Political Wire

Using the Power of the Government to Win Elections

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Paul Rosenzweig: “The principle that government ought to be administered for the benefit of all citizens, not on behalf of one political party, lies at the core of America’s democratic enterprise. The Trump administration couldn’t care less: It appears to see the federal government not as something to steward on behalf of all Americans, but as an opportunity—a set of levers it can pull on to protect its reign.”

“America’s adherence to this principle of executive neutrality has never been perfect, but as a norm it has been honored more than breached.”

The Doomsday Scenario

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Jonathan Last: “When people in my world talk about 2028, there seems to be a baseline assumption that Democrats will retake the White House, probably with a trifecta.”

“That’s what all of the ‘how do Democrats fix things post-Trump’ talk is predicated on. And this isn’t a crazy assumption. Trump is drifting down toward 30 percent approval right now. There are no precedents for a colossally unpopular second-term president suddenly becoming more popular during his last two years.”

“But this morning we got a headline from Brazil that snapped my head back… That’s right. Brazil is about to elect the son of its convicted former would-be dictator. This could absolutely happen here.”

Hundreds of Election Deniers Will Be On the Ballot

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Wired: “On November 3, when voters across the U.S. go to the polls, almost 200 election deniers will be on the ballot. Many of them have repeatedly undermined the very process they are participating in, and they will be looking to win some of the most powerful elected positions in the country—positions that would help determine how voting goes in future elections.”

“Following the primaries, there will be 197 election deniers on the ballot for congressional and statewide races in the midterms across 43 states.”

Ex-Judge Warns Trump Will Challenge Midterm Results

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“Retired federal Judge J. Michael Luttig is sounding the alarm ahead of November’s midterm elections, warning that the country might be ‘sleepwalking’ into another insurrection,” MS NOW reports.

Said Luttig: “That’s exactly what I envision, which is the next Jan. 6, 2021. This time, however, it will be Donald Trump and Mike Johnson refusing to peacefully transfer power to the next Congress of the United States.”

Increased Belief in Voter Fraud Is a Scary Prospect in 2026

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“President Donald Trump messing with the 2026 midterms beforehand — as he’s trying to do by sharply restricting mail ballots — is only part of the potential threat he’s posing to U.S. elections,” CNN reports.

“The other is his demonstrated tendency for claiming elections have been stolen after the fact, which resulted in the largest attack on the U.S. Capitol in 200 years.”

“New polling suggests Trump has kept that soil fertilized with a large portion of the country. Indeed, the president on Friday posted on social media the 5-year-old video of him telling January 6, 2021, rioters to go home and repeating his false claim that he won in 2020.”

Guide for Judges if Law Enforcement Try to Seize Ballots

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“The idea of federal law enforcement seizing ballots in the middle of an active election would have once been considered impossible,” NPR reports.

“Now, as President Trump continues his unprecedented hunt for voter fraud, ballot seizures and search warrants are scenarios voting officials and the legal community are actively preparing for.”

“UCLA’s Safeguarding Democracy Project released a guide Wednesday to help judges navigate search warrant affidavits related to the voting process.”

Light Is Blinking Red On Trump Messing with the Midterms

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Aaron Blake: “It should surprise nobody that the president who tried to overturn the 2020 election based on lies — and didn’t seem to mind his supporters rising up violently on January 6, 2021 — might try to monkey with the 2026 midterm elections.”

“It remains to be seen whether President Donald Trump’s efforts to interfere in the 2026 election will actually work.”

“But recent developments should serve as a reality check that he’s trying, with potentially ugly results.”

Trump Threatens Lawsuit Over Report He Doesn’t Like

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“President Trump has opened a new front in his campaign to intimidate political foes, threatening a prominent liberal think tank with a $5 billion defamation lawsuit over a report concluding that his deployment of the National Guard to cities across the country has had little effect on reducing violent crime,” the New York Times reports.

“The threats against the think tank, the Center for American Progress, were Mr. Trump’s latest effort to use the legal system to punish critics for voicing unflattering facts and opinions generally protected by the First Amendment.”

Congress’ Disappearing Town Halls

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“The congressional town hall is becoming an endangered species,” Axios reports.

“August recess once meant lawmakers returning home to face constituents — sometimes friendly, sometimes furious. After a wave of explosive confrontations last year, many lawmakers have stopped them altogether.”

Donald Trump Is Dismantling U.S. Guardrails

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“Donald Trump is following an autocrat’s playbook in his second term, weakening checks on his power and leaving the U.S. less safe, former senior intelligence officials have warned, as they step up public criticism of the president’s authoritarian style of governing,” the Financial Times reports.

“Trump returned to office pledging war against the so-called deep state that he blamed for constraining his power during his first term. Since then, he has sought to silence critics and demanded loyalty from those around him.”

California Officials Defy Recall Results

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“Earlier this year, the voters of Avenal, a community in California’s rural Central Valley, ousted their mayor and all but one member of their City Council,” the New York Times reports.

“Leaders of the recall celebrated the effort as democracy in action. The message: Get out.”

“But more than three months after the election, the recalled officials still won’t leave, claiming the process was unlawful. At a meeting in June, they made it official, voting 3 to 0 to ignore the results.”

“Their refusal to cede power — highly unusual even in an era of election denialism — raises a host of legal and political questions and has triggered one of the messiest recall battles in modern California history.”

Kamala Harris Suggests Revisiting Electoral College

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“Former Vice President Kamala Harris made a recent slate of suggestions to help Democrats win in future presidential elections, including ‘revisit the Electoral College.'” NewsNation reports.

Said Harris: “I know this is going to be controversial coming from me in particular — we need to revisit the Electoral College. We need to revisit the point of expanding the court to 13 justices like we have 13 district courts. We need to revisit, if they so want, statehood for Puerto Rico and D.C.”

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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