OFF TO THE RACES: Poll: Clinton now back ahead by double digits

A new Bloomberg Politics poll shows Clinton leading Trump by double digits. "Democrat Hillary Clinton has opened up a double-digit lead nationally over Republican Donald Trump, whose negatives remain unusually high for a presidential candidate amid early indications that the Orlando terrorist attack has had little direct impact on the 2016 race. A new Bloomberg Politics national poll shows Clinton leading Trump 49 percent to 37 percent among likely voters in November's election, with 55 percent of those polled saying they could never vote for the real-estate developer and TV personality."

And a new Washington Post-ABC News poll also shows Trump's negative up: "The poll finds 70 percent of Americans have an unfavorable view of Trump, including a 56 percent majority who feel this way "strongly." Negative ratings of Trump are up 10 percentage points from last month to their highest point since he announced his candidacy last summer, nearly reaching the level seen before his campaign began (71 percent). The survey was conducted Wednesday through Sunday among a random national sample of U.S. adults, coming after last week's primary contests, but with the large majority of interviews completed before Sunday's massacre at an Orlando club.'

Alex Seitz-Wald sums up last night's meeting between Sanders and Clinton: "Afterwards, both candidates released nearly identical statements calling the meeting "positive" and saying they had agreed to work together to defeat Donald Trump. "The two discussed a variety of progressive issues where they share common goals like raising wages for working families, eliminating undisclosed money in politics and reducing the cost of college for students and their families," a Clinton official said, echoing the same policy items listed in Sanders' statement. However, while Clinton's statement discussed "unifying the party," Sanders' made no mention of the "u" word."

More, from the New York Times: "Two advisers to Mr. Sanders described him as concerned that Mrs. Clinton might say all the right things now but embrace more politically moderate positions later if she thinks it necessary to win states like Florida, Ohio and Virginia. The advisers, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the campaign had not authorized them to speak, said Mr. Sanders felt no pressure to endorse Mrs. Clinton quickly. He wants her to take steps to win his confidence in the five and a half weeks before the Democratic convention, where his voters and delegates expect him to speak and Clinton advisers hope he will give a full-throated speech backing her."

By the way, the DNC isn't yet calling Clinton the presumptive nominee.

With the Democratic primaries finally in the books, here's a look back at the race -- by the numbers.

CLINTON: She won Tuesday night's D.C. primary, the final one of the nomination race.

Clinton and Obama hit Trump with a one-two punch with similar speeches blasting his response to the Orlando attacks.

Here's our report on the apparent hack of the DNC computer system by Russian government operations.

TRUMP: Per NBC's Alex Jaffe, Trump said Obama "was more angry at me than he was at the shooter" in Orlando.

He appeared to claim last night that American troops had embezzled funds meant for Iraqi reconstruction efforts, though his team says he was referring to Iraqi - not U.S. - troops.

The New York Times: "Exploitation of fear has been part of the American political playbook since colonial pamphleteers whipped their neighbors into a frenzy over British misrule. It took on new potency in the nuclear age with Lyndon Johnson's "Daisy" ad against Barry Goldwater in 1964 and Jimmy Carter's warnings about Ronald Reagan's finger on the button in 1980. But Mr. Trump — who drew harsh condemnation from President Obama on Tuesday — has intensified the power of fear in presidential politics by demonizing an entire religious group. And he has expanded the use of that power by stirring up fear in the aftermath of national traumas, like the San Bernardino, Calif., attack and now the Orlando shooting, that traditionally elicited measured and soothing responses from political leaders."

A Washington Post headline to bookmark, again:

"Top Republicans join Obama in condemning Trump's words"

And the Wall Street Journal:

"Donald Trump's Antiterror Plans Rebuked by Leaders of Both Parties"

Via, POLITICO: "A convicted Ponzi schemer on Tuesday filed a curious report with the Federal Election Commission declaring that his super PAC was going to conduct a $50 million digital-media marketing campaign boosting Donald Trump.Steven Hoffenberg filed paperwork in late April to create a super PAC called Get Our Jobs Back Inc. The PAC, which has yet to disclose any cash donations, filed a report Tuesday indicating that a company called Statware Inc. was making an in-kind donation of services worth $50 million. The PAC listed the services as "Digital Media Marketing, Revenue Sharing," though there's little evidence yet of such a campaign."

Worth a note in light of the political climate post-Orlando: "U.S. Sen. Rob Portman said Tuesday he favors a federal ban on weapons sales to those on the U.S. terrorist watch list, even though he voted against a similar proposal last year. The Cincinnati Republican, in a conference call with reporters, said in the aftermath of the Orlando shootings - the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history - he feels such a ban is justified as long as there is a way for people mistakenly added to the watch list to remove themselves from it." (Portman is up for re-election.)

Chuck Reynolds
Contributor