is this how you talk to your spouse?

When GAVIN NEWSOM was a child and aspiring magician, he bestowed upon himself a stage name befitting of his dreams: The Great Gavini.

And indeed, throughout the career, he has shown a remarkable aptitude for pulling rabbits out of hats.

On Monday, Newsom – borrowing the successful playbook of former Fed Chair Jerome Powell – released a direct-to-camera video prophylactically alerting the public that he and his wife are being investigated by Trump’s Justice Department.

Unlike Mr. Powell – a spotlight-averse technocrat who looked ill over his involuntary casting as a star Trump antagonist – the telegenic governor made clear he was proud to join the president’s “hit list,” and followed up with a quick fundraising email. 

Newsom also made a noteworthy disclosure, albeit one you surely already clocked: “He’s coming after me because I am considering running for president.”

Many things can be true at once, such as:

But personally, my favorite part of the Newsom video was this turn near the end: 

That is… not really how you say something to your wife?? I talk to my wife every day, and never via short-form social video! Maybe I’ll try it next time I need to apologize:

But I digress. In truth, front-running this news – and demanding records from Trump’s DOJ – was clearly the right play, given the circumstances. Only time will tell exactly how this all plays out for Newsom; much is still unknown about the probe(s).

For now, it’s working quite nicely. Top Dems like JB PRITZKER & RO KHANNA rushed to his defense. Even a Republican Assemblyman in CA acknowledged, “This is a Gavin Newsom political master class, per usual.”

Ladies and gentlemen… The Great Gavini!

On Monday, in his influential Politico column, Jonathan Martin made a compelling case that one of Georgia’s two Senators – be it RAPHAEL WARNOCK or JON OSSOFF – will find their way onto the Democratic ticket in 2028.

Ossoff & Warnock share many key qualities beside their home state: Both are able to transcend the gaps between the bleeding-heart left & the pragmatic center. Both speak with moral clarity and conviction, painting a hopeful vision for America even as they rail against corruption and the failed status quo. Both have won tough races by building diverse coalitions (though the Ebenezer Baptist pastor seems uniquely suited to win the affection of Black voters in neighboring SC & beyond). 

And yesterday was a big day for both Senators. 

For Warnock, Tuesday marked the release of his new book, The Crooked Places Made Straight: Reflections on the Moral Meaning of America. For Ossoff – after a long and internecine GOP battle – he landed an ideal foil as his GA-Sen opponent: scandal-tainted, ultra-MAGA nepo congressman, Mike Collins. He also landed a hilariously bad Trump nickname: Os(jerk!)off. Nicely done, sir.

It’s no guarantee in a still-reddish state, but given the national atmospherics, Collins is eminently landslide-able. While I truly believe Ossoff has no desire to run for president in 2028, if he cruises to an ~8-point win in GA, the entire party may be begging him to reconsider.

But Warnock is the one doing the things you’d do if you were considering a presidential bid – and arguably, the one with the better opening. After maintaining a low profile and a relentlessly parochial focus on issues impacting Georgians for his first 5 years in the Senate, the Rev is sermonizing new audiences. 

There’s the book – a mainstay of the pre-presidential ramp-up. And the book launch, which provides a predicate for the recent media tour: NYT’s The Interview, Tim Miller, the Daily Show, CBS, NPR, Bloomberg, etc. But keynoting the NV Dems convention ain’t a book promo – nor is being the special guest at the Chair's Reception for VIPs who determine the early state calendar…

I’ve heaped plenty of praise on the ultra-clippable Jon Ossoff and his scarcity theory of attentional politics. But don’t sleep on Georgia’s less viral Senator. And if you think Ossoff has oratory game, wait ‘til you hear Warnock preach.