Trump wins the Nevada GOP caucuses: Highlights

WASHINGTON — After supporters of then-President Trump stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, ominous fencing was erected to protect surrounding buildings.

One of the buildings that needed protecting was the grand marble structure across the street from the Capitol: the Supreme Court.

But during oral arguments today over Colorado’s effort to kick Trump off the Republican primary ballot, the justices asked little about a key question in the case: Was Jan. 6 an insurrection?

Read the full story here.

An anticipated Trump appearance at a caucus location in Henderson, Nevada, that didn't unfold as expected led to logistical problems and grumblings among caucusgoers.

“Unfortunately, because of traffic, he did not show up," caucus site supervisor Howell Shaw said.

Shaw, who told the agitated crowd of caucusgoers that he wanted to "apologize for the wait," said a ballroom near the caucus site filled up with about 400 people expecting Trump to speak. They weren't formally checked in to caucus, Shaw said, meaning their IDs weren't checked to make sure they were registered Republicans.

Shaw said that after the "very special guest" didn't arrive following a Secret Service sweep, all 400 people went from the ballroom to check in, making for some disgruntled caucusgoers waiting in line.

NBC News spoke to a few caucusgoers who got frustrated by the delay and left the line.

Ahead of Trump’s visit to Nevada and expected victory in the state’s caucuses, Biden-Harris Nevada campaign manager Shelby Wiltz criticized the former president and state Republicans in a statement earlier today, arguing the decision to hold caucuses in addition to the state-mandated primary is causing “confusion across the state."

"Once again, Donald Trump proves he cares more about himself than allowing Nevada voters to make their voices heard. Trump’s caucus has caused confusion across the state — but he doesn’t care as long as he can sell an empty ‘victory,'" Wiltz said. "Trump’s manufactured electoral chaos is in stark contrast to the Democratic primary, where Nevada’s diverse communities delivered an overwhelming and clear message: Nevada supports Joe Biden."

The Thursday GOP caucuses are run by the Republican Party, while the primary earlier this week was run by state officials. The Republican primary was mandated by state law, but delegates will be awarded only for the winner of the caucuses.

House Republican leaders said in a statement today that the special counsel's report on Biden's handling of classified documents "exposes a two-tiered system of justice" and shows that Biden is "unfit" for office.

Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise, both of Louisiana, Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota and GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik of New York called Hur's findings "deeply disturbing" in their joint statement, which Johnson posted on X.

"Not only does it demonstrate the President’s recklessness, but exposes a two-tiered system of justice that is indicting one President with politically motivated charges while carrying water for another amid similar allegations," they said.

"A man too incapable of being held accountable for mishandling classified information is certainly unfit for the Oval Office," they added.

Republicans have spent barely any money on campaign ads in Nevada since November, even though the GOP caucuses are there today.

Part of the reason is that there’s no competitive race — Haley was on the ballot in Tuesday’s primary, which doesn’t award delegates to the Republican National Convention, and Trump is the lone active candidate on the ballot in today’s caucuses.

Ronna McDaniel, who could soon step aside as the RNC's chairwoman, seized on the special counsel's comments about Biden's memory, suggesting in a statement today, as other Republicans have, that Hur's decision not to prosecute revealed a "two-tiered justice system."

“The special counsel’s report exposed two things: we have a two-tiered justice system, and our president is mentally unfit to lead,” McDaniel said. “Joe Biden’s mental decline is both sad and alarming, and putting a ‘sympathetic,’ ‘elderly’ man who can’t remember major events from his own life back in the Oval Office would undoubtedly make America less safe.” 

Trump indicated this week that McDaniel should step aside from her role at the RNC, with his campaign signaling that its preferred pick to replace her is North Carolina GOP Chairman Michael Whatley.

In a post on Truth Social tonight, Trump said he was landing in Nevada and celebrated his projected victory in the Republican caucuses in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

As Nevada holds its Republican caucuses tonight, with Trump likely to win by a wide margin, the contest is expected to provide the first insight into how all-important Latino voters are viewing the election.

Biden, speaking to reporters at the White House tonight, offered one of his most pointed criticisms of the Israeli government since Hamas' Oct. 7 terrorist attack, characterizing the country's military operations in the Gaza Strip as "over the top."

Biden added that his administration was working to secure a pause in the fighting.

Biden has expressed support for Israel while increasingly putting pressure on Netanyahu to scale back Israeli military operations in Gaza. Biden's backing of Israel has been a point of contention among key voting blocs as he seeks re-election.