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Trump Threatens to Arrest Zohran Mamdani

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President Trump signaled support for New York City Mayor Eric Adams — for whom he made federal corruption charges disappear — and threatened to arrest Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, New York Magazine reports.

Said Trump, when asked about Mamdani’s pledge to refuse to cooperate with ICE: “Well, then we’ll have to arrest him. Look, we don’t need a communist in this country, but if we have one, I’m going to be watching over him very carefully on behalf of the nation.”

He added: “A lot of people are saying he’s here illegally. We’re gonna look at everything.”

Bonus Quote of the Day

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“My sincere hope is that this is not the final product. This bill needs more work across chambers and is not ready for the President’s desk. We need to work together to get this right.”

— Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), quoted by Axios, after voting for the bill she now hopes is not final.

Kirsten Gillibrand Apologized to Zohran Mamdani

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Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) apologized to Zohran Mamdani (D) after she falsely claimed in a radio interview that the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City had made “references to global jihad,” Politico reports.

Mamdani has declined to condemn people using the phrase “globalize the intifada,” even though he said he doesn’t use it himself.


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Mike Johnson Faces New GOP Revolt Over Senate Bill

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Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is facing an explosion of internal anger among his members over the Senate’s changes to President Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” Axios reports.

Said Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC): “Our bill has been completely changed … It’s a non-starter.”

One House Republican, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said there are “well over 20” GOP lawmakers threatening to vote against the bill.

Murkowski Hopes House Will Change the Senate Bill

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Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) made the “agonizing” decision to vote for Senate Republicans’ version of the “big, beautiful” bill after winning key concessions on federal health and food-aid programs for her state, Politico reports.

Said Murkowski: “I had to look on balance, because the people in my state are the ones that I put first. We do not have a perfect bill by any stretch of the imagination. My hope is that the House is going to look at this and recognize that we’re not there yet.”

Mystery Surrounds Jeffrey Epstein Videos

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Associated Press: “It was a surprising statement from Attorney General Pam Bondi as the Trump administration promises to release more files from its sex trafficking investigation of Jeffrey Epstein: The FBI, she said, was reviewing ‘tens of thousands of videos’ of the wealthy financier ‘with children or child porn.’”

“Yet weeks after Bondi’s remarks, it remains unclear what she was referring to.”

Trump Cut Rape Survivor Kits for Congo

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“President Donald Trump’s administration cancelled a major contract to supply emergency kits for rape survivors in Congo as violence surged in the east this year, leaving thousands without access to life-saving medication,” Reuters reports.

“The emergency kits include medication to prevent HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, as well as unwanted pregnancies. The decision to cancel the contract for around 100,000 post-rape kits has not been reported previously.”

All House Democrats Will Be In Attendance for Vote

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Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) “told reporters he expected every single House Democrat to be at the Capitol to oppose the Senate-passed bill. The House was scheduled to be in recess this week for the 4th of July, but lawmakers are now expected to vote tomorrow on whether to send the sweeping policy bill to President Trump’s desk,” the New York Times reports.

“House Speaker Mike Johnson can only afford to lose three Republicans and still pass the bill, if all Democrats oppose it and all lawmakers are present and voting.”

Democrats Have a Shot at Winning the Senate

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What began as a deeply unpopular and hastily constructed piece of legislation somehow emerged from the U.S. Senate in even worse shape.

Senate Republicans didn’t moderate the bill—they doubled down. The final product was rushed through with no public text, no hearings, and no serious debate.

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Trump Ally Launches Super PAC to Counter Elon Musk

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“An ally of President Donald Trump and former Department of Government Efficiency adviser James Fishback on Tuesday is launching a super PAC called FSD PAC designed to blunt Elon Musk’s political ambitions,” Politico reports.

“FSD PAC, a play on Tesla’s ‘full self-driving,’ stands for Full Support for Donald.”

Trump’s Tariffs Delayed Interest Rate Cuts

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“Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Tuesday that the central bank would likely have already cut interest rates this year if not for the economic shock generated by President Trump’s tariffs,” The Hill reports.

Said Powell: “We went on hold when we saw the size of the tariffs… All inflation forecasts for the United States went up materially as a consequence of the tariffs.”

Quote of the Day

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“So tempting to escalate this. So, so tempting. But I will refrain for now.”

— Elon Musk, on X, responding to President Trump’s threat of possibly deporting him.

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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