The Note: Hogan holds hopes for anti-Trump sentiments in GOP

The most interesting post-Mueller report data point may not come from Democrats.

By
Rick Klein
 and
MaryAlice Parks
April 23, 2019, 6:00 AM ET
8 min read

The TAKE with Rick Klein

Basic math makes it easy to guess how any impeachment drama ends, regardless of whether or how Democrats pursue the threads picked out from Robert Mueller's report.

But reelection is another matter. And the most interesting post-Mueller report data point could come not from any of the Democrats running for president but from a voice inside President Donald Trump's own party.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan is slated to speak at St. Anselm College's New Hampshire Institute of Politics this morning. Hogan, who romped in his reelection race last fall, has pointedly not ruled out a primary challenge to Trump, and this will mark his first political speech since the report dropped.

So far, Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, is the only major Republican to express disappointment with Trump's behavior in the wake of the Mueller report, incurring the president's wrath via Twitter.

If Hogan goes any further in his contemplation of a 2020 run, he could quickly become a vehicle for the near-dormant anti-Trump forces inside the GOP. The choice between Trump and any Democrat is far easier for Republicans than the choice between Trump and another Republican.

The RUNDOWN with MaryAlice Parks

Sen. Bernie Sanders still leads -- by a huge margin -- among activists working with the progressive grassroots organization Democracy for America, according to the group's latest member survey.

Democracy for America said Tuesday morning that of 94,641 members surveyed, 42.3% said they preferred Sanders in the primary.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren ranked second, at 10.5%, followed closely by South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, with about 9.7%. Former Vice President Joe Biden ranked fourth after placing second in a December survey.

In that December survey, DFA activists seemed significantly more interested in former Congressman Beto O'Rouke as well. Between December and March, he dropped in the member survey to fifth from third.

DFA was founded in 2004 by Howard Dean and boasts a 50-state strategy to train and recruit progressive candidates and promote populist issues. The organization endorsed Sanders' 2016 presidential bid.

The surveys give insights into which candidates are performing well among progressive enthusiasts deeply engaged in electoral politics.

In another notable result from the questionnaire, Sen. Kamala Harris shot up to third place in her home state of California, which will award more delegates because of its population than other states.

The TIP with John Verhovek

The Democratic presidential field is coalescing around a familiar issue and a familiar constituency: voting rights and college students.

More than half a dozen Democratic contenders have signed on to New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen's petition to repeal a state law that would require voters in the Granite State to be "permanent residents," obtain a state driver's license and register their vehicles within 60 days of casting an election ballot. The law goes into effect in July.

The new law is especially poignant in New Hampshire, where there is same-day registration and a concerted effort to court voters from area colleges and universities. Democrats running for president need this core group of young voters to win a general election and the competition among the 19 candidates -- even in the early stages -- is fierce.

"Right here in New Hampshire they're working hard to make it more difficult for young people to vote, and, to me, that is incredibly undemocratic," Sen. Bernie Sanders said during a CNN town hall Monday night.

ONE MORE THING

In special counsel Robert Mueller's redacted report on Russian interference in the 2016 election, there were 448 pages of written research and analysis. There were also 2,375 footnotes. While many are mundane, here are 10 citations we found especially interesting. https://abcn.ws/2ZtleKr

THE PLAYLIST

ABC News' "Start Here" podcast. Tuesday morning's episode features ABC News Senior Washington Reporter Devin Dwyer, who tees up Tuesday's arguments over the citizenship question on the 2020 census, and previews next term's LGBTQ discrimination cases. And ABC News' Katherine Faulders and Benjamin Siegel bring us the latest on the fight over the president's tax returns. http://apple.co/2HPocUL

ABC News' "The Investigation" podcast. In the aftermath of the Mueller report, "The Investigation" sits down with Rep. Eric Swalwell, a member of the House Judiciary and Intelligence committees and now a 2020 presidential contender. Swalwell tells "The Investigation" that he hasn't written off impeachment proceedings and says the first step is to call on special counsel Robert Mueller to testify before Congress. He also mulls the possibility of a presidential appearance before a congressional committee. Senior National Correspondent Terry Moran joins the podcast for analysis and discussion. https://apple.co/2GjL25N

FiveThirtyEight's "Politics Podcast." To impeach or not to impeach? To criticize or to fall in line? The FiveThirtyEight Politics podcast crew discusses how politicians across the spectrum are reacting to the Mueller report. The Democratic primary field also expanded again Monday, with Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., joining the fray. The team considers the strengths and weaknesses of his presidential bid. https://apple.co/2VluwZT

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY

  • President Donald Trump will participate in a photo opportunity with the White House News Photographers Association award recipients at 11:45 a.m. Later, he will have lunch with the vice president at 12:30 p.m. and participate in a swearing in ceremony of the secretary of the interior at 3:45 p.m.
  • Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan will speak at Saint Anselm College, at "Politics & Eggs" in New Hampshire at 8 a.m.
  • Presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., will hold an organizing breakfast in New Hampshire at 9:30 a.m. and meet with local organizers in Massachusetts at 2 p.m.
  • The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments about adding a controversial citizenship question to the 2020 census at 10 a.m.
  • Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., will hold public town hall meetings at Keene State College and Dartmouth College, where she will discuss her plan to give New Hampshire teachers a $13,500 raise by the end of her first term.
  • Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., will visit New Hampshire for two days and on Monday participate in a service project and roundtable discussion.
  • Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., will host a student-organizing event at Allen University in Columbia, South Carolina, at 11:15 a.m.
  • Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., will host a meet-and-green in Lexington, South Carolina, at 12:30 p.m. to talk about her economic agenda.
  • Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., continues his "Justice for All Tour," with a roundtable discussion on gun violence prevention in Milwaukee at 12:30 p.m. Central time.
  • Presidential candidate and entrepreneur Andrew Yang will make his first trip to Nevada for his "Humanity First Tour," beginning with a town hall at 6 p.m.
  • Hedge fund billionaire and progressive activist Tom Steyer will host an impeachment town hall in Pleasanton, California, at 6:15 p.m.

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