“We must adjust to changing times and still hold to unchanging principles.”
- Jimmy Carter
AND THE BEAT GOES ON: Republicans believe charges should be brought against Hillary Clinton stemming from the FBI investigation of her private server as Secretary of State - at least they can unite behind something. House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (UT) will hold a hearing later today featuring FBI Director James Comey. Chaffetz’s panel has been investigating Clinton's case parallel to the FBI, and up until now, Comey's office had not been forthcoming with the information as the investigation was pending. This has to be record time for arranging a hearing, which further demonstrates the intensity of Republicans when it comes to all things Clinton…looks like fireworks will continue for a few more days.
CLINTON HEADS DOWN THE SHORE: Not to gamble, but rather to bash Donald Trump in Atlantic City, NJ – the home of Trump’s many bankrupt casinos. Clinton hammered Trump’s promise to do for the nation what he did for his businesses – cautioning that it should be viewed as a warning, not an enticement. Trump’s legacy in Atlantic City is a rough one and Clinton made a killing. It includes four rounds of bankruptcy for the casinos he built there, costing workers, lenders, stockholders and contractors jobs and money. The verbal shots keep flying at the expense of falling credibility ratings for both – just sit back and enjoy the show.
TRUMP BUMP: For those of you keeping count, Trump raised $51 million in the five weeks through the end of June, collecting $26 million for his campaign and $25 million for the Republican party. Think back to just a few weeks ago when he had less than $1.3 million in the bank. The bump comes as a sign that his lagging fundraising efforts are finally starting to gain traction and should show Republicans on the Hill that he’s taking this more seriously and just in time for his meetings with them today.
KEEP THE FIRE BERNING: Clinton is now changing up her college-affordability plan in an effort to harvest Bernie Sanders supporters by proposing the elimination of public in-state tuition for students whose families make less than $125,000. This chalks up the second big win for the Sanders camp this week. Clinton’s shift toward Sanders’ proposal, which retains tuition-free college at public institutions, comes as she seeks to consolidate the senator’s backers in the last months of the election. Although Clinton has struggled with certain groups in the past (i.e. millennials), her recent shifts on healthcare and tuition may prove to help her case.
THE BACHELOR - TRUMP EDITION: Trump’s veepstakes has resembled a reality tv show as of late - he’s spent this week (it’s not even over yet!) with a different prospect each day. Senators Joni Ernst (IA) and Bob Corker (TN), Governor Mike Pence (IN), and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich have all split time with Trump as he traveled throughout the East Coast (we’re betting Governor Chris Christie is feeling a bit spurned right now). Although Corker and Ernst have all but withdrawn from consideration, we still expect the final rose ceremony – his veep selection announcement – to be sometime next week ahead of the convention.
BREAKING THE 11TH COMMANDMENT: The unwritten Reagan rule has been trumped by a number of stalwart Republicans; Trump has long been criticized for a wide range of his policy ideas, and his foreign policy stance has remained the most unpopular – so it must’ve hurt a little when news broke that several more Reagan and Bush foreign policy specialists announced they will support Clinton in November. The widespread skepticism within the Republican establishment toward Trump's ability to manage his campaign, let alone actual foreign policy, has made it difficult for Trump to attract both endorsements and campaign advisors.