OFF TO THE RACES: Lewandowski is gone. Now what?
Benjy Sarlin, Katy Tur and Hallie Jacksonhave a deep dive on what Trump’s team must do now after campaign manager Corey Lewandowski’s ouster. "Allies of Donald Trump celebrated campaign manager Corey Lewandowski's firing, hoping it would clear the way for a more professional operation and remove a voice that encouraged the candidate's worst instincts. But the damage from Trump's failure to mount a complete campaign — and his erratic message since securing the nomination in May — is severe and the latest fundraising numbers look downright catastrophic.”
Trump’s FEC report shows a huge gulf between his fundraising and that of Hillary Clinton, with only a paltry $1.3 million cash on hand.
More, from the New York Times: "He has a staff of around 70 people — compared with nearly 700 for Mrs. Clinton — suggesting only the barest effort toward preparing to contest swing states this fall. And he fired his campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, on Monday, after concerns among allies and donors about his ability to run a competitive race.”
The AP’s post-Lewandowski lede: "Donald Trump's decision to fire his embattled campaign manager less than a month before the Republican convention sent a powerful signal to weary GOP leaders that the billionaire businessman recognizes the increasingly dire state of his presidential campaign. Now, his party is looking for him to quickly implement other changes to mount a credible challenge to likely rival Hillary Clinton."
"A campaign to stop Donald Trump from becoming the Republican presidential nominee has the support of nearly 400 delegates to the GOP’s convention next month, according to organizers, quickly transforming what began as an idea tossed around on social media into a force that could derail a national campaign,” writes the Washington Post.
CLINTON: She intends to pummel Trump on economic issues, calling him a callous usher of a possible new recession.
From POLITICO: "Democratic operatives planning next month’s national convention in Philadelphia have reached out to Lin-Manuel Miranda, the Tony Award-winning writer and star of the hit Broadway musical “Hamilton,” about performing at the Wells Fargo Center, sources told POLITICO. It’s part of an ambitious plan to generate excitement and boost television viewership for the party convention after what Democrats expect to be a four-day reality show at the Republican convention in Cleveland."
SANDERS: He raised about $15.2 million in May.
TRUMP: He spent more than $1 million reimbursing his family and his companies.
His campaign will announce a religious advisory board. From the Wall Street Journal: "The new group of 20 to 30 people will be among hundreds of religious leaders gathering Tuesday in New York City to meet privately with Mr. Trump. Ben Carson, one of Mr. Trump’s former rivals for the GOP nomination, is helping to organize the meeting.”
Republican lawmakers on the Hill are cautiously optimistic in the wake of Lewandowski’s firing, POLITICO reports.
"According to a Trump nondisclosure agreement obtained by The Associated Press, the celebrity billionaire has broad discretion over what could constitute a breach of confidentiality. Employees are restricted from publicly disclosing information "of a private, proprietary or confidential nature or that Mr. Trump insists remain private or confidential," according to the document. It also requires them to return or destroy copies of any confidential information upon Trump's request. The agreement is binding during employment and "and at all times thereafter.” The document was provided to The AP by a former Trump employee, who did so on the condition that the AP would not identify this person by name or make public the multipage document. "
CONGRESS: Gun measures go down to defeat
After fiery debate, the Senate voted down all four proposals to address gun control.
From the New York Times: "Not one senator in either party believes that someone who presents a serious terrorism risk should be able to waltz into a gun shop and legally buy powerful firearms. Yet partisanship, a reluctance to compromise and the influence of powerful special interests again prevented lawmakers from achieving a consensus objective, as four separate plans went down on Monday to an entirely predictable defeat.”
From the AP: "Just over four months to the election, and facing pressure from their Democratic opponents, most Republican Senate incumbents opted for consistency despite the political frenzy days after the worst mass shooting in modern American history."