The Morning Roundup – October 29, 2026

The final week before the midterms is shaping up as a reckoning over Donald Trump’s use of power. Today’s coverage centers on new reporting about federal surveillance of Americans through ICE and DHS, the administration’s string of failed prosecutions of the president’s critics, a House Judiciary Democrats’ report on Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, and what a Democratic Congress could mean for Trump’s inner circle. Overseas, Israel’s election has ended in a deadlock that leaves Benjamin Netanyahu fighting to hold on. The left is reading all of it as an administration running out of road, while center coverage is focused on the hard numbers of Israel’s coalition math. Right-leaning outlets in our feed were quiet over the last 24 hours.

LEFT

Charles P. Pierce (Esquire) – “The Trump Administration Is Spying on Americans at a Scale Not Seen Since the 1960s“

Drawing on reporting from Wired, Pierce argues that the administration is running domestic surveillance on a scale that recalls the COINTELPRO era, and that ICE and DHS are the tools it is using. He calls the state of federal law enforcement a “horror show” and says that anyone who took a job in this administration should be barred from public service for life.

Charles P. Pierce (Esquire) – “Don’t Ask Trump How His Revenge Tour Is Going“

Citing The New York Times, Pierce adds another collapse to what he calls the growing list of Trump’s failed revenge cases against people who crossed him. He mocks the prosecutors who brought the case as bad at the law, and he argues that the president hardly has to push loyalists inside the Justice Department to go after his enemies.

Charles P. Pierce (Esquire) – “A Disturbing New Report Reveals the Extent of Trump and Epstein’s Twisted Relationship“

Pierce walks through a report released Monday by Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee. He says it lays out a systematic case of allegations against Trump tied to Jeffrey Epstein, much of it centered on a 1990s beauty-pageant scene. He highlights the account of former Miss Switzerland Beatrice Keul and argues that Attorney General Todd Blanche won’t be able to bury it.

Charles P. Pierce (Esquire) – “Trump Took a Quick Break from Bashing Windmills to Spew Nonsense About Solar Panels“

In a short, sardonic post, Pierce takes on Trump’s latest claim about alternative energy and wildlife, made in a Tuesday night speech in Lubbock, Texas. This time the president said animals “jump on” solar panels “and they fry.” Pierce places the remark alongside Trump’s earlier warnings about windmills and eagles and about offshore wind and whales.

Michael Weiss and Marc Polymeropoulos (The Bulwark) – “Trump Officials May Start Fleeing After the Midterms“

In this episode of Foreign Office, reporter Michael Weiss and former CIA officer Marc Polymeropoulos ask what happens to Trump if Democrats retake Congress. They look at investigations that could expose the administration’s foreign dealings, the growing threat of another war with Iran, and signs that even Putin’s inner circle sees that Trump can’t deliver on his promises. They also cover Ukraine standing its ground against Trump and the national security questions raised by Elon Musk’s Starlink controversy.

Jonathan V. Last (The Bulwark) – “The Power of Trump Compels Them“

Last argues that American politics will not return to normal after Trump, because Trump has changed the character and desires of a large group of voters. He uses new survey data from the Public Religion Research Institute on attitudes toward “Christian nationalism” to make the case. He contends that Christian nationalism is a form of nationalism rather than a form of Christianity, which he describes as universal by definition.

CENTER

TIPP Insights – “Israel Election Deadlock Leaves Netanyahu Fighting To Stay In Power“

Citing CNN, TIPP reports that Likud finished as the largest party but that Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc is projected to win 53 seats, short of the 61 needed to govern. Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot’s camp could reach a majority with the support of the Arab parties Raam and the Joint List, which are projected to win 19 seats combined. President Isaac Herzog will consult the parties before choosing a candidate to form a government. That candidate gets 28 days, which can be extended by two weeks, and if talks fail Israel could face another election.

RIGHT

No right-leaning outlets in our tracked feed published in the last 24 hours. We’ll pick up their coverage in tomorrow’s roundup.