Trump's Circus-Style Populism and the Spectacle of Power
The president is obsessed with the spectacle of power - and has little concern for anything else.

President Donald Trump's near-spotless endorsement record notches another win as Mike Mazzei will be GOP nominee for Oklahoma governor.
The president is obsessed with the spectacle of power - and has little concern for anything else.
Jackson Lahmeyer, founder of Pastors for Trump, and Oklahoma state Rep. Mark Tedford (R) are projected to advance to a runoff in the GOP primary for Oklahoma’s 1st Congressional District, Decision Desk HQ projected. Neither candidate was projected to clear the 50-percent threshold necessary to clinch the nomination on Tuesday. Ten GOP candidates competed for…
In an upset, Georgia Republican voters rejected President Trump's preferred nominee for the competitive open governor's race. They also picked Rep. Mike Collins to face Sen. Jon Ossoff.
Political analysts and observers were astounded on Tuesday night after one of the candidates President Donald Trump backed in the Georgia Republican Senate primary race won. Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) defeated Republican Derek Dooley, a former football coach, in the red state's primary on Tuesday night. That puts Collins in line to face off against Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) for his seat in November. The race is expected to be one of the most contentious Senate battles in the country, according to some experts. Collins has been embroiled in multiple scandals throughout his political career. Recently, he's been accused of using campaign funds to pay an intern who performed no work duties for him, and a social media account tied to Collins posted a derogatory remark about Dooley's wife, according to reports. Analysts and observers reacted to Collins's win on social media, with some noting that it might elevate Ossoff's chances in November. "The chaotic and bruising Republican primary exposed Mike Collins’ record: stripping Georgians of their health care to give tax breaks to billionaires, capitulating to Trump while Georgia families pay the price, and facing a bipartisan Congressional ethics investigation for misusing taxpayer dollars," Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) posted on X. "In November, Georgians will reject Collins’ scandals and harmful agenda and send Senator Ossoff back to the Senate.""It’s Georgia so there are no statewide Dem blowouts, but Ossoff starts off as the clear favorite against Collins," Adam Carlson, CEO of Zenith Polls, posted on X. "Jon Ossoff smiles," independent news creator Chris Cillizza posted on X. "Jon might win by 5 or 6 points at this rate. But he won’t do less than 4," political writer Zaid Jilani posted on X. "Collins is a bigot and nepo baby. And he has a mullet in the Lords Year of 2026. Zero crossover appeal with independents and moderates. It’s done."
Billionaire Rick Jackson scored an upset victory in the Georgia governor’s race against Lt. Gov. Burt Jones (R), who was endorsed by both Gov. Brian Kemp and President Trump in the highly competitive runoff race Tuesday.
Former Vice President Mike Pence joined the chorus of concern by turning against President Donald Trump's murky Iran war deal.During an appearance on CNN with Kaitlan Collins, Pence spoke about the deal, which is already being attacked by GOP senators and experts alike, and described it as "much bigger than a mistake."Pence decried that Trump gave a "lifeline" to Iran based on what he's heard about the deal so far. The details of the deal still haven't been publicly released, but Pence was concerned by what he's already heard."My concern is what appears to be leaking out," Pence explained. "These immediate concessions, particularly sanctions waivers right out of the gate. That would essentially be a lifeline to the Iranian regime."Pence described waivers for sanctions against Iran as "ill-advised," and said, "We ought to keep the pressure on, keep the blockade on and, if need be, let our armed forces get back to work."When asked whether unfreezing Iran's assets is a defensible move, Pence said that "whether it's a defensible position or not, it is the wrong position," and made it clear he doesn't agree with the decision "to throw a lifeline to the Iranian regime when they are weaker and more isolated than they have ever been in history."
Rep. Barry Moore (R-Ala.) is projected to win the Republican runoff for Senate in Alabama, notching another win for President Trump this primary cycle, according to Decision Desk HQ. Moore is Trump’s pick to replace Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), who won his own primary to lead the Cotton State as governor last month. The House…
NBC News projects Jackson has won the primary runoff and will move on to the general election in the battleground state against Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms.