A new Gallup poll finds just 15% of Americans approve of the job Congress is doing.
And in what may be an ominous sign for Republicans, the share of GOP voters who view Congress favorably dropped 21 points to just 33% in the poll conducted just after the shutdown began — a stark shift from a high of 63% earlier this year, after Republicans gained control of both chambers.
“Millions of Americans are at risk of losing food stamp benefits before the end of this month if the government shutdown continues, officials in several states have warned, signaling further financial stress for lower-income families already facing slashed federal food program budgets and rising food costs,” the Washington Post reports.
“The Democratic National Committee paid $1.6 million in September to cover debt from Kamala Harris’ 2024 campaign — bringing the DNC’s total payout to the campaign to more than $20 million, and counting,” Axios reports.
“If he was a king, he probably would have never left office the first time.”
— Donald Trump Jr., speaking about his father on Fox News.
Axios: “The sight of bulldozers smashing into the White House’s East Wing — almost three weeks into a federal shutdown — is sending shockwaves among certain circles in Washington, with some wondering: Is this even allowed?”
“President Trump originally claimed his ballroom project wouldn’t ‘interfere’ with the current White House structure. And the $250 million addition — which POTUS is funding — seems to be increasing in scope: Trump said it’ll fit 999 people when it’s finished by the end of his term, up from original estimates of 650.”
A new Rutgers-Eagleton poll finds Mikie Sherrill (D) leading Jack Ciattarelli (R) in the race for governor among likely voters by a five-point margin, 50% to 45%.
A new Public Religion Research Institute poll asked people if Donald Trump is a “potentially dangerous dictator whose power should be limited before he destroys democracy” or if he’s a “strong leader who should be given the power he needs to restore America’s greatness.”
Americans chose the “dictator” option by a strong margin, 56% to 41%.
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) has been speaking on the Senate floor for more than 12 hours after announcing he would protest what he called President Trump’s “grave threats to democracy,” CNN reports.
Said Merkley: “I’ve come to the Senate floor tonight to ring the alarm bells. We’re in the most perilous moment, the biggest threat to our republic since the Civil War. President Trump is shredding our Constitution.”
He began his remarks at 6:24 p.m. ET and was still speaking as of this morning.
CNN excerpts Abby Phillip’s new book, A Dream Deferred.
“Focusing on his presidential runs in 1984 and, especially, 1988, Phillip highlights how Jackson built an unlikely coalition that showed how Black political power could be consolidated.”
A new State Navigate poll in Virginia shows Abigail Spanberger with a 13-point lead to become the next governor, her widest lead yet in any public poll, 55% to 42%.
“Weighing down Republicans’ chances of winning in Virginia this year is, of course, President Trump. The President is deeply unpopular with likely voters this year: 40 percent say that they approve of how he is handling his job as president, while 59 percent say they disapprove, including 55 percent who disapprove strongly.”
“Republicans have recruited a Sununu to run for Senate in New Hampshire after all,” Politico reports.
“Former Sen. John E. Sununu said Wednesday that he is running to reclaim the seat he held for a single term before Democrat Jeanne Shaheen ousted him in 2008. Shaheen is retiring next year.”
Washington Post: “Obama’s involvement in the redistricting fight is a reflection of the deep anxieties he harbors about Trump’s second term… It has propelled the ex-president into a more political and public-facing role than he once envisioned.”
“With his enduring popularity and the party still struggling to unite behind new leaders after losing the White House and Congress, no other Democrat commands his level of authority or reach.”
“Millions of Americans are already seeing their health insurance costs soar for 2026 as Congress remains deadlocked over extending covid-era subsidies for premiums,” the Washington Post reports.
“The bitter fight sparked a government shutdown at the start of October. Democrats refuse to vote on government-funding legislation unless it extends the subsidies, while Republicans insist on separate negotiations after reopening the government. Now lawmakers face greater pressure to act as Americans who buy insurance through the Affordable Care Act are seeing, or about to see, the consequences of enhanced subsidies expiring at the end of the year.”
“The Republican National Committee heads into the year before the midterm election with a significantly bigger bank balance than the Democratic National Committee, a reflection of the GOP’s dominance in Washington and the minority party’s ongoing struggles,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“The gap is a warning sign for Democrats as some of their donors remain skeptical of the party’s direction and of whether there is a viable plan to win again.”
New York Times: “The president has placed proponents of his false claims into government jobs while dismantling systems built to secure voting, raising fears that he aims to seize authority over elections ahead of next year’s midterms.”
“Nancy Pelosi, who has come under increasing pressure from fellow Democrats here to retire, will make an announcement about her plans after California’s election on a redistricting measure early next month,” Politico reports.
“And if Pelosi, who is 85, does leave office, she has been publicly elevating one Democrat who could run to succeed her: San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan — who has emerged as a progressive force inside City Hall and who, much like Pelosi, is closely aligned with the city’s powerful labor movement.”
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.
