Former first lady Jill Biden defended her husband, former President Joe Biden, as a presidential candidate on Tuesday, saying she believes he would have defeated President Donald Trump if he were the final nominee in 2024. “I believe he would have beat Donald Trump in that election,” Jill Biden said in a Tuesday morning interview […]
People may debate whether Graham Platner or Ken Paxton is more unfit to serve in the United States Senate. But the answers will mostly depend on one’s partisan preferences. For a few folks, their own particular detestation of certain vices might be material. You may think that Paxton is worse because many of the allegations…
Kellyanne Conway got dragged online for comparing a controversial Democratic candidate to a notorious Republican white supremacist.The former adviser to Donald Trump appeared Monday night on Fox News, where she demanded that Democrats disavow Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner, who reportedly sent sexually explicit messages to other women while married and has faced blowback for a Nazi tattoo he got while serving in the military, and she compared him to former Ku Klux Klan leader and Republican legislator David Duke."They're not uncomfortable enough," Conway told host Sean Hannity. "Remember, everybody who's a Republican anywhere had to disclaim David Duke, even if we never met him, had a meal with him, agreed with anything he said. I want every single Democrat who's running as a United States Senate candidate this year to step away from this guy, to tell him to get off the ticket.""This guy needs to go and take care of his family," she added. "They've been married for two short years and he's bored already. Please don't stop with the Nazi tattoo, please cover it all up. I'm so tired of seeing your naked body and hearing about your family drama."Trump faced criticism during his first presidential campaign for sidestepping calls to disavow an endorsement from Duke, who had served in the Louisiana state legislature and ran GOP campaigns for governor and U.S. Senate, and Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) has long been dogged by his links to an organization once led by Duke.Conway's comments kicked up fresh controversy over the disreputable fringe figure."Are they mad they had to disown David Duke now?" wondered former GOP congressman Adam Kinzinger."Fun fact: David Duke was a former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan," pointed out former GOP candidate Robert Jon Anderson."Ken Paxton? Randy Fine? Andy Ogles?" suggested Democratic strategist Leslie Marshall, referring to three politically toxic Republicans."Years later, a confession: Trump disclaimed Klansman because 'they made us,'" noted journalist John Harwood."Girl, if they had to MAKE you disclaim David Duke," marveled journalist Jay Bookman."Not even in the same galaxy," opined popular X user Mz. Cabibi. "What a weird thing to say."
Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ) has been mystifying Capitol Hill for months with his protracted absence due to an unspecified medical issue. Now he's introducing legislation — even though he hasn't actually returned to work yet.According to NOTUS, Kean "became the lead sponsor of H.R.9061" on Friday — a bill that would require clear guidance from the federal government to states on whether to cover early screenings for preeclampsia, a life-threatening pregnancy complication, in Medicaid and CHIP.This comes even though he is still out of work and nobody knows where he is.Republican lawmakers are growing increasingly concerned, as his absence has now extended past 75 days, and his office has not given any clarification on what his medical condition is or when he will be able to return to work. His aides are simply assuring the public that he will be back to work "soon."Filing legislation is not the only standard congressional activity Kean is carrying on with, despite not actually showing up to the Capitol. His office is also sending out his newsletter, with no indication that anything is amiss.Kean represents a New Jersey House district that will likely see a competitive race in November, where Democrats are strategizing how to capitalize on a wave of public anger at President Donald Trump and reclaim the House majority after having lost it in 2022.
The battle for the soul of the Democratic Party is on the ballot Tuesday, with at least a half-dozen primaries across the country testing which wing of the party has the most juice heading into the 2026 midterms.Why it matters: Progressive and moderate Democrats have been locked in a fierce debate over how to rebuild the party's brand since its candidates lost to Donald Trump for a second time in 2024.Progressives argue that Americans are hungry for a populist, tax-the-rich agenda, while moderate and establishment-aligned Dems believe the party needs to tack to the center to win back swing voters.This week's contests — and several others in the coming months — will help determine which of these paths Democratic voters want this year. They'll also help lay the groundwork for the party's strategy in the run-up to the 2028 presidential election — when Trump won't be on the ballot.These are the key races to watch Tuesday:Iowa's Senate primary: Democrats think the political environment is favorable enough that they have a chance to flip a Senate seat in this deep-red state. Josh Turek, a moderate Democratic state lawmaker and Paralympic gold medalist, is seen as the favorite in their primary against progressive Zach Wahls. A Turek victory would be a win for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who's quietly indicated he thinks Turek's the more electable candidate. Wahls has made attacking Schumer a key part of his campaign. The primary winner will likely face GOP Rep. Ashley Hinson this fall.California's open primary for governor: In this state's "jungle primary," the top two candidates, regardless of party, will advance to the Nov. 3 election. A leading Democrat is Tom Steyer, a billionaire philanthropist who's being advised by left-wing consultants who helped run New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's campaign. Another is former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, a more traditional Democrat. A Trump-endorsed Republican, Steve Hilton, is also in the mix.New Jersey's 12th Congressional District: New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders are backing progressive Adam Hamawy in the crowded Democratic primary to succeed retiring Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman in this blue seat. Hamawy, a U.S. Army veteran who's viewed as the frontrunner, also is backed by a pro-Palestinian super PAC. He's attracted negative headlines for his former ties to an infamous Islamist cleric. Other Democratic candidates in this central Jersey district include progressive activist Sue Altman, as well as state Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson and East Brunswick Mayor Brad Cohen, who are viewed as more establishment-oriented or moderate.California's 22nd Congressional District: The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has thrown its weight behind state Assembly Member Jasmeet Bains in the primary for a battleground seat in the Central Valley. Progressives have lined up behind community college professor Randy Villegas. They're both vying to take on GOP Rep. David Valadao in the fall.California's 11th Congressional District: Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi has endorsed Connie Chan, a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, to fill the seat Pelosi's vacating. Leftist Saikat Chakrabarti, a former chief of staff to AOC who notably lacks her endorsement, is proudly anti-establishment. Another contender is state Sen. Scott Wiener, who's seen as more moderate than Chakrabarti and Chan.Other races we're watching: There are several other progressive-vs.-moderate primaries in California on Tuesday, along with others testing voters' appetite for generational change, Axios' Andrew Solender reports.What's next: More ideological showdowns between Democrats are coming soon in New York, Minnesota and Michigan.
The Israeli military launched deadly new strikes in Lebanon on Tuesday after reporting attacks from Hezbollah overnight, despite President Donald Trump saying both sides had agreed to de-escalate after Iran threatened to pull out of peace talks