My understanding is, at this moment, "hell no" votes against Jordan are flipping to "Sure!" and senior Senate leadership is backing Kari Lake as a US Senate candidate. This is not just a Trump problem, folks.
Can I ask one favor?
Every time a Republican says something about how the indictments will set the country on fire, rip it apart, or cause civil war can you ask one little follow up question?
WHO is going to cause the violence and how do you know this to be true?
Pls and thx
If you want to know why we keep talking about January 6th, this is why. This is an disgusting insult to actual hostages, like those being held in Gaza now, and our Dept of Justice that has rightly prosecuted those who assaulted our Capitol January 6th.
Kristen Welker: "Do you think it was a tragic day? Do you think that the people who stormed the Capitol should be held responsible to the full extent of the law?"
Elise Stefanik: "I have concerns about the treatment of January 6 hostages."
After calling for Liz Cheney to be prosecuted, Trump is now targeting Cassidy Hutchinson for prosecution. All these women did was search for the truth and tell the truth. This is outrageous.
MEANWHILE: Liz Cheney honored MLK at Ebenezer Baptist Church today. And in her remarks she said a "great lie is poisoning the bloodstream of our democracy...[Trump] threatens the foundations of our nation, and everything Dr. King persevered to save."
The problem is not Kaitlan Collins.
The problem is a media establishment and a Republican Party that is dedicated to normalizing a radical and dangerous political figure.
Applause and ratings are not more important than our democracy.
CRENSHAW: Jordan has become part of the solution. Not part of the problem
TAPPER: I mean, he defied a congressional subpoena and tried to get Pence to overturn the electoral votes
CRENSHAW: But a lot of them did that. If I held that grudge, I wouldn't have friends in the GOP
I’m not going to repost the abhorrent image Trump promoted of Biden on Truth Social today. Instead, I implore all the business and political reporters who cover the meme stock aspect of it to also include in the stories a description of the filth he is monetizing.
Sen. Graham says he told Zelensky in Kyiv today that Trump’s “loan” idea for Ukraine aid “is the most likely path forward.”
But McConnell flat-out rejected this last week and said Johnson should put the Senate bill up for a vote.
After weeks of dancing between the raindrops on Ukraine, DeSantis makes his views clear to Tucker Carlson: Protecting Ukraine not a key US interest.
@jonathanvswan
and me
Chris Christie pushes back on Newsmax’s Eric Bolling blaming liberal Democrats for Trump's potential convictions: "When Mark Meadows gets on that stand, everything I've been saying about Donald Trump that you've been making fun of me about for months is gonna wind up being true."
Trump told me today at 40 Wall Street that he plans to attend all of his trials, civil and criminal, state and federal. A remark that could have an impact on the campaign calendar and general election, if he packs his time with sometimes voluntary appearances in various…
Asa Hutchinson on Biden's Chief of Staff Jeff Zients calling him to apologize: “I'm grateful for Jeff reaching out to me today...he apologized. It meant a lot to me, and to me, that reflects the good parts of American politics.”
An incredible sentencing document, in which Judge Lamberth systematically dismantles the idea January 6 was a "peaceful protest." Every paragraph is like a sledgehammer to that myth.
Ken Buck on CNN: "I don't want someone who was involved in the activities of January 6 ... There's no way we win the majority if the message we send to the American people is we believe in the election was stolen, and we believe that January 6 was a tour of the Capitol."
If Trump is elected, he has said he will pardon the rioters. And in doing so he will create an official presidential license for more political violence to be waged on his behalf.
Trump opens up his rally in Houston, TX, with the national anthem sung by J6 insurrectionists:
“I call them the J6 hostages. Not prisoners, I call them the hostages...When that came out it went to the number one song. It was beating everybody. It beat Taylor Swift.”
Axios is reporting Haley will suspend her campaign. Again, here is all she needs to say: "Trump wants to bar people like me, Romney, and my supporters from the party. I will respect his wishes. I will not give him an endorsement he doesn't want." End.
Dear
@NikkiHaley
: When Trump demands your endorsement all you have to say is: "Donald Trump wants me barred from MAGA. I'll respect his wishes. I will not give him an endorsement he does not want."
Bio update for Trump: He is now the *indicted,* twice-impeached, one-term Republican president who oversaw the loss of the House, the Senate, and White House.
History-making accomplishments!
Top tier media executives should not wonder why people spout lies for Donald Trump when there is no penalty and in fact, they provide the incentives, for them to do so for future career moves.
The frustrating thing about Nikki Haley is that she isn’t willing to own the loose coalition of pro-democracy Never Trumpers, moderates, and Dems showing up to vote for her. She is an unwilling avatar of a movement she doesn’t like. Let me explain.
Blanche: "We strenuously object to what is happening in this courtroom…The fact that President Trump is going to now spend the next two months working on this trial instead of out on the campaign trail running for president -- it should not happen in this country."
NEW: RNC's Henry Babour tells me his resolution to block Trump from tapping RNC to pay legal bills has failed to garner enough support. "We ended up with 8 of the (10) necessary states, so no vote on Friday on the legal bill resolution... The resolution is dead."
Trump is staking his 2024 campaign on contempt for the rule of law. We can’t ignore that and treat it like some quickie debate topic. He is using his campaign to undermine our political and legal systems in hopes of overtaking them.
WATCH:
@AmandaCarpenter
on the lost opportunity GOP candidates had to stand up for protecting our democracy. “If you care about democracy, the threat that Donald Trump poses to the rule of law...that is what they all should be talking about not brushing it as an aside.”
Please note: It’s Republicans who served Trump in high-ranking positions of national security and legal responsibility who feel compelled to make this break. Important.
People who are planning to vote for Trump next time I have a q. Why do you think you know him better than his
- VP
- Chief of Staff
- Defense Secretary (x2)
- Homeland Security Secretary (x2)
- National Security Advisor (x2)
- communications director (x3) &
- lawyers
If elected in ‘24 Trump will take direct authority over the Department of Justice to exonerate himself, investigate his adversaries, and pardon those who commit violence in his name. None of this is secret and if he wins, he’ll claim he has a mandate to do it
WATCH:
@ianbassin
on the importance of an independent Department of Justice. The President does *not* have an absolute right to control the DOJ.
Find the memo he mentions here:
Rachel Maddow explains: "There's a cost to us as a news organization of knowingly broadcasting untrue things. So, our deal with you is that we will monitor these remarks. If he does say anything newsworthy, we will turn them around and report on that right way."
Very good read about how Trump gets special treatment from the courts by Politico's legal editor. Even though he faces four criminal cases, he is "free with minimal conditions of release." One of those conditions is that he must not threaten ppl involved in the proceedings. But…
Invoking the Insurrection Act allows a president to deploy military against US citizens. If Trump is President in 2025 you can't count on an AG like Bill Barr or a Defense Sec like Mark Esper to stop him. Trump will install loyalists who won't tell him no
Sarah Sanders asked viewers to “Forgive me for not believing much of anything I heard tonight from President Biden.” She likely wrote that line without ever hearing the speech. That about sums up the GOP response. Call opponents liars without listening to a word they say.
The event was a disaster for the reason that all of Trump’s live events are problematic: It’s easier to spew lies on live television than it is for anyone to push back against them. Live coverage privileges the liar, no matter how nimble the interviewer.
We are now in a place where Mike Rogers--former chair of the United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence--thinks this is something to seek and promote.
Trump stole classified national security documents.
He lied about it.
He obstructed the government's effort to get them back.
And even his allies and lawyers say it was wrong.
CNN: At least eight of the Republican “fake electors” in Georgia have accepted immunity deals in an ongoing criminal investigation into efforts by Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 election there, according to a new court filing.
The entire point of establishing and upholding rule of law is so that it applies to everyone, including “your former presidents.” That’s why we are NOT a banana republic.
Donald Trump on his indictments:
“I was always of the opinion that a thing like this couldn’t happen. In other words, you protect your former presidents. It’s a terrible thing to go after a former president. Other than if you’re in a banana republic.”
GOP Rep. Nancy Mace is very concerned about corruption, but not when it comes to Trump who’s facing 91 felony charges.
Mace: “Corruption is a real problem in this country.”
Charlamagne: Do you believe the evidence against Donald Trump?
Charlamagne: “Pick one. Pick one of the…
Rather than looking for individual "winners" and "losers" in tonight's debate, we should look at how the GOP field moves to either validate or reject Trump's most authoritarian actions. That's what matters. Big time. FROM ME
Biden went to Kyiv; DeSantis went to Fox & Friends to blame Biden for Russian aggression. How the Florida Governor is getting on the wrong side of Ukraine.
From me.
Trump salutes while playing an alternative national anthem at his rally, featuring violent January 6 insurrectionists: Please rise for the unfairly treated January 6 hostages
This is quite an analysis. Donald Trump won't be a full dictator on Day 1. Calm down! It would only take between four and 10 years to completely lose America. So...it's fine? Let me go on record with a HARD DISAGREE.
This is how authoritarians win. It’s not magic. They often have more determination and energy than the opposition. If your first priority is making “the pain go away” than actually defeating the cause you are cooked.
So why would these people suddenly roll over for Mike Johnson?
Because they’re human and human beings get exhausted.
And when you’re exhausted enough, you throw in the towel.
@JVLast
read on this moment:
This is wrong and it’s easy for every MAGA Republican to understand why it’s wrong with one question. “Do you you endorse the idea that President Biden should have ‘absolute immunity’ to do whatever he likes as president?”
SCOOP: Former Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels will receive the 2024 Gerald R. Ford Medal for Distinguished Public Service after Liz Cheney was rejected because the board of the Ford Presidential Foundation was worried about potential retaliation from Trump.
Even the remaining “news” anchors at Fox like
@BretBaier
were afraid of angering conservative viewers post-Trump loss, this
@peterbakernyt
scoop shows.
When Donald Trump was president, America was safe, strong, and prosperous. The economy was booming, working-class wages were growing, our border was secure, and our enemies feared us. With Joe Biden as president, everything has gone to hell: families can’t afford groceries, our…
If Mitt Romney believes this is an "overreach" I would like Mitt Romney to explain why Donald Trump should be permitted to falsify business records.
It would be one thing if Trump fessed up and agreed to pay a fine or whatever, but this was in service of other crimes.
Mitt Romney, sharp Trump critic, criticizes Alvin Bragg’s “overreach” in Trump indictment and says it sets a “dangerous precedent for criminalizing political opponents and damages the public’s faith in our justice system.”
Forget the empty both sides argument he’s making. What Trump is saying OPENLY is that if he is elected in ‘24 he will take direct authority over the Dept of Justice to target any of his perceived adversaries for incarceration.
Enrique Acevedo: “You say they’ve weaponized the DOJ, they weaponized the FBI. Would you do the same?”
Trump: “Yeah. If they do this, and they’ve already done it, but if they follow through on this, yeah, it could certainly happen in reverse.”
Nineteen retired generals, admirals and former top civilian defense officials tell SCOTUS that Trump's immunity claims "risk jeopardizing America’s standing as a guardian of democracy in the world and further feeding the spread of authoritarianism, thereby threatening the…
Nevermind the obvious flaws of his foreign policy assessment. How does DeSantis look past Russia's heinous war crimes? Because he cares more about positioning himself in opposition to Biden. Tribalism at its worst.
DeSantis says that Biden is to blame for Russian aggression, Biden should be focusing on domestic priorities instead, Biden has no objective, and the threat Russia poses to NATO countries is overstated.
Not one word for the plight of the Ukrainians being slaughtered.
Rather than asking Republicans in Congress whether they agree with Tucker's "peaceful protest" rewrite, maybe ask him if they, like Tucker, also secretly "hate Trump passionately" but pretend otherwise in public. Just for funsies.
Delighted to see Bulwark recognized as the media success story it is. This is, obviously, an extremely difficult enviro for both financial and political reasons. And they made it work. Publisher
@SarahLongwell25
is a killer visionary entrepreneur
Next:
@MKHammer
. What would she like to hear as the former UN Ambassador and South Carolina Governor say? I'd like to hear a full throated endorsement of
@realDonaldTrump
and a promise to campaign hard for him. That's the traditional GOP way, and I hope she adopts it.
Ingraham: Go back and read Lincoln’s second inaugural address. In the midst of an actual civil war, was his speech all about vengeance? Putting Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis in jail?
Russia is having a territorial dispute that isn’t in our interest bc China is the real threat, but ignore the fact China is backing Russia because we really should be bombing the hell out of the Mexican cartels. Is that an inaccurate summary of the growing GOP position?
This conflicted, Trump Hating Judge won’t let me respond to people that are on TV lying and spewing hate all day long. He is running rough shod over my lawyers and legal team. The New York System of “Justice” is being decimated by critics from all over the World. I want to speak,…
FBI director Chris Wray blasts question from Rep Clay Higgins (R-LA) just now: “If you’re asking whether the violence at the Capitol on January 6 was part of some operation orchestrated by FBI sources and/or agents… the answer is an emphatic no!”
Rod Blagojevich: "This is probably...the most threatening thing to our republic since South Carolina fired shots at Fort Sumter at the start of the Civil War."
Trump was raging on Truth Social last night about how his court cases are "election interference." He's been saying this for months. It's the Big Lie 2.0. Pretext for the election being "stolen" from him when/if he loses.
All I’m saying is this: If Democrats could elevate Liz Cheney to the January 6 Committee and the next Speaker doesn’t need to be a member of the House, maybe, just maybe there is a conversation we could have…
The Gerald Ford Foundation is pre-emptively fearful of retaliation from Trump. I do not know whether to laugh or cry. I wish this were a joke, because it truly reads like one. (No shade to Kennerly, thank you for speaking out.)
SCOOP: David Hume Kennerly, the famed photog who served in the Ford WH, resigned Tuesday from the board of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation, blasting it for cowardice in rejecting Trump critic Liz Cheney as the recipient of its top yearly award.
Larry Hogan is a patriot and a model of how Republicans can not only win but govern effectively and with high approval ratings in a blue state. God bless him and his family. It’s a crying shame the GOP continues to sideline his kind of talent.
We are really starting this debate with questions about a song and stump speeches from circa 2010. The GOP polling leader is getting arrested for the 4th time tomorrow.
Oath Keepers convicted of sedition. Proud Boys convicted of sedition. All acting on behalf of Trump. So what does this mean for the potential prosecution of Donald J. Trump?
Donald Trump said that a bloodbath would happen to the American auto industry if Biden kept on promoting Chinese made EVs.
He of course is 100 percent correct.
All other reporting about his "bloodbath" comment is complete propaganda. The media should be ashamed.
Wow! Check this news out! Remember those NDAs the Trump campaign had people sign? No more. They are free to talk and campaigns won’t be able to gag staff again. 👀
NEW:
@JessicaDenson07
's victory to free herself from the 2016 Trump Campaign's illegal NDA now holds the force of law & applies to *all* signers.
This means no candidate for public office may hide critical info from the public behind overly broad NDAs.
Remember what happened to Denny Hastert? I bet you don’t. He went to prison for 13 months. Not bc he molested boys, which he admitted. Because of the fraudulent bank withdrawals to hush it up. Hastert claimed he was extorted. The court didn’t buy it.
The real threat to the system behind all the tawdry details of this case is how Trump continually makes it less safe for our democratic institutions to function properly. Just as Congress becomes dysfunctional if members decide their votes based on fear, our courts can't function…
Chris is right. The Big Lie is a bright red line. The people who enabled, cheered, and spread Trump's 2020 electon lies crossed it and there's no going back.
WATCH:
@chrislhayes
reacts to NBC News reversing the decision to hire Ronna McDaniel.
"When I am speaking to you here right now, I am not putting on a show about what I think and believe. This is it," says
@chrislhayes
.
Far too many elite Republicans outwardly support Trump because they are scared, rightly in many cases, of what happens if they don’t. Forever grateful for the Republicans who stood up anyway. And for those who haven’t, it’s still not too late.
So, I understand that everyone is fully aware of the insane Dominion stuff Maria Bartiromo was pushing through 2020 and then TODAY Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, aspiring GOP presidential hopeful Nikki Haley, AND Democratic. Sen. Joe Manchin appeared on her show.
Super.
Mitch McConnell and others may want to pretend this is a Tucker Carlson problem. No. The only reason Tucker is re-upping January 6 lies is because McCarthy gave him content to do it. This is not just a Fox problem. It's a GOP problem, too. They all made the same miserable bargain
New via NY Times: The Manhattan district attorney’s office recently signaled to Donald J. Trump’s lawyers that he could face criminal charges for his role in the payment of hush money to a porn star, the strongest indication yet that prosecutors are nearing an indictment
This wasn’t the most important part of the pod. The most important part is where
@Timodc
said he’s not just “NeverTrump” but is “Never” for anyone who would be for Trump. Count me in, bro.
Larry Hogan and Chris Sununu were the normal ones...right? Plus, Nikki Haley's narrow path to victory and the hurdles facing the police reform debate.
The Next Level with
@JVLast
,
@SarahLongwell25
, and
@Timodc
premiers at 7pm:
Trump should not be permitted to violate his gag orders and keep attacking judges, witnesses, jury members, and others serving to uphold the rule of law. He is inviting violence into the process, openly working to poison the courtroom with fear and flood the public with lies…
Donald Trump did not deserve this forum. He was not entitled to a major media network rolling out the red carpet for a prime-time event stacked with influential primary voters inclined to support him.
That is what went wrong here.
Besides, the primary is seven months away.