Happening this Monday: President Biden continues to face backlash in own party from handling of Israel-Hamas war… Tim Scott suspends presidential campaign… Chris Christie visits Israel… Doug Burgum is in Iowa, while Dean Phillips campaigns in New Hampshire… And Congress has five days to avert a government shutdown.
But FIRST… In Ohio last week, 59% of voters said they were angry or dissatisfied at the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, according to the NBC News exit poll of that ballot measure that passed enshrining abortion rights.
That’s in a state Donald Trump won by 8 points in 2020.
And nationally, per the June 2023 NBC News poll, 61% of voters say they disapproved of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.
That’s in a country where President Joe Biden’s job-approval rating was at 43%, and a Biden-vs.-Trump hypothetical rematch was a close contest, according to the same June poll.
On “Meet the Press” Sunday, RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel said Republican candidates can’t let Democrats define them on abortion — and need to better explain why banning abortions at 15 weeks is the right approach.
“Listen, we have to talk compassionately. We can’t attack women. We also have to define ourselves before the Democrats define us,” she said. “[I]f you go on TV and you say to the American people, ‘Listen, we all are passionate about this issue. And it’s confusing right now. But in a time of consensus, can’t we agree on reasonable limitations at 15 weeks when a baby feels pain?’”
But the GOP’s political problem goes well beyond a debate over weeks or political messaging — when approximately 60% of voters say they’re upset that the 50-year status quo on abortion was overturned in this country, and when that overturn was due to the previous GOP president’s Supreme Court justices and a party that said it wanted to topple Roe.
And remember, while Roe v. Wade established a constitutional right to an abortion, the opinion also said that states could prohibit abortion after a fetus reached viability — and that states could regulate abortions beginning in the second trimester.
That was the status quo that got overturned a year ago. And 60% of voters remain unhappy about it.
Headline of the day
The number of the day is … 5
That’s how many days are left for Congress to avert a government shutdown by Nov. 17. Over the weekend, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and other GOP House leaders unveiled a two-step continuing resolution, which they’ve dubbed a “laddered CR,” NBC’s Scott Wong and Julie Tsirkin report.
The House is expected to vote as soon as Tuesday on the proposal. But Johnson’s proposal doesn’t include budget cuts or aid to Israel and some GOP members are already vocally opposed to it, including Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas.
Democrats in the House and Senate have also already signaled their opposition to the measure, calling for “a simple extension of government funding without any gimmicks,” Wong and Tsirkin write.
Eyes on 2024: The incredibly shrinking GOP field
Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., surprised even many of his own campaign staffers when he announced late Sunday night that he was ending his presidential run, further shrinking the field of Republican candidates taking on former President Donald Trump.
“I think the voters, who are the most remarkable people on the planet, have been really clear that they’re telling me: not now,” Scott Said during an appearance on Trey Gowdy’s Fox News program — also appearing to surprise Gowdy, Scott’s longtime friend, per NBC’s Nnamdi Egwuonwu and Alex Tabet.
Scott’s campaign, once flush with cash, had started to run short on money and he was struggling to gain traction in recent polls. The RNC’s higher polling and donor requirements for the fourth debate next month also meant Scott would have a tough time making the debate stage.
It remains to be seen whether other GOP candidates will head for the exits. Two candidates who failed to qualify for the third debate have still moved forward with their campaigns.
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum told Tabet and NBC’s Sarah Dean over the weekend that he plans to stay in the race at least until the New Hampshire primary. Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson had previously saidhe was aiming to hit 4% in early state polls “before Thanksgiving” — a threshold he has yet to reach.
In other campaign news …
Haley hits the airwaves: Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley’s campaign is planning a $10 million ad buyin Iowa and New Hampshire starting in December, per the AP. The new spending comes as Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are refocusing their efforts on Iowa following last week’s debate, NBC’s Alex Tabet and Jillian Frankel report.
Biden backlash: President Joe Biden’s approach to Israel is “tearing at Biden’s political coalition and putting him in the awkward spot of reining in a Jewish state he has long revered,” write NBC’s Peter Nicholas and Dan De Luce.
Taking on Trump: Biden is ramping up his attacks on former President Donald Trump, with the president personally deciding to criticize Trump during a union event last week, NBC’s Carol E. Lee and Kristen Welker report.
Far from the campaign trail: Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie left the campaign trail this weekend and became the first GOP presidential hopeful to travel to Israel, saying, “We need to stand absolutely shoulder to shoulder with the people of Israel.”
Dean’s dough: Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., told CNN there is “no” limit to how much of his own money he could spend on his presidential bid.
Sinema’s dilemma: Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., has lost support from her Democratic donors since leaving the party, and they are instead backing Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego’s Senate bid, per Politico.
Thinking about it: Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy is expected to serve out the rest of his term, but he told CNN he has not yet decided if he’s running for re-election.
Rematch: Progressive Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar is facing a primary rematch against former Minneapolis City Council member Don Samuels, whom Omar narrowly defeated last year, per Politico.
Back to the drawing board: A federal court in New Orleans on Friday ordered Louisiana legislators to enact a new congressional map by Jan. 15 after another court previously ruled that the current map dilutes the power of Black voters in the state.
2024 is just around the corner: NBC’s Noah Pransky details one election official’s work in Arizona to develop trust in his county’s electoral system — and stop conspiracy theories before they start. This comes just after a week where election offices in multiple states received physical threats, including envelopes containing fentanyl, sparking fear among election officials, Politico reports.
ICYMI: What ELSE is happening in the world:
New York City Mayor Eric Adams defended himself over the weekend amid reports he allegedly used his influence to speed up approvals for a Turkish consulate building project.
NBC’s Shannon Pettypiece examines the uptick of workers logging overtime across various sectors to help offset staffing shortages plaguing the economy.
