It’s Monday. This week already has some August vibes. We just need the Senate to skedaddle. In the meantime, here’s what’s happening:
President Biden wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post where he endorsed a major overhaul of the Supreme Court.
Democrats are feeling a mixture of relief and excitement about Vice President Harris but are privately worried about their chances.
SNL’s Colin Jost is covering Olympic surfing in Tahiti, and the clips are hilarious.
I’m CateMartel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Send tips, commentary, feedback and cookie recipes to cmartel@digital-staging.thehill.com. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here.
✍️News This Morning
Starting off the week with a bang:
President Biden published an op-ed in The Washington Post, proposing a plan to “restore the public’s faith” in the Supreme Court.
Excerpt: “I have great respect for our institutions and the separation of powers. What is happening now is not normal, and it undermines the public’s confidence in the court’s decisions, including those impacting personal freedoms.”
Biden proposed three changes:
A constitutional amendment to partially overturn the Supreme Court decision that gives former presidents criminal immunity in federal indictments
18-year term limits for Supreme Court justices
A code of conduct for the Supreme Court that would require justices to disclose gifts, stay out of public political activity and recuse themselves from cases where they (or their spouse) have a conflict of interest. (The court adopted an ethics code last year, but it lacks an enforcement mechanism.)
💡 Why this is big: Progressives have been calling for Supreme Court reform for years. Biden has long resisted those calls, but this op-ed marks a shift in his thinking.
What changed for Biden?: The Supreme Court overturning federal abortion protections and adding criminal immunity protections for former presidents seem to have eroded Biden’s confidence in the court. More on the significance of this op-ed
She said in a statement: “President Biden and I strongly believe that the American people must have confidence in the Supreme Court. Yet today, there is a clear crisis of confidence facing the Supreme Court as its fairness has been called into question after numerous ethics scandals and decision after decision overturning long-standing precedent.”
🗳On The Campaign Trail
First, the good news (if you’re a Democrat):
Democrats are feeling relieved that 81-year-old President Biden decided to bow out of the presidential race. They’re also relieved that Vice President Harris has quickly risen to become the likely Democratic presidential nominee without much drama. Harris has had a splashy week of viral TikToks, shoutouts from Gen Z icons and nods from Democratic party elites.
Overall, it’s been a successful first week.
When I say viral TikToks: Harris has skyrocketed into fame on social media. Social media platforms are swarmed with coconut tree memes and references to Charli XCX’s album “brat” and its accompanying “brat summer.” Her campaign has also leaned into Gen Z icon ChapellRoan‘s song “Femininomenon.” My TikTok account has been one Harris video after another.
Here are some of the viral videos I’m talking about:
The Hill’s Alexander Bolton reports that Democrats are also privately anxious about Harris’s swift rise.
She’s largely been untested: The last time she ran for office was her 2020 presidential bid, where she dropped out before the first nominating contest.
What areas Dems are specifically concerned about: “[Concerns] are already bubbling up over Harris’s ability to connect as well as Biden did in 2020 with white working-class and union voters in three states that were critical to defeating Trump: Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.” Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) says she needs to do a lot more to win over blue-collar voters in battleground states.
What about polling?: A recent poll from Emerson College and The Hill found that Trump is slightly leading Harris in several swing states, but most states were within the margin of error. The two are tied in Wisconsin. It’s only been one week, so there hasn’t been much polling yet, so campaign strategists will be watching closely for Trump-Harris polls.
Elon Musk is under fire for violating his own X policies by sharing a fake video of Vice President Harris. The video does not include a disclaimer that AI was used.
Fox News host Trey Gowdyquestioned Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) over a resurfaced clip of him calling Harris a “childless cat lady.” Vance has gotten bipartisan blowback from the remark.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) pushed back on concerns about having an all-female presidential ticket, addressing the idea that Harris’s running mate must be a white man.
➤ MORE READS FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL:
‘Trump’s falling legal fees free up campaign cash’: Axios
‘Harris Looks to Maintain Momentum as ‘Honeymoon Phase’ Winds Down’: The New York Times
‘Trump vs. Biden’s historic climate agenda’: Politico
‘Harris’s rise could roil Lake-Gallego showdown in Arizona’: The Hill
‘Veepstakes Puts Spotlight on Josh Shapiro’s Support for Private-School Vouchers’: The Wall Street Journal
➤ 📹 A LIL’ THROWBACK:
Vance (R-Ohio) in January 2023. Oh, how the dynamics have changed since then
🐝 Internet Buzz
🍗 Celebrate: Today is National Lasagna Day and National Chicken Wing Day!
🎃 Let us have our summer!!: Some major retailers are already carrying their Halloween merchandise.
😂 Colin Jost seems to be enjoying Tahiti: “Saturday Night Live” comedian Colin Jost is in Tahiti covering Olympic surfing. The clips had me laughing out loud by myself. 📹 Watch this clip📹And this clip📹And this one
📆 On The Agenda
The House is out. The Senate is in. President Biden is in Texas today. (all times Eastern)
4:30 p.m.: Biden speaks at the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act during a visit to the LBJ Presidential Library in Austin, Texas. 💻 Livestream
4:30 p.m.: Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) campaign on behalf of Vice President Harris.
5:30 p.m.: The Senate holds a confirmation vote. 💻Today’s agenda
8:30 p.m.: Biden pays his respects to the late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) in Houston.
