Ryan boards the Trump train

CASTING A PAUL: Just weeks after House Speaker Paul Ryan said he couldn’t yet support DONALD TRUMP, the Wisconsin congressman is now on board. In an op-ed published in his hometown Janesville Gazette http://goo.gl/nMWEhM, Ryan acknowledged differences between himself and the presumptive GOP nominee. But Ryan also said that he and Trump, on the issues that matter most, have “more common ground than disagreement.”

Ryan reserved the right to speak out in the future when he disagreed with Trump, but however his praise was couched, Ryan’s nod is a boost to Trump’s bid to unite the Republican party. Ryan said he’s been encouraged by steps Trump has taken, including his conversations with him about the party’s platform and a list of potential Supreme Court nominees that Trump released last month. Read more at: http://goo.gl/aKKWMr


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2) MEANWHILE: HILLARY CLINTON gave a speech in California today that ripped DONALD TRUMP’s foreign policy worldview and cast him as a potential agent of chaos. “Like many across our country and around the world, I believe the person the Republicans have nominated for president cannot do the job,” Clinton said in a speech in San Diego. The speech was meant to set up a direct contrast with the presumptive Republican nominee. But, like so many candidates before her, the question is whether Clinton’s high-minded foreign policy speech will break through. http://goo.gl/jcFowq

BLAST NOTE: It’s not easy to separate “the Donald” and the spotlight, as Clinton was rudely reminded today. News of Ryan’s endorsement broke just as she delivered a speech that was intended, in part, to shift the conversation toward a focus on Trump’s alleged lack of policy chops.

3) GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS: It looks like it will be a fight to the end in California. Another poll released today, this one the very-reputable-in-California Field poll, shows an effective tie between HILLARY CLINTON and BERNIE SANDERS. Clinton leads Sanders 45-43 — within the poll’s margin of error. During the last Field poll, conducted in April, Clinton led 47 percent to 41 percent. Sanders is showing other signs of closing in on Clinton, beyond California — his campaign picked up more superdelegates today. http://goo.gl/q1eLo7 Though, as POLITICO’s Daniel Strauss notes — it is the longest of long shots: Sanders could, still, theoretically win the Democratic nomination. He would just need to convince a wave of super delegates to change their stated commitments en masse. http://goo.gl/U5qaog

4) BACK TO SCHOOL: New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman ripped DONALD TRUMP’s for-profit education venture, calling it a “really a fraud from top to bottom.” http://goo.gl/HFB1XH Schneiderman’s comments echoed HILLARY CLINTON, who used a day on the campaign trail to focus on Trump’s involvement and herself called it a “fraud.” Trump, meanwhile, has sought to put the best spin on it: He said today he’d like to reopen Trump University after he is elected. This despite Trump University being the subject of two class-action lawsuits and a $40 million lawsuit from Schneiderman. http://goo.gl/z6SBZF

5) CAP(LIN) ON: HILLARY CLINTON’s large communications apparatus is adding another staffer. POLITICO’s Annie Karni reports the campaign has hired Glen Caplin, a New York press veteran and a former communications director for Sen. Kirstin Gilibrand and, yes, Rep. Anthony Weiner. Caplin will serve as a senior national spokesman. Caplin will take a leave of absence from his role as a senior vice president at Global Strategy Group to go on staff and will start immediately. Caplin is the second significant hire in recent days after the campaign announced that Jess McIntosh, a senior leader at EMILY’s List would join to work with surrogates. http://goo.gl/NJYUqp

TRAIL MIX: Elsewhere on the campaign trail, DONALD TRUMP struggles with swing state chairmen, but wants to compete everywhere. HILLARY CLINTON gets a rough headline. BERNIE SANDERS has a plan and a sorta endorsement from Venezuela. And JOHN KASICH goes Gore.

SWING SWING: DONALD TRUMP is still struggling to bring in state GOP leadership in swing states. http://goo.gl/utgkK8

CALIFORNIA DREAMING: But DONALD TRUMP also has great aspirations of breaking up the “blue wall” of Western states that Democrats tend to dominate in presidential elections. http://goo.gl/Zjni1u

TALKING POINTS: A new RNC spokeswoman spent months ripping DONALD TRUMP earlier this cycle. (BuzzFeed) https://goo.gl/3RvAU2

SNYDER SILENCE: Embattled Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has not endorsed DONALD TRUMP. http://goo.gl/83OpJG

TODAY IN LOADED HEADLINES: New York Daily News opinion column: “Accused rapist Bill Cosby has much in common with HILLARY CLINTON.” http://goo.gl/X0SiQz

PUERTO RICO PLAN: A look at BERNIE SANDERS’ plan to solve Puerto Rico’s solvency crisis. (CNBC) http://goo.gl/klHXy7

THANKS, I GUESS: Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro — who is, ah, fairly embattled these days — says BERNIE SANDERS would be elected if the U.S. election system were fair. http://goo.gl/DwIh9A

WORKED FOR GORE: JOHN KASICH has a beard (or at least some scruff) now and is all about the Cleveland Cavaliers. http://goo.gl/tNnppZ

DO YOU SMELL WHAT THE ROCK IS COOKING?: Dwayne Johnson says he’s thinking about running for office. Maybe even president. (Bleacher Report) http://goo.gl/Jqj0SB

BLAST NOTE: The People’s Champ, giving new meaning to the term “Rock Bottom.” Amiright?

WHAT’S NEXT: BERNIE SANDERS continues in California. DONALD TRUMP is in Redding, Calif., tomorrow.

THEY SAID IT: “They’re not even really ideas, just a series of bizarre rants, personal feuds and outright lies,” she said. “He is not just unprepared, he is temperamentally unfit to hold an office that requires knowledge, stability and immense responsibility.” — HILLARY CLINTON on DONALD TRUMP’s foreign policy. http://goo.gl/jcFowq

MAGIC NUMBER: 29. That’s how many days it’s been since Paul Ryan said he could not yet support DONALD TRUMP.

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There you go — now you’re caught up on the 2016 race. TBNR. We’ll see you back here tomorrow.