All posts tagged "democrats"

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."

JD Vance let slip his secret envy with 'self-admission' to Joe Rogan: analysts

Vice President JD Vance's interview with Joe Rogan revealed several insights, including the notion that he could be longing for the cool factor — and jealous that his own party might not have it, two political insiders explained on Friday.

The Bulwark's publisher Sarah Longwell and managing editor Sam Stein discussed in a Substack video how Vance could have alluded to this feeling when he sat down with Rogan earlier this week — and what motivated the sit-down.

"He thinks this is how this kind of Joe Rogan type audience and his ability to hang is the key to his electoral future," Longwell said. "But there were some notable things that came out of it. One of them was Vance saying that Republicans are still kind of embarrassing, like they're not cool."

Longwell suggested that Vance could be signaling, "Well, I'm cool, but the rest of the party's not that cool."

Stein suggested it was "self-admission" from Vance, who could be thinking, "'Oh man, these people who hang out with Hollywood actors and sports stars and they're doing fun stuff, hanging in cities and going to breweries. I kind of want that. But I can't say it, but I kind of want that.' That's how I viewed it."

Stein described why that might be on Vance's mind, especially after experiencing the popularity around his book and the film based on it: "Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis."

"Because he got a taste of that," Stein said. "He was in Silicon Valley for a little while, so he was hanging out. And he had the Netflix movie made on his life and his book and all that stuff. So I think he knows, it's kind of fun, honestly, and it is cool. And I think he's a little jealous or envious."

That, compared to Republican-aligned performers and the GOP's cultural reach, is a sharp contrast, Longwell added.

"I think it's tough when at some point your only cultural cachet is Kid Rock and Vanilla Ice or whatever. And even the remaining member of Milli Vanilli won't come play your concerts anymore."

Trump Voters Say JD Vance Gives Them the Willies by The Bulwark

Read on Substack

MAGA 'secret' exposed by ex-GOP operative as Republicans watch their 'numbers go south'

Former Republican strategist Rick Wilson cautioned on Friday that MAGA has a plan for midterm elections and it's time for Democrats to be "ruthless."

In his Substack, he issued the blunt warning that although MAGA has the money backed by its ecosystem of tech and media — that's about it.

"Let me tell you a secret about the MAGA movement that isn’t a secret at all, because they keep saying it out loud: they know they can’t win a fair fight in November," Wilson wrote.

Republicans have been watching the special elections and watching the polling results roll in — and the signs are there, Wilson argued.

"Midterms with a raving, senile, deeply unpopular president presiding over an economy held together with tariff ductAI stock market handwavium and duct tape, and the Iran forever war are a recipe for an electoral slaughterhouse, and every Republican operative with a pulse knows it," Wilson wrote.

"I used to be one of them," he explained. "I know how that room smells when the numbers go south, and all the culture war garbage in the world won’t fix it. It smells like fear, and fear in that party has exactly one output: cheat harder."

He suggested that Democrats have 90 days to focus on winning the midterms against Republicans.

"So they’re not going to run a midterm campaign," Wilson wrote. "They’re going to run a midterm operation. There’s a difference, and if Democrats don’t internalize that difference in the next ninety days, they will get rolled by people who have been planning this since the day the 2024 confetti hit the floor."

Wilson suggested that Democrats should focus on winning big — so big that MAGA can't cheat its way back into power.

"A political war is coming this fall," he added. "Not a metaphor, not hype, an actual contest over whether elections in this country still decide who holds power. The other side has already mobilized. They have the Court, the money, the federal agencies, and the machines."

'A siren': Analyst flags trend that could lead to another Donald Trump

A CNN analyst on Wednesday warned that the political conditions that led to President Donald Trump could lead to a similar figure in the future.

Mo Elleithee, a former Democratic National Committee communications director, described how history could repeat itself during a CNN panel hosted by anchor Kasie Hunt.

"I work with a lot of college students; the college students I work with, Barack Obama is a historical figure to them," Elleithee said.

"Their political consciousness was against the backdrop of the past decade of the Trump era," he said. "This style of politics that we've been witnessing for the past 10 years is actually the norm for them. This is what politics is actually like, and I think that is fueling a lot of the youth energy. They want fighters in the way that they see on the other side."

He said that Democrats should be aware of this.

"What this means for the future of the Democratic Party — it's a warning flag, it's a siren that should be going off here in D.C.," Elleithee explained. "I don't want to overstate some of this. What we are seeing is that these insurgent, anti-establishment, often generational-change candidates are winning primaries in the bluest of districts, mostly urban areas. They're taking blue districts and turning them bluer. I think it's like 88 percent of the safe seats the insurgent candidate has won, but in the swing districts, the districts in the suburbs, the districts that are going to be competitive in the fall — but in those primaries — they've only won about 15 to 20 percent of the primaries."

Elleithee mentioned fellow panelist Doug Heye, a former communications director of the Republican National Committee, and described how the Democratic candidates in more urban areas might not dictate who controls the House, but could signal the future of the party.

"They are not going to have an impact on who wins the House," Elleithee added. "But they are — if they, when they — do make it to the House. Regardless of who is in control, their voices will be amplified, and I often think of my friend Doug, who lived through this on the other side of the aisle. He had the first one; he was the canary at the party. And so, even though the Tea Party took a little while to take over, when it did, it took us right to Donald Trump."

Disbelief as MAGA rep warns GOP being taken over by 'crazy people': 'He’s one of them!'

Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL) warned on Wednesday that Republicans were in a serious battle to stop "crazy people" from controlling the GOP — and the internet had plenty to say in response.

During a live interview with Newsmax, Fine commented on Democrats and said he was concerned about the Republican Party.

"When these people surfaced decades ago, they didn't take them seriously," Fine said. "They were so determined to gain power, they said we'll take anybody into our tent and now those people have taken over the tent. That's why we got to fight in my party, in the Republican Party, to not let crazy people take over. Because if we do, we're done. I think what we see happening to the Democratic Party, it may be good for Republicans but it is terrible for America."

Fine's comments drew criticism online among commentators.

"That battle was lost in the spring of 2016," S.V. Dáte, White House correspondent at HuffPost, wrote on X.

"Crazy people have taken over… no doubt, he’s one of them!" Alene Browdy, political commentator and vice president of sales and merchandising, wrote on X.

"How does anyone on the right say this with a straight face?" author Luke Epplin wrote on X.

"Too late for that, genius. Vote this bigot the f--- out," Rodger Williams, a progressive political commentator, wrote on X.

"In related news, I am launching a campaign to save the brontosaurus," politics writer Julian Sanchez wrote on Bluesky.

That battle was lost in the spring of 2016. https://t.co/LQ7Bf0n0GP
— S.V. Dáte (@svdate) July 1, 2026

Trump's revenge pick implodes as new poll 'ringing alarm bells'

A new poll revealed that President Donald Trump's scandal-plagued pick in the Texas Senate race, Attorney General Ken Paxton, might not win his critical election, The Daily Beast reported on Tuesday.

A New York Times/Siena poll of 656 likely Texas voters found that Paxton is tied at 47 percent in the midterm face-off against Democratic candidate James Talarico — and the "toss-up survey is ringing alarm bells for the president’s controversial candidate," according to The Beast.

Trump backed Paxton and turned on longtime Sen. John Cornyn in the Texas Senate primary.

But now Paxton — and Republicans — could be in trouble.

"However, The New York Times noted there are 'several signs of weakness' for Paxton elsewhere in the poll, suggesting Talarico has a good chance of becoming the first Democrat to win a U.S. Senate race in Texas since 1988 this November," The Beast reported.

If Talarico wins, it could flip the Senate seat blue and give Democrats a potential lead in trying to win back control of the Senate. Democrats have been eyeing the House and working to win back enough seats as the GOP majority decreases and dissatisfaction over the Trump administration could secure Democratic victories.

Paxton has been criticized for his "constant stream of scandals" and has faced multiple accusations of corruption, according to The Beast. Texas Republicans impeached him over fraud and obstruction of justice allegations.

He was seen traveling to Iceland allegedly with "some lady who's not his wife." The woman has been identified as Tracy Duhon, a Christian influencer and mother of seven. Paxton is married to Texas State Senator Angela Paxton, who filed for divorce on "biblical" grounds; however, a state district judge canceled the trial last month.

"The Times/Siena poll found that only 38 percent of likely Texas voters believe Paxton has 'good character,' compared with 56 percent who said the same of Talarico," The Beast reported.

Talarico called Paxton out on Monday after the reports surfaced of the Republican candidate and his alleged mistress.

"Ken Paxton was impeached for taking bribes from donors. He became a multi-millionaire on a government salary. He takes lavish vacations in Iceland while Texans can’t afford the basics. Ken Paxton doesn’t serve us — he serves himself," Talarico wrote on X.

Mike Johnson just revealed his true 'panic' with 'astonishing' remarks: ex-GOP operative

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson's recent "protection program" comment reveals his true fear, according to an ex-GOP operative.

Johnson's comments came at the Faith and Freedom Coalition's annual conference on Friday, where he said, "I run the protection program. I'll take care of you." Johnson made the remark in the context of a warning about electing Democrats in the midterms, which he said will lead to committees investigating Trump along with his family, Cabinet, donors and allies.

According to a Saturday piece by Steve Schmidt, the "extraordinary" and "astonishing" remarks reveal that "Mike Johnson is panicking" about accountability.

"Mike Johnson isn't panicked because he believes innocent people will be persecuted," Schmidt wrote. "He's panicked because he understands that accountability may finally be coming to Washington."

Johnson's speech "sounds like dialogue written for Burgess Meredith playing the Penguin in the old 'Batman' TV series," Schmidt continued.

"He knows there will be subpoenas. He knows there will be hearings. He knows there will be oversight," Schmidt wrote. "He knows investigators will begin asking questions that should have been asked years ago — and he knows the answers may be devastating."

Schmidt predicted that if a Democratic majority "should reclaim the Speaker's gavel in the House" after the November midterms, they would "understand the assignment."

Mike Johnson's warning about voting blue backfires: 'Don't threaten us with a good time'

GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson's warning about electing Democrats ended up sounding like 'a good time' to online critics.

During a full-throated speech at the Faith & Freedom Coalition "Road to Majority" Conference on Friday, Johnson (R-LA) tried to admonish voters, "If we lose the midterms, these Democrats will turn every committee of Congress into an investigative body."

"They'll go after the president's family, the cabinet, his donors, friends, half of you in this room will be targeted," Johnson said.

The reaction on X to Johnson's warning was a mix of suspicion that the House Speaker is confirming the Trump administration has something to hide, and critics of Trump said the prediction sounded enticing.

"Don't threaten us with a good time," political commentator Jamie Bonkiewicz joked.

"Good point," Dan Pfeiffer, a co-host of Pod Save America, wrote in reaction to Johnson's warning. "If you think politicians, billionaires, elites, and members of the Epstein Class should be able to do whatever they want without any accountability, vote Republican this fall."

"It'd be nice to have a Speaker who'd say: 'And let them, we have nothing to hide, and they'll look like fools for doing it,'" posted Tom Nichols, veteran political commentator and a staff writer at The Atlantic. "But what he's saying here is: They're gonna uncover a lot of stuff, and you don't want that."

The account for the political news network MeidasTouch similarly interpreted the warning as "Mike Johnson giving Democrats more reasons to vote."

"He's admitting that they are criminals," progressive news personality Alex Cole posted. "Wow."

"Just the Speaker of the House pledging that if you vote Republican he will continue to make sure all the corruption and criminality happening in the Trump admin will be covered up by him and his do-nothing committee chairs," Ron Filipkowski, political commentator and editor-in-chief of MeidasTouch, wrote.

CNN pundits spar over state of politics in heated clash: 'Already at the bottom!'

A fiery clash exploded during a CNN live broadcast between two political commentators on Wednesday in a debate over where the United States and its political parties are headed.

Political analyst Charles Blow and Alyssa Farah Griffin, a strategist and former Trump administration official, got in a heated back-and-forth over the direction of the Republican and Democratic parties on a panel with CNN anchor Kasie Hunt.

"The moment that you elected Donald Trump and you watch what he has done in the first year of his administration — no one, no one can make the argument that someone is too extreme," Blow said.

Griffin interjected and pushed back, then Blow fired back a response. He referenced what Special Envoy and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner said at Charlie Kirk's memorial service.

"You go back and listen to what Kushner said at Kirk's memorial service, go back and listen to the full thing, and tell me that is not a full-fledged white power speech," Blow said.

Griffin pushed back on Blow's comments.

"The vast majority of Americans do not want our country to become a race to the bottom in politics," Griffin said.

But Blow did not agree.

"It's already at the bottom!" Blow responded.