memeorandum: Republicans fall back to the red wall (Politico)

9:45 AM ET, October 19, 2026

Top Items:

Putin Floats a Summit With Trump and Xi to Decide Ukraine's Fate — The Russian leader is trying to capitalize on warming ties with the president to unlock a favorable resolution to the war with Kyiv — Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed that he, President Trump …

Discussion: The Bulwark, MS NOW, The Washington Sun, Mediaite, The Kyiv Independent, VINnews, Reuters, Bloomberg, The Mahablog, NewsMax.com, The Japan Times and Politico

Tom Nichols / The Atlantic:

America Is Now an Ally of Russia — Donald Trump has abandoned the Western order. — In the past week, the president of the United States has conclusively turned America into an ally of the Russian Federation. — Donald Trump has now abandoned pretense and is openly aiding the Kremlin …

Discussion: Scripps News, The Hill, Reuters, Kyiv Post, The Independent, HuffPost and NewsMax.com

David Rothkopf / Need to Know:

So, as it Turns Out, America Lost the Cold War — Trump is America's Most Anti-Historical President...It's Why He's the Most Dangerous and Destructive — It is starting to feel like all the history we learned was wrong. — We were taught we won the Cold War.

Constant Méheut / New York Times:
Zelensky Says Trump Risks ‘Historic Mistake’ If He Backs Russia

Discussion: Straight Arrow, The Guardian, NewsMax.com and Grabien

Finya Swai / The Hill:
Darline Graham: ‘I would choose to keep the pressure on Russia’

Discussion: Grabien and New York Times

Heather Cox Richardson / Letters from an American:
October 18, 2026 — Tonight Lingling Wei, Alex Leary, Thomas Grove, and Josh Dawsey …

Discussion: NewsMax.com and Wall Street Journal

Ryan Mancini / The Hill:
Bessent says there was no sanctions relief for Russia after US diesel deal

Discussion: Axios, Washington Examiner, The Kyiv Independent, HuffPost, RedState, Daily Caller News Foundation, NewsMax.com and Mediaite

Wendy Benjaminson / Bloomberg:
Trump Says Diesel Deal Aimed to Keep Talks With Russia Going

Discussion: Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Blue Virginia, The Bulwark, Reuters, The Hill, NewsMax.com, The Parnas Perspective, New York Post, The Kyiv Independent, Mediaite and Daily Mail

Politico:

Republicans already know who they want to blame if they suffer big midterm losses — Republicans are already starting to blame each other as the midterm election spirals further out of their control. — Everyone is bracing for President Donald Trump's ire if the party loses big in November.

Discussion: The Hill

Politico:

Republicans fall back to the red wall — With help from Eli Okun, Ali Bianco and Irie Sentner — Good Monday morning. T-minus 15 days until Election Day, and they're literally taking it to the streets. Hang in there and let us know how you're holding up. — In today's Playbook ...

Discussion: Daily Mail

Shane Goldmacher / New York Times:
That Huge Republican Cash Edge? It's in Senate Races, Not House Races.

Discussion: The Downballot and Deseret News

Emily Davies / New York Times:
Republicans in Ohio Are Worried About Turnout. Here's What They're Doing About it.

Discussion: Ohio Capital Journal

Lisa Mascaro / Associated Press:
Jeffries likes Democrats' chances in race for the House as he campaigns in Ohio

Discussion: Roll Call

Politico:
‘Little of it was constructive’: GOP bemoans a distracted Trump in midterms' final stretch

Discussion: MS NOW, New York Times and KIFI-TV

ProPublica:

This Cybersecurity Agency Is Supposed to Protect U.S. Elections. Officials Fear It's Been Compromised by Trump. — Reporting Highlights — An Unusual Request: Political appointees at the Department of Homeland Security wanted the agency that protects election systems to get and hack a voting machine, which shocked staffers.

Dana Nickel / Politico:
States face foreign threats — and a fractured federal partnership — ahead of midterms

Discussion: HuffPost

Lesley Stahl / CBS News:
Federal actions around voting system expand weeks ahead of midterms

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, RealClearPolitics, Mediaite and MS NOW

Max Tani / Semafor:

How CBS News' Middle East war spread to the Upper Midwest — The News — Control of the US Senate for the next two years could come down to how much the news media chooses to focus in the final weeks of the midterms on a tweet sent years ago by the younger half-sister of Michigan's Democratic Senate candidate.

Discussion: HotAir, Variety, twitchy.com, HuffPost, The Hill, The Guardian, Fox News, The Wrap and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »

Benoit Berthelot / Bloomberg:

France Toughens Response to Protests as Officials Admit Failure — French officials, acknowledging law-enforcement failures, rolled out tougher security measures and pledged aid for businesses after cost-of-living protests this weekend degenerated into violence, vandalism and looting.

Discussion: Breitbart, Financial Times, France 24, Fox News, Associated Press, Politico, Business Insider, Vanity Fair, The Japan Times, Semafor, NewsMax.com and Al Jazeera

Victor Goury-Laffont / Politico:
French PM orders ‘localized’ curfews in response to looting and unrest

Discussion: Politico, France 24 and Reuters

Cassandra Jaramillo / ProPublica:

Ken Paxton's Anti-Abortion Influence Already Extended Beyond Texas. He Could Take It Further in the Senate. — As Texas attorney general, Paxton has advanced anti-abortion policy in his home state and prevailed where others have failed. Allies who've witnessed his victories see an opening …

Steve Vladeck / One First:

258. DOJ and the East Potomac Golf Links — The litigation over President Trump's efforts to renovate a public D.C. golf course has become a microcosm of the Justice Department's indifference (if not insolence) toward district courts. — Welcome back to “One First,” a newsletter that aims …

Discussion: The Hill

NBC News:
Trump announces plans to renovate D.C. golf course amid legal battle

Nia-Malika Henderson / Bloomberg:

Vance Went Off-Script. It Didn't Go Well — While stumping for the Republican ticket this year, Vice President JD Vance has gained a certain comfort with delivering speeches. He also shows fluency in scripted moments where he can anticipate questions and interactions.

Discussion: Washington Post, Daily Caller News Foundation and CBS News

Ally Goelz / New York Post:
Vance reveals 'there's a chance' he won't run for president in 2028: 'We've got 4 little kids'

Discussion: NewsMax.com, Townhall, The Daily Wire, The Post Millennial, The Gateway Pundit, Grabien and CBS News

Alasdair Pal / Reuters:

Australian lawmaker Helen Haines in critical condition after vehicle attack — Australian lawmaker Helen Haines was in a critical condition on Monday after being deliberately struck by a car outside her office in Wangaratta, northeast of Melbourne, police and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.

Discussion: ABC, Washington Examiner, Politico, KIFI-TV, Associated Press and Bloomberg

Bob Woodward / New Yorker:

The Danger of Getting Too Close to a Source — Richard Darman was my source in the Reagan and Bush Administrations—and my best friend. — “Woodward, Darman,” he said. It was how every phone call from him began over two decades. Richard G. Darman was what I call a “hide in plain sight” …

Discussion: Axios

Adithi Ramakrishnan / Associated Press:

Meet the researchers leaving the US because of Trump's funding cuts and politicization of science — Halley Froehlich was sure she'd spend her scientific career in the United States. Her family has been in America since the 1700s. — But over the past two years, delayed federal grants …

Noah Berlatsky / Public Notice:

The weird rise and spectacular fall of Katie Zacharia — Public Notice is proudly celebrating 5 years of independent journalism. Our coverage is possible thanks for paid subscribers. Become one ⬇️ — ✅ Subscribe to PN ✅ — On October 9, Newsmax commentator …

The Washington Sun:

Trump Aides Are Getting Ready to Penalize Defaulting Student Loan Borrowers — Trump administration officials are preparing to impose financial penalties on millions of Americans in default on their federal student loans next year, according to five sources familiar with the matter.

Wall Street Journal:

The Race Is On for Trump Staffers to Hire Lawyers in Case Democrats Win Midterms — Cabinet officials, ordinary staffers preparing for possibility that Democrats could launch probes if party gains back Congress — Trump administration officials are lawyering up.

Matt Schooley / CBS News:

Shawn Oliver, Republican candidate for Massachusetts Lt. Gov., suspends campaign after arrest — Shawn Oliver, a New Bedford City Council member and Republican candidate for Massachusetts lieutenant governor, suspended his campaign after an alleged drunk driving crash late Saturday night led to his arrest.