“I’d expect to hear something like this from a drunk guy at a bar, not the President of the United States. Can the president be presidential?”
— Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), on CNN, talking about President Trump’s reaction to the murder of filmmaker Rob Reiner.
“Two days of intense negotiations between Ukraine, the U.S. and European officials resulted in clear progress on security guarantees for Ukraine but left significant gaps on the issue of territory,” Axios reports.
“The U.S. side wants to finalize a deal with Ukraine that they can turn around and present to the Russians. The two main friction points during several weeks of talks have been the security guarantees Ukraine would receive from the U.S. and its European allies, and the location of the post-war lines of control.”
The full House will get a classified briefing late Tuesday morning on the Trump administration’s ongoing military actions in the Caribbean and Pacific, Punchbowl News reports.
The closed-door session will follow an all-senators classified briefing at 10 a.m. Tuesday.
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“California Democrats have a math problem: They’ve added so many candidates in the race to succeed Gavin Newsom that two Republicans could end up winning the state’s quirky ‘jungle primary,’ shutting the Democrats out,” Politico reports.
“A Democratic wipeout is still unlikely. But the prospect of a humiliating pile-up, with no clear powerbroker to act as traffic cop, has put the state’s political class increasingly on edge with each new entrant into the field.”
“Rep. Katherine Clark, the No. 2 House Democratic leader, will face a challenge from the left in 2026,” Politico reports.
“Jonathan Paz, an organizer and former Waltham city councilor, announced his campaign against Clark, the Democratic whip, in a video posted late Sunday night emphasizing the need to ‘rebuild’ the Democratic party.”
“Russia has indicated it’s open to Ukraine joining the European Union as part of a potential peace deal aimed at ending Russia’s war on Ukraine, and there’s now consensus on about 90% of the U.S.-authored peace plan,” the AP reports.
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A new Economist/YouGov poll finds 66% of Americans disapprove and 15% approve of the pardon of Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) and his wife, who had been charged with accepting $600,000 in bribes.
And 66% disapprove and 13% approve of the pardon of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who in 2024 was convicted of drug trafficking and sentenced to 45 years in prison
Ed Kilgore: “If his current grumpiness about public opinion persists or even intensifies, Trump would not be the first leader to be undone by the sense that his country didn’t deserve him. It is, in fact, an occupational hazard for those who view themselves as world-historical figures instead of mere elected officials with limited horizons, operating within constitutional boundaries.”
“Given his famous unmanageability, it may be vain for Trump’s advisers to urge him to admit some shortcomings in his policies and show some empathy for those who believe they are suffering in this greatest of all moments in U.S. history. It’s going to be a long three years if he simply cannot adjust to adverse public opinion and grows contemptuous of the people whose adulation he believes he has earned.”
A new NBC News Decision Desk survey shows that 53% of adults have changed their grocery-buying habits to stay within budget, while 55% have cut back on entertainment and “extras” so that they can afford life’s necessities.
“Two peace agreements that President Donald Trump took credit for brokering are under severe strain,” the Washington Post reports.
“Violent clashes have intensified on the Thailand-Cambodia border and between the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Rwanda-backed M23 militia.”
President Trump asserted that filmmaker Rob Reiner’s very public opposition to him was the real cause of his murder.
Said Trump: “Rob Reiner, a tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director and comedy star, has passed away, together with his wife, Michele, reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME.”
Chris Cillizza: “Trump’s response to Rob Reiner’s death proves he is a bad, bad person.”
“The Thai government disputed President Trump’s announcement that Thailand and Cambodia had agreed to a cease-fire, as its prime minister pledged to continue military action and the standoff between the two countries intensified,” the New York Times reports.
Politico: “Only Trump has the immense power to short circuit a primary in his native state. Publicly he isn’t exercising it.”
“Behind the scenes, Trump spoke with Blakeman about running in the days leading up to his announcement… Trump never explicitly told Blakeman not to run…”
“Further complicating matters, the president this week effusively praised Stefanik and Blakeman as ‘two fantastic people’—going as far as suggesting that a primary may ultimately produce a battle-tested nominee.”
“Republicans are frantically searching for more ways to keep the House next Congress after Indiana legislators decided not to redraw their state’s congressional districts,” Semafor reports.
“The decision could deter parallel pushes in other states.”
Washington Post: “Pritzker’s personal fortune has given him a ready-made war chest that has powered his ascent as a Democratic donor, candidate and officeholder during the past three decades, a close examination of his career shows. His money opened doors to elite fundraising circles and close relationships with Hillary Clinton and other powerful Democrats; instantly turned on a cash spigot in his first run for governor; endeared him to abortion rights activists as he cut checks for ballot measures in a raft of states; and covered the costs of travel on private jets — all without the time-consuming task of dialing other wealthy patrons to donate to him.”
“To some, that makes him an avatar of a problematic combination of money and politics. Many other Democrats argue that his wealth has given him the freedom to champion policies that benefit everyday people without the constraints of owing favors to donors.”
President Trump responded to the mass shooting over the weekend at Brown University, telling a crowd gathered at the White House that “things can happen” while offering “deepest regards” to the families of students who died and urging a speedy recovery for the injured, USA Today reports.
“Some Chinese parents, inspired by Elon Musk’s 14 known children, pay millions in surrogacy fees to hire women in the U.S. to help them build families of jaw-dropping size,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“The market has grown so sophisticated, experts say, that at times Chinese parents have had U.S.-born children without stepping foot in the country. A thriving mini-industry of American surrogacy agencies, law firms, clinics, delivery agencies and nanny services—even to pick up the newborns from hospitals—has risen to accommodate the demand, permitting parents to ship their genetic material abroad and get a baby delivered back, at a cost of up to $200,000 per child.”
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.
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