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Just dropped · Trial Balloon · Ep. 190

Trump Is Everywhere

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Trial Balloon · Ep. 190: Trump Is Everywhere

Weekly News Quiz

September 25, 2026 · 11:00 am ET · Leave a Comment

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Another Bonus Quote of the Day

September 25, 2026 · 10:50 am ET · Leave a Comment

“When I was 25, I had a really bad boss. He made me run across an open fucking field of raking machine gun fire to breach a door. So, yeah, life’s tough sometimes.”

— Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), quoted by Semafor, when asked about the New York Times story on former Rep. Mary Peltola’s (D-AK) mistreatment of staff.

Trump Officials Press China On Suspected Nuclear Tests

September 25, 2026 · 10:45 am ET · Leave a Comment

“The Trump administration has been quietly holding talks with China about its rapidly expanding nuclear arsenal amid doubts over Beijing’s compliance with a 30-year test ban,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

Talarico Still Leads in Texas Senate Race

September 25, 2026 · 10:40 am ET · Leave a Comment

A new Texas Public Opinion Research poll in Texas finds James Talarico (D) leading Ken Paxton (R) in the U.S. Senate race, 49% to 44%.

Texas Senate Race
James Talarico (D) 49%
 
Ken Paxton (R) 44%
 
Texas Public Opinion Research poll · likely voters · ±3.6%

The same poll in Texas finds Greg Abbott (R) leading Gina Hinojosa (D) in the governor’s race, 50% to 46%.

Texas Governor’s Race
Greg Abbott (R) 50%
 
Gina Hinojosa (D) 46%
 
Texas Public Opinion Research poll · likely voters · ±3.6%

Trump Claims Productive Meeting with Xi

September 25, 2026 · 10:33 am ET · Leave a Comment

“President Donald Trump said he had a ‘very productive meeting’ with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, but provided no details on any potential deals or breakthroughs from their discussions,” Bloomberg reports.

Said Trump: “Tremendous things will be happening.”

Bloomberg: Trump-Xi summit small on substance, big on pomp.

How Corruption Is Popping Up in Ads Everywhere

September 25, 2026 · 10:08 am ET · Leave a Comment

“Amid a knockdown, drag-out fight for control of Congress, one issue is dominating advertising and transcending partisan divides, instead pitting challengers against incumbents: Everyone is running against members of Congress trading stocks,” NBC News reports.

“At least one TV or digital ad mentioning the issue has run in the last month in nearly every competitive race for Congress.”

For members: Affordability Meets Corruption

Republicans On Track to Lose House Majority

September 25, 2026 · 9:58 am ET · Leave a Comment

“Despite a push for mid-decade redistricting, a massive reserve of cash, and an unpopular opposition party, Republicans are on track to lose their House majority this November,” Cook Political Report reports.

“Unlike in 2018, the last midterm cycle when Republicans were in power, the most competitive House races are almost entirely in districts that President Donald Trump won. But, in large part due to his handling of the economy, the president is now deeply underwater and is dragging down Republican House members and candidates across these districts.”

“Democrats currently hold 215 seats, meaning they need to gain just three seats to take back the majority. But the realm of competitive and potentially competitive districts is fairly small. The most likely outcome at this point is that Democrats pick up five to 15 seats, resulting in Democrats holding 220 to 230 seats in 2027 — a fairly slim majority in modern U.S. history. That range could shift further in Democrats’ favor over the next five weeks if Republicans are unable to effectively stem the bleeding.”

The Cook Political Report is moving 15 House races, all in the Democrats’ direction.
Taegan

Trump Shows Xi Biden’s Autopen ‘Portrait’

September 25, 2026 · 9:55 am ET · Leave a Comment

President Trump showed off his “portrait” of President Joe Biden’s autopen to Chinese president Xi Jinping during a tour of the White House.

Nothing says “America First” like mocking an American president in front of a communist dictator.
Taegan

Chinese Intelligence Aiding Iran’s Targeting of U.S. Sites

September 25, 2026 · 9:53 am ET · Leave a Comment

“Satellite imagery and intelligence support provided by Chinese groups has helped Iran threaten ships in the Strait of Hormuz and launch precision strikes on U.S. military bases in the Middle East, part of a dramatic improvement in Iranian targeting capabilities over the past several months,” CNN reports.

“The imagery allowed Iran to strike a U.S. base in Jordan in July, a strike that killed three American service members, with a level of precision U.S. officials believe was otherwise beyond Iran’s capabilities.”

Extra Bonus Quote of the Day

September 25, 2026 · 9:34 am ET · Leave a Comment

“Yesterday, Iowa House Republicans were informed by their own pollsters that if you are in a +15 district you’re within the margin for error, if you’re in a +10 district you’re underwater, and that this might end being an even worse midterm environment than 2006.”

— Iowa talk show host Steve Deace, quoted by the Daily Mail.

Democrats Enjoy Biggest Lead Yet

September 25, 2026 · 9:19 am ET · Leave a Comment

“Democrats are heading into the final stretch of the 2026 midterms with their largest lead yet in the race for Congress and President Donald Trump’s approval rating at a significant low,” NBC News reports.

“A 9-percentage-point advantage for Democrats when it comes to control of Congress is part of a steady deterioration of the political environment for Republicans. The parties started the road to this November effectively tied in the weeks after President Donald Trump returned to office last year, but independents have gradually begun to prefer a Democratic-controlled Congress. And those voters have soured on Trump and his economic policies in particular.”

Trump Plans to Visit Tennessee, Oklahoma and Alabama

September 25, 2026 · 9:15 am ET · Leave a Comment

“President Trump is planning to rally in heavily Republican states over the next week as his party works to compete in battleground states to preserve its control of Congress,” the New York Times reports.

“Republicans said he would appear in Durant, Okla. on Thursday and in Mobile, Ala. next Friday. The Trump 47 Committee, his joint fund-raising vehicle with the Republican National Committee, will host both events.”

Trump Complains CNN, MS NOW Didn’t Cover Xi Visit

September 25, 2026 · 9:14 am ET · Leave a Comment

“President Trump blasted CNN and MS Now on Thursday over their coverage of his meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, which did not include live video coverage and came as a federal judge reinstated the outlets’ White House access,” NewsNation reports.

Said Trump: “The event was magnificent — Actually made for Television but, because they’re Fake News, and because they knew how good it would be, they didn’t want credit to be given to ‘TRUMP,’ they refused to be there.”

Deadline: CNN says it was denied Trump White House access to cover arrivals at state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping.

China’s Truce with Trump Buys It Valuable Time

September 25, 2026 · 9:01 am ET · Leave a Comment

“For China and its top leader, Xi Jinping, the biggest prize from a summit in Washington, notably free from confrontation, may be simple: time,” the New York Times reports.

“Time to cope with a housing market crash that has wiped away the savings of tens of millions of Chinese families. Time to deal with local governments running short of money as land-use revenue collapses. Time to make China even less vulnerable to economic pressure from the United States and other industrialized countries.”

“And perhaps most consequentially, time to prepare for the once-in-five-years Communist Party national congress next autumn, which will choose a new slate of top leaders to work under Mr. Xi.”

Trump Should Stop Hosting Summits

September 25, 2026 · 8:48 am ET · Leave a Comment

Tom Nichols: “Summits are a problem in this administration for two reasons. The most important is that Trump’s unpredictability and obvious lack of preparation make them dangerous. State visits require a lot of political groundwork, and leaders rarely go into top-level meetings without a set of issues they’ve already agreed to discuss. This agenda-setting gets done long before a president actually sits down with another head of state so that stray asides (or rising tempers) do not derail whatever business needs to be discussed.”

“The grim outcomes of previous summits with Trump, however, suggest that they are seat-of-the-pants affairs, with little preparation, or perhaps with preparation that was ignored by the president.”

Mary Peltola Runs an ‘Alaska First’ Campaign

September 25, 2026 · 8:46 am ET · Leave a Comment

“Alaska Democrat Mary Peltola has become a central part of her party’s plan to flip the Senate in November, but you won’t hear her talk much about that when she’s on the campaign trail,” Bloomberg reports.

“Peltola hardly mentions that she’s a Democrat in a state that President Donald Trump won by 13 points in 2024. Instead, she emphasizes her native Alaskan roots, her background in commercial fishing, her support for oil and gas projects and her conviction that guns have a place in the most remote corner of the U.S..”

Bonus Quote of the Day

September 25, 2026 · 8:23 am ET · Leave a Comment

“I was trying to warn people that if they actually wanted to hold the seat, that I would be a safer bet.”

— Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), quoted by Punchbowl News, on polls showing Ken Paxton trailing in the U.S. Senate race in Texas.

Trade War with Canada Adds Challenge in Senate Races

September 25, 2026 · 8:15 am ET · Leave a Comment

“President Trump’s trade war with Canada could intensify the headwinds Republicans are navigating ahead of the November midterms, with its effects poised to reverberate in northern battleground states with crucial Senate races,” the Los Angeles Times reports.

“The escalating beef with Canada — Trump attacked the country anew on social media Wednesday — stands to heighten voters’ economic worries and add to the GOP’s political challenge in dead-heat races, analysts said.”

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Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire -- which for more than two decades has been one of the nation's most influential political news sites.

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