If it’s MONDAY … President Biden welcomes Houston Astros to White House for World Series celebration … Nikki Haley is campaigning in New Hampshire while Vivek Ramaswamy hits the trail in Michigan … NBC’s Julia Ainsley and Didi Martinez report that more than 1,300 migrants are crossing the U.S.-Mexico border into Arizona each day … GOP presidential candidates have two weeks to qualify for the first debate … and tune into MSNBC, NBC News NOW and “NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt” for more from NBC News’ interview with Ron DeSantis.
But FIRST … The top headline out of Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ interview with NBC News is a newsy one: DeSantis unequivocally declaring that “of course” former President Donald Trump lost the 2020 election — his clearest statements on the question that’s become a litmus test within the Republican Party.
But a look beneath the surface reveals DeSantis has been putting together a unique strategy to chip away at Trump’s overwhelming lead over the GOP presidential field.
Very few of Trump’s presidential rivals are interested in criticizing him at all. But when they do, the criticism sounds like this: “Trump was a good president. But ...” Their criticism is largely reserved for Trump’s demeanor, or his conduct surrounding the 2020 election or the other allegations that have led to his three indictments.
But throughout his interview with NBC News’ Dasha Burns, DeSantis indirectly suggested that Republicans should consider a different question: Was Trump actually a good president?
On the 2020 bipartisan bill that authorized new funding for election administration, which some states used to expand mail-in voting during the pandemic: “Donald Trump signed that bill that funded the mail ballots that all the Republicans have been so concerned about.”
On Trump’s pandemic policy: “Trump turned the government over to Fauci; they embraced lockdowns.”
On the FBI’s handling of the leaked Hunter Biden laptop ahead of the 2020 election: Trump “didn’t have control over his own government.”
On the border wall: “And it really hit me when I was down in Arizona. You know, most of the border doesn’t have a wall, of course. … We will actually build a border wall.”
It’s a weighty charge: That Trump failed on the pandemic, the 2020 election, his signature immigration policy and on the entire management of the federal bureaucracy.
But are enough Republican voters willing to even entertain that argument?
Tune in for the interview Monday on “TODAY” and “NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt.” Additional segments will air throughout the day on MSNBC and NBC News NOW. The full interview will also be available on NBCNews.com.
Headline of the day
Data Download: The number of the day is … more than 1,300
That’s how many migrants, on average, are crossing the U.S.-Mexico border into Arizona per day, according to Customs and Border Protection data. The figure underscores how “a growing number of migrants have braved record-breaking heat and dangerous terrain to cross into Arizona,” write NBC News’ Julia Ainsley and Didi Martinez.
The area is “long considered the most dangerous area” to cross the border, with daily temperatures around 100 degrees.
Eyes on 2024: Counting down to the GOP debate
Republican presidential hopefuls have just two weeks left to qualify for the first presidential primary debate, which is set for Aug. 23. Candidates must hit the minimum threshold of 40,000 unique donors and the polling thresholds 48 hours prior to that debate, and also commit to supporting the eventual GOP nominee.
So far, seven candidates have appeared to qualify for the debate in Milwaukee: former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. (It’s not clear if Trump will show up.)
Former Vice President Mike Pence and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson have both hit the polling thresholds, but they’re still working to reach the minimum donor requirement. Over the weekend, GOP businessman Perry Johnson announced he’s hit the 40,000 unique donor threshold, but he’ll need to perform better at the polls to qualify.
But the Republican National Committee is raising the bar for the second debate in September, increasing the donor and polling thresholds, making it tougher for some candidates to make the stage.
In other campaign news …
Trump talk: Federal prosecutors on Friday sought to prevent Trump from publicly disclosing evidence in his election interference case, noting that “such disclosure could have a harmful chilling effect on witnesses or adversely affect the fair administration of justice in this case.”
Debatable: California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s spokesman called DeSantis’ proposed rules for a Fox News debate “a joke,” casting doubt on the possibility that the two governors could face off.
Flight risk: NBC News’ Matt Dixon reports that DeSantis’ effort to stop migrants from coming to the Florida Keys involved state law enforcement agents “conducting surveillance flights that went against state policies and best safety practices,” per internal records.
Bigelow’s warning: Hotel magnate Robert Bigelow, who has spent $20 million boosting DeSantis’ presidential bid, warned that he could pull his financial support unless the governor moderates his positions, telling Reuters, “Extremism isn’t going to get you elected.”
Haley’s challenge: The New York Times unpacks the challenges facing former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley as she struggles to break through the GOP presidential primary field.
Harris’ opportunity: The New York Times reports how Vice President Kamala Harris is stepping into a more visible role on the campaign trail in recent weeks, taking on fights against DeSantis and speaking out for abortion access.
Pence faces protesters: NBC News’ Sarah Dean reports on how former Vice President Mike Pence’s role after the 2020 election and on Jan. 6, 2021 is centerstage during his presidential bid, including one scene where pro-Trump protesters showed up to his event and called him a “traitor.”
On second thought: Two months after posting a social media video celebrating Juneteenth, GOP businessman Vivek Ramaswamy told a crowd in Iowa he wanted to “Cancel Juneteenth or one of the other useless ones we made up,” NBC News’ Alex Tabet and Katherine Koretski report.
Will he, won’t he? Minnesota Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips told CBS Sunday that he wants Democrats who are “well positioned, well prepared, have good character and competency” to jump into the presidential primary against President Biden. Phillips said he personally has “not decided yet” if he is going to run for president.
Buckeye special: Tuesday’s special election in Ohio to raise the threshold to amend the state’s constitution, impacting a November abortion vote, is also setting the stage for a hotly contested GOP Senate primary, NBC News’ Henry J. Gomez reports.
ICYMI: What ELSE is happening in the world
North Carolina Democratic Rep. Kathy Manning was injured, along with a staff member, in a car accident last week, The Associated Press reports, with the congresswoman breaking her sternum and a bone in her foot.
A Texas judge issued a new order temporarily exempting pregnant women with a “physical emergent medical condition” from the state’s abortion ban.
The FDA approved the first postpartum depression pill Friday.
