A new poll shows Secretary of State Marco Rubio leading a hypothetical 2028 Republican presidential primary to succeed President Donald Trump.
The survey, <a href="///Users/jacobwheeler/Downloads/Atlas%20Poll%20USA%20-%2005.07.2026%20-%20Google%20Slides.pdf">conducted by AtlasIntel</a> between May 4-7 among 2,069 American adults, found Rubio with 45.4% support, followed by Vice President JD Vance at 29.6%. 
The rest of the field trailed significantly.  
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Marco Rubio: 45.4%</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">JD Vance: 29.6% </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Ron DeSantis: 11.2% </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">None of the above 10.3%</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Vivek Ramaswamy: 1.4</li>
</ul>
The AtlasIntel poll is the first to show Rubio ahead, while broader polling still favors Vance.<a href="https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/president/republican-primary/2028/national"> RealClearPolitics</a>, a media company that aggregates national polling, shows the vice president holding a 20-point advantage over other potential candidates.
Rubio and Vance are widely seen as the most serious contenders to succeed Trump and shape the future of the MAGA movement.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-takes-a-spontaneous-2028-presidential-straw-poll-vance-or-rubio">Trump addressed the elephant in the room</a> at the White House on Monday, polling a crowd on whether they would prefer Vance or Rubio to run for president in 2028. 
“I don’t know. Who’s it going to be? Is it going to be JD? Is there going to be somebody else? I don’t know,” Trump told a group of law enforcement officials.
The kingmaker of GOP politics then asked the crowd who they thought should succeed him. 
“Who likes JD Vance? Who likes Marco Rubio? All right. Sounds like a good ticket,” Trump joked.
Applause from those in attendance appeared stronger for Vance, but Trump said he was not yet making any endorsements.
“By the way, I do believe that’s a dream team. But these are minor details. That does not mean you have my endorsement under any circumstance. But you know … I think it sounds like presidential candidate and vice presidential candidate,” Trump said. 
Rubio said last year that he would support Vance if the vice president decided to run for president. 
“If JD Vance runs for president, he’s going to be our nominee, and I’ll be one of the first people to support him,” Rubio <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/trump-susie-wiles-interview-exclusive-part-2?_sp=66ff928d-0547-4be8-9f21-3d5c5d7322ce.1773164665694">told</a> Vanity Fair in an interview. 
On the Democratic side, the field appears more divided and open-ended, with a democratic socialist leading the pack. 
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"> Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: 26%</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Pete Buttigieg: 22.4% </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Gavin Newsom: 21.2% </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Kamala Harris: 12.9% </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Andy Beshear: 4.1% </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Cory Booker: 3.9% </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">None Of The Above: 3.1%</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Josh Shapiro: 2.4%</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Gretchen Whitmer: 1.1%</li>
</ul>
Last Friday, AOC did not rule out a presidential run. 
“They assume that my ambition is a title or a seat, and my ambition is way bigger than that. My ambition is to change this country,” Ocasio-Cortez said in a conversation with Democratic strategist David Axelrod. “Presidents come and go … elected officials come and go, but single-payer healthcare is forever.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
AOC asked about a potential presidential run
&#8220;My ambition is to change this country.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/Pd770HL9JC">pic.twitter.com/Pd770HL9JC</a>
— Defiant L’s (@DefiantLs) <a href="https://twitter.com/DefiantLs/status/2053706667368337506?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2026</a></blockquote>

Trump Says Israel And Lebanon To Extend Ceasefire By Three Weeks

New Poll Throws Major Curveball In Race To Succeed Trump

2028 presidential election

Democrats

Donald Trump

JD Vance

Marco Rubio

News

Poll

Republicans

While Democrats and much of the media have spent years focused on the trajectory of the American right, <a href="https://echeloninsights.substack.com/p/friday-findings-which-countries-do">a new poll</a> from Echelon Insights points to a shift developing within the Democratic Party’s base.
According to the data, Democrats under the age of 50 are approaching key geopolitical actors in ways that break from longstanding norms. Among that cohort, Israel is viewed with a -45-point margin of unfavorability. By comparison, the Islamic Republic of Iran registers slightly less negatively at -40, while China, widely regarded as the primary strategic rival to the United States, is viewed at a much narrower -14-point margin.
Supplemental data from Yale University’s <a href="https://youthpoll.yale.edu/spring-2026-results">Spring 2026 youth poll</a> suggests that this pattern is not isolated, though it is most pronounced among younger Democrats. The findings point to a broader generational shift in how international relationships are understood and evaluated.
That shift also appears to extend beyond foreign policy into attitudes that intersect with longstanding cultural and political sensitivities. The Yale data shows that 10% of voters aged 18 to 34 agreed with all three antisemitic statements presented to them — including claims related to dual loyalty and disproportionate influence — compared to just 2% of voters over the age of 65. At the same time, 54% of young voters describe Israel as an “apartheid state,” a position that rises significantly among those who identify as extremely liberal.
Perceptions of antisemitism itself also vary by age. Just 21% of voters aged 18 to 34 say Jewish Americans face a disproportionate number of hate crimes, despite federal data consistently placing them among the most targeted groups.
The Echelon polling further illustrates how these attitudes are reflected in broader political agreement. When presented with a paraphrased statement by Nick Fuentes arguing that the United States should end what was described as a “slavish” deference to Israel, 49% of Democrats agreed, compared to 22% of Republicans. On a separate question, 52% of Democrats agreed with the characterization of Israel as an apartheid state engaged in systemic oppression of Palestinians, while 17% of Republicans said the same.
Taken together, the data suggests that the divide is not centered on a single issue, but reflects a wider shift in how younger Democrats frame questions of alliance, conflict, ideology, and national interest. 
What makes this dynamic more significant is that it is not being driven by high-priority voter concerns, but rather by low-salience issues that still shape broader worldview. Positions that were once more peripheral within the party’s coalition are now gaining measurable traction, the intensity and direction of opinion among younger voters suggest these views are functioning as signals of ideological identity rather than responses to immediate policy tradeoffs.
That creates a situation where party leaders are not simply navigating disagreement, but a deeper reorientation in how a rising share of their coalition interprets global power, moral responsibility, ideological purity, and the role of the United States abroad. As those attitudes continue to solidify, they are likely to continue influencing both rhetoric, candidate positioning in ways more drastic than already seen.
For party leadership, the implications are less about any one policy and more about coherence. As generational differences on foreign policy and related issues become more pronounced, maintaining a unified message may prove increasingly difficult. Whether that leads to recalibration or further divergence remains unclear, but the underlying shift is becoming harder to overlook.

US-ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-CONFLICT-PROTEST

How Did Young Dems Rank Israel, Iran, And China?

China

Iran

Israel

A new poll sponsored by the California Democratic Party shows two Republican candidates still leading the governor’s race, increasing pressure on Democrats to consolidate their support or risk being shut out of the November general election.
<a href="https://cadem.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/4.7.26-CA-Voter-Index-Tracking-Survey-I-Topline.pdf">The EVITARUS poll</a>, released Tuesday, April 7, has Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and conservative commentator Steve Hilton each receiving 14% of likely voters.
April&#8217;s poll mostly mirrors the <a href="https://cadem.org/cadem-chair-rusty-hicks-releases-new-california-voter-index-poll-results/">Democratic Party&#8217;s March survey</a>, with Hilton slipping two points to tie with Bianco.
Bay Area Congressman Eric Swalwell (D-CA) leads the Democratic field with 12% of the vote, with billionaire environmental activist Tom Steyer right behind at 11%. Former Orange County Congresswoman Katie Porter (D-CA) is winning 7%. The four other Democratic candidates each hold 4% of the vote or less.
24% of voters remain undecided.
The poll surveyed 1,200 likely California primary voters between March 31 and April 5, well before President Trump endorsed Steve Hilton.
“Steve can turn it around, before it is too late, and, as President, I will help him to do so!” Trump said. “With Federal help, and a Great Governor, like Steve Hilton, California can be better than ever before!”
Bianco criticized the endorsement in <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWzXeNHEpY9/?hl=en">a post</a> on social media Monday.
“For too long, politicians and insiders from Sacramento to Washington have tried to pick our leaders for us,” Bianco said. “That’s not leadership. That’s a coronation. And it&#8217;s exactly how we ended up with the failed leadership Californians are living with today.&#8221;
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The Hilton campaign celebrated the MAGA endorsement.
&#8220;With President Trump’s full backing and federal support, we are going to take California back and make it better than ever before,&#8221; the campaign wrote.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP JUST GAVE STEVE HILTON HIS COMPLETE &amp; TOTAL ENDORSEMENT FOR GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA! 🇺🇸
In his powerful statement, President Trump said:
“I have known and respected Steve Hilton… for many years. He is a truly fine man… Steve can turn it around, before… <a href="https://t.co/gZnuOeH80y">pic.twitter.com/gZnuOeH80y</a>
— Steve Hilton For Governor (@TeamSteveHilton) <a href="https://twitter.com/TeamSteveHilton/status/2041036642925113671?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
If Republican voters consolidate behind Hilton, a &#8216;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-makes-california-pick-and-little-known-primary-rule-could-change-everything">Democratic lockout</a>&#8216; appears less likely. Under the jungle primary system, the top two vote-getters advance to the November general election.
A majority of respondents &#8212; 51% &#8212; said California is on the wrong track, a point the president raised in his <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116356081038721731">Truth Social endorsement</a>.
&#8220;Gavin Newscum and the Democrats have done an absolutely horrendous job. People are fleeing, crime is increasing, and Taxes are the highest of any State in the Country, maybe the World,&#8221; Trump said.
California’s primary election is set for June 2, 2026.

California Primary Candidates

Dems Face Even More Pressure As Republicans Lead In Critical Governor’s Race

California

Chad Bianco

Eric Swalwell

Gavin Newsom

governor

Katie Porter

steve hilton

Trump

The pathway to the upper middle class remains open, with millions of American families moving up the income ladder even as public perception grows more pessimistic, according to a new report.
Researchers at the <a href="https://www.aei.org/research-products/report/the-middle-class-is-shrinking-because-of-a-booming-upper-middle-class/">American Enterprise Institute</a> (AEI) found that while the “core” middle class has shrunk slightly over the past several decades, it has not been hollowed out. Rather, more Americans are ascending into the upper middle class than at any point in modern history.
Using an absolute definition of class based on purchasing power rather than relative comparisons, the study found that the share of families in the upper middle class tripled, rising from about 10% in 1979 to roughly 31% in 2024. Over that same period, the share of Americans who are poor or near-poor dropped dramatically, from more than half of families to roughly one-third.
The findings challenge the common narrative of a collapsing middle class. The study argues that many claims about a “hollowed-out” middle class rely on relative definitions that automatically shrink the middle as incomes rise. By contrast, when measuring what families can actually afford, the data show broad gains across the income distribution.
“Decrying a shrinking or hollowed-out middle class is just a gloomy way of saying the upper-middle class has boomed,” the researchers concluded. 
Median family income, adjusted for inflation and household size, has risen more than 50% since the late 1970s. At the same time, wage growth, particularly over the long term, has outpaced price increases, helping push more families into higher income brackets.
Today, the upper middle class, defined in the study as families of three earning roughly $133,000 to $400,000 annually, accounts for nearly a third of U.S. households. Even more striking: for the first time on record, more American families are above the middle-class threshold than below it.
Despite rising incomes, many Americans who now fall into the upper middle class do not feel wealthy. Families earning well into six figures increasingly describe themselves as “average,” squeezed by rising housing costs, education expenses, and a broader cost-of-living crunch.
Randy Shilling, a Texas resident whose household earns around $220,000 a year, said, “I view myself as an average Joe,” despite having $3 million saved for retirement, he told the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/economy/more-americans-are-breaking-into-the-upper-middle-class-bf8b7cb2?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=AWEtsqdVUm7NIyO23tjCzL8qjyiAHgUPq20KjnPypm6GrW5FA8nvttuOllJm1yykbIU%3D&amp;gaa_ts=69d3c52a&amp;gaa_sig=HuRXPX2t2k42t3TlSl55IkpevN_snKX49h7jQKvOKf0PENh9Jmr66WJFlTUtPC_pulorUlby9SIcStaTu45g7Q%3D%3D">Wall Street Journal</a>. Laura Shields, 46, told the Journal that she only began feeling financially comfortable in the last 10 years. She and her husband bring in approximately $240,000 per year, but have a son nearing college age. They fear that loans are the only answer, wiping out their progress. 
Those concerns are not unfounded. The median <a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MSPUS">home price</a> in the United States now exceeds $400,000, while <a href="https://educationdata.org/average-cost-of-college">college tuition</a> continues to climb, often nearing $40,000 per year. 
That disconnect helps explain why, even amid measurable economic progress, pessimism persists. <a href="https://talkerresearch.com/9-in-10-americans-say-there-is-a-cost-of-living-crisis-survey/?ref=finco-services.ghost.io">Surveys</a> show that a large majority of Americans still feel burdened by a high cost-of-living. 
Still, AEI’s researchers argue that the broader trend is clear: economic growth, expanded opportunities, and a stronger safety net have combined to lift more Americans into higher-income tiers over time.
Importantly, income gains were not limited to the top. The research found that earnings increased across nearly the entire income distribution, with even lower-income households significantly better off than their counterparts decades ago.
None of this means inequality hasn’t grown; it has, particularly at the very top, the study finds little evidence that gains for higher earners came at the expense of others. Instead, the data suggests a more complex picture: an America where the middle class is evolving, not evaporating, and where upward mobility remains a defining feature of the economy.

Ariel Skelley / The Image Bank / Getty Images

The ‘Middle Class Is Dying’ Claim Doesn’t Hold Up Against One Key Reality

Housing

Middle Class

America is developing an appetite for killing its elderly. A recent <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/03/23/about-6-in-10-americans-dont-have-moral-objections-to-medical-aid-in-dying/">Pew Research poll</a> suggests that comfort is growing: 63 percent of Americans now say physician-assisted death is either morally acceptable or simply not a moral issue at all. Only 35 percent call it morally wrong. The conscience is not yet gone. But it is losing ground fast.
Perhaps most jarring is the dramatic erosion of beliefs of self-ascribed Catholics. The Pew data shows majority support among my cohort: fifty-nine percent see no moral problem with physician-assisted death, even though <a href="https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20200714_samaritanus-bonus_en.html#The_prohibition">Church teaching</a> explicitly prohibits it. That number should trouble any Catholic paying attention. But the same poll does contain a stubborn holdout. Among Americans for whom religion is very important, nearly six in ten still call physician-assisted death morally wrong. These are not fringe positions. However, they are being told their position is extreme. It is not extreme. It is the last line of a civilizational argument that, if lost, will not easily be recovered.
Those who support euthanizing the elderly have a habit of arguing from what columnist Louise Perry <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/22/opinion/assisted-suicide-economics.html">called</a> a &#8220;motte-and-bailey&#8221; position: from the easily defended high ground, they describe a terminally person in pain, surrounded by loved ones, seeking a peaceful end. But the bailey is something else. Canada is set to hit 100,000 deaths under its Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) Program by this summer, <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/03/07/world-news/canada-set-to-pass-100000-assisted-suicide-deaths-before-programs-10th-anniversary-societal-failing/">more than twice</a> the number of Canadians who died in World War II. Among those deaths were people whose <a href="https://www.spiked-online.com/2026/02/22/canadas-suicide-service-is-coming-to-britain/">only diagnosis</a> was depression or poverty. This is not a slippery slope argument but a description of where the slope already leads.
Now the selling begins in earnest.
The financial argument comes first: dying in America is ruinously expensive. Nursing home care runs $8,000 to $12,000 a month. Funeral costs average over $10,000. The Washington Post recently <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/interactive/2026/death-retirement-expenses-funeral-taxes/?itid=hp_opinions_p001_f023">walked through</a> the full cost of a late American life: retirement drawdown, long-term care, estate taxes, and burial. Retirement savings intended for forty years vanish in eighteen months of assisted living. The implied solution being marketed is not better coverage or more humane care. It is a shorter timeline.
Then comes the emotional argument: the agony of watching a parent decline, the exhaustion of caregiving, the loneliness of the elderly. These, too, are real. Across the country, aging parents like mine repeat the same lines with increasing frequency: that they hope to go without too much pain; that they don&#8217;t want to be a burden; that they&#8217;ve seen what caregiving did to a sibling, a neighbor, a close friend. Their grown children absorb this, often from a distance, while managing the reality of parents facing serious mental and physical decline. The exhaustion is genuine. So is the love. But the two together, in a culture that has quietly made peace with the early exit, add up to something worth fighting.
The pandemic made the underlying failure plain. Nursing home residents died alone, without a hand to hold, and the country was horrified. The right response was obvious: no one should die without someone present. Instead, the lesson drawn in too many quarters was that a faster, tidier death might spare everyone the ordeal. The answer to abandonment turned out to be more of it.
A recent <a href="https://www.cnn.com/audio/podcasts/all-there-is-with-anderson-cooper/episodes/ba400e12-13e8-11f1-b53a-e37ce62a27dc">episode</a> of Anderson Cooper&#8217;s CNN podcast featured California Governor Gavin Newsom describing his mother&#8217;s death by doctor-assisted suicide, which was illegal in California at the time. His dying mother had left him a voicemail because he hadn&#8217;t been returning her calls. This was a failure to show up. The interview treated it as a prelude to something beautiful.
Newsom called the doctor who administered the lethal cocktail &#8220;an angel&#8221; who &#8220;risked everything.&#8221; He called being at her death &#8220;a gift.&#8221; A sitting governor celebrating an illegal assisted suicide on national radio is not sharing a private grief. He is making an intimate and tearful case that does more to shift public opinion than any policy paper ever could. He is also, not coincidentally, a likely future presidential candidate cultivating a national profile. The cause has found its spokesman. The pitch never changes: voluntary, patient-directed, a matter of personal choice. 
Twelve states currently allow for physician-assisted suicide, with Illinois Governor JB Pritzker <a href="https://gov-pritzker-newsroom.prezly.com/governor-pritzker-signs-bill-expanding-end-of-life-options-for-terminally-ill-patients">signing</a> his state&#8217;s law last December. New York followed in February. The Pew poll shows why the momentum is building: 76 percent of Democrats see no moral problem with the practice. Among self-described liberals, that number hits 87 percent. The progressive left has made up its mind.
But a choice made under financial ruin, family exhaustion, or the enforced isolation of institutional care is not really a choice. It is resignation with a medical co-signature.
There is dignity in dying on God&#8217;s schedule, not on an insurance company&#8217;s or a hospital&#8217;s budget projections, or the schedule of a son too busy to return his mother&#8217;s calls. The lesson is not that she was right to spare him a natural death. It is that he should have picked up the phone.
***
Andrea Picciotti-Bayer is director of the Conscience Project and recipient of the Religious Freedom Institute’s 2025 Religious Freedom Impact Award.

Hemlock Society Holds Annual Convention in San Diego

Even Religious-minded Americans Are Willing To Accept Assisted Suicide

Assisted Suicide

Canada

Catholic

Morality

Nursing Homes

A new poll from UC Berkeley and POLITICO found that voters in California believe Hollywood stars and professionals have far too much political influence. 
The <a href="https://www.politico.com/f/?id=0000019c-e3f3-d6f4-a9ff-fff3abd70000">opinion poll</a> revealed that a plurality of the 1,220 voters surveyed, 48% total, said the entertainment industry has “too much influence on politics.” Almost half of the respondents also said that directors, actors, and other high-profile Hollywood figures should “be less vocal with their political beliefs.”
A plurality of voters – 39% – said Hollywood has a negative impact on American culture. Forty-seven percent of respondents admitted that the industry was “too liberal.”
These results come just days ahead of the 98th Academy Awards, which will be hosted again this year by former late-night host Conan O’Brien. Tensions are high as political turmoil abounds, and recent reports show that security will be tight at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
This includes a reported 1,000 private security guards, LAPD SWAT teams, bomb-sniffing dogs, and a fleet of surveillance drones circling overhead, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hollywood-elites-scramble-to-embrace-law-and-order-as-iran-threat-looms-over-oscars?author=Hank+Berrien&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Hollywood+Elites+Scramble+To+Embrace+Law+And+Order+As+Iran+Threat+Looms+Over+Oscars">reported</a>. 
O’Brien said he will discuss politics but claims he plans to tread carefully during the Oscars presentation. 
“My job is to always try and hit this very, very thin line between entertaining people and also acknowledging some of the realities,” the comedian said during a Wednesday news conference with the Oscars creative team, <a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/awards/story/2026-03-11/oscars-2026-conan-obrien-politics-iran-war-reunions-bridesmaids-marvel">per</a> the LA Times.
“It’s a dance that goes on up until the show begins,” O’Brien said, adding that revisions to his monologue will be ongoing in the days leading up to the telecast to ensure everything is up-to-date with the news cycle.
“Between us, we will find the right tone,” he said, referencing the show’s executive producers.
Others in Hollywood show much less restraint. Several actors have become notorious for their leftist crusades and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/six-celebs-who-prove-trump-derangement-syndrome-has-no-cure">chronic TDS</a>, including insufferable activists such as George Clooney, Sean Penn, Robert De Niro, Alec Baldwin, Pedro Pascal, Larry David, Rosie O’Donnell, among so many others.
Besides these famous faces that keep popping up in the world of politics, there are dozens more celebrities who do their share of virtue signaling, including those who make frequent anti-ICE comments and who offer land acknowledgements despite living in mansions that are also situated on “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/billie-eilishs-stolen-land-rant-blows-up-as-tongva-tribe-says-her-mansion-sits-on-its-land">stolen land</a>.”

red carpet entrance

With Oscars Around The Corner, Even California Thinks Hollywood Is Off The Political Deep End

CA Voters Think Liberal Hollywood Has Too Much Influence On Politics: Poll

Entertainment

Hollywood

Politics

The vast majority of Americans support a federal law requiring age verification for app downloads or access to pornographic content online, according to a <a href="https://act.americanprinciplesproject.org/p/protect-kids-online/results?access=press">poll</a> released on Thursday and shared with The Daily Wire.
The poll, conducted by Cygnal last month, shows that 83% of likely voters support an age verification law for mobile app downloads, and 81% of likely voters support age verification for pornographic sites.
House lawmakers met on Thursday to debate legislation aimed at protecting children from inappropriate online content by requiring Big Tech companies to verify that children cannot gain access to adult apps, websites, or social media platforms without their parents&#8217; consent.
Cygnal&#8217;s poll, which surveyed 1,048 likely 2026 election voters, showed broad approval for the law that also cut across party lines. Nearly 40% of those who responded to the poll described themselves as Republicans, while 35% of the respondents said they are Democrats, and 24% identified themselves as independents.
Terry Schilling, the president of the conservative advocacy group American Principles Project, said the poll shows that parents are united in pushing back against Big Tech&#8217;s reluctance to set up age verification policies for their platforms.
&#8220;Parents are fighting to protect their children, and their enemy isn’t just Big Porn but the Silicon Valley titans that profit from it. They have one advantage in an uphill fight: the American voter,&#8221; said Schilling. &#8220;A supermajority of Americans — from conservatives to independents and even many liberals — are united in their call to rein in Big Tech. For too long, parents have been alone in the fight against exploitive algorithms and apps. It&#8217;s time for Congress to step up and pass commonsense legislation that puts families first.&#8221;
On Thursday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee debated the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1748">Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act</a> and the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1586/text">APP Store Accountability Act</a>. The Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act would require platforms to help prevent children from accessing potentially harmful content, while the APP Store Accountability Act would force app stores to set up parental consent requirements before a child downloads an app.
&#8220;My App Store Accountability Act is simple: kids cannot consent and power belongs to parents, not Big Tech,&#8221; Republican Rep. John James of Michigan <a href="https://x.com/RepJames/status/2029024929127997786">said</a> earlier this week. &#8220;Just as how corner stores are held responsible for keeping adult &amp; addictive materials from minors, my bill holds digital app stores to the same standard.&#8221;
Half of the U.S. states already require age verification for pornography sites. The age verification laws have been enacted by mostly Republican-led states, while deep blue states have taken little to no action to ensure that users who enter pornographic websites are at least 18 years of age. After Louisiana became the first state to enact an age verification law, Pornhub&#8217;s traffic in the state dropped by around 80%, POLITICO <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/08/08/age-law-online-porn-00110148">reported</a>. After other states, such as Missouri, Virginia, and Utah, followed Louisiana&#8217;s lead, Pornhub decided to completely stop operating its website in states that passed age verification laws.
But protecting children from porn sites isn&#8217;t the only concern for  Americans.
Social media giants — including Meta, YouTube, and Snapchat — have also faced recent scrutiny over how their platforms affect children. Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube are currently on trial in a bellwether social media addiction case before the California Superior Court in Los Angeles County.
The case stems from a 20-year-old woman, referred to as K.G.M., who argues that social media platforms have knowingly designed their platforms to get children and young users addicted and that her mental health struggles began after she became addicted to social media. TikTok and Snapchat were also sued in the case, but settled with the plaintiff before the trial began.
Last month, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified in the addiction case and argued that his company has &#8220;navigated this in a reasonable way.&#8221;
In recent years, Meta has rolled out online safety features for children using Instagram. The platform’s “Teen Accounts” keep children’s accounts private, meaning other Instagram users cannot see posts from or contact a Teen Account unless the teenager accepts their follow requests. Instagram also censors content on Teen Accounts, so that children are not shown content that features fighting or cosmetic procedures.
Other countries have recently pursued more severe restrictions on children&#8217;s access to social media. In December, Australia became the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/australias-novel-social-media-ban-for-kids-sparks-debate-as-some-platforms-get-a-free-pass">first country to ban</a> children under 16 from creating accounts on many social media platforms. Malaysia has introduced a similar ban.

Social Media

Where Americans Stand On Forcing Age Checks For Porn Sites

Americans Overwhelmingly Support Online Age Verification Law, Poll Finds

Children

Pornography

U.S. House of Representatives

President Donald Trump&#8217;s massive military operation against Iran is popular with around 60% of likely voters, according to a survey released on Tuesday.
The <a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/MEMO-OMI-Iran-Conflict-Survey-National-3-26.pdf">poll</a> from OnMessage, which surveyed 1,800 likely voters on Monday and Tuesday, suggests that most of the American public aligns with Trump&#8217;s messaging on &#8220;Operation Epic Fury&#8221; and is on board with the joint U.S.-Israeli mission to wipe out the authoritarian regime.
The poll shows that 56% of likely voters support the United States taking out Iranian leadership, while 63% agree with targeting Iranian nuclear and ballistic missile sites. Nearly 70% of respondents, meanwhile, agree with the Trump administration&#8217;s argument that Iran is a &#8220;threat to global peace and democracy,&#8221; and 76% agree that &#8220;if Iran built a nuclear weapon, [it] would pose a direct threat to the United States.&#8221;
The results fly in the face of Democratic Party talking points, which condemn the president for taking military action against Iran without congressional approval. Many Democratic lawmakers have been vocal in their opposition to &#8220;Operation Epic Fury,&#8221; arguing that Trump is abusing his authority and putting Americans at risk with his military operation. Only two congressional Democrats, Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman and New Jersey Rep. Josh Gottheimer, have voiced their support for Trump&#8217;s action.
Since the strikes began last weekend, Trump has regularly addressed the mission, while his senior officials — including War Secretary Pete Hegseth and General Dan &#8220;Raizin&#8221; Caine — have provided daily updates to the American people.
The Trump administration has said the Iran strikes are necessary because the regime posed an &#8220;imminent threat&#8221; to the region and would have likely targeted American troops first if the United States did not act. Trump&#8217;s special envoy Steve Witkoff also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/they-were-proud-of-it-witkoff-reveals-chilling-details-of-iranian-nuclear-arrogance">said</a> earlier this week that during recent negotiations with the regime, Iranian officials bragged that they had enough uranium to produce nearly a dozen nuclear weapons.
On Tuesday, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that his decision to strike Iran alongside Israel likely prevented a nuclear war, where Iran could have &#8220;taken out many countries.&#8221;
&#8220;If we didn&#8217;t do what we&#8217;re doing right now, you would&#8217;ve had a nuclear war and they would&#8217;ve taken out many countries because you know what? They&#8217;re sick people. They&#8217;re mentally ill, sick people. They&#8217;re angry. They&#8217;re crazy. They&#8217;re sick,&#8221; Trump added.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/live-updates-iranian-protests-intensify-as-citizens-demand-end-to-ayatollah-rule?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Daily+Wire&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=LIVE+UPDATES%3A+%E2%80%98They+Are+Toast%E2%80%99+%E2%80%94+Pentagon+Outlines+Strategy+To+Keep+America+Ahead+Of+Iran">FOLLOW THE DAILY WIRE&#8217;S LIVE UPDATES ON &#8216;OPERATION EPIC FURY&#8217;</a>
While Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested the administration was mindful of the risk of Israeli action and potential retaliation, Trump himself shot down the idea that the United States was forced to take military action because Israel planned on striking Iran first. &#8220;No,&#8221; Trump told reporters Tuesday. &#8220;I might have forced their hand.&#8221;
&#8220;We were having negotiations with these lunatics, and it was my opinion that they were going to attack first. They were going to attack. If we didn’t do it, they were going to attack first. I felt strongly about that.&#8221;
The OnMessage poll also showed that even Democrats and independents who would not support Trump&#8217;s handling of other issues agree with military action against Iran as long as the United States can finish its objectives quickly. Sixty-five percent of self-described Democrats and 68% of independents agreed with the statement, “I support military action against Iran that helps free Iranians from oppression and neutralize threats against America, but don&#8217;t want the United States to get stuck in another forever war in the Middle East.&#8221;
Trump has suggested a four-week timeline for &#8220;Operation Epic Fury,&#8221; but he has also said the military action could be longer or shorter depending on how quickly his objectives are met. American and Israeli forces have already taken out dozens of top Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, obliterated Iran&#8217;s air defenses, and destroyed most of Iran&#8217;s navy.
Trump has not ruled out putting American boots on the ground in Iran. He has also suggested that he wants to see the Iranian people take control of their government from the authoritarian regime. In an address announcing the strikes early Saturday morning, Trump said, &#8220;To the great proud people of Iran, I say tonight that the hour of your freedom is at hand. When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations.&#8221;

Donald Trump/Iran Strikes

Majority Of Voters Back Trump’s ‘Operation Epic Fury,’ View Iran As ‘Threat To Global Peace’

Americans

Trump Administration

U.S. Military

Polling firm Cygnal released a new survey on Wednesday showing broad support for voter identification requirements, including a majority backing among black, Hispanic, and white voters. The poll found that 72% of white voters, 69% of Hispanic voters, and 56% of black voters support requiring identification at the polls.  
“Hakeem Jeffries seems to think voter ID is voter suppression, but when you actually ask voters, 70% of American voters overall, 75% of swing voters, 69% of hispanics, 56% of black voters, and even 46% of democrats support voter ID,” said pollster and Senior Partner John Rogers. He added that Republicans view the issue as politically advantageous heading into the midterms. “It shows Republicans have another winning issue heading into the midterms if they lean into it with confidence.”
Jeffries has <a href="https://jeffries.house.gov/2026/02/08/leader-jeffries-on-cnn-we-need-to-ensure-that-there-are-legislative-changes-enacted-as-part-of-any-dhs-spending-bill/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">opposed</a> the SAVE Act, which would require documentary proof of citizenship to register for federal elections, arguing that the GOP is attempting to discourage voter participation. &#8220;What Republicans are trying to do is to engage in clear and blatant voter suppression,&#8221; said Jeffries. &#8220;They know that if there&#8217;s a free and fair election in November, they&#8217;re going to lose.&#8221;
The House passed a version of the bill in the fall, which is now under consideration in the Senate.
The Cygnal poll was conducted from February 3-4 among 1,500 likely 2026 midterm voters and has a margin of error of 2.51%. It found 70% support for requiring voter ID for federal elections, compared with 26% opposed. Support was strongest among Republicans at 92%, while 46% of Democrats said they favor voter ID requirements.
Cygnal’s findings align with other national surveys. A Gallup poll conducted last fall found that <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/652523/americans-endorse-early-voting-voter-verification.aspx#:~:text=requiring%20photo%20identification%20to%20vote%20(84%25)">84%</a> of Americans favor voter ID requirements, while the Pew Research Center reported almost identical findings, with <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2026/02/voter-id-is-overwhelmingly-popular-with-literally-everyone-except-democrat-politicians/">83%</a> support.
The SAVE Act would mandate that states obtain documentary proof of American citizenship before registering to vote in federal elections and would require the removal of noncitizens from voter rolls. 
In order for the SAVE Act to pass the Senate, a simple majority of fifty-one votes is required. However, the bill would need 60 votes to overcome a potential filibuster. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has expressed support for voter ID requirements but acknowledged the measure might lack the votes to advance. &#8220;How we get to that vote remains to be seen,&#8221; he said.

TOPSHOT-US-VOTE-POLITICS-EARLY VOTING

Poll Undercuts Democrat ‘Voter Suppression’ Claims

Elections

Hakeem Jeffries

John Thune

Voter ID

Forty percent of American voters believe AI will make achieving the American Dream even harder to reach. That is more than double the 16% of voters who see AI as helpful. And this isn’t abstract technophobia. This is a window into the profound anxiety many feel about economic security in an era when the traditional pathways to prosperity already seem increasingly out of reach.
A recent Rainey Center <a href="https://www.raineycenter.org/news/new-poll-voters-overwhelmingly-support-domestic-energy-independence-and-data-security">national poll of 2,011</a> likely voters reveals a pervasive pessimism about artificial intelligence (AI), along with deeper concerns about a rigged system. 
When asked about the future, 39% of respondents said AI makes them more pessimistic, compared to 20% who said it makes them more optimistic.
Remarkably, this fear is bipartisan.
Democrats, Republicans, and Independents all worry that technological disruption will compound rather than solve the challenges facing American families.
Yet, there’s reason for hope. One in five Americans sees AI’s potential to improve their economic prospects, and nearly a quarter believe it will make no difference to achieving the American Dream. These voters recognize what policymakers must internalize: AI could dramatically increase productivity, create new industries, improve healthcare outcomes, and free workers from dangerous or repetitive tasks.
The technology itself, however, isn’t the enemy. The question is whether we’ll ensure its benefits are broadly shared rather than narrowly concentrated. History shows that technological revolutions can lift entire societies when paired with smart policy. The challenge is making that happen deliberately rather than hoping it occurs by accident.
This AI anxiety doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It sits atop a foundation of economic stress and fading opportunity, particularly for younger generations. While 77% of the Silent Generation and 51% of Baby Boomers feel their lives are or were better than their parents’, only 31% of Millennials and 35% of Gen Z share this optimism. When we asked directly whether the American Dream has become more or less attainable over the past decade, an overwhelming 64% said less attainable, with one-third calling it “much less attainable.”
<div id="attachment_984319" style="width: 586px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-984319" class="size-large wp-image-984319" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/MixCollage-10-Oct-2025-11-46-AM-3234-576x576.jpg" alt="Credit: Joseph Rainey Center for Public Policy" width="576" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/MixCollage-10-Oct-2025-11-46-AM-3234-576x576.jpg 576w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/MixCollage-10-Oct-2025-11-46-AM-3234-300x300.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/MixCollage-10-Oct-2025-11-46-AM-3234-150x150.jpg 150w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/MixCollage-10-Oct-2025-11-46-AM-3234-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/MixCollage-10-Oct-2025-11-46-AM-3234-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/MixCollage-10-Oct-2025-11-46-AM-3234-2048x2048.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px" />Credit: Joseph Rainey Center for Public Policy</div>
The fear isn’t that AI will create a different future — voters fear that AI will accelerate trends already making life harder. Young Americans today face a housing market disconnected from wage growth, with 21% of Gen Z citing housing as a top national challenge compared to just 6% of Boomers. They’re burdened by education debt that earlier generations never faced. And now they’re being told that automation and AI may disrupt the very jobs they’re counting on to build their economic security.
The American Dream itself remains remarkably consistent: financial stability and homeownership top the list across all demographics. But the gap between aspiration and reality has never been wider. Only 22% of voters believe they’ve achieved the American Dream, while 36% feel it’s completely out of reach. Among Millennials, 40% believe the dream is unattainable for them.
This crisis of faith in American opportunity has political consequences. While voters give Republicans a slight edge over Democrats (39% to 33%) on supporting the American Dream, a striking 28% believe neither party is aligned with this goal. When nearly one in three Americans see no champion for their economic aspirations, we face a dangerous void in our politics.
The economy (34%) and inflation (29%) dominate voter concerns, bread-and-butter issues that AI anxiety amplifies rather than replaces. People aren’t worried about robot overlords; they’re worried about paying the mortgage, affording healthcare, and whether their children will have opportunities they did not.
Technology has always disrupted labor markets, but past disruptions occurred when basic economic mobility still functioned for most Americans. Today, AI arrives at a moment when millions already doubt that the system works for them. That timing matters enormously.
We need policies that will address both immediate economic pressures and longer-term technological change. Housing affordability, education access, and ensuring that economic growth translates into broadly shared prosperity aren’t separate from the AI question. They’re the foundation that determines whether technological change lifts us up or leaves us behind.
The American Dream isn’t dead, but it’s under siege from multiple directions. The question is whether we’ll recognize the urgency before another generation loses faith entirely.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
* * *
Sarah E. Hunt is President of the Joseph Rainey Center for Public Policy, a think tank and leadership community based in Washington, D.C.
Amelia Powers Gardner is a Utah County Commissioner and National Chair of the Leadership Alliance for a More Perfect Union (LAMP), a national program cultivating the next generation of conservative leaders.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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Cinematic Shot of a Father Holding His Small Daughter of His Shoulders, Helping Her to Raise the United States of America Flag to Celebrate a National Fourth of July Holiday at Their House.

New Poll: Voters Fear AI Will Make The American Dream Even Harder To Reach

Artificial Intelligence

Big Tech

Economy

Gen X

Gen Z

Millennials

Student Loans

Nearly two-thirds of Americans want COVID-era federal programs to come to an end, as Democrats demand that any government funding bill include an extension of health care subsidies that were introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/929542118/Polling-on-ACA-Enhanced-Subsidies-Top-Line-docx?secret_password=sN1T3iUcGZSAHeyfI3eD">poll</a>.
Sixty-one percent of Americans said that the federal government should allow COVID-era subsidies to end, according to a poll conducted last week by the Republican-aligned firm OnMessage Public Strategies, Inc., that was shared with The Daily Wire.
Those surveyed were asked whether “the federal government should allow programs that were designed deliberately to address the problems created by the COVID-19 pandemic to sunset, and put those funds to more pressing issues facing Americans.&#8221; Thirty-nine percent of those surveyed strongly agreed with the statement, and 22% somewhat agreed, while only 15% strongly disagreed, and another 15% somewhat disagreed, also wanting to keep the COVID-19 Affordable Care Act subsidies alive.
The poll surveyed 1,000 Americans. Thirty-eight percent of those polled identified as Republicans, and 33% of the participants identified as Democrats. Another 26% of those surveyed identified as independent.
Affordable Care Act subsidies have been a major part of the ongoing government shutdown negotiations on Capitol Hill. Under former President Joe Biden&#8217;s Inflation Reduction Act, those health care subsidies, that were meant to address issues during COVID, were extended through the end of this year. However, Democrats want the subsidies made permanent, arguing that insurance premiums would skyrocket and low-income Americans would be forced to drop their coverage. The Congressional Budget Office <a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-pulse/2025/10/02/breaking-down-the-aca-subsidy-fight-00590901">estimated</a> that by 2034, four million people who would have had insurance will be uninsured if the subsidies are not extended.
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The OnMessage poll found drastically different results than a similar poll conducted by the health policy organization KFF last week. A KFF survey published on October 3 found that 78% of Americans want Congress to extend the Obamacare subsidies, including 59% of Republicans. The KFF <a href="https://www.kff.org/public-opinion/despite-budget-concerns-three-quarters-of-public-say-congress-should-extend-the-enhanced-aca-tax-credits-set-to-expire-next-year-including-most-republicans-and-maga-supporters/">poll</a> also found that ending the subsidies could be problematic for Republicans in next year&#8217;s midterm elections.
Republican leaders, who have opposed Obamacare for years, argue that the subsidies debate should be held closer to the end of the year, after the government has been funded. Republicans, led by President Donald Trump, are also seeking additional ways to reduce government spending. An analysis from the Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation released last month estimated that a permanent extension of the Obamacare COVID subsidies would increase the federal deficit by $349.8 billion over the next decade, The Hill <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5540430-mike-johnson-shutdown-obamacare-subsidies/">reported</a>.
Both House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5538167-congress-aca-tax-credit-increase/">said</a> that discussions over Obamacare subsidies cannot happen while the government remains shut down, urging their Democratic colleagues to focus on agreeing to a temporary funding bill before larger funding debates can be held.
“We have effectively three months to negotiate. In the White House and in the halls of Congress, that’s like an eternity,” Johnson <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5540430-mike-johnson-shutdown-obamacare-subsidies/">said</a> on Monday.
Trump said on Monday that he&#8217;s open to negotiating with Democrats on the health care subsidies, but added that they must reopen the government before those negotiations take place.
&#8220;I am happy to work with the Democrats on their Failed Healthcare Policies, or anything else, but first they must allow our Government to re-open. In fact, they should open our Government tonight!&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115329671584864920">wrote</a> on Truth Social on Monday evening.
The Senate <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/live-updates-countdown-to-government-shutdown?contentProgram=LIVE%20UPDATES%3A%20Another%20Failed%20Vote%3A%20Shutdown%20Continues&amp;contentType=Post&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;location=Home%20Tab&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Home%20Featured%20Carousel">failed</a> to pass a funding bill again on Monday night, with the vast majority of Democrats rejecting the Republicans&#8217; continuing resolution.

Chuck Schumer

Most Americans Don’t Want COVID Programs To Continue As Dems Push For Extension In Shutdown Fight

Congress

COVID-19

Government Shutdown

Health Care

Obamacare

Washington D.C.

With just hours to go before the looming government shutdown is expected to kick in, a poll by The New York Times suggests that most voters would actually prefer to see Democrats in Congress get to work and find a way to avoid it.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted a screenshot of a single poll question asking 1,075 voters which of the following statements “came closest” to an accurate representation of their opinion on the matter.
“New York Times Poll: 65% of Americans say, ‘the Democrats should not shut down the government, even if their demands are not met,’” Leavitt’s caption read.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
New York Times Poll:
65% of Americans say, “the Democrats should not shut down the government, even if their demands are not met.” <a href="https://t.co/x3CFjzqgm6">pic.twitter.com/x3CFjzqgm6</a>
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/1973024518424743946?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The first choice read, “The Democrats should shut down the government if their demands are not met” — and just over one-fourth (27%) of respondents selected that answer. The second, which was chosen by 65% of respondents, read, “The Democrats should not shut down the government, even if their demands are not met.” Just under one-tenth (7%) of respondents did not choose one of the two options.
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Trump’s team shared the same data in graphic form:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 POLL: 65% of Americans say Democrats SHOULD NOT shut down the government <a href="https://t.co/9schOzvYfV">pic.twitter.com/9schOzvYfV</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1973027165739643068?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
House Democrats are all-in on the imminent shutdown, and even shared a group photo celebrating their refusal to come to the table. “House Democrats are in DC and ready to cancel the cuts, lower the costs, save health care,” the caption claimed.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
House Democrats are in DC and ready to cancel the cuts, lower the costs, save health care. <a href="https://t.co/vnNRqGD3NS">pic.twitter.com/vnNRqGD3NS</a>
— House Democrats (@HouseDemocrats) <a href="https://twitter.com/HouseDemocrats/status/1972828851442204762?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who proved to be the weak link in the last shutdown standoff, has made it clear that he does not intend to budge this time. Indeed, after he argued that it was more important to make sure that the government was funded and people were paid — a position that the NYT poll suggests voters share — Schumer took a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/its-already-happening-abcs-the-view-is-in-absolute-panic-mode-over-schumer-caving-on-cr">wave of backlash</a> from within his own party for giving Republicans a win. That experience, coupled with an increasingly likely primary from someone further to the left — possibly from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) — has apparently galvanized Schumer to stand his ground in the current fight.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said as much on Tuesday, arguing that Schumer didn’t care if he was blamed for the shutdown because the optics were better for him if he was.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/LeaderJohnThune?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LeaderJohnThune</a>: &#8220;Politically speaking, Chuck Schumer needs a Schumer Shutdown&#8230; This is a made-up problem by the Democrats, who desperately need to satisfy a political base that is hostile to Donald Trump&#8230; This doesn&#8217;t have anything to do with health care.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/BwNdzwqJtn">pic.twitter.com/BwNdzwqJtn</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1973012686796623956?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“I&#8217;m going to tell you, just in the Senate at least, politically speaking, Chuck Schumer needs a Schumer Shutdown,” Thune said. “And I think that&#8217;s what we&#8217;re probably careening toward. But it&#8217;s up to the Democrats. This bill — this 24 pages is sitting at the desk in the Senate right now. It could be picked up and passed, the government stays open, and we complete our appropriations work.”
“They have the same leverage on November the 21st that they have right now,” Thune said of the Democrats, adding, “&#8230; This is a made-up problem by the Democrats, who desperately need to satisfy a political base that is hostile to Donald Trump. That&#8217;s what this is about &#8230; This doesn&#8217;t have anything to do with health care.”

US-POLITICS-TRUMP-CONGRESS

As Dems Prepare To Force A Government Shutdown, Poll Suggests The People Aren’t Falling In Line

As Dems Prepare To Force A Government Shutdown, Poll Suggests The People Aren't Falling In Line

Karoline Leavitt

Mike Johnson

New York Times

The New York Times

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