The Fog of War and Cabinet Disarray – “The Sunday Political Brunch" - April 26, 2026

There have been mixed signals all week on whether the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran might end soon. And there is more upheaval in the White House and in some key political races. Let’s “brunch” on that and more this week.

“Mideast Latest” – Technically, there are two ongoing ceasefires in the Middle East, but you could hardly tell. An Iranian military vessel fired upon a British tanker, and a U.S. warship has now detained the Iranian ship. And Israel says it fired missiles into Southern Lebanon, attempting to kill militants. This is despite a 10-day ceasefire between the two countries. All this is playing out as Pakistan is planning to host a new round of talks between the U.S. and Iran on Saturday, spearheaded by envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. But at the last minute the Iranian Foreign Minister walked out, before the U.S. delegation even got on the plane. Late Thursday, Israel and Lebanon announced they would extend their tenuous ceasefire by another three weeks.

“Election Fallout?” – With just over six months until Election Day, a new poll is not good for President Donald Trump and his fellow Republicans. The Associated Press-NORC poll indicates that only 30 percent of respondents approve of Trump’s handling of the economy. That’s down from 38 percent approval last month. Even 60 percent of Republicans under age 45 disapprove of how he’s handling the economy. The poll was taken the same week the Strait of Hormuz was reopened and then closed again by Iran, which is affecting oil prices. Voters paying higher gas and grocery bills in an election year is risky. This is especially true given that Democrats need only a net gain of five seats to take control of the U.S. House and a net gain of four seats to win control of the U.S. Senate. By mid-week, Trump had extended the ceasefire with Iran indefinitely, triggering another surge of more than 600 points in the Dow Jones Industrial Average. But Trump also said Thursday the U.S. would fire upon any Iranian vessels laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, and the Dow lost about half of its gains.

“Kash Patel Sues Over ‘Drunk Reports’” – FBI director Kash Patel is suing “The Atlantic” over an article about him that alleges heavy drinking. Patel is seeking $250 million from the publication and reporter Sarah Fitzgerald. Among other things, the report said Patel is drunk on the job, at White House functions, and that Patel’s security detail has trouble waking him due to intoxication. In a statement, Patel said, "The Atlantic's story is a lie." His lawsuit further says, "Defendants are of course free to criticize the leadership of the FBI, but they crossed the legal line by publishing an article replete with false and obviously fabricated allegations designed to destroy Director Patel's reputation and drive him from office." But the Atlantic says it used nine unnamed sources, and they are current or former Patel colleagues. In a statement on X, The Atlantic said, "We stand by our reporting on Kash Patel, and we will vigorously defend The Atlantic and our journalists against this meritless lawsuit."

“Another Cabinet Secretary Gone” – For the third time in recent weeks, another Trump cabinet member has been ousted, Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer. She had been under fire for accusations of abuse of power, having an affair with a subordinate, and drinking alcohol on the job. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung issued a statement on X, saying, “Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer will be leaving the Administration to take a position in the private sector.” He added, “She has done a phenomenal job in her role by protecting American workers, enacting fair labor practices, and helping Americans gain additional skills to improve their lives.” Cavez-DeRemer issued her own statement saying, “The allegations against me, my family, and my team have been peddled by high-ranked deep state actors who have been coordinating with the one-sided news media and continue to undermine President Trump’s mission.” Losing three cabinet members in such a short span is not a good look for Team Trump. And there are reports that the Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, may soon be dismissed.

“Bill Cassidy and the ‘Trump-Dance Kid’” – As Republicans struggle to keep control of the U.S. Senate, intra-party infighting in one race may be risky. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R) Louisiana is seeking a third term. As a medical doctor by trade, he is Chairman of the Senate Health Committee. But he earned the ire of President Trump when Cassidy voted to convict Trump in his impeachment after the January 6, 2021, Capitol riots. Cassidy also grilled Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during Kennedy’s confirmation hearing. Trump was outraged by both actions, so he sought out and endorsed Rep. Julia Letlow (R) to challenge Sen. Cassidy in his May 16th primary. A third candidate, State Treasurer John Fleming, is also in the race. A recent poll showed 29 percent for Letlow, 24 percent for Fleming, and 20 percent backing Cassidy. 27 percent are undecided. Also, the winner must receive more than 50 percent of the vote; otherwise, a runoff on June 27 will be held between the top two vote-getters. A fractured Republican Party could give Democrats a chance to win this seat in November.

“The Fetterman Flap” – There is also turmoil over another U.S. Senate seat. Sen. John Fetterman (D) Pennsylvania, is easily the most moderate-to-conservative member of his caucus. He has voted with Republicans on key legislation and has supported President Trump on several initiatives, including the war against Iran. While he is not up for reelection until 2028, there is already chatter about whether he’ll run again. Three Pennsylvania Democrats in the U.S. House have expressed interest in running for the seat, whether Fetterman runs or not. Aside from voting with Republicans, Fetterman has had serious health issues, including a stroke, and there are concerns he won’t be up for the race. There is also talk of him switching to the Republican Party, which he is trying to quell. In the past, Fetterman has said, "I'm not going to switch. I'm just going to be an independent voice in the Democratic Party. I'm not going to be afraid of people.”

“Another House Resignation” – For the third time in less than two weeks, an embattled member of the U.S. House has resigned. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D) Florida, is accused of funneling millions of COVID relief dollars into her family’s health care business and also her campaign account. The House Ethics Committee was set to vote on expelling her on Tuesday, but she resigned before the meeting began. She denies the allegations and said in a statement, “But let me say this plainly: we should be very careful about the precedent we are setting in this country; we do not punish people before due process is complete.” She added, “We do not allow allegations alone to override the will of the people.” She still faces a federal criminal trial in February.

“Virginia Redistricting Vote” – It was a very close vote, but in the end, voters in Virginia approved a plan to redraw the state’s Congressional districts. The new map could give Democrats as many as four new seats. That would be nearly enough to seize control of the U.S. House of Representatives. Republicans may rue the day they started this mess when they redrew the Texas map in an effort to capture six seats from Democrats. In California, Democrats responded with a new map that may boost their majority by five seats. Ohio is another state where districts may get redrawn. Normally, Congressional maps are only redrawn in years ending in zero, after the new census is taken. Now that we have had votes in 2025 and 2026, the whole system is in chaos. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in December 2025 that off-year redistricting was allowable in Texas, effectively giving the green light to other states.

“Another Supreme Court Gay Rights Case” – Over the years, the U.S. Supreme Court has had to make significant rulings on LGBTQ+ issues, including the affirmation of the right to same gender marriage. Now comes an interesting case. The State of Colorado provides financial assistance for families with children in universal pre-kindergarten, known as UPK. Public and private schools qualify for the financial aid, with one exception. Schools operated by the Catholic church are not eligible because of the church’s stance on LGBTQ+ issues, including marriage. The Archdiocese of Denver and two Catholic pre-schools are suing, claiming discrimination. The U.S. District Court in Denver and the U.S. Court of Appeals in Colorado sided with the LGBTQ+ community. But a 6-3 conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court may think otherwise. This will be fascinating to watch.

Mark Curtis, Ed.D., is a South Florida-based political writer and analyst who has covered news and politics nationwide for the past 49 years. He is a multiple award winner, including two prestigious Edward R. Murrow Awards. Most recently, he served as the Chief Political Reporter for the seven Nexstar Media TV stations, covering West Virginia and its five neighboring states, as well as the Washington, DC media market. Curtis is a former Congressional Fellow who worked in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate. Over the years, he has been a contributing writer and analyst at Patch.com and other outlets. His commentary and analysis can be heard weekly at 1:45 p.m. ET on Friday, on the 22-station West Virginia Metro News Radio Network. www.WVMetroNews.com.

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