Welcome to the online version of From the Policy Deska nightly newsletter that brings you the latest reporting and analysis from the NBC News politics team on the campaign, the White House and Capitol Hill.
In today’s edition, the campaign incorporates reporting from Nnamdi Egwuonwu on tension at Morehouse College over Joe Biden’s commencement speech next week. Plus, “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker previews her Sunday interview with Secretary of State Antony Bliken.
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Morehouse faculty are expected to vote next week on whether to award Biden an honorary degree
Per Nnamdi Egwuonwu
ATLANTA — After feeling pressure for much of the spring from college students protesting his handling of the Israel-Hamas war, President Joe Biden will face a new test on campus next week.
A group of Morehouse College faculty members is pushing to stop the school from conferring an honorary doctorate about Biden at his May 19 graduation ceremony. Morehouse President David Thomas met virtually with faculty members on Wednesday to discuss the issue.
“Most of the comments were opposed to an honorary degree, but there were some very strong defenses,” said a faculty member who was on the call.
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Those against the decision have criticized Biden’s policies on policing and mass incarceration, his handling of the conflict in Gaza and his more recent comments on student protests. Those in favor of the honorary title called the attacks on Biden’s handling of the war in Gaza “unjustified,” according to the person on the call.
Still, it’s unclear exactly how widespread the dissatisfaction is. Although Morehouse announced last month that Biden would receive an honorary doctorate, procedurally, the faculty must still vote in favor. That vote is scheduled for Thursday — three days before the start — during a regular faculty meeting, according to the faculty member.
In the run-up to Biden’s speech, some faculty members also began circulating a letter to express their “collective dissent” against Biden’s honor.
The objections underscore frustrations with Biden on many college campuses, which have faced pro-Palestinian protests in recent weeks. Biden will also be the commencement speaker at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
Read more →
The biggest news Biden gave this week
By Kristen Welker
Biden made a lot of news this week in his interview with CNN’s Erin Burnett.
He warned Israel that it would not transfer offensive weapons if its military pursued a full-scale invasion of Rafah. He promised that Donald Trump will not accept the results of the 2024 election. And he said that Trump, if elected, would “destroy” many of Biden’s policy achievements, including allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices.
But perhaps the biggest news Biden broke in that interview was his admission that the United States provided weapons that killed civilians in Israel’s war against Hamas.
Burnett: I know that you stopped, Mr. President, shipments of 2,000-pound American bombs to Israel because of concerns that they could be used in any offensive against Rafah. Were those bombs, those powerful 2,000-pound bombs, used to kill civilians in Gaza?
Biden: Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a result of these bombs and other attacks on population centers.
On the one hand, Biden’s admission is common sense: Israel’s campaign has killed thousands of civilians and the US is Israel’s largest arms supplier.
On the other hand, it’s not every day that an American president admits that US-supplied weapons killed innocent civilians.
And it raises a number of questions that I hope to explore on this Sunday’s “Meet the Press,” when I will speak with Secretary of State Antony Blinken. I will also have interviews with Senators Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.
What is Biden’s red line?
Is the US complicit in these civilian deaths, as Biden seemed to suggest?
If so, why is the Biden administration still sending offensive and defensive weapons to Israel, as NBC News reported?
Or did Biden’s comments undermine Israel’s war against Hamas? (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he said your country is prepared to act alone if the US cuts off arms supplies.)
What does it mean for negotiations to reach a ceasefire?
And – above all – will the Israel-Hamas war be a top issue for voters in November?
Be sure to tune in for answers on Sunday.
Trump to Face Michael Cohen in Court as Prosecution Nears End of Case
By Adam Reiss, Gary Grumbach, Jillian Frankel and Dareh Gregorian
Stormy Daniels is done testifying, but another popular target of Donald Trump is scheduled to testify Monday in his criminal trial — his former lawyer Michael Cohen, multiple sources told NBC News.
Both Daniels, an adult film actress, and Cohen, a former Trump aide, are outspoken critics of the presumptive Republican presidential nominee and key witnesses in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s falsification of business records case. The former president labeled the two “despicable bags”.
The decision to call Cohen comes as a prosecutor said late in court Friday that the prosecutor’s office has just two witnesses remaining and could rest the case as early as next week. Cohen’s testimony is expected to last several days.
Trump lawyer Todd Blanche asked Judge Juan Merchan to bar Cohen from publicly commenting on the case as he is about to testify. He noted that Cohen appeared on TikTok this week wearing a t-shirt showing Trump behind bars wearing an orange jumpsuit.
Blanche had previously complained about Cohen posting on social media and giving interviews criticizing Trump during the trial. Cohen slowed his frequent comments after Merchan said he could exclude him from the gag order that prohibits Trump from attacking witnesses in the case because of his comments.
Steinglass said the prosecutor’s office had already asked Cohen to stop speaking. The judge instructed the prosecutor to tell Cohen that the judge was asking him to stop.
Trump was angered by the lack of a gag order for Cohen after the day’s proceedings concluded. “Everybody can say whatever they want,” but “I can’t say anything,” he told a group of reporters in the courthouse hallway. “It’s a shame.”
Read more from day 15 of the Trump trial →
Today’s top news
- Democrats divided: Biden faces a barrage of fresh criticism from some lawmakers and voters in battleground states, where his stance on Israel carries the greatest political risk to his efforts to win re-election. Read more →
- Appeal Offers: Two agents linked to indicted Rep. Henry Cuellar, including the Texas Democrat’s former campaign manager, have agreed to plea deals as part of the bribery case against the congressman. Read more →
- The feature fails: An appeals court upheld former Trump aide Steve Bannon’s conviction on two counts of contempt of Congress, but it is unlikely he will have to report to prison immediately. Read more →
- The debate reignited: A Virginia school board has approved a proposal that will restore the names of Confederate military leaders to two public schools. Read more →
- Landing the plane: The Senate approved a bill Thursday night reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration, with measures to increase staffing, speed up customer refunds and add more flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Read more →
- Trump’s happy place: While facing a mix of political, legal and financial obstacles, The Washington Post examines how Trump built an “alternative reality” for himself at his Mar-a-Lago club. Read more →
That’s all from The Politics Desk for now. If you have feedback – like or dislike – send us an email at newsletter@nbcuni.com
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