Person
2 episodes · 21 quoted claims
Tamara Keith said the average price of regular gasoline was over $4 a gallon and inflation was rising as the midterms approached.
“The average price of regular gasoline is over $4 a gallon. Inflation is up, people are worried about artificial intelligence and data centers.”
After Trump's restoration of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool went badly, the Justice Department tried to prosecute people for vandalism before admitting the damage came from a rushed and botched job.
“the Justice Department tried to prosecute people before having to admit that the damage was actually the result of a rushed and botched job.”
Tamara Keith says Republican-led states drew new district lines based on Donald Trump's 2024 base and performance, which she calls a high watermark for him.
“These new lines were drawn based on President Trump's 2024 base and his performance in 2024, and that was a real high watermark for the president.”
Using Cook Political Report assessments, Tamara Keith calculates that about two thirds of newly drawn Republican-favoring districts are now competitive toss-ups.
“looks like about two thirds of these districts that, in theory, were supposed to be sure things for the president's party, are now really competitive toss-up races”
Tamara Keith says the war with Iran launched under President Trump was unexpected, even though he campaigned on avoiding foreign wars.
“there's the war with Iran that wasn't really on anybody's bingo card”
According to Tamara Keith, days before launching the Iran war Trump boasted of a gas station in Iowa selling gas at $1.85 a gallon.
“Just days before he launches this war with Iran, he is boasting about how he had seen a gas station in Iowa where gas was a dollar eighty-five a gallon.”
Tamara Keith says gas, oil, diesel and fertilizer costs rose sharply because of the Iran conflict, hurting voters' sense of affordability.
“all of that gets vastly more expensive because of the conflict”
Tamara Keith is running a long-term NPR project called Swing Shift, following about a dozen swing voters through the midterms and the next presidential election.
“this is part of a project that I've been working on most of the year called Swing Shift, and it is a long-term project.”
NPR agreed to use only first names for the Swing Shift voters so they could speak freely about politics.
“NPR agreed not to use their full names so they could speak freely about politics without personal or professional repercussions.”
The latest PBS News/Marist poll cited by Tamara Keith shows people favoring Democrats over Republicans by about eight points.
“people favor Democrats over Republicans, uh, according to the latest PBS NewsMarist poll, by about eight points.”
Tamara Keith says a few candidates nationwide who won Democratic primaries are affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America.
“Certainly, um, there are a few candidates nationwide who won Democratic primaries who affiliate with the Democratic Socialists of America.”
In 2024 the Trump campaign put hundreds of millions of dollars behind an ad attacking Kamala Harris over her support for trans rights.
“there was this Trump campaign ad that they put hundreds of millions of dollars behind in the final weeks of the campaign, attacking Vice President Harris for supporting trans rights.”
The Texas Senate race between Democrat James Talarico and Republican Ken Paxton is the most expensive Senate race, with $569 million spent on ads.
“That Senate race is between James Talarico, the Democrat, and Ken Paxton, the Republican, and it is the most expensive Senate race in the country. $569 million on ads”
Tamara Keith says the One Big Beautiful Bill Act was a tax bill that also cut healthcare, and most other Trump actions were executive.
“Other than the one big beautiful bill act, which is the the tax bill and also made some cuts to healthcare.”
Tamara Keith lists tearing down the White House East Wing to build a ballroom, without asking Congress, among Trump's unilateral actions.
“and tearing down the East Wing of the White House to build a ballroom without asking.”
Congressman Don Davis of North Carolina is running in his third race under his third different district map.
“Congressman Don Davis, who is running in his third race with his third different district map.”
North Carolina's Senate race pits Trump-backed former Republican National Committee chairman Michael Whatley against Democratic governor Roy Cooper.
“Michael Watley, handpicked by President Trump, former Republican National Committee chairman, versus Roy Cooper, the Democratic governor”
Michigan's Senate race pits progressive Democrat Abdul El-Sayed against Trump-endorsed Republican Mike Rogers.
“looking at the Senate race in Michigan, where you have Abdul El-Sayed, who is a progressive candidate, versus Mike Rogers, another Trump-endorsed candidate”
Mary Peltola's campaign denies recruiting Dan J. Sullivan, a candidate sharing a name with Republican incumbent Senator Daniel S. Sullivan in Alaska.
“Peltola's campaign does deny that it recruited Dan J. Sullivan, who is different from Daniel S. Sullivan, the incumbent Republican senator in Alaska.”
The Justice Department sued to try to prevent certification of Alaska's Senate election results if Republican Dan Sullivan loses.
“the Justice Department had already sued to try to prevent the results of that election from being certified if Dan S. Sullivan loses his race.”
Tamara Keith says many Trump administration election lawsuits were thrown out, and experts call its efforts legally dubious because states control elections.
“the Trump administration has filed a ton of lawsuits that have been thrown out, and election law experts say that pretty much everything that they've tried to do has been dubious legally because states control elections, not the federal government.”