A Potluck of Politics – “The Sunday Political Brunch”
Mark Curtis, MINDSETTER™
A Potluck of Politics – “The Sunday Political Brunch”
“Trump in Legal Limbo” – President-elect Donald Trump wants his 34-count felony conviction in his hush-money case vacated, now that he’s been re-elected. The judge could do that or has the discretion to sentence Trump four-plus years from now when he finally leaves office. The Manhattan district attorney doesn’t want the case overturned, saying that Trump serving a second term still doesn’t “justify the extreme remedy of discarding the jury’s unanimous guilty verdict and wiping out the already-completed phases of this criminal proceeding.”
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“Trump’s Not Going to Prison” – Even if he could, he won’t. My interpretation of the U.S. Supreme Court decision was that Trump was only immune from prosecution and sentencing for things he did as president. Yes, the hush money case was directly related to his election, but happened before he won and was sworn in. Even if I am wrong, no judge is going to put Trump in prison as the president-elect or president. The next appeals in this case, and the others, are long and arduous, and the Trump legal team can simply run out the clock.
“The Democrats Strategy” – From the starting gate, Trump is a lame duck. Why should they expend political capital trying to put him in prison, when that’s not realistically going to happen? In the final U.S. House results from 2024, Republicans have 220 seats to 215 for Democrats. A flip of just three seats in 2026 gives the Democrats control. That’s easily doable. In the Senate, Democrats need to win four seats to take control. Republicans are defending 20 seats in the midterms, while Democrats are defending only 13. This is a ripe opportunity for Democrats to regain control of both chambers.
“The Fight is Already Underway” – The old saying that “money is the mother’s milk of politics” is already in motion. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX), is already circulating the fundraising pitch. She sent out a mass email request for donations of at least $10 or more saying, “House Republicans have had a frankly humiliating track record ever since they won back the majority. When Democrats controlled the House, President Biden was able to sign bills to combat climate change, lower the cost of prescription drugs, fix our roads while expanding internet infrastructure, and so much more.” Obviously, in 2024, voters didn’t buy it. Will they in 2026?
“Manchin Still Matters to the End” – Sen. Joe Manchin (I) West Virginia, who caucuses with the Democrats even after a party switch, is still a power broker in DC as the Biden Administration comes to an end. Manchin was joined by Sen. Krysten Sinema (I) Arizona in voting to oppose the renomination of Chairman Lauren McFerran to the National Labor Relations Board. Had she won the board would have been controlled by Democrats for at least the first two years of Trump’s last term, if not all of it. Her term would have been five years. This opens the door for Trump to nominate a less labor-friendly Republican, and to control the board.
“Manchin and Me” – I first met and interviewed then Gov. Joe Manchin (D) West Virginia in 2008 when I was a freelancer on the presidential campaign in the West Virginia primary. I came back to the state as a full-time political reporter in 2015. I watched as he became one of the most fascinating and powerful forces in American politics. Fiercely independent, he voted for the Trump agenda more than any other Democrat, and as a Democrat voted to torpedo President Joe Biden’s bills more than any other in his party.
“The Last Manchin Interview” - We recently had our final interview and Manchin talked about his independent, bipartisan streak, and his ability to compromise and make deals. He told me, "Compromise is what has made this country what we are today. You know this is an experiment over 240 years of age. Here we are still yet not knowing if we can make it. Because who ever thought, that we as citizens, human beings, could govern ourselves? And pick who we wanted to and then have checks and balances, so they stay within the guardrails. That's it." He is one of the ten most fascinating politicians I’ve covered in my 48-year career. He gave me a U.S. flag flown over the U.S. Capitol for my service to political journalism in the United States.
“The Politics of Health Care” - How we get health care and who pays is still a huge issue in this country. It’s personal to me as I retire and go on Medicare, but have a younger spouse who does not yet qualify. I know those dynamics are not unusual. A fascinating new Gallup Poll shows that 19 percent of Republicans now support the Affordable Care Act, known colloquially as Obamacare. That’s eight points higher than any poll ever recorded. In fact, 32 percent of those respondents who identified as Republicans, felt the federal government had the responsibility to provide health care for all. That’s huge.
“Why the Sea Change on Health?” - Whether this is good lies in the eye of the beholder. My family had to access the ACA for about a year in 2015 and was covered in a big healthcare emergency. But the common complaint is that deductibles and co-pays remain high, which in our case rang true. I am not taking sides here, but just am noting that the discussions and support are shifting. Keep an eye on this as the next campaign emerges. It could be a bigger issue in 2026 and 2028.
“I Spy, the FBI” -- FBI Director Christopher Wray resigned effective at the end of President Joe Biden's term in January, rather than likely being fired from his 10-year term. That announcement came a week and a half after President-elect Donald Trump announced he would nominate Kash Patel for the job. While Trump named Wray to the job, he did not like him and they clashed. Patel is seen as a hard-liner who would potentially go after those who went after Trump. To both sides I’d say, it’s a bad idea for either party to politically weaponize the assets of law enforcement.
EDITOR'S NOTE: A previous version stated Rep. Jasmine Crockett represents South Carolina; it has been corrected to reflect she represents portions of Texas.