Political Wire

Trump to Announce $54 Billion Investment in Alaska

By Leave a Comment

“President Donald Trump is expected to announce on Wednesday plans for South Korea to invest roughly $54 billion in a project to export natural gas from Alaska, a proposal long backed by Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, who’s in a competitive reelection contest there,” the Washington Sun reports.

“The investment would mark the second time this week that the Republican president has sought to highlight the promise of foreign investment made possible by his administration’s trade policy in states where Republican Senate candidates are in tight election campaigns. He made a similar announcement on Monday in the Oval Office for a massive steel plant in Iowa.”

Jamie Raskin Probes Secret AI Data Center Deals

By Leave a Comment

“A Democratic lawmaker wants more information on the secret agreements between tech companies building data centers and local officials approving them, their latest attempt to increase oversight of the facilities powering artificial intelligence and tap in to voters’ AI backlash ahead of the midterm elections,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, sent letters to Amazon.com, Alphabet’s Google, Meta Platforms and Oracle on Tuesday seeking information on the nondisclosure agreements those companies signed with government officials related to data-center build-outs.”

Trump’s Latest Global Tariffs Face Trade Court Challenge

By Leave a Comment

“President Donald Trump’s near-global tariff policy is being challenged in federal court — again,” CNBC reports.

“A panel of three judges at the U.S. Court of International Trade in Manhattan are hearing arguments Wednesday morning from a group of small businesses and Democratic-led states who say Trump’s sweeping ‘Section 301’ tariffs overstep the law.”

“It’s the third time in less than two years that the courts have been asked to intervene against the president’s attempt to impose sweeping tariffs on the vast majority of U.S. imports.”

How James Talarico Made Texas Competitive Again

By Leave a Comment

Time: “With a mix of matter-of-fact earnestness and youthful idealism, Talarico is potentially doing something bigger than winning a Senate seat in a state where Democrats forgot how to win; he is nimbly blending the competing versions of the Democratic identity.”

“Here is a seminarian who preaches a progressive message, a pragmatist who found ways to pass bills in a Republican-controlled Legislature, a sharp-tongued brawler who can smoothly veer from dunking on his opponent to celebrating the value of decency. All this, while also being one of the best fundraisers of the midterms, thanks in no small measure to his ability to tap into voters’ raw frustrations.”

Said Talarico: “We are all getting screwed. Whether you are a little more conservative or a little more progressive, whether you’re Black, white, brown, we are all getting screwed.”

Alpha Energy in Michigan

By Leave a Comment

“In their first official joint appearance, Sen. Elissa Slotkin and Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed will appear at a town hall together and take questions Saturday in Macomb County, the birthplace of Reagan Democrats that Trump won in the last three elections,” Politico reports.

“Slotkin has long said her party needs ‘alpha energy.’ — and coincidentally, a Fox News chyron last night described El-Sayed as ‘Abdul the Alpha.'”

What Does It Take for a Political Party to Implode?

By Leave a Comment

A Political Wire reader asks:

I see that a lot of people dislike both parties. I also see the DNC has a debt. It’s also clear that there’s a growing discontent with these two parties specifically. What does it take for a political party to implode?

Join now to continue reading.

Members get exclusive analysis, bonus features and no advertising. Learn more.

If you’re already a member, sign in to your account.

Fetterman Turns to GOP Donors for Campaign Cash

By Leave a Comment

“Senator John Fetterman, the Pennsylvania Democrat who has spent much of the past two years antagonizing his own party, is now turning to Republicans for campaign cash,” Time reports.

“In recent weeks, Fetterman has sent fundraising appeals through email addresses associated with Republican candidates and committees.”

Paxton’s Christian Identity Politics Obscure His Scandals

By Leave a Comment

Sidney Blumenthal: “Ken Paxton’s political career, more than that of any other Republican candidate campaigning in this cycle, charts the arc of the religious right. The most influential of its activists and donors engineered his rise as a culture warrior at each of its phases from his creation through every disgrace. His race for the Senate, the culmination of his ambition, has become not only his last stand, but also the Alamo for Christian nationalists in Texas.”

“Paxton’s rap sheet explains his Christian identity politics as a shield to distract from the liability of his own record of financial and sexual scandals scrolling back decades.”

States Look to Cut Fuel Prices

By Leave a Comment

“Governors and state lawmakers in both parties are taking steps to address high fuel prices as voter frustration grows and the White House struggles to blunt the Iran war’s impact on energy prices,” Politico reports.

“In Ohio, lawmakers could take up a bill as soon as Wednesday to suspend the state’s gasoline tax, joining Georgia, California, Texas and other states that have cut their levies or proposed other solutions — even if those efforts could sap state transportation funding.”

Mike Johnson Stumping for California Republicans

By Leave a Comment

“Speaker Mike Johnson plans to visit California on Wednesday to stump and fundraise for Republican candidates in a state that could determine control of the U.S. House of Representatives during President Trump’s final two years in office,” the Los Angeles Times reports.

“David Wasserman, a congressional forecaster for the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, said that Johnson is attempting to mitigate the aftermath of Proposition 50, the redrawing of California’s congressional districts that voters approved in November in response to Trump’s efforts to tilt districts in his favor elsewhere in the nation, notably Texas.”

Said Wasserman: “If it weren’t for Republican efforts to redraw Texas, Proposition 50 wouldn’t have seen the light of day.”

Bernie Sanders Ramps Up His Midterm Play

By Leave a Comment

“Bernie Sanders is cracking open his war chest,” Politico reports.

“For months, the Vermont senator criss-crossed the country vaulting progressives to a series of primary wins. Now, he’s dipping into his substantial campaign coffers as part of a broader effort to propel battleground Democrats over the finish line in November.”

Europe Hardens On Migration as Nationalist Support Grows

By Leave a Comment

“European countries sought to harden migration rules in a bid to quell support for nationalist parties across the continent,” Semafor reports.

“Anti-immigration parties have been on the rise in both domestic politics and the European Parliament.”

“Governments are trying to address voters’ concerns: Swiss lawmakers have advanced legislation taxing companies that hire foreign workers, while five EU member states want the bloc to launch a pilot project sending rejected asylum seekers to designated countries outside Europe.”

Trump Ran the Kennedy Center Into the Ground

By Leave a Comment

“In the 19 months since President Trump took over the Kennedy Center, the institution has borrowed everything its bank would lend it, dipped into money donors had given on condition it never be spent, and written off pledges from supporters who stopped paying,” the Washington Post reports.

“Trump said the center was ‘losing hundreds of millions of dollars’ when he took over, and his board has warned of ‘bankruptcy.'”

“It is true that when Trump took over, the center was in worse shape than it was in 2021, when it was flush with pandemic relief funds. But the old leadership handed over an institution that was better off financially than in most years before Covid.”

Bonus Quote of the Day

By Leave a Comment

“To be honest with you, the numbers — when we did that convention, it dropped our numbers. Everybody’s numbers dropped.”

— Ken Paxton (R), quoted by the New York Post, on the impact of the Republican midterm convention.

About Political Wire

Taegan 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.

Praise for Political Wire

“There are a lot of blogs and news sites claiming to understand politics, but only a few actually do. Political Wire is one of them.”

— Chuck Todd, host of “Meet the Press”

“Concise. Relevant. To the point. Political Wire is the first site I check when I’m looking for the latest political nugget. That pretty much says it all.”

— Stuart Rothenberg, editor of the Rothenberg Political Report

“Political Wire is one of only four or five sites that I check every day and sometimes several times a day, for the latest political news and developments.”

— Charlie Cook, editor of the Cook Political Report

“The big news, delicious tidbits, pearls of wisdom — nicely packaged, constantly updated… What political junkie could ask for more?”

— Larry Sabato, Center for Politics, University of Virginia

“Political Wire is a great, great site.”

— Joe Scarborough, host of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe”

“Taegan Goddard has a knack for digging out political gems that too often get passed over by the mainstream press, and for delivering the latest electoral developments in a sharp, no frills style that makes his Political Wire an addictive blog habit you don’t want to kick.”

— Arianna Huffington, founder of The Huffington Post

“Political Wire is one of the absolute must-read sites in the blogosphere.”

— Glenn Reynolds, founder of Instapundit

“I rely on Taegan Goddard’s Political Wire for straight, fair political news, he gets right to the point. It’s an eagerly anticipated part of my news reading.”

— Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist.