National

Former President Trump has been paying a lot less attention to House races than he has to statewide races — and lots of Republicans don't mind a bit. 

Why it matters: House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and his allies are boosting the fortunes of more-mainstream-than-MAGA Republicans in pivotal primaries, often working under the radar.

What's happening: The McCarthy-aligned Congressional Leadership Fund super PAC has quietly spent about $7 million in Republican primaries, boosting more electable candidates.

In California, CLF helped salvage Rep. Young Kim’s campaign from a right-wing challenger and bailed out anti-Trump GOP Rep. David Valadao from a MAGA opponent as well. 

The group spent $1 million to boost Juan Ciscomani, a celebrated Hispanic recruit in an Arizona swing district, and nearly $600,000 to help Navy veteran Jen Kiggans prevail against a right-wing opponent in a battleground Virginia district.

House Republicans credit McCarthy's mostly constructive relationship with Trump for helping keep the former president from causing havoc in key races. McCarthy helped convince Trump not to endorse a challenger against Valadao. If Valadao had lost the primary, Democrats would have been the odds-on favorite to win his seat.

Zoom in: While Trump has held rallies for favored Senate and governor's candidates, his House focus has been limited mainly to exacting vengeance on Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.).

Trump's House endorsements focus on going after Republicans who backed his impeachment, and a few others he views as disloyal. 

McCarthy had a mixed record defending three Republican lawmakers from Trump-endorsed challenges on Tuesday. Washington Rep. Dan Newhouse defeated a MAGA challenger, but Michigan Rep. Peter Meijer narrowly lost to Trump-backed  John Gibbs. 

Washington Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler’s race against Trump-endorsed Joe Kent is too close to call. Super PACs aligned with the GOP establishment spent about $3 million boosting Herrera Beutler in the primary.

What's next: After November, McCarthy’s caucus is still likely to become more Trump-friendly.

House Republicans have nominated MAGA-oriented candidates in many safe seats, and most of the 10 Republicans who voted for Trump’s impeachment either retired or lost. 

Pragmatic members like Reps. David McKinley of West Virginia and Rodney Davis of Illinois, who both backed Biden’s infrastructure deal, also were defeated by Trump-endorsed Republican colleagues.

Trump gives House a break

Trump has been paying a lot less attention to House races than he has to statewide races.

Photo illustration of a collage of Donald Trump, Kevin McCarthy and the US Capitol.

Photo illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios. Photos: Al Drago/Bloomberg, Sean Rayford/Getty Images

Midterm elections 2022

Politics & Policy

Sneak Peek

Axios Sneak Peek

Senate Democrats on Sunday passed their sweeping, $740 billion tax, climate and health care reconciliation package after an all-night session, with Vice President Kamala Harris casting the tie-breaking vote. 

Why it matters: The 51-50 passage of the bill, just three months before the midterm elections, is a massive victory for Democrats who have spent 18 months working toward delivering on their longstanding dreams of helping address climate change, lower the cost of prescription drugs and hike taxes on large corporations.  

The "Inflation Reduction Act of 2022" is far less ambitious than most Democrats wanted — the initial bill was roughly $3.5 trillion and also addressed paid family leave, funding for universal preschool and expanding the child tax credit.

But the narrower version of the bill succeeded in getting the support of the Senate's two centrist members who had previously stood in the party's way — Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.). 

The package now moves to the House, where members will vote as early as Friday on advancing the bill to President Biden's desk.

Details: The Senate returned to the Capitol on Saturday afternoon, and began voting late Saturday night and into Sunday on a series of amendments — part of the process known as "vote-a-rama."

Senate Republicans offered dozens of amendments aimed at minimizing the bill, including stripping out funding for the Internal Revenue Service and eliminating COVID-19-related school mandates.

Democrats held firm in their unity, with the help of Harris, of preserving the core elements of the package and voting down each GOP amendment.

One major setback, however, was a ruling by the Senate Parliamentarian that determined Democrats' proposal to place a $35 cap on commercial insulin violated the "Byrd Rule," which governs the provisions for what can be accepted in budget reconciliation legislation.

Democrats tried, and failed, to attach an amendment including the insulin provision to the bill, but Republicans voted it down, eliminating it from the package.

Seven GOP senators — Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) — voted with Democrats.

Allows the federal health secretary to negotiate the prices of certain expensive drugs for Medicare.

 Three-year extension on health care subsidies in the Affordable Care Act.

15% minimum tax on corporations making $1 billion or more in income. The provision offers more than $300 billion in revenue.

The significance of the climate portion: The bill is the largest investment in clean energy and emissions cuts the Senate has ever passed, with the climate portion totaling about $370 billion, Axios' Andrew Freedman writes.

This includes tax incentives to manufacture and purchase electric vehicles, generate more wind and solar electricity and support fledgling technology such as direct air capture and hydrogen production. 

Independent analyses show the bill, combined with other ongoing emissions reductions, would cut as much as 40% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, short of the White House's 50% reduction target. However, if enacted into law, it would reestablish U.S. credibility in international climate talks, which had been flagging due in part to congressional gridlock. 

As part of Democrats' concessions to Manchin, the bill also contains provisions calling for offshore oil lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico and off the coast of Alaska, and a commitment to take up a separate measure to ease the permitting of new energy projects. 

What they're saying: “Today, after more than a year of hard work, the Senate is making history. I am confident the Inflation Reduction Act will endure as one of the defining legislative feats of the 21st century," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said.

"Our bill reduces inflation, lowers costs, creates millions of good-paying jobs and is the boldest climate package in U.S. history. This bill will kick start the era of affordable clean energy in America. It’s a game changer, a turning point. And it’s been a long time in coming.”

“Democrats have already robbed American families once through inflation, and now their solution is to rob American families a second time,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). 

President Biden praised the passage of the bill in a statement Sunday, saying, "Today, Senate Democrats sided with American families over special interests, voting to lower the cost of prescription drugs, health insurance, and everyday energy costs and reduce the deficit, while making the wealthiest corporations finally pay their fair share.  I ran for President promising to make government work for working families again, and that is what this bill does — period."  

Senate Democrats pass $740 billion tax, climate and health care bill

The 51-50 passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, just three months before the midterm elections, is a massive victory for Democrats.

 Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) speaks during a news conference about the Inflation Reduction Act 

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) speaks during a news conference about the Inflation Reduction Act. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Senate Democrats

The nation's gun manufacturers use "disturbing sales tactics" to sell assault weapons to civilians while failing to track deaths or injuries that result from the use of their products, according to a report issued in late July by the House Oversight Committee.

Driving the news: In late May, the committee opened an investigation into five gun manufacturers in the wake of deadly mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York.

The big picture: Gun manufacturers have reaped more than $1 billion from sales of AR-15-style firearms in the last decade, the report stated.

According to company materials, the gun manufacturers target young men by marketing guns in a way that appeals to consumers' masculinity. One ad suggested that buying AR-15 would ensure "your status at the top of the testosterone food chain."

"The firearm industry has been marketing directly and indirectly to white supremacist and extremist organizations for years, playing on fears of government repression against gun owners and fomenting racial tensions," the report stated, noting gun makers used symbols and names in their marketing materials that nodded to white supremacist organizations.

According to the report, the five gun makers being investigated "do not have any systems in place to monitor and analyze" the deaths, injuries and crimes associated with their products.

What they're saying: "How much are the lives of America’s children, teachers, parents, and families worth to gun manufacturers?" committee chair Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) said in a press release.

"These companies are selling the weapon of choice for mass murderers who terrorize young children at school, hunt down worshippers at churches and synagogues, and slaughter families on the Fourth of July. In short, the gun industry is profiting off the blood of innocent Americans," Maloney added.

“My Committee has found that the business practices of these gun manufacturers are deeply disturbing, exploitative, and reckless."

The big picture: In opening its investigation, the committee requested information regarding the manufacturing, sale and marketing of semi-automatic rifles from the five gun makers: Daniel Defense, Bushmaster, Sig Sauer, Smith &Wesson Brands and Sturm, Ruger & Company.

In late July it called on the CEOs of Smith &Wesson Brands, Daniel Defense and Sturm, Ruger & Company to testify before the committee.

The committee subpoenaed Smith & Wesson earlier this month after it said the company had failed to meet the panel's request for information and testimony.

Gun makers appeal to masculinity, supremacist groups to sell guns: Report

"The gun industry is profiting off the blood of innocent Americans."

stuffed animals, flowers, and other keepsakes are left next to crosses bearing the names of the victims of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School 

A memorial to the victims of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Photo: Jordan Vonderhaar/Getty Images

Guns

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) said she believes the Republican Party is "very sick" and may not be able to recover in the near future, The New York Times reported.

The big picture: Cheney, who serves as the vice chair of the Jan. 6 committee, has long questioned the party's attachment to former President Donald Trump.

However, Cheney is now bracing for possible defeat in her state's Republican primary on Aug. 16 at the hands of a Trump-backed challenger. Her opponent Harriet Hageman is currently 22 points ahead of the congresswoman in the polls, according to the Casper Star-Tribune.

What she's saying: The GOP "is continuing to drive itself in a ditch, and I think it’s going to take several cycles if it can be healed," Cheney said, according to The New York Times.

“If the cost of standing up for the Constitution is losing the House seat, then that’s a price I’m willing to pay,” she said, the Times reported.

"I would much rather serve with (Democratic Reps.) Mikie Sherrill and Chrissy Houlahan and Elissa Slotkin than (Republican Reps.) Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert, even though on substance certainly I have big disagreements with the Democratic women I just mentioned," Cheney added, per the Times. "But they love this country, they do their homework and they are people that are trying to do the right thing for the country."

More details: As rumors abound of her own potential presidential run in 2024, Cheney said she "would find it very difficult" to support Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as the party's candidate.

"I think that Ron DeSantis has lined himself up almost entirely with Donald Trump, and I think that’s very dangerous," she said.

Go deeper: Scoop: Republicans' last-minute Cheney lifeline

Liz Cheney calls GOP "very sick," questions whether party can recover

Cheney, who serves as the vice chair of the Jan. 6 committee, has long questioned the party's attachment to former President Donald Trump.

Rep. Liz Cheney questions Cassidy Hutchinson, a top former aide to Trump White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, as she testifies before the Jan. 6 committee on June 28, 2022. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Liz Cheney

Midterm Elections 2022

Former Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer on Saturday made his first public appearance since his retirement, speaking to the American Bar Association Conference in Chicago about his views of the future and the work judges do.

The big picture: Breyer officially retired from the high court at the end of June, where he was replaced by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. It was announced last month that Breyer will be returning to Harvard, where he attended law school and previously taught, to teach as a professor of administrative law and process at the law school.

State of play: Breyer made no mention of the string of conservative rulings the Supreme Court issued at the end of its last term, including overturning Roe v. Wade, during his appearance, CNN reported.

Breyer spoke about the rule of law in the U.S., noting that "America's a system that has adjusted — with its drawbacks and its going-the-wrong way from time to time ... overall, I'm still an optimist," Breyer said, per CNN.

"This has not been a country of sheer ups you know," Breyer recalled once telling a judge from another country. 

"There was a civil war, there was slavery, 80 years of Jim Crow segregation," he added. "But gradually we try ... if this generation doesn't, the next one might."

Breyer also spoke of the important role that lawyers, as well as the American Bar Association, plays in the work of judges.

Judges "need the help from the outside" even if they don't always think they do, Breyer said, CNN reported.

Stephen Breyer says America goes the wrong way "from time to time"

Breyer made no mention of the string of conservative rulings the Supreme Court issued at the end of its last term.

Stephen Breyer speaks during an event at the Library of Congress on Feb. 17. Photo: Evan Vucci-Pool/Getty Images

Supreme Court justices

Senate Republicans blocked the $35 cap on out-of-pocket spending on insulin for patients enrolled in private insurance in the reconciliation package.

Why it matters: The drug costs eight times more in the U.S. than 32 other high-income nations, according to a 2020 study commissioned by the Health and Human Services Department.

What we're watching: The change to the climate, tax and health care package came during the amendment process that allows any senator to force a vote on proposed tweaks to the measure.

Seven Republicans voted with Democrats to keep the insulin cap in the bill, but that was not enough to overcome the 60-vote threshold. 

The Republicans argued that the provision violated the rules of reconciliation after the Senate parliamentarian ruled that it is not primarily related to the federal budget. 

Between the lines: Even though the $35 cap for the private insurers has been stripped from the package, Democrats are hoping to preserve the $35 insulin cap for patients on Medicare. 

One in every three Medicare beneficiaries has diabetes, and over 3.3 million Medicare beneficiaries use one or more of the common forms of insulin, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. 

The big picture: Capping out-of-pocket insulin costs — a narrow sliver of President Biden's stalled Build Back Better package — has been a priority for Democrats, particularly ahead of this year's midterms. 

It's also captured the attention of a few Republicans, leading to some bipartisan efforts to craft legislation. 

Insulin price cap for private insurers pulled from reconciliation bill

Seven Republicans voted with Democrats to keep the insulin cap, but it wasn't enough to overcome the 60-vote threshold.

Illustration of a syringe pulling from a vial with a hundred dollar bill as a label.  

Insulin

Senators from both sides of the aisle voiced their support on Sunday for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's recent trip to Taiwan, as China continues to retaliate with provocative military drills in the region.

The big picture: Following Pelosi's controversial trip to the island nation, the Chinese military began live ammunition drills, launching 11 ballistic missiles into Taiwan's waters. As the drills have continued, Taiwan said they appear to simulate an attack on the island.

What they're saying: Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) told NBC's "Meet the Press" that he thinks Pelosi's trip was worth the current fallout with China.

"We need to be very clear that China doesn't get to dictate which U.S. officials go to Taiwan and when they go to Taiwan," Van Hollen said. 

He added: "What President Xi (Jinping) decided to do was manufacture a crisis over Pelosi's visit. ... This is saber rattling and chest thumping."

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told CNN's "State of the Union" that he's "glad" Pelosi made the trip to Taiwan, adding, "If she hadn't gone, what would that have signaled to the Iranians and to the Russians?"

More details: Graham and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) both emphasized on "State of the Union" that America's response in one part of the world impacts another.

"China's watching what we do in Ukraine," Blumenthal said. "That's why we need to send more of the HIMARS multiple-launch, long-range artillery, so that Ukraine is successful in this next month during its counteroffensive. That's why we need to provide more humanitarian assistance to Ukraine."

"Here's what I want China to know — Putin made a big miscalculation," Graham said. "... So, if you want to receive what Putin did, try to go into Taiwan."

Lindsey Graham among senators throwing support behind Pelosi's Taiwan trip

Following Pelosi's controversial trip to the island nation, the Chinese military began live ammunition drills, launching 11 ballistic missiles into Taiwan's waters.

Navy personnel are seen on a Taiwanese Navy warship on Aug. 7 in Keelung, Taiwan. Photo: Annabelle Chih/Getty Images

Taiwan

China is becoming the most formidable rival America has faced, and the risk of confrontation with Russia, North Korea or Iran still looms. Authoritarians are rising, the chaotic Afghanistan exit revealed the limits of U.S. power, and the pandemic, climate change and other critical challenges continue to pose grave threats.

World

China announced a new series of military drills near Taiwan on Sunday,  expanding efforts to express a a show of force in the wake of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the self-governing island last week.

Driving the news: In the wake of Pelosi's visit, China announced several days of live-fire drills that saw the regional power fire ballistic missiles into waters near Taiwan for the first time since the 1996 Taiwan Strait crisis.

The big picture: China's Maritime Safety Administration announced on Saturday that new sets of drills would take place in five zones of the Yellow Sea from Aug. 5 to 15, the Washington Post reported.

More military operations would also take place in four zones of the Bohai Sea for a month starting Aug. 8, per the Post.

China's Ministry of Defense did not specify a reason for the additional drills.

The state of play: Taiwan warned on Saturday that the Chinese military drills appeared to simulate an attack.

The drills, which were originally due to end on Sunday, are the largest China has ever held in the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan's Ministry of Defense said the exercises amount to an "air and sea blockade," as some commercial flights and cargo ships in the region have had to adjust or cancel their routes," Axios' Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian writes.

Taiwanese shrug off China drills: "Everyone becomes numb to it"

In photos: China's military drills encircle Taiwan

China announces additional military drills near Taiwan

New military exercises will take place in the Yellow and Bohai Seas.

A soldier looks through binoculars during combat exercises off Taiwan coast

A soldier looks through binoculars during combat exercises and training of the navy of the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army PLA in the waters around Taiwan on Aug. 5. Photo: Lin Jian/Xinhua via Getty Images

China

President Biden traveled to Rehoboth Beach in Delaware on Sunday, following his COVID-19 isolation. 

Why it matters: This is the first time the president has left the White House in 18 days and the first time he has seen first lady Jill Biden since July 20, according to the White House. 

“I’m feeling good,” the president told reporters as he prepared to board Marine One on Sunday. 

Driving the news: The president tested negative for the second time on Sunday morning, Biden's doctor, Kevin O'Connor, wrote in a letter. 

The president tested negative on Saturday after seven straight days of testing positive from a "rebound" COVID case, the White House said.

The president will be monitored daily due to his rebound positivity, Biden's doctor, Kevin O'Connor, wrote in a letter Saturday.

What's next: The president and first lady plan to visit Kentucky on Monday after the devastating floods there. 

Go deeper: Biden negative for COVID after weeklong "rebound" case 

Biden leaves White House isolation for first time in 18 days

“I’m feeling good,” the president told reporters as he boarded Marine One on Sunday.

President Biden gestures to members of the press as he exits the South Portico of the White House before walking to Marine One for a trip to Delaware on Aug. 7. Photo: Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images

Joe Biden

Inexperienced Republican candidates are threatening to cost Mitch McConnell a long-anticipated Senate majority in this year's midterms.

The big picture: The GOP roster is filled with Trump-endorsed celebrities who've never run political campaigns — former NFL star Herschel Walker in Georgia, Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania and best-selling author J.D. Vance in Ohio.

Driving the news: The winner in this week's Arizona's GOP contest, Blake Masters — a venture capitalist who ran an unconventional primary comparing his candidacy to a tech startup — has resisted hiring political strategists to help tailor his message for a general election, according to Republican sources familiar with his campaign.

Why it matters:  Despite a favorable political environment for Republicans, these nominees are trailing in recent public polls.

Senate Minority Leader McConnell (R-Ky.) acknowledged the lowered expectations days ago in an interview with Fox News' Bret Baier: "I think when this Senate race smoke clears, we’re likely to have a very, very close Senate still, with us up slightly or the Democrats up slightly.” 

Between the lines:  McConnell is concerned that this crop of GOP Senate nominees is reminiscent of flawed Tea Party-aligned candidates like Christine O'Donnell and Todd Akin, who lost winnable races in 2010 and 2012.  

In 2014, McConnell took a more active role in the recruiting process, focusing on more experienced contenders like Thom Tillis in North Carolina (a state House speaker), Cory Gardner in Colorado (a congressman) and Bill Cassidy (a congressman) in Louisiana.

Republicans won the Senate majority that year, netting nine Senate seats.

But, but, but: Political outsiders are sometimes the right candidates. 

Democrats won control of the House in 2018 by recruiting military veterans, businesswomen and physicians to win over swing voters.

But those candidates also campaigned as moderates, unlike the current crop of Trump-backed Republicans.

The bottom line: McConnell prefers experienced candidates who stay on message. Trump likes zany outsiders who stand outside the political mainstream.

Trump won the fight in the GOP primaries.  But if Trump's candidates lose in November, McConnell may get the last laugh — albeit while stuck in the minority.

Celebrity candidates threaten GOP's hopes of a Senate majority

Trump-backed candidates are sliding in the polls.

2022 elections

Axios China

LIUQIU ISLAND, Taiwan — Families collected shells on the beach and tourists took selfies at sunset on the tiny resort island of Liuqiu, less than six miles away from one of the "danger zones" where China is conducting live-fire military drills.

The big picture: While international attention focuses on an emerging cross-strait  crisis, Taiwanese have been living with Chinese government threats for decades. Few people appeared seriously concerned about a possible military conflict — even on this islet, closer to the drills than any other part of Taiwan.

Driving the news: China launched a series of military exercises in six zones encircling Taiwan after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan last week, and ballistic missiles launched from China landed in waters east of Taiwan.

The drills, which are due to end on Sunday, are the largest China has ever held in the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan's Ministry of Defense said the exercises amount to an "air and sea blockade," as some commercial flights and cargo ships in the region have had to adjust or cancel their routes.

What's happening: Tourists were still flocking to the island about eight miles off the southwest coast of Taiwan, even as the drills were underway. 

Divers swam with turtles close to the shore, and fishing boats traversed the nearby waters as usual. In the evenings, seaside restaurants and bars were filled to capacity. 

What they're saying: In interviews with more than 20 tourists and local residents, nonchalance seemed to be the most common attitude toward the live-fire drills happening just a few miles away.

When asked if they were nervous about the close proximity of Chinese ships warships and planes, numerous people laughed and shook their heads. Others said the drills were only intended as a show of intimidation rather than a serious military threat.

"They are putting political pressure on us, but me personally, I don’t think anything bad’s gonna happen," said Chi Tsao, who came to Liuqiu with a group of friends. "If they wanted to do something militarily, they would have done that a long time ago."

A cargo ship enter Kaohsiung Harbor, Taiwan, on August 5, 2022.

A cargo ship enter Kaohsiung Harbor, Taiwan, on August 5, 2022. Photo: Sebastian Kjeldtoft

The military drills haven't affected business, Jen Yu, a woman who works at a diving school on Liuqiu, told Axios.

The number of customers has declined slightly in the past week, Yu said, but that's because it is "ghost month," the seventh month of the lunar calendar when ghosts are believed to come out of the water and curse those unlucky enough to run into them.

Some divers were afraid of the ghosts, but they weren't afraid of China's military exercises, Yu said. 

"People who don’t live here keep telling me, watch for the military! But I don’t see anything, so I don’t know why people keep telling me that," she said.

Jen Yu works at a computer at Bear Diving on Liuqiu Island, Taiwan, on August 5, 2022.

Jen Yu works at a computer at Bear Diving on Liuqiu Island, Taiwan, on August 5, 2022. Photo credit: Sebastian Kjeldtoft.

Yes, but: A few people did express anxiety about the drills and the rise in tensions between China and Taiwan.

"I feel a little nervous. It’s a feeling of being squeezed," said Xie Hui-ju, a school teacher who had come to the beach with her husband and three daughters. "A lot of things can’t be exported anymore, so that influences our economy."

Even so, Xie said she wasn't worried about an actual military conflict. Taiwanese people have heard threats from China all their lives, she explained. "After a long time of this, everyone becomes numb to it. People think it’s just words, that they won’t take real action."

Two tourists pose at Sunset Pavilion, the southernmost portion of Liuqiu Island which directly faces the Chinese military drills

Emily and Jolene pose at Sunset Pavilion, the southernmost portion of Liuqiu Island which directly faces the waters where Chinese military drills are being conducted four miles away. Photo credit: Sebastian Kjeldtoft.

Zoom out: The attitudes in Liuqiu reflect those in other parts of Taiwan, though there has been growing interest in civil defense training since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which jolted many Taiwanese into thinking seriously about their response if China really were to invade.

Two young women standing on Sunset Pavilion, which looks out on the waters where China's nearest drill zone is located, said they had gone out on a boat earlier and the captain had pointed out a ship in the distance and told the passengers half-jokingly that "we might get bombed." 

One of the women, Jolene, said that on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being highest, her level of concern was a 3. The other, Emily, said hers was a 6 or 7. 

"This is kind of a dangerous situation," Emily said. "We’re already living in this kind of situation everyday, so we have to get used to it to keep our life and peace of mind."

Taiwan lawmaker warns China could "invade" territorial waters

Pelosi's Taiwan visit has echoes of 1996 crisis

Taiwanese shrug off China drills:  "Everyone becomes numb to it"

Life continues as normal on a Taiwanese islet just six miles from Chinese military drills.

Three tourists pose for a photo on the beach near Kaohsiung Harbor, with oceanliners on the horizon.

Tourists pose for a photo on the beach near Kaohsiung Harbor, as cargo ships anchor outside the Taiwanese port on August 5, 2022. Photo credit: Sebastian Kjeldtoft.

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