Dems confront a new dilemma in their push to oust Hegseth
Plus: Thune announces Rotunda ceremony for Graham, Fields exits Congress after Louisiana redraw and Senate Dems back Black women’s equal pay resolution.
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MI-07 primary fallout: My reporting on William Lawrence’s previously unreported archived posts criticizing former President Barack Obama quickly became part of the MI-07 Democratic primary, with rival Matt Maasdam citing the story to sharpen his contrast with Lawrence in one of Democrats’ top House pickup opportunities.
“President Obama was the kind of leader we need more of right now—someone who led with courage, conviction, and a strong moral compass,” Maasdam said on X, noting it was “reported this weekend” that Lawrence said Obama’s legacy was one of “cowardice and betrayal.”
“Democrats need to unite and stand up to Donald Trump and defend our democracy, not tear down the legacy of leaders who did,” he added.
Maasdam, a retired Navy SEAL, served as a military aide to Obama and carried the “nuclear football,” the briefcase containing the communications equipment and authentication materials the president uses to authorize a nuclear strike.
On the House floor tonight: The House will meet for an 8:30 p.m. vote series on amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act and a continuing resolution to extend government funding through the midterm elections. House Democratic leaders have urged their members to oppose the NDAA, arguing the NDAA’s $1.15 trillion defense topline is excessive. (As I reported Sunday evening, House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-Wash.) is likely to oppose the bill. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, opposes the CR because it doesn’t explicitly prevent dollars from being allocated to Border Patrol.
THE LINEUP
Dems confront a new dilemma in their push to oust Hegseth
Thune announces Rotunda ceremony for Graham
Schumer escalates Trump corruption attacks
Fields exits Congress after Louisiana redraw
Senate Dems back Black women’s equal pay resolution
THE LEAD
As Democrats intensify their calls for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s removal, some are also beginning to grapple with a question they haven’t had to answer before: What if President Trump simply replaces him with someone they view as equally unqualified—or even worse?
Interviews with Democratic lawmakers over the past day show no sign they’re backing away from demands that Hegseth leave the Pentagon. But after Trump replaced former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard with officials many Democrats also oppose, lawmakers offered different answers when asked whether another Cabinet shakeup would meaningfully change the administration’s national security leadership…
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THE POWERS THAT BE
Thune announces Rotunda ceremony for Graham: Senate Majority Leader John Thune announced that the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) will lie in honor in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on July 28…
THE POLICY DESK
Senate Democrats back equal pay resolution: Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) led all 47 members of the Senate Democratic Caucus in introducing a resolution recognizing Black Women’s Equal Pay Day and renewing calls to close the longstanding wage gap facing Black women…
THE TRAIL
Fields exits Congress after Louisiana redraw: Rep. Cleo Fields (D-La.) announced today that he will not seek another term in the House and instead will run for an open Louisiana state Senate seat, ending a brief return to Congress after winning election in 2024…