All posts tagged "democrats"

John Fetterman blew off paralyzed vets and children's hospital amid rightward drift: WSJ

Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) brushed off paralyzed veterans and a children's hospital while cash from a prominent conservative donor came in amid his rightward drift.

According to a Thursday report by the Wall Street Journal, Fetterman canceled on three paralyzed military veterans who traveled from rural Pennsylvania in June to discuss legislation on their care. He told staff he might have eaten something bad, The Journal reported.

Less than an hour after aides met the veterans in his place, Fetterman reportedly walked in looking fine and headed to Fox News to talk about Israel.

The Journal's reporting drew from more than a dozen former staffers and lawmakers, plus internal text messages. "Behind closed doors, the first-term senator shows little interest in doing the job beyond cultivating relationships with conservative media figures and advocating for Israel," The Journal wrote.

When an aide told him last September that officials from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia wanted to meet over Medicaid cuts, Fetterman texted back, "Well I'm not," according to messages reviewed by The Journal, which added that he was "convinced they just want free trips to DC."

The Journal described how Fetterman was once the mayor of the town of Braddock and a disciple of Bernie Sanders. He's increasingly aligned himself with Republicans, The Journal noted. He now polls better with GOP voters than Pennsylvania's Republican senator, Dave McCormick, per New York Times polling cited by The Journal. The drift has fueled speculation that he could switch parties, The Journal noted.

In July, filings showed that he took money from a prominent conservative donor, according to The Journal. When he was asked in March about a call Senate Democratic leadership was arranging, Fetterman texted, "I truly don't care," The Journal reported.

Fetterman didn't respond to The Journal's interview requests and walked away from a reporter at an Erie event last month. At the event, he defended his record by saying, "We have to work together."

Trump aides quietly prepping untested tactics as Dem clash nears 'uncharted territory'

President Donald Trump's aides are quietly preparing untested legal tactics to blunt a wave of Democratic investigations they expect after the midterms.

According to an article by Politico, new preparations have started since Will Scharf took over as the White House counsel on Tuesday. An August 10 Justice Department memo has also laid the groundwork for a broader use of executive privilege.

The White House counsel's office began briefing political appointees privately as far back as this spring, according to Politico. The office urged appointees to keep financial disclosures and ethics filings airtight and to think twice before committing anything to writing.

Lawyers reassured current staff that the Trump administration would represent them in their official capacities if subpoenas do arrive, even though appointees who have already left the government may not get the same cover, Politico noted.

Current and former aides are now hunting for personal attorneys ahead of possible 2027 testimony, according to Politico. Among the names circulating is Stefan Passantino, who defended Cassidy Hutchinson during the January 6 inquiries and advised the Trump Organization on earlier congressional demands, Politico noted.

The guidance from the counsel's office was blunt, with one former official saying, "Don't give them a reason to find anything," according to Politico.

The Trump administration has laid down what Politico called an "untested" legal marker. The DOJ Office of Legal Counsel argued in its August 10 memo that executive privilege can shield Trump's conversations with private, outside advisers, not just government employees. An anonymous White House official told Politico, "This is not an extension of executive privilege."

It stops short of blanket immunity, however, and concedes that Congress can demand information that is "demonstrably critical," Politico noted. That could leave company executives in what Politico called "uncharted territory" between the White House and a Democratic-controlled Congress.

“For instance, if a CEO had a phone conversation with Trump, or if you went into the White House to present information to drive a decision-making process, the White House could take the position that those documents are subject to executive privilege,” Alyssa DaCunha, co-chair of WilmerHale’s Strategic Response and Congressional Investigations practices, told Politico. “That could put companies in a difficult position of trying to abide by the White House’s determinations of privilege protections while also telling their story to Congress.”

Dire warning as 'lightning' strike forecast in MAGA's epicenter: analyst

A political analyst on Tuesday revealed that despite the challenge, the conditions could be right to flip red-state Florida blue.

As Florida voters cast their ballots on primary election day, Newsweek national political correspondent Alex J. Rouhandeh took a deeper dive into the competitive race among Democrats and how President Donald Trump's low approval rating could "create the kind of climate" ripe for a swing.

"Florida has become the epicenter of MAGA, but that hasn’t stopped Never Trump candidates Alex Vindman and David Jolly from making waves in the state," Rouhandeh wrote on X.

Jolly, a former GOP representative, was vying to stay on top of the ticket in the Democratic primary for governor. Alex Vindman, retired Army lieutenant colonel and the whistleblower who helped push Trump's first impeachment forward, is also competing for a U.S. Senate seat in the state. Both candidates were expected to be the front-runners, according to prediction market Kalshi. Kalshi gave the Democratic candidates more than 90 percent odds of leading the Democratic primary race.

Rouhandeh pointed to a comment from Mike Madrid, “The Latino Century” author and Latino GOP political consultant.

"If lightning is going to be caught in a bottle, it requires an environment precisely like this one," Madrid told Rouhandeh.

"Flipping Florida remains a longshot for Democrats, but the party there has done about all it can to make that longshot possible," Rouhandeh reported.

Florida has become the epicenter of MAGA, but that hasn’t stopped Never Trump candidates Alex Vindman and David Jolly from making waves in the state

“If lightning is going to be caught in a bottle, it requires an environment precisely like this one,” @madrid_mike told me.… pic.twitter.com/v6QdqIWILQ
— Alex J. Rouhandeh (@AlexRouhandeh) August 18, 2026

Jake Tapper rolls clip of 'pooh-poohing' Trump tailor-made for Dem attack ad

CNN anchor Jake Tapper highlighted a moment from President Donald Trump's speech on Friday that could serve as an attack ad for Democrats ahead of the midterms.

Trump said he would "never apologize" for higher gas prices even though Americans are struggling to pay for rising costs at the pump during a speech at the David S. Mack Center for Training and Intelligence in Garden City, New York. Trump touted his crackdown on crime and the ongoing Iran war at a campaign rally with Republican gubernatorial candidate and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman.

Tapper commented on the president's remarks.

"So I have to say that is made for a Democratic attack ad, not all of it, not the part about Iran and the nukes, but for you to pay a little bit more for the gasoline cut to, 'you're at $4. It's OK. I'll never apologize. I did the right thing,'" Tapper said.

Matt Mowers, former senior White House adviser during Trump's first administration, argued Trump was defending his decision to launch a joint military operation with Israel against Iran.

"I think it's explaining the cost of conflict, right?" Mowers said. "What he's now doing is saying there is a reason that we are all paying more for [gas] right now. What he didn't do, and I think this was actually smart politically, is he didn't try to say, 'well, it's actually not that high.' He didn't try to pooh-pooh it. He didn't try to dismiss concerns."

Tapper pushed back.

"He said a little bit more. That's kind of a pooh-pooh," Tapper said.

Tapper added that Trump's statement might not be popular among the GOP.

"It's probably not the message that Republican candidates want the president to be saying, with only 80-something days until the midterms," Tapper said.

Fed-up Trump voters lament they 'have no more to give' in threat to flip red state

Iowa could be crucial for Democrats taking control of the House with Iowa's key third district race, according to a CNN report on Thursday.

Voters in the Hawkeye State told CNN's John King that with 82 days until the midterms, some Trump voters were considering giving Democratic candidates a chance. Trump won Iowa by 13 points in 2024, carrying 94 of the state's 99 counties.

Lindsey Murray, who was born in China and adopted by a family in Kansas City, attended college in Iowa and later returned to the state, where she opened a bookstore and started a family. Murray thinks Democrats could have a chance to flip red seats blue.

"We're just going to keep pushing and pushing and pushing, and we just have no more diplomatic way to say we have no more f's to give," Murray said.

Three-time Trump voter and rancher Shannon Ebersole told King she was disheartened by the Iran war and a "midterm wildcard."

"First and foremost, we need to take care of our Americans. And that is one frustrating point of the Iran war is because I voted to take care of us first," Ebersole said.

She told King that she was leaning toward change.

"[That] tells you everything you need to know about the season of opportunity for Democrats," King said. "Even in Iowa, that's a three-time Trump voter thinking about voting Democrat for governor, thinking about voting Democrat for Congress — not convinced just yet — worried if she votes Democrat for Congress, that person will come here and come under the influence of the Democratic Socialist or whatever, but open to change in a place like Iowa."

"And if the Democrats have opportunity in Iowa, think about states that are less red, less Trumpy. So it's a great season of opportunity for Democrats," King added.

Cranky James Carville gets fired up on CNN over historic Dem win

Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville had a feisty response on Friday over the historic Democratic Senate primary election in Michigan.

Carville told CNN anchor Brianna Keilar during the fiery back-and-forth that he was skeptical about progressive Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and shifts within the Democratic Party after the historic upset this week.

"You got 48% in a primary," Carville said. "You're being hailed on CNN as a revolutionary, complete tidal wave hitting the United States. It's the latest, greatest thing that ever happened. And what I'm saying right here is I would go a little bit slow — maybe if I was analyzing this."

He added that Democrats would have more work to do, arguing that El-Sayed and other more left-leaning candidates should "develop some political skills that make you more accessible to more voters."

"That's just me off the top of my head. But excuse me for not being on the bandwagon here, that this is a giant movement," Carville said.

Historic 'earthquake' shakes Dems after 'death star' fails to thwart progressive: analyst

Abdul El-Sayed's victory in Michigan's Democratic Senate primary has become an "earthquake for the Democratic Party old guard," an analyst reported Wednesday.

Investigative journalist Ken Klippenstein detailed in his Substack how the historic upset was something Democrats hadn't seen since the rise of former President Barack Obama.

"The irony here is that Obama actually won the 2008 presidential primary by less than El-Sayed — just half a percent of the popular vote," Klippenstein explained.

"This is a massive defeat for the Democratic Party old guard and an affirmation that the new crop of outsider, renegade candidates are the people’s choice," Klippenstein wrote.

This has stunned the party's leadership.

"Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer — basically the entire Democratic establishment endorsed Haley Stevens, a textbook party stooge. For her to still lose is a repudiation and humiliation of not just Stevens but the entire political death star behind her," Klippenstein wrote.

He added that the win should be a sign of where the party will head next.

"But the real story here is bigger than El-Sayed," Klippenstein wrote. "It’s that voters were not swayed by an avalanche of big money and big people. Instead, they hoisted a bigger finger than we’ve seen since Barack Obama’s own primary upset in 2008, when he defeated party leader-approved Hillary Clinton. Any media outlet that doesn’t acknowledge that is on the side of big money and big people."

'Tidal forces' turning against Trump as scandals throw GOP 'off the rails': analysis

As President Donald Trump's unpopularity grows and Republicans face two serious scandals, an analyst signaled on Tuesday that the GOP could see "end of age vibes."

In analysis from Josh Marshall, the founder and editor-in-chief of Talking Points Memo, he described how the hegemony could end for the Republican Party. He recounted how something similar had happened in 2006 involving "lightly closeted" GOP lawmaker Mark Foley and "what we’d now call sexting with underage male pages in the House page program and was forced to resign."

And as the abuse allegations follow Rep. Max Miller (R-OH) and accusations of sexual harassment surround Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-NC), Marshall suggests that Republicans could be seeing the backlash come November, despite the difficulty in predicting the midterm election results.

"But the two cases capture the culture of impunity that has defined the last 20 months, as well as the way increasing disconnect between what is happening in Washington, D.C., where Trump is all powerful, and the rest of the country where tidal forces are visibly moving against him. They are functioning eerily as a stand-in for everything else and create this mood, this kind of palpable sign of a majority going off the rails."

But Democrats don't have any easy path ahead either, he explained, as the party faces "simultaneous rebellion against the national leadership."

"To some degree there is a matter of almost impossible expectations," Marshall wrote. "Trump’s blitzkrieg through the Constitution, the rule of law and the most essential elements of democratic self-government have been so grave it would be almost impossible for a party, for the moment locked out of power in all three branches government, to meet the expectations of those who oppose him. But that is at best only a partial and limited explanation. There’s simply been a persistent mood and signaling of business as usual that has put the present leaders of the party in Washington, D.C. at odds with the great bulk of their voters. And to a great degree the outcome of the midterm elections will depend on how these two simultaneous and related but distinct unfolding rebellions interact."

GOP silent amid accusations it's using shady group to meddle in Dem primary

A mysterious super PAC with a suspicious name has swooped into a competitive Michigan primary battle — and Democrats have started to take notice.

Insiders have flagged that "Michigan Sunrise PAC," a group that popped up out of nowhere just days ago, has already dropped nearly $600,000 boosting progressive candidate William Lawrence in the crowded scramble to challenge incumbent Republican Rep. Tom Barrett this fall and take control of the 7th Congressional District, The Down Ballot reported on Monday.

Operatives on both sides suspect Republicans secretly want Lawrence, who has been viewed as the weakest general-election candidate among Democrats, to win the nomination in the swing district. Lawrence is a co-founder of the Sunrise Movement, a climate advocacy organization.

The PAC's ads take aim at rival Matt Maasdam over old Florida voter registration records while touting Lawrence's star power, including a nod from Bernie Sanders. Maasdam is a former Navy SEAL. Third contender Bridget Brink gets no mention at all.

"The more moderate Brink and Maasdam have spent a good deal of time attacking one another on the airwaves, potentially leaving an opening for Lawrence to win the nomination," according to The Down Ballot. "It’s that opening that Republicans may now be looking to exploit."

The new group banks through a tiny South Dakota financial institution also used by Republican officials — a detail that has raised eyebrows among political watchdogs.

"The name of the PAC, of course, is very similar to that of the organization Lawrence helped create, but the two appear unconnected," The Down Ballot reported. "Rather, the Sunrise Movement has its own PAC, called Sunrise PAC. While the Sunrise Movement has endorsed Lawrence, its PAC has not reported spending any money on this race."

The top House GOP super PAC stayed quiet when Axios’ Andrew Solender asked for comment.

If confirmed, this would be the 18th time this election cycle that Republicans have allegedly meddled in a Democratic primary, the Down Ballot reported.

James Carville torches 'too stupid' Trump over his new favorite anti-Dem smear

Veteran Democratic political strategist James Carville ripped President Donald Trump as "too stupid" to understand his new go-to smear against Democrats.

During an episode of the Politics War Room podcast, Carville spoke about the upcoming midterms and Trump's new favorite attack on them, which is to call them communists. Trump has turned to using "communists" as a slur against his opposing party as more Democratic Socialists have won congressional primaries, and the GOP ranks have echoed his strategy.

However, Carville notably distanced himself from Democratic Socialists recently, but he told listeners of his podcast to keep in mind that Trump is "just too f— stupid to know what he's talking about" and explained communism versus socialism.

"Understand, socialism is an economic system," Carville said. "Communism is part of the economic system, also a political system."

However, he went back to his point about Trump not really knowing or caring, saying, "I don't think Trump knows the difference. I really don't. I think he's that stupid."

Carville, who proudly professes having Trump derangement syndrome, even said, "I'm going to defend him when he used communist socialism. I think he has no idea of history."

Trump "has no idea that Sweden and Denmark and Norway and Finland and countries like that are hugely successful countries," Carville pointed out. He added that those countries have socialist systems and "are really democratic countries, have a lot of really, really successful business and have a real strong program for social insurance."

Carville mentioned that Finland is "also hugely successful. There's no country that was more effective in fighting the Soviet Union than Finland."