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# Sen. Lee confronted over cruel tweets
- URL: https://utahpolitics.news/sen-lee-confronted-over-cruel-tweets/
- Published: 2025-06-17T14:00:24.000Z
- Updated: 2025-07-09T15:50:51.000Z
- Author: Bryan Schott
- Tags: Morning Memo

## Tuesday, June 17, 2025

## ⏰ Tick Tock

Days to Utah's 2025 municipal primary elections (8/12/2025) - **56**  
Days until Election Day (11/4/2025) - **140**  
Days until the 2026 midterm elections (11/3/2026) - **504**  
Days until the 2028 presidential election (11/7/2028) - **1,239**

## 👀 Here's what you need to know for Tuesday morning:

### UTAH AND THE WEST

Selective outrage: Sen. Mike Lee mocks real violence against Democrats, condemns fake violence against Trump. \[[Utah Political Watch](https://utahpolitics.news/selective-outrage-sen-mike-lee-mocks-real-violence-against-democrats-condemns-fake-violence-against-trump/)\]

Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith pulled Sen. Mike Lee out of a private Republican meeting to confront him over his social media posts mocking the murder of a Democratic state lawmaker. \[[Semafor](https://www.semafor.com/article/06/16/2025/congress-minnesota-lee-smith-trauma?ref=utahpolitics.news)\]

- Read the email a top staffer for Sen. Smith sent to Sen. Lee's staffers ripping them for their boss's posts. \[[Burgess Everett on X](https://x.com/burgessev/status/1934743736312807918?ref=utahpolitics.news)\]

Utah leaders address safety issues after assassination of Minnesota state lawmaker. \[[Deseret News](https://www.deseret.com/politics/2025/06/16/utah-leaders-address-safety-issues-after-assassination-of-minnesota-state-lawmaker/?ref=utahpolitics.news)\]

Police investigating role of "peacekeepers" in fatal shooting at Salt Lake protest. \[[KSL](https://www.ksl.com/article/51330867/police-investigating-role-of-peacekeepers-in-fatal-shooting-at-salt-lake-protest?ref=utahpolitics.news)\]

Murder suspect described as a punk rocker who often open-carries a firearm at protests. \[[Fox 13](https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/northern-utah/murder-suspect-described-as-a-punk-rocker-who-often-open-carries-a-firearm-at-protests?ref=utahpolitics.news)\]

"Project Runway" fashion designer shot dead at "No Kings" protest. \[[TMZ](https://www.tmz.com/2025/06/16/project-runway-star-killed-no-kings-protest-utah/?ref=utahpolitics.news)\]

New poll: Utahns split over the end of universal mail-in voting. \[[Deseret News](https://www.deseret.com/politics/2025/06/16/new-poll-shows-utah-voters-want-automatic-mail-in-ballots-to-vote/?ref=utahpolitics.news)\]

Juneteenth raised-fist imagery in city announcements sparks conservative criticism. \[[KSL](https://www.ksl.com/article/51330985/juneteenth-raised-fist-imagery-in-city-announcements-sparks-conservative-criticism?ref=utahpolitics.news)\]

Draper City sets aside over 250 acres of land for conservation, barring future development. \[[KUTV](https://kutv.com/news/local/draper-city-sets-aside-over-250-acres-of-land-for-conservation-barring-future-development?ref=utahpolitics.news)\]

Red Flag Warning covers half the state with worsening fire conditions. \[[Fox 13](https://www.fox13now.com/weather/red-flag-warning-covers-half-the-state-with-worsening-fire-conditions?ref=utahpolitics.news)\]

### NATIONAL

Senate Republicans are proposing larger cuts to Medicaid to offset trillions of dollars in tax cuts as part of the massive reconciliation bill. \[[Bloomberg](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-06-16/trump-s-tax-cuts-and-debt-limit-bill-released-by-senate-republicans?srnd=homepage-americas&ref=utahpolitics.news)\]

- Americans oppose the GOP-led tax cut and spending bill by nearly a 2-1 margin according to new polling. \[[Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/06/17/budget-bill-poll/?pwapi%5Ftoken=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJyZWFzb24iOiJnaWZ0IiwibmJmIjoxNzUwMTMyODAwLCJpc3MiOiJzdWJzY3JpcHRpb25zIiwiZXhwIjoxNzUxNTE1MTk5LCJpYXQiOjE3NTAxMzI4MDAsImp0aSI6ImMyZjcxMGU0LTcyODItNGYzNS05ZjUyLTdlMWM4OTNlNmZjMSIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS9wb2xpdGljcy8yMDI1LzA2LzE3L2J1ZGdldC1iaWxsLXBvbGwvIn0.DNW3wwZNxl6pEQNIsjcqfm0w6zwjtKZIdh3Gtx1TLiE&ref=utahpolitics.news)\]

A federal jury ruled MyPillow founder Mike Lindell defamed a former employee of a voting equipment company following the 2020 election. The employee was awarded $2.3 million in damages. \[[Politico](https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/16/mypillow-founder-mike-lindell-loses-defamation-case-00409448?ref=utahpolitics.news)\]

The Los Angeles Press Club has sued the City of Los Angeles and its police department over alleged attacks on journalists during the recent civil unrest. \[[Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/media/2025/06/16/la-press-club-sues-lapd/?ref=utahpolitics.news)\]

The NAACP will not invite President Donald Trump to its national convention – the first time in the organization's 116-year history it has not invited the sitting president to participate. \[[Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/06/17/naacp-trump-invite-president/?ref=utahpolitics.news)\]

### INTERNATIONAL

President Trump denied reaching out to leaders in Iran about a potential ceasefire with Israel. \[[ABC News](https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-denies-reaching-iran-threatens-hard-tehran-strikes/story?id=122920648&ref=utahpolitics.news)\]

President Trump says he wants "a real end" to Iran's nuclear program. \[[CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-real-end-iran-nuclear-program/?ftag=CNM-00-10aac3a&ref=utahpolitics.news)\]

- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says he has ordered the "deployment of additional capabilities" to the command responsible for the Middle East. \[[BBC](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c2kqkd03xn5t?post=asset%3Ad756f6ba-7ddb-4db3-bc0a-8add2e49826a&ref=utahpolitics.news#post)\]
- President Trump sparked panic on Monday night when he warned "everyone" to flee Tehran. \[[Times of Israel](https://www.timesofisrael.com/trump-urges-everyone-to-flee-tehran-sparking-speculation-of-widening-conflict/?ref=utahpolitics.news)\]

### HEALTHCARE

A federal judge ruled President Trump's cuts to National Institute of health grants for research on diversity-related topics was "void and illegal." \[[Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/federal-judge-says-trump-cuts-nih-grants-are-illegal-politico-reports-2025-06-16/?ref=utahpolitics.news)\]

A new "razor blade throat" COVID variant is on the rise in some parts of California. Patients describe symptoms as feeling like their throats are studded with razor blades. \[[Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-06-16/covid-razor-blade-throat-emerges-as-new-subvariant-spreads?ref=utahpolitics.news)\]

All 50 states and Washington, D.C. have agreed to a $7.4 billion settlement with Purdue Pharma over OxyContin. \[[ABC News](https://abcnews.go.com/US/states-agree-74-billion-settlement-purdue-pharma-opioid/story?id=122892221&ref=utahpolitics.news)\]

The Trump administration has cut government spending on health research to the lowest level in a decade, forcing universities to dip into their endowments to make up the difference. \[[Financial Times](https://www.ft.com/content/63c12080-d7f3-4ffb-afbc-ff0a90a0131d?ref=utahpolitics.news)\]

### BUSINESS/ECONOMY

Sales of Tesla vehicles dropped 16% in April. \[[Fortune](https://fortune.com/2025/06/16/tesla-ev-sales-annual-drop-market-elon-musk/?ref=utahpolitics.news)\]

Americans cut back sharply on spending last month. Retail sales fell 0.9% in May. \[[CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/17/economy/us-retail-sales-may?bt%5Fee=%2BqFLmpdq%2FBlIueaRvV3hXGf4WoSDbjol%2B7K6gwQTeiGeqZOa559HG9rsJDNWA6q5&bt%5Fts=1750165196708&ref=utahpolitics.news)\]