Political Wire


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Democratic Anger at Their Own Party Fuels Primaries

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NBC News: “Whether she intended it or not, the 39-year-old McMorrow started a trend of Democratic outsiders end-running party leaders to launch their campaigns, sometimes in explicit opposition to them. The movement is fueled by a crisis of confidence among Democratic voters in their own party, which is giving encouragement to the types of nontraditional candidates who have been walloped by leadership-aligned rivals in the past.”

“Altogether, ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, the moves have created a number of crowded and competitive-looking Democratic Senate primaries — contests that have often seen party leaders leap in to anoint favorites in recent years.”

Lower Than Cowards

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Adam Serwer: “Kimmel’s refusal to capitulate stands out because so many other well-situated people—those with the resources, platform, and power to stand up to the president, including, initially, the leaders of ABC—have surrendered, withdrawn, or become Trump sycophants themselves. One by one, American leaders supposedly committed to principles of free speech, due process, democracy, and equality have abandoned those ideals when menaced by the Trump administration.”

“These cascading acts of cowardice from the people best positioned to resist Trump’s authoritarian power grabs have made Trump seem exponentially more powerful than he actually is, sapping strength from others who might have discovered the courage to stand up.”

“Defending democracy requires a collective refusal to acquiesce to lawless behavior from many different sectors of society. All of these powerful people trying to save their own skin have effectively multiplied Trump’s attacks on constitutional government, by enhancing a false sense of inevitability and invincibility.”

Justice Department Orders Probe of George Soros

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“A senior Justice Department official has instructed more than a half dozen U.S. attorney’s offices to draft plans to investigate a group funded by George Soros, the billionaire Democratic donor whom President Trump has demanded be thrown in jail,” the New York Times reports.

“The official’s directive suggests department leaders are following orders from the president that specific people or groups be subject to criminal investigation — a major break from decades of past practice meant to insulate the Justice Department from political interference.”

“The move is the latest instance of the Justice Department moving against Mr. Trump’s perceived enemies.”


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Hegseth Orders Rare, Urgent Meeting of Generals

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“Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered hundreds of the U.S. military’s generals and admirals to gather on short notice — and without a stated reason — at a Marine Corps base in Virginia next week, sowing confusion and alarm after the Trump administration’s firing of numerous senior leaders this year,” the Washington Post reports.

“The highly unusual directive was sent to virtually all of the military’s top commanders worldwide.”

Bonus Quote of the Day

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“We have people in power making broad claims around certain drugs and autism that have been continuously disproven. The degree to which those comments can undermine public health, do harm to women who are pregnant, create anxiety for parents who do have children who are autistic – is violence against the truth.”

— Barack Obama, on X.

Renderings Show Details of New White House Ballroom

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“New architectural renderings obtained by CBS News reveal in more detail the White House ballroom that is currently under construction,” CBS News reports.

“The Trump administration announced in July that a 90,000-square-foot ballroom with a seated capacity for 650 people will be constructed in the White House’s East Wing…”

“The new ballroom will be significantly larger than the main White House building, which comprises about 55,000 square feet over the ground floor, state floor and residence. That does not include the East and West Wings.”  

Trump’s Corporate Tax Break Worth $67 Billion Hits a Snag

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“One of the most lucrative tax breaks corporate America won in Donald Trump’s signature economic legislation — worth an estimated $67 billion this year — is hitting a roadblock in a minimum tax Congress set three years ago under Democratic President Joe Biden,” Bloomberg reports.

“Trump’s recently enacted tax law sweetened a break for corporate research and development investments, a provision especially valuable to technology, pharmaceutical and manufacturing businesses.”

“But some businesses won’t be able to take full advantage of the break, thanks to the Biden-era provision that lobbyists argue threatens to curtail the economic boost in Republicans’ tax law.”

Jobless Claims Tumble

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“Initial claims for unemployment insurance were well below expectations last week, helping to douse caution at the Federal Reserve and elsewhere that the labor market is in danger,” CNBC reports.

Meanwhile, the Financial Times reports the U.S. economy “grew more strongly in the second quarter than previously estimated, after figures on consumer spending were revised sharply higher.” 

Defeated Senators Usually Don’t Make It Back

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Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball: “Several defeated senators are currently running or considering runs for Senate in 2026.”

“In the postwar era, about 220 sitting senators have lost their seats in general elections or primaries, and most do not try to reenter electoral politics.”

“Still, almost 30 defeated senators have tried to return to the chamber, although only six have been successful since 1946.”

Is the New Jersey Governor’s Race Really Close?

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A new poll out this morning shows the New Jersey governor’s race between Mikie Sherrill (D) and Jack Ciattarelli (R) locked in a dead heat.

The polling averages suggest Sherrill has squandered what was once a comfortable lead.

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Zelensky Says Trump Approves Hitting Russian Targets

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had the explicit backing of Trump to strike key Russian targets such as energy infrastructure and arms factories, and that if Ukraine gets sought-after long-range weaponry from the US, “we will use it,” Axios reports.

And he warned: “They have to know where the bomb shelters are. They need it. If they will not stop the war, they will need it in any case.”

Pentagon May Not Discourage Shutdown This Time

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“A common ritual during the increasingly regular government shutdown fights is for the individual military branches to write to lawmakers warning how a funding lapse would threaten national defense,” Punchbowl News reports.

“That practice may not hold this time around.”

“With less than a week before the Sept. 30 funding deadline, the individual heads of the military branches have yet to send correspondence to lawmakers about the impact of a shutdown.”

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.

Praise for Political Wire

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— Larry Sabato, Center for Politics, University of Virginia

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