Greetings all. Traveling so a bit of a skinny (and late due to United, again) Hopium today…
Fresh off a new, independent poll showing him up 5 in TX-15, 50%-45%, Bobby Pulido, joins us live tomorrow at 2pm ET. You can watch live by coming to the Hopium site just before 2 - and do join us. Bobby is one of our very best candidates of the cycle and is in a strong position to win this newly drawn seat this November.
Russia is escalating its attacks against NATO targets:
BRUSSELS — Drones and explosives found in Germany linked to a suspected attack on Leipzig airport. A naval drone shot down near a gas platform in the Black Sea. An assassination plot targeting a European defense executive.
Russia’s campaign against Europe looks increasingly brazen. Yet EU leaders remain reluctant to call it what a growing number of security officials say it increasingly resembles: war. Instead, they reach for a softer phrase — “hybrid war” — that allows the EU and NATO to avoid a military response.
That language is coming under growing criticism as Moscow steps up sabotage, cyberattacks and other operations across Europe. Security experts, diplomats and defense officials who spoke to POLITICO say the “hybrid” label risks understating the severity of the threat — and obscuring just how far the confrontation with Russia has already escalated.
A case in point: Earlier this week, when German investigators found a third drone along with explosives thought to be linked to a planned airport attack, Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned that his country was experiencing “very real threats” amid “increased scrutiny from hybrid attackers.”
Europe faces “an escalating campaign of threats” and “hybrid warfare,” Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned in an X post on August 20 after the Black Sea incident.
Amid an ever-growing list of similar events — which some intelligence agencies argue may be building toward a direct attack by Russia on a NATO state — CIA director John Ratcliffe traveled to Moscow this week to warn the Kremlin against striking alliance members.
“We are indeed in a hybrid war which is no longer all that ‘hybrid’ anymore,” said Camille Grand, a former assistant secretary-general at NATO and now head of the European Aerospace, Security and Defense Industries Association.
Putin’s growing desperation makes it far more likely he attempts to interfere in our elections too. For the election of a pro-Ukrainian majority in the House and Senate would be a disaster for him. Yes, tracking Russia’s illicit activities around the world is part of our evolving political battlefield.
This morning our own failed, desperate, vainglorious, illiberal leader escalated his attacks on polling that he began earlier this week, calling on the FCC to do something about “fake” polls:
For more on how the manipulation of polls can influence the outcome of elections watch my new timely discussion with Tom Bonier and check out yesterday’s post, Restoring Integrity To Our Discourse, Staying Safe In The Age Of AI.
Not finished with his weekend authoritarian spiral this morning he also referred Meet The Press anchor Kristin Welker to the FCC for “rebuke or punishment”:
His weekend authoritarian spiral began on Friday night when Trump announced a wild scheme to steal an extraordinary amount of oil from Venezuela. While there is still much to learn about this rancid deal here is one reaction from a prominent Venezuelan economist now at Harvard (h/t Vincent Dowling):
At the meeting of the Jewish Caucus at the Michigan Democratic Party yesterday Abdul El-Sayed apologized:
As this is a topic we’ve vigorously discussed here at Hopium I encourage everyone to read the entire NYT article through this gift link. An excerpt:
Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic Senate nominee in Michigan, apologized to a group of Jewish Democrats on Saturday for a statement he made in March about an attack on a synagogue near Detroit, saying that “nobody deserves to have their pain trampled on.”
Dr. El-Sayed, who is trying to appeal to Jewish Democrats who have expressed deep skepticism about his candidacy, said he should not have included a phrase —
[“hurt people hurt people”]— in a video statement he issued soon after a man drove his truck into the synagogue, injuring a guard. The authorities said the attack, on Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township, Mich., was a targeted act against Jews.“I made a mistake,” said Dr. El-Sayed, responding to a question while addressing the Michigan Democratic Jewish Caucus at a party convention in Lansing. “I should have issued a statement, of course condemning it, and it just should have been the full stop.”
The latest comments came at a tense moment for Dr. El-Sayed, whose race could decide control of the Senate. He has been under pressure from Jewish Democrats to condemn Hasan Piker, a streamer who has
[made incendiary comments]about Israel and campaigned with Dr. El-Sayed during the primary race.Even as Dr. El-Sayed offered his apology on Saturday, he declined to disavow Mr. Piker, who has faced forceful criticism from other prominent Democratic elected officials and become a flashpoint in the party’s broader debate about Israel
.Dr. El-Sayed’s apology was welcomed by Jewish Democrats at the convention, but many continued to express concern about his connections to Mr. Piker.Speaking to the Jewish Caucus, Dr. El-Sayed said he had been trying in his March statement to “offer broader context.” But he added that he had inadvertently trampled on “the dignity that that fear and that pain should have been afforded.”
“If my statement caused pain, I’m sorry,” Dr. El-Sayed said. “That was not what I intended.”
Here’s one reaction from the meeting:
I agree - it was a critical step forward in bringing a skeptical Jewish community along. A new poll by the most respected pollster in Michigan has El-Sayed up 47%-43%. This is both encouraging and a sign he still has work to do to get over 50% and win this November. Successful politicians work hard to grow their coalitions, bring more people on board. This apology is both a sign that El-Sayed is maturing as a candidate (he is relatively inexperienced for a high profile battleground Senate race) and doing what he needs to do to win - both very encouraging signs.
Now, my friends, it is that time…
**Our Winning The House Campaign **- Donate | $1,137,100 raised, $1,250,000 goal (new stretch goal) | Donate to all twelve of our initial wave of House challengers with a single contribution split twelve ways | Get to know Jamie Ager (NC-11), Christina Bohannan (IA-01), Paige Cognetti (PA-08), Rebecca Cooke (WI-03), Elaine Luria (VA-02), Sean McCann (MI-04), Jo Mendoza (AZ-06), Chaz Molder (TN-05), Jonathan Nez (AZ-02), Janelle Stelson (PA-10), Shannon Taylor (VA-01), and Sarah Trone Garriott (IA-03) by watching our recently recorded Hopium interviews.
Friends, if these twelve courageous candidates win, the House will flip, even with Callais and their rancid mid-decade redistricting. So eyes on the prize here everyone!
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Our working total includes what we’ve raised for these six so far through direct donations to their campaigns. You can watch our interviews with each of these exciting candidates and/or contribute directly to any of them directly here.
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Our newly expanded list now features Rebecca Bennett (NJ-07), Bob Brooks (PA-07), Cait Conley (NY-17), Johnny Garcia (TX-35), Bob Harvie (PA-01), Dr. Richard Pan (CA-06), Denise Powell (NE-02), Bobby Pulido (TX-15), Manny Rutinel (CO-8), Dr. Amish Shah (AZ-01), Randy Villegas (CA-22), and Marni von Wilpert (CA-48).
A donation to the Second Wave Fund is split evenly among these twelve, and more as other worthy candidates emerge from their primaries. Our total above includes money we’ve raised for directly for each candidate. You can watch interviews with these great candidates here.
Winning The House - The Third Wave Fund - Donate | $24,300 raised, $500,000 goal | We’ve launched this new fund for candidates who have emerged even later from primaries and need a bit more help as we work to expand our map and go deeper into tough terrain. Our initial list - and it may grow - is Christina Hines (MI-10), Lindsay James (IA-02), Jake Johnson (MN-01), Jessica Killin (CO-5), Nancy Lacore (SC-01), and Brian Poindexter (OH-7).
The “Winning” link in each state brings you to a page that includes interviews and more information about the opportunities we have in each state.
**Winning Georgia ***- *Donate | $34,500 raised, $250,000 goal | Our Winning Georgia campaign splits a contribution three ways among Senator Jon Ossoff, gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms, and the Georgia Democratic Party and it’s great Chair, Charlie Bailey.
Winning Iowa - Donate | $35,800 raised, $250,000 goal | Our Winning Iowa campaign splits a contribution three ways among Josh Turek for Senate, our gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand, and to the Iowa Democratic Party and it’s great Chair, Rita Hart
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Winning Wisconsin - Donate | $5,300 raised, $250,000 goal - Our Winning Wisconsin campaign splits contributions evenly among David Crowley for Governor and the Wisconsin Democratic Party and it’s legislative victory fund. Our community has invested heavily in getting helping Wisconsin Democrats flip both state legislative chambers and finally get a trifecta. Now we must finish the job!
Winning Alaska and Winning North Carolina coming soon!
Hopium’s Audacious Expansion Fund - Donate | $658,100 raised, $1,000,000 goal | Join our campaign that has helped expand our map by investing in the Democratic Parties of Alaska, Florida, Iowa, Maine, and Texas, all now central battlegrounds in the 2026 election | Contribute to all five state parties with one contribution split evenly among these five critical battlegrounds | Catch interviews with the five intrepid state chairs leading their troops into battle this year - will get you fired up!
You can find interviews with all our candidates state party chairs under the Podcast tab on the main Hopium site, and on our YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Spotify channels, too.
Let’s work to make sure everyone you know is Voting Early** **this year. Learn more about how our political battlefield is changing and how we can best protect our elections this November and ensure a peaceful transfer of power in January. Bring our Resolutions Project to your community. Fight for Hopium’s Agenda and let’s also embrace Leader Jeffries’ new agenda, “Fighting For An Affordable America.” Be grateful that we have so many candidates of strong character running this cycle. Become a paid subscriber to Hopium to help us grow this community of proud, plucky patriots.
In the spirit of informing and not inflaming I’ve set up a new page to help us learn more about the Democratic Socialists Of America (DSA). Additionally, my friend Halie Soifer, the very capable CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, has written a very thoughtful piece with recommendations for how Abdul El-Sayed can address the very real concerns about his candidacy in the Jewish community.
Keep working hard all. We have a country to save, and elections to win all across the country, together! - Simon
