Trump Offers a New Way To Buy The Midterms / Trumpapalooza is a Two-Night Snooze in Dallas / Energy Prices Fuel Democratic Chances / Merz turns up the heat on the neo-Nazis / Another Warning About AI Ending the Human Race
If You Can't Beat 'Em, Buy 'Em:
Trump Promises Every Citizen $5,000
Associated Press
Charles: Revealing the utter desperation of Republicans, who have literally nothing to offer voters this fall, the ultimate huckster retreated to his default strategy: bribery.
At the Republican “midterm convention” last night, Trump promised to send every American adult $5,000 if Republicans retain control of the House and Senate
The extremely dubious proposition would cost $1 Trillion—which would raise an already bulging budget deficit of nearly $1.8 trillion by more than 50 percent.
Trump speaking in Dallas last night.
Freudian Cravat?
The color of his tie revealed the real direction of this year’s election.
Within an hour, J.D.Vance was walking back the president’s promise, saying it wouldn’t go to the wealthy. The vice president pretended the president’s bribe could be paid for by revenues from tariffs, but so far the government has only collected $154.47 billion in net customs duties in fiscal year 2026.
The Associated Press noted, “Congress would need to approve or otherwise acquiesce to the payment. The sum would far exceed U.S. tariff revenues even before the Supreme Court tossed much of the president’s tariff program last year.”
The great Michael Tomasky writes the Dallas confab will definitely produce a bonce—for the Democrats:
You must be as excited as I am for this week’s GOP midterm convention. I’m being serious—well, kind of. I’m excited because a midterm convention is such a preposterous notion, such a display of desperate, indulgent, Napoleonic vanity, it will undoubtedly make a terrible situation for the Republicans even worse.
Except for the Kool-Aid-drinking third of the population, America is sick of Donald Trump. The third of us who’ve always seen him as a fascist were sick of him 10 minutes after he descended that escalator. The middle third, well, their enthusiasm for him has waxed and waned, but in these last couple of months, they finally seem to have realized what a charlatan the man is.
Trump Will Now Headline Both Nights of the Republican National Convention in Dallas, aka Trumpapalooza
The Independent
Rubber ducks in the image of President Donald Trump are seen at a store outside of the American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX, ahead of the 2026 Republican National Committee Midterm Convention (Getty)
Scott: In his 1911 book on political parties (Zur Soziologie des Parteiwesens in der modernen Demokratie), sociologist Robert Michels charted the rise of political parties from the late eighteenth into the nineteenth centuries. These parties recruited membership, organized at local, regional and national levels, held conventions, selected party leadership and put forward candidates for office and established procedures—especially with party conventions—for the formulation of programs, platforms and agendas. Much as they might seek to adhere to democratic principles, Michels wrote, parties invariably succumbed to the “iron law of oligarchy” under which a small band of elites usually came to dominate them and run their processes. Michels, who emigrated and became an Italian, died in 1936 in the heyday of Mussolini and his fascism. No doubt Michels would see in the transformation of the GOP under Trump the same forces at play. In the past, the Republican party convention had two major functions, which were the nomination of presidential and vice presidential candidates and the deliberation and adoption of a party program or platform. But the convention the Republicans will shortly convene in Dallas does neither of these things. Instead, this convention will serve only one purpose, which is the magnification and glorification of the leader, Donald Trump. It will be “Trumpapalooza,” as the RNC announced. And that is all as Trump personally dictated. Thus under Trump, the GOP has made the transition from a political party to a mass movement marked by a cult of personality—on a trajectory almost identical to the one Michels chronicled in Italy from the late twenties through his death.
Republicans are hoping to generate enthusiasm among potential voters and bring in money for the GOP – in part by charging donors $88,600 for a photo with Trump
One House Republican told Politico the midterm convention was a “waste of time” and said planning had been “a mess.”
The event is also meant to raise money for Republicans fighting tough races, such as Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is trying to defeat Democratic candidate James Talerico in the Senate race.
The RNC reportedly asked sitting House members to spend $25,000 for themselves and a guest to attend the two-day event or $100,000 for a higher tier.
But the event’s timing has also raised eyebrows, given Day 2 happens the day before the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and as Trump’s approval rating remains at historic lows in recent polls.
Spiking Energy Prices Could Guarantee a Democratic Landslide
Politico
Ben Lefebvre and Victoria Guida write that the President’s suicidal war of choice against Iran is creating dismal prospects for Republicans everywhere—especially in Michigan, Maine and Iowa. A barrel of oil topped $100 yesterday and diesel prices were breaking national records last week.
According to Republican strategist Alfredo Rodriguez
The increasing price of diesel is going to have an effect on how voters pull the levers in those races. We have 56 days left until Election Day. The cake is already baked.
Petroleum analyst Patrick De Haan said the jump in oil prices is dragging down the whole economy:
With diesel prices $2.25/gal higher than a year ago, businesses are paying $284 million more per day on diesel, while gasoline stands $1.02/gal higher than a year ago, consumers are paying $377 million more per day, adding up to a $4.63 billion additional surcharge every week.
The rise in oil prices driven by Iran’s constraints on oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been one of the big reasons prices keep rising. And that inflation might push the Federal Reserve next week to do exactly what Trump doesn’t want them to do: hike interest rates.
“They have no good options,” a former administration official, granted anonymity to speak candidly, said of the president’s aides. “And, if anything, inflation may get worse because you’ll get some bleed-through from diesel, which impacts everything.”
Following on the Bombshell Disclosures About Netanyahu and Oct 7, He Threatens to Sue, but the Emiratis Confirm It’s True
Times of Israel
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presents the new members joining the Likud party’s candidate list ahead of the upcoming general elections, in Jerusalem, September 8, 2026. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
Scott: Charles summarized yesterday the three bombshells reported by Ha’aretz in an investigative piece it researched over a period of 18 months. Suggestions that Netanyahu had received warnings in advance have been made before, but never stood up in quite the detailed and methodical manner found in the Ha’aretz report. It’s entirely unclear what impact, if any, this will have on Israel’s looming elections. But Netanyahu obviously thinks there will be some impact, since he is now threatening to sue Ha’aretz. His suit won’t be easy, since Times of Israel reports that the Emiratis are confirming the thrust of the report.
