Welcome to THE TRAIL 2016, your daily rundown from The Hill on all the latest news in the White House, Senate and House races.
Donald Trump’s rivals are piling on the GOP front-runner after his campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, was charged Tuesday for having grabbed a reporter by the arm at a campaign event in Florida earlier this month.
Ted Cruz called it evidence of the “abusive culture” Trump has fostered within his campaign. John Kasich’s top strategist said the incident “reflects the values of the candidate.”
Even Democrats are weighing in.
“The buck stops at the top,” said Brian Fallon, a top spokesman for Hillary Clinton.
Bernie Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver said it was another example of the kind of “thuggery” that has broken out at Trump’s rallies.
Lewandowski has been charged with one count of simple battery over allegations that he grabbed Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields by the arm in an attempt to keep her from asking Trump a question.
Trump is standing behind Lewandowski and the campaign says he’ll continue in his current capacity. He’s even trying to turn the tables on Fields, claiming she first accosted him.
The Hill will have all the breaking news on this story as it happens. Trump is presently conducting a town hall in Paul Ryan’s hometown of Janesville, Wis., and is scheduled toappear at a town hall event on CNN.
And check back Wednesday morning for a story from The Hill‘s Alex Bolton on how some Republicans are angered that the party already appears to be waving the white flag on the White House if Trump gets the nomination, as key operatives are already looking to shift money down-ballot to protect GOP majorities in the House and Senate.
RACE TO 1600 PENN
DEMS SET TO UNLEASH: The Hill’s Jonathan Swan reports: The largest pro-Clinton super-PAC is sitting on tens of millions of dollars and plotting how to best use those resources to deliver the White House to Clinton in 2016.
BACK IN THE GAME: The Hill’s Ben Kamisar reports: Scott Walker endorsed Ted Cruz for president on Tuesday and said he’ll stump for him ahead of the critical primary in Wisconsin next week. Trump responded, saying he sent Walker packing from the GOP presidential contests “like a little boy.”
GET OUT: The Hill’s Jonathan Easley reports: A broad cross-section of Republicans is angered by what they view as John Kasich’s quixotic quest for the GOP nomination.
GET ON BOARD: The Hill’s Ben Kamisar, Lisa Hagen and Harper Neidig report: Pressure is mounting on some Democratic super-delegates to abandon Hillary Clinton and support Bernie Sanders.
EMAILS LINGER: The Hill’s Julian Hattem reports: A second judge has opened the door to allowing depositions in the Clinton email investigation.
FROM THE WHITE HOUSE: The Hill’s Jesse Byrnes reports: President Obama scolded the media over its 2016 campaign coverage, urging the press not to “dumb it down.”
ODDS AND ENDS
THIRD PARTY: The Hill’s Cristina Marcos reports: Rep. Richard Hanna (R-N.Y.) says he can’t vote for Trump or Cruz in November.
HASHTAG ACTIVISM: The Hill’s Harper Neidig reports: A conservative super-PAC is flipping the popular #NeverTrump meme over to the Democratic side by launching the same campaign against Hillary Clinton.
TURNING THE TABLES: The Hill’s Harper Neidig reports: Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson, who supports John Kasich, is calling a vote for Ted Cruz a vote for Hillary Clinton.
SUBTERFUGE: The Hill’s Harper Neidig reports: A petition to allow guns at the Republican National Convention was started by a liberal Democrat.
ALL IN FOR BERNIE: The Hill’s Harper Neidig reports: Susan Sarandon is supporting Sanders for president, and unsure whether she’d vote for Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump, if it comes to that.
THE DAILY TRUMP
DELEGATES FIGHT: The Hill’s Rebecca Savransky reports: Donald Trump has hired a veteran campaign operative with past experience at contested conventions.
HEART OF THE CAPITOL: The Hill’s Jesse Byrnes reports: Donald Trump’s campaign is opening an office in Washington, D.C.
MIXING IT UP: The Hill’s Jesse Byrnes reports: A CNN anchor got in a heated exchange with a Trump spokeswoman over the attacks on Ted Cruz’s wife.
NOT HIS INTENTION: The Hill’s Jesse Byrnes reports: The former point person for a pro-Donald Trump super-PAC says the business mogul never wanted to be president.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“They can’t keep doing this stuff and think that they’re going to get the nomination.”
— Newt Gingrich, who has spoken glowingly of Trump, warning the front-runner to run a more professional campaign.
POLL POSITION
EVEN: The Hill’s Lisa Hagen reports: If John Kasich would get out of the race, Ted Cruz would pull into a statistical tie with Donald Trump nationally, according to a new poll.
CLOSING THE GAP: The Hill’s Lisa Hagen reports: Bernie Sanders is within striking distance of Hillary Clinton nationally, according to a new poll.
YUGE: The Hill’s Lisa Hagen reports: Donald Trump holds a 21-point lead nationally over Ted Cruz, a new poll finds.
MUSLIM BAN: The Hill’s Kristina Wong reports: Half of Americans agree with Donald Trump’s proposal to bar Muslims from entering the country.
CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGNS
TEBOW MANIA: The Hill’s Rafael Bernal reports: Former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow is open to running for political office.
FLORIDA DEM FIGHT TAKES TURN: The Hill’s Lisa Hagen reports: Alan Grayson landed the support of two key progressive groups as he seeks to take down establishment favorite Patrick Murphy in the Democratic primary.
REACHING ACROSS THE AISLE: The Hill’s Jordain Carney reports: Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), who is among the most vulnerable GOP incumbents this cycle, was the first Republican senator to meet with President Obama’s pick for the Supreme Court. Kirk chided his GOP colleagues for being “closed-minded” on the issue.
WHAT WE ARE WATCHING FOR TODAY AND TOMORROW
(All times Eastern)
Ted Cruz, John Kasich and, possibly Donald Trump (who has threatened to pull out) will participate in a CNN town hall from Wisconsin starting at 8 p.m. today.
On Wednesday, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow sits down with Hillary Clinton at 9 p.m. and Bernie Sanders at 10 p.m. for extended interviews.
Hillary Clinton holds a campaign event in Green Bay, Wis., at 6:15 tonight. On Wednesday, she’ll hold an event at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, N.Y. at 11:30 a.m.
Bernie Sanders holds an evening rally in Appleton, Wis., on Tuesday. On Wednesday, he’ll hold a late morning rally in Kenosha, Wis., and an evening rally in Onalaska, Wis.
Ted Cruz and his wife Heidi will roll out a “Women for Cruz” coalition at 11 a.m. Wednesday in Madison, Wis. The event will also include his mother, Eleanor Cruz, and former presidential candidate and now Cruz supporter Carly Fiorina. He’ll be a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live, which airs at 11:35 p.m. Wednesday, on ABC.
Donald Trump will be a guest on “Hannity” on Fox News, which airs at 10 p.m. Tuesday. He’ll hold town halls on Wednesday in De Pere, Wis., at 10 a.m. and Appleton, Wis., at 3 p.m. At 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Chris Matthews moderates a town hall with Trump in Green Bay, Wis.
John Kasich will participate in a 7 p.m. Wednesday Queens, N.Y., town hall on MSNBC moderated by Chuck Todd.
TWEET OF THE DAY
Write us with tips, suggestions and news: Jonathan Easley, Ben Kamisar, Jonathan Swan, Lisa Hagen.
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