It’s Monday. Welcome back from a beautiful, summery weekend. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: June is the best month of the year. Here’s what’s happening today: The defense rested its case this morning in Hunter Biden’s federal gun trial. He did *not* testify. Senate Republicans are concerned about Trump’s “revenge” comment.
Republicans think they’ve landed on a winning argument against President Biden. - Sources told ESPN that NCAA-star-turned-WNBA-player Caitlin Clark will not be on the U.S. Olympic team.
I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Send tips, commentary, feedback and cookie recipes to cmartel@digital-stage.thehill.com. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here.
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Hunter Biden’s defense team rested its case this morning in his federal gun trial.
What’s notable about the defense’s case: His legal team decided not to take the risky move of having Biden testify in his own case.
Now, the trial moves into closing arguments before a jury deliberates on whether to convict the president’s son.
The first lady is back: First lady Jill Biden is back in the Wilmington, Del., courthouse this morning after returning from France.
She has had an impressive schedule: She was in court on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. She then flew to France for the 80th anniversary of D-Day on Thursday. She flew back to Delaware to attend Friday’s trial before flying *back* to France for a state dinner with the French president on Saturday and a visit on Sunday. And now she’s back in Wilmington today.
Oh and The Washington Post points out that she is expected to be back at the White House for an evening Juneteenth concert today. ^ My motion sickness could NEVER. |
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➤ WHO’S PAYING FOR JILL BIDEN’S FLIGHTS?:
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The Daily Mail’s Emily Goodin reports that while taxpayers will be footing most of the cost of the first lady’s flights to and from France, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) will pay for part of the bill.
The flights cost an estimated $345,400, according to the National Taxpayers Union Foundation, but the DNC will chip in what it would cost if she had flown commercially. |
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➤ HUNTER’S DAUGHTER’S TESTIMONY MAY NOT HAVE HELPED SO MUCH:
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“Hunter Biden’s daughter Naomi Biden Neal took the stand on Friday in hopes of taking her father’s defense into her own hands. By the time she embraced him at the defendant’s table after an hour of emotionally raw testimony, it was unclear whether she helped or harmed his cause.”
How so?: “Ms. Biden Neal, 30, told the court her father seemed ‘hopeful’ and sober weeks before he claimed to be drug-free on a gun application at the heart of the government’s case. But that upbeat assessment was quickly undercut by prosecutors, who introduced anguished texts from that period in which she told her father he had driven her to the breaking point.” (The New York Times)
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Senate Republicans rn: ‘Must we make these comments?’: |
© GIPHY/The Secret Life of Pets |
The Hill’s Alexander Bolton reports that some “Senate Republicans are expressing concerns over former President Trump’s calls for political vengeance after the 2024 election, warning that retaliatory prosecutions will lead the country down a bad road.” For example: “The Senate GOP’s top leaders — Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and Whip John Thune (S.D.) — have shown no desire to embrace Trump’s calls to prosecute senior Biden administration officials or his longtime nemesis Hillary Clinton.” And another example: “[Some] GOP senators are pushing back against conservative colleagues who want to freeze Justice Department funding or defund special counsel Jack Smith’s criminal prosecutions of Trump.” How this started: In an interview with Phil McGraw — or “Dr. Phil” — Trump said that “sometimes revenge can be justified.” Read more: ‘Trump’s calls for political vengeance worry Senate GOP’ ^ This has been one of The Hill’s most-read articles of the morning. |
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➤ THE OTHER STORY GETTING TRACTION THIS MORNING:
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July 24 could be a tense one in Washington:
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to give a speech on July 24 to both chambers of Congress.
But he’s fairly controversial these days: Liberals have been very critical of Netanyahu’s handling of Israel’s war with Hamas. The Hill’s Mychael Schnell and Mike Lillis report that momentum is growing among Democrats to boycott the address. Yes, but not all Democrats: “The boycotting liberals will cut a sharp contrast with other Democrats, who are vowing to attend the speech to demonstrate a degree of solidarity with a democratic ally in a time of war.”
Some important context: “The bad blood between Netanyahu and liberals on Capitol Hill is hardly new. Progressive Democrats have long denounced Netanyahu’s conservative policies, including his sharp criticisms of the Iran nuclear deal under former President Obama, which led to a boycott of the prime minister’s last speech to Congress almost a decade ago. Those old hostilities are still lingering, even as Democrats have found new reason to revile Netanyahu over his military campaign in Gaza.” (The Hill)
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You know who’s not on Trump’s shortlist? Cricket.: |
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) is a rising star in the Republican Party and a longtime, bold supporter of former President Trump. She had been rumored to be on Trump’s shortlist for vice presidential contenders, but that seemed to take a hit when she revealed in her book that she shot her 14-month-old dog Cricket during a hunting trip.
📖 Here’s a refresher on that story Her point of sharing this story was meant to show she could make tough decisions, but the anecdote kinda backfired. Noem has been mocked and criticized for the story.
Well, The Hill’s Alex Gangitano reports that Noem is looking to bounce back onto Trump’s VP shortlist.
Tidbit: Vice President Harris has some thoughts about Trump’s VP pick. “What we know is that Donald Trump wants an enabler. He doesn’t want a governing partner. He doesn’t want another Mike Pence, and I think that is clear,” Harris told Politico.
‘GOP THINKS IT HAS FOUND WINNING ARGUMENT FOR TRUMP’: “Republicans have a new twist on the slogan, ‘Are you better off now than you were four years ago?’ Their argument now: Were you better off under former President Trump than you are under President Biden?”
The gist of Republicans’ argument: ‘Republicans argue the economy — particularly inflation — was better under Trump than it is under Biden. And they say Trump had a better handle on foreign policy, pointing to the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine. They also maintain the border was more secure under the former president.” Read Amie Parnes’s full reporting
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Hey, what are everyone’s opinions on tipping? *drops this bomb and runs*: |
At a Las Vegas rally over the weekend, former President Trump said that the “first thing” he would do if he won in November is to end taxes on tips.
💡 Yes, but keep in mind: This type of change to taxation would require congressional approval. But regardless, lawmakers will be examining tax laws next year when Trump’s 2017 tax law expires. (The Hill) |
While speaking in Nevada, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) compared Trump to Jesus. The quote from Greene: “The Democrats and the fake news media want to constantly talk about, ‘Oh, President Trump is a convicted felon.’ Well, you want to know something? The man that I worship is also a convicted felon, and he was murdered on a Roman cross.” |
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🧋 Celebrate: Today is National Iced Tea Day and National Egg Roll Day!
🏀 She’s only the most famous woman basketball player maybe ever: Sources told ESPN that WNBA player Caitlin Clark, the No. 1 draft pick and NCAA star, won’t be on the U.S. Olympic team in Paris. FWIW: Clark said she’s not disappointed. “I know it’s the most competitive team in the world and I know it could have gone either way,” she said about whether she would be chosen.
💉 We’re always down for some good news: Moderna announced that it has seen positive results in trials of a COVID-flu combination vaccine. |
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The House and Senate are out. President Biden and Vice President Harris are in Washington, D.C. (all times Eastern) |
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