memeorandum: Fox News ‘Meet the Trumps’ special draws backlash (Jessie Hellmann/The Hill)

11:25 PM ET, May 26, 2016

Top Items:

Seung Min Kim / Politico:

Sanders angers Democrats with Trump debate ploy — For some Democrats, Bernie Sanders' latest gambit — challenging Donald Trump to a debate to cap all debates — is the last straw. — “Bulls**t,” said Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia. “That confirms what we've been saying.

Discussion: Politicus USA

Nick Gass / Politico:

Trump: I'll debate Bernie for $10 million — Donald Trump on Thursday said he would “love” to debate Bernie Sanders and raise $10 million to $15 million in the process, even if the Democratic challenger is not well positioned to be his general election foe.

Discussion: Washington Post and RedState

Jonathan Easley / The Hill:

Sanders camp: Discussions underway for Trump debate — 's campaign manager says “back-channel conversations” are underway with Donald Trump — 's staff about setting up a bipartisan debate between the two presidential candidates. — “I think it would benefit voters from across the country …

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, MSNBC, Politicus USA and Don Surber

Keli Goff / The Daily Beast:

The Racist Side of Bernie Sanders Supporters — More proof that “progressive” isn't a synonym for “tolerant.” — For decades, one narrative has dominated American politics: That while white liberal Democrats may not be perfect, they are far more trustworthy and far less scary when it comes to race than conservative Republicans.

Discussion: Mediaite and Truth Revolt

Jonathan Easley / The Hill:
Team Sanders pressures Trump for debate

Sheila Foster Anthony / Washington Post:

Vince Foster was my brother. Donald Trump should be ashamed. — The writer served on the Federal Trade Commission from 1997 to 2003. — It is beyond contempt that a politician would use a family tragedy to further his candidacy, but such is the character of Donald Trump displayed in his recent comments to The Washington Post.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Washington Monthly, Arkansas Blog, Arkansas Times, Mediaite, Media Matters for America, alan.com, The Week, Raw Story, New York Times, Salon and Politicus USA

Mike Debonis / Washington Post:

Sen. Orrin Hatch reacts to meeting with Merrick Garland before it occurs — Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) hasn't yet met with Supreme Court nominee Merrick B. Garland for what has been a long anticipated encounter between the former Judiciary Committee chairman and the federal appeals court judge he has long praised.

Discussion: Daily Kos, Talking Points Memo, Political Wire and The Bob and Chez Show

Michael Virtanen / Associated Press: Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Having Only 8 Justices Hamstrings Supreme Court

The Hill:

Bible verse prompts GOP walkout after LGBT vote labeled a sin — A House conservative went after dozens of fellow Republicans on Thursday with suggestions that they'd sinned for backing an anti-discrimination proposal against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people.

Discussion: Washington Times, Mediaite, Raw Story, Towleroad and Joe.My.God.

The Hill:
LGBT fight dooms spending bill on House floor

Discussion: New York Times, Common Dreams, Towleroad, The Bob and Chez Show, Politicus USA, Raw Story and Joe.My.God.

John Bresnahan / Politico:
LGBT fight sinks House spending bill

Discussion: The Atlantic, Real Clear Politics, Washington Blade, Rewire, Daily Kos, New York Magazine, Washington Post, The Hill, Democratic Party of Virginia, CNN and Talking Points Memo

Associated Press:

Trump reaches the magic number to clinch nomination — WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump reached the number of delegates needed to clinch the Republican nomination for president Thursday, completing an unlikely rise that has upended the political landscape and set the stage for a bitter fall campaign.

Discussion: USA Today, Associated Press, Washington Post, Hot Air, Trail Blazers Blog, New York Times, TPNN, The Daily Caller, Real Clear Politics, Heat Street, Washington Free Beacon, AMERICAN DIGEST, Mediaite, RedState, The Week, The Right Scoop, neo-neocon and The Bob and Chez Show

Joshua Green / Bloomberg:

How to Get Trump Elected When He's Wrecking Everything You Built — A day in the life of Reince Priebus, reluctant GOP peacemaker. … When Donald Trump wrapped up the Republican presidential nomination on May 3 by winning Indiana and forcing Ted Cruz from the race, it fell to Reince Priebus …

Associated Press:
Delegates in hand, Trump says he's got GOP nomination

Discussion: Politico, whorunsGov, Daily Kos and Outside the Beltway

Burgess Everett / Politico:

Rubio: ‘Unlikely’ I'll run for reelection — Mitch McConnell conducted a survey on Sen. Marco Rubio on Thursday: At a GOP caucus lunch, he asked senators whether they'd like to see Rubio run for reelection. — Every hand in the room went up. And then the Senate majority leader told senators …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Washington Post and AOL

Manu Raju / CNN:
Rubio faces pressure to run for reelection as GOP fears grow over his Senate seat

Discussion: Mediaite, Post On Politics, Daily Kos, The Daily Caller and Joe.My.God.

Eric Bradner / CNN:
Marco Rubio says he's going to the GOP convention

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and Hot Air

PPIC:

Clinton, Sanders in Close RaceEach Leads Trump in Fall Matchup — Harris, Sanchez Lead Senate Contest, With Nearly A Third Of Likely Voters Undecided — Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are in a tight race in the Democratic presidential primary, while Donald Trump has the support of most Republican primary likely voters.

Discussion: Washington Post, Hot Air, Talking Points Memo, Washington Times and Towleroad

Matthew Artz / Mercury News:
California poll: Clinton and Sanders in virtual dead heat

Discussion: New York Times, New York Magazine and Common Dreams

Jeet Heer / New Republic:
Bernie Should've Attacked Hillary's “Damn Emails”

Discussion: Hit & Run, Politico and Common Dreams

Washington Post:

The superbug that doctors have been dreading just reached the U.S. — For the first time, researchers have found a person in the United States carrying bacteria resistant to antibiotics of last resort, an alarming development that the top U.S. public health official says could mean “the end of the road” for antibiotics.

Discussion: Phenomena, USA Today, The American Conservative, Balloon Juice, New York Magazine, CBS New York, Daily Mail, Joe.My.God., Hot Air, NPR, WREG-TV, NBC News and Consumerist

Euan McKirdy / CNN:

Obama: World leaders ‘rattled’ by Trump — (CNN)President Barack Obama touched on the rancorous U.S. presidential race at a press conference Thursday from the G-7 summit in Japan, saying that presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump's statements had his fellow world leaders concerned.

Discussion: Truth Revolt, Business Insider and The Gateway Pundit

MJ Lee / CNN:
Donald Trump has delegates to clinch GOP nomination

Discussion: The Atlantic, Business Insider, Washington Free Beacon, Chicago Boyz, WTVR-TV, The Right Scoop and The Root

Henry C. Jackson / Politico:
Trump hits 1,237 — 1,237: It's official. — DONALD TRUMP …

Discussion: Washington Post, Associated Press and ABC News

Jessie Hellmann / The Hill:

Fox News ‘Meet the Trumps’ special draws backlash — Fox News drew backlash Thursday for airing a “Meet the Trumps” special, in which anchor Greta Van Susteren interviewed the family of likely Republican nominee Donald Trump — Most of the hour-long special focused on Trump's wife …

Discussion: Raw Story

Howard Fineman / The Huffington Post:

Donald Trump's Top Adviser: ‘This Is Not A Hard Race’ — Paul Manafort explains why his boss is “gonna win,” no prob. — Global Editorial Director, The Huffington Post — Donald Trump “sees himself more as the chairman of the board” of the country. — ALEXANDRIA, Va. …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Daily Kos, Bloomberg, CNN, ABC News, Guardian, Washington Post, susiemadrak.com, Mother Jones, BizPac Review, Slantpoint, Hot Air and Shakesville

Dara Lind / Vox:
Trump campaign chair: We'll pick a white man for VP. Anything else would be “pandering.”

Discussion: Guardian, Daily Kos, Talking Points Memo, ThinkProgress, Right Wing Watch, CNN, The Hill, Politicus USA, RedState, Politico, The Daily Caller and The Week

Media Communications:

Baylor University Board of Regents announces leadership changes and extensive corrective actions following findings of external investigation — Board of Regents apologizes to Baylor Nation; Dr. David Garland named interim University President; Ken Starr transitions to role of Chancellor …

Discussion: The Atlantic, NPR, Business Insider, Talking Points Memo, NBC News, ThinkProgress and Politico

Marc Tracy / New York Times:
Baylor Demotes President Kenneth Starr Over Handling of Sex Assault Cases

Discussion: BuzzFeed, The Week, The Daily Caller and Friendly Atheist

Edward Morrissey / The Fiscal Times:

We Now Know Hillary Lied Multiple Times About Her Email Server — Ever since news broke that Hillary Clinton used an unauthorized and unsecured private e-mail server for all of her correspondence as secretary of state, she has defended herself with several arguments.

Discussion: Roll Call, Hot Air, Power LinePower Line, Outside the Beltway and Patterico's Pontifications

Josh Gerstein / Politico:
Judge: Video of Clinton aides' depositions to be kept secret

Discussion: Mediaite and Conservative Tribune

Taegan Goddard / Political Wire:

Breaking News — Fox, CNN, CNBC and MSNBC all featured this shot of an empty podium waiting for a Donald Trump press conference this afternoon. — Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton was in Las Vegas discussing her plans to raise incomes for working families.

Discussion: Politicus USA

Kelly McLaughlin For / Daily Mail:

EXCLUSIVE: 'Rosie O'Donnell's foul-mouthed rant against Donald Trump as she breaks six-week silence on the Republican front-runner to call him a ‘s*** stain with a tinge of orange’ — Rosie O'Donnell launched a foul-mouth rant against Donald Trump on Wednesday at New York's Beacon Theatre

Discussion: Raw Story, John Hawkins' Right Wing News and BizPac Review

Eric Owens / The Daily Caller:

Obama's Fancy New Mansion Is Located 1,000 Feet From The Islamic Center Of Washington DC — The mammoth, multi-million-dollar mansion where President Barack Obama and his family will reportedly live after the first family exits the White House is located 1,096 feet from the Islamic Center of Washington …

Discussion: Raw Story, Washington Post, Daily Kos and alicublog

John Hinderaker / Power LinePower Line:

At Harvard, Leftist Professors Inspire Leftist Students to “Rebel” — A common political strategy among environmentalists is called “sue and settle.” An environmental group will sue the EPA, alleging a failure to do one thing or another, likely something that wasn't within the EPA's powers in the first place.

Discussion: The Daily Caller and Royall Asses