Moderate House Republicans concerned about re-election next year have been pushing for a vote to extend the Obamacare premium subsidies, but Speaker Mike Johnson is strongly opposed. House Democrats need only four Republicans to cross the aisle and sign their discharge petition, which would force a vote on the House floor — and Democrats may get exactly what they want.

That’s according to Punchbowl News and its co-founder, Jake Sherman.

“This week,” Sherman wrote, “was designed to give House Republicans a way to push back on Democratic attacks that they’re indifferent to skyrocketing health care costs hitting millions of Americans. Instead, the House GOP leadership has facilitated an untimely — and particularly nasty — intraparty brawl, pitting moderates against Republican Party leaders and further strengthening Democrats’ political hand as the Obamacare cliff looms.”

Speaker Johnson is “pushing” moderate Republicans “into the arms of Democrats,” Sherman added, “as the House Republican leadership refuses to allow the centrists a vote on extending the enhanced Obamacare premium subsidies.”

One moderate Republican, Sherman also reported, U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) “stood up in a House Republican Conference meeting and said that not having an up-or-down vote on extending the enhanced Obamacare subsidies is malpractice.”

He also reported that many moderate Republicans “share this sentiment.”

“They feel like they have to have a vote and the conference won’t give it to them. Driving them into the arms of democrats.”

Sherman explained that by refusing to allow the vote, Republicans have delivered a “political advantage” to the Democrats. If just four House Republicans sign Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ discharge petition, “Democrats have exacted the precise policy win they’ve been seeking, even if that never becomes law.”

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated for clarity.

President Donald Trump wasted little time on Monday attacking the beloved director and activist Rob Reiner, claiming that his death and that of his wife — with their own son being questioned by police — was the result of “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” the president’s name for people who are strongly opposed to him and his policies.

Describing their deaths, which are being investigated as apparent homicide, as a “very sad thing,” Trump then called Reiner “a tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director and comedy star.”

He wrote on Truth Social that the death of Reiner and his wife was “reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME, sometimes referred to as TDS.”

Reiner, the president alleged, “was known to have driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump, with his obvious paranoia reaching new heights as the Trump Administration surpassed all goals and expectations of greatness, and with the Golden Age of America upon us, perhaps like never before. May Rob and Michele rest in peace!”

Critics immediately responded.

“Trump tried to punish people who criticized [Charlie] Kirk after he was killed. Now he’s doing this. What a sick deranged piece of trash human being,” declared Daily Kos reporter Emily C. Singer.

“What a sick man to use the death of a mother and father at the hands of their child as an opportunity for gleefully trying to score political points,” wrote attorney Aaron Reichlin-Melnick of the American Immigration Council.

“You want to ignore it. He wants the attention. But you can’t ignore it. Because it’s not just about him. It’s about a world where decency still matters. And this is about as indecent as it gets,” observed former Obama administration official Patrick Granfield.

“Rob has a legacy to be proud of. You are a stain on civilization, few will miss,” wrote Alexander Vindman, former Director of European Affairs for the U.S. National Security Council (NSC).

“Just sort of wonder what has to go through your head to decide to send this. Obviously no one around the president is there or willing to tell him he sounds psychotic and monstrous posting this,” remarked The Bulwark’s Sam Stein.

A top FBI official struggled to explain his claim that Antifa is the “most immediate violent threat” America is facing, as he was challenged to provide details.

Former Trump FBI Director Christopher Wray stated in 2020 congressional testimony that Antifa is “not a group or an organization. It’s a movement or an ideology.” The BBC has explained that Antifa is “a loosely organized, leftist movement that opposes far-right, racist and fascist groups.”

“Antifa is short for anti-fascist,” BBC added. “It is a loose, leaderless affiliation of mostly far-left activists.”

House Homeland Security Committee Ranking Member Bennie Thompson on Thursday asked Michael Glasheen, FBI National Security Operations Director, to describe “organizations that pose, on the domestic side,” the number one and number two threats to the homeland.

Glasheen asked for clarification.

“Any domestic terrorist organizations that poses a threat to the homeland as we speak,” Thompson replied.

Pointing to President Trump’s designation of Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization, Glasheen said, “That’s our primary concern right now.”

He described Antifa as “the most immediate violent threat that we’re facing on the domestic side.”

“So, where is the Antifa headquartered?” Thompson pressed.

After a pause, Glasheen said: “What we’re doing right now —” before Thompson cut him off.

“Where, in the United States, does Antifa exist?” he asked. “If it’s a terrorist organization — and you’ve identified it as number one.”

“We are building out the infrastructure right now,” Glasheen responded.'

“So what does that mean?” Thompson pressed. “Where do they exist? How many members do they have in the United States as of right now?”

“Well, that’s very fluid,” Glasheen said, describing it as “ongoing,” before comparing the situation to Al Qaeda and ISIS.

“I asked one question, sir,” Thompson replied. “I just want you to tell us. If you said Antifa is the number one domestic terrorist organization, operating in the United States, I just need to know where they are, how many people. I don’t want a name. I don’t want anything like that. Just, how many people have you identified with the FBI, that Antifa is made of?”

“Well, the investigations are active,” Glasheen replied.

“Sir, you wouldn’t come to this committee and say something you can’t prove. I know. I knew you wouldn’t do that. But you did.”

Speaker Mike Johnson and his leadership team reportedly are “losing control” of the House floor.

That’s according to Punchbowl News and its cofounder, Jake Sherman, who report that what was once a rare occurrence, forcing votes via discharge petitions as a way to circumvent the Speaker — which was done to release the Epstein files — is becoming more commonplace.

“At this time, I am considering signing every discharge petition – whether I support the bill or not,” she wrote. “As a duly elected Member of Congress, I believe my colleagues should have the ability to bring legislation to the floor for a vote. Every Member deserves the right to represent their district and receive a recorded vote on their bills. This is a result of House leadership blocking Members from governing.”

It’s not just the discharge petitions, however.

“Being forced to bargain for GOP support during simple procedural votes. Calls to Cabinet secretaries from the House floor to help win over members. A prolonged debate on health care with a disengaged president. Potential retirements on the horizon,” Punchbowl reported. “This is the House Republican majority with less than 11 months until the midterm elections.”

Separately, some reports say up to 39 House Republicans could be out after this Congress by retiring or seeking other offices. Reporting on “Johnson’s Career Crisis,” Puck revealed that “one estimate puts the number as high as 20 new announcements” of Republicans exiting “in the coming weeks.”

Meanwhile, Punchbowl conceded, “we won’t say that the House is in total chaos. Total chaos is when members unleash censure resolutions against each other or a trio of House Republicans publicly claim Speaker Mike Johnson has no business running the chamber. That was last week.”

But it points to the “very tenuous reality” for Johnson and his leadership team, “as they navigate the post-shutdown climate with a soon-to-be-even-thinner three vote margin.”

What’s changed?

House Republicans used to be soldiers kept in line by “fear” of President Donald Trump. But that seems to have diminished along with his approval ratings. And, GOP lawmakers “took a beating” during last month’s elections. In short, many House Republicans may be starting to put their own careers over loyalty to the party.

Punchbowl detailed “a pair of episodes this week” that “demonstrate just how shaky the House GOP leadership’s control is.”

On the must-pass National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a historically bipartisan exercise, “House Republicans struggled for more than an hour” just to “pass a rule to begin debate.”

Just to flip several conservatives, the Speaker of the House “had to call Secretary of State Marco Rubio from a room off the House floor” to obtain promises.

And in another instance, some moderate House Republicans wanting to get a bill on the floor to extend the Obamacare subsidies, “dropped a discharge petition to go over Johnson’s head” after being dissatisfied with the Speaker’s answer.

The Atlantic’s David Frum sat down with Michael Waldman, president of the Brennan Center at New York University, to discuss how President Donald Trump and his administration might try to undermine the 2026 midterm elections, and what is in place that could prevent them from succeeding.

“What can a president and a party that is still in control of Congress do to bend things their way?” Frum asked.

“Well,” Waldman replied, “there is much they can do to try to undermine the way the system works, but there are limits as well.”

“I want to stress that,” he added, “in each of these areas, there are things that can be attempted, and there are potentially effective pushbacks that can make sure that the election actually does happen, as we would hope it happens, where the voters, however they choose, get the last word.”

But Waldman also warned Frum that “for the first time, I think, in American history, the federal government and the Trump administration are actively waging an effort to undermine the 2026 elections.”

“One thing that President Trump has tried to do already,” Waldman noted, “is to take personal control of the election system.”

Frum and Waldman discussed several activities Trump and his administration have tried, could try, or are trying, including issuing an executive order requiring passports as ID to vote — which the courts blocked. Similar legislation, requiring a passport or birth certificate to vote, passed the House but stalled in the Senate (the SAVE Act).

There is also the purging of federal election security experts, the weaponization of law enforcement, the use of federal agents — including, for instance, ICE and CBP near polling locations — and the use of the courts.

“When Congress blocked the SAVE Act,” Waldman noted, “the president put out another, rather, another post on social media saying, ‘I’m going to do an executive order ending vote by mail.'” Paraphrasing the president, he suggested that Trump claimed, “I’m gonna do this, and, by the way, the state election officials are merely agents who work for the president, and their job is merely to count the votes as agents for the president.”

“They are threatening to use the tools of law enforcement to scare off people in the election machinery,” Waldman explained.

Frum warned that National Guard troops, for example, operating near polling locations, could “detain” people for a few hours, “at least until after the polls close.”

“Those are known as ‘Kavanaugh stops,'” Waldman interjected, referring to the U.S. Supreme Court justice.

There is also the use of gerrymandering and the possibility that the U.S. Supreme Court will further gut the Voting Rights Act, they noted.

On gerrymandering, Waldman explained, “sometimes, if the voters have what’s called a wave election, where people are all rushing to the polls to vote, you know, their opposition to the current party in power, it can actually not only not have the desired impact, it can actually create more victories for the other party. That is, in technical terms, called a ‘dummymander.'”

Waldman noted that the Trump administration may be trying many different things to sow doubt about free and fair elections.

He said, “ultimately … they are trying to stir doubt, and create a cloud of suspicion, to make it easier, should there be, you know, the opportunity to push election officials and others to cave.”

Two top Trump advisers expect rulings from the conservative majority U.S. Supreme Court to help Republicans during next year's midterms — and for years to come.

Chris LaCivita and Tony Fabrizio, who are in charge of President Donald Trump's political operation, "told donors at a Republican National Committee retreat over the weekend that rulings on political contribution limits and congressional redistricting could be transformational for Republicans — if they go the GOP's way," Axios reported.

Despite President Trump's low approval rating and reports numerous House Republicans may be "running for the exits" after the new year, the two Trump advisers "told donors the decisions by the conservative-led high court 'have the ability to upend the political map,' a person in the session told Axios."

One of the two Supreme Court cases involves gutting the Voting Rights Act, which Chief Justice John Roberts's court has been slowly weakening.

The second involves Trump's efforts to push redistricting in red states, an effort to increase the GOP majority in the House of Representatives.

"Court watchers say a majority of the justices appeared poised to weaken the Voting Rights Act based on oral arguments in October," Axios noted. "For years, Republicans have sought to weaken the law, arguing that it's federal overreach and unfairly creates Democrat-friendly districts," while "Democrats say the law prevents discrimination and ensures that minority voters are represented in Congress."

In the redistricting case, oral arguments will be held Tuesday.

Calling it "the most consequential campaign finance-related dispute" since Citizens United, Axios explained that "the justices will decide whether to eliminate a federal law that limits the amount of money big-money party committees can spend in direct coordination with favored candidates."

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt suggested that Americans will receive tax "rebates" next year, and promised they will see "bigger paychecks and lower prices" in 2026, while attacking Democrats as "con artists."

"This is going to be President Trump's bread and butter issue: focused on the economy," Leavitt told "Fox & Friends" on Tuesday. "Nobody knows it better than him."

A recent poll found 77% of Americans say the president is not focused enough on the economy. The White House has been claiming Americans will see greater tax refunds next year, and Trump has been talking about tariff dividend checks but not tax rebates.

Previewing the speech on the economy President Trump will make Tuesday evening in Pennsylvania, Leavitt promised the president "is going to give a positive economic, a focused speech, where he talks about all that he and his team has done to provide bigger paychecks and lower prices for the American people."

Polls show Trump's approval rating is the lowest it's been this term, and voters disapprove of his handling of several key issues, including the economy.

Leavitt claimed that Trump "inherited the worst inflation crisis in modern American history from the Biden administration."

Inflation during President Joe Biden's last full month was 2.9%. It rose to 3% in January, about where it stands today.

"Within six months, President Trump signed the largest middle class tax cut in American history, no tax on tips. Overtime. Social Security. And you'll hear stories of everyday Americans tonight who will benefit directly from those tax rebates next year."

While Leavitt repeatedly used the term tax "rebates," it does not appear any such program currently exists.

Leavitt also told Fox News that "the Democrats are the greatest con artists in American politics. They are pretending to champion the issue of affordability when they themselves created the worst inflation crisis in a generation. You can't create a problem and then turn around and say, I'm the best person to fix it."

During President Biden's term, inflation rose to about 9%, largely due to issues surrounding the COVID pandemic, but inflation also fell faster in the U.S. than in many of the world's wealthiest countries.

Leavitt also had sharp criticism for congressional Republicans.

"So, as President Trump has been screaming from the rooftops, Republicans need to remain tough and smart, and they need to be more vocal about touting the accomplishments of this administration."

Leavitt: "As President Trump has been screaming from the rooftops, Republicans need to remain tough and smart, and they need to be more vocal about touting the accomplishments of this administration." pic.twitter.com/i5Ar3oR0fT
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 9, 2025

Months ago, when President Donald Trump urged Texas to redraw its congressional maps in a manner that — he said — would hand Republicans an additional five seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, he launched what has become a sweeping mid-decade redistricting push spanning more than a dozen red and blue states.

Trump has pressed additional GOP-led states to join Texas in mid-decennial redistricting — a rare exercise given that congressional districts, per the U.S. Constitution, are reapportioned based on each decade’s census. But now, some Republicans are expressing anxiety over this all-out effort.

“Worried Republicans say basing redistricting on the 2024 election is a sizable leap,” The Washington Post reported, “both because Trump’s coalition has not shown a willingness to show up when he isn’t on the ballot and polls show Trump is hemorrhaging support from key groups in his unique coalition.”

Republican operative Annalyse Keller told Meet the Press Now, “I am not confident that that Trump coalition in a midterm election is going to stay with Republicans.”

“There might be a chance that some of this backfires,” Keller added.

Trump’s poll numbers are at their lowest of his second term, and Democrats in some races have shown they are outperforming 2024 election numbers. The electorate is changing, and some groups that moved over to Trump in 2024 have already begun backing away in 2025.

“At the heart of these concerns are Latino voters, who are central to the Texas redistricting plan and were expected to be key to whatever Republicans decide to do in Florida,” the Post reported. “Trump made inroads with Latino voters in 2024, especially with Latino men, which helped propel him to victory in key battleground states. But Trump’s standing with Latino voters has fallen off a cliff in recent months.”

The Post cited a November Pew Research Center survey that “found 70 percent of Latinos ‘disapprove of the way Trump is handling his job as president,’ and 61 percent said ‘Trump’s economic policies have made economic conditions worse,’ a notable finding because the economy was a primary reason 43 percent of Latino voters backed Trump in 2024.”

Pollster and former advisor to Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential campaign, Matt A. Barreto, told the Post: “So if someone is redistricting and they are trying to draw Republican performances based on Trump-Harris characteristics, they are going to be wrong in 2026, because 2025 has already shown us this.”

Redrawing congressional maps in an effort to pick up GOP seats can make solid Republican districts more competitive.

Indeed, the Post reported that “Republicans are moving Republican support from GOP-friendly districts to make these new districts lean more toward the GOP, effectively making former stronghold districts more competitive — the opposite, say these Republicans, of what a party should do ahead of an election that is expected to go against them.”