There’s nothing conservative about Trump’s $5,000 checks

Published September 19, 2026 6:15am ET



A wise political analyst once said that in assessing the state of a political campaign, it’s best to mostly ignore the noise — including polling — and focus instead on the actual behavior of the candidates and campaigns themselves.

President Donald Trump isn’t on the ballot this fall, but his party’s governing majorities are in serious jeopardy. His actions suggest Republicans are right to be very anxious about what awaits them from voters.

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