The Hill’s 12:30 Report — Trump tries to slow classified document probe

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–> A midday take on what’s happening in politics and how to have a sense of humor about it.* 

*Ha. Haha. Hahah. Sniff. Haha. Sniff. Ha–breaks down crying hysterically.

TALK OF THE MORNING 

Slow …

It …

*dramatic pause* 

Down … : 

Via The New York Times’s Alan Feuer and Charlie Savage, “Lawyers for former President Donald J. Trump asked a federal judge on Monday to deny the Justice Department’s request to immediately restart a key of part of its criminal investigation into his hoarding of sensitive government documents at his residence in Florida.” 

Read the 21-page filing from the NYT 

What this means: “[T]he former president’s legal team argued that seized records marked as classified should remain off limits to the F.B.I. and prosecutors. They asked the judge, Aileen M. Cannon, to maintain her order barring agents from using any of the materials taken from his estate, Mar-a-Lago, until a so-called special master has vetted all of them.”  

What we know, via The Hill’s Rebecca Beitsch

Maybe it’s because I’m still in weekend mode, but this video of a little boy playing baseball is all I can think of.  

It’s Monday. I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here.

🔥The Jan. 6 investigation 

That may not be how to win the optics game: 

Former President Trump is getting pushback from Senate Republicans over his promise to pardon rioters of the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack.  

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a strong ally of former President Trump in the Senate, told The Hill’s Alexander Bolton that pardoning Jan. 6 protesters is “a bad idea.”  

Graham’s reasoning: “Pardons are given to people who admit misconduct, rehabilitate themselves. They’re not supposed to be used for other purposes.” 

Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) agrees: “I don’t think potential candidates should hold pardons out as a promise … It’s somewhat problematic for me on a moral level and an ethical level — sort of like promising other giveaways to particular individuals.”  

And so does Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.): “If he were elected, he would have a constitutional ability to do it … I would disagree with it. I think there was insurrection and I think these folks need to be punished … I was there. This was truly violent. People were injured, people were killed. I have very little mercy for the individuals that were involved in that activity that day.”  

What other Senate Republicans are saying — Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) seems more open to the idea

🗳 On the campaign trail 

Trump battle royale: 

Two young, former Trump aides are competing in the congressional primary on Tuesday to take on incumbent Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) in November. 

First up: “Matt Mowers, a former Trump appointee in the State Department, has the endorsement of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), as well as Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley.” 

Running against a former Trump staffer: “Karoline Leavitt, a 25-year-old former press aide in the Trump White House and in House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik’s (R-N.Y.) congressional office, has endorsements from Stefanik, Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), as well as from Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Mike Lee (R-Utah).”  

Keep in mind: A number of other Republican candidates are running for this seat, including retired journalist Gail Huff Brown and state Rep. Tim Baxter.  

What to expect, from The Hill’s Emily Brooks 

SOME OF THE NAME-CALLING IN THE RACE: 
The New York Times’s Annie Karni writes, “He calls her ‘fake MAGA Karoline’ from ‘the swamp.’ She calls him a ‘Fauci foot soldier’ and a ‘pharma bro.’” More on the race

Over the weekend 

I reread this piece every year — and it is still just as powerful: 

Author Garrett M. Graff published an oral history of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, told from the perspective of officials aboard Air Force One.  

Excerpt from then-White House senior adviser Karl Rove: “Andy and I are there with the president. The president gets this call from Cheney—we didn’t know who it was at the time, we just knew the phone rang. He said ‘yes,’ then there was a pause as he listened. Then another ‘yes.’ You had an unreal sense of time that whole day. I don’t know whether it was 10 seconds or two minutes. Then he said, ‘You have my authorization.’ Then he listens for a while longer. He closes off the conversation. He turns to us and says that he’s just authorized the shoot-down of hijacked airliners.”  

Excerpt from Dave Wilkinson, assistant agent-in-charge at the U.S. Secret Service: “We didn’t expect the breakdown of communications. Every kind of communication that day was challenged. Even the president talking to the Situation Room was challenged. The communications network did not hold up.”  

Read “ ‘We’re the Only Plane in the Sky’: Where was the president in the eight hours after the Sept. 11 attacks? The strange, harrowing journey of Air Force One, as told by the people who were on board.”

HOW DID BIDEN MARK THE DAY? — WITH A CEREMONY AT THE PENTAGON: 
President Biden spoke at the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial in Arlington, Va., on Sunday.  

A memorable and timely quote: Biden referenced a quote from the late Queen Elizabeth II, who died last week. “Grief is the price we pay for love,” Biden said, quoting the late queen.  

More from the 9/11 memorial event on Sunday, via CNN’s Nikki Carvajal, Jasmine Wright andKate Bennett

💍 In Congress 

Start peddling before you hit the ground:

The House is returning to Washington, D.C., this week for a busy month before the November midterms. 

^ Why I say ‘month’ instead of ‘months’: The House is not expected to meet in October, so members can campaign. 

A push that’s gaining traction among lawmakers: A vote to ban lawmakers from trading stocks. 

The Senate has a stacked month, as well: The Senate is working on a bill to protect same-sex marriage after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. And the Senate is working on a government funding bill that must be passed by Sept. 30 to avoid another government shutdown. 

More on what’s happening this week on Capitol Hill, via The Hill’s Mychael Schnell

🦠 Latest with COVID 

➤ THE COVID-19 NUMBERS 

Cases to date: 94.9 million 

Death toll: 1,044,461 

Current hospitalizations: 28,826 

Shots administered: 610 million 

Fully vaccinated: 67.6 percent of Americans 

CDC data here.

🐥Notable tweets 

The next generation:

AP/Victoria Jones

ITV News’s Chris Ship tweeted, “First time we have seen the King and Queen Consort, together with the Heir to the Throne, Prince William – the new Prince of Wales.” Photo 

IF YOU’RE CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT’S HAPPENING IN DC: 
@bkovoDC tweeted footage of the memorial forming outside the British embassy in Washington, D.C. Video

⏱On tap

The House is out. The Senate is in. President Biden is in Boston. Vice President Harris is in Washington, D.C.

• 9 a.m.: Biden received his daily briefing. 
• 9:40 a.m.: Biden left for Boston. 
• 3 p.m. The Senate meets. Today’s Senate agenda 
• 5:30 p.m.: A confirmation vote and a cloture vote on two Senate nominations.  
• 6 p.m.: Biden participates in a reception for the Democratic National Committee. 
• 9:05 p.m.: Biden returns to the White House. 
• Sept. 19: The funeral for Queen Elizabeth II. Details 

 All times Eastern.

📺What to watch

• 10:30 a.m.: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre spoke with reporters aboard Air Force One. Listen 
• 12:45 p.m.: Biden delivers remarks highlighting how the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is already delivering tangible results for communities. Livestream 
• 4 p.m.: Biden delivers remarks on the Cancer Moonshot. Livestream
• 5 p.m.: Harris meets with civil rights and reproductive rights leaders to discuss reproductive health care. Livestream 

🥤 In lighter news 

Today is National Chocolate Milkshake Day. 

And because you made it to Monday afternoon, here are two dogs with entirely different strategies for taking on the world.