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Send ’em my way.
It’s always nice when the president of the United States confirms a central thesis of a column you write, isn’t it?
This morning, in my piece about the Tennessee special election, I noted that President Trump doesn’t appear especially engaged in helping downballot Republican candidates now that he’s a lame duck — leaving the GOP with all the political downsides of a Trump presidency (animating Democratic voters) without any of the political advantages (his ability, if he wanted to, to drive MAGA Republicans to the polls).
He’s stayed off the campaign trail, I noted, and repeatedly enacted unpopular policies like tariffs that will be no help to Republican candidates. But not like he ever has to be on the ballot again!
A few hours later, Trump pardoned Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas, who was indicted last year on charges of bribery and money laundering. Cuellar, who represents a district Trump won by seven points, is one of the House GOP’s top targets in 2026. (In fact, under the new Texas lines, his district was Trump +11.) Just yesterday, the GOP’s prime recruit announced her campaign against him; his legal troubles was likely to be a top talking point.
Now, Trump has wiped the talking point away — while also going out of his way to compliment Cuellar in the pardon announcement, calling him a “Highly Respected Congressman” who “bravely spoke out against Open Borders, and the Biden Border ‘Catastrophe.’” Any Democratic congressman representing a Trump-friendly district would kill for that sort of praise. It’s just another example of Trump putting his idiosyncratic priorities (in this case, his efforts to undo Biden-era prosecutions) ahead of the Republican Party’s political fortunes. (His pardon of a former Honduran-president-slash-cocaine-kingpin, also not a great headline for Republicans, falls into this category as well.)
Do you have questions about the 2026 midterms or the complex relationship between Trump and the GOP? Or about Signalgate, the alleged drug boat strike, Trump’s signs of aging, fraud in Minnesota, Trump’s attacks on Somalis, new cracks in the House GOP leadership team, the latest discharge petition, or more? (Yeah, there’s a lot going on.)
Or maybe you have questions outside of the week’s news cycle — something bigger you’ve been wondering about politics, government, or media.
Send them my way! I want to answer them in my Friday mailbag column. There’s two ways you can send a question:
Leave a comment below.
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I’m looking forward to seeing what’s on your mind. I know many of you just signed up as paid subscribers during our Black Friday sale (welcome!); if that’s you, I hope you take advantage of this opportunity to ask a question ahead of your first paid mailbag column this week! Here’s that link again.
Talk to you tomorrow,
Gabe
During Trump's public appearances in recent weeks he appears more and more rambling, repetitive and unable to stick to a cohesive line of thought. He goes off topic and rants about the latest social media blather. His obsession with former President Biden, childish name-calling and dispensing rewards and punishments is alarming. He's falling asleep at important meetings after spending all night texting about just about everything! His cabinet heap praise on him while politely ignoring these dangerous signs that he may not be able to complete the duties of his office in a competent way.
BTW: I'm not being agist. I'm 78 years old and sensitive to all these signs of aging and what it means when a person should be relieved of, or remove themselves from certain responsibilities. I'm happy when someone his age is doing such an important job, but worried that he is so focused on how young and vigorous he still is that his judgment is impaired.
My questions are: Can you identify the adults in the administration who may be able to mitigate his raging childnessness and impulses? To make him get off his phone and get sufficient rest to overcome somewhat that which befalls all who are fortunate to live a long, productive life? Why isn't everyone, of all political leanings, worried about this???? Why are congressional Republicans and the Supreme Court not asserting their responsibilities, and instead letting the impaired executive branch run willy-nilly over norms and rules? What are they afraid of?
Please address Trump’s attack of the Somali people in Minnesota! Also how can Trump /ICE get away with detaining migrants who have legal papers and even ones with American citizenship??