Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* The latest national Reuters/Ipsos poll found Donald Trump’s approval rating dipping to 43%, the lowest point of the president’s second term. The poll was in the field earlier this week, before the tumult generated by the Republican’s announcement on tariffs. (Click the link for more information on the poll’s methodology and margin of error.)
* The latest national Marquette Law School Poll, conducted last week, found Trump’s approval rating down to 46%, but just as notably, the same data found the Department of Government Efficiency with 41% support and Elon Musk’s personal favorability down to just 38%. (Click the link for more information on the poll’s methodology and margin of error.)
* Democrats hoping to avoid a messy primary in this year’s gubernatorial race in Virginia will get their wish: The state party confirmed former Rep. Abigail Spanberger as the party’s nominee this week when no other candidates filed ahead of the state deadline.
* In Texas, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott still hasn’t scheduled a special election to replace the late Rep. Sylvester Turner, who died last month, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is now threatening to sue the governor to force his hand. Asked whether he thought Abbott was deliberately delaying the special election in a solidly Democratic district in the Houston area, the New York Democrat told reporters, “Yes.”
* Speaking of the Lone Star State, Texas’ scandal-plagued attorney general, Ken Paxton, is being increasingly unsubtle about his apparent plans to run against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in a Republican primary.
* When Trump ended his first term, he was blocked from Meta platforms (such as Facebook and Instagram) because of the Jan. 6 attack. As Trump begins his second term, the Republican is now back to using the platforms for fundraising.
* And in Minnesota, election conspiracy theorist and MyPillow founder Mike Lindell is apparently eyeing next year’s gubernatorial race. If this sounds at all familiar, Trump encouraged him to run for the same office three years ago, though Lindell ultimately declined.
