Principals

1. Biden signs border order
2. Kim wins in NJ
3. MAGA outreach to Black Philadelphians
4. Biden’s harsh words for Bibi
5. Nippon Steel’s merger pitch
6. Europe doubts US

PDB: Tom Cole gets a boost from Main Street

Biden lands in France … Gunman opens fire at US Embassy in Beirut… NYT: Israel paid for secret influence operation targeting US lawmakers

— edited by Benjy Sarlin, Jordan Weissmann and Morgan Chalfant

Biden’s border order gets a tepid response

Not many Democrats seem thrilled about President Biden’s new executive order cracking down on the border, Joseph Zeballos-Roig reports. The measure, which would let officials deny new asylum claims if average daily border crossings reach 2,500 over a week, represents a last resort to stem the migrant crisis following the collapse of a border deal earlier this year. “I would have preferred to address this issue through bipartisan legislation,” Biden said at a White House signing event. “But Republicans left me with no choice.” Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy said he doubted the new action would “pass judicial muster” (the ACLU plans to sue), while a group of House centrists called Biden’s order “overdue” and urged him to take more steps. Progressives continued to portray the move as a betrayal of migrant rights that “undermined American values,” as California Sen. Alex Padilla put it.

Andy Kim wins, Trump-backed mayor loses in New Jersey

New Jersey Democrats nominated Rep. Andy Kim for Senate on Tuesday, and Republicans rejected a Trump-backed mayor to nominate Cape May developer Curtis Bashaw. Kim had effectively locked up the nomination months ago, when Sen. Bob Menendez bailed out of the primary and first lady Tammy Murphy opted not to run; he swept every county, easily carrying the North Jersey district represented by the senator’s son. Rep. Rob Menendez won anyway, and candidates endorsed by county parties prevailed in the first primary since a Kim-led lawsuit ended the old party “line” system. Trump has also done little for Bashaw’s opponent, and the candidate denounced “the weaponization of our justice system” after last week’s verdict. Trump endorsee Troy Downing led in the first results from Montana’s 2nd House district; the former president announced his support on Monday, when Downing was becoming the clear favorite. In Iowa, Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks won by an unexpectedly thin margin over David Pautsch, a Christian activist who accused her of being “Republican in Name Only” and spent just $30,000 on his race.

— David Weigel

What Trump’s Black outreach looks like in Philly

About a hundred Trump supporters, overwhelmingly Black men, gathered in a smoke-filled room in North Philadelphia on Tuesday for an informal “Congress, Cognac, and Cigars” event with Reps. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., and Wesley Hunt, R-Texas. “What we know is we could carve out between 25% and 30% of the Black male voters in Pennsylvania,” Hunt told Semafor’s Kadia Goba at the event. “What we’re trying to do is actually go fish where the fish are.” The Trump campaign opened its first Philadelphia office the same day, and polling shows Republicans picking up Black support in battlegrounds. Democrats are taking the threat seriously: President Biden and Kamala Harris visited the city last week to deliver a blistering denunciation of Trump aimed at Black voters.

Biden and Netanyahu’s public feud deepens

The Biden-Bibi relationship appears to have reached a new public low. President Biden told Time Magazine that there is “every reason” for people to believe that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is prolonging the Gaza war to preserve his political standing, comments that an Israeli government spokesperson called “outside the diplomatic norms of every right-thinking country.” The White House’s John Kirby defended the remarks, saying Biden “was referencing what many critics have said.” Asked during a White House event whether Netanyahu is playing politics with the war, Biden replied: “I don’t think so. He’s trying to work out a serious problem he has.” The comments to Time were made on May 28, before Biden laid out what he said was an Israel ceasefire proposal. Netanyahu, under pressure from far-right ministers, has delivered mixed messages on his support for the proposal.

Nippon exec predicts “nightmare” if US Steel deal fails

The Nippon Steel executive charged with sealing the Japanese company’s $15 billion takeover of US Steel told Semafor that a political decision to block the deal would be a “nightmare” for unionized workers, Liz Hoffman writes. Takahiro Mori said in an interview that a takeover by an American rival could “slice down” the faded giant. Mori is in the US for the second time in three weeks, meeting with lawmakers and community groups in Washington, DC and Pennsylvania to talk up the economic and security benefits of a deal he says will create a stronger competitor to China. “The biggest risk in the steel industry today is an oversupply from China,” he said, adding that a leaner and better capitalized US Steel “under the control of the US and Japan” will be more competitive against Beijing.

Large share of Europeans see US as unreliable protector

As President Biden lands in Europe, a new poll finds only 6% of Western Europeans see the US as a “very reliable” guarantor of European security over the next decade. The survey from the Institute for Global Affairs housed at the Eurasia Group found 46% of adults in the UK, Germany, and France view the US as somewhat reliable in its security commitments; another 46% believe it is at least somewhat unreliable, with the French and Germans most skeptical. The survey, conducted in April, also found broad support among Americans and Western Europeans for pushing for a “negotiated settlement” to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine, despite reluctance on the part of the White House and officials in some European capitals to pressure Kyiv to the negotiating table.

— Morgan Chalfant

Beltway Newsletters

Punchbowl News: Democratic leaders are telling their members to vote against the typically bipartisan MilCon-VA spending bill up for a vote today in the House in order to send a message to Republicans that they need to cut a deal with Democrats on appropriations, unlike last year.

Playbook: Speaker Mike Johnson’s move to invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress is deeply dividing Democrats. “We’re already divided — we don’t need this guy who’s killing people coming to speak,” one Democratic lawmaker said. There’s still no firm date on when Netanyahu will visit Washington.

Axios: Supporters of Donald Trump want his administration to investigate and prosecute Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg if he wins in November.

WaPo: The RNC is launching a new push called “Swamp the Vote” to encourage mail-in and early voting despite Trump’s previous attacks on mail ballots. NRSC Chair Sen. Steve Daines said he was “very pleased” with the move and said he has talked about it “extensively” with Trump.

White House

• President Biden arrived in Paris this morning and will mark the D-Day anniversary in Normandy on Thursday. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters aboard Air Force One that Biden will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy while in Normandy.
• Biden’s effort to crack down on illegal immigration could have a detrimental effect on the economy. — Politico
• Sullivan met with the families of American hostages being held by Hamas.

Congress

• The House passed legislation to sanction International Criminal Court officials in the face of opposition from the White House. Every Republican and 42 pro-Israel Democrats voted in favor of the bill.
• Attorney General Merrick Garland sat through a contentious hearing on Capitol Hill that quickly devolved into partisan bickering. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan accused Garland of unfair treatment of Donald Trump, while Rep. Jerrold Nadler, the committee’s top Democrat, declared the panel “little more than a field office for the Trump campaign” under Republican leadership. Garland said he “will not be intimidated” by attacks on the Justice Department and told lawmakers he’s never spoken to Hunter Biden.
• House conservatives are pushing Speaker Mike Johnson to hold a vote on a bill that would allow current and former presidents to move state cases brought against them — a measure designed to show backing for Trump. — Axios
• Johnson on Tuesday wouldn’t commit to supporting Donald Trump’s call for 10% across-across-the board tariffs. “I believe there’s a role to play for that, and I think we will have some very thoughtful discussion ... vigorous debate about exactly when that can be applied and how it should be,” Johnson said in an interview at the CNBC CEO Council Summit in Washington, DC. — CNBC
• Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., faces a preliminary House Ethics Committee probe regarding allegations of staff abuse. — Politico
• Sen. Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Senate Democrat, disagreed with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s decision to sign onto an invitation for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress. — Politico
• Former House Speakers Nancy Pelosi and Kevin McCarthy made a rare appearance together for a press conference marking the Tiananmen Square anniversary.

Outside the Beltway

Arizona voters will vote in November on a Republican-led measure that would make it a crime to cross into the state from Mexico, and allow state judges to order deportations.

Economy

BlackRock and Citadel Securities are backing a group that plans to launch a new national stock exchange in Texas, aiming to avoid regulation at the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq.. — WSJ

Courts

• Prosecutors opened their case in Hunter Biden’s federal gun trial, telling the jury that “no one is above the law” — even President Biden’s son.
• Wisconsin’s Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul charged former Trump campaign aide Michael Roman and lawyers Kenneth Chesebro and James Troupis with conspiracy to commit forgery in connection with a 2020 fake electors plot in the state.
• Donald Trump’s attorneys asked Judge Juan Merchan to lift the gag order imposed on the former president now that his hush money trial is over.
• US prosecutors are trying to extradite an Israeli private investigator from the UK who was allegedly involved in a “hacking-for-hire” operation linked to a Washington public relations firm. — WSJ

Polls

Four in 10 American adults say they would be somewhat likely to purchase an electric vehicle the next time they buy a car, an Associated Press-NORC poll found, while a slightly higher percentage — 46% — say they are unlikely to do so.

On the Trail

• The Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC may rescind its endorsement of Mondaire Jones after he backed Rep. Jamaal Bowman’s primary opponent, George Latimer. — Business Insider
• Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., endorsed fellow South Carolina Republican Rep. Nancy Mace’s primary challenger.
• The Republican National Convention website mistakenly included a photo of Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam instead of Milwaukee, the site of the July convention. It has been corrected. — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
• The Sunrise Movement isn’t endorsing President Biden. — Axios
• The Republican Main Street Partnership’s super PAC is throwing another $250,000 in ad spending behind Appropriations Chair Tom Cole, who faces a primary challenge from conservative insurgent Paul Bondar. “While [Cole] is not a member of Main Street, he embodies the ideals which we support,” a spokesperson for the group said.

Foreign Policy

• Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs organized a $2 million influence campaign last year using hundreds of fake accounts that posed as real Americans on X, Facebook and Instagram to target U.S. lawmakers with pro-Israel messaging. The campaign, which began after Oct. 7, included creating three fake English-language news sites and focused on lawmakers such as Hakeem Jeffries and Raphael Warnock to urge them to continue funding Israel’s military. — NYT
• Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi emerged surprisingly weak from his country’s elections. While he declared victory, his party failed to win the majority and won fewer seats than expected.
• Slovenia is the latest EU country to recognize an independent Palestinian state.

Health

An FDA advisory panel opposed approving MDMA to treat post-traumatic stress disorder.

Technology

• Some Chinese AI companies are designing less powerful chips to retain access to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. production in the face of US sanctions. — Reuters
• Elon Musk ordered Nvidia to redirect shipments of AI chips that were reserved for Tesla to X. — CNBC
• Intel will sell a 49% stake in its Irish venture to Apollo Global Management for $11 billion.
• Thirteen current and former AI technologists, including 11 from OpenAI, signed an open letter saying whistleblower protections are insufficient and confidentiality agreements “block us from voicing our concerns” on issues including the possibility of human extinction.

Media

• G/O Media has sold tech news website Gizmodo to European digital media company Keleops Media.
• Ben White, Politico’s chief economic correspondent and CNBC contributor, died Saturday.

Big Read

A story that’s going to be discussed a lot: The Wall Street Journal reports President Biden is showing signs of slipping, according to interviews with 45 Republicans and Democrats over months who took part in meetings or were briefed on them contemporaneously. Some administration officials, and other Democrats, saw no issues with Biden. Most of those who said Biden performed slowly were Republicans, but some Democrats said he had shown his age in several exchanges. The Journal reported the White House kept close tabs on its interviews with Democratic lawmakers, and some spoke with the paper a second time to emphasize the president’s strengths. Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Biden is “not the same person.” However, The New York Times pointed out McCarthy last year privately “told allies that he has found Mr. Biden to be mentally sharp in meetings,” a detail that was amplified by White House officials.

Blindspot

Stories that are being largely ignored by either left-leaning or right-leaning outlets, curated with help from our partners at Ground News.

What the Left isn’t reading: X is asking the Supreme Court to review how special counsel Jack Smith was able to obtain data from Trump’s account.

What the Right isn’t reading: Chicago police leaders say they’re prepared to handle large protests ahead of the Democratic National Convention in August and are finalizing new changes to policies for dealing with mass arrests.

Principals Team

Editors: Benjy Sarlin, Jordan Weissmann, Morgan Chalfant

Editor-at-Large: Steve Clemons

Reporters: Kadia Goba, Joseph Zeballos-Roig, Shelby Talcott, David Weigel

John Fetterman is a Democratic senator from Pennsylvania and has been one of the most vocal Democrats in supporting Israel during the Gaza war.

• Salman Rushdie’s alleged assailant seeks plea deal with US.
• A Kenyan agri-data startup tipped to underpin global food security shuts down.
• Progressives seethe after Mondaire Jones backs Jamaal Bowman challenger.