Politics: 5 stories from this week
Personalized for you.
On Politics
February 28, 2026

Here are some stories you might have missed this week, curated by Times editors and personalized for you.

President Trump walking into the House chamber before his State of the Union address, as people clap and look at him.

Kenny Holston/The New York Times

Trump’s Push for Election Power Raises Fears He Will ‘Subvert’ Midterms

The president appears to be undermining Americans’ faith in the outcome, at a moment when Republicans face an uphill climb to keep control of Congress.

By Shane Goldmacher and Nick Corasaniti

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Kenny Holston/The New York Times

7 Voters React to Trump’s State of the Union Speech

With his job approval ratings ticking down, President Trump said that his second term so far was “a turnaround for the ages.” Did he persuade voters?

By Campbell Robertson, Ruth Igielnik, Christina Morales and Chris Hippensteel

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Jordan Vonderhaar for The New York Times

Elon Musk’s Secret Web of Companies in Texas

The megabillionaire was tied to about 90 companies in the state, which he uses for everything from paying nannies to buying land to supporting Donald Trump’s re-election, according to a Times examination.

By Kirsten Grind, Susanne Craig, Alex Klavens and Leo Dominguez

A newspaper with a picture of President Trump and headline above it that reads, ‘Trump to City: Let’s Build’.

via The Office of Mayor Mamdani

Mamdani’s Gift for Trump: A Front Page Celebrating the President

What do you bring the president when you visit the White House? Mayor Zohran Mamdani made a choice that seemed to please Donald Trump.

By Emma Goldberg

Sam Altman of OpenAI, wearing a gray t- shirt.

Mike Kai Chen for The New York Times

OpenAI Reaches A.I. Agreement With Defense Dept. After Anthropic Clash

The deal came hours after President Trump had ordered federal agencies to stop using artificial intelligence technology made by Anthropic, an OpenAI rival.

By Cade Metz

MORE ON THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

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The New York Times

Latest Polls: Do Americans Approve of President Trump?

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The New York Times

Tracking the Lawsuits Against Trump’s Agenda

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