Resignation decision tree: From the political desk

Welcome to the online edition of From The Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that provides the latest reports and analysis from the NBC News Politics team’s White House, Capitol Hill and Campaign Trail.

I hope you enjoyed your federal holiday on Monday. Today we have the latest information on how orders from President Donald Trump’s appointees cut off career government officials who are worried about carrying out them. Additionally, New York Governor Kathy Hochul faces political dangers and political opportunities on the question of what to do about New York Mayor Eric Adams.

– Scott Brand

Veteran federal prosecutor resigns from Trump’s appointees bank freeze order

Another Justice Department resignation on Tuesday continued the theme of President Donald Trump’s second administration. Concerns about orders coming from above.

A veteran prosecutor at the DCUS Lawyer’s Office wrote in his resignation that his boss asked him to take action. J. Riley reported.

“As I shared with you, at this point, based on the evidence I reviewed, I do not believe there is sufficient evidence to issue the letter you described. A specific explanation written in a letter to Trump’s appointee, U.S. Attorney’s Office’s criminal director, Dennis Chan, a 2014 Department of Justice prosecutor, wrote to Trump’s appointee, U.S. attorney Ed Martin.

“I said I wouldn’t do that because I believed I had no legal authority to issue such letters. Then you asked for my resignation,” Chang wrote.

The Justice Department spokesman: “Not following a chain of orders, not heroism, so that it can be considered the potential waste of government funds by rejecting basic requests to suspend the investigation.” Responded via Man.

This is the latest in a series of departures from the Department of Justice that stem from concerns over the order. Last week, the US lawyers’ firm handled lawsuits against Mayor Eric Adams of New York City and the Public Integrity Section of Washington’s Department of Justice. The lawyer saw a series of resignations after he refused to comply with an order dismissed by Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove. Claim against Adams.

Things you need to know from today’s President Trump

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US and Russia have agreed to “reestablish the functionality of their respective missions in Washington and Moscow. Trump is due to his country’s invasion in Russia in 2022. It appeared to be denouncement of Ukrainian President Voldimi Zelensky. “I heard today. I wasn’t invited,” Trump said of Ukrainian concerns about US-Russia discussions in Saudi Arabia. “Well, you were there for three years. You should have finished it – three years. Trump has signed two executive orders and a memorandum of understanding from the president. One order on Vitro fertilization is white. Instructs house advisors to study methods to make IVF and other fertility treatments more affordable, and the other to assume the stronger “surveillance” role of independent institutions to management and budget offices. I will tell you to do so. The memorandum directs that details of “waste, fraud and abuse” as revealed by the Trump administration will “take all appropriate actions to make it public to the executive branch and agency directors.”

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Cathy Hochul’s political dilemma on Eric Adams

By Steve Kornacki

New York Governor Kathy Hochul is in a politically dangerous moment considering what to do about New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

The decision to remove the mayor from the office would mark the first time the governor of New York has used this power. It will spark fierce protests from Adams and his supporters. He is currently trying to gain support from black voters. This is the group that helped Adams take office in 2021. A black mayor who was officially elected through one-sided actions.

Alienating black voters would threaten Hochul’s position in her own potential Democratic primary next year.

However, there may also be important political opportunities here for Hochur.

First, it is actually uncertain whether the move against Adams will suffer from this kind of blowback, and recent polls show that Adams is not widely popular among New York City voters, including black voters. indicates.

The numbers could change if Hochul actually ousts Adams and passes, but for now there is not much good will left for the mayor in what was his political foundation.

Furthermore, Hochul’s 2026 challenges extend far beyond the Democrats and take decisive action against unpopular figures like Adams, which is a terrible and necessary boost among general election swing voters. can be given.

In 2022, Hochul recorded a clear, overwhelming victory, beating the Republican opponents over those of his time. Lee Zeldin, just 6 points – two years after Joe Biden carried New York 23 points. Then gov. Andrew Cuomo also scored 23 points in 2018.

Hochul’s position has not improved since 2022. Two weeks ago, a Siena College poll showed job approval rates of 44% and personal popularity (39% favorable, 47% favorable). Already, a potentially formidable Republican candidate, Rep. Mike Lawler, is laying the foundation for next year’s campaign.

One way to measure Hochul’s weaknesses is to compare the results of three recent elections in New York. Biden landslide in 2020. Hochul’s much narrower victory in 2022. And then Kamala Harris’ surprisingly modest (11 points) victory last November. The results for the seven largest counties in New York are as follows:

The main story in New York last November was Hispanic, Asian American and some Jewish voters shifting against Donald Trump. This can be seen in numbers for Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and the New York City Borough in the Bronx. There, Harris performed significantly worse than his 2020 exhibit. In particular, outside the Bronx, Hochul also experienced the same decline in 2022.

What stands out here are three counties where Hochul’s drop-off from Biden was far worse than Harris, Westchester, Nassau and Suffolk.

All three of these counties are majority white and have large suburban strips. And in all three, the share of the white population with university degrees is above the statewide average. In both New York and the nation, this demographic (white suburbs with university degrees) is the most delved into Trump. However, the results suggest that their chunks are willing to vote against Hochul and Republicans in the 2022 governor race.

A recent Siena poll showed that Hochul’s position among suburban and white voters has not improved since its election. If she is a Democratic candidate next year, Hochul’s fate could be in the hands of voters who deeply dislike Trump, but are also troubled by New York’s direction and Hochul’s guidance.

We obviously don’t know how these voters will react to her removing Adam. Voting outside New York City is scarce. Maybe they think it’s too much. But if the decision to remove Adams resonates everywhere, the terrible Trump suburbs will be obvious.

For now, it’s all from the political desk. Today’s newsletter was compiled by Scott Brand and Faith Wardwell.

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