Friday, October 23, 2026

Trump looks for some midterm Sunshine

12:30 REPORT

Friday, October 23 | By Elliott Davis and Colin Meyn

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It’s Friday, and it's shaping up to be a busy one with lots of news breaking before lunchtime. Let's dive in, shall we?

In today's issue:

Trump heads to Florida
Fight over Starlink in Ukraine drags on
Omar hit with another Trump accusation
LeBron shrugs off Trump insult

Programming note: Hello! We are Colin Meyn and Elliott Davis filling in for Cate. Please send your tips, comments and story ideas to cmeyn@thehill.com or edavis@thehill.com.

🎤 IN THE WHITE HOUSE

Trump's making a quick stop on his way to Mar-a-Lago:

AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson

The president is campaigning in Fort Myers, Fla., this afternoon en route to the sunny environs of his Palm Beach resort.

It could be a gloomy stretch ahead with Democrats threatening to win races in historically red states. Trump rallied in Kansas and Iowa this week and added a stop in Mississippi next week — all states appear up for grabs 11 days out from Election Day.

He'll rally today in Rep. Byron Donalds's (R-Fla.) district, where Republican Jim Schwartzel is a heavy favorite against Democrat Victor Arias. Donalds is locked in a tough race for governor against Democrat David Jolly.

Democrats also see a slim chance of taking a Senate seat in Florida. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) stumped with Angie Nixon in Tampa last week as she seeks to knock off Sen. Ashley Moody (R-Fla.), who was tapped to replace Marco Rubio when he became secretary of State.

Early voters: Before taking off for Florida, Trump told reporters that he and first lady Melania Trump would cast their ballots in Florida on Saturday.

He don't stop: Trump will have about 24 hours to recharge at Mar-a-Lago before he's back to the midterm grind.

He's set to rally in Perry, Ga., on Saturday night; Port Huron, Mich., on Sunday afternoon; Corinth, Miss., on Monday; then Texas on Tuesday, with stops planned in Corpus Christi and Lubbock. He’ll hit Chillicothe, Ohio, on Wednesday.

💬Follow today’s live blog

➤NEWS FROM THE GAGGLE:

Trump fielded questions from the press corps for about 15 minutes before taking off for Fort Myers around 11:30 a.m.

He denied reports that he told Elon Musk to restore full Starlink access to Ukraine, but he said he would if the issue wasn't resolved. Ukraine says it's still having trouble with the satellites when drones reach high speeds.

Trump also faced off with NBC News White House correspondent Monica Alba, who pressed him about his support for Vivek Ramaswamy's attack ad featuring his opponent's estranged mother. Worth a watch.

Some prominent Ohio Republicans are calling on their gubernatorial candidate to stop running the ad.

📡️ ON DEFENSE

This Starlink situation is not resolved:

All eyes are on Musk after Politico reported Friday that Ukrainian interceptors still cannot use high-speed internet to shoot down Russian attack drones, potentially countering Trump’s message a day ago, when he said the SpaceX founder had lifted speed restrictions on his Starshield service.

The tech billionaire was under fire last week when his Starlink service cut off for objects that traveled more than 100 mph, impacting the capabilities of Ukraine’s drones, airplanes and helicopters. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Republican senators, such as Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), called on Musk to explain what happened.

The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that Trump called Musk and asked him to lift the slowdown of Starlink and Starshield, its military counterpart. But the president on Friday denied that. He added, however, that he will speak with Musk if the service is now fixed.

Meanwhile, Laura Loomer, a close ally and adviser to Trump, told The Hill's broadcast partner NewsNation that the U.S. should keep helping Ukraine.

Zooming out: GOP lawmakers are now pushing for more congressional oversight on what some view as the Tesla CEO's “space monopoly" out of fear that Musk will have too much power over future national security operations, The Hill's Alexander Bolton reports.

➤ BONUS READ:

The world's richest person is making waves on the homefront, too. The Hill's Julia Shapero reports that Musk has now spent more than $442 million in the midterm elections, including an influx of $76.8 million into his America PAC in the past month.

After saying earlier this year that he had gotten “a little too involved in politics,” Musk is back to spending loads of money to ensure Republicans keep control of Congress.

Who's really winning the midterms?

Dig into the data yourself with every public poll, early-voting trends and live predictions, all in one place. Get full access to Decision Desk HQ with Insider Premium.

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➤ QUICK HITS:

—  🏠 Trump added fuel to the fire late Thursday night by accusing Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar (Minn.) of using a fake name amid a federal investigation into the progressive lawmaker’s immigration background. The president also called on Omar, whose Washington home was recently searched by federal investigators, to resign.

—  ⚖️ While the Trump administration wants to get U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes off the case over the president’s proposed renovation of East Potomac Golf Links, an Insider analysis by The Hill’s Zach Schonfeld shows the district judge, an appointee of former President Biden, has not always ruled against Trump.

—  🗳️ Another reason for Democrats to be optimistic about taking control of the House after the midterms: Nonpartisan handicapper Cook Political Report shifted 19 seats in the party’s favor with 11 days until Election Day.

—  🎰 Casinos, tribes and unions: You might think these groups would be unlikely to work together, but The Hill’s Julia Shapero reports they’re doing just that when it comes to the fight on regulating prediction markets. Insiders can learn more here.

— ⛽ Oil prices are still elevated as the Iran war nears the eight-month mark. Futures for Brent crude, the international benchmark, were trading at $116 per barrel, while U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate traded at about $102. The prices are now at their highest point since May.

➤ MORE READS:

The New York Times: He Has Never Lost an Election. Can He Flip North Carolina’s Senate Seat?

The Atlantic: The Man in the Middle of Trump’s Deeply Conflicted Ukraine Policy

Axios: Wall Street prepares for AI's "day after"

The Wall Street Journal: A Student Article About the ‘Cornell 7’ Case Is Prompting a Campus Outcry at Columbia

The Washington Post: How Mark Zuckerberg went to war with his own board of directors over pay and power

🗓️ COMING UP

The House and Senate are out. President Trump is in Washington, D.C., and Florida. (All times EDT)

2 p.m. Trump attends a rally in Fort Myers, Fla.

2:45 p.m. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin holds a news conference about working with tribal nations.

🐝 INTERNET BUZZ

👻 Celebrate: Today is National Horror Movie Day! We are definitely in the midst of spooky season, and there’s plenty of oldies and new horror movies you can check out. (We’re a bit surprised this day doesn’t just fall on Halloween, but hey, we’re not in charge.)

🏀 After Trump reignited a years-long feud with Philadelphia 76ers superstar LeBron James on Thursday, the NBA's all-time points leader responded with essentially a verbal shrug: "It must be a slow news day at the office." The president had called James a "disgrace" for not standing still during the national anthem prior to the 76ers' season opener on Tuesday.

👋 AND FINALLY…

Let's keep it simple and let you enjoy this compilation of dogs being really silly. (Just like the first pair of pups featured in the countdown, Elliott's dog Otis definitely used to look behind the TV when he saw other dogs in a TV show or movie. He never quite understood what was happening ...)