Mic and Bernie Sanders to discuss Democrats' future as votes are counted for Jon Ossoff
A liberal icon and the new chair of the Democratic National Committee will speak with Mic on Tuesday in Kentucky. The roundtable with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez will discuss the future of democracy — and the Democratic Party — with six Kentuckians. Mic's Jake Horowitz will moderate the roundtable that will be streamed to Mic's Facebook page at 9 p.m. Eastern. The diverse group of Kentuckians includes an activist working on issues around mass incarceration and a Trump supporter.
For all their similar politics, Perez and Sanders have sometimes been on opposite sides of views about the party's future. Sanders backed now-DNC vice chairman, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), in the party's contest to find a new leader. The former presidential candidate even slammed former Vice President Joe Biden's endorsement of Perez. Now, Sanders and Perez are touring America in an attempt to rebuild trust in the Democratic Party — and unify its followers in the face of Donald Trump's presidency.
Read more about the roundtable here. Watch it live here.
This is Mic's daily read on Donald Trump's America. Welcome to the political newsletter that wants you to watch Bernie Sanders and Tom Perez talk about America tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern.
Highlights:
Today: Mic will interview two leaders shaping the future of the Democratic Party on Tuesday night. The interview will air on Facebook at 9 p.m. Eastern.
More: The special election in Georgia's 6th Congressional District is today — with a young Democratic challenger trying to ride President Donald Trump's unpopularity into a longtime GOP seat.
Even more: Some business news for the close-to-politics Trump family.
Trump's agenda today: Traveling to Wisconsin to tour Snap-On tools in Milwaukee. Giving a speech and signing a "Buy American, Hire American" executive order.
All eyes on Jon Ossoff
Democrats looking for a harbinger of how their party is faring since Trump's election will have a chance in Georgia's 6th Congressional District on Tuesday. The district's roughly 700,000 residents are voting in a special election to fill the seat of Tom Price, who became Trump's secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in February. And the Republican panic bodes well: The GOP has poured millions of dollars into smearing Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff, a 30-year-old former Capitol Hill staffer, in a race for a seat that's been held by Republicans for the past 38 years.
Ossoff has fundraised off opposition to Trump — his kickoff campaign slogan was "Make Trump Furious" — but with a focus on on local issues. National liberal groups are saying Ossoff's election would be a direct rebuke of Trump.
There are 18 candidates running for the seat, with four of the Republicans considered major candidates. If Ossoff wins more than half the votes Tuesday, he will win the seat outright. If he does not clear 50%, the election will head to a runoff that may be tougher for Ossoff to win because of a consolidated GOP field. Price won the relatively wealthy, white suburban Atlanta district by 23 percentage points last November. But Trump beat Clinton there by only 1 point.
As the rest of the nation watches the vote count, here are a few things to help you gauge how results from Ossoff's race show the contest is a referendum on Trump or a local race.
A runoff: A consolidated Republican field would make it more difficult for the Democrat to win. That could ultimately prove Ossoff's popularity in the typically conservative district was drawn more from a split Republican field than grassroots energy.
Margin of victory: Even if Ossoff does not clear 50%, he seems likely to be the highest vote-getter in Tuesday's race, a remarkable feat for a Democrat in a district that has sent Republicans like Newt Gingrich to Congress in the last three decades.
Turnout: Ossoff was initially winning the early vote by a wide margin. But the GOP closed that gap, with roughly the same number of Republicans voting early as Democrats. That shows grassroots enthusiasm on both sides.
The Trump factor: The president has tweeted several times about Ossoff and was at it again Tuesday morning. The notion of a referendum on Trump's first 100 days has clearly gotten under the president's skin. Trump has been saying Ossoff will be weak on illegal immigration, raise taxes and weak on crime. Watch for Trump's reaction as the votes are counted Tuesday night.
Send me your thoughts: What message do you think it sends to Trump if Ossoff wins a majority or plurality of the votes in the Georgia congressional race? Email me at trumpsamerica@mic.com.
For more, read Mic's Emily Singer on 3 things to watch in Georgia's special election. Mic will run a live blog on the race at mic.com/navigatingtrumpsamerica.
Trump's latest executive order to "Buy American, Hire American"
While visiting Wisconsin, Trump will sign an order that tightens an immigrant guest worker program and pushes the federal government to buy American-made goods. The "Hire American" provision targets the H1-B visa program that is widely used by technology companies to bring in skilled foreign workers. Critics say the program provides cheaper labor at the expense of American workers. The "Buy American" provision makes it more difficult for federal agencies to buy foreign-made goods.
Business is all in the family
The same day Ivanka Trump dined with the president of China, that country's government approved new trademarks for her to sell jewelry, bags and spa services, the Associated Press reported. The AP story found boycotts against Ivanka are not working. Imports of her products have increased along with distribution.
News and insight you cannot miss:
• A new book details why Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign was long doomed. The highlights. (Axios)
• Republican Sen. Dean Heller (R-N.M.) told angry constituents that he supported federal funding for Planned Parenthood. That reversal is important because two other Senate Republicans already oppose any plan to cut funds for Planned Parenthood. With the GOP's two-vote majority, Heller could kill any proposal to gut the health care service. (Mic)
• Lobbyists are funneling record levels of cash to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, looking to influence how House Democrats vote on upcoming Trump-backed legislation. (International Business Times)
• Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer wants you to know how the federal government spends its money — a difficult proposition. So he has spent three years building a website to do just that. (New York Times)
• Millennial engagement in politics has jumped following Trump's election. (Mic)