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How unusual redistricting will shape politics in 2026 and beyond | ChicagoLIVE
An unprecedented amount of mid-decade reshaping of congressional districting will likely have a big influence on the 2026 midterm elections and beyond. A Northwestern University professor joined us to break it all down.
Ouster of RFK Jr.’s allies tests MAHA-Trump alliance
Trump officials have increasingly swapped out RFK Jr.’s handpicked deputies for people with more traditional experience, seeking to tamp down on health agencies’ controversies ahead of the midterms.
Trump defends saying he isn’t thinking about Americans’ finances amid Iran talks
The president also said he’s not considering the political implications of the Iran war on the midterms, when Republicans will be defending slim majorities in each chamber.
Inside Trump’s Midterm Strategy: a Mountain of Cash to Stem GOP Losses
Redistricting battle provides glimmer of hope for Republicans in November.
Supreme Court deals blow to Virginia Democrats in fight over state court ruling
The Supreme Court on Friday rejected Virginia Democrats’ emergency appeal seeking to revive a voter-approved congressional redistricting overhaul, leaving intact a Virginia Supreme Court ruling that struck down the effort as unconstitutional ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Supreme Court Upholds Virginia Ruling Rejecting Democrats’ New Voting Map
State officials had asked the justices to step in to allow the state to use a congressional map in the midterms that was drawn by Democrats and recently approved by voters.
Live Results: Louisiana midterm state and congressional primaries
Louisiana voters will participate in a revamped and stripped-down state primary Saturday and decide the political fate of an embattled Republican U.S. senator targeted for defeat by President Donald Trump.
US Supreme Court tosses longshot appeal from Virginians to use new congressional map that would benefit Democrats
The Supreme Court on Friday tossed out an emergency request from Virginia officials to reinstate a congressional map that would have benefited Democrats in this year’s midterm election, a widely expected decision that represented the court’s latest foray into a nationwide redistricting war.
Can flailing Trump hold on to the Senate in the midterms?
Democrats think they can flip the Senate blue in November, and they’re hoping a group of interesting characters will help them do it. This week, Jonathan Freedland is joined by Jonathan Martin of Politico to discuss the chances of such an upset and what it would mean for the president to lose the upper chamber
Trump presents a midterm dilemma for Republicans: From the Politics Desk
Plus, revisiting Biden’s prediction of a Republican “epiphany.”
Politics is a family business for these 2026 candidates. Voters may not care.
For a host of candidates running for office up and down the ballot in this year’s midterms, politics is a family business. The race for governor of Maine alone has drawn three candidates with well-…
Politics is a family business for these 2026 candidates. Voters may not care.
For a host of candidates running for office up and down the ballot in this year’s midterms, politics is a family business. The race for governor of Maine alone has drawn three candidates with well-…
Who are the US CEOs in China with Trump, and what’s in it for them?
Top executives hope to expand their businesses in China as Trump aims for win ahead of midterm vote.
Both parties' shameless redistricting ploys may poison midterms
Texas' aggressive redistricting push has triggered a new partisan map war, exposing how both parties are abandoning long-standing political norms.
Inside the furor plaguing Democratic National Committee leader Ken Martin
Democratic operatives have begun informal discussions about recruiting a new chair, even as most believe Martin’s job isn’t in serious jeopardy before the midterm elections.
Supreme Court halts order on Alabama's U.S. House map, giving GOP an opening to gain seat
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday set the stage for Alabama to eliminate one of two largely Black congressional districts before this year’s midterm elections.
So the Supreme Court Is Just Letting the Republicans Get Away with Unfair Districts, Huh
I’m suddenly very worried about the midterms.
Live Results: West Virginia midterm state and congressional primaries
West Virginia voters will nominate candidates for the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House.
Live Results: Nebraska midterm state and congressional primaries
One of the more notable matchups in Nebraska’s state primary on Tuesday features two Democratic contenders for U.S. Senate who accuse each other of being “fake” candidates with no intention of competing to win the general election.
California's Democratic incumbents face primary challenges from political newcomers
The challenges are part of a national wave reshaping the debate over generational power and the direction of the Democratic Party ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Americans’ anger about the economy hits Trump and Republicans’ midterm prospects
A new CNN poll conducted by SSRS finds that 77% – including a majority of Republicans – say that President Donald Trump’s policies have increased the cost of living in their own community. Roughly two-thirds of Americans say that Trump’s policies have worsened economic conditions in the country. And Trump’s approval rating stands at 30% on the economy, a career low.
Louisiana Republican Julia Letlow Is Trump’s Big Midterms Gamble
She is locked in a bitter primary that is testing the president’s power to shape MAGA’s next generation.
Tuesday’s primaries will set up midterm matchups for Nebraska, West Virginia
Retiring Rep. Don Bacon’s 2nd District is a top target for Democrats, while Democratic drama in the Senate primary could shake up GOP Sen. Pete Ricketts’ re-election race.
Supreme Court hands Alabama major boost in redistricting fight
Alabama legislators are hoping to boost the GOP in November’s midterm elections in the wake of last month’s Supreme Court decision weakening the Voting Rights Act.
Why Republicans Are Still Drawing House Maps, While Democrats Are Stuck
The G.O.P. has seized an edge on redistricting thanks to two court rulings, and it has more room to maneuver for extra seats before the midterms.
Virginia Democrats ask US Supreme Court to let them use new congressional map
Democratic officials in Virginia asked the US Supreme Court on Monday to reinstate a congressional map that would benefit their party ahead of this year’s midterm elections, the latest map drawing appeal to reach the high court amid a flurry of mid-decade redistricting.
How Nebraska’s ‘Blue Dot’ Roiled a Democratic House Primary
A speck of blue on an otherwise red area in some presidential elections, the dot is now dividing candidates in a key midterm contest.
Oregon Democrats found a way to improve roads. Now their gas tax goes before voters as prices soar
A referendum on Oregon’s primary ballot seeking to repeal a Democratic gas tax increase is complicating the affordability message central to the party’s midterm election strategy
Oregon Democrats found a way to improve roads. Now their gas tax goes before voters as prices soar
A referendum on Oregon's primary ballot seeking to repeal a Democratic gas tax increase is complicating the affordability message central to the party's midterm election strategy.
Rapid changes in power have become the new normal in American politics. Here’s why
President Donald Trump’s tumbling approval ratings are raising the odds that the 2026 midterm elections will extend one of the most powerful trends in 21st-century American politics.
Video: The G.O.P. Rush To Break Up Majority-Black Districts
Republican-controlled legislatures in the South are breaking up majority-Black congressional districts in the wake of the Supreme Court’s recent ruling. Our national politics reporter Nick Corasaniti describes what it means for the midterms.
Tennessee redistricting plan splits Memphis neighbors and reshapes midterms as other states follow
A new congressional map in Tennessee splits the majority-Black city of Memphis into three districts
Tennessee redistricting plan splits Memphis neighbors and reshapes midterms as other states follow
A new congressional map in Tennessee splits the majority-Black city of Memphis into three districts.
Tennessee redistricting plan splits Memphis neighbors and reshapes midterms as other states follow
A new congressional map in Tennessee splits the majority-Black city of Memphis into three districts.
For a Moment, It Looked as if Trump’s Efforts to Rig the Midterms Had Failed. Then Three Things Happened.
Just two weeks ago, the redistricting wars appeared to be resolving in Democrats’ favor.
How Republicans Gained an Edge on the Midterm House Map Over 10 Days
Republicans are charging ahead in the nation’s redistricting race, and showing new bullishness after months of growing midterm fears.
WA filing closes, U.S. House battleground and GOP test emerge
The candidate filing period closed Friday, launching the 2026 midterm cycle with a House battleground and a GOP open-seat test in Central Washington.
‘The hill just got a little steeper’: Dems reel after Virginia Supreme Court voids redistricting referendum ahead of midterms
Was JD Vance’s Iowa excursion a midterms jolt or a presidential test balloon?
The state where presidential dreams are born saw its first veep visit of this term
Virginia Supreme Court strikes down Democrats’ redistricting plan, dimming party’s midterm hopes
Voters narrowly approved the amendment April 21, but the court's ruling renders the results of that vote meaningless.
In Huge Blow to Democrats, Virginia Court Strikes Down House Map
The decision by the state’s top court is a major victory for Republicans, wiping away a measure approved by voters to allow Democrats to gain as many as four House seats in the midterms.
AI, Democracy And The Politics Of The Kitchen Table
AI is becoming a kitchen table issue as data centers, electricity bills, jobs, privacy, children and democracy collide before the 2026 midterms.
Tennessee lawmakers pass U.S. House map carving up majority-Black district in Memphis
The new voting districts approved Thursday could give Republicans a chance to win all nine of the state’s congressional seats in the November midterm elections.
Tennessee Republicans approve map carving up majority-Black US House district
Republican lawmakers in Tennessee approved a new US House map Thursday that carves up a majority-Black district in Memphis, reshaping it to the GOP’s advantage as part of President Donald Trump’s strategy to hold on to a slim majority in the November midterm elections.
Tennessee Republicans pass map splitting up state’s lone majority-Black district
The new map, which comes in response to last week’s U.S. Supreme’s redistricting ruling, puts Republicans in position to pick up a House seat in the midterm elections.
Republicans poised to vote on new House map that would erase Democratic seat in Tennessee
Such a move could reshape the electoral map ahead of the midterms by carving up a majority-Black congressional district
Is the FDA Really Suppressing Science? Plus. . .
It’s Thursday, May 7. This is The Front Page, your daily window into the world of The Free Press—and our take on the world at large. Today: Aaron MacLean says Trump is poised to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in the Iran war. Joe Klein on the life of CNN founder Ted Turner. Jillian Lederman on why cruise ships are here to stay. And much more. But first: Is the FDA suppressing science? On Tuesday, The New York Times published a story with an alarming takeaway. “FDA Blocked Publication of Research Finding Covid and Shingles Vaccines Were Safe,” read the headline. It is the latest in a string of stories that all have the same message: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and other agencies, are engaged in a cover-up—and silencing scientists trying to get the word out about the Covid vaccine. What all these stories suggest—some more subtly than others—is that the outsiders now running the public health establishment, officials such as Marty Makary at the FDA and Jay Bhattacharya at the National Institutes of Health, are on a revenge tour. That they are doing harm to the country to get back at the scientists and bureaucrats who ostracized them for deviating from the public-health consensus during the pandemic. It’s a seductive narrative. But is it true? That’s the question we address in our latest editorial. —The Editors Read [ Marty Makary's FDA Has All the Right Enemies ](https://www.thefp.com/p/marty-makary-vaccine-study-fda) [ Trump Blinks First ](https://www.thefp.com/p/iran-peace-deal-pakistan-trump-strait-of-hormuz) Aaron MacLean In return for no detectable concessions, President Trump this week gave up on forcing open the Strait of Hormuz. Now, the Trump administration looks desperate for a deal to end the war with Iran. It’s easy to understand the desire to end the war, but are they blowing the chance at victory? Aaron MacLean makes sense of the administration’s latest moves—and Iran’s response—in his column today. Read full story Aaron MacLean and Niall Ferguson: Live in New York City Join Aaron MacLean and Niall Ferguson on May 19 for a live recording of School of War at the iconic New York Historical. In a conversation as timely as it is wide-ranging, Aaron and Niall will explore the strategic stakes of the moment, including the Middle East, China, and the future of American leadership on the global stage. Get Tickets Now [ Ted Turner, the Optimist Who Built CNN ](https://www.thefp.com/p/ted-turner-cnn-tribute) Joe Klein The man who gave us CNN and the 24-hour news cycle, Ted Turner, died Wednesday at the age of 87. Today, political writer Joe Klein—who almost ghostwrote Turner’s autobiography—remembers his friend, the American media mogul who stood out for his idealism and lack of a filter—something that got Turner in trouble more than once. “His was not a traditional intelligence, but one of horizon: Ted saw things before other people did,” Joe writes. Read full story [ Nothing Can Sink the Cruise Ship ](https://www.thefp.com/p/cruise-ship-hantavirus) Jillian Lederman A viral outbreak on a cruise ship that left three passengers dead has left some people wondering: Are cruise ships on the way out? Not so fast, says Jillian Lederman, who has been on many a cruise herself. Read her piece on why 38 million people a year take a cruise—and aren’t about to stop. Read full story [ The Great Writers Who Were Terrible People ](https://www.thefp.com/p/the-great-writers-who-were-terrible) Shilo Brooks Throughout history, some of the greatest literary geniuses have also been immoral bigots. In the latest episode of Old School, Shilo Brooks is joined by Eli Lake for a conversation about those geniuses, from Voltaire to Norman Mailer and Roald Dahl—and why we should read their work despite their odious prejudices. Listen on MORE FROM THE FREE PRESS [ Inside the Digital Intifada ](https://www.thefp.com/p/digital-intifada-social-media-hamas-terror) Warren Kinsella Read full story [ This Week in American History: Trump’s Over-Arching Problem ](https://www.thefp.com/p/this-week-in-american-history-trumps-over-arching-problem) Jonathan Horn Read full story [ Humanity Is Still Evolving—and Fast ](https://www.thefp.com/p/humanity-is-still-evolvingand-fast) Razib Khan Read full story THE NEWS Thirteen D.C. Metropolitan Police officers have been placed on administrative leave and could face termination after an internal investigation found evidence that crime statistics were manipulated to make the city look safer. The Republican-led House Oversight Committee previously alleged that former D.C. police chief Pamela Smith pressured officers to skew data. Tennessee Republicans unveiled a redrawn U.S. House map yesterday that would split up Memphis’s black-majority Democratic district, the latest move in a nationwide push to redraw congressional boundaries ahead of the midterms. The effort follows a Supreme Court ruling last week on Louisiana’s districts, which Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton said gave states the green light to redraw maps along partisan lines. Israel struck Beirut for the first time since a ceasefire with Hezbollah took effect last month, saying it targeted a commander of the militant group’s elite Radwan force in the city’s southern suburbs. The strikes risk destabilizing that truce at a delicate moment, as Iran and the U.S. report progress toward a deal to resolve their own standoff. The U.S. Air Force is aiming for a Fourth of July delivery of a Boeing 747 gifted by Qatar, hoping to add it to the Air Force One fleet in time for the U.S.’s 250th anniversary, Reuters reported. (For more on the controversy surrounding the aircraft, read Jed Rubenfeld’s piece “It’s a Terrible Idea, but Trump Probably Can Accept a Free Jet from Qatar.”) Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick testified privately before Congress that he has no memory of why he and his family dined on Jeffrey Epstein’s private island in 2012, according to Reuters. The admission contradicts Lutnick’s earlier claim that he had cut ties with the convicted sex offender well before that visit. Weeks before a former JPMorgan investment banker filed a lawsuit packed with explosive allegations, the bank reportedly offered him $1 million to settle his sexual assault and harassment claims, according to The Wall Street Journal. The suit, filed by Chirayu Rana, alleges he was sexually assaulted by a female colleague, subjected to racial discrimination, and forced into a degrading dynamic at work. JPMorgan says the claims lack merit, and the female colleague’s lawyers call the accusations fabricated. A new report from the Hartford Institute for Religion Research shows that, for the first time in roughly 20 years, church attendance is trending upward, with more people volunteering and clergy expressing renewed optimism. The study’s authors described the findings, based on a survey of more than 7,400 congregations, as showing signs of widespread recovery from low attendance numbers.
Republicans' midterm health care dilemma
Health care costs are a huge midterm issue, but Republicans are divided on solutions.
The GOP’s enthusiasm problem
Republicans would have turnout challenges in the 2026 midterm elections regardless of how President Donald Trump was doing. After all, his base has proven they largely only come out in droves when his name is on the ballot.
Ohio emerges as a key midterm battleground: From the Politics Desk
Plus, Trump’s ballroom dance.
Betting on Trump's influence? How GA-14 runoff became a testing ground as prediction markets reshape 2026 elections
Prediction markets and political betting platforms are raising new questions about democracy, regulation, and voter behavior ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Trump just reasserted his domination of the GOP. But that might not be good news for the party in 2026
Tuesday showed that even a politically diminished President Donald Trump still has the juice to end a Republican’s career. But while that’s great news for Trump’s political capital, it is decidedly less great news for a GOP whose midterm hopes the president is sinking.
Michigan Democrats keep control of state Senate in election win that offers clues about midterms
Democrat Chedrick Greene won a special election in Michigan on Tuesday, securing his party’s control of the state Senate through the remainder of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s term.
Takeaways from Indiana, Ohio and Michigan: Trump's flex pays off and Democrats win special election
Elections in Indiana, Ohio and Michigan on Tuesday reinforced a picture that's becoming increasingly clear — while President Donald Trump still dominates the Republican Party, Democrats seem to have the momentum ahead of November's midterm elections.
State of Insecurity: New poll shows Mass. middle class is more squeezed than ever
The results are a warning shot for the Bay State’s political class, who have touted their efforts to make the state more affordable during a critical midterm election year.
Poll: Trump blamed for gas prices as Democrats gain midterm edge
A new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll finds strong support for Democrats this midterm season. It also shows increasing concern about the war in Iran and the economy, particularly the price of gas.
Exclusive: Deleted tweets reveal new surgeon general pick criticized Trump and RFK Jr. health policies
Just two months before she was selected as President Donald Trump’s nominee for surgeon general, Dr. Nicole Saphier suggested the administration was hiding that measles was spreading widely enough in the United States for the country to lose its “elimination” status until after the midterm elections.
Exclusive: Deleted tweets reveal new surgeon general pick criticized Trump and RFK Jr. health policies
Just two months before she was selected as President Donald Trump’s nominee for surgeon general, Dr. Nicole Saphier suggested the administration was hiding that measles was spreading widely enough in the United States for the country to lose its “elimination” status until after the midterm elections.
Ramaswamy advances in Ohio, and other takeaways from Tuesday’s primaries
Primaries in Indiana and Ohio reinforced President Donald Trump’s power in the GOP and set the stakes for several top-tier midterm races.
KFF Health Tracking Poll: MAHA and the Midterms
This KFF Health Tracking Poll finds that the cost of health care is a more prominent focus for Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) voters than issues like food and vaccine policy. Four in ten MAHA voters (42%) choose lowering health costs as the most important health priority, outranking other MAHA priorities.
Vance Campaigns in Iowa as G.O.P. Fears Rise Ahead of Midterms
The vice president acknowledged economic headwinds, including rising energy and fertilizer costs. “We got a little — a little blip in the Middle East,” he said, referring to the war in Iran.
What to watch for in Indiana tonight: From the Politics Desk
Plus, Iowa emerges as a midterm battleground.
White House says Trump's deals with pharmaceutical companies offer billions in savings
WASHINGTON (AP) — White House economists estimate that President Donald Trump’s deals with pharmaceutical companies to drop some of their U.S. prescription drug prices to what they charge in other countries could save $529 billion over the next 10 years. The analysis obtained by The Associated Press includes the first economy-wide projections behind a policy at the core of Trump’s pitch to voters going into November’s midterm elections for control of the House and Senate.
Special election for control of Michigan's state Senate may offer fall midterm clues
A special election in a small Michigan swing district on Tuesday could have outsized consequences.
Abortion pill rulings bring the issue back to the forefront in a midterm election year
Back-to-back court rulings on abortion pill access are thrusting a contentious political issue back into the spotlight ahead of this year’s midterm elections that will determine control of Congress for the second half of President Donald Trump's term.
Politics & Power: Supreme Court guts Voting Rights Act, reshaping redistricting battles ahead of midterms
A 60-year-old civil rights law, effectively gutted. Now, Republicans across the South are racing to redraw congressional maps — and Florida just became the first state to act, passing new lines that could flip four seats. Democrats are promising to fight back. Sean Freeder, a political scientist and analyst, joins News4JAX anchor Bruce Hamilton to discuss the pushback and the legal fights ahead.
Redistricting battles back on midterm political map as Ohio, Indiana vote in primaries
Alabama and Tennessee move into redistricting fights while midterm voters in Indiana and Ohio head to the polls, spotlighting election maps, primaries and 2026 political stakes.
Live Results: Ohio state primaries
Ohio is expected to play a high-profile role in the midterm elections.
A decades-long plan to abolish the Electoral College may finally pay off
Democrats could be one midterm wave away from instituting a national popular vote. Should they?
Abortion pill rulings bring the issue back to the forefront in a midterm election year
Recent court rulings on abortion pill access have reignited a contentious political issue in a midterm year.
Charting how Trump became a historically unpopular president
President Donald Trump appears to be more unpopular than he’s ever been. In fact, his 35% average approval rating in the CNN Poll of Polls means he’s now flirting with George W. Bush territory. Bush is the only president since Jimmy Carter to spend a sustained period of time in the mid-30s or lower. And all of it is putting the Republican Party at risk of a severe rebuke from voters in just six months’ time in the 2026 midterm elections. It’s been a pretty gradual, steady deterioration throughout Trump’s more than 15 months back as president, but a few things stand out.
‘Absolutely’: Congressman whose district is at risk from redistricting says Trump is trying to rig the midterm vote
House Democrats’ campaign arm takes sides in contentious primaries key to winning midterms
The House Democratic campaign arm on Monday inflamed ongoing tensions over the influence of party leadership by taking sides in several competitive primaries for battleground House seats.
Will Texas turn blue this year?
With midterms around the corner and President Trump's approval rating low, Democrats expect to flip a lot of seats this election. Polls show a Democrat could win a statewide seat in Texas for the first time in the 21st century.
Warned off vaccine actions, Kennedy seeks quick health wins ahead of midterms
The stakes are high for Trump’s Republican party, which risks losing control of both chambers of Congress, polls show.
Warned off vaccine actions, Kennedy seeks quick health wins ahead of midterms
The stakes are high for Trump’s Republican party, which risks losing control of both chambers of Congress, polls show.
Insight: Warned off vaccine actions, Kennedy seeks quick health wins ahead of midterms
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is aiming for quick wins on new health initiatives to help Republicans in November’s midterm elections, after the White House asked him to pivot from a widely criticized campaign to rewrite U.S. vaccine policy, senior administration officials told Reuters.
Democrats Add 8 Candidates to House Battlefield Program for Midterms
The party’s congressional campaign arm is promoting more contenders to take down at-risk Republicans — and is taking sides in some competitive primaries.
Democratic voters challenge party establishment
Restless Democratic voters are rejecting their party’s establishment while trying to unseat Republicans in the midterms to weaken Trump's grip on power.
House control hinges on historically few number of seats
After aggressive redistricting, just 16 House seats are tossups, making it nearly impossible for Democrats to achieve their 2018 midterm gains of 41 seats.
Curing U.S. Health Care, Part II
On March 23, 2010 President Barack Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act — usually referred to either as the Affordable Care Act or as Obamacare — into law. Joe Biden, then the vice president, could be overheard whispering “This is a big fucking deal.” And it was. The ACA, which went into full effect in 2014, created a system of subsidies and regulations designed to make health insurance available to many Americans who had previously been left out. It worked: In 2010 there were 47 million uninsured people in America, but by 2016 this number had dropped to 27 million. This still fell short of the universal health insurance that every other advanced nation has, but it was real progress. In 2017, during his first term, Donald Trump tried to destroy the ACA, replacing it with the American Health Care Act — legislation that would have eliminated most of the provisions that expanded health insurance under Obama. At the time the Congressional Budget Office projected that the G.O.P.’s replacement bill would nearly double the number of Americans without health insurance, increasing the total uninsured population by 23 million and undoing all of the progress achieved under the ACA. However, the attack on Obamacare failed by one vote in the Senate, and the ensuing public backlash against the G.O.P. delivered a large victory in the 2018 midterms to the Democrats. After these developments many observers assumed that the ACA had become a more or less permanent feature of American life. Such assessments, however, failed to take into account the deep hostility of the U.S. right toward policies that expand access to healthcare. As we’ll see, this hostility goes back generations. And the second Trump administration has taken actions that the CBO projects will add 16 million people to the rolls of the uninsured by 2034. How did we get here? And now what? Today’s primer will analyze the political economy of U.S. healthcare since the 1940s and the combination of danger and opportunity created by the current crisis. Beyond the paywall I will discuss the following: US health care on the eve of Trump II 80 years of US health politics The Obamacare story The new assault on healthcare
Inside Democratic Fundraiser ActBlue’s Big Spending and Internal Drama
The group faces investigations from the Justice Department and congressional Republicans six months before the 2026 midterms.
Kemp won't seek to change Georgia's congressional map this year
There will be no changes to Georgia's congressional map before the 2026 midterm elections are held, Gov. Brian Kemp said on Friday.
Ted Cruz warns of high stakes during Iowa visit as 2026 midterms loom
As Republicans gathered at a conservative event in Clive ahead of a pivotal midterm election, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, warned that what happens in Iowa could help determine the direction of the country.
The politics of Trump's ballroom
WEST PALM BEACH, Florida — President Trump was about a half-hour into his second speech of the day, musing about the danger he faced last week at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. “Saturday night, it was good for one thing. People are loving my ballroom now,” Trump told a crowd last night. “That’s the only thing. They love my ballroom.” Ever since he was hustled off stage at the Washington Hilton last week, after an attempted shooter breached the dinner’s security perimeter and sent guests diving to the floor, the president has argued that the incident is proof for why his White House ballroom is needed. Only his planned $400 million, 90,000-square-foot project, Trump has reasoned, can keep a president truly safe at major events. It’s true that a bunch of GOP lawmakers have jumped on board with new legislation and words of support for Trump’s project. House Speaker Mike Johnson, Sen. Rand Paul and other prominent Republicans went on TV to talk about the need for a ballroom. But as we reported at The Washington Post this week, “people” aren’t really changing their minds on Trump’s ballroom. A new Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll found that most Americans still oppose the ballroom project: 56 percent against it versus 28 percent in favor. The numbers are the same as a poll from last year, the Post’s polling whiz Scott Clement found. Other new polls have found similar margins, too. “I’m just not a giant fan, especially of extravagance,” one independent voter told me. “I mean, in the era we’re in right now, given how much people are struggling, it just doesn’t make a lot of sense to me to spend $400 million on a ballroom.” How we got here The Washington Post has followed Trump’s ballroom project very closely. (My colleague Jonathan Edwards may have written the most total words of any reporter about the project; I may be second.) The project exploded as a national issue after Trump tore down the White House’s East Wing after initially promising not to touch it.1 Historic preservationists sued, and about a month ago, a federal judge ordered a halt to ballroom construction.2 The only way the ballroom could proceed, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled, was if Congress explicitly authorized Trump’s plans. (An appeals court has stayed Leon’s order for now.) The judge’s ruling raised an obvious question: would Congress authorize the project? Keep in mind, “authorization” doesn’t mean that Congress needs to necessarily fund the planned $400 million project; they could just sign off on the private donations that Trump has solicited to pay for the ballroom.3 But GOP lawmakers really didn’t want to talk about the ballroom, we reported at The Post just a few weeks ago. One major reason was the ballroom’s bad polling — not a small detail with many of their own midterm elections looming. The White House Correspondents’ Dinner incident, and Trump’s advocacy, may have changed the political conversation around the ballroom. As this week’s polling shows, it doesn’t seem to have affected the fundamental questions surrounding the project. To put it another way, voters still say that cost-of-living concerns are top-of-mind heading into the midterms. Some Republican and independent voters have told me that they see the ballroom as a vanity project that will help Trump but do nothing for their own lives. It might not help Republicans that Trump has dismissed some of the cost-of-living concerns. He’s described “affordability” as a buzzword manufactured by Democrats whose policies helped cause inflation. “They’ve got one good line of bullshit,” Trump said in his first speech yesterday, delivered at a Florida retirement community known as The Villages. Thanks for reading Dan Diamond's newsletter! Subscribe for free to stay up-to-date on my work. Subscribe Speaking of Trump’s speeches… I’m down in Florida because it’s my “duty week” as a White House reporter — basically, I follow the president wherever he goes. (And then hand the baton off to one of my Washington Post colleagues next week.) As part of my duty week, I’ve spent a few days covering the White House’s reaction to Saturday’s attempted shooting, including officials’ review of the security protocols to protect the president. Trump was restrained in the wake of the incident, addressing the nation from the White House briefing room about the need for peaceful dialogue and trying to lower the temperature. But he’s clearly been itching to get back out of the White House, and I was curious to hear how his Florida speeches would go. And — to my ears — it was an unburdened Trump. Not the one we saw Saturday night in the White House briefing room, but the one we witnessed on the campaign trail in 2024. Loose, dropping profanities, mocking everyone, including members of his team. “We have a man here who knows more about Medicaid, Medicare, medical crap than any human being. Where’s Dr. Oz? Where the hell are you, stand up,” Trump said, referring to Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. “It’s the most boring trip I’ve ever made. He’s telling me about Medicare, Medicaid. All I want to do is take care of you, I don’t care. I said, ‘You work out the details.’” I wrote up the speech, as Trump headed to West Palm Beach to deliver more remarks a few hours later. The White House didn’t like my story. Their rapid-response team called it the work of a “total loser”4 and “a miserable TDS-ridden moron.” You can be the judge of whether it’s a fair story or the product of someone afflicted with “TDS.” (The White House’s shorthand for “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”) I’ve pasted the story below with a gift link, meaning that you don’t need to be a Washington Post subscriber to read it. It might prompt you for an email address, though. Meanwhile, I’ll be down in Florida for the rest of the weekend, covering the president. It’s TBD whether those stories will be deemed TDS-afflicted, too. 1 Jonathan details the past six months of ballroom fallout, reactions and the implications for executive authority here. I also had a great time talking about Trump’s ballroom and other projects with Australia’s ABC News Daily on a podcast this week. 2 The judge allowed underground construction and national security-related work to continue. But that hasn’t been enough for Trump, who says the ballroom itself is essential for his protection. 3 The ballroom donors include companies like Palantir, Google and Amazon. For transparency, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post, where I work. No one has ever interfered with our team’s coverage of the ballroom or our mentions of Amazon or Bezos, and if that changed, I’d speak out. 4 To be fair, I’ve spent the morning working on stories and writing this Substack post rather than enjoying the beautiful Florida weather. So they may be onto something about who’s winning and who’s losing.
Iran deadlock: is Trump now ‘stuck’?
The president may be ‘trying to look relaxed’, but upcoming midterms and rising oil prices are ramping up pressure
Capitol Recap: Proposal to tax high earners stirs debate over policy, and politics, in Montpelier
The House Committee on Ways and Means has spent the last three weeks crafting proposals that would raise income taxes on households that earn more than $586,000 a year. Though the legislation has no chance of becoming law this year, some Democrats hope the debate will resonate with voters heading into the midterm elections.
As Iran War Reaches 60-Day Mark, Republicans in Congress Grow Impatient With Trump
Months into the operation and with midterms looming, some lawmakers are calling for Congress to restrain the president’s war power or set terms for bringing the conflict to a close.
'Do you want the crazies back in charge?' Rep. Jim Jordan talks elections
As the November midterm elections approach, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, is looking ahead to what could be a tough race for Republicans, but said the GOP’s campaign message should be simple.
The Real Reason Republicans Are Dropping out of Midterm Races Before They Even Begin
November can’t come soon enough.
Florida legislature approves new congressional map intended to boost Republicans in midterms
The vote came just two days after Gov. Ron DeSantis unveiled his proposal and the same day that the U.S. Supreme Court rolled back a key provision of the Voting Rights Act.
Supreme Court ruling will reshape American politics. The only question is when
The U.S. Supreme Court's conservative majority on Wednesday handed Republicans their biggest victory yet in the perpetual battle to control the House of Representatives and statehouses across the country — but it may have come too late to have much of an effect on this year's midterm elections.
Florida legislature approves new congressional map intended to boost Republicans in midterms
The Florida Legislature approved a new congressional map intended to maximize Republicans’ advantage in the state as part of the national redistricting battle that President Donald Trump launched ahead of this year’s midterms.
KFF Health Tracking Poll: Health Care Costs and the Midterms
This KFF poll finds that health care costs continue to top the public’s list of affordability worries, even as concerns about gas prices have risen in recent weeks, with two-thirds of the public expressing worry over affording health care costs.
“Political Disaster for Donald Trump”: Jeremy Scahill on Stalled U.S.-Iran Talks
Negotiations between the United States and Iran to end the war are at an impasse as the conflict enters its third month. The Wall Street Journal reported late Tuesday that Trump has told aides to prepare for an extended blockade of Iranian ports to ramp up the pressure on Tehran. Iran is saying it will enter into direct talks with the U.S. “when President Trump lifts what Iran considers to be the illegal military naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz,” says Drop Site News co-founder Jeremy Scahill. “Iran has maintained that it’s not shut down the strait, but that it’s just shut it down for any vessels that are linked to the U.S. war in any way.” Scahill says a disorganized Trump administration is pushing a “total propaganda narrative” that it has the upper hand in negotiations, while Iran believes it has the “three M’s” on its side: munitions, markets and the midterms.