Progressive U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed has defeated moderate U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens in Michigan's Democratic primary, which became a proxy battle for the party’s direction. Tuesday’s elections also included a Democratic primary victory by Missouri Rep. Wesley Bell in his rematch against Rep. Cori Bush, who was targeted by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee after denouncing Israel’s military action in Gaza.
President Donald Trump swings through Las Vegas on Wednesday for a speech on the economy after his Republican National Committee fundraiser at his Southern California golf course, where authorities arrested a man they said was claiming to be part of the security detail.
Here is the latest:
Trump will be talking about the economy at a Las Vegas casino
Hundreds of people waited in a long line wrapped around slot machines at the Red Rock Casino Resort and Spa to get in to see the president.
Tom Port, a professional driver, said he is saving money with Trump’s move to cut tax from tips.
“That’s about the best thing he could have possibly done for me, considering a large portion of my income comes directly from tips,” said Port, 36.
Terilyn Taylor, 60, a teacher in Las Vegas, said she likes Trump, but also thinks home prices, interest rates and gas prices are too high.
“I don’t think it’s all Trump’s fault,” she said. But she would like to see the Iran war end.
“I thought the gas prices would be temporary, so I’m really ready for the Iran thing to be resolved,” she said.
Temporary status officially ends for 350,000 Haitians
U.S. District judge Ana Reyes on Wednesday was forced to lift her stay that had blocked the Trump administration from terminate Temporary Protected Status for about 350,000 Haitians who had been living and working legally in the United States since 2010.
She issued the order after a Supreme Court ruling on June 25 that sided with the administration’s decision to end the program.
As part of its crackdown on immigration, the Trump administration terminated TPS for about 1 million people from more than a dozen countries, including Haitians.
“As a result of today’s order implementing the Supreme Court’s decision, Haitian TPS holders — all of them noncriminals — can no longer legally work, and many are subject to removal to Haiti,” Geoff Pipoly, the lead counsel for the Haitians, said.
Brazil’s president calls the Trump administration’s decision to revoke ambassador’s visa ‘irresponsible’
The United States’ decision followed Brazil’s denial of visas last month for two American diplomats who sought to visit ahead of upcoming elections as well as what the U.S. said was Brazil’s stalling on approving Trump’s nominee to be ambassador in Brasilia.
While Brazil’s ambassador Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti is not being expelled from the United States, if she leaves she would have to reapply for a visa, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said in an interview Wednesday.
“I think it’s an irresponsible, ill-considered course of action for a country with 203 years of diplomacy and diplomatic relations,” Lula said.
Plane took off as Trump’s helicopter approached Reagan airport
The FAA is investigating because it appears to be a violation of safety procedures put in place after last year’s midair collision between an airliner and an Army helicopter near Reagan National Airport.
A commercial jet took off Tuesday from the busy Washington, D.C., airport at the same time that Marine One left the White House for Andrews Air Force Base with the president aboard. The jet was climbing above Marine One as the helicopter approached, so the two aircraft were not on a collision course.
After a January 2025 collision that killed 67 people, the FAA decided all takeoffs and landings at Reagan would be halted anytime a helicopter passes by the airport.
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Bernie Sanders praises El-Sayed’s primary win as historic sign of ‘unstoppable’ change for Democrats
“Abdul’s victory was, in my opinion, the most extraordinary victory that I can think of in modern American politics,” said Vermont independent Sen. Sanders during a call with reporters.
Sanders also congratulated two progressive candidates who won U.S. House primaries in the state and commended Rep. Haley Stevens for conceding a “tough” race.
Sanders said El-Sayed “took on” the Democratic establishment and outside spending from groups such as the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. He said the result was a sign of further change.
“The new Democratic Party is going to be broad-based. It’s going to be open and encouraging the participation of working-class people, of young people, of lower-income people. Democracy is messy, and I’m not going to sit here and tell you that everything is going to go 100% smoothly and there’s not going to be differences of opinion. That’s called democracy. I happen to believe in that. But that is the direction in which we are heading, and I think that is unstoppable.”
Sanders dismisses concerns about El-Sayed’s electability
Asked about progressive Abdul El-Sayed’s ability to turn out core Democratic constituencies including Black and Jewish voters, Sanders said that El-Sayed’s economic message had broad appeal.
“I think his economic message will resonate across Democratic constituencies, and I think there’ll be working-class Republicans who will support that,” Sanders told reporters.
He argued that El-Sayed “has the capability of expanding the voter turnout universe, and much many of those new voters will be voting for him.”
Sanders dismissed concerns that El-Sayed’s criticism of Israel’s handling of the war in Gaza will alienate Jewish voters.
“To be critical of the right-wing extremist government of Netanyahu and his horrific policies in Gaza does not make you antisemitic,” said Sanders, who is Jewish.
Democratic turnout in Michigan primary one of the highest in state history
The Democratic U.S. Senate contest in Michigan has surpassed turnout for previous Senate and gubernatorial primaries and almost every presidential primary going back to at least 1978, according to Michigan Secretary of State records.
As of noon ET Wednesday, a total of 1,528,280 votes had been counted. The total could end up being higher as ballots continue to be processed.
But it already surpasses the roughly 1,181,000 votes counted in the 2020 U.S. Senate Democratic primary, and the approximately 1,131,000 votes counted in the 2018 Democratic gubernatorial primary.
The 2026 turnout total so far trails the nearly 1,588,000 votes counted in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary. About 1,117,000 votes were counted in the 2024 Republican presidential primary.
North Carolina Rep. Chuck Edwards quits reelection bid after committee finds inappropriate conduct
The House Ethics Committee recommended the Republican be censured for unprofessional and inappropriate conduct toward two young female aides in his office. Edwards denied intending any of his conduct to be a sexual or romantic advance, but the committee said his behavior would “lead a reasonable observer to interpret it as such.”
State law requires Edwards to submit his Wednesday withdrawal in writing to the state Board of Elections before ballots are mailed to overseas voters and the military. Since the primaries were months ago, the Republican executive committee in his district will name a replacement.
House Speaker Mike Johnson is already juggling other disruptions as he tries to retain the GOP House majority, including in Ohio where Rep. Max Miller is under pressure to resign over his own ethics investigation.
The seat Edwards will be vacating includes progressive Asheville, and farmer Jamie Ager, the Democratic nominee, is hoping to flip it.
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US removes Fly Baghdad from sanctions list
The U.S. removed sanctions on three Iran-linked companies, including Fly Baghdad Airlines, which was sanctioned in January 2024 for allegedly providing assistance to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps and Iranian proxy groups in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. Also removed from the sanctions is Fly Baghdad’s CEO and two aircraft.
In addition to lifting sanctions on Fly Baghdad, the U.S. on Wednesday lifted sanctions on Iraq Express and another Fly Baghdad-linked company. A Treasury official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to preview the sanctions said the decision to remove Fly Baghdad from the designations list was not indicative of any shift in U.S. policy toward Iran’s government.
— By Fatima Hussein
El-Sayed said he condemns antisemitism, wants to address ‘everybody’s pain’
El-Sayed said he wants to unify people rather than divide them, and that people should focus on ending wars and corporate influence in politics. He has previously faced criticism for calling Israel’s military campaign in Gaza a “genocide.”
El-Sayed said “we can be talking about everybody’s pain.”
“My commitment to Jewish safety is the same as I’ve got a commitment to my own kids,” he added. “That’s the highest commitment I can offer.”
Peters says El-Sayed needs to reach out to people to unify Democrats
Michigan Democratic Sen. Gary Peters, whose retirement led to the primary that Abdul El-Sayed won, said Wednesday that the new nominee needs to start reaching out to “folks” to unify the party.
“I’m sure he will, and that it has to start immediately, which, he assured me will happen,” Peters said.
Peters had little to say about El-Sayed’s views on Israel and whether his win marks a shift for the Democratic Party. El-Sayed has criticized Israel’s conduct in Gaza as well as pro-Israel campaign spending to defeat him in the primary.
“He campaigned on that issue, and the results speak for themselves,” Peters said.
Rogers calls El-Sayed an ‘extremist’ who represents ‘complete insanity’
The Republican Senate nominee posted a lengthy statement on social media Wednesday, saying his general election opponent “is leading a movement grounded in ideological fanaticism.”
Rogers also swiped at El-Sayed for stumping with popular but controversial streamer Hasan Piker, who has said “America deserved 9/11.”
Rogers said he never imagined he’d face an opponent with that view, ascribing the comment to the candidate, not the online personality.
His own campaign, Rogers said, is based on the notion that “Michigan has a future built on common sense.”
AIPAC says it’s committed to defeating El-Sayed in November
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which spent roughly $30 million in a failed effort to defeat El-Sayed in the Democratic primary, says it’s committed to opposing him in the general election.
“Our members remain determined to ensure that voters reject Dr. El-Sayed and his radical anti-Israel agenda in November,” the group’s statement said.
El-Sayed responded on Wednesday: “You want more pain?”
The son of Egyptian immigrants made AIPAC and the tens of millions of dollars it spent to support Rep. Haley Stevens a centerpiece of his primary campaign. He has called Israel’s military campaign in Gaza a “genocide,” described the Israeli government as “evil,” and argued that AIPAC’s influence distorts Democratic politics.
Thune calls race between Rogers and El-Sayed ‘a great contrast’
On Capitol Hill on Wednesday, the Senate Republican leader called the GOP nominee “a great candidate, very experienced” who is “running a terrific campaign.”
Thune spoke as El-Sayed addressed supporters at a victory news conference in Michigan and issued a five-debate challenge to Rogers.
Thune called the Democratic nominee “the extreme radical choice,” and said Democrats are “going to have to accept those positions that he has been advocating for in a general election setting, which I think puts us in a pretty good spot.”
GOP Senate super PAC ad labels El-Sayed ‘dangerously radical’
That’s the theme of a new commercial out Wednesday from the Senate Leadership Fund, the principal super PAC aligned with Senate Majority Leader John Thune.
The ad features video clips of El-Sayed “in his own words,” calling himself “dangerous” and vowing that, “under my leadership, our state will not expend a dime enforcing federal immigration policy.”
The group says it’s spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to air the ad.
El-Sayed talks affordability, hammers Mike Rogers as beholden to Trump
El-Sayed focused on affordability and healthcare in his speech, inviting people who voted for Trump in 2024 to “join this movement now.”
He positioned himself as the candidate who will stand up to Trump, in contrast to Rogers, who El-Sayed said went to Florida “so he could lick every single boot Donald Trump owns.”
El-Sayed challenges Rogers to 5 general election debates
“I know you’re gonna say no because you’re a coward,” El-Sayed, addressing his Republican opponent directly.
“Five debates, all right? If you’re willing to stand with me and have a conversation, you and I both know that you will wither in front of your own crimes.”
El-Sayed quotes boxing legend while speaking to supporters
“In the words of Muhammad Ali, we shook up the world,” El-Sayed told supporters.
El-Sayed was heavily outspent in his primary campaign, and his candidacy was opposed by the Democratic establishment.
JD Vance quips about future ‘President El-Sayed’
The vice president was addressing a roundtable focused on combating fraud, and making the point that the work of a task force he’s leading needs congressional approval to prevent its results from evaporating once the Trump administration is over.
“God forbid you’re going to have President El-Sayed in a few years,” Vance said, referencing Abdul El-Sayed, who clinched Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary just moments prior to his remarks.
“We don’t want him to undo all the incredible work that we’ve been doing,” Vance said.
Michigan Democrats rally around El-Sayed
Curtis Hertel, the chair of the Michigan Democratic Party, urged unity within the Democratic Party.
“We have got to work together to take this country back,” Hertel said. “I can tell you what we need is a fighter ... Abdul El-Sayed has been a fighter for the people over and over again.”
McMorrow said that “for all of the differences that we may have had in the primary, that those differences pale in comparison to the contrast that we face in November.”
Republicans are counting on rifts inside the Democratic Party, but “this is the start of a celebration of all of us coming together,” McMorrow said.
Democrats stress unity after difficult primary
Before speaking to supporters on Wednesday morning, El-Sayed spoke to state party chair Curtis Hertel Jr.
El-Sayed was flanked by Mallory McMorrow, the state senator who dropped her own primary campaign earlier this year after failing to gain traction. She announced her support for El-Sayed, and Stevens has as well.
Hertel stressed Democratic enthusiasm as the party looks toward November.
“Yesterday was the highest turnout for Democrats in the history of a primary,” Hertel said.
Van Hollen says El-Sayed’s win is a ‘wake-up call’ to establishment Democrats
Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, who backed Abdul El-Sayed, said in an interview that his victory is a “very significant win” and shows that his politics has gained traction with voters.
“This should be a wake-up call to, you know, the Washington Democratic establishment and the Washington insiders in the pundit class,” he said.
Van Hollen stressed how important winning in the fall is for the party. “We need to win Michigan, he can win Michigan,” the senator said, adding that El-Sayed’s “brand of populism can connect with voters across the political spectrum.”
Stevens backs El-Sayed, pledges to support him vs. Mike Rogers
Haley Stevens said in a statement Wednesday that she is “proud to offer my support” to Abdul El-Sayed, who won Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary.
Stevens said it’s important for Democrats to back him so the party can keep the Senate seat and win the chamber in the midterms.
“Donald Trump and Mike Rogers want us to come out of this primary tired and divided, so their billionaire backers can come in and let multimillionaire Mike Rogers walk away with this Senate seat,” she said.
Abdul El-Sayed wins Michigan Senate primary in major victory for Democrats’ progressive wing
El-Sayed’s defeat of Rep. Haley Stevens is a massive victory for the party’s progressive wing in a battleground state.
The real test of the progressives’ strength will now come in a November matchup against Republican Mike Rogers, a former congressman who ran unopposed for the GOP nomination. The seat is pivotal to Democrats’ chances of flipping the Senate and El-Sayed must now unite a divided Democratic base after a bruising primary.
The race remained tight throughout Tuesday night, with a winner not declared until early Wednesday. In his final remarks before the race was called, El-Sayed said “tomorrow we begin to mend fences.”
House Democrats add 12 solidly Trump districts to their midterm election target list
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has expanded its list of targets to 58 House seats it believes are competitive, including districts Trump won easily less than two years ago.
The ambitious list reflects Trump’s diminished standing with the electorate and Democrats’ belief they can capitalize on voters’ frustrations over the economy, the war in Iran and the chaotic nature of Republican control during Trump’s second term.
“MAGA Republicans who historically have considered themselves ‘safe’ have let down the people they were elected to represent, passing disastrous policies that are crushing working families and our communities,” DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene said in a statement.
Democrats need just a handful of seats to erase Republicans’ narrow majority and control the chamber.
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