Politico: “The National Republican Senatorial Committee will fundraise for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, according to campaign finance paperwork filed Monday, the clearest indication yet that national Republicans are rallying behind their controversial GOP nominee.”
New York Democrats Move to Join Redistricting Battle
Politico: “Democrats have finalized their plans for a state constitutional amendment to change New York’s redistricting process — joining a national battle over drawing congressional boundaries.”
“The changes would enable Democrats to shift as many as four Republican-held House seats to their column in the 26-member delegation — giving the party a slight edge in a state with several swing districts.”
Trump’s Agenda Stalls
Politico: “A year and a half into his second term, Trump’s legislative agenda is stalled in a Congress he has undermined. He has yet to end the war he started in Iran, let alone the one he’s spent months trying to end between Russia and Ukraine. A series of court rulings has stopped the administration in its tracks on everything from an “Anti-Weaponization Fund” that could have been used to compensate the president’s political allies to renaming the Kennedy Center.”
“Even the culture Trump has spent years trying to bend to his will is showing signs of resistance as artists bail on the Freedom 250 festival, the triumphalist celebration he envisioned as one of the capstones of his second term.”
“Trump allies describe a sense of burnout inside the White House driven by a nearly all-encompassing focus on ending the Iran war, which has already lasted twice as long as the president suggested it might. Privately, they wonder whether a staff shakeup would snap the administration out of its malaise.”
Putin Looks for a Way Out of Ukraine War
Washington Post: “Pressure is mounting on Russian President Vladimir Putin over how to end his war in Ukraine as Moscow’s battlefield offensive stalls, financial resources dwindle and more frequent Ukrainian drone strikes inside Russia exacerbate growing public dissatisfaction.”
The Biggest Threat to JD Vance Is Spencer Pratt
Alex Burns: “There are only three real threats that could complicate Vice President JD Vance’s path to the Republican nomination in 2028.”
“One would be a spectacular betrayal by President Donald Trump. America’s gossip-in-chief has played enough 2028 parlor games with friends and aides to ensure a stream of stories about Trump considering alternatives to Vance — chiefly, Secretary of State Marco Rubio. There is a long way between Trump’s kibitzing and actually intervening to wipe out his loyal deputy.”
“The second would be a grisly scandal that implicates Vance, specifically, with smoking-gun evidence. It would have to be indefensible even for the Trump administration. Vance has given us no reason to expect that kind of demise.”
“The third threat to Vance is Spencer Pratt. The reality-soap performer has emerged as a disruptive force in the race for mayor of Los Angeles, churning up the city’s inert politics with performance artistry, authentic grievance and high-tech vapor.”
Can Graham Platner Still Win?
Dan Pfeiffer: “There is no credible path to a Senate majority without Maine. It’s the only solidly blue state with a Republican incumbent. So the stakes are incredibly high for Platner and everyone else who desperately wants a bulwark against Trump’s corrupt authoritarianism.”
“Beating Susan Collins is harder than it looks. She won reelection in 2020 by 8.5 points while Biden was winning the state by 9. And by dint of the size of the Republican majority, Collins has been able to avoid some of the most politically toxic votes, like the so-called Big Beautiful Bill and some of Trump’s most polarizing nominees.”
“Having said that, Maine is not only a very Democratic state — it’s more Democratic than it was the last time Collins was on the ballot.”
Trump’s Losing Streak Continues Into This Week
Washington Post: “A retreat from the fund would mark the latest setback for President Donald Trump, who has uncharacteristically backed away from some of his political initiatives in recent days, including his determination to remake the Kennedy Center and plans for an elaborate concert series to mark the nation’s 250th birthday.”
Trump Stiffs America’s Bipartisan Birthday Commission
NOTUS: “The Trump administration is withholding tens of millions in taxpayer funds from the bipartisan group created to celebrate America’s 250th birthday while simultaneously directing money toward President Donald Trump’s favored projects for the anniversary.”
“Trump established a new organization called Freedom 250 in December to plan events for the birthday, even though Congress had already created a bipartisan commission called America 250.”
Trump-Backed Candidate Says War a ‘Political Liability’
Rep. Ashley Hinson, the likely GOP nominee in Iowa’s critical Senate race, said last week that the Iran war will become a “political liability” if it extends much longer, Politico reports.
Said Hinson: “I do hope we can get this done by the next couple of weeks. If it drags on beyond that, it’s a political liability for us too, because we’ve lost Iowa soldiers. I’ve been to four funerals since December, it’s awful.”
A Dangerous Paradox
Punchbowl News: “Trump and Hill Republicans are trapped in a dangerous paradox. Trump’s political endorsement is worth more than ever in GOP primaries, yet his legislative agenda and fixation on personal projects are growing more toxic heading into the fall campaign season. As more Republicans move past their primaries, they’re suddenly finding it advantageous to oppose him.”
Democrats Hit by Last-Minute Platner Anxiety
“Democrats have been caught in the bind Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) sought to avoid when he backed Gov. Janet Mills over Graham Platner in the Maine Senate race,” Axios reports.
“Democrats must now support an untested and largely unvetted outsider as he faces intense media scrutiny over his relationship with women in a must-win race.”
“Maine’s Democratic primary to take on Sen. Susan Collins (R) in November is in eight days.”
Politico: Democrats fret Graham Platner could cost them — and not just in Maine.
Trump Targets Brazil With 25% Tariff
“The Trump administration on Monday proposed a 25 percent tariff on a broad range of Brazilian imports, concluding after a trade investigation that Brazil had engaged in unfair practices that imposed burdens on American businesses,” the New York Times reports.
U.S. Presses Neutral Oman to Pick a Side
“At the start of the U.S.-Iran war, officials in Oman raced to establish a back channel with Tehran that helped Gulf states reopen flight corridors—a diplomatic coup made possible by Muscat’s staunch impartiality in the conflict,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“Three months later, that neutral stance is beginning to backfire. Washington increasingly interprets Oman’s approach toward Tehran as hostile to America and, according to U.S. and Arab officials, has pressed Oman to pick a side and cut diplomatic ties with Iran.”
Trump Fumes at Netanyahu
President Trump lashed out at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Israel’s escalation in Lebanon in an expletive-laden call on Monday, Axios reports.
Said a “pissed” Trump: “What the fuck are you doing?”
He added: “You’re fucking crazy. You’d be in prison if it weren’t for me. I’m saving your ass. Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this.”
Democrats Stick with Platner While Bracing for More
“Democrats are preparing for Graham Platner to stick around until November, even as they also discuss — much more quietly — the likelihood of still more damaging stories about their Maine Senate candidate’s past,” Semafor reports.
“Platner is seeking to bolster his standing with the party after a weekend of scandal; a campaign official said he plans to visit Washington on Tuesday for meetings with senators. He and his wife have acknowledged the veracity of reports that he sent sexual messages to multiple other women while pushing back on the matter as resolved, and his campaign team has sniped at the former adviser who confirmed the information.”
Trump Says Iran Negotiations Are ‘Very Boring’
“For three months, President Trump has been deeply engaged in the Iran conflict, planning the 38 days of attack, struggling to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and proclaiming ‘a whole civilization will die tonight,’ then backing away to declare a cease-fire and a naval blockage of Iranian ports,” the New York Times reports.
“But on Monday, after days of haggling with Iranian officials through intermediaries on a preliminary agreement, Mr. Trump declared it was starting ‘to get very boring.’”
Democrat Deleted Posts Calling to Seize Private Property
“Darializa Avila Chevalier, a democratic socialist congressional candidate endorsed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, deleted a previous Twitter account that included thousands of posts and reposts expressing support for abolishing police, prisons and borders, as well as seizing private property and nationalizing major industries and calling into question Israel’s right to exist,” CNN reports.
Graham Platner Heads to D.C.
“Maine Democratic Senate primary frontrunner Graham Platner is scheduled to meet with Democratic senators in Washington on Tuesday afternoon,” Axios reports.
