Happy Friday! The Olympic opening ceremony starts at 1:30 p.m. EDT! *loudly hums the Olympic anthem* Is anyone else getting up at 5:30 a.m. on Sunday to watch Team USA's women gymnastics? 🤸 Here's what's happening today: - The Obamas endorsed Vice President Harris's campaign.
- In private, some Republicans are scoffing at Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) as former President Trump's VP pick.
- The question of whether Trump was hit by a bullet or shrapnel has become politically charged.
- France's rail lines were hit by an arson attack hours before the Olympic opening ceremony. No injuries have been reported.
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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Harris's first response wasn't, 'Thanks, Obama!' and frankly, I'm bummed:
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Fire Island: Second gentleman Douglas Emhoff and Chasten Buttigieg are holding a campaign reception on Fire Island. @chrislongview commented that "Chasten taking Doug to Fire Island could be the plot of a decent movie." 🔎 See the announcement Hey, Gretch: Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) campaigned on behalf of Harris in Durham, N.H. 📸 Check out the DIY Kamala backdrop |
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@startabuzz posted on X: "TODAY, I LEARNED: When [Vice President Harris] was a U.S. senator, her then-office's softball team was called the OXFORD KAMALAS. I could not love this more." 📸 Photo of the 'Oxford Kamalas' |
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Here's the tea on what Republicans ~actually~ think about JD Vance: |
A number of House Republicans are privately bashing former President Trump's vice presidential pick, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), speculating that he will hurt Republicans' chances in November, reports The Hill's Mychael Schnell. Why?: They have concerns about his foreign policy positions, lack of experience and inability to expand Republicans' voting bloc beyond his and Trump's base. Do all House Republicans feel this way?: No, some think his populist message is effective. (The House Freedom Caucus, for example.) But some veteran lawmakers, moderates and Reagan-style conservatives have their doubts about Vance. Ooof — here's what one Republican said: "He was the worst choice of all the options. It was so bad I didn't even think it was possible. Anti-Ukraine, more of a populist. He adds nothing to the Trump ticket. He energizes the same people that love Trump." Double ooof — here's what another Republicans said: "I think if you were to ask many people around this building, nine out of 10 on our side would say he's the wrong pick. He's the only person who can do serious damage." Read more about what House Republicans are saying in private |
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➤ HEY, SCARAMUCCI WILL SAY IT IN PUBLIC: |
Anthony Scaramucci, who briefly served briefly as Trump's White House director of communications (#TBT!), told CNN's Kaitlan Collins: "JD, I think, stands for 'Just Dull,' so, he is not doing well on the stump for Donald Trump. He's hurting him. The memes on social media are killing him. The net negatives are terrible for the vice president." |
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➤ MORE READS FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL: |
- 'Harris embarks on sprint to find running mate': The Washington Post
- 'Is 100 days enough time to pick a leader? It is around the world': The New York Times
- 'Harris Touts a Tough-on-Crime Image That Was Once a Liability': The Wall Street Journal
- 'Disappearing "double haters": Most Americans like Trump or Harris': Axios
- '"Kamala the cop" or "soft as Charmin"? Rival narratives about Harris' crime record could shape the election': Politico
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Content from our sponsor: PhRMA |
More new medicines means more generic medicines. |
Medicines face competition from other brands, generics and biosimilars. In fact, 90% of all prescription medicines dispensed are generics and biosimilars. Innovation. Competition. Lower costs. Thanks to IP. |
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Not a great start to the Games: |
"High-speed train lines in France were targeted by arson attacks early Friday, French officials said, causing massive travel disruptions hours before the Opening Ceremonies of the Paris Olympic Games," reports The Washington Post.
Who is responsible?: That's still unclear. No arrests have been announced. Was anyone injured?: "Nobody was reported to have been injured, but French officials said the impact for travelers and the country's reputation ahead of the Olympic Games are severe." |
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➤ SIGHTS AND SOUNDS FROM FRANCE: |
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🏥Trump Assassination Attempt |
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Whether Trump was hit by a bullet or shrapnel has become a politically charged debate:
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Former President Trump dropped to the ground to hide when a gunman tried to assassinate him earlier this month.
FBI Director Christopher Wray testified to lawmakers this week that it was still an open question over whether Trump was hit by a bullet or by shrapnel. In Wray's words: "I think with respect to former President Trump there's some question about whether or not it's a bullet or shrapnel that, you know, hit his ear," Wray told lawmakers. Trump did not like that comment. No, he did not: Trump insisted Thursday that he was hit by a bullet as opposed to shrapnel. Trump's response: "No, it was, unfortunately, a bullet that hit my ear, and hit it hard. There was no glass, there was no shrapnel. The hospital called it a 'bullet wound to the ear,' and that is what it was." Read Trump's lengthy Truth Social post on Wray For what it's worth: A New York Times analysis suggests that Trump was hit by a bullet, not glass or debris. The Times analysis is based on "detailed analysis of bullet trajectories, footage, photos and audio." |
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➤ SIGHTS AND SOUNDS FROM FRANCE: |
"The FBI is seeking to interview former President Donald Trump in its investigation of the assassination attempt to obtain a victim statement — a standard part of the investigation because he is a crime victim, according to a US official." (CNN) |
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Think you're a news junkie? Let's see about that. Take this six-question quiz to see how closely you followed the news this week. Let me know how you did! I'm especially curious how many of you know which popular product Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) sarcastically quipped would be called racist. Like this quiz? Have a comment or a suggestion? You know I'm all ears. Shoot me an email to let me know what you think! Ready. Set. Go! |
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🥤 Celebrate: Today is National Coffee Milkshake Day, and Sunday is National Milk Chocolate Day! Everyone have their Lactaid on hand this weekend? ❄️ Team USA brought its own AC units: To cut the carbon footprint of the Olympic Games, organizers did not include air conditioning units in athletes' Olympic Village rooms. Well, Team USA is bringing its own cooling units. |
👏 Well done with this caption, NBC: NBC Sports posted a video on X of Snoop Dogg carrying the Olympic torch. "This is one time Snoop Dogg probably shouldn't drop it like it's hot...," the video is captioned. I laughed out loud. 📹 Watch Snoop Dogg carry the torch 🍭 Cory Booker made some friends: Watch Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) give Senate pages candy during a vote yesterday. |
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Content from our sponsor: PhRMA |
More new medicines means more generic medicines. |
Medicines face competition from other brands, generics and biosimilars. In fact, 90% of all prescription medicines dispensed are generics and biosimilars. Innovation. Competition. Lower costs. Thanks to IP. |
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The House and Senate are out. President Biden and Vice President Harris are in Washington. Harris has no public events on her public calendar. (all times Eastern) |
- Noon: Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) is on "The Megyn Kelly Show" on Sirius XM channel 111.
- 1:30 p.m.: The Olympic opening ceremony in Paris! First lady Jill Biden is leading the U.S. delegation.
- 2:45 p.m.: Biden receives a briefing on artificial intelligence from White House staff.
- 5:30 p.m.: Biden leaves for Camp David.
- 8 p.: Former President Trump speaks at Turning Point Action's "The Believers Summit" in West Palm Beach, Fla. 💻 C-SPAN livestream
- 8 p.m. Saturday: Trump and Vance campaign in St. Cloud, Minn. 📆 Livestream
- 3m. Monday: The Senate returns. 📆 Monday's agenda
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Because you made it this far, here's a sleepy baby who has nailed the viral choreography to Charli XCX's "Apple." |
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