Trump Seeks Establishment Acceptance

Donald Trump is looking to gain acceptance Monday as the likely GOP nominee with a day full of meetings organized in hopes of dampening opposition among Establishment Republicans to his candidacy. Gathering at the office of his election lawyer in Washington, Trump will come face to face with some of the lawmakers and lobbyists who have been skeptical of his candidacy. For the lawmakers involved—a list expected to include Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas—snubbing Trump isn’t exactly in the cards. In Cotton’s case, the GOP voters in his state voted for Trump and he doesn’t want to be seen as rejecting them. In other news, Trump has now loaned $24.4 million to his presidential campaign, according to the latest campaign finance reports.

Later, Trump will address the American Israel Public Affairs Committee Conference, along with John Kasich, Ted Cruz, and Hillary Clinton. For Trump, it is a crucial moment at which he has to prove he has the foreign policy knowledge to lead the country. Facing an audience skeptical about his pledge to remain “neutral” in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as well as his past comments seen as playing to traditional stereotypes of Jews in American politics, Trump has promised to outline his vision for a “good deal” for the region. Meanwhile, he will face an organized walk-out effort at the group, while Clinton and Cruz pledge to use the opportunity to draw contrast with Trump on substance at the event.

But Trump’s overtures are unlikely to put a stop to the efforts to block his path to the nomination, as campaign finance reports show increased donations to a super PAC running ads to block him and Republican leaders plotting out strategies for a possible contested convention. Strong Trump showings in Utah and Arizona tomorrow could end their hopes, but if Cruz is successful at breaking 50% in the Utah caucuses, he would win all of the state’s delegates, putting up another obstacle to Trump hitting the 1,237 delegates needed to win the nomination.

President Obama arrived in Cuba Sunday, becoming the first sitting president since 1928 to visit the country. He toured historic Havana on Sunday and will meet with Cuban leader Raúl Castro on Monday, before delivering a speech and taking in a baseball game on Tuesday.

Trump defends his campaign manager after a run-in with a protester. Joe Biden takes a shot at Trump. And Fox News goes after Trump for his attacks on Megyn Kelly.

Here are your must-reads:

Must Reads

President Obama Arrives in Cuba
TIME’s Maya Rhodan on Obama’s historic visit

Romney Backs Cruz in Effort to Block Trump
A not-quite-endorsement as he hopes to force a contested convention [TIME]

Donald Trump Courts Wary Jewish Voters
Facing skepticism about his stance on Israel and questions about his repetition of stereotypes [New York Times]

GOP Chairman Sees Long Fight Over Trump
A plurality of delegates won’t do it [Wall Street Journal]

Sound Off

“I give him credit for having spirit.” — Donald Trump on his campaign manager apparently grabbing a protester by the shirt-collar in an effort to remove him from a venue on Saturday

“The future belongs to the bridge builders, not the wall builders.” — Vice President Joe Biden taking a shot at Donald Trump at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee Conference in Washington Sunday

Bits and Bites

McConnell: No Lame Duck Supreme Court Confirmation [NBC]

Donald Trump Denies Campaign Manager Manhandled a Protester [TIME]

Anti-Donald Trump Protester Punched and Kicked at Rally in Arizona [TIME]

John Kasich Says Republicans Should Meet With Obama’s Supreme Court Nominee [TIME]

Trump Protesters Arrested in Arizona for Blocking Road [TIME]

Fox News Slams Donald Trump for ‘Sick Obsession’ With Megyn Kelly [New York Times]

Donald Trump Questions Mitt Romney’s Mormon Faith at Utah Rally [NBC]

Secret Service Investigating Claims That Anonymous Hacked Donald Trump [TIME]

Meet the Mysterious Source of an Anti-Trump Ad [Center for Public Integrity]

Anti-Defamation League: We Are Redirecting All of Trump’s Donations [TIME]

Newt Gingrich and Craig Shirley: Reaganism is Alive and Well [TIME]

Biden to Address Supreme Court Confirmation Battle in Thursday Speech [Washington Post]

Donald Trump Flip-Flops, Then Flips and Flops More on H-1B Visas [Washington Post]

Donald Trump Is Finally Uniting Top Republican Donors — Against Him [New York Times]

Donald Trump Is a Punch Line for Obama, Who Is Getting More Jokes Ready [New York Times]