Democrats are barreling toward an identity crisis: When Donald Trump is gone, they're not sure what they'll stand for.
Top party strategists are warning they can't win back the White House in 2028 by coasting on voters' dissatisfaction with the president and MAGA.
Why it matters: Democrats expect to pick up congressional seats in this year's midterms by riding an anti-Trump wave — and history suggests they're probably right. But some in the party worry they could learn the wrong lessons from victory.
Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego gave a boost to embattled Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin on Friday at a private fundraiser in Salt Lake City, people familiar with the senator's remarks told Axios.
Why it matters: Gallego, a potential 2028 presidential contender, praised Martin at a time when many Democrats are worried about Martin's leadership — and as others eyeing the White House have spurned requests to give more help to the DNC.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Sunday there are "no guarantees" when gas prices will fall, acknowledging the Strait of Hormuz remains unsafe.
The big picture: Administration officials are adamant the pump price shock will be short-lived pain for a geopolitical gain. But the spike in prices threatens to become a political liability.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's pledge of "no quarter, no mercy for our enemies" violates a bright‑line ban in the laws of war, legal experts say.
Why it matters: International humanitarian law explicitly forbids declaring that "no quarter will be given" or threatening to fight on that basis, treating it as a war crime on par with targeting fighters who are wounded or attempting to surrender.
Anduril Industries founder Palmer Luckey backs the Pentagon's decision to blacklist Anthropic — and says if it were up to him, he would have reacted even more forcefully.
He made the comments in an interview with Colin Demarest on "The Axios Show," our series featuring top Axios reporters interviewing newsmakers shaping politics, business, tech, and culture.
Why it matters: The Pentagon's designation of Anthropic as a supply chain risk is a move historically reserved for foreign adversaries. It means that other companies who do business with the Pentagon may have to cut ties with the AI giant.
If you predicted the U.S. would fall into recession due to the latest headlines, the last few years have made you look dumb. Through interest rate increases, armed conflict in Europe and a trade war, it has proven stunningly resilient.
The big picture: America's economic superpower has been its scale, diversity and adaptability that have allowed it to continue chugging along whenever crises arise.
Now, the Iran war will test again how much the U.S. economy can absorb without a meaningful downturn.
President Trump, already at odds with many MAGA leaders over Iran, is getting pressured hard by MAGA activists not to endorse Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) for reelection.
Why it matters: This is the most unified, intense, in-his-face MAGA campaign yet to push Trump into picking sides in a pivotal fight — the GOP establishment or his base. Trump was leaning toward backing Cornyn before MAGA went ballistic, officials tell Axios.
Polititicans must commit to tailored, economically focused messaging to win Latino voters in the 2026 midterms, Univision executive Ignacio Meyer said Saturday at Axios House at SXSW.
Why it matters: Latinos — the up-for-grabs voting force that could decide 2026's razor-thin congressional battles — propelled President Trump's 2024 victory with record GOP support, about 48% nationally.
President Trump claimed on Saturday the U.S. and several other countries will send war ships to the Gulf to reopen commercial shipping in the strait of Hormuz.
Why it matters: The attacks in the strait of Hormuz brought commercial shipping to and from the Gulf to an almost complete halt, dramatically disrupted oil exports from the region and destabilized global energy markets.
The U.S. government is treating strikes on Iran like a video game, inviting the country to watch as memes and montages subsume the human cost of war.
Why it matters: The Trump administration didn't invent the gamification of war, nor did it invent wartime propaganda — a tool of statecraft as old as armed conflict itself.
Colleges besieged by AI-generated writing brought back blue-book exams to deter cheating, but some educators say hand-written tests don't showcase students' best work and disadvantage swaths of learners.
Why it matters: Educators say AI cheating is real — if sometimes overstated — but reverting to pen-and-paper tests sidesteps the reality that many employers want graduates who are comfortable using AI tools.
