Data: The Downballot and Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics. Map: Kavya Beheraj/Axios House Democrats will need to overperform Vice President Harris by roughly three percentage points in swing districts to capture the majority in 2026, according to an Axios analysis of presidential margins in congressional districts. Why it matters: In special elections over the last year, Democrats have been surpassing Harris' 2024 margins by double digits , putting the majority clearly in reach. - But the universe of competitive House seats is historically small, meaning that even an unambiguous national move toward the Democrats will result in a relatively narrow Democratic majority. Flashback: The 2018 midterms…
The Justice Department will let members of Congress view unredacted copies of the more than 3 million documents related to Jeffrey Epstein that have been publicly released, according to a letter obtained by Axios. Why it matters: Democrats have argued that the DOJ is skirting its statutory requirements under the Epstein Transparency Act by withholding millions of documents and heavily redacting some of the files they did release. - House Judiciary Committee ranking member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) sent a letter to the DOJ last week requesting a review of the "complete unredacted Epstein files." - "We seek to ensure that your redactions comply with the Act's requirement that materials be withheld only in narrow circumstances, such as…
A polling memo circulated among centrist senators urged Democrats to talk tougher on crime, an issue where they lag Republicans, while noting an opportunity for the party to appeal to voters with criticism of ICE.
Progressives are feeling newly emboldened by the stronger-than-expected showing of the left-wing outsider in a New Jersey congressional primary on Thursday. Why it matters: There are dozens of House races like this across the country where at least one left-wing insurgent is vying either to win an open seat or topple an establishment House Democratic incumbent. - "This is a clear sign that the Democratic electorate is desperate to elect new leaders — like the dozen of working class champions we're supporting in primaries this cycle," Justice Democrats spokesperson Usamah Andrabi told Axios. - Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) said the New Jersey result "shows that the progressive wing... is ascendant and consistent with the base of the…
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) tore into President Trump on Friday for posting a racist video of the Obamas, saying in a clip posted to social media: "F*** Donald Trump." Why it matters: It's a drastic escalation of the rhetoric between the House Democratic leader and the White House amid delicate negotiations on immigration enforcement . - But it's not the first time things have gotten personal between Trump and Jeffries, who clashed last autumn over AI-generated videos Trump posted of Jeffries wearing a sombrero. - This time, however, Trump posted a now-deleted video depicting former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes on Truth Social, drawing harsh criticism from lawmakers in both…
Administration officials met with staff at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery and discussed putting multiple artworks of the president in a section of the museum.
The Winter Olympic Games are just beginning, but some athletes are already speaking out against the Trump administration and its immigration enforcement tactics. The big picture: While the Olympic Charter prohibits political, religious or racial demonstrations at Olympic sites, athletes have used early interviews and social media posts to express their concerns. - Team USA rebranded its hospitality house from Ice House to Winter House, distancing it from current immigration enforcement. The latest: Team Great Britain skier Gus Kenworthy shared a photo on Instagram that appeared to show 'f--k ICE' written in snow with urine just ahead of the Milan-Cortina games opening ceremony. - The Olympian, who was raised in the U.S., also urged …
Aliya Rahman gave her account of what happened during her now-viral account with ICE, where she was dragged out of her car. She also shared what she saw in the detention center.