Trump’s legal calendar collides with 2024 calendar
Trump 2024 #Trump2024
If it’s TUESDAY… NYT/Siena poll shows national tie between President Biden and Donald Trump, 43%-43%… Biden spoke with son’s business numerous times, former partner testifies… Trump PAC spends more than $20 million on legal fees alone, per FEC filing… Ron DeSantis remains in New Hampshire, while Asa Hutchinson also campaigns in the Granite State… And VP Harris travels to Orlando, Fla., to speak at African Methodist Episcopal Church gathering.
But FIRST… Former President Donald Trump’s legal calendar is set to collide with the upcoming political calendar.
On Oct. 2, New York Attorney General Letitia James’ fraud lawsuit against Trump and his business is set to begin. (Note: Trump is not required to appear in person for civil trials.)
On Jan. 15 — the very same day as the Iowa caucuses — E. Jean Carroll’s second defamation trial against Trump is scheduled to start.
On Jan. 29 — as the GOP calendar moves to Nevada’s contest — there’s a New York trial in an additional fraud lawsuit against Trump and his business.
On March 24 — just weeks after Super Tuesday — comes the criminal trial into the hush-money case in New York against Trump.
And on May 20 — as the final GOP primaries approach — comes the federal criminal trial in Florida in the Mar-a-Lago documents case.
That’s five trials involving Trump in just slightly more than seven months.
And that doesn’t include the potential federal indictment in the Jan. 6 case against Trump, or the potential indictment in Fulton County, Ga., over trying to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election result.
Oh, and it all comes as we learned that a Trump PAC spent more than $20 million on legal fees alone in the first six months of 2023.
Bottom line: It’s more than possible that we’ll know the Republican Party’s presidential nominee BEFORE those five Trump trials — and counting — are finished.
And those legal expenses are only going to get higher.
Headline of the dayData Download: The number of the day is … more than $20 million
That is how much former President Donald Trump’s leadership PAC spent on legal fees alone in the first six months of this year, according to campaign finance reports filed with the Federal Election Commission Monday evening.
Those legal fees caused the group to burn through money, accounting for two-thirds of the group’s expenditures from January through June, with payments doled out to over 40 different law firms.
The group, Save America PAC, is Trump’s primary vehicle for his and his associates’ legal expenses, which have risen since last year as Trump has faced multiple indictments and investigations.
Read more about Save America’s spending and the financial filings from groups backing other candidates at NBCNews.com.
Other numbers to know
20: The number of times a former business partner alleges that Hunter Biden put his father, President Joe Biden, on the phone with business associates. The partner, Devon Archer, testified in a closed-door meeting with the House Oversight Committee Monday.
39%: That’s President Biden’s approval rating among registered voters, according to a New York Times/Siena College poll.
$500 million: How much money Trump is seeking in a lawsuit against his former attorney Michael Cohen. New court filings on Monday showed that Trump has been called for a deposition.
$5 million: How much a wealthy Republican donor gave to a super PAC backing Democrat Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential bid, new filings showed Monday.
3: The number of Ukrainian drones that Russian officials said were shot down Sunday after they targeted Moscow, as Ukraine’s president warned of war “returning to the territory of Russia.”
31: The number of consecutive days that temperatures in Phoenix reached over 110 degrees Fahrenheit, a streak that ended Monday with temperatures hitting 108 degrees.
Eyes on 2024: Millions flow into super PACs backing presidential hopefuls
New campaign finance reports filed Monday offered a peek into the contributions and expenditures of the super PACs supporting candidates in the 2024 presidential race.
Never Back Down, the super PAC backing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, entered the second half of the year with the most money of any major super PAC, banking away $96.8 million as of June 30 — roughly three times more than the pro-Trump group MAGA Inc had in its campaign account ($30.8 million).
Much of Never Back Down’s capital flowed from DeSantis’ Florida political committee.
Other groups that raised significant amounts included Trust in the Mission PAC (a super PAC supporting South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott), which pulled in almost $20 million, thanks in part to support from wealthy business leaders, per CNBC’s Brian Schwartz.
SFA Fund Inc., a super PAC supporting former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, pulled in $18.7 million. And Best of America PAC, a super PAC backing North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum that hauled $11 million, fueled by a $2 million donation from one of Burgum’s family members.
America Strong and Free Action, the outside group supporting former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, reported raising almost $2.3 million from January through June. A significant portion of that total came from Warren Stephens, a Little Rock-based billionaire who has previously given to Republican groups and candidates.
In other campaign news…
Hey, big spenders: Just a few of Trump’s biggest super PAC donors from 2020 have given to his primary rivals so far, CNBC’s Brian Schwartz reports.
Comeback kid: DeSantis’ attempt at restarting his campaign has been plagued by some awkward moments, and recent events “were distinctive less for any change in DeSantis’ tack than for the appearance of waning interest in his candidacy,” write NBC News’ Jonathan Allen, Henry J. Gomez, Allan Smith and Emma Barnett.
Passing on the right: DeSantis’ failure to embrace a federal ban on abortion sparked criticism from a prominent anti-abortion rights group, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America. Some of DeSantis’ primary rivals, including South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and former Vice President Mike Pence, weighed in on the clash to express their support for a national ban.
Georgia on Trump’s mind: Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis reiterated that she plans to announce by Sept. 1 whether her investigation into Trump’s effort to overturn the state’s 2020 election results will result in charges. On Monday a Georgia judge also blocked Trump’s attempt to stop Willis’ investigation.
In the race: Former Sen. Kelly Ayotte formerly kicked off her campaign for governor in Manchester, N.H., Monday, NBC News’ Emma Barnett reports. She was joined by her husband and son and told attendees, “This state and its people — all of you in this room — you are exceptional and what we have is worth fighting for. That’s why I am running for governor.”
ICYMI: What ELSE is happening in the world:
A federal appeals court in Kentucky is allowing a ban on gender-affirming care for minors to remain in place while the issue is being litigated.
The Biden administration is opting to keep Space Command headquarters in Colorado, reversing an earlier decision by the Trump administration to move the headquarters to Alabama.
Chuck Todd
Mark Murray
Ben Kamisar
Bridget Bowman
Alexandra Marquez