“Republicans’ battle to keep the Senate majority is growing more expensive by the day,” Punchbowl News reports.
“The Senate map still strongly favors the GOP. That hasn’t changed. But intense Democratic recruiting, brutal Republican primaries and retirements are proving costly for party leaders, nudging once-safe red states into play.”
President Trump and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt slammed CBS News anchor Margaret Brennan, calling her “stupid” and “nasty,” the New York Post reports.
“Russia is believed to have jammed the satellite signal of a plane carrying the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, over Bulgaria, reportedly forcing it to circle an airport for an hour,” The Guardian reports.
President Trump said Tuesday that the viral video in which someone appears to throw a large trash bag out an upper window of the White House is “probably AI-generated,” noting that the windows are sealed, bulletproof – and very heavy, The Wrap reports.
“Senate Republicans are racing to install one of President Donald Trump’s economic advisers on the Federal Reserve board as soon as possible — and they may even get it done in time for the central bank’s next vote on interest rates,” Semafor reports.
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), a former Democratic presidential candidate whose outspoken opposition to President Donald Trump has drawn national attention, is engaged, the Washington Post reports.
Booker, 56, proposed to his girlfriend, Alexis Lewis, 38, in Hawaii last week during the Senate’s August break.
“The GOP-controlled House has released the first tranche of documents in its investigation into convicted sex offender and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein — a move intended to quash the mounting calls for answers around why the Justice Department allowed Epstein to continue to prey on victims for decades,” Politico reports.
“The trove of materials, however, is unlikely to satisfy those clamoring for more and new information about the case. “
New York Times: “After years of alluding to a potential cover-up in the case, Mr. Trump has faced a backlash from his right-wing base over the Justice Department’s decision to close the investigation without revealing all of what was discovered. The Oversight panel subpoenaed all the files, but the department has turned over only a portion of them.”
Punchbowl News: Mike Johnson tries again to quell Epstein rebellion.
“A federal appeals court has reinstated a Biden appointee to the Federal Trade Commission despite President Donald Trump’s attempt to fire her,” Politico reports.
Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) announced she will run for the U.S. Senate in 2026, becoming the first Iowa Republican to jump into the race after incumbent Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) announced she would not seek reelection, the Des Moines Register reports.
“President Donald Trump was back in public Tuesday to announce a new location for US Space Command headquarters — and prove that rumors of his demise have been greatly exaggerated,” CNN reports.
“Trump held court in the Oval Office this afternoon, breaking a weeklong absence from the spotlight that gave rise to viral theories that the president was seriously ill or had even died.”
Said Trump: “It’s sort of crazy. A lot of people know I was very active this Labor Day.”
Also from CNN: How Trump health conspiracy theories went wild on social media.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States “conducted a lethal strike” against an alleged “drug vessel” in the southern Caribbean, CNN reports.
Rubio says the boat “had departed from Venezuela and was being operated by a designated narco-terrorist organization.”
“D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) on Tuesday welcomed federal law enforcement officials to stay in D.C. indefinitely, a powerful indication of her willingness to cooperate with President Donald Trump’s effort to take over public safety in the capital city,” the Washington Post reports.
“By law, Trump’s federalization of the D.C. police force lasts 30 days and is set to expire next week. Bowser’s announcement may quell any showdown over what happens after that deadline passes by authorizing continued cooperation between the city and federal authorities.”
President Trump said Tuesday that he will ask the Supreme Court for an “expedited ruling” to overturn an appeals court decision that found most of his tariffs on imports from other countries are illegal, CNBC reports.
Said Trump: “If you take away tariffs, we could end up being a third-world country.”
He added: “The stock market’s down because of that, because the stock market needs the tariffs. They want the tariffs.”
President Trump said Tuesday that he will direct federal law enforcement intervention to Chicago and Baltimore, despite local officials in both places opposing such moves, the AP reports.
Said Trump: “We’re going in. I didn’t say when.”
New York Times: Los Angeles ruling complicates Trump’s threats to send troops to more cities.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) filed a discharge petition Tuesday afternoon to force the disclosure of Justice Department investigative files related to the late sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, Politico reports.
“Speaker Mike Johnson suggests it will be up to congressional Democrats to stave off a federal shutdown Oct. 1,” Politico reports.
Said Johnson: “The ball will be in their corner.”
“Hill Republicans are discussing a short-term stopgap punt ahead of the government funding deadline, which Republicans say will force Democrats to vote for the measure or be responsible for a shutdown. But rank-and-file Republicans, who tend to oppose continuing resolutions, are livid their own leaders don’t have a better plan.”
Israel has begun its ground operation in Gaza City, ABC News reports.
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.
