23 Video Views·Aug 10, 2026
Here are some of today's biggest political stories from NJ.com.
CNN's data chief says non-college voters have swung a full 32 points away from Trump since 2024 [what the numbers actually show, and where MAGA's approval sits now]. Behind closed doors, the president has reportedly told donors who he wants in the White House in 2028 [who, and what he said publicly when reporters asked]. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is keeping two options open for 2028 and won't rule out a run [what she said on ABC, and the seat she was asked about]. Trump doubled down on his claim that the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was vandalized, pointing to one man and a witness he calls highly credible [who was charged, and why the case fell apart]. And a new poll gives a Democrat the edge in a deep red state's Senate race [which state, and where the movement came from].
0:00 A 32-point shift away from Trump
0:30 Trump's private 2028 successor pick
1:15 AOC leaves two options open
1:45 Trump doubles down on the reflecting pool
2:45 A Democrat's edge in a deep red state
Read the full stories at NJ.com.
Here's what's making headlines today.
CNN data chief Harry Enten says non-college voters are moving away from
President Donald Trump. He said Trump won non-college voters by
13 percentage points in 2024 but now has a negative 19 point net approval rating.
Enten called it a 32 point shift and said the MAGA movement has also lost
ground among non-college Americans. He said non-college adults had a
positive net approval rating of six points in October 2024 but now the MAGA
President Donald Trump is addressing whether he has privately chosen a
successor. The Washington Post reported that Trump
is telling donors he wants Vice President J.D. Vance as president in
2028. Trump later told reporters he has yet to
decide on which GOP contender he wants to endorse.
He said no one has directly announced their intention to run.
Trump said no no and added he
I heard about it a little while ago I think he's great.
He said they are way too early to even be thinking about that.
Trump has also floated a joint ticket between Vance and Secretary of State
Marco Rubio while Vance said he expects to make a decision on his political
future following the 2026 midterm elections.
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is leaving two options open in 2028
after saying she is focused on winning the midterms. In an interview on ABC's
This Week Sunday she said she is running for Congress right now and hasn't ruled
out the possibility. When asked about challenging Senate
Minority Leader Chuck Schumer she said that
anything is possible at this juncture. The New York congresswoman is 36th and
she hinted at her 2028 mindset after announcing she froze her eggs.
President Donald Trump is doubling down on his claim that the Lincoln Memorial
reflecting pool was vandalized pointing to one person.
He said former Olympian David Hearn was caught by a National Park Service
employee he called a highly credible witness.
Trump said there was substantial other damage to the pool and later acknowledged
some contractor error done by rushing the job for a July 4th opening.
He said Jeanine Pirro and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of
Columbia were totally wrong. In a 20-page filing on July 31st the
Justice Department pointed to flawed installation by the contractor
Atlantic Industrial Coatings and the rush to finish the project before
America 250 events. It said the government would not have
sought a grand jury indictment. Hearn was charged with one felony count
of destruction of property before the case was dropped and formally dismissed
by a D.C. judge. Trump also said the pool will reopen
shortly and that security cameras are being installed.
A new poll shows Democrat James Tallarico with an edge over Republican
Ken Paxton in the Texas Senate race. The Texas Pulse Texas A&M Bush School
poll found Tallarico at 47 percent and Paxton at 43 percent with Tallarico
up from a tie in the June poll. Lindsay Hendren said the movement came from
independent voters and Tallarico also gained with women while narrowing
Paxton's lead among men. The poll was conducted July 27th to 30th
among 619 likely Texas voters with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.7
percentage points.
