Michigan’s primary reflects a Democratic base transforming in Trump 2.0: From the Politics Desk

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In today’s edition, Sahil Kapur digs into the broader stakes of tomorrow’s Michigan Democratic Senate primary. Plus, we have the latest on Todd Blanche’s attorney general nomination ahead of a key committee vote.

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— Adam Wollner

Michigan’s primary reflects a Democratic base transforming in Trump 2.0

Analysis by Sahil Kapur

Eight years ago, Democrats Haley Stevens and Abdul El-Sayed both ran for office in Michigan.

Stevens won her 2018 House race, while El-Sayed lost his primary for governor. Stevens’ brand of politics was ascendant: a middle-of-the-road Democrat preaching experience, moderation and results. El-Sayed’s pitch for transformative change and universal healthcare fell short in the purple state.

Tomorrow, the two will square off in a hotly contested Senate primary with huge national implications for the rest of Donald Trump’s presidency — and beyond. Both have stayed true to their 2018 brands. And now, El-Sayed has led Stevens by double digits in several recent polls. Such a result would highlight how much the political landscape has transformed since the last midterm in which Trump was in office.

When asked what changed between 2018 and 2026, El-Sayed strategist Rebecca Katz told NBC News, “Trump won again.”

In 2018, Democrats largely saw Trump as an anomaly and trusted the party establishment to deal with him. They successfully recruited a series of center-left candidates across the country, Stevens included, to capture Republican-held seats in competitive areas. Two years later, Joe Biden won the presidency after promising Democrats that if he won, the GOP would have an “epiphany” and relegate Trump to the dustbin of history.

Trump’s decisive victory in 2024 shattered that illusion. The Democratic base is now less trusting of its leaders, and more interested in elevating combative outsiders running on upending the system rather than working within its confines. Add to it the growing economic pain of inflation and what liberals perceive as rising authoritarianism in the GOP, and there is an agitation for a new kind of politics.

Enter El-Sayed.

The Democratic establishment is fighting back, with Stevens locking in endorsements from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, outgoing Sen. Gary Peters, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C. The primary will test their influence.

Meanwhile, El-Sayed has secured support from progressive leaders who share his vision, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.

Even if El-Sayed wins tomorrow’s primary, his fight is only just beginning. His progressive vision has had successes this year in deep-blue areas like New York City and Denver. But can it win a general election in battleground Michigan?

The question carries massive stakes for the future of his movement. If El-Sayed is nominated and loses this fall, the center-left will claim validation. But if El-Sayed wins the seat, it’ll fuel the segment of the party that dares to dream big about sending an unabashed progressive to the White House in 2028.

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🗳️ Related read: These Senate primaries offer a sneak peek at 2028 presidential dividing lines, by Alexandra Marquez

Acting AG Todd Blanche reaches deal with Senate holdouts

By Kelly O’Donnell, Michael Kosnar and Raquel Coronell Uribe

After a weekslong standoff between senators and the Trump administration, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced that the parties had reached a deal and that he had issued an order “officially” rescinding a $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund.

Blanche had faced pushback from key GOP Sens. John Cornyn of Texas, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who said their support for him hinged on the administration’s rescinding its plans for the fund.

In a joint statement, Tillis and Cornyn said that they are “pleased that the Department of Justice has issued a formal order terminating the anti-weaponization fund” and said they “look forward to voting to advance his nomination out of the Senate Judiciary Committee soon.”

The Senate Judiciary Committee is set to vote on Blanche’s nomination to be attorney general in a permanent capacity tomorrow.

Blanche had testified before Congress that the fund was dead, but President Donald Trump threatened over the weekend to “push hard” to revive it.

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., who is on the Judiciary Committee, told “Meet the Press” yesterday that he would exclude Jan. 6 rioters from any legislation that would codify the $1.8 billion fund.Read more →

That’s all From the Politics Desk for now. Today’s newsletter was compiled by Adam Wollner.

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