This is an adapted excerpt from the Oct. 19 episode of “All In with Chris Hayes.”

There are now only two weeks until Election Day, and it is pretty clear that all of President Donald Trump’s schemes up to this point have not worked out the way he wanted. The president has run through a laundry list of plots to tilt the election in his party’s favor, and Plans A through D have not gone well.

First, there was the gerrymandering plot, which began well over a year ago, when Trump pressured Republican statehouses to undergo unprecedented midcycle redistricting to draw maps that heavily favored their party.

The folks who actually run elections are being forced to batten down the hatches

But here is the thing about gerrymanders: They’re meant to shore up a party during a strong-to-neutral environment. They are not designed to survive wave elections. And if the polling is correct, this may be a wave election.

In Texas, for example, it looks like Tejano music star Bobby Pulido has a real shot at flipping the newly redrawn 15th Congressional District away from Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz. This was supposed to be the crown jewel of the new Texas map, but Pulido has real star power, which he demonstrated at a huge rally over the weekend, and he has been running a strong campaign.

In fact, Republican House Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota conceded earlier this month that his party has already given up hope on winning every redrawn district.

“We’re not gonna win all 13 of those redistricted seats,” he told Axios.

Things have gotten increasingly desperate since that plan backfired. Republicans have boasted a massive funding advantage, thanks to billionaires like Elon Musk pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into races to support the party.

However, over the last few weeks, several polls have shown Republicans now face some much more competitive races in places they least expected. So they are having to spend all over, including in places like deep-red Kansas, Nebraska and even Wyoming. But ad spending can only go so far before voters just tune it out.

The next plan was basically just to try to bribe the voters directly. Remember Trump’s big flop of a midterm convention, where he promised to give every single American adult $5,000 each, but only if Republicans kept Congress? (Republicans, of course, currently control Congress.) But polling showed the idea is incredibly unpopular, and now Trump only half-heartedly brings it up on occasion.

I’m not sure he is convincing anyone, nor am I sure that Trump’s rallies in deep-red states are going to rescue his party — which was the final plan, before he resorted to election interference.

First was his executive order to seize mail-in ballots and use the United States Postal Service to decide whose vote counts and whose does not. Thankfully, that was effectively put on hold by the courts.

So, two weeks out, it is all legal recriminations and voter intimidation.

Last week, the Trump administration raided the home of Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota. On the one hand, Trump obviously hates to see a Black Muslim woman from Africa in a position of authority. But I think his attempts to denaturalize and deport the congresswoman go further than just racism. He wants to frighten voters. He wants people of color — and especially naturalized citizens who might vote blue — to stay home on Nov. 3.

Trump’s Department of Justice is also suing California over utterly noncredible claims of widespread noncitizen voting, because officials refused to put a shady thumb drive into government computers to “confirm” the citizenship of voters. On Monday, the administration ramped up that bogus fraud investigation. It’s now threatening jail time and doing predawn raids across the state.

Meanwhile, the folks who actually run elections are being forced to batten down the hatches. The Trump administration recently threatened Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, a Republican, with a DOJ investigation for not going along with its ridiculous claims of noncitizen voting.

But Henderson has shown she will not be intimidated.

“In the past two elections that I oversaw as lieutenant governor, the threats were all external,” she told “60 Minutes” on Sunday. “Non-state actors, cybersecurity threats and other things. But now we also have threats coming from within our own government.”

The threat is coming from the federal government. Principled folks of both parties held the line in 2020, the last time Trump tried to steal an election. Now, they are being put to the test again.

Allison Detzel contributed.

The post Trump turns to intimidation as his midterms plans fall apart appeared first on MS NOW.

A bipartisan group of state attorneys general apparently isn’t buying OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s insistence that “the world should accept some bad things happening” in order to reap the benefits of artificial intelligence technology.

Amid allegations that OpenAI’s chatbot, ChatGPT, has helped fuel school shootings and teen suicides, at least eight states are suing the company, accusing it of violating consumer protection laws and putting young users in danger.

The AGs are clearly paying no mind to President Donald Trump’s assertion that AI companies should be allowed to “self-police” as they rapidly develop their AI tools.

As The Guardian reported:

Eight US states sued OpenAI Wednesday, alleging the ChatGPT maker is harming children en masse.

Kansas, Arizona, Montana, Iowa and four others allege the company’s products carried out “willful, dangerous, reckless and unlawful conduct” by coaxing children into harming themselves.

“OpenAI is hurting kids and they are lying to Iowans,” Brenna Bird, the attorney general for Iowa, said in a statement. “OpenAI claims ChatGPT is safe while it’s giving dangerous medical advice, encouraging people to hurt others, and coaching people to commit suicide – all while pretending to be their fake friend.”

The lawsuits, which seek monetary damages and restrictions and court-imposed changes to how OpenAI builds its AI models, were also filed in Arkansas, Idaho, Nebraska and West Virginia. An OpenAI spokesperson told The Guardian that the company has “built industry-leading age-specific protections into our product that many other AI products lack.”

The lawsuits underscore states’ interests in placing guardrails on AI companies as the Trump administration — led by someone who has invested heavily in the AI industry — seeks to prevent states from passing their own regulations. They also come amid widespread public concern about AI tools destroying humanity.

To be clear, such efforts by states have run into roadblocks. For example, Elon Musk recently won a partial victory when his AI company secured a preliminary injunction temporarily blocking a Minnesota law from going into effect that would ban AI tools that generate nonconsensual sexual imagery, including of children.

Nonetheless, the OpenAI lawsuit shows that several states are being rather relentless in pursuing AI regulations — no matter the obstacles.

The post Bipartisan group of states files lawsuits against OpenAI appeared first on MS NOW.

This is the Oct. 20, 2026, edition of “The Tea, Spilled by Morning Joe” newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered straight to your inbox Monday through Friday.

Hello, “Morning Joe” family!

We love hearing from you. Here’s what was on your mind this week. As always, you can write to us anytime.

MAILBAG

Joe — it’s so frustrating to see good friends of mine and family be so dismissive of the incompetence and corruption in both Trump administrations. Their rationale is “it’s nothing new and all politicians are corrupt.” As a result they don’t pay attention to the daily goings-on in D.C. Whatever happened to the concept of an informed electorate?

— Kevin H., Wilmington, N.C.

Kevin, I share your frustration. So many friends I have known ignore inconvenient facts while chasing conspiracy theories that make them feel better about supporting Donald Trump.

The facts are not on their side.

When I ask where they get their information, they tell me that they don’t follow the news because media outlets can’t be trusted. But when I push harder, I often learn they are fed a steady stream of lies daily from false posts on Facebook, from websites like Epoch Times run by Chinese religious cults, and from other conspiracy-fueled outlets that have no editors, ethical guidelines, or journalistic standards.

The latest Fox News poll brings welcome news: Corruption is listed by voters as the most important issue in the 2026 election. With costs exploding for groceries, gas, diesel, healthcare, and rent, Americans are paying closer attention to politicians who use their position in government to enrich themselves and their families.

That is bad news for Donald Trump.

Considering Trump’s reckless behavior towards EVERYTHING, if the Democrats manage to flip the House and Senate, what can they do to thaw Trump’s efforts to undermine our democracy, the Ukrainian war, etc.?

— Doug B.

Depending on their margin of victory, Democrats should look for opportunities to work with Republicans to address corruption, the cost of living crisis, and Trump‘s continued support for Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

They should start with the most unifying issue: Ukraine.

Republicans and Democrats should pass bipartisan bills regarding Ukraine with veto-proof margins. Such legislation could aggressively support the freedom fighters’ efforts to push back against the Russian invasion.

Many Republican senators are horrified that their president is eagerly working with a former KGB spy to undermine Western democracy. If Democrats win big next month, expect GOP lawmakers to line up in support of Ukrainian funding measures that could have a powerful impact on the war’s outcome.

Republicans and Democrats can also drive down prices by retaking control of their tariff authority and Congress’s power to declare war.

For two years, Republican majorities have shamefully abdicated those duties to Donald Trump, who has started wars and levied tariffs on countries for the most reckless of reasons. Those wars and tariffs end up working as taxes on middle-class Americans and others who can’t afford higher costs at the grocery store or gas pump.

I would also expect Republicans to work with Democratic majorities on anti-corruption measures aimed at stopping the Trump family from continuing to cash in on public service. Right now, corruption is an issue that unites members of both parties who have been horrified or ashamed by the practices of the president and his family over the past 20 months.

Also expect much activity from the oversight committees in both the House and Senate, as they work to uncover any pay-to-play schemes hatched from the start of Trump’s second administration.

Trump has been talking to Putin a lot lately and giving him relief from sanctions and buying diesel fuel from Russia. With only two weeks for the election, what do you think about the possibility that Trump is having Putin disrupt the midterm elections in return for favors?

— Pat M., Pittsburgh

Despite the lies spread by Donald Trump and his supporters, Vladimir Putin worked aggressively to influence American elections in 2016, 2020, and 2024. I have no doubt that he is using his state authority to spread disinformation across the United States today and every day up until the 2026 election.

Putin’s war on democracy has not just been fought on the front lines in Ukraine. It has also been waged through cyberwarfare and misinformation to twist policy debates and shape political outcomes across Europe and the Americas. Unfortunately, these efforts have worked all too well, as a confederacy of dunces has willingly lined up to play useful idiots for Russia.

Here’s hoping that all of that will be exposed by Democrats if they can take control of Congress.

Joe, leaders fall into two categories: those who appeal to our basest instincts and those who inspire us to become better versions of ourselves. Who has inspired you to become better than you would have been without their influence?

— Gary B., Greensboro, N.C.

Thank you so much for your great question, Gary.

Yesterday, “Morning Joe” ran a package on the life and times of Ethel Kennedy as told by her daughter Kerry. Watching her story and those images flash across the screen reminded me how much Bobby Kennedy influenced my decision to get into politics.

After reading Arthur Schlesinger Jr.’s biography of the senator, I found myself inspired by a man who dared to make a difference — even if his worldview was different than mine.

I was most moved by what Bobby Kennedy did the night Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968. Kennedy was campaigning for the presidency in Indianapolis that day, but wanted to take a detour into the inner city to tell Black voters the terrible news.

The Indianapolis Police Department urged him to stay away, fearing there would be riots and bloodshed downtown. Kennedy persisted, and later that evening, a police escort guided him and his driver to the edge of the neighborhood before stopping and turning around.

Kennedy’s car made its way to his destination, and he got out to address his audience:

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I’m only going to talk to you just for a minute or so this evening, because I have some very sad news for all of you and people who love peace all over the world; and that is that Martin Luther King was shot and was killed tonight in Memphis, Tennessee.

Martin Luther King dedicated his life to love and to justice between fellow human beings. He died in the cause of that effort. In this difficult day, in this difficult time for the United States, it’s perhaps well to ask what kind of a nation we are and what direction we want to move in.

For those of you who are black and are tempted to fill with hatred and mistrust of the injustice of such an act against all white people, I would only say that I can also feel in my own heart the same kind of feeling. I had a member of my family killed by a white man.

But we have to make an effort to go beyond these difficult times.

My favorite poet was Aeschylus. And he once wrote:

Even in our sleep,

pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart,

until in our own despair,

against our will,

comes wisdom through the awful grace of God.

What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence and lawlessness, but is love, and wisdom, and compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country, whether they be white or whether they be black.

So I ask you tonight to return home to say a prayer for the family of Martin Luther King, but more importantly, to say a prayer for our own country.

We can do well in this country. We will have difficult times.

But the vast majority of white people and the vast majority of black people in this country want to live together, want to improve the quality of our life, and want justice for all human beings that abide in our land.

And let’s dedicate ourselves to what the Greeks wrote so many years ago: to tame the savageness of man and make gentle the life of this world. Let us dedicate ourselves to that, and say a prayer for our country and for our people.

Thank you very much.

Remembering that night in a 2007 essay for Washington Monthly, Evan Thomas wrote, “As news of King’s death spread through poor neighborhoods across the country, riots broke out in 110 cities, killing 39 people and injuring 2,500. But in the city of Indianapolis, where Kennedy had spoken, it was quiet.”

The post “If Democrats win, they should focus on the most unifying issue: Ukraine”: Joe Scarborough answers reader questions appeared first on MS NOW.

JD Vance's comments follow Donald Trump's backing of Israeli prime minister ahead of October 27 elections.

This is an adapted excerpt from the Oct. 18 episode of “Connect with Jacob Soboroff.”

According to a new Fox News poll, government corruption has now edged out inflation as voters’ top concern: 60% say they’re “extremely concerned” about the issue, compared with 58% who say the same about inflation.

America’s worry about government corruption shouldn’t surprise anyone who’s been following this administration. And millions of Americans are still struggling to pay for the basics while the scandals keep raining down at our collective expense. At this rate, it feels like we’re seeing a new scandal or two every week.

Case in point: Last week federal agents carried out a raid of Minnesota Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar’s home at 6 a.m., taking with them boxes marked “Seized Property Evidence.” They also took her phone and passport.

You don’t need an actual conviction; you just need the performance: the raid, the headlines, the harassment of anyone who speaks out.

The search warrant listed potential violations involving immigration fraud, false statements in immigration proceedings, and conspiracy; but it didn’t identify any alleged crimes that appear to relate to Omar’s financial disclosures. Three people familiar with the matter told The Washington Post that the investigation centers around claims that Omar or her late father may have lied on decades-old immigration paperwork to secure legal status. Omar became a naturalized citizen in 2000, when she was 17 — nearly three decades ago.

According to U.S. officials and other people familiar with the probe who spoke to The Wall Street Journal, the goal is to build a case to revoke the congresswoman’s citizenship and eventually deport her.

This isn’t the first time the Trump administration has tried to make her citizenship an issue. The Post reports that in 2019, during President Donald Trump’s first term, immigration officials examined many of these same questions, including Omar’s birth date and her father’s military record in Somalia. At the time, officials found insufficient evidence of wrongdoing to warrant a full investigation.

The Wall Street Journal reported the Biden administration also looked into a similar tip but did not move forward because it lacked evidence.

Former immigration officials say it’s highly unusual for an investigation like this to involve a search warrant, particularly when the government already has the immigration records.

So why raid her home? Like so much else with this administration, the spectacle and the intimidation appear to be the point. Not to mention the fact that we are about three weeks out from an election, and Omar is on the ballot.

On Friday, Omar’s lawyers blasted the raid in a letter to prosecutors, writing, “This vindictive, retributive, and politically motivated criminal investigation into one of the President’s chief congressional critics violates Representative Omar’s constitutional rights and threatens the separation of powers.” They say the search deviated from the specific procedures mandated by the judge who approved the warrant and violated specific restrictions meant to protect Omar’s legislative work.

According to her attorneys, agents were required to give them a copy of the warrant and to contact the House of Representatives’ own lawyers before conducting the search. They say agents did neither. The letter also states that Omar was prevented from contacting her lawyers for more than an hour after the search began.

A Justice Department spokesperson disputed the lawyers’ claim and said the letter was “riddled with false allegations and inaccuracies.”

In a statement on X, Omar said she would “not be silenced.” Adding, “This is just the latest escalation in [Trump’s] campaign of political intimidation.”

This is the authoritarian playbook at work. You don’t need an actual conviction; you just need the performance of the raid, the headlines, the harassment of anyone who speaks out. The investigations and the headlines become a substitute for due process. The spectacle itself sends a message: guilty until proven innocent.

If they can do this to Omar, the administration can do it to anyone. Omar is a sitting member of Congress. She has lawyers, a national platform and constitutional protections for her legislative work. If a sitting lawmaker can have her passport seized over paperwork dating back to her teenage years, what chance does a naturalized nurse in Minneapolis have? Or a cab driver in Chicago?

As The New York Times’ Michelle Goldberg wrote, Trump’s government “is tacitly declaring the citizenship of all foreign-born people provisional.”

And Omar may not be the last; Tennessee Republican Rep. Andy Ogles has already asked the Justice Department to review the naturalization documents of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

Look at the calendar. The raid on Omar’s home comes just over three weeks before the midterms. Historically, the Justice Department has treated searches involving political candidates and their associates as precisely the kind of step to avoid in the 60 days before an election. Omar’s lawyers say this search violated that policy. The department claims prosecutors cleared it through an internal review.

On the same day as the raid on Omar’s home, Trump mentioned her name at a rally in Ohio while his supporters chanted “deport.” Earlier that day, he claimed he had “nothing to do” with the search.

On the one hand, voters told Fox News their biggest concern is government corruption. On the other, this is an administration that wants you to worry about decades-old paperwork about a teenager’s age.

It appears the Trump White House response to growing concerns about corruption is to engage in more of it.

Allison Detzel contributed.

The post Trump’s raid on Rep. Ilhan Omar’s home puts his authoritarian intimidation on display appeared first on MS NOW.

Iranian authorities defiant despite financial strain, saying they want to lift US blockade and pressure on their terms.

HSBC’s ‘sharia-compliant’ fund invested over $100 million in companies linked to Israel’s military.