Show Notes
Twenty days to Election Day, and the American people appear poised to slam the door shut in Donald Trump's face -- and in the faces of Republicans more broadly.
More from Deadline: White House
October 23, 2026; 5pm: Russia has returned an American hostage, and it is something to celebrate. What is causing many to pause, however, is what Trump was willing to give up in exchange. Trump lifted sanctions on Russia, which he previously signed into law. This is the latest in what former CIA analyst Julia Curlee calls Putin reaping the rewards for interfering in the 2016 election.
October 23, 2026; 4pm: Trump's DOJ filed a preemptive lawsuit against Alaska, seeking to block the senate election results if anyone other than the Republican incumbent, Sen. Dan Sullivan, wins. The reason? There is an unaffiliated candidate, Daniel J. Sullivan, who is also on the ballot. The DOJ claims that the election's integrity could be compromised because voters could be confused between the two Sullivans. This suit comes as polls place the democratic candidate, Mary Peltola, higher.
October 22, 2026; 5pm: Elon Musk and the White House are engaged in a robust game of pointing fingers at each other after Ukraine's Zelensky said that Starlink, the Musk-owned military grade system Ukraine uses in its war against Russia's invasion, was slowed and less functional.
October 22, 2026; 4pm: With the midterms just less than two weeks away, our democracy and election integrity is being put to the test as some Democrats are preparing for Trump and his administration to allege foreign meddling and fraud in order to justify election interference.
The New York Times reports that soon after a billionaire's daughter hired a lawyer close to Donald Trump, he received a pardon.