Page F2From§Eachthe milkman edition — 16 September 2026
“They offered every one of us five grand if their party wins in November, and the first real check anybody's actually cut is $138 million — straight to the campaign, not to your mailbox. That's the whole con: the payout to you stays a maybe forever, the payout to keep the seats gets wired same-week. Watch the money that already moved, not the money they're still promising — the promise is the bait.”
“Look, a super PAC putting money behind competitive races the week before an election isn't some scandal, that's just how the game's played, everybody does it. And the $5,000 dividend is a policy vision for after they win, it's not — well, it is contingent on Republicans winning both chambers, so I guess it is tied to the vote, which — did I say that? That's not how I meant it to come out.”
The receipts
Democrats are running an average of 11.5 points ahead of their 2024 baseline across 2026 special elections MultiState Elections, 2026 special-election tracking
Trump Plans Blitz of $138 Million and Counting to Save Midterm RepublicansHis powerful super PAC is suddenly spending heavily on some races, after drawing fire from some Republicans that the group might not throw its weight behind the party’s candidates.
Democrats are running an average of 11.5 points ahead of their 2024 baseline across 2026 special elections MultiState Elections, 2026 special-election tracking
Democrats have clear edge over Republicans in midterms with Trump approval at 38%, new poll showsA new New York Times/Siena poll shows likely voters favor Democratic candidates in their districts by around 8 percentage points over Republicans. The same poll also found President Trump's approval rating sitting at 38%. Kyle Kondik, managing editor for Sabato's Crystal Ball, joins "The Takeout" to discuss.
Democrats are running an average of 11.5 points ahead of their 2024 baseline across 2026 special elections MultiState Elections, 2026 special-election tracking
JD Vance urges high turnout in 2026 midterms to keep ‘crazies’ out of office with Trump agenda on the lineIn an exclusive sitdown aboard Air Force Two, Vance lamented how voters in President Trump's coalition "haven't yet shown up for Republicans" in typical off-year elections to the degree needed.
· Trump pledges $5K checks if Republicans do well in the midterms. Can he legally do that? from the morgue, 12 Sep 2026
· Anger Grows Over 'Pathological Liar-in-Chief' Donald Trump's $5,000 Midterm Bribes from the morgue, 10 Sep 2026
· Republicans head to Dallas for first GOP midterm convention: What to know from the morgue, 9 Sep 2026
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front. The byline is a pen name for a column drafted by a machine and checked by the editor: how this is made.