Sunday Trail Markers: Will California try to kick Trump off the ballot?
Here's what you need to know in politics this week...
- Will Newsom try to kick Trump off the ballot?
- Trump tells women of color in Congress to go back "from which they came"
- Another Trump rally set for Wednesday
- This week's schedule
WILL NEWSOM TRY TO KICK TRUMP OFF THE BALLOT?
Via Alexander Tin: Nearly two years after then-California Gov. Jerry Brown quashed a bill to force presidential candidates to release their tax returns, Golden State lawmakers have returned a nearly identical measure to the desk of Brown's successor, Gavin Newsom. The "Presidential Tax Transparency and Accountability Act" would demand that presidential candidates disclose five years of federal tax returns in order to be listed on the state's primary election ballot.
As a candidate in 2017, Newsom supported the bill prior to Brown's veto. The new measure, which lands on Newsom's desk Monday, differs little from its predecessor, except that it expands the disclosure requirement to gubernatorial candidates.
"I was solicitous of amending it to include the governor. So, that's maybe suggestive of an inclination. But I haven't made the determination," the governor told reporters Friday.
TRUMP TELLS CONGRESSWOMEN OF COLOR TO "GO BACK" TO THEIR COUNTRIES
Via Jason Silverstein: President Trump said on Twitter Sunday that "'Progressive' Democratic Congresswomen" should "go back" to their countries — even though three of the four lawmakers he was seemingly referring were born in the U.S. and all are American citizens. His tweets drew disgust from House Democrats, who called them racist and xenophobic.
"So interesting to see 'Progressive' Democrat Congresswomen, who originally came from countries whose governments are a complete and total catastrophe, the worst, most corrupt and inept anywhere in the world (if they even have a functioning government at all), now loudly ... and viciously telling the people of the United States, the greatest and most powerful Nation on earth, how our government is to be run," he tweeted Sunday morning.
"Why don't they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came. Then come back and show us how ... it is done," the president wrote. "These places need your help badly, you can't leave fast enough. I'm sure that Nancy Pelosi would be very happy to quickly work out free travel arrangements!"
MUELLER WAS DELAYED -- BUT NOT THE TRUMP RALLY
Robert Mueller was supposed to testify before Congress this Wednesday, July 17th, but a Friday deal moved that back a week to July 24th. Before the hearing was delayed, Mr. Trump scheduled a rally for the day of Mueller's testimony in Greenville, North Carolina -- and the rally appears to still be on.
The Friday deal with Mueller capped off a tumultuous work week for the Trump administration. Labor Secretary Alex Acosta came under fire for his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case and ultimately resigned, saying his role in the matter a distraction from the economy's success and the Trump administration's achievements.
Acosta said, "It would be selfish for me to stay in this position and continue talking about a case that is 12 years old, rather than about the amazing economy we have right now." Indeed, stocks jumped to all-time highs on Friday, ending a record-setting week.
Acosta and the Labor Department said they wanted to turn the page and allow Trump to focus his message on the strong economy heading into the 2020 election.
But two days later, Trump decided to tweet incendiary comments about Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other House Democrats, sending the news cycle into a tizzy.
At the rally in North Carolina, watch for what Mr. Trump himself decides to focus on -- "The Squad," or his administration's economic record.
ON THE TRAIL THIS WEEK
7/15 – Michael Bennet in IA; Joe Biden in IA; Cory Booker in IA; Julian Castro in IA; Kirsten Gillibrand in IA; Kamala Harris in DC; John Hickenlooper in IA; Amy Klobuchar in IA ; Seth Moulton in IA; Bernie Sanders in PA
7/16 – Bennet in IA; Biden in IA; Castro in IA; Gillibrand in IA; Harris in IA; Hickenlooper in NH
7/17 – Bennet in IA; Biden in IA; Delaney in IA; Tulsi Gabbard in IA; Tim Ryan in IA; Harris in NH; Hickenlooper in NH; Sanders in DC; Trump in NC
7/18 – Biden in CA; Steve Bullock in IA; Buttigieg in IN; Castro in NH; Elizabeth Warren in IA; Andrew Yang in IA
7/19 – Beto O'Rourke in IA; Biden in CA; Bullock in IA; Castro in NH; Warren in IA; Marinane Williamson in IA; Yang in IA
7/20 – Beto O'Rourke in IA; Biden in NV; Bullock in IA; Pete Buttigieg in IA; Bill de Blasio in IA; Sanders in IA
7/21 – O'Rourke in NY; Sanders in IA
