The Note: Trump Clinches the Nomination
— -- NOTABLES
DONALD TRUMP CLINCHES REPUBLICAN NOMINATION AFTER SECURING REQUIRED DELEGATES: Donald Trump has reached the number of delegates needed to secure the Republican Party's presidential nomination. Based on ABC News’ analysis of pledged delegates won and commitments made by unbound delegates, Trump has enough support to secure the Republican nomination for president. ABC’s MEGHAN KENEALLY reports, he now has 1,239 total delegates, according to ABC News' estimates of both pledged and superdelegates. Trump has surpassed the 1,237 delegates needed to secure the nomination. That said, he will not formally become the nominee until delegates cast their votes at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland in July. http://abcn.ws/1XzFh4f
TRUMP CELEBRATES: Trump celebrated yesterday with a McDonald's burger and fries abroad his private jet. “Celebrating 1237!” the caption read. Last night, Trump also released an Instagram video reminding Republicans, Democrats, and pundits of the many people who said there would be no way he’d be the presumptive GOP nominee.
THIS WEEK ON ‘THIS WEEK’: Newly appointed RNC Platform Committee Chair Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyoming, weighs in on how the Republican Party platform could change with Donald Trump at the top of the ticket, on “This Week” Sunday. Then, Vice Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, discusses Hillary Clinton’s e-mail troubles and the intense primary fight unfolding in her home state. And, the Powerhouse Roundtable debates the week in politics with host of "America Strong: The Bill Bennett Podcast" Bill Bennett, Democratic strategist and CNN contributor Maria Cardona, Republican strategist and Hamilton Place Strategies partner Kevin Madden, and USA Today senior political reporter Heidi Przybyla. See the whole political picture, Sunday on “This Week.”
HILLARY CLINTON DOUBLES DOWN ON EMAIL SCANDAL SAYING ‘IT WAS ALLOWED’: Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton doubled down on defending her email practices as Secretary of State, arguing that the use of a personal account was “allowed,” and rules have since been “clarified.” “This report makes clear that personal email use was the practice for other secretaries of state,” Clinton told ABC News in an interview in Las Vegas, Nevada, Thursday. “It was allowed. And the rules have been clarified since I left.” Yesterday, a report released by the State Department’s Office of Inspector General said that Clinton shouldn't have used a private email server to conduct official business and would have not been allowed to do so had she asked. It also found that she should have turned over emails after her tenure and violated department policy. ABC’s LIZ KREUTZ and PAOLA CHAVEZ report, she has faced the issue for more than a year as she battles to become the Democratic nominee. http://abcn.ws/22qQpRL
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY’S COMING COLLISION ON ISRAEL: The Democratic primary may be over after California votes on June 7, but loyalists to Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders appear to be on a collision course over what the Democratic Party stands for -- especially on the issue of Israel. On this week’s “Powerhouse Politics” podcast, ABC’s JONATHAN KARL and RICK KLEIN talked to two members of the Democratic Party’s important Platform Drafting Committee tasked with writing a unified platform but divided in their choice of candidates: Illinois Rep. Luis Gutierrez, a Clinton ally, and Sanders supporter James Zogby. Zogby, the president of the Arab American Institute and a pro-Palestinian activist, says the party is in need of more “balanced” and even-handed platform language on Israel and Palestine to move toward what he sees as an emerging consensus. ABC’s JORDYN PHELPS has more. http://abcn.ws/1TIRVey LISTEN: http://apple.co/21V9721
TODAY ON THE TRAIL with ABC’s SHUSHANNAH WALSHE
Today, Donald Trump is in California where he has two rallies in Fresno this afternoon and San Diego tonight. Both cities are preparing for possible protests. Trump's San Diego stop is also a short drive from the US-Mexico border. This afternoon, Clinton holds a discussion with community leaders in Oakland. Bill Clinton is stumping in Edison, New Jersey, also a June 7th state. Sanders holds an afternoon rally in Los Angeles.
HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND
WHAT TO WATCH AT THE LIBERTARIAN CONVENTION. While Donald Trump indulges in fries and a big Mac to celebrate beating 16 Republican candidates and effectively winning his party’s nomination, another party is huddling to plan a new threat. Over Memorial Day weekend, the Libertarian Party will be holding its convention in Orlando to put forth its presidential and vice presidential candidates. The party has largely been ignored in previous cycles, but party leaders are hoping that this year might be different. Libertarians are trying to appeal to voters disenchanted with the prospect of a Trump or Hillary Clinton presidency. The party is banking on the fact that Trump and Clinton have the highest unfavorability ratings of any candidate -- on either side of the aisle -- in recent history. ABC’s RYAN STRUYK and INES DE LA CUETARA have more on what you need to know. http://abcn.ws/1qOchsm
YESTERDAY ON THE TRAIL
With ABC’s PAOLA CHAVEZ
CLINTON EMAIL: 5 BIG TAKEAWAYS FROM THE STATE DEPT. REPORT. The Hillary Clinton email controversy has dogged the former secretary of state for more than a year and has now reached new prominence as the Democratic presidential contender attempts to fight off a challenge by Sen. Bernie Sanders. Wednesday, a report released by the State Department’s Office of Inspector General said that Clinton shouldn't have used a private email server to conduct official business and would have not been allowed to do so had she asked. It also found that she violated department policy. Clinton has not been charged with a crime and her spokesman, Brian Fallon, said the former secretary's email use was in line with former secretaries of state. He also said that political opponents were using the report in a misleading way. ABC’s JUSTIN FISHEL and CECILIA VEGA have more on the five important takeaways from the report. http://abcn.ws/1TGxRJK
SANDERS TELLS KIMMEL A TRUMP DEBATE WOULD BE ‘VERY INTERESTING.’ During his appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Thursday night, Bernie Sanders remained amenable to debating Donald Trump -- a proposition raised by the presumptive Republican presidential nominee during his visit to the late-night talk show the previous evening. "You made it possible for us to have a very interesting debate about two guys who look at the world very, very differently," Sanders told Kimmel. "Oh boy, do you guys look at it differently," Kimmel said, laughing. According to ABC’s DAVID CAPLAN, Kimmel told Sanders his goal is to bring the two men together. "I don't build walls, I build bridges," he said, making an obvious nod to Trump's campaign promise to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. http://abcn.ws/20IXsnf
INCREASINGLY CLOSE FIGHT IN CALIFORNIA HEADING INTO STATE’S DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY. Donald Trump no longer needs California to secure his party's presidential nomination, but Democrats Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders are battling it out there in an increasingly tight race. ABC’s MEGHAN KENEALLY reports, a new poll in California has Clinton leading Sanders by just 2 percentage points, with 46 percent to his 44 percent, which is within the margin of error. http://abcn.ws/1OPVcEK
DONALD TRUMP UNLIKELY TO PICK A WOMAN OR MINORITY AS VP RUNNING MATE, CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN SAYS. The possibility of appearing to pander is among the reasons Donald Trump would be unlikely to pick a woman or a minority as his vice presidential running mate, his campaign chairman says. In an interview with The Huffington Post, Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort offered some insight into how the presumptive Republican nominee might pick his campaign partner. ABC’s MEGHAN KENEALLY notes, Manafort said that selecting a woman or minority, which some have suggested as a way for Trump to strengthen ties to those voting groups, probably won't happen. Trump commented on the issue at a news conference later this afternoon, saying that Manafort "was misquoted a couple of times," without going into specifics. When asked to comment on whether he would have a woman or minority as his vice president, Trump did not rule it out. "I think it's likely we would have somebody, but we don't do it for any specific reason. We're looking for absolute competence. I fully expect that we will have many women involved," Trump said. http://abcn.ws/1NPNI9U
‘PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED’ ABOUT DONALD TRUMP, CAROLINE KENNEDY SAYS. World leaders are “concerned” about how a Donald Trump presidency would affect relationships between their countries and the United States, Ambassador Caroline Kennedy said Thursday in Japan. “I think people are concerned,” Kennedy, the U.S. Ambassador to Japan, told ABC News. “What they’re concerned about is the future, and so what does this mean for the American alliance.” ABC’s JIM AVILA and ARLETTE SAENZ have more. http://abcn.ws/25nM3jq
DONALD TRUMP SAYS OF WORLD LEADERS IF THEY’RE ‘RATTLED,’ ‘THAT’S A GOOD THING’. Presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump brushed off President Obama’s comments that world leaders are “rattled” by him, arguing it's a “good thing” if so.After wrapping his first day at the G7 summit in Japan Wednesday night, Obama told reporters his discussions with world leaders revealed that “they are not sure how seriously to take some of [Trump's] pronouncements but they’re rattled by him, and for good reason."“The countries in our world, our beautiful world, have been absolutely abusing us and taking advantage of us,” Trump said Thursday in a press conference ahead of his speech in Bismarck, North Dakota. “So if they're rattled in a friendly way, we’re gonna have great relationships with these countries. But if they're rattled in a friendly way, that’s a good thing.” ABC’s VERONICA STRACQUALURSI has more. http://abcn.ws/1WPQZIJ
MARK CUBAN ‘WIDE OPEN’ TO DISCUSSING VP SPOT WITH CLINTON AND TRUMP. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said he is “wide open” to the possibility of becoming a vice-presidential candidate, and said he’s looking forward to discussions with both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, should they ask for a meeting.Cuban, appearing on ESPN Radio's “Capital Games” podcast, said "what makes me a different candidate for vice president is that I'm a geek working in the tech industry. It's important for presidential candidates to be tech savvy, none are right now." ESPN’s ANDY KATZ and ABC’s RICK KLEIN write, Cuban called himself "fiercely independent," and said he is neither a Democrat nor a Republican. Still, he says he’s been in touch with Clinton aides after saying publicly that he’d be willing to discuss a spot on her ticket should she win the nomination. http://abcn.ws/1Z3Vz41 LISTEN: http://es.pn/25kpQzr
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK
AS TRUMP RISES, THE WORLD WORRIES. In Japan at the G-7 summit this week, world leaders are supposed to be talking about the global economy and security issues. But Thursday, President Obama suggested there’s one other big issue dominating conversations among the world’s most powerful men and women: Donald Trump. “I think it’s fair to say they are surprised by the Republican nominee,” Obama said about the leaders he’s spoken with. “They are not sure how seriously to take some of his pronouncements, but they’re rattled by him, and for good reason.” ABC’s TERRY MORAN writes, Trump spokeswoman Katrina Pierson fired back, telling CNN that it made sense foreign leaders are “rattled because the gravy train ends if Mr. Trump becomes president.” http://abcn.ws/1WnfY6r
WHO’S TWEETING
@mviser: Half-liters of champagne! Long-stemmed roses! Ballet dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov! The day the Trump Shuttle launched: http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/...
@ArletteSaenz: President Obama at Hiroshima: The world was forever changed here. But today the children of this city will go through their day in peace.
@katieglueck: .@kenvogel and @MarcACaputo with the definitive backstory on Wiley's exit politi.co/1WUEdcy pic.twitter.com/GbTYIKkIHl
@JTSantucci: .@ABC News confirms Donald Trump will attend annual Rolling Thunder in Washington, DC Sunday
@TheBradMielke: Sanders keeps pointing to NBC's poll that shows Clinton +3 on Trump, instead of ABC poll that shows her -2. Tiny olive branch, perhaps?