The Hill's Evening Report — McConnell predicts 'crowded' 2024 GOP field

View Online  Evening Report Tuesday, July 19 ©  Greg Nash, The Hill McConnell predicts 'crowded' 2024 GOP field Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) says former President Trump will face a lot of competition in a Republican primary if he runs for president in 2024.     McConnell, who usually avoids commenting on the former president, predicted that the 2024 Republican primary won't be a cakewalk for Trump if he runs again.     "I think we're going to have a crowded field for president. I assume most of that will unfold later and people will be picking their candidates in a crowded primary field," he told reporters when asked whether he would oppose Trump or stay neutral in the 2024 Senate Republican primary.     The relationship between Trump and McConnell has been strained since McConnell recognized that Joe Biden was elected president by a vote of the Electoral College in December 2020.     Trump routinely attacks McConnell, often using the nickname "Old Crow" and disparaging his leadership of the Senate Republican Conference.     Read more.  Welcome to The Hill's Evening Report, catching you up on news from the afternoon and looking at the big stories likely to impact tomorrow. 🛡️  White House: Russia planning to annex more Ukrainian territory The United States has "ample evidence" that Russia plans to annex additional Ukrainian territory, White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Tuesday. 🧑‍⚖️  Indiana abortion doctor sueing attorney general for defamation An attorney representing Caitlin Bernard, the Indiana doctor who provided an abortion for a 10-year-old rape victim from Ohio, has filed a tort claim against Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita (R) — the first step in a defamation lawsuit against Rokita. 🥵  Highest temperatures this year hit Texas and southern states Texas and other states are getting some of the hottest weather of the summer this week.   💉  CDC panel gives green light to Novavax COVID-19 vaccine A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory committee has unanimously voted to approve the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine, giving a green light to a fourth shot to fight the virus.   📱  Twitter wins expedited trial in Musk case Twitter's lawsuit seeking to force Elon Musk to complete his $44 billion acquisition of the company will take place in October, a judge ruled Tuesday. 🚗  Buttigieg spars with GOP lawmakers over Biden's EV goals Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg defended the Biden administration's goal of having 50 percent of vehicles on the market be electric by 2030 as House Republican lawmakers cast doubt on what they argued could further increase energy costs. Subscribe to "The Hill: Just in"  Our new YouTube channel posts rapid updates on the top story of the day, tracking key figures in politics and making sense of important policy decisions and how they impact your life. 🕵️  DOJ probe into Trump won't stop if he runs in 2024: Deputy AG The Justice Department's investigation into various efforts by Donald Trump to undermine the 2020 election will continue regardless of whether the former president announces his intention to again seek office in 2024. 🗣️  Facebook moving news initiatives to 'backburner': report Social media platform Facebook is moving resources from its news initiatives and newsletters in an effort to build a more robust creator economy, according to a company memo. 🗽  De Blasio drops House bid: 'Time for me to leave electoral politics' Former New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio (D) dropped out of the race to represent New York's 10th Congressional District on Tuesday, just two months after jumping into the race. 🇺🇦  Jill Biden pledges mental health help to Ukrainian first lady First lady Jill Biden met with Ukraine first lady Olena Zelenska at the White House this week to talk about how the U.S. could provide help with mental health issues faced by women and children in Russia's attack on Ukraine. 📺  'Law & Order' worker killed while holding parking spots at NYC set A man was fatally shot in the face near the set of "Law & Order" in Brooklyn on Tuesday morning, according to New York law enforcement sources. 😷  Broadway declines to mandate masks again as case counts rise Broadway theaters say they'll continue to be mask-optional, despite rising case counts of COVID-19 around the country. OPINION 988 is officially live — here's what people should know "988 is the product of the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020, a federal law aimed at creating an easy to remember, easy to access pathway to mental health care when people need it most," writes Benjamin F. Miller, a clinical psychologist by training and president of Well Being Trust. Stay Engaged You're all caught up! Stay with TheHill.com for the latest and recommend this newsletter to others: TheHill.com/Evening. See you tomorrow. Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  Sign Up for Other Newsletters 1625 K Street NW, 9th Floor, Washington, DC 20006 © 1998 - 2022 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved.