Afternoon Sun: It’s the War, Stupid

Good afternoon. This is the Afternoon Sun newsletter for Nov. 4, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!

THE LATEST

President Donald Trump gathered the press this afternoon to talk not about Republicans’ historic midterm losses but instead the marble he’s sourcing for the White House ballroom.

In response to questions, he acknowledged a lengthy post from JD Vance that blamed the war in Iran for Republicans’ coast-to-coast drubbing (Vance didn’t sound very supportive of the war effort).

• The New York Post declared the diatribe Vance’s “Hillbilly Eulogy.” The Washington Sun’s Igor Bobic reports that Republican lawmakers and commentators are downgrading Vance’s 2028 odds after yesterday’s shellacking.

• It’s still early, but Marco Rubio and Ron DeSantis appear poised to gain the most from this new leadership vacuum, Igor reports.

The great GOP shakeup is here. As Democrats’ blue wave crashes into Washington, new Republican leaders are finding their footing in its wake. Mike Johnson will step down as party leader, but outgoing Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan and Majority Leader Steve Scalise have already thrown their hats into the ring to replace him.

• Trump said today that he would “stay out of” the race.

THE ADMINISTRATION

Who’s in? Attention is turning to who will rise in Trump’s administration after last night’s bruising. One name keeps surfacing: Sergio Gor, the U.S. ambassador to India.

Who’s out? Trump is asking advisers whether he should get rid of Pete Hegseth, CBS News reported.

THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

As for pending results, we’re still waiting on Senate and gubernatorial counts out of Alaska, as well as the incredibly tight Mississippi Senate race. Results from both could take days to finalize.

• Chuck Schumer has deployed DSCC officials to Mississippi to make sure every vote is counted.

THE HILL

Jockeying has begun for more positions of power inside Congress:

• Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas) has launched a bid for House minority whip.

• Freshman Rep. Brian Jack (R-Georgia) says he’s ready to pick up the NRCC mantle after the shocking defeat of Rep. Richard Hudson (R-North Carolina).

• Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Michigan) announced she will run for reelection as House Republican Conference chair.

Democrats also aren’t waiting to put themselves in line for top party posts. Hakeem Jeffries made it official: he’s running for speaker. And Schumer appeared bullish about being reelected the top Senate Democrat, despite facing his own impending intra-party wave of candidates who vowed not to support him.

• “The issue is not me,” he told reporters today. “I’ll be reelected as majority leader.”

Republicans’ reconciliation dreams have not yet been dashed, MS NOW reports. GOP lawmakers are exploring a last-ditch, catch-all legislative package that could include billions in Iran war funding, new voting laws, raising the debt ceiling and even hemp policies before Democrats take control in January.

THE STATES

Georgia’s congressional maps are here to stay. Gov. Brian Kemp rebuffed calls from fellow Republicans to hold a special, lame-duck session to redraw the maps.

ONE…

Thank you for reading! Today’s newsletter was produced by Kelly Poe and Erik Schutz. If you liked it, please forward it to a friend. If someone shared it with you, please sign up — it’s free! Got a tip or comments to share? Email us at newsletters@washsun.com.