Another Trump foe bites the dust

Donald Trump just claimed one of his most coveted scalps: that of Liz Cheney, the House representative from Wyoming who is the highest-profi [View in browser]( [Bloomberg]( Follow Us [Get the newsletter]( Donald Trump just claimed one of his most coveted scalps: that of Liz Cheney, the House representative from Wyoming who is the highest-profile Republican to reject his false claim that the 2020 election was stolen from him. Cheney was particularly loathsome to Trump for her role as the vice chair of the Congressional committee investigating the storming of the US Capitol by his supporters on Jan. 6, 2021. She repeatedly called the former president a threat to American democracy, for failing to concede defeat to Joe Biden and for encouraging the rioters. Key reading: - [Cheney Loses GOP Primary, Vows to Keep Trump From White House]( - [FBI’s Trump Search Has Lawmakers Asking for Content of Documents]( - [Murkowski Advances in Alaska Senate Race Targeted by Trump]( - [Trump Organization May Face CFO Weisselberg as Trial Witness]( While expected, her landslide loss late yesterday in the Republican state primary to a Trump-backed candidate emphasizes his grip on the party and success in transforming it from conservative to populist. Eight of the 10 Republican House members who voted to impeach Trump over the Capitol riot have been defeated in primaries or announced their retirements. Of the 270 candidates for international, federal, state, local and political positions Trump has endorsed since leaving office, 216 have won or advanced to the general election — almost a third ran unopposed — and 17 have lost. Now the party’s most immediate target is to win control of at least one house of Congress in November’s midterm elections. Trump’s most avid supporters are also anticipating that he will make another run for the White House in two years. In her concession speech, Cheney vowed to keep confronting Trump head on. In the meantime, the former president faces a myriad of legal cases over everything from his taxes to his handling of classified documents and his role in the insurrection. While last week’s FBI raid on his Mar-a-Lago home rallied Republican support, the possibility of criminal charges loom. Winning the Republican nomination isn’t yet a lock, if he seeks it. A lot is still in play before anyone casts a ballot in 2024. — [Bill Faries]( and [Karl Maier]( Cheney swears in witnesses at a hearing of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection. Photographer: Win McNamee/Getty Images Click here to follow Bloomberg Politics on [Twitter]( and share this newsletter with others. They can sign up [here](. Global Headlines Democratic milestone | Biden signed the Democrats’ sweeping tax, climate and health-care law yesterday, sealing a major [victory]( that Democrats need to help improve their chances of protecting congressional majorities they’re in danger of losing in the midterms. The measure, which no Republican lawmaker supported, caps a tumultuous effort that began last year when Democrats took control of Congress and the White House to approve new social and economic programs. Iran optimism | US and European officials signaled optimism over a European Union [proposal]( aimed at reviving the 2015 international nuclear agreement abandoned by Trump. While the Biden administration is weighing Iran’s response to the plan, State Department spokesman Ned Price said the big issues have been “largely settled” and that it is close to what Washington was looking for. - The EU views Iran’s response to the proposal as [constructive](, sources say, the first sign that the Iranian position might not further stall the negotiations. Mounting concern over semiconductor demand is sending [shudders]( through North Asia’s high-tech exporters, which historically serve as a bellwether for the international economy. South Korean behemoths Samsung and SK Hynix have signaled plans to dial back investment outlays, while across the East China Sea in Taiwan, the world’s biggest contract chipmaker indicated a similar expectation. War strategy | For weeks, Ukrainian forces have methodically [targeted]( supply lines of Russian troops occupying the strategically important southern city of Kherson. Yet a large-scale offensive to retake it may not be close. Outgunned despite supplies of new weapons from its US and European allies, Ukraine’s military has so far focused on a policy of attrition, blowing up bridges to isolate and wear down Russian forces. Best of Bloomberg Opinion - [From the Rhine to the Tigris, Rivers Are Warnings: Andreas Kluth]( - [Russian Emigres Should Stay Mum on Visa Bans: Leonid Bershidsky]( - [Can Xi’s China Correct Course on Covid — Like Vietnam? Shuli Ren]( Vote challenge | Former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga rejected his narrow loss in last week’s presidential elections and is widely expected to challenge the official results in court, setting the stage for a [protracted battle]( over control of East Africa’s biggest economy. The dispute and delay in swearing in William Ruto as the new leader poses a risk to political stability in Kenya, where previous votes were marred by violence. Odinga arrives at the Azimio La Umoja party headquarters yesterday. Photographer: Michele Spatari/Bloomberg Explainers you can use - [Why East Africa Is Facing Its Worst Famine in Decades]( - [All You Need to Know About Moderna’s Omicron-Targeted Vaccine]( - [The Sticky Issues Holding Up a New Iran Nuclear Deal]( Talking peace | South Korea doesn’t back the use of force to bring down the North Korean regime, President Yoon Suk Yeol said. He added that he’s open to speak with leader Kim Jong Un and has an “[audacious plan](” of food, energy and infrastructure aid for Pyongyang if it decides to give up its atomic weapons. Check out “Bedrock, USA,” a podcast about political extremism, small town life and the fight for democracy. It explores how far-right ideologies enter into local politics — sometimes quietly, other times at full volume — and what it takes for regular people to fight back. Listen to “Bedrock, USA” on [Apple Podcasts](, [Spotify](, or wherever you get your podcasts. News to Note - A United Nations slavery expert deemed that accusations people are being used for forced labor in Xinjiang are “reasonable,” in one of the clearest [criticisms]( of China’s human rights practices from within the world body. - Chinese President Xi Jinping has made his first public [appearance]( in two weeks, in a sign that the Communist Party’s annual secretive summer retreat on the Yellow Sea has ended. - Even if Germany can meet its [target]( of having its gas inventories 95% full by November, that would only cover about 2-1/2 months of demand if Russia cuts off supplies completely, the head of the energy regulator said. - South African opposition parties that formed coalitions to wrest control of a number of towns from the ruling African National Congress are considering [campaigning]( jointly ahead of a national and provincial vote in 2024. - Thailand’s biggest opposition party vowed to raise [living standards]( as it unveiled a large list of candidates in its bid to end more than eight years of military-backed rule in general elections expected early next year. And finally ... One of the world’s richest men played an important role in getting the Democrats’ landmark climate, tax and health-care bill across the line. In an interview with Bloomberg Green, billionaire philanthropist and clean-energy investor Bill Gates [revealed]( how he tried to keep the legislation alive by lobbying senators including West Virginia’s Joe Manchin, who had shut down an early version. Biden hands a pen to Manchin after signing the climate, tax and health-care bill yesterday. Photographer: Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg Like getting this newsletter? [Subscribe to Bloomberg.com]( for unlimited access to trusted, data-driven journalism and subscriber-only insights. You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg's Balance of Power newsletter. [Unsubscribe]( | [Bloomberg.com]( | [Contact Us]( [Ads Powered By Liveintent]( | [Ad Choices]( Bloomberg L.P. 731 Lexington, New York, NY, 10022