Welcome to the online version of From the policy deskevening bulletin that brings you the latest reporting and analysis from the campaign trail, the White House and Capitol Hill from the NBC News Politics team.
In today’s edition, White House Chief Correspondent Peter Alexander recaps President Joe Biden’s big foreign policy push ahead of the first debate. Plus, political editor Amanda Terkel focuses on the often emotional fundraising appeals from Donald Trump’s campaign.
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Foreign policy dominates Biden’s agenda ahead of the first debate
By Peter Alexander
The first general election is two weeks away presidential debateand we are only days away from guilty verdicts Donald Trump and Hunter Biden.
But if there’s one issue dominating President Joe Biden’s time and schedule during this crucial period, it’s foreign affairs and international relations.
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Last week, Biden traveled to France for a state visit and the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion.
And while part of that journey is focusing on America’s domestic audience — esp Biden’s speech on democracy and freedom – More attention was paid to foreign policy.
While covering this trip for NBC News, what struck me the most—certainly after the last official gathering of D-Day veterans—was the public debate over who would lead the United States in less than a year. Even along the sanctuary at the Normandy American Cemetery, some of those who attended Biden’s speech denouncing isolationism wore red MAGA hats.
Behind all the powerful images of that place and the stories of a unified Western alliance in World War II lay the stark reality that Americans were deeply divided 80 years later.
Then this week — just days after his son’s conviction — Biden flew to Italy for a G7 meeting of leading Western powers and Japan.
At the top of Biden’s agenda was the 10-year US Security agreement with Ukraineas well as a $50 billion loan to Ukraine in its war against Russia.
“We will stand with Ukraine over and over again,” Biden said in Italy on Thursday.
However, given Trump’s past rhetoric on Russia and Ukraine, highlighting the political interests of the 2024 election, the future of the US-Ukraine security agreement may depend on the winner in November.
During election years, these international trips can boost the commander-in-chief’s image at home and allow him to fly the American flag abroad (both Ronald Reagan and Biden D-Day speeches 40 years difference).
But with polls showing the economy, inflation, immigration and democracy as American voters’ top concerns for the upcoming election, these were likely to be Biden’s last trips abroad before the election — especially when the 2024 campaign really heats up with the first debate this month.
From hugs to guillotines, Trump’s fundraising emails are a roller coaster ride
By Amanda Terkel
“You’re on my mind.”
“Do you need a hug?”
“I love you.”
“They want to sentence me to death!”
No, these aren’t attempts at romance (albeit horribly in the end) by someone you met on a dating app.
They are fundraising emails from Donald Trump.
“It’s like a multi-personality battery test. I don’t know exactly what they are aiming at,” said Democratic strategist Tim Lim.
But for the Trump campaign, the answer is clear: “personal feeling.”
“The Trump campaign cares about his supporters and every American. “President Trump’s supporters appreciate messages that are personal, as well as messages that highlight Crooked Joe Biden’s record of failure and weakness,” said Caroline Sunshine, deputy director of communications for the Trump campaign.
Politicians (and scammers) have long relied on emotional appeals to separate people from their money. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has plagued donors’ inboxes with frequent, dreaded fundraising emails: “URGENT” and “We are on the verge Dem-pocalypse,” implored loyal Democrats to donate before it’s too late.
Then-President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign helped bring the country to the point where he realized the effectiveness of random subject lines that sound like they’re coming from a friend. Things like “Hey” and “I don’t usually email.” earned big bucks.
But if Obama was your go-to friend for a cup of coffee, Trump’s vibe goes from intimate to intimidating and back again.
Read more about Trump’s fundraising requests →
🗞️ The best stories of the day
- ⚖️ Decision day: Another day, another big Supreme Court decision: 6-3 majority decides Trump era federal ban on stocks , gun accessories that allow semi-automatic rifles to fire more quickly are illegal. As NBC News’ Jonathan Allen writes, Trump and the gun lobby backed regulation, not legislation, of the devices to deal with the immediate political backlash after the mass shooting in Las Vegas in 2017, but the court understood. likely to topple it in the future. More →
- 💊 Abortion bill landscape: Here’s what mifepristone access looks like in the country after the Supreme Court upheld access to the abortion pill. More →
- 📈 The art of the deal: Trump told a group of CEOs During a private meeting in Washington on Thursday, he said he would cut taxes and limit business regulations if he wins the White House again. But many attendees told CNBC they weren’t impressed with the former president. More →
- 🧓 Golden years: On Trump’s 78th birthday, The Washington Post looks at how his age (81) is playing into his race against Biden, who has been in the spotlight so far. More →
- ❌ It will not happen: The Justice Department said it would not indict Attorney General Merrick Garland after House Republicans voted to hold him in contempt of Congress. More →
- 🪖 Attack with Defense: The GOP-led House passed the military spending authorization bill along party lines, including legislation that largely includes policies targeting abortion and DEI. More →
- ☑️ Fact check: Conservative media used a misleading camera angle of Biden to claim he was wandering aimlessly at the G7 summit. More →
For now, that’s it from The Politics Desk. If you have feedback – like it or not – send us an email politicsnewsletter@nbcuni.com
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