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Beto O'Rourke drops f-bomb as he urges Dems to 'meet fire with fire' against GOP redistricting plans in Texas
Beto O'Rourke drops f-bomb as he urges Dems to 'meet fire with fire' against GOP redistricting plans in Texas

Fox News

time11 hours ago

  • Politics
  • Fox News

Beto O'Rourke drops f-bomb as he urges Dems to 'meet fire with fire' against GOP redistricting plans in Texas

NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! As Texas Republicans attempt to redraw their congressional districts to widen their majority in the U.S. House of Representatives ahead of competitive midterm elections expected in 2026, former Rep. Beto O'Rourke, D-Texas, said Democrats should "meet fire with fire." The 2020 Democratic presidential candidate told former Biden advisor Neera Tanden at the Center for American Progress (CAP) on Tuesday that he supports California Gov. Gavin Newsom's own attempt at redistricting the blue state to deepen Democrats' own congressional control. O'Rourke rationalized California's redistricting because "we already have an authoritarian president." And while he acknowledged the irony of his party following suit on something Democrats "don't like Republicans doing," O'Rourke said, "This is for the very future and fate of the republic. We lose it, you will never, ever get it back." "Not only do I think [Newsom] should do this, I don't think he should wait for Texas," O'Rourke said. "In other words, why the f--k are we responding and reacting to the other side instead of taking the offense on these things?" COURT SHUTS DOWN REDISTRICTING FIGHT IN KEY SWING STATE — HERE'S WHAT IT MEANS O'Rourke criticized the Democratic Party for caring "more about being right" than about "being in power." He said Democrats, who are grappling with losing control of the White House and Congress in 2024, "have to be ruthlessly focused on winning power." DEMOCRAT BETO O'ROURKE SAYS HE'LL RUN FOR SENATE IF TEXANS WANT HIM TO If Democrats don't fight back, O'Rourke said, "a state that was already something less than democracy is about to descend even further." The GOP-controlled state legislature in Texas began a special session on Monday, and one of the key items on their agenda is the push by Republicans in the red state to redraw the current congressional maps to reduce the number of districts controlled by already marginalized Democrats. It's part of a broader effort by the GOP across the country to keep control of the chamber, and cushion losses elsewhere in the country, as the party in power traditionally faces political headwinds and loses seats. And President Donald Trump is aiming to prevent what happened during his first term, when Democrats grabbed a majority in the House in the 2018 midterms. "Texas will be the biggest one," the president told reporters last week, as he predicted the number of GOP-friendly seats that could be added through redistricting in the Lone Star State. "Just a simple redrawing, we pick up five seats." Hours earlier, Trump held a call with Texas' Republican congressional delegation, and sources confirmed to Fox News that the president told the lawmakers that he was aiming to redraw the maps to create five new winnable seats. Democrats control just 12 of the state's 38 congressional districts, with a blue-leaning seat vacant after the death in March of Rep. Sylvester Turner. The idea is to relocate Democratic voters from competitive seats into nearby GOP-leaning districts, and move Republican voters into neighboring districts the Democrats currently control. Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, both conservative Republicans and Trump allies, said they needed to redistrict because of constitutional concerns raised by the Justice Department over a handful of minority-dominated districts. "Coincidentally or not, each of those seats is held by a Democrat who is either Black or Mexican-American," O'Rourke said Tuesday. "That's what they're doing. It's members of Congress choosing their own voters, literally." Redistricting typically takes place at the start of each decade, based on the latest U.S. Census data. Mid-decade redistricting is uncommon – but not without precedent. Democrats are slamming Trump and Texas Republicans for what they describe as a power grab, and vowing to take legal action to prevent any shift in the current congressional maps, as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said, "Democrats are going to push back aggressively because it's the right thing to do." "Two can play this game," California Gov. Gavin Newsom wrote on social media last week. The next day, after a meeting, Democrats in California's congressional delegation said they were on board with an ambitious plan to try and gain at least five seats through redistricting. Democrats currently control 43 of the Golden State's 52 congressional districts. But it won't be easy to enact the change, because in California, congressional maps are drawn by an independent commission that is not supposed to let partisanship influence their work. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Newsom this week suggested that the state's Democratic-controlled legislature should move forward with a mid-decade redrawing of the maps, arguing that it might not be forbidden by the 17-year-old ballot initiative that created the independent commission. The governor also proposed quickly holding a special election to repeal the commission ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Both plans are considered long shots, as they would face plenty of legislative, legal and financial hurdles.

Money starts pouring into Nebraska midterm congressional races
Money starts pouring into Nebraska midterm congressional races

Yahoo

time12 hours ago

  • Business
  • Yahoo

Money starts pouring into Nebraska midterm congressional races

The U.S. Capitol as lawmakers worked into the night on the "big beautiful bill" on July 2, 2025. (Photo by Ashley Murray/States Newsroom) OMAHA — Two political matchups in Nebraska will likely get national attention as both could help determine which party controls what parts of Congress after the 2026 midterm elections. One is the U.S. House race in Nebraska's Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District. The seat is typically a target of both national parties, as one of the rare remaining swing districts that has stayed politically split. The seat may be more of a target now, since U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., decided not to seek reelection. Several Democrats jumped into the race, creating a politically diverse and competitive primary race. A first-time federal candidate is leading the Democratic pack in terms of fundraising as more politically established candidates are lagging behind. New federal campaign finance filings show congressional candidate newcomer and business owner Denise Powell led the way, raising $429,739 in the second quarter. Powell has connections to some of local Democrats' top donors. Much of her political team has ties to former State Sen. Tony Vargas' 2024 House bid. While money isn't the be-all in politics, it can provide a glimpse of the initial support and the viability of a candidate. Powell said, 'It's clear that people are tired of lip service from politicians.' Instead, she said, people are 'ready for someone who is ready to go to Washington to put our communities first.' She called her bid an 'opportunity to send a champion for hardworking Nebraskans to Congress who will finally put a stop to the chaos of the Trump administration.' State Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha, the other high-profile candidate who has been in the Democratic primary since early June, raised the second most. The incumbent, with his own list of donors, raised $130,341 over the same span. Ethan Dunn, a Cavanugh campaign spokesperson, said the senator 'continues to hear from voters across [district] that they know he will be the voice of reason amongst the Trump chaos.' 'The plan that John has to win the nomination is on track, and we are confident John's message voters will resonate with the voters,' Dunn said. Powell's campaign lists having more campaign cash on hand than Cavanaugh – with $340,121 compared to the state senator's $127,122. A third high-profile Democrat in the race, Douglas County District Court Clerk Crystal Rhoades, announced her bid Monday and just started fundraising. The same can be said of Navy veteran Kishla Askins, who joined the race last week, after the fundraising quarter ended in late June. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Also running as Democrats are Mark Johnston and Evangelos Argyrakis. Those lesser-known Democratic candidates haven't filed campaign finance forms. Federal law requires candidates to file campaign finance paperwork quarterly with the Federal Election Commission unless they have not yet raised or spent $5,000. The two highest-profile announced Republican candidates in Nebraska's 2nd District, Omaha City Council, Vice President Brinker Harding and former State Sen. Brett Lindstrom of Omaha, entered the race this month, after the fundraising quarter ended. Neither had filed FEC reports. However, Harding's campaign has said it had raised $222,000 in the first two days after announcing his bid. Lindstrom's team said the former senator raised $250,000 in his campaign's first week. National political observers view the Omaha-area House seat as a possible pickup for Democrats, although the district retains a slight GOP lean. The 2nd District includes all of Douglas and Saunders Counties, as well as western Sarpy County. Nebraska's other federal race that could garner national attention is the bid by former Omaha labor leader Dan Osborn to unseat U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb. Osborn made national headlines in 2024 for turning an expected safe race for Republicans into a potential upset bid against U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb. He outraised Fischer in 2024, according to which tracks federal fundraising. He raised $14 million, including some late money from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. For Nebraska's 2026 Senate race, Osborn has reported raising $196,541 since his July announcement, according to his latest filing. He listed having $124,202 in cash on hand. As expected, Ricketts, a former two-term governor, significantly outraised him. His campaign raised $901,113 and his separate Pete Ricketts Victory Fund raised $1.2 million. His victory fund is can be used for multiple races, political parties and causes. Ricketts has a combined war chest of about $1.5 million. Ricketts, who had to run in a 2024 special election to finish the last two years of former Republican U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse's term, raised $5.8 million against Preston Love Jr., records show. Ricketts also has used his own money to influence Nebraska politics. He retains the state's dominant political operation. Osborn, who has proven himself a prolific fundraiser, has tried to frame his race against the millionaire Ricketts as 'the billionaire versus the mechanic.' Will Coup, a Ricketts campaign spokesperson, pointed to Osborn's use of ActBlue, a fundraising tool used often by Democrats, as evidence of a nonpartisan bid Senate bid with Democratic help. 'Dan Osborn's ActBlue page makes it easy for his liberal, out-of-state donors to support him, AOC and Kamala Harris without having to switch [browser] tabs,' Coup said. Osborn has said previously that he maintains independence from the Democratic Party and that he would not caucus with either party. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE

Polls show approval rating for President Trump after six months in office
Polls show approval rating for President Trump after six months in office

Yahoo

timea day ago

  • Politics
  • Yahoo

Polls show approval rating for President Trump after six months in office

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — Sunday marked six months since President Donald Trump took office, and a new CBS News poll reveals the president's approval rating is dropping. From tariffs to deportation, actions taken by the Trump Administration since January 20 of this year have widened the divide between American voters. How SNAP benefits may be affected by President Trump's 'big beautiful bill' 'I think President Trump and this administration have returned the government to common sense,' Huntsville-based, Former Trump-appointed U.S. Attorney Jay Town said. 'I think the last six months have been chaotic. I think they have been traumatic,' News 19 Political Analyst David Person said. The poll shows that Trump's approval rating has dropped by 11% since February. Policy-specific polls reveal where some of that disapproval stems from. Both sides of the aisle find that voters have more issues with policy execution as opposed to the policy itself at face value.'Even people that may agree with some of his policies in principle are disturbed by the attitudes and approaches with which these policies have been executed,' Person said. 'The American people, actually, they might not agree with the tactics they're seeing on TV, but they agree with the results,' Town said. 'And the results are what are going to matter during these midterm elections.' With midterms over a year away, Town does not think the polls will impact the elections. Person believes these polls may be an indicator of American voters changing their minds. 'That's what the American people voted for when they voted for President Trump in 2024,' Town said. 'Just maybe, that's the wake-up call, the cold, hard splash of water they need to make a different choice,' Person said. President Trump's approval rating has been steadily declining since he took office, prompting pollsters to wonder whether it is a change in public opinion or a reaction to his current policies. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

How much do Republicans care about the Epstein files? More than it might seem
How much do Republicans care about the Epstein files? More than it might seem

CNN

timea day ago

  • Politics
  • CNN

How much do Republicans care about the Epstein files? More than it might seem

One of the biggest questions looming over President Donald Trump's second term right now is how much his supporters truly care about the Jeffrey Epstein files. The distinction between caring a lot vs. a little is critical. The former could mean a sustained problem for the president that bleeds into the midterm elections and affects turnout among his typically loyal base. The latter would mean this is likely nothing more than an ugly episode that ultimately fades away. So, now that we've had a chunk of time since the Justice Department released their controversial Epstein memo, how much do Republicans care about all this? A bevy of new polls show they're unhappy with how the Trump administration has handled this scandal and suggest it could be a persistent problem for the GOP. The base is about evenly split on the administration's actions, meaning there's a higher degree of skepticism than we almost ever see with Trump. And that might actually undersell the level of lingering GOP concern. Multiple polls show widespread dissatisfaction overall with the Trump administration's handling of the matter. Both Reuters-Ipsos and Quinnipiac University polling showed Americans overall disapproved of how the Trump team has handled this by huge margins: 54-17% in the former and 63-17% in the latter. (The former poll's question was about Trump personally, while the latter was about the administration more broadly.) So that's just 17% of Americans who said Trump and the administration have gotten this right, in both polls. The vast majority in that group are, of course, Republicans. But delving into the GOP-specific takeaways, the party is about evenly split — which is unusual on the Trump administration's actions. They leaned slightly towards approving the handling of the Epstein probe, 35-29% in the Reuters-Ipsos poll and 40-36% in the Quinnipiac poll. It's difficult to recall an issue on which Republicans were so lukewarm about major Trump actions. For instance, even shortly after the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, an event that led many to conclude that Trump's political career was over, a CNN poll showed Republicans approved of Trump's response by a strong margin: 63-32%. Being disenchanted isn't the same as ditching someone politically, however. Precisely how much people actually care is a critical point. There's some evidence that Republicans are downplaying the significance of this. A new CBS News-YouGov poll released Sunday, for instance, showed just 11% of Republicans said Epstein-related issues matter 'a lot' in their evaluation of Trump's presidency. That's compared to 36% of overall voters who said that. To the extent that's true, it would seem this is something Trump could move past. But polling has a persistent weakness: Respondents aren't always totally honest with themselves or pollsters. For instance, ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, the conventional wisdom was that Democrats' focus on democracy after the January 6 attack wasn't panning out and that the issue might even spur GOP turnout. The results ultimately showed that the issue was a significant benefit to Democrats, and election-denying Republicans did significantly worse than other Republicans. On Epstein, the CBS-YouGov poll suggests there are gaps between how much people say they care about the issue vs. what their other feelings or behavior reveals. While it showed 50% of Republicans said they were at least somewhat satisfied with the administration's Epstein actions, 83% of polled Republicans said the Justice Department should release all the information it has on Epstein — something the Trump administration has decidedly not done. (The administration late last week moved in court to unseal grand jury testimony. But that's only a small portion of the information, and much of it could remain secret.) The same poll also showed 90% of Republicans believed the Epstein files probably includes damaging information about wealthy or powerful people. Similarly, the Reuters-Ipsos poll showed Republicans said 55-17% that they believed the federal government is hiding information about Epstein's death, and 62-11% that it is hiding information about his clients. Those responses suggest Republicans aren't happy with the administration's meager disclosures, even if they're not looking to register that dissatisfaction when explicitly asked. The polling also reveals that even many of those who stand by Trump aren't doing so with a high degree of confidence. While the Reuters-Ipsos poll showed Republicans were about split on Trump's actions; only 11% 'strongly' approved of Trump's actions. And while half of Republicans in the CBS-YouGov poll said they were at least somewhat satisfied with the Trump administration's actions, just 10% were 'very' satisfied. That's only about 1 in 10 Republicans who look at this and say they completely sign off. The CBS-YouGov poll also showed MAGA Republicans were more likely to lean towards being satisfied (60% were at least 'somewhat' satisfied) than non-MAGA Republicans (41%). So are MAGA Republicans — the ones who have vociferously called for releasing more information on Epstein — more satisfied than their non-MAGA breathren? Or are they just feeling compelled to toe the Trump party line, at least somewhat? Regardless, those numbers don't mean this won't be a problem with a significant section of Trump's base. Those voters could sour on him, at least somewhat, perhaps in combination with other recent Trump actions they don't love, like on the war in Ukraine. A Wall Street Journal report last week on a letter Trump allegedly wrote for Epstein's 50th birthday back in 2003 appeared to unite even many Epstein-focused influencers behind Trump and against the media, their frequent common enemy. Trump denied he wrote the letter and has sued the Journal; his base seems to largely believe he's being railroaded. But that doesn't mean they're satisfied overall and ready to let the issue go. The data suggest that, for now, this remains a minefield for Trump.

Analysis: How much do Republicans care about the Epstein files? More than it might seem.
Analysis: How much do Republicans care about the Epstein files? More than it might seem.

CNN

time2 days ago

  • Politics
  • CNN

Analysis: How much do Republicans care about the Epstein files? More than it might seem.

One of the biggest questions looming over President Donald Trump's second term right now is how much his supporters truly care about the Jeffrey Epstein files. The distinction between caring a lot vs. a little is critical. The former could mean a sustained problem for the president that bleeds into the midterm elections and affects turnout among his typically loyal base. The latter would mean this is likely nothing more than an ugly episode that ultimately fades away. So, now that we've had a chunk of time since the Justice Department released their controversial Epstein memo, how much do Republicans care about all this? A bevy of new polls show they're unhappy with how the Trump administration has handled this scandal and suggest it could be a persistent problem for the GOP. The base is about evenly split on the administration's actions, meaning there's a higher degree of skepticism than we almost ever see with Trump. And that might actually undersell the level of lingering GOP concern. Multiple polls show widespread dissatisfaction overall with the Trump administration's handling of the matter. Both Reuters-Ipsos and Quinnipiac University polling showed Americans overall disapproved of how the Trump team has handled this by huge margins: 54-17% in the former and 63-17% in the latter. (The former poll's question was about Trump personally, while the latter was about the administration more broadly.) So that's just 17% of Americans who said Trump and the administration have gotten this right, in both polls. The vast majority in that group are, of course, Republicans. But delving into the GOP-specific takeaways, the party is about evenly split — which is unusual on the Trump administration's actions. They leaned slightly towards approving the handling of the Epstein probe, 35-29% in the Reuters-Ipsos poll and 40-36% in the Quinnipiac poll. It's difficult to recall an issue on which Republicans were so lukewarm about major Trump actions. For instance, even shortly after the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, an event that led many to conclude that Trump's political career was over, a CNN poll showed Republicans approved of Trump's response by a strong margin: 63-32%. Being disenchanted isn't the same as ditching someone politically, however. Precisely how much people actually care is a critical point. There's some evidence that Republicans are downplaying the significance of this. A new CBS News-YouGov poll released Sunday, for instance, showed just 11% of Republicans said Epstein-related issues matter 'a lot' in their evaluation of Trump's presidency. That's compared to 36% of overall voters who said that. To the extent that's true, it would seem this is something Trump could move past. But polling has a persistent weakness: Respondents aren't always totally honest with themselves or pollsters. For instance, ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, the conventional wisdom was that Democrats' focus on democracy after the January 6 attack wasn't panning out and that the issue might even spur GOP turnout. The results ultimately showed that the issue was a significant benefit to Democrats, and election-denying Republicans did significantly worse than other Republicans. On Epstein, the CBS-YouGov poll suggests there are gaps between how much people say they care about the issue vs. what their other feelings or behavior reveals. While it showed 50% of Republicans said they were at least somewhat satisfied with the administration's Epstein actions, 83% of polled Republicans said the Justice Department should release all the information it has on Epstein — something the Trump administration has decidedly not done. (The administration late last week moved in court to unseal grand jury testimony. But that's only a small portion of the information, and much of it could remain secret.) The same poll also showed 90% of Republicans believed the Epstein files probably includes damaging information about wealthy or powerful people. Similarly, the Reuters-Ipsos poll showed Republicans said 55-17% that they believed the federal government is hiding information about Epstein's death, and 62-11% that it is hiding information about his clients. Those responses suggest Republicans aren't happy with the administration's meager disclosures, even if they're not looking to register that dissatisfaction when explicitly asked. The polling also reveals that even many of those who stand by Trump aren't doing so with a high degree of confidence. While the Reuters-Ipsos poll showed Republicans were about split on Trump's actions; only 11% 'strongly' approved of Trump's actions. And while half of Republicans in the CBS-YouGov poll said they were at least somewhat satisfied with the Trump administration's actions, just 10% were 'very' satisfied. That's only about 1 in 10 Republicans who look at this and say they completely sign off. The CBS-YouGov poll also showed MAGA Republicans were more likely to lean towards being satisfied (60% were at least 'somewhat' satisfied) than non-MAGA Republicans (41%). So are MAGA Republicans — the ones who have vociferously called for releasing more information on Epstein — more satisfied than their non-MAGA breathren? Or are they just feeling compelled to toe the Trump party line, at least somewhat? Regardless, those numbers don't mean this won't be a problem with a significant section of Trump's base. Those voters could sour on him, at least somewhat, perhaps in combination with other recent Trump actions they don't love, like on the war in Ukraine. A Wall Street Journal report last week on a letter Trump allegedly wrote for Epstein's 50th birthday back in 2003 appeared to unite even many Epstein-focused influencers behind Trump and against the media, their frequent common enemy. Trump denied he wrote the letter and has sued the Journal; his base seems to largely believe he's being railroaded. But that doesn't mean they're satisfied overall and ready to let the issue go. The data suggest that, for now, this remains a minefield for Trump.

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