It’s Tuesday. Team USA is competing in the women’s gymnastics team finals as we speak! Turn it on if you’re not already watching!! Go, Simone, Suni, Jordan and Jade! Here’s what else is happening: -
Republicans are having some serious doubts about Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) as former President Trump’s running mate.
- The Harris campaign is trying to paint Trump-Vance in one word: Weird.
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Vice President Harris will choose her running mate by Aug. 7. Keep reading for a scorecard on her picks.
- There’s a cool Olympic surfing photo that’s gone viral. It shows a surfer celebrating midair.
I’m Cate Martel 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.
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Some JD Vance regrets, eh?:
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Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) had a pretty bad week of headlines. So much so that Republicans are questioning why former President Trump chose him as his running mate. Some of the bad headlines: -
Resurfaced clips of the Ohio senator claiming the nation is being governed by “childless cat ladies.”
- Resurfaced emails of Vance calling Trump a “morally reprehensible human being” and saying he “hates the police.”
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His former friend then went on CNN to explain the old texts and how he has changed his opinion on “every imaginable issue.”
GOP chatter: Several Republican senators wonder if Trump ignored the advice from his professional political advisers and instead listened to his son, Donald Trump Jr. and ex-Fox News host Tucker Carlson. (Don Jr. and Vance are friends.) They argue that other VP picks — particularly a woman or person of color — would have helped the former president appeal to voters beyond his base.
Some GOP senators think Trump should ditch Vance, according to The Hill’s Alexander Bolton, but that would be tough under Republican National Committee (RNC) rules. Just to be clear. Not every Republican feels this way: Some Republicans still contend that Vance will help in Midwest swing states. Read more: ‘Republican senators divided over Trump sticking with Vance’ |
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➤ HARRIS’S CAMPAIGN IS TRYING TO PAINT THEM IN ONE WORD:
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Weird.
Vice President Harris’s presidential campaign has labeled her opponents’ comments, like the “childless cat lady” comments and remarks on Hannibal Lecter, as odd.
Check out this Harris statement: “Tonight, Donald Trump couldn’t pronounce words … went on and on, and generally sounded like someone you wouldn’t want to sit near at a restaurant.” Read the full statement
Read more on the vice president’s strategy to label Trump-Vance as ‘weird’ |
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➤ TIDBIT — VANCE VENTED ABOUT THE BIDEN-HARRIS SWITCH:
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The Washington Post’s Isaac Arnsdorf reports that Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) privately told donors that Harris rising to the top of the Democratic ticket has been a “political sucker punch” for Republicans.
Vance told donors: “The bad news is that Kamala Harris does not have the same baggage as Joe Biden, because whatever we might have to say, Kamala is a lot younger. And Kamala Harris is obviously not struggling in the same ways that Joe Biden did.” The full WaPo report |
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🌊 In the Democratic Party |
‘Kamala Harris’s VP Scorecard’:
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The New York Times’s Katie Glueck broke down Vice President Harris’s running mate choice into three categories: The electoral map, messaging and fundraising ability. Electoral map: Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) would be the strongest picks.
Messaging: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) would be the strongest picks.
Fundraising: Walz, Kelly, Shapiro, Buttigieg and Beshear are all strong picks. Explainer for each
Keep in mind about timing: The Democratic National Committee plans to officially choose its presidential nominee by Aug. 1 — and a running mate by Aug. 7. |
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➤ SPEAKING OF PETE BUTTIGIEG:
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He has been *everywhere*. Buttigieg has been blitzing media outlets from MSNBC to Fox News.
The strategy: “The strategy is reflective of Buttigieg’s 2020 presidential run, during which he tried to do as much media as possible and, as a result, became a household name — ‘Mayor Pete’ — and emerged as a top Democratic communicator.”
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➤ ROY COOPER HAS PULLED OUT:
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Buttigieg and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) have the strongest approval rating among Harris’s potential running mates, according to a YouGov poll released Monday. |
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➤ THE HONEYMOON PERIOD IS ALMOST OVER:
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Here are five questions facing Harris as she settles in as the likely Democratic presidential nominee, via The Hill’s Niall Stanage: -
Will she make a strong VP choice?
- Can she blunt attacks over her previous positions?
- Can she win over voters angry about Israel’s assault on Gaza?
- Can she win the key battlegrounds?
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Can she differentiate herself from Biden?
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‘Rising from Biden’s shadow, Harris faces crucial test on foreign policy’: The Washington Post
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‘Kamala Harris Collapsed in 2020. Here’s How to Avoid a Repeat.’: Politico
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‘How the Harris Campaign Intends to Keep Up the Momentum in Its Second Week’: Time
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So, what the heck happened?: |
Ronald Rowe, the new acting director of the Secret Service, and FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate are testifying before the Senate Judiciary and the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committees today to discuss the security failure when former President Trump was shot during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania earlier this month. 💻 Watch
Keep in mind: Kimberly Cheatle resigned as Secret Service director last week after a disastrous hearing.
🗨️ Live updates from the hearing |
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🎂 Celebrate: Today is National Cheesecake Day.
🩲 *To the tune of Bob the Builder*: Meet “Bob the Cap Catcher,” a man in a floral Speedo who jumped in the Olympic pool to grab a stray swim cap. He received roaring applause and has been viral on social media since. 📹 Watch the clip
🏄 This photo is incredible: A photo of an Olympic surfer celebrating while midair has gone viral. The surfer looks so still! 🌿 This is intriguing, but still don’t think I could do it: A new study shows that eating vegan for just two months slows the aging process. |
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The House is out. The Senate is in. President Biden is in Washington, and Vice President Harris is in Atlanta. (all times Eastern) |
This morning: Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe and FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate testify on the attempted assassination of Trump. 💻 Watch
Noon: The Senate will vote on two social media technology bills. 📆 Today’s agenda 1:30 p.m.: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre briefs reporters. 💻 Livestream 2:30 p.m.: Biden speaks with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva by phone. 2:30 p.m.: The Senate holds a cloture vote on a nomination. The final vote is expected around 4:15 p.m.
4 p.m.: Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) campaigns in Henderson, Nev. 💻 Livestream
6:30 p.m.: Vance campaigns in Reno, Nev. 💻 Livestream 4:45 p.m.: Biden receives his daily briefing.
7 p.: Harris speaks at a campaign event in Atlanta.
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