Leland Vittert’s War Notes: As Predicted🧐

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NewsNation Chief Washington Anchor and On Balance host Leland Vittert was a foreign correspondent for four years in Jerusalem. He gives you an early look at tonight's 9 p.m. ET show, delivered straight to your inbox.

Democrats Losing Shutdown 🤷🏼‍♂️

🚨The political crisis going on in Washington is about to turn into a food crisis across America.

Wow📈: The search for "food banks" on Google rose by 400% this week — up eight times more than right before the shutdown.

‼️The government shutdown is about to leave 42 million Americans who rely on food stamps with no access to food.

🤦🏼‍♂️The closer we get to Thanksgiving, the worse it will get for the Democrats.
- 🛒SNAP benefits are expected to run out.
- ✈️Holiday travel is going to be a mess.
  - 🤷🏼‍♂️Then, Democrats will have to explain why it's worth keeping the government closed and risking millions of Americans going hungry.
🗣️The leader of the largest federal workers union called for Democrats to open the government.
- 🎤"No half measures, and no gamesmanship," @AFGENational posted to X.
  - ‼️There's a problem when you lose the support of nearly 800,000 federal workers.
Watch this📺: "Republican Governor vs. Democratic Governor on SNAP benefits."
- ‼️Just listen to the difference in responses from Republican and Democrat governors —
  - 🎤"The State of Virginia is going to step in and cover the benefits for a while. We have the financial resources to do it for a while," says Governor Glenn Youngkin, R-Va.
  - 🎤"We will continue to do everything in our power to ensure the federal government follows the law and provides funding for the critical services that our families, our children and our veterans rely on," says Governor Wes Moore, D-Md.

🛑Republicans are going on the offensive with press conferences highlighting the continued problems and forcing Democrats to vote on reopening the government.

🗣️Democrats can keep messaging that they are saving health care — that is worth a cause … but food pantry lines are today's problem.

Watch tonight📺: Congressman Brad Schneider, D-Ill., on how much longer his party wants to "fight Trump."

Democrats' Crossroads🔀

👀One week from today, we will know what the future of the Democratic Party looks like.

🗣️Democrats have been telling us they are the "big tent" party.

🏆If socialist Zohran Mamdani wins in New York
🏆And alleged moderates Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill win
- 🎉Democrats can celebrate being the "big tent" party, and Republicans should be worried about 2026.
🌎If one pole of that tent falls, the political world changes.

Look back🔙: Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin's victory four years ago in Virginia set the table for Trump's 2024 win.

🎙️Youngkin won on talking about boys in girls sports.
- 🎥Trump's final ad was about boys in girls sports.

‼️One week from tonight, we see where the country is heading.

Watch tonight📺: Marc Short and Nina Turner on the fork in the road for Democrats.

What's the Mission Here?

‼️It seems there's about to be two wars going on —

🛶The war against the drug runners
- 💣 The U.S. just hit four drug boats in the Pacific — a long way from Venezuela.
💣And then you've got enough American military hardware in the Caribbean to carpet bomb Caracas.
- 🤷🏼‍♂️So what's the mission here?
- 🤦🏼Does Congress even understand what's going on?

‼️Let's assume taking out narco terrorists in the high seas is legal — is it going to be legal if Trump invades Venezuela?

Watch tonight📺: Senator Mike Rounds, R-S.D., on the White House refusing to say what the mission really is.

WATCH ON BALANCE WEEKNIGHTS AT 9P/8C

Every night during On Balance, Leland Vittert asks "why?" about the most pressing matters of the day, with an intellectual, balanced and sometimes irreverent take on the news.

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