Happy Thursday! Promise me one thing today — Keep reading for the adorable ESPN video of a little girl not knowing what to do with cotton candy. It is a confusing food. (I guess we can count that as a food?) Anyway, here's what's happening: - Michael Cohen is testifying again today, and things are getting feisty.
- Oh, and Trump is rolling deep today. AT LEAST nine Republicans showed up to support him — so many that they don't fit in his rows. It's raining Trump brownie points. ☔
- Grocery prices fell for the first time in a year!
- CNN's Manu Raju pivoted while on-air when an indicted congressman passed his live shot. The clip is worth watching.
- Former Vice President Mike Pence was spotted on Capitol Hill this morning.
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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We don't usually get to see this kind of detail after a falling out: |
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Michael Cohen is dishing it out on his ex-boss, former President Trump, for the third day of his testimony at Trump's hush money trial. The two were once very close, making Cohen a star witness into Trump's actions as the then-2016 GOP presidential nominee. 🗨️ Today's live blog from the courtroom Highlights so far today: What have we learned from the first two days of Cohen's testimony?: - New details about former first lady Melania Trump, including her recommendation for how her husband handled the Access Hollywood "grab 'em by the p----" comments reported in 2016. Cohen says Melania recommended spinning it as "locker room talk."
- Cohen admitted that he wants Trump to be convicted.
- Prosecutors highlighted that Cohen agreed to testify despite not being offered a federal sentence reduction. That's an attempt to strengthen his credibility.
- Cohen testified that Trump demanded to be updated throughout the hush money negotiations. The defense argues that Trump wasn't involved.
More on the revelations from Cohen's testimony, from The Hill's legal reporting team Ella Lee and Zach Schonfeld. Interesting read on Cohen's testimony: 'Michael Cohen seemed to have delivered for prosecutors — if jurors believe him,' writes The Washington Post's Perry Stein. Trump's rolling deep today: At least nine House Republicans came to the Manhattan courthouse today to show support for Trump. Who??: Reps. Matt Gaetz (Fla.), Lauren Boebert (Colo.), Andy Biggs (Ariz.), Mike Waltz (Fla.) and Eli Crane (Ariz.) were spotted in the courtroom. Reps. Andy Ogles (Tenn.) Anna Paulina Luna (Fla.), Ralph Norman (S.C.) and House Freedom Caucus Chair Bob Good (Va.) were seen in the courthouse. 'Do I get a brownie point for being here?' 'I came last week, Mr. President!' 'Don't forget about me!' 'Me too!' 'I spoke to reporters, Mr. President!' Make room: The Hill's Zach Schonfeld noticed that so many lawmakers showed up today that "they couldn't all fit in the two rows of the gallery reserved for the former president's guests. Trump adviser Boris Epshteyn had to ask some of the lawmakers, like Rep. Eli Crane, to sit in the back of the room." Hahaha: The Daily Mail's Morgan Phillips posted a photo of some of the Republicans huddling in court. Punchbowl's Jake Sherman commented on the photo: "This is like if ChatGPT was asked to create a photo that would raise Kevin McCarthy's blood pressure."📸 Here's that photo |
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You know, maybe I WILL get that extra guac today!: |
Grocery prices fell for the first time in 12 months, according to new Labor Department data. How much?: 0.2 percent in April Some context: "After rising quickly for most of the past three years due to supply chain constraints and the impact of the Ukraine war, grocery prices are up just 1.1 percent over the past 12 months. Grocery prices grew far slower than the overall annual inflation rate of 3.4 percent in April and even the Federal Reserve's target for 2 percent annual inflation." Read more: 'Grocery prices fall for first time in a year' |
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➤ SPOTTED ON CAPITOL HILL:
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The Supreme Court has spoken: |
The Supreme Court upheld the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB) funding this morning in a 7-2 vote, fending off a GOP challenge. (The Hill) 'The Major Supreme Court Cases of 2024': The New York Times |
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*Cue the State Farm ad voice* Like a good daughter-in-law, Lara Trump is there!: |
Republican National Committee (RNC) co-chair Lara Trump claimed Wednesday that debates are always "rigged so heavily" in President Biden's favor. She told Fox News's Sean Hannity: "It's rigged so heavily in Joe Biden's favor, but everything always is," she said, adding, "Despite that and even the judicial system at this point, [Trump] is beating Joe Biden in every poll out there. It's amazing to see." (The Hill) |
The list of Republicans who don't mind being a lil' messy and chaotic: |
The Hill's Julia Mueller pulled together a list of prominent Republicans who say they will back President Biden over former President Trump. A few examples: Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Former Trump Defense Secretary Mark Esper and former Republican National Committee (RNC) Chair Michael Steele Republicans who have ruled out supporting Biden OR Trump: Former Vice President Mike Pence, Trump-ally-turned-primary-opponent Chris Christie and former Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) The full list of Republicans who are not on the Trump train 🚂 |
The Washington Post's Mark Lasswell writes, "Trump likes the Oxford comma? That's stunning, strange and disorienting." Excerpt: "[The] trial testimony has offered one bombshell: Donald Trump likes the Oxford comma. [Last week, his former personal assistant] detailed the elaborate fine-tuning that goes into the former president's social media pronouncements before they're unveiled to the nation. This includes his preference for the Oxford comma, the controversial punctuation also known as the serial comma, used before the 'and' in a list of three or more items. I never thought I'd write these words, but, Donald, I'm with you." Read more on how Trump's former assistant 'has pulled back the curtain' on Trump's social media strategy: Basically, it takes more work than you might think. |
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🍖🥂 Celebrate: Today is National Barbeque Day AND National Mimosa Day! 🎤 Tidbit — Manu Raju is very good at his job: During a live shot with CNN's Jake Tapper, CNN's Manu Raju passed Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) and pivoted to asking him about his recent indictment. The clip is seamless. 📹 Watch the clip 💋 The real-life inspiration for Regina George: Washingtonian's Sylvie McNamara wrote an incredible read about the woman whose high school social life inspired the cult classic movie, "Mean Girls." Read: 'The Local Girls Who Inspired the Hollywood Classic "Mean Girls"'
Excerpt: "I asked if she recognized her quotes when she first saw Mean Girls, back when it came out in 2004. 'Of course I did,' she replied. 'Tons of them—'We wear pink,' 'You can't sit with us'—I was tickled. I wasn't mad.'" Why this woman hadn't told people in her adult life: "To explain her connection to the movie, she would have had to dredge up the article, which 'does not paint me in a very good light. I say the most awful things. I'm the example of the mean girl, I'm the Queen Bee. I'm not even the antihero—I'm the villain.'" |
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The House and Senate are in. President Biden and Vice President Harris are in Washington. (all times Eastern) |
- This morning: The Hill hosted an event, "Moms Matter — Closing the Maternal Mental Health Gap." 💻 Watch the event
- This morning: Biden met with the plaintiffs from the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision and their families.
- 1:30 p.m.: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and Stephen Benjamin, director of the Office of Public Engagement, brief reporters. 💻 Livestream
- 1:40 p.m.: Harris speaks in Milwaukee as part of her Economic Opportunity Tour. 💻 Livestream
- 4 p.m.: First and last House votes for the day. 📆 Today's agenda
- 5:40 p.m.: Harris attends a campaign event in Chicago.
- 8:30 p.m.: Harris returns to Washington.
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