Politics and views in the United States

Trump demands the Senate stay in session and end the filibuster to pass a voter restriction bill and democracy groups call on people to get involved to protect the midterms.

Transcript

Welcome to 2026 Talks, where we're following our democracy in historic times.

You got to get the Save America Act passed.

If you terminate the filibuster, everything happens.

If you don't terminate the filibuster, only bad things will happen.

President Donald Trump called on the Senate to stay in session through its August break and get rid of the filibuster to pass the Save America Act.

He says Republicans will lose power without the bill sharply restricting mail-in ballots and requiring strict proof of citizenship to register or vote.

Contrary to extensive evidence, the president continues to promote conspiracy theories about widespread fraud and non-citizen voting.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Republican moderates say the votes are just not there for the legislation or for ending the filibuster.

Thune says without a viable plan to change that, there is no point in skipping the five-week break, and senators need to go back to their states to campaign.

The Justice Department is asking the Supreme Court to lift a judge's block on a Trump executive order restricting mail-in voting, arguing it's too early while the Postal Service has yet to implement the order.

Judges have repeatedly overruled administration demands that the USPS not send mail-in ballots in states refusing to turn over unredacted voter rolls.

Watchdogs warn that the White House may try to use emergency powers to intervene in November's midterms, especially if it looks like Republicans are losing.

Rob Weiner with the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law says it's time for ordinary citizens to help defend democracy.

You can be a poll watcher.

You can be an observer.

You can voice your view that no one will be allowed to intimidate people so that they don't vote.

Former FBI Director James Comey has asked the federal judge to toss a case alleging he threatened the president by posting a photo on social media showing seashells arranged to read 8647.

Comey argues the phrase, common in liberal circles, means getting rid of Trump and does not constitute a, quote, true threat.

For decades, Americans have been in what's called the big sort, where people end up living near or congregating with people of similar politics.

Now, researchers say that's also happening in the workplace, although less intensely.

A huge nationwide study of 30 million people in hundreds of occupations across thousands of industries finds workplace sorting is common.

But Ruben Hurst, with the University of Maryland, says it's less dramatic than where people live. maybe because work remains one of the few places where people are forced to try to solve problems together.

This would suggest that the workplace might actually be a really important and one of the last places in American society where people consistently interact with those that are not like them politically.

A new poll from Politico finds Republicans may struggle to campaign on their signature tax bill because people don't know what it did.

Nearly half of Americans say they can't explain the one big beautiful bill, and those who can more frequently argue it helped wealthier Americans.

A third even say it hurts their bottom line.

The House Ethics Committee announced an investigation into Texas Republican Congressman Lance Gooden.

The announcement didn't give details.

A transparency group filed a complaint against them for failing to report stock trades as required by law.

I'm Zamone Perez for Pacifica Network and Public News Service.

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.