Today’s notice: Netanyahu’s Senate defenders. Democrats furrow their brows at the DNC. Republicans grumble about Mike Lee. Unblocking FISA. Two names to watch as AI policy grows. One last Michigan Senate primary debate. A conversation with Genevieve McDonald. And: Another campaign gets ripped off.
THE LATEST
Senate Republicans are sticking with Benjamin Netanyahu even as public polling shows most Americans have little to no confidence in the Israeli prime minister to “do the right thing regarding world affairs.” Netanyahu will meet with many Republican senators, and Donald Trump, during his visit to Washington. Today, he’ll attend the memorial service for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, one of Bibi’s strongest allies in the GOP.
It’s ironically a time of a relatively large split between Trump and Netanyahu, with the former theoretically trying to bring the Iran war to an end and the latter saying the only real end is regime change. Again, polling shows the American public never really bought into the war Bibi and Trump launched to begin with.
Trending
We tried to find out if there’s been a shift on Netanyahu’s leadership among Republicans as the war drags on. It was not readily apparent. “I think we should listen to Bibi Netanyahu on the issue of Iran,” Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi) told us.
There’s no apparent YOLO Caucus on this issue. “I think we ought to help Israel all they need,” said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas). “They’re a good, important ally.”
Senate Democrats are sticking with Ken Martin: This weekend’s string of embarrassingly bad coverage of the goings-on at the Democratic National Committee was greeted with furrowed brows of concern among the Senate caucus last night, NOTUS’ Igor Bobic reports. No Democrats we talked to called for Martin to step aside. It’s “up to the DNC to decide how they want to handle,” said Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nevada). Sen. Cory Booker (D-New Jersey) said Martin inherited a bad situation, but did draw one line.
“You should not throw things at staff,” he said, referring to reports that Martin threw a phone toward (but did not hit) an aide.
Open tabs: Trump Administration Asks Supreme Court to Allow New Mail-In Voting Rules (NOTUS); McConnell says he is unable to return to US Senate yet (Reuters); Judge dismisses challenge to Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission (The Hill); Democratic Hill offices employ more interns (Legistorm)
From the Hill
“A total nonstarter” is how one senior Republican Senate aide responded to Trump’s suggestion that the chamber should cancel August recess to stay in D.C. and vote on the SAVE America Act (which they cannot pass, because there are not enough Republican senators willing to end the filibuster). NOTUS’ Al Weaver reports that the already grouchy conference is extra salty over the suggestion they stick around next month. Trump’s Senate SAVE Man, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), has said he’ll object to the usual unanimous consent to start recess, potentially forcing Republicans to take a tough vote in favor of working from home Aug. 8 to Sept. 13.
“The worst threat to a GOP majority: Mike Lee’s continued SAVE Act antics,” a second senior Senate GOP aide told NOTUS.
Changes with Clayton: The Senate is scheduled to vote on whether to confirm Jay Clayton as director of national intelligence today. If confirmed, some Democrats say that could be enough for them to support the reauthorization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, NOTUS’ Avani Kalra reports.
“The hurdle is for the current, acting DNI to get that out of the way, and I think there’s a path to try to expedite this,” Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Arizona) said.
Riding the AI policy wave: Fluency in the thorny political questions around artificial intelligence is an increasingly valuable currency in Washington, NOTUS’ Samuel Larreal reports. Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-California), the Republican conference policy chair, landed the leadership gig earlier this year in part due to his AI literacy, according to Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Oklahoma), who held the job before Obernolte and endorsed him to take over. And Rep. Lori Trahan (D-Massachusetts) has raised her profile as a result of her work with Obernolte on AI safety. (A source says Trahan is planning to run for vice chair of the Democratic caucus next year.)
From the campaign trail
Haley Stevens’ fight night: The establishment pick for the Democratic Senate nomination in Michigan came prepared for the final televised debate of the contest last night, NOTUS’ Alex Roarty reports from Southfield. Fresh off a wave of endorsements from respected Democratic officials in the state, Stevens took her chance to show voters she has more to offer than viral clips might indicate. She was feisty against the corporate- and AIPAC-stooge accusations coming at her from progressive opponent Abdul El-Sayed. “I am beholden to the people of Michigan,” she said.
It was by no means a lopsided loss for El-Sayed, Alex tells us. He continually attacked Stevens over the special interests funding her campaign and appeared to gain momentum as the debate went on. In keeping with the general theme of the race, Stevens won the half that aired on TV and El-Sayed did better in the half that aired only online.
Genevieve McDonald speaks out: The former political director of Graham Platner’s Senate campaign, who resigned last October and warned the campaign could end basically exactly like it did, is not buying the recent high-profile apology tour by top Platner strategist Morris Katz. “I don’t believe him,” McDonald told Alex. “I mean, consultants shouldn’t have main character energy. We have lost the plot when consultants are doing PR tours for themselves, for their own redemption, and that is what this felt like.”
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Local news: What $1.2 Million Gets You in D.C., Maryland and Virginia Real Estate, by Torrie Herrington
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NEW ON NOTUS
Rogers robbed: Michigan Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers’ joint fundraising committee lost about $16,700 after a vendor’s email was hacked and the committee unknowingly paid a deceptive invoice, NOTUS’ Taylor Giorno reports.
Campaign spokesperson Alyssa Brouillet told Taylor that the campaign wasn’t able to get the money back.
Though the sum is paltry compared to the $1.5 million Rogers’ campaign has raised this election cycle, it’s the latest example of financial crimes targeting political campaigns — and the costs could go up if the criminals get bolder.
NOT US
- ‘Climate hushing’ has swept the Democratic Party. New polling suggests it’s a mistake. By Kate Yoder for Grist
- Congress Budgeted Billions for Big Transit Projects. Trump Isn’t Spending It. By Emily Badger and Alicia Parlapiano for The New York Times
- A desert town may run out of water. Others could face the same fate. By Hannah Knowles for The Washington Post
- How Bots Took Over Our Lives, by T.M. Brown for The New Yorker
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The newsletter was produced by Thomas Burr and Andrew Burton. Photo by Ronen Zvulun/Pool via AP.
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