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Tag: midterms-2026 ✕

Sep 17, 2026

At a Gastonia Rally for Senate Nominee Michael Whatley, Trump Tells the Crowd He Won't Send Pending Hurricane Helene FEMA Money to North Carolina "If Michael Loses" — Then Says He's "Only Kidding," but Gov. Josh Stein, Sen. Andy Kim and Gov. Gavin Newsom Take Him at His Word

Campaigning for Republican Senate nominee Michael Whatley at a September 16, 2026 rally at Gastonia Municipal Airport, President Trump referenced roughly $2 billion in Hurricane Helene FEMA funding already delivered to western North Carolina and pending additional money, then told the crowd: "Now, if Michael loses, I'm not sending it, ok?" He immediately added, "No, I'm only kidding. You're gonna get it Michael." The remark, coming a week after Trump unveiled his $5,000 "dividend" pledge conditioned on Republicans keeping the House and Senate, drew swift reaction. North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein posted that it was "no way to respond to a tragic disaster, no way to run a country, no way to campaign for office," and pressed the administration to fund the state's $10 billion Helene recovery request. Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) said he doubted the "joke" framing, pointing to the administration's record of withholding disaster aid from Democratic-led states recovering from last winter's storms. California Gov. Gavin Newsom called the threat "SICK" and "UN-AMERICAN." The White House has approved a lower share of disaster requests from states with Democratic governors and senators than from Republican-led states, according to FEMA's own data.

“Trump isn't joking. He did this to New Jersey and other blue states seeking funding to recover from last winter's storms. What kind of leader does that to their own people?”
Andy Kim (D-NJ) · Sep 17, 2026

The Pentagon Owes the Senate Armed Services Committee a Defense Strategy Update and Elbridge Colby Arrives Without One — a Republican Says He Would "Just Sort of Dodge and Punt," Another Says "They Owe Us a Report, and We Did Not Get the Report," and Asked About Troops at the Polls He "Never Once Said 'Yes' or 'No'"

Under the annual National Defense Authorization Act, the Pentagon owed the Senate Armed Services Committee a classified briefing and implementation report on the Trump administration's National Defense Strategy by September 15, 2026. On Thursday, September 17, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby appeared before the committee in a closed session — and, senators of both parties said afterward, did not deliver it. Lawmakers said Colby gave unsatisfying answers on the Iran war, depleted munitions stockpiles and whether the administration has discussed deploying the National Guard to polling places during November's midterm elections. According to Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer, Colby acknowledged he "had heard about some of those discussions taking place" but said he was not leading on the issue and never answered yes or no. Republicans Cramer and Mike Rounds joined Democrats Jacky Rosen and Mark Kelly in criticizing the session. Republican Jim Banks dissented, calling it "constructive" and "substantive." Committee Chairman Roger Wicker declined to comment on the classified briefing. The session came days after the Pentagon Inspector General reported "strategic inventory shortfalls" from munitions spent in the Iran war, and amid a broader fight over the flow of information from the Pentagon to Congress.

“[It was a] constructive, substantive [briefing that] answered all my questions.”
Jim Banks (R-IN) · Sep 17, 2026

pentagon

national-defense-strategy

elbridge-colby

6 statements

Sep 17, 2026· Updated

With the House Already Adjourned for the Midterms, the Bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus Drops Four Anti-Gerrymandering Bills — Fitzpatrick Says "Gerrymandering Is a Problem That Both Parties Are Guilty Of," and Jeff Hurd Says Redrawing Districts Midway Through the Decade Is "Wrong"

On September 16, 2026, the bipartisan House Problem Solvers Caucus held a press conference unveiling four bills aimed at ending the mid-decade redistricting war that both parties escalated ahead of the 2026 midterms. The bills were formally introduced the following day. The package came out of a bipartisan task force the caucus stood up earlier in the year to study what it called "extreme partisan gerrymandering," and it arrived the same week the House cancelled its remaining votes and adjourned until after the election — meaning none of the four bills will get a floor vote this Congress. The four bills: - **H.R. 10378 — Problem Solvers TRUST Act** (Transparent Redistricting Under Stable Timelines), led by Reps. Ed Case (D-HI) and Jeff Hurd (R-CO), would limit congressional redistricting to once per decade following the census, barring most mid-decade redraws. - **H.R. 10379 — Problem Solvers MAPS Act** (Mapdrawing Accountability and Principled Standards), led by Reps. Mike Lawler (R-NY) and Salud Carbajal (D-CA), would require congressional districts to be equal in population, contiguous, reasonably compact, and respectful of communities of interest and existing political boundaries. - **H.R. 10380 — Problem Solvers Independent Commissions Act**, led by Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Debbie Dingell (D-MI), would push states toward independent redistricting commissions by withholding federal election assistance funding from those that decline. - **H.R. 10381 — Problem Solvers COURTS Act** (Nonpartisan Congressional Uniformity and Oversight of Redistricting Trials), led by Reps. Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA) and Ed Case (D-HI), would standardize how redistricting litigation is handled. Caucus co-chairs Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Tom Suozzi (D-NY) led the rollout. Notably, several of the sponsors represent states — New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, California — that have been at the center of the redraw fight.

“Congressional districts should be drawn around communities, not political interests. Politicians in states like New York and Texas should not be able to choose their elected representatives.”
Michael Lawler (R-NY) · Sep 17, 2026

Sep 17, 2026· Updated

The Republican Nominee for Texas Railroad Commissioner Posts a Photo of Asian American Students Cheering at a Longhorns Game and Writes "The Problem Is Now Obviously Far Worse Than Anyone Imagined" — John Cornyn Asks Whether Republicans Will "Look the Other Way," the Texas House Speaker Says It "Crossed the Line," and Greg Abbott Says Only "That Is Not My Message"

On Sunday, September 13, 2026, Bo French — the Republican nominee for Texas Railroad Commissioner and a former Tarrant County GOP chair — posted a photo of seemingly Asian American students celebrating in the stands at Texas's comeback win over Ohio State the night before, writing: "I heard UT graduation this year looked like this. I didn't believe it. The problem is now obviously far worse than anyone imagined." He added that the scene showed "how many Americans have been displaced by foreigners." Sen. John Cornyn called it racism and challenged other Republican officials to condemn it; French answered that Cornyn and "the other America Last losers are mad that Texas Republicans are starting to put America First." Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows, former Speaker Dade Phelan and state Reps. Jared Patterson and Drew Darby — who chairs the committee that oversees the Railroad Commission and warned that the Legislature's trust in the agency "can be revisited" — also condemned the post, while state Rep. Andy Hopper attacked Cornyn instead. Gov. Greg Abbott distanced himself without naming French. James Talarico, the Democratic Senate nominee, challenged his opponent Ken Paxton to "condemn this blatant racism," and Paxton answered that he condemns "racism in all its forms" before turning the charge on Talarico. French faces Democratic state Rep. Jon Rosenthal on November 3.

“He's an embarrassment to the Republican Party, and he's going to drag the whole ticket down because of his racist comments. … I may just leave it blank.”
John Cornyn (R-TX) · Sep 17, 2026

Sep 16, 2026· Updated

Kash Patel Tells the Senate Judiciary Committee the FBI Dropped Its Automatic Bar on Applicants With Bestiality Histories Because "We Did Not Want to Punish Victims" — John Kennedy Asks "What Planet Did You Parachute In From?," and When Cory Booker Calls Him "a Mockery," Patel Answers "You Are the Biggest Mockery in the United States Senate"

On September 15, 2026, FBI Director Kash Patel appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee for its annual oversight hearing, seven weeks before the midterm elections. Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) opened by crediting Patel with managing "many challenges, both internal and external." Ranking member Dick Durbin (D-IL) called him "the least qualified and most partisan FBI director in our nation's history," accusing him of turning the bureau toward the president's grievances, including false claims about the 2020 election, and of having "gutted" hiring standards. The hiring standards dominated much of the hearing. CBS News had reported that the FBI no longer automatically disqualifies applicants who have engaged in bestiality or sex solicitation. Patel defended the change as protecting trafficking and abuse victims: "We did not want to punish victims of bestiality, victims who were trafficked." Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) asked why Patel had not asked the official who recommended it "what planet did you parachute in from?" Senators also pressed Patel over The Atlantic's reporting on his drinking, which he denies and over which he has sued the magazine; his use of a government jet to attend the Winter Olympics in Italy; the removal of agents who worked on Iran; and the midterms. Asked by Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT) to pledge not to interfere with the November election, Patel said he would "not participate in your charade of lies." After Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) called him an "incompetent lackey," the two traded insults, with Patel telling Booker "You are the biggest mockery in the United States Senate, and you're sitting next to Schiff."

“You damn well better preserve records, because we're going to be investigating all these hundreds of wrongful terminations, and we're going to hold you accountable. … I fully expect that he will lie to the Congress and hope that he doesn't get caught – but we will be investigating. … None of it passes the smell test.”
Adam Schiff (D-CA) · Sep 16, 2026

Sep 16, 2026· Updated

Three Weeks After Letting It Take Effect, the Supreme Court Reverses Course and Blocks Trump's Mail-In Ballot Rule 7-2 — Trump Calls the Two Dissenters "Legends Both" and Says His Own Appointees Are "a Shell of Their Original Selves," While Schumer Says His "Scheme Is Dead"

The Supreme Court on September 14 blocked the Postal Service mail-ballot rule at the center of Trump's March executive order — new envelope, tracking-barcode and voter-list requirements that critics said would disenfranchise voters with too little time before the midterms to implement. The order was 7-2, with only Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissenting; none of Trump's three appointees, including Justice Brett Kavanaugh, sided with the administration. Kavanaugh's concurrence found the rule likely had statutory backing in principle but was "arbitrary and capricious" to apply this close to the election. The ruling reverses the posture of an August 24 Supreme Court stay that had let the rule move forward, and is a sharp defeat for a policy the administration had defended as an anti-fraud measure. Solicitor General D. John Sauer argued the rule's "regulation of the U.S. mail — not federal elections — is plainly constitutional," while Trump attacked his own appointees on Truth Social as "merely a shell of their original selves" and praised the two dissenters as "legends both." Democrats, who had spent weeks warning the rule would suppress mail voting, celebrated the reversal. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said the president's "scheme is dead," and Colorado Sen. John Hickenlooper called the decision a rejection of Trump's latest "attempt to infringe on Americans' right to vote."

“These are not the people I interviewed to serve on the United States Supreme Court, they are merely a shell of their original selves. The Court's inability and unwillingness to do the right thing for our Country will go down, in a very negative way, in the annals of History.”
Donald Trump (R-FL) · Sep 16, 2026

Sep 16, 2026· Updated

The Heads of Anthropic, OpenAI and xAI Agree AI Is Moving Too Fast and Ask Governments to Help Them "Pace the Frontier" — Sanders Says "You Hit the Brakes," the Speaker Says "We Cannot Put a Moratorium on This Because China Will Overlap Us," and Trump Blames "Negative Forces"

On Saturday, September 12, 2026, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei published an essay titled "We Must Pace the Frontier," arguing that AI capabilities are advancing faster than anyone's ability to understand and control them and calling for a deliberate, coordinated slowdown in frontier development, third-party evaluations, and a role for governments in brokering coordination among AI companies — including antitrust waivers so the companies can agree on a pace. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Elon Musk publicly agreed within hours. The call landed weeks after rogue AI agents broke out of test environments and hacked outside organizations, and eight weeks before the midterms. Democrats said the companies' own admission proves Congress must act: Sen. Bernie Sanders called for a pause and a ban on superintelligence, Rep. Ro Khanna said Amodei "doesn't go nearly far enough," and Govs. JB Pritzker and Josh Shapiro said the time for federal action is now. On the Sunday shows, House Speaker Mike Johnson rejected an emergency moratorium, warning that "China will overlap us," while proposing a White House meeting of AI leaders and lawmakers. National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said the bigger risk was losing the race to adversaries, and President Trump, speaking at the Irish Open, said "negative forces" were raising "things that won't happen."

“I would love to mark it up this month, if we can get bipartisan agreement. We're making progress. The negotiations are ongoing. We're not there yet, but I think we're making meaningful progress.”
Ted Cruz (R-TX) · Sep 16, 2026

artificial-intelligence

technology

anthropic

31 statements

Sep 16, 2026· Updated

Gas Has Never Cost More on Labor Day — $4.14 a Gallon, With Diesel at a Record $5.85 — and Asked on CNN Where Prices Go Next, the Energy Secretary Says "I Don't Want to Have an Opinion on That"

Americans paid more for gasoline over Labor Day weekend 2026 than on any Labor Day on record. AAA put the national average at $4.14 a gallon heading into the holiday — nearly a dollar above a year earlier and well past the previous Labor Day record of $3.82 set in 2012 — and diesel hit an all-time high of $5.85 on Friday, September 4. Before the United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, gas was $2.98. Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has collapsed since, U.S. refineries are running at 98 percent of capacity, and Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian refineries have tightened the world diesel market. Energy Secretary Chris Wright made the rounds of all four major Sunday shows on September 6 to argue that relief is coming. On CNN's "State of the Union," Dana Bash reminded him he had said five months earlier that prices had peaked and asked whether they could rise further; Wright answered, "Well, I don't want to have an opinion on that," before allowing that "if I had to guess, they're more likely to go down than go up." On ABC he said, "Yes, they're higher today, but we're doing everything we can to push them down," pointing to November futures about 35 cents below the pump price. On CBS he called prices "headed downward" a "not unreasonable expectation," and on Fox he blamed California's fuel standards and said the Navy "is winning that battle" in the strait. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told Fox on Saturday that diesel prices were about "Russia and Ukraine" and that "it's only President Trump who's trying to drive these prices down." Democrats spent the weekend pinning the record on the war. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer posted that "$5.84 a gallon for diesel is a new all-time high. Donald Trump and JD Vance own this." Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said New Yorkers "will be paying record high prices this Labor Day weekend" because of "Trump's reckless war in Iran" while "all this administration is focused on is bombs, ballrooms, and billionaires." Trump himself, in August, had asked Americans to accept paying "a tiny, little bit more" so that "a very evil country" could not get a nuclear weapon. The midterms are nine weeks away, and polling puts approval of the president's handling of inflation in the mid-20s.

“It's a very inexpensive price to pay for what we've done. Remember that. It's a little more. Frankly, even if it was a lot more. But that's going to come tumbling down.”
Donald Trump (R-FL) · Sep 16, 2026

Sep 15, 2026· Updated

A Lame-Duck Democrat Files Articles of Impeachment Naming Four People Killed by ICE and CBP — and the White House Answers That He "Should Be Thanking President Trump"

On Monday, August 24, 2026, Rep. Al Green (D-TX) filed H.Res.1486, articles of impeachment charging President Trump with high crimes and misdemeanors for the way federal immigration enforcement has been run. The resolution accuses Trump of "abusing the powers of the presidency by operating United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) as his vicious, quota-driven, unaccountable paramilitary police forces," and of "wantonly devolving the United States democratic republic into an authoritarian regime." The resolution names four people killed by the two agencies in 2026: Renee Good and Alex Pretti in January, and Lorenzo Salgado Araujo and Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero in July. Green's charge is not only the killings but the aftermath — that the agencies operated "with anonymity and secrecy," assaulted civilians, and covered up unjustified killings. Green is the member who has forced this question more than anyone else. He was the first to file articles against Trump in his first term, and he filed again in June 2025 over the strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, an effort the House torpedoed 344-79. The House has voted to table five of his impeachment resolutions; the most recent, in December 2025, was tabled 237-140 with 47 Democrats voting "present." Green lost his primary runoff in May 2026 and leaves the House in January, which is why coverage framed this as a lame-duck filing that he knows lacks the votes. The timing is what makes it more than a footnote. It lands 71 days before the midterms, while House Democrats are openly split over how hard to confront Trump — Hakeem Jeffries said at a CNBC summit in June that impeachment would not be a focus for the party even if it wins the majority, and Jamie Raskin has called impeachment "not a plausible instrument" from the minority. The White House and DHS both answered within hours, and neither engaged the underlying deaths.

“They will acknowledge that what the president is doing is impeachable, but they would have us wait. Well, the Constitution doesn't have a wait clause in it. … I believe that there are some Republicans and Democrats who are considering voting to protect the president.”
Al Green (D-TX) · Sep 15, 2026

Four Seconds of a Ground Zero Live Feed Become the Fight of the 25th Anniversary — Ted Cruz Asks "How the Hell Do You Laugh," Randy Fine Says AOC and "Jihadi Mamdani" Should Not Be "Anywhere Near That Hallowed Ground," and a Lifelong Republican Who Was Standing Next to Them Says the Camera "Just Caught Her Greeting Him Hello"

On the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, the live television feed from the Ground Zero name-reading cut from a young man sobbing to New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who appeared to smile and laugh as they spoke. The clip ran four seconds and carried no audio of what they said. Within hours Sen. Ted Cruz had reposted it, and Reps. Randy Fine, Wesley Hunt and Nancy Mace, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and New York City Councilwoman Inna Vernikov had all put out statements. Fine called the mayor "Jihadi Mamdani." Mace suggested the two should leave public service. The account did not hold up. Michael Ragusa, a lifelong Republican and a former security chief for Rudy Giuliani who was standing beside the pair, said the reports were "not true" and that the camera "just caught her greeting him hello," adding that politicians of both parties behind him had been talking and laughing. Former Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou said Mamdani stayed for every name and spoke with families for 45 minutes afterward. Mamdani's office said: "He came over and we both extended our hands and exchanged pleasantries." The same day, and largely from the same outlets, Trump drew his own criticism: at the Pentagon ceremony he attended instead of Ground Zero, the 80-year-old president repeatedly closed his eyes for long stretches as Hegseth spoke and as the names were read. The White House said anyone claiming he was asleep "is lying."

“How the hell do you laugh while the names of those murdered on 9/11 are being read aloud? Why would you do so?”
Ted Cruz (R-TX) · Sep 11, 2026

9/11

september-11-anniversary

ground-zero

10 statements

Sep 10, 2026

A Sitting Democratic Senator Turns Up on the Screen at the Republican Midterm Convention — John Fetterman Introduces Dave McCormick, Says He Will "Work With President Trump," and Rejects "the Extremes and Socialism," While Three Pennsylvania Democrats Call Him Lazy and a "Benedict Arnold"

On the first night of the Republican Party's midterm convention in Dallas — September 9, 2026 — a one-minute video played on the arena screens in which Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), filmed standing in front of a steel mill, introduced his Pennsylvania colleague Sen. Dave McCormick (R-PA) as "a great American and friend." Fetterman said he would "work with President Trump to fight and defend the steel way of life," and rebuked his own party's left flank: "I'm always going to reject the extremes and socialism and that anti-American way of life." McCormick took the stage to ask the crowd, "How great is John Fetterman?" No sitting senator of the opposing party had appeared in a party convention program in modern memory, and the video immediately fueled speculation that Fetterman might switch parties. Fetterman issued a statement the next morning insisting he would not: "I'm a lifelong Democrat who votes overwhelmingly with my party — and should the Senate flip in November, I will still be the 51st vote that I ran on." Pennsylvania Democrats did not take it well. Rep. Chris Deluzio needled him for phoning it in, state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta called him "Benedict Arnold, but lazy," and Rep. Brendan Boyle said the video proved a label he had applied a year earlier.

“I'm a lifelong Democrat who votes overwhelmingly with my party — and should the Senate flip in November, I will still be the 51st vote that I ran on.”
John Fetterman (D-PA) · Sep 10, 2026

New Hampshire Sets Up the Senate Race for Jeanne Shaheen's Open Seat — John E. Sununu Wins the Republican Primary Three to One and Says He "Can't Wait to Debate Chris Pappas," and Pappas Wins the Democratic Primary and Says Sununu "Has Thrown His Lot In With Donald Trump"

On September 8, 2026, New Hampshire voters set the November matchup for the U.S. Senate seat Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) is giving up after three terms. Former Sen. John E. Sununu, who held the seat from 2003 to 2009 and carried President Trump's endorsement, won the Republican primary over former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown by roughly 70 percent to 25 percent. Rep. Chris Pappas, the four-term Democrat from the 1st District, won the Democratic primary over Karishma Manzur, a scientist backed by the Democratic Socialists of America, by roughly 62 percent to 36 percent — a wider-than-expected margin for Manzur in a race Pappas had been expected to walk through. Both nominees used their victory speeches to define the other. Sununu told supporters "I can't wait to debate Chris Pappas — anytime, any place," called the congressman "ineffective, partisan, and out of touch with New Hampshire," and said that as senator he would "take a backseat to no one" in standing up for the state and was "not running for any other job." Pappas said "Everywhere I go, I hear the same thing: Life is too damn expensive," tied that to tariffs, expiring health-insurance subsidies and gas and grocery prices, said "Donald Trump thinks all of this is just a hoax," and cast Sununu as the president's "handpicked candidate" who "has thrown his lot in with Donald Trump" and as "a failed politician from the past." Brown conceded to Sununu by phone. Down the ballot, Gov. Kelly Ayotte was renominated with roughly 92 percent and will face Democrat Cinde Warmington, a former executive councilor who ran unopposed. In the open 1st Congressional District that Pappas is leaving, Stefany Shaheen — the retiring senator's daughter — won a nine-way Democratic primary with about 37 percent, edging Marine veteran Maura Sullivan by fewer than 2,000 votes in a race the Associated Press did not call until after midnight; she faces Republican Anthony DiLorenzo. In the 2nd District, Rep. Maggie Goodlander was renominated and faces Republican Lily Tang Williams. The general election is November 3.

“He's not an independent voice for New Hampshire. Chris Pappas has three main qualities: ineffective, partisan, and out of touch with New Hampshire.”
John E. Sununu (R-NH) · Sep 8, 2026

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