“Research shows that while about half of independents without a college education had a positive view of Trump around the 2024 election, his approval with that group fell to about one-quarter this spring.”

“That shift has erased the large education gap that existed among independents in the months before Trump took office for his second term, with independents now holding similarly negative views of the president regardless of their level of education.”

“Instead, the kickoff of the first game on U.S. soil on Friday has coincided with airport detentions, visa denials, and global criticism that his hardline immigration policies are undermining America’s role as host of the world’s biggest sporting event.”

“In 2024, he appeared remotely by video instead of speaking before thousands of the most hard-line Texas Republican activists.”

“But after years of keeping the gathering at arms length, Mr. Abbott is set to offer his full embrace on Friday, delivering a keynote speech for the first time since 2018 and, in the process, positioning the party’s hard right at the center of Texas politics.”

“The tech mogul reached that milestone when shares of his rocket company SpaceX began trading on the stock market, opening at $150, signaling a new era of ultra-affluence and widening wealth inequality.”

“The Federal Election Commission reached out in April to Nunes’ mom, Toni Dian Nunes, who is also his campaign committee’s treasurer, for answers about her son’s stockpile. The amount is extraordinary for someone who is not a candidate or lawmaker and is rivaled by only a few in the House. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, one of Congress’ top fundraisers, reported on Thursday that her campaign has $15.9 million on hand.”

“The latest clap-back came Thursday night and in the early hours of Friday morning, when Cornyn called a conservative influencer a ‘grifter’ and told Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) on social media to stop publicly blaming fellow Republicans — including Senate Majority Leader John Thune — for the fact that the GOP elections bill doesn’t have support to pass inside the party.”

How closely were you paying attention to politics this week?

We had another blur of court rulings, campaign maneuvering, economic signals, international drama and Trump-era chaos — enough to make even the most obsessive news junkie miss a detail or two.

The decision is preliminary.

“Paraguay is hoping to have the data center, which will provide 10 megawatts of computing capacity, operational by the end of 2027, officials say. At the same time, Taiwan’s International Cooperation and Development Fund has reached out to Google, Microsoft and Amazon to gauge interest in investing in the project or becoming a customer for its computing capacity.”

Pew Research has a political typology quiz that sorts Americans into nine groups based on their political views.

Yesterday, I asked Political Wire members to take the quiz so we could see how this community compares with the country as a whole.

“Inflation figures released this week show consumer and producer price rises at more than three-year highs, driven by the energy crisis stemming from the war with Iran.”

“He hosted the Kennedy Center Honors, popped up at the US Open, was the first sitting president to attend the Super Bowl, and almost single-handedly made Kid Rock a thing again. (His NBA Finals trip was also a presidential first.)”

“Trump is not just the chief executive or commander-in-chief. He’s a cultural force in a way that few, if any, presidents have been before.”