Today’s notice: The task force investigating the assassination attempt against Donald Trump has questions about Sunday.
Is This the New Normal?
The FBI is investigating another possible assassination attempt against Donald Trump, this time at his Florida golf resort. It has left our sources wondering: Is this the new normal?
“I can’t imagine being Mr. Trump or any of the Trump children and knowing that their father now has been targeted twice,” Rep. Mike Kelly, the Republican leading the House investigation into the first assassination attempt, told NOTUS’ Oriana González.
The task force had a call Sunday about the Florida incident and has another scheduled for Monday. It will be expanding its probe with this second apparent attempt, Kelly said.
The Congressional Black Caucus and Harris
We did not have this quote on that bingo card: “The fact that Hakeem Jeffries has an opportunity to be speaker of the House is more valuable to the CBC than having a Black president,” a source close to the CBC recently told NOTUS’ Tinashe Chingarande. A historic win for Kamala Harris? “Been there, done that,” the source went on, referring to Barack Obama’s presidency.
On one hand, this is a raw power calculation, albeit not one you’d expect to hear someone say out loud. Jeffries as speaker would install a CBC member in the highest House office, with all the plum assignments and other legislative decisions that go with the job.
On the other hand, it’s a strikingly pointed critique of Harris specifically. Some members even told NOTUS that they saw more influence with Joe Biden because of his relationship with Jim Clyburn.
There’s no doubt Democrats all over, including in the CBC, want Harris to win the White House. Many prominent members, including rising star Jasmine Crockett, are working hard as Harris surrogates.
The VP’s campaign connected NOTUS with current CBC Chair Steven Horsford, who dismissed the premise entirely.
“I don’t know who the sources are, but unless they want to name themselves, they should not be substantiated whatsoever in an article or in any regard,” he told NOTUS. “Because it’s really hogwash.”
Front Page
- FBI Says It’s Investigating a Possible ‘Attempted Assassination’ Aimed at Trump: Trump’s campaign said he’s safe “following gunshots in his vicinity.”
- Donald Trump’s ‘Conflicting Signals’ on Immigration Policy Are Confusing Even Some Allies: Republican lawmakers find themselves navigating what a second-term Trump would actually call for.
- This GOP Candidate in This Tight Race Is Secretly Another Party’s Candidate Too: “I’m really excited about her being our candidate,” Oregon Constitution Party Chair Roger Shipman told NOTUS.
NOTUS Scoop: A Top House GOP Recruit Is Part of a Fringe Right-Wing Party
Mike Johnson and Richard Hudson have high hopes for Monique DeSpain to flip Democratic Rep. Val Hoyle’s Oregon district.
But Republicans could have a problem: In addition to being the GOP’s candidate, DeSpain sought and secured the Oregon Constitution Party’s nomination.
The fringe conservative party’s platform defines marriage as “a union between a man and a woman.” The party says that “all education should be private.” And it calls on Americans to “resist any attempts to recognize or enforce the legalization of abortion.”
DeSpain has kept her Constitution Party affiliation quiet — it hasn’t yet been publicly reported. And there might be a good reason for that. The party’s hard-right positions, particularly on abortion, very well may be toxic.
DeSpain’s spokesperson distanced the candidate from the Constitution Party, saying, “While the Oregon Constitution Party endorsed Monique, Monique doesn’t endorse all of their positions.”
That might be news to the Constitution Party. Their chair, Roger Shipman, gushed about DeSpain in a Friday call with NOTUS.
“I’m really excited about her being our candidate,” he said.
—Riley Rogerson
ICYMI: JD Vance Is OK With Creating Stories
JD Vance is seemingly admitting to spreading a conspiracy for political gain.
“The American unions totally ignored this stuff until Donald Trump and I started talking about cat memes,” Vance said on CNN Sunday. “If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that’s what I’m going to do.”
Quotable: Concepts of an Immigration Plan
“It’s not 100% clear to me what the plans are, if there are plans,” Sen. Josh Hawley told NOTUS’ Casey Murray when asked about Trump’s immigration policy. “But I’m very intently watching that space.”
The Week Ahead
This week could decide just how ruined lawmakers’ holiday plans are and there’s an Oprah-Kamala Harris Dempalooza. Here’s what all NOTUS reporters are watching:
- The congressional task force investigating the July assassination attempt against Trump is scheduled to hold a call Monday about Sunday’s incident in Florida.
- Sen. Chuck Schumer is holding another vote on a bill to create a national right to IVF and mandate insurers cover it, pressuring Republicans to vote on reproductive rights. More to come on IVF from NOTUS’ Oriana González.
- Harris is joining Oprah Thursday night for a livestreamed virtual campaign rally they’re calling “Unite for America.” Sadly, virtual means there are no surprises under viewers’ chairs.
- Trump has rallies scheduled in Michigan on Tuesday and New York on Wednesday. For anyone who might be obsessed with rally size, the venues hold about 4,400 in Flint, Michigan, and up to 16,000 in Uniondale, New York (but there’s a smaller setup option of about 4,500 there). Vance is campaigning in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Wednesday.
- The Department of Justice’s anti-monopoly trial against Google starts its second week in Alexandria, Virginia. NOTUS’ Claire Heddles to dispatch.
- The election is officially underway. Well, sort of. Pennsylvania was supposed to open early voting today, but ballots haven’t been finalized because of ongoing court cases. NOTUS PA expert Katherine Swartz is watching. Minnesota, South Dakota and Virginia start Friday. Plus, about a dozen states will start sending mail ballots this week.
Be Social
Trump “HATES” Taylor Swift. That’s sure to go over well.
Tell Us Your Thoughts
Republicans are calling for Trump to have the same level of Secret Service protection as Biden. What do you think?
Send your thoughts to newsletters@notus.org.
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