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Trump Emerges Back on the Trail

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Politico: “On Saturday, Trump will hold a Make America Great Again rally outside of Cleveland, Ohio in support of longtime aide turned Republican congressional candidate Max Miller, who is vying for the seat currently held by Rep. Anthony Gonzalez, a Cleveland native who voted for the second impeachment of Trump… He’s increasingly eager to push the falsehoods that his reelection was deprived of him through nefarious attempts to doctor the vote.”

“There has been discussion among Trump aides ahead of Saturday’s rally about not allowing candidates backstage to take photos with the former president for fear that those images could later be used to falsely imply they received his endorsement. Trump aides have been increasingly aggressive about pushing back on efforts from candidates to suggest they have Trump’s backing when they don’t.”

Nikki Haley Praises Trump In Iowa

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Politico: “The potential 2024 presidential candidate lavished praise on Trump during an evening appearance before the Iowa Republican Party’s Lincoln Dinner, a major party gathering in the all-important, first-in-the-nation caucus state.”

“Haley also offered a preview of how she may distinguish herself in a 2024 presidential contest: as a Republican with a diverse background.”

CNN: Nikki Haley tests the Iowa waters while the base yearns for Trump.

Pence Says He Was ‘Proud’ to Certify Election

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“Former Vice President Mike Pemce on Thursday night made his most forceful attempt yet to separate himself from his former boss, Donald Trump, on the issue of certifying the 2020 election results. Speaking at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif., Mr. Pence defended the constitutionally mandated role he played in certifying the Electoral College vote on Jan. 6,” the New York Times reports.

Said Pence: “I will always be proud that we did our part on that tragic day to reconvene the Congress and fulfilled our duty under the Constitution and the laws of the United States. The truth is, there is almost no idea more un-American than the notion that any one person could choose the American president.”

“It was the furthest that Mr. Pence, a potential Republican presidential candidate in 2024, has gone yet in defending his role that day or distancing himself from Mr. Trump, to whom he ingratiated himself during their four years together in office.”


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U.S. Planning to Evacuate Afghan Interpreters

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“The White House and Pentagon intend to evacuate thousands of Afghan interpreters and their families to a third country as they await U.S. visa processing,” Politico reports.

“The issue of Afghan interpreters and translators has become a major sticking point in the rush to move thousands of American troops and tons of equipment out of the country by September. … The thousands of interpreters who worked side by side with U.S. troops for two decades have remained in limbo, however, leading to scrambling in Washington to find a way to protect them from the Taliban and others once U.S. forces are gone.”

Nearly All COVID-19 Deaths Are Among the Unvaccinated

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Associated Press: “Nearly all COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. now are in people who weren’t vaccinated, a staggering demonstration of how effective the shots have been and an indication that deaths per day — now down to under 300 — could be practically zero if everyone eligible got the vaccine.”

“Breakthrough infections in fully vaccinated people accounted for fewer than 1,200 of more than 853,000 COVID-19 hospitalizations. That’s about 0.1%.”

Ron Wyden Wants IRA Fix After Thiel Disclosure

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Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) “is considering reviving a proposal that would limit how much wealthy individuals can shield retirement savings from taxes, after a ProPublica report that Peter Thiel had amassed $5 billion in a tax-free account,” Bloomberg reports.

“Wyden, the Democrat who controls the Senate’s tax agenda, said he would revisit his 2016 proposal that would prevent people from contributing to Roth individual retirement accounts once they’ve reached $5 million in value.”

Anti-Trump Group May Create New Party

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“A group of Republicans unhappy with the course of the GOP is forming the Renew America Movement organization to recruit and support candidates in the most competitive 2022 House and Senate races,” Bloomberg reports.

“The group plans to raise ‘tens of millions’ of dollars to support or oppose candidates, regardless of party, to defeat ‘radical Republicans’ who support former President Donald Trump in four to five Senate races and about two dozen House races in next year’s midterm elections. It will also recruit candidates to run in GOP primaries or as independents under the Renew America Movement banner.”

“Evan McMullin, who unsuccessfully ran for president in 2016 as an independent and is a leader of the effort, said the group wants to push the GOP back to its traditional principles and create a new party if necessary for those conservatives who believe the Republican Party has become too extreme.”

Why the White House Will Miss Its Vaccine Target

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Associated Press: “A half-dozen officials involved in the vaccination campaign, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the missed target candidly, pointed to a combination of factors, including: the lessened sense of urgency that followed early success in the vaccination campaign; a decision to reach higher than a play-it-safe lower goal; and unexpectedly strong recalcitrance among some Americans toward getting a shot.”

Adams Says He’s the ‘Face of the New Democratic Party’

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“Eric Adams used his strong showing in New York City’s still-undecided Democratic primary for mayor to challenge the party’s left wing Thursday, calling himself “the face of the new Democratic Party,” the New York Daily News reports.

Said Adams: “If the Democratic Party fails to recognize what we did here in New York, they’re going to have a problem in the midterm elections, and they’re going to have a problem in the presidential election.”

Pelosi Sends a Message to Manchin and Sinema

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This piece is only available to Political Wire members.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) set her conditions for an infrastructure package this morning: “There ain’t no infrastructure bill without the reconciliation bill.”

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Arizona GOP Wants Special Session on ‘Audit’ Findings

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Arizona Republic: “A last-minute addition to the state budget approved by senators along party lines early Wednesday would create a committee to receive the findings from the ongoing election review.”

“The committee would make recommendations to the Senate president based on those findings, including calling for a special session to take up legislation.”

About Political Wire

goddard-bw-snapshotTaegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.

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