The Hill’s 12:30 Report

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The Hill’s 12:30 Report: Pence huddles with House GOP | Donald Duck ambushes Capitol Hill meeting | Clinton camp on Pepe the Frog | ObamaCare exits could shake Senate fight | National Peanut Day

RELEASED TODAY — UM, THIS PHOTO IS FRIGHTENING: That’s OK, Team Clinton, I wasn’t planning on sleeping tonight anyway. Clinton’s campaign posted an article linking members of Trump’s inner circle to white supremacists and tying in Pepe the Frog, a meme popular with racist groups. http://bit.ly/2cBmAgC

It’s Tuesday. I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of what you missed this morning — and what’s on tap for the rest of the day. Send comments, story ideas and weekend plans to cmartel@digital-staging.thehill.com, @CateMartel and on Facebook.

NEWS OF THE MORNING — ANOTHER DAY OF DONALD STEALING THE SHOW FROM PENCE — JUST NOT DONALD TRUMP THIS TIME!: Mike Pence huddled with more than 200 House Republicans in a closed-door meeting this morning — his first formal Capitol Hill meeting since Donald Trump tapped him for VP — seeking to assuage lawmakers still skeptical of Trump. http://bit.ly/2ckZ6Jz

Oh look! Donald Duck showed up: He was protesting Trump not releasing his tax returns. http://bit.ly/2cG2ksQ

And annoyed everyone he could: He tried giving a free “Duck Trump” rubber duckie to Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.), who was not havin’ it. http://bit.ly/2coznBX He also photo-bombed Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.). http://bit.ly/2ctgf6u

Even starting fights: “I just watched this duck attack Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa). All before 10 am” (Via The Hill’s Sarah Ferris) http://bit.ly/2cCOI4l

So. Many. Cameras.: I guess making a newsworthy statement the night before — like declining to call former KKK leader David Duke a deplorable — will help get more press. http://bit.ly/2ct9UIw 

Photo: From Rep. Billy Long (R-Mo.): http://bit.ly/2cWDK9n And a group “We-Ahh-Fam-Ily” photo: http://bit.ly/2ctfOGm

Pence observation: “Mike Pence said today was ‘an emotional return’ to Capitol Hill. Pence went out of his way to applaud Ryan’s ‘Better Way’ agenda.” (From TPM’s Lauren Fox) http://bit.ly/2cUGpgC

Not all rainbows and butterflies: “Rep. [Jeff] Fortenberry told Pence his young daughter was upset and told her Dad, ‘Trump hated women.'” (Via Bloomberg’s Billy House) http://bit.ly/2cG9yNg

CLINTON IT AIDE: ​I PLEAD THE FIFTH: Via the Hill’s Katie Bo Williams, The former State Department employee who set up Hillary Clinton‘s private email server did not appear before the House Oversight Committee on Tuesday morning despite a subpoena to testify on the deletion of some of Clinton’s emails. http://bit.ly/2coQeEw

HOW GOP SENATE CAMPAIGNERS FEEL RIGHT NOW –> http://bit.ly/2cBp66L: Via The Hill’s Sarah Ferris, eight of the states that will determine the Senate majority in November are likely to see significant reductions in the number of insurers participating in ObamaCare marketplaces. Which states: Illinois, Wisconsin, Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, North Carolina, Arizona and Missouri. Take advantage of this: GOP strategists say ObamaCare’s troubles this year are morphing into a perfect storm for their candidates. http://bit.ly/2cG2ArA

TODAY’S FEELING A BIT LIKE 2010: Tweet from Politico’s Jennifer Haberkorn: “Looks like we’re in for another day of Obamacare debate on the Senate floor– McConnell and Cornyn bashing it, Durbin defending.” http://bit.ly/2cWP5WX

TALKED ABOUT ON “MORNING JOE” — YOU’RE A DEPLORABLE. NO, YOU. NO, YOU.: Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank‘s op-ed about Hillary Clinton’s “deplorables” remark has been getting a lot of traction. The gist:

— “Hillary Clinton may have been unwise to say half of Donald Trump’s supporters are racists and other ‘deplorables.’ But she wasn’t wrong. … If you are “very enthusiastic” about a candidate who has based his campaign on scapegoating immigrants, Latinos and African Americans, talked of banning Muslims from the country, hesitated to disown the Ku Klux Klan and employed anti-Semitic imagery — well, you might be a racist. But if you are holding your nose and supporting Trump only because you think him better than Clinton, that doesn’t put you in the basket. … The new Washington Post-ABC News poll finds the two groups roughly equal: Forty-six percent of Trump supporters say they are ‘very enthusiastic’ about his candidacy. The rest were ‘somewhat’ or not terribly enthusiastic.” http://wapo.st/2colhka

{mosads}RELEASED TODAY — MEDIAN INCOME IS RISING: Via The Washington Post’s Jim Tankersley, middle-class incomes grew by 5.2 percent in 2015, the fastest growth on record since the end of the Great Recession. Poverty rate: The poverty rate fell by 1.2 percentage points, the steepest decline since 1968. Health insurance: The share of Americans who lack health insurance continued a yearslong decline, falling 1.3 percentage points, to 9.1 percent. http://wapo.st/2cUSZfW

If you want to understand the numbers quickly: Politico’s Danny Vinik has a series of short tweets that sum up and analyze the report well –> http://bit.ly/2cX0ZjB 

LOCAL OP-ED – BURYING THE HATCHET: Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) and his former primary opponent Jack Kingston co-authored an op-ed in the “Savannah Morning News” about Donald Trump.

–– “Our message is simple, and the choice is clear … Putting Donald Trump in the White House is our best chance to finally achieve our shared goal and change the direction of our country.” http://bit.ly/2cKw9XP

SPOTTED — ‘KINGPIN’ STAR CHECKING OUT TRUMP’S NEW DIGGS: Actor Randy Quaid was spotted outside the new Trump hotel in D.C., flowing beard and all. When asked why he was here, he pointed at the hotel and said, “For this.” (Via The Daily Beast’s Asawin Suebsaeng) Photo: http://bit.ly/2cBfubY

 

NOTABLE TWEETS:

CBS’s Sopan Deb (This Kellyanne Conway statement has really ticked off a lot of press.)
Conway says Clinton treats press like 2nd hand citizens. A reporter was once frisked & kicked out of a Trump rally. http://bit.ly/2cG3Vih

The New York Times’s Maggie Haberman retweeted, adding: “While things might be better now re how Trump campaign deals w journos, there’s just no comparison on this one” http://bit.ly/2coupoz

NBC’s Frank Thorp
Trump staffer to people in line in Asheville, NC: “Do not engage with the protesters, they have nothing to offer you!” http://bit.ly/2cBfubY

CNN’s Manu Raju
​Marco Rubio enters the Capitol, turns to group of reporters and says with a big smile: “What do you want scumbags?” http://bit.ly/2coKM4M

 

ON TAP:

The House is in at 10 a.m., with votes at 2:15 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. 

The Senate is in at 10 a.m., working on a water infrastructure bill that includes money for Flint, Mich.

State primaries in New Hampshire, Delaware, New York and Rhode Island.

1:45 p.m. EDT: President Obama speaks at a Hillary Clinton campaign event in Philadelphia and then participates in a Democratic National Committee event. He will then travel to New York City.

7:05 p.m. EDT: President Obama speaks at a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee event in New York.

8 a.m. EDT tomorrow: The Hill is hosting an event titled “Preparing for the Next Disaster: A Policy Discussion on Community Resilience,” featuring Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-Mo.) and Timothy W. Manning of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Topics of discussion include preparedness efforts to increase community resilience. Live-stream and RSVP: http://bit.ly/2cLnOGA 

8:30 a.m. EDT tomorrow: Chelsea Clinton campaigns in Raleigh, N.C.

10 a.m. EDT tomorrow: The House Agriculture Committee is holding a hearing on agricultural trade with Cuba. http://bit.ly/2cLCmHv 

10 a.m. EDT tomorrow: The House Budget Committee is holding a hearing titled “Growing Risks to the Budget and Economy.” http://bit.ly/2crCtpS

6 p.m. EDT tomorrow: The Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service is holding an event with national security adviser Susan Rice as part of a series called “The Exit Interview.” Live-stream: http://bit.ly/2cCLyxt

 

WHAT TO WATCH:

6–9 a.m. EDT tomorrow: House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will appear on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”

Viral moment: Disgraced Olympian Ryan Lochte was ambushed by two protesters on stage while appearing on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.” Clip: http://nbcnews.to/2ct1sFL

 

NOW FOR THE FUN STUFF…:

Today is National Peanut Day.

WE’RE ALL SUCKERS IN AN INTERNET HOAX WORLD: A story went viral today about a baby gorilla in China that was named Harambe McHarambeface by an online poll. Welp, turns out that’s a fake story, citing a fake news site. Plenty of news outlets fell for it. (h/t to The Hill’s MVP, copy editor John Davis.) http://bit.ly/2cpdCAZ

And to briefly pull you away from productivity, here’s a couple that has a giant (and I mean GIANT) pet lizard that acts like a dog. I hate it, but I can’t stop looking at it. http://bit.ly/2cD0kEG

 

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