Latest Harvard poll has Democrats seething.
Democrats net approval at -20% and has been getting continually worse over the past 4-5 years
Republicans net approval over the same time frame is roughly holding steady, currently at -4%
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5400339-democrats-low-approval-ratings-poll/
Democrats underwater in new poll

The Democratic Party’s approval rating is underwater at 40 percent, according to a new poll, the latest troubling sign for a party still grappling with its losses from November.

A Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll released on Monday found that only 4 in 10 respondents approved of the job that the Democratic Party is doing, a slight drop from June, when 42 percent of respondents answered similarly.

Of the 40 percent of respondents who gave the Democratic Party a thumbs-up, they included 72 percent of Democrats and 29 percent of independent or other voters.

The latest poll shows that the party’s disapproval rating sits at 60 percent, slowly inching up from 58 percent in June. Twenty-eight percent of surveyed Democrats and 71 percent of independent and other voters contributed to the overall 60 percent disapproval rating of the party.

By comparison, the Harvard CAPS/Harris poll found the GOP with a 48 percent approval rating, which includes 85 percent of Republicans and 38 percent of independent and other voters who had that sentiment.

Overall, the GOP had a 52 percent disapproval rating.

The polling underscores a broader trend for Democrats who have grappled with low approval ratings as the party has attempted to reset after a disappointing November election. While the party has begun to regain its footing with its messaging as it rallies against the Medicaid cuts in Republicans’ policy bill, the party is still searching for national leaders to help guide the party.

“Democrats are doing a good job throwing jabs at the administration but that’s not helping them with their own image, which remains in the cellar."

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/07/25/trump-approval-rating-low-gallup-independents/85375721007/
President Donald Trump's approval rating has dropped to 37%, according to a new Gallup poll, the lowest mark of his second term as independent voters have increasingly soured on his presidency.

The poll, taken July 7 through July 21, was conducted on the heels of Trump's July 4 signing of his "Big, Beautiful Bill" into law and as he's faced an intense backlash over his administration's refusal to release files in the government's case of disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

It marks a 10-point drop from the 47% approval rating Americans gave Trump's job performance at the beginning of his term in January. The poll, a phone survey of 1,002 Americans released July 24, has a margin of error of +/- 4 percentage points.

Only 29% of independent voters said they approved of Trump's job performance, a 17-point decline from the 46% the president enjoyed among independents at the start of his second term. The 29% approval rating among independent voters is the lowest Gallup has tracked with the group in either of his two terms.

Trump has maintained strong support from Republican voters ‒ dropping just one point from 90% in January to 89% ‒ while backing from Democratic voters has slid from 6% to 2%.

Real Clear Politics found Trump with a higher approval rating of 52%, compared to 46% of Americans who approve of his job performance.

Although Trump's "Big, Beautiful Bill" legislation marked a major legislative victory for the president, a CNN poll conducted by SSRS this month found 61% of Americans opposed the megabill, which includes cuts to Medicaid and food stamps and an extension of Trump's 2017 tax cuts estimated to add $3.3 trillion to the debt over 10 years.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2025/07/25/trump-says-hes-allowed-to-pardon-ghislaine-maxwell-amid-epstein-files-controversy/
President Donald Trump did not rule out the possibility of pardoning Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell on Friday—saying he hadn’t “thought about” the possibility but is “allowed” to pardon her—as Maxwell’s interview with Justice Department prosecutors this week has sparked new questions about whether the Trump administration could offer her a pardon in exchange for exonerating the president from Epstein’s crimes.

Trump was asked about the possibility of pardoning Maxwell as she enters her second day of questioning by the DOJ and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.

Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence after being convicted on charges of sex trafficking and transporting minors to participate in illegal sex acts, stemming from her role in Epstein’s alleged sexual abuse.

Trump told reporters he “hadn’t thought about” pardoning Maxwell or commuting her sentence, adding, “I’m allowed to do it, but it’s something I have not thought about.”

The president did not respond to a follow up question asking if that meant he had not ruled out the possibility of pardoning Maxwell.

The DOJ’s interview with Maxwell has sparked criticism that it could tee up a potential pardon, as legal experts speculate the Epstein associate has little reason to speak with prosecutors unless it could benefit her case.

Legal analysts have suggested the Trump administration could pardon Maxwell in exchange for testimony that’s favorable to Trump, with former Watergate prosecutor Nick Akerman telling CNN prosecutors are hoping Maxwell “will be motivated to say that Donald Trump didn't know what Jeffrey Epstein was up to with underage girls and they never participated in that.”

https://wjla.com/news/nation-world/cincinnati-man-arrested-alleged-terroristic-threats-against-ice-agents-federal-official-immigration-customs-agent-department-homeland-butler-county-ohio-anthony-kelly

Cincinnati man arrested for alleged threats against ICE agents and federal official

A Cincinnati man has been arrested on federal charges for allegedly making terroristic threats against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and a federal official, according to a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announcement on Saturday.

Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs at DHS, said Anthony Kelly is facing charges for allegedly threatening to kidnap, assault, and murder a U.S. official. He was listed at being arrested at 12:13 p.m. and was being held in Butler County Jail. Those charges online are listed as, "HOLD FOR FED."

"Thank you to our law enforcement," McLaughlin said in a post on X. "These threats will not be tolerated. You will be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

McLaughlin's post included photos of social media posts from an account allegedly connected to Kelly that threatened to shoot and kill ICE agents. "You come here for me, you're getting shot. I'm shooting for the kill. I won't give a f--- about your names, who you are or anything else," reads a post on X about ICE officials.

Another post included a response about DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. "The shotgun is being bought later on this week you're also invited b-----."

The user was apparently referring to ICE agents in a post when replying on X about Tom Homan, Trump's border czar. "Thanks for giving We The People permission to shoot "

During a search of Kelly's home in Cincinnati, authorities found one gun and ammunition, McLaughlin said.

> Justices’ nerves fray in Supreme Court’s final stretch

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/27/supreme-court-acrimony-00430590

> The Supreme Court’s nine justices often like to tout their camaraderie, hoping to dispel public perceptions that they are locked into warring ideological camps.

> But the final rulings of the current term — issued from the bench during a tense 90-minute court session Friday — revealed some acrimonious, even acidic, exchanges.

> Most of the rhetorical clashes pitted the court’s conservative and liberal wings against each other in politically polarized cases. But not all of the spats fell squarely along ideological lines.

> On the whole, they paint a picture of nine people who are deeply divided over the law and the role of the courts — and who also may just not like each other very much.

> The most acerbic feud Friday came in the biggest ruling of the year: the justices’ 6-3 decision granting the Trump administration’s bid to rein in the power of individual district court judges to block federal government policies nationwide.

> Justice Amy Coney Barrett, writing for the court’s entire conservative supermajority, responded sharply to a pair of dissents, one written by Justice Sonia Sotomayor and the other written by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. But Barrett reserved her most pointed barbs for Jackson.

> Barrett, a Trump appointee and the second-most-junior justice, accused Jackson, a Biden appointee and the court’s most junior member, of mounting “a startling line of attack” not “tethered … to any doctrine whatsoever.” According to Barrett, Jackson was promoting “a vision of the judicial role that would make even the most ardent defender of judicial supremacy blush,” and she was skipping over legal issues she considers “boring.”

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/21/aocs-campaign-office-vandalized-with-anti-israel-message-00466671

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has received death threats in recent days and had a campaign office vandalized with a message criticizing her for supporting Israel’s war in Gaza, the campaign manager for the New York congresswoman said Monday.

The congresswoman’s staff is discussing the situation with security officials, campaign manager Oliver Hidalgo-Wohlleben said in a social media post outlining incidents that come as Ocasio-Cortez, long a focus of animosity from conservatives, faces criticism from progressives over a recent vote on Israel.

“Last night, our campaign office in the Bronx was vandalized and we are in the processing of cleaning it up,” Hidalgo-Wohlleben said on X. “In the past few days, we also have received multiple threats on the Congresswoman’s life and we are treating this seriously with our security partners to make sure she, our staff, and volunteers are safe.”

The New York Police Department said the vandalism is under investigation. No arrests have been made.

The Capitol Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Trumps orders Zelensky to bring Russia to its knees. Commands Zelensky to strike Moscow and st Petersburg
(Paywalled) https://www.ft.com/content/b66f03b5-e295-4f8c-92ba-516a527d588c
(Free) https://archive.is/b4wcp
Donald Trump asked Volodymyr Zelenskyy if Ukraine could hit Moscow, say people briefed on call
US president encouraged Ukrainian leader to step up deep strikes on Russia
Donald Trump has privately encouraged Ukraine to step up deep strikes on Russian territory, even asking Volodymyr Zelenskyy whether he could strike Moscow if the US provided long-range weapons, according to people briefed on the discussions.
The conversation, which took place during the July 4 call between the leaders of US and Ukraine, marks a sharp departure from Trump’s previous stance on Russia’s war and his campaign promise to end US involvement in foreign conflicts.
While it remains unclear whether Washington will deliver such weapons, the discussion underscores Trump’s deepening frustration with Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s refusal to engage in ceasefire talks proposed by the US president, who once vowed to resolve the war in a day.
The conversation with Zelenskyy on July 4 was precipitated by Trump’s call with Putin a day earlier, which the US president described as “bad”.
Two people familiar with the conversation between Trump and Zelenskyy said the US president had asked his Ukrainian counterpart whether he could hit military targets deep inside Russia if he provided weapons capable of doing so.
“Volodymyr, can you hit Moscow?...Can you hit St Petersburg too?” Trump asked on the call, according to the people.
They said Zelenskyy replied: “Absolutely. We can if you give us the weapons.”
Trump signalled his backing for the idea, describing the strategy as intended to “make them [Russians] feel the pain” and force the Kremlin to the negotiating table, said the two people briefed on the call.

"I’ll never be the same after learning what I’ve learned" -- Dan Boner after reading the Epstein files
https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/5422040-bongino-vows-to-uncover-truth-in-cryptic-message-we-cannot-run-a-republic-like-this/
Boner vows to uncover ‘truth’ in cryptic message: ‘We cannot run a Republic like this

FBI Deputy Director Dan Boner vowed on Saturday to uncover the “truth” in a cryptic post on the social platform X, proclaiming that “we cannot run a Republic like this.”

Bongino said that he and FBI Director Kash Patel are committed to “stamping out public corruption and the political weaponization of both law enforcement and intelligence operations.”

“It is a priority for us. But what I have learned in the course of our properly predicated and necessary investigations into these aforementioned matters, has shocked me down to my core. We cannot run a Republic like this. I’ll never be the same after learning what I’ve learned,” the deputy director wrote.

It is unclear what Boner was referring to. The Hill has reached out to the FBI for additional comment.

Bongino, a former Secret Service agent and podcaster, was at the center of the debate over the files related to disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein earlier this month.

The FBI and Justice Department (DOJ) said in a joint, unsigned memo that Epstein died by suicide in 2019 in prison while awaiting trial and that he did not keep the so-called “client list.”

Bongino was frustrated with the leaders at the DOJ and the handling of the Epstein files earlier in July. He clashed with Attorney General Pam Bondi over the issue and has reportedly weighed resigning from his post.

A few days later, despite the infighting, President Trump told reporters he still has confidence in Bongino and that he is in “good shape.”

https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/really-insulting-epstein-victim-who-met-trump-hits-back-hard-at-white-house-on-msnbc/
Epstein victim Maria Farmer, who says she met then-future President Donald Trump in Jeffrey Epstein’s office, hit back hard at the White House in an interview with MSNBC host Jen Psaki, calling their reaction to her experience “really insulting!”

Farmer was the subject of a recent New York Times profile that attempted to connect the dots on Trump’s presence in the so-called “Epstein Files” by virtue of the fact that she reported Trump to law enforcement twice.

Farmer has described meeting Trump at Epstein’s New York office in 1995 when the two were still friends, and recalls Epstein telling a lustful Trump, “No, no. She’s not here for you.”

White House communications director Steven Cheung denied the story in a statement that read, in part, that “The fact is that the President kicked him out of his club for being a creep. This is nothing more than a continuation of the fake news stories concocted by the Democrats and the liberal media.”