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Exchange of the Day

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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt at yesterday’s briefing:

REPORTER: One more: You recently said you’d check with President Trump about why he needed to get an MRI on his recent trip to Walter Reed. Do you have any more detail on that?

LEAVITT: I do, and I’m glad you asked. As stated in the memo provided on October 10th, President Trump received advanced imaging at Walter Reed Medical Center as part of his routine physical examination. The full results were reviewed by attending radiologists and consultants, and all agreed that President Trump remains in exceptional physical health, which I know all of you will see with your own eyes later this evening when he opens up his dinner to the press, and perhaps you will see him when he signs the bill to reopen the federal government, so stay tuned on plans for that.

An Issue That Still Rattles Trump

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Speaker Mike Johnson didn’t want a vote on releasing the Epstein files — but a discharge petition left him no choice.

Rather than drag his feet, he’s now facing loud demands from inside his own conference to move quickly, with some Republicans urging a floor vote as early as next week.

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Trump Left Voicemail After Ozzy Osborne’s Death

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Ozzy Osbourne’s family has revealed that President Trump left a voicemail for Sharon Osbourne after the 76-year-old rock icon died from cardiac arrest in July, the Daily Beast reports.

Said Trump: “Ozzy was amazing, he was an amazing guy. I met him a few times and he was unique in every way and talented. So I just wanted to wish you the best and it’s a tough thing. I know how close you were and whatever I can do. Take care of yourself. Say hello to the family. Thanks. Bye.”

Disillusioned Trump Voters Don’t Regret Their Vote

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NBC News spoke to 18 Trump voters who said President Trump had not met their expectations on the economy.

Key finding: “None regretted their vote for Trump last year, in many cases because of a deep frustration with Democrats. A handful said they’d be open to voting for Democrats in the future, though most planned to keep voting Republican.”

Mamdani Seeks Advice from Democratic Governors

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“New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has spoken privately with several Democratic governors about how to take on President Trump and tackle other priorities,” Axios reports.

“The meetings — with three potential 2028 presidential candidates — are a sign that Mamdani, a democratic socialist, is seeking advice on governing from Democrats across the party’s ideological spectrum.”

The One Issue That Splits Trump From His Base

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Karen Tumulty: “The MAGA base has had little trouble looking the other way when it comes to Donald Trump’s trampling of norms and ethical standards: the coarseness; the indictments; the retribution against his enemies; the self-enrichment while in office; the unprecedented claims of executive power.”

“His administration’s handling of information regarding the horrific crimes of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is different. Bringing to light what lies within the Justice Department’s so-called Epstein files is the most persistent issue to have driven a deep wedge into the president’s base — to the point where some who embrace the MAGA label have even been willing to make common cause with Democrats.”

Does the Epstein Story Matter?

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Playbook: “There are real-world ramifications of this story exploding back onto the agenda. The White House did not want to spend yesterday talking about Epstein, does not want to spend today talking about Epstein — does not want to spend any more days talking about Epstein. It’s awkward, uncomfortable, distracting subject matter that Trump’s team would like to put to bed.”

“And that’s not going to happen, at least not yet.”

U.S. Faith Levels Plummet to Lowest on Record

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Gallup: “The 17-point drop in the percentage of U.S. adults who say religion is an important part of their daily life — from 66% in 2015 to 49% today — ranks among the largest Gallup has recorded in any country over any 10-year period since 2007.”

“About half of Americans now say religion is not an important part of their daily life.”

House Will Vote on Epstein Files Next Week

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“Speaker Mike Johnson announced Wednesday that he would put a contentious bill compelling the release of all of the Justice Department’s Jeffrey Epstein case files to a vote on the House floor next week – earlier than expected,” CNN reports.

“Johnson was required to soon put the bill from Reps. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, and Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, on the floor after the pair successfully deployed an arcane tool in the chamber known as a discharge petition. But he had some leeway to do so.”

“The Republican leaders’ suggestion that he would move more quickly than expected to put the bill before the full House is a reflection of the growing sense of agitation among members of his party on Capitol Hill.”

Playbook: “And this one could get ugly for Republicans. Remarkably, both Democrats and Republicans expect scores of Republicans on the Hill to back the files’ release. They know full well that while the MAGA base may not be sold on Trump’s involvement with Epstein, supporters still want the files released.”

Axios: Epstein files become a fiasco of Trump’s own making.

The Secret Meeting That Ended the Shutdown

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“The turning point in the government’s longest shutdown didn’t involve President Trump or Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“Instead, after the Senate adjourned for the day and most reporters had emptied out of the halls, a small group of breakaway Democrats and an independent slipped unnoticed into the office of Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD).”

Japan’s Leader Started a Meeting at 3 A.M.

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“Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, is known as an inveterate workhorse. She often skips social gatherings and has openly rejected the idea of work-life balance,” the New York Times reports.

“But even by Ms. Takaichi’s standards, it was surprising when she emerged from her Tokyo residence shortly after 3 a.m. on a recent day to convene a meeting with aides ahead of an appearance before Parliament.”

“Ms. Takaichi has drawn criticism for holding the meeting, which took place on Friday and has become known in the Japanese news media as the ‘3 a.m. study session.’ The issue is especially sensitive in Japan, where there have been high-profile cases in recent years of karoshi, or ‘death from overwork.’”

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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