Happening this Tuesday: Hamas releases two more hostages… House Republicans — for a third time — nominate a candidate for speaker, choosing among eight different competitors… President Biden welcomes Australian Prime Minister Albanese, who arrives for a state visit… DeSantis stumps in New Hampshire, Tim Scott is in Iowa, and Vivek Ramaswamy delivers a national security speech in DC… And it’s exactly two weeks until Election Day 2023.
But FIRST… Forget the polls, the campaign activity and those multiple criminal trials.
If you want to know where the Republican presidential race really stands less than three months before the Iowa caucuses, look no farther than this comment from House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, a leading GOP candidate speaker ahead of today’s secret-ballot nomination votes.
"Thank you, Mr. President. If my colleagues elect me Speaker of the House, I look forward to continuing our strong working relationship,” Emmer said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Emmer’s comment came in response to a question that NBC’s Dasha Burns asked former President Donald Trump about Emmer — as Trump was filing to be on the ballot in New Hampshire on Monday.
DASHA BURNS: I have to ask you, would you endorse Tom Emmer for speaker? He hasn’t historically been your biggest fan, but he is the most likely candidate right now.
TRUMP: Well, I think he’s my biggest fan now because he called me yesterday and he told me I’m your biggest fan. So I don’t know about that. We’re looking at a lot of people and, you know, I’m sort of trying to stay out of that as much as possible, but they’ll get it straightened out. But no, I’ve always gotten along with him. And I get along with all of them really. A lot of good people. You have a lot of great people.
A little background: Trump’s allies aren’t fans of Emmer, because of the majority whip’s vote not to object to the certification of the 2020 election results.
Of the eight current candidates running for speaker, only Emmer and Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., did not object (though both men signed onto a brief supporting a Texas lawsuit that would have invalidated the presidential results in four key states).
Also, Trump has spoken to several of the candidates running for speaker after the former president previously backed Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, NBC’s Scott Wong and Rebecca Kaplan report.
But Emmer’s message is crystal clear: He really wants Trump’s support and looks forward “to continuing our strong working relationship.”
That tells you everything you need to know about the 2024 GOP presidential race and why Trump has been so dominant — GOP voters and elected leaders agree he is still the leader of this party
Quote of the day
“I said there’s only one person that can do it all the way. You who know, that is? Jesus Christ. Jesus came down, said, 'I want to be speaker.' He would do it. Other than that I haven’t seen I haven’t seen anybody that can guarantee it.”
— Donald Trump speaking to reporters in New Hampshire on the House speaker fight.
The number of the day is … 2
That’s how many additional hostages Hamas released on Monday.
They were identified as Nurit Cooper, 79, and Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, NBC News’ Richard Engel and Daniel Arkin report. The freed hostages’ husbands — Amiram, 85, and Oded, 83 — are still in the hands of Hamas, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed.
There are still over 200 people who remain captive by Hamas, many of whom were taken as hostages on or after Oct. 7, when Hamas first attacked Israel.
Cooper and Lifshitz were the second set of hostages that Hamas has released. The first were Americans Judith and Natalie Raanan.
Eyes on 2024: Tim Scott resets struggling campaign
Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., grabbed headlines on Monday as he looks to reset his struggling presidential campaign.
Scott traveled to Chicago, where he delivered a speech focused on race. His address was the first time Scott spoke before a mostly Black audience, NBC’s Nnamdi Egwuonwu reports.
Egwuonwu wrote that Scott “spent much of the speech accusing the left of failing cities like Chicago, exploiting race for partisan gain and ‘getting soft on crime, defending failing schools, undermining traditional values and weakening capitalism.’
Scott’s campaign also announced that his presidential campaign will refocus most of its resources on Iowa, per Egwuonwu and NBC’s Ali Vitali. The shift comes as the pro-Scott super PAC has cut its fall advertising as Scott has struggled to break through the primary field.
Also on Monday, Scott took a rare direct shot at the primary’s frontrunner, former President Donald Trump, during an event in Iowa, per Egwuonwu and NBC’s Alex Tabet.
“I don’t think he can win,” Scott said. “You have to be able to win in Georgia. I don’t think he can win in Georgia. I think you’ll have to be able to win in Pennsylvania.”
As Scott regroups on the campaign trail, Egwuonwu and NBC’s Alec Hernández also report that Scott, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, are both flexing their power as elected officials amid the war between Israel and Hamas.
In other campaign news…
Legal saga continues: After former President Donald Trump’s former attorney Sidney Powell pleaded guilty in a Georgia election interference case, Trump sought to distance himself from her, saying on social media, “Ms. Powell was not my attorney, and never was.” In another case concerning classified documents found at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago, Trump denied a report that he shared sensitive U.S. national security information with an Australian billionaire.
Vivek’s take: Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy told Politico that the U.S. withdrawing from NATO is “a reasonable idea that I have considered,” adding that he is “also open to reevaluating U.S. involvement in the UN.”
Keep an eye on Liz: Former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., is not ruling out a run for president in 2024, she told CNN on Sunday, calling Trump the “single most dangerous threat” to the nation.
Endorsement alert: Michigan businessman Perry Johnson, who dropped out of the race for the GOP presidential nomination on Friday, endorsed Trump on Monday.
On the stage: Politico reports that former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has met the donor and polling threshold to qualify for the third GOP primary debate next month.
Back in the courtroom: Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., pleaded not guilty Monday to a new charge that he accepted bribes from the Egyptian government. The move came as a new statewide pollfound that over 70% of New Jersey residents want him to resign.
To run or not to run: Wisconsin is the last Senate battleground without a major Republican candidate, but there are two self-funders lining up to run with the “[GOP Sen.] Ron Johnson playbook.”
Endorsement alert, Part 2: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, formally endorsed Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks in the state’s Democratic primary for an open Senate seat, the Baltimore Sun reports.
Debatable: Kentucky Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear faced off against his GOP rival, state Attorney General Daniel Cameron, in a heated debate on Monday night ahead of their election next month, per the Associated Press.
Santos saga: Politico explores the fight for embattled New York GOP Rep. George Santos’ seat, with multiple candidates jumping in the race as Santos, who is appearing in court on Friday, insists he’s still running for re-election.
ICYMI: What ELSE is happening in the world
The Israeli Defense Forces on Monday released a Hamas “abduction manual” that included detailed instructions on how to take people hostage and included “Top Secret” labels in Arabic.
A group of House Democrats is asking for a classified briefing about how China may be taking advantage of the dysfunction in Congress and the lack of a Speaker for propaganda or other purposes, NBC’s Jonathan Allen reports.
The White House on Monday designated 31 “technology hubs” around the country that President Biden hopes will improve American competitiveness in the tech sector.
A former NSA worker pleaded guilty on Monday to trying to sell classified information to Russia.
