The Note: The Dilemma Of the Democrats
— -- NOTABLES
DEMOCRATIC BACKLASH AFTER SANDERS’ SUPPORTERS VIOLENCE IN NEVADA: Democratic leaders are speaking out and calling for action from Sen. Bernie Sanders after a group of his supporters became violent at a Nevada political event this weekend. Sanders has condemned the violence and the leaders chose their words carefully to make it clear that they don't hold Sanders responsible, but their outspokenness suggests that there could be a backlash. Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid said that he spoke to Sanders Wednesday and is "confident" that Sanders condemns the violence. But he was clear to give him a nudge. "This is a test of leadership as we all know and I'm hopeful and very confident that Sen. Sanders will do the right thing," said Reid, who is a Nevada Democrat himself. ABC’s MEGHAN KENEALLY has more. http://abcn.ws/27BwG5J
ANALYSIS -- ABC’s RICK KLEIN: For a few days, at least, the Democrats have become the Republicans, and the Republicans have become the Democrats. Donald Trump is trying to be, for him, traditional – meeting with Henry Kissinger, almost apologizing to Megyn Kelly, listing potential Supreme Court picks that conservative groups can applaud (even if his campaign didn’t Google them). Democrats, meanwhile, are trashing and even threatening each other, with Bernie Sanders’ campaign now declaring war on the Democratic National Committee, and keeping up its vow to battle Hillary Clinton through the convention. All is not peaceful in GOP ranks, though “never Trump” forces appear increasingly likely to come up empty in finding a major third-party contender to take on Trump and Clinton. These dynamics can and almost certainly will shift again before long. But what’s clear as primary season winds down is that some of the advantages Clinton expected to enjoy surrounding party unity cannot be taken for granted.
JOE BIDEN: ‘I’M CONFIDENT’ BERNIE SANDERS WOULD BE ‘SUPPORTIVE’ OF A HILLARY CLINTON WIN: Vice President Joe Biden has all but written off the Democratic presidential candidacy of Bernie Sanders, but he insists that the decision to drop out of the race is the Vermont senator's to make. "Bernie Sanders is a good guy," Biden said, speaking with the traveling press pool with him in Columbus, Ohio, Wednesday. "Let Bernie run the race. There's nothing wrong with that." Biden added, "Here we are in May, as was pointed out, Hillary was still in this in May, in June [in 2008.] I'm confident that Bernie will be supportive if Hillary wins, which the numbers indicate will happen. So I'm not worried. There's no fundamental split in the Democratic Party." Biden also refused to blame Sanders for an outbreak of violence from his supporters at Saturday's Nevada Democrat state convention, ABC’s JOHN PARKINSON reports. http://abcn.ws/1U0FBU1
YESTERDAY ON THE TRAIL
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