At Axios, Kate Santaliz reports that “House Republicans fume at Kristi Noem as impeachment push looms,” and writes: “Frustration with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is mounting among House Republicans over her response to the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti. Why it matters: They soon could soon be forced to go on the record about whether they still support Noem if Democrats move to force a vote on impeachment…For vulnerable Republicans, the prospect of an impeachment vote tied to immigration enforcement efforts would be particularly painful…Driving the news: Dozens of House Republicans are publicly pushing for more oversight and answers about Pretti’s shooting. Privately, frustration with Noem has been building for months…Saturday’s killing, and the botched messaging that followed, was a breaking point for some lawmakers, multiple aides told Axios…When President Trump dispatched White House Border Czar Tom Homan to Minnesota on Monday, droves of Republicans went out of their way to praise the move — a subtle rebuke of Noem…While no House Republicans have publicly called for her resignation, Sens. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) called on Noem to resign on Tuesday…Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), another vulnerable member, wrote that the shootings of Pretti and Renee Good “show that what the country has been doing is not working,” in a sharply worded op-ed Tuesday. Lawler also called for immigration reform…”Hispanics are leaving the GOP in large numbers, and pretending otherwise won’t fix it. As Republicans, we must reverse course and act now,” Rep. Maria Salazar (R-Fla.) said Wednesday. She has long been pushing for comprehensive immigration reform…The intrigue: Democrats see an opening with Republicans who have been critical of the administration’s handling of the shooting…”

“In a battle over how to carry out Trump’s immigration agenda, one faction has triumphed — for now,” Julia Ainsley reports at nbcnews.com: “President Donald Trump’s decision to shake up the leadership of his immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota is the latest twist in a monthslong power struggle inside his administration over one of his top policy priorities, according to two law enforcement officials, one administration official and a person familiar with the situation…It marks a triumph for one camp of immigration enforcement officials — namely border czar Tom Homan and Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott — who have publicly advocated for a targeted approach focused on arresting criminals who are in the country illegally…And it is a comedown for the other faction, led by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, her top adviser Corey Lewandowski and Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino, who pushed for large sweeps of immigrants and aggressive tactics such as using chemical agents and rappelling into apartment buildings from Black Hawk helicopters…How long the shift in fortunes will last is unclear. Trump’s shake-up in Minnesota suggests he’s cooling to the enforcement tactics that have shaped Americans’ view of his immigration agenda for most of his term, with polls showing many voters think it’s gone too far…At the same time, the president’s aides have said he’s still committed to his deportations policy — Trump polls better on the question of border security — even if he’s for now pivoting away from the strategy led by Bovino following the deadly shooting of ICU nurse Alex Pretti on Saturday and of Renee Good earlier this month.” More here.

In “The Main Driver of Trump’s Bad Polling,” Ian Ward interviews conservative pollster/strategist  Patrick Ruffini at Politico. Here are some of Ruffini’s observations: “However you want to define the swing voter electorate in 2024, cost of living was far and away the number one issue among the Biden-to-Trump voters in 2024. It is still the number one issue. And that’s because of demographically who they are. The profile of the voter who swung in ‘24 was not just minority, but young, low-income, who tends to be less college-educated, less married and more exposed to affordability concerns…So I think that’s obviously their north star right now. The core Democratic voter is concerned about the erosion of norms and democracy. The core Republican voter is concerned about immigration and border security. But this swing vote is very, very much concerned about the cost of living…what really matters is this cost-of-living issue, which people don’t view as having been solved by Trump coming into office…I would say the ICE actions are probably a bit negative, but I think Latino voters primarily share the same concerns as other voters in the electorate. They’re primarily focused on cost of living, jobs and health care…I would say 2026 is perhaps a false indicator. In the midterms, you’re really talking about an electorate that is going to be much older, much whiter, much more college-educated. I think you really have to have a presidential campaign to test how these voters are going to behave.” More here.

Some notes from Louis Jacobson’ “Handicapping The 2026 State Legislative Map: A First Look” at Sabato’s Crystal Ball: “In our first handicapping of state legislature control for the 2026 cycle, we find 15 chambers that are competitive—either Leans Republican, Toss-up, or Leans Democratic. That’s slightly higher than the number we found at a similar point in the 2022 and 2024 election cycles… At this point in the 2026 cycle, the Republicans are playing defense in more chambers than the Democrats are. The GOP currently holds 8 of the competitive chambers, while the Democrats hold 4 of them. Meanwhile, both Alaska chambers are controlled by a cross-partisan alliance that is favored to continue, and Minnesota’s House chamber should revert to being tied once vacancies are filled by special elections later this month…Among the chambers we rate as competitive, 9 are Toss-ups. This category includes 6 Republican-held chambers (the Arizona Senate, the Arizona House, the Michigan House, the New Hampshire House, the Wisconsin Senate, and the Wisconsin House) and 2 Democratic-held chambers (the Michigan Senate and the Minnesota Senate), as well as the aforementioned, tied Minnesota House…In many states, Democrats are looking forward to a favorable cycle, driven by a reaction to President Donald Trump and his policies. However, in some states, voters may be tired of Democratic governance at the state level, creating cross-cutting pressures…In a number of legislative chambers controlled by Republicans, Democrats are hoping to ride a blue wave and break GOP supermajorities…” Jacobson provides an assessment for each state. More here.