MORNING REPORT

June 8, 2026 | By Jared Gans

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In today's issue:

▪ California becomes election integrity battlefield

▪ Israel rebuffs Trump with retaliatory Iran strikes

▪ House takes up Senate-passed reconciliation bill

▪ Peru votes in close presidential election

GOP cries foul in California primary count

President Trump is leading Republicans’ unfounded claims of fraud in California’s glacial vote counting as his preferred candidate was knocked out of the runoff for Los Angeles mayor.

Progressive Los Angeles City Council member Nithya Raman was projected by Decision Desk HQ to finish ahead of Republican Spencer Pratt, a reality television personality, as the two challenge incumbent Mayor Karen Bass (D), despite Pratt’s significant lead on election night.

“No way this could have happened. Rigged Election!” the president said in a post on Truth Social in response Monday morning.

Trump stormed out of an interview with Kristen Welker on “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday during a tense back-and-forth over his claims that the California gubernatorial primary was “rigged.”

“Do you know why they’re doing that? Because they’re cheating on the election,” Trump said of the notoriously slow voting process.

Welker pushed back, saying there was no evidence of foul play and pointing out that California typically counts votes slowly. But that hasn’t stopped right-wing voices from alleging wrongdoing as Democrats have steadily closed the gap on Republicans.

In the race to succeed outgoing Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), Trump-endorsed former Fox News host Steve Hilton led a crowded field on Tuesday night, with former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra following a few points behind and billionaire businessman Tom Steyer in a distant third.

Following a few days of counting, Becerra moved into first place and was projected to advance to the general election, with Steyer now just 4 points behind Hilton as more ballots from left-leaning areas have been tallied.

“This is a joke. Everyone sees what’s happening,” Rep. Abe Hamadeh (R-Ariz.) said in a post on the social platform X. “When will Republicans recognize the urgency and pass legislation to fix this broken system before Americans lose faith in our elections?”

“The ballot corruption is happening in California right before our eyes,” posted Katie Miller, a former communications director for former Vice President Mike Pence and the wife of White House adviser Stephen Miller.

Bill Essayli, a federal prosecutor for the Central District of California, announced Friday that his office had “multiple election fraud investigations underway,” though he didn’t offer specifics. He said he’s working with Harmeet Dhillon, who leads the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Civil Rights Division, to audit the state’s voter rolls.

California’s elections are run largely by mail, with ballots sent out to every voter. Mail-in ballots can be counted as long as they are postmarked by Election Day and reach county offices by one week later. In this case, that’s Tuesday, June 9.

State lawmakers have taken some steps recently to speed up the counting process. Democrats warned ahead of the election that the slow vote count could create fertile ground for false claims.

“We must acknowledge that the longer the voting count takes, the more mis- and disinformation spreads,” Newsom wrote in a letter to election officials last month. “Time is of the essence in preventing election lies from taking hold.”

▪ The Hill: Southern states’ new maps upend elections.

▪ The Hill: Democratic confidence surges in Iowa.

3 Things to Know Today

At least 19 people have been killed following a 7.8-magnitude earthquake in the Philippines, while more than 200 others were injured in the strongest quake to hit the country this year. Some one-meter tsunami waves were seen in coastal areas, but the threat has mostly passed.
Watch parties outside Madison Square Garden for the New York Knicks’ NBA Finals game tonight have been canceled as Trump plans to attend the game. Enhanced security measures will be in place.
The Iranian men’s soccer team arrived in Mexico for the World Cup following visa issues in the U.S. and uncertainty as to whether the team would compete. The tournament starts later this week.

LEADING THE DAY

HEATING UP: Israel retaliated against Iran on Sunday night after taking fire from the Islamic regime for the first time in two months, despite Trump saying he “called the shots” and would tell Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hold fire.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that it was striking military targets in central and western Iran. A U.S. defense official told Axios that the U.S. was not involved in the Israeli strikes and called them “relatively limited” in scope.

But a top Iranian official suggested the U.S. was to blame for the attack.

“No one believes that the Israeli regime would take any action without coordination with the United States,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told reporters at a briefing. “The United States bears responsibility for the Israeli regime’s aggression, and it will also be responsible for the consequences of any escalation in tensions.”

Iran fired missiles at Israel Sunday for the first time since the ceasefire with the U.S. went into effect in early April, apparently in response to escalations in Israel's fight against Iran-linked Hezbollah in Lebanon. The IDF said it intercepted the missiles as sirens could be heard in northern Israel.

Trump reportedly told Netanyahu not to retaliate in a call Sunday to allow for more time for diplomacy.

“I call all the shots. He doesn't call the shots,” Trump told the Financial Times about Netanyahu.

But Israel still went forward with the strikes, with explosions heard in the cities of Tehran, Isfahan and Tabriz, among others.

Trump called on Israel and Iran to stop firing at each other “immediately” in a Truth Social post early Monday morning.

Oil prices jumped overnight Sunday on news of the resumption in direct fighting between Iran and Israel.

▪ The Hill: Trump says Iran hasn’t agreed to deal because they’re ‘proud.’

▪ The Hill: Four takeaways from Trump’s ‘Meet the Press’ interview.

CRUNCH TIME: Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is facing a jam-packed week that will test his ability to keep his conference in line, with two major pieces of legislation on the agenda.

The House will take up a nearly $70 billion reconciliation package funding immigration enforcement agencies through fiscal 2029 after the Senate passed the measure on Friday. The upper chamber held a marathon series of votes overnight Thursday before eventually passing the bill, and the process in the House could be just as contentious.

Johnson can only afford to lose two members of his conference in what’s expected to be a party-line vote. He will likely face opposition from at least one member — Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who is a fiscal hawk.

A few other members also could express some hesitation about lending their support.

Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) will also need to find a path forward to extend the government’s warrantless foreign surveillance powers, which expire Thursday.

The effort already faced one hurdle over privacy advocates’ concerns, but now Democrats have pledged to oppose an extension over Trump’s appointment of Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence.

Read more about what to expect in Congress this week from The Hill’s Sudiksha Kochi here.

▪ The Hill: GOP plots third reconciliation bill as midterm clock ticks.

▪ The Hill: Divisions mount between Trump, Republican lawmakers.

'GREAT IDEA’: Trump didn’t rule out the federal government making payments to those charged with attacking police officers during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, calling his administration’s proposed “anti-weaponization” fund a “great idea.”

“I wouldn’t be inclined to say so, but I have to see it,” Trump told Welker in the “Meet the Press” interview.

“If they get it approved, that’s great,” he said, referring to the DOJ. “If they don’t get it approved, I’d be disappointed.”

The DOJ confirmed in a court filing Friday that its $1.776 billion fund it created for those who claim to be victims of political prosecutions would not be going forward. That came after acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told lawmakers that the proposal would be folded in light of bipartisan backlash.

But as The Hill’s Rebecca Beitsch reports, the DOJ has other pathways to providing payouts to those who say they have been wronged by the federal government, particularly from a limitless pot of money to pay settlements for claims made against it.

▪ Politico: DOJ argues Trump could tear down Statue of Liberty if he wanted.

WHEN & WHERE

The president will participate in a tele-rally at 5:30 p.m. He will depart Bedminster, N.J., for New York City, where he will attend Game 3 of the NBA Finals at 8:30 p.m. He will return to the White House later in the evening.
The House will convene at noon.
The Senate will meet at 3 p.m.

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ZOOM IN

TIME OF TRANSITION: The staunchly conservative House Freedom Caucus is set to experience significant turnover next year as many of its members leave Congress.

Seven members of the caucus are leaving the House after deciding to seek another office, The Hill’s Emily Brooks reports. Some of them — such as GOP Reps. Chip Roy (Texas), Ralph Norman (S.C.) and Andy Biggs (Ariz.) — have been on the frontlines of several intense battles in Congress in recent years.

Members told Brooks that the caucus’s commitment to fiscal restraint and enthusiasm for using leverage to gain concessions will remain in the next Congress.

“We have incredible enthusiasm among people who are running around the country and who have won primaries. We’ll have plenty of people to lead the charge,” said Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.), the current caucus chair whose term leading the group ends at the conclusion of the current session.

Harris and other members pointed to recent additions, including Reps. Brandon Gill (R-Texas) and Eric Burlison (R-Mo.), as likely leaders of the caucus in the future.

Some longtime members, like Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), the founding chair, are staying. But plenty of uncertainty remains.

“It’s terrifying,” Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) said about the group’s future given the looming departures. “I don’t know. I mean, I’m there for now … We’re losing the greats.”

▪ The Hill: Mark Teixeira looms ahead of congressional baseball game.

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ELSEWHERE

A NEW DIRECTION: Peruvians went to the polls Sunday to cast ballots in presidential runoff elections between two candidates deeply ideologically opposed to each other as the country yearns for political stability.

Early exit polls showed a close race, and the outcome may not be known for days.

Right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of controversial former President Alberto Fujimori, is facing off against Roberto Sánchez, a left-wing member of the Peruvian Congress. The two advanced from the first round of elections held in April with competing visions for Peru, which has been locked in political turmoil for years.

The South American country has had nearly 10 different presidents in the past decade, including multiple leaders whose terms ended either in their resignation or removal from office. Allegations of corruption or misconduct have ended many of their administrations, including that of former President José Jerí earlier this year.

Fujimori, who previously served in Peru’s Congress, has run on a platform of being tough on crime as the issue has taken center focus in the country. She faces criticism from opponents who tie her to her father, who served as a harsh authoritarian ruler in the 1990s.

Sánchez, a close ally of jailed former President Pedro Castillo, has pledged to crack down on corruption among police, expand welfare and raise the minimum wage. He has backed away from some more hard-left positions as the campaign has wound down.

▪ Reuters: Peru votes in test of Latin America’s rightward shift.

OPINION

A bad Iran deal could spark a nuclear arms race, John Bolton writes in The Wall Street Journal.
Erdogan and Putin, the end of an unlikely partnership, Gonul Tol writes in The New York Times.

THE CLOSER

And finally … History was made at the Tony Awards on Sunday evening as a costume designer became the first openly transgender person to win an award at the ceremony.

Qween Jean won the award for best costume design of a musical for her work on “Cats: The Jellicle Ball,” the latest version of the classic show.

“We are here for the legacy of queer people, trans people,” Jean said during her acceptance speech. “We are taking up space in ways we have to take up space. We have to shift the paradigm.”

People magazine reported multiple nonbinary people have won Tonys at previous ceremonies, but no openly transgender person has won until now.

“The world right now is deeply, deeply combating so many ailments, and we know as a society that when we come together, we can make real, permanent change,” Jean said.