Mamdani to DC: NYC mayor frontrunner meets with top Democrats
WASHINGTON − New York City's mayoral frontrunner and Democratic disruptor Zohran Mamdani hopped south July 16 to the nation's capital, as he looks to shore up the support of some wary party bigwigs.
Mamdani, a 33-year-old state lawmaker, declared victory in the New York Democratic primary in June, beating out well-known former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (who has since announced plans to run as an independent candidate).
His win was a stunning upset that reverberated beyond New York's five boroughs, with many openly questioning whether the success of a self-described democratic socialist spelled a left-leaning movement in the national party.
Nowhere are people more obsessed with the political eight-ball than Washington, D.C., where Mamdani was enjoying breakfast and kudos from congressional Democrats.
Mamdani "got an energetic and welcoming reception in DC this morning," Rep. Robert Garcia, D-California, wrote in a post July 16. "Proud of our Democratic nominee for NYC Mayor. Let's win!"
The meal was organized by fellow New Yorker and progressive, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who gave Mamdani her endorsement in the primary race.
Lawmakers spent the roughly two-hour meeting at a D.C. restaurant talking campaign strategy and takeaways from Mamdani's success, Politico reported.
Not everyone is cheering for the left-wing Cinderella story, though.
"Socialist Zohran Mamdani is too extreme to lead New York City," Rep. Laura Gillen, D-New York, said in a statement at the time of his win.
Democratic leaders Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries − both New Yorkers − have also yet to endorse Mamdani. Politico reported Jeffries is waiting to meet with the nominee before extending official support.
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Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Seven Democrats vying to run for Mike Lawler's House seat. Here are the contenders
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She has since raised $52,000 and kicked in $100,000 of her own money, finishing the second quarter with $99,000, according to her campaign. Her spokesman said Phillips-Staley was waging a grassroots bid with no "list of corporations, ultra-rich and Washington establishment figures to seed her operation." Peter Chatzky Chatzky, a 64-year-old Briarcliff Manor resident, is the founder and CEO of a financial technology company called Napa Group LLC. He has served for six years as a village trustee — now holding the title of deputy mayor — after an earlier two-year stint as mayor. NY17: Is ex-Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney the NY Dems' best chance against Lawler after 2022 loss? His $500,000 loan to his campaign and spurt of donations in June brought his balance to $674,000. That was the most any of the seven candidates had on hand as of June 30, just ahead of Conley's $614,000. Chris McKenna covers government and politics for The Journal News and USA Today Network. Reach him at cmckenna@ This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: The 7 Democrats vying to run for Rep. Mike Lawler's seat: A guide Solve the daily Crossword
Axios
13 minutes ago
- Axios
Trump's immigration approval ratings sink to new lows
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The Hill
13 minutes ago
- The Hill
Senate votes to cut funds for NPR, PBS
It's Thursday. Does anyone else think the D.C. thunderstorms this summer have been particularly wild? Here's one 📹 video of last night's light show. In today's issue: Senate votes to defund NPR, PBS House breaks longest vote record Elon Musk pokes the Epstein file bear Hogg, McCarthy bring sass to Hill Nation Summit Obamas address divorce rumors Hope there's a Celsius restock in the Senate today: The Senate wrapped up its marathon voting session after 2 a.m. Thursday, passing a rare bill to take back $9 billion in federal funding. Where did this $9 billion come from?: Nearly $8 billion in cuts to foreign aid programs and more than $1 billion in cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. What happens now?: The bill heads back to the House for a final vote. It's expected to pass. It's worth noting that congressional Republicans have some concerns about Trump's use of a rare tool to cut funding. 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What was the holdup?: 'A key point of contention for hardline Republicans is the lack of a provision in the GENIUS Act that would block the creation of a central bank digital currency (CBDC).' Read Mychael Schnell and Julia Shapero's reporting in The Hill Tidbit: ABC News's John R. Parkinson noticed a cart of food, beer, wine and White Claw was rolled into Speaker Mike Johnson 's (R-La.) office during the negotiations. To see how today's Capitol Hill drama unfolds this afternoon, check out The Hill's Evening Report. Click here to sign up to get the next issue in your inbox. ➤ CAPITOL HILL TIDBITS: No rules after 10 p.m., apparently: The Hill's Mychael Schnell noticed Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) walking through the Capitol after 10 p.m. last night smoking a cigar. 'Inside. In the hallway,' she noted. I love the Senate sometimes: HuffPost's Igor Bobic posted what he called, 'Today's Murkowski Moment™': 'Asked how she felt about [rescissions], she said, 'Concerned. Apparently, that's what you journalists say, 'Murkowski is always concerned.'' Reporters: That's Collins Murkowski: 'So what's my version?' Rs: Frustrated M: 'Oh, true. Super frustrated.'' The video is … something: Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-Va.) posted a TikTok of a solo ride on the congressional subway. The caption read, 'omw to hold this administration accountable.' 📹 Watch. Looks like he's parodying the TikTok-viral 'aura farming' trend. Any excuse for a hot dog costume!: Michigan Sens. Elissa Slotkin (D) and Gary Peters (D) hosted a 'National Hot Dog Day & A Taste of Michigan' on Capitol Hill. Yes, there was a 📸 hot dog costume. Sen. Mullin, the influencer: Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) brought back his behind-the-scenes Capitol tours during Wednesday's vote-a-rama. In this episode, he gives a quick tour of Senate Majority Leader John Thune 's (R-S.D.) office. 📹 Watch Elon Musk is poking the bear: Tech billionaire Elon Musk lit a fire last month when he alleged that Trump was named in the so-called 'Epstein files.' That claim, which the White House fiercely denied, began the very public breakup between the tech billionaire and the president. Well, Musk is continuing to fan the flames today. Musk publicly asked his artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, a series of questions about the Jeffrey Epstein saga. Musk: 'Are there likely to be electronic records in any government or commercial computers recording who traveled on Epstein's plane to the US Virgin Islands?' Grok: 'Yes, electronic records likely exist.' Grok then elaborated. Musk: 'Would that mean the government right now – as we speak – knows the names & ages of all those who traveled on Epstein's plane? In other words, they have a list of all unaccompanied minors on those flights, along with a list of all adults on those flights?' Grok: 'Yes, the DOJ and FAA hold extensive passenger manifests and flight logs from Epstein's jets.' This is just an excerpt. Read the full back and forth. This is a good read: The Hill's Niall Stanage writes in his column today, ' President Trump is trying, yet again, to climb out of the political mire into which he has sunk over the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.' Excerpt: 'On Wednesday, Trump sought to pin the blame on unnamed Republicans for getting 'duped' by Democrats over the lack of new revelations about the disgraced financier and sexual predator. 'It's a hoax,' Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.' 'Trump further complained that 'some stupid Republicans and foolish Republicans fall into the net, and so they try and do the Democrats' work. The Democrats are good for nothing other than these hoaxes.' Such claims point to a deep level of frustration on the president's part about a controversy that — unusually for him — has left his own base discontented.' This!: 'It remains to be seen whether his appeal to party and personal loyalty will be enough to quell the storm. Trump's strategy cuts against years of speculation on the right that more skeletons were about to fall out of Epstein's closet.' ➤ PLUS: The Hill's Brett Samuels reports how the 'Epstein files uproar puts spotlight on [FBI Deputy Director] Dan Bongino.' 'Bongino has been at the center of debate over the Epstein files after the Justice Department essentially closed the case in a joint memo with the FBI. The deputy FBI director has clashed with Attorney General Pam Bondi over the issue and reportedly weighed resigning.' 'Sources close to the White House told The Hill that members of the MAGA movement view Bongino as one of their own. He has built a following over the past decade, and is considered a true outsider with a finger on the pulse of the base who was appointed to a position of power to act on issues they care about, including the Epstein documents.' The TL;DR: The inaugural Hill Nation Summit was a newsy day at the Willard InterContinental Washington. Let me catch you up on what happened in the afternoon: 🔷 David Hogg: Former Democratic National Committee (DNC) Vice Chair David Hogg had a fiery response when asked what he's most hopeful for as a Democrat. 'The fact that I am going to outlive a lot of people who are against me,' he said. 👀 Watch the clip During the interview, Hogg described his ouster from the committee as a 'double standard' — and argued some of the criticism against New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani is 'racist.' 🔷 Kevin McCarthy: Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) took a shot at former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.). The Hill's Emily Brooks began her interview with a casual question, 'How have you been enjoying post-Speakership and post-Congressional life?' McCarthy responded with some snark: 'Fabulous. We don't have Matt Gaetz anymore.' Keep in mind: McCarthy and Gaetz have beef. Gaetz was a key figure in McCarthy getting ousted as Speaker. 🔷 This was an interesting line: Rep. Jim Himes (Conn.), the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, praised President Trump 's foreign policy, particularly on the Middle East. 'I mean, the opening to Syria, I did not anticipate that. That's pretty amazing. You know, he's taken a practical approach in the Middle East that I think is, again, will the Iranian question, will play out over the next year or so,' Himes said. A lighter tidbit: NewsNation's Chris Stirewalt first asked Himes when he walked on stage what his 'walk-up music be?' 'YMCA,' Himes said without hesitation. 🔷 Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.): Khanna, a prominent House progressive, argued that one of Democrats' problems is being 'too judgmental' of people who voted for Trump in the 2024 presidential election. Khanna said he hasn't made a decision on whether to run for president in 2028. 🔷 Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.): Donalds was in the Oval Office meeting Tuesday when Trump indicated to Republican lawmakers that he would likely fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell 'soon.' He wouldn't disclose details of the conversation but said he's not in favor of pushing Powell out. The Hill's Miriam Waldvogel and Filip Timotija wrote a great recap of seven memorable moments from the summit. The House and Senate are in. President Trump is in Washington. (All times EST) 1 p.m.: White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt briefs reporters. 💻 Livestream 2 p.m.: State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce briefs reporters. 💻 Livestream 4 p.m.: Trump signs executive orders. 4:10 p.m.: First House votes. Last votes are expected at 7:30 p.m. 📆 Today's agenda 🐝 INTERNET BUZZ 🍑🍦 Celebrate: Today is National Peach Ice Cream Day. 👋 AND FINALLY…
