©  Associated Press

Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) says he expects the House GOP investigations into the foreign business activities of President Biden’s family to rise to the level of an impeachment inquiry.

It’s the House leader’s strongest threat to date, amid conservative-led investigations into the president.

“We’ve only followed where the information has taken us,” McCarthy told Fox News host Sean Hannity Monday night. “But Hannity, this is rising to the level of impeachment inquiry, which provides Congress the strongest power to get the rest of the knowledge and information needed.”

House conservatives have repeatedly sought to attack Biden on various issues related to his son, Hunter Biden. Two IRS whistleblowers recently testified that Hunter Biden was treated with kid gloves and given preferential treatment regarding recent tax evasion and gun charges.

Republicans also questioned Biden’s alleged involvement in his son’s business dealings while he was vice president.

McCarthy accused Biden of using “the weaponization of government to benefit his family and deny Congress the ability to have the oversight.”

The White House has denied any wrongdoing on the president’s part and accused the House of failing to focus on important issues as they continue to attack Biden.

Remember: When Democrats controlled the House, former President Trump was impeached twice. However, the then-GOP-controlled Senate voted against finding him guilty of the charges. Now the roles are reversed.

What’s next: Despite McCarthy’s threat, it’s unclear if he can gather the votes in his caucus to successfully impeach the president, especially among moderate Republicans — and it is unlikely the Democrat-controlled Senate would vote to convict Biden.

More from The Hill here.

It’s Tuesday, July 25. I’m Elizabeth Crisp, filling in for Cate, with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here.

Republican presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s campaign said he and some members of his team were involved in a car accident while heading to a campaign event in Tennessee on Tuesday.

DeSantis and his team were uninjured, according to his campaign. (The Hill)

The House Judiciary Committee, which has been looking into Hunter Biden, could soon hear from the prosecutor who led the investigation.

The Department of Justice sent a letter to House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) to confirm that U.S. Attorney for Delaware David Weiss is willing to testify during a public hearing in September or October.

“[We] are deeply concerned by any misrepresentations about our work—whether deliberate or arising from misunderstandings — that could unduly harm public confidence in the evenhanded administration of justice, to which we are dedicated,” Assistant Attorney General Carlos Uriarte said in the letter to Jordan.

“The Department believes it is strongly in the public interest for the American people and for Congress to hear directly from U.S. Attorney Weiss on these assertions and questions about his authority at a public hearing.”

Two IRS whistleblowers have claimed that prosecutors showed preferential treatment to the president’s son in his plea deal on tax charges and a weapons charge, stoking House Republicans’ steady pushback against Biden, who is running for reelection. (The Hill)

Could Trump’s mounting legal issues actually be bolstering his campaign for the GOP’s 2024 presidential nomination?

That’s what some Republican senators, who would prefer someone else on the ballot come November 2024, seem to be worried about.

Special counsel Jack Smith has been leading a monthslong investigation of the former president’s alleged crimes related to falsifying business records, the mishandling of classified documents and his potential role in attempts to overturn to the 2020 election. 

While prominent House Republicans and conservative media outlets have rushed to defend Trump, most GOP senators have been more tepid about discussing his legal woes. But, their anxiety is only growing.

Recent polling averages show Trump is still carrying a hefty lead over his 2024 GOP rivals.

A senator, who requested anonymity, told The Hill that the threat of a new federal indictment “creates increased enthusiasm among his supporters and probably brings other voters along who see this as a rotten system.” (The Hill)

While Vice President Harris has a lot on her plate, she’s now turning to a more traditional VP role: Attack dog, defending the Biden administration and taking GOP rivals head on.

The Hill’s Brett Samuels and Alex Gangitano report that Harris has taken to “fighting what the White House views as hypocrisy or extreme policies pushed by Republicans as she and President Biden prepare for what could be an intense, mud-slinging 2024 campaign next year.”

Harris has also been tasked with taking charge on issues that the White House thinks will not only bolster the president’s standing but will also resonate with voters — including abortion, voting rights and book bans.

🔹 Harris headed to Nashville in April to defend Democratic state lawmakers who faced political retaliation from GOP leaders over a gun violence protest following a deadly school shooting in Nashville.

🔹Just last week, the White House sent her to Jacksonville to call out Republican leaders over controversial new educational guidelines on how some issues, including Black history, are taught in Florida schools. There, she bashed GOP leaders as “extremists” who she said were pushing “propaganda” on children.

🔹 And on Saturday, she again spread a message against GOP “extremists” to a Latino audience at the UnidosUS 2023 Annual Conference in Chicago.

More here from The Hill.

Wednesday, July 26, 2023, 8-10 a.m. ET | Sign up here

National Press Club and streaming online nationally

Former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway has suggested that the former president may participate in the GOP presidential debate next month but will likely “keep everybody in suspense” until the last minute for dramatic effect.

“If I were you, I would keep that center podium warm because maybe he’ll make the announcement the day of,” Conway during an appearance on Fox News, which is hosting the Aug. 23 debate. “You just never know.”

Trump, the frontrunner in the Republican primary race, has repeatedly hinted that he may skip the debate -— a move that could plummet voter interest in the debate but also give other candidates a cleaner opportunity to make their cases for the nomination.

“When you have a big lead, you don’t do it,” Trump recently told Fox News. “Why would you let somebody that’s at zero or at one or two or three be popping you with questions?”

Some of his rivals though have pressed for Trump to attend.

“Nobody’s entitled to be nominated. You gotta earn it. And I think he should show up and make his case and answer questions like the rest of us,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has typically polled second behind Trump, said last week. (The Hill)

RELATED: Culture-war battles fail to deliver for DeSantis (The Hill)

Just days after a $1 billion Powerball jackpot was won in California, the Mega Millions jackpot has hit a massive $820 million — the fifth-largest jackpot in the game’s history.

The next drawing will be at 11 p.m. today.

If a winner is drawn, they will have the option of taking an estimated $265 million in a lump sum payment or about $15 million in annual payments for 30 years. (KTLA via The Hill)

Twitter owner Elon Musk responded to criticism after announcing a rebrand of the social media platform to “X” this week, saying the original name no longer matches his plans for new features.

“This is not simply a company renaming itself, but doing the same thing,” Musk tweeted. “The Twitter name made sense when it was just 140 character messages going back and forth — like birds tweeting — but now you can post almost anything, including several hours of video.”

The company also plans to shift to “comprehensive communications and the ability to conduct your entire financial world” in the coming months.

“The Twitter name does not make sense in that context, so we must bid adieu to the bird,” he said. (The Hill)

Former Secretary of State and 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton (D) had a minimum wage reminder for everyone this week.

“As of today, it’s been 14 years since the $7.25 federal minimum wage was last raised,” she wrote. “MAGA Republicans have repeatedly blocked an increase,” she wrote.

The House came in at noon, and the Senate will convene at 3 p.m. President Biden and Vice President Harris are in D.C.

• 10 a.m.: Biden received the Presidential Daily Briefing.
• Noon: Biden signed a proclamation to establish the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monuments in Illinois and Mississippi. Harris joined for the signing event at the White House.
• 3 p.m.: Biden will deliver remarks on expanding access to mental health care.
• 3 p.m.: House Rules Committee will meet.

All times Eastern.

• 3 p.m.: Biden will deliver remarks on expanding access to mental health care. (Watch here)
• 3 p.m.: Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law will hold a hearing on artificial intelligence. (Watch here)
• 3:30 p.m.: Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre will brief reporters. (Watch here)

Today is National Wine and Cheese Day!

There are plenty of wine bars throughout D.C. if you’re looking for an excuse to liven up your Tuesday. Or head to a specialty store to pick your own at home snack platter perfect for cuddling up on the couch to watch some TV or enjoying a romantic evening with your partner.

(Psst … Here’s a cheat sheet if you want the perfect pairings.)

And because you made it this far, check out  this video of a snooping pug…

Send comments, story ideas and events for our radar to ecrisp@digital-stage.thehill.com. A friend forward this to you? Subscribe here.

View past issues of 12:30 Report here and check out other newsletters from The Hill here. See you next time!