Politics | Voter.org

The Buzz in Kristi Noem’s Home State

February 22, 2026 state, home, Buzz, Kristi, Noem’s0 comment

Updated at 1:00 p.m. ET on February 20, 2026. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has faced intense scrutiny from Republicans and calls for her firing from Democrats since the January 24 shooting of Alex Pretti by Customs and Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis. Now Noem’s tenuous standing with the Trump White House is creating concern in her home state of South Dakota that she might leave the Cabinet to challenge Senator Mike Rounds in the state’s June Republican primary. Political allies of Rounds have begun preparing for this scenario, even…

The Disappointment of Young Trump Voters

February 18, 2026 voters, Young, Trump, Disappointment0 comment

This article was featured in the One Story to Read Today newsletter. Sign up for it here. The past two months have been some of the worst for Donald Trump’s approval rating—ever. Polling aggregators have his net approval in the low 40s, with 34 percent approval on the economy and 30 percent on cost of living. In individual polls, his overall approval dips down into the mid 30s. The last time Trump’s numbers looked this bad was right after the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. George W. Bush…

Kristi Noem’s Audience of One

February 14, 2026 Audience, Kristi, Noem’s0 comment

Since Alex Pretti’s killing three weeks ago, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has been trying to distance herself from Minneapolis—politically and geographically. Last week, Noem went to southern Arizona to give a speech about border-wall construction. Yesterday, she was at a warehouse along the border in California, straining to tout the Trump administration’s drug-seizure data above the clamor of protesters outside. Noem returned to Arizona today to promote President Trump’s proposed election legislation, describing voting in the swing state as “an absolute disaster.” Trump made clear that Noem’s approach to…

The Christian Influencers Protecting Their Peace

February 10, 2026 Christian, Their, peace, protecting, Influencers0 comment

In the aftermath of Alex Pretti’s killing in Minneapolis, my Instagram algorithm served up a never-ending carousel of sizzling rage. Most of that rage was directed toward the country’s immigration-enforcement agencies, while some, of course, was aimed at defending them. But I wasn’t expecting the post from Blake Guichet. “There’s a difference between compassion that is grounded and compassion that is hijacked,” Guichet, a pro-Trump Christian influencer who posts on Instagram under the handle “thegirlnamedblake,” had typed on butter-yellow slides. “You do not owe the internet a statement on the…

How Jeff Bezos Broke The Washington Post

February 6, 2026 Post, Washington, Jeff, broke, Bezos0 comment

Subscribe here: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Overcast | Pocket Casts In the first blush of their relationship, The Washington Post and Jeff Bezos seemed like an excellent match. Here was a paper with a strong pedigree that had fallen on somewhat hard times, and a suitor with funds who seemed eager to return it to steady glory. In 2013 Bezos purchased the paper for $ 250 million from the Graham family and promised a “golden era” to come. I had left the Post by then but was…

‘Trust Has Been Breached’

February 2, 2026 been, trust, Breached0 comment

The state and local officials meeting with Tom Homan, who was put in charge of the federal immigration operation in Minnesota this week, have generally agreed that their encounters have been cordial and productive, a welcome change from the militaristic approach taken by his predecessor. Homan has also cast these discussions in a positive light, expressing optimism Thursday that “commonsense cooperation” on immigration enforcement in Minneapolis will allow him to draw down the thousands of agents that have flooded the city for the past two months. But beyond the pleasantries,…