Axios Sneak Peek

May 21, 2024
Welcome back to Sneak. Tonight's edition is 676 words, a 2.5-minute read.
1 big thing: 👀 Trump's cleanup day
The Trump campaign spent today in cleanup mode over a pair of public messes.
Why it matters: Most campaigns would dread the idea of ever posting a video with imagery associated with Nazi Germany, or the candidate telling local news he'd consider restricting contraception.
- In the Trump campaign, they happened within hours of each other.
Zoom in: Trump told a Pittsburgh TV station that he will be releasing a policy on contraceptives "within a week or so."
- "Things really do have a lot to do with the states and some states are going to have different policies than others," Trump said, when asked if he supports some restrictions.
- Trump later wrote he would "never advocate imposing restrictions on birth control."
His campaign also spent the day under fire from the Biden campaign over a now-deleted video on Trump's Truth Social account that referenced a "unified Reich."
- "Reich" is typically associated with Nazi Germany — which dubbed itself the Third Reich.
- "That's Hitler's language, not America's," President Biden said in a video response.
- A Trump campaign spokesperson said the video was "created by a random account online and reposted by a staffer who clearly did not see the word."
2. Trump declines to testify
The Trump trial will go to closing arguments next week without former President Trump taking the stand, letting his lawyers breathe a deep sigh of relief.
Why it matters: Trump repeatedly said he wanted to waive his 5th Amendment rights and testify in his New York criminal hush money trial in which he is charged with 34 counts, although he later leaned into excuses in the other direction.
- Trump's lawyers have filed a flurry of legal requests in pursuit of aggressive tactics to keep their client happy while trying to win over public opinion, Axios' Sareen Habeshian reports.
- Judge Juan Merchan shot down two mistrial motions by Trump's team and threatened the former president with jail time for violating the gag order in the case multiple times.
- Trump falsely cited that gag order as an excuse not to testify.
Go deeper: Stefanik files ethics complaint against Judge Merchan
3. GOP counters Democratic punch on border security
Senate Republicans are trying to slip a political punch from Democrats on the border.
Why it matters: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) this week tried to put the GOP on the defensive by resurrecting a bipartisan border package.
- Reality check: Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) signaled yesterday he would not back the bill, and Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) told Axios today that he was still considering how to vote.
- Republicans have put up a united front, with some conservatives who previously supported the bill saying they will vote against it this time.
- Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) said today that Democrats were only "appearing" to be doing something on the border because it is a political liability for the party in an election year.
Zoom in: Republicans want to make the border issue hurt the most for the Democrats they are trying to unseat in November.
- That includes an ad hammering Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) for his record on not supporting a border wall and another slamming Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) for the "Biden-Baldwin border crisis."
- Republicans are circulating a list of 100 border-related bills that have been introduced by Senate Republicans this Congress.
- A spokesperson for the National Republican Senatorial Committee told Axios that "Senate Democrats have spent decades supporting policies that led to the disaster at the southern border."
The other side: Casey told Axios that "you prove your worth on an issue by how you vote, and they should vote for the bill."
- A Baldwin campaign spokesperson told Axios that the senator is "focused on solutions, not political games" and will "work with anyone" to secure the border.
- Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), the chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, told Axios the Republican refusal to vote for the border package "shows that they're hypocrites."
4. Pic du jour
President Biden steps off Air Force One upon arrival in Boston today for a campaign fundraiser.
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