Latest news with #NRCC
Yahoo
2 days ago
- 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
2 days ago
- 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.
CBC
3 days ago
- General
- CBC
Indigenous communities face higher death rates from fires and lack of data leaves them vulnerable, says group
A report by the National Research Council of Canada (NRCC) confirms what many Indigenous communities have long known: the rate of death for house fires in Indigenous communities is higher than in non-Indigenous communities. The report, commissioned by the National Indigenous Fire Safety Council (NIFSC) and published earlier this month, found the rate of death was around 5 times higher for Indigenous communities. It drew data from the National Fire Information Database between 2005-2021, aiming to show the scope of fire risks in Indigenous communities and identify gaps in data collection. Arnold Lazare, Interim CEO of the NIFSC, said the findings validate decades of experiences from Indigenous communities. "For the last 30 years we've been tracking the anecdotal information and we knew that the death rate and injury rate was much higher on reserves than in mainstream," said Lazare, who is from Kahnawà:ke, just south of Montreal. "When we say it, people don't believe us." One of the biggest challenges, according to the report, is a lack of data which is a result of a lack of uniformity in reporting standards and jurisdictional regulations on required reporting of fire information. "A problem identified is half solved, right?" said Lazare. "There's a lack of data and that opens the situation up to interpretation and when you go to interpretation, things can get fuzzy." The federal government stopped collecting fire incident data in First Nations communities in 2010 in an effort to "reduce the reporting burden" on First Nations communities. A 2021 report from StatsCanada shows Inuit are 17 times more likely to die in fires than non-Indigenous people, where First Nations are roughly five times more likely to die and Métis people are twice as likely to die. Michelle Vandevord, a Cree woman from Muskoday First Nation in Saskatchewan is the first woman to serve as captain of the community's volunteer fire department and has 26 years experience as a firefighter and serves as the director of the Saskatchewan First Nation Emergency Management. "Being a firefighter on reserve and supporting the regional organization, we knew those numbers were going to be high," said Vandevord. Her community has had fire services for over 40 years, although she said she recognizes many other First Nations communities don't have on-reserve fire organizations and rely on outside help. "When there's a fire death on reserve, then all of a sudden there's all this attention for the community and what can we do to help…" said Vandevord. "'What can we do to support?' and that help should have come years earlier." She encourages communities to use data — including from Stats Canada and the NRCC — to apply for funding for fire prevention and services. "Nine times out of 10, when there is money for fire services on reserve, it's proposal driven," she said. But Vandevord said a lot of times these volunteer fire chiefs are just that: volunteers, working off the side of their desk while holding other titles, leaving little time for writing proposals. Lazare is hopeful to see more data being published but notes it's not a one-size-fits-all solution. He said that the funding available for fire prevention needs to be used in tailored approaches based on individual community needs. He also hopes that Indigenous communities report their fires using their National Incident Reporting System, and for communities to track and pinpoint fire trends and use that information to tailor to their fire prevention programs. "If we can get the communities funded to the programs that they need, then things will change," Lazare said. Lazare said Indigenous communities can reach out to the NIFSC for support. The organization offers fire department assessments, fire prevention program development and support for building fire safety programming. The NIFSC is set to meet with the Assembly of First Nations in September, where they hope the report will inform a renewed mandate and a new direction for fire safety efforts across Indigenous communities.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
DNC raises $8.6M in June, trailing RNC
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) said it raised $8.6 million in the month of June, marking half of the Republican National Committee's $16.2 million haul during the same period. The RNC has $80.78 million in the bank while the DNC has $15.22 million. Democrats note that the RNC had more transfers this cycle and touted the Democratic committee's grassroots prowess this cycle. The DNC noted that their June haul was the best-ever June for grassroots donations during an off-year and said DNC Chair Ken Martin raised more than any other new DNC chair in the first months of their tenure. Additionally, the cash-on-hand ratio was worse for Democrats at this point in 2017, showing there is room to catch up. 'Around the country, people are energized, ready to fight back, and empowering Democrats to win elections,' the committee's chair Ken Martin said in a statement. 'The DNC is breaking grassroots fundraising records, bringing on more volunteers than ever, and raising record-setting funds to beat Republicans. Democrats are back in the ring thanks to grassroots energy across all 50 states, and together, we're going to defeat the toxic Republican agenda and put this country back on track for hard-working families.' The DNC is seeking to recover from last year's losses in the 2024 presidential race. Last month the committee redid elections for two vice chair roles over a procedural rule about gender diversity. Former Vice Chair David Hogg decided not to seek reelection for his role following public disagreement over whether his group Leaders We Deserve should get involved in primaries. Additionally, two union presidents, American Federation of Teachers union President Randi Weingarten and American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees President Lee Saunders, announced they were declining to be reappointed as at-large members of the committee, citing disagreements with Martin. Despite the public intraparty disagreements, Democrats have boasted a number of special election wins under Martin's leadership. The RNC's fundraising lead comes as the House GOP campaign arm outraised their Democratic counterparts in the second quarter. The National Republican Campaign Committee (NRCC) brought in $32.3 million in the second quarter of the year, while the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee raised $29.1 million in the same period. In June alone, the NRCC raised $18.1 million and the DCCC brought in $12.7 million. However, the DCCC reported having $39.7 million in the bank, while the NRCC has $37.6 million cash-on-hand. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
3 days ago
- Business
- The Hill
Midterm politics take shape
MIDTERM POLITICS are moving to the forefront as Washington looks ahead to the August recess, with the Trump agenda bill, socialism, culture wars and redistricting efforts set to dominate political discourse when lawmakers return to their home districts. The House will adjourn Friday and return in September. The Senate will stick around for an additional week, unless Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) bows to President Trump 's demand he cancel the summer break to focus on confirming nominees. Lawmakers will be using their time back home to get a jump on next year's elections, and Republicans will be looking to sell the Trump agenda bill to their constituents. Democrats are already making the polarizing aspects of the bill a focus in the battleground states, with Medicaid cuts taking center stage. The Hill's Julia Manchester scoops that the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee is targeting voters with social media ads featuring images of receipts showing how much each state is projected to lose in health care and funding, along with how much prices could go up. This comes after the House and Senate Democratic campaign arms released their first ads of the 2026 midterm cycle attacking Republicans for passing Trump's 'big, beautiful bill.' A new Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll found 64 percent of U.S. adults surveyed said the Republican-led tax and spending bill will do 'more to help' wealthy people. But here's a fundraising surprise… Despite headwinds for the GOP, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) outraised the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) in the second quarter of 2025. The DCCC typically out-raises the NRCC. Republicans plan to run on the Democrats' leftward turn, personified by New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. Some centrist Democrats are worried Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, will become an avatar for Republicans seeking to cast their party as extreme. 'Mamdani isn't speaking for our party, any more than I'm speaking for our party. It's a big tent. It's a big coalition,' Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) said on 'Fox News Sunday.' 'We, Democrats, have a message, and we have a message to deliver, ' he added. 'And I'll tell you this. The mayor of New York, no matter who he is, is not going to be the leader of our party. And we still need to stay focused on those issues.' Former Sen. Joe Manchin ( a former Democrat who became an independent during his final term in office, said he left the party in part because he couldn't 'stomach' what he described as 'the socialist trend that's going on.' 'It's not the Democratic Party that I knew or that I was a part of for many, many years,' Manchin said on Fox News. Mamdani met with Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill last week, although House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) have not endorsed him. ELSEWHERE… Most Democrats would prefer to move on from debate over former President Biden 's one term in office, but Biden's son Hunter Biden is out defending his father's legacy. Hunter Biden told YouTube personality Andrew Callaghan in a lengthy sit-down released Monday that the sleep drug Ambien was to blame for the former president's disastrous debate performance against Trump. He also unloaded with a string of expletives aimed at actor George Clooney, who was among those calling for his father to drop out of the race. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Monday posted a montage of Democratic leaders vouching for the then-president's fitness for office to mark the one-year anniversary of Biden dropping out of the 2024 presidential race.
