Lawler running for reelection to House, passing on NY governor bid
Lawler will instead seek reelection in his battleground House district where Democrats will seek to oust him as part of the party's efforts to win back control of the House. Democrats, however, fell short in the district by more than 6 points last November.
Lawler is considered among the stronger candidates as one of the more moderate members of the GOP, giving some Republicans hope that he could have potentially pulled off an upset against Hochul in 2026.
But he told The New York Times that he wouldn't run for the Empire State's top elected job, though he still views himself as the best candidate to face Hochul.
'While I fundamentally believe I am best positioned to take on Kathy Hochul and offer New Yorkers a real choice for governor, I have made the decision to run for re-election to the House and continue the important work I've been doing over the past two and a half years,' he told the outlet.
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The Hill
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- The Hill
Brazil's Lula on Trump criticism: ‘There's no reason to be afraid'
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said in a Tuesday interview that he's not afraid to criticize President Trump publicly — even if that means no deal can be reached to stave off the 50-percent tariff on Brazilian imports that Trump announced earlier this month and moved to put into action on Wednesday. In an interview with The New York Times published Wednesday, Lula was asked about his willingness to openly criticize Trump, including calling him an emperor, while other heads of state have been reluctant to do so. Asked if he thinks that approach 'could worsen things,' Lula said, 'I don't.' 'There's no reason to be afraid,' he continued. 'I am worried, obviously, because we have economic interests, political interests, technological interests. But at no point will Brazil negotiate as if it were a small country up against a big country. Brazil will negotiate as a sovereign country.' Lula stressed the importance of finding middle ground. 'In politics between two states, the will of neither should prevail. We always need to find the middle ground. This is achieved not by puffing out your chest and shouting about things you can't deliver, nor by bowing your head and simply saying 'amen' to whatever the United States wants,' Lula said. Trump, earlier this month, announced plans to impose a 50-percent tariff on all goods from Brazil, citing the prosecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro, an ally of his, over an alleged plot to remain in power after losing an election. Trump originally warned the tariffs would go into effect on Aug. 1, but, on Wednesday, the president signed an executive order officially raising the tariffs on Brazil to 50 percent. The order goes into effect seven days after its signing: on Aug. 6. Trump, who has criticized Brazil's treatment of Bolsonaro, said in a letter to Lula earlier this month that the new tariffs are 'due in part to Brazil's insidious attacks on Free Elections and the fundamental Free Speech Rights of Americans,' and he also cited Brazil's 'Tariff, and Non-Tariff, Policies and Trade Barriers.' 'The way that Brazil has treated former President Bolsonaro, a Highly Respected Leader throughout the World during his Term, including by the United States, is an international disgrace. This Trial should not be taking place. It is a Witch Hunt that should end IMMEDIATELY!' Trump wrote in the letter, which was posted to the president's Truth Social platform earlier this month. Lula responded at the time by fiercely defending the independence of the government institutions and saying Brazil would not be threatened. He reiterated that sentiment in the Times interview this week but stressed his desire to work with the U.S. president on trade without involving politics. 'I want to tell Trump that Brazilians and Americans do not deserve to be victims of politics, if the reason President Trump is imposing this tax on Brazil is because of the case against former President Bolsonaro,' Lula said, when asked for his message to the U.S. president. 'The Brazilian people will pay more for some products, and the American people will pay more for other products. And I think the cause does not merit this,' Lula continued. 'Brazil has a Constitution, and the former president is being tried with a full right to a defense.' Trump and Lula had not spoken, as of the Tuesday interview. Lula said he had tried to reach out to arrange a conversation with Trump, but 'so far, it hasn't been possible.' Lula, a left-wing politician, urged Trump to give him a chance, saying, 'I honestly don't know what Trump has heard about me. But if he got to know me, he'd know that I'm 20 times better than [Bolsonaro].' But Lula brushed off the potential consequences of tariffs, saying Brazil will look to trade more with China going forward. 'If the United States doesn't want to buy something of ours, we are going to look for someone who will,' he said.
Axios
a few seconds ago
- Axios
6 quick questions to help you understand the Epstein probe
Struggling to understand where we are in the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking probe? You're probably not alone. The big picture: We've answered six questions to explain the basics of the Epstein investigation and President Trump's past relationship with the financier, given the intensifying public pressure on this administration to release court files. Case in point: On Wednesday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and other Senate Democrats announced they'd use an obscure federal law to get the Justice Department to release more Epstein court documents. Schumer said the request includes "all documents, files, evidence and other materials" in the DOJ's and FBI's possession related to the case. Here are the questions we're answering about Epstein: Who is Jeffrey Epstein and who did he know? Epstein was a powerful financier in New York who became well-known for his wealth. He was later charged with sex trafficking but died before facing trial. He had a mysterious yet opulent lifestyle, according to multiple reports. His social circle included Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew and former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, per the Miami Herald. How did Epstein know Trump? Trump and Epstein's association received renewed attention this month following a Wall Street Journal report alleging a "bawdy" birthday letter to Epstein that bore Trump's name. Throughout the '90s, Trump and Epstein were seen together at social events. Trump spoke fondly of Epstein in a 2002 interview with New York Magazine, calling him a "terrific guy." "He's a lot of fun to be with," Trump said at the time. "It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. No doubt about it — Jeffrey enjoys his social life." Yes but: In 2004, the two went head-to-head in a property fight for a Palm Beach mansion, according to The Washington Post. When Epstein was arrested and charged in 2019, Trump told reporters he wasn't a "fan" of Epstein and hadn't spoken to him in 15 years. "He was a fixture in Palm Beach. I had a falling out with him a long time ago," Trump said. What was Jeffrey Epstein arrested for? In 2019, Epstein was charged in federal court in Manhattan with sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors. He pleaded not guilty and was held without bail. Multiple women filed lawsuits against Epstein following his arrest. Flashback: Epstein was indicted on minor prostitution charges in 2008. The charges were dropped in exchange for Epstein pleading guilty to a single count of solicitation of prostitution with a minor. He planned to serve an 18-month stint at the Palm Beach County stockade compound. He was released roughly five months early. When did Jeffrey Epstein die? Epstein died in 2019 after an apparent suicide at Manhattan's Metropolitan Correctional Center. Law enforcement officials said at the time that Epstein hanged himself before he was found in his jail cell. Epstein was under extra security in a special unit of the prison, but he was not under suicide watch. Trump at the time called for a "full investigation" into Epstein's death. He also elevated a conspiracy theory that linked Epstein's death to the Clintons. Context: Trump's Justice Department and FBI said in July that they concluded that there was no evidence that Epstein was murdered. The administration released a video that showed no one entered the area of the prison where Epstein was held when he died. The 10-hour video had a "missing minute" that, authorities said, stemmed from an old surveillance recording system that resets everyday — leaving one minute unrecorded. What is the Epstein list? Many in MAGA circles have speculated for years that Epstein kept a "client list" of powerful figures. Attorney General Pam Bondi suggested it was on her desk in a Fox News interview in February when the DOJ released more than 100 pages of documents related to the case, including flight logs, a redacted contact book and masseuse list and an evidence list. Yes, but: The Justice Department and FBI concluded in July there was no evidence that Epstein blackmailed powerful figures or kept a client list. FBI deputy director Dan Bongino clashed with Bondi over the handling of the files and even took a day off from work over the squabble. What is the Epstein files debate? Zoom out: The Trump administration's release of the Epstein files triggered a debate between Trump's followers, Republicans and Democrats. Many have called for the release of all files related to Epstein for transparency sake. What's next: Senate Democrats said Wednesday they planned to use the "Rule of Five" law, which allows any five members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee to request information about any matter related to the committee, to push the DOJ to release more details from the Epstein case.
Boston Globe
a few seconds ago
- Boston Globe
Bessent says new Trump child savings accounts are ‘back door for privatizing Social Security'
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Bessent's remarks. The idea of privatizing Social Security has been raised, and abandoned, by Republicans before, as millions of Americans have come to rely on the certainty of the federal government providing monthly checks in old age. Privatization proposals would shift the responsibility for retirement funds away from the government onto Americans, through personal savings accounts that may or may not be enough to live on. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Under the GOP's 'big, beautiful bill,' as the law is called, Republicans launched a new children's savings program, Trump Accounts, which can be created for babies born in the U.S. and come with a potential $1,000 deposit from the Treasury. Advertisement Much like an individual retirement account, the Trump Accounts can grow over time, with a post-tax contribution limit of $5,000 a year, and are expected to be treated similarly to the rules for an IRA, and can eventually be tapped for distribution in adulthood. Advertisement But Bessent on Wednesday allowed for another rationale for the accounts, suggesting they could eventually be the way Americans save for retirement. 'In a way, it is a back door for privatizing Social Security,' Bessent said while speaking about the program. Ever since the George W. Bush administration considered proposals to privatize Social Security more than 20 years ago, Republicans have publicly moved away from talking about the issue that proved politically unpopular and was swiftly abandoned. In the run-up to the 2006 midterms, Democrats capitalized on GOP plans to privatize Social Security, warning it would decimate the program that millions of Americans have come to rely on in older age. They won back control of both the House and the Senate in Congress. The Democrats warned Wednesday that Bessent's comments showed that Republicans want to shift the government-run program to a private one and are again trying to dismantle the retirement program that millions of Americans depend on. 'Donald Trump's Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent just said the quiet part out loud: The administration is scheming to privatize Social Security,' Tim Hogan, a spokesperson for the Democratic National Committee, said in a statement. 'It wasn't enough to kick millions of people off their health care and take food away from hungry kids. Trump is now coming after American seniors with a 'backdoor' scam to take away the benefits they earned,' Hogan said. The program has faced dire financial projections for decades, but changes have long been politically unpopular. Social Security's trust funds, which cover old age and disability recipients, will be unable to pay full benefits beginning in 2034, according to the most recent report from the programs trustees. Advertisement Those officials have said those findings underline the urgency of making changes to programs. Trump, attuned to Social Security's popularity, has repeatedly said he would protect it. Throughout his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly said he would 'always protect Social Security' and said his Democratic opponents, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, would destroy the program. During the 2024 presidential primary campaign, he also accused other Republicans who have expressed support for raising the age for Social Security of being threats to the program. Trump said in an interview with NBC's 'Meet the Press' in December after he won the presidential election, 'We're not touching Social Security, other than we might make it more efficient.' His White House this year said Trump 'will always protect Social Security.' Social Security Agency Commissioner Frank Bisignano, a Wall Street veteran, was asked at his confirmation hearing in March about whether Social Security should be privatized and said he'd 'never heard a word of it' and 'never thought about it.'
