OFF TO THE RACES: Reacting to the attack in Nice
The presidential candidates and their potential VP picks responded to the attacks in Nice last night, with Trump deciding to postpone his planned 11am unveiling of his VP choice.
Newt Gingrich said “every person here who is of a Muslim background” should be “tested” to determine if they follow Sharia law.
CLINTON: She called into live cable broadcasts late Thursday night to condemn the Nice attack.
And Tim Kaine auditioned for the VP role at a joint campaign appearance in Virginia.
Clinton leads Trump in diverse battleground states, our new NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll finds.
From the Wall Street Journal, on the new polls: "A flurry of polling in key battleground states in recent days suggests three bottom-line readings of the 2016 presidential race at this point: The race is growing closer, but remains Democrat Hillary Clinton’s to lose; the presence of third-party candidates scrambles the equation but not to either major-party candidate’s obvious benefit; and, an intriguing question going forward is whether polling is finding a ceiling of sorts for Republican Donald Trump."
TRUMP: The Washington Post looks at the confusion of Trump's VP pick process yesterday.
And the New York Times wraps up the chaos thusly: "After huddling with Mr. Pence in Indiana, flying multiple other candidates to Indianapolis for last-minute interviews, hinting to party leaders that his decision had been made and then frantically denying it to the news media, Mr. Trump delayed his decision entirely."
Tim Tebow says it’s a “rumor” that he’s speaking at the GOP convention.
The New York Times outlines why many GOP senators are skipping Cleveland.
Alex Seitz-Wald lays out how Democrats will attack Mike Pence.
NBC's Leigh Ann Caldwell and Alex Jaffe: "Donald Trump received a major victory Thursday as delegates overwhelmingly opposed last-ditch efforts to derail his nomination. In the wonky Rules Committee meeting ahead of the Republican National Convention next week, a whip team assembled by the Trump campaign worked closely with officials at the Republican National Convention to defeat anti-Trump delegates' efforts. The RNC and Trump whip teams erupted into applause behind a section-off portion of the cavernous hall when the committee adjourned."
The Washington Post looks at how Trump "uses insults, threats and lawsuits to quiet critics."
GOP convention organizers in Cleveland are asking Sheldon Adelson for a bailout.