Gallup: Gop 'in Position To Win'

“When Sen. Bob Menendez walked into a Newark federal courthouse for the first day of his 2017 corruption trial, so many reporters were watching him that the courthouse assigned them a spillover room. The spectacle didn’t last long,” Politico reports. “Interest from the public and news media quickly waned after salacious allegations of Dominican sex workers, flights on private jets and scenes of luxurious villas gave way in the courtroom to technical details about Medicare reimbursements and credit card points to purchase a high-end grill.

“A Democratic super PAC will launch a $25 million, three-week ad blitz against presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump on Monday, with spots airing in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania that use voter testimonials to warn about reduced abortion access in a second Trump term, according to the group’s leaders,” the Washington Post reports.

A new New York Times/Siena poll finds Donald Trump leads Joe Biden in five crucial battleground states — Michigan, Arizona, Nevada, Georgia and Pennsylvania. Biden led among registered voters in only one battleground state, Wisconsin. The race was closer among likely voters. Arizona: Trump 49%, Biden 42% (RV), Trump 49% to Biden 43% (LV) Georgia: Trump 49%, Biden 39% (RV), Trump 50%, Biden 41% (LV) Michigan: Trump 49%, Biden 42% (RV), Biden 47%, Trump 46% (LV) Nevada: Trump 50%, Biden 38% (RV), Trump 51%, Biden 38% (LV) Pennsylvania: Trump 47%, Biden 44% (RV), Trump 48%, Biden 45% (LV) Wisconsin: Biden 47%, Trump 45% (RV), Trump 47%, Biden 46% (LV)

“President Biden’s campaign is investing in dozens of field offices in some of the nation’s reddest counties, pressing its early money advantage to establish political beachheads in hostile territory,” Axios reports. “Biden’s team isn’t under the illusion it can win these rural counties Donald Trump won in 2020. It’s fighting to cut into Republicans’ margins — particularly in swing states such as Wisconsin.” “The goal is to establish a ground presence early in the election cycle and keep rural Biden supporters motivated — while letting voters dismayed by Trump or curious about Biden know they’re not be alone.”

President Biden called Donald Trump “clearly unhinged” and claimed that “something snapped” in the former president after he lost the 2020 election, CNN reports. Said Biden: “It’s clear that … when he lost in 2020, something snapped in him. He’s not only obsessed with losing in 2020, he’s clearly unhinged. Just listen to what he’s telling people.”

“President Biden is moving to defang Donald Trump on a trio of issues central to his political identity: toughness on the border, aggressiveness with China and closeness with CEOs,” Axios reports. “Biden is vulnerable in all three areas. His plans to trump Trump, expected in coming weeks, show the hawkish direction Trump has moved the politics of China and immigration.”