Morning Cup: Republicans Are Starting to Look Nervous

Good morning folks, and welcome to your Morning Cup. 

We are now less than two months from the midterm elections, and if there was one thing I took away from the last 24 hours, it’s this:

Republicans are starting to look nervous.

And honestly, they should be.

Trump is basically begging people to pretend he’s on the ballot

Donald Trump took the stage at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas last night and made it very clear what Republicans believe their strategy is for November:

Trump.

He literally told voters to “pretend that I’m running.”

But then things got even more ridiculous.

Trump announced that if Republicans maintain control of Congress, his administration would send a $5,000 “Trump Dividend” to American adults.

There’s just one little problem.

He cannot simply decide to send everybody $5,000.

The proposal would require congressional approval, and estimates put the potential cost north of $1 trillion.

JD Vance was already attempting to add qualifications to Trump’s announcement afterward, suggesting wealthier Americans might not receive the money.

Think about where we are politically.

Republicans control the White House and Congress.

They’ve had the opportunity to demonstrate what their government actually looks like.

And now, weeks before voters decide whether to keep them in power, the president is standing onstage dangling a hypothetical $5,000 check in front of the electorate.

That does not exactly scream confidence.

And Republicans just got terrible news from the Supreme Court

In another major development this morning, the Supreme Court blocked Missouri’s newly drawn Republican congressional map from being used in the upcoming midterm elections.

The map would have dismantled Democratic Congressman Emanuel Cleaver’s Kansas City-based district and potentially handed Republicans another seat.

Instead, the Supreme Court granted an emergency request from opponents of the map and stopped it from going into effect while the legal fight continues.

This matters beyond Missouri.

Republicans are fighting for every possible seat because their House majority is incredibly narrow.

The battle for control of Congress could come down to a handful of districts.

Every seat matters.

Every map matters.

And every attempt to manipulate those maps deserves scrutiny.

Meanwhile, the war Trump promised wouldn’t happen keeps dragging on

Trump built an enormous part of his political identity around supposedly ending America’s “forever wars.”

Now the United States is months into another war in the Middle East with no clear ending.

Reuters reports that Trump’s campaign against Iran is increasingly drawing comparisons to the post-9/11 wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The conflict is putting pressure on energy prices, American military resources and Trump politically heading into November.

And the contradiction is becoming impossible to ignore.

The guy who spent years telling Americans that Washington politicians were wasting lives and money fighting endless wars overseas is now presiding over one himself.

There is still no clear exit strategy.

Washington voters: seriously, use the drop boxes

This one is especially important for those of us here in Washington.

State election officials are urging voters to use official ballot drop boxes rather than relying on the mail as Election Day approaches.

Washington saw the percentage of ballots rejected because of late postmarks increase during the August primary.

Secretary of State Steve Hobbs and Senator Maria Cantwell have raised concerns about recent USPS processing changes and their effect on ballots.

That doesn’t mean vote-by-mail suddenly doesn’t work.

It means we need to understand the rules and make sure our votes arrive on time.

When your ballot arrives next month, don’t leave it sitting on the kitchen counter for two weeks.

Fill it out.

Sign it.

And if possible, put it directly into an official ballot drop box.

The bigger picture

We are entering the final stretch.

And the midterms are beginning to feel less theoretical.

Republicans are trying to make Donald Trump the centerpiece of an election where he isn’t actually on the ballot.

Trump is promising enormous checks if voters keep his party in power.

Republicans are fighting over congressional maps that could determine control of the House.

The country is stuck in another escalating foreign conflict.

And election officials are already warning voters about potential problems getting ballots counted on time.

This is exactly why the next several weeks matter.

I’m progressive. I want a Democratic Party that fights harder, goes further and actually delivers materially for working people.

But November comes first.

Because whatever disagreements exist inside the left, there is an immediate question sitting in front of us:

Who controls Congress?

The answer will determine whether Trump spends the next two years with virtually unchecked congressional power or finally faces an institution capable of stopping him.

That’s the Morning Cup.

Stay informed. Stay involved. And for the love of everything, when that Washington ballot shows up, don’t wait until Election Day to mail it.

Sean