The Trail 2016: On faith and the economy

by Jonathan Easley - 06/21/16 6:16 PM ET

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 aggressively courted social conservatives and Christian leaders at a massive closed-door gathering in New York City on Tuesday.

For many of those who attended, Trump was not their first choice for president. Some harbor deep suspicions about Trump’s commitment to the causes that are important to them.

As could be expected, the response was mixed. Many of those on hand appreciated the outreach, and Trump got a standing ovation as he entered and another as he left.

But many of the same questions linger among the leaders who could activate their bases on Trump’s behalf if he can convince them to get on board. Check back at The Hill tonight for a dispatch from Jonathan Easley on the full day of meetings.

Of course, Trump being Trump, he made news during the event with an attack on Hillary Clinton, questioning Clinton’s commitment to her faith.

Clinton was also on the attack on Tuesday, ripping Trump in a high-profile speech on the economy in which she warned the likely GOP nominee would cast the nation into recession.

Check back at The Hill through the night and into the morning for stories on Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine’s vice presidential prospects, how Hillary Clinton will tap into President Obama’s fundraising network, and the push to overthrow Donald Trump at the convention in Cleveland.

RACE TO 1600 PENN

GOING IT ALONE?: The Hill’s Jesse Byrnes reports: Donald Trump appealed to GOP leaders for their support on Tuesday, warning he might have to “go a different route” if they don’t come around.

OUTREACH PART I: The Hill’s Cristina Marcos reports: Hillary Clinton will meet with House Democrats on Wednesday for the first time since becoming the party’s presumptive nominee.

OUTREACH PART II: The Hill’s Caitlin Yilek reports: Former Rep. Michele Bachmann is among those who will advise Trump on issues important to Christians.

ODDS AND ENDS:

MORE SERVER ISSUES: The Hill’s Katie Bo Williams reports: A hacker on Tuesday posted troves of documents purported to be related to Hillary Clinton and stolen from the DNC.

LESS TORTOISE, MORE HARE: The Hill’s Julian Hattem reports: The RNC is slamming the State Department’s “tortoise-like” review of Hillary Clinton’s emails and demanding the release of emails belonging to her aides before the election.

VEEPSTAKES: The Hill’s Lydia Wheeler reports: Talk of Labor secretary Tom Perez potentially becoming Hillary Clinton’s vice presidential candidate is angering the business industries he has clashed with over the years. The Associated Press has a look at who else is on the short list. One of those on the list, Elizabeth Warren, speculated on Donald Trump’s reluctance to release his tax returns: “”Maybe he’s just a lousy businessman.“

POLL POSITION

BATTLEGROUNDS: The Hill’s Jesse Byrnes reports: Hillary Clinton has opened up a lead in Florida, but she and Donald Trump are running neck and neck in Ohio and Pennsylvania.

NATIONAL: The Hill’s Jesse Byrnes reports: Hillary Clinton leads Donald Trump by 5 points nationally in a new poll.

THE DAILY TRUMP

TRUMP TO TRUMP: The Hill’s Jesse Byrnes reports: Donald Trump’s campaign has poured more than $6 million in campaign funds into his own corporate products and services, including paying rent and utilities at Trump Tower.

FAINT PRAISE: The Hill’s Lisa Hagen reports: After intimating last week that President Obama might have indirectly supported terrorists, Donald Trump on Tuesday said he doesn’t believe Obama sympathizes with terrorists.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“He’s written a lot of books about business. They all seem to end at Chapter 11.”

— Hillary Clinton in a speech on the economy mocking Donald Trump’s business acumen

CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGNS

UTAH HOUSE: The Hill’s Lisa Hagen reports: Freshman Rep. Mia Love’s (R-Utah) heavily targeted seat is moving closer to the Democratic column in a must-win contest for Democrats.

MONEY WATCH

LATE START: The Hill’s Jonathan Swan reports: Donald Trump’s campaign finished with only $1.3 million in the bank at the end of May, a strikingly low figure for a presidential candidate. Hillary Clinton raised eight times as much as Trump did in May. Trump said today he has “unlimited” cash available because he can use as much of his own as he wants.

NO WORRIES: The Hill’s Jesse Byrnes reports: The Trump campaign says it isn’t sweating the money differential.

WHAT WE ARE WATCHING FOR TODAY AND TOMORROW:

(All times Eastern)

Donald Trump will be a guest on “Lou Dobbs Tonight” at 7 on Fox Business today. He’ll make a speech “regarding the election” at 11 a.m. on Wednesday at Trump SoHo in New York City.

Hillary Clinton will meet with the House Democratic caucus at 10 a.m. on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, followed by a Raleigh, N.C., campaign event at 2:30 p.m.

Libertarian Party presidential nominee Gary Johnson and his vice presidential running mate, Bill Weld, will get a national close-up in a town hall event that will broadcast live on CNN at 9 p.m.

TWEET OF THE DAY

Prediction: 2016 GOP MVP will be @Reince, who steps up, ensures open convention, saves party from Trump and produces ticket that wins in Nov

— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) June 21, 2016