Divided Democrats face a moment of truth in Michigan Senate primary

Democratic socialists look like they're about to rack up a stunning new victory: Their candidate in Michigan's Senate Democratic primary has the momentum heading into Tuesday's primary.Why it matters: A win by Abdul El-Sayed in the swing state would turbocharge the party's left flank and validate establishment fears about the party's direction. The big picture: Establishment Democrats have watched in horror as democratic socialist candidates pull off one win after another in House primaries this year. The Michigan primary brings the ideological clash to its biggest stage yet. El-Sayed, who's backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, is taking on an establishment favorite in a race that's become a proxy fight between the party's far-left and center-left wings.Democratic leaders have gone all-in for Michigan Rep. Haley Stevens because they think she can win moderate voters — and El-Sayed can't.But El-Sayed has vaulted to a hefty lead in the final stretch of the campaign. One survey this week had him up 15 points. Other polls have shown him with smaller but still substantial leads.The political stakes don't get much higher. If Democrats lose Michigan on Nov. 3, they almost certainly aren't winning the Senate.State of play: Together with Zohran Mamdani's victory in the New York City mayor's race, democratic socialists have proven they're not on the periphery of the party anymore — the center of gravity has shifted unmistakably in their direction.A CNN poll out Thursday showed about a third of Democratic voters identify as democratic socialists — and they're the most motivated to turn out.But winning House primaries is one thing. Winning a statewide Senate primary in one of the nation's premier battlegrounds is another.Driving the news: El-Sayed has gained ground as the campaign progressed.Stevens had a sizable lead early on, with El-Sayed in second and state senator Mallory McMorrow trailing. But El-Sayed moved up over the past two months, and in the weeks since McMorrow dropped out in early July, established himself as the frontrunner in polls.Stevens is the consensus choice of the Democratic establishment. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer lined up behind her early. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer came aboard late, with an endorsement last week.The primary is also a monumental moment for AIPAC. The pro-Israel organization and affiliated groups have poured roughly $30 million into boosting Stevens — the most it's ever spent in a single race, per the AP.Israel is a central dividing line in the race: Stevens has described herself as a "proud pro-Israel Democrat." El-Sayed has accused the country of committing genocide in Gaza.The intrigue: The bigger question for Democrats is whether the party is undergoing the kind of makeover Republicans experienced a decade ago with Donald Trump — or if the democratic socialist surge is confined to the bluest enclaves.No primary this year will offer a clearer answer than Michigan's.Democratic socialists argue they're filling a vacuum. Even as establishment Democrats say El-Sayed can't win, they've struggled to articulate their own vision beyond "Trump is bad" and "stuff is too expensive."The other side: Republicans dejected by President Trump's record low approval rating and unpopular war are suddenly reveling in the opposition's leftward lunge.Trump has adopted a campaign strategy that boils down to: "You may not like me, but do you really want those crazy communists instead?"El-Sayed doesn't identify as a democratic socialist, but DSA organizers are going all out to help him. Sanders (I-Vt.) and Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) have both campaigned for him.Trump undoubtedly would cast the epidemiologist and former Rhodes scholar as another Democratic "communist."What we're watching: An El-Sayed win would only be step one for the democratic socialist cause. To truly show the far-left wing can compete in the most competitive terrain, he'd need to win in November against Rep. Mike Rogers, the presumptive Republican nominee.

Steve Bannon predicts Todd Blanche fight could be final straw for Trump’s relationship with Thune

EXCLUSIVE — Steve Bannon is predicting that President Donald Trump’s increasingly strained relationship with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) is headed toward an irreparable break, arguing that a showdown over acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s nomination may be the final straw. Bannon, Trump’s former chief strategist and a close outside ally, told the Washington […]

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Democrats Couldn't Be Prouder of Kaitlan Collins

Donald Trump cracked jokes at the White House Correspondents' Dinner this weekend. Yes, they actually rescheduled it after the failed shooting in April. That's how much journalists enjoy giving themselves awards. Trump made them listen to his jokes, which they hated, especially the one about Kaitlan Collins looking like a transgender celeb. The post Democrats Couldn't Be Prouder of Kaitlan Collins appeared first on .

'Guaranteed death': Another GOP senator comes out swinging against Trump's demands

Another GOP senator has said he won't give in to a looming demand by President Donald Trump in a defiant op-ed.In a Thursday piece for The Wall Street Journal, Sen. John Curtis (R-UT) made it clear, "I won't change the filibuster," a position that he made the headline of his op-ed."Under no circumstance will I support any effort to end or alter the filibuster, as any party that does so wouldn't be guaranteed survival," Curtis wrote. "Their agenda would be guaranteed death come the next majority." The op-ed lands Curtis in a growing camp of Republicans publicly resisting Trump's push to terminate the filibuster if that's what it takes to force through his stalled SAVE America Act, a controversial voting bill.Curtis defended the filibuster, writing that it "protects independence" and "gives individual senators the ability to stop or slow a bill—a significant amount of influence for one person."He added that the filibuster protects the minority, which "isn't just a party. It can be any senator, on any issue, at any time, whose view doesn't align with the majority." He noted this kind of resistance "happens more often than people might think" and that the filibuster makes it so a senator who disagrees with party leadership "can't easily be overruled and pushed aside."Trump never comes up by name, but plenty of Republicans have gone after his demand. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) went after the same demand in a Wall Street Journal op-ed of her own. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has also said he won't gut the filibuster to secure 60 votes for Trump's SAVE America Act.

Ninth Circuit deepens split among appeals courts over Trump’s mandatory detention policy

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit handed the Trump administration a loss Thursday on its policy of mandatory detention for illegal immigrants, adding to the deep divide among federal appeals courts on the legality of the policy. A three-judge panel on the 9th Circuit ruled 2-1 to reject the Trump administration’s assertion […]

Pete Hegseth's controversies open doors for Dem attacks

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's record of blunders and controversial statements is becoming a central point of attack.According to Politico, Democratic candidates in the upcoming midterm elections are targeting Hegseth. Democratic strategists view him as a target-rich subject for undermining GOP opponents, with his television celebrity status and extensive controversy providing ammunition in key districts. Democratic strategist Matt Corridoni noted Hegseth has "pushed it into hyper politics," making him increasingly useful as a political foil. "The more Hegseth puts himself out there, the more he does the work for us," he told Politico. Campaign planners expect Democratic candidates to intensify criticism as the five-month-long war against Iran continues, citing Hegseth's role as a vocal proponent. Iraq war veteran Cait Conley, running for New York's 17th District, described Hegseth as unqualified and incompetent. Navy veteran Rebecca Bennett, running for New Jersey's 7th District, has made Hegseth's resignation a campaign centerpiece, calling him a threat to military integrity and service members.Watch the video below. Your browser does not support the video tag.