Welcome to The Lid, your afternoon dose of the 2016 ethos…. Donald Trump’s potential running mates met his family over the past two days. We assume they were eager to impress the presumptive nominee by talking about his favorite things, like the number of primaries he won and making fun of Jeb Bush.
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‘16 from 30,000
We’ve now entered the full Hunger Games portion of the pre-VPannouncement, with both Mike Pence and Newt Gingrich meeting privately todaywith Donald Trump and his son, daughter and son-in-law. (Chris Christie metwith the candidate’s children Tuesday, NBC’s Kelly O’Donnell reports.) NBC’sreporting shows that the candidate’s advisers are split, with some (mostnotably his family) warm towards Gingrich, while others (including some of hismost powerful campaign aides) are advocating for Pence as a choice to unite theparty. Pence checks more boxes with evangelicals and the party faithful -- and he may be a boon in the midwest. And Gingrich, who shares Trump’senthusiasm for the spotlight, likes nothing more than exercising his zest forneedling the Clintons. If we’re honest, VP selections rarely end up vastlyinfluencing the trajectory of the race, but this one will at the very least bean illuminating window into the candidate’s decision-making process.
POPPING ON NBC POLITICS
- Hillary Clinton leads Donald Trump in Iowa and Pennsylvania, while the two are tied in the key battleground state of Ohio, according to a trio of new NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist polls.
- Trump and his family huddled with prospective VP picks over the past two days, NBC’s Kelly O’Donnell and Katy Tur report.
- NBC’s Alex Seitz-Wald recaps the 10 biggest moments that defined the Bernie Sanders campaign.
- Here’s what we know about the GOP speakers so far.
- Anti-Donald Trump forces are within striking distance of getting a vote on a measure aimed at challenging his nomination at the GOP convention next week, NBC’s Alex Jaffe reports.
- Hillary Clinton called Trump a “threat” to Democracy, NBC’s Monica Alba reports.
- And from First Read: The 2016 campaign has hit rock bottom.
FOR THE RECORD…
“Asked what he was doing in the state, [Gingrich] acknowledged he was going to meet with Mr. Trump’s children. “See the kids, go to the zoo,” said Mr. Gingrich. (Though he is an animal lover and is known to often make time to visit local zoos, he clarified he was only kidding about visiting the Indianapolis Zoo).”
The New York Times on Gingrich’s trip to Indiana
TOMORROW’S SKED
Hillary Clinton speaks to the LULAC conference and meets with Senate Democrats before she campaigns with Tim Kaine
The Republican National Committee opens two days of its full Rules Committee meeting.
