Happy Friday! The House, the Senate and President Biden are all out of Washington, D.C., today. Phew, we can all take a breather. But don't you worry, the hush money trial is roaring today. Here's the deal: - Trump's lawyers are unhappy with how Stormy Daniels's testimony went, but the judge blamed his lawyer for not objecting.
- A few of The Hill's congressional reporters created a list of the biggest lawmaker feuds happening on Capitol Hill and I am here for the drama.
- Senators left town after passing the FAA reauthorization last night. The D.C.-area senators are not pleased with how the process turned out.
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@thehill.com. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here. |
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The judge called out Trump's lawyer for not speaking up: |
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Adult film actor Stormy Daniels went into graphic detail about her alleged sexual encounter with former President Trump while testifying in his hush money trial. At the end of Thursday's proceedings, Trump's lawyers demanded a mistrial because of how salacious her depiction was. Well, Judge Juan Merchan denied that request, but scolded Trump attorney Susan Necheles for not objecting when prosecutors asked Daniels whether Trump wore a condom. From Judge Merchan: "I agree, that shouldn't have come out. I wish those questions hadn't been asked, and I wish those answers hadn't been given. … But for the life of me, I don't know why Ms. Necheles didn't object. Why on earth she wouldn't object to a mention of a condom, I don't understand." Read more from The Hill's Zach Schonfeld: 'New York judge scolds Trump attorney over not objecting to Stormy Daniels testimony' |
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➤ WHEN WILL MICHAEL COHEN TESTIFY?: |
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➤ STORMY PLAYED TRUMP AT HIS OWN GAME: |
Porn actor Stormy Daniels trolled former President Trump in a social media post on Thursday. Daniels posted on X: "Real men respond to testimony by being sworn in and taking the stand in court. Oh…wait. Nevermind." Her X post What she appears to be referring to: The potential for Trump to personally take the stand and testify about her claims. |
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Who's in the hot seat today?: |
Madeleine Westerhout, an ex-aide to former President Trump is continuing her testimony today. Why she's important to the case: She was Trump's Oval Office director, giving her close access to Trump when he allegedly met with Michael Cohen to discuss the hush money agreement. 🗨️Today's live blog from the courtroom |
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| Everyone missed their flights, which is extremely fitting, but they did it!: |
^ That's a live shot of senators racing to leave town after last night's vote. After a series of hurdles, landmines and political battles, the Senate passed a five-year reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) last night, clearing tonight's deadline to avoid a shutdown. Why this is a big deal: This is one of the final, if not *the* final, legislative deadlines for the foreseeable future. It's a campaign year, after all. How it went down: The bill had stalled because Virginia and Maryland senators fought against adding 10 round-trip flights at Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), arguing it would exacerbate safety concerns and delays. The heads of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee argued that removing the National Airport provision would "unravel" the entire bill. The Virginia and Maryland senators lost this battle though, so the final vote then happened. The bill passed 88-4. Can you guess who those four 'no' votes were?: Maryland Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D) and Ben Cardin (D) and Virginia Sens. Tim Kaine (D) and Mark Warner (D). Oof, read Kaine and Warner's statement: "The Senate abdicated its responsibility to protect the safety of the 25 million people who fly through DCA every year. They didn't want to show the American people that they care more about a few lawmakers' desire for direct flights than they care about the safety and convenience of the traveling public. That is shameful and an embarrassment." Read their full statement So, is the FAA reauthorization done?: Not quite. The House passed a one-week FAA extension earlier this week and left town. They will have to pass this five-year extension when they return next week. What's in the bill?: "The bill would provide more than $105 billion to the Federal Aviation Administration and another $738 million to the National Transportation Safety Board for airport modernization, technology programs and safety. It would also bolster the hiring and training of air traffic controllers, codify airlines' refund obligations to passengers, ensure fee-free family seating and strengthen protections for passengers with disabilities." (The New York Times) |
The Hill's Mike Lillis, Alexander Bolton and Mychael Schnell compiled a list of the seven biggest lawmaker feuds on Capitol Hill — with explainers of how each feud started. The nosey side of me loves this. - Former Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) versus Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) — a classic
- Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) versus Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.)
- Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) versus Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.)
- Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) versus Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)
- Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) versus Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) — this one has always surprised me.
- Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla) versus Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.)
- Montana Sens. Steve Daines (R) and Jon Tester (D)
Here's the tea on these feuds |
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Bloomberg's Billy House pointed out the placement of a new statue in the U.S. Capitol. House posted: "Interesting placement of the newly arrived and beautiful statue of American civil rights activist Daisy Bates of Arkansas in National Statuary Hall in the Capitol -- right next to the statue of Jefferson Davis." 📸 Photo of the statues standing side-by-side Punchbowl's John Bresnahan weighed in: "Unbelievable that he & the other Confederates are still in Stat Hall. A real disgrace," Bresnahan posted on X. |
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Please, sir. Can I trouble you for just $1 billion?: |
^All I can think of is this scene from "Parks and Recreation" The Hill's Rachel Frazin and Brett Samuels report that during a recent meeting with oil industry executives at Mar-a-Lago, former President Trump asked for a casual $1 billion for his campaign. Trump's argument: The donation would benefit Big Oil because of the tax cuts and relaxed regulations he would implement. But a source told The Hill this was *not* framed as a quid pro quo. (The Hill) |
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Well, well, well. Look who it is. Been a while, Paul.: |
The Washington Post reports that former Trump campaign Chair Paul Manafort, who was pardoned by his former boss in 2020, is reentering Trump World. What Manafort's been up to: He has been involved in launching a Netflix-like streaming platform in China. What he we know about his potential Trump role: "Advisers say Trump is determined to hire Manafort, likely handing him a substantial role at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, because he appreciates that his onetime campaign chairman has remained loyal to him even while serving in prison." |
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🍤 Celebrate: Today is National Shrimp Day, the fruit of the sea! How many of Bubba Blue's 21 ways to prepare it can you name? 🎙️ Jon Stewart is upping his work week from one day to two: Jon Stewart is launching a Comedy Central podcast, "The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart." (The Hill) 🛩️ If you're near Washington, D.C., this weekend: - The National Park Service announced that Saturday, "60 planes representing the history of general aviation will fly down the Potomac and over the National Mall."
- The European Union's Washington, D.C., embassies are having an open house Saturday. It's free admission, and some of the embassies are selling food and drinks, according to The Washington Post.
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The House and Senate are out. 🥳 President Biden is in San Francisco and Seattle today. Vice President Harris is in Washington, D.C. (all times Eastern) |
- 12:50 p.m.: Biden receives the President's Daily Brief.
- 4:15 p.m.: Biden participates in two campaign receptions in the Bay Area.
- 10 p.m.: Biden participates in a campaign reception in Seattle.
- 5 p.m. Saturday: Former President Trump holds a campaign rally in Wildwood, N.J. 💻Livestream
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