Republicans Can Hold Senate
– President Trump and Republicans are heading into the weekend with some of their best Senate news in months. A new roundup shows Republicans leading in **six competitive Senate races**, with Michigan and New Hampshire tied and Minnesota separated by just one point. Democrats still have paths to victory, but their road to taking the Senate looks much harder than many headlines suggest.
– The biggest takeaway is that Republicans are not just defending red seats—they are forcing Democrats to spend money and attention in states they hoped would be safer. That matters with early voting starting and turnout becoming more important than national polling averages.
– Democrats also had rough moments from two high-profile candidates. In Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed faced intense criticism after refusing to clearly denounce Hamas, Hezbollah, and al-Qaeda during a CNN appearance. Later, a Democratic strategist admitted on CNN that current polling may actually be **underestimating Republican strength**.
– In Texas, James Talarico has reportedly been absent from the campaign trail for roughly two weeks during one of the most important stretches of the race. Even Democratic strategists are calling the campaign strange and warning the disappearance could cost him momentum.
– Trump may also have a new face for the White House press room. Katie Zacharia is reportedly being considered for press secretary, and she brings years of media experience, strong communication skills, and an openly pro-Trump background.
– Finally, Barack Obama’s presidential center is dealing with workplace and contractor controversies. Employees are organizing over complaints about heavier workloads, reduced benefits, frozen promotions, and compensation concerns, while several contractors have also fought over unpaid invoices.
– The larger political story is simple: Republicans suddenly have multiple reasons for optimism, while Democrats are being forced to defend more territory, more candidates, and more internal problems just weeks before Election Day. Here’s more from Stephen Gardner.
