Newsletter: Essential Politics: Trump lashes out over Clinton emails, coins term ‘FBI primary’

I’m Christina Bellantoni. This is Essential Politics.

Hillary Clinton’s team may have breathed a collective sigh of relief Tuesday as word came there would be no indictment over the handling of her emails as secretary of State.

That said, in politics, no one ever wants to be labeled “extremely careless.” Which is exactly what, in an extraordinary statement to the press, FBI Director James Comey did when he strongly criticized Clinton’s handling of classified information in her email.

Still, he said “no reasonable prosecutor” would bring such a case forward, and announced the FBI is not recommending charges. He said the agency did not find evidence of the sort of aggravating factors that were present in “all the cases prosecuted” in the past. Those included “willful mishandling” of classified information, “intentional misconduct,” disloyalty or “efforts to obstruct justice,” Comey said. “We do not see those things here.”

David Savage walks through step-by-step how the FBI came to its conclusions.

But as Mark Z. Barabak writes, there is a vast gulf between a courthouse and the court of public opinion, and Clinton will be facing the latter for the next four months.

CLINTON, OBAMA AND TRUMP

At an appearance in Raleigh, N.C., it came as no surprise that Donald Trump said the day provided “the best evidence” yet the system is rigged. He went after Clinton at length for the FBI’s decision, and charged his Nov. 8 rival “can’t keep her email safe” and therefore “can’t keep our country safe.”

Trump even found a way to poke Sen. Bernie Sanders over the matter, saying he feels sorry for Clinton’s Democratic opponent for losing “the FBI primary.”

Neither Clinton nor President Obama, of course, mentioned the FBI’s announcement as they campaigned together in Charlotte, N.C.

The president made a forceful case for Clinton’s candidacy, even joking about how he benefited from voter excitement as a fresh face when he was her rival in 2008.

“Sometimes we act as if never having done something and not knowing what you are doing is a virtue,” Obama said. “That means sometimes Hillary doesn’t get the credit she deserves. The fact is, Hillary is steady. And Hillary is true. And she is in politics for the same reasons I am, because we can improve people’s lives through this work.”

In response, Trump mocked the president for talking about golf, for being on the campaign trail at all, and for standing beside Clinton using the presidential seal.

Evan Halper reports that Obama has been eager to start campaigning, and White House and Clinton campaign officials say the president will be a regular on the campaign trail, headlining events in swing states and working to reignite the coalition of young and minority voters who twice propelled him to victory.

We’ll be covering the continued fallout and activity on the trail on Trail Guide. Are you following @latimespolitics?

DEATH PENALTY AND SHORT SALES

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Kamala Harris is quick to rattle off her accomplishments as California’s attorney general and a San Francisco district attorney when she’s on the campaign trail seeking votes. The national mortgage settlement, which provided California homeowners with an estimated $20 billion in financial relief, is always at or near the top of her list.

But the Senate front-runner also has taken heat during her years in public office, including being singed by two critical audits on her agency’s program to confiscate guns from dangerous Californians. Phil Willon has a rundown of some of the major milestones in Harris’s career, including a controversial death penalty case and a few others that might earn her gold stars from some California voters and demerits from others.

TODAY’S ESSENTIALS

— Trump’s fundraising trip to Southern California next week includes a dinner and reception in Bel-Air, according to an invitation obtained by The Times. Tickets top out at $449,400 per person.

— About 70,000 ballots from California’s June 7 primary remained uncounted as of Tuesday, four weeks after election day. Most are from Sonoma County, and elections officials have until Friday to report their tally to state officials.

— California Democrats returned to Washington, and to pushing for gun control legislation, on Tuesday when the House chamber gaveled back into session, Sarah Wire reports. California Republicans raised the idea of punishing Democrats for breaking House rules during a 25-hour sit-in before the July 4 recess.

— Assemblyman Rob Bonta (D-Oakland) led a discussion on Tuesday among lawyers and advocates over how to reform the process through which judges award bail to offenders. Jazmine Ulloa reports that panelists, including representatives from Bay Area nonprofits and legal organizations such as the ACLU, said the state’s bail system criminalizes the poor, disproportionately affects minority families and does not keep communities safe.

— Who will win the November election? Give our Electoral College map a spin.

LOGISTICS

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