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A Sidelined Europe Seeks a Voice

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“Worried about being sidelined at an upcoming summit meeting between President Trump and President Vladimir Putin of Russia, European and Ukrainian leaders gathered on Saturday outside London with top American officials both to understand Mr. Putin’s position and to ensure that Mr. Trump understands what is at stake,” the New York Times reports.

“At the meeting, the Europeans showed their solidarity with Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, and tried to make clear their view that Mr. Trump should take their joint perspectives into account.”

Trump May Invite Zelensky to Alaska

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The White House is considering inviting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Alaska, where President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin next week, NBC News reports.

Axios: Vance’s U.K. talks yield “significant progress” ahead of Trump-Putin summit.

The Permanent Stain

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Andrew Sullivan: “The one thing we didn’t really know before now is that in the face-off between this man’s will-to-power and liberal democracy, liberal democracy would just … fold.”

“Looking back at the resilience of the Constitution, the reaction of the other branches of government, the behavior of civil society, and the response of the public over the last decade: well, when I worried that the US was ‘ripe for tyranny’ in 2016, I was obviously wildly understating the case…”

“Meanwhile, America is one-man rule. Resist and he’ll ruin you. He’ll destroy your law firm’s business; he’ll stop that corporate merger you want; he’ll put a tariff on your company; he’ll launch a DOJ investigation into you; he’ll get you fired for doing your job in government faithfully; he’ll sue you if you print something true about him; and if you’re a federal judge and rule against him, he’ll sic an online mob, and maybe a real mob, onto you. He has done all these things this year — and openly celebrated them.”


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IRS and White House Clashed Over Immigrants’ Data

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“The Internal Revenue Service clashed with the White House over using tax data to help locate suspected undocumented immigrants hours before Trump administration officials forced IRS Commissioner Billy Long from his post Friday,“ the Washington Post reports.

“The Department of Homeland Security sent the IRS a list Thursday of 40,000 names of people DHS officials thought were in the country illegally and asked the IRS to use confidential taxpayer data to verify their addresses.”

Trump to Hold Press Conference on Crime in D.C.

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“President Donald Trump said a press conference will be held at the White House on Monday to address the crime in Washington, D.C.,” Reuters reports.

“Trump said on August 6 he may use the National Guard to police the streets of Washington, D.C., the latest threat by the administration toward taking over the running the city that serves as the seat of the U.S. government.”

For members: The Great Crime Paradox

Trump Weaponizes the FBI

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Ken Dilanian: “Since nothing goes without saying anymore—it is not normal for the FBI to fire experienced and accomplished senior leaders without explanation. The purge that is ongoing is without precedent in the modern history of the bureau.”

“It raises questions about whether the Trump administration is trying to turn the nation’s most powerful law enforcement agency into an instrument of presidential whim—exactly the thing he baselessly accused his opponent of doing.”

Not Your Father’s Republican Party

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Jess Bidgood: “But it’s not just that Trump wants more power over the federal government. He is also trying to give the federal government more power over society itself.”

“Since Monday, the Trump administration has moved to assert new power over institutions like colleges and banks. He has ordered a surge of law enforcement in Washington, D.C., a city that ostensibly has home rule. He has dialed up pressure on state lawmakers across the country to further shore up his power through redistricting — a goal he is also pursuing with his efforts to redo the census in pursuit of a count that would be more favorable to Republicans.”

“It’s presidential maximalism in action. It’s also an extension of his efforts to punish companies for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, and to crack down on law firms and universities.”

Ron Wyden Has No Intention of Stepping Aside

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Associated Press: “Wyden is in his fifth decade in Congress and showing no inclination to step aside even as pressure builds on aging Democratic officeholders to give way to a new generation. He says he plans to seek another term in 2028, when he will be 79 years old.”

“After a recent town hall in Wasco in conservative Sherman County, Wyden said questions about age are ‘fair game for debate’ but that he is still up to the job and the fight against Republican President Donald Trump’s policies.”

A Golden Opportunity for Democrats

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“If California Gov. Gavin Newsom succeeds in putting mid-decade redistricting to a statewide vote this November, it will become the most consequential decision on any American ballot in 2025 — and the clearest opportunity for voters to opine about President Donald Trump’s agenda ahead of the 2026 midterms,” Politico reports.

“In an off year mostly devoid of big-ticket contests — the races for New Jersey governor, Virginia governor and New York City mayor are the only other elections this fall garnering any sort of national attention — a vote in the state of 40 million people at the heart of Trump resistance stands to become a major draw for money and national attention.”

“There are also no limits on political spending in ballot-measure races, meaning the redistricting fight could reach eight figures — or more.”

Crypto’s Richest Man Campaigns for a Pardon

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“In 2023, as Changpeng Zhao, the founder of the giant cryptocurrency exchange Binance, prepared to plead guilty to U.S. money-laundering violations, he fashioned a crash course for himself on clemency politics, reading books about business tycoons who had received pardons, including Marc Rich and Michael Milken,” the New York Times reports.

“Two years later, Mr. Zhao, a Chinese-born billionaire, is out of prison and mounting a pardon campaign of his own, backed by a sophisticated influence operation worthy of those high-profile predecessors.”

Ayotte Rules Out Redistricting for New Hampshire

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“New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R) has ruled out joining the rush of states redrawing the lines of congressional districts for partisan advantage in the 2026 midterms,” Politico reports.

Said Ayotte: “The timing is off for this, because we are literally in the middle of the census period. And when I talk to people in New Hampshire … it’s not on the top of their priority list.”

Most Foreign Lobbying Efforts Came Up Short

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“Countries across the globe have dropped tens of millions this year on lobbyists with ties to President Donald Trump as they rushed to stave off tariffs that could cripple their economies,” Politico reports.

“In most cases, the spending has gotten them nowhere.”

“As Trump has taken a scattershot approach to setting tariff rates — crafting trade agreements that set a 15 percent tariff on major trading partners while imposing rates that vary between 10 and 41 percent on the rest of the world — traditional lobbying tactics in Washington appear to have had little influence.”

Trump Expands Use of Tariffs for National Security

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“President Donald Trump’s freewheeling use of tariffs as a tool of American power may have been more extensive than was publicly known, encompassing an array of national security goals as well as the interests of individual companies,” the Washington Post reports.

“This month, State Department officials considered demanding that U.S. trading partners vote against an international effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the oceangoing container ships that are the backbone of global trade.”

Zelensky Rejects Trump’s Proposal

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“President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine on Saturday flatly rejected President Trump’s proposal that a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia could include ‘some swapping of territories’ — a plan that would in effect mean ceding land to Moscow,” the New York Times reports.

Said Zelensky: “Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier.”

He added: “Any decisions made against us, any decisions made without Ukraine, are at the same time decisions against peace. They will bring nothing. These are dead decisions; they will never work.”

About Political Wire

goddard-bw-snapshotTaegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.

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