(Screengrab via CBS News) (Screengrab via CNN)

Abdul El-Sayed’s campaign has asked Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) to steer clear of his campaign events in the waning days of the U.S. Senate race in Michigan, Politico reported on Friday night.

El-Sayed, who is locked in a close race against former Rep. Mike Rogers, defeated Stevens in the Democratic primary despite being outspent nine to one, thanks in large part to more than $30 million poured into the race by the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee. Stevens is a fervent supporter of Israel, stating in 2023, “Israel comes to me in my dreams!” El-Sayed, meanwhile, has said he wants to end U.S. military aid to all countries, including Israel.

Stevens endorsed El-Sayed immediately after the primary, but has since wavered. In a CNN appearance on Sunday, she offered tepid support for him, while criticizing his response to a question about whether Iran or Israel is a greater threat to the U.S. He called it a “ridiculous question,” adding, “I think both of them have proven dangerous in their own way. One at risk of attacking us, one getting us into wars we have no business fighting.”

On Friday morning, Stevens released a statement backing El-Sayed, but calling on him to condemn an ad, which his campaign did not produce. The ad claims that high grocery prices are the result of U.S. support for Israel. Hours later, El-Sayed responded with his own statement, saying that “while Congresswoman Stevens seems intent on relitigating a primary that ended three months ago, let’s all focus on the task at hand: that’s beating Mike Rogers.”

Later that night, Politico reported that El-Sayed’s campaign had asked Stevens not to attend any more of his campaign events.

“El-Sayed’s campaign is asking Stevens to stay away from all future campaign events in the closing days of the race, two people familiar with the decision, who were granted anonymity to discuss sensitive campaign dynamics, told POLITICO,” the outlet stated. One source said they do not want her “to distract from the central issues of the campaign.”

One Michigan Democratic operative who is not affiliated with El-Sayed’s campaign condemned Stevens.

“Every Democrat was singing the same tune but now, because one person is tone deaf, the whole choir is thrown off,” the person said.

Meanwhile, Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, who also ran for the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination, told CNN, “I have no idea what the hell Haley Stevens is doing. This is a moment where we have to recognize the stakes.”

The post El-Sayed Campaign Reportedly Tells Haley Stevens To ‘Stay Away From All Future Campaign Events’  first appeared on Mediaite.

President Donald Trump complained Friday that Fox News is giving Democrats more airtime than Republicans, singling out Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) as a frequent guest on the network and declaring that he was “not happy.”

Trump held a rally in Daytona Beach, Florida, to support Sen. Ashley Moody (R-FL), who is facing Democrat Angie Nixon in her reelection bid, and Republican gubernatorial nominee Byron Donalds, who is running against Democrat David Jolly.

“I watched this total dope — Ro Khanna — Fox puts him on all the time,” Trump told the crowd. “You know, Fox is giving Democrats more time than they give Republicans. I don’t know what the hell’s—”

Boos erupted from the audience.

“I’m working my a** off,” Trump continued, referring to his cross-country tour campaigning for Republican candidates ahead of Tuesday’s midterm elections. “I’m doing rallies, and I come back, and I watch the opponent of the person I did the rally for. I’m not happy.”

Khanna appeared on Fox & Friends earlier Friday, where he spoke with co-host Ainsley Earhardt about contentious topics like the war in Iran, potential impeachment proceedings against Trump, progressive policy priorities, and allegations involving Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN). Despite their disagreements, the interview remained cordial, with Khanna opening by congratulating Earhardt on her recent marriage to fellow Fox News host Sean Hannity.

Khanna, who frequently appears on the network, told Mediaite’s Sarah Rumpf earlier this month that appearing on Fox News allows him to “share my ideas and not be demonized,” advising fellow Democrats to “try to make your case, and come at it with good faith that the people you’re trying to convince are millions of our fellow citizens.”

In response to Trump’s Friday comments, the Democratic congressman wrote on social media, “Thanks for the 4 shoutouts today, Mr. President. I’ll be on Fox this Sunday to share more of my thoughts on your failure in Iran and how it’s raised gas and food prices,” adding, “If you get a break from bragging about oil company profits and playing golf, tune in!”

Watch above on Fox News.

The post Trump Complains Fox Is ‘Giving Democrats More Time’ Than Republicans: ‘I’m Not Happy’ first appeared on Mediaite.

President Donald Trump demanded that Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed be sent “back to where he came from” – presumably all the way back to suburban Detroit.

Speaking at a rally in Daytona Beach, Florida on Friday night, Trump turned his attention north to Michigan, where El-Sayed, a former public health official, is squaring off against Republican former Rep. Mike Rogers, who has claimed that El-Sayed, who would be the first Muslim to serve in the Senate, is a “risk to our national security.” Trump has even called the Democrat a “jihadist.”

During the rally, Trump shouted out people in the audience wearing shirts reading “Blacks for Trump.”

“Blacks for Trump, you ought to vote for Mike Rogers,” the president said before baselessly claiming El-Sayed “does not like” Jewish or Black people. “Not that other guy, because he doesn’t like Jewish people and he doesn’t like Black people. I’m talking about Abdul. Abdul is not a big fan of Jewish people, and he’s not a big fan of Black people. And I hope you’re going to vote against him and send him back to where he came from.”

El-Sayed was born in Rochester Hills, Michigan in 1984 to his Egyptian immigrant parents.

Elsewhere during the rally, Trump told Black and Jewish voters that if they vote for El-Sayed, “You’re not smart.” At a rally the day before, Trump called such voters “crazy.”

Watch above via Fox News.

The post ‘Send Him Back to Where He Came From’: Trump Demands El-Sayed Be Sent Back To the United States first appeared on Mediaite.

Tucker Carlson got personal on Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), claiming that the senator is a “sad, greasy” man who “doesn’t know how absurd he is.”

On his show Friday, Carlson was asked by a viewer who the three best and three worst politicians are. To the former question, he responded: former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), outgoing Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), and former Director of the National Counterterrorism Center Joe Kent. Regarding the worst politicians, Carlson replied, “Everyone else.”

When Carlson’s producer expressed surprise that he did not single out Cruz, the former Fox News host let his old nemesis have it:

Ted Cruz is the saddest member of Congress. His personal life is a true disaster. No respect at all at home, which is like, there’s nothing worse than that. I’d rather get beaten in a hundred elections than have my wife and kids not respect me. There’s nothing worse than that. I’d rather be dead than that. And I mean it, too.

And Ted’s just like this sad, greasy guy who’s been told his entire life that he’s a genius because he has a high verbal IQ. Well, I have a higher verbal IQ than Ted Cruz, and I can promise you I’m not a genius. And this is the problem with having a high verbal IQ. It’s like a party trick. I have it, so I can say this. It’s like everyone’s, “Oh, they’re so smart. So smart!” But you’re not actually. You’re like a trained dog. Like, you can identify the cup the ball is under, but it doesn’t mean that you’re building a power grid. You know what I mean? Or making wise decisions in my personal life.

Carlson later added, “The wisest people know how absurd they are, and Ted Cruz doesn’t know how absurd he is. Everyone else knows, however. So, I just feel sorry for him.”

Carlson did not explain why he believes Cruz’s “personal life is a true disaster.” The senator and his wife, Heidi Cruz, have spoken publicly about how in the early days of their marriage, Ted moved out of their northern Virginia home so he could take the job as Texas solicitor general. Heidi remained in the D.C. area working at the U.S. Treasury Department. The senator called it a “difficult chapter.”

In 2022, Caroline Cruz, one of their two daughters, said about her dad in a TikTok video, “I really disagree with most of his views.”

Carlson and Cruz have jousted in person on multiple occasions. In a 2022 interview on Fox News, Cruz attempted to walk back his description of Jan. 6 as “a violent terrorist attack.” Cruz called his remarks “sloppy,” to which Carlson replied, “I don’t buy that.”

“I’ve known you a long time, since before you went to the Senate,” Carlson said at the time. “You take words as seriously as any man who has ever served in the Senate. And every word, you repeated that phrase. I do not believe you that used that accidentally. I just don’t.”

And last year, Cruz went on Carlson’s X show, where Carlson grilled the senator on his support for the U.S. bombing of Iran.

Watch above via The Tucker Carlson Show.

The post Tucker Carlson Gets Personal on ‘Sad, Greasy’ Ted Cruz: ‘His Personal Life Is a True Disaster’ first appeared on Mediaite.

Sen. Ashley Moody (R-FL) wondered aloud Friday whether she “should be upset” that President Donald Trump praised rapper Nicki Minaj’s backside but failed to compliment hers.

Moody, who is facing Democrat Angie Nixon in her reelection bid, made the remarks at a rally in Daytona Beach, Florida, which Trump held to support her and Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), Florida’s Republican nominee for governor.

The Florida senator was complaining to the crowd about questions from “crackerjack” reporters she and Donalds had encountered while campaigning across the state, arguing that the press was overlooking more pressing issues, including what she characterized as the Democratic Party’s “pro-criminal, pro-Hamas, anti-American, pro-communism” agenda.

“Here come the questions,” Moody recalled. “And we get, ‘What do you think about the president talking about Nicki Minaj’s asset?’”

She particularly emphasized the first syllable of “asset.”

“Really?” Moody exclaimed. “I mean, Byron and I don’t even know what to say. Byron’s probably like, ‘I’m just glad he didn’t ask about my asset.’ I mean, we were the only two on stage with the president, and I’m like, ‘Well, maybe I should be upset he didn’t talk about my asset!’ I don’t know. But can we get back to there’s a communist on the ballot? How about that?”

Moody was referring to Trump’s remarks at a Michigan rally on Sunday, where he interrupted a story about admiring Sen. Jon Husted’s (R-OH) physique to single out Minaj, who was in attendance.

“By the way, I looked at one hell of a beautiful a** before — Nicki Minaj!” Trump declared. “That’s hard to miss! Stand up! That’s hard to miss!”

The president then returned to his story about Husted, whose physique he has repeatedly discussed on the campaign trail after learning he was a talented college football player, complaining that the “fake news” media had taken his remarks about the Ohio senator’s backside out of context.

Watch above on OAN.

The post GOP Senator Wonders If She ‘Should Be Upset’ Trump Didn’t Praise Her ‘Asset’ Like Nicki Minaj’s first appeared on Mediaite.

Outkick

This spring, Outkick founder Clay Travis told Tim Miller of The Bulwark that he would bet $1 million that the price of crude oil would be under $84 a barrel by Nov. 1.

On April 18, Travis, a frequent Fox News guest, downplayed the fact that oil had jumped from $68 a barrel to $80 thanks to the Iran war, which President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched on Feb. 28.

“Soon, gas will be cheaper than before the Iran war,” Travis tweeted. Miller replied and doubted that prediction.

“Tim, I’ll bet you a million dollars that by this time next year — call it closing price on April 1, 2027 — gas prices will be lower than they were on February 27th, 2026, the day before we bombed Iran. Higher than $68, you win, lower than $68, I win,” Travis wrote.

Miller responded, “A year of higher gas prices is really bad for non millionaires bro! How about election day.”

Travis took the bait, replying, “I must have missed your deep concern over gas prices during the years of Biden when the prices were higher than today. Today we are at $84. I will bet you $1 million that by November 1st of this year prices will be under $84 a barrel on this price metric.” He included a screenshot of the then-current price of a barrel of West Texas Intermediate crude: $84.00

On Friday, Oct. 30 – the last trading day of the month – West Texas Intermediate crude closed at $102.95.

Miller wasted no time dunking on Travis after markets closed for the week.

“While I don’t casually bet $1 million on things, turns out @ClayTravis was cocky and wrong once again, this time on oil prices. Today Crude Oil Futures are at $102.95, well above $84,” Miller posted. “Maybe a donation to a group that is struggling to make ends meet in this economy is in order.”

While Travis posted several tweets and replies after Miller’s suggestion that he donate to charity, he has not addressed his ill-advised prediction.

It’s been a trying week for Travis thanks to Miller. On Tuesday, Miller and Pablo Torre poked holes in Travis’s claim about eating at The Cheesecake Factory as a child.

The post ‘I Will Bet You $1 Million’: Clay Travis Prognostication From April Goes Horribly Wrong first appeared on Mediaite.

President Donald Trump told Jewish and Black voters on Friday that they are “not smart” if they support Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, piling on to similar insults he delivered just one day earlier.

Speaking at a rally in Daytona Beach, Florida, Trump broadly attacked Democratic candidates before turning his attention to El-Sayed, who is facing Republican Mike Rogers in a closely watched Senate race.

“In state after state, the ‘Dumocrat Party’ has nominated the most extreme and dangerous radicals in American history,” Trump declared. “The guy in Michigan? Abdul! How are you, Abdul?”

The crowd responded with boos.

“He’s a jihadist! Abdul’s a jihadist,” Trump continued, before recounting conversations he claimed to have had with two friends about the Michigan race.

“I have a friend. He’s Jewish. He said, ‘What do you think I should do in Michigan?’ I said, ‘Are you stupid?’ He’s not voting for Abdul. I have another friend. He’s Black. He said, ‘What do you recommend?’ I said, ‘I recommend you go Republican,’ and he said, ‘Okay, that’s what I’m gonna do.’”

Trump then delivered a warning to Jewish and Black voters.

“No, if you’re Black or if you’re Jewish, and you vote for Abdul, you’re not smart. I’m being nice. You’re not smart.”

The remarks echoed Trump’s comments Thursday at a rally in Rock Hill, South Carolina, where he similarly singled out Jewish and Black voters considering supporting El-Sayed, who would become the first Muslim elected to the Senate.

“If you’re Black, or if you’re Jewish, and if you vote for Abdul, you’re crazy, okay?” Trump said. “You’re crazy. You’re crazy anyway.”

Trump has repeatedly insulted voters who support his political opponents. During the 2024 presidential campaign, he declared that Jewish voters supporting former Vice President Kamala Harris should “immediately have their head examined,” later making similar remarks about Catholics, senior citizens, Black voters, and Hispanic voters.

Watch above on Fox News.

The post Trump Tells Jews Voting for El-Sayed, ‘You’re Not Smart’ first appeared on Mediaite.

John Minchillo/AP Photo

A Trump-appointed federal judge mulled Friday whether the Justice Department’s latest attempt to prosecute former FBI Director James Comey ran afoul of a 10-year legal deadline.

U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden heard arguments over whether prosecutors improperly circumvented the statute of limitations by filing a criminal information against Comey without first securing a grand jury indictment, according to The Washington Post.

The Department of Justice charged Comey with two offenses on Oct. 5 — unlawfully transmitting national defense information in violation of the Espionage Act and conspiracy to commit the same offense — alleging that he directed the disclosure of national defense information to The New York Times in 2016. The charges stem from a report about Yahoo’s cooperation with U.S. government email surveillance.

Prosecutors filed a criminal information — a charging document that does not require grand jury approval — on the day the 10-year statute of limitations was set to expire.

Comey’s attorneys argue that the filing was insufficient to stop the clock, while prosecutors maintain that the law permits their approach.

“The government is wrong, and the statute of limitations has run,” Comey’s attorney Ephraim McDowell said Friday.

According to The Associated Press, prosecutors confirmed Friday that they are now presenting evidence to a grand jury.

McFadden ultimately postponed his ruling while that process plays out, warning prosecutors, though, that he would be “extremely frustrated if there was some sort of dawn raid” at Comey’s home while his decision remained pending.

The case marks the Trump administration’s third attempt to prosecute Comey in just over a year.

Comey has denied wrongdoing, calling the latest charges an “appalling abuse of the Department of Justice.”

Former federal prosecutor Jeffrey Toobin blasted the latest case as a “fiasco” and a “disgrace” on CNN earlier this week, and former judge Andrew Napolitano argued on Newsmax that the charges came “too little and too late.”

The post Trump-Appointed Judge Mulls Whether DOJ Violated Statute Amid Comey Prosecution first appeared on Mediaite.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) struck an ominous note for Republicans on his latest podcast, saying that Democrats are poised to retake the House, the Senate, and possibly every statewide election in Texas.

Republicans are broadly expected to lose their narrow majority in the House after Tuesday’s midterm elections. To retake the Senate, Democrats would need to net four seats, which has become a distinct possibility given that Republican-held seats in Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, North Carolina, Ohio, and Texas are in play.

“Overall, I am deeply, deeply worried,” Cruz said on his podcast, The Verdict, on Thursday. “What we’re seeing across the country is massive Democrat turnout. Democrats are showing up. They’re energized. They hate, hate, hate Donald Trump. And I don’t want to bury the lead. I want to start with the bad news right now. If the election were over today, if just the early votes cast so far were counted, Republicans would lose massively. It would not be close. We would lose both the House and the Senate. It would be a bloodbath.”

Cruz then urged Republicans and “commonsense” independents to vote for Republicans on Tuesday, stating that there is still a chance to stop a Democratic blue wave.

The senator then pivoted to Texas, where state Rep. James Talarico is leading Attorney General Ken Paxton in the race for U.S. Senate. Texas Governor Greg Abbott is also in a tight race against his Democratic opponent, Gina Hinojosa.

By the way, Texas is excruciatingly close. Understand, we could lose Texas. Let me repeat that. We could lose Texas. And by the way, not just the Senate race. We could lose every single statewide race in Texas. That’s how close these numbers are. Now, some conservatives, they say, “I don’t trust the polls. The polls are all wrong.” Well, let me tell you, there is a bias in the polls. They do skew left, but I can tell you, having run a lot of campaigns, having examined a lot of numbers, these data are not fake. The Democrats are massively out-turning out the Republicans. We gotta fix that.

He again urged people to vote, stating, “This is the most important midterm, I believe, of our lifetimes.

A Democrat has not won statewide office in Texas since 1994.

Listen above via The Verdict.

The post ‘Deeply Worried’ Ted Cruz Sounds the Alarm Just Days Before Midterms: ‘We Could Lose Every Single Statewide Race in Texas’  first appeared on Mediaite.

(Screengrab via CBS News) (Screengrab via CNN)

Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed hit back at former primary rival Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) after she insisted on her support for his campaign while demanding a series of concessions and apologies just days before the midterm elections.

El-Sayed accused the Michigan congresswoman of appearing “intent on relitigating” their bitter primary contest, urging Democrats to instead focus on defeating Republican candidate Mike Rogers and challenging President Donald Trump.

The sharp response came Friday after Stevens said she would campaign alongside El-Sayed and Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) this weekend, but called on the Democratic nominee to condemn a controversial advertisement by an outside progressive group, remove a campaign ad featuring Tucker Carlson and apologize for previous remarks about U.S. military aid to Israel.

“Our campaign is and has always been focused on addressing the most critical challenges Michiganders are facing: Skyrocketing gas prices, unaffordable groceries, and the inability to see a doctor,” El-Sayed said in a statement.

He continued, arguing that his own “people-powered campaign defeated a historic $70M in outside spending from big corporations and AIPAC on behalf of Congresswoman Stevens.”

“Now the stakes are even higher-defeating Trump’s hand-picked candidate, taking back the Senate, and defending our democracy,” he wrote, adding: “That should be the priority for all of us right now. So while Congresswoman Stevens seems intent on relitigating a primary that ended three months ago, let’s all focus on the task at hand: that’s beating Mike Rogers, holding Trump accountable, and getting money out of politics, putting money in pockets, and passing Medicare for All.”

Stevens, who lost to El-Sayed in August, has taken particular issue with his criticism of U.S. support for Israel and demanded that he disavow a digital advertisement produced by Rebellion PAC linking military assistance to Israel with rising living costs.

The congresswoman also criticized El-Sayed for featuring Carlson in campaign advertising attacking Rogers.

“Abdul promises to get money out of politics,” Stevens said in a statement hours earlier. “He can begin by getting Israel out of his explanation for everything Michigan cannot afford.”

The dispute also comes after Stevens’ fiancé, Jason Turkish, publicly announced that he would vote for Rogers rather than El-Sayed, citing concerns about the Democrat’s rhetoric concerning Israel.

Stevens has maintained that she wants El-Sayed to win, despite her disagreements with him.

The post Abdul El-Sayed Hits Back at Haley Stevens After Backhanded Endorsement first appeared on Mediaite.

(Photo by Alberto E. Tamargo/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images)

The Guardian’s Jeremy Barr said Friday that he obtained audio of a CBS News editorial meeting and heard no evidence of the internal clashes described in a Fox News Digital report about editor-in-chief Bari Weiss.

“I obtained the audio of yesterday’s CBS all-staff editorial meeting where the Dan Sullivan/Dan Sullivan story was discussed,” Barr wrote on X.

“In contrast to the Fox story’s characterization (shared below), I didn’t detect any tension or hear staffers clashing or disagreeing with Bari Weiss. Sounded like a standard editorial discussion…”

Barr was responding to a Fox News Digital report published Thursday, which cited “multiple sources on the call” and alleged that Weiss faced “significant resistance” from CBS News staffers during the network’s 9 a.m. editorial meeting over a recent New York Times report about the Alaska Senate race.

The Times reported Wednesday that allies of Democratic candidate Mary Peltola sought to recruit another candidate named Dan Sullivan to run against incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK), potentially confusing voters and siphoning votes away from the Republican.

“This is a scandal,” the Fox report quoted Weiss as having told staff.

It also claimed that several CBS journalists pushed back on Weiss’s enthusiasm for the story, arguing that similar political tactics were nothing new.

CBS News’ Margaret Brennan reportedly pointed to New Hampshire Republican Senate candidate John Sununu, suggesting voters could confuse him with his brother, former Gov. Chris Sununu. CBS political correspondent Ed O’Keefe also reportedly noted that comparable tactics had been used before.

But Brennan publicly disputed Fox’s characterization Thursday, responding to a post from the network’s Jonathan Turley suggesting she had opposed pursuing the story.

“Fox is wrong. That is not what happened in the meeting at all,” Brennan wrote. “No one who spoke at the network meeting opposed covering the campaign or story but rather exchanged ideas on how to do it. All of the AK candidates also know they have an open invitation (repeatedly offered) to join Face the Nation. So does the NH GOP candidate who has also been repeatedly invited. I look forward to seeing my colleagues cover it too.”

She then linked to Fox News and Washington Post coverage of the New Hampshire race.

Fox’s report did include an account from another CBS staffer who disputed the suggestion that Brennan and O’Keefe were downplaying the story, describing the meeting as a “healthy, good conversation” that was never contentious.

The post Media Reporter Says CBS Meeting Audio Contradicts Fox Report of Staff Clashing With Bari Weiss first appeared on Mediaite.

Abaca Press/AP

The Department of Justice is investigating a conservative outlet’s allegations of voter fraud in Maine, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The Maine Wire alleged Friday that “CCTV video from Lewiston City Hall that appears to show dozens of instances of NGO workers — operating as ‘interpreters’ — coaching illiterate Somalis on how to vote and even filling out ballots for them.”

The footage, which the Maine Wire claims to have obtained through a Freedom of Access Act request, also shows “left-wing NGOs running an industrial-scale ballot stuffing scheme, using non-English-speaking migrants to obtain ballots and then instructing them on how to vote a party line ticket for Democrats.”

There is no evidence that any “ballot stuffing” occurred in the videos, let alone on an “industrial” scale.

U.S. Attorney for Maine Andrew Benson, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, said his office will review “evidence concerning complaints of voter intimidation and election interference.” The WSJ added, “Conservative outlets, citing security-camera videos, have suggested that interpreters might have violated the law by showing non-English-speaking voters how to fill out ballots for Democrats.”

Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline told the outlet that the Somali community is being unfairly targeted by bad faith actors. “People are just trying to vote. It’s very frustrating,” he said.

Per the Maine branch of the American Civil Liberties Union, voters are allowed to bring an interpreter or use the services of an interpreter when casting a ballot.

“If you need help reading or marking your ballot or need another type of assistance, you are allowed to bring in a friend, relative, interpreter, or other helper. That helper does not have to be a registered voter or old enough to vote, but they cannot be your employer or union representative,” the organization’s website notes. “An election official at your polling place can also help you read or mark your ballot.”

The state of Maine also expressly forbids non-citizens from voting. “Any U.S. citizen who lives in Maine and is at least 18 years old on Election Day can cast a ballot,” the website reads. “If you aren’t a citizen, you cannot vote in any elections in Maine, including local elections, referendums, and federal races.”

The post DOJ Investigating Conservative Outlet’s Allegations of Voter Fraud in Maine first appeared on Mediaite.

CNN anchor Brianna Keilar spoke to one of the country’s top election forecasters on Friday to discuss the Cook Political Report’s final analysis on just how many seats the Democrats could end up with in the House after the midterm elections.

“A new Cook Political Report out today projects Democrats could gain anywhere from 12 to 25 seats, more than enough to retake the majority,” Keilar began, adding:

We’re joined now by Dave Wasserman, senior editor and elections analyst for Cook Political Report. All right, Dave, great to see you as we are marching towards Election Day here. Right now, you’re seeing Democrats winning as many as 240 seats in the House. Tell us about this analysis.

“Brianna, there are a couple of patterns we’re seeing in the polls that show Republicans in shockingly vulnerable positions in districts that Trump carried by double digits just two years ago,” Wasserman replied, adding:

The first is that the places that swung toward Trump the most over the last 10 years also have the biggest upside to swing back to Democrats in 2026. They have a great shot at picking up three out of the four districts in Iowa, districts in Western Wisconsin, and in Ohio, where there are unique top-of-ticket problems for Republicans that could prevent them from being able to hold on to all of the seats, even though the map there is favorable to them.

South Texas, where Republicans drew a lot of Hispanic-majority seats that would have voted by 10 points for Donald Trump. Now we think Democrats have a good shot at three or four of those seats. The other pattern is Republicans have unique struggles in open seats, and there are a lot of them this cycle because 42 Republicans are leaving. In South Carolina’s First District, Nancy Mace’s open seat in Charleston, that’s now a toss-up race. In Iowa too, Nevada’s Second District, and even in Elise Stefanik’s open seat, we’re seeing a fairly close race. So these are signs of the times.

“You’ve called 2026 a ‘back to the future’ election. What do you mean by that?” Keilar pressed.

“Well, we’re seeing a lot of voters who flipped from Obama in ‘08 and ‘12 to Trump in ‘16, ‘20, and ‘24. Now they’re swinging back to Democrats. Whereas in 2018, eight years ago, Democrats were breaking through in what I would call the Whole Foods suburbs, upper-income districts with a lot of college degree holders, this time around we’ve actually seen more erosion in Trump’s support among non-college whites, independent voters, and Hispanic voters,” Wasserman replied, adding:

That is putting districts in play that have a lot of past Democratic DNA 10 or 15 years ago, but we didn’t think were plausible targets for Democrats at the beginning of the cycle. Now both parties are spending an awful lot of money in these districts that once looked like reaches. Kentucky’s Sixth District in Lexington will be a good indicator early on election night. The polls close there at 6:30. Democrat Zach Dembo is running neck and neck there for a seat Trump carried by 15 points.

Watch the clip above via CNN.

The post Dave Wasserman Discusses Cook Political’s Final House Forecast Before Voting Starts first appeared on Mediaite.

Screengrab via BBC/YouTube

BBC host Laura Kuenssberg revealed that she believes a government minister may have been propositioning her for a threesome after inviting her to a hotel room during a political party conference.

The veteran journalist recalled arriving at the unnamed minister’s hotel room expecting a routine meeting with him and an adviser. Instead, she found the politician lying on a bed with his shirt unbuttoned, accompanied by his partner.

Asked in an interview with The Times of London published Friday, Kuenssberg described the encounter as “very uncomfortable” before being pressed on whether she believed the pair were “after a threesome” with her, Kuenssberg suggested she thought they may have been.

She did, however, acknowledge that she could have misread the encounter.

“Well, maybe they were and maybe they weren’t. As I say, maybe they weren’t and I got it completely wrong. It was very uncomfortable,” she said.

Kuenssberg, who became the BBC’s first female political editor in 2015 and now hosts the broadcaster’s flagship Sunday show, also described several other unwanted encounters with senior figures in Westminster. She recalled one married minister inviting her to the theater before attempting “a little grope,” while another former minister repeatedly kissed her on the head.

“That was just weird. I never felt threatened. But it’s just a strange thing to do,” she said.

Kuenssberg did not identify any of the politicians involved or specify when the incidents occurred. She expressed particular fear about the treatment of younger staff working in Westminster.

“There is still a concern in Westminster that particularly young people starting out are sometimes very vulnerable,” she said, adding: “People do things. And human behaviour is a complicated thing and sometimes people behave badly.

The presenter also rejected suggestions that her extensive access to senior political figures meant she maintained friendships with them.

“There are lots of politicians who are perfectly nice people, but I don’t socialise with politicians,” she said.

The post Top BBC Host Says She Thinks Cabinet Minister Tried to Coax Her Into a Threesome first appeared on Mediaite.

Jacquelyn Martin/AP

We will soon see if conservative commentator Steve Deace’s advice to candidates–make the environment so toxic no one wants to vote–proves to salvage what’s expected to be an apocalyptic night for Republicans. What’s for sure is that Vivek Ramaswamy did his part, and his ad featuring Amy Acton’s mother is one of the most effective ads of all time. 

A survey quoted by Axios found that in a survey of 800 voters, a full 86 percent had either seen the ad itself, read about it, or heard about it. 

I have been reporting on politics for over 20 years, and I have never heard of a saturation rate as high as that. For comparison, the Ohio State football games only reach between 30 and 40 percent of local households. 

Of course, the more important finding of the survey is the impact of the ad: “By a 2-to-1 ratio, those who said they were familiar with it said it made them more likely to vote for Acton.” 

This is almost unheard of. Political ads are notoriously ineffective in influencing voters’ choices; one study found that they tend to move the needle by 0.007 of a percent. What’s more, it seems impossible that the survey sampled a 2-to-1 ratio of Democrats. Some significant chunk of Republican voters was as disgusted as common decency would have them be.

Deace’s thesis is also threatened by Ohio turnout, which in early voting continues the record numbers seen throughout the country and models a greater percentage of Democratic-affiliated ballots–despite the Chornobyl-level toxicity.

Everything is too close to call; I’ve learned never to predict an election. But I feel confident in forecasting history. Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign will be taught in political science classes. It will be cited in his obituary. His children will, quite unfairly, be teased.

His campaign has now pulled the ad, the barn door swinging softly closed as the ass gallops away.

The post Vivek Ramaswamy’s Appalling Ad Will Make History first appeared on Mediaite.

CNN’s Kyung Lah reported Friday that Alaskans she spoke with want the Trump Justice Department in the “two Dan Sullivans” probe to leave them alone so they can get on with voting.

Justice Department officials held a press conference on the case in Alaska Friday but stopped short of saying whether they believed a crime was committed. President Donald Trump and Attorney General Todd Blanche have accused Democrats of committing election fraud for seeking out and adding a second man with the same name as Republican Sen. Daniel S. Sullivan (R-AK) to the ballot in a bid to confuse voters.

Earlier Friday, Trump told a radio program, “You need about a 190 IQ to figure out the ballot. They put a ballot down where they’re talking about ‘incumbent’ Republican, and the other one. Most people don’t know in Alaska — and a lot of other states, too — what does incumbent mean? I don’t know what incumbent means.”

But Lah said the voters she spoke to are having no trouble deciphering the ballot.

“There is energy at the polling places. We saw it for ourselves,” Lah said. “People are waiting 30, 45 minutes in line because the issues that are here and really salient to the state of Alaska is the price of milk, is the price of gas going into their cars. All of these things are what are motivating people to come out and vote. And when I show them the exact ballot and said, ‘Okay, can you tell the difference?’ Almost nobody had an issue. And everyone I spoke with was a registered independent voter.”

“Pretty classic in Alaska. I will say that,” host Kasie Hunt said.

Hunt referenced this week’s New York Times article that said Democrat Mary Peltola’s campaign worked for months to find the second Dan Sullivan. Peltola has denied knowing anything about the alleged scheme.

“Is there anger among the voters that you’re talking about in the wake of this story, or do the people that you’ve encountered seem to be just taking it in stride?” Hunt asked.

“So, let’s get back to that Alaska spirit that you just referenced,” Lah said, continuing:

This is a state that is not the Lower 48. They say, “Look, stay out of our business. We know what we want. We are independent thinkers and we know what we’re doing.” And that’s the underlying current whenever you talk to anybody who is standing in line, getting ready to vote. And so, a couple of people said they found it incredibly offensive. So, that is a sentiment that we heard from the voters. This is just a snapshot of one polling place of one day of us being there, but at least for the people who are actually going to make a difference, who are weighing in right now, they’re saying, “Get out of our way.”

Watch the clip above via CNN.

The post CNN Reporter Says Alaska Voters Find Trump DOJ Probe ‘Incredibly Offensive,’ Want Feds To Stay Out Of Their Business first appeared on Mediaite.

(Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP photo)

The former state lawmaker and campaign manager for Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D), Joe Radinovich, took to social media this week and claimed that the allegations that Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) entered into a fake marriage with a man critics claim is actually her brother are “almost certainly true.”

Radinovich posted the allegations in response to a recent New York Times article that revealed the investigation into Omar goes as far back as 2016, during the end of the Obama administration. Radinovich’s comments also underscore the stark divisions in Minnesota politics between Frey and Omar, who have endorsed each other’s opponents during reelection bids.

The Times article Radinovich shared reported on Thursday that “The F.B.I. and Department of Homeland Security investigated the marriage in summer 2016, during the Obama administration, and found some evidence that it was fraudulent, current and former officials said.” The Omar marriage allegations have been around for over 10 years, and she has vehemently denied it over the years and claimed they are part of a right-wing conspiracy theory effort to smear her.

“Democrats should understand that the allegation is almost certainly true—whatever conclusion they draw from that point could vary—and her denials calling it a right-wing, Islamophobic or racist conspiracy are almost certainly not,” wrote Radinovich on X. Radinovich previously served in Minnesota’s House of Representatives as a Democrat and as Frey’s chief of staff.

“And then I’d be very, very careful about how I qualified on allegations around her finances—where her defense looks similar and where no meaningful questions have been answered publicly, and where any objective look at the evidence doesn’t look…great,” he added.

Briana Rose Lee, who serves as operations director for Omar’s campaign operation, hit back at Radinovich, saying, “Joe. You aren’t stupid. You know this is a baseless and manufactured witch hunt. I’m actually surprised to see this from you. It’s a new low.”

The post ‘Almost Certainly True’: Minnesota Democrat Says Don’t Ignore Ilhan Omar Marriage Allegations first appeared on Mediaite.

President Donald Trump said Friday that he “tried to talk” Republicans in Iowa and Kansas out of holding in-person rallies this weekend, but ultimately agreed to make the trip after they insisted his presence would be more effective than a tele-rally.

The president made the remarks in the Oval Office alongside Stephen Hubbard, an American who was recently freed from Russia after spending four years imprisoned on accusations of fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine.

“Is there anything you can say to explain all the schedule changes?” a reporter asked, referring to Trump’s decision to reinstate two campaign appearances that the White House had confirmed were canceled just a day earlier.

“So, I wanted to see if I could do tele-rallies because I’m very successful,” Trump explained. “We’re batting unbelievable at tele-rallies. I do ’em well, and it’s a great instrument. It only seems to work for me because other people call and nobody gets on the phone.”

The president continued:

I got a call from Iowa and from the people, and from my friends that are very, very good, and we have a couple of races that are very important, and they said if you could go, it would be better than a tele-rally. And I tried to talk them out of that. I said, “What about a tele-rally?” But they asked me, so I’m gonna do two on Sunday.

Trump said he opted against a rally on Saturday because of the Midwest’s college football enthusiasm, with games falling on the same day. Instead, he plans to visit Dubuque, Iowa, before traveling to Salina, Kansas, on Sunday, with more “telephonic” rallies scheduled for Monday.

The explanation comes after Trump lashed out at Reuters White House correspondent Jacob Bogage on Thursday for asking whether the president had canceled the appearances because he was “sick of traveling.”

Trump called the reporter “sick” and “out of shape,” claiming he had scrapped the Kansas appearance because Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) was doing so well in his reelection campaign. A CNN poll released the same day, though, showed the Republican trailing Democratic challenger Adam Hamilton by four points, 49% to 45%.

Watch above on Fox News.

The post Trump Says He ‘Tried to Talk’ Republicans Out of In-Person Rallies in Iowa and Kansas first appeared on Mediaite.

Screenshot

The 2026 World Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays attracted significantly less eyes than the previous two championships.

According to a Friday report from Front Office Sports, the World Series — which saw the Brewers win their first-ever championship in five games — had an average audience of 11.83 million viewers. As noted by FOS, that figure was nearly a 25% drop from the averages from the 2025 and 2024 World Series. Both of those championships featured the Los Angeles Dodgers, and 2024’s also included the New York Yankees.

The MLB also made the notable change to begin the World Series on a Friday to avoid playing games on the same day as the NFL. There just one game in which the World Series was on at the same time as a football game, and the results were dire. The report read:

MLB’s shift for the World Series broadcast schedule lessened the potential overlap with the NFL from as many as four games to just one.

That single night of competition with the NFL this year was felt in historic fashion. Fox Sports generated an audience of just 8.33 million viewers for Monday’s Game 3, marking the fourth-lowest World Series game on record. The audience was also the lowest for the World Series in Nielsen’s current measurement era with expanded out-of-home measurement, the new Big Data + Panel process, and this year’s improved counting of co-viewing.

Further illustrating the NFL’s immense impact was the fact that Game 3 was the only game of the World Series to average under 10 million viewers.

Despite the significant ratings drop from 2024 and 2025, the most recent World Series was one of the most-watched of the 2020s.

The post MLB World Series Viewership Dropped Nearly 25% from Last Year: Report first appeared on Mediaite.

Michael J. Heyman,  the U.S. Attorney for the District of Alaska, refused to tell reporters Friday if he believes a crime was committed by the campaign for Mary Peltola in Alaska.

“To begin with, we’re not escalating anything except that a new article came out. This has been going on, sort of quietly for several months,” Heyman said of the investigation into the campaign. “With the intent not to escalate anything, but to the extent that there are allegations that are made on the eve of the investigation that can go to the heart of the election integrity, we’ll take it seriously even if it’s a few days before the election.”

Heyman added:

The crime, look, you’re assume there is a crime being committed. That’s what we do, is we investigate whether a crime committed on several theories. I’m also not going to put the cart before the horse. I’m not going to make any assumptions on if a crime has been committed or not.

The New York Times published an explosive report this week that alleged the Peltola campaign spent “months” tracking down a person named Dan Sullivan — the same first and last name as Peltola’s opposition in the state’s Senate race — and convinced him to run in a deliberate attempt to confused Republican voters.

The newspaper spoke to former Peltola aide Elisa Rios, who was fired this summer.

“Alaskan voters need to know,” she told the Times. “There was a lot of speculation, and voters should get the full picture when making their decisions.” She also said Peltola was “definitely aware” of the scheme but not directly involved.

But Rios attempted to retract her statements a week before the article was published. “As discussed on our call earlier today, I am confirming that I have retracted all statements made regarding the 2026 Alaska Senate Race in connection with any article you may or may not be writing,” Rios reportedly told the paper. “I am not willing to be a source for any story in any capacity.”

Watch the above via Fox News.

The post Trump DOJ Official Dodges When Asked If a Crime Was Committed In Alaska Dirty Trick Scandal first appeared on Mediaite.