Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R) is leading Democratic Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke by just four percentage points, with a favorability rating of 49% compared to O'Rourke's 45%, according to a recent poll from NBC.
Why it matters: Polling indicates that this could be a much closer race than anticipated. Should Cruz fall to O'Rourke, he'd be the first Republican senator in 25 years to lose to a Democrat in Texas.
President Trump plans to meet with Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Jared Kushner and Brooke Rollins on Thursday to discuss the prison and sentencing reform package being negotiated between the White House and members from both parties, sources with direct knowledge of the meeting tell Axios.
The big picture: Trump privately told senators and aides he liked the sound of a compromise that would add sentencing reforms pushed by Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley to the prison reform bill the House passed earlier this year. "I don't care about the politics; if it's the right thing to do than we should do it," Trump told a group of Senators when they briefed him on the plan earlier this month, according to a source familiar with the situation.
Here’s a warning sign for one vulnerable Democrat: A new Marquette University poll shows Republican Leah Vukmir just two points behind Sen. Tammy Baldwin among likely voters. The gap widens to 8 points among all registered voters in the state.
Why it matters: Democrats can’t afford to lose any of their 10 Senate seats in states Trump won in 2016.
The Democratic National Committee has alerted federal law enforcement of a new hacking attempt into its voter database, according to multiplepublications.
Why it matters: The DNC has been working to bolster its cybersecurity posture and its staffers’ culture of cyber hygiene. As we move closer to the midterm elections, politicians, candidates, and government officials will likely keep being targeted for attacks, according to U.S. intelligence leaders.
Press Secretary Sarah Sanders, during her 100th White House press briefing Wednesday, maintained that President Trump has done "nothing wrong" in the Michael Cohen and Paul Manafort sagas.
Why it matters: This is in the wake of a guilty verdict for President Trump's former campaign manager and a plea deal for his longtime personal lawyer.
Senate Democrats are using Tuesday's guilty plea from President Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen on fraud and campaign finance violation charges to advance another fight: delaying the confirmation process of Trump's Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
The bottom line: They argue that, because Cohen implicated Trump in a federal crime by stating he directed payments prior to the 2016 presidential election to women who claimed to have extramarital affairs with him — it is inappropriate that Trump be allowed to select a Supreme Court justice.
Dan discusses the latest on Michael Cohen and Paul Manfort, including its effects beyond the White House, with Axios CEO Jim VandeHei. Plus, in the "Final Two," Facebook finds more fake news and what wildfires have to do with net neutrality.
President Trump this morning said his former lawyer and campaign chairman, both now convicted felons, are actually guilty of little or nothing.
Between the lines: Within an hour, the president seemed to open the possibility of a pardon for Paul Manafort — which would likely only increase suspicion of wrongdoing by the president. At the same time, he has both accused Michael Cohen of making up stories to clinch a deal as well as insisted that the campaign finance violations Cohen pleaded guilty to are not crimes.
Impeachment proceedings against President Trump went from a theoretical danger to a vivid reality with yesterday's guilty plea by former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, sources close to the White House tell Axios.
The big picture: Cohen's guilty plea (with the president identified as "Individual-1") said Trump directed him to arrange hush money during the 2016 campaign to keep women from speaking out about affairs — so Cohen was accusing Trump of pushing him to commit a crime. Look for Cohen’s statement to form the basis of a 2019 impeachment attempt if Democrats win control of the House in November.
Corruption instantly becomes a centerpiece issue in the midterm campaigns — a huge new weight for Republicans in marginal races.
What we're hearing: With a corruption indictment of Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) capping Republicans' hell day, a top GOP guru told Axios: "The Republican Party looks like a criminal enterprise."
Michael Cohen entered a plea deal with federal prosecutors on Tuesday after being charged with eight counts related to tax fraud, making false statements to a financial institution, excessive campaign contributions, and unlawful corporate contributions.
One key detail,per the New York Times: "The plea agreement does not call for Mr. Cohen to cooperate with federal prosecutors in Manhattan, but it does not preclude him from providing information to the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, who is examining the Trump campaign’s possible involvement in Russia’s interference in the 2016 campaign."
President Trump's former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to eight criminal counts including campaign finance violations, tax and bank fraud.
Timing: The agreement comes as former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort was also found guilty on eight criminal counts including bank fraud, tax fraud and hiding a foreign bank account. Cohen's plea agreement with federal prosecutors in New York is available below, his sentencing hearing will take place on December 12.
Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) and his wife were indicted Tuesday on charges that they misused $250,000 in campaign funds for personal expenses and falsifying finance records.
House Speaker Paul Ryan has responded to the charges saying, "[t]he charges against Rep. Hunter are deeply serious. The Ethics Committee deferred its investigation at the request of the Justice Department. Now that he has been indicted, Rep. Hunter will be removed from his committee assignments pending the resolution of this matter."
Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manfort was convicted on eight counts of fraud Tuesday and could face up to 80 years in prison.
What's happening: Congressmen and Senators alike showed mixed reactions to Manafort's guilty verdict with some saying the conviction proves the severity of Mueller's investigation, and others arguing the charges do not show a connection between the Trump campaign and Russia.
