🤫 Scoop: Trump bows to pressure

Plus: Schumer stymied | Tuesday, January 04, 2022

Open in app View in browser     Axios Sneak Peek By the Axios Politics team ·Jan 04, 2022 Welcome back to Sneak. A more tame Jan. 6 took shape. Smart Brevity™ count: 935 words ... 3.5 minutes. Edited by Glen Johnson.     1 big thing: Scoop - Trump bows to pressure, scraps plan Via DonaldJTrump.com   Before Donald Trump canceled his planned Jan. 6 press conference, several key allies — including hardline Fox News host Laura Ingraham and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) — made clear they thought it was a bad idea to invite the national media to Mar-a-Lago to mark the deadly riot, Axios' Jonathan Swan reports. Why it matters: Trump would have inevitably used his press conference Thursday to portray the rioters as political prisoners, whitewash their actions that day and lie about a "stolen election." Behind the scenes: Graham, a frequent phone and golfing buddy of the former president, was one of those who urged him to cancel the press conference. Graham confirmed this to Axios during a phone interview tonight, saying he discussed the subject with Trump over a weekend golf match in West Palm Beach. Graham said Trump brought up the subject and the senator told him "there could be peril in doing a news conference. ... Best to focus on election reform instead." Ingraham, another influential Trump ally, strongly signaled during her show last night she thought Trump shouldn't hold a press conference on Jan. 6. She asked Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) a leading question: "Some things were horrific that happened and shouldn't have happened that day. ... Is it smart for President Trump to do a rally on that particular day, versus next week or the week before?" Keep reading.     2. GOP daylight on election reform Sen. John Thune. Photo: Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images   A top Republican is signaling his party isn't necessarily opposed to joining with Democrats to clarify an existing federal law to reduce the potential for election subversion. Driving the news: While broader federal voting rights legislation remains mired in the Senate as long as the 60-vote filibuster rule applies, Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) told Axios' Sophia Cai today there's "some interest" among Senate Republicans in reforming the Electoral Count Act of 1887. The goal would be to clarify the role the vice president and Congress play in certifying presidential elections. Both were flashpoints a year ago as Trump challenged the finalization of the 2020 election results. "With the Electoral Count Act, as we saw last time around, there are some things there that, I think, could be corrected," Thune told Axios as he rode in a Senate elevator. Why it matters: The crux of the issue is the bill doesn't specify if the vice president is merely ceremonial or if the VP actually has the power to refuse to certify certain electors. A false reading might suggest the vice president has the power to decide which slate of electors he or she wants to certify. Most experts — including conservative ones — say this is not at all what the Founders intended. Keep reading.     3. Trump's winners, losers Data: Axios research; Chart: Kavya Beheraj/Axios Trump is using the power of his endorsement not only to punish "disloyal" House Republicans but reward members of the chamber's most conservative Republican groups, Axios' Andrew Solender reports. Why it matters: The former president's support for more than 20 incumbent re-election bids highlights his efforts to reshape the House Republican conference in his image, through midterms that could thrust the GOP back into power a year from now. That would stymie Democrat-led investigations into the Jan. 6 insurrection and Trump's own presidency. It also would boost his own potential presidential campaign in 2024. The Republican Study Committee, a conservative group boasting a membership of three-quarters of all House Republicans, has proved a guide for Trump's endorsements. Nearly all the House incumbents he's endorsed are members of the group. The powerful group often dictates the tenor of the conference's messaging. Its chair, Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), has sketched out an electoral strategy for the GOP. It involves courting Trump voters some Republicans find "distasteful." A third of recipients also are members of the hard-right Freedom Caucus, whose scorched-earth tactics have made it a natural ally for Trump. At just over 40 members, the Freedom Caucus comprises around one-fifth of the overall House Republican conference. Keep reading.     A message from Axios Market news worthy of your time     Get a daily look at the news and trends dominating the worlds of global business and finance. Why it matters: We highlight the stories that matter and share crucial economic insights. Stay informed in just a few short minutes. Subscribe for free     4. Snow, COVID stymie Schumer Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer arrives at the Capitol today. Photo: Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images   The D.C. snowstorm and Omicron variant have crushed plans by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to begin the 2022 midterm year with a legislative flurry, Axios' Alayna Treene writes. Why it matters: Congress has a long list of priorities that carried over from last year. Making progress on any of them would provide at least a campaign talking point. The problem is the new COVID variant and flight delays have left Capitol Hill a ghost town. Road closures have canceled votes and other legislative activity for two days straight. Tomorrow's votes, the first of the week, also may be the last. Many members will be out of town Thursday for a memorial service honoring former Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.). Multiple Senate aides and reporters have also decided not to come into work because of the rapid spread of coronavirus in recent weeks. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said in a series of interviews he was stuck on I-95 for more than 27 hours after trying to get to D.C. on what is his usual 2-hour commute. The legislative business he rushed to make today ended up postponed. The spike in the Omicron variant also forced Schumer to move Democrats' weekly in-person caucus lunches back to a virtual setting. That robbed the party of the opportunity to hash out its differences in the same room after Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) blew up their chances of passing President Biden's Build Back Better package last month. Keep reading.     5. Pic du jour Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images   Douglas, a golden retriever-poodle mix, greets his handler in the Capitol Rotunda. A comfort dog with K9 First Responders, Douglas is on the Hill with other comfort dogs ahead of the first anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack.     A message from Axios Market news worthy of your time     Get a daily look at the news and trends dominating the worlds of global business and finance. Why it matters: We highlight the stories that matter and share crucial economic insights. Stay informed in just a few short minutes. Subscribe for free   📬 Thanks for reading. A reminder your family, friends and colleagues can subscribe to Sneak or any of Axios' other free local and national newsletters through this link. Like this email style and format? Bring the strength of Smart Brevity® to your team — more effective communications, powered by Axios HQ.   Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. 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