INSIDE D.C. WITH JOHN GIZZI NEWSMAX WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT
End of Road • The stunning primary defeat in August of Rep. John Larson in Connecticut’s 1st District is likely to also put an end to the 14-term lawmaker’s crusade to expand Social Security. For many years,
Larson, senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee, off ered legislation to end the payroll tax cap that exempts annual income above $184,500 from the Social Security tax. Few, if any, of the Democrats on the Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee seem to want to lead the charge for Larson’s signature measure in the next Congress — whether they win a majority or not. Wisconsin Rep. Gwen
Moore, in line for the subcommittee chair, has shown no interest. In large part, sources say,
this is because of the major infl ux of campaign funds for Larson’s opponent Luke Bronin from hedge fund billionaires — all of whom would have been aff ected by the incumbent’s proposal.
RNC Gets Voice Back • Since Donald Trump was nominated for president in 2020, the Republican National Committee has avoided the traditional resolutions they almost always passed at their meetings. The reason, RNC sources
told us, is that the campaign hierarchy — and now the White House — didn’t want any statements that could come back to possibly contradict or embarrass Team Trump. Now, this may
change. At the September Republican “mini- convention,” several RNC members indicated they want a strong resolution calling on Congress to repeal one of the remaining portions of the controversial McCain- Feingold campaign fi nance act of 2002: namely, ending the cap on individual donations to national political parties ($44,300 per year) and permitting donors to give as much as they wish. “We are still operating
under the limits of donations from 24 years ago, and it’s killing us,” one state GOP chairman told us.
Socialist Voice • With the ranks of democratic socialists and other progressives in the U.S. House likely to swell by 15 to 20 after November, this will present a conundrum for Democrat Leader Hakeem Jeff ries of New York should his party win a majority and he becomes speaker. House sources agree
that a “Speaker Jeff ries” will almost certainly permit an enlarged progressive squad to off er much of its signature legislation — notably Medicare for
all, abolition of ICE, and greater regulation of data centers. Although the chances of any of it becoming law are almost nil, the same sources say Jeff ries will have insulated himself for any intraparty coup by giving the left in his party a chance to showcase what they ran on.
Kristi Comeback • Although it appeared that Kristi Noem’s political career was over when she was unceremoniously forced out as secretary of Homeland Security, she is reportedly contemplating a political comeback in 2028. The former South Dakota
governor is expected to begin exploring a bid for the seat of Republican Sen. John Thune — regardless
of whether he seeks a fi fth term or not (which would make him the Mount Rushmore State’s longest- serving senator). Assisting Noem in
this exploratory eff ort is long-rumored boyfriend and veteran GOP political operative Corey Lewandowski. Both Noem and Lewandowski are said to be “on the outs” in Trump World, but as one administration insider told us, “Trump tends to forgive after a while; he does welcome people back. “Look at Corey, who
was on the outs before and then patched things up with the president. And look at Michael Cohen (Trump lawyer-turned-enemy- turned-new supporter).”
In Graham’s Footsteps
• Which lawmaker will assume the mantle of the late Lindsey Graham of South Carolina as the U.S. Senate’s leading Republican voice on foreign policy issues? Graham was widely considered one of
Israel’s staunchest supporters, as well as the strongest Senate advocate for Ukraine. The most-often heard name to fi ll his role
is Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas. A hard-liner on tougher sanctions
against Russia and China, Cotton has been vocal about tariff s and banning Chinese investment in Arkansas — so much so that he was sanctioned by the government in Beijing. Also mentioned is freshman Sen. Katie
Britt of Alabama, who also takes a tough stance on Russia and Iran and co-sponsored the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act.
BRITT OCTOBER 2026 | NEWSMAX 53 COTTON
COTTON/ANDREW HARNIK/GETTY IMAGES / BRITT/ HEATHER DIEHL/GETTY IMAGES
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108
