Talked w/ @washingtonpost.com about the need to constantly hold Republican midterm candidates accountable for Trump's unpopular record. Both control DC & the congressional GOP green-lit his war with Iran, tax cuts for billionaires, and corruption. They own all the baggage together.

Talked with @juliegraceb.bsky.social for @sourcessaynews.bsky.social about how, going into 2026, the White House keeps insulting the swing voters who are still waiting on the lower prices and global stability they were promised in 2024.

Talked with @gregsargent.bsky.social for @newrepublic.com's "Daily Blast" podcast about new midterm polls and how swing voters increasingly view Republicans in Congress as selling out to a cost-raising, promise-breaking establishment that's more corrupt than anything we've ever seen.

Congressional Republicans promised to fight the "establishment," but they aren't lifting a finger to investigate Trump's unprecedented corruption - even though it's raising costs for everyday people. Good conversation with @jimacosta.bsky.social.

Talked with @jimacosta.bsky.social about how it was a mistake for Trump to attack the Obama Iran deal today because Obama's actually worked. It just reminds people that @barackobama.bsky.social is a better negotiator than Donald Trump is, right as the Iran War restarts and gas prices surge again.

Talked with @nbcnews.com about how the threat Trump posed to Democrats' values meant that we didn't spend enough time listening to voters. Which made us seem like we thought defending institutions or pushing cancel culture were bigger priorities than economic opportunity and safety.

Talked w/ @robillard.bsky.social about the false choice between risk-averse old guard types on one hand and candidates from the bluest parts of cities who want to "abolish" prisons on the other. Most Democrats winning primaries to flip GOP seats are economic populists building a big tent.

Trump’s profiteering in office was once unimaginable in a democracy, particularly by a sitting American president. The Trump family’s earnings move him into an echelon of enrichment more associated with strongmen in Russia and Turkey. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/02/w...

Trump’s Huge Windfall Has Few Known Global Precedents

nytimes.com

Talked w/ @thebulwark.com online about how Democrats will keep hammering Republican candidates about gas prices and Iran for the rest of 2026. Trump's rubber stamps in Congress will never have a good answer for angry voters who were promised an end to inflation and no new wars.

Trump used to say we've spent too much on wars in the Middle East and we need to invest at home. But now he says we can't pay for daycare or Medicaid because of his Iran War. In November the GOP will desperately wish they hadn't supported this.

STATEMENT ON OUR COMING LAWSUIT TO STOP TRUMP'S ELECTION EO from @lulacorg.bsky.social @democracydefendersfund.org @campaignlegal.org

Can the Courts Rein Trump In? Fmr. White House Special Counsel Weighs In • John Harwood asks Norm Eisen whether the Supreme Court has enabled Trump’s lawlessness.

Can the Courts Rein Trump In? Fmr. White House Special Counsel Weighs In

John Harwood asks Norm Eisen whether the Supreme Court has enabled Trump’s lawlessness.

zeteo.com

If the Epstein files feel incomplete, it’s because they are. We still don’t have full transparency ... and absolutely no one deserves protection but the victims.

Bondi Busted Hiding Trump Goons’ Messages From the Epstein Files

Communications from Bondi and other top administration officials were conspicuously absent.

thedailybeast.com

Who does DOJ think they're fooling? The 3 MILLION Epstein files they're holding back r obviously full of stuff that should be turned over eg internal comms among Trump cronies We have the receipts & lay them out in our complaint to OIG. @axios.com has the exclusive www.axios.com/2026/02/06/e...

Missing records from Bondi and Patel draw scrutiny in Epstein release

The complaint calls it "deeply troubling" that no communications from Bondi or Patel appear in the ream of documents.

axios.com

Trump broke his promise to focus on deporting violent criminals. ICE is harassing innocent people instead. ICE's billions in new funding came at the expense of health care, like Democrats from @hakeem-jeffries.bsky.social to @aoc.bsky.social are pointing out

BREAKING: huge, gigantic, enormous win SCOTUS allows our big victory at trial upholding the Prop 50 redistricting to remain in place Kudos to my @democracydefendersaction.org, @lulacorg.bsky.social, Arnold & Porter & rest of the coalition that countered Trump's attempt to steal Congressional seats

Looks like Affordability will be front & center in the midterms. Two advisors from the Cost Coalition, @andrewbatesnc.bsky.social and Terry Holt on the pod today. I started with the basics. What do people mean when they say, "Affordability?" bit.ly/Click-2-Listen YouTu.be/yAHMubn3EE8

A video of Alex Pretti reading out the final salute of an unnamed veteran he cared for until the end of his life in the ICU, posted to Facebook by his son.

Talked with BBC about how it's good that Trump pulled back from what would be the worst real estate deal in U.S. history But that it's a huge giveaway to our competitors when we tell allies we don't care if you've lost soldiers defending America

NEW: Trump wanted to be a dictator One year in, he has so far FAILED because of the enormous pushback @DDFund’s new report shows how the democracy movement met his autocratic flood the zone with rule of law shock & awe www.democracydefendersfund.org/autocracy-v-...

Autocracy vs. Democracy in America: The First Year

This report evaluates the first year of the Trump administration’s authoritarian surge and the overall resilience of our democracy. The administration has inflicted profound damage, but our battered d...

democracydefendersfund.org

Wrote for @zeteo.com about how the legacy of 4-term NC Governor Jim Hunt, who passed away last month, has new relevance for Democrats in 2026 and 2028. -Framing investments in working people - especially education - as a measure of community pride

“His biggest problem is that costs are continuing to go up, and he promised people they would go down, and whenever people see him creating some other kind of a problem, rather than buckling down and trying to un-break that key promise, they turn against him more,” says @andrewbatesnc.bsky.social.

How Trump’s foreign intervention could shake up the midterm elections

Democrats immediately argued that U.S. military action in Venezuela was an abandonment of the president’s promise to focus on improving lives at home.

washingtonpost.com

BREAKING: We are suing Trump & his cronies to restore the Kennedy Center’s lawful name We @democracydefendersaction.org are proud to represent Kennedy Center Trustee @repbeatty.bsky.social w/ our friends at Washington Litigation Group Congress named the Kennedy Center & only they can change it

Press Release | Democracy Defenders Action

Congresswoman Joyce Beatty today sued President Trump and others to stop the unlawful renaming of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The lawsuit was brought on behalf of the Congressw...

democracydefendersaction.org

“Would a lame duck build himself an assisted living ballroom?”: Eleven months into his second term, Donald Trump’s agenda is stalling, fueling questions about whether he has already become a lame duck president. The Weeknight panel weighs in.

More corrupt knee-bending. Instacart illegally fired an employee for exercising her right to run for Congress as a Democrat, saying they were worried about how the Trump Administration would respond to her support for reproductive rights and gun reform. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Instacart director says she was fired for Democratic congressional campaign

Lisa Vedernikova Khanna, a candidate in Virginia, says in a lawsuit that the mobile shopping giant cited concerns her bid could hurt the company with President Donald Trump.

washingtonpost.com

In the new Emerson poll in TN 07, 97% of Harris voters support Aftyn Behn (D) and 88% of Trump voters support Matt Van Epps (R). If that pattern holds across races in 2026 and there is a slight Democratic turnout edge, Democrats would be favored in any CD that Trump won by 12 points or less.

BREAKING: We won! 3rd Circuit affirms illegality of Habba appointment We @democracydefendersfund.org are honored to work on this case with the wonderful folks at Lowell & Associates, Gerald Krovatin & many others 👇

From the problems created by his old friend Epstein to those presented by his new friend Zohran.... this was Trump's weakest week. I explain in my weekly column @contrariannews.org open.substack.com/pub/contrari...

Has Trump’s Power Peaked?

Publisher's Roundup 45

open.substack.com

It’s remarkable how bad right-leaning polling has gotten for Trump. Cygnal and McLaughlin have sent big warnings about 2026. Echelon found him dropping 8 points. TIPP showed him losing 10. Now this - Fox has him dropping 9 points. No illusions now. They know they are in a bad place.