… Republicans are facing “historic losses”’ in the midterms, with a new polling aggregate RealClearPolitics showing the party trailing in 8 major battleground Senate races. The Senate map looks increasingly bleak for Republicans as well with each passing week.
… Republican strategist Terry Holt: “It points out the obvious that Republicans are in pretty bad shape going into the midterms and that they’re looking at historic losses. The question is whether some of these races can be saved with some miraculous turnout that apparently is going to be very expensive or whether or not the mood in this country can be changed fundamentally.”
… According to the latest RCP aggregate, Republicans are down 2 points in AK, 7.5 points in GA, 2.3 points in ME, 1.8 points in MI, 2.6 points in OH, 2 points in NH, 8 points in NC, and 1.9 points in TX. Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson leads Democrat Josh Turek by 1.4 points in IA.
… CNN pollster Harry Enten reported an astonishing 76 point swing in the new Reuters/IPSOS poll among independent voters against Trump on the issue of inflation since August 2024.
… Salon on corruption becoming a campaign issue Dems are using for the first time in a many years: “These attacks are landing. Voters aren’t shrugging and making excuses like ‘all politicians are corrupt,’ at least not to the degree that they seemed to in past years, which contribute to Trump earning the nickname ‘Teflon Don.’ In a poll released earlier this summer, the Brennan Center found voters are increasingly irate over corruption in govt. Brennan’s head, Michael Waldman, called it ‘the sleeper issue of 2026,’ and it ‘may be bigger than I realized.’”
… “What changed? NPR’s Mara Liasson argues that Trump’s corruption has grown so catastrophic in its size - he’s made billions in shady ways in the past year and a half, on top of being gifted a luxury private jet from the Qatari royal family - that it’s no longer so easy to rationalize with ‘everyone does it.’”
… “The economic stress caused by inflation isn’t helping matters, either. Voters are struggling to buy gas and groceries, so watching Trump handsomely line his pockets with money he’d never have but for the office is even more painful to watch. Especially since his go-to move when asked about consumer prices is to whine that ‘affordability’ is a made-up issue.”
… “Ossoff and Talarico have also done much to conquer one of the biggest obstacles when it comes to highlighting corruption: complexity. In the past, news moved much more slowly and so it was easier for voters to learn and absorb the intricate details of scandals like Watergate or the Iran-Contra affair. Nowadays, it’s hard to unpack these narratives, when there are a thousand other issues vying for people’s attention.”
… “Ossoff and Talarico have both been smart about not just highlighting corruption, but also why it matters for voters. It’s indicative of leaders whose interests are self-serving. The result is that everyday Americans lose out, both financially and when it comes to getting fair treatment from their govt. More voters are putting the pieces together, and Democrats who help them get there are being rewarded in the polls.”
… AP: “A plan in one of Texas’ largest counties to use dozens fewer polling locations than in previous years is drawing protests from Democrats who say the reductions could create confusion in the midterm elections. The proposal, set for a vote Tuesday, would reduce the number of polling locations across booming Tarrant County, which borders Dallas and includes Fort Worth.”
… Texas’ third-largest county is home to more than 2 million people and a key battleground in the US Senate race between Democratic state Rep. James Talarico and Republican AG Ken Paxton. On Sunday, Talarico urged the county to reject the proposal: “The most powerful people in this county, the most powerful people in this country, don’t want us to be able vote easily.”
… If the plan is approved, Tarrant County would have 92 fewer polling locations on Election Day than it did during the 2022 midterms.
… MI GOP senate nominee Mike Rogers was asked about Trump’s trade war with Canada on Fox: “Is this the right thing for MI? Some of it is. What’s going on here is the Canadians want 500,000 more Canadian-built cars pushed into MI. My argument is that should be absolutely unacceptable. The Canadians have not been good partners.”
… Trump posted: “The only reason that communities throughout the USA should not want Data Centers is if they want to end up being backwards and poor. If they want to be successful and rich, with far lower taxes and jobs all over the place, let Data Reign. If we kill the Golden Goose, you will only have yourselves to blame. China could not be happier with this anti Data Center movement.”
… I will point out that some of the largest donors to Trump’s campaign, PACs, and various construction projects were AI and data center companies. I would also point out that none of them are being constructed anywhere near Trump’s properties around the country.
… Sen. John Fetterman: “Agreed. We must win the war for AI supremacy over China. They foment the ‘anti’ argument through misinformation. There’s nothing more damaging to a Democrat than agreeing with Trump AND data centers—but what’s right is right.”
… Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH), who is trailing Democrat Sherrod Brown in the polls: “There are literally communities in our state that have welcomed data centers who are seeing their local property taxes get cut dramatically as a result of the new revenue that comes in.”
… House Dem Leader Hakeem Jeffries called a press conference on it:
“Trump and Republicans are divorced from reality. So the Republicans, it should come as no surprise, are pro data center without any restraints. We know this because in their one big ugly bill, Republicans voted to preempt state and local authorities from regulating data centers at all. And every single House Republican but 1 or 2 voted to unleash data centers on the American people in an unfettered fashion.
“That's facts right there. And in that one big ugly bill, all of these very same Republicans, including people like Mike Lawler and David Valadao, all of them voted to give tax credits to people building massive data centers and communities across the country, particularly in rural America, without restriction. They can try to run away from their votes right now. We will not let them hide.”
… In an interview with Iowa News Now, Sen. Chuck Grassley declined to say whether he will run for re-election in 2028, telling the station to ask him again next year. Grassley would be 101 at the end of another term.
… What Grassley does is likely contingent on the outcome of the IA governor’s race, with Democrat Rob Sand consistently leading in the polls. If Sand wins that race, it is highly unlikely that Grassley would run in 2028 because if he were to die in office Sand would get to appoint a Democrat to replace him for the remainder of the term. So if Sand wins, which appears likely, expect this to be it for Grassley.
… Democratic nominee for senate in IA Josh Turek told Politico that what Trump has done to repeatedly hurt farmers in his state and surrounding state is going to hurt Republican candidates badly, including his opponent Rep. Ashley Hinson: “We’re going through a second farm crisis right now, it’s Farmageddon.”
… Conservative talk-show host Erick Erickson: “Just holding the VP to the same standard the press has held Abdul El-Sayed to with Hasan Piker, it seems the VP should have to answer public questions about Tucker Carlson considering Carlson believes Trump should be immediately removed from office.”
… Vance is very close friends with Tucker. As Tucker’s criticisms of Trump become harsher, and as he continues to circle the drain with wild conspiracies about a variety of issues, that relationship is increasingly becoming a political problem for Vance in the Republican Party.
… Republican nominee for governor of WI Rep. Tom Tiffany on Fox. Q - “Congress is back in session today, what’s on the top of your radar? Tiffany: Condemning socialism. While it’s a messaging bill, I think it’s a really important message because we’ve seen socialism trying to sweep the country and it’s antithetical to the America way of life and the founding of this country.”
… A testy, impatient, and annoyed Trump held a press gaggle today in the Oval Office:
Q - “Have you ruled out using a nuclear weapon on Iran? Trump: I would never say that but the answer is yes. There is no reason for it. What a stupid question. They’re totally defeated and now I should use a nuclear weapon on them? What a stupid question.
… Yes, it was a female reporter he personally attacked again.
Q - “Analysts predict it could take several years before the Venezuela oil— Trump: It’s going to go fast. Q: When? Trump: Analysts predicted a thing like this could never happen, too. Nobody ever thought it was possible.”
Q - “Have you seen the reports that Secretary Hegseth is considering a 2028 run and could you see yourself supporting him? Trump: It's very early to talk about that. We have to get through the midterms first, and I think he's a very good guy, but I'll bet there's a lot of people considering it that you don't know about.”
… He probably didn’t see the report, but I’m glad that reporter put that in his head because he will not be happy about it. At all.
“When we do well, they shouldn't have to raise interest rates. They should in many cases lower because you know why? We become a better credit. When we're doing well, we become a better credit. When you become a better credit, you're supposed to cut rates.”
… He clearly has no idea how any of this works.
Q- “Do you think that healthcare prices or gas prices right now are more important for American voters? Trump: I think everything is important. I would say healthcare is to me very important. You're talking about life. It's very big.”
… RFK Jr. repeatedly tried to get around Dr. Oz so he could stand behind daddy in the camera shot, but Oz kept body blocking him and wasn’t giving up his prime spot. RFK Jr. was not happy about it either.
… Newsmax: “The WSJ’s editorial board delivered a sharp rebuke of Trump’s sweeping new oil agreement with Venezuela, comparing the arrangement to a scene from ‘The Godfather Part II’ and questioning its legality, economics, and political durability.
… The criticism adds to a growing bipartisan backlash against the deal, with Republicans, Democrats, and Venezuela’s democratic opposition warning that Washington may be helping interim President Delcy Rodríguez remain in power while sidelining demands for free elections.
… The Journal editorial, headlined ‘Trump Takes the Oil in Venezuela,’ portrayed the deal as anything but conventional, calling it an example of the admin’s “crony statism.” It said the arrangement looks less like “a normal commercial transaction” than the famous scene in “The Godfather Part II” in which American businessmen meet with Cuba’s dictator as they seek access to the island’s economy.
… Among the Journal’s biggest concerns is the unusual role being assigned to the Pentagon. According to the editorial, the US would acquire a 35% interest in North American Blue Energy Partners, a private company run by Venezuelan businessman Alejandro Betancourt, who has close ties to Rodríguez.
… Now the US’ lead partner, Betancourt’s background has raised significant questions. He has faced investigations in Switzerland, Spain, and the US over alleged money laundering. He was arrested twice in Britain in 2025 in connection with European warrants.
… “The legal authority for this is far from clear,” the Journal said, questioning why DOD should be investing in a foreign oil venture at all when it already faces enormous challenges modernizing weapons systems and fixing procurement. The newspaper also questioned who will actually put up the billions of dollars necessary to rehabilitate Venezuela’s dilapidated oil industry.
… That may prove to be the deal’s Achilles’ heel. Trump has been encouraging American energy companies to return to Venezuela since US forces captured Nicolas Maduro in January. But major producers remain wary because of Venezuela’s history of expropriation, a weak rule of law, and uncertain investment protections.
… That reluctance raises a larger problem: Can an oil agreement requiring decades and enormous capital commitments survive the admins of either Trump or Rodríguez? Harvard economist and former Venezuelan planning minister Ricardo Hausmann says no: “Venezuelans will not respect this illegitimate deal and no major US oil company will take it seriously because they know it will not last.”
… Former US Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul was asked for his reaction on MS NOW:
“This is imperialism. This is 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th century imperialism. When countries in the North went to countries in the South and used military power and military force to extract gold, silver, spices, oil. That’s what Trump is doing with this deal. I’m embarrassed as an American to be associated with a govt that is doing this. The whole world will react the same way.
Venezuelan people are reacting that way because the second thing that’s so outrageous about this deal is that Trump has done it with a dictator. Delcy Rodríguez has no legitimacy inside Venezuela. She’s never been elected to anything. She was VP under Maduro. And yet that’s the person we’re doing this deal with, leaving out the preferences of the citizens of Venezuela.
I think it’s a really bad deal, and I don’t think it’s going to work. If you’re on the board of any serious company, are you going to invest hundreds of billions of dollars when your property rights are guaranteed by Trump and illegitimate dictator of Venezuela? To me, that’s a very imprudent decision, and my prediction is this will fall apart.”
… Fox host Rachel Campos-Duffy, who is married to Sean Duffy: “Maybe I was a little too naive here – I thought the primary purpose of taking out Nicolas Maduro was because he was a communist dictator and we were actually going to allow the Venezuelan people to have elections. Until there are elections, there will be a lot of questions about motivations here and whether the interests of the Venezuelan people are at hand.”
… Trump couldn’t care less about the Venezuelan people, and Latin-Americans like Rachel helped peddle the lie that ousting Maduro was about freedom and democracy when it was only about stealing their oil.
… Energy market expert Paul Saladino: “We absolutely under no circumstances will be refilling the SPR with Venezuelan crude. It’s the heaviest, most sour oil on earth. We tried to inject very heavy oil into the SPR once in the 80s. It was an epic disaster, broke the system, and has to be removed. And that was Mexican Maya, which is significantly lighter. Anyone saying otherwise is a fraud and should be severely distrusted on all things energy. This is very basic stuff.”
… Trump is saying otherwise.
… Interior Secretary Doug Burgum on Fox: Q - “Apple Maps still has it as Lake Ontario. When are we going to see that change? Burgum: I know the president has reached out to Apple directly so we may see that change coming up soon to Lake America.”
… Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) on Newsmax: “The fact of the matter is Alberta is talking about seceding from Canada. We should make it the 51st state. Tremendous oil reserves there.”
The questions that you had for Ask the Editor in the comments to yesterday’s Bulletin were amazing. I had at least 12-13 written down that I really wanted to answer, but once again I had to choose just 5, which was a crime this week. Here are the 5 I chose. The show should be posted later tonight:
Why are Dem leaders like James Clyburn saying that impeaching Trump isn’t a priority? Do you agree with that?
If the senate margin is just one seat after the midterms, what will Fetterman do?
What will Ron Desantis’s next move be and has the Hope FL scandal wrecked his political future forever?
Is it more effective to donate directly to candidates or DCCC/PACs?
Why do you think Republicans’ “anti-communism” strategy will fail in the midterms?
If you missed yesterday’s Bulletin, you can find it here.
… The Pentagon has secretly hired military veterans with large social media followings to act as paid right-wing influencers to push Pete Hegseth’s propaganda. WaPo reported that although they are now govt employees, the Pentagon refuses to give details on their assignments. Their taxpayer funded job is to “amplify Pete Hegseth’s
