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Trump’s State of Mind Was the Missing Piece

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While the headline from today’s January 6 Committee hearing is that Donald Trump was subpoenaed for testimony, that really buries the lede.

Today’s hearing provided the missing piece of the criminal case federal prosecutors are putting together.

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Reaction to the January 6 Committee Hearing

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Once again, the January 6 Committee laid out a devastating case that Donald Trump planned to declare victory after the election — no matter the actual result.

It was entirely premeditated.

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2022 Election Preview

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Just for members: The latest edition of Inside Elections.

With a month to go before Election Day, the fight for Congress is coming down to the wire. This issue includes updated analysis in dozens of key races around the country.

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A Few Thoughts for the End of the Week

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The FiveThirtyEight forecast shows Democrats have a 67% chance to keep control of the U.S. Senate after this year’s midterm elections.

But that’s just a number. There’s an easier way to look at the Senate battleground.

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Republicans Don’t Care If Walker Paid ‘Some Skank’

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In a normal world, the news that “pro-life without exception” U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walker (R) paid for a girlfriend to get an abortion should have seriously damaged his campaign.

And if there was any question of the veracity of the story, the fact that Walker’s own son repeatedly called his father a liar should have put that to rest.

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The Real Reason Donald Trump Is Suing CNN

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Donald Trump filed suit against CNN earlier this week, alleging that the cable news network has intentionally sought to “defame” Trump “in the minds of its viewers and readers for the purpose of defeating him politically.”

He is seeking $475 million in punitive damages.

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What Republicans Can Do About Herschel Walker

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Last night might have been one of the worst nights for a U.S. Senate candidate in a long time.

First, the Daily Beast ran the story of how the “pro-life without exceptions” Herschel Walker paid for a girlfriend to have an abortion. Then, Walker’s own son slammed in a series of tweets.

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Another Wave Election Is Coming

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With just over a month to go until the midterms, it’s clear we’re headed for another wave election.

But this one features two waves rushing towards each other and they’re set to collide on November 8.

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A Few Thoughts for the End of the Week

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We are about to witness one of the greatest political comebacks of our lifetimes.

On Sunday, Brazilians will head to the polls to choose between President Jair Bolsonaro, the right wing nationalist incumbent, and the leftist politician and former union leader known simply as “Lula.”

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What’s Really Behind Trump’s New Super PAC

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A new super PAC launched last week by Donald Trump’s allies — dubbed MAGA, Inc. — was billed as Trump’s primary vehicle for helping Republican candidates in the midterm elections.

It comes as many Republicans around the country are being dramatically outspent by Democrats in races that will determine control of Congress.

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Utah Could Be a Model for Independent Candidates

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With a Republican Party firmly in the grasp of Donald Trump and a growing perception that Democrats have moved too far to the left, there’s increasing discussion around the viability of a third party.

I’m extremely skeptical of that idea taking hold nationally, but I do think there’s a role for third party or independent candidates in certain states.

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2022 Election Preview

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Just for members: The latest edition of Inside Elections.

This edition includes the latest overview of the 2022 midterm elections along with updated analysis for the competitive U.S. Senate races (including a rating change in Arizona) and updated analysis in dozens of U.S. House races (including a rating change in four districts).

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The Worst Court for Ballot Access Since 1948

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For members: The new issue of Ballot Access News.

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts has been in office since 2005 and his court has been the first since the 1940s to do nothing to expand ballot access.

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Trump Faces His Greatest Legal Peril Yet

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If you’re currently at Mar-a-Lago, watch out for flying ketchup.

The lawsuit filed against Donald Trump and three of his adult children this morning is serious. The complaint shows that Trump falsely inflated his net worth by billions of dollars “to unjustly enrich himself, to cheat the system.”

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Trump’s Push for a Special Master Backfires

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Judge Raymond Dearie, the “special master” appointed to review the documents seized by the FBI at Mar-a-Lago, asked Donald Trump’s legal team yesterday to “disclose details about any materials he claims to have declassified before calling them his property,” Politico reports.

Former prosecutor Andrew Weissmann explains why this is a problem for Trump:

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The GOP’s Abortion Problem Is Real and Big

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The new New York Times/Siena poll finds 62% of registered voters oppose the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade, while 30% support it. Similarly, it finds that 62% of voters favor keeping abortion legal, versus only 31% who think it should be illegal.

But drilling down, it’s the intensity of this opposition that should really worry Republicans.

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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.

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