The Note: Trump reframes 2020 race, with higher stakes
President Donald Trump received backlash over recent tweets about congresswomen.
The TAKE with Rick Klein
President Donald Trump campaigns Wednesday night in North Carolina having chosen new opponents for himself.
He did so by elevating four female House Democrats, who collectively showed the potential power of the new Democratic Party -- and exposed some potential political weaknesses.
Even Tuesday's chaotic scenes on the House floor didn't change the fact that Democrats are finding unity and fresh rallying cries in response to the president's gambit.
Sen. Kamala Harris, who launched an attack on former Vice President Joe Biden's record of race issues less than three weeks ago, turned Trump's line around: "He needs to go back to where he came from," she said to applause in Iowa.
But, as Wednesday's campaign event might demonstrate, Trump is in something of a comfort zone himself. He's already fashioning his initial tweet into a broader attack on socialism and even communism.
Trump also has a long history of being called a racist in the context of campaigns he has won. This time, he can even count on a mostly unified Republican Party to back him up.
If pettiness will define the 2020 race, the campaign at least won't be about small things. Trump has again made sure of that -- intentionally or not.
The RUNDOWN with MaryAlice Parks
Former Rep. Beto O'Rourke qualified on Tuesday for the third Democratic primary debate in September, when the thresholds for entry increase dramatically. Unlike these first two rounds of debates, candidates will have to show they have received 2% in early state or national polls, as well as 130,000 donors to their campaigns, to take the stage in the fall.
On Tuesday, the window closed for qualifying for the second debates in Detroit at the end of this month.
O'Rourke hit the mark in a poll from New Hampshire, a crucial early state that will hold the nation's first state primary next year. By contrast, in national polls of late, he has struggled to register.
Big picture, there's increasing evidence that his campaign has sputtered. After tangling with fellow Texan Julian Castro onstage in Miami, he seemed to begin a backwards slide.
Late on Monday night, O'Rourke's team announced he had brought in $3.6 million in the second quarter. That's more than others, for sure, but a far cry from the over $6 million he raised in just the first 24 hours of launching his campaign.
It's too early to talk about a Beto bust, of course. Anything can still happen. But he has a had a tough time breaking through, though there has been so much national attention on his home state, and his fundraising and polling numbers are tracking in the wrong direction.
The TIP with Beatrice Peterson
She may not be running for president, or even old enough to be the next person to occupy the White House, but the star power of rapper Cardi B has brought new attention to several politicians.
On Monday, Cardi B posted an altered cover of Rolling Stone Magazine on Instagram. The unaltered image featured House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar and Jahana Hayes. However, the image Cardi B posted replaced Pelosi with fellow millennial Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who's running for president.
Gabbard drew attention in 2016 when she stepped down from her role as a Democratic National Committee vice chair in order to endorse Sen. Bernie Sanders.
The next day, Cardi B would post on Twitter about Sanders, saying, "I been reading about Bernie Sanders and I'm really sad how we let him down in 2016." Expressing interest in Sanders isn't new to Cardi B. Back in April, she said on a red carpet, "Imma always be with Bernie…Bernie don't say things to be cool. There's pictures of him being an activist from a very, very, very long time."
In the coming months, expect to see more candidates and entertainers interact on the campaign trail and on social media. For Gabbard, Cardi B's remarks introduced her to a new audience that may have been unfamiliar with her in the crowded field of Democratic contenders. And for Sanders, Cardi B's tweet energized his base in a week where other 2020 contenders dominated the headlines.
ONE MORE THING
Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens died on Tuesday night at the age of 99. Stevens was nominated to the High Court by Republican President Gerald Ford in 1975 and retired in 2010 after serving more than 34 years. Despite being put on the bench by a Republican, Stevens became a hero to liberals voting to limit the use of the death penalty, uphold affirmative action, broaden the core holding of Roe v. Wade and argue for a strict separation of church and state.
THE PLAYLIST
ABC News' "Start Here" podcast. Wednesday morning's episode features ABC News' Mary Bruce and Terry Moran, who walk us through the vote in the House to condemn President Donald Trump's tweets, and how similar rhetoric has taken hold in Europe in recent years. And ABC News' Joshua Hoyos explains the controversy unfolding within Puerto Rico's government. http://apple.co/2HPocUL
ABC News' "Powerhouse Politics" podcast. Former Rep. Mark Sanford, R-S.C., speaks with ABC News Political Director Rick Klein and Senior Congressional Correspondent Mary Bruce. Klein also interviews Tim Alberta, author of "American Carnage" and chief political correspondent for Politico Magazine. https://bit.ly/2FA0CIm
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