Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is lending his celebrity to the Republican-led campaign against redistricting in California, the New York Times reports.
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Immigration Remains Trump’s Strongest Issue
A new Washington Post-Ipsos survey found Americans largely critical of President Trump’s handling of crime, tariffs and other top issues.
But Trump’s immigration policies stand out: “A 55% majority of Trump supporters named immigration-related topics when asked what they liked best about his presidency.”
Ted Cruz Plays the Long Game
Jonathan Martin: “By likening the intimidation tactics of President Donald Trump’s FCC to the mafia in the case of The Government v. Jimmy Kimmel, Cruz imparted a valuable lesson his colleagues, and everyone in public life, should mind: This is still America, and you can speak up about your principles.”
Charlie Kirk Conspiracy Theories Are Running Wild
Will Sommer: “I wrote last week about the rise of the conspiracy theories surrounding Kirk’s death, which began to circulate within hours of his assassination. But I didn’t anticipate that the director of the FBI would decide to acknowledge—and thereby elevate—them.”
“But in this modern, Trumpified era of the Justice Department, that’s what happens when major right-wing figures, including Jones and Owens get involved. It doesn’t help matters that Patel (at least according to his critics) seems utterly consumed with his social media clout and how his reputation is faring on the online right.”
“From here, it seems likely that the skepticism about the official narrative of the Kirk assassination will only grow.”
Jimmy Kimmel Coming Back Won’t End It
Ryan Faughnder: “Disney wanted to be done with politics. But politics wasn’t done with Disney.”
GOP Senator Pushes Back on Trump’s Tylenol Advice
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), a licensed doctor, pushed back on President Trump advising pregnant women not to take acetaminophen due to an alleged link to autism in children, The Hill reports.
Said Cassidy: “The preponderance of evidence shows that this is not the case.”
Extra Bonus Quote of the Day
“This man is stark, raving mad. Do Americans not see how embarrassing this is?”
— A senior foreign diplomat, texting a Washington Post columnist after President Trump’s speech at the United Nations.
Why Kamala Harris Lost in One Sentence
Former Vice President Kamala Harris appeared on The View and reflected on her October 2024 interview where she was asked if there was anything she’d do differently than then-President Biden.
Said Harris: “I didn’t fully appreciate how much people wanted to know there was a difference between me and President Biden.”
‘The Worst Kept Secret in D.C.’
New York Magazine reports how Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, who now work closely together at DHS, are “widely understood” to be romantically involved.
One FEMA official even described it as the “worst-kept secret in D.C.”
A senior Trump administration official went a step further: “Everybody knows they’re together. Can I prove it? No. But they’re together.”
Pritzker Says Mobilizing Troops Is About the Midterms
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (R) told MSNBC that President Trump “wants to send troops into American cities is because he wants to be able to take control of the 2026 elections.”
Said Pritzker: “Now, if they’ve got troops in cities and it becomes a kind of norm for people, then it won’t be abnormal for them when they’re going to vote having troops at the ballot boxes.”
He added: “He’ll say that he’s protecting the ballot. And if he thinks there’s some kind of fraud, and– what I mean by that is if he thinks that his party isn’t gonna win, then they very well could do what they suggested they were gonna do in 2020, which is take control of the ballot boxes. So I believe that is what this is about. It’s about intimidating people from going to the polls who would not vote for his party and about the ability to take control of the elections if it doesn’t go his way.”
America’s Accelerating Exit from Itself
Edward Luce: “A few months before the 250th anniversary of the declaration of independence, Donald Trump is pulverising the country’s founding principles with astonishing ease. His war on speech is no drill. Late-night comedians are being targeted. Corporations like Paramount are meekly submitting to his will. Ivy League presidents and globally renowned law firms act as though the First Amendment no longer holds. Outspoken business leaders have suddenly lost their tongues. Since they have the most to lose, those with power and wealth are among the softest targets…”
“Less than a year after Trump was elected, the separation of powers is not working. Congress is irrelevant. The Supreme Court is quiescent. The media is punch drunk. Democrats are fragmented. Independent federal agencies are losing autonomy. The markets are high on the AI gold rush, crypto deregulation and the prospect of a return to easy money.”
Trump Turns Biden’s TikTok Law Into Big Win
“When President Joe Biden signed a law last year forcing the sale of TikTok, top Democrats and China hawks heralded it as a triumph,” the Washington Post reports.
“Four years earlier, Donald Trump tried and failed during his first term in the White House to push through a similar measure, but the Biden administration worked aggressively with Congress to craft a law officials said would sever all risks of political influence from China, where TikTok’s owner, ByteDance, is based.”
“Now, some critics of an extraordinary deal to spin off a U.S. version of TikTok say that effort has backfired. The app’s recommendation algorithm will remain in ByteDance’s hands under the proposal, undermining one of the Biden team’s central justifications for the law. TikTok’s new owners are likely to include corporate interests tied to some of Trump’s most prominent backers, including Larry Ellison, Jeff Yass and Rupert Murdoch, who some fear could exert their own political influence.”
Trump Fires More Immigration Judges
Nearly 20 immigration judges received emails this month informing them that they are being let go, adding to the over 80 judges that have already been cut by President Trump so far this year, NPR reports.
Energy Groups Praise Trump’s Embrace of Nuclear Power
“Energy groups are touting President Trump’s moves to embrace nuclear energy, pointing to New York as a prime example, as an annual Climate Week kicks off in New York City,” The Hill reports.
“Trump campaigned on a pledge to unleash American energy, and he has already signed multiple executive actions aimed at bolstering the nation’s nuclear power in particular.”
Judaism’s Holiest Days Present a Test for Mamdani
New York Times: “For most New York politicians, the High Holy Days each autumn present an easy opportunity to show support for the city’s vibrant Jewish community. They share holiday greetings on social media, or perhaps show up at a temple or two.”
“But for Mr. Mamdani, the 10-day stretch will be something more complicated, a high-profile election-season test of his relationship with a group of New Yorkers that is split passionately for and against his candidacy.”
“It is no simple balancing act. Mr. Mamdani, a state assemblyman and democratic socialist, has no intention of backing off his strong criticism of Israel, which has unsettled some Jewish voters, especially older ones. Yet allies say he is trying to reinforce a message delivered on primary night that he would value and protect all New Yorkers as mayor.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“I only do business with people I like. When I don’t like ’em, I don’t like ’em.”
— President Trump, speaking at the United Nations.
Democrats Launch Investigation Into Homan Probe
“House and Senate Democrats have opened separate investigations into the Trump administration’s decision to close a criminal F.B.I. inquiry into Tom Homan, Mr. Trump’s border czar, that began after he was recorded last year accepting a bag with $50,000 in cash,” the New York Times reports.
“Mr. Homan’s encounter with undercover F.B.I. agents in September 2024 was recorded on audiotape and led him to be investigated for potential bribery and other crimes. On the tape, he agreed to help the agents, who were posing as businessmen, get government contracts related to border security, according to people familiar with the case.”
Rubio Pledges to Defend ‘Every Inch’ of NATO
“Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed the American commitment to NATO after incursions by Russian aircraft into the alliance’s airspace that have shaken governments on its eastern flank,” Bloomberg reports.
Said Rubio: “We will work with our allies to defend every inch of NATO territory.”
