Politics Chat, September 3, 2026

In today’s Politics Chat: A federal judge in Boston, Indira Talwani, blocked the Trump administration's new mail-ballot verification system until September 10, and the Justice Department appealed to the Supreme Court after the hearing went poorly. Trump's record on lawsuits seeking state voter rolls now stands at 0 and 23, including losses before judges he appointed himself. House Speaker Mike Johnson is keeping the House out of session as Representative Thomas Massie pushes a bill granting state attorneys general access to Epstein files the Justice Department has withheld. Reports suggest Trump plans to keep the Iran conflict quiet before the midterms, then escalate afterward. Fox News's Maria Bartiromo departed abruptly with no explanation given. In Texas, Tarrant County Republicans stripped polling places after a January 2026 special election flipped a Republican-held seat. A new MIT study found Republicans now vote more in person, meaning mail-voting disruptions would likely hurt Democrats more. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker's state credit rating was upgraded again this week after years of investment in education and growth.Politics Chat is recorded live on YouTube and Facebook every Tuesday and Thursday at 6 pm Maine time (3 PM PT / 6 PM ET).Watch today's recording: https://youtube.com/live/PtftkS31u0QGet full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribeYou can also find me: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hcrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe