Hey everyone this is left right and center I am David Green you know we talk about the

stakes in this presidential election this fall well I think we should say the

stakes are pretty damn high in Congress as well we We have 33 Senate seats up for grabs in the Senate in

November and of course every seat in the House. Republicans are holding that

tight majority in the House. Democrats have their slim majority in the Senate, but you know all of that could change and whether

Congress is in lockstep with a President Biden in a second term or a President Trump in a second term or whether Congress is

challenging the White House agenda at every step I you know that could shape our

country's politics in a huge way in the next four years. One of the most fascinating

dynamics I think this fall is that candidates

running for House and Senate seats from either party don't exactly have a

presidential candidate who's easy to rally around. In election years past some of those in tight races

might be looking to help you know whip up enthusiasm around their party's

presidential nominee to drive voter turnout and help them get over the line, but not much seems to be

normal about where we find ourselves in 2024. For Republicans, Donald Trump's

popularity within the party doesn't seem to extend to the candidates that he supports and there are concerns

that his campaign message focusing on things like absolving participants in the January 6

riots and reshaping executive control, not exactly motivating factors.

I think about hearing South Dakota Republican Senator John Thune, who is hoping to succeed

Mitch McConnell's Republican leader.

He was asked recently on PBS News Hour

why he is endorsing Trump after he criticized him

for his involvement in the January 6th insurrection.

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