Welcome to THE TRAIL 2016, your daily rundown from The Hill on all the latest news in the White House, Senate and House races.
The candidates are making their final pitches – and in the case of the Republican contest, hurling their final insults – before the March 1 Super Tuesday contests.
It’s lining up to be a strong day for the Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, who will be looking to cement their standings as the favorites to square off in November.
Bookmark The Hill’s Super Tuesday scorecard for Republicans and Democrats to keep track of all the action and how many delegates are up for grabs in each state.
And check back throughout the night tonight for fresh analysis on both races:
Niall Stanage will have the rundown on how Trump appears poised to win nearly all of the 11 states on Tuesday, despite caterwauling from the panicked GOP establishment that he’ll destroy the party.
Ben Kamisar will have the story on how Marco Rubio, the establishment’s last great hope, is going full-Trump in his bid to derail the front-runner.
And Alexander Bolton will have a deep dive into how Senate Republicans are scrambling for a strategy in the increasingly likely case that Trump wins the nomination.
On the Democratic side, Amie Parnes will have a dispatch on the State Department’sinvestigation into Hillary Clinton’s private email account and server.
Mike Lillis will look into how Democrats on Capitol Hill view the possibility of facing Donald Trump in the general election.
In the morning, look for Jonathan Easley’s analysis on the five things to watch as ballots are counted on Super Tuesday. It will be a wild day and night, and The Hill will be with you until the results are in from Alaska’s caucuses sometime early on Wednesday morning.
RACE TO 1600 PENN
FINAL ROUND: The Hill’s Julian Hattem reports: The State Department will release the last batch of Hillary Clinton’s emails on Monday, closing out a process that began 10 months ago on the eve of Super Tuesday.Come back to The Hill tonight and tomorrow as this develops.
PIVOT: The Hill’s Ben Kamisar reports: In a Monday rally, Hillary Clinton made almost no mention of Democratic rival Bernie Sanders as she turns her focus to winning the general election.
BUILDING ON A LEAD: The Hill’s Mike Lillis reports: Hispanic lawmakers on Capitol Hill threw their weight behind Clinton on Monday.
SAY WHAT?: The Hill’s Mark Hensch reports: Donald Trump is blaming a “lousy earpiece” for why he didn’t condemn white nationalist David Duke in a Sunday interview.
BLOWBACK: The Hill’s Jordan Fabian reports: The White House is piling on Donald Trump for initially refusing to disavow an endorsement from white supremacist David Duke. Mitt Romney is also getting into the action, as is MSNBC host Joe Scarborough and conservative media personality Hugh Hewitt. Mike Huckabee is coming to Trump’s defense on the matter, reports The Hill’s Mark Hensch.
THE ANTI-TRUMPS PART I: The Hill’s Rebecca Savransky reports: Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) went on a social media offensive to declare he will not support Trump as the nominee and urging the party to get behind a third-party candidate if Trump wins.
THE ANTI-TRUMPS PART II: The Hill’s Rebecca Savransky reports: John Oliver, the host of HBO’s “Last Week Tonight,” devoted an entire episode over the weekend to taking down Trump.
THE PRO-TRUMPS: The Hill’s Sarah Ferris reports: Trump landed his first Senate endorsement, winning the backing of Alabama Republican Jeff Sessions. With several lawmaker endorsements in his pocket, Trump says he’s going mainstream.
HOARSE: The Hill’s Rebecca Savransky reports: South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley introduced Marco Rubio at a rally on Monday, telling supporters the Florida Republican had lost his voice.
ODDS AND ENDS:
NOT GOING ANYWHERE: The Hill’s Mark Hensch reports: Ben Carson is rejecting calls from pundits that he drop out of the race, saying that he’s in for the long haul.
SUPER SUPPORT: The Hill’s Rebecca Savransky reports: Controversial Florida Democrat Alan Grayson is supporting Bernie Sanders for president after polling his followers.
WILDCARD: The Hill’s Peter Schroeder reports: Puerto Rico’s economic crisis could play a critical role in the race for the White House.
TRUMP-CARE: The HIll’s Peter Sullivan reports: Trump has vowed to repeal and replace ObamaCare but his rivals are pushing him for specifics. Here’s a look at how the healthcare industry might look under a President Trump.
POLL POSITION
RUNAWAY LEADER: The Hill’s Kyle Balluck reports: Donald Trump has a 33-point national lead over the next closest GOP contender and is approaching the 50 percent mark in a new poll.
SUPER TUESDAY: The Hill’s Mark Hensch reports: Hillary Clinton is dominating in Alabama, but Bernie Sanders has grabbed a lead in Oklahoma in a new survey.
THE DAILY TRUMP
GETTING UGLY: The Hill’s Jonathan Swan reports: A photographer and a security guard — now believed to be a Secret Service agent — brawled at a Trump rally.
#BLM: The Hill’s Jonathan Swan reports: Donald Trump told Black Lives Matter protesters at a rally on Monday that “all lives matter.”
QUOTE WARS: The Hill’s Mark Hensch reports: Trump misquoted Mahatma Gandhi at a rally on Monday.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I hope he’s treated going forward like the pariah that he is in the Republican party.”
— Former Mitt Romney spokesman Ryan Williams on New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who has infuriated many Republicans for endorsing Donald Trump for president.
CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGNS
TEXAS WILDCARD: The Hill’s Cristina Marcos reports: Colorful Texas Republican Louie Gohmert will face a primary challenge for the first time in his 12-year Congressional career.
NH SENATE: The Hill’s Lisa Hagen reports: Vulnerable Sen. Kelly Ayotte has released her first ad of the cycle in which she shoots hoops with her daughter.
REMEMBER ME?: The Hill’s Lisa Hagen reports: Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley is back on the scene after his failed presidential bid, endorsing suburban Pittsburgh mayor John Fetterman for the Democratic nomination for the Pennsylvania Senate seat.
MONEY WATCH
ROLLING IN IT: The Hill’s Kyle Balluck and Mark Hensch report: Bernie Sanders has hauled in an astounding $36 million so far this month and is pressing his supporters to put him over $40 million by close of business.
WHAT WE ARE WATCHING FOR TODAY AND TOMORROW:
(All times Eastern)
Donald Trump will hold a rally at 6 p.m. on Monday in Valdosta, Ga. and will be interviewed on “Hannity” at 10 p.m. on Fox News. On Tuesday, he’ll hold a campaign event in Columbus, Ohio, at noon, a rally in Louisville, Ky., at 4 p.m., and a press conference with reporters at 9 p.m. at his Palm Beach, Fla., estate, Mar-a-Lago.
Marco Rubio will rally supporters at a stop in Oklahoma at 7 p.m. on Monday and in Tulsa at 9:30 p.m. On Tuesday he will hold a campaign event in Andover, Minn., at 1:30 p.m. o. That night, he’ll hold a rally at in Miami, Florida at 8 p.m.
Ted Cruz will hold an event at 8:30 p.m. in Houston, Texas, on Monday night and will be interviewed on “Hannity” at 10 p.m. on Fox News.. He’ll campaign around his home state until an election party begins at 8 p.m. Tuesday night in Stafford at the Redneck Country Club.
John Kasich will campaign in Arlington, Va., at noon on Tuesday. He’ll attend the Central Mississippi Republicans Gala Dinner in Jackson at 7:30 p.m., and will give his Super Tuesday remarks from the Hilton there at 8:30 p.m.
Ben Carson will rally supporters in Alabama on Monday evening and is a guest on Fox News’s “The Kelly File” that airs at 9 p.m. On Tuesday, he’ll be a guest on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” and will hold an election night party in Baltimore at The Grand Hotel at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
Hillary Clinton will rally supporters at a campaign stop in Miami, Fla., on Tuesday evening. The time has not yet been announced. Former President Bill Clinton will hold a rally at 11:15 p.m. on Monday night in Worcester, Mass. On Tuesday, he’ll rally supporters in Fairfax, Va., at 4:30 p.m., and at 6 p.m. in Norfolk, Va. Chelsea Clintonwill hold an organizing event in Lincoln, Neb., on Monday at 7 p.m. On Tuesday, she’ll hold a campaign event in Omaha at 10:30 a.m.
Bernie Sanders will hold a rally in Milton, Mass., at 7 p.m. on Monday. On Tuesday, he’ll hold a rally in Essex Junction, Vermont at 6 p.m.
Super Tuesday primaries and caucuses:
On the Republican side, Alabama, Arkansas, Alaska, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and Virginia will award delegates.
On the Democratic side, Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia and American Samoa will award delegates.
TWEET OF THE DAY
Write us with tips, suggestions and news: Jonathan Easley, Ben Kamisar, Jonathan Swan, Lisa Hagen.
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