OFF TO THE RACES: Violence in San Jose
Trump supporters in San Jose were mobbed and assaulted by protesters Thursday night, including one who was pelted with eggs.
Benjy Sarlin on Paul Ryan's decision to back down on his Trump non-endorsement: "A Republican source close to Ryan said he made the decision to endorse early this week following a series of conversations with Trump over the last several weeks. While Ryan will focus on campaigning for fellow House members, the source did not rule out the possibility he would join Trump on the campaign trail or help fundraise for his campaign."
The Washington Post editorial board had this to say about the endorsement: "Following Mr. Ryan’s endorsement, some insisted that the speaker had little choice. This is false. “My dad used to say, ‘If you’re not a part of the solution, you’re a part of the problem,’ ” Mr. Ryan said in March. When he has a comparable conversation with his children, how will Mr. Ryan explain the decision he made in this campaign?"
The Washington Post notes that Latino Republicans are struggling to decide whether to be involved with the 2016 race.
CLINTON: Alex Seitz-Wald on Clinton's speech Thursday: "[O]n Thursday in San Diego, Clinton delivered what was easily her toughest speech yet on the presumptive Republican nominee, deploying a potent combination of her well-known policy wonkishness with a surprising dose of ridicule."
And here's our wrap of the speech as a whole yesterday.
From the New York Times: "After weeks of criticism from fellow Democrats about her approach to a barrage of insults from Donald J. Trump, Hillary Clinton drastically changed course on Thursday: Instead of staying above the fray, she took the fight to Mr. Trump."
And from the AP: "Wrapped in the guise of a foreign policy speech, Clinton delivered a political thrashing of Donald Trump on Thursday that was unquestionably a standout moment for a candidate who has often struggled to focus her White House campaign."
The Washington Post fact-checks her claims about Trump.
In the address, Clinton was light on specifics at times.
She's about to start soliciting general election funds.
Michael Bloomberg's gun control group is endorsing Clinton.
TRUMP: From the Wall Street Journal: "In an interview, Mr. Trump said U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel had “an absolute conflict” in presiding over the litigation given that he was “of Mexican heritage” and a member of a Latino lawyers’ association. Mr. Trump said the background of the judge, who was born in Indiana to Mexican immigrants, was relevant because of his campaign stance against illegal immigration and his pledge to seal the southern U.S. border. “I’m building a wall. It’s an inherent conflict of interest,” Mr. Trump said."
He's singing a different tune on New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, saying in an interview that he would like her support and that he has "always liked her."
From the New York Times: "Donald J. Trump’s blustery attacks on the press, complaints about the judicial system and bold claims of presidential power collectively sketch out a constitutional worldview that shows contempt for the First Amendment, the separation of powers and the rule of law, legal experts across the political spectrum say. Even as much of the Republican political establishment lines up behind its presumptive nominee, many conservative and libertarian legal scholars warn that electing Mr. Trump is a recipe for a constitutional crisis."
Ian Bremmer writes in POLITICO: "He won’t approach problems as if the world’s sole superpower can afford to be generous, to do more so that others can do less. He sees no special responsibility to be magnanimous, or even patient. Being No. 1 doesn’t mean playing the role of provider. It's about winning. It means being the toughest, smartest son of a bitch at the table. In short, Trump will probably try to remake U.S. foreign policy in his own (self-)image.”