Pastor who helped introduce Roy Moore last night was convicted for destroying evidence that allegedly implicated his son in molesting orphans in Honduras.
NEW: Backlash grows to Univisión interview with Trump. Congressional Hispanic Caucus will ask to meet with newt work exec. Latino Advocacy groups write a letter. John Leguizamo calls for boycott. And more.
NEW: The DeSantis Administration steered $92 million last year in federal covid stimulus money to a highway project that directly benefits a top political donor who gifted a golf simulator to governor's mansion w/
@jdawsey1
@iarnsdorf
New: Mike Bloomberg shifts presidential ad campaign to focus on impeachment. Message will go into states with vulnerable GOP senators like Arizona, Maine, Colorado and N.C.
New: The ex-wife of Missouri Senate candidate Eric Greitens accused him in court Monday of knocking her down, taking away her cellphone and keys, physically abusing their children and repeatedly threatening suicide if she did not publicly support him
Fun fact about tonight's debate: The 7 people on stage are collectively polling at 36% in national Republican average. If they were all one person, they would still be losing to Trump by 20 percent.
Young Democratic pols used to echo Bill Clinton’s mannerisms when giving big speeches. Joe Kennedy clearly came up studying the pacing of Barack Obama.
“I see the disinfectant, where it knocks it out in a minute. One minute. And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning? … So it would be interesting to check that. So, that, you`re going to have to use medical doctors”
SCOOP: Biden calls for South Carolina to be the first ‘24 presidential primary, followed by New Hampshire and Nevada on same day, Georgia, then Michigan, in massive shuffle of tradition, per officials. Iowa is out. w/
@tylerpager
Story linked in thread...
AP has a policy not to call "the winner of a race before all the polls in a jurisdiction are scheduled to close." Tonight AP/CNN/Etc. called the race after the caucus doors closed, but BEFORE all votes were cast. People could see on their phones that Trump won before voting.
Jindal endorses 8 years after calling Trump an “egomaniacal madman,” “entertaining narcissist,” “power-hungry shark” who “eats whatever is in front of him,” “non-serious carnival act,” “unstable,” “insecure and weak,” “shallow"
I just had a great conversation with President Trump, and I told him that he has my full and complete endorsement to win back the White House and Make America Great Again!
Beverly Young Nelson admits to adding date and place to alleged Roy Moore inscription in her yearbook. Gloria Allred initially attributed that writing to Moore. Nelson stands by rest of her story.
Key point: Florida counts its vote by mail ballots before Election Day, so by targeting Florida Bloomberg hopes to prevent Trump from having evidence to falsely claim victory that night.
Tenn. reps gave Kevin McCarthy an oversized gavel after speech.
McCarthy invites the 1,400 at Nashville dinner to DC when he becomes speaker.
He says he wants everyone to see Pelosi hand him the gavel. "It will be hard not to hit her with it but I will bang it down,” he says.
Scoop: Top Democratic strategists, including current advisers to President Biden and former U.S. senators, met last week with former Republicans who oppose Donald Trump at the offices of a downtown D.C. think tank. Their mission: Stop No Labels.
Mini Mike Bloomberg is spending a lot of money on False Advertising. I was the person who saved Pre-Existing Conditions in your Healthcare, you have it now, while at the same time winning the fight to rid you of the expensive, unfair and very unpopular Individual Mandate.....
News: Liz Cheney was alarmed last month when NRCC declined to tell other Republican lawmakers that a recent party poll found Trump was a 15-point drag in core battleground districts. Poll had other reasons to worry W/
@jdawsey1
@DanLamothe
Journalist gets quickly shut down when she asked James Harden, Russell Westbrook if they would refrain from speaking out on politics/social justice after China debacle...
Twitter temporarily blocked a Trump campaign account
@teamtrump
for posting a video that is currently pinned to the top of President Trump’s Twitter account, which is not blocked. Fascinating showdown taking place just a few weeks before the election.
If Biden wins, as looks likely, Speaker Nancy Pelosi will have a huge uphill climb to hold the House in 2022. And no Dem Senate likely soon.
The Democratic dream of unified government—name your platform priority: single payer, green deal, repeal tax cut for rich, etc.--is dim.
Thing to remember if Dems win Ga.: There are not many political races where candidates can argue credibly that a vote for them would put $1400 in your pocket in a matter of weeks.
A parting gift from Trump.
Scoop: In the wake of Iowa debacle, Mike Bloomberg told aides this morning to double ad spending—from 1200 points to 2400 points in all targeted markets.
Rep. Matt Gaetz on his SOTU guest: "He's not a holocaust denier."
That guest on Reddit: "I do not and never have believed the six million figure... Red Cross numbers of 250,000 dead in the camps from typhus are more realistic."
The Mueller report was birthed by Comey firing, based on Rosenstein memo, which criticized Comey holding a press conference spinning a Clinton investigation that resulted in no charges. So we have come full circle.
"We do not hold press conferences," Rosenstein wrote to Trump.
JUST IN: AG Barr and Deputy AG Rosenstein will hold a news conference Thursday morning at 9:30 a.m. ET, DOJ spokesperson says; will come on same morning that redacted Mueller report is expected to be released.
NEW: Biden reelection effort raises $71 million for third quarter m, extending lead over GOP rivals, behind where Obama and Trump were at this point in re-elections
This is the future. Our attention will be lost to fights started by famous people who uncritically swallow social media bunkum and then repeat it because evolution did not prepare humanity for the dopamine rush of a pocket computer.
Dear Aasshole: for the record, I’ve not met, flown with, visited, or had any contact whatsoever with Epstein, nor will you find my name on any “list” other than the clearly-phony nonsense that soft-brained wackos like yourself can’t seem to distinguish from reality. Your reckless…
New: LinkedIn’s Reid Hoffman gathered billionaire donors Friday with an alarming message: "MAGA leaders intend to use 2022 midterm wins to install Trump in 2024 regardless of the vote”
Inside the liberal money push to fight GOP election deniers.
Jorge Ramos addresses his employer Univision’s approach to its recent interview with Trump: “We cannot normalize behavior that threatens democracy and the Hispanic community, or offer Trump an open microphone to broadcast his falsehoods and conspiracy theories.”
Here’s my weekly column on why, as journalists, we should question and confront Trump; for democracy, for the rights of immigrants and, simply, for good journalism.
DNC just voted to invite every state Dem party in the country to apply for the chance to displace Iowa, NH, Nevada and South Carolina in 2024. Those states must reapply.
Must signal intent by May 6, apply by June 3. Final DNC calendar decision expected in July.
So it begins.
NEHLS: Biden falls off bicycles ... my question for you is, sir, have you spoken with any other cabinet members about implementing the 25th amendment on President Biden?
BUTTIGIEG: First of all, I'm glad to have a president who can ride a bicycle
A central part of the Gridiron Covid outbreak story is that dozens of people who were in the room, as hotel employees, have been disappeared from the stats. Their employer won’t say if any got sick, probably for business reasons. They probably risk jobs if they speak out.
SCOOP: Biden will buy television ads after Tuesday's campaign announce.
--Julie Chavez Rodriguez is campaign manager. Quentin Fulks is her deputy.
--Co-chairs: Reps. Jim Clyburn, Veronica Escobar, Lisa Blunt Rochester, others
w/
@tylerpager
"They continue to call this an armed insurrection," Maria Bartiromo said. "And yet no guns were seized, Mr. President."
"Right," Donald Trump answered. "There were no guns whatsoever."
NEW: Inside No Labels planning for a 2024 presidential campaign: Joe Lieberman won’t say Biden is an acceptable candidate. Joe Manchin, Larry Hogan won’t rule out joining ticket. Bill Galston leaves the organization over fears the plan will help Trump.
Joe Biden picks Ron Klain: "His deep, varied experience and capacity to work with people all across the political spectrum is precisely what I need in a White House chief of staff,” Biden says in statement to Washington Post.
NEW: Opponents of No Labels, led by Dick Gephardt, launch cable ads warning that all third-party efforts will elect Donald Trump, endanger democracy.
RFK Jr. replies: “The real threat to democracy is business as usual in Washington."
Biden approval down 14 points since July among Democrats and Independents—his own voters. Could keep dropping. He appears to be in a standoff with people who don’t want him to run for reelection, but who he believes will vote for him if he is the only alternative to Trump.
NEW: In 2000, Clarence Thomas was deep in debt.
He met w/ a GOP Congressman & complained about his salary.
The GOP started to fear he’d leave the court.
In the years that followed, billionaires lavished him w/ secret gifts.
New: Trump’s campaign is preparing for a state-by-state legal battle to keep him on ballots. Lawyers are preparing strategies to boot him because of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment—the insurrection clause. Both sides see Supreme Court resolution as likely.
NEW: The pro-Desantis canvasser was caught complaining on a Ring camera: "I’m a little stoned, so I don’t even care." A look at the risks of relying on paid staffers to knock on doors, w/
@jdawsey1
Only in Washington can the party of deficit hawks find a way to stick taxpayers with $26.8 billion in debt to pay for $14.3 billion in Israel aid by pairing it with reduced tax collection--and then blame the added taxpayer burden on DC politics.
CBO:
Wow. Trump says if he’s elected he’ll implement “strong ideological screening” of all immigrants to the U.S.
One of his criteria: “if you don’t like our religion…then we don’t want you in our country.”
"Last night I congratulated Donald Trump and offered to work with him on behalf of our country. I hope that he will be a successful president for all Americans. This is not the outcome we wanted or we worked so hard for, and I'm sorry we did not win” - Hillary Clinton, 11/6/2016.
The Left has refused to concede the last election for four years, and is now preparing to do the same this November. Listen to the voters, unless the "deplorables" vote for Republicans.
Presidential candidates generally don’t get USSS protection until year of election, and only if likely nominee. Obama was the exception in May of 2007. DHS and a panel of congressional leaders decide. More here: .
Since the assassination of my father in 1968, candidates for president are provided Secret Service protection. But not me.
Typical turnaround time for pro forma protection requests from presidential candidates is 14-days. After 88-days of no response and after several…
McConnell cannot act until Alabama sends certification to Senate. And that will not happen until Dec 27 at earliest, according to Alabama Sec of State.
New: Former Trump advisor Roger Stone, fresh from pardon, promises sustained effort in Utah to harass Sen. Mitt Romney "anytime and everywhere he attempts to appear in public.”
"Ron has been invaluable to me over the many years that we have worked together, including as we rescued the American economy from one of the worst downturns in our history in 2009 and later overcame a daunting public health emergency in 2014,” —Joe Biden
Trump effort to change Nebraska electoral college system dealt a major setback tonight. “If you want winner take all in Ne., this is your last chance,” said Sen Slama about a vote on whether her amendment was germane. She needed 23 yes votes. She got 8. The lawmakers moved on.
The start Bart’s excellent Peter Thiel profile suggests possibility of a campaign finance crime by Trump. Federal candidates cannot directly solicit political donations in excess of hard money limits.
NEW: Florida appointee who gave Ron DeSantis use of his private planes during campaign has let DeSantis staff meet with lobbyists at a hotel/bar he owns in Tallahassee, even though it is closed for renovation. Last night DeSantis gave him a new state gig.
The worst in-cycle fundraising in any quarter of Manchin's entire Senate career.
He raised $496,453 in the last quarter of 2011, which was his previous low.
He reported $529,106 in April 2011 and $556,198 in April 2017.
This was a Twitter click-in poll. No random or representative sample. Like walking into a bar and asking, and then allowing whoever wants to to chime in by phone. Depends what bar you walk into, and whom you give the phone number to. Means nothing.
If you’re going to die on the street, San Francisco is not a bad place to do it. The fog keeps things temperate. There’s nowhere in the world with more beautiful views.
Big suspense in Democratic presidential race is whether Bloomberg will pivot his massive paid media operation to hit Sanders before Super Tuesday. This is step in that direction.
The NRA paved the road to Washington for Bernie Sanders.
He spent the next three decades making sure they got a return on their investment.
We deserve a president who is not beholden to the gun lobby.
#NotMeNRA
BREAKING: Jeff Roe, top strategist for DeSantis Super PAC, resigned tonight. “I cannot in good conscience stay affiliated with Never Back Down given the statements in the Washington Post today. They are not true and an unwanted distraction.” More here—>
"Any guy that can do a body slam, he is my type!” … "Try not to hurt him. If you do, I'll defend you in court.” … "If you see somebody getting ready to throw a tomato, knock the crap out of them, would you? Seriously, OK?” —DJT
After arrest of Coast Guard lieutenant, who allegedly amassed weapons and compiled list of Democratic lawmakers and journalists, Sarah Sanders says Pres. Trump hasn't "at any point" done anything "but condemn violence, against journalists or anyone else."
Even more notable is that he did it to provoke exactly this reaction from the national press, professional Washington, thereby deepening the identity of his own supporters as defined against the disapproving gaze of those with power. And it seems to work more often than not.
Cheers are the least surprising thing. Doing this after a journalist was apparently murdered by an autocratic regime - while complaining that you yourself are covered unfairly - is quite something.
"Almost everything the Washington Post does is fake," says President Trump, while falsely blaming the newspaper for a book written by two New York Times reporters.
Apple CEO to Facebook: ““If a business is built on misleading users, on data exploitation, on choices that are no choices at all, it does not deserve our praise. It deserves scorn,” Cook said.
@tylerpager
Biden’s rationale is increasing diversity—demographic, geographic, urban, suburban, union, etc. “I got into politics because of civil rights,” he says in letter drafted for Dem Officials. “[I]t is time to update the process for the 21st century.”
Old: Trump announces presidential run days after election to take credit for GOP midterm wins. New: Mar-a-Lago under evacuation orders with 2 to 5 foot storm surge, possible tornadoes and damaging winds expected from likely Hurricane Thursday.
Such a strange debate. Cruz is correct, Carlson is wrong, per FBI definition of domestic terrorism: “Violent, criminal acts committed by individuals and/or groups to further ideological goals stemming from domestic influences”
The less is more campaign: Biden is rising in polls, despite no press avails and granting only 5 interviews in June. By contrast, Trump has done 21 interviews, and taken questions from WH press corps at least 6 times.
The Reagan Foundation, which runs the library, has issued a warning to the Trump campaign and the RNC to quit raising money off Reagan's name and likeness. Lawyers may soon be involved:
White House coronavirus task force calls for “maximal” social distancing in Wisconsin amid virus spike, according to report obtained by WaPo. President Trump moving ahead with mass rallies there on Saturday. W/
@bylenasun