If it’s TUESDAY… Nashville police chief tells NBC News “resentment” may have been behind shooter’s attack on former school… President Biden travels to North Carolina, where he will tout semiconductor manufacturing at 2:30 pm ET… Former National Enquirer CEO testifies before Trump grand jury, while the former president appears on Fox News… Nikki Haley calls for more metal detectors, not more gun control during New Hampshire stop… And we’re one week away from Wisconsin’s state Supreme Court race, as well as Chicago’s mayoral runoff.
But FIRST... Once again, a national political leader has overreached after winning an election — and has paid a price for it.
At least for now.
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed Monday evening to pause a divisive plan to overhaul Israel’s judicial system until the next parliament session after widespread unrest,” per NBC News.
“As unprecedented strikes gripped Israel, Netanyahu said he was postponing voting on the judicial overhaul to allow time to reach a consensus.”
NBC’s Richard Engel called it the “biggest domestic crisis in Israel’s history” on “Today” this morning.
NBC’s Andrea Mitchell added, “I’ve never seen anti-government protests cutting across so many sectors in Israeli political, military and civic life as this latest outpouring, and Israeli and American experts don’t believe Netanyahu’s ‘time out’ is going to resolve the crisis.”
And here’s NBC correspondent Josh Lederman: “I think one thing that hasn’t gotten enough attention is the ramifications of the Israeli military opposition to this plan on U.S. security assistance to Israel (as you know, Israel gets more US aid than any other country).”
Lederman continued, “If there’s a constitutional crisis where Israel’s military chain of command is in dispute, it becomes extremely messy for the U.S. to continue sending them money and weapons, sharing intelligence, etc.”
Netanyahu’s pause, however, hasn’t ended the controversy.
In his speech on Monday, the Israeli prime minister argued his proposed judicial overhaul was still needed.
“A large majority of the public today recognizes the necessity of democratic reform in the judicial system,” Netanyahu said.
Data Download: The number of the day is ... 6
That’s the number of people killed — three nine-year-old children and three school employees — at a shooting at a private Christian school in Nashville on Monday.
The 28-year-old shooter had previously attended school there and was killed by the responding officers.
It’s the third school shooting of the year and the 57th since 2013, per an NBC News count.
Other numbers you need to know today
40: The number of states that have expanded Medicaid, stemming from the Affordable Care Act’s passage more than a decade ago, now that North Carolina Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper signed the expansion into law on Monday.
21%: The portion of residents who live in poverty in Rolling Fork, Miss., a town torn apart by extreme weather and tornadoes in the last week.
39: The number of Republican senators who are backing a measure to nix President Joe Biden’s executive actions aimed at forgiving some federal student loan debt.
44%: The portion of Democrats who prefer that Biden not seek re-election in 2024, according to a Monmouth University poll.
51%: The portion of Democrats who couldn’t name a replacement to Biden if the president doesn’t run in ’24, per the same poll.
46%: The share of Americans in a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll who say Trump has done something illegal.
Headline of the day
Eyes on 2024: Christie makes the case to take on Trump
So far, current and potential presidential candidates have been a bit reluctant to criticize former President Donald Trump, who maintains a strong grip on the party’s base.
But that could change if former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie jumps into the race.
"You have to be fearless, because [Trump] will come back — and right at you,” Christie told a group of supporters at a town hall in New Hampshire Monday night, per Politico. “And that means you need to think about who’s got the skill to do that, and who’s got the guts to do that, because it’s not going to end nicely.”
Christie, who made an unsuccessful run for president in 2016, added that hewing too close to the former president is a recipe for failure, pointing to the GOP’s losses in the last three election cycles.
But if he jumps in the race, Christie would face questions from both ends of the GOP spectrum, and he was pressed Monday on how he would defend himself both from those calling him a “Never Trumper”and those questioning why he supported Trump for as long as he did, per Semafor.
Trump’s team appeared to dismiss the criticism from Christie, with spokesman Stephen Cheung commenting simply, “Who’s that?” to the Washington Post. The Post also reported that Christie said a candidate must decide to get into the race by “probably June.”
In other campaign news…
Team Trump’s warning: Former President Donald Trump’s campaign says it won’t hire anyone who decides to work for Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in the future, the latest escalation of tensions between the two possible presidential rivals. Amid that warning, the 2020 Trump campaign’s deputy director of communications, Matt Wolking, announced he’s joining a pro-DeSantis super PAC. The Washington Post has more on who else is joining the group.
Think tank, shark tank: Vice reports that while many top employees of the Claremont Institute think tank were aligned with Trump’s administration, some top leaders have been cozying up to DeSantis.
Haley’s take: Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley responded to the Nashville school shooting during a town hall in New Hampshire, calling for additional metal detectors and a single entrance for schools, per USA Today.
Kemp says no thank you: The Wall Street Journal’s editorial features editor interviewed Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, reporting that “he answers with a flat no when I ask if he’s thinking of a presidential run.”
Sunshine or rain clouds?: The Daily Beast reports on the Florida Democratic Party’s struggles to find someone to run against Republican Sen. Rick Scott.
Benson bows out: After throwing cold water on a Senate bid months ago on “Meet the Press NOW,” Michigan Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson shut the door in a video posted to Twitter.
A Texas two-step: Texas Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee says she plans to join the crowded field of candidates running for mayor of Houston this year.
Disunion in Chicago: The New York Times reports on the power of unions in the Chicago mayoral race, where the Fraternal Order of Police is backing Paul Vallas and the Chicago Teachers Union is backing Brandon Johnson.
Huckabee hearts Trump: Former Arkansas Republican Gov. Mike Huckabee, a longtime Trump ally, endorsed Trump again over the weekend.
ICYMI: What ELSE is happening in the world
Top Republican senators bristled at Trump’s invocation of the Jan. 6 rioters during his weekend rally, NBC News’ Sahil Kapur and Scott Wong report.
The Senate Banking Committee is holding its first hearing Tuesday on the recent bank failures.
Speaker Kevin McCarthy said the House will move forward with legislation aimed at TikTok.
