Michael Cloud (R) won the special election Saturday to replace former Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-TX), comfortably taking a majority of votes to avoid a runoff, Roll Call reports.
Quote of the Day
“Well I hope they keep thinking about it. Because they’re going to get beaten so badly. You know ICE, these are the guys that go in and take MS-13, and they take them out. Because they’re much tougher than MS-13, like by a factor of 10. And these are the ones – you get rid of ICE you’re going to have a country that you’re going to be afraid to walk out of your house. I love that issue if they’re going to actually do that.”
— President Trump, in an interview with Fox Business News, on calls by some Democrats to abolish ICE.
The One Area Where Trump Listens to Advisers
Washington Post: “In most other realms, Trump is quick to reject norms and resist the established order. Where previous presidents zigged, the 45th almost always wants to zag. But not when it comes to the Supreme Court. So far, at least, Trump is taking direction from his counselors, including two with deep roots in Washington’s conservative network: McGahn and Leonard Leo, who is on leave from the Federalist Society to informally advise on judicial nominations.”
“Since before taking office, Trump has strategized with McGahn, Leo and others about aggressively filling federal court vacancies to permanently shift the judiciary to the right. The pace has been historic — and, for conservatives, the outcome has been an undeniable success.”
The Other Russia Scandal Breaks Wide Open
Jonathan Chait: “In 2016, Vladimir Putin reaped two of his greatest foreign policy triumphs in quick succession. The United Kingdom voted narrowly to exit the European Union, advancing a longstanding Russian goal of splitting Western allies that have long been united against it. Later that year, the United States voted even more narrowly to elect Donald Trump president.”
“On Friday evening, the New York Times revealed new detail about Russian involvement in the Brexit vote. The more we learn, the more clearly the pattern of behavior in the two countries becomes similar, and the more suspicious the denials of Putin’s partners grows.”
Virginia GOP In Turmoil
“Corey Stewart’s Republican nomination for U.S. Senate from Virginia has prompted an identity crisis within the state GOP, with some donors and activists saying they are so turned off, they are willing to vote for his Democratic opponent, Sen. Tim Kaine,” the Washington Post reports.
“Stewart, chairman of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors, catapulted to the U.S. Senate nomination — and nearly won the gubernatorial primary last year — by celebrating guns and Confederate statues, lambasting illegal immigrants, and associating with white nationalist Jason Kessler and Paul Nehlen, a Wisconsin candidate barred from Twitter because of anti-Semitic and racist posts.”
The Midterms Will Be Decided by Intensity
Dan Balz: “The November election could be about many things. Immigration. Tax cuts and the economy. The Supreme Court and the future of abortion rights. Trade and tariffs. The menu changes with the cascading of events. Ultimately, the midterms will be about intensity. On that factor, Democrats ought not to underestimate President Trump.”
“Trump dominates like no president in recent memory. He dominates the daily conversation in the country. He creates diversions and distractions, starts brush fires or all-out conflagrations. He stirs constantly with tools his predecessors never had or imagined using. He says whatever he wants to say, regardless of the truth. He puts the news media on the defensive and calls journalists the ‘enemy of the people.’ He makes himself impossible to ignore.”
Michael Cohen Weighs His Place In History
Vanity Fair: “Earlier this week… a woman chased him down the street, shouting at him that he could be a hero if he cooperates with the government and brings President Trump down. Last week, another person attempted to get a message to Cohen, saying, ‘Please let him know that he could go down in history as the man that saved this country. I think his family would be so proud of him. Even people like me that were disgusted with the things we heard on those audio recordings, would totally forgive him.'”
“Cohen’s friends have been whispering encouragements, too, particularly after the president distanced himself from Cohen earlier this month by telling reporters that he ‘liked’ Cohen, in the past tense.”
Said one person close to Cohen: “He’s frustrated. Washington is actively pushing him away as opposed to protecting him or welcoming him back in, when, at the same time, he has all these people telling him that he could change the course of the midterms, or 2020.”
Conservatives Weaponize the First Amendment
The New York Times notes that two recent Supreme Court decisions “were the latest in a stunning run of victories for a conservative agenda that has increasingly been built on the foundation of free speech.”
“Conservative groups, borrowing and building on arguments developed by liberals, have used the First Amendment to justify unlimited campaign spending, discrimination against gay couples and attacks on the regulation of tobacco, pharmaceuticals and guns.”
Cruz Urges Vote Against Republican In Illinois
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) “made known his distaste for a Republican congressional candidate who is a Holocaust denier — so much so that he encouraged people in that district to vote for the Democrat,” the Daily Beast reports.
Said Cruz: “This is horrific. An avowed Nazi running for Congress.”
He added: “To the good people of Illinois, you have two reasonable choices: write in another candidate, or vote for the Democrat. This bigoted fool should receive ZERO votes.”
Trump Won’t Rule Out Lifting Sanctions on Russia
President Trump “was noncommittal when asked if he might lift sanctions imposed on Russia,” the AP reports.
Said Trump: “We’ll see what Russia does. We’re going to be talking to Russia about a lot of things. We’re going to be talking to them about Syria, we’re going to be talking to them about Ukraine. We might even be talking about some of the things President Obama lost, like Crimea, that could come up.”
Asked if the U.S. might recognize Crimea to be part of Russia, he said: “We’ll have to see.”
Supreme Court Nominations Used to Be Apolitical
David Greenberg: “Sometimes what’s remarkable is what goes unremarked upon. In all the pieces already written about the impending fight to confirm Associate Justice Anthony M. Kennedy’s as-yet unpicked successor on the Supreme Court, no one has so much as suggested that anything besides partisanship and ideology will matter. Credentials? Qualifications? Scandal? Racial, ethnic and gender diversity? All of these considerations, so prominent in judicial appointment debates for decades, are largely irrelevant. It’s pure politics now, and no one pretends otherwise.”
“Today’s partisanship culminates an astonishing transformation. It’s hard to recall now, but for most of the last century almost nobody would admit to voting for or against a nominee because of his or her partisan affiliation.”
The First Candidate Book for 2020
Rep. John Delaney (D-MD), the first Democrat to declare a presidential bid for 2020, has a new book out: The Right Answer: How We Can Unify Our Divided Nation.
Top Court Pick Has Argued Against Probes of Presidents
“U.S. Circuit Judge Brett Kavanaugh, a former clerk for Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy who is viewed as one of the leading contenders to replace him, has argued that presidents should not be distracted by civil lawsuits, criminal investigations or even questions from a prosecutor or defense attorney while in office,” the Washington Post reports.
“Kavanaugh’s position that presidents should be free of such legal inquiries until after they leave office puts him on the record regarding a topic of intense interest to Trump — and could be a central focus of his confirmation hearing if Kavanaugh were nominated to succeed Kennedy.”
Top Democrats Worry About Calls to Abolish ICE
“Top Democrats tell Axios they’re worried that a sudden wave of ambitious party members calling for the abolition of ICE — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which is newly controversial because of the detained kids — will make the party look weak on security, a key issue for many swing voters.”
“These Dems fear the phrase makes them an easy target for conservatives who accuse Democrats of wanting ‘open borders.'”
President Trump tweets: “To the great and brave men and women of ICE, do not worry or lose your spirit. You are doing a fantastic job of keeping us safe by eradicating the worst criminal elements. So brave! The radical left Dems want you out. Next it will be all police. Zero chance, It will never happen!”
Black Vote Surges in Georgia
“Turnout among black voters soared in last month’s Georgia primary, a show of strength that could bode well for Democrats in this year’s contests for governor and other statewide offices,” the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.
“The number of black voters rose 43 percent in the May 22 election when compared with 2010, the last time there was a competitive race for governor. The data show the broad majority of African-American voters pulled Democratic ballots, which could bolster the hope of Stacey Abrams, who is racing to be the nation’s first black female governor. Her Republican opponent will be decided in a July 24 runoff between Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and Secretary of State Brian Kemp.”
“At the same time, the proportion of white voters continues to decline. White voter participation in last month’s primary was down 9 percent from 2010.”
Leftist Far Ahead In Mexico
New York Times: “As corruption and violence gnaw at Mexico’s patience, voters have turned to a familiar face in Mr. López Obrador, a three-time candidate for president who once shut down Mexico City for months after a narrow loss, refusing to accept defeat.”
“Brandishing a deep connection with the poor, built over more than a decade of visits to every corner of this country of 120 million, he has managed a staggering lead ahead of Sunday’s vote.”
“If the poll numbers bear out on Election Day, Mr. López Obrador — who has promised to sell the presidential plane and convert the opulent presidential palace into a public park — could win by a landslide, putting a leftist leader in charge of Latin America’s second-largest country for the first time in decades.”
North Korea Has Increased Nuclear Production
“U.S. intelligence agencies believe that North Korea has increased its production of fuel for nuclear weapons at multiple secret sites in recent months — and that Kim Jong Un may try to hide those facilities as he seeks more concessions in nuclear talks with the Trump administration,” NBC News reports.
“The intelligence assessment, which has not previously been reported, seems to counter the sentiments expressed by President Trump, who tweeted after his historic June 12 summit with Kim that ‘there was no longer a nuclear threat from North Korea.'”
Trump Will Propose Second Round of Tax Cuts
President Trump “said he wanted to further lower the corporate tax rate, from 21% to 20%, as part of a second round of tax cuts later this year,” the Washington Post reports.
“Trump, in an interview with Fox News to mark the six-month anniversary of the $1.5 trillion tax-cut law Republicans passed last year, said other parts of the new tax plan would be tailored to the middle class.”
Said Trump: “One of the things we’re thinking about is bringing the 21 percent down to 20 and for the most part, the rest of it will go right to the middle class. It’s a great stimulus.”
