WASHINGTON — If it’s Thursday ... Russia’s Putin claims success in Mariupol. ... The Justice Department formally moves to appeal mask ruling at CDC’s request (but doesn’t move to block federal judge’s order, so mandate overturn remains in effect). ... President Biden heads to Portland, Ore., to tout infrastructure law and raise money for DNC. ... The New York Times recounts how McConnell, McCarthy privately blasted Trump after Jan. 6. ... And Raphael Warnock admits he’s not a magician in the latest Georgia Senate ad.
But first: On Monday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., took to the New York Times op-ed pages to warn Democrats that they need to do more delivering the rest of Biden’s agenda — or risk losing control of Congress.
“Democrats cannot bow to the wisdom of out-of-touch consultants who recommend we simply tout our accomplishments,” Warren wrote. “Instead, Democrats need to deliver more of the president’s agenda — or else we will not be in the majority much longer.”
Then on Wednesday, a memo from Sen. Bernie Sanders’, I-Vt., political team got leaked, touting the senator’s popularity and also not ruling out a 2024 presidential bid.
“In the event of an open 2024 Democratic presidential primary, Sen. Sanders has not ruled out another run for president, so we advise that you answer any questions about 2024 with that in mind,” the memo said, per NBC’s Jonathan Allen.
Add them up — with the acknowledgement that Sanders’ memo is much more explicit about 2024 than Warren’s op-ed is — and they amount to firing a starter’s gun on the Democrats’ invisible 2024 primary, especially if Biden ultimately doesn’t run for re-election.
Six months before the midterms.
As Biden’s approval ratings are in the 30s and 40s.
With the party divided over the fate of the president’s agenda, as well as over Title 42 and immigration.
And all at a time when the party would be traditionally rallying around Biden before November.
Data Download: The number of the day is … 8
That’s how many candidates Sen. Bernie Sanders has endorsed so far this cycle. They were the purported audience for the Sanders campaign memo detailing how candidates should respond to questions about his endorsement.
So far, the Vermont senator has backed Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., for Senate, and as well as a handful of House candidates, including attorney Jessica Cisneros, who faces Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, in a primary runoff next month, and Nina Turner, his presidential campaign co-chair who is taking on Ohio Rep. Shontel Brown in a May 3 primary.
Sanders has also backed a trio of Democrats in deep blue open seats, including Summer Lee in Pennsylvania’s 12th District, Greg Casar in Texas’ 35th District, and Jasmine Crockett in Texas’ 30th District.
Democrat Lee Merritt of Texas had Sanders’ backing in his failed bid for Texas attorney general. Sanders has also endorsed Los Angeles City Councilmember Gilbert Cedillo.
Other numbers you need to know today:
83: The age Bernie Sanders will be on Inauguration Day 2025.
82: The age President Joe Biden will be on Inauguration Day 2025.
78: The age Donald Trump will be on Inauguration Day 2025.
75: The age Elizabeth Warren will be on Inauguration Day 2025.
14,000: The number of migrants expected to pass through the southern border per day after Title 42 is lifted. NBC News’ Julia Ainsley reports that this surge could cause a budget shortfall of hundreds of millions of dollars for U.S. border agencies.
$7 million: That’s how much the crypto-billionaire funded Protect Our Future PAC has spent in independent expenditures in OR-06, a massive sum for a House primary.
2: The number of sailors assigned to USS George Washington who died by suicide just one day apart.
$1.3 million: How much a judge ordered the Trump campaign to pay in legal fees to former aide Omarosa Manigault Newman after a lawsuit over her nondisclosure agreement.
81,011,207: The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United States, per the most recent data from NBC News and health officials.
994,994: The number of deaths in the United States from the virus so far.
Tweet of the day
Midterm roundup: 2022 and 2024 collide
Donald Trump isn’t the only potential 2024 candidate looking to wield his power in GOP primaries.
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is now on opposite sides of the former president in two upcoming primaries. Pompeo traveled to Pennsylvania Wednesday to headline a rally for former hedge fund manager David McCormick.
Also on Wednesday, Pompeo endorsed Rep. David McKinley, R-W.V., who faces Trump-backed Rep. Alex Mooney in a May 10 primary. Pompeo and McKinley worked together on the Energy and Commerce Committee while Pompeo was in the House.
Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis is also hitting the campaign trail. He’s heading to Nevada next week to stump for former state Attorney General Adam Laxalt in his race for Senate, per a release from the Laxalt campaign.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is campaigning with Laxalt later today. Cruz also starred in a recent ad to support former state Treasurer Josh Mandel in Ohio’s Senate race (Trump just backed J.D. Vance).
Elsewhere on the campaign trail:
Alabama Senate: A new ad from Alabama RINO PAC includes video of Republican Mike Durant talking about gun control in 2011.
North Carolina Senate: Club for Growth Action, which is backing GOP Rep. Ted Budd in the Senate race, is up with a new ad going after former GOP Rep. Mark Walker. And Democrat Cheri Beasley did not back a mask mandate for transportation, telling WSCO-TV “it should be up to individual groups and communities to determine mask policy.”
Ohio Senate: A new spot from the Buckeyes for a Strong Ohio super PAC boosts businessman Mike Gibbons by attacking former state Treasurer Josh Mandel for “endorsing [Mitt] Romney [in 2012] and cozying up to [John] Kasich.”
Pennsylvania Senate: Vice reports that while Republican David McCormick has attacked “wokeness” during his Senate race, he penned an open letter responding to the murder of George Floyd that in part acknowledges systemic racism.
Georgia Governor: Former Republican Sen. David Perdue is running a new ad that again blames GOP Gov. Brian Kemp for Biden being president by evoking the lie that Kemp “allowed radicals to steal the election.”
Illinois Governor: Days after a GOP PAC took a shot at Republican former Mayor Richard Irvin over his comments about Black Lives Matter, Irvin’s campaign is up with a new ad showing his primary opponent, state Sen. Darren Bailey, talking about voting for Biden (the ad doesn’t specify a date but Bailey has said he voted for Biden in the 2008 primary and claims he wanted to deny Hillary Clinton the nomination).
Nevada: Nevada Democrats’ first election cycle since the death of the late Sen. Harry Reid will test the strength of the political machine he built over the years, NBC News’ Natasha Korecki reports.
Ad watch: Not a magician
Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., is marketing himself to Georgia voters on the airwaves as a senator who’s spent one year, “creating jobs, fixing infrastructure, expanding healthcare,” but needs a full term to get more meaningful work done.
In a new ad out on Wednesday, the senator tells voters, “I'm a dad, a senator, a pastor, but a magician, I'm not.” He adds, “So, in just a year in the Senate did I think I could fix Washington? Of course not.”
This ad comes after weeks of political analysts speculating: what messaging strategy will Democrats capitalize on for the 2022 midterms? It seems Warnock has chosen one path, to level-set with voters.
Watch the MTP Daily panel discuss the ad here.
ICYMI: What else is happening in the world
Politico reports that Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin is planning to launch new political groups to get more involved in the midterms.
Utah GOP Sen. Mike Lee is claiming text messages he sent to then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows are being taken out of context.
Former President Trump released audio from his interview with Piers Morgan to refute the implication he stormed out over questions related to the 2020 election.
