Peter Schorsch
Last Call — A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.
First Shot
President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign is celebrating Pride Month by teaming up with LGBTQ organizations on a multimillion-dollar media blitz.
Team Biden-Harris announced investments in LGBTQ digital and print media nationally and in battleground states. That includes the Human Rights Campaign spending upward of $15 million in paid media.
The campaign said the ad campaign will be accompanied by high-profile participation in Pride parades and events. Already, Vice President Kamala Harris participated in a Pride Month kickoff in Los Angeles while First Lady Jill Biden participated in a Pittsburgh Pride parade.
The campaign messaging claims Biden is the “most pro-equality president in American history,” in contrast to former President Donald Trump’s history of abridging LGBTQ rights.
Biden-Harris 2024 says LGBTQ voters were pivotal to the incumbents’ win four years ago, and they remain so in their bid for a second term. It’s a sizable bloc, too — the campaign cited data showing LGBTQ voters make up more than 8% of the U.S. population and more than 20% of Americans age 18-25 identify as LGBTQ.
The Pride Month media campaign comes as the former President is awaiting sentencing for 34 felony convictions handed down by a jury in New York.
While many experts have offered their take on whether and how Donald Trump’s legal dilemmas will impact the November election, pollsters at Florida Atlantic University are putting the question to the true deciders — everyday voters.
FAU’s PolCom Lab is about to release a new poll and offered a preview of one question it asked likely voters in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin: “Do you think Donald Trump deserves to serve time in prison for the crime he was found guilty of in New York.”
As one would expect, the responses were tightly linked to who voters are leaning toward in November — 75% of those who intend to vote for Biden say yes, lock him up, while 82% of those who plan to vote for Trump say prison shouldn’t be in the cards. FAU will release the full poll on Tuesday morning.
Conviction drama aside, Trump 2024 does have something to celebrate: A $141 million haul in May. The campaign asserted that donors were motivated to give in part because of “the sham Biden trial and verdict that outraged and motivated Americans from every walk of life.”
The campaign said it logged more than 2 million donors last month, with the average chip-in being about $70. Moreover, the campaign said outside groups supporting Trump raised an additional $150 million, making for nearly $300 million in pro-Trump cash collected in May.
“We are moved by the outpouring of support for President Donald J. Trump. The American people saw right through Crooked Joe Biden’s rigged trial, and sent Biden and Democrats a powerful message — the REAL verdict will come on Nov. 5,” said Trump 2024 Senior Advisers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles said in a joint statement, emphasis their own.
Evening Reads
—“22 experts predict what the Donald Trump conviction will mean for 2024 and beyond” via POLITICO Magazine
—”How Trump’s guilty verdict will impact the 2024 presidential election” via Nathaniel Rakich of FiveThirtyEight
—”Trump’s most audacious lie yet” via David A. Graham of The Atlantic
—”The U.S. gave chipmakers billions. Now comes the hard part.” via Asa Fitch of The Wall Street Journal
—”Holocaust museums debate what to say about the Israel-Hamas war” via Dana Goldstein and Marc Tracy of The New York Times
—“Billions in taxpayer dollars now go to religious schools via vouchers” via Laura Meckler and Michelle Boorstein of The Washington Post
—”Your insurance costs won’t climb so high this year. All bets are off if we get a lot of hurricanes.” via Ron Hurtibise of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel
—”Emergency services in Florida responding to more calls over heat-related incidents” via Jackie Llanos of the Florida Phoenix
Quote of the Day
“‘Never’ will happen. … Happens in Florida all the time.”
— Florida insurance agency owner Brian Murphy, on homeowners feeling “invincible” ahead of hurricane season.
Put It on the Tab
Look to your left, then look to your right. If you see one of these people at your happy hour haunt, flag down the bartender and put one of these on your tab. Recipes included, just in case the Cocktail Codex fell into the well.
Domineering HOAs will have to rein it in a bit next month thanks to legislation Gov. Ron DeSantis signed over the weekend. As anyone who has ever been on the bad side of an HOA knows, it’s easier to take it in stride if you down a few Nosy Neighbors.
Tampa Electric says it’s storm-ready as the state enters what’s expected to be a busy hurricane season. Before we start getting named storms, show your gratitude by ordering the nearest lineworker something with decent amperage — an Electric Circus is a solid bet.
While you’re saying thanks to front-line responders, queue up something refreshing for the firefighters working to beat back blazes across the state. Our recommendation: The Fireman’s Sour.
Breakthrough Insights
Tune In
Gators softball in hunt for title
The matchup for the finals of the Women’s College World Series will have to wait for at least another day.
Earlier today, Florida beat Oklahoma to force a decisive rematch between the Gators and Sooners. The game was originally scheduled to begin at 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2. But threatening weather in the area pushed Monday’s schedule back. Now the Gators will have to wait until tomorrow to settle things.
It will be the fourth game for the Gators in as many days which can stress the pitchers. Yesterday against Alabama, Keegan Rothrock pitched all seven innings for Florida, improving her record to 32-8 this season. Against Texas the previous day, Rothrock lasted just a third of an inning. Rothrock pitched all seven innings in the WCWS opener, a 1-0 win over Oklahoma State.
Since arriving in Oklahoma City, Rothrock has pitched in every game. Will she be effective if called upon tonight? It’s a huge question heading into the game.
Texas and Stanford meet for the second time in the WCWS this evening. The Longhorns beat the Cardinal 4-0 on Thursday. Stanford responded in the double-elimination bracket with wins over Oklahoma State and UCLA to earn a rematch with Texas (7 p.m., ESPN2).
Oklahoma has won the last three national championships in softball and six of the last 10. The Gators won back-to-back titles in 2014 and 2015.
The best of three championship finals are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. on Wednesday with games set for Thursday, and if needed, Friday.
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Last Call is published by Peter Schorsch, assembled and edited by Phil Ammann and Drew Wilson, with contributions from the staff of Florida Politics.
