Early Morning Political News: 4‑Minute Read
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Tuesday, June 16, 2026
Federal Level
Secret Memos: White House Weighed Suspending Habeas Corpus
A New York Times book by reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, released Monday, June 15, reveals that White House staff secretary Will Scharf prepared a memo in April 2025 advising that the Trump administration was actively weighing whether to suspend habeas corpus rights for undocumented immigrants to accelerate mass deportations. Habeas corpus is the constitutional right of any person to challenge their detention in court. The memo acknowledged that the Constitution permits such a suspension only in cases of rebellion or invasion, a standard legal experts widely say was not met.1, 2, 3
Supreme Court Clears Older Trump Tariffs to Stand
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday, June 15, declined to hear an appeal from businesses challenging tariffs that President Trump imposed during his first term on Chinese imports under the Trade Act of 1974. The court’s decision leaves in place approximately $75 billion in annual import fees that critics argue fall on American consumers. The ruling may also help the administration rebuild its tariff strategy after the court struck down Trump’s emergency “Liberation Day” tariffs in February.4, 5
Supreme Court to Hear Immigrant Detention Case
The Supreme Court agreed on Monday, June 15, to hear a Trump administration appeal involving the extended detention of convicted immigrants facing deportation without a bond hearing. A lower court had ruled that the Constitution’s due process protections prohibit holding such individuals for lengthy periods without a chance for release on bail. The court’s decision to take the case could affect thousands of detained immigrants currently awaiting deportation proceedings.6, 7
McConnell Eager to Return to Senate This Week
Senate Republican leaders said on Monday, June 15, that Senator Mitch McConnell has communicated with colleagues and expressed a desire to return to Capitol Hill this week. Senate Majority Leader John Thune told CNN that McConnell “sounded good” during a phone call. Senator John Barrasso, the No. 2 Senate Republican, separately described McConnell as eager to get back. McConnell’s office has still not disclosed the reason for his Sunday hospitalization.8, 9
Trump Pushes Congress on Third Reconciliation Bill
President Trump on Monday, June 15, publicly called on congressional Republicans to move quickly on a third budget reconciliation package that he wants to include $350 billion in new defense spending and provisions to restructure federal elections. Republicans used the first reconciliation bill for tax cuts in January and the second for immigration enforcement funding, which Trump signed June 10. A third bill would be an unprecedented use of the budget process in a single Congress.10, 11
State Level
Georgia Governor Runoff Heads to the Polls Today
Georgia Republicans head to the polls today, June 16, to decide their party’s nominee for governor in a closely watched runoff between Lt. Governor Burt Jones, who holds endorsements from both President Trump and Governor Brian Kemp, and billionaire healthcare entrepreneur Rick Jackson, who has spent tens of millions of his own money on the race. Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who won the Democratic primary outright on May 19, will be waiting for her general election opponent.12, 13
Georgia Governor Calls Special Session on Redistricting
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp convened a special session of the state legislature on Monday, June 15, to address a short list of time-sensitive issues including legislative redistricting, a ballot QR code compliance deadline, and county tax legislation. The session adds to the already crowded political calendar in Georgia as the state simultaneously holds its Republican governor runoff today and prepares for November’s general election against Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms.14, 15
California’s 14th District Holds Special Election Today
California’s 14th Congressional District holds a special election today, June 16, to fill the seat left vacant by former Representative Eric Swalwell, who resigned earlier this year to run for mayor of Dublin. The race features a crowded field of candidates, with Democrat Melissa Hernandez and state Senator Aisha Wahab among the leading contenders. The seat, centered on the East Bay and Silicon Valley suburbs south of Oakland, has been reliably Democratic and is expected to stay that way.16, 17
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Article Sources
1. The New York Times, “Frustrated by courts, Trump weighed suspending a constitutional right,” June 15, 2026.
2. The Hill, “White House weighed suspending habeas corpus rights for undocumented immigrants,” June 15, 2026.
3. Reuters, “Secret memos show White House debated suspending habeas corpus for immigrants,” June 15, 2026.
4. USA Today, “Supreme Court won’t hear tariff challenge, paving way for new Trump action,” June 15, 2026.
5. Reuters, “Supreme Court declines to review first-term Trump tariffs on Chinese imports,” June 15, 2026.
6. Reuters, “Supreme Court to hear Trump appeal involving lengthy detention of certain immigrants,” June 15, 2026.
7. CNN, “Supreme Court agrees to take up immigrant detention case,” June 15, 2026.
8. CNN, “Mitch McConnell ‘wants to be back’ on Capitol Hill after hospitalization, GOP leader says,” June 15, 2026.
9. USA Today, “Mitch McConnell hospitalized: What we know about his health,” June 15, 2026.
10. The Hill, “GOP plots third reconciliation bill as midterm clock ticks,” June 15, 2026.
11. Politico, “Trump demands $350B Pentagon infusion, elections overhaul in third reconciliation push,” June 15, 2026.
12. The New York Times, “Republicans Burt Jones and Rick Jackson advance to a runoff in the Georgia governor primary,” June 15, 2026.
13. Ballotpedia, “2026 Georgia gubernatorial Republican primary runoff,” June 16, 2026.
14. Atlanta News First, “Ballots, boundaries, deadlines: Georgia special legislative session,” June 15, 2026.
15. WABE, “Georgia Governor Kemp calls special session to address redistricting and ballot deadlines,” June 15, 2026.
16. San Francisco Chronicle, “Special election for former US Rep. Eric Swalwell’s seat draws a crowded field in California,” June 16, 2026.
17. Associated Press, “California’s 14th Congressional District special election set for June 16,” June 15, 2026.