Trump responds to Iran’s silence
On Monday, President Donald Trump said, “I want to give [Iran] every last chance before decapitation.” He added, “I’m very proud of the fact that I’ll give people a chance. This is a big move to do an attack that big on a country.” This has become a repeated pattern: Trump says that a deal with Iran is near, only for the Islamic regime to pull back and for Trump to make serious threats. Indeed, since beginning the operation against Iran on February 28, Trump has set deadlines and threatened massive strikes only to extend the deadline a total of 13 times. Furthermore, Trump rejected Tehran’s claim that it was not talking with the U.S., stating, “We’re talking, and we’re talking at the request of Iran, backed by Saudi Arabia, backed by UAE, and backed by Qatar in particular.”

Decision day for Michigan Democrats
The Michigan Senate primary is today, pitting socialist Abdul El-Sayed against establishment moderate Haley Stevens in a race that may serve as a microcosm of the Democrat Party at large. El-Sayed has emerged as one of the faces of the growing socialist wing of the Party and has built a platform on Medicare for All and on being vehemently anti-Israel. Stevens has presented herself more as the safe candidate and has criticized El-Sayed for being emotionally driven and compromised by his presidential ambitions. While GOP hopeful Mike Rogers believes that the Democrats will continue to be divided even into the general election, today’s primary will be very telling on the current state of the Party and whether it can form a unified front come November.

Cornyn and Tillis make good on their promises to Blanche
With their demands finally met, Republican Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis announced their support for President Trump’s attorney general nominee, Acting AG Todd Blanche. “We want to express our gratitude to Mr. Blanche and his staff for working with us on this, and we look forward to voting to advance his nomination out of the Senate Judiciary Committee soon,” Cornyn and Tillis stated on Monday. “We are pleased that the Department of Justice has issued a formal order terminating the anti-weaponization fund.” The committee will vote on advancing Blanche today, moving him to a full Senate vote later this week, where he will likely be confirmed before the Senate breaks for August recess.

Max Miller pressure mounts
After allegations that Ohio Congressman Max Miller assaulted his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, and young daughter, there have been mounting concerns amongst the Republican camp. While Miller vehemently denies the claims, they pose a huge threat to his reelection chances in what was otherwise a solid Republican district. Even President Trump called Miller yesterday, voicing his concerns. Miller was adamant about staying in the race, not wanting to admit guilt by dropping out like Graham Platner. Even if Miller didn’t commit the alleged crimes, he will still have an uphill battle, as he has created very powerful enemies — most notably, Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno, the father of Miller’s ex-wife. While it remains to be seen whether Miller is guilty, the damage to his political career may be irreparable.

Elizabeth Warren agrees with Trump on eliminating debt limit
The debt ceiling, the federal government’s legal borrowing limit, is currently $41 trillion. The U.S. will reach that level in 2027, which is why Senator Elizabeth Warren aims to remove the debt ceiling and allow Congress to avoid debating government debt and spending. The White House has given no sign that her plan is in the works, but President Trump has often suggested abolishing the debt ceiling altogether. Republicans welcome the restraint, but Warren said the limit fails to contain the national debt, now at $39.8 trillion and growing at $7.7 billion per day. In July, Trump called Republicans to address the debt disaster. Senate Majority Leader John Thune indicated the ceiling will be increased after the midterms.

New Jersey voter registration “is the honor system”
Illegal aliens are registered to vote and cast ballots in sizable numbers in elections in at least one blue state, New Jersey. From June 2023 to June 2024, 6,600 noncitizens who registered with the DMV for a driver’s license were also registered to vote despite admitting their noncitizen status. Some 400 of those 6,600 cast at least one ballot illegally. The system that registered these noncitizens has been in place since 2018 and remains in place today. Democrat Governor Mikie Sherrill insists this was a software error and that no elections have been swayed; her administration has struck 4,500 of the 6,600 noncitizen voters from the rolls. The software that registers new voters at the DMV has been described by a New Jersey official as “the honor system.” How many blue states and cities have had similar “software errors”?

Spanberger allows past felons to vote
Virginia Democrat Governor Abigail Spanberger has announced that she is restoring the “rights of more than 66,000 Virginians who have served their time.” This includes the right to vote, serve on a jury, run for public office, and become a notary public. Spanberger added that “the right to vote is foundational to who we are as Americans” and that denying those rights is “a shameful relic of our Jim Crow past.” A referendum will go before voters in November and amend the state constitution to automatically restore rights to convicted felons upon release (Virginia is one of only three states that strips convicted felons of their voting rights in the first place). The previous Virginia governor reviewed applications individually and thus restored rights to fewer than 10,000 felons.

Trump accounts closed over money laundering accusations
Capital One claims that the real reason it closed President Trump’s accounts following the J6 riot was due to concerns over money laundering. A court filing was released Friday refuting Trump’s lawsuit against Capital One for “debanking” him and for persecuting him over his political beliefs. The bank is only now filing this allegation, insisting that “the closures were the result of months of analysis and a careful review by Capital One’s [anti-money laundering] team in accordance with bank policies and regulatory guidance.” Trump’s legal team says he and his family were targeted for political reasons and that Capital One conjured up the “explanation” afterward. Trump also signed an EO in August 2025 directing regulators to punish banks that pursue debanking.

Harris throws Biden under the bus
At a conference on Friday, National Urban League President Marc Morial asked former Vice President Kamala Harris to name the most effective U.S. presidents. Harris listed several Democrats, including Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Barack Obama; the president Harris served, Joe Biden, is notably missing from her list. The two have feuded since Biden dropped his reelection bid. In her book 107 Days, Harris faulted Biden for shifting the blame onto her for the border crisis. At the conference, Harris also mentioned her potential 2028 platform. Some strategists still peg her as the leading Democrat candidate.

James Carville draws line against Piker, DSA
The Democratic Socialists of America and open Maoist supporters like Hasan Piker are ascendant in the Democrat Party at the moment, and mainstays like James Carville aren’t happy about it. The veteran election strategist has been making the media rounds recently to tell DSA candidates and open communists the error of their ways. Carville said many far-left candidates like Michigan’s El-Sayed are “too hard-headed to know that they’re not popular.” He blasted Hasan Piker as well: “Hasan Piker and James Carville are not going to be in the same political party. One of us is going to leave. It might even be me.”

Headlines

• Twenty five states sue Trump administration over latest global tariffs (CNBC)

• Judge blocks NY’s anti-ICE mask law but preserves law barring cooperation on ICE arrests (Washington Times)

• Ethics panel suggests censure of Congressman Edwards over sexual harassment violation (Washington Times)

• Charlotte repeat offender charged with killing man hours after release on bond (Fox News)

• Who’s behind Wisconsin’s anti-police “autonomous zone” taking over city streets? (Washington Examiner)

The Executive News Summary is compiled daily by Jordan Candler, Thomas Gallatin, Sterling Henry, Jacob Geoffrey, and Sophie Starkova. For the archive, click here.