We researched this for more than one of our kids and found that something like a Hyundai Elantra or Sonata was the best used car for the buck then in the early 2000s. The reason then was that it had a great engine made by Honda which ran forever then and because it's initial value or price drops significantly but you still had a formidable car for years and years. In otherwords then this car would last and last because of the really well made engine at that time made by Honda. However, many things might have changed since then. So, our youngest we bought a new one in 2013 for but the older ones we bought used ones for for college in the early 2000s.
Democrats zero in on an anti-corruption message: From the Politics Desk
Plus, more members of Congress are in danger of losing in the next round of primaries.
Welcome to From the Politics Desk, a daily newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team’s latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail.
In today’s edition, Allan Smith and Natasha Korecki explore how Democrats are trying to turn the GOP’s “drain the swamp” message on its head. Plus, Ben Kamisar looks ahead to the next primaries where members of Congress are in danger of losing.
Sign up to receive this newsletter in your inbox every weekday here.
— Adam Wollner
Democrats think their secret sauce in 2026 is targeting Trump and Republicans on corruption
By Allan Smith and Natasha Korecki
Corruption is increasingly at the center of the 2026 election, with Democrats making it a core tenet of their messaging.
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Much like President Donald Trump — who has aimed his “drain the swamp” mantra at congressional Democrats who reported stock trades or Hunter Biden for his business dealings — Democrats are seeking to take advantage of spiking levels of voter distrust in government and dissatisfaction with the economy by spotlighting examples or allegations of the president, his allies or congressional Republicans enriching themselves or providing friendly industries with special treatment.
Democrats’ most recognizable leaders — including 2028 contenders — have all zeroed in on the issue.
During his primary night address to supporters in Bucks County last month, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro accused Trump, his administration and his congressional supporters of participating in or enabling corruption no fewer than a dozen times.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., last week announced the launch of the “End Corruption Caucus” with Reps. Jason Crow, D-Colo., and Mike Levin, D-Calif.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently told reporters at a Center for American Progress conference that the party’s “top priority” upon retaking power in Congress needs to be “immediately” putting an end to “the corruption and the graft and the grift.”
At the same conference, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., pointed to the financing of the president’s proposed ballroom, the “anti-weaponization” fund and Trump’s recently reported stock trades in describing a need for “cleaning up corruption.”
And Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., has centered his campaign on the issue, saying over the weekend that the Trump administration is “the most corrupt administration of all time, and everybody knows it.”
“We’re doing it in every corner of the country,” said one national Democratic strategist. “And the idea is it’s an affordability cycle, and so everybody cares about affordability, No. 1, when you pair the message with the reason that your costs are going up is because politicians care more about themselves, they’re corrupt, they’re bought by corporate donors or they’re lining their own pockets, and that’s why they’re not looking out for you, that’s the most potent mix of the two arguments.”
💰Related: The Trump administration signaled it is backing off on the creation of a $1.8 billion fund announced by the Justice Department that could send money to allies of the president deemed to be “victims of lawfare and weaponization.”
For subscribers: DNC Chair Ken Martin is digging in after fumbling the 2024 autopsy
By Natasha Korecki
Despite a torrent of criticism and calls for his resignation after mishandling the release of an autopsy of Democrats’ 2024 presidential election loss, Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin is sending every signal that he isn’t going anywhere.
So far, no organized effort to oust him has materialized.
Primary challengers threaten to unseat House members across the country
By Ben Kamisar
Four House incumbents have already lost re-election bids so far this year. And about a dozen more are facing legitimate threats in the coming months.
Two Republican incumbents are squaring off for one district in California this week, the latest example of redistricting changing not just general elections but also primaries, after two Democratic members lost in Texas last week.
But the heaviest upcoming primary action will be on the Democratic side. A handful of Democratic members of Congress in California will also face challengers arguing that voters want a fresh face, part of a national slate of anti-incumbent candidates focused on generational change. A wealthy incumbent Democrat in Maryland is running against an even wealthier former congressman in a primary there.
And other Democrats in states like Colorado and Massachusetts face challenges from their party’s left flank, part of a running battle between progressives and the Democratic establishment.
The incumbent primary danger stretches from Connecticut and New York to California and beyond: Hawaii’s oldest member of Congress is fighting for his political survival, too, from a challenger backed by a former governor.
Incumbent members of Congress are notoriously difficult to defeat. But many Democrats are facing stronger challenges this election cycle than ever before, as party members look to turn the page on the 2024 presidential election and mount an effort to retake control of Congress.
🗞️ Today's other top stories
- ➡️ Iran war: Iran suspended high-stakes negotiations with the United States to protest Israel’s expanding military offensive in Lebanon, according to government-aligned media. But Trump said on Truth Social: “Talks are continuing, at a rapid pace, with the Islamic Republic of Iran.” Read more →
- 📱Platner fallout: The wife of Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner said she is “really angry” about reports that she previously told her husband’s campaign he had exchanged sexually explicit texts with other women. Read more →
- 📺 2024 redux: In an interview on the “TODAY” show, former first lady Jill Biden defended supporting her husband’s re-election bid despite concerns about his health. And on “Meet the Press,” Kentucky Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear said that Joe Biden “shouldn’t have run for re-election in the first place.”
That’s all From the Politics Desk for now. Today’s newsletter was compiled by Adam Wollner.
If you have feedback — likes or dislikes — email us at politicsnewsletter@nbcuni.com
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