The Note: Trump on the ropes after CNN tweet

Trump was criticized for the video he tweeted showing him attacking CNN.

— -- WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY

  • A joke that should be taken seriously: After attacking Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough late last week, President Trump shared a video of himself body-slamming someone with a CNN logo superimposed on his face.
  • CNN’s response: “It’s a sad day when the President of the United States encourages violence against reporters...We will keep doing our jobs. He should start doing his.
  • Full steam ahead, still. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is working on changes this week to the GOP health care bill instead of taking the president’s suggestion to repeal Obamacare first before passing a replacement.
  • Trump returns to D.C. tonight to celebrate the Fourth of July. He and first lady Melania Trump host a picnic for military families at the White House Tuesday, followed by a viewing of fireworks.
  • Calling it a strategy on the part of the president both overstates and understates the case of Donald J. Trump vs. the news media. Trump’s tweets, like so much of his conduct, are impulsive outbursts, driven by short-term tactical decisions for which the main purpose may well be simply making the president feel better. But the flip side is that this is where he goes when he can’t find another groove. You don’t have to issue a value judgment on the sentiments he’s sharing, or even the actions he’s seemingly condoning, to recognize that there’s a swath of his base that wants to be cheering for the president at a professional wrestling match. Everyone knows that’s not real life, calling to mind the infamous question about whether Trump should be taken seriously or literally. Of course, there are other things (health care? Russia?) that could be occupying the president’s time. And the jokes turn deadly serious should any actual violence take place. For now, though, the president’s actions mark not as escalation so much as a return to the norm. That’s not the same as calling it normal.

    QUOTE OF THE DAY

    NEED TO READ with ABC News’ Daksha Sthipam

    States push back against releasing voter data to fraud commission. At least 17 states are balking at the Trump administration’s request for voter registration data as part of the new election integrity commission, with six states outright declaring they will not provide the information. Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon said he has “serious doubts about the commission’s trustworthiness” as the commission’s letter demands all states provide personal information of registrants. http://abcn.ws/2sspz3N

    WHO’S TWEETING?

    @jaketapper: .@BenSasse says President Trump is “weaponizing distrust” with his attacks on the media. #CNNsotu http://cnn.it/2ugET0G

    @luisalonsolugo: My @AP_politics story with @colvinj: @realDonaldTrump 's @WhiteHouse is all but ignoring #Spanish speakers http://wapo.st/2uBk6o1

    @ClaudeBrodesser: .@GovChristie: "I didn’t get any sun today." http://goo.gl/3NHhdL Gov. Christie spox: “He did not get any sun. He had a baseball hat on."

    @oliverdarcy: Worth remembering that once upon a time, @FoxNews called out Trump for behavior "beneath the dignity” of Oval Office http://www.mediaite.com/online/read-all-of-fox-news-statements-to-date-defending-megyn-kelly-from-donald-trump/ …

    @mollymhunter: WATCH: @IanPannell files from #Mosul last night, but looking ahead to #Raqqa - where the battle has just started. http://abcn.ws/2ufm2TP

    The Note is a daily ABC News feature that highlights the key political moments of the day ahead. Please check back Wednesday for the latest.