Hot dish 07.02.24

By Sydney Kashiwagi

Good morning and welcome back to another DC Dish!

The U.S. Supreme Court’s Monday ruling that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution prompted an outpouring of opinions from the Minnesota congressional delegation.

The high court’s ruling means that former President Donald Trump likely won’t have to stand trial in Washington before the election. And his legal team is now asking the judge who presided over his hush money trial in New York to set aside his conviction and delay sentencing in light of the decision.

COURT REFORM: Democratic Sen. Tina Smith said the ruling proved that the conservative-leaning U.S. Supreme Court needs to be expanded. Rep. Ihan Omar said “let’s get it done” in response to New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez vowing to file articles of impeachment against Supreme Court justices. Omar also said a “real plan to fight fascism and authoritarianism” is needed in light of the Supreme Court’s decision.

GOP: House Republicans took a victory lap following the court’s ruling. “The Democrats have proven they will do everything in their power — including weaponizing our justice system — to destroy their top political opponent, Donald Trump. Today’s Supreme Court decision is a positive step in the right direction of ending their senseless lawfare,” Rep. Tom Emmer said on X. Rep. Michelle Fischbach said the court was “making the right decision for the future of this country.” And Rep. Brad Finstad said the Supreme Court’s decision is “a step in the right direction and a victory for American democracy.”

UKRAINE: Rep. Betty McCollum is in Ukraine this week with a bipartisan congressional delegation. They met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday, who thanked them for the country’s support and updated them on what’s happening on the front lines in the war with Russia. They also talked about areas where Ukraine needs further assistance, including more air defense systems and interceptor missiles.

The meeting comes after Congress passed a massive $95 million foreign aid package to Ukraine, Israel and other US allies back in April.

JULY 4th: Rep. Angie Craig is celebrating July 4th by calling on Speaker Mike Johnson to bring her inflation bill to the House floor amid rising costs at the grocery store.

Craig’s Task Force to Stop Price Gouging Act would create a federal interagency task force led by the US Department of Agriculture, Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice to investigate corporate and government actions that lead to higher prices. The task force would then be responsible for releasing quarterly reports on its findings.

“This week, families should be celebrating our country, history and honoring those who made selfless sacrifices to uphold our American freedoms,” Craig said in a letter to Johnson first shared with the Star Tribune. “They should not have to make the choice between hamburgers, hot dogs and lemonade for a neighborhood barbeque or bread, eggs and milk for the week.”

Johnson’s office could not immediately be reached for comment.

Omar will be going to the Richfield and Edina parades. Rep. Pete Stauber will be attending the Forest Lake Parade. In the heated Second Congressional District race, GOP candidate Tayler Rahm’s campaign said he plans to attend the Prior Lake Boat Parade, Eagan Fun Fest Parade and Apple Valley Freedom Days Parade. His Republican primary opponent Joe Teirab will be attending the Eagan, Apple Valley and Hastings parades. Craig’s team declined to say where she plans to go, citing security concerns. Steve Boyd, the Republican candidate challenging Fischbach, will be at the Spicer and Hancock parades.

On the Senate side, Smith’s office said she plans to spend the holidays with her family and won’t go to any parades this year. Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s team said it is still finalizing her schedule, but plans to be at several 4th of July parades. It’s unclear if her GOP opponent Royce White will be at any parades, his campaign did not immediately reply. But he sent out a newsletter urging voters to go to the Edina parade and the Coon Rapids parade that’s happening today. The campaign of Joe Fraser, the other Republican in the race against Klobuchar, did not have a lineup of parades he plans to attend.

MITCHELL UPDATE: DFL state Sen. Nicole Mitchell has challenged the grounds for her April arrest on a first-degree burglary charge and her scheduled Monday hearing was postponed a week, my colleague Rochelle Olson reports.

Mitchell seeks to dismiss the charge against her on the grounds that she didn’t commit a crime while inside the Detroit Lakes home of her father’s widow, identified only as C.M. in court documents. The hearing was rescheduled for 10 a.m. July 9, but that will likely change because the prosecution has filed to remove Judge Douglas Clark from the case.

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