POLITICO Playbook: TRUMP ‘MAJOR SPEECH’ today: ‘Appreciate the congrats for being right on radical Islamic terrorism’
ZEITGEIST - "Letter from Florida: An Orlando America Doesn't Know -- The shooting hit a city riding the crest of a wave," by Michael Grunwald in Miami: "Orlando is about to become a symbol again, not of fantasy and escape, but of America's cultural, political and actual wars over terrorism and guns. Crime had been falling steadily here for years before the massacre-along with unemployment, teen pregnancy, and just about every other social ill." https://politi.co/1trrOkj
HUGH HEWITT tells Chuck Todd on "Meet the Press" that yesterday's tragedy "strengthens the case" for Chris Christie or Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), a combat veteran, as Trump V.P.
THE MORNING AFTER - "Obama confronts a 'lone wolf' attack - again: The administration has repeatedly warned about self-radicalized terrorists, but struggled to stop them," by Michael Crowley: "Obama has promoted a 'countering violent extremism' agenda aimed at blunting the spread of radical ideology that leads to terrorist attacks. That has included a strategy to combat ISIL propaganda on Twitter - one that critics have blasted as embarrassing and ineffective, and which the administration revamped in January." https://politi.co/21hB5Ww
LINGO ... "known wolf": a lone wolf who has been on the radar of law enforcement (apparently including Omar Mateen)
By Mike Allen (@mikeallen; [email protected]) and Daniel Lippman (@dlippman; [email protected])
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N.Y. DAILY NEWS cover, "THANKS, NRA: Because of your continued opposition to an assault rifle ban, terrorists like this lunatic can LEGALLY buy a killing machine" https://nydn.us/vp5qdB ... N.Y. POST cover,in bright-red ink, "ISIS VS. US" https://nyp.st/1XiD9Pi
TRUMP TWEETS: "What has happened in Orlando is just the beginning. Our leadership is weak and ineffective. I called it and asked for the ban. Must be tough [22,726 retweets, 55,628 likes] ... Reporting that Orlando killer shouted 'Allah hu Akbar!' as he slaughtered clubgoers. ... Is President Obama going to finally mention the words radical Islamic terrorism? If he doesn't he should immediately resign in disgrace! ...
"Appreciate the congrats for being right on radical Islamic terrorism, I don't want congrats, I want toughness & vigilance. We must be smart!"
CLINTON statement: "This was an act of terror. ... This was also an act of hate. The gunman attacked an LGBT nightclub during Pride Month. ... [W]e need to keep guns like the ones used last night out of the hands of terrorists or other violent criminals. ... [I]t reminds us once more that weapons of war have no place on our streets." Full statement https://bit.ly/1UpKive
DRIVING THE DAY ... TRUMP'S VICTORY LAP: "The presumptive GOP nominee failed to meet the moment after Orlando," by Glenn Thrush: "The two presidential candidates, one who whispered and one who roared, will engage directly on Monday. Clinton has canceled her first dual campaign appearance with Obama in Wisconsin on Wednesday and is expected to deliver more extensive remarks on Orlando today. Trump scrapped a scheduled Monday rally in ... New Hampshire to deliver an address dealing with 'the serious threats facing all Americans' at [Saint Anselm College in Manchester].
"They both will confront an attack in Orlando, Disney's town, that is as hard to comprehend politically as it is to absorb emotionally - an atrocity that defies the easy political pigeonholing candidates and reporters crave. The shooter was ... inspired by ... ISIS ... but he was a New York-born American citizen who spoke unaccented English and led a middle-class life. And while Omar Mateen was clearly motivated by his faith, he was also impelled by raw bigotry - reportedly targeting a gay night club because he was disgusted by the sight of men kissing men." https://politi.co/1U8KKjg
--@GlennThrush: "No one plays a winning hand worse than Trump."
--DAVID REMNICK on NewYorker.com, "Trump's Exploitation of Orlando": "[W]hen faced with the path of modesty and the path of dark opportunism, he has chosen the latter." https://bit.ly/1U8H6Ws
TRUMP, CLINTON "Contrasts in Orlando response," by AP White House Correspondent Julie Pace: "Trump is ... more blatant than most in connecting his electoral prospects to incidents of unimaginable suffering. Shortly after last year's deadly attacks in Paris, Trump said, 'Whenever there's a tragedy, everything goes up, my numbers go way up because we have no strength in this country. We have weak, sad politicians.'...
"Clinton, who is more schooled in the political customs of responding to tragedies from her years as a senator and secretary of state, was careful in her initial comments. ... Like Obama, Clinton prefers to avoid early missteps even if that leaves her looking overly cautious. On Sunday, she waited for the president to declare the shooting an 'act of terror' before doing the same." https://apne.ws/1tr8FPx
--WSJ A1, below fold, "Shooting Heightens Trump-Clinton Divide," by Peter Nicholas, with Alan Cullison (online: "Terrorism Again Thrust Into Presidential Politics"): "Trump has ground to make up when it comes to persuading voters he would do a better job than Mrs. Clinton keeping the nation safe. A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll last month showed that registered voters believed by a 10-point margin [she] would be a better commander-in-chief. ...
"Not since 2004, when Osama bin Laden issued a videotape weeks before the contest between President George W. Bush and John Kerry, has terror been such a prominent campaign issue, said Bruce Hoffman, a terrorism expert at Georgetown ... 'It's in the interests of these groups to provoke polarization in our society.'" https://on.wsj.com/1tr9AiW
** A message from the Coalition for Fiscal and National Security: Strength at Home and Abroad: Mullen, Albright, Brzezinski, Gates, Kissinger, Panetta, Paulson and more unite to emphasize the fundamental link between America's long-term fiscal health and national security. Respected bipartisan group highlights fiscal sustainability and economic growth as foundation for continued global leadership in changing security environment. Read more: https://bit.ly/CFNS2016 **
HOT VIDEO - "Watch Lin-Manuel Miranda pay tribute via sonnet to the victims of the Orlando shootings" while accepting Tony for Best Score of a Musical, one of 11 Tonys for "Hamilton" - 1-min. video https://bit.ly/1UdEaom
PRESIDENT OBAMA statement yesterday in the briefing room: "This massacre is ... a further reminder of how easy it is for someone to get their hands on a weapon that lets them shoot people in a school, or in a house of worship, or a movie theater, or in a nightclub. And we have to decide if that's the kind of country we want to be. And to actively do nothing is a decision as well." Video and transcript https://1.usa.gov/24L2Yqx
--@markknoller: "By my count, this will be at least the 20th time Pres Obama has [made] a statement about a shooting incident."
RYAN LIZZA in The New Yorker, "Occupied Territory: The Republican élite struggles over whether to resist Trump or capitulate": "If Trump is defeated, another Republican may prove able to resurrect aspects of his economic populism and his more generous view of the role of government, and combine them with the more inclusive language recommended by the Party establishment. If that happens-if Cotton, Ryan, or another canny young conservative becomes the Nixon to Trump's Goldwater-then we will remember Trump for reintroducing overt racism into mainstream politics and for imbuing the Republican Party with a new economic populism." https://bit.ly/234b3Y9
KEN BURNS' scorching commencement address to Stanford yesterday, "As a student of history, I recognize this type. ...These ... virulent strains that have at times infected us in the past. But they now loom in front of us again--all happening at once. We know from our history books that these are the diseases of ancient and now fallen empires. The sense of commonwealth, of shared sacrifice, of trust, so much a part of American life, is eroding fast.'" Transcript https://bit.ly/1XiEeql ... Video https://bit.ly/1tlDcgZ
ORLANDO SENTINEL front page is a lone photo and an editorial, "OUR COMMUNITY WILL HEAL,"surrounded by white space, with #OrlandoUnited at bottom: "As terror has struck other cities around the world in recent months-Paris, Brussels, San Bernardino-our shock and anger have been mixed with a growing sense of unease. Orlando, as one of the world's most popular and iconic destinations for travelers, and a community that proudly cherishes its diversity, has long been considered a high-value target for would-be terrorists. Now it appears our worst fears have been realized." https://bit.ly/25SyWqX ... See the page. https://bit.ly/1UN33EL
--"Why Orlando Sentinel front page looks different," by Managing Editor John Cutter: "We are not the first newspaper to go with a non-traditional front page in a tragedy. And, we fear, we might not be the last." https://bit.ly/1tlzDHu
HEADLINES: USA Today banner, "MASSACRE" ... (London) Daily Telegraph 5-col. lead, "Isil wages war on gays in West" ... N.Y. Times 2-line banner, "PRAISING ISIS, GUNMAN ATTACKS GAY NIGHTCLUB, LEAVING 50 DEAD IN WORST SHOOTING ON U.S. SOIL: 'We Will Not Give In to Fear,' Obama Says as Florida Aches" ... WSJ 5-col. lead, "A Night of Terror in Orlando" ... L.A. Times banner, quoting Obama, "'AN ACT OF TERROR AND ACT OF HATE'" ... Chicago Tribune banner, "Act of terror ... hate" ... Tampa Bay Times, "THE WORST Mass Shooting in U.S. History."
--N.Y. Times Quotation of the Day -- RAY RIVERA, a D.J. at the Orlando club where 50 people were killed in the nation's worst mass shooting: "I saw bodies on the floor, people on the floor everywhere. It was a chaos, everybody trying to get out."
CLICKER -- "Here Are The Victims Who Have Been Identified" https://bzfd.it/1Po2TlJ
TOP TALKER - "Pelosi may have shot at regaining post as House speaker, Dems say," by S.F. Chronicle's Carolyn Lochhead in D.C.: "Democrats need a net gain of 30 seats to retake the majority, and they are far from confident they can do it, but for the name at the top of the Republican ticket. ... Nathan Gonzales, editor and publisher of the nonpartisan Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report, projects right now that Democrats will come up short of a House majority." https://bit.ly/1U8MZTK
THOUGHT LEADERS - HENRY BLODGET on LinkedIn, "Time for a better capitalism": "Over the past few decades, the US economy has undergone a profound change. This change has helped rich Americans get richer. But it has also contributed to growing income inequality and the decline of the middle class. And, in so doing, it has fueled populist anger across the political spectrum and slowed the growth of the economy as a whole. What is this change? The complete embrace of the idea that the only mission of companies is to maximize profit for their shareholders." https://bit.ly/1PWEEkg
HAPPENING TODAY - Steny "Hoyer to Announce House Democrats' Updated Make It In America Plan": "This announcement follows multiple hearings at the Capitol and around the country to solicit feedback from workers, employers, economists, labor, education leaders, and others about how the economy has changed since the Make It In America plan was initially launched in 2010. ... [10 a.m.] announcement will take place at the grand opening of The Foundery, located at Port Covington, just south of Baltimore's downtown."
HAPPENING TONIGHT - "CNN president Jeff Zucker will host an invite-only screening of the new CNN Original Series, 'Declassified: Untold Stories of American Spies,' tonight at the Newseum. Following the screening, CNN's Wolf Blitzer will moderate a panel recapping the episode and discussing covert operations around the world with former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee Mike Rogers, retired senior CIA officer Mark Kelton, retired KGB major general Oleg Kalugin, and former CIA case officer Marti Peterson. The eight-part series debuts Sunday, June 19, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CNN. Each episode features a newly declassified mission told firsthand by the agents who lived it." Trailer https://cnn.it/25SB8yt
PLAYBOOK METRO SECTION -- "'No need to break in': The Watergate Hotel reopens its doors after nine years," by WashPost's Abha Bhattarai: "[H]ailed as a trophy hotel when it opened in 1967 with an indoor swimming pool and views of the Potomac River, ... the Watergate had fallen into disrepair and has remained vacant since 2007. ... [But] the hotel [is reopening] after a six-year, $125 million renovation ... 85 guest rooms, 17,000 square feet of meeting space and a rooftop bar. Its grand opening is scheduled for [tomorrow]. ...
"Among the Watergate's amenities are a restaurant, spa, swimming pool, whiskey bar and cigar lounge. Much of the furniture throughout the property has been custom-made to look like it's from the 1960s, and employee uniforms were created by 'Mad Men' costume designer Janie Bryant. Guest key cards say 'No need to break in,' in a nod to the Watergate burglary scandal." https://wapo.st/25WOOW2
FIRST LOOK -- "New Report Finds Freight Railroads Greatly Impact National, Local Economies" -- release:"The Association of American Railroads (AAR) released today its second 'State of the Industry Report' of 2016, featuring new research ... that finds spending by the seven largest U.S. railroads created $274 billion in economic activity, generated nearly $33 billion in state and federal tax revenues and supported nearly 1.5 million jobs nationally in 2014 alone." https://politi.co/1UpGJ8p ... www.aar.org/report-2
WEEKEND WEDDING -- "Meghan Dubyak, Timothy Belknap" - N.Y. Times: "Dubyak, 33, ... is the press secretary to Vice President Joseph R. Biden ... She graduated from Cornell. ... Belknap, 34, is an associate at the Washington law firm Weisbrod Matteis & Copley. He graduated from Ohio University and received a law degree from the Catholic University of America. ... The couple met in June 2013 at a backyard barbecue in Washington." https://nyti.ms/1OjwdyN
SPORTS BLINK - N.Y Daily News Sports back, "PENS ARE MIGHTIEST" ... Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "CHAMPS: Penguins [Pittsburgh native David Morehouse - a Clinton, Gore and Kerry alumnus -- is CEO/President] claim fourth Stanley Cup with 3-1 win over [San Jose] Sharks." https://bit.ly/1tlDB2L
BIRTHWEEK (was yesterday): Jeani Murray ... Peter Schechter ... Jack Wetzberger ... Travis Worl ... Jon Green ... Kate Vilsack ... Hayley Alexander, professional staff for the majority on Senate Approps-Energy & Water and CJS, turned 27, celebrating by finishing a 100 cookie order of Minions & Olaf (Frozen) cookies for her side (and highly recommended) business, House of Crumbs, this morning (h/t Stephanie Allen) ... Eli Glazier of urban planning firm Toole Design (h/t Ashley Gold)
BIRTHDAYS: Politico's Eli Stokols, the pride of Irvine, Calif. and erstwhile Mile High resident, who is "Covering the election. Seeing the country. Eating the sandwiches," per his Facebook. And, according to Bobby Moran, one of the most valuable players on Politico's media-league softball team ... Jimmy Orr (hat tip: Taylor Gross) ... L.A. Times political writer Seema Mehta, a wannabe golfer ... U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is 72 ... Mike Norton, Arkansan, Truman/Marshall Scholar and former Hill intern (h/t Isaac Foley) ... Katie Biber Chen, so short but looms so large, Romney GC and Bush 43 alum now general counsel at Thumbtack in San Francisco, celebrating a birthday unlike any other in DC with husband, Mark (h/ts Andrew, David and Sarah Isgur Flores) ... John Del Cecato, partner at AKPD Message and Media ... Cathy McLaughlin (h/ts Teresa Vilmain) ... Marissa Shorenstein, president of AT&T New York (h/ts Kerri Lyon and Hilary Rosen) ...
... Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) is 69 (h/t James Owens) ... Politico's Margaret McGill and William Lewallen ... Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) is 79 ... Leslie Hagar Small, alum of Laura Bush, Team Mitch and Jeb ... WSJ alum Andrew Grossman, now a student at Wharton ... Charlie Nichols is 14 ... Michelle Lee of WaPo's Fact-Checker blog (h/t Seung Min Kim) ... NBC4's Eun Yang ... R. Brian Lewis, a good man from Nebraska ... Ryan Mannion (we jumped the gun yesterday) ... Kirtan Mehta ... Lauren Mehta, managing counsel for advocacy initiatives at Wounded Warrior Project in Jacksonville, Fla. and former counsel to Sen. Sanders ... Catherine McLaughlin, executive director of Harvard's Institute of Politics ... Sagar Vachhani, a Romney alum and now equity research associate in internet and digital media at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey ... Alex Marino of Civis Analytics, an OFA alum ... Andrew Lavigne ...
... Judge Neil Cohen (h/t wife Susan Sher) ... Sarah Hurwitz ... Margaret Shepard, managing director of 1776 and a U.S. Chamber alum (h/t the lounge at Four Seasons) ... Genger Charles, general deputy assistant secretary of the Federal Housing Administration ... Patrick G. Cronin, legislative aide in the NY State Senate and Billy Joel aficionado ... Michelle Korsmo, CEO of the American Land Title Association ... Patrick McGill, senior associate at Precision Network and a VA Dems and Ned Lamont alum, is 3-0 ... Bill Buck, comms. whiz and founder of Americans for the Protection of Children, is 48 ... John Eddy, partner at SourceRock Partners ... Jeff Siegel, senior policy analyst and lead negotiator for financial services in Treasury's Office of International Trade, is 4-0 ... Junheng Li of JL Warren Capital ... Rick Weidman, executive director for policy and gov't affairs of Vietnam Veterans of America, is 7-0 ... Tony Varona of AU's law school ... Neil Bernstein is 5-0 ... WTOP's Brian Oliger ... Hannah Storm ... actor Bob McGrath is 84 ... artist Christo is 81 ... Siegfried (Siegfried & Roy) is 77 ... comedian Tim Allen is 63 ... Ally Sheedy is 54 ... Hannah Storm is 54 ... Rivers Cuomo (Weezer) is 46 ... Steve-O is 42 ... Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are 30 ... DJ/producer Gesaffelstein is 29 (h/ts AP)
** A message from the Coalition for Fiscal and National Security: The Coalition for Fiscal and National Security is chaired by Admiral Mike Mullen, and includes Albright, Baker, Brzezinski, Chertoff, Gates, Hadley, Hagel, Hamilton, Hayden, Kissinger, Napolitano, Nunn, O'Neill, Panetta, Paulson, Ridge, Scowcroft, Shultz, Volcker, Warner, and Zoellick. This bipartisan group has released a new statement to draw our country's attention to the fact that America's global leadership requires a foundation of fiscal sustainability and economic growth, and to the urgent need to update and reprioritize our defense and foreign policy strategies to reflect a changing security environment. The Coalition is convened by the Peter G. Peterson Foundation. Read more: https://bit.ly/CFNS2016 **
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