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Kamala Harris' Biggest Opponent in 2028? Herself

4 hours agoCenter Right

As she lays the groundwork for a campaign, Harris again risks a trap of her own making

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Harris compares Troy Jackson’s ascension to her 2024 race in endorsement pledge

Washington Examiner

4 hours ago

Harris compares Troy Jackson’s ascension to her 2024 race in endorsement pledge

Former Vice President Kamala Harris compared Democratic Senate nominee Troy Jackson’s last-minute campaign in Maine to her own abbreviated 2024 presidential bid as she endorsed the former logger in his race to unseat Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME). Jackson officially secured the Democratic nomination Saturday, and he now has less than 100 days to mount a […]

Center Right

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Abdul el Sayed’s 2028 ambitions cloud Michigan Senate race against Haley Stevens

Washington Examiner

23 hours ago

Abdul el Sayed’s 2028 ambitions cloud Michigan Senate race against Haley Stevens

Democratic Senate candidate Abdul el Sayed is facing accusations that he is more focused on national politics than representing Michigan after leaked audio showed him describing the state’s Senate seat as a platform to build the progressive movement and influence the Democratic Party ahead of the 2028 presidential election. El Sayed is competing against Rep. […]

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Democrats’ 2028 primary calendar ‘reflects diversity of the party,’ says former DNC chair

NBC News Politics

23 hours ago

Democrats’ 2028 primary calendar ‘reflects diversity of the party,’ says former DNC chair

With 99 days until the midterms, President Trump is in battleground Michigan to tout his economy agenda with affordability top of mind for voters. NBC News correspondents Garrett Haake and Ben Kamisar report on some of the internal turmoil facing the Republican and Democratic parties. Former DNC Chair Jaime Harrison analyzes the political landscape for Democrats heading into November.

Center Left

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One of Trump’s biggest reelection promises is still a complete failure

Alternet.org

Yesterday

One of Trump’s biggest reelection promises is still a complete failure

President Donald Trump made numerous promises to voters on the 2024 campaign trail, and according to a new report from The Hill, one of his biggest is still a complete flop, over a year and a half into his second term.As the Monday morning report noted, Trump repeatedly pledged to bring down costs during his reelection bid, at a time when the rising cost of living was, as it still is, the top issue on voters' minds. At one point, he claimed that he would be able to make significant cuts to the cost of energy prices, adding that he could accomplish the goal in 18 months at the most."Under my leadership, the United States will commit to the ambitious goal of slashing energy and electricity prices by half, at least,” Trump said at a campaign rally. “We intend to slash prices by half within 12 months, at a maximum, 18 months."Now, a few days past the 18-month mark of his second term, The Hill's report explained that he has not just failed to lower energy prices, but they are now getting worse under his watch."However, average household electricity prices for the first five months of 2026 were about 12 percent higher than the same period in 2024, significantly outpacing inflation," the report detailed. "While gasoline fluctuated during the Biden administration, prices are now about 60 cents higher than they were at this time in 2024, averaging $4.11 per gallon on Friday, according to AAA."Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors Association, spoke to The Hill about these trends and explained that energy costs are having a notable impact on the overall cost of living for Americans. Giving one example, he noted that oil remaining at around $100 per barrel for a year could cost the average family an extra $800 annually. Energy prices are also unique in their ability to raise prices across a number of other critical industries."They have higher costs of gasoline to run their car," Wolfe said. "Food costs will increase on the margin because trucks need to deliver groceries. If you use heating oil to heat your home, the cost will be higher ... On heating oil and gasoline, it’s a direct result of the war. It’s pushing up prices and creating this instability in the market."Rising electricity costs, the outlet noted, are a more "complicated" situation, with Thomas Rowlands-Rees, head of Global Power Markets Analysis at BloombergNEF, saying that “we’re getting to a point where the bill is coming” for power grid upgrades, which cannot be pinned on any presidential administration in particular. Wolfe, meanwhile, was critical of Trump for creating major roadblocks for renewable energy, which could help stabilize electricity prices at a historically volatile time."It’s a problem for any incumbent,” GOP strategist Keith Naughton told The Hill, offering a forecast for the party's fate in the midterms. “Anything that’s raising prices is going to be a challenge for whoever’s in office."

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Dems' 2028 primary schedule angers some progressives

Axios

Yesterday

Dems' 2028 primary schedule angers some progressives

Some progressive Democrats are fuming that the party's new schedule for 2028 presidential primaries could make it harder for one of their own to win the party's nomination.A powerful Democratic National Committee panel voted Friday to kick off the primary in South Carolina — the state where progressive icon Bernie Sanders suffered landslide losses in the 2016 and 2020 primaries.Why it matters: The panel's decision came with Democrats already divided over a wave of contentious 2026 primaries that have pitted an insurgent left against the party's more moderate establishment.Zoom in: From Wisconsin to Michigan to Maine, top Democrats are trying to halt the left wing's momentum in the run-up to this year's midterms, favoring relatively centrist candidates they see as more electable.Some progressives view the elevation of South Carolina on the party's 2028 primary calendar as part of that effort.South Carolina edged out Nevada for the first spot on the primary schedule, stinging progressives because Sanders won the primary in the Silver State in 2020.Puck reported that some DNC members were concerned that making Nevada the first state to vote would boost another socialist candidate.But even some DNC members were angry with the decision to put South Carolina first.A member of the DNC's Rules & Bylaws panel, which preliminarily OK'd the calendar, told Axios that "the public is swinging left, and the establishment is trying to fight the winds of change."The panel member added that putting South Carolina first could "shut down" a progressive presidential candidate, which is "not a strategy for winning the electorate."Branko Marcetic, a writer for the socialist magazine Jacobin, posted on social media that "the whole rationale is stopping a left-wing insurgent." Leftist streamer Hasan Piker snarkily suggested that South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn had too much power over the presidential nominating contest.The other side: South Carolina Democratic Party chair Christale Spain told Axios that a progressive candidate such as New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez "absolutely" could win the state's primary."I hate that the narrative kind of seems like 'Well, a progressive can't win in the South,'" said Spain, who worked for Sanders' 2016 campaign. "The work that you have to do in the South is retail politics."Between the lines: The debate between progressives and traditional Democrats over South Carolina has at times been racially fraught partly because Sanders, who's white, twice fared poorly in a state where a sizable chunk of Democratic voters are Black.At the same time, Black Democrats viewed South Carolina's victory in the debate over the primary schedule as overdue recognition of their importance to the party.The DNC panel's decision on the primary schedule still must be ratified by the full DNC.Whether progressives can break through with Black voters on a national scale is perhaps the most important question facing them ahead of the 2028 presidential primary.The left has had more recent success with Latino voters and Black voters under 50, especially in the Northeast, but it's not clear that would be enough to carry a presidential primary in which older Black voters across the South are a key constituency.Sanders performed well with Latinos and young Black voters, and it wasn't enough.The intrigue: Some progressives believe the new calendar could work to their advantage — but not necessarily because they think they could win in South Carolina.The state previously played a decisive role as the final contest before the traditional string of primaries on Super Tuesday. Now, they argue, South Carolina may serve more as a culling mechanism than a kingmaker.A former Sanders senior campaign aide said the senator "might have been unstoppable" in 2020 if the Democrats' new calendar had been in place then.

Center Left

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2028 Democratic power rankings, right now

Axios

Yesterday

2028 Democratic power rankings, right now

What Axios' Alex Thompson is hearing from Democratic insiders about the party's most likely 2028 Democratic nominees, as told to Jim VandeHei for his weekly Axios C-Suite newsletter:1. Kamala Harris. She is far ahead of every other contender with Black voters, still the most important voting bloc in a Democratic primary. Her allies argue that no one else is as prepared for a national campaign. She was a better candidate in 2024 than in 2020 and is working hard to be a better, more authentic, less cautious candidate in 2028. Harris is likely a beneficiary of Democrats' preliminary choice yesterday of South Carolina, instead of Nevada, for the first Democratic presidential primary of 2028.2. AOC. No one else can plausibly claim to be Bernie Sanders' rightful heir, and she channels where the energy of the party is right now. If Bernie endorses her on Day 1, she will raise $100 million without talking to a single donor. The question isn't whether she'd be a top contender, but rather whether she decides to run for Senate instead.3. Gavin Newsom. He's the best political athlete in the field who can stand apart in the debates. He can convincingly argue that he's done more than any other Democrat to push back against President Trump at a time when Democrats feel powerless. With his longtime connections in Silicon Valley and non-doomer views, he'll also have access to deep pockets — but that California baggage is heavy.4. TBD center-left candidate. Big business, the party establishment and some voters are desperate for a more moderate choice. They'll have many options, including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, Rahm Emanuel, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear. At a time of populist anger, it's unclear how big this lane is — and if it's big enough for more than one candidate. Right now, it feels like an establishment fantasy.📈 If you're a CEO or on a CEO's team: Ask to join Jim's new weekly Axios C-Suite newsletter.

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Trump hits Gavin Newsom, Kamala Harris with brutal one-two punch at White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner

New York Post

3 days ago

Trump hits Gavin Newsom, Kamala Harris with brutal one-two punch at White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner

"If Kamala is smarter than someone, you don't want that person to be President of the United States of America."

Right

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Donald Trump dons 'Trump 2028' hat and jokes about 'fourth term' – video

US news | The Guardian

3 days ago

Donald Trump dons 'Trump 2028' hat and jokes about 'fourth term' – video

Donald Trump jokingly announced he was running for a fourth term, pulling out a red hat emblazoned with the words 'TRUMP 2028' during the White House correspondents’ dinner on Friday. He framed his remarks as a tongue-in-cheek appeal to journalists, calling the statement 'somewhat of a scoop'. Trump returned to the annual event celebrating press freedom after a shooting disrupted the original gathering in AprilTrump’s rambling gala address included insults, potshots and quip about a third presidential term Continue reading...

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Kamala Harris' Biggest Opponent in 2028? Herself

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Kamala Harris' Biggest Opponent in 2028? Herself

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