Axios Sneak Peek

May 19, 2024
Welcome back to Sneak. Today's edition is 770 words, a 3-minute read.
1 big thing: Biden's fellow poll doubters
Democratic senators who represent presidential battlegrounds agree with President Biden — polls showing him trailing former President Trump in those key states are wrong.
Why it matters: The skepticism is especially notable because a number of Democrats from those states have a polling lead over their Republican opponents in pivotal Senate races.
- Retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) told Axios, "I do not think that they are accurate" when asked about the polls. Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin has been leading in early Michigan Senate polls, even as Biden trails Trump.
- Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) told Axios: "The polls showed that I was down when I entered my race. And polls didn't look that great for Angela Alsobrooks a couple weeks ago."
- Sen. Bob Casey (D-Penn.) told Axios: "It's early ... every candidate, whether it's the president or me — we have to work every day to earn people's votes."
The big picture: After Trump's 2016 expectation-defying win, pollsters and strategists made adjustments aimed at better capturing Trump supporters.
- Democrats say the polls are missing key voter dynamics on their side.
- "There are certain communities that are missed," added Warnock, who narrowly ousted Republican Kelly Loeffler in a 2021 runoff.
Zoom in: Biden is campaigning in swing states where polls show he needs to make up ground.
- He delivered today's commencement address at the historically Black Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, and is speaking at a large NAACP dinner in Detroit, Michigan tonight.
- He was in Wisconsin last week and has visited his birth state of Pennsylvania at least seven times this year, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
- Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) also told Axios elections in his state are always going to be close, but he predicted Biden would win. He added that he would like to see Biden and Vice President Harris visit Arizona more.
Read more here
2. Trump likely skipping witness stand
The odds are growing for Donald Trump to decline to testify in his own criminal trial, ending months of speculation over whether he'd subject himself to a prosecutorial grilling.
Why it matters: Criminal defendants have the right to stay silent, but Trump has repeatedly said he wants to testify.
- The former president's legal team is currently not planning for him to testify, four people close to Trump told the Washington Post.
- Trump lawyer Todd Blanche has kept the option open, telling the court last week that it's "another decision that we need to think through."
The bottom line: If Trump doesn't take the stand, the jury could begin deliberations this week.
- P.S. Trump floated the idea of an unconstitutional third term in yesterday's speech to the NRA's annual meeting.
3. House hearing fallout spills into 4th day
Thursday's House Oversight Committee hearing is still making waves today after Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) launched a personal attack at the personal appearance of her fellow lawmaker Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas).
Why it matters: People are becoming numb to congressional hearings, but this one touched a nerve.
- Greene remarked Thursday that Crockett was having trouble reading because of her "fake eyelashes," and Crockett replied with a critique of "bleach blonde, bad built, butch body."
Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) told CNN's "State of the Union" today that it's "absurd" for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) to criticize his reaction to the hearing.
- The Pennsylvania Democrat said Friday the hearing made him want to apologize to "Jerry Springer Show" for previously comparing it to Congress.
- In response, Ocasio-Cortez suggested Fetterman had become a bully who "likely would not have stood up for your colleague and seem to be confused about racism and misogyny being a 'both sides' issue."
Rep. Crockett, on "State of the Union" today, explained why she labeled Greene's comments on Thursday as racist:
- "MAGA has historically been on social media doing the things where they're saying, 'Oh, she's Black with lashes and nails and hair, and so she's ghetto. ... It is buying into a racist trope."
4. Biden at Morehouse
President Biden's commencement address today at Morehouse College faced few disruptions from those assembled.
- Protests were ongoing outside the graduation site, with barricades manned by the Atlanta Police.
- Morehouse President David Thomas told CNN Thursday that "disruptive behavior that prevents the ceremony or services" would not be allowed.
Zoom in: But some students among the graduating class turned their chairs away from Biden as he began his speech, while at least one student held up a Palestinian flag.
- A chant of "four more years" was heard from a section reserved for the families of graduating students as Biden arrived on stage, according to CNN.
This newsletter was edited by Arthur MacMillan
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