the new political era.”

“There’s little sense of contrition or acknowledgment that Americans voted to impose restraints on President Donald Trump.”

Trump Plans Imperial Final Act of His Presidency

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“President Trump, with the clock ticking and congressional investigators closing in, plans to govern even more imperially, hell-bent on stretching executive power, targeting those on his enemies list, pardoning allies, and daring the courts and Congress to slow him down,” Axios reports.

“Trump and his allies are exploring executive action on new tariffs and immigration restrictions, and asserting greater control over spending. On X over the weekend, Trump discussed targeting and perhaps jailing Democrats who investigate administration officials.”

GOP Bucks Trump On Nvidia Scandal

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“Senior Republican lawmakers are considering investigating Nvidia over CEO Jensen Huang’s affair with an alleged Chinese spy, putting President Donald Trump’s strong defense of the tech titan at odds with mounting scrutiny from members of his own party,” Politico reports.

CNBC: Nvidia’s Trump ties draw scrutiny after reports Huang was targeted by Chinese intelligence.

Silicon Valley’s Trump-Era Playbook Is Falling Apart

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Washington Post: “For two years, they enjoyed extraordinary access to the president as his administration rolled back regulations, weakened government oversight and embraced artificial intelligence’s rapid expansion. Some right-leaning tech figures, such as Elon Musk and venture capitalist David Sacks, took formal roles in the administration.”

“But as Democrats swept races across the country last week — propelled in part by Americans’ rage over data centers and fears about AI — some tech leaders are now plotting a dramatic shift in strategy.”

The Guardian: Elon Musk and the tech bros banked on Trump and lost. Humbled, humiliated: what will they do next?

Some Want More Than a Hakeem Jeffries Victory

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“Hakeem Jeffries’ supporters don’t just want him to win — they want him to win big,” Politico reports.

“The massive Democratic House victory last week has transformed what might have otherwise been a fraught effort for the sitting minority leader to secure the speaker’s gavel, where a smaller majority could have empowered a tightknit block of hard-left holdouts. Now a broader group is intent on sending a message.”

Blue Wave Complicates the Math in New York Redistricting

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“Top New York Democrats still want to redraw the state’s congressional maps before 2028. But after Tuesday’s blue wave, their plans might not be as set in stone as they were a few months ago,” Politico reports.

“President Donald Trump successfully backed redistricting plans in several red states during his second term. The aggressive push led Democrats to respond with their own tit-for-tat efforts. But redistricting in Republican dominated states did not yield the desired results for the GOP — as evidenced by Tuesday’s blue wave — leading leaders from both parties to rethink their approach.”

Support for Death Penalty Reaches 50-Year Low

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“Support for the death penalty in the U.S. has dropped to a more than 50-year low following a botched execution in Tennessee,” Semafor reports.

“Forty-nine percent of American adults approve of the death penalty for convicted murderers, according to Gallup, the first time the figure has dropped below 50% since 1971.”

Hegseth to Hold Rare News Conference

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“Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth plans to hold a news conference at the Pentagon on Tuesday morning to address a looming impeachment vote over his handling of the war against Iran and other military operations,” the New York Times reports.

“That he scheduled the event appears to be a measure of how much he feels the pressure to defend himself. Mr. Hegseth has not addressed reporters at the Pentagon since May, not even when a Navy commander was killed in a helicopter crash in the Arabian Sea on July 1 or when two U.S. soldiers were killed in an Iranian missile attack on a base in Jordan on July 17.”

Mediaite: Trump urges Republicans to fight Hegseth impeachment push: “Stand up for Pete.”

Trump’s Crypto Products Crash to All-Time Lows

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“To get into an exclusive dinner with President Donald Trump later this month, investors would have to spend roughly $700 buying his meme coin. Last year, the cost of admission for a similar event was roughly $59,000,” the Washington Sun reports.

“Crypto products tied to the president have cratered in value in the days following the midterm elections, as the president’s declining political power translated into declining uptake in the financial products branded with his name. Democrats, who are about to gain subpoena power in the House and Senate, have also pledged to investigate Trump’s crypto ventures, further contributing to the red.”

Jordan Claims He Has the Votes to Beat Scalise

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“At some point this afternoon, the careers of House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) will be permanently altered,” Punchbowl News reports.

“One of them – they were both first elected during George W. Bush’s presidency – will be House minority leader, charged with helping the party emerge from the smallest minority since the 1990s. The other won’t have any leadership role in the House Republican Conference.”

“Leadership races are usually filled with mudslinging and backstabbing, but this one is being conducted remarkably above board. The most negative comment from Scalise’s camp is that Jordan is too focused on investigations and has no plan for legislating. Jordan’s allies counter that it would be crazy to promote the No. 2 House GOP leader to the top slot after Republicans got obliterated last week.”

“Jordan’s allies privately claim he has more than 100 yes votes locked up, well over the threshold to win. Scalise’s team scoffs at that. Meaning one of them will walk out of the room today very surprised.”

U.S. Aircraft Evacuated From Second U.K. Base

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“The U.S. evacuated American aircraft from a Royal Air Force base in England on Monday in the wake of a threat from Iran,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“The precise nature of the threat to RAF Mildenhall—whether imminent or more general—remains under discussion among U.S. officials.”

GOP Leaders Face a Post-Rout Reckoning

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“Republican leaders are fighting to keep their power on Capitol Hill today after stunning midterm losses last week,” Politico reports.

“The House and Senate GOP are poised to hold separate elections today to decide who will serve as the top Republicans in the next Congress. The winners are expected to immediately start charting a course back to governing relevance after Democrats gained the largest majorities won by any party in decades and voters delivered a firm rebuke of President Donald Trump.”

How a MAHA Leader Turned and Torched the White House

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“Calley Means quickly rose from wellness entrepreneur to senior Trump health adviser — and now he’s attacking the White House and suggesting top aides undermined the president’s health agenda,” Axios reports.

“His scorched-earth campaign — which continued Monday in comments to Axios — marks a stunning turn for a figure who was the administration’s most vocal advocate of the ‘Make America Healthy Again’ agenda.”

The Guardian: Former RFK Jr adviser accuses Trump officials of prioritizing special interest groups over voters.

House Democrats Size Up 2028 Senate Map

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“Current and former House Democrats, flush with victory following their landslide midterm wins, are already looking at potential opportunities to run for Senate in 2028,” Axios reports.

“Democrats’ 2026 romp — with wins in Texas, South Carolina, Kansas and possibly even Mississippi — has some party members reevaluating what were once considered impossible targets.”

Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire -- which for more than two decades has been one of the nation's most influential political news sites.

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