MAMDANI FLEX 💪, DEM FREAKOUT🥶— Congressional Republicans were always facing an uphill battle in turning the midterms from a referendum on President DONALD TRUMP, into a choice between the GOP and Democratic Socialists in America.
But thanks to Mam-Daddy’s flex in New York last night, the GOP just got a bit of a boost.
In a political earthquake, Big Apple Mayor ZOHRAN MAMDANI-backed candidates romped in the primaries last night, totally decimating House Democratic incumbents and establishment candidates. And — in the process — exposing serious future headaches for Democratic leaders HAKEEM JEFFRIES and CHUCK SCHUMER.
I’m old enough to remember when newly elected, self-described Dem Socialist Rep. RASHIDA TLAIB (D-Mich.) shouted “Impeach the Motherfucker!” on the first day of the 2018 Democratic takeover — and totally upended an annoyed NANCY PELOSI’s messaging that day.
The newcomers will make Tlaib look like a straight-up moderate.
CONSIDER THIS LITTLE REMINDER, courtesy of Politico Playbook this morning: One of these victorious Mamdani candidates, 32-year-old DARIALIZA AVILA CHEVALIER, wants to do away with police and prisons, and has called former President BARACK OBAMA “evil” and former President JOE BIDEN a “rapist” and “war criminal.”
Sentiments like these are why Republicans are suddenly feeling giddy. During the GOP conference meeting this morning, NRCC Chairman RICHARD HUDSON was crowing that “Marxists” have taken over the Democratic Party.
Some Democrats appear to realize the problem — others are in a bit of denial. “It’s New York City — I don’t live there,” centrist Rep. SUSIE LEE (D-NV) deadpanned this morning. Others argue that Dems in New York City are waaaay further left than others around the country — which is true.
But you’d better believe this is a sign of where the party is headed, which is why Republicans are foaming at the mouth over what they’ve dubbed “The Commie Corridor.” The reality is moderates like Lee are already getting totally run over by the energy on the left. These new members are going to force centrist Democrats to have to answer for every little thing they say, which is why members like Rep. VICENTE GONZALEZ are worried.
“Nationally, it’s a huge concern — how they push policies within the Democratic Caucus that we’re going to have to defend,” the Texas Democrat told Punchbowl’s Max Cohen this morning. “A lot of these policies I don’t agree with and would be very difficult for me to sell to people in South Texas.”
He added: Democrats “have a lot more organizing to do on the ground, especially in places like New York and California, in places where DSA is being more influential, and we need to educate young people.”
ONE WEE PROBLEM FOR THE GOP — The president himself doesn’t seem particularly keen to keep the focus there. As I was writing, just this morning, the president was blowing up these very headlines by canceling the much-ballyhooed signing of a bipartisan housing bill that just passed Congress.
Republicans (and Democrats alike) were excited to tout the legislation as a first step in addressing ballooning housing prices. Now the president is literally belittling the legislation, calling it of “minor importance” on Truth Social.
Democrats welcome the distraction. Sen ELIZABETH WARREN (D-Mass.) told CNBC that Trump’s abrupt U-turn highlights his “complete indifference to the costs Americans are facing.”
“He really doesn’t care about American families,” she huffed.
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WAS THIS ENTIRELY PREDICTABLE? Perhaps. A few hours before the mayhem, my co-host on “The Huddle,” Dan Turrentine, suggested this very unraveling would happen — that the president would find a way to trample on his party’s good fortune by making the day about his own desires.
We debated on the show whether the president would push Senate Republicans during their lunch today, to pass the Save America Act — which they don’t have the votes to do. Dan insisted that would upend the news cycle.
Turns out, Trump was willing to even sink an easy legislative victory; he trampled the housing bill because he says he wants the voting bill passed first. 😬
“See, this is the problem — the entertainment economy that Trump caters to,” Dan said, responding to Sean Spicer arguing that SAVE fires up the base more than the housing bill. “The party has to talk about whatever he’s Truthing about... Everything revolves around [him]... The entertainment value of the hot-button stuff… The problem is, because you control everything, you’re just throwing your own party under the bus.”
The question now? Does housing affordability blip upstage Mam-Daddy’s NY sweep?
🎥🔥 TODAY’S WATCH — A few otherstories we covered on The Huddle this morning, beyond the latest in New York:
— Bill Pulte begins his purge — As CBS reported last night, the newly empowered MAGA troller-turned-acting DNI has pushed over 50 people out of their jobs. But as Sean noted on the show today, all but six of these were merely returned to their home intel agencies. In other words: This is a “realignment” — not a real purge. We discuss what’s next, including Pulte turning to declassify documents.
— Trump’s message in PA — President TRUMP’S Pennsylvania sweep was exactly the type of performance Republicans want to see more of. He touted GOP victories and was funny and entertaining at the same time — clearly in his element. But can the White House keep the focus here when Republicans are still cat-fighting over the Iran deal?
— Republicans try to reconcile…again — Speaker MIKE JOHNSON is bullish on a
third reconciliation bill. But Senate Republicans are skeptical, appropriators
are repulsed, and frontliners are straight-up antsy about spending cuts
before the election. Yet… How else will the president get his
$80b Iran supplemental? We dive in.
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