“President Trump called on the Justice Department Tuesday to prosecute former President Barack Obama for allegedly ordering an assessment that Russia meddled to help him with the 2016 election,” the New York Post reports.
Said Trump: “Whether it’s right or wrong, it’s time to go after people… It’s criminal at the highest level.”
He added: “It would be President Obama, he started it. And Biden was there with him, and Comey was there, and Clapper — the whole group was there, and Brennan.”
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said he would shut the House down early for its summer recess to head off Democratic demands for votes on calling for the release of files from the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, the New York Times reports.
In order to avoid what he called “political games,” Johnson said the House would adjourn until September after votes scheduled for Wednesday night.
Washington Post: “The House has largely come to a halt as Republican leaders struggle to assuage an irate group of lawmakers who are demanding that the Justice Department release files related to deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.”
Harry Litman writes that President Trump’s lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal is “a sure loser” and argues that the newspaper “surely never would have published the story without rock-solid sourcing” and that “if they printed it, they probably have the receipts.”
That means “it’s Trump’s burden to show that the reporting is false and they knew it.”
Politico notes Trump’s “decision to file the case in southern Florida led to suspicions he was hoping to draw U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon.” Instead, it has been assigned to Judge Darrin Gayles, an Obama appointee.
Paul Farhi: “Ever since he launched his presidential campaign in 2015, Trump has fulminated against ‘the fake news.’ But only in his second term has Trump gone beyond such rhetoric to wage a multifront war on media freedom with all of the tools at his disposal: executive actions, lawsuits, a loyal regulatory bureaucracy, a compliant Republican majority in Congress and a sympathetic Supreme Court. Each of his actions has been extraordinary in its own right; collectively, they represent a slow-motion demolition of the Fourth Estate.”
“The principal question isn’t just whether anyone can stop Trump, but whether anyone in power really wants to.”
A new CBS News poll finds Donald Trump’s approval among voters between 18 and 29 years old has plummeted over the last six months.
In February, Trump had a 55% to 45% approval rate. That’s now dropped to 28% to 72% — a stunning 54 percentage point negative swing.
“Zohran Mamdani’s decisive Democratic primary win in New York City reinvigorated the progressive movement and put a magnifying glass on the young, online-savvy candidates running to be the next generation of Democrats,” NOTUS reports.
“As national Democrats look to regain power in Washington and grapple with how to reach voters through nontraditional media, Mamdani’s primary success has raised an age-old question in politics: Are these kinds of victories replicable?”
President Trump has again withdrawn the U.S. from UNESCO, Axios reports.
“This is the third UN agency the Trump administration is withdrawing from following decisions earlier this year to leave the World Health Organization and the Human Rights Council.”
“House Republicans have lost control of the floor over their Jeffrey Epstein blow-up, and they’re struggling to chart a path out of the crisis,” Politico reports.
“GOP leaders are talking with Trump administration officials, searching for ways to appease Republican members incensed over the lack of public information and Speaker Mike Johnson’s handling of the matter broadly.”
“House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, as he headed into a House GOP conference meeting Tuesday morning, said in a brief interview that Republican leaders and others are now trying to ‘expedite’ the administration’s release of information over the August recess.”
D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, who is 88-years-old, told Punchbowl News: “I’m certainly going to run for reelection.”
“General Motors managed to beat analyst expectations Tuesday when it reported second-quarter results, but new tariffs on imported cars and auto parts took a $1.1 billion bite out of its bottom line,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
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“Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced Tuesday that he is seeking a meeting with Jeffrey Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell,” Axios reports.
“Coca-Cola Co. on Tuesday said it plans to launch a new Coke product this fall made with U.S. cane sugar,” Axios reports.
“The move is a response to President Trump’s statement last week that the company would use sugar, rather than high fructose corn syrup, in its sodas.”
“That announcement, which took most people by surprise, led to confusion about the company’s plans, with farm groups warning a full switch away from corn syrup could cost thousands of jobs.”
“Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), who has a discharge petition that would require the release of Epstein-related documents, is undeterred and warning that support for his effort will only be bigger when Congress returns in September,” Politico reports.
“He says at least a dozen Republicans support his proposal.”
“Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent offered support for Jerome Powell amid regular attacks from Trump administration officials, saying he sees no reason for the Federal Reserve chair to step down,” Bloomberg reports.
Said Bessent: “There’s nothing that tells me that he should step down right now. His term ends in May. If he wants to see that through, I think he should. If he wants to leave early, I think he should.”
Americans remain deeply dissatisfied with the political status quo and increasingly pessimistic about the nation’s direction, according to the latest Strength In Numbers/Verasight poll.
Democrats currently hold a slight edge on the generic ballot for House races, 47% to 43%, and President Trump and his legislative agenda remain broadly unpopular, particularly on key issues like deportations, inflation, and health care.
Just 32% say the United States is on the “right track,” while 58% say it is on the “wrong track.”
“For more than a year, State Senator Nicole Mitchell operated on the periphery of the Minnesota Legislature as she awaited trial on felony charges,” the New York Times reports.
“Her fellow Democrats, who held a one-seat majority for much of that time, continued to rely on her vote, but no longer included her in caucus meetings or committees. All the while, Republicans were trying to expel her from the chamber.”
“On Monday, just days after a jury convicted her of burglary, Ms. Mitchell said she would soon step down. By leaving office, Ms. Mitchell is likely to avoid the possibility of being removed.”
“It appeared on Monday morning that her departure would end the Democrats’ majority in the chamber. But in a somber turn, Senate officials announced later in the day that a Republican member, Senator Bruce Anderson, had died, keeping the balance of power in St. Paul unchanged.”
Taegan 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.