In Focus delivers deeper coverage of the political, cultural, and ideological issues shaping America. Published daily by senior writers and experts, these in-depth pieces go beyond the headlines to give readers the full picture. You can find our full list of In Focus pieces here.Being above 50% approval is a helluva accomplishment in today’s toxic political environment. For context, President Donald Trump is currently at 41.8% in the RealClearPolitics average, which is about even with Barack Obama’s 42.2% at this stage of his second term and 4 points higher than George W. Bush’s 37.8%. As for Democratic Party leaders, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is at a dismal 24.7% approval, while House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries sits at 26.7%. But two prospects for president in 2028, Gov. Josh Shapiro and Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA), are currently viewed favorably in their purple state homes of Pennsylvania and Georgia, respectively.
Shapiro currently boasts a 56% approval rating in a state Trump won twice and narrowly lost once. Down south, Ossoff has a 5.5% lead over Republican Mike Collins in the RCP average of that Senate race in a state also won by Trump twice and narrowly lost once. Winning key swing states is the ballgame in presidential elections. And having a Shapiro-Ossoff ticket, or Ossoff-Shapiro ticket, would certainly help capture two very big prizes in gaining 270 electoral votes.But the problem, of course, is that both men are Jewish. And in a world where more and more Democrats are embracing anti-Israel, antisemitic candidates, it’s hard to see how Shapiro and Ossoff can emerge from the primaries, where the far-left has all the money, momentum, and organization. Today’s Democratic platform is to turn Israel, our staunchest ally, into the enemy. The most recent and despicable example of this new war on Israel from the Left comes via a House vote to strip the country of all offensive and defensive funding from the United States. The defensive part is particularly egregious since that would include the Iron Dome, a highly effective missile defense system that has saved countless civilian lives and perhaps prevented Israel from being wiped off the map entirely. “Israel is a first-world country, and it can pay for the defensive systems it needs,” Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) argued while repeatedly accusing Israel of committing “genocide.” “We should not be subsidizing them, especially given their egregious violations of human rights law.”Overall, more than 100 Democrats joined Khanna, a 2028 presidential hopeful, in voting against funding the Iron Dome. Khanna is the same lawmaker who staunchly supported Graham Platner, whom Khanna stood by until a rape allegation by an ex-girlfriend made it politically impossible to do so.Khanna is also the same guy who has appeared on Hasan Piker’s show, another profound antisemitic radical socialist who has said that he believes Hamas is “1,000 times better” than Israel and that the U.S. “deserved 9/11.”“I would go [on Piker’s] show” again, proclaimed Khanna, despite this kind of antisemitism, with the California lawmaker arguing that it’s important to try to reach new kinds of voters, including those who are fans of Piker for one big obvious reason. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) also backed Platner and, on Monday, released a video on X enthusiastically endorsing Abdul el Sayed in Michigan, who recently campaigned with Piker. And just last month, a former staffer of el Sayed was indicted for allegedly conspiring to “terrorize” leaders at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor into severing all ties with Israel. El Sayed has called Bibi Netanyahu a war criminal and has also called for defunding the police. But no matter: It’s all about regaining the Senate, even if it means sacrificing all integrity, which Warren did long ago.Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) greets members of the crowd after speaking at a Clinton County Democratic Party event at the Avenue 209 coffee shop, April 11, 2026, in Lock Haven, Pa. (AP Photo/Marc Levy)
