Philip Bump: “While most Americans have nuanced views of abortion, many of those in the Republican base don’t. Republican primary voters, if not donors, hold a harder line on abortion than do most Americans, and it’s those vocal, active Republicans who probably have the most success in driving the actions of Republican leaders. Just as the vocal, hard-right base of support for Trump shaped and continues to shape Republican politics.”
‘Target Letters’ Sent to Prominent Georgia Republicans
“In the latest sign she is moving rapidly in her investigation into Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has sent so-called ‘target letters’ to prominent Georgia Republicans informing them they could be indicted for their role in a scheme to appoint alternate electors pledged to the former president despite Joe Biden’s victory in the state,” Yahoo News reports.
Gas Prices Have Dropped for 30 Straight Days
“Record-high gas prices might be in the rearview mirror for drivers, as prices at the pump have now fallen 30 days in a row amid a drop in crude oil,” Yahoo Finance reports.
Is Ron DeSantis Less Dangerous Than Trump?
Tim Miller: “Honestly, I think a reasonable case could be made for either view. You can peruse the various links above if you want to decide for yourself. As for me, gun to my head, I’d side with the people saying DeSantis would be less of an existential threat.”
“To be clear—saying someone is less of an existential threat to democracy than Donald Trump might be the faintest praise ever uttered in American politics. It doesn’t carry with it any rejection of the many legitimate concerns that we small-“l” liberals have about a potential DeSantis administration. It merely acknowledges that Trump’s psychopathy is so extreme as to put him in a category all of his own. And as such, anything that keeps him from darkening the halls of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue again is almost certainly an improvement.”
Ari’s Advice
Former Bush White House press secretary Ari Fleischer on Twitter:
“If Trump runs, the smart move is for him to declare on 1/6/23. The anniversary of the riot at the Capitol will be about him anyway, so he might as well seize the day and make it his.”
Pregnant Women Can’t Get Divorced in Missouri
Missouri’s divorce law has come under more scrutiny since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the Riverfront Times reports.
Kamala Harris Loses Her Closest Aide
“Vice President Harris is set to lose one of her closest and longest-serving aides in August with the departure of domestic policy adviser Rohini Kosoglu, whose planned exit follows a major shake-up of the office late last year and into the spring,” the Washington Post reports.
Texas Governor’s Race Shatters Fundraising Records
“Beto O’Rourke on Friday reported raising nearly $32 million during the first half of 2022, keeping his challenge against Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott on track to be one of the nation’s most expensive races in November’s midterm elections,” the AP reports.
“Abbott had already been sitting on $50 million as recently as February. His campaign had not yet released its latest fundraising numbers, which were due Friday in Texas.”
Biden Had No Israeli Flag on Limousine
“President Joe Biden’s motorcade no longer had Israeli flags on it during a visit to a Palestinian hospital in east Jerusalem on Friday, despite his assurances that the stop is not a statement about Israeli sovereignty in its capital city,” the Jerusalem Post reports.
“That rejection was seen by many in Israel as signaling that he does not recognize Israeli sovereignty in that part of the city.”
Why Trump Wants to Announce a 2024 Bid Soon
Tara Palmieri: “Advisors I’ve spoken with say that Trump is desperate to turn the national conversation away from Jan. 6. He’s calling around, asking for advice, and realizes he doesn’t have the same microphone he would have as a candidate. That’s a big thing that’s motivating him to announce.”
“He’s also obsessed with the perception that Jan. 6 is hurting him with big donors, who are tired of the antics and worry about how his Jan. 6 baggage will impact the presidential election if he decides to run. Not to mention they’re having a bit of a love affair right now with DeSantis, who they are donating to under the guise of his gubernatorial campaign.”
Just Another Day In Trumpworld
I linked to Olivia Nuzzi’s incredible interview with Donald Trump yesterday but it’s worth pausing to admire her lede:
“Donald Trump was impeached twice, lost the 2020 election by 7,052,770 votes, is entangled in investigations by federal prosecutors (over the Capitol insurrection and over the mishandling of classified White House documents and over election interference) and the District of Columbia attorney general (over financial fraud at the Presidential Inaugural Committee) and the Manhattan district attorney (over financial fraud at the Trump Organization) and the New York State attorney general (over financial fraud at the Trump Organization) and the Westchester County district attorney (over financial fraud at the Trump Organization) and the Fulton County, Georgia, district attorney (over criminal election interference in Georgia) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (over rules violations in plans to take his social-media company public through a SPAC) and the House Select Committee on January 6 (whose hearings are the runaway TV-ratings hit of the summer), yet on Monday, July 11, he was in a fantastic mood.”
Trump Fundraises Off News of Ex-Wife’s Death
Former President Donald Trump’s Save America PAC included a fundraising link in an email to supporters announcing the death of his first wife, Ivana Trump, Insider reports.
A Few Thoughts for the End of the Week
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Greene Praises Guy Who Made Lewd Comments to AOC
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) invited the far-right comedian Alex Stein onto her Facebook show after he sexually harassed Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) at the Capitol, Insider reports.
Greene suggested AOC should say thank you for the “compliment.”
Biden Set to Meet with Saudi Crown Prince
President Joe Biden is set to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia later today despite previously saying he would only meet with his father, the BBC reports.
The change of plans comes just two years after Biden vowed to make the country a “pariah.”
NBC News: Months of intense lobbying persuaded Biden to go to Saudi Arabia.
Democrats Try to Outrun a Potential Red Wave
Politico: “Some of the most endangered House Democrats are hoping to inoculate themselves ahead of a potentially brutal November by going up on TV months before the typical end-of-summer ad rush. Nine incumbents in battleground seats were already airing ads by early July, according to a Politico analysis — and some plan to keep going straight through to November.”
“It’s much earlier than House candidates typically start their general election advertising, and it’s a sign of Democrats’ political reality: Republican candidates and big-spending allied super PACs are ready to capitalize on deep economic unease and President Joe Biden’s sagging approval ratings by contesting dozens of blue districts this fall. But the second-quarter campaign finance reports due Friday will show that most battleground Democrats in Congress are flush with cash, and a growing number have responded by unleashing a steady stream of advertising early, seeking to define themselves before the attacks start — and while the airwaves are less expensive or crowded.”
How One Senator Doomed the Democrats’ Climate Plan
New York Times: “First, he killed a plan that would have forced power plants to clean up their climate-warming pollution. Then, he shattered an effort to help consumers pay for electric vehicles. And, finally, he said he could not support government incentives for solar and wind companies or any of the other provisions that the rest of his party and his president say are vital to ensure a livable planet.”
“Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who took more campaign cash from the oil and gas industry than any other senator, and who became a millionaire from his family coal business, independently blew up the Democratic Party’s legislative plans to fight climate change.”
Ron Brownstein: Mother Nature dissents.
Saudi Arabia Will Allow Direct Flights from Israel
“Saudi Arabia has taken a small step toward normalizing relations with Israel by agreeing to allow Israeli planes to fly between the two countries, President Biden said on Friday — a new example of the growing ties between Israel and the Arab world after decades of diplomatic isolation,” the New York Times reports.
Wall Street Journal: “Allowing flights from Israel to fly over Saudi airspace marked another move in a broader effort to normalize relations between the two countries that Mr. Biden has pushed during his Middle East trip. The two countries see a shared threat posed by Iran, which the president emphasized repeatedly during the trip, though Saudi Arabia maintains it won’t normalize relations without a solution to the Palestinian issue.”
