In a special, in-person, post-election edition of Suspension of the Rules, Isaac, Ari, and Kmele try to get a handle on the magnitude of Tuesday’s Democratic victory and discuss what the most immediate impacts will be on the current government — both in the White House and on Capitol Hill. Speaking of Congress, Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA) drops in to give his perspective on the blue tsunami. Check it out below.
The latest Suspension of the Rules
Monday, November 2.
Haley Stevens, Mike Rogers, and Abdul El-Sayed. On Sunday, November 1, former Democratic Senate candidate Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) endorsed Republican candidate Mike Rogers in Michigan’s Senate race. Stevens issued her endorsement after she appeared at a church service alongside Rogers and days after a public feud with Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed; she had previously supported El-Sayed at the conclusion of the party’s primary in August.
Executive Editor Isaac Saul’s take: “I’ve been wary of El-Sayed’s campaign, but I don’t see Stevens’s decision as principled or admirable. Stevens’s rationale is hard to follow; it reads more as acting on a grudge. I think this saga could end up benefiting El-Sayed.”
Associate Editor Carina Pacheco’s dissent: “I don’t think Stevens’s break from El-Sayed is unreasonable, for three reasons. First, Stevens will have a larger impact on the outcome of this race as the ‘villain’ rather than simply the primary loser who falls in line. Second, much of the criticism of Stevens feels steeped in misogyny. Lastly, and in that vein, I think the reaction to Stevens’s defection is misguided.”
Reader Survey:
Tuesday, November 3.
Election Day. Control of 35 Senate seats, 36 governorships, and all 435 House seats was at stake in this year’s midterms, in addition to a slew of state ballot initiatives and legislative seats. In this Tangle edition, we shared facts on 10 key Senate races; then, members of the Tangle staff shared our analyses of other races and ballot initiatives we were watching heading into the election.
Wednesday, November 4.
The midterm results. On Tuesday, November 3, Democrats flipped the House and Senate, winning majorities in both chambers by significant margins. As of Saturday, Democrats hold 54 Senate seats to Republicans’ 44, with Alaska and Mississippi still too close to call. In the House, Democrats will hold at least 253 seats to Republicans’ 161, having flipped 41 seats so far.
Executive Editor Isaac Saul’s take: “Political coalitions have now been totally re-aligned three times since 2008. Maybe we should learn some lessons from that: Candidates matter. Policy matters. I think it’s fair to say that voters did something Republicans in Congress refused to do: They stood up to Trump. I think what we saw is a good reminder that you can run on decency and still win.”
Reader Survey:
Thursday, November 5.
Vance’s post-midterms analysis. On Wednesday, November 4, Vice President JD Vance shared his assessment of Republicans’ midterm performance, arguing that the war in Iran was primarily responsible for the party’s significant losses across the United States. Vance’s post headlined broader discussions about the GOP’s electoral performance and raised questions about how the vice president might position himself for a 2028 presidential run.
Editor Audrey Moorehead’s take: “Vance’s post-mortem is clearly an attempt to position himself for 2028, but I’m still not sure what he stands for. The vice president is betting that the GOP’s old guard does not belong in the party’s future. I think Vance’s midterm analysis is accurate, but it’s unclear how he’ll act on it.”
Reader Survey:
Friday, November 6.
The seismic midterm elections were undeniably the week’s biggest story, and you all had a lot of questions, ranging from how Democrats will use their majorities, to whether opposition to Israel affected the outcome, to how election fraud theories came into play. We answered all those and more here.
What just happened.
Here’s a rundown of the major stories that have broken since our newsletter on Thursday.
On Thursday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced he will commute the death sentences of all 548 people on death row in California. The state Supreme Court will need to approve resentencing in 382 cases. (The announcement)
On Thursday, more than a dozen flights in Europe were targeted by bomb threats, later determined to be hoaxes. The source of the threats is under investigation. (The threats)
On Thursday, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that two oil tankers and a tugboat caught fire while attempting to transit an “unauthorized” route through the Strait of Hormuz. (The incidents)
On Thursday, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon announced her resignation as head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. (The resignation)
On Thursday, the Nasdaq Composite, S&P 500, and Dow Jones Industrial Average declined significantly amid a selloff of technology stocks. (The decline)
On Thursday, a judge ordered Albertsons to pay approximately $900 million to Washington state as a penalty for contributing to the opioid crisis in the state. (The ruling)
On Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that nonfarm payroll employment rose by 165,000 in October, while the unemployment rate fell slightly to 4.1%. Employment totals for August and September were also revised up by 53,000 and 31,000, respectively. (The numbers)
On Friday, President Trump announced that White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller will be his new chief of staff. Susie Wiles, the current chief of staff, will move to a role in the “Trump Political Operation.” (The announcement)
On Saturday, a gunman killed six people and wounded over a dozen others in a mass shooting in Krakow, Poland. (The shooting)
On Saturday, President Trump said he has offered Ultimate Fighting Championship President and CEO Dana White the White House press secretary role. (The offer)
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Growing up, Tangle reader Ryan Combes moved around a lot with his dad, trying to avoid impending doom — they knew the end of the world was sure to come soon, and his dad just wanted to keep their family safe. But as Ryan grew up, his dad’s fear began to put distance between them. Now an adult, Ryan grapples with what it meant to grow up in an environment defined by fear — and how he can handle his own fears about the world.
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