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Tag: midterms

  • Donald Trump’s approval rating changes direction for first time in months 

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    President Donald Trump’s approval rating has shifted for the first time in months, according to new data from two national polls.

    Newsweek contacted the White House for comment via email outside regular business hours. 

    Why It Matters

    As economic anxiety and public debate over foreign policy continue to dominate the national agenda, the change in Trump’s approval rating could have implications for both the White House and congressional prospects ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

    What To Know

    The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll—conducted online on January 4 and 5—surveyed 1,248 U.S. adults nationwide. 

    The poll showed Trump‘s overall approval rating climbing to 42 percent, up from 39 percent in December. 

    It marks his highest approval rating since October. The margin of error for this survey was about 3 percentage points.

    Similarly, a recent InsiderAdvantage poll gave Trump a positive net approval rating of 8.4 points, the strongest since August. 

    In that survey, 49.5 percent of respondents approved of Trump’s job performance, 41.1 percent disapproved, and 9.1 percent were undecided. 

    The poll surveyed 800 likely voters on December 20 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.46 percent.

    Recent polling aggregates confirm that the president’s approval rating remains underwater, though there has been a modest uptick compared to late 2025. 

    As of January 6, Decision Desk HQ’s national average places approval at 43.2 percent and disapproval at 53.3 percent, while Ballotpedia’s index shows a similar split of 42 percent approval and 55 percent disapproval. 

    At the time of writing, VoteHub’s live tracker reported that 42.5 percent approved and 53.9 percent disapproved, reinforcing the consensus that disapproval still exceeded approval by double digits. 

    Still, this represents a slight improvement from November’s lows near 41 percent. The shift is incremental rather than dramatic, leaving the president with a persistent net-negative rating.

    Decision Desk HQ’s polling tracker combines all credible public polls that meet the American Association for Public Opinion Research’s standards into an average, focusing on recent data, limiting the impact of campaign-funded polls and smoothing trends as more polls come in to give a clearer picture of public opinion.

    Similarly, Ballotpedia’s index averages the latest polls from trusted national sources over the past 30 days to give an up-to-date picture of public opinion, updating daily as new results come in.

    VoteHub, meanwhile, averages recent polls from reputable pollsters, giving more weight to newer polls, to provide a clear and simple snapshot of public opinion.

    What People Are Saying

    Scott Tranter, the director of data science at Decision Desk HQ, told The Hill: “Roughly a year in, he’s right in the middle. He’s right where, basically, he’s been all year, which is unremarkable. It’s remarkable because it’s unremarkable.” 

    InsiderAdvantage pollster Matt Towery said in a December analysis: “Interestingly, our recent job performance surveys have shown the number of undecided respondents at an unusually high number. This tells us that some voters, particularly independents, remain unsure as to his accomplishments so far. This suggests he has work to do as he and the GOP enter the midterm season.”

    White House spokesperson Kush Desai told Newsweek last month: “President Trump and every member of his administration are clear-eyed about the fact that Americans continue to reel from the lingering effects of Joe Biden’s generational economic crisis.

    “Turning the Biden economic disaster around has informed nearly every action the Trump administration has taken since Day One, from unleashing American energy to cut gas prices to signing historic drug pricing deals to cut costs for American patients. 

    “Much work remains, and every member of the Trump administration continues to focus on recreating the historic job, wage, and economic growth that Americans enjoyed during President Trump’s first term.”

    Desai also previously told Newsweek: “President Trump inherited the worst inflation crisis in a generation from Joe Biden’s incompetence, and his administration has rapidly cooled inflation to a 2.5 percent annualized rate. Americans can count on inflation continuing to fall and real wages continuing to rise.”

    President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social in December: “The polls are rigged even more than the writers. The real number is 64 percent, and why not, our Country is ‘hotter’ than ever before. Isn’t it nice to have a STRONG BORDER, No Inflation, a powerful Military, and great Economy??? Happy New Year!”

    What Happens Next

    The slight uptick in Trump’s approval rating coincides with major diplomatic and military actions—most notably the U.S. strike on Venezuela—and ongoing debates over economic performance, cost of living and party leadership heading into the midterm elections. 

    Polls show persistent concern among Americans about both economic and foreign policy developments, with majorities worried about prices, affordability and the U.S.’s role overseas. The administration’s policy decisions—both domestic and international—and the country’s day-to-day economic experiences are expected to be decisive in shaping public opinion and influencing the 2026 midterms.

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  • Trump promises to send $2,000 tariff dividend checks ‘probably the middle of next year, a little bit later than that’ | Fortune

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    President Donald Trump promised on Monday that his administration will begin issuing $2,000 “tariff dividend” checks to Americans around the middle of 2026, the most specific timetable he has offered yet on a proposal that can’t seem to find a home within a campaign-esque promise, economic argument and political provocation.

    “We’re going to be issuing dividends later on, somewhere prior to … probably the middle of next year, a little bit later than that,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, according to Axios. The payments, he said, would go to “individuals of moderate income, middle income.”

    The commitment marks an escalation from Trump’s earlier, vaguer assertions that tariffs are generating enough money to fund direct payments to American households. But turning the idea into actual checks is far more complicated than his easy-going rhetoric suggests.

    Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent made that clear over the weekend, saying on Fox News that the administration “needs legislation” to distribute any such dividend. 

    “We will see,” he added. Bessent also implied that the structure could take forms other than a check — for instance, a tax rebate — signaling uncertainty inside the administration about what Trump’s proposal even is.

    The math is another obstacle. A $2,000-per-person dividend, even if limited to Americans with low or middle incomes, would cost well over the $200 billion that Trump’s tariffs have brought in. If the checks resembled the COVID-era stimulus structure — which went to adults and children alike— the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates the price tag could reach $600 billion. That would mean that Trump’s tariffs would be a net $400 billion negative for the U.S. in 2026, based on current projections. 

    And the future of that revenue is itself uncertain. The Supreme Court is expected to rule within months on whether Trump exceeded his authority when he imposed sweeping tariffs by invoking national emergency powers. So far, both conservative and liberal supreme court justices have seemed skeptical of his arguments. If the Court rules against him, the administration may have to somehow refund billions in collected duties to importers, which would be the opposite of Trump’s promised “dividend.” Trump argues the stakes are existential, claiming a loss could cost the U.S. $3 trillion in refunds and lost investment.

    The White House did not immediately respond to Fortune’s request for comment.

    Still, Trump continues to present tariffs as an all-purpose economic engine: a way to protect U.S. factories, pressure foreign governments, strengthen the federal budget, and now, finance what he has described as a populist windfall. Trump and the Republican party broadly have been focused on winning voters’ favor back on “affordability” ever since Democrats’ swept elections earlier this month. The President even said on Friday that he would roll back tariffs on beef, coffee, tropical fruits and commodities, even as he continues to insist that tariffs don’t raise prices. 

    “Affordability is a lie when used by the Dems. It is a complete CON JOB,” he wrote Friday on Truth Social. 

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  • How could midterm elections change under Trump?

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    President Donald Trump wants to change the way Americans vote and he wants to do it before the 2026 midterms.

    U.S. presidents do not have the authority to overhaul state election laws. The Constitution leaves congressional election management to states and rulemaking to Congress. 

    That hasn’t stopped Trump from taking a top-down approach to altering election practices a year out from the Nov. 3, 2026, elections — contests that will determine whether Trump has congressional support for his agenda, including his immigration enforcement tactics and tax and spending cuts. 

    Here are some of the ways Trump is pressuring states and Congress to change how those elections will go:

    • Trump resumed his attacks on voting by mail, threatening in August to use an executive order to write a legally shaky ban of the practice used by tens of millions of Americans.

    • Trump’s Justice Department asked most states to turn over voter data rolls in its search for ineligible voters, setting up a legal fight and potentially jeopardizing the rights of U.S. citizens who are eligible to vote. 

    • The Trump administration scaled back efforts to improve voting site security and mail ballot protection. 

    • Trump successfully encouraged Republican governors to redistrict to give his party more House seats. In response, Californians will vote Nov. 4 on whether they want to redistrict to balance out Republican efforts. 

    Trump relied on falsehoods when pushing for voting changes in a speech to governors, repeatedly made the Pants on Fire statement that the 2020 election was “rigged,” and threatened to jail people he said rigged the election. 

    We asked the White House why Trump wants to overhaul elections. He won under 2016 and 2024 laws, and his party won Congress in 2024. The White House referred us to the Justice Department.

    “Clean voter rolls and basic election safeguards are requisites for free, fair, and transparent elections,” Harmeet K. Dhillon, an assistant attorney general, told PolitiFact. “The DOJ Civil Rights Division has a statutory mandate to enforce our federal voting rights laws, and ensuring the public’s confidence in the integrity of our elections is a top priority of this administration.”

    Trump’s actions have alarmed election officials who vow to protect the rights of voters during the midterms.

    “I am confident we will have safe, free and secure elections in 2026, but it is going to be up to state and local election officials because the federal government right now is not being supportive and indeed is targeting election officials,” said Shenna Bellows, Maine’s secretary of state and a Democratic gubernatorial candidate. 

    Collecting state voter registration data, searching for noncitizen voters

    Students register to vote for school board elections during a town hall at Bethany Baptist Church, Feb. 1, 2025, in Newark, New Jersey. (AP)

    In its search to identify ineligible voters, the Justice Department has requested voter registration files from most states.

    Voter registration rolls have sensitive personal identifying information. Many states have laws that would prohibit them from disclosing information such as birth dates and driver’s license or Social Security numbers. Election experts have raised privacy concerns about voters’ identifying information being widely shared, pointing to similar concerns involving the Department of Government Efficiency’s use of Social Security data.

    Some states provided only publicly available data to the federal government.

    Maine’s Bellows told Trump’s Justice Department to “go jump in the Gulf of Maine.”

    Maine was among the states the Justice Department sued in September, accusing them of not turning over certain voter roll information.

    In its lawsuit against Maine, the department demanded Bellows hand over all information on the state’s voter rolls, including Social Security or driver’s license numbers. Maine opposes releasing that information because centralization of voter data increases the possibility of breach, Bellows told PolitiFact. 

    “Voting in a democracy depends on free and fair participation without fear of retribution or punishment from the government,” Bellows said. “If Congress thought it was a good idea to have a national voter registration list they could authorize that, but they have not done so.”

    The Brennan Center for Justice at New York University’s law school found that nearly all the states that replied to the requests did not share their full databases. The states omitted Social Security and driver’s license numbers or provided no lists. Only Indiana and Wyoming provided their full statewide voter registration lists.

    Across the country, voter roll maintenance is handled by state and local officials who routinely remove people who have relocated, died or are otherwise ineligible. Federal law, meanwhile, already bans noncitizens from voting in federal elections. But Trump has spread falsehoods about noncitizen voting for a decade.

    Following reports by Reuters and the New York Times, a Homeland Security spokesperson confirmed to PolitiFact that it is sharing information with the Justice Department with the goal of identifying noncitizen voters. 

    The Trump administration has taken other steps in an effort to find noncitizen voters, such as overhauling a database that election officials use to verify voters’ citizenship status. Voting rights advocates have cautioned that the data might be outdated if an immigrant later became a naturalized U.S. citizen.

    RELATED TRUMP FACT-CHECK: Trump’s claim that millions of immigrants are signing up to vote illegally is Pants on Fire!

    Threat to end mail-in voting

    A county worker loads mail-in ballots into a scanner that records the votes at a tabulating area at the Clark County Election Department in Las Vegas on Oct. 29, 2020. (AP)

    On Aug. 18, Trump said he will move to “end mail-in ballots” and sign an “executive order to help bring honesty to the 2026 elections.” Any attempt to abolish or overhaul states’ voting by mail programs would face legal challenges, which may explain why the order has not materialized. 

    The following day, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt signaled Trump could pursue a legislative route, saying there “will be many discussions with our friends on Capitol Hill, and also our friends in state legislatures.” 

    Trump has continued his threats against mail-in voting, vowing in September “to fix this system.” 

    “No mail-in or ‘Early’ Voting” he echoed in an Oct. 26 Truth Social post that criticized California for sending millions of mail ballots for the redistricting vote. 

    The state is one of eight that allows all mail elections. In the November 2024 election, about 30% of voters, or about 48 million people, cast ballots by mail, including people who are elderly, can’t drive, live far from a voting site or are overseas. Mail-in voting has been around at least since the Civil War.

    In March, Trump issued an executive order that would cut off Election Assistance Commission funding to states that count mail ballots received after Election Day. The order, which has an exception for military and overseas voters, has led to multiple lawsuits. 

    About 16 states allow officials to count ballots received after Election Day, as long as they were postmarked by Election Day (or in the case of Ohio, the day before Election Day), according to the National Vote at Home Institute.

    The White House position is that federal laws establish Election Day as the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November so that should be the mail ballot receipt deadline.

    Nineteen states together sued the administration, arguing that the Constitution gives the states the primary responsibility to regulate elections. (The states of Washington and Oregon filed their own lawsuit.) A U.S. District Court judge preliminarily blocked that provision in Trump’s order.

    Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, said voters should pay attention to Trump’s attempts to stretch his legal authority and tangle with states. 

    “I think the next six months or so will be crucial in making sure we remain on course and elections are fair, accurate, honest and secure,” Simon said.

    RELATED TRUMP FACT-CHECK: Trump said the US is the ‘only country’ that uses mail-in voting. That’s wrong.

    Redistricting pressure in GOP-led states

    Trump pushed Republican-led states to undertake unusual mid-decade redistricting to maximize congressional GOP seats. 

    Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a new map in August that Republicans hope will lead to five additional seats. Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe also signed a new map into law, though voters are collecting signatures in hopes of holding a referendum to overturn that map in 2026. Ohio’s redistricting commission settled on a new map, as did the North Carolina legislature.

    Other Republican-led states, including Florida, Indiana and Louisiana, could follow.

    Some Democratic leaders have floated redistricting their states to wipe out Republican gains. California voters will decide Nov. 4 if they want to redistrict in an effort led by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. Democrats have also pushed for redistricting in Virginia, Maryland and Illinois. 

    If Trump’s efforts to create more Republican House seats are successful, it would make it even harder for the Democrats to flip the House.

    Scaled back election security assistance

    A spot that had been reserved for a representative of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency sits vacant at a meeting of the National Association of State Election Directors in Washington, Feb. 2, 2025. (AP)

    Trump created the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency during his first term to protect critical infrastructure, including elections, from threats. CISA became a target of Trump after the agency affirmed the security of the 2020 election.

    CISA has provided training, threat information and physical and cybersecurity assessments of election facilities with election officials, improving security for voters.

    It’s unclear what role CISA will play in the 2026 elections. Any reduced federal response to election security could harm voters’ faith in elections and embolden domestic or foreign bad actors.

    A former government official told Axios that about one-third of CISA staff left the agency by early June, a few months after CISA froze its election security work pending a review and did not publicly release the results. The administration also cut funding for an information-sharing collaboration among local, state and federal officials. Trump’s budget proposal for 2026 calls for further cuts. 

    Because of CISA security training, Rhode Island election workers knew how to respond when an envelope containing white powder with the return address: “U.S. Traitor Elimination Army” arrived at the state Board of Elections in September 2024. CISA had already distributed physical security  and cybersecurity checklists with tips about how to respond to such a threat. 

    The substance turned out not to be dangerous, but the quick security alerts and information from CISA helps election officials “know what is happening in real time without having to wait for news reports or word of mouth,” Nick Lima, elections director for the city of Cranston, Rhode Island, told PolitiFact. 

    So far, John C. Ackerman, the county clerk/recorder in Tazewell County, Illinois, said he hasn’t seen fewer services from CISA. He told PolitiFact the agency still sends bulletins about threats and a monthly vulnerability scan of the county’s website.

    When we asked CISA if it still offers security assessments and additional assistance to election officials, we received a statement that did not address our questions. 

    The Trump administration has hired people in election roles who denied Trump’s 2020 loss or spread falsehoods about voting. 

    Heather Honey, a Pennsylvania activist who spread election falsehoods, now works in an election integrity role at Homeland Security. Marci McCarthy, now the CISA spokesperson, chaired the DeKalb County Republican Party, which filed an unsuccessful lawsuit arguing that Georgia voting machines were vulnerable. As FBI director, Kash Patel — who has repeated Trump’s falsehood about a rigged 2020 election — could oversee investigations of election crimes and election-related civil rights violations.

    Michael Moore, the chief information security officer for Arizona’s secretary of state, told PolitiFact in an email that while there are still employees at CISA who want to help, “It seems they have neither the resources nor direction to effectively help.”

    “I strongly believe in the mission of CISA and want a return of our prior relationship and support level,” Moore said. “We’re the United States of America for a reason. In this current landscape it feels more like every state for themselves.”

    RELATED FACT-CHECK: Trump falsely calls 2020 election ‘rigged’ in memo targeting former cybersecurity leader

    RELATED: MAGA-Meter: Trump’s promise to require proof of citizenship at the polls

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  • Janet Mills chances of beating Susan Collins in Maine, according to polls

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    Maine Governor Janet Mills, a Democrat, is preparing to launch a challenge to longtime GOP Senator Susan Collins in what is likely to become one of the most closely watched races of the midterms, the Associated Press reported on Friday, citing two people familiar with her plans.

    Jordan Wood, a Democrat who announced his Senate campaign earlier this year, reacted to the report in a statement to Newsweek.

    “Primaries are an important part of the democratic process because they give voters a real choice for our future. Since launching the campaign, we’ve organized more than 30 events across the state and voters consistently tell me they want an open and vibrant primary process. With so much at stake, Mainers want to decide which candidate can defeat Susan Collins, defend our democracy from Donald Trump, and deliver for working families,” he said.

    Newsweek reached out to spokespersons for Collins, Mills and other Senate candidates for comment via email.

    Why It Matters

    Maine generally leans Democratic, having backed former Vice President Kamala Harris by about seven points last November, but Collins has handily won reelection in the past due to her more moderate policy positions and close ties to the state. Democrats, however, believe 2026 has the potential to be her closest race yet as President Donald Trump’s approval slips nationwide, and as he remains unpopular in the Pine Tree State.

    National Democrats view Mills, who has also won by wide margins in her two gubernatorial races, as a top recruit for the race. But others are less sold on the idea of her candidacy, believing that other Democrats already in the race such as Graham Platner, whose campaign has garnered nationwide attention, could make for a stronger candidate.

    What To Know

    Maine is likely a must-win for Democrats hoping to reclaim control of the Senate, where Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority. Collins is the only Republican in a Harris-won state up for reelection. Democrats also view an open race in battleground North Carolina as a prime pickup opportunity, but other potential flips would require them to win more conservative territory.

    Mills will bring high name recognition into the race, as voters are already familiar with her from her stint as attorney general and governor. She flipped the governor’s office in 2020, winning by about seven points, and won reelection in 2022 by nearly 13 points against former Governor Paul LePage. She is unable to run for reelection due to term limits.

    But she may face a competitive primary against Platner, Maine Beer Company co-founder Dan Kleban and Wood, the former President of End Citizens United, all of whom have already announced their campaigns.

    Polling on the Senate race remains limited despite its importance for the midterms.

    Polls have generally found that Mills enjoys stronger approval than Collins.

    A University of New Hampshire poll from over the summer found that 14 percent of Mainers view Collins favorably, while 57 percent view her unfavorably. An additional 26 percent were neutral. Meanwhile, 51 percent of Mainers view Mills favorably and 41 percent unfavorably. Only 7 percent were neutral on Mills, according to the survey, which surveyed 846 Mainers between June 19 and June 23. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.

    A Pan Atlantic Research poll yielded better results for Collins, finding that 49 percent of Mainers view her favorably and 45 percent view her unfavorable. It found that 52 percent of respondents viewed Mills favorably, while 44 percent viewed her unfavorably. It surveyed 840 likely voters from May 12 to May 26, and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

    Morning Consult found earlier this year that Mills had a net approval rating of +2—making her the least popular Democratic governor in the country—though Collins’ approval was -16. That poll took place from April to June of this year, and the sample sizes varied by state.

    Polls in 2020 were notably off in Maine. Although surveys showed former Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon with a lead, Collins ended up prevailing with just over 50 percent of the vote.

    Mills, viewed as a more centrist Democrat, engaged in a high-profile debate with the White House over Trump’s efforts to deny states funding over transgender athletes, telling him “We’ll see you in court.”

    What People Are Saying

    Senator Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent, wrote on X Thursday: “Graham Platner is a great working class candidate for Senate in Maine who will defeat Susan Collins. It’s disappointing that some Democratic leaders are urging Governor Mills to run. We need to focus on winning that seat & not waste millions on an unnecessary & divisive primary.”

    Pollster Adam Carlson wrote on X in August: “Sometimes to take out a modern political anomaly like Susan Collins, you need to try something different Janet Mills has been a good governor, but she’s 77, not especially popular, and has been in politics since 1980 Graham’s background might be unusual, but he’s got the juice.”

    Commentator Russel Drew wrote on X on Friday: “We need to see some new, legit polling about #MESEN. The oyster farmer is absolutely an interesting candidate, but Gov. Mills has already won statewide twice. F*** our feelings. Let’s see the data.”

    Anna Palmer, CEO of Punchbowl News, said during The Daily Punch podcast: “This is a huge get for Senat Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who is on a recruiting tear. But Mills will have to contend with a crowded field of Democratic challengers who didn’t wait to jump in while she made up her mind. This is something that Democrats have been waiting for, and it seemed like she was taking her sweet time to get into the race, and now it is finally here. This could potentially be a problem for Susan Collins.”

    What Happens Next?

    Mills and other candidates will spend the coming months making their cases to voters about why they are the best candidate to challenge Collins in the Senate race. Forecasters give Collins an edge—both the Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball classify the race as leaning Republican.

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  • Republicans’ chances of defeating Josh Shapiro in Pennsylvania—Poll

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    Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro held a lead over potential Republican challengers in the first public poll of the state’s 2026 gubernatorial race.

    Newsweek reached out to Shapiro and the two Republicans included in the poll, Treasurer Stacy Garrity and state Senator Doug Mastriano, for comment via email.

    Why It Matters

    Pennsylvania is a critical battleground state roughly divided between Democrats and Republicans. It has swung between both parties in recent elections, backing President Donald Trump last November but voting for former President Joe Biden in 2020.

    Shapiro, first elected in 2022, remains popular in the state, but Republicans are hoping to make the race competitive. The new poll from Quinnipiac University, however, underscores Shapiro’s strong approval among the state’s voters and suggests he may be favored in the midterms.

    What To Know

    Shapiro will be up for reelection next November and has already drawn a challenge from Garrity, who has received the endorsement of the state’s Republican Party and has announced her candidacy. Mastriano, who lost to Shapiro in 2022, has also been floated as a potential candidate but has not officially made a campaign announcement.

    Shapiro defeated Mastriano by about 15 points in 2022 (57 percent to 42 percent), but Garrity is seen as a potentially stronger opponent, having already won statewide—including in 2020, when she eked out a victory despite Democrats winning other statewide races.

    The Quinnipiac University poll showed Shapiro up 16 points against Garrity (55 percent to 39 percent), while he led Mastriano by 17 points (56 percent to 39 percent).

    Shapiro enjoys a strong approval rating among Pennsylvanians, according to the poll. In total, 60 percent of the state’s voters view his tenure positively, while only 28 percent view him negatively. Among independents, a critical voting group in such a competitive state, 66 percent gave him positive marks, while only 20 percent disapprove of his time in office.

    The poll surveyed 1,579 registered voters from September 25 to September 29, 2025, and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.

    Shapiro is viewed as a rising star in the party and is considered a potential 2028 presidential contender by Democrats, who see his strong electoral record in Pennsylvania, a must-win state in presidential elections, as a critical asset against a Republican. The poll found that he would lead Vice President JD Vance by 10 points in the state.

    Whether he can win over enough voters in the party’s presidential primary, however, is yet to be seen. Polls suggest that voters are considering other well-known options, such as California Governor Gavin Newsom or former Vice President Kamala Harris, both of whom are also considered potential candidates.

    What People Are Saying

    University Polling Analyst Tim Malloy wrote in the polling memo: “Governor Josh Shapiro clinches an enviable 60 percent job approval and leaves his two potential gubernatorial challengers in the rear-view mirror in a very early look at Pennsylvania’s 2026 gubernatorial race.”

    Democratic influencer Harry Sisson wrote on X: “Democratic Governor of PA Josh Shapiro remains wildly popular in his state. People love that he’s focused on hard working Americans. This is how we win people back and beat MAGA.”

    What Happens Next

    The Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball both classify the race as Likely Democratic.

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  • Redistricting battles intensify California, Texas and now Indiana

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    The feud over redistricting continues across the country with new developments in Indiana, California and Texas. Multiple media outlets are reporting that Indiana state lawmakers are in Washington, D.C., Tuesday to meet with President Donald Trump, who has been pushing for more Republican seats in Congress. This comes after Vice President J.D. Vance met privately with Indiana Gov. Mike Braun earlier this month. For any redrawing of the congressional map in Indiana, Braun would have to call a special session to start the process, but lawmakers have the power to draw new maps. Republicans in the U.S. House outnumber Democrats in Indiana, limiting the chances they can pull off an additional seat.Things are also heating up in California. On Monday, Trump threatened to sue California over its plan to allow voters to decide whether to redistrict before next year’s election. Gov. Gavin Newsom posted on social media responding to the president with two words: “Bring it.” Newsom approved a special election that will take place in November for residents to vote on a redrawn congressional map. Republican lawmakers in California filed a lawsuit Monday aiming to remove Newsom’s redistricting plan from the November ballot. If the congressional map is approved, it could help Democrats win five more seats in the House next year.In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott is planning to sign into law a new congressional map that includes five more districts, favoring Republicans. Trump has pushed for the map to help the GOP maintain its slim majority in Congress in 2026. The timing of this is noteworthy because Republicans normally lose seats in the House during the midterms. Democrats are expected to challenge the new Texas map in court.Keep scrolling for the latest from the Washington News Bureau:

    WASHINGTON —

    The feud over redistricting continues across the country with new developments in Indiana, California and Texas.

    Multiple media outlets are reporting that Indiana state lawmakers are in Washington, D.C., Tuesday to meet with President Donald Trump, who has been pushing for more Republican seats in Congress. This comes after Vice President J.D. Vance met privately with Indiana Gov. Mike Braun earlier this month.

    For any redrawing of the congressional map in Indiana, Braun would have to call a special session to start the process, but lawmakers have the power to draw new maps.

    Republicans in the U.S. House outnumber Democrats in Indiana, limiting the chances they can pull off an additional seat.

    Things are also heating up in California. On Monday, Trump threatened to sue California over its plan to allow voters to decide whether to redistrict before next year’s election. Gov. Gavin Newsom posted on social media responding to the president with two words: “Bring it.”

    Newsom approved a special election that will take place in November for residents to vote on a redrawn congressional map. Republican lawmakers in California filed a lawsuit Monday aiming to remove Newsom’s redistricting plan from the November ballot.

    If the congressional map is approved, it could help Democrats win five more seats in the House next year.

    In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott is planning to sign into law a new congressional map that includes five more districts, favoring Republicans.

    Trump has pushed for the map to help the GOP maintain its slim majority in Congress in 2026. The timing of this is noteworthy because Republicans normally lose seats in the House during the midterms.

    Democrats are expected to challenge the new Texas map in court.

    Keep scrolling for the latest from the Washington News Bureau:

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  • Fox News Wins for Worst Midterm Election Take: ‘These Women Just Went Crazy’

    Fox News Wins for Worst Midterm Election Take: ‘These Women Just Went Crazy’

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    Via Twitter/Kat Abu/Fox News

    Content warning for ableism and misogyny.

    Yesterday’s midterm elections have turned into an overwhelming victory for Democrats across the country. Slavery of the incarcerated was outlawed in four more states including Alabama, Oregon, Tennessee, and Vermont. Abortion referendums overwhelmingly reinforced protections for women and pregnant people’s right to choose. John Fetterman won in a landslide against Dr. Oz.

    This of course, has Republicans scratching their heads about how they could have lost so badly. Could it be because of their out-of-touch policies that are radically more right than the general population? Could it be because of election deniers who act like spoiled children outright denying reality?

    Well, one Fox News correspondent has come up with the worst reason Republicans lost the midterms: “These women just went crazy.”

    Jim Messina, who is a Democrat and a former Obama campaign manager, attributed the democrats winning over Republicans and Independents, due to women ‘going crazy’ over abortion rights. Which is about the most sexist and ableist way he could have put it.

    Women voters are not the Bacchae, they are not ‘crazy’ or ‘hysterical’ or any other sexist term meant to devalue women’s emotions or opinions. They’re rightfully furious or fearful for their safety.

    Even more hilariously, Messina quickly walked back his comments.

    Thankfully, no one is buying his excuses for the sexist language.

    Unfortunately, this does speak to a larger problem in both the Democratic and Republican parties. Instead of seeing these elections as a wake-up call for what voters are demanding, they see this as a fluke. A temporary moment of fervor that will pass.

    But it’s a movement that is picking up momentum, and one that will not go away quietly.

    And honestly, I could see “these women went crazy” being on a shirt at the next abortion rights rally, alongside all the “Nevertheless, she persisted” badges of honor.

    (image: Twitter)

    —The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling.—

    Have a tip we should know? [email protected]

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    Kimberly Terasaki

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  • ‘Dark Wars’ Podcast Releases Official Trailer, Exposes New Details On Border Crisis as Immigration Takes Center Stage Ahead of Midterms

    ‘Dark Wars’ Podcast Releases Official Trailer, Exposes New Details On Border Crisis as Immigration Takes Center Stage Ahead of Midterms

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    Premiering Oct. 25, the podcast docuseries hosted by Sara Carter will reveal previously unreported revelations about the border

    Press Release
    –

    Oct 20, 2022


    ARLINGTON, Va., October 20, 2022 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Today, Radio America released the official trailer previewing its new podcast, Dark Wars: The Border, set to premiere on Oct. 25, exactly two weeks before Election Day. Hosted by award-winning investigative journalist Sara Carter, the podcast follows Carter on her perilous journey to expose how the porous U.S.-Mexico border has facilitated a deadly trail from America’s foreign adversaries to your hometown; with cartels, slavery, and death in between. Watch the trailer HERE. 

    “I am excited to release this podcast, which is a culmination of my on-the-ground investigative reporting of our border crisis,” said Dark Wars host, Sara Carter. “I embedded with border patrol agents via foot, horseback, car, and helicopter – talking to coyotes and migrants alike – to reveal chilling stories about the opioid crisis and human trafficking that you haven’t read about in the news. I traveled to the native countries of these migrants to understand how cartels use social media to recruit migrants under the guise of easy passage and a better life. In reality, they encounter abuse, rape, and death. I’m telling the stories of those being ignored by the media.”  

    Dark Wars: The Border documents an investigation that delves deeper than any previous U.S.-Mexico immigration story to date and comes at a time when Customs and Border Protection and other government agencies have come under serious scrutiny for negligence at the border, as Politico reports. The premiere episode features a wide range of perspectives, from U.S. Senators such as Rand Paul and Marsha Blackburn to Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei to coyotes that work for the cartel among others, all to reveal a border crisis that is more serious and disturbing than what is reported in media, in a shocking portrayal of money and power that connects Mexican cartels to the neighborhoods of everyday Americans.

    Visit DarkWarsPod.com for more information on the podcast, which releases on Oct. 25 and can be heard on every podcast platform. To interview Sara Carter or for other queries, please email KennyCunninghamJr@gmail.com.

    About Dark Wars Podcast: Dark Wars: The Border is a new podcast series, hosted by award-winning journalist Sara Carter, that conducts in-depth investigations to expose what you are not being told about what’s happening at our 2,000-mile-long border with Mexico. It uncovers how this crisis touches you and every other American across the country. Dark Wars is a joint production of Radio America and The Dark Wire (www.darkwarspod.com).

    Source: Radio Amerca

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  • Madison Horn Responds to the Endorsement Given by Former President Trump to James Lankford

    Madison Horn Responds to the Endorsement Given by Former President Trump to James Lankford

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    Statement by Senate Nominee Madison Horn Concerning Lankford Receiving the Endorsement of the Leader of a Coup Attempt

    Press Release
    –


    updated: Sep 29, 2022


    OKLAHOMA CITY, September 29, 2022 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Madison Horn, U.S. Senate nominee and cybersecurity expert from the state of Oklahoma, is running against James Lankford for the U.S. Senate. She has rural roots being from Stilwell, Oklahoma, and she is a Cherokee Nation citizen. Horn is running to work towards the promise of the American dream and represent Oklahomans who have been left behind by self-serving politicians. Oklahomans for Madison says, following recent polling, Madison Horn leads among Independents, has a six-point lead in Oklahoma City, the most populous area in the state, and is tied in the second-largest urban area.

    On Tuesday, Sept. 27, former President Donald J. Trump released his endorsement of Lankford. 

    The following is an open letter of Madison Horn’s response. 

    “To anyone paying attention, the former President endorsing Senator Lankford should come as absolutely no surprise. After all, this is the same Senator who helped lead the disinformation campaign about the 2020 election, leading up to the moment when he had to be pulled away from the podium and whisked to safety.

    “This endorsement is something Lankford has been working towards for the past 18 months, ever since he fell out of Trump’s good graces. Lankford’s loyalties no longer lie with Americans or Oklahomans, instead he has turned his back on them and betrayed his own moral standing by spreading disinformation, divisive rhetoric and his own extreme ideology that is only furthering this division.

    “The American people are looking for a leader who can rise above the current political landscape. Politicians like Lankford have become the biggest proponents of fear-mongering and division in our society. This may give short-term gains and allow him to hold onto his limited power, but its long-term consequences are devastating. Our leaders should listen to the worries and challenges of everyday people and fight for solutions rather than spreading disinformation and division.

    “A healthy democratic government operates in service of the people. Unfortunately, Lankford has lost sight of this purpose. Instead of serving his constituents and delivering real results, he is spreading harmful rhetoric and extreme ideology fracturing our country. We need elected officials who can rise above the current state of politics and restore civility and logic back into politics. I will work to increase transparency, foster collaboration, promote unity, and improve accountability at the highest levels of government while backing legislation to strengthen America’s democratic foundations.

    “As your next U.S. Senator, I will work to unify and apply logical solutions to the problems we face. I won’t bend or break to partisan rhetoric or divisive movements.”

    Source: Oklahomans For Madison

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  • American Financial Benefits Center: After-Midterm Election Ramifications and Student Loans

    American Financial Benefits Center: After-Midterm Election Ramifications and Student Loans

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    SAN RAMON, Calif., November 16, 2018 (Newswire.com)
    –
     History has been made with this most recent election period, now drawn to an end and the dust is settling out. Colorado has its first black congressman, 117 women won congressional seats, and Nevada elected a man who had passed away about a month prior. Many recently elected officials spoke on the topic of student loans which clearly many voters related to. American Financial Benefits Center (AFBC), a document preparation service company that has helped many struggling student loan borrowers apply for federal repayment programs, says this recent midterm election will bring with it changes to the student loan playing field, one way or another.

    After the past couple of years, many policies from the previous presidential era have come, gone, and been changed. As usual, some people have benefited from certain policies more than others. Recently, an Obama-era rule was reinstated, giving more borrowers a chance to better help themselves. It will take time to see how well these newly elected officials hold to their goals and promises, keeping in mind that there is only so much each individual can do within a political sphere, but for many, this midterm season has been seen as a sign of hope. “Big changes are likely coming for student loans from this election, even if they’re changes that won’t really take effect for a few years yet,” said Sara Molina, manager at AFBC.

    Big changes are likely coming for student loans from this election, even if they’re changes that won’t really take effect for a few years yet.

    Sara Molina, Manager at AFBC

    For borrowers that have needed help before these recent elections, companies like AFBC have been doing their part. Helping clients apply for federal income-driven repayment programs that have potentially lowered their monthly payments and gotten them on track for student loan forgiveness after 20-25 years of being in the program is just a part of the good AFBC has done for student loan borrowers. “We believe student loan repayment shouldn’t have to be a struggle. That’s why we’re so dedicated to helping our clients and being a student loan advocate,” said Molina.

    About American Financial Benefits Center

    American Financial Benefits Center is a document preparation company that helps clients apply for federal student loan repayment plans that fit their personal financial and student loan situation. Through its strict customer service guidelines, the company strives for the highest levels of honesty and integrity.

    Each AFBC telephone representative has received the Certified Student Loan Professional certification through the International Association of Professional Debt Arbitrators (IAPDA).

    American Financial Benefits Center Newsroom

    Contact

    To learn more about American Financial Benefits Center, please contact:

    American Financial Benefits Center

    1900 Powell Street #600

    Emeryville, CA 94608

    1-800-488-1490

    info@afbcenter.com

    Source: American Financial Benefits Center

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