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Good afternoon from Washington, where the midterm money printer’s going brrrr. Elon Musk has pumped a mind-boggling $158 million—$158 million—into the US Senate race in Texas, donating the cash to a Senate Republican super PAC that then almost instantly sent it along to a group supporting Republican candidate Ken Paxton. And across the aisle, a few Democrats just announced monster hauls. James Talarico, Paxton’s opponent in Texas, announced a record in the third quarter: $64 million. Senator Jon Ossoff of Georgia announced a $33 million take, adding to his already gargantuan war chest. In the words of Republican senator Bernie Moreno after Axios informed him of Talarico’s haul: “Oh my God, holy crap.” Their Republican opponents aren’t faring as well in raising their own cash. Paxton pulled in just $18 million in the same time period, but he’s one of many backed by the Musk and Donald Trump money cannons, and Politico reported this week that Republicans have spent an eye-popping $235 million against Talarico already. Texas politics is an expensive game. We are 18 days away from the midterms. In this edition of Party Animals: Bret Baier first moved to Washington in the wake of 9/11, having been tasked by Fox News with reporting from outside the burning Pentagon. Now he’s the anchor of Special Report, the network’s flagship news program, and a star in Trump’s turbulent Washington. Last week I grabbed dinner with the anchorman at a Georgetown restaurant he calls his “clubhouse.” Over surf-and-turf, we discussed the evolution of Fox News, what he makes of his colleagues on the opinion side of the network, and his hot-and-cold relationship with the president. Plus: What happens when Trump’s new press secretary falls into a pit filled with carnivorous reporters? Also mentioned in this issue: Katie Zacharia, Sylvester Stallone, Mark Levin, Alina Habba, Ric Grenell, Elaine Godfrey, Mollie Hemingway, Brit Hume, and more. Got tips? Hit the Party Animals hotline: aidan_mclaughlin@condenast.com. Or text me—my number is 917-817-8266. Complaints will be buried at the bottom of Talarico’s war chest. Praise will be fired out of the GOP money cannons. |
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