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The Blast: Cornyn’s take on “unity” Trump [1]
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Date: 2024-07
Jul 19, 2024 | View in browser
By Renzo Downey and The Texas Tribune Politics Team
30 days until the Democratic National Convention
48 days until Tribfest
53 days until the second presidential debate
TRUMP’S AND CORNYN’S VISIONS OF LEADERSHIP Former President Donald Trump’s speech in Milwaukee last night was a lot of things. It was a little unifying, a little emotional, a little dry and a little same-old same-old. It was also a little long.
At over 90 minutes, it was the longest televised presidential nomination acceptance speech in American history, beating out Trump’s 75-minute speech in 2016 and his 70-minute speech in 2020. It was also long enough that Texas’ delegates could’ve rewatched the entire thing on their ride back to Madison. (More on that later.)
Several states away at the final day of the Aspen Security Forum today, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, reflected on Trump’s speech in light of the campaign’s stated pivot toward “unity.” That reframing follows the assassination attempt against the former president last weekend.
“You’re not going to change Donald Trump,” Cornyn said. “I think people get frustrated because they think all of a sudden, he’s going to wake up tomorrow and be something different than what he is.”
In last night’s speech, Trump proclaimed unity, then called on Democrats and prosecutors to stop chasing him and accused Democrats of cheating in 2020. Trump wasn’t supposed to name President Joe Biden during the address, but in one of his off-script moments, he squeezed in a jab against the incumbent before promising not to utter his name again.
“Do not be fooled by this charade,” reacted Texas democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa in a statement. “Trump is Trump and he will lie, cheat and bend the law to regain power.”
Cornyn, who is running to be the Republican Senate leader, called Trump’s four years in office good for the country.
“I wish the president would talk more about the accomplishments of those four years, but you also have to consider the audience that was there,” Cornyn said, referring to RNC delegates.
Additionally, Texas’ senior senator outlined what a Senate under Majority Leader Cornyn could look like.
“I want to look at the $6 trillion that the federal government spends each year, put all of that on the table, and say, what are our priorities,” Cornyn said. “I think maintaining the peace and maintaining American primacy in the world is the No. 1 priority. Everything else comes after that.”
Cornyn emphasized working across the aisle, noting that the Senate only occasionally uses 51-vote majorities instead of its usual 60-vote threshold. Lasting policy comes from bipartisan work, he proclaimed, in an argument that highlighted some of his party’s divisions, like those that emerged in the 2024 Texas GOP primaries.
“Some people in the Republican primary don’t like that,” he added. “They think, ‘Well, we ought to be able to get everything we want,’ but the fact of the matter is the world does not work that way.”
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TEMPERATURE READING OF TEXAS DEMOCRATS The trickle of Democrats with influence publicly calling on President Joe Biden to drop out of the presidential race grew to a moderate stream today, with nearly a dozen members of Congress adding their names to this list, and counting.
Not only are Democrats who had refrained from the fray — like U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey of Fort Worth — joining in, but it sounds like defections are starting to come from folks who had wanted Biden to run even after the debate against former President Donald Trump.
Just 12 days ago, one Texas delegate to the Democratic National Convention sent an unsolicited email to The Texas Tribune to note support for Biden “regardless of everything happening right now.” However, that assessment changed in an email to the Tribune this morning.
“I have been closely watching reports of Democratic leadership and other Members of Congress working to remove Biden from the ticket,” the delegate wrote. “I am open to that idea if Former Speaker Pelosi also agrees it’s the best decision for the party, our country, and our goal to defeat Donald Trump.”
“President Biden has a strong record of accomplishments, and his work to lower student loan payments is something I greatly appreciate, especially during these difficult times,” the email continued. “However, based on the data, it is best to have someone we know can defeat Donald Trump at the top of the ticket and continue his legacy.”
ESCOBAR TAKES BIDEN DEFENSE TO MILWAUKEE Less than a mile from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar was making the case for the Democrats.
“I want to speak directly to American women to tell you that there’s only one team on the ballot who cares about you, and that’s the Biden-Harris team,” Escobar said at a news conference organized by the Biden campaign. “The Trump-Vance ticket does not care about women, and we are here to sound the alarm about what’s at stake in this November election, especially for women.”
Escobar, a Biden campaign national co-chair from El Paso, traveled to Milwaukee to push back on Republican talking points at the convention. She joined a select group of Democrats who led their party’s counter programming on issues, including abortion and the border.
She also used her platform to defend Biden.
“He’s our nominee,” Escobar said on the sidelines of the news conference. “There was a democratic process to make him our nominee. 14 million voters reaffirmed their commitment to the Biden-Harris ticket.”
Meanwhile, Texas Democrats down ballot are keenly aware the drama could influence their odds as well.
U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, was the first to break the dam and call for Biden’s withdrawal from the race earlier this month. Doggett said Biden “failed to effectively defend his many accomplishments and expose Trump’s many lies” during his debate against Trump. Today, U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth, became the second Texas Democrat in Congress to call on Biden to bow out.
“I don’t find the public statements to be helpful either to the party or to our nominee,” Escobar said in the interview. “I think private conversations are always far more fruitful.”
Escobar said she doesn’t harbor ill will toward Doggett, a man she called a ”great colleague” for whom “I have so much admiration, respect and affection.” She said she knew that Doggett had concerns beforehand but didn’t know he would go public and call for Biden’s withdrawal.
“He has every right to speak on any issue just as I do,” Escobar said. “My personal view is I think we need to rally behind our nominee and move forward.”
— Matthew Choi
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BIGGEST GOP STATE BANISHED TO MADISON Texas has one of the largest — and most boisterous — delegations at the RNC. But delegates were forced to stay far from the convention itself, in a hotel in Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital, about 1.5 hours from Milwaukee.
That may not be a long drive to most Texans. But with jam-packed scheduling, Byzantine security measures, early mornings and late nights, the distance got on many delegates’ nerves.
“You’re willing to come to Wisconsin and stay in Madison for a convention in Milwaukee. That is some real dedication,” state Rep. Brian Harrison of Midloathian told delegates during a daily Texas breakfast in Madison.
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz joked the breakfast was being held in Idaho.
“We’re conservative,” added state Rep. Steve Toth of The Woodlands. “We’ll drive three hours for a free breakfast.”
The Texas breakfasts were the few times delegates could gather and coordinate. Several delegates saved seats at breakfast for friends who never came, apparently having slept through their alarms. Those who made it delighted in kvetching over having to drive an hour and half back to their hotel the night before after programming that routinely ended between 11 and midnight.
“In four years, when the RNC is in Houston, Texas, what do you think we have the Wisconsin delegation stay in Amarillo?” Harrison told delegates to applause.
— Matthew Choi
HIDDEN IMAGE The House Select Committee on Securing Texas from Hostile Foreign Organizations will meet at 10 a.m. on Wednesday. Evaluating hostile foreign organizations’ threats and property acquisition
NEW: The Senate Special Committee on Hurricane and Tropical Storm Preparedness, Recovery and Electricity will meet at 10 a.m. on July 29.
The House State Affairs Committee will meet at 9 a.m. on July 31.
The House Select Committee on Youth Health and Safety will meet at 10 a.m. on July 31. View the list of upcoming meeting notices here and here.
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HIDDEN IMAGE Texas Policy Research published a report yesterday concluding a merit-based system for committee assignments in the Legislature could better serve the state than the current seniority system.
Houston-area Republican U.S. Reps. Brian Babin , Dan Crenshaw , Morgan Luttrell and Randy Weber , as well as U.S. Reps. Lance Gooden , R-Terrell, and Michael McCaul , R-Austin, wrote a letter to U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm expressing concerns about her department’s decision to deny CenterPoint Energy a $100 million request for grid resilience money last year. Denying that assistance could have slowed grid restoration work following Hurricane Beryl, they fear.
, , and , as well as U.S. Reps. , R-Terrell, and , R-Austin, wrote a letter to U.S. Energy Secretary expressing concerns about her department’s decision to deny CenterPoint Energy a $100 million request for grid resilience money last year. Denying that assistance could have slowed grid restoration work following Hurricane Beryl, they fear. Inspector General for Texas Health and Human Services Raymond Charles Winter has written state Sen. Donna Campbell , R-New Braunfels, and state Rep. Tom Oliverson , R-Cypress, and cc’d Gov. Greg Abbott to notify them that the attorney general’s office will investigate allegations that Texas Children’s Hospital performed gender transition-related care against state law. Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan has also reached out to Winter and Texas Health and Human Services Commissioner Cecile Erwin Young , per The Texan’s Brad Johnson .
has written state Sen. , R-New Braunfels, and state Rep. , R-Cypress, and cc’d Gov. to notify them that the attorney general’s office will investigate allegations that Texas Children’s Hospital performed gender transition-related care against state law. Texas House Speaker has also reached out to Winter and Texas Health and Human Services Commissioner , per The Texan’s . FEMA has finalized new flood maps for Hays County, which will take effect on Jan. 17, 2025.
HIDDEN IMAGE U.S. Rep. Colin Allred , D-Dallas, will be at the Travis County Democratic Party’s “coordinated campaign kickoff” Sunday morning. He’ll be joined by Austin Mayor Kirk Watson and two members of the county delegation to the Texas House, state Reps. Gina Hinojosa and James Talarico .
, D-Dallas, will be at the Travis County Democratic Party’s “coordinated campaign kickoff” Sunday morning. He’ll be joined by Austin Mayor and two members of the county delegation to the Texas House, state Reps. and . U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas; Alexis Nungaray, mother of Jocelyn; U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Richmond; Democratic Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg; and Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale will hold a news conference in Houston Monday morning on the Justice for Jocelyn Act, named after a girl murdered in a crime Republicans have pointed to as an example of failed border policies.
HIDDEN IMAGE Do you or someone in your office have a new job you’d like mentioned? Email us. Dianna Grey will serve as the permanent executive director of the Strategic Housing Finance Corporation of Travis County after serving in an interim role since January. Grey’s past experience includes serving as Austin’s homeless strategy officer and as director of the Texas program of the Corporation for Supportive Housing.
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(July 21) State Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola
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