It’s Tuesday. I don’t know about you, but I’m soaking up all the low humidity we can get in Washington this week. ⛅ Here’s what’s happening today: The Harris campaign is seizing on Trump’s recent interview with Elon Musk. - Tonight’s Minnesota primary could put another House “squad” member on defense.
Iran is pushing back on calls to limit retaliation against Israel. Jack Smith is facing quite the conundrum when it comes to Trump’s Jan. 6 case.
I’m Miranda Nazzaro, filling in for Cate, with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here. |
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Is it time for Trump to ditch the insults?:
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With less than three months left until the election, the race between former President Trump and Vice President Harris is heating up. Both candidates and their campaigns have leaned heavily on insults, but some Republicans are pressing Trump to take a different approach. Trump, known for his brash comments, is facing calls from a growing number of GOP members to focus his rhetoric more on policy differences with Harris — and less on personal attacks.
The advice follows a contentious few weeks for Trump, who saw his lead in the presidential race narrow since Harris replaced President Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket last month. As Harris climbs in the polls, the former president has repeatedly bashed her, calling her “incompetent” and even questioning her on her racial identity.
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Former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway said her former boss’s “winning formula” involves “fewer insults, more insights” and comparing his policies to the vice president. Peter Navarro, Trump’s former White House adviser, offered similar advice, suggesting Trump is not “sufficiently focused” on his policy differences with Harris.
Republican pollster Frank Luntz suggested Trump already has the issues on his side, but his “persona” is getting in the way.
“If it’s about issues, Trump is much more likely to be successful. If it’s about attributes, Harris is much more likely to be successful, because quite frankly, people like her more than they like him,” Luntz said recently on CNN. “It’s something that, if he’s watching this right now, his head is exploding — and that’s part of the problem.” |
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They said what?: The Harris campaign took no time in seizing on the technical issues that delayed X-owner Elon Musk’s interview with Trump, labeling them “self-obsessed rich guys” and hitting her GOP rival for various policy issues.
“Trump’s entire campaign is in service of people like Elon Musk and himself — self-obsessed rich guys who will sell out the middle class and who cannot run a livestream in the year 2024,” the campaign wrote. The interview experienced a 45-minute delay due to technical issues, prompting a barrage of mockery on social media. The Harris campaign also hit the former president for saying global warming and rising sea levels would produce “more oceanfront property.”
The team later posted a clip of Trump praising Musk for terminating workers who went on strike.
Remember: The tech billionaire, who also owns Tesla and SpaceX, endorsed the former president last month, after the GOP nominee survived an attempted assassination.
Read more from The Hill’s Sarah Fortinsky. |
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➤ TAKEAWAYS FROM THE INTERVIEW: |
The Hill’s Dominick Mastrangelo and Brett Samuels compiled a few key moments from the interview. Here are the takeaways: -
Trump made a return to X
- Trump avoided major insults, focusing more on policy
- The former president often rambled, giving Dems fodder
- Musk tried to nudge Trump on his own agenda
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Tech issues were rampant
Read: 5 takeaways from the Trump-Musk conversation on X |
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*Cues “All by Myself” by Celine Dion*
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) is heading to California for his first round of solo campaign events since joining Vice President Harris on the Democratic presidential ticket.
He will speak this afternoon at the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) convention in Los Angeles before hosting a campaign fundraiser in Newport Beach. AFSCME, which has nearly 1.4 million members, endorsed Harris’s presidential bid last month.
Walz, a former schoolteacher and union member, will hit four more states later this week for campaign events: Denver and Boston Wednesday, and Newport, R.I. and Southampton, N.Y., Thursday. Read more on the campaign blitz by The Hill’s Alex Gangitano. |
Another ‘squad’ member on the line: |
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) is hoping not to meet the same fate as two of her progressive allies in the House in tonight’s Minnesota primary. She will face off against establishment Democrat Don Samuels, who nearly ousted her in a primary last cycle for Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District. Omar, in her three terms, has become one of the most divisive members in the Democratic Party, making headlines earlier this year for her staunch criticism of Israel’s military campaign against Hamas in Gaza. She is the latest far-left “squad” member to face a primary following the losses of Reps. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) and Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.), who both failed to overcome the flood of funding from pro-Israel groups. Progressives said they are expecting Omar to slide to victory, and nonpartisan election trackers don’t anticipate the race to be as competitive as other “squad” members, reports The Hill’s Hanna Trudo. |
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Voting in Wisconsin, Vermont and Connecticut will also conclude tonight, less than a week before the Democratic National Convention kicks off in Chicago.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) is running unopposed in her party’s primary, while Republicans have largely zeroed in on businessman Eric Hovde as the candidate to challenge her this November.
The Wisconsin Republican primary will largely be a formality, but in Minnesota, eight Republicans are hoping to get the party’s nod to take on Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D).
Wisconsin state Rep. Katrina Shankland (D) and business owner and nonprofit founder Rebecca Cooke are also running in the Democratic primary to take on first-term Rep. Derrick Van Orden in the state’s 3rd Congressional District. The Hill’s Caroline Vakil breaks down what to know about tonight’s primaries. |
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➤ ARIZONA ABORTION INITATIVE HEADED TO BALLOT:
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A measure that would establish a fundamental right to abortion in Arizona’s constitution has enough signatures to make the ballot, state officials announced Tuesday. The measure received nearly 200,000 more signatures than required to appear on the November ballot, Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes (D) said.
The Hill’s Nathaniel Weixel reports: “Abortion is banned after 15 weeks of pregnancy in Arizona, with a medical exception for the life of the mother, but not for rape or incest. The amendment would protect abortion up until fetal viability, with exceptions after that if a health care professional deems it necessary to ‘protect the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant individual.’”
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‘Harris energy evokes Obama campaign for Democrats’ (The Hill)
‘Progressives face an existential threat from AIPAC. And there’s nothing to stop it.’ (Politico)
‘Why are free school lunches becoming a campaign issue? (The New York Times) |
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Jack Smith is at a crossroads: |
Special counsel Jack Smith is facing various dilemmas over how to move forward on Trump’s Jan. 6 case following the Supreme Court’s immunity ruling. The decision was a blow to Smith, ruling former presidents like Trump have broad protection from criminal prosecutions.
He asked the court last week to extend the case deadlines to late August, and as The Hill’s Rebecca Beitsch lays out: Smith must now decide whether to narrow his case, push for a hearing to go through the evidence against Trump, or possibly expand the indictment and charge co-conspirators.
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- ‘US guided missile submarine ordered to Middle East amid rising tensions’ (The Hill)
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‘Israel Was Less Flexible in Recent Gaza Cease-Fire Talks, Documents Show’ (The New York Times).
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Iran rejects call to ‘stand down’: |
Iran on Tuesday pushed back on the mounting pressure from the U.S. and other allies to limit retaliation against Israel for the apparent
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani issued a pointed response to a joint statement by the leaders of the U.S., Britain, France, Germany and Italy about its ongoing threats of a military attack, saying it contradicts the “principles and rules of international law.”
🎤 What Kanaani said: “The Islamic Republic of Iran is firm and resolute in defending its sovereignty and national security, as well as helping to establish lasting stability in the region and creating deterrence against the real origin and the main source of insecurity and terrorism in the region.” Iran will not “ask for permission from anyone to use its established rights,” the spokesperson added, and urged the UK, France and Germany to “once and for all stand against” the Israeli regime to stop the war in Gaza.
It comes amid rising fears over escalating tensions in the Middle East from both Iran’s ongoing threats of attacks and the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. The White House said Monday that Iran and its proxies could attack Israel as soon as this week and White House national security adviser John Kirby said U.S. officials are “continuing to watch it very, very closely,” per The Hill’s Brad Dress.
🕒 Related: President Biden said this week he believes a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war is “still possible,” before the end of his Oval Office term in nearly five months. (The Hill) |
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🍾 Celebrate: Today is National Prosecco Day!
🎵 Obama’s summer playlist: Former President Obama’s summer playlist caught flak from Chappell Roan fans for not including songs from the “Midwest Princess.” At one point, “No Chappell Roan” was trending in politics on X, while one Instagram user commented, “King where’s Chappell Roan??” Another user quipped, “Barack you ain’t livin if you ain’t listening to Chappell rn.”
🌴However: The former president suggested he’s having a “brat” summer, recommending Charlie XCX’s viral hit “365.” Check out the other tunes that made his list. 👻 Who you gonna call?: Netflix finally greenlighted the “Ghostbusters” animated series, first reported in the works in 2022, Variety reported. |
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The House and Senate are out. President Biden and first lady Jill Biden will travel to New Orleans, and Vice President Harris is in Washington (all times Eastern) |
1:30 p.m. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre briefs reporters.
4:30 p.m. Biden announces federal funding for cancer surgery research projects after a tour at Tulane University. 💻 Livestream
3:35 p.m. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) delivers remarks at the American Federal of State, County and Municipal Employees 2024 convention in Los Angeles. 💻 Livestream 5:30 p.m. Walz speaks at campaign reception in Newport Beach, Calif.
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View past issues of 12:30 Report here and check out other newsletters from The Hill here. See you next time! |
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