Texas state Rep. James Talarico (D) said Tuesday that his campaign for Senate is attracting some support from previous President Trump voters who are becoming more disillusioned with the president’s policies, saying they whisper to him at rallies “like they’re in the witness protection program.” Talarico argued during an interview on MS NOW that President…
President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he will likely attend the New York Knicks’ NBA Finals game next week. Trump, a New York native, said he was invited by James Dolan, who owns the Knicks, the New York Rangers, and Madison Square Garden to attend the game. “They really, they have some great players,” […]
Democrat James Talarico and Republican Ken Paxton wasted no time appealing to Sen. John Cornyn’s (R-TX) supporters after the longtime incumbent was ousted in a Senate primary runoff against Trump-backed Paxton. Democrats see a moment ripe for the taking to win over Cornyn-backers after party leaders, save for Trump, openly trashed Paxton as a morally […]
Americans already grappling with elevated gas prices face another inflation squeeze as severe weather, trade policy and geopolitical conflict could send consumer costs surging just before November's midterm elections.Grocery prices rose in April by the most in nearly four years, and experts warn the pressures will only worsen through 2027, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture projects a 3.2 percent increase in grocery prices and other experts warn that could rise even higher, reported Bloomberg.“It’s going to be a challenging year,” said Ricky Volpe, an agribusiness professor at California Polytechnic State University who expects grocery costs to soar by 4 percent to 4.5 percent. “Food is going to become less affordable, and consumers should be prepared for it.”The U.S. experienced its warmest start to any year on record, with temperatures running about 6 degrees Fahrenheit above average through April. The early heat prompted crops to begin blossoming prematurely instead of remaining dormant through winter, leaving them vulnerable to subsequent frosts. Meanwhile, drought has devastated agricultural regions nationwide — 70 percent of U.S. winter wheat production sits in drought areas as of mid-May, along with 25 percent of corn production.Beef prices hit record highs in April due to the smallest cattle herd in 75 years, squeezed by drought and elevated production costs. Tomato prices surged 33 percent over two months following winter storms that damaged Florida's growing season combined with declining shipments from Mexico due to Trump administration tariffs on Mexican imports.California, which supplies nearly half of U.S. vegetables and three-quarters of fruit and nut receipts, faces severe irrigation challenges after Sierra Nevada snowpack fell to just 23 percent of typical levels.The Iran war has disrupted global fertilizer markets, with North American fertilizer prices up 20 percent since fighting began, and El Niño is forecast to emerge by August with potential for unusual strength persisting into 2027, threatening additional drought in major international growing regions for rice, coffee and cocoa.The impact is already visible in household budgets, according to the report. James Giese, a 62-year-old from Madison, Wisconsin, reports cutting back on prepared foods and meat while growing potatoes in his backyard to stretch his budget. "I'm probably considered middle-income, but it's starting to pinch," he said.Consumers face additional headwinds, with household debt rising and savings rates are falling, and real average hourly earnings declined for the first time in three years through April.Food insecurity measures showed meaningful increases between October 2025 and February 2026, according to Federal Reserve data."As I've been saying: Inflation is just getting started. I think this is going to be a major theme of the next few years," commented Wall Street Journal columnist Christopher Mims. "It is not going to be pleasant, even for people with money. For people without, it's going to be (and is already) devastating."
Win It Back PAC, a conservative super PAC, released an ad torching James Talarico, saying the Texas Democratic Senate nominee “fights for 6 genders and all species.” The ad is a compiled video of Talarico’s past posts and bits from his campaign speeches with comments calling him a “Texas trailblazer” and referring to him as […]
Texas state Rep. James Talarico, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in the Lone Star State, concedes some past statements during debates over transgender policy "missed the mark."
Despite suffering from weak approval ratings in countless polls, President Donald Trump is having no problem affecting the outcome of GOP primaries: Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky), Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana) and at least five Indiana state lawmakers are among the Republican incumbents who lost recent GOP primaries to challengers backed by Trump. Journalist Colby Hall is arguing that Trump's weakness in polls and far-right Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's Tuesday victory over Cornyn are "the same story," showing that "Trump's coalition is getting smaller and louder at the same time.""The contradiction at the center of Donald Trump's politics has never been more visible than it was this week," Hall, the founder of Mediaite, writes in a column for his ColbyHall.com website. "He is one of the least popular presidents in modern polling history, and simultaneously, the most dominant force in the Republican Party. Neither fact is canceling out the other. His approval numbers are collapsing again. Depending on the poll, they are now approaching the lows he hit after January 6. He is underwater on inflation, cost of living, immigration, and now Iran. The broader electorate is plainly exhausted by him, the still very high price of a gallon of gas, and the bread and eggs he promised to make cheaper on Day 1 of his second term."Hall continues, "At the exact same moment, Trump casually ended Sen. John Cornyn's political career with a single endorsement of the far more MAGA-coded Attorney General Ken Paxton in Texas. Ironically, Trump helping Paxton win the primary delivers his MAGA faithful a short-term win while putting the seat itself in real jeopardy. Democratic nominee James Talarico is a much more plausible threat to Paxton than he would have been to Cornyn, and a Republican Senate majority that looked safe a week ago no longer does."According to Hall, the "true nature of Trump's current power" is that he "looks weak nationally" yet continues to be "all-powerful inside the Republican Party.""The two observations fit together pretty neatly," Hall argues. "Trump still owns the Republican primary electorate. The problem for Republicans is that the Republican primary electorate is no longer the country. His coalition is shrinking and becoming more emotionally concentrated at the same time. That creates the illusion of growing strength because intensity is very often mistaken for scale." Hall compares Trump's influence on the GOP's hardcore MAGA base to professional wrestling, noting that "the diehards in the front rows scream louder as the cheap seats empty out.""Trump's endorsement (of Paxton) remains incredibly powerful inside a shrinking but highly motivated audience that still sees him as the central figure in American politics," Hall explains. "Outside of it, the reaction looks very different. Republicans may still hold the seat, but they just replaced a broadly electable incumbent with a candidate carrying impeachment baggage, corruption allegations, and obvious general-election vulnerabilities. Democrats suddenly have a plausible opening in Texas that barely existed before."
President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he was in no rush to make a deal with Iran, claiming that despite the country's attempts to coerce him into securing negotiations ahead of elections "I don't care about the midterms" — something the internet disagreed with him about.Trump was speaking to his cabinet during a meeting at the White House when he made the comment. He mentioned that he thinks Tehran has tried "to put pressure on America by stretching out negotiations while Republicans are hurt politically from the negative economic impact of the war," according to The New York Times.“They thought they’re going to out wait me,” Trump said. "I don’t care about the midterms," he added.On social media, people responded and mocked his remarks."A comforting remark from Trump for all Republicans seeking re-election in the midterms... DJT has repeatedly demonstrated that he doesn't give a s--- about the overwhelming majority of individuals, both in the U.S. and around the world..." political commentator and self-described business consultant DeSota, who has more than 11,000 followers, wrote on X."He doesn’t care bc he’s not on the ballot in 2028–the golden dome coupled with the ballroom/bunker will be a nice resting place after 1/20/29," Mason, a self-described fund manager and Iraq war veteran who frequently comments on politics, posted on X."Comparing the Republican primaries to the midterms is dumb af," Alex Cole, a progressive news commentator with more than 327,000 followers wrote on X."Trump: Elon will rig them, we’ll keep doing crimes, world keeps on spinning. Have we talked about the ballroom yet?" Chris Robinson, a political commentator, wrote on X."He may not, the GOP does," Chris Panza, co-author of "Ethics for Dummies," wrote on Bluesky.Trump: "I don't care about the midterms" pic.twitter.com/5te5Q5Ced1— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 27, 2026
Trump’s war in Iran is entering its third month. Gas is $1.50 more at the pump than it was before February 28. Other prices are rising. The American economy is showing signs of the dreaded stagflation (the combination of inflation and stagnation that’s difficult to overcome). There’s a loud outcry over revelations about Trump’s self-dealing, including his $1.8 billion slush fund and permanent immunity from any IRS audits of him and his family.Given all this, some political observers I rely on tell me Trump has finally overplayed his hand. He’s a lame duck who’s now facing the beginning of the end. His power is disappearing. Not all political observers I’ve been consulting agree. Hence, this week’s Office Hours question: In your view, has Trump finally overplayed his hand, and, if so, what are the likely consequences for him, America, and the world? I’ve grouped the responses I’ve received from seasoned political observers into several categories, which I’ve summarized below. I’d appreciate your thoughts. 1. Yes, congressional Republicans in particular have finally had it with him and are rebelling, with grave consequences for him and his agenda. Last week, Senate Republicans gave a closed-door standing ovation to Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, whom Trump vanquished in a primary. Trump’s beef with Cassidy was that Cassidy had voted to convict Trump in Trump’s impeachment trial for his role in the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.Although most Senate Republicans had been unwilling to follow Cassidy then, last week they rebelled at the idea of giving funds to rioters who attacked the Capitol. “So the nation’s top law enforcement official is asking for a slush fund to pay people who assault cops?” Senator Mitch McConnell, the former Senate Majority Leader, said. “Utterly stupid, morally wrong — take your pick.”They’re also furious at Trump’s decision to back Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in Texas’s high-stakes Senate race over their colleague incumbent senior Sen. John Cornyn — who has always voted exactly as Trump has wanted. They worry that Paxton will lose to Democrat James Talarico because of Paxton’s history of legal and ethical controversies: abuse-of-office allegations from his top staff, a securities fraud indictment, impeachment by the Republican Texas House, and an ongoing divorce initiated by his wife, who alleges adultery. Republicans say Trump’s endorsement of Paxton has alienated lawmakers on Capitol Hill and turned off major GOP donors who’ll be critical in the midterms.This rebellion of Republican senators also jeopardizes the rest of Trump’s legislative agenda, including his second “reconciliation” bill and his $1 billion ballroom. It could even tempt some Senate Republicans to join Democrats in convicting him of impeachable offenses, should Dems retake Congress in 2027.The situation isn’t much better for Trump among House Republicans. Last Thursday, House Speaker Mike Johnson sent representatives home a day early to keep members from passing a war powers resolution that would order Trump to remove U.S. troops from his war on Iran. And Republican Representative Thomas Massie (who last week lost his primary after Trump backed his opponent) said that he’d name more names from the Epstein files. 2. Yes, Republican voters are finally seeing the light, and many are deciding to vote for a Democratic candidate in the midterms or not vote at all. Most other voters have by now firmly rejected him. Other close political observers tell me the biggest change over the last month has occurred among voters — including many Republicans — who have now had it with Trump. The likely consequence is a Democratic takeover of the House and possibly the Senate in the midterm elections. Because of inflation and the war in Iran, Trump’s approval among Republicans has fallen to its lowest level of his second term. He promised to bring down prices and avoid foreign entanglements, and he’s done the opposite. This low rating within his own party is remarkable because Republican backing of Trump has been more stable than that of independents or Democrats. “Despite consistently strong GOP support, the president’s numbers are leaking,” says Republican pollster Daron Shaw. “Independents jumped ship in 2025, and now non-MAGA Republicans and other core constituencies are wavering.” A majority of Republicans (51 percent) now disapprove of Trump’s performance on inflation, compared with even higher levels among independents (85 percent) and Democrats (96 percent).More broadly, Trump’s popularity has plunged with voters. A Fox News poll conducted from May 15 to May 18 shows 61 percent of Americans disapprove of Trump’s performance (including 48 percent who said they strongly disapprove), while only 39 percent approve overall. This is the highest disapproval rating ever recorded in the Fox News polls.