Who Will Be Trump’s Next Press Secretary

The list of Republicans weighing 2028 presidential bids is growing as President Trump's approval ratings decline and Democrats appear favored for a strong showing in the November midterms. Sen. John Kennedy recently joined a field that already includes former Gov. Chris Christie, Sen. Rand Paul, Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sen. Ted Cruz, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and possibly Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. Some hopefuls are positioning themselves to inherit the MAGA base, including Donald Trump Jr., who denies interest but polls strongly among hypothetical candidates. Others, like Christie, are distancing themselves from Trump's legacy, arguing Vice President J.D. Vance would be hurt by association with an unpopular administration.

Polling shows Vance still leads the GOP field but has lost ground, with Trump Jr. gaining support. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also draw notable backing, while Nikki Haley says she won't run. Cruz and Vance have publicly sparred, with most contenders waiting on midterm results before deciding.

President Donald Trump held a rally in Myrtle Beach urging South Carolina Republicans to back Sen. Darline Graham in Tuesday's runoff against Rep. Ralph Norman, the contest that will decide the GOP nominee for the U.S. Senate seat once held by her late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham. Trump, not on the ballot this cycle, told supporters to "pretend" he was in order to boost turnout and reiterated his "complete and total endorsement" of Graham. Gov. Henry McMaster, who appointed Graham to the seat after her brother's death, formally endorsed her hours before the rally.

The race tightened after Graham stumbled in a debate when asked about Taiwan and the South China Sea, admitting she was "not that informed on national security." Trump defended her as being "honest." The debate moment fueled momentum for Norman, who picked up a notable endorsement from former Gov. Mark Sanford, who broke with Trump, citing the nation's fiscal challenges after the national debt hit $40 trillion. The runoff winner becomes the GOP nominee for the November general election in the reliably red state.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, seen as a potential 2028 presidential contender, headlined the Democratic Party of Illinois' annual fundraiser at Navy Pier in Chicago, criticizing President Donald Trump and Republicans while rallying Democrats ahead of the midterm elections. Moore accused Trump's administration of "lining their own pockets" on issues including the Iran conflict and economic policy.

Moore, introduced by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker — who also has White House ambitions — recounted Pritzker's outreach after the 2024 collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge, then drew parallels between Maryland and Illinois's civil rights legacies to applause from more than 800 attendees. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, and Senate nominee Juliana Stratton also spoke, with Durbin criticizing Trump's spending priorities.

The event underscores early jockeying among Democratic governors positioning themselves for 2028 while shoring up party support in battleground-adjacent states ahead of the midterms.

With Ohio's gubernatorial election weeks away, state lawmakers from both parties are anticipating a contentious "lame duck" legislative session afterward, particularly if Democrat Amy Acton defeats Republican Vivek Ramaswamy. Recent polling shows Acton with a slight edge. Some Republican legislators, including Rep. Jennifer Gross and Rep. David Thomas, say they expect additional sessions to pass policy before a potential change in administration, while Democratic Sen. Bill DeMora predicts GOP efforts to strip powers from Acton specifically during the lame-duck period. House and Senate leadership offices say there are no official plans.

Political scientists note precedent for such moves, pointing to North Carolina Republicans limiting an incoming Democratic governor's authority in 2024 and Ohio's own 2006 lame-duck maneuvering against Governor-elect Ted Strickland. Analysts suggest gubernatorial appointment powers could be a target since such changes draw little public backlash. Any legislation would still require sitting Gov. Mike DeWine's signature before taking effect.

President Donald Trump, speaking at a rally in Grand Island, Nebraska, said higher gas prices from the Iran conflict were "a small price to pay for keeping the world safe," adding that Iran could "take out" Los Angeles or San Diego and calling it "a very small price to pay" that would be "over with very soon." The crowd cheered. The remark came roughly a month before the midterm elections.

California officials responded swiftly. Governor Gavin Newsom called the comment "dangerous -- if not treasonous," directed the State Threat Assessment Center to monitor for threats against California, and later escalated by calling Trump "mentally ill" and demanding invocation of the 25th Amendment. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass told Trump to "keep LA out of your damn mouth," and gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra accused him of treating Californians' lives as "a punchline." San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and other mayors, along with Rep. Derek Tran, condemned the remarks. The White House and allies countered that Trump's full remarks were being taken out of context, arguing he meant Iran could strike those cities only if it obtained nuclear weapons, not that the U.S. should allow such an attack.

Polling and interviews across Texas point to a significant erosion of Latino support for President Trump since his 2024 gains, driven by frustration over high prices, gas costs, and aggressive ICE enforcement that has rattled South Texas communities and economies. Strategists describe the shift as a rebuke of Republicans rather than genuine enthusiasm for Democrats, who still carry a damaged brand with many Latino voters. The trend could shape Texas's competitive U.S. Senate race between Ken Paxton and James Talarico, as well as newly redrawn majority-Hispanic congressional districts. Analysts expect Latino support for Democrats to partially rebound toward 2018 levels, but caution that voters remain persuadable and increasingly judge candidates individually rather than by party.

Florida's Latino voters, roughly a quarter of the state's electorate, are emerging as a key constituency heading into the 2026 midterms, after many shifted toward Republicans in 2024. Republican and Democratic strategists interviewed by News 6 disagree sharply on which issues will determine whether that shift holds.

Republicans, represented by RNC Hispanic communications director Jaime Florez, credit President Trump's economic record — citing lower inflation, prescription drug costs and job growth — for the party's gains. Democrats, through Puerto Rico Democratic Party chair Luis Dávila Pernas, counter that cost of living remains a burden and claim some Latino Trump voters now feel "buyer's remorse." Immigration enforcement is another flashpoint: the administration has reported more than 985,000 deportations and moved to end Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans and Haitians, actions Republicans defend as lawful enforcement while Democrats argue they have alarmed immigrant communities amid aggressive ICE arrests. Both sides agree voters increasingly want results over partisan conflict as Florida heads toward November's vote.

The Iowa Farmers Union endorsed Democrat Josh Turek over Republican Ashley Hinson in the race for Iowa's open Senate seat, with president Aaron Lehman citing damage from tariff policy and rising diesel, fertilizer and pesticide costs. Lehman also criticized the shifting schedule for a Trump rally supporting Hinson, which was reported off and then back on before planned Sunday appearances in Iowa and Kansas. Hinson has Trump's and the Iowa Farm Bureau's backing. The contest to replace retiring Senator Joni Ernst is rated a tossup, with multiple recent polls showing Turek and Hinson within a few points of each other heading into Election Day.

Wisconsin and other states are continuing legal challenges to a March executive order from President Trump that would create a national list of eligible voters and direct the U.S. Postal Service to mail ballots only to those on it. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to rule on the order's legality, instead ruling 6-3 that the states' lawsuit was filed prematurely. Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul called the decision "disappointing and frankly strange."

Wisconsin has since joined another multistate lawsuit targeting a Postal Service rule meant to implement the order, and a federal judge temporarily blocked enforcement of that rule. The White House said it intends to appeal. Election officials say no changes have yet taken effect for voters, though the ongoing litigation risks sowing confusion ahead of Wisconsin's scheduled September mailing of ballots. A further hearing in the case is set for September 3, with the broader dispute over federal mail-voting rules still unresolved.

Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden is running for reelection in Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District by embracing President Trump rather than distancing himself, betting that energizing the conservative base outweighs risks from Trump's sagging approval ratings, the Iran war, and economic worries. He faces a rematch with Democrat Rebecca Cooke, whom he beat by less than 3 points in 2022. The historically bellwether district, carried by both Obama and Trump in past elections, is a top Democratic pickup target this cycle.

Van Orden has voted with Trump nearly 100% of the time, hosted top administration officials in his district, and drawn Elon Musk-linked PAC spending on his behalf. Cooke, backed by both moderate and progressive Democrats including Bernie Sanders, argues Van Orden's close alignment with an unpopular president is a liability, while Van Orden has also faced criticism for AI-generated videos attacking Cooke. Both candidates are courting independents and frustrated voters as the race is seen as pivotal to control of the House.