Today’s notice: On Monday, tragedy struck a small private school in Wisconsin, where a shooter killed at least two people in the final week before holiday break. We happened to speak to David Hogg ahead of the shooting, in part, about the state of gun rhetoric.
David Hogg’s Democratic Party
David Hogg became a rising star in Democratic politics after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. Now the 24-year-old is running to be vice chair of the Democratic National Committee. He talked with NOTUS to discuss his bid, the party’s strategy and his approach to gun safety rhetoric ahead of a second Trump administration.
The national debate around guns is missing “nuance,” he says, and skips conversations around “systemic poverty and retaliation.” Hogg’s thoughts on the gun debate extend to his feelings about the Democratic Party: It’s missing the point, he says.
On his DNC run: “We saw interviews of people that were on the campaign saying, like, basically, ‘There was nothing that they would have done differently,’” Hogg said, noting that he was also inspired to run after his family’s struggle to pay for his late father’s battle with early-onset Parkinson’s. “That’s unacceptable, that is not leadership, and we didn’t focus on the issues facing everyday Americans, families like mine.”
On Democratic strategy: “This party is looking like a group of beltway consultants that tell everybody what they want to hear instead of what they need to hear,” he said, later throwing a shot at President Joe Biden for falling short as “communicator-in-chief.”
“If you can’t do a Super Bowl interview, you shouldn’t be president,” he said. “I’m sorry.” (The White House said at the time Biden was capable but didn’t want to inject politics into sports.)
On running for Congress: Six years ago, Hogg pledged to run for Congress when he turned 25. His birthday is in April, but he told NOTUS he’s more focused on his PAC, Leaders We Deserve, to elect “great young people by getting funding behind them.”
After the school shooting in Madison, Wisconsin, on Monday, Hogg offered NOTUS additional comment: “Today’s shooting is yet another reminder that our politicians don’t give a shit about us or our lives. And it underscores the importance of our elections and how dangerous it is that the Democratic Party massively failed to connect with people this year.”
—Riley Rogerson
NOTUS First Look: How Are States Stacking Up on Gun Laws?
Gabby Giffords’ gun-violence-prevention nonprofit, the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, released its 2024 state-gun-law scorecard this morning. NOTUS’ Ben T.N. Mause got a first look at the findings:
- Wisconsin, where Monday’s school shooting occurred, has a C grade, with 12.7 gun deaths per 100,000, which is 8% below the national average.
- California has the strongest gun laws, but Massachusetts has the fewest gun deaths per 100,000.
- Maine had the most improved score, increasing from a D- to a C+ after expanding background checks and enacting a waiting period for firearms purchases.
- Wyoming has the weakest laws, while Mississippi has the most gun deaths per 100,000.
- South Carolina dropped from a D+ to an F grade after enacting permitless carry.
Front Page
- Lawmakers Are Flocking to Join the DOGE Caucus: No one knows what they’ll do there.
- Senate Democrats Vote Away Concerns With NDAA’s Trans Youth Health Care Ban: I think people understand it’s essential that we passed the bill,” Sen. Jack Reed said.
- The Postal Service Says It Will Keep Mailing Abortion Pills — For Now: In a statement to NOTUS, the USPS left the door open for guidance around the Comstock Act to change
Round 1: Oversight Wars
Rep. Gerry Connolly bested Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in Phase 1 of his quest to be the top Dem on the Oversight Committee, as the Steering Committee recommended him to be the next ranking member. Phase 2 starts this morning when the full caucus decides if they will accept that recommendation.
On Monday evening, three Oversight Committee members gave NOTUS a flavor of what the pro-Connolly, pro-AOC and undecided camps are thinking.
Rep. Don Beyer is “thrilled” about the Steering outcome, but cautioned, “I also know that it’s an overnight victory.” Beyer said he’s “optimistic” since “it’s been 10 years since a caucus has rejected a full Steering Committee vote.” Still, Beyer said he would be making calls Monday night on Connolly’s behalf. One name on his list: Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez.
Rep. Maxwell Frost has been lobbying for AOC and told NOTUS he would be supporting her this morning. “The fact that she got it so close — seven votes — I mean, I think says a lot,” he said, adding that she has a “good chance” today.
Rep. Jasmine Crockett told NOTUS she’s still undecided. “I can see the pros for each of them,” she said. “I am curious to hear more about how Gerry wants to work potentially with Judiciary. I know that Alex has really talked about that a lot.”
—Riley Rogerson and Violet Jira
Dems ‘Feverishly’ Prep for Trump
As Democrats brace themselves to liaise with a second Trump administration over issues like crime and immigration, NOTUS’ Calen Razor finds Democrats preparing for a fight.
Exhibit A: Massachusetts state Rep. David Linsky said the party fears Trump “weaponizing the federal government against states” like his for not complying with his demands.
“For example, we’re a sanctuary state effectively,” Linsky said. “He’s made threats about withholding federal funding from states that do things like that.”
To get out ahead of potential trouble, Linksy told Calen that Sens. Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren are working “feverishly” to transfer the billions in approved federal funding for a Massachusetts bridge project before Trump’s inauguration.
USPS Says It Will Keep Shipping Abortion Pills… For Now
After Dobbs, the Post Office asked the DOJ for guidance around the Comstock Act, which some anti-abortion groups say could be used to ban the mailing of abortion pills. NOTUS’ Oriana González reports that USPS will continue to operate under those 2022 guidelines until the DOJ tells it otherwise. As for the otherwise, Oriana reports that conservatives and anti-abortion advocates have long pressured Trump to walk the guidance back.
Not Us
We know NOTUS reporters can’t cover it all. Here’s some other great hits by… not us.
- A Constitutional Convention? Some Democrats Fear It’s Coming. By Heather Knight and Kate Selig at The New York Times
- Inflation Is Coming Down, But Prices Won’t Stand Still in 2025 by Amanda Mull at Bloomberg
- The Return of Minisoldr by Joe Killian at The Assembly
Tell Us Your Thoughts
Will the Democratic Party be more willing to work with Trump this time around?
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