Saturday Morning Post: The Weekly View from Washington
| Ben Geier | |
| @ben_geier | |
| ben.geier@fortune.com |
The general election season is upon us. While the nominating conventions won’t take place until the end of July, the fight between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump has begun in earnest. Meanwhile, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has some campaign soul-searching to do. Here’s what we can expect from the three most important names in U.S. politics in the coming week.
Which Trump Will Show Up?
In a speech delivered after the final Republican primary contests, Trump was much calmer and more composed than usual. He even used a teleprompter, and mostly stuck to his script. Trump did hint that he’d give a speech soon, perhaps on Monday, where he would start really attacking Clinton. Which Trump should we expect? The measured politician who will go after Clinton on policy and substance, or the loose cannon who will bring up old scandals like Vince Foster and Bill Clinton’s infidelity? If the Twitter smack-talking between Trump and Clinton this past week is any indication, the election nastiness is here to stay..
Sanders Heading To Greener Pastures?
On Thursday, after meeting with President Obama, Bernie Sanders gave a speech at a rally in Washington where he was noncommittal about the future of his campaign. He reiterated that he would be competing in the DC primary, but he also said that he would do everything in his power to help defeat Donald Trump in November. Sanders also said that he would meet with Hillary Clinton, who has all but wrapped up the Democratic nomination, to figure out how to achieve that goal.
Sanders could choose another path, though. There have been rumblings that the Green Party could try to woo him to their party; presumptive Green Party nominee Jill Stein has said on Twitter she wants to work with him to continue the “revolution” he started, fueling speculation that she may accept a vice presidential role and allow Sanders to take the top of the ticket. A Sanders Green Party run could potentially sway a substantial portion of voters to a third party, putting a dent in Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party’s ambitions.
Clinton Turns Left…and Right
With her historic nomination just about solidified, Clinton faces a hard choice: does she capitalize on the distaste many Republicans have for Donald Trump and try to win over more moderate voters? Or does she woo Bernie Sanders supporters by moving further to the left? For now, it seems like she’s trying to do both at the same time. On Friday, Clinton met with Senator Elizabeth Warren, a leader of the Democratic Party’s progressive wing. And my Fortune colleague Tory Newmyer reported this week that the Clinton campaign is getting ready to launch a formal campaign to seek endorsements from prominent Trump-averse Republicans.
Top News
• Trump courts evangelicals
Donald Trump did better than expected with evangelical voters in the Republican primaries. He'll need the support of this voter base in November, though, and he got his charm offensive started with a speech to the Faith & Freedom Coalition on Friday. Politico
• Mitch McConnell may be coming down with Trump remorse
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell endorsed Donald Trump. After seeing the coverage of Trump's comments about a judge's Mexican heritage, though, McConnell said he wouldn't rule out taking it back. His Republican Senate colleague Mark Kirk already has. New York Times
• Elizabeth Warren says she's ready
Rumors are flying that Warren could be the Democratic vice presidential candidate, sparking a debate over her readiness for the job. Former Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell has said she is not qualified to be commander in chief. Warren disagrees. Real Clear Politics
Around the Water Cooler
• Obama sings his record
With his time in office almost up, Barack Obama did what any president would do to start promoting his legacy: head to "The Tonight Show" to sing a "slow jam" with Jimmy Fallon about all of his accomplishments. The Atlantic
• Clinton e-mail scandal pops up again
The e-mail scandal that has plagued Clinton has taken another twist, with reports out that some of the e-mails sent to her private e-mail server were about drone strikes in Pakistan. Wall Street Journal
• David Letterman is no Trump fan
The former late night host called the presumptive Republican nominee "repugnant" and "despicable" this week. Politico
