Happening this Tuesday: Biden delivers remarks on Hamas’ attack on Israel at 1:00 pm ET… Latest death toll stands at more than 900 Israelis and approximately 770 Palestinians… Special counsel interviews Biden in his classified document investigation… Will Hurd suspends presidential run, endorses Nikki Haley… And Republican Kari Lake is expected to launch AZ-SEN bid.
But FIRST… The two candidates for speaker — Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise and Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan — will make their cases to their GOP colleagues during a forum on Tuesday, with Republican lawmakers set to vote on a secret ballot on Wednesday before the full floor vote.
And the new war in the Middle East adds urgency to this speakership race, NBC’s Scott Wong, Sahil Kapur and Julie Tsirkin report.
“The full House will return to work on Tuesday. But because the House is operating with no elected speaker, it is effectively paralyzed. It can’t pass emergency military aid for Israel until lawmakers seat a new speaker. In addition, Congress must pass a spending bill to avert a government shutdown by mid-November.”
More from Wong, Kapur and Tsirkin: “And while the interim speaker, Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., participated in an unclassified conference call about the Israel-Palestinian conflict Sunday night, it’s unclear whether he’ll be able to get classified briefings in the Capitol this week. (President Joe Biden would need to grant him that authority.)”
Meanwhile, McCarthy hasn’t exactly gone away.
The former speaker held a news conference Monday on Hamas’ attack, and he’s conducted multiple TV interviews, including on “Meet the Press NOW” yesterday — in which he declined to take himself out of contention for the speaker’s gavel (though he said he wasn’t a candidate).
NBC’s RYAN NOBLES: Before you go, sir, I want to definitively make this clear. You are not ruling yourself out as a potential Speaker of the House?
MCCARTHY: Listen, the conference can do whatever they are. I am not a candidate for it. The conference picks out whoever they think
Later in the interview…
NOBLES: Okay. Will there be a Speaker of the House by this time next week?
MCCARTHY: I believe so.
Headline of the day
The number of the day is … Two dozen
That’s how many of U.S. fighter jets that could arrive near the Middle East in the coming days, NBC News’ Courtney Kube and Carol E. Lee report.
This comes as the U.S. deploys several warships and jets into the region this week to signal its support for Israel and to deter Iran from taking any action against Israel during the conflict.
The warships that are accompanying the jets could also be used to evacuate American citizens if necessary, Kube and Lee report.
Eyes on 2024: Hurd exits presidential contest, backs Haley
Former Texas Congressman Will Hurd suspended his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination Monday evening and endorsed former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, who has gained some momentum in the race following the GOP primary debates.
“Ambassador Haley has shown a willingness to articulate a different vision for the country than Donald Trump and has an unmatched grasp on the complexities of our foreign policy,” Hurd said in a statement, per NBC’s Alex Tabet.
Hurd becomes the second GOP candidate to drop out of the race, following Miami Mayor Francis Suarez who dropped out in August. Hurd’s campaign struggled from the beginning, and he did not qualify for either of the Republican primary debates that have been held so far.
Hurd spent a lot of time campaigning in New Hampshire, a state that will be in the spotlight later this week as presidential candidates officially file to appear on the state’s primary ballot, per NBC News’ Emma Barnett. The filing period opens on Wednesdayand many candidates will stay in Nashua for the New Hampshire GOP’s First in the Nation Leadership Summit over the weekend.
In other campaign news …
Party pressures: Biden is likely to face “competing pressures” from within his own party when it comes to his approach to Israel, per NBC News’ Peter Nicholas.
Special counsel interview: The special counsel investigating Biden’s handling of classified documents interviewed the president on Sunday and Monday, the White House said.
Biden vs. Trump: Former President Donald Trump on Monday blamed Biden for Hamas’ attack on Israel, and the Biden campaign responded by calling Trump “too dangerous to lead the United States on the world stage,” per NBC’s Jonathan Allen.
Independents’ Day: Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., announced Monday that he is ending his run for the Democratic presidential nomination and instead running as an independent, per NBC News’ Alex Seitz-Wald and Katherine Koretski.
Trump trial: Special counsel Jack Smith argued in a new court filing on Monday that there is no reason to delay Trump’s trial in the classified documents case, NBC’s Dareh Gregorian and Daniel Barnes report.
Cruz cash: Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, raised $5.4 million during the third fundraising quarter for his re-election campaign, ending June with $6.7 million in his campaign account, per Fox News.
ICYMI: What ELSE is happening in the world
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is expected to hold a confirmation hearing next week for Biden’s nominee for ambassador to Israel, per NBC’s Monica Alba, Peter Nicholas, Abigail Williams and Kate Santaliz.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton reportedly plans to file criminal complaints against the state lawmakers who led the case for his impeachment.
The Biden administration and key pro-Ukraine Republican lawmakers are weighing tying aid for Israel to aid for Ukraine as a strategy to pass both funding priorities, NBC’s Monica Alba, Julie Tsirkin, Kelly O’Donnell and Sahil Kapur report.
