The Daily Trail: Does Brexit give Donald Trump a boost?

Between the time Donald Trump's took off for Britain last night and the moment he landed this morning, the Brexit shock wave shook Britain.

Of course, the sentiment might have landed a bit better if Scotland hadn't actually voted overwhelmingly to remain part of the European Union. And if he hadn't spent his first remarks of the day "musing that the economic upheaval could benefit his Turnberry resort and arguing that running a nation is a lot like running a golf course."

'“I think it’s a great thing that happened,' Trump told reporters shortly after his helicopter landed at Trump Turnberry. 'People are angry, all over the world. People, they’re angry.'

"'When the pound goes down, more people are coming to Turnberry, frankly,' Trump added during an afternoon news conference. 'For traveling and for other things, I think it very well could turn out to be a positive.'" (This may or may not be true for someone in Trump's position. It is definitely not true for U.S. manufacturing.)

"[Trump] also suggested that running a golf course was comparable to running a nation: 'You’ll be amazed how similar it is. It’s a place that has to be fixed.'

Later, Trump fundraised off the Brexit news: "I'm sure you saw the news," he wrote supporters. "Voters in the United Kingdom chose to leave the flawed and failing European Union and reassert control over their borders, politics and economy, taking a brave stand for freedom and independence. ...

"These voters stood up for their nation – they put the United Kingdom first, and they took their country back. With your help, we're going to do the exact same thing on Election Day 2016 here in the United States of America."

Donald Trump held today's press conference on the edge of a cliff. (No, we are not using that word metaphorically.) REUTERS/Carlo Allegri

Trump isn't the only member of his party to cheer the result. "In advance of the Brexit vote, Republican and conservative leaders chose their words carefully," noted Dave Weigel. "...Today, while stock markets careened and media coverage has asked whether British voters just sparked a 'DIY recession,' a few conservatives have embraced the vote. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), one of the critics of the president's remarks, told supporters on Facebook that Americans needed to heed Brexit.

"'The results of the ‪#‎Brexit‬ referendum should serve as a wake-up call for internationalist bureaucrats from Brussels to Washington, D.C. that some free nations still wish to preserve their national sovereignty," Cruz wrote. "...The United States can learn from the referendum and attend to the issues of security, immigration and economic autonomy that drove this historic vote."

Hillary Clinton — who, like President Obama, had backed the losing Remain movement — "said the first priority for the United States should be to contain any economic fallout." It may be as much of a priority for Clinton herself — as the incumbent party's presidential candidate, an election-year economic slowdown would likely be a drag on her political fortune, too.

Now, that's just a theory, based on past political trends. In other words: a #hottake. It isn't alone: The steamy weekend forecast in the Northeast and Midwest could be seasonal. Or it could be a byproduct of the hundreds of #hottakes to emerge over the past 24 hours or so.

Callum Borchers had a great rundown of a few of the most popular, starting with the idea that...

Hold on — it may be a bumpy ride. (Photo by Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images)

—maybe yesterday's vote is a good sign for Donald Trump. (This, by the way, is also Donald Trump's take: "I think there are great similarities between what happened here and my campaign," he said today. "People want to take their country back.")

"If you're a supporter of Donald Trump, Friday's brilliant sunrise over Chicago raised your prospects for a bright Nov. 8 as well," wrote the Chicago Tribune editorial board. "British citizens' rebellion against the European Union is one more vindication of Trump's campaign calculus on this side of the pond: Millions of voters in Western countries are furious about unchecked immigration, overweening government regulation and slow jobs growth after a recession that ended seven years ago this month. ...

"We'd wager that, as we type these paragraphs, Hillary Clinton's game-planners are in full freak-out. The British vote doesn't repudiate her; she wasn't on Thursday's ballot. But she'll soon be on one here. And to many Americans, she represents just the sort of central-control, heavy-handed, know-it-all ethos that the European Union represents."

—Or maybe it doesn't help Trump at all. That was Matt Cooper's theory. "First, while Britain voted for an action, a concept—let’s leave Europe—America is electing a president, a commander in chief," he wrote for Newsweek. "That means Trump will be judged for all of his individual strengths and flaws. ... Second, Britain held a straight majority vote. In the U.S., there’s the Electoral College, which is a tougher hurdle for Trump. ...Third, America is more diverse than the U.K. ...

"Finally, the other problem for Trump is that Britain went first, and the results don’t look great. Markets plummeted on Friday following the Leave vote. Even if they stabilize, Britain looks ready for a very rocky six months as the Leave campaign basks in its 'independence' while, ironically, the U.K. begs the EU for good trade terms. The Leave campaign may seem sobering to Americans — and other Europeans — in the months ahead."

Britain's Friday, in five words. (LEON NEAL/AFP/Getty Images)

—If those takes aren't sizzling enough for you, try some Texas heat: Forget Brexit. Could Texit be next? (The answer, of course, is no. But that didn't stop people from imagining how that sort of thing might look.

For instance: "AUSTIN, Texas — Americans woke up in a state of complete shock on Friday morning, as Texas stunned the world by voting to leave the United States," wrote via Vox's Zach Beauchamp "'I fought this campaign in the only way I know how, which is to say directly and passionately what I think and feel,' Gov. Greg Abbott, the referendum’s leading opponent, said in a tearful resignation speech. ..." (Again: this is not a thing that happened. This is just what it might look like in a world where it did.)

—Finally, a typically incisive take from a man who knows how to do them right: Dan Balz, reporting from London. "The Brexit vote sends a message to politicians everywhere: It can happen here..."

(More takes for your weekend consumption here.)

TRAIL MIX:

New York City. Photographer: John Taggart/Bloomberg

—Today, Bernie Sanders "said he was concerned about 'the breaking down of international cooperation' that the [Brexit] vote may signify," reported Anne Gearan.

"But in an interview on MSNBC, Sanders quickly added this: 'On the other hand, I think what this vote is about is an indication that the global economy is not working for everybody. It’s not working in the United States for everybody and it’s not working in the U.K. for everybody.'"

Something else he said caught a bit more attention: even though he hasn't formally conceded or endorsed Hillary Clinton, he's now saying he'll vote for her. That's right: just like Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton has her own non-endorsement endorsement.

"'Yes,' the senator from Vermont said when asked if he would vote for the former secretary of state. 'I think the issue right here is I’m gonna do everything I can to defeat Donald Trump.'

But for now, most of his attention seems focused on pressuring the presumptive Democratic nominee.

"In a round of interviews from MSNBC, CBS, and CNN, Sanders spent much of his time finding new ways to say that he was not ending his campaign until Clinton and the Democratic Party adopted parts of his platform....

On CBS, Sanders said of Clinton that he hadn't 'heard her say the things that need to be said.' ...Asked by CBS if he would endorse Clinton before the convention, Sanders was similarly noncommittal. 'I would hope that would happen, or it may not happen,' he said. When Cuomo asked a similar question, Sanders said that he couldn't 'answer that until I know what Hillary Clinton is prepared to stand up for' on college funding, a $15 minimum wage and health care.

"...'This is not a basketball game, where you win or you lose,' he told CNN's Chris Cuomo." (We're not sure that's always quite right — in our experience, primary seasons tend to end with one winner, and a larger group of...let's call them 'candidates who did not win.' But Bernie Sanders started his run just looking to post some good stats — and on that front, he's already succeeded.)

(above: Sanders tells MSNBC he's voting for Clinton.)

In Syracuse today, another glimpse of the new Sanders trail pitch — complete "with the formidable apparatus of the Sanders presidential campaign -- sound systems, a live band and security agents at the doors" — but this time, for a longshot congressional candidate, reports Dave Weigel.

"All of it was for Eric Kingson, a 70-year-old professor at Syracuse University who decided last year that the 24th Congressional District, which Republicans captured in 2014, could use his expertise in Social Security. The soft-spoken Kingson was passed over by most D.C.-based endorsers, including the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, but he got onto the ballot with help from veterans of the Sanders campaign, and learned on Wednesday night that the senator would rally for him ahead of the June 28 primary.

"...'After Eric wins he can maybe work on making the system a little more open,' said Sanders. 'Maybe we can work on ending closed primaries in New York. Maybe we can work hard, in this great state, that has the lowest voter turnout in the United States of America. Something doesn't add up, and what doesn't add up is that the establishment doesn't want people to vote.'

"Supporters, for whom memories of the Democrats-only presidential primary were still raw, began to boo.

"'So let's give 'em a heart attack on Tuesday, and show up to vote!' said Sanders."

—And now, a party healing update: "It was supposed to be a display of Democratic goodwill, a moment of principled agreement on shared policy objectives that would mend the rift between supporters of Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, and Bernie Sanders, the senator from Vermont who has refused to formally bow out of the race. Instead, the final meeting of the committee drafting the Democratic Party platform, while featuring consensus on several items, revealed deep disagreement over others, including loyalty to President Obama and his pursuit of the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership," reported Isaac Stanley-Becker.

—A new GOP ad launching this weekend makes an appeal to a narrow demographic. Very narrow. So narrow that it could fit inside, say, a Cleveland arena. "A group of Republicans seeking to strip Donald Trump of their party's presumptive presidential nomination are launching a national television campaign designed to reach just 2,472 people," reports Ed O'Keefe.

"That's the number of delegates to the Republican National Convention -- the group of people who will either formally nominate Trump or consider a series of proposals that might open up the party meetings next month in Cleveland to other options.

"The 30-second TV ad is scheduled to air Sunday, Monday and Tuesday on the Fox News Channel -- an outlet popular with Republicans -- during national ad breaks, according to Dane Waters, one of the leaders of Delegates Unbound. His group has been fighting for years to ensure that GOP delegates can vote however they want during a nominating convention instead of being bound to the results of state caucuses and primaries. ..."

The title: "Follow Your Conscience"

—Meanwhile, a Virginia delegate has filed a class action suit challenging the state law that requires delegates to support the winner of their party's primary (which was Donald Trump.)

—In other convention news: there are signs the latest effort to dislodge Trump in Cleveland may be over before it starts (again, some more.) "[A]t least half of the Rules Committee is publicly committed to helping Trump win the party’s nod at the convention, enough to defeat any insurgent proposal," reported Politico's Kyle Cheney. "In addition, of the 47 who haven’t publicly endorsed Trump and didn’t respond to a POLITICO inquiry, 33 hail from states and territories where Trump won the popular vote or local conventions. ..."

—Hank Paulson, George W. Bush's Treasury Secretary, said in a Washington Post opinion piece today he wouldn't be backing this year's presumptive GOP nominee: "When it comes to the presidency, I will not vote for Donald Trump. I will not cast a write-in vote. I’ll be voting for Hillary Clinton, with the hope that she can bring Americans together to do the things necessary to strengthen our economy, our environment and our place in the world. To my Republican friends: I know I’m not alone."

—The Trump team is trying to co-opt the Clinton hashtag, morphing #ImWithHer into #ImWithYou. Could this work — or are they just trying to make fetch happen? "Republicans see Trump's new phrase as savvy branding that could help sharpen the contrast with Clinton by emphasizing his populist bent," report Sean Sullivan and Vanessa Williams. "...The three words highlight one of the central questions surrounding Trump's candidacy as the general election takes shape: Can a candidate who has already polarized the electorate successfully broaden his appeal, or has a year's worth of incendiary remarks about minorities, women and leaders in both parties made that task impossible?"

For some, the news cycle is half empty. For others, it is half full.

—Here's the half full view for gun control supporters: "A bipartisan group of House lawmakers is getting behind a compromise gun control proposal that has the support of the majority of the Senate — another sign that moderate Republicans and Democrats are trying to find common ground on the contentious issue." Viewed from another angle, the glass is at least half empty. Maybe more. "Reps. Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla.) and Seth Moulton (D-Mass.)... have the support of some Republicans in close reelection battles, such as like Rep. Bob Dold (R-Ill.), but they face stiff odds of getting a vote for their proposal in the House."

—For Marco Rubio, the glass is more than half full... "...his best-financed potential Democratic opponent, Rep. Patrick Murphy, took a serious bruising from an investigative report done by a Miami TV station that concluded he had exaggerated key details of his professional resume. ....Fellow Republicans have smoothed Rubio’s return to Senate since he announced his decision Wednesday. Three credible GOP candidates left the race, and a fourth — businessman and former Special Operations officer Todd Wilcox — announced Friday he would drop out and endorse Rubio’s re-election bid."

Then again, it may not be quite as full as he'd like. "But Rubio still faces a major obstacle in the Aug. 30 Republican primary, and his name is Carlos Beruff. Beruff is a 58-year-old real estate developer who, like Rubio, is the son of Cuban refugees who settled in south Florida. He has been a major supporter of Republican politicians in Florida and is now making his maiden run for office as an outsider with a decidedly Trumpian bent. 'Put America First,' his yard signs read. And he is making no plans whatsoever to drop out of the primary race.

"'I will commit the resources that are necessary, and I will be in this race for the next 70 days that are remaining, and I believe that the Florida voters will make the right decision,' Beruff said in a phone interview Wednesday. ...What could make Beruff more than an annoyance to Rubio is his willingness to self-finance, his embrace of outsider politics in the year of Donald Trump, and his connections to Florida’s Republican governor, Rick Scott, who rode an outsider message (and tens of millions of his own dollars) into statewide office.

"Scott on Thursday declined to fall in line behind Rubio, announcing in a statement that Florida voters 'deserve the opportunity to consider [Beruff’s] candidacy alongside Senator Rubio and make their own decision.' Also notable: The political team that helped Scott win two terms as governor are now in Beruff’s camp."

THE VIEW FROM THE FIELD, STIFF UPPER LIP EDITION: Donald Trump's day began this way...

(here's a closer look. Basically, Godwin's Law hit the green pretty early today. Maybe it was the time difference.)

—If you are someone who has ever wondered what would happen if you face-swapped Donald Trump with London's pro-Brexit former mayor, Boris Johnson, today was your lucky day. #blessed

And here's what they look like in the latest installation of a mural series that seems to be sweeping Europe:

Bristol, Britain. EPA/NEIL MUNNS EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES

Programming note: I'm headed to an undisclosed location next week, so you'll be getting PM Politics instead of the Daily Trail through Independence Day. When I get back, I'll be wearing another hat (I like hats) as The Fix's new managing editor, so while I'll still be popping in as much as possible, you'll be hearing from a few more voices too. Luckily, the Post political desk rolls deep.

Happy weekending, all!

YOUR DAILY TRAIL PIT STOP is transatlantic today. TGIF.