US Rep. Barry Moore, an Alabama Republican, launches bid for the Senate
Moore is in his third term in Congress and is a member of the conservative Freedom Caucus. In a campaign video announcing his candidacy, he emphasized his history as an early supporter of President Donald Trump.
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Newsweek
5 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Colin Allred's Chances of Beating Cornyn and Paxton in Texas—New Poll
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Former Democratic Representative Colin Allred trails bothSenator John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who are locked in a tight race for the Republican nomination for Texas' U.S. Senate seat in next year's midterm election, according to a new poll. "This remains a seat that Democrats could win," Matthew Wilson, associate professor of political science at Southern Methodist University, told Newsweek in an email Friday. However, he noted, "this new polling data showing Cornyn and Paxton tied, both candidates leading Allred, and the redistricting fight a draw in the court of public opinion is music to Republican ears." Why It Matters Texas, which is embroiled in a redistricting battle in the state legislature, is among the states Democrats hope to make competitive in the 2026 midterms. President Donald Trump carried the Lone Star State by double digits last November, and the GOP controls the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives, with Democrats hoping to make some inroads. The outcome of the GOP primary between Cornyn and Paxton could have key implications for how competitive the race is. Cornyn leads Allred by a more comfortable margin in polling than Paxton. However, Paxton is favored by many of the state's more conservative voters and has built an early primary polling lead. What To Know A new Emerson College Polling survey finds Allred is the favored Democratic nominee, with 57.7 percent saying they would vote for him if the primary were held today and 34.4 percent undecided. However, in hypothetical matchups, Allred trails both Republican contenders. Allred, a former NFL player, lost his 2024 Senate bid to incumbent Ted Cruz. Allred repeatedly broke fundraising records throughout the campaign. In the new poll, Allred draws 38.1 percent to Cornyn's 45.2 percent, with 16.7 percent undecided. Face-to-face with Paxton, Allred garners 40.6 percent to Paxton's 45.9 percent, with 13.6 percent undecided. Cornyn was first elected to the Senate in 2002, and served as Republican Whip from 2013 to 2019. Paxton has served as the attorney general of Texas since 2015 and previously served in the Texas Senate and House. Paxton has been a vocal supporter of Texas' proposed redistricting maps and has called for the arrest of former Democratic Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke over his support for Democrats blocking the GOP plan. Many respondents said they were following the state's redistricting efforts, with 35 percent "very closely" and 43 percent "somewhat closely." Support and opposition to the proposed map for the 2026 midterm elections, were nearly split ahead at 36 percent and 38 percent, respectively. Texas Democratic Senate candidate Representative Colin Allred speaks during a watch party on election night on November 5, 2024, in Dallas. Texas Democratic Senate candidate Representative Colin Allred speaks during a watch party on election night on November 5, 2024, in Dallas. AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez The poll of 1,000 registered Texas voters was conducted August 11-12 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. It included 432 Republicans, 295 Democrats and 273 independents, however, 491 said they would vote in the Republican primary and 370 in the Democratic. A previous poll from YouGov and Texas Southern University, which surveyed 1,200 registered voters from May 9 to 19, showed Cornyn led Allred by 4 percentage points, 48 to 44 percent, while Paxton led by only two points, 48 to 46 percent. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points. For decades, Democrats have had an uphill battle in the Lone Star State, which has not voted Democratic on the presidential level since 1976. Stateside, voters have not sworn in a Democratic senator since 1988, nor a Democratic governor since 1990. What People Are Saying Matthew Wilson, associate professor of political science at Southern Methodist University, told Newsweek in an email Friday: "This poll is the best news that Republicans have had on this race in a while—mostly because it shows Cornyn having closed the gap with Paxton among the primary electorate. Cornyn is widely perceived to be the stronger general election candidate, as he has less baggage and more appeal to independent voters... The redistricting fight appears unlikely to have much impact in the Senate race. This poll shows it to be largely a wash in terms of public opinion, and voters have short memories—the election is, after all, over a year away." Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, said in the poll release: "Seven months ahead of the Republican Primary, the contest between the four-term incumbent and the Attorney General is a toss-up, with 37% of voters still undecided. Among these undecided voters, President Trump's job approval stands at 73%, suggesting his endorsement could be pivotal in such a close race." Senator John Cornyn's campaign senior adviser, Matt Mackowiak, previously told Newsweek: "It would be political malpractice for the GOP to have to invest $200+ million to hold a safe Senate seat if Crooked Ken Paxton is the nominee. John Cornyn hasn't been on the ballot in five years. Educating voters about his actual record is job #1 — especially his 99.2% record voting with Trump while President. All public polling shows Cornyn's image with Republican voters is solid and it will continue to grow as voters learn about his actual record. We have a plan to win this race and we are executing it." Former Representative Colin Allred wrote in a Thursday X post: "Today is the 90th anniversary of Social Security. Four million Texans rely on Social Security to get by - John Cornyn and Ken Paxton are gearing up to destroy it. I'm looking at how to make it stronger, because my mom needed it, my family needed it, and I know Texans need it." Texas AG Ken Paxton wrote in an April X post announcing his run: "For years, John Cornyn has betrayed President Trump and the America First movement. Texas deserves better, and that's why I'm running for U.S. Senate." What Happens Next? The primary will be held on March 3, 2026.
The Intercept
7 minutes ago
- The Intercept
Can Congress Stop Trump From Starting a War in Mexico?
More than 30 humanitarian, public interest, immigrant rights, faith-based, veterans' advocacy, and drug policy reform groups are calling on Congress to oppose the use of military force against drug cartels in Latin America by the Trump administration. Melding two failed American wars — the war on drugs and the war on terror — would 'put people at risk of violence and destabilize hemispheric relations while hindering, not helping, efforts to protect communities from drug trafficking and other crime,' according to the organizations, which include the Alianza Americas, Center for Civilians in Conflict, Drug Policy Alliance, Public Citizen, and Win Without War. President Donald Trump has secretly signed a directive to the Pentagon to begin using military force against select Latin American drug cartels that his administration has deemed terrorist organizations, according to an Intercept interview with a U.S. official who was not authorized to speak to the media. The authorization was first reported by the New York Times. The decision to involve the American military in what has previously been considered a law enforcement effort comes as Trump has increasingly turned to U.S. troops for law enforcement purposes on American soil and taken over the D.C. police. These efforts are seen as dangerous escalations of the use of military force and violations of long-held norms. The letter, sent to top congressional leaders on Friday, urges lawmakers 'to use the full slate of its powers to prevent the administration from launching a new war in Latin America without democratic debate or public accountability' by 'organiz[ing] hearings to assess the scope of the administration's envisioned use-of-force policy and its likely diplomatic, economic, and human impacts' and 'withhold[ing] funding for unauthorized, undebated, and unaccountable military action.' In January, the State Department declared eight Mexican drug cartels — the Sinaloa cartel, CJNG, the Northeast cartel, the Michoacán family, the United Cartels, and the Gulf Cartel — to be foreign terrorist organizations. The Salvadoran MS-13 and the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang were also named. That designation activates U.S. sanctions, including restrictions on financial transactions and bans on U.S. citizens from providing support to the groups. That same month, Trump mused that he might send U.S. commandos into Mexico to battle cartels. 'Could happen,' he said. 'Stranger things have happened.' Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also threatened military action on Mexican soil. And a Justice Department guidance document urged employees to work toward the 'total elimination of cartels.' The coalition of groups pointed to the potential blowback of expanding the forever wars to Mexico and beyond. 'Unilateral and hastily conceived military action could contribute to the considerable human rights abuses, criminal violence, and forced displacement already harming communities in Latin America,' reads the letter. 'Militarized approaches to countering narcotics trafficking have often backfired. They have inadvertently incentivized criminal groups to traffic smaller and more potent drugs to evade interdiction, acquire deadlier weapons, and expand their networks of corruption to protect their profits.' Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum last week rejected the use of U.S. troops in her country. But earlier this week, Mexico extradited 26 alleged cartel members to the United States. Attorney General Pam Bondi hailed the cooperation. 'These 26 men have all played a role in bringing violence and drugs to American shores — under this Department of Justice, they will face severe consequences for their crimes against this country,' she said. 'We are grateful to Mexico's National Security team for their collaboration in this matter.' The U.S. war on drugs, first declared by Richard Nixon in 1971, has been an abject failure. It's estimated that the United States has spent more than $1 trillion battling the drug trade and drug use with dismal results. Nearly 1 million arrests are made for drug law violations in the U.S. each year, according to FBI statistics, making it the leading cause of arrest in the United States. One in 3 people in the U.S. has lost someone they know to a drug overdose. In 2024, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called the worldwide war on drugs a 'clear failure' and called out 'militarized law enforcement responses' around the world. 'Overseas military strikes certainly won't solve drug overdose deaths in the U.S., which are far better addressed through public health measures,' said Stephanie Brewer, the director for Mexico at the Washington Office on Latin America or WOLA, another signatory of the letter. 'What military action abroad would do is open the door to increased violence, forced migration, and incalculable damage to U.S. relations with neighboring countries.' Trump has already sent thousands of National Guard and active-duty troops to the southern border to ostensibly halt the flow of drugs as well as immigrants. More than 10,000 troops are deploying or have deployed there, according to Northern Command. Under the direction of NORTHCOM, military personnel have deployed under the moniker Joint Task Force-Southern Border since March, bolstering approximately 2,500 service members who were already supporting U.S. Customs and Border Protection's border security mission. One-third of the U.S. border is now completely militarized due to the creation of four new national defense areas, or NDAs: sprawling extensions of U.S. military bases patrolled by troops who can detain immigrants until they can be handed over to Border Patrol agents. 'Launching military action in Latin America without congressional authorization would be illegal, reckless, and a betrayal of our democratic process — and Congress must intervene to stop it,' Sara Haghdoosti, the executive director of Win Without War, told The Intercept. 'We've seen this 'war on drugs' playbook before in the region, and it has failed time and again — fueling violence, displacing communities, and doing nothing to address the root causes of drug trafficking.' Haghdoosti added, 'What makes this even more egregious is that the Trump administration is pushing for war while slashing the very public health programs that save lives. People need healthcare, treatment, and support — not military posturing and strikes.'
The Hill
7 minutes ago
- The Hill
Patel: 18 more overnight arrests in DC; 120+ since Trump announcement
FBI Director Kash Patel said early Friday that agents and the agency's partner made 18 more arrests in Washington, D.C. overnight, bringing the total to 120 since President Trump announced federal officials were taking over the district's police force. '18 more arrests with federal partners last night in Washington DC. – 8 firearms recovered from criminals -Multiple seizures of illegal drugs -One arrest on warrant for murder -One arrests on warrant for rape. We're now over 120 arrests since President Trump's initiative began. The good cops are getting the job done,' Patel posted on X. The statistics come after Attorney General Pam Bondi late Thursday named a new D.C. 'emergency police commissioner,' Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Administrator Terry Cole. Local officials, such as D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb (D), have pushed back, saying the Home Rule Act, under which Trump put the city's police under federal control, does not allow the federal government to alter its chain of command. Under the Home Rule Act, Trump can only take federal control for 30 days, but he is now asking Congress to vote on extending that deadline. 'And again, we think the Democrats will not do anything to stop crime, but we think the Republicans will do it almost unanimously,' Trump told reporters at the Kennedy Center on Thursday. 'So we're going to need a crime bill. That we're going to be putting in, and it's going to pertain initially to D.C. We're going to use it as a very positive example.' Democrats, however, stress that D.C.'s crime statistics do not illustrate excessive violence in the district cited by Trump. Violent crime is down 26 percent when compared to 2024. Last year saw a 32 percent drop in homicides and a 35 percent drop in overall violent crime compared to 2023. The White House earlier this week said 1,600 personnel were involved in law enforcement operations, making 45 arrests on Wednesday. The Pentagon said 800 Army and Air National Guard troops would be mobilized and on the ground by Thursday. The National Guard cannot make arrests but will collaborate with local law enforcement. Moreover, the Metropolitan Police Department (MDP) will assist ICE in conducting mass deportations around the district.
