News & Brews September 25, 2026
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Man shot at ’24 Butler assassination attempt dies
Jim Copenhaver, who sustained severe injuries following the 2024 Butler assassination attempt against President Trump, has died. Per a statement from Mr. Copenhaver’s family, “As a veteran, he proudly served our nation in the armed forces, and his love of country never wavered. James was a true American patriot who believed deeply in the freedoms and ideals upon which this nation was founded, and he embodied the very best traits of our great nation.” Copenhaver was one of two rally attendees injured in the attack, which also took the life of former fire chief Corey Comperatore. We extend our deepest sympathies to Mr. Copenhaver’s family.
The real political battle is in the states
Writing in RealClear Pennsylvania, our president and CEO Matt Brouillette exposes how national donors on the Left have embarked on a decade-plus strategy to take control of state governments, recognizing that “everything [they] care about starts in the states.” Meanwhile, national donors on the Right are just now catching on—”about a decade behind.” Matt explains, “Democrats and their donors long ago learned the lesson that state government trifectas have power that far surpasses Washington. It’s a lesson Republicans are finally learning — they can only hope it’s not too late.”
Here’s what some new Pa.
Some new polling released yesterday by State Navigate is all the X buzz. The polls—of two competitive state Senate districts and four competitive state House districts in southeastern Pennsylvania, all of which Trump won and all of which are now held by Republicans—show the Democrat candidates leading in four of the races, the Republican leading in one, and one race tied. If the polling reflects what will happen on Election Day (and that’s always an “if”), Democrats are poised to flip four of these seats. This underscores the rather horrible political environment Republicans face this year—which needs no polling confirmation.
Surprises in Pa.?
If you’re a fan of prediction markets (which I still don’t understand, truth be told), you’ll like this interview by Eventual with RealClear Pennsylvania Editor Charles McElwee. While Republicans in general are expected to lose—and lose big—in the midterms, could there be some things that go against conventional wisdom? Watch the interview here.
AG Sunday’s Big Tech focus
Spotlight PA reports, “Nearly two years into his first term as Pennsylvania’s chief law enforcement officer, a central project of Dave Sunday’s tenure is emerging: trying to rein in social media companies’ influence on children.” To this end, Sunday recently told the media outlet that “his office is in the process of forming a proposal that would change the state’s consumer protection law, a versatile statute first adopted in the late 1960s that forms the basis of his social media litigation. He’ll likely pitch those changes to the General Assembly, he said….”
