Wertheimer Political Report, February 26, 2026

DEMOCRACY 21
“There has never been anything in American history like Trump’s presidential money grab. This is illustrated by the New York Times piece below by Tom Edsall entitled The Donald Trump 1 Percent Fan Club.

“Trump views the presidency as a tool for enormously enriching himself and his family and for building a political money machine on a scale the country has never seen. He uses the powers of office to reward ultra-wealthy donors and corporate giants with policy favors and pardons, so long as they pay to play.”

The Trump 1 Percent Fan Club Has a Lot of New Members
“President Trump is distributing executive patronage — from pardons to favorable regulatory decisions — to privileged groups, including those willing to contribute to his preferred committees and causes and those who invest in the Trump family’s crypto businesses. Determined to get a piece of the action, the very wealthy are lining up in droves.” – New York Times

TRUMPWATCH 2.0

Trump, seeking executive power over elections, is urged to declare emergency
“Activists who say they are in coordination with the White House are circulating a draft executive order that would unlock extraordinary presidential power over voting.” – Washington Post

Justice Department withheld and removed some Epstein files related to Trump
“The Justice Department has withheld some Epstein files related to allegations that President Trump sexually abused a minor, an NPR investigation finds. It also removed some documents from the public database where accusations against Jeffrey Epstein also mention Trump.” – NPR

Dozens of FBI records apparently missing from Epstein files, including Trump accuser interviews
“Dozens of FBI witness interviews from the investigation of Jeffrey Epstein appear to be missing from the massive trove of files released by the Department of Justice last month, according to a CNN review – including three interviews related to a woman who accused President Donald Trump of sexually assaulting her decades ago.” – CNN

Epstein hid trove of evidence from investigators for more than a decade, documents suggest
“Unsealed files suggest Epstein went to great lengths to hide potential evidence.” – ABC News

Judge: IRS broke law ‘approximately 42,695 times’ in giving DHS data
“A court on Thursday issued an opinion on a data-sharing agreement between the taxpayer agency and federal immigration authorities.” – Washington Post

Judge says government may not search devices seized from Post reporter
“The ruling suggested that the federal judge in Virginia did not trust the government to conduct a narrow search of Hannah Natanson’s devices.” – Washington Post

Judges Grow Angry Over Trump Administration Violating Their Orders
“At least 35 times since August, federal judges have ordered the administration to explain why it should not be punished for violating their orders in immigration cases.” – New York Times

Trump’s plan B to impose new tariffs is also illegal because a balance-of-payments deficit doesn’t exist, trade experts say
“Just hours after the Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s global tariffs on Friday, he signed an order to impose another package of levies under a different law that wasn’t affected by the court’s decision.” – Fortune

Who Stands to Lose in the Birthright Citizenship Case
“America’s Constitution proudly proclaims that all people born on American soil and under the American flag are Americans — equal birthright citizens — regardless of their parentage. Constitutionally, it does not matter if you are born Black or white, male or female, in wedlock or out. It does not matter what religion, if any, your parents profess, what country or continent they descend from, whether their ancestors were ever enslaved or whether they themselves are American citizens or even lawful permanent residents.” – New York Times

New Details From Epstein Files Reveal Lutnick Had Years-Long Business Tie With Sex Offender
“The commerce secretary apparently still hasn’t come clean on his connection with Epstein.” – Mother Jones

Patel Ousts F.B.I. Personnel Tied to Inquiry Into Trump’s Retained Classified Records. 
“The firings are part of a rolling barrage of retribution aimed at those who worked on the two federal prosecutions of President Trump.” – New York Times

MEANWHILE, ON CAPITOL HILL

Push for a ‘talking filibuster’ stalls in Senate GOP conference. Despite pressure, leadership hasn’t budged on their disapproval, warning of a monthslong suck of precious floor time. – Roll Call

Hegseth revives push to punish Sen. Mark Kelly. The Defense secretary appealed a ruling this month in favor of the former Navy captain. – Politico

Senators move to rein in foreign surveillance power. Sens. Dick Durbin and Mike Lee introduced legislation that would place new limits on Section 702 ahead of its April reauthorization deadline. – Politico

Behind closed doors, GOP lawmaker questioned ‘disturbing’ East Wing demolition. Rep. Michael Turner, co-chair of the congressional Historic Preservation Caucus, wrote to a top White House aide about his “substantial concerns” as party leaders publicly backed Trump’s decision. – Washington Post

MONEY IN POLITICS, VOTING, ELECTION & OTHER RELATED INFO

“A really really big decision”: The court cases looming over the midterms. High-stakes legal cases that could determine the majority loom in nearly a dozen states, with just months to go until the November election. – Politico

Rove says he’d bet on Talarico to win Texas Senate primary. – The Hill

Redistricting pits Democratic colleagues and allies against each other in Texas. The newest House Democrat, Christian Menefee, is in a primary against 11-term Rep. Al Green. And Colin Allred is challenging the successor he endorsed in 2024, Rep. Julie Johnson. – NBC News

Gov. Wes Moore’s redistricting plan is poised to die. He’s still fighting. Tuesday’s candidate filing deadline marks the unofficial end of the window to redistrict Maryland ahead of the 2026 midterms. Moore, a potential 2028 White House contender, refuses to concede defeat.  – Washington Post