Axios

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Former president Donald Trump took the stage an hour late Saturday to make his speech at the Bitcoin 2024 conference at the Music City Center, but that didn't dampen the enthusiasm from the capacity crowd.

Why it matters: Cryptocurrency has become, for the first time, an issue in a U.S. presidential campaign, ever since Trump vowed in May that he would make sure America dominates bitcoin production going into the future.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — At Bitcoin 2024, former president Donald Trump said that if elected he would see that the federal government would not sell any of its bitcoin holdings, effectively creating the core of a "strategic national bitcoin stockpile."

Why it matters: It was one of several crypto-related promises made to the bitcoin conference crowd Saturday afternoon intended to build on Trump's growing base of support from this corner of the tech world.

The early days of Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign have been marked by record-setting fundraising, a medley of memes and an outpouring of support from American women.

Why it matters: Harris seeks to re-engage voters to achieve a historic result: the first time women across the country could see themselves represented in the Oval Office.

Former President Trump says Saturday his outdoor campaign events will go on as planned following the shooting that wounded his right ear at a rally in Pennsylvania.

The big picture: The shooting raised concerns about the former president's safety as he continues to campaign, with his next rally planned for Saturday night in St. Cloud, Minnesota.

Gatherings of tens of thousands of Vice President Harris' supporters are raising millions of dollars for her campaign — and it's happening on Zoom.

Why it matters: It's a new era of virtual rallies. These online events are cheaper to organize, easier to attend, and they're poised to become a powerful tools for fundraising and voter outreach this fall.

States are drawing on laws first drafted in Hollywood's golden age to protect 21st Century children at risk of being exploited in the multibillion dollar influencer industry.

Why it matters: The content creation field is largely unregulated, and states are taking steps to ensure kids get a cut of the profit they brought in from vlogging or brand deals.

Venezuelans will head to the polls on Sunday to vote for the country's next president in an election mired with allegations of electoral interference.

Why it matters: Years-long political and economic destabilization has forced millions of Venezuelans to flee to nearby countries and the U.S.

Former President Trump was indeed struck by a bullet from the rifle of the 20-year-old gunman who attempted to assassinate him, the FBI confirmed to Axios Friday.

Why it matters: FBI Director Christopher Wray had said earlier this week that there was "some question about whether or not it's a bullet or shrapnel that ... hit his ear."

Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) predicted at a gathering of original cryptocurrency fans Friday that Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) would chair the Senate Banking Committee if Republicans took control of the Senate in this upcoming election.

Why it matters: That would mean a shift in the vision for regulation of all sorts of financial matters, particularly the $1.3 trillion Bitcoin economy, which Scott promised to treat with a "light touch."

In the days since Vice President Kamala Harris launched her presidential bid, more than 170,000 volunteers have joined her cause, her campaign says.

Why it matters: The numbers are yet another example of the momentum Harris has harnessed in the week since President Biden's historic withdrawal from the race.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Donald Trump will deliver a keynote speech at a Bitcoin conference in Nashville Saturday.

Why it matters: His appearance at the United States' largest gathering of bitcoiners comes amid cryptocurrency's emergence as a wedge issue in the 2024 election. It's already caused some notable tech executives to pledge support — and donations — to the former president.

Former President Trump met on Friday in Mar-a-Lago with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Why it matters: It is the first time Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, has met Netanyahu since a rift formed between them after the U.S. presidential elections in 2020.

House Republicans are split over the best strategy for using a stopgap spending measure, which would avoid a government shutdown in October, to maximize conservative wins.

Why it matters: One GOP camp wants to fight out spending in the lame duck period between the elections and the new Congress. The other wants to punt negotiations until after a new president is inaugurated on Jan. 20.

Whether voters will get to see Vice President Harris and former President Trump face off in a debate before November is an open question.

Why it matters: The fallout from President Biden's flop last month showed that debates can quickly shake up a presidential race and even alter the course of U.S. history.

Vice President Kamala Harris' entrance into the race and the attack on former President Trump have dramatically shrunk one of this election cycle's most-talked-about groups — the "double haters," according to a new NYT/Siena poll.

Why it matters: Until last week, an unprecedented share of voters held unfavorable views of both President Biden and former President Trump.

A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked a Biden administration rule extending an update to Title IX with protections for LGBTQ+ students.

State of play: The ruling is the result of a lawsuit brought by Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin and five other states in May.

Former President Obama endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic presidential nominee Friday morning.

Why it matters: All the biggest names in Democratic politics are now officially backing Harris, who is cruising to the nomination just days after President Biden dropped out and endorsed her.

Republican House candidate Joe Kent suggested during a virtual town hall that Secret Service agents may have been "in on" the assassination attempt against former President Trump.

Why it matters: Kent, a right-wing U.S. Army veteran known for his embrace of conspiracy theories, is running a well-funded campaign in a key battleground district in Washington state that is a top target for Republicans.

Just last week, a supremely confident Donald Trump was at the center of the political universe — soaking in a raucous atmosphere at the GOP convention after narrowly surviving an assassination attempt.

• This week, it's Democrats — not Republicans — whose party is riding a historic sugar high.

Why it matters: Vice President Kamala Harris is reveling in record fundraising, an early bump in the polls, and a growing grassroots army. It's a "honeymoon" of epic proportions — but one the Trump campaign is betting won't last.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu protested to White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan Thursday about sanctions the Biden administration recently imposed on Israeli settlers who are involved in violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, two Israeli and U.S. officials said.

Why it matters: The settlers and Netanyahu's ultranationalist coalition partners are growing increasingly concerned about the U.S. sanctions and by the fact that many Western countries have followed suit.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was upset by Vice President Kamala Harris' on-camera statement after their meeting and is concerned it will harm the negotiations over a Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal, an Israeli official said in a briefing with reporters.

Why it matters: Harris' meeting with Netanyahu took place at a critical moment in negotiations over a possible deal.

Two top leaders of Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel were arrested by U.S. authorities in El Paso, Texas, on Thursday the Department of Justice announced.

The big picture: Cartel co-founder Ismael Zambada García, known as "El Mayo," and Joaquín Guzmán López, a son of imprisoned drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, are allegedly among Mexico's most powerful drug traffickers.

The Trump campaign said Thursday evening it couldn't commit to a presidential debate with Vice President Kamala Harris "until Democrats formally decide on their nominee."

The big picture: Jason Miller, a senior adviser to the Trump campaign, told Axios earlier Thursday that a debate with Harris "will happen" and there "should be multiple debates," though he said the GOP presidential nominee's team was "non-committal" to the Sept. 10 debate hosted by ABC News.

Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) told Axios he will "absolutely not" commit to voting for presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris in November.

Why it matters: The co-chair of the centrist Blue Dog Coalition is trying to hold onto a congressional seat that former President Trump, the GOP's nominee this year, won handily in 2020.