“Four automakers from three continents have struck a deal with California to produce more fuel-efficient cars for their U.S. fleets in coming years, undercutting one of the Trump administration’s most aggressive climate policy rollbacks,” the Washington Post reports.
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John Dean Criticizes Mueller for Not Subpoenaing Trump
Former Nixon White House counsel John Dean told CNN that special counsel Robert Mueller not pursuing a subpoena for President Trump was akin to not pursuing the Nixon tapes containing his conversations about the Watergate scandal.
Said Dean: “This is a man who if it had been Richard Nixon, wouldn’t go after the tapes because it would take too long. And I think that’s something that’s going to hang over this investigation, hang over Mueller, because he really didn’t vigorously pursue it as he might’ve.”
Forecast Points to Gains By Democrats In 2020
Alan Abromowitz‘s latest forecast model finds that based on President Trump’s current net approval rating and the current House generic ballot, the Democrats would be likely to make modest gains in the House elections and have a real chance to win control of the Senate.
“According to the most recent averages from FiveThirtyEight, national polls have shown a Democratic advantage of around 6.5 points on the House generic ballot — somewhat similar to the results prior to the 2018 midterm election — and a net approval rating for President Trump of about -10. Those numbers, if they continue into the late summer of 2020, would predict Democratic gains of around five seats in the House and six seats in the Senate.”
“However, there are significant caveats with both projections. Obviously, one of those is that it is very early and that the president’s approval rating and the generic ballot could very well be different late next summer.”
New Jersey Official Wishes for Lawmaker’s Death
Daniel Leonard, who serves on a regional school board in New Jersey, wrote in a Facebook post that his “life would be complete” if Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) dies, the Asbury Park Press reports.
The Russians Are Still At It
Washington Post: “You might have missed it amid the clipped one-word answers, political grandstanding and punditry. But former special counsel Robert Mueller issued a sharp warning on Wednesday regarding foreign interference in the 2020 election: ‘It wasn’t a single attempt. They’re doing it as we sit here. And they expect to do it during the next campaign.'”
“There was no topic that the halting and reluctant witness spoke more forcefully and extensively on, telling lawmakers that efforts by Moscow — and other foreign entities — to interfere in U.S. elections are ‘among the most serious’ challenges to U.S. democracy.”
Republicans Embarrassed Themselves at Mueller Hearings
Jonathan Bernstein: “Some things are so obvious that no one even bothers to mention them. So I want to be clear: House Republicans embarrassed themselves Wednesday at former special counsel Robert Mueller’s hearings.”
“There’s nothing wrong with politicians defending a president of the same party during a scandal. It’s their job, in fact, to point out where evidence is weak, conclusions assume too much, or stories have holes in them. Nor is it a problem when they try to place a scandal in context if (as is often the case) a media frenzy or overeager out-party has exaggerated the importance of some instance of wrongdoing. Many Republicans played that role during Watergate, and while they were burned by a president who couldn’t be trusted, historians have been relatively kind to them.”
“That’s not what happened Wednesday. Instead of reading carefully into the evidence and finding contradictions or loose ends, House Republicans largely busied themselves with conspiracy theories.”
Only Biden Tops Trump In Ohio
A new Quinnipiac poll In Ohio finds Joe Biden leads President Trump, 50% to 42% in the critical swing state, the only leading Democratic candidate to top the Republican incumbent.
The other leading Democratic contenders each are locked in a dead heat with President Trump.
Democrats Launch ‘News’ Outlets In Key Swing States
Vice News: “One of the party’s largest Super PACs is finally pulling the trigger on a $100 million plan to help boot Trump from office… Priorities USA is planning to flood swing states — many of which have lost their local papers — with stories favorable to the Democratic agenda. Four ‘news’ outlets staffed by Democratic operatives will publish state-specific information across social media in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Wisconsin. They’ll also boost content by independent sources.”
Jeffrey Epstein Visited Clinton White House
A Daily Beast investigation has uncovered ties between Jeffrey Epstein and the Clinton administration that date back to the president’s earliest days in the White House, casting doubt on the oft-circulated narrative that the two only began associating after Clinton left office.
Meanwhile, the New York Post reports Epstein was found unconscious in his jail cell after a possible suicide attempt.
House to Vote on Budget Deal
Playbook: “As if Wednesday wasn’t exciting enough, today the House will vote on Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Nancy Pelosi’s two-year budget and debt-limit deal. It’s an interesting split screen: Democrats are bludgeoning Trump over the 2016 election, considering impeachment and calling him a racist for what he says about Democratic members of the House. But they are still willing to do business with him.”
“You might say, well, the government has to be funded, and the debt limit has to be lifted. Both true. But the breadth and depth of this deal is stunning, given Democrats’ opposition to the president in other areas.
“We’re very curious to see what the GOP vote total is. Democrats are expected to rally around Pelosi.”
Politico: How Trump shut down the GOP deficit hawks.
Democratic Super PAC Targets Rural Voters
McClatchy: “A Washington-based Democratic super PAC has quietly begun running ads as part of a multi-million dollar campaign targeting an unexpected group of Donald Trump’s base: rural voters.”
“The ads — a series of promoted posts on Facebook — marked the first visible effort of American Bridge’s $50 million initiative to persuade swing state voters in rural areas to vote for the party’s presidential nominee in 2020.”
Puerto Rico Governor Will Resign
“The governor of Puerto Rico announced late Wednesday that he will resign effective Aug. 2, amid intense pressure from inside and outside his government, after a series of leaked chat messages denigrating his opponents and Hurricane Maria victims triggered outrage from frustrated citizens who had taken to the streets for 13 consecutive days of protests,” the Washington Post reports.
“Ricardo Rosselló had defied calls for his resignation as the island descended into upheaval. He lost support from nearly everyone in his ruling statehood party, and more than a dozen members of his administration had stepped down in recent days, including his chief of staff on Tuesday.”
The Last Option to End Trump’s Presidency
Dan Balz: “Many Democrats long have considered Robert Mueller a potential savior, as the agent of President Trump’s eventual undoing. Wednesday’s hearings on Capitol Hill probably shattered those illusions once and for all. If Democrats hope to end the Trump presidency, they will have to do so by defeating him at the ballot box in November 2020.”
“In reality, that has been the case for months. Still, scheduled testimony by the former special counsel before two House committees offered the possibility that he would say something that would suddenly change public perceptions and dramatically jump-start long-stalled prospects for an impeachment inquiry. That was certainly the Democrats’ goal. If anything, things could move in the opposite direction.”
“Regardless of the evidence of obstruction contained in Mueller’s report, impeachment is a fraught strategy for the Democrats, given public opinion and the dynamics in the Senate. After Wednesday, the prospects for impeachment appear more remote.”
The Blockbuster That Wasn’t
Peter Baker: “In the days leading up to the special counsel’s much-anticipated appearance before Congress, Democrats argued that hearing from Robert Mueller on television could transform the impeachment debate. While Americans might not read the book, the argument went, they would watch the movie.”
“If so, the movie Americans tuned into on Wednesday was not the blockbuster Democrats had sought nor was Mr. Mueller the action star they had cast. Dignified but shaky, and at times struggling to keep up, he largely stuck to ‘yes’ and ‘no’ and ‘refer you to the report’ answers, steadfastly refusing to dramatize his conclusions as President Trump’s critics wanted him to do.”
“By the time he finished nearly seven hours later, Democrats were disappointed they did not get the made-for-TV accusatory moment they wanted, and the prospect for impeachment appeared far more difficult.”
GOP Blocks Election Security Bills
“Senate Republicans blocked two election security bills and a cybersecurity measure on Wednesday in the wake of former special counsel Robert Mueller warning about meddling attempts during his public testimony before congressional lawmakers,” The Hill reports.
“But Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) blocked each of the bills. She didn’t give reason for her objections, or say if she was objecting on behalf of herself or the Senate GOP caucus.”
Democrats Debate Next Steps Following Mueller Hearings
CNN: “In a closed door meeting Wednesday evening, one House Democrat after another pressed the leadership about impeachment proceedings and asking for clarity on the process for moving forward with a formal inquiry.”
“Although House Speaker Nancy Pelosi continued to indicate that it’s still not time to begin that inquiry, she and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler did welcome a more detailed discussion among House Democrats eager to know the game plan over impeachment now that Mueller is done with his testimony.”
Politico: “Nadler suggested that several House committee chairs could begin drafting articles of impeachment against Trump. Pelosi called the idea premature.”
Biden Tears Into Booker, Criticizes Harris
“Joe Biden took aim at his critics in the presidential field Wednesday, scoring Sen. Cory Booker’s record and Sen. Kamala Harris’s policy positions in a bracing new offensive that signaled a more aggressive stance heading into next week’s presidential debate,” the Washington Post reports.
House Judiciary Prepares Lawsuit to Enforce Subpoena
“The House Judiciary Committee is preparing to file a lawsuit in the coming days to enforce a subpoena for testimony by former White House counsel Don McGahn, as the panel has so far failed to reach a deal with the White House over a central aspect of his testimony: whether it would be public or private,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
