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President Donald Trump is preparing to take a prominent role in the final stretch of the 2026 midterm campaign as Republicans fight to maintain control of both chambers of Congress.

James Blair, Trump’s political director and one of the president’s top midterm strategists, outlined the GOP’s closing strategy during an interview with Breitbart News Saturday, saying the effort will combine national messaging, aggressive turnout operations and substantial campaign spending in competitive House and Senate races.

Blair described the strategy as “twofold,” arguing that congressional elections are shaped by both national political conditions and the strengths and weaknesses of individual candidates.

“Elections are not all national and they’re not all local,” Blair said. “It’s a little bit of both.”

At the national level, Republicans intend to link Democratic candidates to positions taken by the broader Democratic Party, while GOP candidates will be encouraged to draw direct contrasts with their individual opponents. Blair argued that Republicans should prevent Democrats running in competitive states and districts from separating themselves politically from their national party.

A major component of the strategy will involve Trump himself.

Blair said the president will become “extremely active” during the final six weeks of the campaign, with appearances and political activity increasingly coordinated with the beginning of early and mail voting around the country.

Republicans also plan to encourage supporters to vote before Election Day rather than relying exclusively on the traditional Nov. 3 turnout operation.

“Vote now by mail if you want to. Vote in person early if that’s your preference. Don’t wait till Election Day,” Blair said.

That effort is particularly focused on what Blair called “low- and mid-propensity” Republican voters — people who supported Trump in presidential elections but are historically less consistent participants in midterms.

Trump’s political operation believes the president is particularly effective at reaching those voters and is building its turnout effort around that assumption.

The strategy comes as Republicans face a closely contested House battlefield.

The Cook Political Report currently lists 21 House races as Toss Ups, with another 16 classified as either Lean Democratic or Lean Republican. A Cook survey conducted Sept. 8-11 among 1,052 likely voters in 37 competitive districts found Democrats leading the generic congressional ballot in those districts 49% to 47%. The same districts backed Trump by an average of five percentage points in 2024.

Republicans, however, enter the final weeks with a significant financial advantage at the House campaign-committee level. The National Republican Congressional Committee raised $13.5 million in August and held approximately a $13 million cash advantage over its Democratic counterpart, according to Axios, which described it as the NRCC’s largest advantage at this stage of a midterm cycle.

Trump has also promised to unleash considerably more money.

Earlier this month, the president said his MAGA Inc. super PAC could spend between $400 million and $500 million helping Republican candidates during the midterms. The announcement came after some Republicans questioned how much of Trump’s political war chest would ultimately be directed toward congressional contests.

The Senate battlefield is broader.

Cook identified nine seats as forming the central Senate battleground as of early September, including six Republican-held seats and three held by Democrats, while noting that additional races in Kansas and Nebraska had also become more competitive.

Blair highlighted North Carolina, where Republican Michael Whatley is running against former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, while also pointing to Republican opportunities in Georgia, New Hampshire, Michigan and Minnesota.

In Georgia, Republicans are backing Rep. Mike Collins against Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff. In New Hampshire, former Republican Sen. John Sununu faces Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas, while Michigan features Republican Mike Rogers against Democrat Abdul El-Sayed.

Blair acknowledged that the House contest remains particularly close, describing Republican prospects as “cautiously optimistic” rather than assured.

“We are not only defending Republicans, but we are coming after Democrats,” Blair said.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris’s name continues to come up when discussions focus on who will become the 2028 Democratic presidential nominee.

But several people who were once close to her are casting doubt.

Harris continues to signal that she may run for president in 2028; however, a number of people who previously worked closely with her are increasingly skeptical that she will ultimately enter the race.

Axios surveyed eight former Harris aides and advisers, including people who served in senior positions, about whether they expect the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee to launch another campaign. Five said they believe Harris is unlikely to run, two described the possibility as roughly even, and only one said they expect her to enter the race.

The assessment comes despite Harris maintaining a visible national presence through appearances on podcasts, campaigning for Democratic candidates and promoting her book, “107 Days,” which recounts her abbreviated 2024 presidential campaign.

Some former aides told Axios those activities should not necessarily be interpreted as preparations for another White House bid.

Instead, they believe Harris may be seeking to maintain her influence within the Democratic Party while keeping her future political options open. Harris, however, has said publicly and privately that she has not reached a decision.

Several former advisers pointed to what they view as a lack of traditional preparations for a presidential campaign.

Harris has not assembled an apparent campaign-in-waiting and has not maintained the kind of sustained national travel or involvement in major policy debates that might ordinarily be expected from someone preparing to seek a party’s presidential nomination.

Similar doubts have emerged elsewhere in Harris’ political network.

ABC News reported in June that it had interviewed more than 15 former donors, fundraisers, campaign aides, Biden White House officials and current advisers about the possibility of another Harris campaign.

Some former supporters expressed interest in seeing new candidates emerge in 2028, while a source familiar with Harris’ thinking said she was considering her options but had not begun formally deliberating about another campaign with her team.

Harris has nevertheless repeatedly declined to rule out another run.

During an April stop in South Carolina promoting “107 Days,” Harris said she was “thinking about” seeking the presidency again. She made similar comments this month, saying she remained undecided while emphasizing that her immediate priority was helping Democrats in the 2026 midterm elections.

Her decision could also have implications for California Gov. Gavin Newsom, another Democrat considering a potential 2028 campaign.

Newsom said last week that he would not seek the Democratic nomination if Harris decides to run.

“I wouldn’t run if she ran,” Newsom told CNN, pointing to the substantial overlap between their political supporters, donors and longtime allies in California. Both politicians began their careers in San Francisco politics before rising to statewide and eventually national prominence.

Newsom has continued building his national profile, including trips to South Carolina, campaigning for Democrats and frequent media appearances. His declaration effectively makes Harris’ eventual decision an important factor in his own presidential calculations.

Questions surrounding Harris’ future have persisted since she lost the 2024 presidential election to Donald Trump.

After initially maintaining a relatively low profile, Harris returned to the political circuit with her book tour and appearances around the country.

During a swing through the South earlier this year, she attracted large crowds at events in New Orleans, Jackson, Mississippi, and Memphis, Tennessee.

Axios reported at the time that her reception among many Democratic voters contrasted with skepticism toward another Harris campaign among some party officials and donors.

That divide remains significant as Democrats begin positioning themselves for what could become a crowded 2028 primary.

Potential contenders include several Democratic governors who have been expanding their national profiles, including Newsom, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear. None has formally entered the presidential race.

Harris also retains advantages that few prospective candidates can immediately match, including nationwide name recognition, an established fundraising network and relationships developed during her tenure as vice president and the Democratic presidential nominee.

Longtime Democratic Sen. Gary Peters will return to academia after leaving Congress, joining the University of Southern California in January.

The Michigan Democrat will become director of USC Dornsife’s Center for the Political Future after completing his second Senate term.

Peters will also hold the Carmen H. and Louis Warschaw Endowed Chair in Practical Politics at the university.

He will serve alongside Republican strategist Mike Murphy, who remains co-director of the bipartisan political center.

USC says the center may be the country’s only university political institute jointly led by a Democrat and Republican.

The appointment gives Peters a new platform after nearly two decades representing Michigan in the House and Senate.

Peters announced in January 2025 that he would not seek a third Senate term in 2026.

His retirement created an open Michigan seat now contested by Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers.

USC announced Peters’ appointment Monday, describing his legislative record as unusually effective and frequently bipartisan.

“I look at this as a capstone of my years in public service,” Peters said about the appointment.

He said working with students offers an opportunity to encourage younger Americans to become more engaged in civic life.

“It’s never been more important to bring people together,” Peters said while explaining his return to higher education.

Peters said students should learn that political disagreement does not prevent lawmakers from finding practical solutions.

USC Dornsife Dean James Bullock praised Peters’ government experience, legislative achievement and bipartisan cooperation.

Murphy described Peters as “a principled politician who also knows how to get things done.”

The center was founded in 2018 to expose students to political leaders, strategists, campaigns, government and public policy.

Peters plans to expand the center’s presence in Washington using USC’s Capital Campus as an additional base.

He will divide his time between Washington and Los Angeles while teaching courses at both USC locations.

The senator wants students interacting directly with policymakers while learning how federal institutions operate in practice.

Peters served three House terms before winning election to the Senate in 2014.

He began Senate service in 2015 and won reelection in 2020 before deciding against another campaign.

During the 119th Congress, Peters serves as ranking Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

Peters previously chaired Homeland Security when Democrats controlled the Senate, overseeing federal agencies and government operations.

His legislative record includes cybersecurity, border security, postal policy, emergency management and federal government reform.

The nonpartisan Center for Effective Lawmaking ranked Peters the Senate’s most effective lawmaker in three consecutive Congresses.

He first earned that distinction while Democrats were the minority, an uncommon achievement in the organization’s historical data.

During the 117th Congress, Peters introduced 102 bills, with 30 passing the Senate and 19 becoming law.

USC says those 19 bipartisan standalone laws were the most by any senator in one Congress for decades.

Peters also chaired the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee during the 2022 and 2024 election cycles.

Before Congress, Peters served on the Rochester Hills City Council and later spent eight years in Michigan’s state Senate.

Peters worked more than two decades in financial services, including positions at Merrill Lynch and UBS/PaineWebber.

He taught strategic management and finance at Oakland University and Wayne State University before entering federal politics.

Peters later held Central Michigan University’s Robert and Marjorie Griffin Endowed Chair in American Government.

His new USC job therefore represents a return to teaching rather than an entirely new career direction.

Peters also served in the U.S. Navy Reserve, eventually reaching the rank of lieutenant commander.

After the September 11 attacks, he returned to drilling status and later served overseas during Reserve duty.

“But I expect to learn from them, too,” Peters said about the students he will teach.

 

 

MAGA Insider: Top Political Stories for Patriots— September 21, 2026

Welcome to MAGA Insider, the go-to source for the latest political news for proud Trump supporters! Ditch the Fake News Media and join MAGA Insider today!

1: MELTDOWN INCOMING: lIlegal Alien Flees ICE in Austin, Democrats Fumes

A Venezuelan migrant with a reported final order of removal was shot by an ICE officer in North Austin on Sunday after authorities said the encounter involved an attempt to flee and a brief foot pursuit.

The shooting quickly triggered protests and, expectedly, a political meltdown from Democratic officials who began attacking ICE before investigators had released body-camera footage or a complete account of what happened. READ MORE

2: Xi Skips the U.N., Comes Straight to Trump—What’s The Deal?

President Donald Trump will host Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington this week. It will be the first state visit by China’s leader in more than a decade. The stakes are high across trade, technology and national security.

Xi’s plane is due at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday, and senior administration officials say Trump will be there to greet him. That is a notable break from routine, since Trump typically receives foreign leaders at the White House. READ MORE

3: THE LEFT IS FURIOUS: Ed Sheeran Targeted After Keeping Politics Offstage

Ed Sheeran walked onto the stage in Philadelphia Saturday night, admitting something no performer expects to say before entertaining a stadium full of fans: he was afraid.

After a week of controversy surrounding Macklemore’s removal from his U.S. tour, Sheeran said he was concerned objects might be thrown at him. He even removed the show’s B stage because of those safety concerns. READ MORE

4: BOMBSHELL: DOJ Charges 16 Noncitizens With Illegally Voting Across…

The Justice Department is putting would-be election cheaters on notice. It announced Friday that it had charged 16 people in seven states with illegally voting, registering through false citizenship claims, and related fraud.

Eight noncitizens living in Texas are among those charged. The other cases involve defendants in Idaho, Georgia, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, New Jersey, and Michigan. READ MORE

5: AMERICA FIRST: Trump Signs Order Cracking Down on Companies That…

President Trump signed an executive order Friday that puts employers on notice: lay off American workers and then turn to H-1B visas, and the federal government will take a hard look at it. He also signed a proclamation the same day, and the White House says both aim to protect American workers from abuses of the H-1B program.

The order directs the Departments of Labor, Homeland Security and State to coordinate more closely on H-1B administration and to consider employers’ recent or planned layoffs. It is a practical fix for a gap in how the program has operated. READ MORE

6: BREAKING: Trump’s Triumphal Arch Just Got a Major Upgrade

President Trump announced Sunday that the Triumphal Arch planned for Memorial Circle will be built as a working military complex as well as a monument. He said it will be able to store and rapidly deploy drones, snipers and ammunition, and that the change came at the strong request of the U.S. military and for national security.

In his Truth Social post, the president said the structure would hold large numbers of drones and sniper teams on both the roof and the plaza, along with a large store of sniper ammunition. He added that there would be “no facility like this anywhere in the World.” READ MORE

7: They’re Not Censored, Just Not Welcome: Fake News Media Kicked Out

President Trump said Friday he is banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, citing what he called their constant fake news reporting. He announced it on Truth Social, said it was effective immediately, and warned that other outlets could follow.

In the post, Trump said media outlets should not be able to constantly report fiction and lies while covering the presidency. He singled out CNN as fake news and took a shot at MS NOW, saying the network changed its name from MSNBC because of a lack of viewership and credibility. READ MORE

 

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MAGA Insider: Top Political Stories for Patriots— September 21, 2026

Welcome to MAGA Insider, the go-to source for the latest political news for proud Trump supporters! Ditch the Fake News Media and join MAGA Insider today!

1: MELTDOWN INCOMING: lIlegal Alien Flees ICE in Austin, Democrats Fumes

A Venezuelan migrant with a reported final order of removal was shot by an ICE officer in North Austin on Sunday after authorities said the encounter involved an attempt to flee and a brief foot pursuit.

The shooting quickly triggered protests and, expectedly, a political meltdown from Democratic officials who began attacking ICE before investigators had released body-camera footage or a complete account of what happened. READ MORE

2: Xi Skips the U.N., Comes Straight to Trump—What’s The Deal?

President Donald Trump will host Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington this week. It will be the first state visit by China’s leader in more than a decade. The stakes are high across trade, technology and national security.

Xi’s plane is due at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday, and senior administration officials say Trump will be there to greet him. That is a notable break from routine, since Trump typically receives foreign leaders at the White House. READ MORE

3: THE LEFT IS FURIOUS: Ed Sheeran Targeted After Keeping Politics Offstage

Ed Sheeran walked onto the stage in Philadelphia Saturday night, admitting something no performer expects to say before entertaining a stadium full of fans: he was afraid.

After a week of controversy surrounding Macklemore’s removal from his U.S. tour, Sheeran said he was concerned objects might be thrown at him. He even removed the show’s B stage because of those safety concerns. READ MORE

4: BOMBSHELL: DOJ Charges 16 Noncitizens With Illegally Voting Across…

The Justice Department is putting would-be election cheaters on notice. It announced Friday that it had charged 16 people in seven states with illegally voting, registering through false citizenship claims, and related fraud.

Eight noncitizens living in Texas are among those charged. The other cases involve defendants in Idaho, Georgia, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, New Jersey, and Michigan. READ MORE

5: AMERICA FIRST: Trump Signs Order Cracking Down on Companies That…

President Trump signed an executive order Friday that puts employers on notice: lay off American workers and then turn to H-1B visas, and the federal government will take a hard look at it. He also signed a proclamation the same day, and the White House says both aim to protect American workers from abuses of the H-1B program.

The order directs the Departments of Labor, Homeland Security and State to coordinate more closely on H-1B administration and to consider employers’ recent or planned layoffs. It is a practical fix for a gap in how the program has operated. READ MORE

6: BREAKING: Trump’s Triumphal Arch Just Got a Major Upgrade

President Trump announced Sunday that the Triumphal Arch planned for Memorial Circle will be built as a working military complex as well as a monument. He said it will be able to store and rapidly deploy drones, snipers and ammunition, and that the change came at the strong request of the U.S. military and for national security.

In his Truth Social post, the president said the structure would hold large numbers of drones and sniper teams on both the roof and the plaza, along with a large store of sniper ammunition. He added that there would be “no facility like this anywhere in the World.” READ MORE

7: They’re Not Censored, Just Not Welcome: Fake News Media Kicked Out

President Trump said Friday he is banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, citing what he called their constant fake news reporting. He announced it on Truth Social, said it was effective immediately, and warned that other outlets could follow.

In the post, Trump said media outlets should not be able to constantly report fiction and lies while covering the presidency. He singled out CNN as fake news and took a shot at MS NOW, saying the network changed its name from MSNBC because of a lack of viewership and credibility. READ MORE

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Breaking

FBI Director Kash Patel spent more than five hours before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday, and one of the most contentious exchanges came when Democrats pressed him to guarantee the bureau would stay out of polling places during the November midterms. Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) asked Patel directly: “Do you pledge that you will not, in any way, interfere in the will of the American people when they go to the polls in November?” Rather than answering yes or no, Patel responded, “I pledge unequivocally that I will not participate in your charade of lies.”

Patel did confirm that the FBI has “an election crimes community coordinator in all 56 field offices,” adding, “so you bet we’re going to have them there and manning the posts for election interference.” When Welch continued pressing for a clearer commitment, Patel pivoted to attacking the senator personally, saying, “I wanna know how your wealth increased 4,000% since you became a United States senator.” Committee Chairman John Cornyn (R-Texas), who was presiding, banged his gavel and told both men, “Let’s knock it off!”

Details & Background

The exchange traces back to a claim from John James, the Republican candidate for Michigan governor and a sitting U.S. representative, who told supporters Patel had personally promised him FBI agents would be present in Michigan on Election Day. Democrats on the committee, including Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), used the hearing to demand Patel clarify what that would actually look like in practice, with Blumenthal saying Patel had failed to provide “an unequivocal, clear, unambiguous commitment” to keep the FBI out of election interference.

The polling-place exchange was just one flashpoint in an already combative hearing. Patel also faced questions over changes to FBI hiring standards, including new rules touching applicants with histories of prostitution and bestiality, as well as a ProPublica report alleging a Russian oligarch helped fund parts of Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) called Patel a “thug” and an “incompetent lackey” during a separate round of questioning, reflecting how personal the five-hour session became on both sides.

Reactions

Republicans on the committee largely stood behind Patel throughout the hearing, framing the Democrats’ questions as bad-faith attempts to smear a director who has reformed FBI hiring and refocused the bureau on core law enforcement priorities. Patel himself struck a defiant tone afterward, blasting Democrats and what he called their “radical lunacy” in comments following the hearing.

Democrats, for their part, argue that Patel’s answer on polling places was itself the story: rather than issuing the kind of flat denial FBI directors have historically given when asked about Election Day deployments, Patel confirmed coordinators would be active in the field without specifying what “manning the posts” would look like on the ground in individual precincts.

Why This Matters to You

However the specifics shake out, Patel’s testimony means voters heading into the November midterms don’t have the categorical assurance from the FBI director that many of his predecessors gave when asked the same question. For a country already primed for election disputes, an ambiguous answer from the nation’s top federal law enforcement officer carries outsized weight regardless of what actually happens on Election Day.

The hearing is also a reminder of how personal these oversight sessions have become, with a sitting FBI director trading insults with senators rather than settling into the usual scripted back-and-forth, on a day that also touched on FBI hiring controversies and outside reporting on the Trump family. Expect this exchange to resurface repeatedly between now and November as both parties look to make Patel’s testimony central to their closing midterm arguments.

House Democrats fractured Thursday again as 33 members joined Republicans to restrict federal funding for colleges participating in anti-Israel boycotts.

The House passed H.R. 4795, the Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act of 2026, by a decisive 237-169 vote.

Thirty-three Democrats supported the measure, while 167 Democrats joined two Republicans in opposition to the legislation.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries voted against it, putting him opposite dozens of Democrats willing to confront anti-Israel campus boycotts.

Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and senior Democrat James Clyburn also opposed the bill, underscoring the party’s increasingly visible Israel divide.

Republicans Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Warren Davidson of Ohio were the only GOP lawmakers voting against the measure.

North Carolina Republican Virginia Foxx sponsored the legislation, while New Jersey Democrat Josh Gottheimer joined as its Democratic co-sponsor.

The bill would amend higher-education law by attaching major federal-funding consequences to certain institutional commercial boycotts targeting Israel.

Covered colleges participating in a “nonexpressive commercial boycott” of Israel could become ineligible for specified federal higher-education funding.

Federally supported institutions would also certify that students are not “unreasonably obstructed” from participating in academic programs located in Israel.

Critics counter that punishing boycott participation could chill political expression protected by the First Amendment and interfere with academic independence.

Foxx argued university boycott policies have created hostile environments by “marginalizing Jewish students” and discriminating against people of Jewish faith.

Progressive Democrats responded furiously, arguing the bill improperly converts political disagreement with Israel into grounds for losing federal educational support.

New York Democrat Jerry Nadler said he opposes BDS but believes its supporters retain constitutional protections for political advocacy.

Michigan Democrat Rashida Tlaib delivered an even harsher denunciation, accusing lawmakers of suppressing pro-Palestinian activism and defending Israeli policies.

“This is an attack on free speech and academic freedom,” Tlaib declared during debate before the final vote.

She described Israel as a “genocidal apartheid state,” reflecting the increasingly hostile rhetoric surrounding Israel within progressive Democratic politics.

Supporters rejected that framing, saying the legislation targets institutional commercial discrimination rather than students protesting or expressing political opinions.

Thursday’s vote follows another major headache for House Speaker Mike Johnson.

Johnson has canceled votes in the chamber that were planned for Friday, shortening the work week and sending members home until after the November midterm elections.

Lawmakers will be away from Washington for more than six weeks, avoiding potentially controversial votes and intraparty fighting before voters head to the polls.

Johnson previously canceled votes for the last two weeks in September.

“The House has done its work,” Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, told reporters at the Capitol.

“It’s time for our members to go home to their districts and make their case to the American people,” Johnson added.

Rep. Ralph Norman, a Republican from South Carolina, said canceling votes is “unacceptable.”

“The House has now canceled at least 63 scheduled voting days this Congress, including nine days this month alone, and now we’re leaving Washington until after the election,” he wrote on X.

“The Founders did not envision taking this much time off and still getting paid. If Members of Congress want to go home and campaign instead of doing the job taxpayers sent us here to do, then their campaigns ought to be paying them, NOT the American taxpayer. We still have work to do,” Norman added.

Johnson also rebuffed calls by Democrats who wanted to cancel the recess to address rapid advancements in artificial intelligence.

After AI industry leaders and researchers raised alarm about potentially catastrophic threats posed by the technology in recent weeks, Democratic lawmakers called on Johnson to keep the House in session until they can pass legislation to rein in AI.

“Congress should not leave town until something is done decisively to protect the safety and the well-being of the American people, in the face of growing concerns being raised by experts within the artificial intelligence industry itself,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Monday.

“Republicans have completely abandoned their responsibility to legislate and engage in public policy efforts in a responsible fashion in the area of artificial intelligence,” Jeffries continued.

Former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has been discussing her next career move following the November midterm elections, and it could see her back in front of a camera daily.

Former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt is considering a possible future in television after Fox News host Sean Hannity suggested she host her own program.

Leavitt, 29, appeared on “Hannity” Thursday night when the longtime Fox host suggested a potential title for a future show.

“Well, congratulations on your two beautiful children,” host Sean Hannity began.

“I saw pictures of them recently, and I know you’re happy. I know it was a hard decision. We’ll talk about it on the podcast next week,” Hannity continued before suggesting a new show on Fox for Leavitt.

“How does it sound: ‘The Briefing with Karoline Leavitt?’ How do you like the sound of that?”

Leavitt responded, “Well, Sean, we have had our segment before, you and me. I will continue to join your show anytime you want, that’s for sure. But thank you. My babies are cute, I will say so myself.”

Fox News has not announced a hosting deal or new program involving Leavitt.

The exchange came less than a month after Leavitt stepped down as President Donald Trump’s White House press secretary.

Trump announced in August that Leavitt would leave the administration at the end of that month while continuing to serve as an outside adviser. Leavitt said she made the decision after concluding that the demands of the press secretary position made it difficult to devote the time she wanted to her two young children.

Leavitt gave birth to her second child, daughter Viviana, in May and later returned to work at the White House before announcing her departure.

“The truth is since returning to the White House after the birth of my daughter, I have felt in my heart that I cannot be the best mom my two young children deserve while devoting the constant time, energy and attention required of the White House press secretary,” Leavitt said when announcing her decision.

She completed her final day as press secretary on Aug. 27.

Leavitt became the youngest White House press secretary in U.S. history when she took the job at age 27 following Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election. She had previously served as Trump’s national press secretary during his campaign and worked in his first administration.

Before joining the 2024 campaign, Leavitt worked for Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., mounted an unsuccessful congressional campaign in New Hampshire and served as a spokeswoman for the Trump-aligned MAGA Inc. super PAC.

She has remained a frequent presence on Fox News since leaving the White House and continues to advocate publicly for Trump and Republican candidates ahead of the November midterm elections.

A move from the White House briefing room to cable television would not be unprecedented.

Dana Perino, who served as press secretary under President George W. Bush, joined Fox News after leaving government and later became a co-host of “The Five” and co-anchor of “America’s Newsroom.”

Kayleigh McEnany, who served as Trump’s final press secretary during his first term, joined Fox News in 2021 and went on to co-host “Outnumbered.”

Hannity’s suggested title also appeared to echo “The Briefing with Jen Psaki,” the television program hosted by former Biden White House press secretary Jen Psaki.

For now, however, there is no announced Fox News show for Leavitt.

Her response Thursday amounted to an acknowledgment of Hannity’s suggestion rather than confirmation of a new job, although she made clear that viewers can expect her to continue appearing on his program.

Another Democrat has been caught engaging in an activity the party says ‘rarely happens.’

A Democratic political organization in Texas has fired one of its organizers after an undercover video showed him describing a paid voter-outreach program as a “roundabout way of paying people for their votes.”

The video, first published by conservative outlet Townhall, identified the speaker as Sky McAdams, an organizing manager for Texas Majority PAC, a group working to increase Democratic turnout in Texas ahead of the November elections.

In the recording, McAdams said participants received $25 to attend a one-hour online class focused on voting and politics.

“We are paying people $25 to attend a one-hour Zoom class,” McAdams said before characterizing the arrangement as a “roundabout way of paying people for their votes, essentially.”

McAdams also acknowledged in the video that directly paying someone to vote for a particular candidate would be illegal.

“You can’t pay someone to vote for someone,” he said, describing the payment instead as compensation for attending the class.

He referred to the arrangement as “a little gray” and said Republicans would likely object to it.

Texas Majority PAC disputed McAdams’ description of the program and said he was immediately fired.

“Participants in the program are being paid for grassroots organizing work,” a PAC spokesperson told Texas Scorecard. “The way it was described by one rogue employee is factually incorrect, not how we operate, and they were immediately fired.”

The program is operated with Relentless, a political organizing company that specializes in what it calls “paid relational organizing.”

Rather than assigning organizers lists of strangers to contact, relational organizing encourages participants to communicate with friends, relatives and other people they already know.

Relentless says it recruits low-propensity voters and compensates them for the time they spend reaching, persuading and encouraging people in their personal networks to participate in elections.

The company explicitly states that compensation is for organizing work and is not tied to whether a person ultimately votes.

“Is the compensation tied to votes? No. That’s illegal,” Relentless says on its website.

Campaign-finance reporting cited by multiple outlets shows Texas Majority PAC paid Relentless $500,000 in July for a “relational organizing program.”

Relentless says it used similar programs during the 2024 elections in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. The company claims those efforts mobilized more than 30,000 low-propensity voters to contact more than 1.2 million friends and family members and produced a net gain of 47,533 Democratic votes.

The Texas program has drawn heightened attention because of the competitive U.S. Senate race involving Democratic nominee James Talarico and state Attorney General Ken Paxton (R).

Texas Majority PAC has supported Democratic turnout efforts, but the publicly available video does not establish that Talarico personally directed the program or that his campaign directly paid anyone to cast a ballot.

The controversy centers on the distinction between legally paying political organizers for campaign work and illegally providing money or something of value in exchange for voting.

Federal law prohibits paying or offering to pay someone to register to vote or to vote in a federal election. Political campaigns and organizations, however, routinely pay employees and contractors to conduct voter outreach, canvassing, and organizing.

Texas Majority PAC maintains that its program falls into the latter category and that McAdams inaccurately described how it operates. Relentless similarly says participants are compensated for their time and organizing work rather than for casting ballots.

The undercover footage nevertheless has brought new scrutiny to paid relational-organizing programs and how political groups structure compensation while trying to reach voters who rarely participate in elections.

Meanwhile, Republican outside groups are pouring tens of millions of dollars into Texas to support Paxton after months in which Talarico held a major financial and advertising advantage.

The sudden influx marks a dramatic change in a race where national Republican organizations initially stayed largely on the sidelines despite increasing attention to the traditionally Republican state.