Candidates face new security concerns

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Jul 15, 2024 View in browser   By Nick Reisman, Jeff Coltin and Emily Ngo With help from Rich Mendez Lee Zeldin said security lessons learned after the attempted assassination of former President Trump need to be implemented immediately. | Jacquelyn Martin/AP NEW YORK MINUTE: The Republican National Convention kicks off today in Milwaukee. New York figures, including Rep. Elise Stefanik, have speaking roles, and many others will be there for the festivities. Watch live and follow our coverage at politico.com/rnc. SECURITY BOOST: Lessons from the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump need to be learned fast in order to beef up protection around candidates around the country, ex-Rep. Lee Zeldin told Playbook Sunday in an interview. “We were a millimeter away from an extremely dark and uncertain time in our country,” said Zeldin, a Trump supporter. “This is consequential at a much bigger level and was almost an extraordinarily tragic disaster for our nation’s politics.” Zeldin has experience with security issues at political rallies. Two years ago, as he was running for governor, a man physically accosted Zeldin during a rally in Monroe County with a keychain that had two sharp points. No one was seriously injured and the assailant, David Jakubonis, was given three years probation. But Zeldin received more security from local police at subsequent rallies as a result. Now with the Republican National Convention kicking off today in Milwaukee, Zeldin said the information gleaned from the probe should be implemented quickly amid questions over how the alleged shooter was able to access a rooftop so close to where Trump was speaking Saturday in Butler, Pa. “Whatever lessons need to be learned about what went wrong, they need to be not just learned, but addressed instantly —especially with the RNC starting,” he said. And Zeldin believes security questions need to be assessed for all candidates and officeholders. “We have to ensure everyone is safe,” he said. “In this case learning lessons of the past, whether you’re an incumbent or a challenger, we should be ensuring that political scores are being settled only at the ballot box.” The 2022 incident for Zeldin is not close to the same scale of what unfolded in Pennsylvania on Saturday: A gunman opening fire, killing one spectator and injuring two more people and a former president getting rushed off the stage by the Secret Service. Still, both events are of a broader piece in which violence at political rallies, or baseball practices, or constituent meet-and-greets, has occurred over the last decade. Threats against members of Congress and elected officials have increased in recent years as political tribalism and toxic partisan rhetoric has expanded — so much so that some lawmakers have dipped into their own campaign funds to boost security at their homes. Democratic elected officials — including President Joe Biden during an Oval Office address Sunday night –- condemned political violence. Mayor Eric Adams, whose office moved to strengthen the NYPD’s presence around Trump Tower, appeared at a unity event Sunday with the Rev. Al Sharpton and clergy leaders. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson in an interview on NBC Sunday morning also called for calm. “We need leaders of all parties, on both sides, to call that out and make sure that happens so that we can go forward and maintain our free society that we all are blessed to have,” Johnson said. But Zeldin, who hasn’t ruled out another run for governor in 2026, wasn’t as conciliatory. “To be candid, I am extremely put off and disturbed by some who want to blame President Trump and his supporters as if they are responsible for this attempted assassination,” he said. “We’ve seen this happen time and again.” — Nick Reisman IT’S MONDAY: Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman.   SUBSCRIBE TO GLOBAL PLAYBOOK: Don’t miss out on POLITICO’s Global Playbook, our newsletter taking you inside pivotal discussions at the most influential gatherings in the world. Suzanne Lynch delivers the world's elite and influential moments directly to you. Stay in the global loop. SUBSCRIBE NOW.     WHERE’S KATHY? In Albany convening a youth mental health roundtable. WHERE’S ERIC? Holding a briefing to discuss the upcoming extreme heat, then delivering remarks at the NYPD recruit graduation ceremony. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I hope you see [Trump] raising his fist as a defiant gesture against not his political opponents, but of people who would use violence to silence our democracy.” — New York City Council member Joe Borelli, via POLITICO, at a unity press conference with Adams, Rev. Al Sharpton and others on Sunday. ABOVE THE FOLD DELGADO AND MEEKS: Queens Democratic Rep. Greg Meeks and the Congressional Black Caucus have been a wall of support for Biden amid calls for him to step down. So when Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado last week called on President Joe Biden to end his campaign, Meeks wasn’t pleased — and he let him know. Meeks told Playbook in an interview on Friday that he had tried to dissuade Delgado from sending the statement after the lieutenant governor called to give him a heads-up. “I don’t know why the lieutenant governor would get involved at this stage of the game,” Meeks said. “What’s going on in Washington, D.C., is up for the president to decide. I believe it’s up for the president to decide whether he’s in or not.” Meeks, a key member of the caucus, said he was concerned Delgado’s statement contradicted the approach from Democrats in the influential bloc of lawmakers following Biden’s poor debate performance. “We’re all working together,” Meeks said in the interview. “There hasn’t been one that’s come out and said the president shouldn’t have the opportunity to make his own decision. I was disappointed because the lieutenant governor was once a member of the Congressional Black Caucus and we try to work collectively.” The caucus has been a pillar of support for Biden amid a drumbeat of calls last week from Democrats in the House and Senate for him to step aside. Biden has batted away the concerns over his age and mental acuity and insists he will remain in the race. Delgado is a former House member from a battleground Hudson Valley seat and was appointed lieutenant governor in 2022 by Gov. Kathy Hochul, a steadfast Biden supporter. Hochul told reporters last week the calls for Biden to step aside have become a distraction. But Delgado in a CNN interview on Friday afternoon said it was not a matter of undermining the governor —– or Democratic attempts to hold the White House. “It’s important to understand I had to listen to my conscience,” Delgado said last week. — Nick Reisman CITY HALL: THE LATEST Scott Stringer says he's raised $424,000 in the last six months, setting him up to be a serious contender in the mayoral race. | Seth Wenig/AP MAYORAL MONEY: Former Comptroller Scott Stringer says he’s raised more than $424,000 from 2,100 donors in the last six months for his mayoral campaign and already passed the threshold to qualify for public matching funds. Other likely mayoral candidates declined to share any information ahead of today’s filing deadline, but Stringer was feeling good enough about his total to taunt Adams. “It’s a little easier for me,” he told Playbook, “because we don’t have to raise money for a defense fund.” Adams’ campaign said the mayor actually raised more than $1 million in the last six months but didn’t provide further details ahead of the filing. Stringer’s campaign said he’s got more than $300,000 left on hand, after spending. Candidates have until the next filing deadline in October to unlock the first disbursement of matching funds, but Stringer said he’d already passed the 1,000 qualifying donor mark. “We have the building blocks for a serious campaign,” Stringer said. Comptroller Brad Lander, among other potential candidates, will be considering Stringer and Myrie’s fundraising momentum as they weigh running themselves. — Jeff Coltin COUNT MEN-IN: City Council member Julie Menin hasn’t hidden her interest in running for speaker at the end of 2025 — in fact, she considered running in 2021 — and finishing the filing period with $335,000 in the bank could boost Menin’s case. That includes at least $55,000 rolled over from her 2023 campaign, the Upper East Side Dem’s political operation told Playbook, but it’s still a massive fundraising total for a council member. Speaker candidates often donate to fellow members to help win support. “She would be a formidable candidate in a number of races as she is incredibly well respected by elected officials and labor,” Democratic strategist Jason Ortiz said to Playbook. Other possible speaker hopefuls include Kevin Riley, Carmen De La Rosa, Crystal Hudson, Linda Lee and Selvena Brooks-Powers, as Playbook has previously reported, but that list is changing constantly, and nothing really matters until November 2025. “There will be a time for city politics,” Menin said in a statement, “but right now the top priority must be defeating Donald Trump in November.” — Jeff Coltin MEASLES CASES: City health officials are working to contain the spread of measles within a city-run migrant shelter for adults in Brooklyn after two residents were diagnosed with the contagious virus. “The Health Department and Health + Hospitals are coordinating to ensure that anyone who’s been exposed gets the support and resources they need,” Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan said in a statement Friday night. “While measles may be an extremely contagious virus, the risk to the community is low as most New Yorkers are vaccinated against it.” City Hall spokesperson Noah Levine said staff at the city-run arrival center at the Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan have administered over 70,000 MMR, varicella and Covid vaccines to new arrivals since the facility opened in May 2023. The center also screens migrants for communicable diseases, including for rashes symptomatic of measles. — Maya Kaufman More from the city: — FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said Saturday she would resign, giving no explanation for the sudden departure, and capping a rocky tenure marked by infighting. (The New York Times) — City public schools could be required to adopt "cell phone free school space” according to audio of a meeting of city education officials. (POLITICO Pro) — Construction company KSK, whose office FBI agents raided last year as part of a federal investigation into Adams’ campaign, illegally erected several stories of an East Village residential project without obtaining a key permit. (Gothamist) NEW FROM PLANET ALBANY A Republican-backed organization is pouring money into New York districts that they believe are in play. | Ian Maule/AFP/Getty Images GOP AND NY: A national Republican-backed organization wants to play offense in state legislative races in deep blue New York. And they’ve got the fundraising muscle to back it up. The Republican State Leadership Committee has raised $15 million during the most recent fundraising quarter, the group announced. And with a focus on dollars raised over the internet, the group reported 11,000 first-time donors through digital contributions. Not all of this money will be directed to state legislative candidates in New York, where Democrats hold supermajorities in both chambers. Republicans face an uphill climb to flip both the state Senate and Assembly. Still, the RSLC believes New York has some districts that could be in play for Republicans. “We look forward to using this money to support state Republicans in critical battleground states across the country so that we can go on offense immediately while Democrats remain in disarray over the top of their ticket,” said Dee Duncan, the group’s president. — Nick Reisman More from Albany: — Officials at the state and city levels hope to resettle migrants staying in upstate hotels. (Times Union) — Hochul defended Biden’s candidacy, pointing to his handling of the NATO Summit last week. (NY1) NEW YORK STATE OF MIND — Flocks of birds have repeatedly swarmed the NYPD’s aerial drones at beaches, forcing the city to adjust flight plans. (The Associated Press) — A stock purchase Rep. Nicole Malliotakis made last year has prompted her Democratic congressional challenger to call for an investigation of potential insider trading. (Staten Island Advance) — Supervisors in the MTA’s bus division say an agency-wide crunch on overtime means they’re getting asked to vouch for work they didn’t see. (Daily News)   Understand 2024’s big impacts with Pro’s extensive Campaign Races Dashboard, exclusive insights, and key coverage of federal- and state-level debates. Focus on policy. Learn more.     SOCIAL DATA Edited by Daniel Lippman MEDIAWATCH: Times Union Capitol bureau reporter Josh Solomon is joining Newsday’s investigations desk … City Limits Deputy Editor Emma Whitford is leaving the publication. — Assemblymember Grace Lee, City Council Member Susan Zhuang, former Assembly candidate Yi Andy Chen and others demanded a formal apology from the New York Post after the publication erroneously reported Saturday that the man who shot at Trump was “Chinese” before quietly editing the story. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: State Sen. James Tedisco … Assemblymember Inez Dickens … CNN’s Mark Morales … Yuh-Line Niou … Gareth Rhodes … Judge Brendan Lantry … Georgea Kontzamanis of the NYC BOE … Arianna Huffington … Semafor’s Max Tani … Alex Lasry … JPMorgan Chase’s Heather Higginbottom … Brunswick Group’s Mark Palmer … David Miliband … Liana Balinsky-Baker … (WAS SUNDAY): Julie Wood of Risa Heller … James Capalino … Air Mail’s Graydon Carter (75) … Adam Lisberg … Jennifer Walden Weprin … Eliana Johnson … ABC’s Devin Dwyer … CNN’s Daniel Strauss … WSJ’s Nicole Friedman … Ted Goodman … Caroline Kelly … Howard Lutnick ... Daniel B. Jeydel …  … (WAS SATURDAY): Joe Spector… Tony Kornheiser … Katie Roiphe ... WaPo’s Josh Dawsey … Devlin Barrett … Zaina Javaid … Joe Lockhart … Anne Schroeder … Nick Newburger … Antoinette Rangel … Eric A. Kohlmann … (WAS FRIDAY): Rita E. Hauser ... Dan Botnick Missed Friday’s New York Playbook PM? We forgive you. Read it here.   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Ottawa Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters Follow us

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