Welcome to Midterms Meltdown, a special pop-up newsletter from The Swamp—bringing you up to speed on the secrets politicians don’t want you to know about the race to November 3.
It is the most consequential election campaign since 2024, and the nooze will be oozing around the nation to shape D.C. for the next two years and beyond. Our David Gardner, Farrah Tomazin, and Sarah Ewall-Wice are getting down and dirty with the inside stories from the battlefields every Monday and Friday. Don’t miss out.
Melting down in The Swamp today are: Mary Peltola, Pete Ricketts, Nick Johnson, Amy Acton, Darline Graham, Cindy Hyde-Smith, Vivek (rhymes with “cake”) Ramaswamy, Scott Colom, Jon (“great ass”) Husted, Dan Osborn, Annie Andrews, Roger Marshall, David Beasley, Bill Maher, Thom Tillis, James Talarico, Mike Rogers, Adam Hamilton, Abdul El-Sayed, Dan S. Sullivan and Dan J. Sullivan.
Chicken Vivek Sneaks Out Back Door on His Big Red Bust Tour
Vivek Ramaswamy seems happy to pick a fight with his opponent Amy Acton in the race to become Ohio’s next governor by using her own mother to smear her as a liar.
But the MAGA bully is much less happy to answer tough questions from the press. In fact, the Harvard and Yale Law graduate turned failed presidential candidate is using cops to keep those pesky reporters at bay, The Swamp can reveal.
The Swamp has first-hand experience of Ramaswamy’s approach to free speech, after our Farrah Tomazin spent the day, and drove 355 miles, trying to simply ask Ramaswamy some questions.
She was there for day one of the Trump-backed billionaire’s final campaign tour, by bus, of the Buckeye State. (He’s previously preferred flying private. Ohio Capital Journal reported that his campaign paid $560,000 to lease a private jet from V Leasing LLC, registered to a home he owns; he owns a 2011 Cessna Citation X.)
A very small d-democratic bus tour should come with plenty of time with questions.
But despite repeatedly accusing Acton of dodging the media, The Swamp saw the extraordinary lengths Ramaswamy and his goons deployed to keep reporters.
The first stop took place in the suburbs of Cleveland, where Ramaswamy appeared on stage for a get-out-the-vote rally at The Local Bar in Strongsville.
Reporters who tagged along were assured he would be taking questions, but after giving a speech where he doubled down on the ad and bizarrely insisted it had nothing to do with child abuse, Ramaswamy tried to slip out a back entrance.
Clearly the back door escape was a new tactic to his handlers, and somewhat ineptly executed. Realizing that he’d been cornered, he took a total of two questions, one from his preferred outlet of ABC Action News 5 Cleveland, and got on his giant red bus. His aides promised he’d happily chat at the next stop.
But 115 miles later down I-71, Ramaswamy’s henchmen marshaled reporters in a tiny passageway at the back of the Tipton Tavern, next to the kitchen and restrooms.
“I’m sorry, I’m not allowed to let you leave right now,” Ohio GOP press aide Nick Johnson said, physically blocking the doorway to prevent a breakout.
Farrah Tomazin did her own sneaking out, finding some supporters waiting to pose for selfies with Ramaswamy. But after making her way to the bus hoping for pole position to throw some tough questions Ramaswamy’s way, she found the surrounding area blocked off by security who directed her to return to the media pack.
The pack, meanwhile, was eventually allowed out of the venue—only to be held back several yards from the bus by the candidates’ campaign aides and a Delaware County Sheriff’s deputy, as Ramaswamy made his way onto the bus.
And then came the final stop of the day, the Circleville Pumpkin Show—43 miles away—where, you guessed it, the gubernatorial candidate simply refused to take media questions.
What could he possibly be avoiding? If you’re wondering, Mr. Ramaswamy, here’s some of the questions The Swamp was keen to ask. How did your mother react to your use of Amy Acton’s estranged mom? And what do you plan to tell your daughter about it when she is old enough? The good news is our DMs remain open.
Talking About Chickens…
Speaking to a prominent former senior adviser to a Democratic president, The Swamp was warned at the weekend not to count chickens before they hatch. As in, don’t assume the polls predicting a blue wave next week will be accurate. Will James Talarico win? No. Abdul El-Sayed? No. Will the Republicans hold onto the Senate? Probably. It’s all about 401(k)s, they insisted. And they are up. The Swamp has no idea what the truth is—nor does anyone until the votes are counted—but at least you know that even the most senior Democrats don’t want to hope too hard.
Where Have We Seen This Before?
MAGA Mike Lawler is in the race of his life in his suburban New York district. The Michael Jackson fanatic has been filling the airwaves of the nation’s most expensive media market with ads, but so has his rival Cate Conley. So it’s either desperation or genius to pull a campaign move straight out of Trump’s book for the final stretch: donning a McDonald’s hat and apron and working the drive-thru, which he did in Haverstraw, NY, on Monday morning. But will voters say “I’m lovin it” or does Lawler really just need a backup plan if things go south next week? Maybe he will put out a song. Will it be Love Me Tenders or will it be Mac the Knife?
All in a Name Between Dan Sullivan and Dan Sullivan
Democrats are fighting back after the Justice Department filed a lawsuit to block the Alaska election results should Trump’s preferred candidate lose. Mary Peltola’s campaign lawyers and the DSCC filed a motion to dismiss it, calling it baseless and insulting to Alaska voters. The Justice Department asked that the results not be certified unless Senator Dan S. Sullivan wins, arguing that third-party candidate Dan J. Sullivan’s name being on the ballot could lead to voters casting ballots for the wrong person, even though the ballot states “incumbent” and “Republican” next to the senator’s name. The filing noted that even Senator Sullivan recently agreed Alaskans can tell the difference between the two Sullivans and wrote, “DOJ provides no factual allegations—none—to suggest that Alaska voters are incapable of understanding this quite clear scenario.” They’re looking to have the lawsuit thrown out.
Republicans’ Southern Strategy Gets Desperate
It’s a strange political landscape where it feels like anything goes for Republicans to be spending so much time and money in what were once deep red states. While Donald Trump jets off to Mississippi on Monday to try to save GOP Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, he’s also added a second rally in South Carolina to help nepo-sister Sen. Darline Graham on October 29, just over a week after his previous visit.
Notably, Trump’s second appearance is in Rock Hill, the hometown of Graham’s primary opponent Rep. Ralph Norman, whose family members are still saying “no thanks” to uniting behind the little sister of late GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham.
The Senate Leadership Fund, tasked with helping Republicans keep their Senate majority, has a bizarre map in the final week of the campaign season, spending millions to shore up support in mostly red states. The super PAC has spent more than $8.5 million to date on the South Carolina race.
They’ve also dropped $981,968 in Mississippi against Democrat Scott Colom. Their total dropped on the Nebraska race is approaching $5 million to protect GOP Sen. Pete Ricketts seat against Independent Dan Osborn while SLF has spent more than $11 million to help trailing GOP Sen. Roger Marshall in Kansas.
Breaking Ranks
Speaking of South Carolina… Democratic Senate candidate Annie Andrews released a joint endorsement on Monday featuring a former GOP governor and a former Democratic governor from South Carolina. Former Republican Gov. David Beasley and Democrat Jim Hodges sat down to cut a video together for Andrews. “Over the years, the two of us haven’t always agreed on everything,” Hodges said. “But one thing we do agree on right now is this country is too divided and the political rhetoric has gotten way, way out of hand,” Beasley added.
They went on to argue that Andrews understands leadership “isn’t about making people angrier, it’s about making things better” and that South Carolina “deserves better than the same political fighting.” It’is the latest in a series of GOP endorsements being touted by Democrats running in red states. Democrat Adam Hamilton in Kansas also touted two former Republican governors backing his Senate bid. James Talarico has also received a number of high profile GOP endorsements, with perhaps the biggest one from President George W. Bush’s brother Neil, who announced his support for the Democrat in a viral Facebook post earlier this month.
Hispanic Voters Drive Turnout In Texas
The number of Hispanic voters casting ballots early in Texas has surged leading up to Election Day with more Hispanic voters turning out than did by this point during the 2024 election. Tom Bonier, senior adviser to Democratic data firm TargetSmart, noted that it is being driven by younger voters.
He pointed out that Hispanic voters under 30 not only exceeded their 2024 early voting totals as of this past weekend, but had almost doubled it. His analysis found some 217,000 Texans have voted in the midterms who did not cast ballots in 2024 so far and half of them were Hispanic voters. What does it all mean? Tune in on Nov. 3 to find out.
What Trump Is Saying:
“He invited himself to the White House! We had our first meeting, Bill was very nervous. He asked for a drink. He was very insecure, and he had a seriously bruised eye and nose area, as though somebody had just beaten him up — But it wasn’t me!” Trump destroying Bill Maher, 70, on Truth Social.
What the Dems are saying:
“And the funny thing about it is, you know, he’s taken it multiple times, so he’s not even bragging about the first time he took it. He’s like, ‘I took it the first time, and then I took it the second time. So with Donald Trump, you can’t blame him for this. He’s just dumb.” Abdul El-Sayed on Trump “passing” three cognitive tests.
What the Republicans are saying:
“Alaska has a candidate who just coincidentally happens to be the same name as my friend and colleague who came in with me in 2014. So I think it’s appropriate to take a look at it.” Sen. Thom Tillis referring to his “friend,” Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan, and Independent candidate Dan Sullivan (not his friend).
And Finally…Place Your Bets:
Who will win the Michigan Senate race?
What they’re saying on Kalshi:
Abdul El-Sayed - 66 percent
Mike Rogers - 35 percent
What they’re saying on Polymarket:
Abdul El-Sayed - 68 percent
Mike Rogers - 35 percent
