| | | | This is Donald Trump's GOP now | | There are two Republican parties at the moment: The Trump wing and everyone else.
What's important about that fact is that these two parties are not evenly divided. Roughly two-thirds of Republicans side more closely with the Trump branch, while the remaining one-third are in the John McCain/Bob Corker/Mitch McConnell wing.
One number from the new CNN poll makes that split clear. It's this:
63% of Republicans say they trust Trump's approach more than congressional GOP types to lead the party.
That's telling. It means that -- contra Trump -- the GOP is not incredibly unified. At the same time, it also means that the split is not even -- it favors Trump. Bigly.
What does that mean in practical terms? That if you are a Republican running for re-election in 2018 with the possibility of a Trump-supporting primary challenger, you could be in real trouble.
Need a real-world example of these poll numbers? Take a look at Arizona, where Sen. Jeff Flake, who wrote an entire book critical of Trump, is now a primary underdog to former state Sen. Kelli Ward, who holds a fundraiser for her candidacy tonight alongside former Trump White House political strategist Steve Bannon.
-- Chris | | FALLING ON THE FORBES LIST | | | According to Forbes' new list of the 400 richest Americans, President Trump's fortune fell by $600 million to $3.1 billion. As a result he dropped to #248 on the list, after coming in at #156 last year. The magazine said Trump's decline in wealth stems from a "a tough New York real estate market, particularly for retail locations; a costly lawsuit and an expensive presidential campaign." Read more in CNN Money reporter Chris Isidore's story here. | | A BIPARTISAN HEALTH CARE DEAL(!) | | "Sens. Lamar Alexander and Patty Murray have reached a bipartisan deal 'in principle' to restore Affordable Care Act cost-sharing reduction payments for two years in exchange for more state flexibility in Obamacare," CNN's Lauren Fox reported Tuesday.
More from her story:
"One Senate aide said the plan would also restore just over $100 million in funding for Obamacare outreach. An Alexander aide told CNN that Republicans would get a provision they wanted, a major change in how states measure the affordability of insurance under their waiver requests. This would allow states a lot more flexibility, but that final language was still being ironed out." | | "If we fail on taxes, our party will disintegrate"
-Sen. Lindsey Graham to
CNN's Manu Raju | | | Me, when someone tells me they don't like my daily picks of the best stories on the Interwebs.
Donald Trump came in like a wrecking ball, according to The New Yorker's Jeffrey Frank.
A woman flew to Puerto Rico to help with recovery from Hurricane Maria. Then her house was in the path of the California wildfires. An amazing story by L.A. Times' Soumya Karlamangla
Bill Clinton reviews Ron Chernow's new Ulysses Grant biography
REMINDER: People are weird | | | OMG: Hanson did a Tiny Desk Concert performance this week! Sadly, the band -- made up of '90s heartthrobs Isaac, Taylor and Zac Hanson -- didn't play its 1997 hit "MMMBop." But the performance is still pretty great. Listen on NPR here. | | | Photo credit: Screenshot/Twitter/shop.donaldjtrump.com | | CNN's Maegan Vazquez pointed out there is some new seasonal MAGA merch. She writes:
There's a Make America Great Again hat for every season.
First, there was the $99 collector's edition "Make America Great Again" Christmas ornament. Then there was the Easter egg pastel-hued caps.
Now, just in time for Halloween, there's an official Donald Trump campaign cap that looks like a jack-o-lantern. For just $45, you, too, can sport the ubiquitous campaign gear with a pumpkin flair. Just remember – about 10% of profits from your purchase will probably be going toward the campaign's legal fees.
Make America Spooky Again. | | CNN's Ryan Struyk writes:
It looks like a tight race just got tighter. A new Monmouth University poll released today shows Republican Ed Gillespie and Democrat Ralph Northam neck-and-neck in the race to be Virginia's next governor, 48-47%. That's within the margin of error, but it's the closest poll result yet after months of polling showing Northam with a slight lead in the race. (A Christopher Newport University poll pegged the race with a slight 4-point lead for Northam.) The question now becomes: was it just another outlier poll or is it a harbinger of disaster for Democrats? | |  | Today, on the Senate floor, Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake said: "Unfortunately, I recently learned of a serious threat to reforming the tax code...alpacas. Now what do these cute mild mannered pets have to do with federal tax policy? Well, earlier this year I issued an oversight report ... that report demonstrated how clever accounting allows nearly anything imaginable to become a write off including alpacas."
He even had a visual aid. As CQ Roll Call reporter Jake Holzman put it on Twitter: "Sen. Jeff Flake + alpaca floor chart = stimulating debate on the budget." | | ICYMI: MCCAIN'S LIBERTY MEDAL SPEECH | | Arizona Sen. John McCain on Monday was honored with the Liberty Medal "for his lifetime of sacrifice and service," according to a National Constitution Center description of the event.
The senator, who this summer was diagnosed with a primary glioblastoma, was elected to Congress in 1982. While accepting the award, the Republican lawmaker warned against the US turning toward "half-baked, spurious nationalism."
Read more in CNN reporter Sophie Tatum's write-up here. And check out Chris' take on how McCain "delivered a total and complete takedown of Trumpism." | | | Speaking of McCain ... here's his embrace with former Vice President Joe Biden, who bestowed the Liberty Medal to McCain. Send us some love by telling people to subscribe to The Point. | | We'd love to share our other newsletters with you. Follow this link for daily coverage of the world's top stories, savvy market insights, an insider's look into the media and more. Our authors for The Point are Chris Cillizza and Saba Hamedy. Send your tips and thoughts via email to Chris or Saba. Follow on Twitter: Chris and Saba. | | | Get the Nightcap, a comprehensive summary of the most important political news, delivered to your inbox daily. | | | | | |
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