Today’s notice: “The wheels came off” in the Senate. How the NRSC is clearing the field in North Carolina. And: Are virtual town halls a political liability?
THE LATEST
The vibes on Capitol Hill are bad: “It looked like it was trending in the right direction, and then, as you know, the wheels came off,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said of negotiations to get senators out of town.
One unsolved problem: Republicans say Democrats should make a deal on President Donald Trump’s nominees. Democrats say they’re treating Republicans how they were treated under Joe Biden. Republicans are threatening to change the Senate rules on confirmations so they can go home.
“I know they would like to return to those golden years when there were groups of nominees considered, but we weren’t given that courtesy by them when they were in the same position we are,” Sen. Dick Durbin said this week.
On vibes, NOTUS’ Ursula Perano put it best: Senators are sick of senators, the senators are sick of reporters and the reporters are sick of reporters.
“I’m done. I’ve talked to so many reporters today. I’m over my limit,” NOTUS’ Samuel Larreal overheard Sen. Lisa Murkowski tell a reporter.
Democrats’ distrust extends beyond the nominations deal. They’re also trying to insert language into appropriations bills that would prevent future Republican rescissions.
That’s going to be a fight. “We wouldn’t want to take that tool out of our toolbox,” Sen. Ron Johnson told NOTUS’ Em Luetkemeyer.
Open Tabs: Trump: Canada recognizing Palestine could hurt a trade deal (Politico); Trump’s tariff authority is tested (WSJ); Harris’s memoir announcement sparks 2028 speculation (New York); Apple delivers a surprisingly strong quarter (AP)
From the White House
It’s trade deadline day: The White House’s “90 Deals in 90 Days” wasn’t met. Agreements (that are light on details) have only been reached with eight countries and the European Union in over 100 days, NOTUS’ Violet Jira reports.
Trump levied tariffs on dozens of countries, including Canada and Taiwan. Negotiations with Mexico continue, in spite of the deadline.
“The thing to always remember about Trump is that the squeeze is more important than the juice,” said William Alan Reinsch, a trade policy expert who served in the Clinton administration.
The people’s ballroom. These people’s: An administration official told Jasmine that the government would publicly disclose the names of the donors who pony up to build the new White House ballroom announced yesterday. Those disclosures are required by law.
The official would not say how much money Trump will personally be contributing to the projected $200-million cost.
From the campaign trail
Say Whatley: NRSC Chair Tim Scott is moving quickly to consolidate Washington Republicans around RNC Chair Michael Whatley’s bid for Senate in North Carolina. Scott told colleagues this week he will publicly endorse Whatley, NOTUS’ Reese Gorman and Alex Roarty report.
NOTUS obtained an NRSC memo being distributed to party members making the case for Whatley. “Since 2008, the last time Democrats won a Senate seat in North Carolina, their voter registration advantage has collapsed,” the memo says.
THE BIG ONE
Is the virtual town hall a political liability? “These telephone town halls are a joke,” a frustrated caller told Rep. Stephanie Bice at a virtual event this week that also featured Reps. Jason Smith and Bruce Westerman.
There are baldly political reasons for the rise in virtual events. Republicans do not want to become Sen. Joni Ernst, flusteredly gaffing her way through protests of the laws she supported.
“Seeing constant disruption from people that aren’t willing to listen and have an engaging discussion, it just wasn’t worth it,” Texas Republican strategist Chad Wilbanks told NOTUS’ Emily Kennard.
There’s unwanted press. “We basically got ambushed,” Rep. Rich McCormick told Emily of news stations at his town hall in February. McCormick said he’s strictly vetting attendees, requiring driver’s licenses to assure only constituents are in the room. (Quick reminder: He votes on national legislation for his job. And the press is allowed at public events.) There are security concerns, too.
Democrats are dispatching another round of surrogates to red districts to hold “empty-seat town halls,” the main goal of which is to tease Republicans for not holding traditional events.
Can they make the GOP go viral for trying really hard not to go viral? “It’s not the story, I don’t think. But it’s proof,” a national Democratic strategist told me. “It’s not only, ‘The polls say [Trump’s budget bill] is unpopular,’ it’s not only a random Democrat like me saying it’s unpopular. It’s, ‘Republicans don’t want to talk about it.’”
NEW ON NOTUS
A Trump pick on thin ice? Brian Quintenz’s nomination to lead the Commodity Futures Trading Commission faces an uncertain future. The White House told the Senate to hold back on Quintenz. Sen. John Boozman told NOTUS’ Taylor Giorno he’s “very confused” on what happens next. Oh, also the Winklevoss twins appear to be involved, Politico reported this week.
Inauguration donor revelations: Major U.S. corporations donated much more to Trump’s inauguration than was reported to the FEC, Dave Levinthal reports for NOTUS.
- One example (of several): The inaugural committee reported to the FEC that Amazon donated $1 million. Amazon told Congress it was actually $2 million. A source familiar with the Trump inaugural committee blamed the companies for the discrepancies.
Markwayne’s money: Speaking of discrepancies, Dave reviewed other documents showing Sen. Markwayne Mullin failed to properly disclose hundreds of thousands of dollars in stock and bond trades, a violation of the STOCK Act. Mullin’s spox: “Much like tax returns, financial disclosures occasionally need to be amended to reflect the most accurate, up-to-date information.”
More: ICE Is Trying to Recruit Ex-Federal Workers With Big Bonuses, by Claire Heddles
NOT US
How Louisiana Built Trump’s Busiest Deportation Hub, by Brent McDonald, Campbell Robertson, Zach Levitt and Albert Sun for The New York Times
The federal government is paying more than 154,000 people not to work, by Meryl Kornfield, Hannah Natanson and Laura Meckler for The Washington Post
RFK Jr.’s MAHA Movement Is on a Collision Course With Trump’s EPA, by Dylan Scott for Vox and Mother Jones
Thank you for reading! If you like this edition of the NOTUS newsletter, please forward it to a friend. If this newsletter was shared with you, please subscribe — it’s free! Have a tip? Email us at tips@notus.org. And as always, we’d love to hear your thoughts on our newsletter at newsletters@notus.org.