Latest news with #NRCC
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
What the GOP's megabill promotional plan doesn't mention
National Republicans want their House conference to sell President Donald Trump's megabill during Congress' August recess, rather than duck and let Democrats push a narrative that the bill is a tax cut for the rich. That advice is memorialized in a five-page memo from the National Republican Congressional Committee, which was obtained by POLITICO. "The best defense is a good offense," the NRCC memo read. It urged lawmakers to beware of "trackers" who catch members off message, distribute talking points through interviews with local media and not let Democratic activity "distract you from driving your message." The memo reveals how the party hopes to communicate a potential vulnerability ahead of next year's midterms. In particular, the NRCC wants members to cast the bill's Medicaid cuts — already a top target of Democrats — as an overhaul that will strengthen the program. The organization also highlights polls showing voters support work requirements and removing ineligible recipients from coverage. 'With the One Big Beautiful Bill signed into law by President Trump just a few weeks ago, this is a critical opportunity to continue to define how this legislation will help every voter and push back on Democrat fearmongering,' the NRCC wrote in the memo. The comprehensive memo from Republicans' campaign arm shows just how crucial the messaging battle will be ahead of 2026, as both parties expect the megabill, recently signed into law, to become one of the top issues of the cycle. Republicans want to avoid letting Democrats control the message around the bill, especially given that midterms historically favor the party that is out of power — and rule of the House could be decided by just a few seats. By equipping the conference with ample talking points, the NRCC is hoping members can stave off the onslaught of attacks from Democrats. The memo relays a few areas the NRCC wants members to focus on, including getting ahead of the attacks that Democrats have already started waging about the bill. 'We can't let them control the narrative,' the NRCC said of Democrats. In warning GOP members not to fall for Democratic 'trackers,' or political operatives who will try to get them to say damaging info, while they are back home, the NRCC advised, 'They are not reporters or constituents; you do not owe them a response.' In addition to Medicaid, the NRCC urged its members to highlight tax relief, immigration, business reforms and 'holding elites accountable.' On Monday, Vice President JD Vance offered an example for Republican legislators, calling out Ohio Democratic lawmakers by name during a rally in the state. 'You know why she's not here today?' Vance said of Rep. Emilia Sykes. 'Because she's not celebrating no taxes on tips, she's not celebrating no taxes overtime, she's not celebrating the highest rising take home pay in 60 years, because she fought us every step of the way on the big beautiful bill.' And the NRCC suggested its members hold roundtables and visit hospitals, restaurants and small businesses to highlight specific provisions of the bill. It advises holding in-person interviews with local media outlets. The memo, however, did not address whether to hold town halls, something that became a hot-button issue the last time lawmakers went home for an extended period. Democrats — armed with their own talking points — are already planning rallies in red districts across the country as they begin to realize their own messaging plans. They hope to paint the bill as a tax cut for the wealthy at the expense of Americans who use programs like Medicaid and SNAP. 'The Big, Ugly Law is a political disaster,' Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson Viet Shelton said in a statement. 'The American people know it's a giveaway to billionaires that's paid for by ripping away health care from millions and jacking up folks' energy costs. Everyone hates it and vulnerable House Republicans know it, which is why they're scared to face their constituents in person during the August recess.' Last week, NRCC chair Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) told reporters he would 'love for [Democrats] to come to my district,' but cautioned members of Democrats infiltrating in-person town halls. 'Democrats are still pretty determined to hijack our town halls and try to prevent us from having this conversation with our constituents, so I would encourage them to use other means,' Hudson said last week. Still, there is a note of caution to members not to let the opposing party set the agenda. 'Seek to drown out Democrats' efforts to knock you off message with a disciplined and compelling communications effort of your own,' the memo advised.
Politico
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Politico
Playbook: Trump's turning point on Gaza
Presented by With help from Eli Okun, Bethany Irvine and Ali Bianco On today's Playbook Podcast, Adam Wren and Dasha Burns discuss President Donald Trump's split from Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu over Gaza and how it's reverberating throughout the MAGA movement. Good morning. It's Tuesday, and I'm Adam Wren. Let's get to it. In today's Playbook … — The populist right has run roughshod over countless Republican orthodoxies. Could the GOP's unconditional support for Israel be next? — First in Playbook: Chuck Schumer today will call on the FBI to examine whether foreign countries have tried to access the Jeffrey Epstein files for leverage over Trump. — First in Playbook: An exclusive first look at the NRCC's memo telling Republican House members how to sell the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to the public over recess. DRIVING THE DAY A TURNING POINT ON GAZA: For a decade, President Donald Trump's MAGA movement has bulldozed through generations of GOP orthodoxy on everything from the national debt to immigration to trade to Russia. Now, there are fresh signs that MAGA is careening toward one of the last remaining Republican shibboleths: unconditional support for Israel, an article of faith that has long animated both Trump's white evangelical base and traditional Republicans hawkish about the Middle East. How we got here: Yesterday, Trump made his first substantive break with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu over Gaza. On Sunday night, Netanyahu denied the extensive and well-documented reports of a humanitarian disaster in the region, insisting that 'there is no starvation in Gaza.' Yesterday, Trump was asked whether he agreed. 'Based on television, I would say not particularly, because those children look very hungry,' Trump said. 'They have to get food and safety right now.' In that split, Trump raised hopes among the populist 'New Right' that he accepted their argument that a true 'America First' foreign policy would supersede any U.S.-Israel special relationship when the interests of the two nations diverge. In short: The days of the old GOP party line on Israel could be numbered. The view from MAGA: 'It seems that for the under-30-year-old MAGA base, Israel has almost no support, and Netanyahu's attempt to save himself politically by dragging America in deeper to another Middle East war has turned off a large swath of older MAGA diehards,' Steve Bannon, the influential former White House adviser with a fingertip feel for Trump's base, tells Playbook. 'Now President Trump's public repudiation of one of the central tenants of Bibi's Gaza strategy — 'starving' Palestinians — will only hasten a collapse of support.' It's not just Bannon. Witness hard-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.). 'It's the most truthful and easiest thing to say that Oct 7th in Israel was horrific and all hostages must be returned, but so is the genocide, humanitarian crisis, and starvation happening in Gaza,' she posted last night on X. Or consider VP JD Vance's remarks in Ohio yesterday, when he spoke of the 'heartbreaking' images from Gaza and said 'Israel's gotta do more to let that aid in and we've also gotta wage war on Hamas so that those folks stop preventing food from coming into this territory.' All of this sets up several tests … Of the Trump coalition: Is his tent big enough for both a New Right wary of supporting Israel and dispensationalist evangelicals who believe that supporting Israel is a biblical mandate? Of the broader political landscape: Looking across the aisle, an Israel-skeptical left finds itself joined by a freshly Israel-skeptical New Right in the latest sign of once-clean ideological boundaries scrambled by a feverishly encroaching populism (see also: the Epstein files fallout). Of the so-called Trump Doctrine: Speaking last month in Ohio, Vance articulated a 'Trump Doctrine' — articulating 'a clear American interest,' trying to 'aggressively diplomatically solve that problem,' and when you can't, using 'overwhelming military power to solve it and then you get the hell out of there before it ever becomes a protracted conflict.' Here, Trump has articulated a clear American interest: not allowing Palestinian children to be starved to death. What comes next if aggressive diplomacy with Netanyahu fails? Of Trump's foreign policy: Will he assert a greater role for U.S.-led humanitarian aid that is a relic of a pre-MAGA conception of America's role abroad? 'For Mr. Trump, who boasts about his transactional approach to deal-making on the world stage, the starvation unfolding in Gaza is a test of whether an America First foreign policy can confront one of the biggest humanitarian catastrophes of the 21st century,' NYT's Luke Broadwater and Michael Shear write. WHAT MOTIVATES TRUMP: But even as some on the New Right agitate for an end to automatic U.S. support for Israel, to ascribe Trump's break with Netanyahu to some grand MAGA foreign policy project is far too pat. It's about the visuals: America First adherents like Bannon may want him to part ways with Netanyahu over ideology, but Trump appears to be doing so because of optics. The most television-conscious president in American history is colliding with television images that don't sit well with him. (Asked whether he agreed with Netanyhu, for instance, his response began: 'Based on television, I would say not particularly…') It's about the human toll: Trump, for all of his bluster and chest-pounding machismo, can be sensitive to images of violence. Former Trump 1.0 national security adviser John Bolton — no sycophant — recalled in his memoir that amid calling off possible Iranian strikes, Trump said to him: 'Too many bodybags.' It's worth remembering that Trump, in addition to being the most powerful person in the world, is also the grandfather to 11 children; how could he not be moved by the images from Gaza? 'He has many awful, awful instincts,' Sohrab Ahmari, the influential writer who helped shape Vance's own worldview, tells Playbook. 'But one of his best instincts is a revulsion for human horror and bloodshed.' All of this lays bare the notion that Trump himself is not driven so much by ideology as by guttural impulse. 'He is incredibly tactile in his foreign policy approach,' said Matthew Bartlett, a State Department appointee in Trump's first administration. 'He routinely talks about meeting with the families of hostages, seeing the devastation of Gaza as well and the photos of babies or even battlefield casualties in Ukraine.' But, Bartlett said: 'In some ways, it is him at his most human and vulnerable, and in some ways, it makes America First policy a tightrope.' THE MAGA REVOLUTION THE REVOLUTION COMES TO INDIANA: EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin today will officially unveil a centerpiece of the Trump administration's campaign to roll back the fight against climate change. Zeldin will be in Indiana to announce changes to the agency's endangerment finding, which has underpinned a wide range of federal authorities to regulate emissions for 16 years, POLITICO's E&E News' Jean Chemnick and Zack Colman preview for Pros. He'll also lay out plans to ease up on auto climate rules. JUDGE FOR YOURSELF: With a vote coming soon, Emil Bove's judicial nomination has been buffeted by a third whistleblower stepping forward with allegations against him — but the Senate GOP seems to be holding firm. The new person gave Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) evidence that goes against Bove's claims at his confirmation hearing, raising allegations that he misled senators, WaPo's Perry Stein and Theo Meyer scooped. This is about a different issue than Erez Reuveni's whistleblower account against Bove, a staunch Trump loyalist and attack dog, whose confirmation to a lifetime judgeship would epitomize Trump's remaking of government. But but but: Democrats may still need to sway two more Republicans to vote no. And Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) sound unmoved by the latest allegations, with Tillis indicating he'd want the whistleblower to self-identify, POLITICO's Hailey Fuchs reports. SCHOOL DAZE: Harvard may be willing to pay up to half a billion dollars, though perhaps not directly to the federal government, to settle Trump's barrage of investigations and attacks against the university, NYT's Michael Bender and colleagues report. That would dwarf the penalty Columbia paid, though Harvard sounds more reluctant to accept the imposition of an outside monitor as Columbia did. Trump's emphasis on extracting money from Harvard is something of a shift from his earlier focus on changing Harvard's ideology. Up next: The Justice Department is now probing not only George Mason but also its faculty who supported the school's diversity programs and leadership, NYT's Vimal Patel reports. And the Education Department began a new probe of Duke University and the Duke Law Journal over diversity practices, The Washington Free Beacon's Aaron Sibarium scooped. THE PURGE: Leading Justice Department antitrust officials Roger Alford and Bill Rinner were fired yesterday, apparently with 'insubordination' cited as one reason, CBS' Jacob Rosen and Jennifer Jacobs scooped. The top deputies were part of Gail Slater's team, which has had some tension with other parts of the administration and business leaders. VAX NOT: HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. officially laid out a major shake-up of the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, per Axios. The system for paying people hurt by vaccines has been the subject of some broad criticism, but pharmaceutical companies have warned that changing their liability protections could lead vaccine makers to exit the market. MORE ADMIN MOVES: OPM issued new guidance reiterating and expanding federal employees' right to proselytize in the workplace, per Government Executive's Eric Katz. … The FTC officially opened an investigation into medical providers' claims about gender transition-related medical care, particularly for minors, per Axios' Adriel Bettelheim. … CIA Director John Ratcliffe intends to declassify more intelligence in its investigation of the FBI's Trump-Russia involvement, Fox News' Brooke Singman scooped. IT'S THE ECONOMY, STUPID FED UP: The Fed's next meeting begins today with the central bank under pressure from Trump to lower interest rates — though policymakers are expected to instead hold them steady at tomorrow's announcement. That will kick off a major week for the U.S. economy, from the Fed decision to Friday's tariff deadline and tons of big new reports on the latest economic data, NYT's Ben Casselman and Colby Smith preview. By week's end, it will be clearer whether the economy is in fact still holding stronger than expected under Trump's policy shocks — or starting to take a hit. Trading places: The big picture for Trump's protectionist policy is that the White House is barreling toward historically high levels of tariffs remaking the world economy — without unleashing big tit-for-tat trade wars, POLITICO's Daniel Desrochers and colleagues report. Trump has forced many countries into agreements that look more favorable to the U.S. than its trading partners. Far from the longtime free-trade consensus in Washington, the world will now broadly see 15 to 20 percent tariffs from the U.S., which American consumers will pay, NBC's Rob Wile writes. And Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has introduced a bill that would send $600 per person in tariff rebate money to Americans, NBC's Allan Smith scooped. Note of caution: With plenty of details still uncertain, it remains far from clear whether all these trade deals will actually translate into greater foreign market access for U.S. suppliers and foreign investments in the U.S. Some economists don't expect the growth boom Trump envisions, AP's Josh Boak and Paul Wiseman report. Dance of the superpowers: U.S.-China trade talks continue today in Sweden between Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. They could conclude by keeping the status-quo pause on higher tariffs — and laying groundwork for a Trump-Xi Jinping summit, per the AP. Trump officials have paused tech exports controls to try to grease the wheels, FT's Demetri Sevastopulo reports. Another possible irritant: Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te was due for a Latin America swing that would have included stopovers in New York and Dallas, angering Beijing. But Lai is now postponing the sensitive trip, Reuters' Trevor Hunnicutt and Yimou Lee scooped. The Trump administration blocked him from stopping in New York, FT's Demetri Sevastopulo and Kathrin Hille scooped. But one top U.S. official told NewsNation's Kellie Meyer that 'nothing has been canceled' and they're 'working to remedy the situation.' At the same time as Trump pushes for a China deal, though, senators from both parties are planning to introduce new bills this week hammering Beijing on human rights, Reuters' Patricia Zengerle scooped. Across the pond: After the U.S. and EU reached a rough trade deal, both sides are scrambling to craft a joint statement by Friday, with legally binding text following thereafter, Bloomberg's Jorge Valero reports. Trump largely triumphed in the negotiations after Europeans pivoted to try to limit the pain from U.S. tariffs and bring stability to the relationship instead of erase the levies completely, WSJ's Kim Mackrael and Brian Schwartz report. Many businesses reacted to the agreement positively, though some Europeans were concerned about having conceded too much. Pharmaceutical tariffs could especially cost a lot, per NYT's Rebecca Robbins. BEST OF THE REST FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Schumer keeps up the pressure: As Senate Democrats ramp up their focus on Jeffrey Epstein this week, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer today will take to the Senate floor to call on the FBI to undertake a counterintelligence threat assessment of Trump-Epstein connections. Schumer wants a risk assessment to examine whether foreign countries might have tried to access the Epstein files and possibly use the information therein as leverage over Trump. He'll also tie the concern to recent Chinese hacks of Microsoft. Related: Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) demanded that Deputy AG Todd Blanche and the Justice Department hand over tapes of the recent Ghislaine Maxwell interviews, per NYT's Annie Karni. RED-LIGHT REDISTRICT: In New York, Democratic state legislators will introduce legislation today that would give the state a chance to redistrict in the middle of the decade as a response to another state doing so, NYT's Benjamin Oreskes reports. It's Dems' latest move in an increasingly assertive drive to threaten gerrymanders of their own if Texas Republicans try to snatch several House seats. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — How to sell the megalaw: A new NRCC memo lays out how House Republicans can pitch the American public on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act during August recess, POLITICO's Andrew Howard reports. The GOP is urging members to go on offense and not fall for Democratic trackers, though it doesn't weigh in on whether to hold town halls. Read the memo 2026 WATCH: Former Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) is considering a comeback bid for either governor or Senate, and he met with Schumer this weekend in Ohio, Axios' Stephen Neukam and Alex Isenstadt scooped. … Vance will attend an RNC fundraising dinner in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. … First in Playbook: VoteVets PAC is endorsing Ryan Crosswell in Pennsylvania's 7th District. JUDICIARY SQUARE: AG Pam Bondi announced that DOJ had filed a misconduct complaint against Judge James Boasberg, yet another escalation of the administration's campaign against judges who have ruled against it, POLITICO's Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein report. … Federal appellate judges squeezed the government on whether it's setting deportation quotas, per Josh and Kyle. … A judge expanded her block on defunding Planned Parenthood through Medicaid to apply to all the organization's locations around the country, per Roll Call. … New York AG Letitia James led a multi-state lawsuit against USDA's effort to get data on the immigration status of SNAP recipients, per the Washington Examiner. And that's not all … JUDGE CONTENDS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION MISLED SCOTUS: The already-bristling tension between the Trump administration and federal judges grew even more uncomfortable yesterday as a federal judge all but accused the Justice Department of lying to the Supreme Court, POLITICO's Josh Gerstein writes in. Judge Susan Illston, a Bill Clinton appointee in San Francisco, told a federal appeals court that DOJ gave the justices false information about the impact of an injunction she issued in May halting reductions in force at many federal agencies. Citing the Office of Personnel Management, Solicitor General John Sauer informed the Supreme Court on June 2 that 'about 40 RIFs in 17 agencies were in progress and [were] enjoined' by Illston's injunction, but the judge said records she ordered the administration to turn over show the correct tally was 31 RIFs in 10 agencies. 'This discrepancy is not insignificant,' Illston wrote. Sauer's arguments helped persuade the Supreme Court to issue a ruling earlier this month letting the mass firings she blocked go forward. DOJ spokespeople did not respond to requests for comment last night. PAIN PILLS: 'Medicare Part D Drug Plan Premiums Set to Rise,' by WSJ's Anna Wilde Mathews and Liz Essley Whyte: 'Premiums for Medicare drug plans are set to increase sharply next year, due to rising costs, regulatory changes and cutbacks to a subsidy program. The subsidy program, which sent extra federal funds to the private insurers that offer the drug benefit — known as Part D — had largely shielded seniors from rising monthly bills in 2025. … The Trump administration is set to cut spending on that program by about 40% in 2026.' FUNDING FIGHT: House and Senate Republicans are eyeing largely status-quo funding levels for the NIH, a far cry from Trump's request for a 40 percent cut, Roll Call's Ariel Cohen reports. PENDING: 'Trump Administration Weighs Patent System Overhaul to Raise Revenue,' by WSJ's Amrith Ramkumar: 'Commerce Department officials are discussing charging patent holders 1% to 5% of their overall patent value, a shift that could dramatically increase fees.' TALK OF THE TOWN PLAYBOOK METRO SECTION — Rep. Bob Onder (R-Mo.) has introduced legislation to honor Trump by renaming the Kennedy Center as the Trump Center, per The Hill. Maria Shriver was among the Kennedy family members not thrilled by the prospect of the Donald J. Trump Center for the Performing Arts: 'This is insane. It makes my blood boil.' ANNALS OF INFLUENCE — A line of Trump-themed Instant Pots — pitched by a lobbyist whose client was trying to persuade the administration on tariffs and antitrust — 'looked like a page out of a new political playbook,' NYT's David Fahrenthold and Ben Protess report. Until the Times asked the Trump Organization about it, that is, and the Trump team issued a legal threat on trademarks. OUT AND ABOUT — The Institute for Education held a discussion about China last night with Singaporean Ambassador Lui Tuck Yew, French Ambassador Laurent Bili and Finnish Ambassador Leena-Kaisa Mikkola — all of whom were previously ambassadors to China — at Lui's residence. SPOTTED: Ruth Berry, Matthew Chan, David Edelman, John Paul Farmer, Evi Fuelle, Darío Gil, Kathy 'Coach' Kemper, Shaun Modi, Tim Powderly and Demetri Sevastopulo. MEDIA MOVES — Hope Hicks is joining Megyn Kelly's Devil May Care Media as COO, the N.Y. Post's Alexandra Steigrad scooped. She's a former top Trump White House aide and Fox Corp. executive. … Glenn Kessler has taken a buyout at WaPo after more than 27 years. He said he 'couldn't work out an agreement' with the paper for a short-term extension to train a successor for The Fact Checker, so its future is uncertain. … The FT is adding Amy Mackinnon as U.S.-Europe foreign affairs correspondent and Abigail Hauslohner as U.S.-Mideast foreign affairs correspondent. Mackinnon previously was a national security reporter at POLITICO and is a Foreign Policy alum. Hauslohner previously was a national security reporter at WaPo. TRANSITIONS — Tiffany Justice is joining Heritage Action as EVP, Axios' Hans Nichols scooped. She is a co-founder of Moms for Liberty. … Vanessa Valdivia is now SVP at Original Strategies. She most recently was senior adviser to Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and is a Jill Biden alum. … Hilary Borris is now senior political strategist and partnerships lead at Compete, heading its expansion in D.C. She previously was regional political director at House Majority PAC and is a DCCC alum. … … Amy Hasenberg-Elliott is now a director at FGS Global. She most recently was comms director for Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.), and is a Jim Risch and Pat Toomey alum. … Rick Stockburger has been named the inaugural CEO of the Foundation for Energy Security and Innovation. He previously was president and CEO of Brite Energy Innovators. WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Ben Kenney, a senior adviser at CGCN and principal at MacKenwick Group, and Megan Kenney, owner of MacKenwick Farms and senior director of business expansion at MasLabor, on July 3 welcomed Dawson Edward Kenney, who came in at 8 lbs, 1 oz and 21 inches. Pic HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) … NBC's Peter Alexander … Herbie Ziskend … Ja'Ron Smith of CGCN Group … Ken Burns … Lise Clavel … Jim Hake of Spirit of America … POLITICO's Beth Diaz and Kelsey Brugger … CNN's Kristin Fisher … Rick VanMeter … Laura McGann … Rob Hennings … Hilton's Katherine Lugar … Bloomberg's David Westin … AP's Aaron Kessler … Garance Franke-Ruta … former Reps. Jeff Denham (R-Calif.) and Deborah Pryce (R-Ohio) … Karl Douglass … Danny Vinik … Washington Lt. Gov. Denny Heck … Lyndsay Polloway … former Sens. Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.) and Nancy Kassebaum (R-Kan.) (93) … Marilyn Quayle … Nathan Sell of IFF … Nate Rawlings … Yusuf Nekzad of Rep. Nikki Budzinski's (D-Ill.) office … Sheila Dwyer … Carol Eisenberg … Laura Nichols Send Playbookers tips to playbook@ or text us on Signal here. Playbook couldn't happen without our editor Zack Stanton, deputy editor Garrett Ross and Playbook Podcast producer Callan Tansill-Suddath.
Politico
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Politico
NRCC memo outlines GOP talking points for selling megabill
The memo reveals how the party hopes to communicate a potential vulnerability ahead of next year's midterms. In particular, the NRCC wants members to cast the bill's Medicaid cuts — already a top target of Democrats — as an overhaul that will strengthen the program. The organization also highlights polls showing voters support work requirements and removing ineligible recipients from coverage. 'With the One Big Beautiful Bill signed into law by President Trump just a few weeks ago, this is a critical opportunity to continue to define how this legislation will help every voter and push back on Democrat fearmongering,' the NRCC wrote in the memo. The comprehensive memo from Republicans' campaign arm shows just how crucial the messaging battle will be ahead of 2026, as both parties expect the megabill, recently signed into law, to become one of the top issues of the cycle. Republicans want to avoid letting Democrats control the message around the bill, especially given that midterms historically favor the party that is out of power — and rule of the House could be decided by just a few seats. By equipping the conference with ample talking points, the NRCC is hoping members can stave off the onslaught of attacks from Democrats. The memo relays a few areas the NRCC wants members to focus on, including getting ahead of the attacks that Democrats have already started waging about the bill. 'We can't let them control the narrative,' the NRCC said of Democrats. Congressional Republicans joined President Donald Trump in signing their 'one big beautiful' bill last week. | Evan Vucci/AP In warning GOP members not to fall for Democratic 'trackers,' or political operatives who will try to get them to say damaging info, while they are back home, the NRCC advised, 'They are not reporters or constituents; you do not owe them a response.' In addition to Medicaid, the NRCC urged its members to highlight tax relief, immigration, business reforms and 'holding elites accountable.'
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former Stockton, California mayor announces bid to unseat Josh Harder
Former Stockton, California Mayor Kevin Lincoln on Tuesday will launch another run for Democratic Rep. Josh Harder's seat in the state's Central Valley, as Republicans work to capitalize on the district's recent rightward shift. Lincoln, a Republican who unseated prominent Democrat Michael Tubbs in an upset in Stockton's 2021 mayoral race, lost to Harder in last year's House contest by less than 4 percentage points. The National Republican Congressional Committee is targeting the seat, after President Donald Trump carried the district last year by nearly 2 percentage points. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee listed Harder's seat among the most vulnerable in 2026 — even with the Democrat's deep fundraising pockets. NRCC Spokesperson Christian Martinez said that the committee is 'very excited' about the GOP's gains in the district, describing the area's voters as 'pivotal' to Trump's 2024 presidential victory. Lincoln, a former Marine and pastor, joins businessperson Jim Shoemaker and John McBride, an athletic coach and 2024 primary candidate, among Republicans running for the seat.
Politico
22-07-2025
- Business
- Politico
Three big questions about 2026
Presented by With help from Eli Okun, Bethany Irvine and Ali Bianco On today's Playbook Podcast, Adam Wren and Dasha Burns discuss three questions that could decide how 2026 plays out — and why they're coming into focus now. Good morning. It's Tuesday. This is Adam Wren. Drop me a line. In today's Playbook … — Are Republicans in better shape in 2026 than conventional wisdom would have you think? — Could Trump's polling floor 'finally crack'? — House GOP leadership looks for a pressure-release valve on the Jeffrey Epstein issue. DRIVING THE DAY THREE QUESTIONS: This morning, with no new enterprise journalism recently published on the 'Epstein files' front, President Donald Trump's allies are using the moment to regroup and catch their collective breath. House GOP leadership is doing much the same after scrapping several votes planned for this week as internal battles over how to handle the crisis have divided the Republican conference. And Democrats are viewing it all while riding what could be a sugar high. Widening the aperture a bit from the Epstein drama, we're struck right now by three big questions with huge implications for 2026. QUESTION 1: Are Republicans actually in better shape than conventional wisdom would suggest as the midterms ramp up? The money angle: We learned this week that the Republican National Committee is sitting on vastly more cash than its Democratic counterpart. The RNC has nearly $81 million in cash on hand. The DNC? Just $15 million. And while the Q2 sums raised by the NRCC and DCCC are roughly similar, there too, Republicans have the financial edge: $32 million to $29 million. Democrats attribute that fundraising disparity to Trump's brand strength — and the relative weakness of the Dems' own. 'You're seeing Democratic institutions like the DNC have some trouble raising grassroots money because these institutions are so tied to the national party brand …. which to state the obvious is not a popular brand right now,' one prominent Democratic strategist tells Playbook. Now, exploring who has the upper hand as the midterms inch closer is something of a Rorschach test, with people seeing what they want to. But Republicans like what they have seen in polling in response to the question 'cares more for needs of people like you,' where the parties are tied for the first time in three decades (though this was long before the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill). And congressional Democrats, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released last week, have an approval rating of 19 percent. 'The trends are real,' an NRCC official tells Playbook. 'We feel really good about where the polling is. … We feel really confident about the momentum we have. The donor base is fired up.' QUESTION 2: Can Democrats stay focused on a message that moves voters? There is a certain allure animating Democrats' Epstein trolling, even as it forces them to momentarily set aside their better-bet polling issues — like, say, focusing on Medicaid or the cost of living. Of course, they can make a larger argument rolling the Epstein issue into what they characterize as Trump's 'billionaire protection racket' — and are doing just that. How Dems are spinning it: 'Republicans are literally shutting down the House floor and getting ready to go on vacation early just to weasel out of releasing the Epstein files,' DNC Chair Ken Martin said in a statement last night (more on the House situation in a bit). 'While the American people elected leaders to fight for law and order and do their damn jobs, Republicans are bending the knee to Donald Trump and protecting an infamous sex trafficker.' Added DCCC spokesperson Viet Shelton, in a statement to Playbook: 'The midterms are shaping up to be a referendum on who is going to lower costs and help improve the lives of everyday Americans, not the wealthy and well-connected.' But the Epstein issue's real salience isn't with voters who are up for grabs in the middle; it's in depressing the MAGA base. Redefining the floor: This morning, Carroll Doherty, the former director of political research at the Pew Research Center, has one of the more provocative pieces of analysis we've read recently: Could Trump's polling floor 'finally crack'? Trump's poll numbers are relatively steady, buoyed by his 80-plus percent support among Republican voters. But what if those voters' support of Trump dips? 'Because Trump's approval ratings move in such a narrow range, even small changes — positive or negative — over the next several months could have major consequences,' Doherty writes. Here's why that matters for 2026: 'Even at his current level of support, Trump's job rating almost certainly will act as a drag for Republican candidates for the House and Senate,' Doherty writes. Were that level of support to drop by a few percentage points, the contours of the midterms could be much, much worse for Republicans — and their attempts to pad the majority by, for instance, redrawing the maps in Texas could end up providing Democrats with major pickup opportunities in a wave election. Worth emphasizing: None of this is bound to happen or inevitable in any way. And on the road to 2026, Democrats have some major messaging potholes that can serve to either distract them or divide them. One thing that could distract Dems: Where's Hunter Biden? Doing exactly what Bidens seem to do these days: interrupting a negative news cycle for Trump. This time, he gave a three-hour video podcast interview to Channel 5 with Andrew Callaghan, and used it to rip into Democratic critics of former President Joe Biden — from George Clooney to Jon Favreau to David Axelrod to James Carville. (Team Trump watched with glee.) One thing that could divide Dems: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is 'quietly turning his caucus toward a critical decision on how to handle a fall funding showdown, after he and Senate Democrats faced blistering criticism from the party's base earlier this year,' POLITICO's Jordain Carney writes this morning. Today, as the chamber is set to vote 'to tee up the first tranche of government funding bills, [Schumer] is holding discussions with his colleagues about what their strategy should be ahead of the Sept. 30 shutdown deadline.' What is that strategy? 'Democrats are mulling a range of proposals internally with Schumer about what conditions they can place on Republicans in exchange for voting to move ahead with shutdown-averting legislation,' Jordain writes. 'So far, Democrats have floated the idea of making Republicans agree to a deal on the budget process and specific policy concessions, or locking in a commitment from Senate Republicans that they will not support additional rescissions packages — potentially publicly or in writing.' But there has been 'no agreement among Democrats … about what formal demands they will make of Senate Republicans.' QUESTION 3: Can Trump stay focused? It's incredibly likely that issues like inflation and Medicaid will be more determinative in 2026 than the Epstein storyline. But we also wonder if Trump's own temptation to (a) fight back and (b) change the topic might end up backfiring by sucking up the oxygen that might otherwise go towards selling a positive message of Republicans' own — flooding the zone, so to say, against himself. First in Playbook — Trump's new legal drama: One such zone-flooding opportunity comes from his new $20 billion lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and its ownership over its reporting on his past friendship with Epstein, as POLITICO's Ankush Khardori explores in a trenchant column this morning. Just one way it could backfire: If the case is not dismissed or settled, it 'would proceed to discovery, in which the Journal's lawyers would almost certainly get the chance to depose Trump both about the alleged letter and drawing as well as his broader relationship with Epstein — the latter of which would be relevant in assessing the credibility of Trump's denial of his authorship. The Journal would also presumably seek all of Trump's records or correspondence with Epstein — which again are relevant to the credibility of Trump's denial and any potential motive to mislead the public about the letter.' Here, Trump's temptation to fight back — at least in the way he's accustomed to — is somewhat at odds with the GOP's political interests. Republican members would almost certainly prefer to spend August recess back home selling the benefits of the One Big Beautiful Bill to voters rather than anything to do with Epstein. (In that way, we do wonder about the political wisdom of House Republicans postponing the Epstein vote until after the recess, which potentially changes the narrative from a controversy contained to the Trump administration to one that applies to Washington Republicans writ large.) One early test of Trump in a somewhat unguarded moment comes at 11:15 a.m., when he'll sit down in the Oval Office with Philippine President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. and reporters will inevitably try to get in a few questions. We'll be watching. CONGRESS RULES AND CONSEQUENCES: The House Rules Committee had yet another eventful evening last night as a bipartisan group of lawmakers tried to force a floor vote to compel the publication of materials related to Epstein — ultimately bringing committee business to a halt, POLITICO's crack Congress team reports. How it went down: The situation was expected to mirror last Thursday's committee slog, but rather that 'work through the Democratic disruption, Republicans chose instead … to recess the rest of the Rules meeting altogether, with House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) saying it was 'unlikely' that the panel would reconvene this week at all. Later, lawmakers said there were no plans to return at all.' The work goes on: House Speaker Mike Johnson said last night that despite Rules being at a standstill, he is not canceling votes later this week — they'll just happen under suspension of the rules, as The Hill's Mychael Schnell reports. Now, 'Republican leaders are considering sending the House home as early as Wednesday, after a bipartisan clash over the so-called Epstein files broke the Rules Committee Monday night,' POLITICO's Meredith Lee Hill reports. Read the latest in POLITICO's Inside Congress newsletter The cause endures: Meanwhile, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) remains steadfast in his effort to force a floor vote on his proposal with Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) via a discharge petition. An alternative being offered by GOP leadership as something of a pressure-release mechanism is 'non-binding, so it's kind of fake,' Massie said, as POLITICO's Meredith Lee Hill reports. 'The resolution I have with Khanna would be binding on the president.' Buying some time: Meanwhile, Johnson confirmed to reporters that the full House will not vote on an Epstein measure before August recess. 'My belief is we need the administration to have the space to do what it is doing, and if further congressional action is necessary or appropriate, then we'll look at that, but I don't think we're at that point right now, because we agree with the president,' Johnson said. (One guy who's not a fan of waiting: Theo Von.) We'll be watching tonight … for a readout after Trump hosts Republican members of Congress for a reception in the East Room at 7 p.m. WHITHER RECESS?: Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters he was sympathetic to Trump's calls to nix the planned August recess and proceed with nomination votes. 'We're thinking about it, he said. 'We want to get as many [nominations] through the pipeline as we can.' But that might be a hard sell with his members, as NBC News' Frank Thorp and Zoë Richards report. What they're saying: Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.): 'I'd rather not.' … Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska): 'For so many of us, this is the time that we spend in our state connecting with the people that we serve, getting out into the villages.' … Sen. Shelley Moore Capito ( 'Please wipe that suggestion off of your DNA.' OUT-THE-DOOR PRICE: The final Congressional Budget Office forecast for the Trump administration's tax-and-spending megalaw is out: Over the next decade, it 'could increase the federal deficit by $3.4 trillion and cause 10 million people to lose health insurance,' POLITICO's Jennifer Scholtes and colleagues report. Notably, the latest CBO estimate of the number of Americans who may lose insurance coverage 'is below its prior estimate of 11.8 million people.' GARBARINO WINS THE GAVEL: Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.) beat out three GOP colleagues last night to secure the top job on the House Homeland Security Committee following Rep. Mark Green's (R-Tenn.) resignation, POLITICO's Mia McCarthy reports. BEST OF THE REST CRIMSON TIDE: Judge Allison Burroughs appeared 'deeply skeptical on Monday of the Trump administration's efforts to strip Harvard University of billions of dollars in research funding, suggesting the school might prevail in its legal battle against the government,' NYT's Alan Blinder reports. During a two-hour hearing, Burroughs 'unleashed a barrage of pointed questions at the lone Justice Department lawyer,' including 'how the administration could reasonably tie withdrawal of medical research funding to concerns about the civil rights of Jewish people.' In a post on Truth Social, Trump lashed out at both Harvard and Burroughs, whom he described as a 'TOTAL DISASTER.' CALIFORNIA DREAMIN': Pentagon officials announced yesterday that the 700 U.S. Marines that have remained in Los Angeles since early June will begin to withdraw, LA Times' Julia Wick reports. 'Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell credited the troops with helping to bring calm to the area … 'With stability returning to Los Angeles, the Secretary has directed the redeployment of the 700 Marines whose presence sent a clear message: lawlessness will not be tolerated.'' PERSONNEL ISSUES: The Office of Personnel Management will have lost around 1,000 employees, roughly a third of its workforce, by year's end, WaPo's Meryl Kornfield reports. MORE DEPORTATIONS TO BEGIN: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit on Monday opted to allow the Trump administration 'to end a program that grants temporary deportation protections and work permits to more than 10,000 people from Afghanistan and Cameroon,' CBS News' Joe Walsh reports. FED UP: 'Bessent calls on Fed to do comprehensive review of its mission,' by POLITICO's Victoria Guida: ''What we need to do is examine the entire Federal Reserve institution and whether they have been successful,' Bessent said on CNBC. ''They were fear-mongering over tariffs, and thus far we have seen very little, if any, inflation.' TRAIL MIX: Jonathan Nez, former president of Navajo Nation, has formally launched a campaign for Rep. Eli Crane's (R-Ariz.) seat. 'If elected, Nez would be the first Native American congressperson from Arizona. Home to 14 tribes, nearly 20% of people living in AZ-02 are Native American,' his campaign said in a release this morning. … Perry Meade, a 26-year-old Democratic labor organizer, has jumped into the roster of challengers running for the seat held by Rep. Young Kim (R-Calif.), POLITICO's Juliann Ventura reports. 'Meade, the youngest member of the Democratic Party of Orange County's central committee, is making affordability the thrust of his campaign.' TALK OF THE TOWN Patrick Soon-Shiong wants to take the L.A. Times public. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — A new nonpartisan policy group, the Food Security Leadership Council, is launching today with the aim of figuring out a new way forward for U.S. leadership on global food security. Cary Fowler, previously U.S. special envoy for global food security, is the president. TRANSITIONS — PhRMA's public affairs team has added Elise Shutzer as VP (previously at ExxonMobil), Mark Allen as deputy VP (previously at Purple Strategies), Cait DeBaun as chief of staff (previously at American Beverage Association) and Kristen Booze as senior director (previously at the FDA). … Ian Banks is joining the Foundation for American Innovation to run its new Science Policy Program, focused on reforms to restore the U.S.' scientific enterprise and competitive edge. He previously was at the Conservative Coalition for Climate Solutions. … … Christian Morgan will be head of government relations at BJC HealthCare. He currently is managing principal at HB Strategies and is an Ann Wagner alum. … Freya Charlesworth is joining Frontline Strategies as a digital account director. She most recently was an email marketing specialist at Push Digital Group. ENGAGED — Chris Bien, floor director for Speaker Mike Johnson, and Katherine Sears, chief of staff for Rep. Vince Fong (R-Calif.), got engaged this weekend in Middleburg, Virginia. The two Californians met in 2023 at a birthday party through mutual friends on Capitol Hill. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Reps. John Larson (D-Conn.), Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.) (6-0) and Seth Magaziner (D-R.I.) … Andrew Feinberg … The Boston Globe's Sam Brodey … Erin Maguire … Judge Amy Berman Jackson … Caleb Smith … Port Side Strategies' Will Fischer … Annie Lowrey … CNN's Terence Burlij … Travis Korson … National Association of Counties' Seamus Dowdall … Amanda Kules … John Shelton of Advancing American Freedom … Whitney VanMeter … former Reps. George Santos (R-N.Y.), Mike Ferguson (R-N.J.) and Curt Weldon (R-Pa.) … Soren Dayton … Elise Shutzer of PhRMA … Tarun Chhabra … Arshi Siddiqui of Bellwether Government Affairs … Nathan Naylor … Mike DiRienzo of the Silver Institute … AJ Jorgenson … former VA Secretary David Shulkin … Brandt Anderson … Warren Bass … Joy Lee … Emily Carpeaux … Leila Elmergawi … Ben Leubsdorf … Kay Bailey Hutchison … POLITICO's Alon Naor, Ella Feinstein, Linnea Carchedi and Rebecca Barnes … Don Van Natta Jr. … Craig Howie Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@ or text us on Signal here. Playbook couldn't happen without our editor Zack Stanton, deputy editor Garrett Ross and Playbook Podcast producer Callan Tansill-Suddath. Correction: Yesterday's Playbook misstated the number of judges on a panel deciding the future of Alina Habba's appointment. Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@ or text us on Signal here. Playbook couldn't happen without our editor Zack Stanton, deputy editor Garrett Ross and Playbook Podcast producer Callan Tansill-Suddath.
