Ro Khanna plans South Carolina visit for "benefits over billionaires" tour
Why it matters: It's a subtle and strategic sortie to a key Democratic primary state, all under the cover of winning the House in 2026.
For Khanna, who co-chaired Sen. Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign, it's also an opportunity "to test out this fresh economic vision with Black voters," he told Axios.
"Black voters are the base of our party," he said.
Khanna will also use the trip to troll Republicans and talk directly to some of their voters, including those who rely on Medicaid.
Driving the news: Khanna will participate alongside Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.) in town hall meetings in the districts of Republicans Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) and William Timmons (R-S.C.).
Khanna has held previous town halls in GOP districts in California, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Zoom in: Timmons' district is more solidly Republican, but Democrats are eyeing Mace's seat.
"The Mace one is a winnable district, light red," Khanna said. "That's exactly the type of district which we could win if we put in the effort, but it's not a give-me."
Zoom out: Democratic lawmakers are starting to make trips to early primary and caucus states, raising speculation that they are testing the waters for a potential 2028 run.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) hit New Hampshire on Friday.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) visited GOP territory in South Carolina earlier this week.
Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) will visit Iowa in August, with former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel planning to hit an Iowa fish fry in September.
Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg held a town hall in Iowa that focused on veterans.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNN
20 minutes ago
- CNN
Rep. Jeffries pressed on Democrats' plan against GOP redistricting
Rep. Jeffries pressed on Democrats' plan against GOP redistricting CNN's Manu Raju speaks with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) about both Democrats and Republicans possibly redistricting key states in the middle of an election cycle. 02:38 - Source: CNN Vertical Politics of the Day 16 videos Rep. Jeffries pressed on Democrats' plan against GOP redistricting CNN's Manu Raju speaks with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) about both Democrats and Republicans possibly redistricting key states in the middle of an election cycle. 02:38 - Source: CNN Democrats walk out before vote for controversial Trump nominee Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans voted on Thursday to advance the nomination of Emil Bove, President Donald Trump's former personal attorney, to a federal judgeship, over the loud protests of Democrats. 01:42 - Source: CNN Trump's 'Manosphere' problems Influential podcasters with large audiences of millennial and Gen Z men helped propel President Donald Trump to victory in 2024. Now some of those same voices are sharing criticisms of the current administration. CNN's Steve Contorno breaks it down. 01:56 - Source: CNN Trump DOJ fires federal prosecutor in Epstein case Maurene Comey, a federal prosecutor in the case against accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, has been fired from her job in the Southern District of New York, according to people familiar with the situation. 01:56 - Source: CNN Bernie Sanders calls Trump's GOP 'cult of the individual' Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) tells CNN's Anderson Cooper that Republicans developed an almost Stalinist-type devotion to President Donald Trump. 00:45 - Source: CNN This Native American senator brings Oklahoma ranch style to Washington Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma) gives CNN's Dana Bash a tour of his Capitol office, which showcases his Cherokee heritage and rancher lifestyle. 02:35 - Source: CNN Ex-Trump business associate on Trump's friendship with Epstein CNN's Erin Burnett speaks with former Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino COO Jack O'Donnell about one of President Trump's previous interactions with Jeffrey Epstein. 02:27 - Source: CNN Fearing ICE crackdown, this family self-deports Fearing increased immigration enforcement, undocumented immigrant Julio Mendoza and his American wife, Sasha, made the difficult decision to self-deport to Mexico with their three children, all of whom are US Citizens. CNN's Priscilla Alvarez reports. 01:35 - Source: CNN How Trump's image is changing inside Russia Once hailed as a pro-Kremlin figure, President Donald Trump's image is changing inside Russia. It comes after Trump vowed further sanctions on the country if a peace agreement with Ukraine is not reached in 50 days. CNN's Chief Global Affairs Correspondent is on the ground in Moscow with the analysis. 01:41 - Source: CNN Rep. Jasmine Crockett responds to Trump saying she should take IQ test CNN's Laura Coates speaks with Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) about President Donald Trump's comments that she and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez should take an IQ test. 01:05 - Source: CNN Trump says interest in Epstein files is 'pretty boring stuff' President Donald Trump said he doesn't understand his supporters' continued interest in the Epstein files, calling it "boring," while also reiterating his call for anything 'credible' to be released. 00:56 - Source: CNN Trump's fight with MAGA base over Epstein explained President Trump is at odds with some of his own supporters over after his Attorney General Pam Bondi declined to release more documents from the Jeffrey Epstein case. CNN's Erin Burnett explains the feud inside Trump's MAGA movement. 02:20 - Source: CNN Supreme Court ruling will allow mass firings of Education Department employees The Supreme Court on Monday said President Donald Trump may proceed with his plan to carry out mass layoffs at the Department of Education in the latest win for the White House at the conservative high court. CNN's Sunlen Serfaty reports. 01:34 - Source: CNN Trump demands Russia reach peace deal within 50 days President Donald Trump made several announcements on Monday aligning him more firmly with Ukraine's defense against Russia's invasion than ever before. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh breaks down the two main developments that could drastically impact the ongoing war. 01:34 - Source: CNN MTG warns of 'big' blowback in MAGA world over handling of Epstein case CNN's Manu Raju spoke with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) who is demanding "transparency" from President Donald Trump's administration when it comes to information related to accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and warned that the issue could stoke "significant" blowback from the right wing of the party. 01:04 - Source: CNN MAGA faithful weigh in on Epstein files debate At a conservative conference in Florida, Trump supporters share their views on the Epstein files fallout with CNN's Donie O'Sullivan. 01:40 - Source: CNN
an hour ago
Kansas Republican senate president announces 2026 gubernatorial bid
TOPEKA, Kan. -- Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson entered the race for governor on Sunday as the 2026 Republican primary field gets more crowded. Republicans are keen to recapture the governor's office in GOP-leaning Kansas after Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly narrowly won a second four-year term in 2022. Kelly is term-limited and cannot run again. Masterson, a small-business owner, has been a state senator representing a district in eastern Kansas since 2009. He became Senate president in 2021. He previously served in the Kansas House of Representatives from 2005 to 2008. Other Republicans in the 2026 governor's race include Secretary of State Scott Schwab, who built his public profile pushing back against unfounded election conspiracy theories, and former Gov. Jeff Colyer. Colyer was elevated to the office for about a year in 2018 after former Gov. Sam Brownback resigned. He failed to get past the primary in that year's gubernatorial election, then entered the 2022 governor's race but dropped out early after being diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Boston Globe
Trump survived many scandals, but the Epstein story poses a new test
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up But Epstein clearly has posed a problem for the White House. At minimum, it has been a distraction at a time when Trump wants to tout his legislative victories. If it continues to grab public attention, it could pose a more significant threat at a time when Trump's standing with the public already has been on the decline, though polling shows him steady with his own party. Advertisement Trump lashed out at the Journal's story after it was published, threatening to sue both the newspaper and its owner, Rupert Murdoch, who has been an important, although inconstant, political ally. The next day, he filed a libel lawsuit in federal court in southern Florida, alleging the article defamed him. Advertisement Trump's handling of concerns related to Epstein, the wealthy child sex predator who died in jail in 2019, recently provoked a rare eruption among the president's most loyal supporters, prompting MAGA leaders to caution that some in Trump's base could become disillusioned enough to sit out the midterm elections. Many Americans believe the U.S. government has hidden information on possible associates of Epstein who may also have committed sex crimes against minors. Some have questioned the official ruling that Epstein's death was a suicide. A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted Tuesday and Wednesday found 60 percent of Americans think the 'government is hiding details about Epstein's death,' including 55 percent of Republicans. And 69 percent said the federal government is hiding details about Epstein's clients, including 62 percent of Republicans. The belief that others took part in Epstein's abuse of minors was especially prominent among some of the president's strongest supporters, who believed Trump would expose the corruption upon retaking office. The Justice Department's announcement this month that there were no more files from Epstein's case that warranted release caused intense anger among those people and among some MAGA influencers. At least among prominent MAGA figures, however, the Journal article has triggered a now-familiar reaction - causing Trump's fractured base to quickly rally around him as a victim. That has quieted much of the recent MAGA frustration. At least for now. 'This is primarily a within-MAGA problem,' Whit Ayres, a longtime Republican pollster, said of the Epstein situation. 'The vast majority of Americans don't spend every waking moment wondering what happened to Epstein.' Advertisement The other group of Americans among whom the Epstein case could pose a problem for Trump, however, are the less-partisan, more disengaged, occasional voters among whom Trump did extremely well during the 2024 campaign. Even before the Epstein case, Trump had been losing ground among such voters. A characteristic quality of such voters is disaffection from the political system and suspicion that it favors the wealthy and well connected. The Epstein case plays into those voters' existing feelings and could cause some who have supported Trump to lose faith in him. Democrats have tried to capitalize on that, seizing on the issue and calling for the Trump administration to release files about the Epstein case. At least so far, however, not many voters have been closely tuned in to news about the case, although online search traffic has increased sharply in recent days. A Quinnipiac University poll conducted over the past week found that a relatively small share of voters, 2 in 10, said they were following news about the Epstein files 'very closely.' Top right-wing commentators over the past week issued negative predictions, some dire, about Republicans losing down-ballot seats in next year's midterm elections. Some longtime MAGA supporters felt betrayed that Trump was not sufficiently going after the so-called Deep State, they warned, while other newcomers to the movement, including young men who were not previously politically active, would simply be disenchanted and not bother to show up again to the polls. By the end of the week, most of those warnings from prominent Trump supporters had quieted, replaced by solidarity behind the president. Among those recently sounding the alarm was Stephen K. Bannon, Trump's former adviser who hosts a daily talk show popular with Trump's MAGA supporters. Bannon and other prominent right-wing commentators Friday were still calling for the administration to release more files on Epstein, and to appoint a special counsel - which the White House has said Trump will not do. But they directed their chief ire at a familiar enemy: the news media. Advertisement This time, it was toward Murdoch, the owner of the Wall Street Journal and a number of other conservative-leaning news outlets, including Fox News. Bannon has long argued that Murdoch, despite his conservative credentials, was out to take down Trump politically. 'MAGA is now united, because they can see there's a common enemy. They see exactly what the reality is - it's the Deep State, with their media partners, led by Murdoch, that's out to destroy Trump,' Bannon told The Washington Post, framing the saga as a conspiracy against the president, rather than about the White House's decision-making on Epstein. 'And that's been obvious from the beginning.' Prominent conservatives were quick to mock the allegations raised against Trump, posting their own stick-figure drawings of women as a nod to the Journal's reporting that Trump's 50th birthday card to Epstein included an apparent hand-drawn outline of a naked woman. Trump allies - and even one recent high-profile enemy, Elon Musk - also quickly dismissed the alleged text included in the card, saying it did not sound like something Trump would write. Trump and his White House advisers have expressed annoyance for much of the past two weeks at the continued focus on Epstein. Fresh off a July 4 signing of Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill,' which the White House has touted as the fulfillment of some of Trump's campaign promises, the president and his team have wanted to talk about anything else. Advertisement 'I have had more success in 6 months than perhaps any President in our Country's history, and all these people want to talk about, with strong prodding by the Fake News and the success starved Dems, is the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax,' Trump wrote on Truth Social earlier in the week. By Thursday night, that aggravation had turned to anger, with Trump vowing to sue Murdoch and the Wall Street Journal over the reporting on a letter he said was 'fake.' While Trump and his administration have insisted that the general public is not concerned about Epstein or their review of documents related to him, recent polling shows that voters across the spectrum question his handling of the case. The Reuters/Ipsos poll found 54 percent of Americans disapproved of how Trump was handling the issue, while just 17 percent approved. Republicans were split on Trump's handling of the issue, with 35 percent approving, 30 percent disapproving and 35 percent unsure or not answering the question. 'President Trump is the proud leader of the MAGA movement and currently has record-high support among Republicans,' White House spokeswoman Liz Huston said in a statement, adding that Trump is 'quickly delivering' on promises, and describing America as 'the hottest country ever as a result.' White House officials in recent days have repeatedly touted a recent CNN poll that shows Trump's approval rating notching up slightly among Republicans. The same survey, however, shows just over 60 percent of all voters opposing Trump's new spending bill. 'I don't know that he's worried about the general electorate at all at this point,' Ayres said, adding that the latest news story about Trump and Epstein seems to help Trump with his base, 'because it creates a typical enemy.' Advertisement 'But it doesn't resolve the fundamental issue of the Epstein files,' Ayres continued, 'and what they will or will not release to the public.' - - - Emily Guskin and Scott Clement contributed to this report.
