All politics is local politics

This is the June 24, 2026, edition of “The Tea, Spilled by Morning Joe” newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered straight to your inbox Monday through Friday.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“They want you and your family and all of us to be killed. They want to wipe our civilization off the map. That’s their national motto.”

— Republican senator and former Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy on the Trump administration’s push to normalize the Iranian regime

JOE’S NOTE

Tip O’Neill, the legendary Democratic speaker of the House, liked to say all politics is local. He always said he got the line from his father.

And last night, Democrats showed they still understand that.

Pundits and podcasters are going to look at New York City, where Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s endorsed candidates swept all three of their primaries last night, and say the Democratic Party has gone too far left.

But when I ran for Congress in Northwest Florida, people didn’t care what was happening on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. They cared about Northwest Florida.

And that’s exactly what we’re going to see in South Carolina.

Democrats there nominated Nancy Lacore, a retired three-star admiral who devoted her life to this country — until Pete Hegseth fired her.

South Carolina voters in November aren’t going to be thinking about whether Mamdani is too much of a socialist or too tough on Israel. They’re going to look at the two candidates in front of them and decide: the war hero or the one who does whatever Trump says?

Same story up north of New York City, where Democrats nominated Cait Conley to take on Mike Lawler. Conley spent 16 years in the Army as a special operations officer, earned three Bronze Stars, and served six tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. A bona fide war hero.

Lawler meddled in the Democratic primary to stop her. He failed.

I heard someone say today that you have to be crazy to win in the Democratic Party.

Wait — this from Trump’s MAGA Republican Party?

Here’s what the Democrats are actually proving themselves to be: pragmatic.

In New York City, they go far, far left. And it works — for New York City.

In a swing district like Lawler’s, or South Carolina’s 1st, they run the war heroes. The same play that won them governorships with Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey and Abigail Spanberger in Virginia.

Different districts. Different Democrats.

Proving once again that all politics is local.

Natalie Sanders/MS NOW (as of 7 a.m. ET June 24, 2026)

Political earthquake: 5 key takeaways from New York’s Democratic primaries

The Democratic Socialists of America are on the march. New York experienced a political earthquake last night as a trio of progressive insurgents backed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani won House primaries, delivering what Politico calls “a massive sledge hammer to the Democratic establishment in New York and far beyond.”

What do we know?

Anger at the status quo is at a fever pitch.

Pro-Gaza politics and criticism of Israel are ascendent.

Mamdani has real political muscle.
It’s important not to overindex these results. Moderates are also winning.
That is also precisely why these results are so important.

Read more from MS NOW’s Zack Stanton here.

ON THIS DATE

Four years ago today, the Supreme Court decided Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, overturning Roe v. Wade and ending nearly five decades of constitutional protection for abortion.

Demonstrators demand a woman’s right to choose on a march to the U.S. Capitol seeking repeal of all anti-abortion laws, November 1971.

WHAT THEY SAID

Michael Weiss on Iran

“The Iranians see themselves in the driver’s seat: They’re in control of the Strait of Hormuz and suggest they’re going to charge tolls — contradicting what the U.S. administration is saying. They sprinkle cold water on JD Vance’s comments about nuclear inspectors. At every turn, they suggest that they hold the cards, that they are the superior party in these negotiations.”

Willie Geist on New York primaries

“It is impressive that in his short term in office, Mayor Mamdani was able to bless these candidates — some winning overwhelmingly and unseating incumbents. As The New York Times said this morning, Mamdani showed he can be a kingmaker.”

David Drucker on Trump voters

“Voters understood that the president needed time to resurrect the economy and get prices under control. It’s one of the big reasons they hired him in 2024. But we’ve reached a point where voters are now saying, ‘Look, this is your gig, man — you wanted this job, we relied on you to fix things, and you’re not getting it done.’”

Amy Littlefield on the aftermath of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health

“The latest data tells us there have been 68 additional pregnancy-associated deaths by the end of 2023 alone. Sixty-eight might sound like a small number, but in terms of mothers leaving behind grieving children, parents being forced to cope with the loss of daughters, partners leaving children and losing their wives — the scale of the human tragedy should stop us in our tracks.”

EXTRA HOT TEA

50-48

— Tuesday’s Senate vote directing the president to end the Iran war or get Congress’ sign-off — the first such rebuke from both chambers since 1973

ONE MORE SHOT

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver shakes hands with AJ Dybantsa after the Washington Wizards selected him with the first overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft at Barclays Center in New York on Tuesday.