The Note: Trump Takes to the Trail Out West
— -- NOTABLES
--AFTER A HIATUS FROM THE STUMP, presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump hits the trail again this week, making several stops across the West Coast. He begins his trip in New Mexico, traveling next to California, North Dakota, Montana and ends in San Diego. Though he has no remaining opponents, Trump has not yet clinched the number of delegates needed to secure the nomination. “He’s not going to take one vote for granted,” one campaign official told ABC News. Aside from his rallies, Trump will also begin to fundraise more, abandoning finally his pledge to “self-fund” his campaign. He’ll attend a fundraiser in Los Angeles Wednesday night that benefits both his campaign and the RNC. And officials say that his fundraising efforts will greatly increase after voting ends on June 7. ABC’s CANDACE SMITH and JOHN SANTUCCI have more: http://abcn.ws/1YTOraz
--TRUMP’S PUBLIC SCHEDULE IN PAST WEEKS HAS BEEN NOTICEABLY LIGHT: Last week, he held a fundraiser in New Jersey to pay off Gov. Chris Christie’s campaign debt. Trump then traveled to Kenutcky where he spoke to the NRA's annual convention, receiving the endorsement from the gun rights group. But before that, he hadn’t held a public event in over a week. Officials say that he was “building party unity” in the time off; indeed, in the past month, he’s met with Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, the Chair of the Republican National Committee Reince Preibus, the Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell and, on Monday, met with Sen. Bob Corker, R-TN, on foreign affairs. http://abcn.ws/1YTOraz
--SANDERS BLASTS HILLARY CLINTON'S REFUSAL TO DEBATE: Bernie Sanders blasted Hillary Clinton for her refusal to debate him two weeks before the California Democratic primary, according to ABC’s BRIAN MCBRIDE. "Our campaign and her campaign had reached an agreement on a number of debates including one here in California in May," Sanders said during a rally in Santa Monica, California, Monday evening. "I gotta tell you this. I think it is a little bit insulting to the people of California, our largest state, that she is not prepared to have a discussion with me about how she will help the Californians address the major crises we face." Clinton issued a statement Monday declining a Fox News invitation to participate in the Democratic debate with the Vermont senator before the state's June 7 primary, instead looking ahead to the general election, the campaign said. http://abcn.ws/1TJHhW6
--WHAT FOX IS SAYING: “Naturally, Fox News is disappointed that Secretary Clinton has declined our debate invitation, especially given that the race is still contested and she had previously agreed to a final debate before the California primary,” Bill Sammon, vice president and Washington Managing Editor of Fox News, said in a statement.
--HAPPENING TODAY: Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders appears on “The View” at 11 AM ET.
YESTERDAY ON THE TRAIL with ABC’s VERONICA STRACQUALURSI and PAOLA CHAVEZ
WHAT’S BEHIND TRUMP’S CLIMB IN RECENT POLLING? The latest national ABC News/Washington Post poll has Donald Trump in the tightest race yet with Hillary Clinton in the probable matchup between the two likely presidential nominees. ABC’s MEGHAN KENEALLY and GARY LANGER notes, forty-six percent of respondents favor Trump over Clinton versus 44 percent who prefer a Clinton presidency. Even though Trump's lead is still within the margin of error, it is notable. Trump’s enhanced competitiveness reflects consolidation in his support since his primary opponents dropped out, and it comes despite significant challenges to his candidacy. http://abcn.ws/1TuRJgP
TRUMP VS. CLINTON POISED TO BE BATTLE OF MOST DISLIKED NOMINEE IN DECADES. If Americans don’t change their current views, the match-up between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton could be a race between the two most disliked nominees in at least three decades. The latest ABC News/Washington Post poll has Trump with a 60 percent unfavorable rating and Clinton at 53 percent unfavorable, ABC’s MEGHAN KENEALLY notes. Should the two front-runners become the two nominees, and their current ratings remain roughly the same through November, this presidential election could be a combination of two candidates with the highest unfavorable ratings since 1984. http://abcn.ws/25i0IwO
SANDERS TO HAVE INCREASED INPUT IN WRITING OF DEMOCRATIC PARTY PLATFORM. Bernie Sanders will have more say over the drafting of the Democratic Party platform than initially thought, even if he does -- as is expected -- lose his primary fight to Hillary Clinton. The DNC confirms that Sanders and Clinton have agreed with Democratic Party officials to a new allocation of members to the committee that writes the platform, ABC’s SHUSHANNAH WALSHE reports. Sanders will name five and Clinton will name six members to the 15-member committee that writes the platform. DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz will name the remaining four. The platform will be revealed at the convention in Philadelphia in July. http://abcn.ws/1sy1Udm
CLINTON WARNS TRUMP ‘COULD BANKRUPT AMERICA LIKE HE’S BANKRUPTED HIS COMPANIES’. Hillary Clinton is now taking aim at Donald Trump's business acumen. Speaking at a large union convention Monday, the Democratic presidential frontrunner ripped into her likely opponent’s business record —- warning that he "could bankrupt America like he’s bankrupted his companies,” ABC’s LIZ KREUTZ reports. "Trump Economics is a recipe for lower wages, fewer jobs, more debt,” Clinton told the SEIU members at the COBO center in downtown Detroit. "He could bankrupt America like he’s bankrupted his companies.” http://abcn.ws/25csrLD
WHAT WE’RE READING
MITCH MCCONNELL’S NEW BOOK SLAMS ‘PROFESSOR OBAMA’ AND JABS AT FELLOW LAWMAKERS. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, says he's tired of lectures from "Professor Obama" and he views each meeting with the president as a waste of time filled with monologues about why he's right and Republicans are wrong. Meanwhile, McConnell says he likes his Senate counterpart, Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, but argues the Democratic leader is "rhetorically challenged" and has a "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde personality." He also contends Reid did great damage to the Senate when he ran the chamber. ABC’s MARGARET CHADBOURN notes, the Senate majority leader delivers these critiques and others in his new book "The Long Game: A Memoir" that hits the shelves on May 31. ABC News obtained a copy this week. http://abcn.ws/1WdDWkr
WHO’S TWEETING?
@realDonaldTrump: Join me in California or Montana! 5/25/16: Anaheim, California http://bit.ly/20nwDoeANAHEIM 5/26/16: Billings, Montana http://bit.ly/22mHf8nMONTANA
@davidplouffe: Political malpractice to be in CA and MT. On one hand happy to see, as practitioner deeply offended at carelessness
@USATWashington: John Hickenlooper: Geologist, brewpub owner, governor ... veep? http://usat.ly/1TziiUm via @SusanPage
@adamslily: Trump in 2007: 'I'm Excited' for Housing Market Crash http://nbcnews.to/25hXFVl via @nbcnews
@washingtonpost: Want to see a GOP senator duck and run? Ask about Trump. http://wapo.st/1s70ve3