DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Democrat Josh Turek got an assist Wednesday from former President Barack Obama, who endorsed his bid to flip a Republican-held U.S. Senate seat in a video of the two shooting hoops.
The seat held by retiring two-term Sen. Joni Ernst is among the tough targeted races for Democrats navigating a narrow path to winning the Senate majority. Turek faces Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, who has been endorsed by President Donald Trump.
Trump won Iowa by double digits in the last presidential election, and it’s been more than a decade since a Democrat represented Iowa in the Senate. Still, Democrats think they have a fighting chance this cycle.
Turek, a state representative, played wheelchair basketball for the United States in four Paralympic Games. In the video, Turek and Obama play a game of I-O-W-A instead of horse.
“I know a little something about winning Iowa,” Obama says, a reference to his 2008 caucus victory that launched the little-known U.S. senator from Illinois to the Democratic presidential nomination. Obama also carried Iowa in both the 2008 and 2012 general elections.
“Of all the things I’ve done in politics, Iowa was my favorite thing,” Obama goes on. “There was just a magic about regular folks showing up.”
With months to go before the midterm elections, Obama is already throwing his weight behind candidates this cycle. He joined U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico at a taco shop in Texas in May.
Known for his love of basketball, Obama had the White House tennis court modified so he could play basketball and had a professional grade basketball court installed at his Presidential Center. He met WNBA players, including Iowa native Caitlin Clark, at that court last week.
Against Turek, Obama says he got “whooped.”
“Now the ball’s in your court, Iowa,” Obama says. “Let’s make sure that we send Josh Turek to the United States Senate.”
Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2026 election at https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/.
FILE - Iowa state Rep. Josh Turek, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, talks to supporters before a neighborhood canvassing event, May 31, 2026, in Waukee, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Thursday he may pull acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s nomination for the full-time post to avoid conceding to Senate Republicans demanding limits to a sweeping tax audit immunity deal benefiting the president and members of his family that Trump negotiated with his own Department of Justice.
Trump doubled down on choosing his former personal lawyer as the nation’s top lawman, calling him “a STAR” and saying he will keep him in the role as acting attorney general until Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina leave office.
“I have no objection to temporarily withdrawing Todd’s name, if they do not do the right thing, and putting him back after Cornyn and Tillis are out of office,” Trump posted on his social media site.
Cornyn and Tillis, who both leave office next year, have said they won't back Blanche's nomination without additional assurances in writing about the controversial settlement of Trump's lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over his leaked tax returns.
In a social media post responding to Trump’s suggestion that he may pull Blanche’s nomination, Cornyn wrote that the president is “mistaken if he believes concerns about the provisions in his tax lawsuit settlement are limited to me and Senator Tillis.”
“I don’t know whether they think they can wait us out or we’ll cave, but I assure you we won’t,” Cornyn told reporters Thursday.
The Senate Judiciary Committee was forced to scrap a planned vote for Thursday to advance Blanche’s nomination after the Justice Department and the Republican senators failed to reach a resolution despite hours of negotiations. With all Democratic senators opposed, just one Republican holdout on the committee could sink Blanche’s chances for confirmation.
The settlement included the creation of a $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” meant to pay Trump allies who believe they were wronged by the Justice Department that was scrapped after bipartisan outrage about the potential of payouts going to violent Jan. 6 rioters. Officials have said that another piece of the settlement — granting Trump and members of his family immunity from tax audits — remains in place.
Through Blanche has repeatedly insisted that the “Anti-Weaponization fund” is dead, skeptical lawmakers have pushed for a commitment in writing — especially since Trump has expressed continued support for the idea.
A crucial sticking point appeared to be the settlement's audit immunity provision that said the U.S. government is “forever barred and precluded” from scrutinizing or prosecuting Trump, his sons and the Trump organization’s current and past tax examinations. Cornyn and Tillis are pressing Trump's administration to modify the agreement to make clear that it covers only existing audits and does not protect the president from examination of future tax filings.
Tillis characterized the president’s position as “win a battle, lose a war.”
“It makes no sense to me,” Tillis told reporters Thursday. “This is not popular. The president’s not winning on this issue. It is killing some of our candidates because they can’t explain it. And now, it looks like they weren’t being honest when they said it was inoperative.”
While the majority of Republican senators oppose the settlement, the main pushback to Blanche has come from Cornyn, who lost his seat earlier this year when Trump opposed him in a GOP primary. Trump has also frequently targeted Tillis, who announced last year that he would not run for re-election and has criticized the administration over the pardons of Jan. 6 rioters and other matters.
Through it would be politically embarrassing for the Trump administration, pulling Blanche’s nomination would likely have little practical impact on the management of the Justice Department.
Blanche can still lead the department as either acting attorney general or deputy attorney general, the No. 2 post he was confirmed to last year. The deputy attorney general, who runs the day-to-day operations of the law enforcement agency, is able to perform the duties of the attorney general if that post is vacant.
“I don’t know whether they think they can wait us out or we’ll cave, but I assure you we won’t,” Cornyn said Thursday of the Trump administration.
Associated Press reporter Kevin Freking in Washington contributed to this report.
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., arrives for a hearing of the Senate Finance Committee on Capitol Hill, Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, arrives for a hearing of the Senate Finance Committee on Capitol Hill, Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., arrives for a hearing of the Senate Finance Committee on Capitol Hill, Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
FILE - Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is sworn in as he appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, July 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)
FILE - Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, July 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)
