Political Wire

White House Expects Press Briefing ‘Soon’

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“The White House’s press secretary vacancy won’t necessarily keep the briefing room closed,” Semafor reports.

“President Donald Trump’s communications director, Steven Cheung, told Semafor that the next briefing would come ‘soon’ — but if it happens before the midterms, a new press secretary likely won’t be behind the podium.”

“Trump is in no rush to name a replacement after Katie Zacharia’s abrupt exit, and one person familiar with the situation said a new pick will ‘definitely not’ be named before the election.”

Kushner Pushes Back On Report Involving Hacked Phone

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“Jared Kushner is pushing back on a report involving a hacked iPhone, international spies and billion-dollar transfers from foreign governments,” CBS News reports.

“An upcoming book by journalist Matthew Cole claims Kushner, who is President Trump’s son-in-law, had access to more than $2 billion in ‘slush money funds’ from Middle Eastern leaders in an attempt to influence U.S. foreign policy.”

New · Out October 25, 2026Princes and Thieves
Jared Kushner and Mohamed bin Zayed's Secret Plot to Remake the Middle East
by Matthew Cole · Atria/One Signal Publishers
Buy on Amazon
HardcoverKindle
More on this book from Political Wire →

Trump Has Just One Option Left On Gas Prices

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“President Donald Trump has just one way left to bring down gas prices: ending the Iran war,” Semafor reports.

“Already, his administration has expanded access to red-dyed diesel; unlocked Russian diesel; waived the Jones Act; and tapped the U.S. strategic reserve in an effort to lower costs. Yet oil prices hit a five-month high today, even as Trump touted that Middle East exports were surpassing pre-war levels.”

Trump Signs Executive Order to Lower Housing Costs

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“President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order aimed at bringing down housing costs in a bid to show that his administration is addressing voters’ affordability concerns in the final sprint to the midterm elections,” Bloomberg reports.

“The order would direct the Federal Housing Finance Agency to create a pilot program that would proactively cancel mortgage insurance on certain loans, limited to future mortgages. The move would potentially save some borrowers money in cases where their home values have sufficiently appreciated.”

Trump Aides Donate Consulting Fees to His Library

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“President Trump’s election advisers Chris LaCivita and James Blair have donated their six-figure consulting fees from a controversial side-hustle in Bosnia and Herzegovina to Trump’s presidential library,” the New York Post reports.

“Trump was ‘gloating’ and ‘very braggadocious’ in private conversations this week upon learning the development, a source said — indicating that his initial hard feelings toward LaCivita and Blair over their Eastern European gig had eased.”

Trump Declines to Defend Corey Lewandowski

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“President Donald Trump told reporters that he had ‘heard something about’ the Department of Justice investigating allegations that Corey Lewandowski profited off his past role as an adviser at the Department of Homeland Security, after media reports of an investigation surfaced Thursday,” the Associated Press reports.

“The president notably didn’t defend Lewandowski, who was his first campaign manager in 2016.”

Said Trump: “I don’t know exactly what it is. All I know is, I want my people to be honest. And if they’re not going to be honest, they have to be prosecuted. I’ll have my DOJ go and do whatever they have to do.”

Ukraine Says Starlink Still Isn’t Working

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“The Starlink system used by Ukraine’s military was suffering from low speeds limits early on Friday, despite President Trump saying that SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk had restored the service,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“Ukrainian drone units and government officials said connections with Starshield, a military-grade service using Starlink’s infrastructure, continued to fail in most of the country when drones flew faster than 161 kilometers an hour, equivalent to around 100 miles an hour.”

Bloomberg: Trump called Musk to lift Ukraine Starlink limits.

Trump Claims His Arch Was Approved 100 Years Ago

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“Over the past year, President Trump and his allies have offered a series of explanations for why the nation needs a 250-foot-tall triumphal arch: It will mark 250 years of American independence. It will befit Washington’s place among Western capitals. It will honor the nation’s veterans. It will serve the military, the president added last month, as a platform for snipers,” the New York Times reports.

“But as the mega project planned for Memorial Circle heads to a final vote by the National Capital Planning Commission Nov. 5, the Trump administration has circled around one argument crucial to the project’s legal defense: The arch will at long last bring to life, officials say, a proposal that has languished on hallowed land for a century.”

Trump Turns the GOP’s Ad Headache Into a Migraine

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Aaron Blake: “President Donald Trump has been undermining his own party for months, continuously causing more headaches for Republicans even long after most presidents would’ve taken the Election Day cue to rein themselves in.”

“So why would that stop on the eve of those elections?”

“Trump’s latest move is trying to bully Republicans into embracing a highly controversial political ad that seeks to weaponize a situation involving alleged child sexual abuse. The ad has clearly rubbed many GOP officeholders the wrong way, from both a moral and a political perspective.”

Trump’s Battle with the Media Ramps Up

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“As President Donald Trump barnstorms the country ahead of the midterms, on top of his usual White House events this week, he’s had some pointed exchanges with journalists in his path. He called one reporter a ‘dummy,’ another ‘a stupid person’ and a third ‘a sick person,'” the Washington Sun reports.

“The angry name-calling comes as tensions between the White House and the media have ratcheted up.”

NPR: Trump’s attacks on the press have become a war.

Trump Calls LeBron James a ‘Total Disgrace’

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“President Donald Trump attacked Philadelphia 76ers forward LeBron James on Thursday over a video appearing to show the NBA star stretching during the national anthem ahead of his Sixers debut against the New York Knicks on Tuesday,” ABC News reports.

Said Trump: “While listening to our National Anthem, LeBron James disrespects our Country!”

He added: “I said right from the beginning that he’s no good, a TOTAL DISGRACE. LeBron James should apologize to all of those Great American Warriors and Heroes who died for the American Flag, and all that our Country stands for!”

Trump Asked Musk to Lift Ukraine Starlink Restrictions

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“President Trump called Elon Musk and asked him to lift restrictions on a military-grade version of Starlink in Ukraine that the SpaceX chief had throttled,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“The system was working more normally Thursday, shortly after their conversation, U.S. and Ukrainian officials said. Some Ukrainian officials said the system wasn’t restored to full functionality but was working at higher speeds than under the cap.”

Top RFK Jr. Adviser Quits

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“A top ally of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is departing the Trump administration after frustrations with White House delays on Kennedy’s food agenda,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“Calley Means, a senior adviser to Kennedy who also worked in the White House to further ‘Make America Healthy Again’ policies, quit his role on Thursday.”

“Means was greatly frustrated by White House delays of some of Kennedy’s most popular policy ideas and blamed others in the administration for allowing food companies and special interests to have too much sway.”

Putin Restores Ties with the U.S. While Giving Up Nothing

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“Last October, President Trump imposed significant sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies, complaining that negotiations with President Vladimir V. Putin over ending the war in Ukraine ‘just don’t go anywhere,'” the New York Times reports.

“A red-carpet welcome for the Russian leader in Alaska had done nothing to bring peace. A planned summit in Budapest had fallen apart. Mr. Trump had started to acknowledge that Mr. Putin might just be playing him, with no intention of making peace. Faint Ukrainian hopes glimmered of a Trump-Putin break.”

“But the Russian president was playing a longer game.”

“Now, exactly a year after the oil sanctions, Mr. Putin has never been so close to his goal of normalizing relations with Washington without having to make any compromises on Ukraine.”

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.

More about Taegan Goddard →