Michigan has a Democratic Senate seat that the Democrats need to maintain, and it has now become open. The candidate they have chosen for this is Abdul El-Sayed, a Muslim who supports radical Islam in pretty much every manifestation he can find.
He lies about it, but it&#8217;s not much of a lie considering he has openly stated that he was not going to talk about the death of Ayatollah Khamenei because too many of his friends and supporters were upset about it. He literally equated a radical Muslim attacking a bunch of Jewish schoolchildren in Detroit with the idea of the IDF killing a member of Hezbollah.
He spends his days hanging out with CAIR; his family members are pretty much openly connected with Muslim Brotherhood-associated groups. And of course, he has campaigned alongside anti-American Twitch streamer Hasan Piker over and over and over again.
On Monday, he decided to go on Fox News for an interview with Jesse Watters, and it got awkward because one of the very weird things about the sort of red-green alliance, the radical Left-radical Islam alliance, is that it makes for strange bedfellows.
Muslims generally don’t want transing of the kids. But Abdul El-Sayed is a good Democrat because he needs the coalition, and they support transing of the kids.
“You&#8217;re a doctor, right?” Watters asked. “So you think it&#8217;s okay for a parent to slash his kid’s ding-a-ling off?
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ben-shapiro-show-ep-2492?elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=Recent+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-981859" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/ben-banner.avif" alt="" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/ben-banner.avif 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/ben-banner-300x50.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/ben-banner-768x128.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
“Do you really want to have this conversation?” El-Sayed replied. “Are you circumcised?”
“Yeah, but, I mean, that&#8217;s a personal question,” Watters answered.
“You probably should want to move on,” El-Sayed warned. “You probably should want to move on.
“And circumcision is different than castration,” Watters added.
“I think it&#8217;s a problem,” El-Sayed said. “It&#8217;s a problem that you think that you get to decide what happens between a parent, a doctor and a patient. And I&#8217;m just saying that, yes, circumcision is surgery on a kid&#8217;s ding-a-ling. So if you really want to bring that up, you can. I just think you guys are really selective about these things.”
Watters: “Abdul, Michigan&#8217;s not going for that.”
Imagine if El-Sayed asked whether it&#8217;s okay to cut people&#8217;s heads off, and he responds, “Hey, have you ever had a tonsillectomy?”
This is where we are now. He is asked about cutting small boys’ genitals off, and he answers with, &#8220;Are you circumcised?&#8221;
These are not the same thing. In fact, the only sort of female or male surgery for a child that would be in the same category would be female circumcision, but even that is different, because male circumcision still leaves the member intact and fully working. That is not the case with female circumcision, which is commonly practiced in many areas of the world.
El-Sayed’s comparison is crazy, even more so when you consider that Muslims are generally very pro-circumcision and against transing the kids.
But the Democratic coalition and power are all that matter here.
El-Sayed is a radical. In July 2025, he openly said that it was America that had created terrorists, saying:
<blockquote>I think the approach that we&#8217;ve often taken in terrorism has been to figure out how to leverage the might of the U.S. military to go in and root out certain terrorist organizations and where that&#8217;s necessary, that&#8217;s necessary.
But I also think we need to be curious about why those things happen in the first place. Like what drives somebody to want to commit such a heinous act? &#8230; part of what we have to understand is that sometimes when we move, we create so much collateral damage, because too often we have been on the wrong side of our own policies.</blockquote>
This is a person who truly hates America.
He compared Sharia law to canon law, saying, “The idea that I could practice my faith as I choose is a problem. Nobody is trying to push Sharia on anyone else. Just like I hope nobody is trying to push canon law on anybody else.”
“Nobody is trying to push Sharia law on anyone else” is a hell of a statement globally, because that is not true on a global level at all.
El-Sayed has been out campaigning with Hasan Piker, who mocked Charlie Kirk’s death. Piker has no redeeming features. His fans are worse than he is because when he tried to walk back some of his anti-American rhetoric, his fans booed him for doing it. He told them America didn’t deserve 9/11, and his fans booed him because they know he&#8217;s lying about what he thinks; they know he&#8217;s lying because, of course, he believes America deserved 9/11.
Then he came out and suggested that the Democrats who have condemned his remarks about Charlie Kirk are somehow worse than Republicans. He said:
<blockquote>I think if you are a liberal and you lean into the Republican pearl-clutching operation around the martyrization of Charlie Kirk, you are literally in my estimation, you&#8217;re lower than the Republicans. Okay? You are the dogs*** that is stuck to the bottom of my shoe.</blockquote>
The fact that this person is treated as a mainstream voice within the Democratic Party and by the entire media is amazing. He also spent the weekend suggesting that Jews who support Israel are fair game.
I want to hear about real Judaism from Hasan Piker. What does Judaism mean? I think Hasan Piker should define it. His knowledge of Judaism is distilled wisdom.
Here&#8217;s what he&#8217;s really doing. His whole idea is that if you are a Jew who believes in truly Jewish ideas, you&#8217;re not really a Jew. Thus, if you&#8217;re attacked, you&#8217;re not being attacked for being a Jew. You&#8217;re being attacked for being bad. The Jews who agree with Hasan Piker are the ones who are okay.
This is the entire game right now of the antisemitic Left and some of the antisemitic Right: to say Zionist instead of Jew, because most Jews are Zionists, meaning that they believe there ought to be a Jewish state in Israel.
You know why we believe that? Because we have been praying for that three times a day for 3,000 years. We have been praying for it since the destruction of the Second Temple. It is a core part of Jewishness to believe there ought to be Jewish governance in Israel. That is a core part of being Jewish.
El-Sayed put out a statement: “I believe all Americans deserve the right to advocate for what they believe without fear of violence. This is particularly true for communities that have been intimidated for their beliefs in the past. My commitment to Jewish safety is the same as my commitment to the safety of my own daughters.”
I don&#8217;t believe him for one solitary second, because I promise you that if somebody attacked his daughter&#8217;s preschool, he would not be saying “Hurt people hurt people,” which is what he said when a Jewish preschool was attacked by a radical Muslim.
He says anti-Semitism is a scourge, and we need to address it in all of its forms. He said, “To be crystal-clear, nobody speaks for this campaign besides me and my campaign spokespeople.”
Piker said on Tuesday:
<blockquote>There are going to be a lot of people who are already questioning Abdul El-Sayed’s sincerity on these issues that will then turn around and say, &#8220;Oh, he’s, you know, he’s moderating his position on Israel,&#8221; all this stuff. I don’t think he is. Okay, I will say this. I am literally the person that is being dangled. And I’m going to tell you once again, he’s not moderating on his perspective on Israel or anything like that. His reaction to this has always been very good, which is, &#8220;Look, I deal with people that I don’t fully agree with and don’t fully subscribe to on a daily basis.&#8221; This is politics. Politics is about addition, not subtraction, right?
It’s smart. It’s the right way to deal with it and then deflect back to the issues because they are the ones who are engaging in the deflection, okay?</blockquote>
That should make things perfectly clear.

IMG_6348

The Radical Transformation Of The Democratic Party Is Almost Complete

2026 midterm election

abdul el-sayed

antisemitism

democratic party

hasan piker

michigan senate race

politics

Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman might want to trade in his black hoodie for an elephant badge if he wants to keep his seat in the Senate: New polling suggests that he could find friendlier terrain on the Republican side of the aisle than among the Democrats who elected him.
According to a shocking poll from <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/">The New York Times</a>, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and Siena College, Fetterman has become a complete outcast in his own party. The survey reveals Fetterman is underwater at a brutal -41 approval rating with Democrats, while boasting a staggering +52 favorability rating with Republicans.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Fetterman is -41 with Democrats and +52 with Republicans, per the new NYT/Philly Inquirer/Siena poll. <a href="https://t.co/mIcEUqQnbc">pic.twitter.com/mIcEUqQnbc</a>
&mdash; Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) <a href="https://x.com/AaronBlake/status/2092227225546305745?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The jaw-dropping numbers come as Fetterman continues a high-profile, scorched-earth streak against his own party’s hard-Left wing, positioning himself as a moderate willing to lock arms with Republicans on key national security, energy, and foreign policy battles.
Fetterman’s rift with the Left was on full display when he <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/08/23/us-news/fetterman-sides-with-trump-on-ai-national-security-push-with-chinese-warning/?utm_campaign=nypost&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social">slammed</a> &#8220;AI doomsdaying&#8221; last week, aligning himself with President Donald Trump’s aggressive stance on artificial intelligence and data centers to counter China. Fetterman publicly rejected &#8220;political pandering and hyperbole over data centers,&#8221; taking aim at Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who wants a stop on AI development, which Fetterman blasted as a &#8220;China First&#8221; policy.
Fetterman has also ripped into Sanders over his support for controversial figures. In July, he referred to Sanders’ support for former Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner, snapping, “I would really call Bernie Sanders to apologize for pushing this kind of predator — more than anyone he helped [to] elect — and now apologize to the victims, especially the woman that she claimed that he raped her, so I don&#8217;t know why you want to keep pushing these kinds of people. Maybe he should consider [sitting] a few out and stop pushing these kinds of communists, and now people like P. Hustle. Now he has been credibly accused of rape — and that&#8217;s fairly recent, too, that was only less than five years ago.&#8221;
Fetterman’s willingness to cross party lines isn&#8217;t new. He previously made waves by <a href="https://twitter.com/NEWSMAX/status/1980710809916567915">backing</a> Republicans in carving out the filibuster to end a government shutdown. Fetterman also noted that Left-leaning networks like MS NOW stopped booking him once he began speaking out against his party&#8217;s consensus, while conservative outlets welcomed his no-nonsense style.
The biggest breaking point, however, remains foreign policy. <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6399969120112">Appearing</a> on Fox News&#8217; &#8220;Hannity,&#8221; Fetterman declared there was one thing that could push him straight out of the Democratic Party: if anti-Israel hostility officially becomes part of the party platform. Fetterman warned that &#8220;rank antisemitism&#8221; is being allowed to flourish on the far-Left and on college campuses. He remains the only Senate Democrat to vote against every Iran war-powers resolution this year.
In July, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) was asked, “Senator Fetterman has indicated that if Democrats officially become anti-Israeli, he would leave the party. Have you had any conversations with him about maybe joining the GOP conference, and would you welcome him if he were to follow that path?”
Thune replied, &#8220;Yes, we would welcome him. I haven&#8217;t talked to him recently. I have had conversations with him in the past, as have many of my colleagues, about the challenges he faces in his caucus. There are many of us who I think would welcome the opportunity to have him join the Republican conference but you know ultimately that&#8217;s a decision that&#8217;s left up that&#8217;s up to him.&#8221;
&#8220;I mean, this is a party that&#8217;s moving further and further, more radically, and to the more extreme Left on a lot of issues,&#8221; Thune added. &#8220;And I think people like John Fetterman, who have views that probably reflect a more moderate or at least historically moderate Democrat position, are really kind of people without a home. So if he ever comes to the conclusion that he&#8217;s ready to move, we would certainly welcome it.&#8221;

John Fetterman

Could Fetterman Jump Ship? GOP Welcomes Senator As His Favorability Plummets Among Dems

bernie sanders

john fetterman

john thune

Democrats are angry with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) after he privately met with President Donald Trump&#8217;s son-in-law Jared Kushner to discuss potential areas of cooperation.
Former Obama aide Tommy Vietor <a href="https://x.com/TVietor08/status/2091519661011828786?s=20">blasted</a> Jeffries over the meeting, arguing that Kushner should be the target of congressional scrutiny rather than an ally.
“Jared Kushner has no actual government job. He just uses his family connections to get money from Gulf autocrats and fund corrupt deals,&#8221; Vietor said. &#8220;The only way Jeffries should work with him is with demands for documents and subpoenas.” 
Democratic pundit Jennifer Welch was even more direct.
“I don’t want to work with fascists. I don’t want to collaborate with fascists,” she <a href="https://x.com/MarcoFoster_/status/2091915461902401597">said.</a> 
Mehdi Hasan, founder and editor-in-chief of the left-wing news outlet Zeteo, also criticized the meeting.
“This is just pathetic stuff from the House Democratic leader,” he <a href="https://x.com/mehdirhasan/status/2091540763905601642" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said.</a>
The unusual meeting was <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/23/us/politics/jeffries-kushner-private-meeting.html">held</a> in a private space in New York City, according to The New York Times. Described as a “catch-up,” the conversation reportedly covered housing, immigration, the rising cost of living, and other issues on which the two might agree. They also discussed a potential meeting between Jeffries and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
Kushner and Jeffries have known each other for years and worked together on criminal justice reform during Trump&#8217;s first term. Kushner, who does not hold an official position in the current administration but remains an outside adviser to Trump, has reportedly told other Trump advisers that Jeffries represents the best path toward bipartisan cooperation in Congress, while Wiles is the best person to facilitate those efforts in the West Wing. 
The meeting comes as Jeffries faces pressure from his own party following a string of primary victories by Democratic Socialists of America-backed candidates.
The DSA has directly targeted Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).
“Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries have failed to meet the moment and mount a credible defense against Trump,&#8221; the organization <a href="https://www.dsausa.org/statements/to-beat-fascism-we-need-socialism/">states</a> on its website. &#8220;This is no surprise from the party that handed the White House to the Republicans, campaigning on a failed status quo instead of fighting to raise wages and stop price gouging. To beat fascism, we need socialism.” 
The hostility appears to be mutual, with Jeffries <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/socialism-surges-among-democrats-party-leaders-reject-dsa-agenda-pack-fools">stating</a> earlier this month, “I don’t support the DSA agenda, as has been articulated by the DSA itself.” 
Jeffries has rejected calls to abolish ICE, instead advocating aggressive reform. He also opposes defunding the police and Medicare for All, a key leftist policy championed by Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, who defeated establishment Democrat Rep. Haley Stevens.
Cygnal pollster Brent Buchanan argues Republicans have a way to blunt that momentum, portraying Jeffries’s meeting with Kushner as proof that Democratic warnings about Trump being an existential threat are overblown. 
“Their House leader spent an afternoon looking for space to deal with the president’s son-in-law. Republicans should make sure every Democratic voter in the country knows that meeting happened,” Buchanan said. “The party’s moderate wing has stopped voting for something and started voting against someone. A leader who sits down to negotiate takes the emergency away, and the emergency is the anger that gets those voters to the polls.”
Democratic socialists have gained ground by defeating establishment Democrats in several recent primaries. Claire Valdez and Darializa Chevalier unseated incumbents in New York City, while Melat Kiros won in Colorado and Angie Nixon prevailed in Florida’s Democratic primary. 
Some Republicans have openly welcomed the DSA’s success, arguing that socialist nominees will be easier to defeat in general elections. One Trump adviser <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/19/democrats-florida-senate-angie-nixon-misterms">called</a> Nixon’s victory a win for Republicans.
“We couldn’t have picked a better candidate,” the adviser said. “I wish we could take credit for secretly funding her, but this wasn’t us.” 
President Trump similarly called El-Sayed’s victory in Michigan “great news” for the Republican Party.

Hakeem Jeffries

Dem Knives Are Out For Hakeem Jeffries After Secret Jared Kushner Meeting

chuck schumer

democratic socialists of america

hakeem jeffries

jared kushner

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, the Maryland Democrat who drew outrage for flying to El Salvador to fight for the release of a suspected MS-13 gang banger, is teasing a possible 2028 presidential run.
In an interview with <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/video/chris-van-hollen-says-he-s-kicking-the-tires-on-2028-presidential-run-268737093700">NBC</a>, Van Hollen said Sunday Democrats have failed to effectively communicate their alternative message to disenchanted voters ahead of the November midterm elections.
“I&#8217;ve been kicking the tires as I look at 2028 because I don&#8217;t think the Democratic Party has answered the call about how we&#8217;re going to make sure we have an economy that really does work for everybody, especially working people,” he told Kristen Welker. 
“You’ve been kicking the tires on 2028, meaning you’re considering a run for president in 2028?” the Meet the Press host asked.
“I&#8217;m kicking the tires. Meaning I&#8217;ve been to New Hampshire. I was invited to go there. I was invited to go out to Iowa last summer. I think there&#8217;s a great deal of churning within the Democratic Party, and I support that. As I said, I think we need this healthy debate because I don&#8217;t think Democrats have put forward a clear alternative to the Trump administration,” Van Hollen responded. 
“Bottom line, I think Democrats need to be very clear not just what we&#8217;re against, but what we&#8217;re for. And I very much want to be part of that debate. And I am kicking the tires, testing the waters,” he added. 
Van Hollen made national headlines and drew intense backlash after traveling to El Salvador to meet with Abrego Garcia, an alleged MS-13 gang member, before he was ultimately returned to the United States. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-makes-new-legal-move-against-kilmar-abrego-garcia">The Daily Wire</a> reported earlier this week that the Trump administration is working to revive charges against Garcia as it continues to fight for his deportation.
The Maryland Democrat’s soft launch will likely add another name to what is expected to be a crowded 2028 field, as the party’s establishment wing struggles to contain a growing socialist insurgency.
Since President Donald Trump’s re-election, the Democratic establishment has watched its leftist wing barnstorm the country, racking up one victory after another. Socialist Zohran Mamdani’s upset in New York City’s mayoral primary kicked off the movement’s breakthrough, followed by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mamdanis-socialists-upset-incumbent-dems-in-house-primary-sweep">three Democratic Socialists of America-backed leftists</a> ousting longtime Democratic representatives. The socialist-aligned Left also steamrolled its way through <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-trashes-the-socialist-poised-to-be-next-mayor-of-d-c">Washington, D.C.</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/socialist-hot-streak-continues-as-radical-leftist-unseats-15-term-democrat?author=Brecca+Stoll&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Socialist+Hot+Streak+Continues+As+Radical+Leftist+Unseats+15-Term+Democrat">Denver</a>, then succeeded in nominating Abdul El-Sayed for the U.S. Senate in Michigan.  
“Do you think democratic socialists have a place in the Democratic Party?” Welker asked Van Hollen.
“They do, as part of the debate,” he said. “I am not afraid to debate. I think that those in the Democratic Party afraid of a healthy debate are missing the point.”

Sen. Chris Van Hollen Meets With Wrongly Imprisoned Man Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia in El Salvador

Democratic Senator Tests 2028 Waters After Fighting To Free MS-13 Suspect

2028 presidential election

chris van hollen

kilmar abrego garcia

Abdul El-Sayed, the Muslim socialist-aligned Democrat nominee for Michigan’s open Senate seat, compared his “radical” politics to Jesus, arguing that Christ was also considered a radical in His time.
Newly unearthed audio reviewed by The Daily Wire shows El-Sayed making the unusual comparison during a May interview on “The Progressive Christians Podcast,” when he was asked about left-wing priorities such as Medicare for All, opposition to war, and resisting corporate influence in politics.
“Obviously, Jesus was a healer and very focused on people’s bodies being redeemed, and yet those platforms or policies are being named radical. And we know that you have been referred to as a radical. So, what do you think about that title?” the host asked.
“You know, Jesus, peace and blessings be upon Him, was considered radical in His time too,” El-Sayed said. “And there is a radical nature to being willing to stand forthright in a time of corruption.”
This isn’t the first time El-Sayed has invoked Jesus to justify left-wing politics. Last week, he <a href="https://youtu.be/6NOhIms7QuU?t=886">said</a>, “If you followed the teachings of Jesus Christ, it was about upending the system against the richest and most powerful in the ways that they used their power and their money to subjugate other people. Like, that was the essential teaching.&#8221;
El-Sayed is the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/abdul-el-sayed-took-over-a-dog-slaughterhouse-he-admits-hes-not-an-animal-guy">latest</a> of a host of leftist candidates invoking the Christian faith this cycle to win over voters who have largely abandoned the Democratic Party. 
“Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed thinks he’s the second coming of Jesus Christ, here to save America with an extreme socialist agenda,” RNC Spokesperson Hunter Lovell told The Daily Wire. “Jesus isn’t a pawn for political games, and El-Sayed’s radical terrorist-sympathizing ideology is an insult to millions of Christians.”
A survey of Christian voters across denominations last year revealed a staggering collapse in trust in the Democratic Party, with 75% reporting little or no trust in the party, according to data <a href="https://time.com/7294664/they-just-walked-away-new-poll-shows-how-badly-democrats-are-losing-christian-voters-of-all-stripes/">shared with TIME.</a> More than half said they trust the GOP to protect their values, while 70% said they have little or no confidence in the federal government. Adding to the alarm, 61% said life in America has become harder for people of faith over the past decade.
“You can’t be the majority party if you ignore the majority faith in this country,” Doug Pagitt, a leftist pastor and executive director of Vote Common Good, told the outlet. “We know there’s this tension in the party.”
The survey was commissioned following President Donald Trump’s decisive 2024 victory, when he captured an overwhelming share of the Christian vote, winning large majorities among evangelicals and Catholics to secure another term in the White House. 
Fast forward to 2026, and Democratic candidates — who have largely shied away from talking about faith on the campaign trail — are increasingly embracing leftist interpretations of the Bible to make inroads with religious voters. 
Sarah Trone Garriott, the Democratic candidate for Iowa&#8217;s 3rd Congressional District, emphasized her work as a Lutheran minister while campaigning over the weekend.
“Everyone knows me as the pastor. I am a Lutheran minister. I still preach on the weekends, and this month I’m celebrating the 18th anniversary of my ordination,” Trone Garriott <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lefty-pastor-preached-showing-up-then-we-checked-her-record?author=Jacob+Wheeler&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Lefty+Pastor+Preached+%E2%80%98Showing+Up.%E2%80%99+Then+We+Checked+Her+Record.">said</a>. “And one thing that I have learned from ministry is to serve a community well; you have got to show up.” 
The leftist minister, a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), once claimed that challenges to the traditional definitions of men and women are “very threatening” to white men and downplayed concerns about the dangers of the transgender movement for women, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-democrat-candidate-says-trans-ideology-threatens-the-white-male">The Daily Wire</a> previously reported.
In Texas, Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico has likewise emphasized his Christian faith to make inroads with evangelical voters — the <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/religious-landscape-study/state/texas/">largest religious group</a> in Texas — by touting his Christian upbringing despite his support for abortion, describing God as “nonbinary,” opposing the display of the Ten Commandments in public schools, and his affiliation with a leftist Presbyterian denomination.
“As a Baptist preacher in South Texas, [my grandfather] taught me to follow the two great commandments — love God, and love your neighbor,” Talarico says in a <a href="https://x.com/jamestalarico/status/2087706393247952952?s=20">30-second ad</a> before connecting those teachings to lowering the cost of healthcare, housing, and groceries. 
The strategy comes as Talarico faces a difficult challenge among evangelical voters. A recent Fox News poll found that <a href="https://x.com/JWheelertv/status/2082987392626020796?s=20">78% of white evangelical Christians</a> in the Lone Star State plan to vote against Talarico, despite concerns that Ken Paxton’s (R-TX) personal scandals and marriage struggles could alienate the key demographic. 
“Democrats and the Left are increasingly realizing that rather than simply denigrate Christianity, as they did in the past, they&#8217;re better off trying to appropriate the language of Christianity and to use Jesus as a mascot for wickedness,” The Daily Wire’s Megan Basham <a href="https://x.com/megbasham/status/2014010329575940130?s=20">has argued</a>. 
“Obviously, there&#8217;s nothing Christ-like about that, as anyone with even a passing acquaintance with their Bible knows. But the Left is banking on people not being familiar with their Bibles,” she added.

US-POLITICS-SENATE

WATCH: Abdul El-Sayed Compares His ‘Radical’ Politics to Jesus

james talarico

After a primary season marked by socialist wins — and a party that can&#8217;t seem to stop the dramatic lurch to the Left — Democrats are losing the public relations game with average voters, and they&#8217;re losing big.
CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten detailed the Democratic Party&#8217;s flagging favorability numbers during a Tuesday morning segment — and although he was also careful to note that President Donald Trump was not faring any better in recent polls, he made it clear that Democrats still had some serious work to do ahead of November&#8217;s midterm elections.
&#8220;Donald Trump&#8217;s political brand ain&#8217;t too hot to trot these days,&#8221; Enten explained, holding his nose for emphasis when he added, &#8220;But I gotta tell you, P-U when it comes to the Democratic brand.&#8221;
&#8220;The net favorability rating of the Democratic Party — you know, back in 2018, when Democrats during the first Trump presidency, right? When they were able to win back control of the House? They were even,&#8221; Enten said.
Enten&#8217;s tone was incredulous as he dropped the comparison to 2026: &#8220;Twenty-five points underwater! Oof. Oof. You know, the Dem brand, it&#8217;s not too good these days, it&#8217;s not too good. It kind of smells like a New York sidewalk in the summer.&#8221;
But what Enten did not address was the wide ideological chasm between the Democrats who ran — and ultimately flipped a number of seats — in the 2018 midterms and the Democrats who have secured primary wins in the 2026 cycle.
Among the 2018 winners were two who eventually switched their party affiliation either to Republicans or independent: New Jersey&#8217;s Rep. Jeff Van Drew — now a Republican — and Arizona&#8217;s former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who declared her affiliation to be independent in 2022. Others, like Reps. Max Rose (D-NY), Antonio Delgado (D-NY), Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D-FL), and Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) were somewhat moderate in their voting records.
Just eight years later, the big primary wins have gone to a number of far-Left candidates who openly attack Israel and embrace socialism — and even a few who are card-carrying members of the Democratic Socialists of America.
Michigan&#8217;s Democratic Senate nominee <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dsa-whistleblower-says-hell-do-everything-he-can-to-elect-mike-rogers">Abdul El-Sayed</a>, for example, proudly campaigned alongside antisemitic communist and Mao Zedong superfan <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cnn-gives-el-sayed-a-chance-to-renounce-hasan-piker-he-does-the-opposite">Hasan Piker</a> — and he was not the only one to do so. DSA-aligned candidates won primaries in New York on the coattails of Democratic socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
And as more moderate Democrats lose to primary challenges from the far-Left, a number of others have opted to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/panic-sets-in-dems-tailspin-as-they-realize-the-hostile-socialist-takeover-already-started">fall in line</a> in an attempt to save their own skins, defending the rise of socialism by claiming that the Democrat tent is big enough for everyone.

Michigan Senate Candidate Abdul El-Sayed Holds Rally In Detroit With Sen. Bernie Sanders And Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Dems Are Losing The Public Relations War As Party Lurches Left

The Normies Don't Like Socialism, Dems Hardest Hit: Poll

harry enten

zohran mamdani

WASHINGTON— Activist groups are pressuring Democrats to go all-in on transgenderism ahead of the midterm elections — a topic that proved fatal for the left in 2024.
During a Democratic National Committee meeting in Texas this month, the Human Rights Campaign <a href="https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/15/democrats-plan-decade-long-strategy-push-pro-transgender-narrative/">revealed its plan</a> to spend $15 million on the midterm elections in order to push transgender ideology. Activists articulated a plan to highlight stories of trans-identifying teenagers in a pitch to gain sympathy from voters who believe they&#8217;ve been discriminated against, <a href="https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/15/democrats-plan-decade-long-strategy-push-pro-transgender-narrative/">The Washington Times reported.</a>
The strategy is particularly notable given how badly transgenderism has consistently polled for Democrats: the latest polls show that <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/08/11/most-americans-are-uncomfortable-with-transgender-athletes-on-sports-teams-that-dont-match-their-birth-sex/">most Americans are against</a> men in women&#8217;s sports and <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/voters-widely-oppose-taxpayer-funded-gender-surgeries-revealing-democrat-partys-vulnerability-poll">oppose taxpayer-funded gender transition surgeries</a>. During the 2024 election, President Donald Trump aggressively and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-trump-learned-to-embrace-the-transgender-culture-wars">successfully highlighted Democrat support</a> for gender ideology.
Republicans aren&#8217;t too worried about this messaging, a spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee shared.
&#8220;If Democrats want to keep lighting money on fire to push transgender propaganda, Republicans won&#8217;t stop them from torching it,&#8221; National Press Secretary Natalie Baldassarre told The Daily Wire. &#8220;Their woke gender ideology has already backfired, and another 10 years of &#8216;narrative work&#8217; won&#8217;t change the fact that Americans don&#8217;t want sick freaks forcing this into classrooms, invading women&#8217;s sports, or exposing themselves in bathrooms.&#8221;
Conservatives have long maintained that Democrats are beholden to far-left activist groups like the HRC — groups flush with cash that can sway the priorities of the Democrat party.  Conservative activists and strategists who spoke with The Daily Wire about the upcoming midterm elections suggested this is still very much the case.
&#8220;The national party is not following public opinion polls,&#8221; The Heritage Foundation&#8217;s Jay Richards told The Daily Wire on Monday. &#8220;It is continuing to follow the most radical, and well-funded, parts of their coalition, such as the Human Rights Campaign. HRC would have little reason to exist but for the gender ideology cause.&#8221;
HRC strategist Sam Alleman, who spoke to the DNC on the topic, shared that his organization has a 10-year plan to change how Americans view transgenderism. That includes flooding the airwaves with personal stories of people who identify as transgender — a strategy activists <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/media-keeps-claiming-abortion-bans-hamper-emergency-pregnancy-care-but-the-examples-dont-hold-up">successfully deployed</a> during the 2024 election cycle on abortion.
“Anti-trans attacks are going to be used in this election at the largest scale we have ever seen them used before, and we have to be ready and prepared for that,” Alleman told the DNC, the Washington Times reported. He did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Daily Wire. “It’s now our turn to show up for the trans community and continue doing that work and driving narrative work.&#8221;
He added: “And we really believe that in terms of shifting opinion on these issues when it comes to sports, healthcare — where it might be tough — the way we do it is by sharing our stories and not backing down and making ourselves more visible.&#8221;
The Trump White House isn&#8217;t impressed with the DNC&#8217;s planning.
“Leave it to Democrats to find themselves on the wrong side of an 80-20 issue,&#8221; White House spokesman Kush Desai told The Daily Wire on Monday. &#8220;While Democrats continue doubling down on a radical, left-wing agenda, the Trump administration will continue to protect young children from unscientific and irreversible child mutilation procedures.”
That&#8217;s a position that the White House has held for quite some time. Late last month, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt referenced criticism of Sophie Cunningham as she told The Daily Wire that the Trump administration&#8217;s stance on transgenderism reflects widespread public opinion.
“They are clearly very out of touch with the American public on this issue, which again is an 80-20 issue,” Leavitt said in late July. “It’s common sense. It’s rooted in basic biological fact that men should not be competing against women on playing fields across the country.”
Groups like the HRC and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have fought long and hard to change sentiment on transgenderism in the United States, crafting the phrase &#8220;gender-affirming care&#8221; to act as a euphemism for transgender surgeries, hormones, and puberty blockers. That clinical sounding euphemism is particularly effective when used in polling questions and framing.
When Americans are polled honestly on the topic, according to the American Principles Project&#8217;s Terry Schilling, they are adamantly against gender ideology in almost every form.  Schilling shared that his organization just got back message testing in Michigan and Wisconsin on Democrats pushing transgenderism on young people and children.
“It’s still shifting voters at incredible levels,” he said.
&#8220;People have seen how the trans agenda has sterilized and maimed even children to build a $4.5 billion medical industry,&#8221; Schilling argued. &#8220;They’ve seen men invading women’s private spaces and endangering our daughters. They’ve seen the victims of this trans agenda commit mass shootings and human atrocities when they can’t get the authentic care they deserve — acceptance and celebration of the sex and bodies that God gave them.&#8221;
Schilling does see one silver lining in the Democrat messaging — &#8220;they aren’t gaslighting us or telling us that it doesn’t happen anymore,&#8221; he added. &#8220;We are at least making progress there!&#8221;
Groups on the right like the Independent Women&#8217;s Forum have fought for years to combat Democrat messaging on topics like men in women&#8217;s sports. Neeraja Deshpande, a policy analyst at Independent Women, argues that Democrats think they have a messaging problem when in reality they have a policy problem. They are fundamentally misunderstanding the American desire to safeguard children.
&#8220;So long as Democrats continue gunning for men in women&#8217;s sports and spaces, and for transitioning impressionable kids who are too young to consent, no amount of lipstick-on-pig messaging is going to change that these are insane policies that the majority of Americans believe are morally wrong,&#8221; Deshpande said.
During the 2024 campaign,  team Trump zeroed in on the Left’s embrace of transgenderism, pouring millions into television ads that warned: “Kamala is for they/them. President Trump is for you.” Those ads didn’t have to do much heavy lifting since they quoted Harris herself, saying: &#8220;Surgery, for prisoners, every transgender inmate in the prison system would have access.&#8221;
Even before the 2024 election, the ad’s success prompted a slew of legacy media stories on the Trump campaign’s strategy to use “anti-transgender” messaging, and how effective that strategy was. According to Democratic testing results <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/08/us/politics/trump-republican-transgender-ads.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reviewed</a> by the New York Times, the “Kamala is for they/them” ad was not only the campaign&#8217;s most viewed ad, it was also their most effective ad.  It aired across the nation throughout those last days of the campaign, including during football games.
Several of these ads are making the rounds right now. In Texas, for example, Ken Paxton partnered with the American Principles Project to run an AI ad against Senate candidate James Talarico, who has made waves trying to justify transgenderism with Christianity. Modeled after the &#8220;Daisy&#8221; ad from former President Lyndon Johnson’s campaign, the ad opens to a little blonde girl lying on an operating table as she awaits a transgender sex-change surgery.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
James Talarico is too radical for Texas. <a href="https://t.co/PxUCmm9GZP">pic.twitter.com/PxUCmm9GZP</a>
— American Principles Project (@approject) <a href="https://x.com/approject/status/2085795525354234239?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2026</a></blockquote>
“She dreams of growing up, falling in love, becoming a mother,&#8221; says a narrator in the background, and as the little girl picks the petals off a daisy in a field, counting each petal, a doctor&#8217;s voice can be heard saying: “Keep counting.” As the girl&#8217;s face is covered with a gas mask, the doctor&#8217;s mask drops, revealing the face of Talarico himself.
“The transient brain plays on confused children, irreversible puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, sex-change surgeries,&#8221; the narrator concludes. &#8220;This November, stop them before its too late.&#8221;
There&#8217;s certainly a lot of confidence when it comes to this issue on the right, but that comes with a few cautions. The Heritage Foundation&#8217;s Jay Richards, for example, has been an aggressive participant in the war on gender ideology for years. He warned that though the battle for public sentiment has &#8220;made great strides in the last few years,&#8221; Republicans should be careful about celebrating transgenderism&#8217;s demise too early.
&#8220;Gender madness should hang like a millstone around the neck of Democratic candidates for office,&#8221; he added. &#8220;The only question is whether the Republicans will succeed in reminding voters that the Dems have not surrendered on this most radical, and anti-child, part of the agenda, even though it likely cost them the 2024 election.&#8221;

Screenshot 2026-08-17 at 3.30.34 PM

Democrats Prepare To Step On The Transgender Rake Yet Again

human rights campaign

transgender policy

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) handed her party a problem it spent Sunday morning refusing to answer when she laughed off a slate of far-left policy positions as the excesses of &#8220;Woke 1.&#8221;
Two of the biggest Sunday shows put Ocasio-Cortez&#8217;s remark to Democratic guests as a loyalty test, and both guests gave a near-identical non-answer. NBC&#8217;s Kristen Welker and CNN&#8217;s Jake Tapper each raised it on &#8220;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EukfmKkYwS4">Meet the Press</a>&#8221; and &#8220;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCBVnEyVdwQ">State of the Union</a>,&#8221; respectively.
Welker put the question to Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) directly, quoting Ocasio-Cortez and asking whether he agreed.
&#8220;She said &#8216;Woke 1 was crazy,&#8217; effectively suggesting some progressive views just went too far in the 2020s,&#8221; Welker said. &#8220;Do you agree with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that Woke 1 was crazy?&#8221;
&#8220;Well, I don&#8217;t know what these labels mean,&#8221; Khanna replied, immediately pivoting to a recitation of his own record: &#8220;I&#8217;ll tell you what I&#8217;ve always stood for. I have never been for defunding police.&#8221; He went on to volunteer that he has &#8220;called for abolishing ICE.&#8221;
Welker followed up by asking about Francesca Hong — the Madison democratic socialist who narrowly lost Wisconsin&#8217;s Democratic gubernatorial primary on Tuesday — and the resurfaced post in which she called for getting rid of Thanksgiving. &#8220;Did that kind of rhetoric hurt the progressive cause?&#8221; she asked.
Khanna refused to give an inch. &#8220;I really feel bad for what happened to Francesca. And I know it&#8217;s fashionable to distance yourself. I am not,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I was proud to endorse her and she&#8217;s far more than the caricature that was presented.&#8221;
Notably, Ocasio-Cortez herself never endorsed Hong. Asked in the same ABC News <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFwAnMLBSOw">interview</a> that produced the &#8220;Woke 1&#8221; line whether she would, she said her focus was &#8220;winning back the Congress&#8221; — putting her in line with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and the national Democratic Socialists of America, all of whom stayed out. Khanna did not.
On &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; Tapper raised an almost identical line of questioning with Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD), referencing Ocasio-Cortez&#8217;s comments and pressing Moore for his view.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Democrat Governor of Maryland Wes Moore plays dumb when asked if Democrats went too far by calling to defund the police:
“I said I don’t know what woke 1 is, but frankly I don&#8217;t know what woke 2 or woke 3 is either.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/PFVN265qYw">pic.twitter.com/PFVN265qYw</a>
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://x.com/RNCResearch/status/2088985603874463944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 16, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez seems to have acknowledged the overreach of the 2020 era of progressivism last week. She said, quote, &#8216;Woke 1 was crazy,'&#8221; Tapper said. &#8220;You were asked about that. You said you didn&#8217;t know what Woke 1 was. So I&#8217;ve been trying to figure out how to ask this question. There&#8217;s no official definition. I think Woke 1 generally refers to what are now viewed as excesses of the progressive movement — defund the police, a far-left view of the world that views the world in terms of only oppressor and oppressee, language policing, holiday policing, cancel culture positions that turned off a lot of middle-of-the-road voters. What is your take on that era, even if that wasn&#8217;t part of how you ran or thought or governed — and what does the Democratic Party need to do if they hope to win outside of blue states and congressional districts?&#8221;
Moore took a position almost identical to Khanna&#8217;s, replying, &#8220;Well, it&#8217;s funny, it&#8217;s true — I said I don&#8217;t know what Woke 1 is, but frankly, I don&#8217;t know what Woke 2 or Woke 3 is either.&#8221; Moore then pivoted to gas prices, recounting a conversation with a woman at a Delmarva Shorebirds game who told him she can&#8217;t afford to drive to her doctor&#8217;s appointments. Tapper did not follow up.
Ocasio-Cortez <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/aoc-has-an-excuse-for-the-lefts-most-radical-woke-1-era">further popularized the phrase</a> during an August 9 appearance on ABC&#8217;s &#8220;This Week,&#8221; where she too was attempting to put some distance between herself and the less popular policies of the far left. Anchor Jonathan Karl had asked her about Hong&#8217;s record. The line wasn&#8217;t hers: she borrowed it from New York City Councilman Chi Ossé, a fellow socialist who deployed it in May while explaining away his own 2021 <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/09/nyregion/nyc-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-freezing-eggs.html">declaration</a> that &#8220;a cis white man should not be the next speaker of the Council.&#8221;
“I have a local city councilman that has this saying, ‘Woke 1 was crazy,&#8217;” Ocasio-Cortez <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFwAnMLBSOw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Karl</a> during an interview. “What’s important is that we have to assess what a candidate is saying now.”
She went on to blame the pandemic for the era&#8217;s excesses while insisting the debates it produced were worthwhile.
&#8220;I think that the doors were really open in trying to entertain any and every policy that was going to get us to a better place. And I actually think that the discussions that were had in that time were quite fruitful,&#8221; she said.

Maryland Gov. Moore And Utah Gov. Cox Speak At National Press Club On Bipartisanship

Democrats Suddenly Can’t Define ‘Woke’ After AOC Says It Was ‘Crazy’

Dems Scramble To Break Free Of AOC's 'Woke 1' Label

alexandria ocasio-cortez

ro khanna

wes moore

woke

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) drew a sharp distinction Sunday between the Democratic Party and the agenda of the Democratic Socialists of America, saying he does not support the organization’s positions on issues including policing, immigration and the Senate.
“I don’t support the DSA agenda as has been articulated by the DSA itself,” Jeffries said during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” His comments came the same morning Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, a potential 2028 presidential candidate, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rahm-emanuel-on-trump-the-left-and-whats-right-for-america/">told</a> CBS News that progressives should not use the Democratic Party as a vehicle because &#8220;they&#8217;re a separate party&#8221; — adding, in nearly the same construction Jeffries would use, &#8220;I don&#8217;t believe in defunding police. I don&#8217;t believe in open borders.&#8221;
“I do not support defunding the police. I do not support open borders. I do not support abolishing the Senate,” Jeffries said. Instead, Jeffries said House Democrats are focused on what he described as the “Democratic agenda”: lowering the cost of living, making housing and health care more affordable and addressing the affordability crisis.
His comments come as Democratic socialists and their allies have made significant gains in Democratic primaries across the country, prompting an increasingly public debate among party leaders and establishment-aligned Democrats over how far left the party should move.
Moderate Democrats are <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-some-dems-are-preparing-for-the-next-war-against-socialists">already organizing</a> against the DSA&#8217;s growing influence. Third Way President Jonathan Cowan <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/06/us/politics/democratic-party-socialists-moderates.html">told</a> The New York Times earlier this month that his organization is launching a $15 million effort through 2028 to discredit democratic socialism through opposition research, polling, social media campaigns and efforts to educate Democratic activists and leaders. &#8220;We are preparing for the next war that is coming,&#8221; Cowan said.
The effort followed a string of primary victories by socialist and left-insurgent candidates, most notably Abdul El-Sayed&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/abdul-el-sayed-secures-far-lefts-biggest-victory-yet-over-dem-establishment'">narrow victory</a> over of establishment-backed Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) in Michigan&#8217;s Democratic Senate primary. El-Sayed will face Republican Mike Rogers in November for the seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters — a race Democrats likely must win to have any path to a Senate majority.
El-Sayed is not a DSA member and calls himself a capitalist, but Cowan accused him of running a DSA-style campaign without the membership card — what Cowan calls the &#8220;DSA dodge,&#8221; courting socialist organizations and their voters for organizing muscle while declining to formally identify with the group.
Jeffries stopped short of saying that DSA-aligned candidates cannot be part of the Democratic Party. “You’re going to have individual members who have been elected in Democratic primaries, and if they are elected in the general in November, will be part of the House Democratic Caucus,” Jeffries said.
He acknowledged that the caucus would include members from across the party’s ideological spectrum. “It’s going to be a broad caucus,” Jeffries said. “There will be progressives, there will be New Dems, there will be Blue Dogs.” But when pressed on whether there is room in the Democratic Party for democratic socialists, Jeffries reiterated that he does not endorse the DSA’s stated agenda.
Asked whether he would bring a vote to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement to the House floor if Democrats retake the majority, Jeffries repeatedly called instead for “dramatic” reform of the agency. &#8220;We’re committed to dramatically reforming ICE,” Jeffries said, while calling for measures including body cameras, judicial warrants for home searches and greater accountability for ICE agents.
Jeffries also said he does not currently support Medicare for All, despite having co-sponsored such legislation from 2013 through 2021. “No,” Jeffries said when asked whether he personally supports Medicare for All. “I haven’t co-sponsored the Medicare for All legislation that has been introduced over the last several years.”
Jeffries ultimately returned to the central message he said Democrats intend to take into the November midterms: affordability. “We’re focused on November 3rd, not January 3rd,” Jeffries said, arguing that Democratic candidates should campaign on lowering the cost of groceries, gas, housing and health care.

US-POLITICS-GOVERNMENT-SHUTDOWN

Hakeem Jeffries: ‘I Do Not Support The DSA Agenda’

immigration and customs enforcement

A visit to Michigan from potential 2028 presidential candidate Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) was characterized by botched meetings and fundraisers, according to a new report. 
Newsom spent the first half of this week campaigning and fundraising for Democrats in Michigan while stopping for a photo op at the University of Michigan&#8217;s famed “Big House” football stadium. The visit to the critical swing state didn’t exactly go as planned, according to a <a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/playbook/2026/08/12/newsoms-swing-and-miss-state-tour-01035105">report</a> from Politico’s Playbook. 
Politico reported on Wednesday that interviews with multiple Michigan Democrats raised &#8220;questions about the coastal leader’s resonance in the middle of the country and political operation following one of his most in-depth, high-touch early state trips this year.”
Newsom has long been considered one of the top contenders for the Democratic nomination, but some recent polls show his chances falling. One <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-new-2028-poll-just-shook-up-both-parties">survey</a> out of New Hampshire showed Newsom trailing Rep. Alexandria-Ocasio Cortez (D-NY) by 14 points and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg by 13 points.
An unnamed Democrat “insider” told Politico that Newsom&#8217;s Michigan trip was “rushed” while another person rated the trip as a “B-minus.&#8221;
Several top Democrats in the state also said they missed out on connecting with Newsom. Democratic National Committee Black Caucus chair Virgie Rollins complained that she didn’t get a meeting with Newsom — even though Politico reported a representative for Newsom did reach out to her on August 7. 
“Every Democratic president that has won an election has been in my house,” she said. “I did not hear from him. I did not get a call.”
Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI), a member of the influential Rules and Bylaws Committee for the DNC, said she did not meet with Newsom either. She referenced her support for auto manufacturing while Newsom has pushed stringent environmental standards that aim to ban the sale or production of gas vehicles by 2035. 
“I didn’t hear from the governor. I didn&#8217;t expect to: I’m a car girl,” she said. 
Additionally, a meeting between the powerful United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain did not happen despite efforts from the Newsom team. 
During the trip, two scheduled fundraiser appearances by Newsom fell through. One was for state House Democrats that ended up being called off by participants, while another for Democrat attorney general candidate Eli Savit was canceled by Newsom. That event was set to feature fundraiser Kelly Neumann, who has faced backlash for a Veterans Day post where she <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/07/21/us-news/michigans-abdul-el-sayed-to-attend-fundraiser-hosted-by-lawyer-in-nazi-flap/">revealed</a> her grandfather “was on the German side in WWI &amp; WWII.” 
Newsom did meet with Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel. He also met with Michigan Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin.
“I doubt that it will be the governor’s last time here,” Hertel said. “There will be plenty of opportunities the next time he’s here, too.”

Governor Newsom press conference in Oakland, California

Gavin Newsom Gets Rude Awakening During Swing-State Visit

gavin newsom

michigan

Former President Barack Obama will have a new project on his plate during the final stretch of the midterm elections: talking about books. 
The 65-year-old announced this week that he’s launching a six-episode Audible <a href="https://www.audible.com/about/newsroom/president-barack-obama-to-host-a-great-book-on-audible?srsltid=AfmBOopP848zJuv-3RMZ-_qAIvpbux4zovLmEB18P8BdLCViebY7wH6P">podcast</a> on September 24, less than six weeks before voters head to the polls in November. The announcement comes as Democrats battle for control of Congress, and Obama remains an influential campaign surrogate and fundraiser for the party.
“At a time when fewer people are able to sit down with a book, it’s important to remember the joy and power that can come from reading. And some books don’t just tell a story — they change the way we see the world,” Obama <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Db3QizRuKvM/">said</a>. “A while back, I revisited a few of the books that made an impact on me as a young man, influencing how I think about family, faith, race, politics and America.”
Titled “A Great Book With Barack Obama,” the podcast will explore six books that helped shape the former president&#8217;s leftist worldview: The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin, Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison, All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy, Gilead by Marilynne Robinson, All the King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren, and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré. 
Each episode will feature Obama discussing one of the books with a guest to “explore why they resonate, how they can shape our understanding of ourselves and each other, and why literature matters now more than ever.”
“I hope listeners will be inspired to discover or rediscover books that change the way they see themselves and the world,” Obama said in an <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Db3QizRuKvM/">Instagram post.</a> 
The timing puts the podcast&#8217;s launch squarely in the home stretch of the midterm campaign, as Obama continues to play a pivotal role in Democratic politics, picking up the phone to help heal wounds left by divisive primaries and hosting fundraisers ahead of November.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/el-sayed-shrugs-off-hasan-pikers-9-11-comments?author=Jacob+Wheeler&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=10&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=El-Sayed+Shrugs+Off+Hasan+Piker%E2%80%99s+9%2F11+Comments">The Daily Wire </a>previously reported that Obama personally called Michigan Senate Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed following his narrow victory over establishment-backed Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI). Obama did not endorse either candidate in the race.
Obama is also expected to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/obama-to-headline-dem-gerrymandering-fundraiser-in-posh-marthas-vineyard?author=Drew+Berkemeyer&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Obama+To+Headline+Dem+Gerrymandering+Fundraiser+In+Posh+Martha%E2%80%99s+Vineyard">headline a Democratic fundraiser</a> later this month on Martha’s Vineyard to benefit the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC), as Democrats continue to grapple with financial challenges at the national level.
The event, hosted by former Attorney General Eric Holder, will feature “dinner and a discussion” with the former president, according to an invitation first obtained by <a href="https://punchbowl.news/article/campaigns/obama-ndrc/">Punchbowl News</a>.

Former President Obama Joins NYC Mayor Mamdani On A Visit To Child Care Center

During Midterm Home Stretch, Barack Obama Will Launch New Podcast… About Books

barack obama

podcast

Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) is scrambling to rewrite history — and reinvent himself — as his party lurches leftward and embraces candidate after candidate who&#8217;s younger and more extreme than the last.
Newsom, recognizing the appetite in his party for &#8220;insurgents&#8221; and agents of &#8220;change,&#8221; insisted that he could be all of those things while also bringing the experience that came with his more than two decades in elected office.
&#8220;I think what&#8217;s happening is there&#8217;s just a desire for change,&#8221; Newsom said. &#8220;I think this notion of insurgency over incumbency is the real message here, and people just want fighters — they want people with conviction, strength, clarity, people that get it and want to get things done. And they&#8217;re done with the status quo, and I totally respect that.&#8221;
Newsom went on to claim that despite his eight years as governor — and more than a decade in elected office prior to that — he was not an example of the &#8220;status quo&#8221; people were so desperate to leave behind. Instead, he still viewed himself as the &#8220;insurgent&#8221; rather than the &#8220;incumbent,&#8221; coining a new phrase to describe his position in the field: &#8220;established insurgent.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;ve long felt like I&#8217;ve been an established insurgent,&#8221; he explained, adding, &#8220;I&#8217;ve always had that mindset. I&#8217;ve been in elected office a long time, but I&#8217;ve never been naive about people&#8217;s desire for change, including my own desire for change.&#8221;
Newsom&#8217;s comments came as he traveled to Michigan, where Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed eked out a narrow victory over the more established Democrat Rep. Haley Stevens. The likely 2028 hopeful brushed aside concerns about El-Sayed&#8217;s more extreme views and alignment with far-Left streamer <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hasan-piker-gloats-over-socialist-election-victories">Hasan Piker</a> — who is well known for praising Islamist terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, idolizing communist dictators like Mao Zedong, and making outlandish claims like &#8220;America deserved 9/11.&#8221;
El-Sayed, despite being given multiple chances to denounce Piker, has doubled down at every opportunity — but Newsom did not appear to be bothered by that, and instead argued that El-Sayed&#8217;s success was simply a manifestation of the people&#8217;s &#8220;desire for change.&#8221;
Responding to Republicans who have argued that El-Sayed is just more proof that the Democratic Party is embracing the extremes, Newsom said that was &#8220;nonsense,&#8221; adding, &#8220;He&#8217;s not even a member of the DSA.&#8221;
The California governor, whose term ends in January, is expected to launch a presidential campaign ahead of the 2028 election cycle — and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-new-2028-poll-just-shook-up-both-parties">recent polls</a>, which show democratic socialist darling Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) eclipsing him, might be the inspiration behind his attempts to reinvent himself.

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