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As the crucial midterm elections approach, a new Gallup poll revealed that more Americans now identify as Democrats than at any point since 2009.

The quarterly poll showed that 50% of those polled said they are Democrats or “lean more” toward the Democratic Party, while 39% said the same about the Republican Party — the highest margin for the Democrats since the first quarter of 2009.

Gallup based the poll on telephone interviews with “random samples” of “3,000 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.” The margin of sampling error was ±2 percentage points at the 95% confidence level, Gallup reported.

That could be bad news for Republicans, who are desperate to keep control of Congress when Americans head to the polls in November. President Donald Trump has even promised $5,000 to every adult if the GOP pulls out a victory.

But polling guru Nate Silver confirmed that’s not very likely.

“This is one of the more consistent elections that I’ve tried to forecast, in that sense that like, every indicator is bad for Republicans,” Silver said on a recent podcast. “Except maybe the outside money, that is the one thing they have going for them.”

In fact, Republicans showed no signs of closing in on the Democrats’ 9-percentage-point advantage — the party’s “largest lead yet in the race for Congress,” according to NBC News’s report on polling averages.

“The congressional average, which stands at 52% to 43% after adjusting to a likely voter scale, measures whether Americans prefer a Congress controlled by Democrats or Republicans before things like individual races and candidates come into play,” the report said.

The outlet explained why examining polling averages gives a more accurate picture of the situation:

Individual polls can bounce around, but an average gives a broad sense of where surveys are trending, and it controls for outliers, which is one reason NBC News released our averages now. At a time when a flurry of polling is released, such as in the homestretch of an election cycle, averages can be valuable tools for tracking what’s happening in the election and diving deeper into how Republicans, Democrats and independents view Trump and the battle for Congress.

Republicans have been trying to frame the midterms as a battle against socialism and communism, since seven congressional candidates are backed by the Democratic Socialists of America. Other candidates, like progressive Abdul El-Sayed (D), who’s running for Senate in Michigan, do not identify as democratic socialists but have been painted as such by Republicans.

Despite the dire predictions for the GOP, Trump predicted at an Ohio rally last week, “They’re in for a big surprise. It’s very simple: You gotta get out and vote. You gotta get out. You gotta vote for these guys,” Trump urged. “If you do that, we’re gonna win and we’re gonna win big.”

“And we’re gonna shove it up their a**, okay?” Trump added.

The post New Poll: More Americans Now Identify as Democrats Than at Any Point Since 2009 first appeared on Mediaite.

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) ratcheted up his feud with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday morning by accusing him of firing military members for racist and sexist reasons.

The progressive lawmaker made the inflammatory accusation during an interview on Face the Nation. Host Margaret Brennan mentioned Hegseth is planning to cut the number of generals and admirals by 20%, before asking if Kelly had any “insight” into who he would fired or if Democrats can “stop it,” if they retake control of Congress after the midterm elections.

“Well, he often fires people because of the color of their skin or because they’re women,” Kelly said.

“He would deny that,” Brennan said.

“Of course he would deny that. I think anybody would deny that,” Kelly continued. “But it’s pretty obvious, when you have a list of seven people who don’t promote from one star to two star and five of ’em are either Black or women, it’s pretty obvious.”

Kelly went on, saying Hegseth has shown a “pattern” of targeting troops based on their race and gender. He pointed to CQ Brown, a Black Air Force General and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, getting fired soon after President Donald Trump returned to the White House as a prime example.

His claims about Hegseth come as the defense secretary has been focused on weeding out DEI initiatives from the military. Hegseth reiterated his plan during a speech last week, saying the Pentagon was no longer the “woke department.” 

“Simple translation of that — no fatties, no trannies, no beardos, no weirdos, no wimps, no radicals. Just warriors. Just tough, ready, committed troops,” Hegseth continued. “The War Department, as you know, is color-blind, gender-neutral, and merit-based.”

He added, “Or, as the president says to me, “Pete, central casting. I want central casting.” The ideological clowns are out. The patriotic cowboys are in, with testosterone testing on top.”

Watch above via CBS.

The post Mark Kelly Accuses Pete Hegseth of Firing People for Racist and Sexist Reasons first appeared on Mediaite.

AP Photo/Ronda Churchill

Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is demanding a retraction from The New York Times over a report that a “windfall” contract for a political donor which was approved by DHS on her last day as its leader.

According to the report, as Noem was preparing to leave DHS, the agency bought five airplanes from the donor’s firm, Daedalus Aviation Corporation, for an astronomical markup. The Times reported Daedalus chairman William Walters donated $10,000 to Noem’s political action committee American Resolve in 2024. They noted that according to the company, “Mr. Walters did not know the group was associated with Ms. Noem at the time,” but an archived look at its homepage shows it solely promoting Noem.

“The Department of Homeland Security agreed to pay the donor’s firm $108 million for a Boeing 737 airliner that had been converted into a massive private jet, complete with a stand-up bar, two bedrooms, marble showers and a table covered in manta ray skin,” the report said, adding that the firm had bought the plane just months earlier for less than $90 million.

In addition, DHS bought two Gulfstream luxury jets and two Boeing 737 passenger planes, all at a hefty markup.

The report said that Noem, who is now a special envoy at the State Department, “declined to answer specific questions about the sale or the prices that her agency had paid.”

But after the fact, Noem raged about the article on X — calling the reporting, “factually incorrect” and “libelous.”

“I write to formally request the retraction entirely or explicit correction of the article titled ‘Kristi Noem’s Agency Gave Her Donor a Lucrative Contract Just Before She Left,'” Noem wrote.

She continued:

The article’s characterization of the individual as a “donor” (confirmed not to be the case) is materially misleading and, as unsupported by the factual record, conveys a false implication of a direct financial relationship obviously intended to influence official action.

Accuracy is fundamental to responsible journalism. If the individual did not personally make political contributions to Secretary Noem, or if the term ‘donor’ instead refers indirectly to unrelated entities or legally distinct contributions, the article simply fails to meet the standards of precision expected of The New York Times.

Numerous times clarifications were made to the journalists responsible for this libelous story. Such wording unfairly prejudices readers and creates an inference of impropriety that is not supported by the underlying facts.

Notably, Noem’s response did not challenge any of the reporting on the contract itself.

Noem was fired from her DHS position in March over controversies involving immigration tactics, as well as “questions about her agency’s awarding of contracts,” the report said. More than $900 million of those contracts went to companies led by Walters.

Noem’s successor, Markwayne Mullin, “explored backing out” of the airplane deal and consulted with White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, “who shared his concerns about the possible financial ramifications,” the report said. Despite any reservations, the purchase went ahead as planned.

——

The post Kristi Noem Seethes After NY Times Exposé on a Plum Contract DHS Gave to a Political Donor on Her Last Day as Secretary first appeared on Mediaite.

Comedian and filmmaker Chris Rock drew what he called a “half a joke” comparison between “wokeness” and the Salem witch trials, arguing both went too far in hunting for offenders.

Rock appeared on Saturday’s edition of The Interview — a David Marchese-hosted New York Times podcast.

While discussing Rock’s upcoming film, Misty Green, Marchese asked the director about the theme of forgiveness.

Describing a “nameless” and “canceled” friend of his, Rock recalled, “Another friend of mine was like, ‘How can you be friends with that person?’ I was like, ‘If you’re only friends with your friends when they’re good, they’re not your friends.'”

Emphasizing that while that line of thinking “doesn’t mean condoning abusive behavior,” Rock launched into his hot take.

“The problem with ‘wokeness’ — and don’t get me wrong, it is great that marginalized people have a voice; it is great to advocate for anybody that feels marginalized — but the problem is we’re in the Old Testament right now,” he explained. “The Old Testament has no forgiveness. The Old Testament didn’t work, so they had to write a remix called the New Testament.”

After Marchese noted that some say the “Woke 1.0 era, which refers to the immediate post-George Floyd era, was ‘crazy,'” Rock elaborated:

Again, it’s great to help those that need help. We need more of that. The problem is when you institutionalize it. That’s the problem.

So, my half a joke — the Salem Witch Hunts. I’m sure the first three witches they caught were actually f*cking witches. But then you open up a witch office, and now you gotta start lying. Now, you gotta f*cking make sh*t up ’cause you got overhead.

He added, though, that he’s “glad that all of this stuff happened” because “it needed to happen.”

Earlier this month, Rock disclosed that while he’s no “fan” of President Donald Trump, “It’s weird when somebody gets one thing right, and the one thing almost clears them of all their other sins. The news is fake. He got that right.”

Watch above via New York Times.

The post Chris Rock Compares ‘Wokeness’ to Salem Witch Trials: ‘Half a Joke’ first appeared on Mediaite.

(Photos via: AP Photo/Jeremias Gonzalez and @TRadabaugh on X)

Say what you want about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth… the guy has a pretty smooth jump shot.

The video evidence is clear after Hegseth was captured putting on a Stephen Curry-like performance from downtown on Saturday, with the defense secretary nailing nine out of 10 three-pointers in an X clip posted by senior adviser Tami Radabaugh.

Her post showed Hegseth bombing away from the top of the arc inside the Air Force Arena in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Hegseth started off by hitting his first shot, before his second one rimmed out.

“Ahhh,” Hegseth groaned.

But he then got into “the zone.” Hegseth nailed his next eight shots — with most of them swishing through the nylon — while sporting a white Air Force shirt, blue shorts, and what appeared to be a grey-ish pair of low-top Under Armour shoes.

Hegseth’s long-range bombardment ended with him swishing the final shot home, turning around, and walking away with his right index finger held triumphantly towards the sky; any self-respecting NBA fan would recognize it was a clear homage to Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird’s iconic celebration in the 1988 Three Point Contest.

“I hope you got that on tape,” Hegseth quipped as he strutted away.

His shooting performance was especially impressive when you remember how had it went for then-President Barack Obama back in 2013. During an Easter event, Obama only hit 2 out of 22 shots while shooting around with some kids, with ABC News reporting it was a “series of painful misses and air balls.”

A series of painful misses and air balls.

Hegseth’s hooping coincided with him going to Colorado to speak to about 3,500 cadets and make the honorary coin toss before the Air Force-Navy football game.

It also comes a few days after Hegseth went on a blistering rant against the mainstream media, declaring it was littered with anti-American “haters” who peddle “fake news” about the military.

Hegseth — while delivering his State of the Force address at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia — said reporters chase negative stories because they are addicted to seeing their headlines plastered across cable news. He also claimed most journalists crave dirt because they loathe President Donald Trump more than they love the country — a blinding hatred he said puts America’s soldiers in danger.

“Our so-called press makes Iranian state media look reasonable,” Hegseth said. “Our media’s shameful lust for political retribution blinds them to the consequences of reckless, so-called reporting. So-called journalists, juiced up on Trump Derangement Syndrome, think fighting against our president, but they’re really undermining you.”

He also announced there were “no fatties” left in the Defense Department.

On a lighter note, watch his shooting video above.

The post Pete Hegseth Goes on a Steph Curry-Like 3 Point Barrage in Remarkably Athletic Video first appeared on Mediaite.

Fox News political analyst Lisa Boothe dished she isn’t the “biggest fan” of Caitlin Clark because the WNBA star tries to act like she’s apolitical… but will still occasionally reveal her true left-leaning nature.

Boothe said she won’t be buying Clark’s Indiana Fever jersey anytime soon during a Friday segment on Outnumbered, in which the panel talked about Clark’s new Nike signature sneaker selling like hot cakes. It is one of the few things going well for Nike right now, after the company reported a brutal earnings report on Thursday and has seen its stock price crater 80% in the past five years.

“The reason why I’m not the biggest Caitlin Clark fan is she’s sort of soft-woke,” Boothe said. “She liked a post from Taylor Swift endorsing Kamala Harris, she’s made comments about white privilege to reporters… either don’t take a lane at all, or take a lane. So I don’t really actually respect her.”

Boothe added, “If you’re trying to appeal to conservatives, go with Sophie Cunningham.”

She was referring to Clark’s Fever teammate, who has become a MAGA darling in recent months after telling ESPN she did not support men who have transitioned playing against women athletes. Some left-leaning fans and colleagues have criticized Cunningham for it, including one coach who took a not-so-subtle shot at Cunningham by wearing a shirt declaring “Trans Kids Belong.” Cunningham has seemingly shrugged off the criticism and went about having fun, like when she jumped on a bar top and started belting a country tune in August.

As for Nike, the company’s latest earnings report showed revenue was down 4% to $11.2 billion, and its sales in China dropped 26% year-over-year. And perhaps most concerning for investors, Nike projected revenue will continue to dip heading into 2027.

Earlier on Friday, Fox and Friends co-host Lawrence Jones offered the company a simple solution: “Maybe they should just start loving America again.”

That came right after co-host Brian Kilmeade pointed out critics have said Nike’s demise is due largely to the “woke stunts” the company has pulled over the last decade. Critics have said those moves include making Colin Kaepernick a prominent pitchman, canceling production of a “Betsy Ross Flag” shoe in 2019, and partnering with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney.

Watch above.

The post Fox Host Says She Doesn’t Respect ‘Soft Woke’ Caitlin Clark After She Liked a Taylor Swift Post and Talked About ‘White Privilege’ first appeared on Mediaite.

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When Apple releases a new watch, it’s not always worth upgrading. Last year’s Series 11 only had a few barely noticeable features to recommend it over the 10, and we said it’s probably one to skip if you’re happy with your current watch. But the Series 12 is different, and this one is worth the upgrade no matter which Apple Watch you’re coming from.

Apple Watch Series 12 (GPS, 42mm)

$399.00 at Amazon

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$399.00 at Amazon

One of the biggest reasons to upgrade is that the Series 12's new processor (called, confusingly, the S11 chip) can support some features older Apple Watches can't. That's why only the new models are getting step counts, for example; Apple chose to implement those in a way that only the new hardware can calculate. Whenever there's a break in software compatibility, it makes sense to get the newer model. I'd expect more features are coming in future years that will be back-compatible with the 12 but not earlier models.

The heart rate sensor is a big upgrade

Apple upgraded the hardware on the back of the watch that optically reads your heartbeats. (This new sensor is in both the Series 12 and the Ultra 4.) I’ve tested its accuracy, and found it’s substantially better than the sensors in previous Apple Watches like the Series 10 and 11. If you train by heart rate during workous, or if you use heart rate data after the fact to evaluate and plan your training, the upgrade is worth it.

Apple claims it provides the most accurate heart rate of any wearable. I tested that claim and can partially agree: It’s as good as Garmin’s top-of-the-line sensor. I wouldn’t say it’s better than Garmin’s, but the two are tied in my book for the best wrist-worn sensor. (Chest straps are better than any wrist-based system, of course.) 

Steps on the watch face are a nice plus

I wouldn’t buy a new Apple Watch just for the step count, but it’s a nice upgrade and one I deeply appreciate. I can add a step count complication to my watch face (I have it in a corner of the Modular face right now) and I have step count pinned to my Smart Stack. 

If you don’t upgrade, you use use a third-party step counter to provide a complication for your watch face. But it’s nice that Apple finally has this feature built in. Apple says its step counts are the most accurate; I’ll be testing that claim soon.

Readiness and recovery HRV are another nice extra

The Apple Watch was always capable of measuring HRV, but until the Series 12 (and Ultra 4), it didn’t use the RMSSD version, which is most useful for gauging how stressed or recovered you are. (Instead, it used the SDNN version that can provide some information about cardiac health; the newer Apple Watches can do both.)

This means you can now get an overnight HRV reading that matches the kind of data you can get from the Oura ring or Whoop. I find HRV useful in monitoring how stressed or fatigued I am, so if you already wear an Apple Watch, it’s nice to be able to get that data from the watch instead of needing a second device. Apple has added a readiness score that uses HRV to tell you how “ready” you are for the day. 

What I’m less excited about in the Series 12

Besides the features above, Apple has announced a few things that it’s using as selling points for the Series 12, but I wouldn’t put too much weight on these. Some are software features, like a small upgrade to Workout Buddy and a big upgrade to the Health app on the phone; you don’t need a new watch for these. Others are actually tied to the watch, but they wouldn’t be a reason to upgrade, at least for me personally. They include: 

Siri AI

There’s a new AI-based version of Siri, and it’s available on the watch. It can do a few things better than the old Siri, like searching your messages and emails, but it seems to have gotten worse in some respects. I wrote about my experience trying Siri AI on the watch; I got plenty of delays and errors that negated any small benefit of the new algorithm. I suppose it will get better over time, but right now, it's not very good.

Rewind and recaps

Apple touted two features on the new watches that feel a little more creepy than useful to me: Live Rewind, which gives you a text transcription of whatever audio it heard in the last 15 seconds; and Siri Recaps, which summarize meetings. Despite Apple’s assurances about privacy, it’s still a feature that's always listening to you and to bystanders who didn’t consent to be rewound or recapped. This feature isn’t live yet on my watch, so I can’t comment on what it’s like to use—but I’m not exactly thrilled about the idea.