President Donald Trump's State of the Union address on Tuesday is likely to be a test run of the message Republicans will give to voters in November's midterm elections. It also comes at a moment when the president and his party appear vulnerable.
Plus, a bill seeking tariff refunds, a spotlight on redistricting in Texas and updates from AP's reporter in North Carolina on the armed man shot and killed at Mar-a-Lago.
We listened to your feedback, and we've made some changes we hope you'll love to the Ground Game format. We'll be back on Wednesday with a recap of Trump's State of the Union address and the storylines you need to know about to understand the political landscape as we head toward the midterms. Let us know what you think!
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President Donald Trump dances after speaking at a rally at Coosa Steel Corporation in Rome, Ga., Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) |
How Trump will use his State of the Union address to sell skeptical midterm voters on his plans — By Josh Boak and Michelle L. Price
Polls have shown that much of America distrusts how Trump has managed the government in his first year back in office. In addition, the Supreme Court last week struck down one of the chief levers of his economic and foreign policy by ruling he lacked the power to impose many of his sweeping tariffs. Though Trump is expected to focus on domestic issues, his intensifying threats about launching military strikes on Iran over its nuclear program cast a shadow over the address.
Read more on what to watch in Trump's SOTU on Tuesday. |
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From the bureau: Q&A with AP reporter Josh Boak |
The Capitol is seen during heavy rain as the Department of Homeland Security funding bill remains in limbo, in Washington, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) |
A trio of Senate Democrats is calling for the government to start refunding roughly $175 billion in tariff revenues that the Supreme Court rules were collected because of an illegal set of orders by Trump. The bill being unveiled Monday would require U.S. Customs and Border Protection to issue refunds over the course of 180 days and pay interest on the refunded amount, prioritizing refunds to small businesses and encouraging importers, wholesalers and large companies to pass the refunds on to their customers.
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Here's what Josh thinks you should know |
This measure isn't likely to become law, but it shows how Democrats are starting to apply public pressure on a Trump administration that has shown little interest in trying to return tariff revenues after the Supreme Court announced its 6-3 ruling on Friday.
The Trump administration says its hands are tied on refunds, which it says should be the responsibility of further litigation in court. But that messaging could put Republicans on the defensive as they try to explain why the government isn’t proactively seeking to return the money.
This is going to come up a lot in campaigns for this November’s midterm elections for control of Congress. GOP lawmakers had planned to try to preserve their House and Senate majorities by running on the income tax cuts that Trump signed into law last year. And Democrats are already telling the public that Trump illegally raised taxes and now refuses to repay the money to Americans.
Read more on what's in the proposal. |
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AP Elections Spotlight: Texas redistricting |
Texas Republicans' bid for five more seats hinges on a key question: Will Texans vote the way they did in the 2024 presidential election? |
The big picture: Republicans' efforts to improve their chances of holding onto the U.S. House get their first real-life test in Texas next week, where the GOP hopes it can pick up as many as five seats in November. The success of Texas’ new congressional map hinges on a central uncertainty: whether 2024 marked a durable political realignment or a high-water mark for Republican gains among key constituencies. The coming primaries won’t answer that question on their own — but they will offer the first clues as to whether the map’s architects bet correctly. — By Maya Sweedler
Read more about where these districts are. |
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AP is there: Talking to relatives of armed man shot and killed at Mar-a-Lago |
Braeden Fields speaks to reporters outside a property in Cameron, N.C., Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026 (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed) |
Handing it over to Allen G. Breed, our AP video journalist on the ground in Cameron, N.C.
"On Sunday, I got a call from the desk: A young man from North Carolina had been shot trying to enter President Trump's Florida home. My wife packed me clothes and food while I gathered my camera gear for the hour and a half drive. The priority was to get images out fast, so I shot a few stills with my phone of the blockade outside the family home and then went back to the main road to set up a live shot. As I filmed, a young man pulled up in a mud-spattered pickup. It was the suspect’s first cousin. He wanted us to leave and wouldn't go on camera, but when I told him we just wanted to paint a fuller picture of his cousin, he agreed to a voice recording and shared some intimate details. As the day wore on, rain pelted and high winds threatened to overturn my camera as I rushed to get phone camera interviews from bewildered neighbors. A true exercise in multitasking!"
Read the full story here. |
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That’s all from me for the day, thanks for reading Ground Game. Please let us know what you think of this newsletter. You can sign up for more and invite a friend |
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