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Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
The political — and historical — context of Trump's D.C. crackdown: From the Politics Desk
Welcome to the online version of From the Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team's latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail. In today's edition, Jonathan Allen breaks down President Donald Trump's move to put the D.C. police under federal control. Plus, Bridget Bowman speaks with a New Yorker who voted for Trump and Zohran Mamdani. Sign up to receive this newsletter in your inbox every weekday here. — Adam Wollner The political — and historical — context of Trump's D.C. crackdown Analysis by Jonathan Allen Donald Trump isn't the first president to deploy troops and federal agents in the name of safeguarding the nation's capital, but he has been particularly selective about what represents a threat to the peace. And this time, he may capitalize on it politically. In the summer of 2020, Trump amassed a heavily armed force in Lafayette Square, steps from the White House, and unleashed it on peaceful protesters demonstrating against unprovoked police violence. Several months later, he chose not to mobilize the D.C. National Guard or the thousands of federal law enforcement agents under his command to defend the Capitol from his supporters. They assaulted police officers, broke into the Capitol, defaced property and looked for politicians to harm. In 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson sent troops to protect the Capitol during the riots following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. But Trump took no such defensive measures against the MAGA mob in 2021. Now, restored to the presidency and having granted clemency to the Jan. 6 rioters, he says he wants to save Washington from its own residents — using officers from an alphabet soup of federal agencies and the D.C. National Guard to patrol the streets. Trump also federalized the metropolitan police force, which he can do for 30 days without congressional approval. In appointing himself Washington's top cop, he promised to clean up a city that he described as having been 'overtaken' by 'bloodthirsty criminals.' Attorney General Pam Bondi went a step further, vowing that 'crime in D.C. is ending today.' That obviously won't happen. But two things can be true at once: D.C. residents are the victims of too many violent crimes, and the rate of those violent crimes has dropped noticeably. That should make it easier for Trump to keep this promise — he can just take credit for what was already in motion — than the ones that have fallen short: ending inflation and the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, among others. For longtime Washingtonians, the idea that the city has become some sort of dystopian criminal nightmare ignores history. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the city was overrun by drug lords — the mayor at the time was arrested after he was caught smoking crack cocaine — and it was known as the murder capital of the world. At the peak in 1991, there were more than 500 homicides in the district, and open-air drug markets thrived. Perhaps the most important statistic in assessing how residents feel about the city is the steady increase in population over the last 25 years. During that time, the city's gross domestic product has nearly quadrupled, and neighborhoods that had been left for dead have been revitalized all over Washington. Those basic trend lines figure to continue, with or without Trump's deployment of force. In the meantime, he has portrayed himself again as a proponent of 'law and order' — so long as it serves his political ends — which could allow him to position himself to take credit for a relatively safe and prosperous city, and leave Democrats to fight over how much crime-fighting is too much. Meet the voter who backed Trump and Zohran Mamdani By Bridget Bowman To better understand how two candidates as ideologically opposed as President Donald Trump and New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani could rise to prominence, just ask Ray. He voted for both of them. 'They are not afraid of shying away from who they are as a person,' said the 34-year-old New Yorker who works in finance. (Ray declined to share his last name out of concern that he could face backlash for his political views.) I first spoke with Ray in January when we reached out to some of the swing voters who propelled Trump to victory last year. I called him back recently to ask how he thought the Trump administration was doing so far. Ray is not happy, but he acknowledged that he was expecting Trump to shake things up. That's when he mentioned that he had also voted for Mamdani in this year's Democratic primary for New York City mayor. 'Like Trump, I don't agree with all his views,' Ray said of Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist. 'But he makes the effort to go out and talk to people and reach out to people and try to actually do things that are better for the working class.' The son of Asian immigrants, Ray has not always been tuned into politics. He registered as a Democrat to have a say in the deep blue city's politics and because the party supported policies he benefitted from as a kid, like public education, school lunches and afterschool programs. Ray voted for Joe Biden in 2020, looking for a return to normalcy amid the Covid pandemic. After Biden's election, Ray's politics started to shift as he helped his mom, a landlord, navigate pandemic-era policies on evictions and rent freezes, including pursuing a restraining order against a tenant who pulled a knife on her when she tried to collect rent. Ray also recalled a pivotal moment during a trip to Washington, D.C., when protesters hurled a racial slur at him and his now-wife. 'When I was voting for Biden, it was the expectation that things will go back to normal,' Ray said, later adding, 'The problem is we never really got the normalcy.' So he cast his ballot for Trump in 2024, the first time he had ever supported a Republican. Fast forward to June of this year, and Ray saw a video on social media of Mamdani slamming former Gov. Andrew Cuomo during a mayoral primary debate. Mamdani pointed to Cuomo's resignation as governor in 2021 amid allegations of sexual harassment, which Cuomo has denied. 'Mamdani, really, he had no shame in talking about it. He had no shame in who he was. And he had no shame on his own policies and his own thoughts and what would be best for the city,' Ray said. 'It's not about Republicans or Democrats in my mind,' Ray said, adding that he is drawn to a candidate 'who is honest, who's authentic, and someone who has the benefits of the little person in the back of their mind.' 'I think having that's important, and I think that's what's missing in the politics these days,' he said. 🗞️ Today's other top stories 🌏 Russia-Ukraine latest: Trump said he would try to return territory to Ukraine as he prepares to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and lay the groundwork for a deal to bring an end to the war. Read more → 🇨🇳Deadline deferred: Trump delayed high U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods from snapping back into place for another 90 days, CNBC reports. Read more → ⚖️ Epstein fallout: A federal judge denied the Justice Department's request to unseal grand jury records related to Ghislaine Maxwell's criminal case, saying that the materials would not reveal any significantly new information about the Jeffrey Epstein case. Read more → 🗣️ Pritzker's take: Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker joined 'Meet the Press' over the weekend, slamming Trump as a 'cheater' and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott as a 'joke' amid the standoff over redistricting in the Lone Star State. Read more → 🥊 Proxy fight: That redistricting battle has also spilled over to the contentious GOP primary for Senate in Texas, with Sen. John Cornyn and state Attorney General Ken Paxton aiming to put pressure on Democrats and cast themselves as the staunchest Trump ally. Read more → 💲Cash crunch: A Texas district judge temporarily blocked Beto O'Rourke from raising funds to support the Democratic lawmakers who have fled the state as part of the redistricting clash. Read more → Follow live politics updates → That's all From the Politics Desk for now. Today's newsletter was compiled by Adam Wollner and Bridget Bowman. If you have feedback — likes or dislikes — email us at politicsnewsletter@ And if you're a fan, please share with everyone and anyone. They can sign up here. This article was originally published on Solve the daily Crossword
NBC News
01-08-2025
- Business
- NBC News
What do swing voters want? From the Politics Desk
Welcome to the online version of From the Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team's latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail. Happy Friday! Today, politics reporters Bridget Bowman and Dylan Ebs talk with eight swing voters to get their thoughts on the state of Trump's second term and the big issues facing the country. Then, Kristen Welker raises a question Trump had tiptoed around in the past: Is this his economy now? — Scott Bland Trump's tariffs face another inflection point, and a court test By Bridget Bowman and Dylan Ebs Ray, a New York voter in his mid-30s, backed Donald Trump last year after having voted for Joe Biden in 2020, pointing to Trump's pledges to boost the economy. Now, he is not happy with the results on all of those pledges. 'President Trump has made a lot of promises that he's not really cashing out,' Ray said. But Scott, a 29-year-old Missourian who also flipped from Biden in 2020 to Trump in 2024, said he's 'happy' with Trump's presidency so far. 'In general, he's keeping his promises,' Scott said. The two men's opposing views of Trump's presidency underscore the wide range of opinions among swing voters who helped return Trump to the White House — and who may hold the key to the results of future elections, too. Both men were among eight voters who spoke to NBC News again in recent days after having detailed their hopes for the Trump administration back in January. NBC News is not using the last names of some of the eight voters to allow them to speak more freely about national politics. These voters, who participated in the final NBC News poll of the 2024 election and backed Trump after supporting Biden or not voting in 2020, were largely optimistic that a second Trump presidency would bring about change, especially on the economy and immigration issues. Now, they're split on Trump's presidency. Four of the recontacted respondents were happy with Trump's performance so far, while two offered more mixed reviews and two disapproved of his first six months back in office. (The 10 other voters who participated in January were not reachable or declined interviews.) Overall, public opinion polls have shown Trump's approval rating declining since he took office (more on that below), though not as far as at this point in his first term. And critically, from a political perspective, voters may have negative opinions of Trump's handling of the economy, for example, but be split on the question of which party would handle the issue better. Is this Trump's economy now? Analysis by Kristen Welker President Donald Trump has acknowledged that economic concerns, especially around high prices, propelled him to another term in the White House. And the latest jobs report, released Friday, along with more moves on tariffs raise the question of whether the president owns this economy now that he's six months into his second term — the good, the bad and everything in between. When I asked Trump back in May, during an appearance on 'Meet the Press,' if this was now the Trump economy, he told me: 'It partially is right now. And I really mean this. I think the good parts are the Trump economy and the bad parts are the Biden economy because he's done a terrible job.' On Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released a jobs report showing the U.S. added 73,000 new jobs in July while revising gains in recent months, signaling slower-than-expected job growth. And Trump imposed a new round of tariffs, some set to take effect next week, that formalized some recent trade agreements and levied higher tariff rates against trading partners that failed to strike deals with the U.S. Trump has maintained that his tariffs will strengthen the economy, telling NBC News' Garrett Haake in a phone interview last night, 'We will be taking in hundreds of billions of dollars, and very quickly.' The president dismissed concerns that his tariffs could cause prices to rise on some goods, telling Garrett, 'The only price that's spiked is the hundreds of billions of dollars coming in.' But recent polling suggests that voters have soured on the president's handling of the economy. A Wall Street Journal poll released this week found a majority of voters (53%) disapproving of Trump's handling of the economy, while 44% approved. A slightly higher share (57%) disapproved of his handling of tariffs, while 40% approved. The survey was conducted July 16-20 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points. We'll delve into the economy and more on this Sunday's 'Meet the Press,' where we will be joined by Kevin Hassett, Director of the National Economic Council, and Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif.
NBC News
10-07-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
The not-so-subtle 2028 shadow primary intensifies: From the Politics Desk
Welcome to the online version of From the Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team's latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail. In today's edition, Bridget Bowman looks at the not-so-subtle beginnings of the 2028 presidential contest, from the online list-building to the on-the-ground appearances in early primary states. Plus, Jonathan Allen analyzes Trump's recent reckonings with the limits of his power on foreign policy. — Scott Bland The shadow 2028 primary gains momentum By Bridget Bowman (with Alexandra Marquez contributing) It might be way too early to be thinking about the 2028 Democratic presidential primary. But potential contenders are already jockeying to boost their profiles and their campaign coffers. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., is the latest potential contender to boast a strong fundraising report, announcing today that he raised a whopping $10 million through his Senate campaign and a joint fundraising committee after his marathon speech on the Senate floor in April. As a reminder, Booker did not rule out another presidential run during an April appearance on 'Meet the Press,' saying he's focused on his 2026 re-election race. He also told NBC News' Julie Tsirkin today that he hopes the big fundraising haul 'can scare away competition in New Jersey and I can do what I've done in previous cycles, which is help as many other people as I can.' Fundraising reports for the second quarter are due to the Federal Election Commission next week, so we'll see how other potential presidential hopefuls are faring. Some high-profile progressives like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., posted some big numbers in the first quarter of the year. Meanwhile, potential presidential contenders are also hitting the campaign trail, popping up in states that also just happen to be traditionally early primary states, though the 2028 calendar isn't set yet. California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom was on a two-day tour of South Carolina this week with the state's Democratic Party. Both Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., will be in South Carolina next week, with Beshear appearing at an AFL-CIO convention and county party fundraiser, and Khanna hosting a 'Benefits Over Billionaires' town hall meeting. This weekend, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., will head to New Hampshire to campaign with Rep. Chris Pappas, who is running for Senate. And next month, Arizona Rep. Ruben Gallego will head to Iowa, touting his trip with a hype video that has 'We Will Rock You' blaring in the background. These potential candidates aren't wasting any time to show off their fundraising strengths and get some face time with voters in early primary states — and maybe enjoy some Charleston barbecue, Iowa fair food and New England clam chowder along the way. Trump confronts the limits of his power on foreign policy Analysis by Jonathan Allen President Donald Trump keeps expecting powerful sovereign nations to bend to his will, and they continue to disappoint. With a presidential term under his belt already, and a lifetime of cutting business deals, he should have seen that coming. While the U.S. is the biggest kid on the international playground, it is not powerful enough to override the national interests of other major players. U.S. views are a factor in their decisions, but not the only factor — and usually not the most important factor. That's especially true at a time when the people of many nations, including neighbors Canada and Mexico, see the U.S. as both their top ally and the top threat, according to new survey data from the Pew Research Center. If Trump is learning the limits of American dominance, he's doing so the hard way. The most obvious examples are on twin pillars of foreign policy: war and trade. Trump famously vowed during his campaign that he would resolve the Russia-Ukraine war within 24 hours of taking office. It's been nearly six months, and there is no sign of progress toward peace. That has Trump on the warpath. He vented about Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, accusing the Russian president of selling 'bulls---' to American negotiators. 'I'm not happy with Putin,' Trump said. Russia launched massive strikes on Ukraine on Thursday anyway. A few months ago, Trump said his administration would sign 90 trade deals in 90 days. That hasn't happened. He's got frameworks for agreements with China and the U.K., but those modest advances have not stopped him from issuing more threats to impose tariffs on foreign goods. Though he has kicked the can down the road a few times, he insists that won't happen again when his latest deadline arrives in August. The risk that tariffs will backfire by jacking up prices on U.S. consumers is high, and foreign countries are free to trade with one another at the expense of Americans' access to goods. The world will have to wait and see whether Trump actually takes that plunge. But what is already clear is that, except in isolated circumstances, he can't just wave his hand and expect other nations to dance for him.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The 2026 Senate map starts to come into focus: From the Politics Desk
Welcome to the online version of From the Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team's latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail. In today's edition, Bridget Bowman breaks down the state of the 2026 Senate map as campaigns across the country start to get off the ground. Plus, Ben Kamisar finds another example of how President Donald Trump has remade the Republican Party in our most recent poll. Sign up to receive this newsletter in your inbox every weekday here. — Adam Wollner The next battle for the Senate majority has come into clearer focus in recent weeks, with candidates in both parties making their intentions known in high-profile races across the map. As Bridget Bowman reports, Democrats face an uphill climb to take control of the chamber in the 2026 elections: The party must reach into GOP territory to net the four seats they need, while also defending competitive seats in Georgia, Michigan and New Hampshire. Republicans, meanwhile, are looking to expand their 53-47 majority while defending blue-leaning Maine and battleground North Carolina. Here's the latest on who's in, who's out and who still needs to make a decision in the top Senate contests of the cycle. Michigan: The latest piece of the puzzle fell into place Monday, with former Rep. Mike Rogers becoming the first major Republican to jump into the Michigan Senate race. He quickly snagged endorsements from Senate Majority Leader John Thune and National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair Tim Scott. Rogers lost to Democrat Elissa Slotkin in last year's Senate race by less than 1 percentage point. On the Democratic side, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow entered the race to replace retiring Sen. Gary Peters last week. Several other Democrats, including Rep. Haley Stevens and former Wayne County health director Abdul El-Sayed, are also considering bids. New Hampshire: Former New Hampshire GOP Gov. Chris Sununu announced last week he would not run for Senate, despite encouragement from President Donald Trump. Former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown is weighing a bid in the state, where he lost a 2014 Senate race. Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas launched his Senate campaign last week, and fellow Rep. Maggie Goodlander is also still considering a run for the seat being vacated by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. North Carolina: While former Rep. Wiley Nickel announced last week he would take on Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, Democrats are waiting on former Gov. Roy Cooper to decide if will run against one of the party's top targets next year. Maine: It's a similar story for the party in Maine, with Democratic Gov. Janet Mills not ruling out a campaign against GOP Sen. Susan Collins. Democrats have struggled to defeat Collins even as they've consistently carried Maine at the presidential level. Georgia: Likewise, the GOP is waiting on a major shoe to drop in Georgia. National Republicans have been recruiting Gov. Brian Kemp to run against Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, one of their top targets on the map. If he doesn't, it would likely open the floodgates for Republicans to enter the contest. Read more from Bridget on the Senate map, including the latest from Minnesota, Ohio and Texas → Homeward bound: We could see more campaign announcements over the two-week congressional recess, with lawmakers back in their home states and districts. Alexandra Marquez reports that Republicans are largely avoiding holding in-person town halls during this period, as National Republican Congressional Committee Chair Richard Hudson has advised. According to news releases and publicly posted event notices, the majority of town halls and town hall-style events taking place over the congressional recess will be hosted by Democrats. Youth movement: In addition to the battleground races, there's also activity bubbling up in Democratic primaries amid dissatisfaction from the base over the direction of the party. Faith Wardwell and Elias Miller write that a crop of candidates in their 20s and 30s is stepping in to challenge older Democrats for their seats in Congress. Recent polling from NBC News shows how President Donald Trump has consolidated the Republican Party not just around himself, but also around his broader 'Make America Great Again' movement. Thirty-six percent of registered voters identified themselves as MAGA supporters in an NBC News poll conducted in March. It's a significant increase from past polling — up from 23% of respondents in a merged sample of all of NBC News' polling throughout 2023, and 27% of respondents in a merged sample of 2024 polling. The overall share is powered by the 71% of Republicans who now call themselves MAGA supporters. NBC News' polling already showed signs of a shift afoot between the beginning of the 2024 presidential primary and the final weeks before Election Day, as the GOP consolidated around Trump. In January 2024, days after Trump won nominating contests in Iowa and New Hampshire, just 20% of registered voters said they aligned with the MAGA movement. But in NBC News' combined polling in October and early November 2024, that number ticked up to 29%. A shift among Republicans moving more into Trump's camp is primarily driving this movement, with a 16-point increase in GOPers identifying with the MAGA movement between the two polls right before the 2024 election (55%) and March this year (71%). There's also been a similar shift among college-educated men, from 21% in 2024 to 37% in March — also a 16-point increase. It's the kind of pro-Trump consolidation that led to him matching his best-ever approval rating (47%) in NBC News' March poll, though a majority of registered voters, 51%, still disapproved of his job performance. 'All of that shift is coming from Republicans,' said Bill McInturff, a Republican pollster with Public Opinion Strategies who conducted the survey along with Democratic pollster Jeff Horwitt, of Hart Research Associates. Read more from Ben → More on Trump 2.0:Peter Nicholas writes that the chaotic start of Trump's presidency has been characterized by a rash of reversals and retreats as he hastens to execute his agenda while his party controls both houses of Congress and his political capital is at its peak.➡️ Deportation fallout: El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele said during an Oval Office meeting with Trump that he would not return Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man the Justice Department said was mistakenly deported to the Central American country, to the U.S. Read more → ➡️ Arson attack latest: The man charged in connection with an arson attack at Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's home over the weekend told police he would have beaten the governor with a hammer if he had found him. Read more → 🏫 School's out: Harvard University said it will "not accept" demands made by Trump's administration amid threats of funding cuts. Read more → 🗣️ Tariff talk: Trump said over the weekend that in the next week he would be announcing a tariff on semiconductors, which could affect smartphone and laptop prices. Read more → 🩺 The doctor is in: Trump is in 'excellent health,' the White House physician wrote after the president's annual physical. Read more → 🎤 Back in action: Former President Joe Biden will deliver his first public speech since departing the Oval Office at a national conference of the disability aid group Advocates, Counselors and Representatives for the Disabled Tuesday in Chicago. Read more →That's all From the Politics Desk for now. Today's newsletter was compiled by Adam Wollner and Bridget Bowman. If you have feedback — likes or dislikes — email us at And if you're a fan, please share with everyone and anyone. They can sign up . This article was originally published on
NBC News
14-04-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
The 2026 Senate map starts to come into focus: From the Politics Desk
Welcome to the online version of From the Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team's latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail. In today's edition, Bridget Bowman breaks down the state of the 2026 Senate map as campaigns across the country start to get off the ground. Plus, Ben Kamisar finds another example of how President Donald Trump has remade the Republican Party in our most recent poll. — Adam Wollner The 2026 Senate map starts to take shape The next battle for the Senate majority has come into clearer focus in recent weeks, with candidates in both parties making their intentions known in high-profile races across the map. As Bridget Bowman reports, Democrats face an uphill climb to take control of the chamber in the 2026 elections: The party must reach into GOP territory to net the four seats they need, while also defending competitive seats in Georgia, Michigan and New Hampshire. Republicans, meanwhile, are looking to expand their 53-47 majority while defending blue-leaning Maine and battleground North Carolina. Here's the latest on who's in, who's out and who still needs to make a decision in the top Senate contests of the cycle. Michigan: The latest piece of the puzzle fell into place Monday, with former Rep. Mike Rogers becoming the first major Republican to jump into the Michigan Senate race. He quickly snagged endorsements from Senate Majority Leader John Thune and National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair Tim Scott. Rogers lost to Democrat Elissa Slotkin in last year's Senate race by less than 1 percentage point. On the Democratic side, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow entered the race to replace retiring Sen. Gary Peters last week. Several other Democrats, including Rep. Haley Stevens and former Wayne County health director Abdul El-Sayed, are also considering bids. New Hampshire: Former New Hampshire GOP Gov. Chris Sununu announced last week he would not run for Senate, despite encouragement from President Donald Trump. Former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown is weighing a bid in the state, where he lost a 2014 Senate race. Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas launched his Senate campaign last week, and fellow Rep. Maggie Goodlander is also still considering a run for the seat being vacated by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. North Carolina: While former Rep. Wiley Nickel announced last week he would take on Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, Democrats are waiting on former Gov. Roy Cooper to decide if will run against one of the party's top targets next year. Maine: It's a similar story for the party in Maine, with Democratic Gov. Janet Mills not ruling out a campaign against GOP Sen. Susan Collins. Democrats have struggled to defeat Collins even as they've consistently carried Maine at the presidential level. Georgia: Likewise, the GOP is waiting on a major shoe to drop in Georgia. National Republicans have been recruiting Gov. Brian Kemp to run against Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, one of their top targets on the map. If he doesn't, it would likely open the floodgates for Republicans to enter the contest. Homeward bound: We could see more campaign announcements over the two-week congressional recess, with lawmakers back in their home states and districts. Alexandra Marquez reports that Republicans are largely avoiding holding in-person town halls during this period, as National Republican Congressional Committee Chair Richard Hudson has advised. According to news releases and publicly posted event notices, the majority of town halls and town hall-style events taking place over the congressional recess will be hosted by Democrats. Youth movement: In addition to the battleground races, there's also activity bubbling up in Democratic primaries amid dissatisfaction from the base over the direction of the party. Faith Wardwell and Elias Miller write that a crop of candidates in their 20s and 30s is stepping in to challenge older Democrats for their seats in Congress. By Ben Kamisar Recent polling from NBC News shows how President Donald Trump has consolidated the Republican Party not just around himself, but also around his broader 'Make America Great Again' movement. Thirty-six percent of registered voters identified themselves as MAGA supporters in an NBC News poll conducted in March. It's a significant increase from past polling — up from 23% of respondents in a merged sample of all of NBC News' polling throughout 2023, and 27% of respondents in a merged sample of 2024 polling. The overall share is powered by the 71% of Republicans who now call themselves MAGA supporters. NBC News' polling already showed signs of a shift afoot between the beginning of the 2024 presidential primary and the final weeks before Election Day, as the GOP consolidated around Trump. In January 2024, days after Trump won nominating contests in Iowa and New Hampshire, just 20% of registered voters said they aligned with the MAGA movement. But in NBC News' combined polling in October and early November 2024, that number ticked up to 29%. A shift among Republicans moving more into Trump's camp is primarily driving this movement, with a 16-point increase in GOPers identifying with the MAGA movement between the two polls right before the 2024 election (55%) and March this year (71%). There's also been a similar shift among college-educated men, from 21% in 2024 to 37% in March — also a 16-point increase. It's the kind of pro-Trump consolidation that led to him matching his best-ever approval rating (47%) in NBC News' March poll, though a majority of registered voters, 51%, still disapproved of his job performance. 'All of that shift is coming from Republicans,' said Bill McInturff, a Republican pollster with Public Opinion Strategies who conducted the survey along with Democratic pollster Jeff Horwitt, of Hart Research Associates. More on Trump 2.0: Peter Nicholas writes that the chaotic start of Trump's presidency has been characterized by a rash of reversals and retreats as he hastens to execute his agenda while his party controls both houses of Congress and his political capital is at its peak.
