From “Republicans worry the Cornyn-Paxton fight is tearing their party apart: After months of mudslinging, several Republicans are bracing for a messy primary finish — and an even more costly general election.” by Liz Crampton and Samuel Benson at Politico: “…The John Cornyn vs. Ken Paxton showdown ends Tuesday night, but the brutal primary has some Republicans worried the party will emerge in tatters…Armed with President Donald Trump’s endorsement, Paxton has emerged as the clear front-runner in the final days of a Texas Senate runoff where the MAGA-aligned, scandal-plagued firebrand state attorney general has weathered millions of dollars in attack ads. But Cornyn, the establishment favorite and a giant of the Senate seeking a fifth term in office, is putting up a hard fight until the end, bolstered by a massive war chest and solidarity from senior leadership in Congress…“In Spanish, they call it lucha de gigantes — a fight between two giants,” said Daniel Garza, president of the LIBRE Institute, a conservative Texas-based group that has stayed out of the primary. “Post-runoff, you’re going to have to mend a lot of fences.”…The race has become increasingly vicious in the final stretch, with Cornyn accusing the attorney general of being ethically unfit for office and Paxton arguing that the incumbent, 74, is too old to continue serving in the Senate. Their relentless mudslinging has only deepened existing divisions between the GOP’s hardliners and traditional moderates. Several Republicans in both Texas and Washington warn that Trump’s decision to endorse Paxton over Cornyn has alienated lawmakers on Capitol Hill — and risks turning off major GOP donors who will be critical during an expensive general election.” More here.

In “Is the Working Class Finally Turning on Trump?,” Eyal Press writes at The New Yorker: “In a recent exchange with reporters, Donald Trump insisted that his policies to fight inflation are working “incredibly,” and that America is on the cusp of a “golden age.” This sunny appraisal is not widely shared. Trump’s tariffs are broadly unpopular. So is his decision to go to war with Iran, particularly as the ripple effects of Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has disrupted global shipping and caused the price of oil to soar above a hundred dollars a barrel, have spread to American shores. In an NPR/PBS News/Marist poll published in early May, eighty-one per cent of respondents said that higher gas prices were straining their household budgets. Sixty-three per cent of those feeling the strain blamed the problem on Trump. In another recent poll, carried out by CNN, three-fourths of Americans, including a majority of Republicans, said that Trump’s policies have increased the cost of living in their communities…Such surveys have alarmed some Republican strategists. But they do not appear to be troubling Trump, who, when asked recently how much thought he gives to Americans’ financial situations when negotiating with Iran, replied, “Not even a little bit”—a comment consistent with his view of the affordability crisis, which he dismissed last year as a Democratic “con job” and a “hoax.” These are the words of a President whose populist rhetoric has long been at odds with the substance of his policies and the concentration of billionaires in his Cabinet. They are also a reminder of how confident Trump remains that his supporters will stay loyal to him regardless of what he does, an assumption that until recently seemed warranted. During his first term, Trump passed tax cuts for the rich and appointed anti-union, management-side attorneys to run the Department of Labor and the National Labor Relations Board. Union leaders decried these developments, but many rank-and-file workers were more forgiving, continuing to place Trump signs on their lawns and to show up at his rallies wearing maga hats.” More here.

We can hope that “Trump’s Game Plan to Win Back the Working Class” will be driven by the same smarts that he brought to his tariff, inflation and Iran policies. But first Dems have to understand what he is  planning. Hugh Cameron’s Newsweek article is instructive. As Cameron writes: “As his support among working-class voters—a coalition that helped him return to power in 2024—shows signs of erosion, President Donald Trump continues to champion a series of progressive-style policies that experts read as clear attempt to stem the bleeding in this crucial bloc…According to a CNN/SSRS poll from late March, Trump’s approval among white non-college graduates has dipped into negative territory—with 49 percent supporting and 51 percent disapproving of his presidency. A separate survey of nearly 2,000 Trump voters found that one in five do not plan to support a Republican candidate in 2028, a departure that the pollsters said was “concentrated among his working-class voters.”…The results have emerged as voters in general sour on his handling of the economy and cost-of-living issues—made more pressing with the war in Iran driving up energy prices—and mark a significant shift from the support Trump enjoyed in 2024…Despite robust macroeconomic indicators, Trump leaned on Americans squeezed by the costs of housing, groceries, gas and debt—broadening the party’s non-college coalition beyond the white vote and securing 56 percent of working-class support in 2024, according to analysis by the Center for American Progress.” More here.

Some wisdom from a former First Lady that Democrats would do well to heed, as reported by msn.com in “Michelle Obama urges empathy for Trump voters’ economic struggles“: “In a candid interview on the “Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso” podcast, Michelle Obama said she could not resent those who voted for Donald Trump, attributing their choices to economic hardship and a sense of being left behind. She emphasized that many Americans are struggling with housing, healthcare, and basic costs, leading them to seek dramatic change. Obama warned against pigeonholing such voters as uncaring or racist, framing their decisions as acts of desperation rather than malice…Many of the people who voted for my husband twice — twice! And I know that that’s how they feel. It’s like, this isn’t about anything other than just, we need something different…Obama’s remarks challenge a common narrative within liberal circles that equates Trump support with bigotry, instead highlighting economic vulnerability as a driver of political behavior. By acknowledging that some who voted for her husband later supported Trump, she underscored the fluidity of voter allegiance when systemic issues go unaddressed. Her approach could encourage a more nuanced political strategy focused on empathy and economic reform rather than moral condemnation…Obama’s observation that voters can swing between ideologically different candidates echoes historical patterns in U.S. politics, where economic downturns often trigger shifts in party loyalty. Similar to past realignments, she pointed to working-class dissatisfaction and distrust in institutions as catalysts for change. This mirrors trends in regions that once leaned Democratic but have turned Republican in recent years.”