NEWS WRAP

Historic US-Japan-South Korea summit

• Camp David trilateral summit | President Biden will meet with Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol for a trilateral summit at Camp David on Friday. The summit highlights US efforts to strengthen alliances in the Indo-Pacific, following years of diplomatic engagements encouraging the two US allies to work together on collective security exercises in the region. READ MORE HERE

• Maui wildfire tragedy | Around 100 people have died in devastating wildfires on Hawaii’s Maui Island, making it the deadliest American wildfire in over a century. As search and rescue operations continue, attention turns to the failure of early warning evacuation systems and the causes of the fire’s intensity. READ MORE HERE

• Investigating Hunter Biden | Trump-appointee Delaware US Attorney David Weiss has been selected as special counsel to investigate criminal allegations weighed against President Biden’s son, Hunter Biden. The appointment of Weiss, who has been investigating Hunter Biden since 2019, follows a collapsed plea deal that Republicans railed as an example of Biden’s unfair favourable legal treatment amid Trump criminal charges. READ MORE HERE
   
• Climate ruling: A duty to protect | A Montana judge has ruled government agencies are now required to protect citizens from climate change, possibly setting a new precedent for similar suits in other US states. Siding with the 16 plaintiffs aged between five and 22, the District Court judge found a state policy used to evaluate fossil fuel permits was unconstitutional. The state is expected to appeal the decision. READ MORE HERE

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Did you USSC?

• Podcast | USSC Briefing Room – 2024 GOP presidential candidates primer
  USSC Associate Professor in American Politics and Foreign Policy David Smith and Research Editor Victoria Cooper spoke with Research Director Jared Mondschein to give a breakdown on the candidates and the odds of anyone besting former president Trump. LISTEN TO THE EPISODE HERE
   
• Report | The evolution of the Australia-US defence space relationship
  Dr Tristan Moss lays out the history of space engagement between Australia and the United States and the ways in which Australia’s involvement in space might help balance its desire for self-reliance with its strategic imperatives. READ MORE HERE
   
• Brief | Challenges to the US defence industrial base: Lessons for Australia
  John Luddy examines the challenges to the US defence industrial base and offers broad lessons for Australia and other US partners about how best to cultivate resources and capabilities for their common defence. READ MORE HERE

BY THE NUMBERS

Winning hearts in Iowa  

The Iowa caucuses are scheduled for 15 January 2024, making it the first and one of the most important races in the contest for the Republican presidential nomination. It also makes the Iowa state fair a ritual stomping ground for campaigners each election season – presenting irresistible opportunities for hopefuls to canvas their case for the presidency with the fair’s roughly one million attendees.  

Over the weekend, almost every Republican vying for the 2024 presidential nomination descended on Iowa for the state fair. The occasion brought an array of classic sights and scenes, including Donald Trump’s distribution of Make America Great Again merchandise; the brandishing of pork chops and corndogs for photo ops; protesters and stump speeches; as well as a more unexpected inclusion this year of Vivek Ramaswamy’s rendition of Eminem’s rap song ‘Lose Yourself’ (Ramaswamy is currently polling fourth in the state).   

Donald Trump holds 44 per cent of Iowa’s likely Republican caucus vote according to a recent New York Times/Siena poll surveying 432 of the state’s caucus voters. While this is less than the former president’s 54 per cent capture of the national Republican vote, it is still a substantial 24 percentage point lead ahead of the next closest choice, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.  

From Jimmy Carter in 1976 and Barack Obama in 2008 to George H.W. Bush in 1980, the ability to exceed expectations or even outright win the Iowa caucuses has at times played a sizeable role in presidential primary elections, giving front-running candidates needed momentum to secure top spots in other states. For DeSantis, whose campaign has reportedly struggled with campaign financing and cutting through to undecided voters, performing well in Iowa is essential to maintaining his substantive double-digit lead over the other candidates and closing ground on Trump. As a result, the 2024 hopeful is working hard to visit each of the state’s 99 counties before Iowa Republicans head to polls. 

Ahead of 15 January, attention will inevitably fall on the small rural state again soon. In the meantime, and to help prepare for the next Republican showdown, listen to the latest episode of USSC Briefing Room podcast, and register to watch the USSC’s next event analysing the first GOP debate on 24 August 6-8pm. 

THE WEEK IN TWEETS

#IowaStateFair