Washington, DC

1. US-Canada breakdown
2. Jackson’s new argument
3. Norman’s chance
4. Bessent speaks
5. FDA pick vs. MAHA
6. Marijuana use grows

PDB: Jeffries meets Kushner

Trump participates in tele-rallies … Ukraine celebrates Independence Day … Oil ▼ 1% ahead of Bessent presser

Failure of Canada talks risks higher prices

The breakdown of US-Canada trade talks leaves Republicans in a tougher spot heading into the midterm elections, as voters remain laser-focused on the cost of living. US tariffs hitting $20 billion in Canadian imports took effect Saturday after Canada rejected a US offer to avert the 50% levies. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney vowed to retaliate with tariffs on $20 billion in US products on Sept. 8. The developments will lead to higher prices for businesses and consumers in both countries — and potentially empty shelves. “I expect a significant drop in a lot of these different import categories because importers simply can’t afford to bring them in,” one expert told The Washington Post. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who is in the throes of a difficult reelection battle, implored the Trump administration to “consider the negative impact tariffs would have on Maine businesses, communities, and families.”

Maine Dem Jackson goes positive with ad

Troy Jackson is taking the positive route as Republicans sink money into negative ads in Maine. In a new ad running statewide and shared first with Semafor, the Democratic Senate nominee appears alongside his mom, who talks about his upbringing by teenage parents. “We struggled a lot. He didn’t use that as an excuse. He used that as fuel to make things better for other people,” says his mom, Colleen McBreairty, in the ad, which is part of a seven-figure buy. Jackson faces negative ads from the Senate Leadership Fund and spots highlighting Collins’ accomplishments. Jackson’s latest ad lets his mom do the talking on that front: “Troy never talks about what he’s done,” she says. “If you need help, he’s gonna be there for you.” The new spot comes as Vice President JD Vance visits Maine today.

— Burgess Everett

Norman could add to Trump’s losing streak

South Carolina Republicans could nominate Rep. Ralph Norman tomorrow for Senate, denying Sen. Darline Graham six more years in the seat held by her late brother. Graham campaigned with Trump in Myrtle Beach on Friday, and promised to vote to Lindsey Graham’s right. “On illegal immigration, I’m tougher than he was,” she said. But Norman, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, has benefited from his opponent’s shaky performance in the special election runoff’s only debate. “She’ll get beaten by the Democrat,” Norman said at a Friday night town hall. “Y’all saw how she debates. The candidate that the Democratic Party has put up is smart.” Ten other Republicans endorsed by Trump have lost primaries, including his first choice for governor of South Carolina. Norman would be the first to have endorsed Nikki Haley, not Trump, in the 2024 primaries.

— David Weigel

Bessent to talk Iran amid debt scramble

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will hold a press conference this afternoon where he’s expected to reveal details of the Trump administration’s plan to impose an “economic D-Day” on Iran. The former hedge fund manager will likely also face questions about the next steps in his push to bring down borrowing costs by intervening in the bond market; the effort hit a roadblock last week when yields climbed within one day of him doubling buybacks of longer-dated bonds. Bessent attributed the spike to “misinformation” about the deficit; others saw it as proof that other factors — like the record-high US debt — may well be beyond the administration’s control. In a sign of officials’ growing concern, Bessent has said he and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought will soon announce “an increased focus on fiscal consolidation” that could involve state funding cuts. Vance called the debt plan “very discreet.”

— Eleanor Mueller

Trump’s FDA pick faces MAHA pushback

Trump’s nomination of Heidi Overton to lead the Food and Drug Administration spurred pushback from some Make America Healthy Again advocates, setting up a fight between the White House and part of the base that helped propel Trump to his second term. Turning Point USA’s Alex Clark, a leading online voice in the MAHA movement, recently called on her followers to oppose Overton’s nomination, in part accusing the key Trump aide of having ties to big pharmaceutical companies. Her comments prompted a back-and-forth with White House spokesman Kush Desai, who argued that Overton didn’t write a February glyphosate executive order signed by Trump but only “pushed as many MAHA-minded edits as possible” to it. Right-wing voice Laura Loomer also criticized Overton as “another DEI hire.” Not everyone within the MAHA movement opposes Overton, previewing an intra-movement debate ahead of her confirmation process.

— Shelby Talcott

More Americans are smoking pot

Marijuana use in the US is at a record high, while cigarette smoking sits at a record low, according to new polling from Gallup. Seventeen percent of American adults say they smoke marijuana, tied with the high notched in 2023. That’s a big shift from 2013, the year Gallup started polling the question, when just 7% said they used pot. A record 15% of US adults also say they use edibles. The polling reflects the growing acceptance of marijuana use, especially for medical reasons. Earlier this year, the Trump administration signed an order reclassifying medical marijuana as a less dangerous drug, changing the way it’s regulated. Two states will vote on ballot measures legalizing marijuana in the November midterms. Meanwhile, cigarette use has dwindled to just 11% of American adults, steadily declining from a high of 45% in 1954.

On Wednesday, September 16, Nicole Hockley, Co-Founder & CEO, Sandy Hook Promise, will join us for the Youth Wellbeing Forum: Building Resilient Generations. As young people are challenged by rising rates of loneliness, anxiety, and depression, we are bringing together experts across technology, healthcare, and policy to examine solutions that can build lasting resilience. Semafor editors will sit down with Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.); Rep. Kevin Kiley (I-Calif.); Jaymes Black, CEO, The Trevor Project; Dr. Jon Kole, Medical Director and Senior Director of Psychiatry, Headspace; and more to explore how to build lasting resilience for the next generation.

Washington, DC | September 16 | Request Invite

Blindspot: Voting and FDA

Stories that are being largely ignored by either left-leaning or right-leaning outlets, curated with help from our partners at Ground News.

What the Left isn’t reading: California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat and potential 2028 contender, endorsed the Trump Accounts program.

What the Right isn’t reading: The Daily Beast published aide Natalie Harp’s letters to President Trump. 

White House

• President Trump lashed out at Tucker Carlson, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga.
• Health experts warn that Trump’s weight poses a major health risk. — WaPo
• The existence of an underground White House bunker, built a decade ago, undercuts Trump’s argument that his ballroom will serve a military purpose. — WaPo

Congress

• House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries met with President Trump’s son-in-law and senior aide, Jared Kushner, “and discussed potential areas of common ground.” — NYT
• Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., acknowledged he’s considering a 2028 presidential run. — NBC

• House Speaker Mike Johnson wants to see the Grand Prix that snaked through DC yesterday turned into an annual event.

Outside the Beltway

• Former Sen. Nancy Kassebaum, R-Kansas, died at 94.
• Right-wing leaders in Latin America are endorsing their peers in other countries. — NYT
• Ranchers are unhappy about President Trump’s plan to lower beef prices.

Campaigns

• Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., said he’s “very confident” that Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., will win tomorrow’s primary runoff. — NBC
• Allies of Mike Rogers, the Republican nominee for Senate in Michigan, don’t want AIPAC to run ads supporting him. — Axios
• Someone stole $16,300 from the National Republican Congressional Committee. — NOTUS