Florida prosecutors say there is an open criminal investigation relating to information a lawmaker provided concerning the Hope Florida Foundation, which was set up to support the Hope Florida program championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and his wife, first lady Casey DeSantis, the Miami Herald reports.
Fetterman Says Democrats Should ‘Pay a Political Price’
Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) showed up to his first Homeland Security Committee hearing of the year and said Democrats “failed to secure our border and we deserve to pay a political price for that,” the New York Times reports.
Democrats Look to Counter GOP Clout Online
“Six months after the Democratic Party’s crushing 2024 defeat, the party’s megadonors are being inundated with overtures to spend tens of millions of dollars to develop an army of left-leaning online influencers,” the New York Times reports.
“At donor retreats and in pitch documents seen by The New York Times, liberal strategists are pushing the party’s rich backers to reopen their wallets for a cavalcade of projects to help Democrats, as the cliché now goes, ‘find the next Joe Rogan.’ The proposals, the scope of which has not been previously reported, are meant to energize glum donors and persuade them that they can compete culturally with President Trump — if only they can throw enough money at the problem.”
“Democrats widely believe they must grow more creative in stoking online enthusiasm for their candidates, particularly in less outwardly political forms of media like sports or lifestyle podcasts.”
Thomas Massie Is Still a ‘No’
President Donald Trump called Rep. Thomas Massie a “grandstander” during his visit to the Capitol Tuesday morning to whip support for his “big, beautiful bill,” after previously calling for other Republicans to wage primary challenges against the Kentucky Republican, Politico reports.
Massie said he’s unbothered — and still a “no” on the legislation House GOP leaders hope to pass later this week.
Trump Just Made Mike Johnson’s Job Harder
“President Donald Trump was supposed to unite House Republicans. Instead, he came to the Capitol to rail against blue-state Republicans and hardline conservatives, leaving the two groups more dug in than ever,” Punchbowl News reports.
“The meeting was especially brutal for the SALT and Medicaid holdouts. That’s ironic because without the SALT Caucus, Trump would have been dealing with a Democratic Congress. And members of the HFC are among Trump’s most ardent supporters.”
“It’s too early to tell definitively, but we are hearing that this is backfiring. Several GOP members of the SALT Caucus texted Johnson and told him they would vote against the bill after the presentation. One member of the SALT Caucus feels as if Johnson ambushed them.”
“But most House Republicans don’t want to give more on SALT, and the problem for the blue-state group is that they all heard Trump essentially say enough is enough.”
Kristi Noem Doesn’t Know What ‘Habeas Corpus’ Is
When Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) asked Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem for the definition of “habeas corpus,” Noem incorrectly described it as a right that the President of the United States has to deport people.
Jonathan Chait: “At this point, Hassan interjected to explain that habeas corpus is, in fact, ‘the legal principle that requires that the government provide a public reason for detaining and imprisoning people.’ In other words, it’s the opposite of what Noem said. It’s not a right the president possesses, but a right the people possess against the president.”
Jared Golden to Run for Re-Election
Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) announced he’ll run for re-election instead of seeking higher office, WMTW reports.
SALT Caucus Still Won’t Support Trump’s Bill
The blue state Republicans who are members of the SALT caucus have told Speaker Mike Johnson they are still a no on the bill after President Trump spoke at the House Republican Conference meeting, Punchbowl News reports.
A huge problem for Mike Johnson is that the entire GOP caucus heard Trump say the SALT caucus was getting enough already.
Exchange of the Day
President Trump spoke to reporters at the Capitol:
REPORTER: How can you justify cutting food assistance?
TRUMP: The cut is going to give everybody much more food because prices are coming down.
Top Aides to Mexico City Mayor Killed in Attack
Two top members Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada’s team were killed in a direct attack in a centric part of the capital, Reuters reports.
Trump Tells GOP ‘Don’t Fuck Around with Medicaid’
President Trump told House Republicans he didn’t want Medicaid cuts beyond rooting out “waste, fraud and abuse,” NOTUS reports.
Said Trump: “Don’t fuck around with Medicaid.”
“But the current bill makes dramatic Medicaid reductions, more than $700 billion over the next decade, with Republicans considering additional changes that would cut hundreds of billions more in order to get conservatives on board.”
It’s almost like he has no idea what’s in his own legislation.
Trump Tells Blue State Republicans to Get On Board
“President Donald Trump traveled to Capitol Hill Tuesday morning to deliver a message to House Republicans impeding a massive bill for his domestic agenda: Stop fighting and get it done as soon as possible,” NBC News reports.
“In a closed-door meeting with rank-and-file Republicans, Trump took aim at a bloc of blue-state Republicans who’ve been pushing for a higher cap on the deduction their constituents can take for state and local taxes, known as SALT, while warning conservative hard-liners against steep cuts to Medicaid.”
“While Trump directed his comments at all the lawmakers negotiating a higher SALT cap, Trump singled out Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY).”
Said Trump: “End it, Mike, just end it.”
Elon Musk Pulls Back from Politics
“Elon Musk says he plans to cut back on political spending, after making huge donations in the 2024 election to boost President Trump,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
Said Musk: “In terms of political spending, I’m going to do a lot less in the future. I think I’ve done enough.”
He added: “If I see a reason to do political spending in the future, I will do it. I do not currently see a reason.”
Trump Bulldozes the Rule of Law
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The One Big Beautiful Bill Act
The House Rules Committee website — which is due to consider the reconciliation bill at 1 a.m. ET — actually calls the legislation the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“And then they rigged the election, and then I said, ‘You know what I’ll do? I’ll run again and I’ll shove it up their ass.'”
— President Trump, quoted by the HuffPost, complaining again about losing the 2020 presidential election.
Kamala Harris to Headline DNC Fundraiser
Kamala Harris continues her political reemergence, headlining a DNC fundraiser next month.
Do Democrats Have Another Blue Wave in Them?
“Democrats have a lot of problems right now. Finding candidates eager to run for office isn’t one of them,” NOTUS reports.
“Since Donald Trump’s election, a groundswell of Democratic candidates has emerged to start campaigns for local, state and federal races, according to party operatives and a review of campaign announcements. It’s a level of engagement some Democratic strategists say reminds them of the wave of candidates that helped the party sweep to big victories in 2017 and 2018 during Trump’s first years in office.”
