If it’s MONDAY… Death toll from Maui wildfires climbs to 96 — and is expected to increase… Fulton County D.A. is expected to present case this week to Georgia grand jury over Donald Trump’s effort to overturn 2020 outcome in state… Rivals prepare for possibility that Trump will attend Aug. 23 GOP debate after all, per NBC’s Natasha Korecki, Jonathan Allen, Allan Smith and Matt Dixon… And it was butter cows, bumper cars and boos at the Iowa State Fair.
But FIRST... Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., says President Joe Biden needs a credible Democratic primary challenge — not because of Biden’s age or ideology.
Instead, Phillips argues, Biden needs a challenge because it’s time to “turn the page” on the entire political system — which includes Biden and GOP frontrunner Donald Trump.
“I’m a representative, and I’m representing what I believe to be the majority of the country that wants to turn the page,” Phillips said on “Meet the Press” yesterday. “Tired of the meanness and the fear mongering of Donald Trump. I would like to see Joe Biden, a wonderful and remarkable man, pass the torch, cement this extraordinary legacy.”
He added, “As a Democrat, I adore Joe Biden. He saved this country. He can cement his legacy. My real call to action right now is not about me. The call to action is to ask the president to pass the torch. There is an extraordinary bench of people ready to go” — mentioning and echoing names like Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
Phillips even tied Friday’s news of Attorney General Merrick Garland appointing a special counsel to further investigate Biden’s son, Hunter, as part of his case to turn the page.
“I don’t think the president is corrupt. I think the investigation will show that. But — and this is the important part — it’s the image. It’s what the news will do.”
Phillips, who has met with Democratic donors about a potential presidential bid, has denounced third-party efforts and has said he might potentially run against Biden if no one else does, is saying what the polling reflects.
Substantial majorities aren’t enthusiastic about a Biden vs. Trump rematch.
Still, all the current momentum seems to be building toward that rematch.
And Phillips’ call to turn the page has yet to spark a movement.
As former Biden chief of staff Ron Klein noted, all of the names that Phillips mentioned — Whitmer, Shapiro, Pritzker — are backing Biden in 2024.
That said, the multiple special counsels looking into Trump, Biden (over his own handling of classified documents) and now Hunter Biden all have the potential of adding more voices who want to turn the page.
Headline of the day
Data Download: The number of the day is … 7
That’s the number of days from now when GOP presidential candidates must meet the Republican National Committee’s thresholds to qualify for the Aug. 23 debate. Currently, eight candidates appear to have met those qualifications, according to an NBC News Political Unit analysis, and it’s unclear whether any more will make it in time.
The main question looming over the debate is whether former President Donald Trump will even show up. He has publicly cast doubt on attending the event, citing his frontrunner status. But many candidates who expect to be at the debate tell NBC News they’re prepping in case Trump decides to attend.
One candidate who might not be on the debate stage is Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, who says he’s hit the fundraising threshold but hasn’t registered in enough qualifying polls to make the stage. During a Friday press conference at the Iowa State Fair, Suarez suggested he could drop out if he doesn’t make the stage, because “I don’t think candidates should just sort of linger around if they don’t have a credible path.”
Other numbers to know
93: The latest updated death toll in the Maui wildfires, which Gov. Josh Green said will likely be the state’s largest natural disaster.
Up to 50: The number of people who stormed a Los Angeles mall over the weekend, stealing about $100,000 worth of goods.
2: The number of people killed in a shooting at basketball courts on a Philadelphia playground.
21: How many months in prison former Tennessee GOP state Sen. Brian Kelsey received on campaign finance charges — in a case where Kelsey unsuccessfully tried to revoke a guilty plea.
$250 million: The price of disgraced former cryptocurrency executive Sam Bankman-Fried’s bail, which was revoked last week ahead of his October trial after he was accused of witness tampering.
Eyes on 2024: Butter cows, bumper cars and boos
Most Republican presidential hopefuls descended on the Iowa State Fair over the weekend, which is home to the famed butter cow sculpture, amusement rides and scores of (mostly fried) delicacies. And while other candidates made their appeals to Iowans on the Des Moines Register soapbox or by flipping pork chops, Trump once again dominated the scene.
Trump spent 85 minutes at the fairgrounds on Saturday, per NBC News’ Vaughn Hillyard, who peppered the former president with some questions about his legal troubles. Asked if he intended to overturn the 2020 election, Trump simply said, “You know the answer to that.”
The former president appeared at the fair with members of Florida’s congressional delegation who have endorsed him, a clear knock at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who was hounded by protesters throughout his time at the fair, per NBC News’ Matt Dixon and Nnamdi Egwuonwu.
Iowa is a key contest for DeSantis’ campaign, and Reuters reported over the weekend that DeSantis’ campaign, his allied super PAC and an allied nonprofit paid a combined $95,000 to a group tied to Iowa evangelical leader Bob Vander Plaats. DeSantis’ campaign spokesman Andrew Romeo responded with a statement saying, “Of course we were proud to sponsor an ad with one of the largest and most effective social conservative groups in the state of Iowa. The Trump campaign’s malpractice in not doing so is the real story,” per NBC News’ Bianca Seward.
Trump was the only Republican candidate who attended the fair but did not participate in a “fair-side chat” with Iowa GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds, after slamming the governor for staying neutral in the primary after he endorsed her in 2018. Reynolds did suggest she could weigh in on the primary, telling CNN, “Maybe down the road, we’ll do something different.”
In other campaign news …
Biden’s case: As Biden works to sell his accomplishments to voters ahead of next year’s election, NBC News’ Peter Nicholas and Megan Lebowitz report that voters may not be buying his message, zeroing in on how voters in Arizona view life under a Biden administration.
Hunter headache: News that Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel to oversee Hunter Biden’s case “creates a fresh headache” for Biden’s re-election campaign, per NBC News’ Sahil Kapur and Peter Nicholas.
Trump talk: The judge overseeing Trump’s 2020 election interference case warned the former president about making public statements about the case. Meanwhile, Trump awaits a possible fourth indictment in an election interference case in Georgia, where cameras could be allowed in the courtroom, NBC News’ Blayne Alexander and Charlie Gile write. Gabe Sterling, a top Georgia election official, raised concerns that Trump’s rhetoric could lead to violence during an interview with ABC.
Abortion walk back: Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., suggested in an interview with NBC News’ Ali Vitali that he would support a federal ban on abortions after three months of pregnancy. His campaign later walked back the comments, saying he “misunderstood” the questions.
Nevada gamble: Nevada could hold two GOP nominating contests next year, with the state GOP planning to hold a caucus, even though a new state law requires the state to hold a primary election, per the Associated Press.
Six months later: The Post and Courier checks in on former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley’s presidential campaign six months after her launch, exploring Haley’s struggle to catch fire.
Tuning in: Trump has “tuned back in to Ohio’s Senate primary,” writes NBC News’ Henry Gomez, taking notice of Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s recent comments on “Meet the Press NOW,” where he said former Vice President Mike Pence “made the best decision he could with the information in front of him” when he moved forward with certifying the 2020 election results, defying Trump.
There’s no place like home: Republican Dave McCormick, who is weighing another run for Senate after losing last year’s GOP primary, could face questions about his ties to the state. He owns a home in Pittsburgh, but the AP reports that McCormick still lives in Connecticut, citing “a review of public records, real estate listings and footage from recent interviews.”
In the districts: House Democrats are planning to hold events in their districts to tout Biden’s efforts to address “junk fees,” per the Associated Press.
Polling partnership: NBC News is partnering with the Des Moines Register and Mediacom to conduct “The Iowa Poll” ahead of the 2024 caucuses, with pollster J. Ann Selzer’s Selzer & Company.
ICYMI: What ELSE is happening in the world:
A top cybersecurity official warned that China could attack U.S. infrastructure.
NBC News’ Adam Edelman reports that some Iowa conservatives aren’t confident their state’s new 6-week abortion ban will pass muster at the state Supreme Court.
As “Back to School” nears, many schools are again facing teacher shortages, per NBC News’ Shannon Pettypiece.
