“At the same time, Trump also accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of prolonging the Russia-Ukraine war, now in its fifth year, because of the military aid he has gotten from European allies.”

Said Trump: “I am in the process of negotiating Peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine, and don’t want to do anything that will drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table. Great progress is being made.”

“But back in the nation’s capital, Mr. Trump’s White House was consumed by dramas that reinforced why polls show that his presidency itself has become a drag on Republican tickets.”

Financial Times: White House chaos overshadows Trump’s midterms push.

“The violence, which erupted during a nationwide protest on Saturday, resumed Sunday evening with rioters burning barricades across the city. More than 600 police officers and firefighters were injured in the weekend mayhem and more than 2,000 people were detained.”

“In a country with a long history of violent protest, the weekend riot stood out for its sheer scale, with police mostly powerless to stop thousands of rioters who descended on urban centers across the country, attacking city halls, luxury shopping districts and other areas usually considered off-limits.”

“In interviews and town halls, Republicans are being pressed on why now is the time to go soft on Vladimir Putin. Some of them are breaking with Trump rather than defend his string of Russia-friendly decisions.”

“Diesel prices haven’t fallen significantly, adding to the challenge in an election heavily focused on affordability. The result is a new political hurdle for Republicans who are uncomfortable with the idea of easing sanctions on Putin’s Russia and have yet to see the hoped-for economic gains.”

“Colom, a charismatic local prosecutor, is within striking distance in the polls of unseating Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. And in the absence of more dedicated resources, Warnock himself is trying to fill the gap by directing money and donors to the race.”

“The Democratic schedule is especially packed in New Hampshire, an early presidential nominating state where there is a competitive Senate race. While New Hampshire has lost its long vaunted first-in-the-nation Democratic primary status to South Carolina, it will go third in 2028.”

Said Vance: “Of course there’s a chance. We’ve got four little kids, my wife has never loved politics. She loves public service.”

“One reason is that Ossoff completely eviscerated his opponent, Rep. Mike Collins, in a couple of recent debates for voting to direct money to data-center developers and for hiring ‘half the Third Reich’ to staff his congressional office. In a particularly arresting image, Ossoff said that Collins would be grabbing a billy club if John Lewis were marching across the Edmund Pettus Bridge today. He did all of this with the cadence of Atticus Finch, but didn’t spend so much time in the muck that he failed to speak with soaring, Obama-esque rhetoric about the promise of America.”

“It was a performance bound to set off a lot of speculation about a presidential run—which Ossoff promised not to make. In short, Ossoff is doing exactly what I’ve been begging Democrats to do.”

“They might not all win, but the sheer number of political outsiders connecting with voters tells us something about the electorate: It’s angry and willing to take risks.”

“The candidates — whether they come from the pulpit or the NFL sidelines — are making the same bet: Voters are tired of career politicians.”

“Now, his midterm mission will take him to stops across five states, including the early Democratic nominating states Nevada, New Mexico and New Hampshire. He’ll also hit Maine, where he’ll stump for Democratic Senate nominee Troy Jackson, and his home state, where tomorrow he’ll stump alongside 18 endorsed state legislative candidates.”

“But the White House still wants painting to move ahead.”

Mike Minogue (R), the GOP candidate for governor, has asked Oliver to immediately suspend his campaign and said, if elected, he would formally ask Oliver to resign.

“Obama — who faced false claims for years from Donald Trump that he wasn’t an American citizen — is selective about when he weighs in on political issues or the president. His decision to speak out reflects his view that the DOJ raid on Omar’s home last week was a betrayal of American values.”

Said Obama: “The fact that any president, or any administration, is willing to engage in such transparent efforts to intimidate someone should outrage all Americans, regardless of how they feel about Congresswoman Omar’s political views.”