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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* The New York Times reported that Elon Musk is “likely” to offer “significant” support for a new pro-Trump super PAC created by Musk’s closest friends. The Wall Street Journal had a related report, noting that the conspiratorial billionaire is prepared to spend “around $45 million a month” in the hopes of putting the Republican back in power.
* In Michigan, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is allowing federal Veterans Affairs and Small Business Administration sites to be used for voter registration efforts. This, oddly enough, has led to a new lawsuit from the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee.
* Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced at a White House briefing on Monday: “In light of this weekend’s events, the president has directed me to work with the Secret Service to provide protection to Robert Kennedy Jr.” The independent presidential candidate has made multiple requests for this protection in recent months.
* It’ll be a while before we know whether Donald Trump wins in the fall, but with Sen. JD Vance joining the Republican ticket, there’s already some jostling in Ohio over who might succeed the incumbent senator in the upper chamber.
* In the wake of the attempt on Trump’s life, Dave McCormick, the Republican Senate nominee in Pennsylvania, asked Democratic Sen. Bob Casey to suspend negative advertising. On Monday, I heard from Maddy McDaniel, a Casey campaign spokesperson, who said, “On Saturday evening after the shooting, the Casey campaign worked with stations to stop advertising temporarily. The campaign will work to resume communication with voters in the days ahead to educate Pennsylvanians on Senator Casey’s record, his opponent’s record, and the stakes of this Senate race.”
* On a related note, it’s worth noting that the bulk of the anti-Casey ads are being financed by McCormick’s allies, and those commercials continued over the weekend.
* In Minnesota’s most competitive congressional race, Republican officials got their wish: Tayler Rahm ended his candidacy, clearing the way for former federal prosecutor Joe Teirab to take on incumbent Democratic Rep. Angie Craig in the fall.
* And in New Jersey, Democratic primary voters are deciding Tuesday on a candidate to replace the late Rep. Donald Payne Jr. The general election in this race will be held Sept. 18.