SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY
Search headlines
Find the stories shaping the conversation.
Results for " Republicans " 2,507 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle
With nothing to run on, Republicans return to low road ‘gutter’ politics
Donald Trump's disastrous time in office has left campaigning Republicans with very little to boast about to constituents back home. What they are left with instead is their familiar playbook of culture war scare tactics and divisive distortions to try to scare voters into supporting them. Senator Ted Cruz wasted no time to resort to absurd smears when asked about Democratic Senate candidate from Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed.
Exclusive | Senate Panel Says It Has Obtained Copy of Fauci’s Covid-Era Phone
Republicans in Congress have ramped up scrutiny of the retired government doctor, and one panel could vote on holding him in contempt on Thursday.
House GOP anxiety spikes as scandals pile up in critical battleground seats
A series of serious allegations against GOP congressmen in key House districts have rattled party insiders this week, fueling Republicans’ anxiety that they could lose seats once considered mostly safe and further endanger their majority.
Republicans move to oust embattled Florida GOP lawmaker in bitter primary fight
Reps. Cory Mills, Chuck Edwards and Max Miller face misconduct allegations that now threaten GOP control of Congress heading into midterms. Edwards has dropped his campaign.
McConnell's absence puts Trump agenda at risk as Kentucky succession questions grow
Andy Beshear says the Aug. 3 deadline has no legal impact on his options, but Mitch McConnell's absence leaves Republicans one vote short on key items.
California Republicans tried to cut him off. Then he beat them from the right
The conservative group Reform California promotes candidates to the right of the California GOP. They won in several key primary races
Max Miller Shrugs Off Trump’s Warning and Pushes Ahead in Ohio
Republicans hoped a shove from President Trump would persuade the embattled congressman to drop his re-election bid in the face of abuse allegations. It hasn’t happened.
Allegations against several GOP congressmen highlight the party’s quandary
The political situation is becoming dicey for Republicans clinging to a narrow House majority, underscoring how fine a line they might need to walk in the weeks to come.
What to Watch in the Kansas Primaries: Can Republicans Flip a Governor’s Mansion?
Republicans see the marquee race to lead the state as perhaps their best chance this year to win a governorship held by Democrats.
David Ellison says court fight over Warner Bros. is about his politics, CNN
The Paramount Skydance CEO defended his deal to buy Warner Bros. Discovery and said he’s voted for Democrats and Republicans and held liberal and conservative values.
The Purple-State Problem
Most close readers of this column know that I see our nation’s political divisions as so great as to make the last line in the Pledge of Allegiance, that we are “one nation” and “indivisible,” hardly descriptive.While some states or congressional districts are characterized as red for Republicans or blue for Democrats, purple states or districts are thought of as fair fights where neither party has a distinct advantage. In those purple regions, it’s often thought that to win, a candidate must do well with voters near the ideological center.
The quiet way Republicans are trying to undo abortion rights again
Red-state courts kept abortion legal. Now voters might change the courts.
Domestic-Abuse Allegations in the Age of Trump
Republicans have been slow to call for an Ohio congressman to end his reelection campaign.
Democrats blink as Schumer helps GOP clear key shutdown hurdle
Chuck Schumer endorsed the continuing resolution as Senate Republicans race to clear a government funding bill before leaving Washington, D.C.
Pa. Democrats, Republicans make their push 100 days before midterms
7th District House of Representatives Candidates Bob Brooks and Ryan Mackenzie discuss campaigns ahead of midterm election.
If Not AOC, Then Who?
What do we do if Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez decides not to run for president in 2028? It makes sense that many leftists are currently focused on calling on her to take the plunge. But the absence of a Plan B, or even much discussion about one, is worrisome. The US Left can’t afford to sit out the 2028 Democratic primary. Doing so in 2024 was a disaster: our abstention self-marginalized anti-billionaire politics from the national conversation and thereby gave space for Harris to pivot to the “center” (i.e. the policy preferences of corporate donors, establishment hacks, and AIPAC). Abstaining again in 2028 would be especially counterproductive since democratic socialists now have so much wind in our sails after our big electoral wins in NYC and across the country. It’s time to deepen our momentum, organization, and profile — not to retreat to the margins during America’s single most important political battle. Even more urgently, keeping Trump’s heir out of the White House may depend on whether leftists and the party’s unprecedentedly disenchanted base can force the Democrats in 2028 to take meaningful steps towards a very angry electorate and away from the corporate-consultant blob that has helped get us into this mess. If AOC (or Abdul El-Sayed) decides to run, we should enthusiastically go all in — DSA, fighting unions, progressive organizations, anybody who wants to see a better country and world. But, as far as I can tell from the outside, there’s a real chance that she doesn’t run. And we can’t just wait and see where she lands before discussing alternatives, since AOC’s decision might not come for quite a while, giving us little time to scramble at the last minute for an alternative. So we should start working now on getting a Plan B into motion, and recruiting a good candidate for the role. Here’s one idea. A Worker Candidate — Healthcare Not Warfare 2028 Run a union worker Leftists don’t need to always run experienced, well-known socialist politicians for high-profile contests. Lula, the current president of Brazil, began his political career as a metalworker militant who ran for governor of São Paulo in 1982. Especially in an era of institutional distrust, it’s possible to lean hard into making a virtue out of a working-class comrade’s distance from traditional politics. Experience abroad shows this clearly. Rachel Kéké — an immigrant hotel housekeeper — ran as the candidate of the leftist La France Insoumise for the National Assembly in 2022, defeating a former minister in the Macron government. The Belgian Workers’ Party in 2024 won its first Flemish seat in the European Parliament by running Rudi Kennes, a three-decade veteran of the Opel Antwerp auto factory. And the South Korean left in 2024 elected auto factory militant Yoon Jong-oh to the National Assembly. If a tiny French Trotskyist organization could make such a big splash in 2002 and 2007 by running a well-spoken postal worker cadre for office — the LCR’s Olivier Besancenot received about 1.5 million first-round votes — it’s not far-fetched to expect that a much larger organization like DSA, together with a broader coalition of the willing, could run this playbook to much greater effect. This is especially the case now that almost everything DSA does immediately becomes a national news story. We don’t need someone famous. We just need a charismatic, well-vetted comrade who works in a relatable working-class occupation — e.g. a nurse, or a worker in auto or construction, or at Amazon. Ideally, they have a compelling personal story or have been part of a significant strike or organizing campaign, but even those criteria don’t necessarily have to be deal-breakers. The main lesson of the Graham Platner fiasco isn’t that we should never run outsiders for office (the momentum he generated proves the exact opposite), but that they need proper vetting and roots in democratic membership organizations like DSA or a union. In any case, there are plenty of ways to signal working-class authenticity without resorting to Platner’s or Fetterman’s performative macho white dude affect. Better to have someone of any gender or race who is actually working class, with firm socialist politics, who can speak from experience about the day-to-day realities of trying to make it in America. There are surely at least a dozen such worker leaders in our movement nationwide; we just need to sit down and convince one that their personal sacrifice for the greater good (i.e. running for president) will be worth it. If we don’t have a frontrunner with a clear path to victory like AOC (or El-Sayed, were he to win Michigan), it’s better to embrace someone whose decision to run in itself tells an important story about US politics: workers have been iced out of our political system and are now fighting hard to break back in. The novelty factor, in itself, would generate press. And it would help democratic socialists signal to the American public that our movement’s defining characteristic is that we represent workers vs. bosses, not that we’re “the furthest left” force in American politics — a framework that suggests we’re extremists and that helps our opponents isolate us from non-college-educated voters by highlighting extremely minoritarian (and misguided) stances included in DSA’s platform like prison abolition. We don’t get many opportunities to speak to tens of millions of Americans; we need to use these opportunities to broaden our appeal beyond those already in our orbit. Run to polarize the 2028 primary and general election around “Medicare for All” and “End All Aid to Israel” Why should democratic socialists use our scarce time and volunteer energy to run in a race we’re unlikely to win? Running in the 2028 primary will not only recruit us scores of members (imagine having a DSA member intervening in eleven nationally televised primary debates!), but — more importantly — it has the potential to be a decisive leap forward towards an America that finally starts meeting the needs of working people instead of HMO and AIPAC billionaire donors. Polarizing litmus tests are good, actually — as long as they’re fought for around popular demands in a thoughtful and strategic way. Democratic socialists have an opportunity and responsibility to make the 2028 primary about two of the most widely and deeply felt issues of our moment: domestically, America’s unaffordable, family-breaking private healthcare system; internationally, America’s bankrolling of the genocidal Israeli government. A candidacy relentlessly demanding Medicare for All and No Aid to Israel would pose a sharp question to the American public, the Democratic Party, and other 2028 contenders: Why can’t working-class Americans afford their healthcare bills at the same time that our government is spending at least $3.8 billion yearly to fund an Israeli regime eager to keep dragging us and the world into more forever wars? Our candidate can agitate around a clear message: I’m running to give voice to all those working-class Americans who are struggling to get by. No matter what state you live in, who you voted for in 2024, or your background, it’s just plain common sense that we should make healthcare more affordable instead of spending billions to enable the Israeli government’s crimes against humanity. Every American who agrees with me when I say ‘Medicare for All — Not a Dime for Israel’ should make their voice heard through our campaign. Racking up a high number of votes for this agenda is a crucial way to show the Democratic Party and the country as a whole that we can’t keep supporting a life-destroying status quo in our healthcare system and in the Middle East. If we want to defeat Trump’s handpicked crony this coming November, we need to speak to ordinary people’s frustrations with the status quo — we can’t keep running the same tired establishment playbook and expecting a different result. For those highly engaged voters (or skeptical media pundits) who raise concerns about wasting votes, the candidate can take the time to explain why this isn’t the case: It's true I'm a long shot. But Zohran showed anything can happen — and voting for me is a pragmatic decision, not a wasted vote. In a heavily divided primary with a large number of candidates and a very discredited establishment, my campaign and the democratic socialist movement I’m part of are positioned to be the balance of power if we can get a large enough number of voters to loudly demand Healthcare Not Warfare. Since there’s a high chance no candidate will get to 50% in the 2028 primaries, the Democrats could very well be heading towards a brokered convention, where a disciplined, principled current committed to breaking from corporate donors can play an outsized role in making sure whoever ends up with the nomination raises the banner of single-payer healthcare and cutting aid to Israel. How exactly could running this sort of primary campaign be translated into actual leverage? The candidate replies: I’m aiming to win the nomination, but if I don’t achieve that goal, my delegates and I will pledge our support in the primary only for a candidate who agrees in the general election to call for ending US aid to Israel and establishing Medicare for All at home. These are both winning planks for November against the Republicans, and the only reason I can see that other candidates haven’t yet raised these is that they’re still more scared of the donor class than they are of the people. That needs to change. If Democratic leaders want young people, workers, and those sick of the status quo to show up in big numbers this November, they need to meet us halfway. In this way, whether or not we win the nomination, democratic socialists could still play a decisive role in 2028. The approach outlined here is similar to what radical left parties periodically do in parliamentary democracies like Denmark or Sweden when they find themselves as a junior partner electorally: they dictate to center-left allies what their terms would be for enabling, from the outside, the formation of a new government. Running a Healthcare Not Warfare candidate will make it significantly more likely that the 2028 Democratic candidate stands with ordinary people instead of donors on these two pivotal planks — a shift that will, in turn, make it easier to achieve the existentially important task of defeating MAGA’s heir in November. Look at how much popular traction the Uncommitted movement got with a similar strategy in 2024 with so little on-the-ground organization — surely we can go much further with a working-class candidate, a much bigger DSA, and a Democratic Party base that has turned against Israel, billionaires, and the hacks in the party who prop them up. Objections and Responses There are quite a few objections to this proposal, many of which are very reasonable. Let me briefly address each here. Socialists shouldn’t waste their scarce time and resources on a candidate unlikely to win. This is a good rule in general, but there are important exceptions, and presidential elections are the main one. There’s no other political contest that gets anything like this level of attention and engagement in the US, so if you want to be a serious force in nationwide politics, you basically can’t afford not to have a candidate. Far from being an overall drain on our resources, running a dynamic 2028 campaign would likely result in a major net increase in members and capacity. In that spirit, the very pragmatic Milwaukee sewer socialists — who mostly ran to win at home in Wisconsin — supported Eugene Debs’s propagandistic presidential campaigns, which they correctly saw as a crucial means of recruiting to the Socialist Party. And now that the (post-1972) Democratic Party gives more weight to voters than party operatives in determining its presidential nomination, it’s become feasible to run as a socialist in primaries without risking a split in the vote against the Republicans in November. We should just support Ro Khanna, who also supports M4A and ending aid to Israel. I like Ro Khanna and would enthusiastically vote and canvass for him for president were he to get the nomination. But there’s a real chance that Khanna’s bid for office doesn’t catch on; he lacks the grassroots organizational apparatus of DSA, and, because he’s not really of the Left or labor (despite his current very good positions), he’s unlikely to generate the type of buy-in and enthusiasm that a DSA candidate would. Moreover, Khanna would be running as an individual, not as someone emerging from and building an organized movement — his campaign would not likely focus on building sustained power from below, nor would it likely polarize the 2028 primary around M4A and Israel aid. Also, and not inconsequentially, the poor electoral results for Tom Steyer and Saikat Chakrabarti this spring suggest that there’s perhaps not much of a popular appetite in the Democrats’ base to support multi-millionaire class traitors. Much better, then, to run a democratic socialist worker. If by Super Tuesday it’s clear that our campaign has captured the main left lane in the primary, Khanna should drop out and endorse us; conversely, if he’s managed to capture this lane, DSA could at that point transform its Healthcare Not Warfare campaign into an independent campaign to elect Ro Khanna focused on winning (and holding him accountable to) those two critical planks. An openness to consolidating an anti-corporate candidate by Super Tuesday is a necessary component of the strategy I’m proposing, because otherwise we risk splitting the primary votes (per DNC rules, you need at least 15% to get any delegates to convention). We should convince Shawn Fain or Sara Nelson to run for president instead. I agree it’d be great if either ran for president, but my impression is that there’s basically no chance that will happen in 2028, because both are firmly focused on their union leadership duties (and, in the case of Fain, beating back a federal witch-hunt). This plan could have DSA end up endorsing a non-socialist, non-DSAer for president. That’s against our principles. It’s a myth, and bad politics, that socialists can’t ever support candidates who aren’t members of their organization and/or who don’t call themselves socialists. Bernie, after all, was not a DSAer. And socialists abroad regularly make tactical decisions about if and when supporting a non-socialist candidate makes sense from the standpoint of promoting working-class interests, defending democracy, and building a socialist current in the process. If your “principles” prevent you and DSA from helping achieve the momentous stride forward of having a Democratic candidate in 2028 run on Medicare for All and ending aid to Israel, those “principles” are not very good. In fact, they actively undermine the causes they’re aiming to support. We shouldn’t confuse principles (working-class independence) with tactics (the best way to advance this in a given context). In my recent article in Catalyst on Milwaukee sewer socialism (I’ve uploaded the full text here), I have a section showing how similarly rigid rules about endorsements had to be eventually discarded in the old Socialist Party nationwide after WWI because they tended to lead socialists towards a sectarian abstention from broader anti-corporate electoral insurgencies beyond their party’s control. For what it’s worth, Lenin’s current under Tsarism frequently backed bourgeois candidates in the second round of elections and Lenin himself advocated that British Communists support Labour Party candidates; for his part, Kautsky in 1912 defended the German Social Democracy’s electoral pact with the Progressives in the runoffs. If our predecessors could be that tactically flexible in an era before the limits of their underlying strategic assumptions about intransigent class politics in capitalist democracies were made clear, then there’s no need to insist on being more tactically rigid today, after a century’s worth of accumulated experience. As long as you maintain your own political profile and organization while engaging in broader coalitional efforts, there’s zero inherent contradiction with the principle of political independence. More specifically: DSA and allied organizations should enthusiastically back Michigan’s Abdul El-Sayed if AOC declines to run and he throws his hat in the presidential ring. (I have no idea whether he’s even considering this path, but there’ll surely be chatter about it if he wins his Senate race this November.) Though he doesn’t call himself a socialist, El-Sayed is a principled Berniecrat, a consistent fighter for Palestine, and would have a clear path to victory. Using the “s” word is far less important than whether a campaign fights for the interests of working people at home and abroad — and whether actively participating in it can grow the organized working class and the Left. And the same holds true if a less anti-corporate candidate were, under pressure, to adopt our two Healthcare Not Warfare planks. Why focus only on M4A and ending US aid to Israel? There are so many other important issues to fight for! Obviously there are many pivotal issues beyond healthcare and Israel, and our candidate — and especially our organizations involved in the campaign — should be prepared to speak on all of these. But one of the crucial lessons of the Zohran campaign is that you have to relentlessly stay on message if you want to cut through the noise. CNN and Fox News will want to talk about DSA’s views on Venezuela and abolishing the police; we need to polarize the debate on the widely and deeply felt issues that are most favorable for growing the Left, isolating our opponents, and winning urgently needed changes. One recent poll found 63% of Americans support M4A, even after respondents were told it would raise taxes and eliminate most private insurance. Another found that 74% of Democrats opposed “providing additional economic and military support to Israel.” And focusing on two demands sets the campaign up to be able to leverage its mandate to make clear demands upon other candidates (which we can’t do if we run with a laundry list of demands). Talking about a Plan B is a distraction from the more urgent work of building a groundswell of calls on AOC to run. It’s good for DSAers, fightback unionists, and progressive organizations to try to convince AOC to run. This proposal is meant as an addendum to pushes to get AOC to run and to line DSA up for that eventuality, not as a substitute for those efforts. But I’m worried that, like in 2024, we might eventually find ourselves with no time to find a viable alternative unless we start now. DSA, with its abundant deliberative processes, moves slowly. The approach you’re suggesting seems risky. If a DSA candidate runs but doesn’t receive a lot of votes, it’ll undercut our current national momentum. This is a reasonable worry. All big initiatives always carry risks, and the path I’m advocating is certainly not free of these. That said, if a Healthcare Not Warfare campaign doesn’t catch on like we envisioned, it’s a pretty simple pivot in March 2028 to explain that in the future we really need our standard-bearers like AOC, or our growing bench of national electeds, to step up in presidential primaries. Moreover, it’s worth noting that the risk of my Plan B proposal is on the whole significantly less than the risk entailed by an AOC run. We should all back her if she runs, since she’d fire up the base, provide huge openings for organizing, have a real shot at defeating a Republican (especially given MAGA’s unpopularity), be a great standard-bearer for our issues, particularly M4A and ending aid to Israel, and be less willing than mainstream candidates to capitulate to any anti-democratic machinations from Trump and co. But it’s also true that AOC could lose, which would be a devastating setback to the country and the Left. Or she could win and find herself unable to pass much, if any, of her (and our) program, a demoralizing prospect. So if we’re willing to take these risks with AOC (and we should), it follows that we should be able to take lower-level risks if she doesn’t throw her hat in the ring. What’s Your Plan B? The US Left is facing its biggest opening for growth and influence since the 1930s. Initiatives that would have been impossible a few months ago are now potentially feasible. A President AOC is now easier to imagine, but if she ultimately assesses that the risks aren’t worth the potential reward in 2028, we can’t be left flat-footed. So even if you’re not convinced by the specifics of my Plan B, I hope you can at least agree that it’d be a disaster for us not to have one — and not to start getting a Plan B into motion. Hopefully other organizers and political currents will put forward their responses and alternative ideas ASAP. The stakes are too high to just wait and see. More As always, please share this article widely. This newsletter depends on all you lovely people to get the word out. Thank you! I uploaded the full text of my Catalyst article on Milwaukee sewer socialism here (it’s updated and 3x as long as the version published earlier on this substack). If you haven’t yet, please make sure to subscribe to Catalyst here; I read every issue front to back, highly recommend. 🌹🎵 Ivan Lins (arranged by Arthur Verocai) — “General da Banda” 🌹🎵
AP Decision Notes: What to expect in the Kansas state primary
Kansas Republicans will narrow down a crowded field for governor in a state primary Tuesday as they look to retake the state’s top office after eight years of Democratic rule.
Senate Republicans see Trump as a growing political liability
Senate Republicans say they see President Trump as a growing political liability as they try to hang on to control of the Senate in the 2026 midterm elections, citing the president’s repeated…
‘The Democratic Party is asleep at the wheel’: Democratic socialists are strategizing for their biggest moment yet
DSA has taken a strategic approach to grow its power within the Democratic Party, picking off two House incumbents already this year and potentially a third on Tuesday in Michigan. As the group’s summit in Chicago made clear, its members see this as only the beginning of a fight against both Republicans and Democrats alike.
Political strategist weighs in on the tension between Trump and Senate Republicans
NPR's A Martinez speaks with political strategist Alex Conant about the tensions between the Senate and President Trump ahead of the long congressional recess that starts later this week.
Blanche rescinds Trump’s ‘anti-weaponization’ fund, removing hurdle from attorney general nominee’s confirmation
Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general, Todd Blanche, said late Sunday he is formally rescinding the president’s $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund, after Senate Republicans threatened to block his nomination over the controversial agreement.
Blanche rescinds Trump’s ‘anti-weaponization’ fund, removing hurdle from AG pick’s confirmation
Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general, Todd Blanche, said late Sunday he is formally rescinding the president’s $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund,” after Senate Republicans threatened to block his nomination over the controversial agreement.
Senate GOP seeks to block Trump science grant rule
Senate Republicans are moving to block a Trump rule giving political appointees power over federal science grants.
Senate GOP seeks to block Trump science grant rule
Senate Republicans are moving to block a Trump rule giving political appointees power over federal science grants.
California Democratic Party endorses billionaire wealth tax in narrow vote
The close vote exposed deep schisms within the party over how to cope with healthcare cuts passed by Congressional Republicans.
Politics: RNC, Iowa GOP file lawsuit to enforce signature verification on absentee ballots
Iowa and national Republicans took a significant step last week to seek enforcement of additional regulations on voting.
Darline Graham promotes Trump's agenda in her political debut ahead of special Senate primary
As one of nine Republicans seeking to replace him more permanently in a special primary election set for Aug. 11, Graham is a relative political unknown facing off against some of the state's best-known GOP names.
Trump Calls for $1.8 Billion Fund Over Blanche Attorney General Fight
The president vowed to push for the payout fund if Senate Republicans fail to confirm Todd Blanche as attorney general, reigniting a dispute over the settlement.
Opinion | What Happens to America’s Political Parties After Trump?
Democrats have an anger problem. Republicans have a Trump problem.
Video: Opinion | What Happens to America’s Political Parties After Trump?
Democrats have an anger problem. Republicans have a Trump problem.
‘Trump threw us all a curveball’: South Carolina Republicans are stewing about Lindsey Graham’s old Senate seat
When President Donald Trump helped orchestrate Darline Graham’s appointment to finish Sen. Lindsey Graham’s term, many Republicans in South Carolina saw it as a fitting tribute to her late brother.
Musk funds GOP midterms after SpaceX contract. Coincidence?
Republicans eager for Elon Musk's money to win an edge in the midterm elections would be wise to show some caution.
A voters guide to democratic socialism: It isn’t what most people think
Despite what conservatives say, democratic socialism is not anti-capitalist and is certainly not communism, writes Kalman Hettleman, but is squarely within the politics of most left-of-center Democrats. It's only scary because we let Republicans paint it that way.
Now That the Trump Administration Has Made Minority Lives Miserable, It’s Coming to Ruin the Lives of Disabled Americans Next
Remember when Republicans used to care about their fellow human beings?
Fauci praised as 'hero' by public health experts after Senate hearing
Public health experts and advocates are defending Dr. Anthony Fauci after he faced fierce criticism from Republicans at a Senate hearing.
COVID’s political fallout still haunts both Democrats and Republicans
Unbiased Politics News
Does public health *need* MAHA?
Last week, our friend Dr. Craig Spencer sparked an ongoing volatile discussion with his Atlantic article “Public Health Needs MAHA.” Some have come out in strong dissent, others are cheering, and others are simply lamenting that we find ourselves in such a divided world to begin with. We will dare to dip our toes in these controversial waters, too. Does public health need MAHA? We think in some ways yes, and in other ways, no. MAHA leaders versus the everyday MAHA supporter The vitriol in this debate mostly comes from one collapsed distinction: the leadership of MAHA is not necessarily the same as the people who support it. Say “MAHA” and most people picture RFK Jr. Fair enough, as he coined the term and holds most of the power. And, yes, some MAHA followers treat Kennedy as something close to a saint. But talk to the grassroots, and it’s not a monolith. They’re Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. People who distrust vaccines and vaccine supporters. It’s a wide, eclectic coalition. The data backs this too: 4 in 10 Americans support the movement—that’s a lot of people! But according to polls, vaccines and medical choice (the issues most tied to Kennedy personally) are cited by only 4% as their reason for supporting the movement. For many, the motivations are much broader. Many MAHA supporters are signing up for the idea that “something needs to change” with health in this country. They’re asking good-faith questions about corporate influence on our health systems, health care costs, nutrition, chemicals, and clean air and water. These are all questions that plenty of public health professionals recognize as legitimate and also care about very deeply. Blurring the lines between the leadership and grassroots does real damage in two important ways: It hands the 4 in 10 exactly the narrative already fed—that the health ecosystem doesn’t listen, doesn’t care, and paints every critic with the same brush. It gives the actual bad actor more power. RFK Jr. has done irreparable damage and can’t be trusted. What the MAHA movement gets right A healthy population is something the public health field was literally built on, and many of these topics are things we have dedicated our lives to. Yet the MAHA movement has captivated nearly half the country in a way the public health establishment has failed to achieve. So that means MAHA is doing something right. Some of it may be timing (after a Covid-19 pandemic and deep frustration and mistrust with institutions). The movement also does three other things really well: 1. It gives a new, louder voice to system failures. While MAHA is not a monolith, one theme stays consistent across their stories: the system failed them. For some, it was the system that flooded their communities with opioids and then walked away. For others, it was the system that let their business collapse during Covid with no safety net in sight. For others still, it was the system that failed to help them manage a complex chronic illness, bouncing them from physician to physician without any real answers. And in many ways, our health ecosystems are failing Americans. Why are medical bills so incomprehensible? Why do some kids get a healthy school lunch and others don’t? Why do an epidemiologist and a MD/PhD student have to start newsletters in the middle of the biggest public health emergency in a century, just so people can get straight information? Because the systems failed. This deep-seated frustration driving many Americans to search for solutions elsewhere needs to be recognized. 2. MAHA has brilliant comms central to their efforts. MAHA figured out something most health institutions still have not: the information landscape changed. It’s participatory now, not top-down; influence runs through many nodes in a community, not one institution; and storytelling and telling audiences “what you really think” moves people more than data dumps do. MAHA goes where audiences are listening, using podcasts, social media, and memes in ways most health institutions would scoff at—but it works. 3. They are very good at organizing. A MAHA meeting feels like a rally: energy, speakers, music, and most importantly, an action for everyone. Someone’s writing the next policy brief, someone’s seeding a narrative, someone knows the next legislative deadline, someone’s sending the text messages for a campaign. None of this is new (ask the civil rights movement), but MAHA knows it works and has capitalized on it. What MAHA gets wrong This list could be much longer, and this newsletter has spent a lot of time covering it, but here are a few things: Poor use of scientific evidence. This is the fundamental problem with many MAHA policies: the hype outpaces the science, and experts are often villainized for pointing this out. MAHA leadership has traded real solutions for cheap wins. For example, instead of taking on the powerful food industry and passing real reforms, it has celebrated french fries made of beef tallow and taken out artificial dyes from still very sugary children’s cereal. These changes won’t move the needle on America’s diet. MAHA leadership has tried to dismantle vaccine access in the U.S. While many MAHA supporters emphasize other issues, the effort to change vaccine policy has become MAHA’s signature effort. This is not surprising given RFK Jr.’s extensive track record campaigning against vaccines. It has rallied behind the wrong leader. RFK Jr. has a decades-long track record of villifying doctors, scientists, and public health workers, well before he became HHS secretary. He is known for his decades-long work sowing distrust in vaccines as well as life-saving treatments like antiretroviral therapy for HIV. This is not a serious person who can move the needle on health in the U.S, and he has already done serious damage. Public health needs more than defense Defending the evidence is absolutely necessary so health in the U.S. doesn’t move further backward. The public health establishment is very good at defense. The problem is this defense often sounds like defending the status quo, which has failed many people. Public health needs to offer an alternative to RFK Jr.’s MAHA—one that is rooted in evidence, truly listens to and addresses people’s frustrations, and has innovative solutions and the courage to change the systems. How do we get there? Find common ground. Do you know what most people care most about? The abysmal cost of healthcare. Start there. Fight for the human loudly. Too often, communications and engagement center on science with a capital S, funding mechanisms, or the CDC/FDA/NIH. Not the person. So the public doesn’t see themselves in it. Instead, they see people fighting for the very powerful systems that they feel negatively impact their health and well-being. Let the public feel and hear that you see their frustrations, you get it, and you’re fighting for them within the system. Recognize when pro-science messages are alienating people. Facts absolutely matter, but angrily venting only alienates people further. Our friend Elisabeth Marnik recently wrote a New York Times article about her experience growing up unvaccinated and how listening and empathetic conversation are the only ways to reach people that really work (a position backed by communication science). Her comments section was full of hateful comments from pro-vaccine individuals attacking her for daring to suggest we approach vaccine-hesitant individuals with empathy. It is possible to both stand firm behind scientific evidence and empathize with people who don’t trust it. Lean into politics smartly. Often, public health has shied away from politics: Don’t touch it, lest you get burned. But this fails to recognize that the third rail is what fuels the train: who is elected determines our budgets, our priorities, and our authority. Being political means being very savvy in strategy on both sides of the aisle, knowing your audience, and recognizing that political capital is as scarce as financial resources and needs to be allocated accordingly. Bottom line So does public health need MAHA? That’s not really the right question. Public health has a responsibility not to dismiss 40% of the country who feel heard by this movement and are frustrated that the system has failed them. And it has a responsibility to stick to the evidence and recognize MAHA leadership for what it is: a danger to our nation’s health. Both can, and should, be done. Love, YLE and KP A big thanks to Craig Spencer, who had the courage to put his neck out there to start a much-needed discussion at such a critical moment—one that is determining the identity of an entire field. Kristen Panthagani, MD, PhD is completing an emergency medicine residency and research fellowship focusing on health literacy and communication. In her free time, she writes the newsletters You Can Know Things debunking health myths and rumors and The Public Health Roundup. Views expressed belong to KP, not her employer. Your Local Epidemiologist (YLE) comprises a team of experts, ranging from physicians to immunologists to epidemiologists to nutritionists, working together with one goal: to “translate” ever-evolving public health science so that people are well-equipped to make evidence-based decisions. The YLE suite of newsletters reaches over 475,000 people across more than 132 countries. This newsletter is free to everyone, thanks to the generous support of fellow YLE community members. To support the effort, subscribe or upgrade below: Subscribe
One Big Beautiful Bill cut healthcare funds. Now, Republicans have to sell the costs
Blanketing the airwaves with ads about healthcare, Republican candidates who voted to cut federal funding in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act are positioning themselves as advocates for lower costs.
Why Democrats Won’t Stop Forcing Votes On Trump’s Iran War Powers
Even after winning approval of a measure calling on President Trump to end the war, they continue to call votes to force Republicans to answer for it.
Elon Musk Plans at Least $100 Million in Midterm Spending to Help Republicans
Elon Musk, a year after a huge blowup with President Trump and the Republican Party, is said to be planning to spend in at least eight states to help them in November.
Trump says he may temporarily pull Blanche's nomination for attorney general as Republicans seek concessions
President Donald Trump said Thursday he may pull acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general, looking to avoid concessions to holdout Republicans.
Senate panel delays vote on Blanche attorney general nomination
Key Republicans have demanded more assurances about the settlement of President Donald Trump's lawsuit against the IRS
Troy Jackson ran anonymous account to troll Republicans online
In 2012, Troy Jackson had plenty to say about Maine politics. An outspoken Democratic state lawmaker, Jackson openly feuded with then-Republican Gov. Paul LePage.
Politics in the Park: Ten candidates spar over taxes, cost of living, data centers
CASPER, Wyo. — Ten Republicans running for five Wyoming House seats took the stage at Washington Park on Wednesday. The candidates are vying for seats in
From bad to worse for Trump and his base
Republicans are starting to fret about their base’s lack of enthusiasm ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
John Thune Isn’t Bowing to Trump’s Pressure: ‘Show Me How This Ends’
A standoff over the restrictive voting bill Trump is pushing has left nerves raw at the Capitol, with even the typically staid Thune showing signs of frustration.
Anthony Fauci’s high-profile Senate hearing: what we learned
Six years on from Covid crisis, Republicans still politicizing science – and Fauci remains a political punching bag
Fauci invokes Fifth Amendment in heated COVID-19 Senate hearing
Physician declines to answer Senate questions as Republicans like Rand Paul accuse him of covering up COVID's origins.
Anthony Fauci Finally Turns Down an Interview Request
The doctor, not known to shy from a spotlight, invoked his Fifth Amendment rights rather than answer loaded questions from Senate Republicans.
Can Anyone Spare a Buck For Texas?
One of America’s most competitive Senate races features a surprising dynamic: No Republicans are spending money yet.
Dr. Anthony Fauci pleads the Fifth to avoid Senate questions about Covid pandemic
Dr. Anthony Fauci, who led the US government response to the Covid-19 pandemic, invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, refusing to testify Wednesday just minutes into a Capitol Hill hearing that Republicans outwardly hoped would undermine the scientist and open him to claims of perjury.
What to know about South Dakota's midterm primary runoff
South Dakota Republicans will decide in a primary runoff Tuesday whether to nominate Gov. Larry Rhoden for a full term or to instead tap businessman Toby Doeden to represent the party on the ballot in November.
South Carolina Republicans line up to run in special primary to replace late Sen. Lindsey Graham
WASHINGTON (AP) — The field of Republican candidates vying to replace the late Sen. Lindsey Graham on November ballots is nearly set, with at least 10 hopefuls filing their paperwork and launching into a two-week sprint toward the Aug. 11 special GOP primary. WATCH LIVE: Sen. Lindsey Graham remembered in funeral service at Washington National Cathedral It's been a jumbled and frenetic period during what would have otherwise been Graham's expected glide path toward a
Fetterman strongly supports the filibuster as Trump urges Senate Republicans to scrap it
Democratic Sen. John Fetterman supports the filibuster while President Donald Trump is pressuring Senate Republicans to scrap the filibuster.
‘He’s irreplaceable’: How Lindsey Graham made an indelible mark on foreign policy and Trump
Republicans have confronted the reality that there will be no replacing Graham when it comes to foreign policy or as a conduit to Trump.
The GOP’s 2026 Trump problem, in 2 charts
Two charts show how President Donald Trump’s handling of the economy could be problematic for Republicans trying to defend their majority in the midterms.
Republicans decry a new Democratic Socialists of America platform as Dem primaries split the party
A new platform from the progressive Democratic Socialists of America is sparking Republican attacks.
AP Decision Notes: What to expect in South Dakota’s state primary runoff
South Dakota Republicans will decide in a primary runoff Tuesday whether to nominate Gov. Larry Rhoden for a full term or to instead tap businessman Toby Doeden to represent the party on the ballot in November.
Massachusetts Republicans eye larger foothold in Southeastern Massachusetts
Situated at the intersection of two reddening counties, southeastern Massachusetts is slowly transforming into fertile political ground for Republicans.
Republicans see ‘scary’ lack of enthusiasm among core voters ahead of midterms
Pollsters and GOP groups are raising the alarm about an unmotivated base in an election year that would be tough no matter what, given the president’s low approval.
Democrats Reset the Maine Senate Race. Now Comes the Tricky Part.
Troy Jackson is replacing Graham Platner, but Republicans are seeking to tie them together as a remade race kicks off with high stakes.
Polk County Republicans turn up the heat at Summer Sizzle rally
Polk County Republicans gathered for the Summer Sizzle fundraiser on July 25 to hear remarks from candidates up and down the ballot.
Influencers are shaping politics more than ever
The battle for Gen Z voters is increasingly being fought on social media. Republicans have established a strong ecosystem of influencers, while Democrats are trying to catch up. Three political influencers share what they think it might take for both parties to win over young voters in the midterm elections.
Democrats reshape their primary calendar: From the Politics Desk
Plus, 100 days out from the midterms, Republicans feel the pressure on the Iran war.
Trump’s new tariffs ‘a sales tax that will make life harder for Americans’, say Democrats
Even some Republicans apparently expressing concern over measures against 85 countries
Senate advances MAHA-friendly bill for food warning labels and junk food ad bans
Unexpected alliances among Republicans and Democrats were on display over a bill meant to rein in ultra-processed foods.
Senate Democrats reject Trump-approved ethics provision in landmark crypto bill
Senate Democrats signaled they would not support a revised version of Republicans’ landmark cryptocurrency regulation bill, saying a new ethics provision approved by President Donald Trump does not go far enough to limit the president’s ability to profit off crypto.
Oil prices surge as Congress splits on Iran war votes: From the Politics Desk
Plus, South Carolina Republicans are still getting to know their new senator.
Rep. Smucker again supports passage of SAVE America voter ID requirements
U.S. Rep. Lloyd Smucker on Wednesday joined House Republicans to push forward a package of GOP priorities including a nationwide mandate for voter identification at the polls backed by President
Trump's patience 'running out' as Thune fires back over stalled election security bill
Karoline Leavitt says Trump's patience is running thin with John Thune over the SAVE America Act as Senate Republicans face a 50-vote math problem.
House votes to end Iran war, but Senate Republicans vote to let Trump continue waging it
Democrats forced both votes, hoping to tie Republicans to the unpopular U.S. war with Iran ahead of November’s elections.
Americans — including many Republicans — are losing faith in capitalism, polling shows
President Donald Trump has indicated that his main strategy for the 2026 midterm elections is to call Democrats “socialists” and even “communists” at every turn. And there is evidence that democratic socialism is gaining somewhat more of a foothold in recent Democratic primaries.
Midterm voting preferences by race and ethnicity, age, and other demographics
This is part of a larger report on Americans and the 2026 midterm elections. Several months ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, Democrats hold a 6 percentage point edge over Republicans among registered voters on the generic ballot for Congress (43% vs. 37%). Two-in-ten voters say they are not sure (14%) or support another candidate […]
Some House Republicans defect to again pass resolution seeking to halt military action in Iran
The House on Thursday narrowly passed a resolution to halt U.S. military action in Iran, sending a warning to President Donald Trump for the second time as the war has escalated and the future of the conflict is increasingly uncertain.
GOP Lawmakers Back Trump on Iran War
Just four House Republicans join Democrats in trying to rein in president’s war powers amid rising tensions, economic fears.
House again passes resolution seeking to halt military action in Iran as some Republicans defect
The House has narrowly passed a resolution to halt U.S. military action in Iran, sending a warning to President Donald Trump for the second time as the war has escalated and the future of the conflict is increasingly uncertain
Democrats seize on AI data center backlash that's dividing rural Republicans
The fast growth of massive data centers has already upended races for local offices across the country, often uniting conservatives and liberals.
Why Republicans are joining the fight against money in politics
Long assumed to be an issue exclusively of the left, it is a top issue of concern among Republican voters.
Democrats try to harness data center backlash that's dividing rural Republicans in places like Texas
Gina Hinojosa, the Democratic nominee for Texas governor, is focusing on data centers as a key issue in her campaign against Republican Gov. Greg Abbott
New Jersey voter glitch delivers Republicans a gift in elections fightNJ Spotlight News
Trump's House allies renew call to pass legislation that critics say would block millions of people from casting ballots
Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez breaks from Democrats on $1.15 trillion defense bill
Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez joined Republicans to pass the defense bill, despite opposing the attached SAVE America Act.
Trump touts children’s investment accounts as he searches for a political win
The president promoted his “Trump accounts” program on a visit to Georgia, hoping to give Republicans an economic message that will connect with voters before the midterms.
House Republicans adopt $95 billion package for the Iran war and Trump's priorities
Democrats argued the money should be spent at home, particularly on efforts to lower costs for Americans.
House Republicans push $95 billion package to help pay for Iran war
Democrats argued the money should be spent at home
House Republicans push $95 billion package to help pay for Iran war
Democrats argued the money should be spent at home
GOP blocks Schumer's effort to ground taxpayer funding for Trump's Qatari Air Force One
Senate Republicans blocked Chuck Schumer's bill to halt taxpayer funding for the new Air Force One Boeing 747-8 retrofit over nuclear concerns.
What New Jersey’s disclosure says – and doesn’t say
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s disclosure Wednesday that a software glitch caused her state to mistakenly add 6,600 non-citizens to its voter rolls — and that about 400 of them improperly voted in recent years — has given Republicans something to grab onto in their long-running campaign against non-citizen voting.
House Dems hand GOP a win on trans sports as party unity cracks
Five House Democrats broke with their party to vote with Republicans on a transgender sports amendment to the NDAA targeting military schools.
Republicans say they'd welcome Fetterman as GOP eyes bigger Senate majority
John Thune says Republicans would welcome John Fetterman if he leaves the Democratic Party, as the senator's pro-Israel stance isolates him.
6 Takeaways From Arizona’s Tense, Trump-Dominated Primaries
Republicans nominated a former N.F.L. kicker in a top House battleground, a Trump loyalist for governor and an election denier for the state’s top election post.
House Narrowly Passes Stopgap Spending Bill, but Shutdown Fight Looms
Republicans managed to push through legislation to fund the government through Dec. 4. But with Democrats opposed, the stage is set for a broader battle.
White House accuses Smithsonian of hijacking US narrative, director denies politics
Republicans accuse the Smithsonian's American History museum and its director of rewriting the country's narrative.
Will data center backlash decide the midterms?
Democrats, Republicans both divided over AI concerns
Arizona Republicans pick nominees Tuesday for governor and other top offices
Arizona Republicans are choosing nominees Tuesday to challenge Democrats who hold top offices as the GOP searches for a path back to power in a battleground state it used to dominate.
How Republicans Made Olive Garden Into a Voter ID Talking Point
Republicans claim that Olive Garden polices its Never-Ending Pasta Bowl more tightly than the United States does its elections. It’s not that simple.
South Carolina Republicans test Trump's clout in race for Graham's seat
There’s a power struggle brewing in South Carolina, and Trump might not win.
Arizona Republicans pick nominees Tuesday for governor and other top offices
Arizona Republicans are choosing nominees to challenge Democrats in key state offices
Live Results: Arizona midterm primary elections
Arizona Republicans will choose a nominee in a state primary Tuesday to challenge Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs in November.
G.O.P. Boxed In on Iran War as Trump Sidelines Congress
Republicans now face a worst-case political scenario of being asked to fund an unpopular war over which they have exercised little oversight.