Political Wire

Trump Revamps His Fundraising Operation

January 31, 2023 at 8:22 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Former President Donald Trump is strapped for campaign cash following the mid-November launch of his 2024 presidential campaign,” NBC News reports.

“Trump, who has been the GOP’s most prolific fundraiser in recent years, pulled in about $9.5 million over the final six weeks of last year through his campaign and a joint fundraising committee.”

“In a sign that Trump understands he’ll need to raise more money faster for what promises to be a competitive GOP primary campaign, his campaign recently expanded its digital fundraising team by hiring the firm Campaign Inbox to solicit the small-dollar donor set. Campaign officials have long said he would use the early part of this year to build up his apparatus and begin expanding his footprint in early primary states.”

Mitch Daniels Won’t Run for Senate

January 31, 2023 at 8:20 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Mitch Daniels is passing on a potential bid for an open Indiana Senate seat, forgoing what would have been one of the most hotly contested primaries in the 2024 cycle,” Politico reports.

Said Daniels: “After what I hope was adequate reflection, I’ve decided not to become a candidate for the U.S. Senate. With full credit and respect for the institution and those serving in it, I conclude that it’s just not the job for me, not the town for me, and not the life I want to live at this point.”

Trump Picks Up Two Senate Endorsements

January 31, 2023 at 8:17 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Donald Trump’s endorsement helped push J.D. Vance and Eric Schmitt into the Senate. Now they’re nearly ready to return the favor,” Politico reports.

“Vance has told allies over the last few months that he anticipates endorsing Trump in the Republican primary… And Schmitt, whom Trump technically endorsed when he backed ‘Eric’ in the Missouri GOP primary last year, said on Monday that he’s supporting the former president.”

Chances of Police Reform Deal Quickly Dim

January 31, 2023 at 8:15 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Washington Post: “After the release of a video on Friday showing Memphis police officers fatally beating Tyre Nichols, 29, earlier this month, there were hopes that Congress might once again begin negotiating how to reform policing practices, as anger grew over the death of another Black man following a violent encounter with local law enforcement.”

“But by Monday, any optimism for a big legislative deal seemed to have been squashed.”

Jim Justice ‘Very, Very’ Interested in Running for Senate

January 31, 2023 at 7:47 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice (R) expressed a keen interest in running for the state’s Senate seat now held by moderate Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), Bloomberg reports.

Wall Street Counting on Debt Limit Trick

January 31, 2023 at 7:28 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Washington’s debt limit drama has Wall Street betting that the United States will employ a fallback option to ensure it can make good on payments to its lenders even if Congress doesn’t raise the nation’s borrowing limit before America runs out of cash,” the New York Times reports.

“But that untested idea has significant flaws and has been ruled out by the Biden administration, which could make it less of a bulwark against disaster than many investors and politicians are counting on.”

Semafor: Republicans have a plan B if the U.S. breaches the debt ceiling. It’d still be a disaster.

Biden Not Sending F-16 Fighters to Ukraine

January 31, 2023 at 7:25 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The United States will not be sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine — at least not now,” Politico reports.

“Asked by a reporter outside the White House Monday if the U.S. would transfer the warplanes that Kyiv is pushing hard to receive, President Joe Biden responded: ‘No.’”

“The short remark is likely to send shockwaves across the Atlantic, following days of seeming momentum toward sending the fighter jets eastward. It could also sour relations with Kyiv when officials there were already feeling positive about a coordinated U.S.-German decision last week to send main battle tanks to the front lines.”

Two Who Searched Trump Properties Testify

January 31, 2023 at 7:21 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Two people who found two classified documents in a Florida storage facility for Donald Trump have testified before a federal grand jury in Washington that’s looking at the former president’s handling of national security records at his Mar-a-Lago residence,” CNN reports.

“The two individuals who were hired to search four of Trump’s properties last fall were each interviewed for about three hours in separate appearances last week.”

White House Tells McCarthy to Show His Plan

January 31, 2023 at 7:11 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

CNN: “McCarthy is set to meet with President Joe Biden on Wednesday in a face-to-face that has already been subject to positioning and political messaging, moves that both sides hope will shape the fight to raise the debt limit over the next few months. White House officials have been steadfast that there will be no negotiations on the matter while House Republicans have framed Wednesday’s meeting as the beginning of debt ceiling talks.”

“Biden, asked by CNN what his message to McCarthy would be in that meeting, said it would be ‘show me your budget and I’ll show you mine.’”

“The statement carried echoes of the push by White House officials and congressional Democrats to force Republicans to put a plan on the table – even as they insist there will be no negotiations on the matter.”

Gaetz ‘Undecided’ on Removing Ilhan Omar

January 31, 2023 at 6:55 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) told Newsmax that he’s “undecided” about whether to vote to remove Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) from the Foreign Affairs Committee.

He noted he supported Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) removing Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) from the Intelligence Committee.

Said Gaetz: “It’s one thing to do dangerous things to the country with intelligence, it’s quite another to say, ‘I don’t like your viewpoint and thus I want to remove you. I don’t support that.”

The House GOP’s Growing Pains

January 31, 2023 at 6:51 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Playbook: “One month into the House Republican majority, a clear picture is emerging of the problems Speaker Kevin McCarthy will face managing his slim, five-seat majority. (That is, if the chaotic speaker election didn’t make things clear enough.)”

“Already, Republicans are scrambling to salvage red-meat proposals they’ve been talking about for months, whether it’s cracking down on the southwest border or targeting Omar’s committee seat. Yes, it’s early going, but the new majority’s struggles in passing messaging bills does not bode well for the more consequential legislation that will have to clear the House later on.”

Key detail: “In late December, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise laid out plans for the House to pass 11 top-priority bills and resolutions the first two weeks of the GOP takeover. It’s almost February, and they’ve passed only six.”

Potential Trump Challengers Quiet in Iowa

January 31, 2023 at 6:47 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“By this time four years ago, at least a dozen Democratic presidential hopefuls eager to make their case against Donald Trump had either visited Iowa or announced plans to soon visit the leadoff voting state ahead of the 2020 election,” the AP reports.

“Iowa’s campaign landscape is markedly different this year, with a Republican field seemingly frozen by Trump’s early announcement of a 2024 campaign. So far, only former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson has visited this year, and U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina is making plans to stop by in the next few weeks.”

“Even Trump, the only declared candidate in the 2024 race right now, has been absent from Iowa, choosing instead to kickstart his campaign last weekend in New Hampshire and South Carolina, two other early voting states.”

However, Fox News reports Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) is headed to Iowa next month.

Biden Sells Infrastructure in New York

January 31, 2023 at 6:39 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“President Joe Biden is ready to showcase a $292 million mega grant that will be used to help build a new rail tunnel beneath the Hudson River between New York and New Jersey, part of a broader effort to draw a contrast between his economic vision and that of Republicans,” the AP reports.

“The money is part of $1.2 billion in mega grants being awarded under the 2021 infrastructure law. The Democratic president’s trip to New York City comes on the heels of his stop Monday in Baltimore to highlight the replacement of an aging rail tunnel there, where he pledged that government spending on infrastructure will boost economic growth and create blue-collar jobs.”

Biden to End Covid-19 Emergency

January 31, 2023 at 6:37 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“President Joe Biden informed Congress on Monday that he will end the twin national emergencies for addressing COVID-19 on May 11, as most of the world has returned closer to normalcy nearly three years after they were first declared,” the AP reports.

“The move to end the national emergency and public health emergency declarations would formally restructure the federal coronavirus response to treat the virus as an endemic threat to public health that can be managed through agencies’ normal authorities.”

Senate Has a Problem with Biden on Classified Docs

January 31, 2023 at 5:53 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The Biden Justice Department has its hands full with a slew of House GOP investigations. What they probably didn’t expect was the onslaught coming from Senate Democrats, too,” Punchbowl News reports.

“The administration’s refusal to share crucial information about the classified documents recovered from the homes of President Joe Biden, former President Donald Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence has ignited bipartisan outrage from the upper chamber, where top Democrats are threatening extreme measures to force compliance.”

Margaret Sullivan: The media is blowing Biden’s documents ‘scandal’ out of proportion.

Huge Majority Says George Santos Should Resign

January 31, 2023 at 5:46 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

A new Siena poll finds that by a margin of 78% to 13%, voters in New York’s 3rd congressional district overwhelmingly say freshman Rep. George Santos (R-NY) should resign.

Said pollster Don Levy: “Whether you look it at by party, gender, race, age, religion, income, or which county the voters live in, the answer is the same: resign. Similarly, voters of every party and every demographic breakdown know who Santos is, are following the news about Santos, and view Santos unfavorably.”

Trump Rips ‘Radical’ Manhattan Prosecutor

January 30, 2023 at 10:41 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Donald Trump lambasted Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg as a “radical” prosecutor on Monday for examining alleged “hush money” payments to porn star Stormy Daniels, the Daily Mail reports.

“It comes after the New York Times reported a grand jury is set to hear witness testimony this week about the former president’s alleged role in the payments, made to keep Daniels quiet during his 2016 campaign. She claims to have slept with him in 2006.”

“But Trump denied the affair in a forceful message on his Truth Social app and derided Daniels as ‘Horseface.’”

Kari Lake Accused of Campaign Violations

January 30, 2023 at 10:40 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Arizona’s top election official has asked the attorney general to investigate Kari Lake, the Republican candidate who lost her bid for governor in 2022, over potential campaign violations involving the disclosure of voter signatures,” the Washington Post reports.

“The complaint could set up a legal showdown in the battleground state between a prominent conservative election denier backed by Donald Trump and two newly elected Democrats who campaigned with messages of strengthening public trust in elections.”