CHICAGO – Democrats and Republicans are vying for the support of union voters ahead of November as challenges posed by inflation and the high cost of living remain top issues for American workers.
Axios interviewed Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.), Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-Fla.), senior adviser for Kamala Harris' presidential campaign David Plouffe, Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) and Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) at Axios House events hosted alongside the Democratic National Convention week. The events were sponsored by Progressive Policy Institute.
Why it matters: Both presidential candidates looking to rally support in key swing states from voters concerned about the economy, inflation and the high costs of living, including housing.
What they're saying: Rep. Frost praised Vice President Harris' housing platform on Monday, telling Axios' Alex Thompson that it's a priority to make sure "that we crack down on all these horrible predatory practices that are keeping working people, working families, young people, from even getting the opportunity to rent."
Plouffe, a senior adviser for Kamala Harris' presidential campaign, told Axios' Mike Allen that he thinks Harris' entrance into the race has put the Sun Belt battleground states back in play for Democrats looking to sway undecided voters in several key states.
As Democrats solidify their campaign strategy to appeal to voters with Vice President Harris as their new nominee, Rep. DelBene said a key part of that strategy will be capitalizing on House Republicans' "dysfunction."
Sponsored content:
In View From the Top sponsored segments, Member of Parliament for Dover and Deal Mike Tapp, Member of Parliament for Northampton North Lucy Rigby, Progressive Policy Institute president Will Marshall, General Secretary for the Labour Party David Evans and chief executive of Labour Together Jonathan Ashworth talked about what the recent landslide victory for the Labour Party in the U.K. could mean for the U.S. election this November.
"I think the most important thing that the U.K. election foreshadows is that I think a center-left party that talks relentlessly about the issues that matter to working people and communicates those well has the power to win back trust," Rigby said.
"Working class voters have felt disillusioned … Their paychecks are not putting the same food on the table that it used to put on the table four or five years ago, so the first thing is you need an economic policy which understands and recognizes that people are struggling, and you need a plan to cut costs. You've had that plan, inflation is stabilizing, and then you really need to run on that, you need to be telling people that you've got a plan to put more money in people's pockets, and that's what we did with the Labor Party in the United Kingdom," Ashworth said.
Go deeper: Watch parts 1 and 2 of the event below.
A Democratic presidential candidate hasn't won North Carolina since former President Obama in 2008, but Gov. Roy Cooper is certain that it will happen again in November.
The big picture: Every four years, North Carolina Democrats are adamant that they can recreate Obama's first presidential win, and every year since then they've been wrong.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) predicted that women will "win this election" for Vice President Kamala Harris and congressional Democrats during an Axios House event on the sidelines of the Democratic National Convention.
Why it matters: Gender has emerged as an increasingly stark partisan divider, with women voters favoring Harris by double digits over former President Trump in recent polls — and men favoring Trump by similar margins.
The U.S. government on Monday began accepting applications for the Biden administration program which creates an easier path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants married to U.S. citizens.
Why it matters: The program, announced in June, is expected to help about 500,000 people legally work while circumventing rules that force many to leave the country for years if they entered without authorization.
Embattled former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) pleaded guilty on Monday to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges in his federal fraud case,per the Department of Justice.
Why it matters: The plea deal will allow Santos to avoid a trial in the case, which was scheduled to begin next month.
Tatcho Mindiola, a veteran of the 1970s Chicano Movement who went on to create one of the nation's most successful Mexican American Studies college programs, has died. He was 85.
The big picture: While a sociology professor at the University of Houston, Mindiola mentored thousands of Latino and Black students, including future state lawmakers, city councilors, business leaders and journalists.
So far, Vice President Kamala Harris has avoided making the fact that she could be the first female president a central part of her campaign messaging — though her opponents have not shied away from comments targeting her gender or race.
Why it matters: Harris' approach is a departure from Hillary Clinton's in 2016, where the symbolic "highest and hardest glass ceiling" blocking women from the White House was a campaign focal point.
Taylor Swift got another firsthand look at the dangers of artificial intelligence after former President Trump on Sunday reposted images falsely claiming the singer's support in the 2024 presidential race.
Why it matters: Experts have warned AI could be used to mislead voters, scam donors and even libel candidates. Now, Trump has provided an example of how AI can fan the flames of political misinformation, riling the fiercely protective ranks of Swiftiedom in the process.
The Manhattan District Attorney's office said it will not oppose a delay in former President Trump's hush money conviction sentencing and will defer to Judge Juan Merchan regarding the decision.
Why it matters: Merchan, without a major objection from the prosecution, is set to decide whether Trump, the GOP presidential nominee, will be sentenced before or after the November election.
The Democratic National Committee released its 2024 platform on the eve of the party's convention kicking off Monday in Chicago.
The big picture: The platform was written by the DNC's Platform Committee before President Bidenbowed out of the 2024 race, and the document repeatedly references his successes and goals for a second term.
House Democrats are amped up about a Harris-Walz administration as a clean break from the long-simmering perception that the Biden team favored the Senate.
Why it matters: "The House would get screwed [under President Biden]. We'd get asked to take tough votes and then after those votes were on record, he'd veto or do whatever he did," one senior House Democrat told Axios.
House Republicans on Monday released a long-awaited report from their impeachment inquiry into President Biden, accusing him of "impeachable conduct" related to his family's business dealings.
Why it matters: The nearly 300-page report rehashes previous allegations Republicans have lobbed at the president without presenting evidence that he participated in any criminal wrongdoing. It will be up to the full House whether to pursue a formal impeachment.
One part of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris' economic plan is a $25,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers.
Why it matters: We've been here before. In the depths of the financial crisis, Congress passed a similar $8,000 credit — it was hugely popular — but it was also suited to the economic circumstances of the time. Today, not so much.
Kamala Harris,presidential candidate, has proved herself unafraid of chasing votes with populist policy promises — no taxes on tips!money to buy houses! — that abandon orthodox economics.
Why it matters: Such policies tend to elicit eye-rolls from economists, who see them as counterproductive and say they would push up prices and worsen the inflation problem they're attempting to address.
White House chief of staff Jeff Zients tells Axios that President Biden is determined to make his final five months in office — 154½ days! — as productive as any five months of his presidency.
Why it matters: "The president's belief is that every single day matters," Zients told Axios in an interview ahead of Biden's valedictory address to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago tonight.
"We're going to finish the job as strong as we started it and continue to make history together."
President Biden hasn't had much to smile about lately. But we hear he got a huge laugh on a recent call when he was told about this encounter at Fenway Park in Boston:
A former top White House official under President Obama ran into Mike Barnicle — the "Morning Joe" regular, and close friend and ardent defender of Biden — and said: "Isn't it great that f--king guy finally figured out he had to quit?"
Barnicle was tired, and wasn't having it. "What guy?!" he replied.
"Joe Biden!" the West Wing alumnus replied.
"You know something? F--k you!" Barnicle replied. "And f--k all your friends with their anonymous quotes in the papers. Put your name on it next time!" And kept walking.
A source familiar with Biden's reaction to the story told us: "He might still be laughing."
Some House GOP lawmakers fear their party's new investigations into Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz could potentially backfire politically.
Why it matters: House Republicans have unleashed a barrage of investigations targeting Harris and Walz in the run-up to the Democratic convention.
