Trump’s Attacks on Pope Leo Create Fresh Midterm Headaches for G.O.P.

By: Lisa Lerer and Reid J. Epstein — 14 April 2026 at 14:52

Republicans are counting on the votes of Catholics to maintain control of Congress.

President Trump has a long history of publicly clashing with the pope. He spent years tangling with Pope Francis over his immigration policies.

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Kaela Berg, a Flight Attendant, Runs for Congress One Layover at a Time

By: Lisa Lerer — 28 March 2026 at 20:11

Kaela Berg is part of a crop of working-class candidates that Democrats hope can help the party win back blue-collar voters.

Kaela Berg, a Minnesota state representative who works as a flight attendant, is part of a new crop of working-class candidates with atypical backgrounds. Democrats hope they can help their party win back blue-collar voters.

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The Texas Senate Primary Offers a Test Case for Each Party

By: Lisa Lerer and J. David Goodman — 1 March 2026 at 10:01

Should Democrats concentrate on swing voters or their base? Can more traditional Republicans win in the MAGA era? Tuesday’s Senate primary in Texas will show the direction the parties are taking.

Senator John Cornyn of Texas, a four-term Republican Senator, is spending record sums to try to fend off a primary challenge from Ken Paxton, the state’s attorney general, who is beloved by the MAGA base.

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Mamdani’s Success Spotlights a Deepening Rupture Among U.S. Jews

By: Katie Glueck and Lisa Lerer — 25 June 2025 at 22:48

While Zohran Mamdani won over some Jewish supporters, other Jewish Democrats suggested that concerns about their community’s safety are being dismissed in a movement and a city they helped build.

Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani celebrated on election night with Brad Lander, New York City’s comptroller. They had formed an alliance with cross-endorsements in the mayoral race.

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‘JD Vance Is Wrong’: The Pope Appears Uneasy With Trump Immigration Policies

By: Lisa Lerer — 8 May 2025 at 20:42

Before Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost became pope, a social media account under his name shared criticisms of the Trump administration’s positions on immigration.

Vice President JD Vance in Rome to meet with Pope Francis last month.

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Haley Gets a Trump Matchup, but Now Faces the Trump Machine

By: Lisa Lerer， Jazmine Ulloa and Michael C. Bender — 22 January 2024 at 10:03

As Nikki Haley celebrated Ron DeSantis’s departure from the Republican primary, Donald J. Trump turned his firepower toward his final rival.

Nikki Haley is the last woman standing in the Republicans’ presidential race, but she faces a tough challenge in toppling Donald J. Trump.

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Black Voters’ Shift to Trump Is a Warning Sign for Biden, Strategists Say

By: Maya King and Lisa Lerer — 6 November 2023 at 17:45

New York Times/Siena College polling painted a worrisome picture of the president’s standing with a crucial constituency. Democratic strategists warned that the erosion could threaten his re-election.

Joseph R. Biden Jr. on the campaign trail in South Carolina in 2019. Black voters were critical to his Democratic primary victory in 2020, and to his success against Donald J. Trump in the general election.