What to Know in Washington: Biden Warns of Trump’s Midterm Role

President Joe Biden cast Donald Trump as a factor in state-level contests across the country, telling Democrats those were crucial battlegrounds to defend their agenda in November’s elections.

“As long as Trump controls the Republican Party, he’s going to have an incredible impact on state legislative bodies,” said Biden at an event in Portland, Oregon, on Saturday for Tina Kotek, the Democratic candidate for governor in the state.

Biden raised concern about election deniers running for office as Republicans, and questioned whether they would accept the outcome of the vote. “That’s never happened before. Never in American history,” he said.

Biden said state governors are critical to addressing the issues facing the US, such as abortion rights and climate change. “It’s a race that matters well beyond the state of Oregon,” he said of Kotek’s contest against Republican Christine Drazan and independent candidate Betsy Johnson.

“Think about who you elect governor. Are they prepared for the state to be pro-choice?” said Biden. “It’s up to the states now to make these judgments.” Read more

Photo by John Rudoff/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Biden delivering remarks in Oregon on Saturday.

Secret Service Minimized Threats Before Jan. 6, Records Show

A Secret Service unit responsible for identifying threats repeatedly downplayed advance warnings of potential violence on Jan. 6, 2021, newly released documents show, a lapse that is now part of the House investigation into the attack on the US Capitol.

MORE ON ELECTION DENIERS

• Bloomberg News has identified 254 Republicans who have either said the 2020 election was stolen or cast doubt on its legitimacy. They include many incumbents seeking re-election this year. Read more
• Rudy Giuliani intends to defend himself against a legal ethics prosecution in Washington by calling a string of witnesses who promoted baseless claims that the 2020 election was marred by widespread fraud. Read more
• Pollster Frank Luntz predicted that Democrats would keep the Senate and that Republicans would win the House, but said he’s really worried about candidates losing close races and not accepting their defeats. Read more

Elections, Politics & Probes

Join Our Oct. 19 Election Webinar: Bloomberg Government’s election guru, Greg Giroux, will be providing a high-level update on the midterm elections and will take your questions on our Oct. 19 webinar. Register here .

Biden, Harris to Hit Pennsylvania Campaign Trail in Late October

Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will visit Philadelphia on Oct. 28 for an event with the state’s Democratic Party, less than two weeks before the crucial midterm elections.

• Former President Barack Obama will travel to Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin at the end of October to rally voters in key battleground states to support Democrats in the Nov. 8 midterm elections that will decide the balance of power in Washington for the next two years. Read more
• Trump raised $24 million in the third quarter, a 41% increase over the previous quarter, but he spent $22 million to do it. Read more

DOJ Urges Appeals Court to Stop Trump Special Master Review

The appointment of a special master to review documents seized from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate was legally unsound and unnecessarily disrupted the criminal probe, Justice Department lawyers told a federal appeals court.

House GOP’s Scalise Defends Medicare, Social Security Plans

Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), the number two House Republican, defended his party’s approach to Medicare and Social Security, which has become a campaign issue ahead of US midterm elections in November.

DeSantis Chief of Staff Planned Migrant Flights, Records Show

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ (R) top aide helped plan flights of undocumented immigrants from Texas to Massachusetts that are now the subject of a criminal investigation, federal probe and lawsuits, newly released public records show.

Walker Aids His Drama-Laced Senate Bid With Debate Showing

Republican Senate contender Herschel Walker exceeded expectations in his highly anticipated debate with incumbent Raphael Warnock in Georgia by staying on message and on the attack.

Griffin, Schwarzman Fuel $111 Million Haul for GOP Super PAC

Fueled by $10 million donations from Citadel’s Ken Griffin and Blackstone Group’s Stephen Schwarzman, a super PAC with close ties to Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell raised $111 million in the third quarter, according to its latest filing with the Federal Election Commission.

• Parties and PACs are also putting more money into Colorado, where Sen. Michael Bennet (D) is going for a third term, Ken Doyle reports. Majority Forward spent $3 million to support Bennet, according to the report the group filed with the FEC. It went to a “pop-up” group created in late August, called 53 Peaks, that sponsored ads attacking Bennet’s Republican challenger, Joe O’Dea, over abortion rights.

Defense & Foreign Affairs

Biden Aide Says Change in US Military Aid to Saudis Is Possible

Biden’s options for re-evaluating US-Saudi relations include “changes to our approach to security assistance to Saudi Arabia,” White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said.

Xi Calls Taiwan Dispute ‘Chinese Matter,’ Pushing Back at US

President Xi Jinping declared the dispute over Taiwan a “matter for the Chinese” to resolve, while reaffirming Beijing’s willingness to use force to prevent the democratically governed island’s independence.

• Xi also pledged China prevail in developing strategically important tech, underscoring Beijing’s concern over a US campaign to separate it from cutting-edge chip capabilities. Read more
• But China’s efforts to build a legion of talent and win the battle to develop homegrown technologies ran into new US restrictions issued a week earlier are already undercutting those plans. Read more

Biden Says Truss’s Original Economic Plan Was a ‘Mistake’

Biden weighed into British politics by criticizing Prime Minister Liz Truss’s original economic plan that caused turmoil in the markets, saying it was a “mistake.”

US Starts Expelling Venezuelans to Mexico Under New Rules

The US started to expel Venezuelans to Mexico under new rules implemented by the Biden administration aimed at stemming the flow of migrants fleeing a decimated economy and crossing the US border without authorization.

Biden Calls on Iran to ‘End the Violence’ Against Its Citizens

Biden called on Iran to “end the violence against its own citizens,” in response to a deadly crackdown by security forces on protests in the country.

US Calls On Ethiopia, Eritrean Forces to Halt Military Offensive

The US is deeply concerned over reports of increasing violence and destruction in northern Ethiopia, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in an emailed statement.

Pakistan Says It’s a Responsible Nuclear State, Rejects Biden

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan is “the most responsible nuclear state,” pushing back after Biden called the country possibly “one of the most dangerous nations in the world.”

Around the Administration

PRESIDENT’S SCHEDULE

• Biden is set to return to the White House from Delaware at 12:20 p.m.
• At 1:30 p.m., press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre holds a media briefing.

Biden Brushes Off Risks of Strong Dollar on Global Economy

Biden dismissed the risks of a strong US dollar and instead blamed anemic growth and policy missteps in other parts of the world for dragging down the global economy.

• The Federal Reserve’s interest-rate hikes to bring inflation under control are starting to work, while Biden is doing everything possible to support the US central bank, two US economic advisers said. Read more

Biden Administration Begins Testing Student Loan Relief Website

The Education Department on Friday night began testing the website for student loan borrowers to apply for debt relief, according to a department spokesperson.

Research Money Bonanza Spurs Contest to Host New Federal Agency

Creation of a $1 billion-plus federal health research agency has touched off a race between deep-pocketed research institutions to bring the new entity to their state or region, lobbying reports show.

Judge Blocks New DACA Rule, Allows Current Recipients to Renew

The Biden administration’s new regulations on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program are blocked from taking effect, a federal judge in Texas ruled, but the government can continue to process renewal applications from existing beneficiaries.

Tesla Fires After Hurricane Raise Alarm for Florida Officials

A Florida senator is calling for action from the Transportation Department and automakers after a series of electric vehicle fires tied to Hurricane Ian.

Federal Cloud Approvals Surge With Contractor-Friendly Tool

Authorizations for the government’s cloud services compliance program reached an all-time high in fiscal 2022, boosted by the kickoff of an automated validation process that streamlines review of vendors’ applications.

New Climate Czar Signals Shift to Climate Law Implementation

Biden’s new national climate adviser may not have the high profile of his predecessor, but observers say Ali Zaidi’s mix of policy and economic chops are just what the administration needs to execute its agenda.

Food Labeling Mandates Draw Industry Ire as FDA Mulls New System

The food industry is sounding the alarm on a yet-to-be-announced plan that could change package labeling, with companies warning they would oppose new mandates.

With assistance from Kenneth P. Doyle

To contact the reporter on this story: Brandon Lee in Washington at blee@bgov.com

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Michaela Ross at mross@bgov.com; Giuseppe Macri at gmacri@bgov.com