It’s Tuesday. Christmas Day is 20 days away! ? Starbucks added a few more holiday drinks to its menu, so here’s the rundown if you want something festive. I’m looking at you, sugar cookie cold foam. ?
Here’s what we’re covering today:
GOP presidential hopefuls Chris Christie, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy qualified for Wednesday’s primary debate. Former President Trump will not participate.
Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) ordered a Cameo video from ex-Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) to send to embattled Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.). Santos delivered the video in less than 20 minutes. Plus: We reveal the most-viewed Wikipedia page of 2023.
I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Send tips, commentary, feedback and cookie recipes to cmartel@thehill.com. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here. |
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Whose bright, beautiful smiles will we see on stage?:
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The Republican National Committee (RNC) announced the lineup for Wednesday’s GOP presidential primary debate — just four candidates. Who will debate?: Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy ^ Keep in mind: There had been a lot of speculation that Christie would not qualify.
Debate primer: The debate, hosted by NewsNation, will kick off at 8 p.m. and be moderated by anchor Elizabeth Vargas, conservative pundit Megyn Kelly and The Washington Free Beacon editor-in-chief Eliana Johnson. NewsNation is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which also owns The Hill. (The Hill)
The anti-prom: Former President Trump will again skip the debate. Instead, he will participate in a Fox News town hall tonight hosted by Sean Hannity. (The Hill) |
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Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), a vocal critic of former President Trump and one of the two Republicans on the House committee to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, told The Washington Post that she is considering a third-party presidential run in 2024. Her one goal: To prevent Trump from becoming president again
In Cheney’s words: “Several years ago, I would not have contemplated a third-party run. … [But] democracy is at risk at home, obviously, as a result of Donald Trump’s continued grip on the Republican Party, and I think democracy is at risk internationally as well.” Yes, but Cheney’s goal could backfire: She has support among independents, former Republicans and even some Democrats. That means she could also pull away votes from President Biden, not just the former president. When she will make her decision: In the next few months (The Washington Post) Op-ed from The New York Times’s Katherine Miller: “The Resolute Liz Cheney” | |
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➤ CHENEY THINKS THE US IS ‘SLEEPWALKING INTO DICTATORSHIP’: |
She warned in an interview recently with CBS’s John Dickerson of the possibility that Trump could win a second term.
Reason from Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.): “I think a continuation of the Biden presidency would be a disaster for peace and prosperity at home and abroad. … The only person who is really going to fix a broken border is Donald Trump. When he was president, none of this stuff was going on in Ukraine. Hamas and all these other terrorist groups were afraid of Trump.” (The Hill)
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➤ MEANWHILE IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY:
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“California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is cementing his status as a star in the Democratic Party, emerging as a top defender of President Biden and lifting his national profile amid speculation about future White House ambitions.” Read Julia Mueller’s reporting in The Hill |
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Happening today — Zelensky’s Zoom meeting:
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will speak with senators by video today during their classified briefing. Why today?: The Senate is holding a vote tomorrow related to an emergency foreign aid package that includes $61 billion for Ukraine. (The Hill) |
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If you listen closely, you can hear Kevin McCarthy grumbling:
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“After months of infighting, bruising failed floor votes and the historic ouster of their leader, House Republicans could end up falling back on a bipartisan debt ceiling deal struck by former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) earlier this year that helped lead to his undoing.” “The agreement, brokered by the White House and GOP leadership, appears to be seeing the greatest glimmers of hope since its passage in the spring, as hard-line conservatives soften demands for cuts steeper than those laid out in the compromise.” How the same plan that got McCarthy fired is now A-OK, via The Hill’s Aris Folley |
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George Santos is in his Cameo era?♂️: |
Former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) is now selling personalized videos on Cameo for $200 a pop.
And guess who paid for one of those videos: Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.).
Fetterman posted: “I thought my ethically-challenged colleague @BobMenendezNJ could use some encouragement given his substantial legal problems. So, I approached a seasoned expert on the matter to give ‘Bobby from Jersey’ some advice.” Watch the Cameo video Santos sent Fetterman Why Menendez?: Fetterman was one of the first of Sen. Bob Menendez’s (D-N.J.) colleagues to call for his resignation following federal criminal charges.
Tidbit about the Cameo video: Business Insider’s Bryan Metzer posted: “Fetterman spox tells me this was paid for via the campaign account and that they got the Cameo back just *16 minutes* after requesting it. ‘We did not expect to get it back so fast,’ spox says.” |
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➤ ‘SENATE GOP SOFTENS CRITICISM OF HOUSE EFFORT TO IMPEACH BIDEN’:
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“While a number of Senate Republicans aren’t keen on holding a Biden impeachment trial, they aren’t actively dissuading the House from holding a vote to authorize an impeachment inquiry.” (The Hill) |
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➤ REACTION FROM THE WHITE HOUSE:
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“If the House GOP moves forward with a vote authorizing an impeachment inquiry of President Biden, it will show that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is ‘truly calling the shots,’ the White House said in a new memo,” according to The Hill’s Alex Gangitano. |
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‘Israel Weighs Plan to Flood Gaza Tunnels With Seawater’: “Move could drive out Hamas fighters but threatens to foul Gaza’s freshwater supply and damage infrastructure.” The Wall Street Journal ‘A meeting at the U.N. accused the body of ignoring the rape and mutilation of women in the Oct. 7 assault on Israel.’: The New York Times ‘Can Free Speech on Campus Survive the Israel-Hamas War?’: Politico ‘Israel Closes In on Hamas’s Last Major Gaza Bastion’: The Wall Street Journal |
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? Celebrate: Today is National Comfort Food Day! ? Oh baby!!: @eat_dc posted that Raising Cane’s is officially opening in Union Station on Jan. 9. Photo of the Raising Cane’s under construction
? ‘The new pregnancy announcement is no announcement’: “More parents are skipping the stylized ‘We’re expecting!’ post in favor of waiting for birth.” (The Washington Post)
? Wikipedia’s most-viewed article of 2023: The page on ChatGPT, according to numbers released Tuesday by the Wikimedia Foundation. (The Hill) |
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The House and Senate are in. President Biden is in Boston and Vice President Harris is in Washington, D.C. (all times Eastern) |
12:30 p.m.: Senators meet for weekly caucus luncheons. ?️ Today’s agendas
1:15 p.m.: Harris meets with former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) to discuss gun violence prevention.
1:30 p.m.: First and last House votes. ?️ Today’s agenda 1:45 p.m.: Biden participates in campaign receptions in Weston, Mass., and Boston.
2 p.m.: A House Oversight Committee hearing on transgender athletes. ? Livestream
2:30 p.m.: Harris and Education Secretary Miguel Cardona meet with college presidents to discuss access to contraception.
6:05 p.m.: Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff host a holiday reception at the Naval Observatory.
7:30 p.m.: Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) speaks at the National Association of Christian Lawmakers Gala in Washington, D.C. Livestream
9 p.m.: Former President Trump participates in a Fox News town hall hosted by Sean Hannity. 9:50 p.m.: Biden returns to the White House.
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