The Note: Republicans Restless About Trump
— -- NOTABLES
--DONORS SOUND THE ALARM: From the Associated Press' Steve Peoples: "Worried about 'Republican-on-Republican violence,' top party donors are taking action, with one firing off a letter calling for more civility and another seeking to block businessman Donald Trump from the debate stage altogether. Foster Friess, a Wyoming-based investor and one of the party's top 20 donors in the last presidential contest, issued a letter to 16 White House prospects and the Republican National Committee late last week calling for candidates to stay on the 'civility reservation.' ... Republican donor John Jordan said Monday that GOP leaders should take steps to block Trump's access to the first presidential debate in early August. Debate organizers at Fox News Channel, backed by the Republican National Committee, have released guidelines saying the top 10 candidates in national polling will be allowed to participate. Trump would qualify under the current terms, while contenders such as Ohio's two-term Gov. John Kasich would not. 'Someone in the party ought to start some sort of petition saying, If Trump's going to be on the stage, I'm not going to be on there with him,' Jordan told the AP on Monday. 'I'm toying with the idea of it.'' http://read.bi/1H708AN
--WHAT CLINTON CAMP THINKS OF THE BERNIE SURGE: Bernie Sanders' impressive crowds are putting pressure on Hillary Clinton's campaign, ABC's CECILIA VEGA reported on "Good Morning America' today: http://abcn.ws/1UvQukm
--HILLARY MEETS THE PRESS: Hillary Clinton will be in Iowa today for an organizing event at the Iowa City Public Library at 11:45 am ET and a house party in Ottumwa at 4:15 pm ET. She'll do her first national TV interview of the campaign, in Iowa City with CNN's Brianna Keilar. The full interview will air at 5 pm ET on "The Situation Room.'
--TODAY ON THE TRAIL with ABC's CHRIS GOOD: Marco Rubio will deliver a speech on technology and "21st century job creation" in Chicago at a startup hub at 10 am ET. Later, Rubio heads to Iowa, where he'll attend a young-professionals' happy hour at Exile Brewing Company in Des Moines and a cookout hosted by state Rep. Chris Hagenow in Windsor Heights at 6:30 pm ET. Ben Carson attends a "Politics & Eggs" event hosted by the New England Council and the New Hampshire Institute of Politics in Befdford, N.H., at 12 pm ET. Mike Huckabee will be in SC, where he'll meet with the Edgefield County GOP at The Edgefield General Store in Edgefield at 8:30 am ET. Later, he'll attend an Aiken County GOP luncheon at Newberry Hall in Aiken at 11:30 am ET and a Lexington County GOP BBQ in Lexington at 5 pm ET. Bobby Jindal will be in New Hampshire, where he'll hold a town-hall at The Yard Seafood & Steakhouse in Manchester at 6 pm ET. Carly Fiorina will be in New Hampshire for a breakfast meet-and-greet at Geno's Coffee Shop in Portsmouth at 7:45 am ET. Later, she'll tour Laars Heating Systems in Rochester at 12 pm ET.
THE BUZZ
PRESIDENT OBAMA REVAMPS STRATEGY TO FIGHT ISLAMIC STATE. Nearly one month ago, President Barack Obama admitted the United States did not "yet have a complete strategy' to defeat the Islamic State. Yesterday, after meeting with his top military brass and senior administration officials in a rare visit to the Pentagon, the president outlined a strategy, step-by-step, that he believes will be a winning approach over time. The president did not call for more bombs or more troops, but instead announced a shifting focus to counter ISIL's public relations machine while training local forces to sustain progress made on the ground there, ABC's JOHN PARKINSON reports. "There's a cause, a coalition that's united countries across the globe, some 60 nations including Arab partners,' Obama said, flanked by his top military advisers at the Pentagon briefing room. "Our comprehensive strategy against ISIL is harnessing all elements of American power across our government - military, intelligence, diplomatic, economic development, and perhaps most importantly the power of our values.' http://abcn.ws/1HIrYsR
DONALD TRUMP DELETES TWEET ABOUT JEB BUSH'S WIFE. As the immigration battle among presidential candidates heats up, the attacks are getting personal. Donald Trump retweeted an offensive comment about Jeb Bush's wife, Columba, who came to this country legally from Mexico. "@RobHeilbron: @realDonaldTrump #JebBush has to like the Mexican Illegals because of his wife." That tweet was later deleted, but still able to be seen on the cached version of the page, according to ABC's CANDACE SMITH. A press aide for the Bush campaign responded by saying, "It's not surprising Donald Trump deleted his offensive tweet. As Governor Bush has said, Trump's comments on immigrants were wholly inappropriate and not reflective of the Republican Party's views." The issue surged into the news cycle last week after a woman was killed in San Francisco by a man who was an undocumented immigrant. Francisco Sanchez, a convicted felon, had been deported five times, according to U.S. immigration officials and questions still abound over how we was able to roam free. http://abcn.ws/1IFrpia
WHAT WE'RE READING
"HILLARY CLINTON'S TEAM IS WARY AS BERNIE SANDERS FINDS FOOTING IN IOWA,' by The New York Times' Amy Chozick and Patrick Healey. "The ample crowds and unexpectedly strong showing garnered by Senator Bernie Sanders are setting off worry among advisers and allies of Hillary Rodham Clinton, who believe the Vermont senator could overtake her in Iowa polls by the fall and even defeat her in the nation's first nominating contest there. The enthusiasm that Mr. Sanders has generated - including a rally attended by 2,500 people in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on Friday - has called into question Mrs. Clinton's early strategy of focusing on a listening tour of small groups and wooing big donors in private settings. In May, Mrs. Clinton led with 60 percent support to Mr. Sanders's 15 percent in a Quinnipiac poll. Last week the same poll showed Mrs. Clinton at 52 percent to Mr. Sanders's 33 percent. 'I think we underestimated that Sanders would quickly attract so many Democrats in Iowa who weren't likely to support Hillary,' said one Clinton adviser, who like several others spoke on the condition of anonymity to candidly share views about the race. 'It's too early to change strategy because no one knows if Sanders will be able to hold on to these voters in the months ahead. We're working hard to win them over, but, yeah, it's a real competition there.'' http://nyti.ms/1CYaRvC
WHO'S TWEETING?
@karentravers: State Dept on extending #Iran nuke talks deadline: "We're frankly more concerned about the quality of the deal than we are about the clock"
@ThisIsFusion: Bernie Sanders makes a point about black unemployment you probably haven't heard http://fus.in/1gjUIfp
@Reince: RNC Plans Sustained Attack on Hillary Clinton's Record at State Department http://gop.cm/6011B8ZRP
@nationaljournal: What constitutes a "typical" American voter has shifted dramatically in the last 45 years http://buff.ly/1Map8KM
@adrienneelrod: Happy Happy Birthday to my fabulous colleague @MichelleWKwan!