Democrats ramp up pressure on Menendez after guilty verdict: From the Politics Desk

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, senior national political reporter Sahil Kapur looks at what’s next for Sen. Bob Menendez after his guilty verdict. Deputy Politics Editor Adam Vollner looks at Night 2 of the Republican National Convention. And national political reporter Steve Kornacki analyzes the historic age gap between Donald Trump and his new candidate.

Programming note: Tune in to a special edition of the Policy Desk newsletter each evening after the Republican National Convention this week, bringing you the latest news and analysis from our team in Milwaukee.

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Senate Democrats say Menendez must ‘resign or be fired’ after guilty verdict

By Sahil Kapoor, Kate Santaliz and Frank Thorp V

Democrats are turning up the heat on Sen. Bob Menendez as more senators call for him to resign from his seat and some make fresh threats to oust him after ousting him. He pleaded guilty to 16 federal charges on Tuesday this includes bribery and acting as a foreign agent.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who previously chastised Menendez, joined calls for the New Jersey Democrat’s resignation shortly after the decision.

“In light of this guilty verdict, Senator Menendez must now do the right thing for his constituents, the Senate and our country and resign,” Schumer said in a brief statement.

But other Democrats went beyond calling for his resignation and endorsing his ouster if he refused to resign immediately; Senate rules do not require members to resign for serious crimes.

“As I said when he was indicted, public service is a sacred trust, and Sen. Menendez violated that trust,” said Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa. X said. “Now that a jury of his peers has convicted him on all 16 counts, including acting as a foreign agent, Senator Menendez must resign or be expelled from the Senate.”

After being indicted, Menendez relinquished his chairmanship of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, but the trial continued, but continued to vote as a member of the panel and on the floor. That could quickly become unstoppable after his conviction for a bribery scheme that included acting for the Egyptian and Qatari governments.

The Senate Ethics Committee is already investigating Menendez and said Tuesday it would conclude that investigation “soon.” If Menendez refuses to resign, the panel could recommend that the Senate impeach him. Two-thirds of the Senate, or 67 votes, are needed to remove a member.

Since 1789, the Senate has expelled only 15 members, 14 of whom were removed from the Senate for their role in the Confederacy. The last ouster occurred in 1862, when a group of senators were removed from office for supporting the Confederate rebellion.

Menendez’s sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 29, just before Election Day, when voters decide who will hold office for the next six years. Menendez filed to run again as an independent candidate and said he would appeal the ruling, without saying whether it would affect his re-election plans or plans to resign from the Senate.

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Here’s what to watch on Night 2 of the Republican National Convention

By Adam Vollner

The theme of the second day of the GOP convention is “Make America Safe Again,” with speakers expected to focus on immigration, border security and crime.

Tonight’s slate features a host of prominent Republicans, from former President Donald Trump’s one-time primary challengers and running mate prospects to key down-ballot candidates.

Trump’s former opponents: In a show of unity, three of Trump’s 2024 presidential rivals — former UN ambassador Nikki Haley, Florida governor Ron DeSantis and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy — will address the convention delegates. Haley and DeSantis had more volatile relationships with Trump, while Ramaswamy fully embraced the former president after he dropped out.

NBC News’ Ali Vitali Haley’s speech is telling It will appeal to those who are not sure whether to vote for Trump.

VP candidates: After choosing Vance as his running mate, Trump names other names reviewed or sent to work a moment in the spotlight this week in recent months. Those Republicans tonight include Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York.

House management: House Republican Conference Chairman Stefanik is among the party leaders who will take the stage tonight, along with Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise (who, like Trump, survived a 2017 shooting). and majority whip Tom Emmer. In addition to the presidential race, the GOP aims to draw attention to the race for the House, where the party holds a razor-thin majority.

Senate candidates: Speaking of down-ballot races, Republicans will also highlight their party’s Senate nominees tonight as they try to take control of the upper chamber this fall. There are candidates for Democratic-held seats in Trump states: Virginia’s Jim Justice, Montana’s Tim Sheehy and Ohio’s Bernie Moreno. Candidates in key battleground states: Arizona’s Kari Lake, Pennsylvania’s Dave McCormick, Michigan’s Mike Rogers, Nevada’s Sam Brown and Wisconsin’s Eric Hovde.

NBC News’ Bridget Bowman reports that McCormick has updated his planned announcements addressing the assassination attempt on Trump on Saturday. McCormick was sitting in the front row at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and took cover when the gunman opened fire.

Two incumbents up for re-election will also speak: Sens. Rick Scott of Florida and Ted Cruz of Texas. Then there’s Jim Banks from Indiana, who’s looking for an all-red open seat. And there’s Virginia’s Hung Cao, who faces an uphill battle in the blue-leaning state, though recent polls suggest he may be more competitive than expected.

What does the historically wide age gap between Trump and Vance mean?

By Steve Kornacki

The candidacy of a 39-year-old on the national ticket of a major party in any election would be remarkable. But Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance’s age takes on added significance because of how much it differentiates him from the other candidates — and what that could mean electorally.

Not only is Vance the fifth-youngest bipartisan vice presidential nominee, he’s also nearly 40 years younger than his new running mate, Donald Trump. The age difference between Trump and Vance is the largest in history between a White House and VP candidate.

For that matter, Vance isn’t even half the age of 81-year-old President Joe Biden, and he’s 20 years younger than Vice President Kamala Harris. This 20-year gap is one of the largest on record between major party VP candidates.

In simple numbers, Vence’s age stands out in a way we’ve rarely seen before. And it does so in a campaign where Father Time plays a big role.

Concerns about Biden’s sharpness were well established before his June 27 debate speech. Back in February, when a CBS News/YouGov poll when voters were asked whether they believed Biden would seek a full second term if re-elected, 44% said he would not. And our new NBC News survey, conducted entirely after the debate, 65% of voters said they considered Biden’s physical and mental health a “major” concern. For Trump, the number is 35%, which is clearly lower than Biden’s, but historically high.

On paper, there is an opportunity for Republicans. Broadly speaking, there is a wide appetite to move away from older political leaders. More than half (53%) of voters in June CBS News/YouGov poll said that the country will be better if more young people work in elected positions. Among those under the age of 30, this figure rose to 67%.

And it is with those young voters that Trump has already made measurable progress. In our new poll, he leads Biden by just 4 points in a head-to-head matchup with voters under 30. In the 2020 exit poll, Biden led the same group by 24 votes.

The attractive possibility for Republicans is that Vance’s addition solidifies those gains and helps push the ticket even further. Of course, as the cliché goes, age is just a number. And whether Vance really should be seen as new and young to voters.

That’s all for the Policy Desk for now. If you have feedback – like it or not – send us an email politicsnewsletter@nbcuni.com

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