12:30 Report — Trump's Capitol Hill return; Supreme Court shields abortion pill

View Online  12:30 REPORT It's Thursday. The Fourth of July is three weeks from today! We all agree this is the best holiday of the year, right? Here's what we're following today: Former President Trump is on Capitol Hill today to rally the GOP troops. There are a few awkward dynamics at play, though. Trump reportedly called Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) after his convictions, pleading for help. He apparently dropped a lot of F-bombs during that conversation. The Supreme Court unanimously ruled to protect access to an abortion pill. The FAA administrator is testifying today on Boeing and airline safety.   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.   👋 Happening Today 'We are family. I got all the GOP with me':  ©  GIPHY/ION Mystery ^ Well, mostly. Former President Trump is taking a rare trip to Capitol Hill today for his first public appearance to the area since a pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. What Trump has planned: He met with House Republicans this morning at the Capitol Hill Club. Now, he's meeting with Senate Republicans at the National Republican Senatorial Committee. He also has a meeting scheduled with business leaders, including JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon.   👀List of who's attending the private CEO meeting   Trump's goals: To unify his splintered party To set a policy agenda (though it's unlikely to get too in the weeds). Rally the troops ahead of Republicans' nominating convention in July.   Are any Senate Republicans skipping?: Sens. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Susan Collins (Maine) and Mitt Romney (Utah) said they have conflicts and cannot attend. (Psst, all three voted to convict Trump in 2021.) Sens. Todd Young (Ind.) and Bill Cassidy (La.) are also up in the air.    ^Actually — Romney *will* be there: The Hill's Alexander Bolton posted that "Sen. Mitt Romney is now heading to lunch with Trump at the NRSC because his flight to Palm Beach, which he was supposed to take for an event, was cancelled due to heavy rain." And  NBC's Frank Thorp posted that Romney "says he doesn't plan to bring up Jan 6, 'this is not the place for that.'"   🗨️ Live blog from Trump's GOP 'pep rally' today   Factors at play today: Trump's conviction: This is Trump's first meeting with congressional Republicans since he was convicted of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. Politico is reporting that Trump called Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) after his conviction, pleading for help to overturn it. Politico's Rachael Bade noted that Trump dropped a lot of F-bombs during that call "as he spoke with the soft-spoken and pious GOP leader." The McConnell awkwardness: This will be the first time Trump is in the same room as Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) since 2020. The two have had beef since the Jan. 6 attack, and Trump has hurled racist insults toward his wife. McConnell recently endorsed Trump, lowering the temperature of their feud, so today's meeting will be notable. The VP race: Several congressional Republicans have been floated as potential running mates for Trump. Like: Sens. Marco Rubio (Fla.), Tim Scott (S.C.), Tom Cotton (Ark.), JD. Vance (Ohio) and Rep. Elise Stefanik (N.Y.). More VP speculation   Read more on the Trump-McConnell dynamic: 'Trump, McConnell set for tricky GOP unity moment'   The Biden campaign has a goal for today: Remind voters of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. The campaign unveiled an ad, blaming Trump for the violence. 💊 News this Morning The Supreme Court protected access to an abortion pill:  The Supreme Court unanimously rejected a challenge to access to mifepristone, one of the two most common drugs used in medication abortion.   The case: Anti-abortion doctors argued to severely restrict the ability of patients to obtain the abortion pill. Read more on the case here   💡 What this ruling means: Patients' access to mifepristone won't change. People can receive the drug up to the 10th week of pregnancy — and it will still be available through the mail. But keep in mind that mifepristone is still illegal in more than a dozen states. Read more on the ruling   Who wrote the majority opinion?: Justice Brett Kavanaugh   📃Read the full Supreme Court ruling   'What is mifepristone and how is it used?': The New York Times explains that "more than half of people who get legal abortions in the United States — and three-quarters in Europe — use medication abortion." Full NYT explainer ➤  KEEP IN MIND — THERE'S STILL ANOTHER ABORTION CASE COMING UP: The New York Times's Elizabeth Dias pointed out that "there is still another major abortion case that the Supreme Court has not yet decided. That one is about whether emergency rooms in hospitals are required to provide abortions in urgent situations, like if a woman's life is in jeopardy."  ➤  SEE THE RULING COVERED BY VARIOUS NEWS OUTLETS: In big cases like this, I always find the word choices and phrasing by different media outlets interesting. 'Supreme Court retains full access to key abortion pill mifepristone': The Washington Post 'Supreme Court Rejects Abortion Pill Challenge': The Wall Street Journal 'Justices Unanimously Reject Challenge to Mifepristone': The New York Times 'Supreme Court Unanimously Rejects Efforts To Restrict Abortion Pill': HuffPost 'Supreme Court delivers pivotal ruling on access to abortion medication': Fox News 'Supreme Court won't restrict access to abortion pill': Politico   And another Supreme Court decision involved Starbucks: "The Supreme Court on Thursday tossed a lower court's ruling ordering Starbucks to reinstate seven Memphis-based employees terminated amid a unionization drive," reports The Hill's Zach Schonfeld.   Read more on the case: 'Supreme Court rules for Starbucks in union case over terminated employees' 🐘 In Congress Republicans are currently feeling pretty good about November: ©  GIPHY/Curb Your Enthusiasm "Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) met with Senate Republicans on Wednesday to begin setting an ambitious agenda for Washington if former President Trump is reelected and Republicans win back control of the Senate and keep their House majority," reports The Hill's Alexander Bolton.   Basically, Johnson wants "to be prepared to hit the ground running" if Republicans win control of the White House and Congress.   So, what's on the agenda?: Extending the Trump-era tax cuts (they will expire in 2025), increasing defense spending and tackling mandatory spending   Read more: 'Johnson, Trump, GOP plot ambitious agenda hinged on total control of government' 🐝 Internet Buzz 🧁 Celebrate: Today is National Cupcake Lovers' Day! Here are some cupcake deals. ©  GIPHY/NBC 🏥 One of The Hill's most-read items this week: Jimmy Carter's grandson revealed that the former president is no longer awake every day while in hospice care. (The Hill)   🏠 Interesting read on mortgages: "Are zero-down mortgages making a comeback?" (NewsNation) 📆 On The Agenda The House and Senate are in. President Biden is in Italy for the Group of Seven (G7) meeting. Vice President Harris is in Washington. (all times Eastern) Today: FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker is testifying today on Boeing and airline safety. 💻 Watch This afternoon: Harris participates in a conversation about LGBTQI+ rights. 1:45 p.m.: Biden signs a bilateral security agreement with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. They will also hold a joint press conference. 💻 Livestream 1:45 p.m.: A Senate vote related to fertility treatment. 📆 Today's agenda 4:30 p.m.: First and last House votes. 📆 Today's agenda 👋 And Finally… Because you made it this far, I want to leave you with one of my favorite videos I've seen in a while. These sheep are having a grand old time.   (Make sure your sound is on!) Stay Engaged Send comments, story ideas and events for our radar to cmartel@thehill.com. A friend forward this to you? Subscribe here.   View past issues of 12:30 Report here and check out other newsletters from The Hill here. See you next time! Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  Sign Up for Other Newsletters 1625 K Street NW, 9th Floor, Washington, DC 20006 © 1998 - 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved.