Conservative allies of the president are weighing in on the next tranche of coronavirus relief funding, warning that Trump's reelection could hinge on the economic impact of the new bill — and urging him not to extend unemployment benefits from the CARES Act.
Details: Publishing magnate Steve Forbes and economist Stephen Moore have been warning Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, the administration's lead negotiator on stimulus talks, and members of the White House economic council that the stakes for the new package "couldn't be higher."
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell plans to release his phase four legislation this week — more than two months after House Democrats unveiled their $3 trillion plan. McConnell's will be far more narrow in scope and include a roughly $1 trillion price tag, sources familiar with the bill tell Axios.
Why it matters: Several states, including some key to President Trump's re-election strategy, say more help is needed as new coronavirus cases are forcing them to shutter their economies again or at least slow their reopenings.
Joe Biden is outspending President Trump this month with big TV ad buys in traditional swing states, as Trump focuses on digital ads to shore up his base in what should be Republican strongholds
By the numbers: Biden and affiliated Democrats have outspent Republicans by $4 million in Michigan, $3.5 million in Pennsylvania, $2 million in Arizona and $700,000 in Wisconsin, according to data provided to Axios by Advertising Analytics through July 28.
President Trump and top White House officials are privately considering a controversial strategy to act without legal authority to enact new federal policies — starting with immigration, administration officials tell Axios.
Between the lines: The White House thinking is being heavily influenced by John Yoo, the lawyer who wrote the Bush administration's justification for waterboarding after 9/11.
The chairs of the House Oversight, Judiciary and Homeland Security committees on Sunday called on the inspectors general of the Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security to open an investigation into the Trump administration's use of federal agents against protesters in Portland, Oregon.
Why it matters: The House Democrats say the agencies "appear to have increasingly abused emergency authorities to justify the use of force against Americans exercising their right to peaceful assembly," pointing to reports of unidentified federal agents arbitrarily detaining protesters in unmarked vans.
Rep. Donna Shalala (D-Fla.) said on ABC's "This Week" Sunday that she has asked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) to issue another stay-at-home order and that she's "terrified" for the first time in her career because of the lack of leadership during the coronavirus crisis.
Why it matters: Florida is the new global epicenter of the pandemic, reporting a record number of daily new infections for any state and twice breaking its own record for daily deaths all in the last week.
House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) told NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday that in order to honor the legacy of Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), the Senate should pass and President Trump should sign the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of 2020, which the House passed under a different name in 2019.
Why it matters: In 2013, the Supreme Court struck down a core part of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965 that had required certain states with a history of racial discrimination to get federal approval before changing voting laws. Lewis, a civil rights icon who dedicated his life to fighting for voting rights, did not live to see the law restored before his death on Friday.
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday that he "absolutely" believes the Trump administration is violating the Constitution by deploying unidentified federal agents to arrest protesters in the city.
The state of play: President Trump and acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf have defended the use of federal law enforcement by claiming that violent anarchists have overrun the city, which has seen more than 50 nights of protests over the killing of George Floyd.
President Trump accused "Fox News Sunday" host Chris Wallace of misrepresenting the difficulty of a cognitive test that he recently took, claiming: "The first two questions are easy, but I bet you couldn't even answer the last five questions. They get very hard."
Why it matters: Trump has accused his opponent Joe Biden of being mentally incompetent and unable to serve as president because of his alleged cognitive decline. As Wallace pointed out, a Fox News poll found 47% of respondents believe Biden has the mental soundness to serve effectively, compared to 43% who believe the same of Trump.
President Trump refused to say on "Fox News Sunday" whether he would accept the results of November's election if he loses to Joe Biden, telling host Chris Wallace: "I have to see. I'm not just going to say yes. I'm not going to say no."
Why it matters: Trump gave a similar answer in 2016 when he was running against Hillary Clinton, prompting concerns there might not be a peaceful transition to power. At that time, however, Trump was not the incumbent.
President Trump defended his opposition to removing Confederate symbols in an interview with "Fox News Sunday," telling host Chris Wallace that the flag does not offend him and that for many people it "represents the South."
Why it matters: Trump has attacked organizations like NASCAR that have banned the Confederate flag, claiming it's an infringement on freedom of speech. He has also threatened to veto a defense bill that would rename military installations named for Confederate leaders, despite bipartisan support in Congress.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) condemned in a joint statement Saturday the Trump Administration for what they called "egregious abuses of power" against protesters in Portland, Oregon.
Former Vice President Joe Biden is the preferred candidate to handle the coronavirus pandemic and he's opened up a 15-point lead over President Trump, an ABC News/Washington Post poll published early on Sunday finds.
By the numbers: Biden is ahead of Trump 55%-40% among registered voters. However, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee's margin reduces to 54%-44% among likely voters.
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has been admitted to a hospital in upstate New York, his spokesperson told Fox News on Saturday.
The big picture: A spokesperson said the 82-year-old was being treated for "minor, non-coronavirus related issues," per CNN. He's "doing well and we anticipate his release soon," the spokesperson told Fox News. The investor has served as the Trump administration's commerce secretary since February 2017. The Commerce Department did not immediately return Axios' request for comment.
Editor's note: This article has been updated with further details on Ross' condition and more context.
