October 19, 2026 - Trump Endorses Netanyahu for Reelection

On Saturday on CNN, I addressed what Democrats could actually accomplish if they win the House, or the House and Senate, while Donald Trump remains in the White House. They’d gain the power of the purse, subpoenas and, with the Senate, control over confirmations. But getting anything into law still runs through the President’s veto pen.

I then welcomed former Sen. Joe Manchin, once the deciding vote in a 50-50 Senate, and Rep. Nikki Budzinski of Illinois, who is running to chair the New Democrat Coalition, to discuss it.

Unfortunately, a technical problem took down the poll at Smerconish.com for several hours, including while I was on the air, which is peak voting time. Still, 21,190 of you voted, and 82.18% said a Democratic House should prioritize legislation over investigations.

Then, this weekend, Jeffrey Toobin struck a similar theme in The New York Times. “Think potential Democratic majorities… will prove to be formidable adversaries for President Trump? Think again,” he wrote. Toobin argues the problem is structural. In Trump’s first term, he ran out the clock on House subpoenas in the courts, and the Supreme Court’s 2024 immunity decision has since tilted the law further toward the president. Budget fights will likely end in “grudging compromises,” and a veto override is a long shot. The one real power, he says, is a Democratic Senate’s ability to reject Trump’s judicial nominees. That’s what I said on Saturday. When all is said and done, Democrats are mostly fighting for the power to investigate, even if Trump stonewalls, and to block his nominees. That’s what shapes today’s poll question.

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Nine days before Israel's October 27 vote, US President Donald Trump gave Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu his 'complete and total endorsement,' warning that any other Israeli leader would force America to confront Iran alone, while rivals Gadi Eisenkot and Naftali Bennett said Israelis alone will choose.

The Times of Israel

In a six-minute video posted to X, actor Matthew McConaughey urged Americans to support Independent candidates in the 2026 midterms, arguing that a record number of voters identify as Independents and that greater representation in Congress could serve as a check on extreme partisan politics.

Mediaite

President Donald Trump defended easing sanctions on Russia as it continues its war against Ukraine, arguing that concessions are necessary to negotiate peace while facing bipartisan criticism that his policies are benefiting Vladimir Putin and undermining U.S. support for Kyiv.

USA Today

France is reeling from its worst rioting in years after nationwide protests over underfunded schools, rising living costs, unemployment and government inaction escalated into deadly clashes, looting and fires that left more than 2,000 people arrested and historic buildings damaged, as President Emmanuel Macron vows accountability and similar unrest spreads across Europe ahead of France’s upcoming election.

CNN

More than 200 people were arrested in Milan during a second day of violent street protests against the rising cost of living, with demonstrators clashing with police, smashing shop windows and looting stores near the city's cathedral.

Euronews

Jeffrey Toobin argues that even if Democrats win control of the House and Senate in the midterms, President Trump’s expanded executive powers, judicial protections, and ability to veto legislation will severely limit their ability to investigate his administration, block his policies, or hold him accountable.

The New York Times

Politico Magazine reporters canvassed the globe for 26 ideas — ranging from tax cuts and housing reforms to changes in health care, energy, education and everyday consumer spending — aimed at easing the cost-of-living squeeze defining the 2026 midterms.

Politico

Nathan Fielder’s documentary “You Can See Everything” offers an unsettling, often hilarious look at Elizabeth Holmes after her Theranos fraud conviction, leaving viewers questioning whether she truly believed her own claims, who was manipulating whom, and how much of the truth can ever be seen.

The Washington Post

Amid growing frustration with Washington and career politicians, unconventional candidates from pastors and former athletes to blue-collar workers, baristas, and political independents are gaining traction in the 2026 midterms by appealing to voters’ anti-establishment sentiment.

Axios

Americans are hosting friends and family at home less often due to burnout, rising costs, pressure to create picture-perfect gatherings, shrinking social circles and the convenience of streaming entertainment, raising concerns about loneliness and declining personal connections.

Fox News