How Trump is shaping the midterm map: From the Politics Desk

Welcome to the online version of Of the policy desktopA night bulletin that provides the latest report and analysis of the NBC News Politics team from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign.

In today’s edition, we take a look at how President Donald Trump is moving away from the legislators of the Republican Party of state offers with the eye of protecting the majority of the Chamber. In addition, Andrea Mitchell breaks down the last chapter in the Trump administration attempts to move attention to Epstein archives.

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– Adam Wollner

How Trump is shaping the mid -period map

A trio of Republican members of Congress in recent days refused to seek a higher position, developments that could not only help their party to avoid disorderly primaries throughout the state, but also underpin Battleground districts while they aim to protect their fragile majority of the camera in 2026.

And in all three cases, President Donald Trump played a key role.

New York: After playing with an offer of governor for months, the representative of the Republican Party Mike Lawler announced today that he would not challenge the New York Governor Kathy Hochul and, on the other hand, would apply for re -election.

The decision is a relief for the Republicans, who feared the Hudson Valley District of Lawler, one of the three who represent that Kamala Harris won in the 2024 elections, would be even more at risk without a headline on the ballot. Trump’s leaders and the Republican party had been trying to take Lawler from the governor’s career, with the president even supporting him for re -election in May before he is decided.

Lawler said in “knowing the press now” that he met with Trump, who “offered his perspective that he believes that the right thing is to run for re -election.”

“But ultimately was my decision,” Lawler added.

The Lawler’s movement could also clarify the way for the representative Elise Stefanik, a Trump ally who has been weighing a governor career after his nomination to be an ambassador of the United States before the United Nations, was retired earlier this year. Stefanik said today that he would announce his plans after the elections of this fall.

Michigan: Republican Representative Bill Huizenga also announced today that he would not apply for the Senate, avoiding a main clash with former representative Mike Rogers in the Swing state.

Huizenga said he made the decision “in consultation with President Trump.” But in particular, he did not say if he would run for another term in his southwest district of Michigan, that Cook’s political report with Amy Walter qualifies as “probably republican.”

Even so, the announcement is good news for Rogers and the leaders of the Senate Republican Party that support him while looking for Democratic Senator Gary Peters is disappointed. Trump has not yet supported a candidate in the race, although he is expected to support Rogers soon, two republican sources said to NBC News.

Iowa: Earlier this month, the representative of the Republican Party Zach Nunn approved an offer for Iowa governor after talking to Trump. Nunn, whom Trump praised as a “team player”, instead run again in his southwest district of Iowa, who won by 4 points last year and is expected to be among the main objectives of the Democrats next year.

The decision of Governor Kim Reynolds not to seek re -election could lead to a republican field full of people. One of Nunn’s colleagues, representative Randy Feenstra, who represents a safer district, is exploring an offer.

Looking to the future: Many challenges still wait for Republican leaders Ya Trump, who has been constantly implementing endorsements throughout the year, as the mid -period map takes shape. Directing the recess of the summer Congress, they will work to ensure that the holders in the key states and districts are applied for re -election. And they are still looking for candidates in the critical careers of the Senate in Georgia and North Carolina.

North Carolina: Speaking of the state of Tar Heel, the Democrats are prepared to score a precious recruit for the seat in celebrated by the Senator of the Republican Party Thom Tillis. Former Governor Roy Cooper will enter the race, according to two sources familiar with his plans.

The last chapter in Trump’s distraction strategy

President Donald Trump and his cabinet have been occupied this week declassifying the reports and raising a wave of controversial accusations.

The moment has aroused the suspicions of a larger strategy. Case in question: today’s appearance of the Chief of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, in the Information Room of the White House to amplify Trump’s unfounded accusation that former President Obama committed “betrayal” to manipulate the elections in 2016 and 2020.

The betrayal is defined as trying to overthrow the government by pouring the war against the State or materially helping its enemies. Trump bases his position on an intelligence report of the Republican Chamber of 2020 widely discredited that excluded the members of the Democratic Committee, which differs from an earlier report of the bipartisan and unanimous Senate led by the then president of the Intelligence Committee, Marco Rubio, now, of course, the Trump State Security Secretary.

Even so, Gabbard has referred to Obama for possible criminal prosecution, creating holders despite the fact that there are no indications of an error in intelligence evaluations or actions. Even if there were, Obama would probably have immunity based on the decision of the Supreme Court last year that the presidents cannot be prosecuted for crimes while they are in office. In addition, Trump’s special prosecutor found no reason to present charges after a three -year investigation.

The sudden launch of secret files in Martin Luther King Jr. The files had been under a stamp ordered by the Court since 1977, but Trump signed an order in January to take measures to make them public. On Monday, thousands of pages were released without prior notice, while King’s family was still reading them, hoping to write claims without foundation on MLK’s personal life. Critics said the White House was resurrecting the old conspiracy theories to distract from Trump’s fault to release Epstein’s archives.

In addition to the cacophony, the exhumation of the social networks of the president of an established dispute over the name of the Washington NFL team. Known for almost a century as “Redskins”, in 2022, the team was called “commanders” to satisfy many American native tribes.

But now Trump threatens to block the return of the team to Washington from the suburbs if he does not claim his old name. That would not be a non -accelerated with local officials who have to approve the movement of the team, and just a distraction for DC football fans.

That’s all of the politics desk for now. Today’s bulletin was compiled by Adam Wollner and Dylan EBS.

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