Monday, June 9 | By Alexis Simendinger & Kristina Karisch |
|
|
| ▪ California vs. Trump over use of National Guard ▪ Senate GOP tries to reset "big, beautiful bill" ▪ DNC tees up possible vice chair vote do-over ▪ Zelensky: Only U.S. can stop Russia's war |
| |
|
©️ Associated Press | Ethan Swope |
Trump challenges Newsom with National Guard
| President Trump ignored the objections of the governor of the nation's largest blue state to impose what he described on Sunday as "very strong law and order" against "mobs" who demonstrated against last week's federal roundup of about 100 migrants in the Los Angeles area. During a tense weekend, Trump activated about 2,000 National Guard forces without permission from Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), who said the federal move was escalatory, "unlawful" and would be met with a lawsuit today. Approximately 300 troops were in Los Angeles after demonstrators destroyed property, burned vehicles and threw objects at law enforcement in reaction to a week of arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Los Angeles police on Sunday declared downtown Los Angeles an area of unlawful assembly and ordered demonstrators to leave in advance of making arrests, which numbered about 27 as of 8 p.m. As police discussed the situation Sunday night with reporters, Trump encouraged law enforcement on social media to pull in the National Guard. "Don't let these thugs get away with this. Make America great again!!!," he wrote. The New York Times: Los Angeles protests timeline, video and maps. The president's decision to involve the Guard without seeking the governor's assent was a new, but not unanticipated front in his immigration crackdown. In 2020, after demonstrations following George Floyd's videotaped death at the hands of Minneapolis police, Trump called on Democratic officials to "get MUCH tougher," warning on social media that the federal government "will step in and do what has to be done, and that includes using the unlimited power of our Military and many arrests." The president has net positive job approval when pollsters ask Americans about border security and crime. Last week, Trump was bogged down by criticism of his signature legislative budget endeavor, clashing with Elon Musk and chafing at low marks on Wall Street and elsewhere for his tariff policies. Trump begins this week turning his attention back to crime and immigration, issues that helped get him elected. And by Saturday, Trump's massive military parade through Washington will showcase the U.S. armed forces on domestic soil along with law enforcers and the commander in chief as he marks his 79th birthday. Protesters plan to take to the streets nationwide. Newsom, who spoke with Trump by phone Friday night, objected Sunday on the social platform X while encouraging the public to eschew violence, "stay calm" and "stay peaceful." He accused Trump of trying "to manufacture a crisis in LA County … to create chaos." The governor implored people in and around Los Angeles: "Don't give Trump what he wants." Trump flew Sunday evening from his home in New Jersey to Camp David, telling reporters, "We're going to have troops everywhere." Outside Washington in the Maryland mountains, he huddled with advisers and military leaders. "We're not going to let this happen to our country. … If officials stay in the way of law and order, yeah, they will face charges," the president added. ▪ The New York Times: Here are some of the legal issues surrounding Trump's plans to use troops on domestic soil to suppress protests. ▪ The Wall Street Journal: Loyalists Trump appointed to his Cabinet in his second term are eager to implement — and sometimes expand on — his political priorities. ▪ The Hill: ICE moves to dismiss pending cases against migrants, which results in quick arrests of defendants outside courthouses en route to deportation. |
|
|
Smart Take
with Blake Burman |
| With the flurry of news in the past 72 hours or so, one headline is not getting the attention it otherwise would. President Trump announced late last week that Treasury Department Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer are meeting with top Chinese officials in London today. This is a result of last week's phone call between Trump and China's Xi Jinping. "The meeting should go very well," the president predicted in a social media post. During the U.S. and China trade war in 2018 and 2019 during the first Trump administration, meetings and movements were fluid over the course of a year and half. While the London meeting appears to be a quick turnaround, we should have a better sense in the coming days about the cadence this time around. |
Burman hosts "The Hill" weeknights, 6p/5c on NewsNation. |
|
|
- Today, Trump's travel ban into the U.S. is in effect for citizens from 12 primarily African and Middle Eastern nations.
- China tariffs already mean fewer and more expensive dolls for U.S. children. Chinese factories prioritize larger customers, a challenge for smaller toy makers.
- Online marketplaces enable "pig butchering" scams and investigators say a Cambodia-based company and others like it are helping swindlers to bilk Americans.
|
|
|
©️ Associated Press | Alex Brandon |
BIG, BEAUTIFUL BUDGET BILL: Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and Senate GOP leaders are looking for a reset on Trump's megabill after it struggled through a tough week on Capitol Hill, which saw GOP senators battling each other overspending cuts and other provisions in the House-passed bill. Trump's July 4 deadline for passing the bill is slipping away, but Thune told The Hill's Alexander Bolton he's hoping to get the legislation back on track by convening small working groups to hash out key components of the bill. "We're continuing to have meetings with groups and committees," he said. "Full speed ahead, a lot of conversations, getting everybody comfortable." Rank-and-file senators, however, who have some of the strongest objections to the legislation, haven't yet seen key pieces of text. Musk's scathing criticism of the bill as a "mountain of disgusting pork" is creating a strong political headwind for the legislation. A GOP senator familiar with Thune's strategy says he will break out portions of the bill to Senate Republican working groups in an effort to make progress on the sections that face the strongest objections — such as nearly $800 billion in spending reductions for Medicaid and $267 billion in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. ▪ The Hill: When is a Medicaid cut not actually a cut? That's the $800 billion question facing Senate Republicans as they write their own version of the sweeping House-passed tax and spending bill. ▪ The Hill: White House and GOP leaders are working to win over Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska). ▪ The Hill: The "one big, beautiful bill" may not be so singular, after all. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is teasing follow-up legislation to the megabill that Republicans can push though using the same special budget reconciliation process that requires only GOP votes. ▪ The Hill: Trump's proposed cuts to the National Park Service are troubling some Republicans. DOGE CARRIES ON: Congressional Republicans are gearing up for a major test of how easily they can lock in cuts sought by Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) — just days after Musk's dramatic exit from the government and feud with Trump over the budget bill. Johnson said he aims to have the House act swiftly on approving Trump's request for more than $9 billion in cuts to foreign aid and public broadcasting funding. That package is expected to hit the floor this week. ▪ The New York Times: Musk may be out, but DOGE is just getting started. ▪ NBC News: Trump said Saturday there would be "serious consequences" if Musk funds Democratic candidates to run against Republicans who vote in favor of the megabill. ▪ The Hill: Some within the GOP fear that a vindictive Musk could put their party on defense not only from the left, but also from one of their former allies on the right. |
- The House will convene at noon.
- The Senate will meet at 3 p.m.
- The president will depart Camp David at 9 a.m. for the White House. Trump will participate in a roundtable at 2 p.m. in the State Dining Room focused on the administration's economic investment priorities.
|
|
|
©️ Associated Press | Andrew Harnik and Matt Rourke |
DNC VICE CHAIR: The party will hold an electronic vote this week over whether the election for the Democratic National Committee (DNC) vice chair positions won by Pennsylvania state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, 34, and gun control activist David Hogg, 25, should be held again after one of the candidates who lost the election challenged the way the race was conducted. DNC Chair Ken Martin, 51, told party leaders in a May 15 Zoom meeting he isn't sure about his ability to lead the party because of infighting created by Hogg, Politico reports. "I'll be very honest with you, for the first time in my 100 days on this job … the other night I said to myself for the first time, I don't know if I want to do this anymore," he said. In the recording, Martin said he is deeply frustrated by the fallout over Hogg, who ignited a Democratic firestorm in the party by vowing to spend $20 million in safe-blue primaries to oust incumbents he describes as ineffective. The resulting conflict, Martin said on the recording, is making it more difficult for the party to do its work — and ruined his ability to demonstrate leadership. ▪ Mother Jones: Hogg, the gun control activist and DNC vice chair, is targeting "asleep at the wheel" incumbents. But could his primary strategy lead to his own ousting? ▪ New York magazine: In New Jersey's crowded Democratic field for governor, each candidate has a path in next week's primary. Here's what to watch. In New York, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D) is facing a test of her political influence after endorsing progressive State Assembly member Zohran Mamdani in the New York City mayoral race. Ocasio-Cortez pitched him as the best chance to upset former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), the front-runner since before he entered the race. The Hill: In his fight with Columbia University, Trump seeks a "death sentence." RETURN TO THE US: The Trump administration moved to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia from imprisonment in a Salvadoran facility in order to file a criminal case against him with charges stemming from a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee, where he was charged with unlawful transportation of migrants without legal status. The return of Abrego Garcia, who was mistakenly deported despite being protected from removal to his home country, comes after administration officials had fought court rulings ordering his return. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who flew to El Salvador to visit the Maryland man, celebrated Abrego Garcia's return, calling it "a victory" for the rule of law. "This is a victory for due process. It's a victory for the Constitution. It should not have taken this long," Van Hollen said during a Friday appearance on MSNBC. Politico: Andrew Yang is ready to team up with Musk. Will the push for a third party find a powerful new patron? |
|
|
©️ Associated Press | Evgeniy Maloletka |
"HARD PRESSURE": Ukraine said Russia launched 479 drones in the war's biggest overnight drone bombardment. The attack comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told ABC News his country is ready for a ceasefire brokered by the U.S. and accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of aiming for the "total defeat" of Ukraine. Zelensky said Putin is uninterested in peace and that only "hard pressure" from the U.S., and joined by European allies would make the Russian leader "pragmatic" in his thinking. "Then they will stop the war," Zelensky said. "I am convinced that the president of the United States has all the powers and enough leverage to step up." Zelensky is looking to meet with Trump at an upcoming Group of Seven summit, according to his office. The Ukrainian president's comments came as Russia bombarded Ukraine while the military claimed to have pushed into central Ukraine for the first time. Two major Moscow airports temporarily closed Sunday, Russian officials said, during a Ukrainian drone strike targeting the Russian capital. ▪ Reuters: Washington believes Putin's threatened retaliation against Ukraine's drone attack has not happened yet in earnest and is likely to be a significant, multipronged strike. ▪ The Washington Post: Ukraine's previous president says he knows how to win over Trump. TRADE TALKS: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will meet with his Chinese counterparts in London today for renewed trade talks. Bessent, who has been leading the White House's efforts to broker a deal with Beijing, will be joined by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. The announcement came after Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke Thursday, and Trump said he was encouraged that ongoing trade tensions could soon be resolved. AID SHIP: Israeli forces seized a ship carrying aid for Gaza in international waters early today, detaining prominent Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and other protesters. Video from the vessel showed the unarmed crew and passengers wearing life jackets and raising their hands as the ship was boarded. Israel has vowed to return the crew and passengers to their home countries. The Madleen departed Sicily last week, aiming to breach Israel's naval blockade on the enclave to deliver humanitarian aid and draw attention to the worsening humanitarian crisis. "We are doing this because, no matter what odds we are against, we have to keep trying," Thunberg said last week. "Because the moment we stop trying is when we lose our humanity. And no matter how dangerous this mission is, it's not even near as dangerous as the silence of the entire world in the face of the livestreamed genocide." Israel has adamantly rejected allegations of genocide in Gaza. Since the war started in October 2023, some 1,200 people were killed and around 250 taken hostage in Israel, and more than 54,000 people, including thousands of children, have been killed in Gaza. NPR: Palestinians say at least five people were killed by Israeli gunfire near Gaza aid centers. |
|
|
- Trump calling troops into Los Angeles is the real emergency, by The New York Times editorial board.
- Republicans' new Medicaid red tape will push Missouri to the brink and block healthcare for millions, by Julie Brinn Siegel and Luke Farrell, opinion contributors, Missouri Independent.
|
|
|
©️ Associated Press | Wong Maye-E |
|
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment