Tensions between the White House and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spilled into the open Wednesday, as Democratic frustration grows with Israel's months-long war against Hamas. The latest: - Netanyahu posted a video on X claiming the Biden administration has been "withholding weapons and ammunitions."
- The Biden administration has halted shipments of some types of heavy bombs over fears of civilian casualties in Gaza. But Secretary of State Antony Blinken disputed Netanyahu's assertion, saying "everything else is moving as it normally would."
- White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said "we genuinely don't know what [Netanyahu's] talking about."
- Two key Democrats on Tuesday approved the sale of weapons and fighter jets to Israel as part of an $18 billion package. The Democrats say they were in touch with Biden about the deal, which won't deliver for several years. But some Senate Democrats are calling on Biden to hold back on the sale to use it as leverage over Israel's war tactics.
- The Hill's Brett Samuels reports that a proposed meeting between White House and Israeli officials will not take place this week, although it hadn't been officially scheduled yet.
Democrats say Israel has the right to defend itself following the Oct. 7 attacks, but there is enormous frustration on the left over the civilian deaths and humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Gaza war a persistent political problem for Biden: - A $270 million pier the U.S. installed off the coast of Gaza to facilitate the transfer of humanitarian aid has been a debacle. The pier has been taken offline twice due to bad weather and was only open for about 10 days in the month it was operational. It might reopen this week, but The New York Times reports that it could be dismantled permanently in July.
- Blinken has been negotiating a cease-fire that would require Hamas to release the 120 hostages. But Hamas is seeking changes to the U.S.-backed plan.
- More than 500,000 Democrats have voted "uncommitted" in the presidential primary to protest Biden's handling of the war. That includes more than 100,000 Democrats in the critical battleground state of Michigan, which holds a large Arab and Muslim population.
- Netanyahu's joint speech to Congress on July 24 will be a fraught moment for Democrats. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) became the latest Democrat on Wednesday to announce she'd boycott Netanyahu's address.
- Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) released a blistering statement on Wednesday accusing Netanyahu of going "to war against the entire Palestinian people." "He is beholden to extreme racists in Israel and has devoted his career to undermining the prospects for a two-state solution and lasting peace."
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Welcome to Evening Report! I'm Jonathan Easley, catching you up from the afternoon and what's coming tomorrow. Not on the list? Subscribe here. |
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| The Switch Up podcast: The Hill's Cheyanne M. Daniels sat down with Jarred Howard, CEO of the National Juneteenth Museum, to discuss the legacy of Juneteenth — and why the nation still celebrates the day nearly 160 years later. Listen here |
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RFK unlikely to qualify for CNN debate
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The two-party system appears primed to endure another presidential cycle. The Hill's Hanna Trudo reports that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is unlikely to qualify for the CNN debate with President Biden and former President Trump next week. The deadline to hit CNN's polling and ballot benchmarks is midnight. Third-party advocates have to be wondering ... if not now, when? - The 2024 presidential election is lining up to be only the second time that two candidates with favorability ratings under 50 percent are at the top of the ticket.
- The first time two candidates that unpopular went head-to-head was in 2016, when Trump faced Hillary Clinton.
- That year, the most prominent third-party hope was Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson, the former governor of New Mexico, who didn't qualify for any of the debates.
- The 2016 ticket of Johnson and former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld ― the first ticket in decades to feature two former governors ― fizzled out with only 3.3 percent of the vote.
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Immigration looms over Trump-Biden race
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President Biden's order shielding some immigrants from deportation and streamlining the pathway to citizenship has fired up organizers on the left, according to The Hill's Rafael Bernal. For Biden, that response is sorely needed, as many progressive activists were angered by the president's recent move to crack down on asylum claims at the Southern border. Republicans say Biden's border security effort is too little too late. And they view the executive action protecting some immigrants as an election-year ploy to win over Latino voters, who have moved to the right in small but meaningful numbers, according to some polls. The bottom line, according to The Hill's Niall Stanage: It's a debate that will be won or lost on Election Day, as polls show border security is top of mind for many voters.
Related coverage from The Hill: - Maryland's Democratic governor cites "border crisis" on Rachel Morin's slaying.
Related viewpoints: |
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Bob Good race too close to call
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The hottest primary race from Tuesday night didn't disappoint… Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.), the chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, trails Army Veteran John McGuire by about 200 votes ― but the race is too close to call. The final count could take several days, as officials wait for late mail-in ballots and provisional ballots. There could be a recount. Recap: - Former President Trump backed McGuire in the race after Good supported Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the GOP presidential primary. Good also picked up some powerful enemies due to his participation in the successful effort to remove former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).
- Several Trump allies have stood by Good, creating a rift in MAGA-land.
Good said Wednesday on X he remains optimistic: "We are asking for full transparency from the officials involved and patience from the people of the 5th District over the coming weeks as the certification of results is completed. We believe we can still prevail." Related coverage: NEXT WEEK ... The intra-party drama turns to the Democratic side, as Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) tries to survive a primary challenge from Westchester County executive George Latimer. That race has split Democrats along ideological lines. The team at PIX11 has the takeaways from the Bowman-Latimer debate Tuesday night. | |
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Jordan presses YouTube over firearms policy change
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House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) has a new line of inquiry aimed at Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D). Jordan is seeking answers from YouTube about whether its new age restrictions policy around videos featuring firearms was influenced by Bragg or other "government officials and third parties interested in suppressing certain Second Amendment-related content." Bragg sent a letter to YouTube earlier this year expressing concern about content related to certain types of firearms and algorithmic recommendations that might steer children toward violent content. Jordan's move is the latest salvo from Republicans digging into every aspect of Bragg's tenure after he secured convictions against former President Trump on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. |
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Cruz locked in nasty committee fight with Democrats
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Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) won bipartisan praise last month for overseeing the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization as it moved through committee and into law. But The Hill's Alexander Bolton reports that the good vibes are gone. Cruz is embroiled in a nasty partisan fight over the Spectrum and National Security Act, with Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) accusing him of injecting "petty partisan culture wars" into the debate. |
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8 days until the first presidential debate.
26 days until the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
61 days until the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
139 days until the 2024 general election.
215 days until Inauguration Day 2025. |
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Thursday - Biden travels from Rehoboth Beach, Del., to Camp David for debate prep.
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There a story you think should be getting more attention? Something people should be talking about? Drop me a line: ALaTour@thehill.com |
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