The House Oversight Committee announced it had reached a deal with Donald Trump to obtain his financial records.
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Rick Scott Tells GOP Critics to ‘Pipe Down’
Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), the head of the Senate Republican campaign arm, writes in the Washington Examiner that fellow Republicans should “pipe down” their criticism of the party’s Senate nominees.
Writes Scott: “Unfortunately, many of the very people responsible for losing the Senate last cycle are now trying to stop us from winning the majority this time by trash-talking our Republican candidates. It’s an amazing act of cowardice, and ultimately, it’s treasonous to the conservative cause.”
He added: “If you want to trash-talk our candidates to help the Democrats, pipe down. That’s not what leaders do.”
Meanwhile, Scott told Politico: “Sen. McConnell and I clearly have a strategic disagreement here. We have great candidates.”
Oath Keepers Attorney Arrested
“An attorney for the Oath Keepers who was with the group’s founder, Stewart Rhodes, outside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, was arrested Thursday in Texas on charges related to the attack on Congress,” the Washington Post reports.
“Kellye SoRelle, 43, was arrested in Junction, Tex…. on four counts — conspiracy, obstruction of a federal proceeding, tampering with documents and misdemeanor trespassing in a restricted building or grounds.”
Majority Says FBI Search of Mar-a-Lago Was Justified
A new Wall Street Journal poll finds 52% of voters agreed that the FBI search of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago “was part of a legal and proper investigation to determine whether former President Trump was involved in any wrongdoing,” while 41% viewed it as “just another example of the endless witch hunt and harassment the Democrats and Biden administration continue to pursue against former President Trump.”
Democrats Hold Slim Leads In Nevada
A new AARP-commissioned poll shared with the Nevada Independent finds Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D) leading challenger Adam Laxalt (R), 44% to 40%.
In the gubernatorial race, Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) leads Joe Lombardo (R), 41% to 38%.
Trump White House Lawyers to Appear Before Grand Jury
“Two former top Trump White House lawyers are expected to appear Friday before a federal grand jury investigating the events surrounding Jan. 6,” ABC News reports.
“Former White House counsel Pat Cipollone and former deputy White House counsel Pat Philbin were subpoenaed by a federal grand jury investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and efforts to overturn the 2020 election. The move to subpoena the two men has signaled an even more dramatic escalation in the Justice Department’s investigation into the Jan. 6 attack than previously known.”
Republicans Plan Lawsuits Over Biden’s Student Debt Plan
“Republican state attorneys general and other leading conservatives are exploring a slew of potential lawsuits targeting President Biden’s plan to cancel some student debt — challenges that could limit or invalidate the policy before it takes full effect,” the Washington Post reports.
“In recent days, a number of GOP attorneys general from states including Arizona, Missouri and Texas have met privately to discuss a strategy that could see multiple cases filed in different courts around the country.”
“Other influential conservatives — including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and allies of the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank — are mulling their own options as they ratchet up criticism of Biden’s debt-relief plan… And a conservative advocacy group founded by a major Trump donor said it would file a lawsuit against the policy.”
Tom Cotton Calls Ranked Choice Voting a ‘Scam’
After Mary Peltola (D) defeated Sarah Palin (R) in Alaska’s special election Wednesday, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) discredited the voting system used by Alaska voters that they chose to implement in their state, tweeting that ranked choice voting system “is a scam to rig elections,” NBC News reports.
It should be noted that Peltola did get the most votes in the first round before ranked choice was used.
Five House Races Move Towards the Democrats
Cook Political Report: “This week, we’re moving four suburban Democratic-held seats into safer categories. Notably, we’ve shifted Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) and New York’s open 3rd CD from Toss Up to Lean Democrat.”
“We’re also moving our November rating for Alaska’s At Large CD from Likely Republican to Toss Up on the heels of Democrat Mary Peltola’s ranked-choice upset of Republican Sarah Palin in the August 16 special election.”
Brian Kemp’s Running Mate Is a Fake Elector
“Georgia Republican Governor Brian Kemp gets a lot of credit for resisting pressure from former President Donald Trump to ‘find the votes’ to flip the 2020 election results in his state,” The Bulwark reports.
“But that was then. Today, Kemp stands shoulder-to-shoulder with one of the state’s top election deniers. That man is his running mate, the GOP candidate for lieutenant governor, Burt Jones.”
Another Putin Critic Dies Falling Out of a Window
The chairman of the board of Lukoil, Russia’s biggest privately held oil producer and one of the few Russian companies to criticize the invasion of Ukraine, has died after falling out of a hospital window, Interfax reports.
Trump Indictment Now Seems Inevitable
Andrew McCarthy: “The court filing made by the Justice Department on Tuesday night, in response to Trump’s lawsuit seeking a special master to review materials seized by the FBI, indicates that prosecutors have amassed formidable evidence of obstruction. That’s a game-changer…”
Andrew Napolitano: “Even a cursory review of the redacted version of the affidavit submitted in support of the government’s application for a search warrant at the home of former President Donald Trump reveals that he will soon be indicted by a federal grand jury for three crimes: Removing and concealing national defense information (NDI), giving NDI to those not legally entitled to possess it, and obstruction of justice by failing to return NDI to those who are legally entitled to retrieve it…”
“Where does all this leave Mr. Trump? The short answer is: in hot water. The longer answer is: He is confronting yet again the federal law enforcement and intelligence communities for which he has rightly expressed such public disdain. He had valid points of expression during the Russia investigation. He has little ground upon which to stand today.”
Democratic Midterm Prospects Improve
“Democrats are entering the homestretch before November’s election in better shape than earlier this year, boosted by gains among independent voters, improved views of President Biden and higher voting enthusiasm among abortion-rights supporters,” a Wall Street Journal poll shows.
“Democrats hold a slight edge over Republicans, 47% to 44%, when voters are asked which party they would support in their congressional district if the election were held today, a lead that is within the poll’s margin of error of plus or minus 2.7 percentage points. Republicans had a five-point advantage in March.”
“The Democratic gains come from increased support among independents, women and younger voters. Black and Hispanic voters, who have traditionally favored Democrats heavily, are also more solidly supportive of the party than they were earlier this year.”
Meanwhile, FiveThirtyEight gives Democrats a 68% chance to win the Senate and gives Republicans a 76% chance to win the House.
U.S. Drives Russia, China and Iran Together
“America’s biggest adversaries — China, Russia and Iran — are increasingly teaming up in ways that could undermine U.S. objectives,” Axios reports.
“Russian and Chinese forces began major military exercises Thursday in Russia’s far east. Meanwhile, Russia has received an initial batch of drones from Iran to deploy on the battlefield in Ukraine.”
Midterms Becoming a Referendum on Trump
“Top Republicans’ biggest private fear — that November’s midterms will turn on public opinion about former President Trump, not inflation and crime — is unfolding across the political landscape,” Axios reports.
“Trump is dominating the news, picking Trump-like candidates in primaries — and shaping the views and rhetoric of elected officials, and those hoping to become one.”
“That’s why Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is telling people his party is blowing a golden opportunity to win the Senate. It’s also why Republicans no longer feel so confident of a landslide in the House.”
Karl Rove: “This is shifting the midterms from being a referendum on Mr. Biden’s failures to a comparison between Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump, which diminishes the Republican advantage.”
Janet Yellen Kicks Off Economic Victory Tour
“Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will deliver a major economic speech in Detroit next week as part of a month-long push to sell President Biden’s signature legislative achievements before the midterms,” Axios reports.
Pandemic Erased Decades of Progress in Math and Reading
“National test results released on Thursday showed in stark terms the pandemic’s devastating effects on American schoolchildren, with the performance of 9-year-olds in math and reading dropping to the levels from two decades ago,” the New York Times reports.
“The declines spanned almost all races and income levels and were markedly worse for the lowest-performing students. While top performers in the 90th percentile showed a modest drop — three points in math — students in the bottom 10th percentile dropped by 12 points in math, four times the impact.”
Buttigieg Announces Blitz of Infrastructure Projects
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is pushing to make infrastructure a winning issue for Democrats in the midterms — that is, if only his own presidential ambitions don’t trip him up, Politico reports.
“Buttigieg, 40, is the youngest Cabinet member and arguably the best-known as a result of his own presidential campaign in 2020. His party’s success in November—and his own future ambitions for higher office—depend, in part, on him selling the sweeping infrastructure package.”
