Welcome to the online version of From the Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team’s latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail.
In today’s edition, we break down a key development in the 2026 battle for the Senate majority. Plus, campaign season may still be a ways away but, as Ben Kamisar notes, the Trump administration is spending massive sums of money on the airwaves touting its immigration crackdown efforts.
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— Adam Wollner
GOP dealt a blow in the battle for the Senate
Republicans were dealt a major blow in their bid to expand their Senate majority on Monday, with rgia Gov. Brian Kemp passing a run against the party’s top target for defeat, Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff.
As Bridget Bowman and Sahil Kapur report, Kemp was viewed as the GOP’s leading recruit in rgia, one of two states President Donald Trump carried in 2024 with a Democratic-held Senate seat that’s up in 2026. The other is Michigan, where Democratic Sen. G Peters is retiring.
The background: Kemp has shown a rare ability to appeal to both conservative and middle-of-the-road voters.
After Kemp opposed efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in rgia, Trump backed former Sen. David Perdue in the 2022 GOP gubernatorial prim. But Kemp easily defeated Perdue before going on to win re-election by nearly 8 points over Stacey Abrams, just two years after Joe Biden became the first Democrat to carry rgia in a presidential election since 1992.
Plan B: It’s unclear what Kemp’s next steps will be, as he’s unable to seek re-election next year due to term limits. But his decision to forgo a Senate run will likely spark a crowded and competitive GOP prim to take on Ossoff.
Multiple members of rgia’s congressional delegation — including Reps. Buddy Carter, Rich McCormick, Mike Collins and Marjorie Taylor Greene — have suggested they would consider a bid if Kemp did not run.
Greene indicated to NBC News last week that she’s weighing a Senate run. “I have just a lot of options open to me,” she said.
Among other statewide elected Republicans, Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper and Insurance Commissioner John King are also seen as potential candidates.
The map: Ultimately, the rgia seat will likely be more important to Democrats as they try to eat into the GOP’s 53-47 majority. In addition to Michigan, Democrats also have open seats to defend in Minnesota and New Hampshire. And the party’s offensive opportunities are relatively limited, with Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Thom Tillis of North Carolina seen as the most vulnerable Republicans.
Read more from Bridget and Sahil →
Over in the House: Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., announced she will not seek re-election next year after serving 14 terms in the House. Kat Abughazaleh, a 26-year-old internet personality, had already entered the race for Schakowsky’s safe Democratic seat.
Kristi Noem is the face of the Trump administration’s massive deportation ad campaign
By Ben Kamisar
The Department of Homeland Security is spending big bucks — almost $21 million so far, according to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact — on an ad campaign featuring Secret Kristi Noem heaping praise on President Donald Trump and calling on immigrants in America illegally to “leave now.”
It’s an amount of money that’s in line with what a prominent statewide campaign might spend, according to AdImpact. By comparison, liberal candidate Susan Crawford spent $28 million on ads while conservative candidate Brad Schimel spent $15 million during last month’s closely watched Wisconsin Supreme Court election. In last year’s election, Pennsylvania Republican Dave McCormick spent $21 million on ads in one of the most competitive Senate races on the battleground map.
The vast majority of the DHS spots feature Noem speaking directly to the camera, touting Trump and warning, “If you are here illegally, we will find you and we will deport you. You will never return. But if you leave now, you may have an opportunity to return.”
Other variations include Noem blasting “weak politicians” for leaving “our borders wide open,” while others feature her speaking in English with Spanish subtitles.
Other more targeted ads show Noem detailing a list of “illegal aliens caught because of President Trump’s leadership.” Some spots also feature footage of arrests and from her visit to the El Salvador prison where deported Venezuelans are being held.
The ads are broadly targeted to newscasts like morning and nightly news shows on major broadcast networks, and Spanish-language channels.
The federal government has spent billions in taxpayer funds over the years on advertising campaigns, including on those to highlight government programs or encourage recruitment.
Healthcare.gov, the federal health care exchange, has benefitted from tens of millions of dollars in advertising over the years, with the Obama administration running ads to encourage sign-ups (including in red states). The Biden administration also spent $50 million to note how the 2021 Covid relief law created new subsidies for health insurance.
But what’s particularly notable about the new DHS ad campaign is how heavily Noem, a former South Dakota governor who, at 53, could have a long political career ahead of her, is featured.
And soon, Noem won’t be the only Trump administration official whose agency spends tens of millions of dollars to broadcast its message on the airwaves. Health and Human Services Secret Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is set to launch his own public relations effort, according to a document obtained by NBC News that says the campaign would include up to three ads a day across major TV networks.
Related read: Trump administration to pay $1,000 to undocumented immigrants who self-deport, by Nicole Acevedo and Laura Strickler
ICYMI: Trump rejects concerns about prices and economic uncertainty during ‘Meet the Press’ interview
President Donald Trump sat down for a wide-ranging interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker at his Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Florida, where he downplayed the fears of his critics — from the potential harms of a recession to worries about rising prices due to his tariffs policy to the possibility that he would seek a constitutionally forbidden third term.
Get caught up with all our coverage of the hour-plus back-and-forth that aired Sunday:
Today’s other top stories
Israel-Hamas war: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a “powerful” new operation as the country’s security Cabinet approved a plan to seize the Gaza Strip in its entirety. Read more → 
Alcatraz revival: Trump said he will direct several federal agencies to “reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt Alcatraz,” a facility that for decades was a federal prison and is now a national park. Read more → 
Spiking the football: Trump announced that the 2027 NFL draft will take place on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Read more → 
Lights, camera, tariffs?: Trump’s Sunday night proposal to impose tariffs on movies made outside the U.S. has been met with a mix of confusion and fear by the entertainment industry. Read more → 
Hitting restart: The federal government resumed collecting defaulted student loan payments from millions of people for the first time since the start of the pandemic. Read more → 
Mum’s the word: Trump hasn’t released any information about who funded his presidential transition effort despite pledging last year to disclose the names of the donors. Read more → 
Will he or won’t he?: A potential endorsement from Trump has been looming over the fast-approaching GOP prim for governor in New Jersey, with the top candidates battling over who is most loyal to the president. Read more → 
New media age: A review of White House press secret Karoline Leavitt’s “influencer briefings” finds that the attendees have included former Trump officials, vocal allies and some conspiracy theorists. Read more → - Follow live politics coverage on our blog →
That’s all From the Politics Desk for now. Today’s newsletter was compiled by Adam Wollner and Bridget Bowman.
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