Democratic Hopes For A Wave Election Diminish

Axios: “Trump advisers are running out of words to describe what’s coming in January. They say he feels empowered and emboldened, vindicated and validated, and eager to stretch the boundaries of power.” “He’s egged on by Elon Musk and others — and picking trusted brawlers for the toughest, most controversial tasks.”

Politico: “Republicans and Democrats alike had largely assumed the battlefield was set… But Trump’s improvement with Hispanic communities — one of the most dramatic shifts emerging from the 2024 election — is blowing all of that up, leaving Republicans plotting how to capitalize on Trump’s success and Democrats scrambling to keep a once-loyal demographic in the fold.” “Republicans will have a wider path to grow their House majority — if they can figure out how to take advantage of Trump’s inroads in these Latino-heavy areas in Nevada, New Mexico, South Texas, Central California and Florida.”

“Donald Trump’s campaign-trail vow to end President Biden’s signature climate law is running into a cold reality: Too many Republican lawmakers want to keep it,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “The Inflation Reduction Act has channeled billions of dollars to renewable-energy projects across the country, with Republican-led states getting the lion’s share of the funding.

New York Times: “More than a decade ago, Mr. Musk brought his private space company, SpaceX, to Cameron County, where the blasts from his rocket testing and launching site on Boca Chica Beach rattle homes for miles. His mark is now everywhere. And his face, too.” “Downtown, in the county seat of Brownsville, the old culture — part Mexican, part American, part Tejano — clashes with the new: Images of space, astronauts and Mr.

Washington Post: “The efforts, beginning with the deployment of about 50 members of the National Guard in the summer of 2021, intensified over the next three years. Noem ordered two additional deployments, paid for by state taxpayers. And she steadily escalated her rhetoric.” In an address before a joint session of her state’s legislature earlier this year, the governor declared: “South Dakota is directly affected by this invasion.

Playbook: “Over the last 16 or so hours, we’ve seen a dramatic escalation in two big fights that will define the near-term future of politics here in Washington.” “One is over a key administration post — and what that tells us about both the state of today’s Republican Party and what America under Trump 2.0 will look like.” “The other is for the chairmanship of the Democratic Party as it finds itself locked in the wilderness.”