Republicans rage against Mar-a-Lago raid

A play-by-play preview of the day's congressional news

Aug 09, 2022 View in browser   By Katherine Tully-McManus SEARCH IN THE SUNSHINE STATE — The FBI's search of Mar-a-Lago, part of an investigation into the alleged mishandling of White House records and classified material, has Republicans fuming and Democrats waiting to see what's next. SPLIT SCREEN REACTION: "I've seen enough," House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) tweeted hours after Trump confirmed that federal officials had searched his resort. McCarthy pledged that if Republicans take control of the House, "we will conduct immediate oversight of this department, follow the facts, and leave no stone unturned." He urged Attorney General Merrick Garland to "preserve your documents and clear your calendar," (which has a touch of irony given that the raid was related to recordkeeping and we've recently learned about Trump's habit of flushing documents down the toilet .) Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) had not seen enough. "Well, I know nothing about it other than what I've read like everybody else, so I think it's wise for me to withhold comments until we learn more," Schumer said on MSNBC's "The Rachel Maddow Show," declining to comment further. Olivia chronicled the reaction of Republicans in real-time last night as news of the raid unfolded: House GOP rallies to Trump after Mar-a-Lago search, vows to probe FBI in 2023 Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), a former FBI agent, said he's had "many inquiries" about the raid and pledged his own inquiry: "I will get to the bottom of this, will follow the facts wherever they lead, and will report with unimpeachable integrity. I will get to the truth." The raid itself took "hours" and included the seizure of paper records, while Trump attorney Christina Bobb looked on, report Jonathan Lemire, Kyle and Nicholas . Big tip of that hat to local Florida reporter Peter Schorsch, publisher of Florida Politics, who first confirmed the raid . Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) addresses attendees during the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit, July 22, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. | Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP Photo KEEP UTAH… WEIRD? — Across the country in Utah, one of the strangest Senate races this cycle is playing out. Evan McMullin, a former Republican, is running as an independent backed by state Democrats. And he insists he wouldn't caucus with either party if he gets to Washington. (Would make for a lonely lunch club.) He's challenging incumbent Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) who morphed into a Trump ally during the former president's tenure. But he didn't vote for Trump in 2016. He cast his ballot for… McMullin. And that's not the half of it. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) is staying out of the fray, not endorsing either candidate. Burgess dips into the strange state of affairs: Welcome to the strangest Senate race in America   STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president's ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today .     GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Tuesday, August 9, where even during a recess we're clearly still not living our best life . IT'S PRIMARY TIME — Voters in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Vermont and Connecticut head to the polls today. Here's what to watch: MINNESOTA 1st: Voters in Minnesota's 1st congressional district are double dipping today, voting both for a successor for the late Rep. Jim Hagedorn, who died earlier this year and on the same ballot voting in the primary for the November election. The Republican leading the GOP field is former Republican state Rep. Brad Finstad and the Democrat in the lead is Jeff Ettinger, the former CEO of Hormel Foods. WISCONSIN: Three Democrats, Deb McGrath, Brad Pfaff and Rebecca Cooke, are fighting for their party's nomination in the race to replace retiring Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wis.). Whoever wins will face Derrick Van Orden, the 2020 GOP nominee, in a top Republican target district. IT'S A WOMAN'S WORLD… in the Green Mountain State. The big race to watch is the Democratic primary for the House seat that Democratic Rep. Peter Welch is leaving to run for the Senate. The candidates, Lt. Gov. Molly Gray and Becca Balint, the president pro tempore of the state Senate, make it likely that Vermont will send its first ever woman to Capitol Hill. Welch is leading the Democratic primary to fill Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy's seat, the first Senate slot from Vermont to come open since 2006. He faces emergency physician Niki Thran and activist Isaac Evans-Frantz. On the Republican side, Army veteran Gerald Malloy and investment banker Myers Mermel compete against Christina Nolan, who served as U.S. attorney for Vermont during the Trump administration. (Confirmed by voice vote in the Senate in 2017, in case you were going to look it up.) CONNECTICUT: The Republican contest to face Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) pits Trump-backed Republican National Committee Member Leora Levy against former state House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, who won the state party's endorsement, in another test of the former president's strength in primary races this cycle. More on what to watch for in today's races from Zach Montellero and Ally Mutnick. THAT OLD SCHOOL NEW ENGLAND FLAVOR — Moderate Republicans across New England are hoping to stage a comeback in this year's midterms, drawing contrast both with Democrats and with the Trumpist takeover of their party. In Connecticut former state senator George Logan is challenging incumbent Democrat Rep. Jahana Hayes in the 5th District and Mike France is taking on Democratic incumbent Rep. Joe Courtney. Maine's Bruce Poliquin is looking for a double comeback, trying to win back the seat he lost when he was the last New England Republican in the House. Allan Fung in Rhode Island is backing Kevin McCarthy for speaker, if Republicans take the House, but says he'll also buck his party on a whole slate of issues. Sarah trekked around the Northeast talking to candidates and voters: The Republican center mounts its comeback in New England ANOTHER IMPEACHMENT BACKER (NEARLY) TOPPLED — Six-term incumbent Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.) is on the edge of defeat after falling to third place behind Trump-backed challenger Joe Kent. More on the state of the race from The Seattle Times .   INTRODUCING POWER SWITCH: The energy landscape is profoundly transforming. Power Switch is a daily newsletter that unlocks the most important stories driving the energy sector and the political forces shaping critical decisions about your energy future, from production to storage, distribution to consumption. Don't miss out on Power Switch, your guide to the politics of energy transformation in America and around the world. SUBSCRIBE TODAY .     QUICK LINKS  Senate's must-pass defense bill eyed for rollback of 'zombie' war powers , from Lawrence Ukenye and Connor O'Brien TRANSITIONS  Trentqual Rhone is now the press and staff assistant for Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.). He was previously a press assistant at Protect Our Care. Karishma Merchant is now associate VP of policy and advocacy at Jobs for the Future. She previously was senior education and workforce policy adviser for Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.). TODAY IN CONGRESS The House meets at 1 p.m. for a pro forma session. The Senate convenes at 9 a.m. for a pro forma session. AROUND THE HILL A relatively quiet one. TRIVIA MONDAY'S WINNER: Phillip B. Bianchi correctly answered that father and son senators Henry and Augustus Dodge are the only pair to serve simultaneously in the chamber. Father represented Wisconsin, son represented Iowa. TODAY'S QUESTION: Name the first president whose oath of office was administered by a woman? Who was she? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your answers to ktm@politico.com. GET HUDDLE emailed to your phone each morning. Follow Katherine on Twitter @ktullymcmanus   Follow us

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