‘Of Course The Economy Is Horrible' Ken Paxton Advisor Says Ahead Of Trump’s Texas Rally
Michelle Smith, a senior advisor to Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in his Senate race, complained Wednesday about how bad the economy is, hours before President Donald Trump, who insists the economy is “great,” comes to Texas to campaign for her boss.
“Of course the economy is horrible,” Smith ranted on social media, in response to a post about a leaked audio of Paxton lamenting high gas costs.
In another post, Smith said it’s obvious “the economy is hurting everybody right now.”
Paxton’s advisor isn’t wrong; voters are deeply unhappy with the economy, and they blame Trump’s aggressive use of tariffs and his war with Iran for the high costs of gas and food. The problem with Smith saying this, though, is that the president is saying the complete opposite, and is set to join Paxton at a campaign rally in Texas later Wednesday. Trump doesn’t do well with Republicans he perceives as not loyal to him.
“Since starting the rallies, it’s brought a whole new awareness to how great the Republicans are doing, how great the economy is doing,” Trump raved to reporters Tuesday at the White House. “In terms of $21 trillion being invested, factories being built all over the country, ships being built, everything is being built. There’s never been anything like it.”
Asked for comment, White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said the president “wants to see prices at the pump fall” and is working on alleviating the “temporary disruptions” in oil flowing through the Strait of Hormuz.
“President Trump had the courage to do what his predecessors didn’t to ensure the Iranian terrorist regime will never have a nuclear weapon,” Rogers said.
Latest Live Updates
Annie Andrews Takes Aim At Darline Graham’s National Security Flub During Fiery Debate
South Carolina Democratic Senate candidate Annie Andrews called out Sen. Darline Graham’s (R-S.C.) national security gaffe during a Sunday debate, citing it as evidence that the lawmaker lacks the qualifications for the job.
“I’m just going to be honest here. I’m not...that informed on national security,” Graham said during a debate against Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) earlier this year when asked about Taiwan and the South China Sea. “National security is not my thing, not my area of expertise, but I do support the military.”
“If your surgeon said that appendectomies aren’t really his thing, would you still hand him a scalpel? No,” Andrews said on Sunday. “So why would we hand Darline Graham a full term in the U.S. Senate? She is unserious and unqualified.”
Graham responded by claiming that Andrews has “flip-flopped” on issues without offering specifics.
“Your thing apparently is not being honest with the people of South Carolina,” Graham argued. “At least I’m honest. If I don’t know something, I am glad to say it, and I’ll say it again tonight.”
Ohio Mental Health Center Refutes MAGA Conspiracy Theory About James Talarico
A mental health center in Ohio is refuting a conspiracy theory peddled by MAGA pundits regarding Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico’s recent absence from the campaign trail.
MAGA influencer Nick Sortor previously claimed that Talarico was a patient at the Lindner Center of Hope, a mental health center, during his absence. Talarico’s spokesperson, JT Ennis, meanwhile, slammed those claims as “a lie designed to promote a pathetic conspiracy theory” and noted that the Democrat was home in Austin recovering from the flu.
“Representative James Talarico has never received treatment from Lindner Center of Hope,” the nonprofit said on social media Sunday evening.
U.S. Judge Orders Halt To Taxpayer-Funded Ads Featuring Trump
A US judge on Sunday blocked the Trump administration from using taxpayer money to pay for political advertisements, after publicly funded television ads glorifying US President Donald Trump began airing in late September and sparked a bipartisan backlash.
Manhattan-based US District Judge Jennifer Rochon temporarily barred the advertisements after plaintiffs including watchdog group Common Cause brought a lawsuit alleging the ads were political propaganda designed to help Republican candidates in the November 3 midterm elections, not public service announcements.
Read more from Reuters:
At Least 7 Bipartisan Senators Call On Trump To 'Reverse Course' On Buying Diesel From Russia
A bipartisan group of seven senators so far have called on President Donald Trump to “immediately reverse course” on buying diesel from Russia as part of his plan to lower gas prices.
Four Republican and three Democratic senators signed onto a joint statement Sunday protesting the deal. The Republican senators include Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Thom Tillis (N.C.) and John Curtis (Utah). The Democratic senators include Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.), Richard Blumenthal (Conn.) and Ron Wyden (Ore.).
“Congress explicitly banned Russian energy imports in 2022 to prevent American dollars from financing Putin’s brutal war against Ukraine. Congress was clear: the U.S. should not import oil from Russia until it ends its aggression against Ukraine and ceases threats against our NATO allies,” the statement read.
“President Trump’s decision to allow Russian diesel imports to the U.S. runs directly counter to that law,” it continued. “The Administration has also failed to consult with Congress or submit any explanation to justify its decision as required by statute.”
Trump said Friday that he struck a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin, where Russia will supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel to the American and global market, with an additional 500,000 tons in November and a million tons “immediately thereafter.” Tillis said Sunday there’s a case the president is not following the law if he goes through with the plan.
Saudi Arabia Extends Airport Closure And Moves Riyadh Schools Online As Attack Threats Continue
CAIRO (AP) — Saudi Arabia on Sunday kept its main international airport closed and moved Riyadh schools online as Yemen’s Houthi rebels threatened new airstrikes across the kingdom, a day after a missile attack killed 12 people and wounded more than 300.
Saturday’s strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh marked a major escalation in the war between Yemen’s Iran’s-backed Houthis and the kingdom and further complicated sputtering efforts to halt the U.S.-Iran war. U.S. President Donald Trump said he was considering whether to join Saudi strikes against the rebels, a scenario that could prompt the Houthis to halt shipping through a crucial waterway and further restrict the flow of oil out of the Persian Gulf.
Read more here:
Republicans Want Abdul El-Sayed To Be The Main Character Of The Midterms. He's Happy To Oblige
PORT HURON, Mich. (AP) — Abdul El-Sayed, holding a handheld mic and wearing his signature V-neck black shirt, slowly shook his head as a woman at his town hall described how she burned through her savings after undergoing emergency brain surgery.
“I’m really sorry for your experience, and I hope that you’re on the mend,” said El-Sayed, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Michigan, after outlining proposals for guaranteed health care and paid leave.
Kyiv Pushes Back On Trump’s Call For A New Ukrainian President As Drones Hit Russian Data Hub
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Only Russia is responsible for the war in Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday as he vowed to press ahead with strikes on Russian oil refineries, despite criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump, who blamed him for high diesel prices and said he should be replaced.
The exchange came as Kyiv pressed its campaign against infrastructure deep inside Russia, with a drone attack on Sunday shutting down a data center run by Russian technology giant Yandex, the third strike on the company’s facilities in four days. Russia and Ukraine are locked in a long-range aerial war while their armies remain largely deadlocked on the front line, more than 4 1/2 years since Moscow’s full-scale invasion.
Read more here:
Pope Leo XIV Will Undergo Surgery To Remove A Nodule On His Lung
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Leo XIV announced Sunday he will undergo surgery in the coming days to remove a nodular lesion on his lung that was recently discovered during medical checks.
The 71-year-old pope said the lesion was found at an early stage and was “circumscribed” or well-localized. The Vatican later said Leo would undergo surgery in the first days of the week, with an expected recovery time of a week.
Trump Tells Supporters He’ll Be Blamed If Republicans Lose In The Midterms
President Donald Trump told a crowd of his supporters at a rally in Tennessee that he would get blamed if the Republican party lost in the upcoming midterm elections.
“If we don’t win the midterms, they’re going to blame me, you know that,” Trump told the crowd. “If we do win them, I will get no credit whatsoever. It’s true, I won’t get it.”
Trump’s approval rating has taken a dive in recent polls and Republicans are showing signs that they fear a blue wave.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll this week found that voters who cast their ballot for former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024 were far more enthusiastic than Trump supporters about voting in November. Nate Silver’s latest projections give Democrats a 93.7% chance of taking the House of Representatives, and a 74.8% chance of winning the Senate.