Republican senators

The re-election campaign of Senator Roger Marshall, Republican of Kansas, has drawn attention to the role credit cards are playing in the race. Commentators say the contest is the latest example of how the Trump era has scrambled the traditional alliance between Republicans and the banking industry, with financial policy emerging as a campaign issue.

Former special counsel Jack Smith testified before a Senate hearing where Republican lawmakers subjected him to insults and pointed questions, including over subpoenas targeting lawmakers connected to his election-related investigations into Donald Trump. Coverage highlights heated exchanges and the political stakes around his prosecution work.

CNN published a takeaways piece on Jack Smith's closed-door testimony before Congress, held behind a basketball-themed framing in the URL. Commenters online are treating the hearing as part of a Republican effort to pursue the former special counsel over his Trump prosecutions, with Missouri Senator Eric Schmitt among those involved. Details of what Smith said remain limited.

Special counsel Jack Smith, who brought two indictments against Donald Trump in 2023, testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. Coverage of the hearing highlights an awkward moment for Republican lawmakers and Smith's assured performance as a witness. Commentators are parsing the exchanges for what they reveal about the parties' positions on Trump's prosecutions and the Justice Department's independence.

The US Senate has blocked a resolution demanding accountability over Israeli violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. The measure, pushed by Democratic lawmakers, would have required scrutiny of abuses in the occupied territory. Its failure underscores continued congressional division over US policy toward Israel, with Republicans opposing accountability measures and the outcome drawing criticism from human rights advocates.

A Republican senator blocked a Senate resolution that would have criticized Trump over taxpayer-funded advertising, stopping it from advancing in the chamber. The move highlights continuing partisan divisions in Congress over oversight of the former president's use of public money. Details about which senator blocked the measure and what the ads contained were not immediately available.

Republican prospects are dimming in the key Senate races in Georgia and North Carolina, prompting the party to redirect resources toward other states in the battle for Senate control. With two traditionally competitive states slipping from reach, the GOP's path to a majority is narrowing, sharpening attention on where the party will concentrate its campaign efforts in the final stretch.

Senator John Cornyn of Texas sat down with the Wall Street Journal's Opinion Potomac Watch podcast to discuss special counsel Jack Smith, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, and the Republican Party's prospects in the upcoming midterm elections. The interview touches on ongoing legal and political controversies involving both figures and how they may shape GOP campaigns.

US Senator Rick Scott, a Florida Republican, reported a phone call with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado. According to Scott, Machado said she is ready to return to Venezuela peacefully and to sit down for talks with Delcy Rodríguez, who has been a leading figure in the Venezuelan government. The exchange highlights continued US political engagement with Venezuela's opposition.

CNN Politics reports that Republicans are directing substantial funding into the Texas Senate race, a contest that might otherwise be considered safe for the party. The spending suggests GOP strategists see the seat as genuinely competitive this cycle, and are investing to defend or secure it. The report examines what the influx of money signals about the party's read on their chances in Texas.

During a Senate hearing, Democrats pressed Senator Eric Schmitt until he allowed special counsel Jack Smith's evidence to be displayed, including a poster showing text messages at issue. One message showed a fellow prosecutor asking about a seat reserved for Smith; a Republican poster depicted the Atlanta Hawks' arena. The exchange drew attention amid ongoing disputes over the prosecution of Donald Trump.

Missouri Senator Eric Schmitt invoked text messages allegedly placing Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis at a Warriors-Hawks game in Atlanta on February 3, 2024, the day after Willis and special prosecutor Nathan Wade's affair was revealed. Schmitt raised the allegation in pointed exchanges with special counsel Jack Smith, escalating Republican criticism of the Georgia election case.

Senator Eric Schmitt cited text messages he suggested showed special counsel Jack Smith had been at an Atlanta Hawks game on February 3, 2024, the day after Fulton County prosecutor Fani Willis and special prosecutor Nathan Wade acknowledged a romantic affair. Schmitt offered the claim as part of an effort to substantiate a theory connecting Smith to the Georgia case. Observers have questioned the significance of the alleged sighting and what it would actually demonstrate.

A Democratic Senate candidate is reaching out to supporters of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s 'Make America Healthy Again' movement, an unusual bid to win over voters who might otherwise back Republicans. The move highlights how health-focused populist politics is cutting across party lines in this year's Senate races.