memeorandum: Support for beginning impeachment hearings grows among Democrats in new NBC News/WSJ poll (Mark Murray/NBC News)

11:40 AM ET, June 16, 2019

Top Items:

Trump campaign cutting ties with pollsters after internal numbers leaked — The president's re-election campaign says series of polls showing Joe Biden ahead in key states are “ancient” news. — WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's re-election campaign is cutting ties with some of its own pollsters …

Discussion: Political Wire

Andy Shain / Post and Courier:

Warren, Buttigieg surge in SC 2020 Democratic presidential poll as Biden still leads — Former Vice President Joe Biden holds a commanding 20-point lead in the 2020 South Carolina Democratic presidential primary, but his post-announcement advantage is shrinking — and he has a surprising new set of top challengers.

Discussion: Axios, POLITICUSUSA and Political Wire

CBS News:

CBS News Battleground Tracker poll: Biden leads, with Warren, Harris, Sanders close behind — The belief that he could fare best against President Trump is currently propelling Joe Biden in the early Democratic nomination race by two measures — vote preference, and the delegates that would come with them.

Discussion: Washington Times and Political Wire

Dana Blanton / Fox News:

Fox News Poll: Democrats want a steady leader, Biden leads Trump by 10 points — Former Vice President Joe Biden is still, by far, the leader in the Democratic Party's presidential nomination race. His lead reflects the mood of the party, as Democratic primary voters want someone who will unite Americans …

Discussion: Political Wire

Andrew Ferguson / The Atlantic:

Tyranny of the 70-Somethings — Why have national Democrats and not national Republicans fallen under the tyranny of the 70-somethings? It seems so contrary to common expectation. Democrats are, as they often remind us, the party of progress and the future.

Quinn Scanlan / ABC News:

EXCLUSIVE: Trump cites lessons from Nixon, says he ‘was never going to fire Mueller’ — President Donald Trump told ABC News Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos that he did not fire special counsel Robert Mueller because “that didn't work out too well” for former President Richard Nixon.

Discussion: Axios

John Cassidy / New Yorker:

The Stephanopoulos Interview Is Another Fine Mess for Trump — Some weeks the Trump Presidency is a horror show; some weeks it is slapstick. This week it was both. In the Middle East, tensions with Iran rose alarmingly, while, on the domestic front, Donald Trump got himself into yet another political mess.

Matthew Choi / Politico:

‘Enjoy the show!’: Trump hypes controversial Stephanopoulos interview — President Donald Trump on Saturday hyped his forthcoming full interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos, excerpts of which shook allies and opponents alike this week when the president revealed he would take foreign help …

Discussion: Breitbart

Mark Murray / NBC News:

Support for beginning impeachment hearings grows among Democrats in new NBC News/WSJ poll — Americans overall remain divided over beginning impeachment hearings but Democratic support has surged since last month. — WASHINGTON — More Democratic voters believe Congress should begin impeachment hearings …

Discussion: Political Wire

Joshua Jamerson / Wall Street Journal:

Nearly Half of Democrats Back Impeachment Hearings Against Trump — Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll also finds voters' views on Democratic presidential candidates are in flux, with support for former Vice President Joe Biden slipping — WASHINGTON—Support is growing among Democrats …

Eric Levitz / New York Magazine:

The One Percent Got $21 Trillion Richer Since 1989. The Bottom 50 Got Poorer. — Some Democratic presidential candidates say that America's economic system is badly broken and in need of sweeping, structural change. Others say that the existing order is fundamentally sound, even if it could use a few modest renovations.

Discussion: Jacobin and Common Dreams

Maggie Severns / Politico:

Dems prepare 9-figure ad onslaught to blunt Trump's head start — Democrats are preparing to kick off a campaign totaling hundreds of millions of dollars to blunt Donald Trump's head start in the 2020 campaign as their party's candidates slug it out for the right to take him on.

Lisa Lerer / New York Times:

'Who's Taking Care of the Kids?' Is Finally a Question for Dads on the Trail, Too — [Sign up for our politics newsletter, and we'll send you an invite to our live chat on debate night.] — Representative Eric Swalwell can rattle off the best places to pump breastmilk in an airport.

Louisa Lim / The Guardian:

Hong Kong is not China yet, but that feared day is coming ever nearer — The extradition law was delayed after a million people took to the streets, but the fight for the territory's values is far from over — Hong Kong has become a place whose present is unresolved and whose future is unimaginable.

Washington Post:

GOP in disarray as budget impasse threatens shutdown, deep cuts — and default — Senate Republicans and the Trump administration are struggling to reach an agreement on a path forward on critical budget and spending issues, threatening not only another government shutdown and deep spending cuts …

Katy Tur / MSNBC: Why is Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocking election security bills?