A transition is underway over these final days of summer as Democrats and Republicans push past internal fights over the direction of their parties and begin a two-month sprint to the general election. As they turn to the fall, a rigid split screen has emerged featuring fundamentally different campaign messages to win over voters.
Plus, AP sits down with Attorney General Todd Blanche, Washington bureau chief Anna Johnson's weekly picks and what I'm reading this week. |
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People vote at a polling place in a primary election Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV) |
Democrats and Republicans draw battle lines for November's general election with primaries ending — By Steve Peoples Which version of the split screen that voters choose will decide whether Republican President Donald Trump and his party maintain full control of Washington for the next two years. Specifically, Democrats are working to refocus on the economy, which voters say is their top concern as the cost of everyday goods remains high, even though inflation has fallen from the peak of Democratic President Joe Biden's term. Republicans, unwilling or unable to challenge Trump's policies, are fighting to keep the focus on Democrats' lurch to the left, warning nonstop about socialism or even communism. The Republican Party is struggling to settle on a message to address voters' economic concerns.
The word “gasoline” is mentioned only one time across more than a dozen separate talking points released by the Republican National Committee this month, according to documents reviewed by The Associated Press. That is as the average price of gasoline was $4.18 last week — the fifth consecutive week that national gas prices exceeded $4. While largely ignoring the issue, the talking points encourage Republicans to blame high costs generally on Biden.
Some Democratic officials, meanwhile, worry that the rise of democratic socialists within the party presents a political problem for candidates in swing districts.
At least eight DSA members or DSA-backed candidates secured Democratic nominations for Congress this primary season. That includes seven for the House, in addition to Democratic Senate nominee Angie Nixon in Florida. There are no DSA-affiliated nominees for governor after Wisconsin's Francesca Hong lost her primary bid this month.
While such candidates represent only a fraction of the 257 seats Democrats currently hold in Washington, Democrats know they cannot ignore the issue altogether.
Read more from Peoples about the turn toward the general election campaign. |
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Attorney General Todd Blanche defends his record as pressure mounts |
U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche gives a press conference about people charged in the takedown of Puerto Rican drug gang "Los Baja Deo" (LBD) in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Rojas) |
In AP interview, Attorney General Todd Blanche defends his record as political pressure mounts — By Alanna Durkin Richer Blanche’s fidelity to Trump nearly cost him his confirmation. Now comes Blanche’s real test.
Trump’s former personal attorney has stepped into the commanding role facing a challenge that other leaders of the Republican president’s Department of Justice could not overcome: threading the needle between Trump's boundary-busting demands and a prosecutor’s duty to uphold the rule of law. At the same time, Blanche must try to stabilize a workforce shaken by an exodus of experienced lawyers and an erosion of trust in the judicial branch.
In a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press during a trip to Puerto Rico this week, Blanche promised to lead the department with integrity, dismissing concerns from critics who say his actions so far — including an indictment against longtime Trump foe and former FBI Director James Comey — call into question whether Blanche is still functioning as Trump’s personal lawyer. A slew of ongoing politically charged investigations under Blanche’s watch could force him to choose between his long-standing loyalty to the president and the foundational principles of the Cabinet agency he leads. At stake is the fate of a department already reeling under a president who has made clear his desire for retribution over the criminal scrutiny he faced.
Read more from Richer's wide-ranging interview with the attorney general. |
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Patriot missles are seen at the Rzeszow-Jasionka Airport, March 25, 2022, in Jasionka, Poland. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) |
We had such an abundance of distinctive and exclusive coverage this week, that it's hard to pick just a few!
Exclusive: US Patriot missile stocks in Europe are ‘beyond critical’ due to Iran war, officials say — By Emma Burrows and Ben Finley
— This story by Emma and Ben is a great example of the kind of collaboration we do with our colleagues around the world that leads to exclusive reporting.
Exclusive: RFK Jr. said a Samoa trip had nothing to do with vaccines. New documents refute that
— Ali's exclusive story on RFK Jr.’s trip to Samoa in 2019 is different example of the power of collaboration. The AP and The Guardian have worked together on obtaining government documents that resulted in this reporting. And both news organizations published stories on it yesterday.
Florida, hard-hit by Obamacare drop-off, feels the squeeze of rising healthcare costs
— Ali had another strong story this week, working with one of our fantastic photojournalists, Jacquelyn Martin. They spent time in Florida, talking with residents about what it has been like for them in the months after lawmakers let enhanced federal Affordable Care Act subsidies expire Republicans face a midterm verdict as Iran war drags on months longer than Trump promised
— And this story is a great example of the kind of voter-centric stories that are so important to our political coverage. Reporters across the U.S. talked with a wide range of voters about how the Iran war may be impacting how they make selections this November. |
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Political book club: What's on Meg Kinnard's reading list |
Former Secretary of State James A. Baker III participates in an unveiling ceremony of a bronze bust in his likeness, at the State Department, Monday, April 4, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) |
My first impressions of Washington came as a child when I visited my grandparents, who were in political circles during the 1970s and 80s. That era's movers and shakers marked the foundation of my understanding of how our government works, and as I grew up, formed my nascent concepts of how it encompasses more than the president or its elected representatives.
One of those names was James Baker, who was more than just a fixture in Republican politics, but through time grew into a transcendent figure respected by both parties as someone who could, in a realm where things seem to get stuck, unstick them.
This week, I picked up "The Man Who Ran Washington: The Life and Times of James A. Baker III" by journalists Peter Baker and Susan Glasser.
I came across this book during earlier reading about White House chiefs of staff, of which Baker was certainly one. But, serving under four Republican presidents, as well as helming two departments — Treasury and State — Baker was the kind of figure who could both run presidential campaigns, and also develop lasting policy. And that's not to mention his later bipartisan efforts on elections and the Iraq war. Read about a 2014 secretaries of state reunion that Baker attended. |
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