Early Trump ‘reset’ highlights distance from 2016 to 2024: The Note

The TAKE with Rick Klein

The first month of the third Trump campaign might be remembered for how former President Donald Trump himself was nowhere to be seen but everywhere to be found — and that was before the “major announcement” of how to turn $99 into animations of the former president shooting lasers from his eyes.

There have been multiple legal setbacks, an infamous dinner at Mar-a-Lago, another rebuke in Georgia and a call for the “termination” of the Constitution to bring him back into office. There’s also been a raft of new polling suggesting it’s not quite accurate to think of Trump as the front-runner for the Republican nomination, even though he’s still the only major declared candidate for 2024.

Now comes an early reset of sorts. Trump is out with new policy proposals on “free speech,” and is convening meetings with Jewish leaders and a prominent LGBTQ Republican group, The Wall Street Journal reported, as his campaign plans smaller-scale events in the months to come.

Anyone with a memory that extends back to 2015 might recall how Trump has been underestimated — and how a large field of Republican candidates might play to the strengths of a candidate who draws strong loyalties and isn’t afraid of conflict.

But the early announcement this time has not intimidated rivals or enhanced Trump’s standing in any measurable way. The road ahead leaves room for more resets — but also more space for Trump’s vulnerabilities to stay on display.

Former President Donald Trump announces he is running for president for the third time as he pauses while speaking at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., Nov. 15, 2022.

Andrew Harnik/AP, FILE

The RUNDOWN with Averi Harper

In a bipartisan vote, the House of Representatives passed legislation that would allow Puerto Ricans to vote on the political future of the island territory.

Sixteen Republicans voted with Democrats in favor of the Puerto Rico Status Act, which would permit the more than 3 million residents of the island to vote on either statehood, independence or sovereignty “in free association with the United States.”

“For more than a century, Puerto Rico has been governed under a political system imposed by outside forces rather than established by its own people,” outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement.

She said the current structure left the island “vulnerable to unequal treatment,” citing the Trump administration’s bungled response to hurricanes Maria and Irma.

The White House issued a statement calling for Congress to pass the legislation “swiftly to put the future of Puerto Rico’s political status in the hands of Puerto Ricans, where it belongs.”

With only a few days until the Senate adjourns for the year, it is unlikely the legislation would pass in the chamber where 60 votes are needed and Democratic margins are slim.

Republican fears that statehood could mean the election of more Democratic lawmakers could be enough to keep broad GOP support at bay. Plus, the incoming Republican majority in the House will likely stifle such efforts to bring this legislation back up once the new Congress convenes.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi responds to questions about appropriations, relations with China, immigration, and her legacy as the Democratic leader, as she meets with reporters at the Capitol in Washington, Dec. 15, 2022.

J. Scott Applewhite/AP

The TIP with Alisa Wiersema

The groundswell surrounding the rejection of TikTok across several state governments reached the U.S. Senate Thursday with the unanimous passage of a bill that will ban the app from being used on federally-issued devices. The move follows a pattern of at least nine governors prohibiting the use of TikTok on state agency-issued devices in the past two weeks.

Similar to the legislation laid out by executives in Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Maryland, Nebraska, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas and Utah, the Senate bill left a timeline for the development of policy standards. According to the bill, there will be 60 days for the government to “develop standards and guidelines for executive agencies requiring the removal of any covered application from information technology.”

The legislation was introduced by Sen. Josh Hawley, who has long criticized the cybersecurity concerns surrounding the Chinese-owned app.

“There needs to be a firewall between TikTok in the United States and Beijing. And if there isn’t a firewall, then it needs to be banned in the United States completely,” Hawley said in an interview with Fox News.

The bill now heads to the House, where Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy has indicated support for an immediate vote on the legislation. Meanwhile, outgoing Speaker Pelosi did not commit to bringing it to the floor.

“We will leave here today for what’s on the agenda, now. I don’t know if that will be on the agenda next week. But let’s see, it’s very, very important,” Pelosi said.

Sen. Josh Hawley talks to reporters on his way to the Senate weekly policy luncheons, at the U.S. Capitol on Dec. 6, 2022 in Washington, DC.

Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

THE PLAYLIST

ABC News’ “Start Here” podcast. “Start Here” begins Friday morning with Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding, epidemiologist and chief of the COVID Task Force at the New England Complex Systems Institute, detailing how the recent increase in COVID, flu and RSV cases will impact the holiday season. Then, ABC’s Elizabeth Schulze explains the Senate’s vote to ban TikTok on government devices. And, ABC’s James Longman discusses royal family developments from Harry and Meghan’s authorized documentary. http://apple.co/2HPocUL

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS WEEKEND

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The Note is a daily ABC News feature that highlights the day’s top stories in politics. Please check back next week for the latest.