The time Donald Trump got his own personal Virginia primary debate

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Jun 17, 2024 View in browser   By Olivia Beavers and Ally Mutnick Presented by  With assists from POLITICO's Congress team Rep. Bob Good speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill following a vote on April 19, 2024. | Andrew Harnik/Getty Images THE GOOD-MCGUIRE DEBATE WITH AN AUDIENCE OF ONE The bruising primary for Virginia's 5th Congressional District is finally coming to an end tomorrow. But one month before that, House Freedom Caucus Chair Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.) and his GOP rival John McGuire found themselves face-to-face in New York with the former president himself. Both men had traveled to the Big Apple on May 16 to support Trump in his criminal trial. Once they were close to Trump, they used their access to try to curry favor with the presumptive presidential nominee — who at that point had yet to endorse in the primary. Here’s how it went down, according to five people present in the room, including some who spoke on condition of anonymity: When Trump mentioned a debate with Joe Biden, Good seized an opportunity to needle McGuire for declining to debate him. Good told Trump that he knows the feeling of an opponent who would not debate. “It kind of sucked all the air out of the room, because McGuire was on the other side of the table and it was just super-awkward,” recalled Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.), a Freedom Caucus member who is backing Good. Crane, who called McGuire “weak” for not debating, also remembered the Virginia state senator shooting back in front of Trump that Good would “rig it.” Good quickly asked how one would rig a debate. McGuire then openly questioned why he should debate Good when his internal polling shows him up 14 points over the incumbent. Good shot back that his internal survey showed him up 25 points, according to two of the five people present in the room. Others in the room more generally recalled a back-and-forth about polling, including the two men talking over one another. Trump cut through the lingering tension, according to two people in the room, where he spent most of his time complaining that his criminal trial was unfair and rigged. Here’s where Trump telegraphed the McGuire endorsement he later offered. Trump ribbed Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) and Good, the two people in the room who initially endorsed his primary challengers in the 2024 presidential race. As four people in the room recalled, Trump asked about Norman’s endorsement of Nikki Haley, South Carolina’s former governor. Some Republican lawmakers present responded: “Nikki who?” Norman said he acknowledged to Trump that she’d lost in the race. Then Trump turned to Good, as confirmed by Crane and Norman, and asked how his endorsement of “Ron DeSanctimonious” (read: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis) was working out. Crucially, Norman painted the entire exchange as more lighthearted than the Good-McGuire animosity might suggest. “Everything was pretty quick. And it was really — Trump was laughing about it,” Norman said, adding: “The back and forth with Good really just wasn't that much.” Trump endorsed McGuire less than two weeks later. The Trump campaign did not immediately return a request for comment on the May 16 back-and-forth. — Olivia Beavers and Ally Mutnick GOOD EVENING! Welcome to Inside Congress, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Monday, June 17, where several of us admit to being excited about Talking Heads frontman David Byrne’s scheduled visit to the Senate tomorrow. (NOT) BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE  A broad swath of Democrats are scheduled to go to the White House tomorrow for an event that’s expected to include the announcement of new policies protecting some undocumented immigrants from deportation. Some of those invited Democrats include Sens. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), as well as Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Rep. Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.) and Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas), according to people familiar with the guest list. It’s a stark difference from the smaller crowd of Democrats who showed up weeks ago when President Joe Biden unveiled actions that would strengthen asylum restrictions — to criticism from his left flank. Prepare for tomorrow’s actions to be much better received by his Democratic colleagues. The policies, which will be rolled out around an event commemorating the 12th anniversary of the Obama-era program that shielded so-called Dreamers from deportation, will shield some undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens from deportation. Those spouses would also be allowed to work legally while they pursue a path to citizenship. The expected action was the Hispanic Caucus’ top request of the president, a move they had pushed the Biden administration for as a counterweight to its recent restrictions on migration. — Daniella Diaz and Nicholas Wu  GOP INVESTIGATIONS UPDATE House Republicans are out of town this week, but there are signs of movement on multiple investigative fronts (though, as we frequently remind readers, they don’t have the votes to impeach President Joe Biden). On the GOP’s long-running impeachment inquiry, which has largely focused on the business deals of Biden’s family members, House GOP leadership and committee chairs sent a letter on Monday to the U.S. Office of Special Counsel requesting a briefing on its handling of claims of retaliation made by two whistleblowers. Those whistleblowers, Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler, both previously worked on the Hunter Biden investigation. And in the latest example of Republicans trying to undercut the work of the now-disbanded Democrat-led Jan. 6 committee, Speaker Mike Johnson is under growing pressure from his right flank to weigh into the legal battles of Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro. Both Trump allies were sentenced to jail time after refusing to comply with subpoenas from the previous panel. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) has called for Johnson and other House GOP leaders to use a vote of the BLAG — the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group, which articulates the House's legal positions — to signal that the current House views the previous subpoenas as invalid. Gaetz has even hinted that he believes GOP leaders are considering his pitch, and Bannon’s attorney made a similar one recently. Meanwhile, Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Mo.) is also planning to introduce a resolution to “rescind the subpoenas” issued by the Jan. 6 committee for Bannon, Navarro, Mark Meadows and Dan Scavino “and withdraw the recommendations finding them in contempt of Congress.” – Jordain Carney   A message from PhRMA: The 340B drug pricing program is supposed to help vulnerable patients access medicines at qualifying hospitals and clinics. It’s meant to be a safety net for those who really need it. So why is the 340B program padding profits for large hospitals, PBMs and chain pharmacies? Let’s fix 340B so it can help the patients that need it most. Let’s fix 340B.   HUDDLE HOTDISH Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Byrne, the lead singer of the Talking Heads, will be meeting with senators Tuesday on the American Music Fairness Act – the bipartisan bill that requires AM/FM radio to pay performers royalties when their songs are played on the air. Stay on the lookout! Cory Booker offered the NO SHT Act — which is exactly what it sounds like it would be.   A message from PhRMA:   QUICK LINKS  GOP rising star candidate and PA state Rep Ryan Mackenzie lied about age on Tinder profile by EIGHT YEARS, from Morgan Phillips in The Daily Mail Garret Graves calls it quits — but only for now, from Kelsey Brugger Michigan’s ‘queen of ag’ is retiring, risking Democratic U.S. Senate seat, from Lauren Gibbons at the Bridge Michigan Johnson, House GOP campaign arm chief meet Trump on election strategy at Mar-a-Lago, from Sarah   THE GOLD STANDARD OF POLICY REPORTING & INTELLIGENCE: POLITICO has more than 500 journalists delivering unrivaled reporting and illuminating the policy and regulatory landscape for those who need to know what’s next. Throughout the election and the legislative and regulatory pushes that will follow, POLITICO Pro is indispensable to those who need to make informed decisions fast. The Pro platform dives deeper into critical and quickly evolving sectors and industries—finance, defense, technology, healthcare, energy—equipping policymakers and those who shape legislation and regulation with essential news and intelligence from the world’s best politics and policy journalists. Our newsroom is deeper, more experienced, and better sourced than any other—with teams embedded in the world’s most active legislative and regulatory power centers. From Brussels to Washington, New York to London, Sacramento to Paris, we bring subscribers inside the conversations that determine policy outcomes and the future of industries, providing insight that cannot be found anywhere else. Get the premier news and policy intelligence service, SUBSCRIBE TO POLITICO PRO TODAY.     TRANSITIONS  Katherine Schneider is joining the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security as deputy director of public affairs. She most recently was comms director for Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and is a Jacky Rosen and Joaquin Castro alum. Adán Serna has been promoted to be communications director for Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.). He previously was deputy communications director and press secretary for Luján. Christianné Allen is now communications director for Rep. Russ Fulcher (R-Idaho). She most recently was comms director for Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.).   JOIN US ON 6/13 FOR A TALK ON THE FUTURE OF HEALTH CARE: As Congress and the White House work to strengthen health care affordability and access, innovative technologies and treatments are increasingly important for patient health and lower costs. What barriers are appearing as new tech emerges? Is the Medicare payment process keeping up with new technologies and procedures? Join us on June 13 as POLITICO convenes a panel of lawmakers, officials and experts to discuss what policy solutions could expand access to innovative therapies and tech. REGISTER HERE.     TOMORROW IN CONGRESS The House is out. The Senate is in session.   A message from PhRMA: Hospitals that participate in the 340B program contract with more than 33,000 pharmacies to dispense the program’s drug prescriptions. More than 40% of these pharmacies have financial ties to one of the three largest PBMs – CVS Health, Express Scripts and OptumRx. 340B hospitals and the PBM-owned pharmacies they contract with are profiting off discounted medicines while uninsured patients are left paying full price for their medicines. Let’s fix 340B so it better helps patients.   TUESDAY AROUND THE HILL Quiet. TRIVIA FRIDAY’S ANSWER: Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Mich.) was the first to correctly guess that Ben Nighthorse Campbell was the former member who was the captain of the U.S. judo team at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo. TODAY’S QUESTION, from trivia star KTM: Three members of Congress identify as Unitarian Universalists. Who are they? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Inside Congress. Send your answers to insidecongress@politico.com. GET INSIDE CONGRESS emailed to your phone each evening.   Follow us

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