AI & PRIVATE CAPITAL: Former Secretary of Interior David Bernhardt made the case in the Washington Examiner that America’s AI success depends on massive investments from private capital, pointing out this is necessary to win the AI race vs. China and keep energy costs low for Americans. His piece has been making the rounds on the Hill and in the Trump administration.
ASAP SUPPORT: A new poll from President Donald Trump’s pollster, Tony Fabrizio, found that nearly all voters in four critical swing states back the Alzheimer’s Screening and Prevention (ASAP) Act, which would allow Medicare to cover future FDA-cleared blood tests that screen for Alzheimer’s enabling treatments to be given early when they are most effective. That bill is supported by an overwhelming 92-4 margin; 72 percent of voters nationally are strongly in support of it.
RAGA RESERVATIONS: The Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA) announced ad reservations of almost $10 million across five battleground states: Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Georgia, and Kansas. “RAGA has a good map in 2026 and will be on offense because the reality is voters prioritize public safety and prefer Republican AGs who fight crime and win at the courthouse over Democrat AGs who pander to criminals with cashless bail idiocracy,” RAGA’s Executive Director, Adam Piper, said. “These early TV reservations and direct candidate investments are merely a down payment on the resources RAGA will marshal this fall.” The latest RAGA reservations follow moves by GOP AGs themselves making substantial ad buys. Iowa’s Attorney General, Brenna Bird, already booked more than $2 million in fall television advertising.
NEW CHIEF IN TOWN: Alexa Henning is the new Chief of Staff for Tulsi Gabbard at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). Henning was previously the ODNI’s Deputy Chief of Staff, and she was indispensable during Gabbard’s at-times contentious confirmation hearings. Henning has deployed her combative social media presence to defend Gabbard at all times, is an alum of President Donald Trump, Sen. Ron Johnson (R., Wis.), Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R., Ark.), and Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas).
STEYER VS. STEYER: Tom Steyer is attacking Meta and Xavier Becerra in the final stretch of the California gubernatorial primary. But Steyer’s hands aren’t clean, as GOP strategist Steve Guest noted. “It’s the height of irony that billionaire coal, oil, and gas turned climate crusading oligarch Tom Steyer is attacking oligarchs,” Guest explained. “Of course Steyer’s hedge fund has historically owned over 2 million shares of Meta stock.”
LETLOW-MENTUM: Five senators endorsed Rep. Julia Letlow (R., La.) following her first-place finish in the Louisiana primary: Sens. Tim Sheehy (R., Mont.), Jim Banks (R., Ind.), Rick Scott (R., Fla.), Bernie Moreno (R., Ohio), and Katie Britt (R., Ala.).
WHITE HOUSE PARTY: The White House rolled out the red carpet, and a ferris wheel, for attendees at the annual Congressional Picnic. Among those spotted were Lexi Hamel, Ainsley Bice, Rep. Stephanie Bice (R., Okla.), Rep. Darrell Issa (R., Calif.), Rebecca Glover, Rep. Claudia Tenney (R., N.Y.), Giulia DiGuglielmo, Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.), Sen. Jim Risch (R., Idaho), Rep. Rudy Yakym (R., Ind.), Rep. Ronny Jackson (R., Texas), Carson Rudy, Dan Scavino, Bryce Segat, Rep. Randy Fine (R., Fla.), Rep Maria Salazar (R., Fla.), Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R., N.Y.), Rep. Brandon Gill (R., Texas), Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, Rep. Derek Schmitt (R., Kansas), EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, Rep. Rich McCormick (R., Ga.), Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R., Tenn.), Rep. Harriet Hageman (R., Wyo.), Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Scott Turner, Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R., Texas), Rep. Victoria Spartz (R., Ind.), SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler, Rep. Brian Mast (R., Fla.), Stephen Miller, Rep. Dan Meuser (R., Pa.), Russ Vought, Nick Hawatmeh, Rep. William Timmons (R., S.C.), and more.
HAPPY BIRTHDAYS! Happy birthdays to James Blair and to Laura Loomer!