The Candidates
2016 Election Forecast: Predict Which Candidate Will Win the Presidential Election
A candidate needs 270 electoral votes out of 538 to win the presidency. Get started to make your own forecast.
1.
Clinton Camp Formally Launches 'Republicans for Hillary' Effort
The Clinton campaign today announced the formal creation of a group to recruit Republican and independent voters dissatisfied with the GOP nominee, Donald Trump. The launch of the group, "Together for America," comes after months of scattered efforts by the campaign and its allies to woo anti-Trump Republicans, ABC's LIZ KREUTZ notes. The group is composed of nearly 50 leaders in business, national security, foreign and economic policy, and politics, among other arenas, according to a list provided by the campaign. Their goal, however, is to eventually recruit grass-level support among conservatives, an aide said. http://abcn.ws/2aFPec3
2.
Backstory
A flood of prominent Republicans in recent weeks announced their support of Clinton over Trump, including Hewlett Packard Enterprise CEO Meg Whitman and former CIA Acting Director Mike Morell. Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, an independent, has also announced his backing of the Democratic nominee. This recruitment effort has been spearheaded by Clinton's campaign chairman, John Podesta. Former Wall Street executive Leslie Dahl has also helped with outreach to business leaders. http://abcn.ws/2aFPec3
3.
Rudy Defends Trump
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani today defended Donald Trump's controversial comments about the Second Amendment that Hillary Clinton's campaign interpreted as a suggestion of violence against her. "We know Donald Trump is not particularly indirect," Giuliani told ABC News' GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS on "Good Morning America." "If Donald Trump was going to say something like that, he'd say something like that. "You know how speeches go. He was talking about how they [gun rights advocates] have the power to keep her out of office. That's what he was talking about," he added. "With a crowd like that, if that's what they thought he'd meant, they'd have gone wild." More from ABC's RYAN STRUYK: http://abcn.ws/2aLkFr4 REFRESHER -- WHAT TRUMP SAID YESTERDAY: http://abcn.ws/2aDInjf
4.
Analysis -- ABC's Rick Klein
On the day that Donald Trump said and then said he didn't say that Second Amendment backers could stop Hillary Clinton from appointing judges, something remarkable happened in Wisconsin: Paul Ryan won his primary. By a lot. The House speaker won the GOP nomination by more than 46,000 votes out of 68,000 cast, for a ridiculous margin of 84-16. As is expected, and appropriate, Ryan was asked at his victory news conference to react to Trump's latest. Ryan said he hopes Trump clears up what he said "very quickly." He also said something that you didn't have to read between any lines to read as clearly anti-Trump. "It's simple to prey on people's fears," Ryan said. "That stuff sells, but it doesn't stick. It doesn't last." That's Ryanism, which the speaker is presenting as an alternative to Trumpism – even now, post-convention, post-endorsement. If Trump has done something right in appealing to his base, so, undeniably, has Ryan. You don't win by nearly 70 points in a primary, in the post-Cantor age, with Sarah Palin and Ann Coulter lined up for your opponent, if you don't know what your voters want, in terms of style and substance. Ryan's plan has been what it has always been: To still be standing, whatever happens at the top of the ticket.
5.
Trump Attacks Hillary Clinton After More Emails Released
The Trump campaign is responding to another newly-released batch of emails belonging to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, calling it "more evidence that Hillary Clinton lacks the judgment, character, stability and temperament to be within 1,000 miles of public power." The conservative group Judicial Watch released 44 unseen emails Wednesday, totaling 296 pages -- evidence it says of an inappropriate relationship between the State Department and Bill Clinton's philanthropic organization, the Clinton Foundation, ABC's JUSTIN FISHEL reports. Judicial Watch obtained the documents as part Freedom of Information lawsuit against the State Department related to Clinton's top aide, Huma Abedin. http://abcn.ws/2b2ZTP5
6.
Clinton 'Disavows' Support From Father of Orlando Shooter
Hillary Clinton's campaign responded late Tuesday to criticism that she did not reject the support of Seddique Mateen -- the father of Orlando shooter Omar Mateen -- who made headlines earlier this week when he was seen sitting in the crowd at a Clinton rally in Kissimmee, Florida, ABC's J.J. GALLAGHER notes. Earlier in the day, Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump called on Clinton to denounce his presence at the campaign stop. "[S]he did not disavow," Trump told Fox News's Sean Hannity. "If that were me, this would be a headline all over the world about Trump. But she did not, as I understand it, disavow this man. He's got some pretty harsh views." Clinton's campaign spokesperson responded hours later, saying, "[S]he disagrees with his views and disavows his support." http://abcn.ws/2aKZToJ
7.
Noted: Why Orlando Shooter's Father Was Able to Attend Clinton Rally
The presence of Seddique Mateen -- whose controversial views on Afghan politics and homosexuality were made public in the aftermath of the June massacre at Pulse nightclub -- at a Hillary Clinton rally and his proximity to a candidate, raised eyebrows, notes ABC's ADAM KELSEY. Mateen was seated in an area directly behind Clinton, within view of cameras broadcasting the event. A U.S. Secret Service official declined to discuss Mateen specifically, but said that "the roughly 3,000 participants at the Clinton rally in Florida all received the exact same screening." http://abcn.ws/2bcxUO0
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