| | | | |  | | By Olivia Beavers | Presented by Plan B One-Step® | With assists from POLITICO’s Congress team
|  Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at Dane Manufacturing, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, in Waunakee, Wis. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall) | AP | WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM HIS CONGRESSIONAL FRIENDS The Trump campaign is stepping up its Hill outreach heading into the final stretch of the presidential race, focusing on committee chairs and GOP members in swing states, according to two Republicans with direct knowledge of the strategy. The aims of the outreach are twofold: (1) Campaign operatives want to get members more involved as Trump surrogates, appearing at events and otherwise getting out the campaign’s message, and (2) they want to hear member feedback on emerging issues in their districts that could help the campaign tailor its pitch to voters. It’s not unusual for presidential campaigns to keep lines of political communication open with friendly lawmakers — the Kamala Harris campaign is doing much the same, as we previously reported — but the Trump effort has ramped up considerably. The Trump campaign's congressional team, led by operative Alex Latcham, is sending frequent strategy updates and talking points to members while streamlining the process of scheduling members for campaign events — some of which feature Trump and/or running mate JD Vance, some of which don’t. “I have an open line to them, reporting things that I see and people are telling me,” said Rep. Mike Bost (R-Ill.), chair of the Veteran Affairs Committee, who is spending his October traveling on behalf of Trump and fellow House Republicans. Two-way street: Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.) said the communications have gone both ways. He recalled a conversation he’d had with former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson, who recommended having Trump visit the Democratic strongholds of Milwaukee and Dane County in what is expected to be a closely contested state. “And what did President Trump just do? He went to Milwaukee and Dane County,” Van Orden said, arguing it will make a difference in the state. “So his team is listening to the subject matter experts … getting feedback from the ground and acting on it.” According to one senior Republican aide, the Trump campaign had a swing-state member hop on a training call with a group of volunteers in a battleground state to pump them up about the work ahead. The aide called that coordination “a hallmark of any competent presidential campaign.” No complaints here: The praise Trump’s team is getting on Capitol Hill is especially noteworthy given that members typically love to complain when they feel sidelined or ignored as the frontline elected officials with their ears to the ground. (We’ll also note that the Trump campaign has come under criticism for its lack of a ground game in key areas.) That isn’t the case here, said Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R-Pa), the House GOP’s chief deputy whip, who praised the campaign’s “strong presence” on the Hill. “I have met with the president or his team numerous times and I know that dozens of GOP lawmakers have had similarly productive meetings,” he added. That goes for Democrats, too: The Harris campaign is also receiving praise for its congressional outreach, though Harris has an advantage as the sitting vice president: She and President Joe Biden have a designated staff whose sole job for the past three-and-a-half years has been to maintain relationships and share information with the Hill.
| | | | A message from Plan B One-Step®: Plan B is a backup birth control option that is used to help prevent unintended pregnancy after unprotected intercourse, a contraceptive failure, or sexual assault. Its proven safety, efficacy, and mode of action is supported by a large body of clinical studies and scientific literature, all of which support that Plan B does not impact the implantation of a fertilized egg. Explore the evidence. | | | GOOD EVENING! Welcome to Inside Congress, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, where it’s Thursday, Oct. 3, and you should celebrate by asking someone what day it is. CRICKETS ON JACK SMITH Most House Democrats are largely content to let the revelations unveiled in special counsel Jack Smith’s brief yesterday speak for themselves. Just like with previous fallout from Trump’s efforts to subvert the 2020 election and his other legal struggles, a day after the brief became public, Democrats weren’t eager to immediately jump on it as part of their election-year pitch. One Democrat, Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.), told Inside Congress she believed Democrats should be sharing this report with voters to remind them of Trump’s role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack. “I'm sure [Democrats] are getting their ducks in a row and coming up with the appropriate verbiage,” she said Thursday. “[Trump’s actions] in itself is what a surrogate should be talking about." But a spokesperson for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries declined to comment on the brief, and a spokesperson for the DCCC did not respond to a request for comment. The relative quiet could be a reflection of the party’s shift on its election-year messaging, with Harris pivoting from President Joe Biden’s focus on “democracy” to a sunnier election-year message. Democrats might also be content to let this Jan. 6-related news cycle play out on its own, with Republicans on the defensive after Vance declined this week to say Trump lost the 2020 election. — Daniella Diaz and Nicholas Wu
| | | | A message from Plan B One-Step®:   | | | EXCLUSIVE: A LONE STAR REMINDER Texans have a message as fellow lawmakers urge action on a disaster aid package to address the devastation from Hurricane Helene: Don’t forget about us. A dozen Texas lawmakers, led by Reps. Lizzie Fletcher (D) and Wesley Hunt (R), have sent a letter to congressional leadership and top appropriators requesting they urgently pass supplemental appropriations that includes funding to help Texas recover from a May derecho and Hurricane Beryl in July. “As Americans struggle to recover from Hurricane Helene, another devastating hurricane this season, we write to urge you to bring a supplemental disaster funding bill to the floor as soon as possible,” the lawmakers wrote. The letter is also signed by Reps. Colin Allred (D), Brian Babin (R), Dan Crenshaw (R), Henry Cuellar (D), Lloyd Doggett (D), Sylvia Garcia (D), Al Green (D), Morgan Luttrell (R), Troy Nehls (R) and Randy Weber (R). — Daniella Diaz TRUMP TASK FORCE LATEST The bipartisan House task force investigating the two attempted assassinations against former President Donald Trump expanded its request for information on Thursday. Reps. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) and Jason Crow (D-Colo.) sent a sweeping records request to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, including asking for copies of any documents ATF has given to the FBI or Pennsylvania State Police, copies of any internal communications related to the Pennsylvania shooting or the West Palm Beach, Florida, assassination attempt, and any information related to Matthew Crooks, the July 13th gunman. They are giving ATF until Oct. 10 to start producing documents to the panel. In addition to the records request, they also want to interview ATF employees who were involved in the response to the July 13 shooting in Pennsylvania and the Sept. 15 assassination attempt in Florida or any preparations at those locales. — Jordain Carney
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Learn more. | | | | | Mike Lawler wore blackface as part of a Michael Jackson costume while in college. Liz Cheney hits the campaign trail. Pattie’s is political again. AOC used her email list for hurricane relief. House Majority PAC is flush. Kevin McCarthy was ousted one year ago today. (His speakership lives on in Longworth.) Eleanor Holmes Norton has thoughts on “Love is Blind.” Jon Tester is marking Fat Bear Week. QUICK LINKS Even as he heads out the door, Derek Kilmer is still trying to fix Congress, from Jim Saska at Roll Call Why Republicans Are Suddenly Scrambling To Save A Senate Seat — In Nebraska, Of All Places, from Daniel Marans in Huffington Post A top Senate Republican doubts radioactive waste compensation bill will pass this year, from Jason Rosenbaum with St. Louis Public Radio Tim Walz has a tendency to misspeak. It may haunt the campaign, from Meredith Lee Hill and Mia McCarthy Tim Kaine and Hung Cao clash in lone Virginia Senate debate, from Laura Vozzella at the Washington Post With races tight, some House Republicans tout ‘pro-choice’ credentials, from Mariana Alfaro at the Washington Post TRANSITIONS Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) has hired Nick Larsen as a legislative assistant working on Senate Banking issues. Larsen, who will start later this month, is currently a legislative assistant working on House Financial Services issues for Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.). James Mandolfo is joining Cahill Gordon & Reindel as counsel in its congressional investigations and white collar defense and investigations practices. He most recently was chief counsel of investigations and general counsel for the House Oversight Committee. TOMORROW IN CONGRESS The House will convene for a pro forma session at 3:30 p.m. The Senate will convene for a pro forma session at 10 a.m. FRIDAY AROUND THE HILL Zzz.
| | WEDNESDAY’S ANSWER: Zach McClure was the first to correctly guess that the relative seniority of Georgia Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock was settled alphabetically. TODAY’S QUESTION, from Zach: Who was the first SCOTUS nominee to be voted down by the Senate? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Inside Congress. Send your answers to insidecongress@politico.com. GET INSIDE CONGRESS emailed to your phone each evening. | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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