Michael Kruse
@michaelkruse.bsky.social
📤 6799
📥 1301
📝 1871
Senior staff writer, POLITICO, POLITICO Magazine. michaelkruse.bio
“We’re just so far removed from this becoming a reality. At best, this is one step above the edgelord meme factory at every federal department.”
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Trouble in paradise? Trump’s free-bus broadside muddles Mamdani bromance
If their relationship deteriorates, there are many ways to inflict pain on NYC.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/08/trouble-in-paradise-trumps-free-bus-broadside-muddles-mamdani-bromance-00769959
about 5 hours ago
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“It’s such a huge watershed moment,”
@aoc.bsky.social
tells
@politico.com
. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he used this as a very unifying moment, but also on very resonant and salient grounds to send a message to people.”
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Bad Bunny created a cultural phenomenon. Can he spark a political one?
The Puerto Rican superstar’s music has brought Latinos together. Democrats are jealous.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/08/bad-bunny-super-bowl-immigration-00770475
about 5 hours ago
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“Violence is not the answer to any of this. I don’t understand anybody that would do that. It brings me back to Charlie Kirk losing his life here in our own backyard. It’s like, what on earth is going on here?”
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A MAGA push to erase a Dem House seat is triggering accusations of fraud and violence in Utah
Assault allegations, potential fraud and a roster of Trumpworld supporters are rocking the Beehive State.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/07/trump-backed-redistricting-initiative-in-utah-goes-sideways-00767959
1 day ago
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“I wouldn’t recommend talking about her at all. I don’t think praising her is good politics. But I don’t think bashing her is good politics either, because there’s still a lot of goodwill for her there.”
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Georgia Republicans are walking a tightrope in the race to replace MTG
Hugging the former MAGA acolyte could hurt Republicans with Trump, but bashing her could alienate the voters who are sad to see her go.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/07/marjorie-taylor-greene-trump-primary-00770325
1 day ago
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The quiet force influencing Trump’s and Vance’s confrontational Europe policy.
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The quiet force influencing Trump’s and Vance’s confrontational Europe policy
You might not have heard of Andy Baker. But he's a leading NSC intellectual whose moves could dictate the future of the GOP's foreign policy.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/07/andy-baker-vance-rubio-europe-00767053
1 day ago
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“Some of that has to do with the general chaos on this side of the pond where it’s a never ending stream of scandal emanating from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and Trump has set a tone of defiance on refusal to accept and feel any shame,” says
@normeisen.bsky.social
.
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The Epstein scandal is taking down Europe’s political class. In the US, they’re getting a pass.
As Europe moves to address its shame, it’s highlighting the comparative lack of accountability in the U.S.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/06/epstein-europe-america-fallout-00769506?cid=apn
1 day ago
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“I was so fat and nasty. I would eat anything.”
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MAHA and Mike Tyson want you to ‘eat real food’ during the Super Bowl
RFK Jr.’s allies are airing an ad during Sunday’s game touting the new, MAHA-inspired HHS dietary guidelines.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/06/rfk-jr-maha-mike-tyson-super-bowl-ad-00769278?nid=0000014f-1646-d88f-a1cf-5f46b7bd0000&nname=playbook&nrid=1b148a07-4e3d-4d3e-97fe-311256af26fd
1 day ago
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POLITICO Weekend.
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Meet Trump’s new Fed nominee
Kevin Warsh got one step closer to a lifelong dream when President Donald Trump nominated him to be the next chair of the Federal Reserve. But the path beyond a Senate confirmation won’t be easy.
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-weekend/2026/02/07/meet-trumps-new-fed-nominee-00770417?nname=politico-weekend&nid=00000180-3e78-de92-addf-fe7ff2220000&nrid=0000014c-2412-d9dd-a5ec-34be3e1e0004
1 day ago
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Trump Posts Video Portraying the Obamas as Apes.
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Trump Posts Video Portraying the Obamas as Apes
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/06/us/politics/trump-obamas-video-apes-truth-social.html
2 days ago
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“She’s going to be attuned to any election-year cycle to where she can do the most good for the most people,” says
@raskin.house.gov
. “She has profound ambition for where she wants New York to go and where she wants the country to go.”
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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Steps Onto a Wider Stage
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/06/us/politics/aoc-run-for-president-or-senate-2028.html
2 days ago
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Great story here.
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The G.O.P. Senator Who Can’t Stop Thinking About the Boy ICE Detained
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/us/politics/katie-britt-trump-immigration.html
2 days ago
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In the past, “people could expect to go to a march, make a sign, put on a pink hat and come home. And that’s fine. But that’s not the era we’re in.”
add a skeleton here at some point
2 days ago
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“There’s a debt of gratitude to Black liberation movements that really pioneered this. The Black Panther Party did it.”
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Minnesota’s ICE Watchers: How Tactics of 1960s Radicals Went Mainstream
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/06/us/politics/minneapolis-protest-black-panthers.html
2 days ago
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The Milan-Cortina Games are “happening in the most fractious political moment in the recent history of the Olympics.”
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The Olympics Are a Show of Global Harmony. The World Is Anything But.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/06/world/europe/olympics-world-order-war.html
2 days ago
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DeSantis defends wife's Hope Florida involvement as first lady warns of bread toxins.
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POLITICO Pro: DeSantis defends wife's Hope Florida involvement as first lady warns of bread toxins
First lady Casey DeSantis has been the public face of Hope Florida.
https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2026/02/desantis-defends-wifes-hope-florida-involvement-as-first-lady-warns-of-bread-toxins-00768004
2 days ago
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“We want more Manchins and Sinemas and Fettermans. That is the cost of having a fucking majority. And our donors need to understand when you have a majority, you get to set the agenda.”
add a skeleton here at some point
2 days ago
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“You look at the next two to three Senate cycles, we’ll be scratching and clawing to get and hold 50 or 51 seats.”
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Democrats Confront the Party’s Questionnaire-Industrial Complex
After years of tolerating advocacy-group litmus tests, some Democrats are pushing back on questionnaires they say are becoming a recurring general election liability.
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2026/02/06/democrats-questionnaire-interest-group-00767764
2 days ago
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“People are done with Donald Trump’s flagrant attempts to goad us and poke at us and insult us. It’s like water off our back. We’re a much tougher people than we were last year.”
add a skeleton here at some point
2 days ago
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“We’re looking at the world in a very different light. And we’re looking at a next-door neighbor who makes increasingly unhinged threats towards us. So to go to international games and pretend that we’re all one happy family, well, that’s gone.”
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Trump's geopolitical tensions spill into the Winter Olympics
Beating the Americans will feel even sweeter for the U.S.' top allies.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/05/trump-geopolitics-winter-olympics-00766982
2 days ago
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“It’s really important for us to know that we are not alone in this, that we actually have people from other countries who care about us. People are scared and they are more and more concerned. Because of Trump’s statements, they get very worse and worse.”
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In Greenland’s anxious capital, a show of solidarity from Canada and other allies
Nuuk residents say they just want a normal life back after Trump’s threats. “It's not good for us, and it’s not good for our land. It could be some bad things,” said Mayor Avaaraq Olsen. “Like Ukraine...
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/05/greenland-canada-consulate-nuuk-allies-00768198
2 days ago
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"A year ago, I would have told you we were almost guaranteed to win the Senate. Today, I would have to tell you it's far less certain."
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GOP's new fear: Losing the Senate in November
A Democratic takeover of the Senate would be a political earthquake — and neuter Trump's last two years in office.
https://www.axios.com/2026/02/06/gop-senate-midterms-2026
2 days ago
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“People who typically wear sequins are performers, and there is a very high degree to which this is all a lot of political theater. So I think that the sequins also make a lot sense in that context.”
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How sparkly bomber jackets became the uniform of the modern MAGA lady
Deborah Yanna, a retired salon owner, wasn’t sure what to wear to the Republican National Convention. So she created a style trend.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/fashion/2026/02/05/maga-style-sparkly-jackets/
3 days ago
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“Get out before it’s too late.”
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Gavin Newsom sat by his mother during her assisted suicide, and came to terms with anger and grief
The governor and potential presidential candidate spoke about his mother’s controversial decision to end her life and the impact it had on his political beliefs.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/02/04/gavin-newsom-assisted-suicide/
3 days ago
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“... the difference with this business is it’s not
Pets.com
. It’s not a business that just disappears into the muck of venture capitalism. It’s a business that is essential to the survival of the Republic, for Christ’s sake. So you don’t fuck around with it like that,” says
@sallyjenx.bsky.social
.
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How Jeff Bezos Brought Down the Washington Post
The Amazon founder bought the paper to save it. Instead, with a mass layoff, he’s forced it into severe decline.
https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-communications/how-jeff-bezos-brought-down-the-washington-post
3 days ago
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“It’s something we would do in a banana republic.”
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In Forcing the Clintons to Testify on Epstein, Comer Sets a New Precedent
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/us/politics/james-comer-clintons-epstein.html
3 days ago
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“I worked there for 60 years, and how many people get to say that about any occupation whatsoever?”
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He Was Laid Off at The Washington Post After Working There 60 Years
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/business/media/washington-post-martin-weil-metro.html
3 days ago
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“Governor Hochul and her team are attempting to address the affordability crisis for New Yorkers,” says
@jasgripper.bsky.social
. “Of course, they also took note of the enthusiasm around Zohran’s win.”
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After Taking on Trump and Backing Mamdani, Hochul Sees Her Star Rise
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/nyregion/hochul-democratic-convention-delgado.html
3 days ago
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“If you’re going to run in a Trump +10 district, you don’t want some far-left influencer type to run.”
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To Win Back the House, Democrats Take the Fight to Deep-Red Areas
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/us/politics/democrats-house-candidates.html
3 days ago
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"People imagine them as members of Congress who have staff and bodyguards. No. They're just regular people who everybody knows where they live."
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Political violence and low pay are pushing young state lawmakers toward the exit
Inside the hidden costs of serving in office.
https://www.axios.com/2026/02/05/gen-z-millennial-state-law-makers-violence-pay
3 days ago
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“People are rejecting the politics of fear that’s defined the Trump era, are increasingly worried about the harm ICE tactics are causing. Americans understand that cruelty is not a policy and enforcement without humanity is being rejected.”
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Trump’s deportation push is scrambling New York’s suburban politics
Fury over immigration enforcement is dividing swing districts and putting pressure on moderate Democrats and pro-Trump Republicans.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/05/trumps-deportation-push-is-scrambling-new-yorks-suburban-politics-00764856
3 days ago
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"We need to know why the White House has been so obsessed with covering up the Epstein files."
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‘There Will Be Accountability’
The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee discusses the Epstein files, scrutinizing the Trump administration — and what happens if Democrats take the House this fall.
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2026/02/05/robert-garcia-epstein-files-oversight-trump-interview-00764831
3 days ago
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Time to do the reading.
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Newsom, Shapiro and Other Democrats Whip Up the 2028 Book Buzz
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/us/politics/newsom-shapiro-democrats-2028-memoirs.html
4 days ago
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“We can’t trust the federal government, and they are now adversaries of the states.”
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Trump’s Call to ‘Nationalize’ Elections Adds to State Officials’ Alarm
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/us/politics/trump-election-states-midterms.html
4 days ago
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“The system sucks. This job sucks. And I am trying every breath that I have so that I can get you what you need. Sometimes I wish you would just hold me in contempt, your honor, so that I can have a full 24 hours of sleep.”
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‘This job sucks’: Government lawyers, drowning in immigration cases, have had it
Government lawyers say they’re overwhelmed and can’t get a response when they tell ICE to comply with judges’ orders.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/04/trump-ice-minnesota-prosecutors-immigration-00765031
4 days ago
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“If he can help us win the trifecta, and then use it to actually govern and get good results — or as he likes to say, ‘get shit done’ — that looks really good at the national level,”
@mikeschlossberg.bsky.social
tells
@lisakashinsky.bsky.social
.
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Shapiro needs big policy wins for a 2028 run. He’s gunning for a Democratic trifecta to achieve them.
The Pennsylvania governor is mounting an aggressive down-ballot push this year alongside his reelection bid.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/04/shapiro-pennsylvania-democratic-trifecta-00764233
4 days ago
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“I will have to learn a new way to read the paper, since I have started with the sports page since the late 1940s.”
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Washington Post Sports Department Was Among Last of Its Kind
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/business/media/washington-post-layoffs-sports-section.html
4 days ago
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Chris Jones reports from Milan.
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Washington Post staff laid off while in Milan still hope to find beauty in the Olympics | CBC
In the last hours before these Olympics begin, and the flame is lit, and the cheering starts, a smaller, sad drama played out in a little white box of an office in the Main Media Centre in Milan. A si...
https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/winter/milano-cortina-olympics-washington-post-chris-jones-feb4-9.7073743
4 days ago
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“I’m not this Hasidic journalist. I’m a journalist who’s Hasidic.”
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This Hasidic Reporter Has a Few Questions for Mayor Mamdani
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/01/nyregion/jacob-kornbluh-mamdani-hasidic-jewish-reporter.html
7 days ago
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“Come on, Mr. Newsom, say you love your son.”
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Is the Personal Political? Five Takeaways From Gavin Newsom’s New Book
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/01/us/politics/gavin-newsom-memoir-takeaways.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share
7 days ago
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“Gavin, if you want to see me, you should probably do so before Thursday. Because that’s going to be my last day on earth.”
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With New Memoir, Newsom Wants Americans to Know He Struggled Growing Up
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/01/us/politics/with-new-memoir-newsom-wants-americans-to-know-he-struggled-growing-up.html
7 days ago
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Ken Martin: “In a Trump +17 district, Republicans had to go all out and still lost this race. Tonight’s results prove that no Republican seat is safe.”
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Democratic Upset in Deep Red Texas District Rattles Republicans
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/01/us/democratic-upset-texas-district-republicans.html
7 days ago
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“Renee Good’s death was tragic. Alex Pretti’s is a trend.”
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How Alex Pretti’s Death Became a National Tipping Point
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/01/us/alex-pretti-minneapolis.html
7 days ago
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“We had a good time at the Alfalfa Dinner. I think we did well, I hope we did well. But it was very good. Tremendous people.”
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Trump tries humor, gets some silence, at black-tie dinner with ‘people I hate’
In a frenetic presidency marked by jarring contrasts, he added another Saturday night: suiting up in black-tie regalia amid mass immigration protests and telling jokes about invading Greenland.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/02/01/trump-alfalfa-club-dinner/
7 days ago
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“Did this guy take his interior design inspiration from American Psycho?”
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The wildest stories in Gavin Newsom’s new memoir
“Young Man in a Hurry” is full of eyebrow-raising anecdotes, including an extended cameo by Donald Trump.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/01/wildest-stories-gavin-newsom-new-memoir-00758591
7 days ago
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“I’m just putting it out there. Let other good people judge. But hey, at least it’s on my terms, not yours.”
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Gavin Newsom opens the oppo book in his new memoir
“Young Man in a Hurry” focuses on the personal more than the political, but Newsom’s likely 2028 run is the undeniable subtext.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/01/gavin-newsom-new-memoir-00758565
7 days ago
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The funds far outstrip those of any other political figure — Republican or Democrat — entering 2026 ...
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Lame duck no more? Trump stockpiles hundreds of millions ahead of midterms.
Campaign finance disclosures filed late Saturday revealed details of the president’s unmatched political fundraising operation.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/01/donald-trump-fundraising-midterms-00759005
7 days ago
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Democrats post early fundraising edge in marquee 2026 Senate races.
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Democrats post early fundraising edge in marquee 2026 Senate races
Competitive primaries in a few key states have helped Republicans maintain a cash advantage, according to new filings submitted to the Federal Election Commission.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/01/senate-fundraising-campaign-finance-fec-00759078?utm_medium=twitt&utm_source=dlvr.it
7 days ago
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“It’s almost a contagious energy.”
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RFK Jr. is now a wellness guru for Republicans in Washington
Conservatives in the capital are taking up the health secretary’s advice, eating their vegetables and eschewing pharmaceuticals.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/01/rfk-wellness-republicans-maha-washington-dc-00757417
7 days ago
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“The movement we’re building is about taking a bet on the divide in our politics not really being about left versus right, but being about the folks who are locked out and the folks who are locking them out,”
@abdulelsayed.bsky.social
tells
@politico.com
.
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Michigan’s 3-car pileup of a primary has Senate Democrats worried
The race is a crucial test for what the next generation of Democrats will look like — and whether they can prevail in a must-win race for their Senate chances.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/01/michigan-senate-mcmorrow-stevens-el-sayed-00758408
7 days ago
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Trump to
@politico.com
: “When I’m no longer around to settle wars, the U.N. can. It has tremendous potential. Tremendous.”
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The issue Democrats have been scared to run on
And a judge refuses to block Trump's Minnesota immigration surge.
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/playbook/2026/02/01/the-issue-democrats-have-been-scared-to-run-on-00759103?nname=playbook&nid=0000014f-1646-d88f-a1cf-5f46b7bd0000&nrid=0000014c-2412-d9dd-a5ec-34be3e1e0004
7 days ago
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