The Supreme Court likely won’t jump into former President Trump‘s criminal cases to save him from a trial. 

Legal experts who spoke with The Hill’s Alexander Bolton said the high court probably won’t wade into the cases before verdicts are reached. Trump appointed three of the nine judges on the bench.

BUT: “The experts The Hill spoke with are more divided, however, on the question of whether the Supreme Court is likely to hear an appeal if Trump is indeed convicted in the District of Columbia’s federal court or Southern Florida’s District Court.” (The Hill) 

Meanwhile … Trump is suggesting that special counsel Jack Smith is facing the “judge of his dreams” in U.S. District Judge for the District of Columbia Tanya Chutkan, who is presiding over the case linked to Trump’s efforts to hold onto power after the 2020 election. 

Trump’s attorney spent the weekend sparring with cable news anchors and pledging Trump wouldn’t take a plea deal. (The Hill) 

It’s Monday, Aug. 7! I’m Elizabeth Crisp with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here. 

The Inflation Reduction Act is President Biden‘s signature legislative win, but maybe you haven’t heard? (The Hill) 

Seven in 10 Americans in a new poll said they’ve heard little or nothing about the Inflation Reduction Act nearly a year after Biden signed Democrats’ massive climate and tax bill into law. 

The poll found that while many are in the dark about key climate incentives in the legislation, a majority support the incentives.

Biden leaves tonight for a multi-state tour to tout his administration’s climate investments with stops in Arizona, Utah and New Mexico.

Republican presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in a new interview dismissed former President Trump’s repeated claims that the 2020 election was stolen, saying “of course” Trump lost. 

“Whoever puts their hand on the Bible on Jan. 20 every four years is the winner,” DeSantis told NBC News. 

When pushed for a yes or no answer, DeSantis replied, “No, of course he lost, Joe Biden’s the president.” (The Hill) 

DeSantis is still defending Florida’s Black history curriculum. (The Hill) 

Ukraine has detained a Russian informant working to gather information on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as part of an apparent assassination plot, the Secret Service of Ukraine disclosed. 

The informant, a Ukrainian woman, is in police custody and is being questioned. 

Ukrainian officials said they “apprehended the traitor ‘red-handed’ when she was trying to pass intelligence” to Russian officers. (The Hill) 

Former President Trump said the U.S. women’s soccer team got knocked out of the World Cup battle because of President Biden and that the country is apparently “going to Hell”… 

“The ‘shocking and totally unexpected’ loss by the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team to Sweden is fully emblematic of what is happening to the our once great Nation under Crooked Joe Biden. Many of our players were openly hostile to America – No other country behaved in such a manner, or even close. WOKE EQUALS FAILURE. Nice shot Megan, the USA is going to Hell!!! MAGA” 

Read more here.

The House and Senate are gone for the August recess. President Biden returned to D.C. from Delaware this morning, but he’ll be heading to Arizona this afternoon. Vice President Harris is D.C.  

• 1 p.m.: President Biden welcomes the Houston Astros to the White House to celebrate their 2022 World Series win. 

   

• 6:30 p.m.: Biden heads to Grand Canyon Village, Ariz. 

All times Eastern.

• 6 p.m.: Fox host Bret Baier will interview GOP presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on “Special Report.” Noteworthy:  Baier is moderating the first GOP primary debate Aug. 23, where DeSantis is expected to attend but front-runner former President Trump may skip. 

   

• TBD: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre will gaggle aboard Air Force One as the president heads to Arizona. (Listen here) 

Lighthouses date to about 300 B.C. in Egypt, and in the United States alone, there are 700 of these towering beacons that guide ships to shore. Did you know that the Statue of Liberty was once considered a lighthouse?

And because you made it this far, Happy Monday. This is my Monday mood.