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Jen Bendery

@jbendery.bsky.social
67K followers 430 following 6.4K posts

Senior politics reporter for HuffPost. Drop me a tip or a hello: jen.bendery@huffpost.com Signal: jbendery.41

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Jen Bendery @jbendery.bsky.social · 15h
SO loud. I thought we were toast.
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JJ in DC @jjindc.bsky.social · 20h
🧊✈️ SEATTLE: A girl in chains boards an ICE-chartered GlobalX airplane (tail: N630VA) at Boeing Field, to be transported south to Arizona 👀
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Jen Bendery @jbendery.bsky.social · 15h
someone on the other site saying that flyover was for the Banana Ball championship game at Nat's Park 🍌
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Jen Bendery @jbendery.bsky.social · 15h
anyone else hear that very loud military jet flyover in DC a few mins ago?
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Jen Bendery @jbendery.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Here's one indie voter in Anchorage, for ex, who started off telling me she was leaning toward supporting Dan Sullivan and then a few minutes into our convo...
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Jen Bendery @jbendery.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Here's that story btw: www.huffpost.com/entry/alaska...
huffpost.com
Alaska’s Independent Streak Rears Its Head At The Wrong Moment For GOP
Voters say they’re tired of political division and greed. They’re worried about their fish. And one Senate candidate seems to be winning them over.
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Steven T. Dennis @steventdennis.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Trump's move to import diesel from Russia comes just 21 days after signing Lindsey Graham's bill intended to sanction countries importing Russian oil. Trump only signed it after sponsors agreed to hand Trump the power to waive the penalties.
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Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Covey: @cookpolitical.com #midterms www.cookpolitical.com/analysis/hou...
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 09/10/2026
NEW: Records show Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has taken nearly 1,000 trips during his tenure, costing $3.3 million in security. We could only connect 138 of those trips and $553,000 in security costs to state business. with @texastribune.org
propublica.org
Ken Paxton’s Security for Travel Cost Taxpayers Millions. Just 1 in 6 of His Trips Had a Stated Business Purpose.
Records show the Texas attorney general has taken nearly 1,000 trips during his tenure, costing $3.3 million in security. We could only connect 138 of those trips and $553,000 in security costs to sta...
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Jen Bendery @jbendery.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Trump is heading to Alaska for a campaign rally with Dan Sullivan, among others, and all I can think of is all the Alaskan voters who told me last month they did not think this would be good for Dan Sullivan. www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/10/08/t...
alaskasnewssource.com
Trump to hold midterm rally in Wasilla
President Donald Trump will be hosting a midterm rally in Wasilla Tuesday
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Kat Tenbarge @kattenbarge.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Anthropic banning “abusive or cruel behavior” toward Claude in its new usage policies is proof to me that tech companies are going to moderate violence against AI before they ever moderate violence against women and minorities
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Mark Jacob @markjacob.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
ICE shot a man in New York City today while he was in a vehicle with a 5-year-old child. Abolish ICE.
nytimes.com
ICE Agent Shoots Man in New York City (Gift Article)
The person who was shot had been taken to a nearby hospital and was conscious and receiving medical attention, according to the New York Police Department, which said it was not involved in the shooti...
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Kevin Robillard @robillard.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
New: Democrats are torn over how ambitious the party can afford to be as it looks at its best political environment in two decades. "At what point do you play for a wave versus just playing for a majority?," asks one leading party strategist. www.huffpost.com/entry/democr...
huffpost.com
Dems Have A 'Once In A Generation' Opportunity To Hasten The Fall Of Trumpism
The party is torn between securing majorities and seeking game-changing wins.
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Jen Bendery @jbendery.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
NEW: A new attack ad by Rep. Brad Finstad (R-Minn.) uses a photo of MN small biz owner Beth Benike -- who says he's ignored her pleas for help with Trump's tariffs -- except he erased her + subbed in a fake image of Gov. Tim Walz. "You've got to be kidding me." www.huffpost.com/entry/gop-re...
huffpost.com
GOP Rep. Brad Finstad Runs Attack Ad That Erases Critical Voter From Photo
“What a poor decision,” Beth Benike said of her congressman altering her photo with Democrat Jake Johnson to make a fake image of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
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Prem Thakker ツ @premthakker.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
New Pew poll has Trump's approval at 30% (!) 68% of the country disapproves of him. Lowest in his second term, at January 6 levels. *31%* of Trump 2024 voters now disapprove of him.
Trump's approval rating continues to drop
Three-in-ten Americans now say they approve of Trump's handling of his job as president, while 68% disapprove - down 4 percentage points from July and his lowest approval rating of his second term.
Trump's approval rating drops to 30% - on par with his rating prior to leaving office in January 2021

*chart showing his sinking approval ratings, compared alongside his first term*

Much of this decline in his approval ratings over the course of his term is among Trump's own 2024 voters - 67% of validated Trump 2024 voters approve of his job performance today while 31% disapprove. At the beginning of his term, 95% approved.
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Adam Serwer @adamserwer.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
my main comment is, do they remember who won the battle of the alamo bsky.app/profile/dber...
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Jen Bendery @jbendery.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
The key BG on this is that Talarico has challenged Paxton to 5 debates, including one on Fox News with Bret Baier, but Paxton is dodging all of them. A Fox News spokesperson told me last week the network *would* host a Texas Senate debate -- but it would require Paxton to agree to it.
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Jen Bendery @jbendery.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
FTC chair say he's proud of the Trump admin's efforts to protect "white American men from discrimination" www.huffpost.com/entry/ftc-ch...
huffpost.com
FTC Chair Says He's Proud Of Efforts To Protect 'White American Men From Discrimination'
Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission Andrew Ferguson said the quiet part out loud.
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Jen Bendery @jbendery.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
“Ball’s in your court, Ken.” LOL www.huffpost.com/entry/live-u...
huffpost.com
James Talarico Relishes Trump Saying Ken Paxton Should Debate Him
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Jen Bendery @jbendery.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Oh snap -- MN local news reporting Finstad may have broken state law with this ad. MN law bans deep fake altered images in campaign ads.
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The Downballot @the-downballot.com · 22/09/2026
In primaries this year, Democratic turnout utterly dwarfed Republican turnout. But does it mean anything for November? It turns out the answer is very much yes. A new analysis from @donnermaps.bsky.social suggests that Dems are on track for a 13-point blowout in the House vote. Here's why.
the-downballot.com
Massive primary turnout points to biggest year for Democrats since Watergate
There’s a remarkably close correlation between the primary vote and the House popular vote
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Jen Bendery @jbendery.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
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Jen Bendery @jbendery.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
So Trump's campaign rally with Ken Paxton last night went well www.huffpost.com/entry/electi...
huffpost.com
Trump Interrupted By Protesters As He Fights To Rally Texas Voters Behind Paxton In U.S. Senate Race
President Donald Trump fought to rally Texas voters behind Senate candidate Ken Paxton as a series of protests disrupted his rally in San Antonio.
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The Downballot @the-downballot.com · 08/10/2026
This is some timing. We just led this morning's newsletter with #MN01! A Dem group called Your Community PAC has spent $1.5 mil so far to help Jake Johnson flip a conservative seat that has remained out of Democrats' grasp ever since Tim Walz opted to run for governor in 2018.
the-downballot.com
Morning Digest: The House battleground has moved deep into Trump turf
We look at three longtime GOP districts that are seeing heavy spending
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Jen Bendery @jbendery.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
👀
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TrumpsTaxes @trumpstaxes.com · 08/10/2026
It’s stupid little things like this that can take outlier races like #MN01 and bring them the attention they need to make them flippable in a wave. Finstad’s team thought they’d get away with a little AI. Now it’s a story. Via @jbendery.bsky.social www.huffpost.com/entry/gop-re...
huffpost.com
GOP Rep. Brad Finstad Runs Attack Ad That Erases Critical Voter From Photo
“What a poor decision,” Beth Benike said of her congressman altering her photo with Democrat Jake Johnson to make a fake image of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
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Jen Bendery @jbendery.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
"Can you make someone feel any less significant?" Finstad's campaign didn't respond to requests for comment. www.huffpost.com/entry/gop-re...
huffpost.com
GOP Rep. Brad Finstad Runs Attack Ad That Erases Critical Voter From Photo
“What a poor decision,” Beth Benike said of her congressman altering her photo with Democrat Jake Johnson to make a fake image of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
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Jen Bendery @jbendery.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
“I was like, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me,’” Benike told me. “My own congressman wouldn’t even talk to me in my time of deepest need that he was directly impacting and continuing to make worse, and now he’s using a photo taken at my warehouse and took me out of it?"
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Jen Bendery @jbendery.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
That’s where they ended up in a photo together, and why Benike quickly recognized Johnson’s image in Finstad’s attack ad. She remembered "very clearly" what he was wearing that day, the BG of their pic, etc. Here's the real photo vs the fake image in Finstad's ad:
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Jen Bendery @jbendery.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Benike says she reached out to Finstad several times for help, but said he didn’t offer any. She twice tried to meet with him in D.C., but he declined. She met Johnson in April, when he heard her story and asked if he could come to her warehouse to learn more about tariffs.
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Jen Bendery @jbendery.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Just as bizarre to her is why Finstad, her congressman, would use a photo with her in it at all: she’s been a public critic of his support for Trump's tariffs. After being named MN Small Business Person of the Year, Benike was in the news days later talking about struggling with Trump's tariffs.
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Jen Bendery @jbendery.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Benike says she was watching “Bridgerton” on Monday night when she noticed a familiar image in an ad that aired during a commercial break: the exact shot of Democratic congressional nominee Jake Johnson from a photo she’d been in with him. Except she wasn't in the photo anymore. Tim Walz was!
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Jen Bendery @jbendery.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
NEW: A new attack ad by Rep. Brad Finstad (R-Minn.) uses a photo of MN small biz owner Beth Benike -- who says he's ignored her pleas for help with Trump's tariffs -- except he erased her + subbed in a fake image of Gov. Tim Walz. "You've got to be kidding me." www.huffpost.com/entry/gop-re...
huffpost.com
GOP Rep. Brad Finstad Runs Attack Ad That Erases Critical Voter From Photo
“What a poor decision,” Beth Benike said of her congressman altering her photo with Democrat Jake Johnson to make a fake image of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
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Greg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Trump cratering by many fresh metrics: *approval below 35% *underwater in every red state with competitive Senate race *Ds +8 in generic ballot *Rs admitting their gerrymanders might not deliver *Rs privately fear "worse than 2006" On the pod we bring you all of it: newrepublic.com/article/2163...
newrepublic.com
Trump Polls Take Brutal Turn as Allies Grow Rattled: “Worse than 2006”
As Republicans start fearing they’re heading into George W. Bush 2006 territory, a leading forecaster explains how Trump’s low approval is expanding the map for Democrats in hidden ways.
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Jen Bendery @jbendery.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
fair response
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Jen Bendery @jbendery.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Paxton is in real trouble. Democrat James Talarico has been leading in the polls, and the tens of millions of dollars the GOP has poured into this race to try to save Paxton hasn’t moved the needle. www.natesilver.net/p/nate-silve...
natesilver.net
FLIPR 2026 midterm election forecast
Silver Bulletin's prediction for every Senate, House, and gubernatorial election in 2026.
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Grizzled Shopkeep @grizzled-shopkeep.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Also San Antonio is a blue city and Hispanics have soured on Republicans since the 2024 election by about 20 points.
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Cheryl Rofer @cherylrofer.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
The immensely wealthy men who run the AI companies are forcing the economy to serve their dreams and crowding out everyone else's.
paulkrugman.substack.com
AI Versus Everything Else
The hyperscaler boom is crowding out other investment
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Jen Bendery @jbendery.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
“Of course the economy is horrible,” Paxton's senior advisor Michelle Smith said on X. In another post, Smith said it’s obvious “the economy is hurting everybody right now.” Trump yesterday: My rallies are showing people "how great the economy is doing." Tonight should be interesting!
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Jen Bendery @jbendery.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Meanwhile, the RNC just sent this out.
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Jen Bendery @jbendery.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
LOL: "Of course the economy is horrible," Ken Paxton's senior advisor Michelle Smith said today on social media, hours before Trump -- who insists the economy is "great" -- heads to Texas for a campaign rally with Paxton. www.huffpost.com/entry/live-u...
huffpost.com
‘Of Course The Economy Is Horrible' Ken Paxton Advisor Says Ahead Of Trump’s Texas Rally
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Jen Bendery @jbendery.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Flanagan, who has the edge in her race against Republican Michele Tafoya, now boasts the endorsement of both Clinton and her 2016 presidential primary rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
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Jen Bendery @jbendery.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
NEW: Hillary Clinton is endorsing Minnesota Democratic Senate nominee Peggy Flanagan, making her first congressional endorsement in 2026 and taking a swing at Trump in the process. www.huffpost.com/entry/hillar...
huffpost.com
Hillary Clinton Endorses Peggy Flanagan In Minnesota Senate Race
The Democratic lieutenant governor is the first to get Clinton’s public backing in any 2026 Senate or House race.
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Jen Bendery @jbendery.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
News of the Cornell rape case has fueled a 73% spike in calls to the National Sexual Assault hotline in the last week. "Yesterday alone, they were more than double normal. Many of those contacting the hotline say they were prompted to call as a direct result of reading about Jane Doe," says RAINN.
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Max Aemilius @upontherocks.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Kansas, you in danger girl
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Jen Bendery @jbendery.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
😂
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Jen Bendery @jbendery.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
! Kansas now rated a toss-up, insane
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Jen Bendery @jbendery.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
JFC, how did we get here: Gavin Newsom says he’s directed his state to monitor threats after Trump suggested he wouldn’t care if Iran decided to “take out” Los Angeles and San Diego. www.huffpost.com/entry/live-u...
huffpost.com
Newsom Says State Will Monitor Threats After Trump Says Iran Can Target Democrat-Led Cities
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Geoff Brumfiel @gbrumfiel.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
The IceCube neutrino detector has won the 2026 Nobel Prize in physics. The Trump administration has proposed slashing its budget in half in 2027.
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 06/10/2026
The government *still* isn’t tracking how often immigration agents detain U.S. citizens. We are. 500+ Americans have been handcuffed, held at gunpoint or held against their will in Trump’s second term. Our tally is almost certainly an undercount. THREAD (content warning: violence) ⬇️
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