Brave Pence Insists Trump’s A Cool Guy, Actually

A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo.

Far Too Much Backbone

Ex-Vice President Mike Pence is proud to say that he and the guy who allegedly cheered on the bloodthirsty mob who wanted to have him hanged parted “very amicably” on Jan. 20 last year, and that he will “always be proud” to have served with the guy who allegedly cheered on the bloodthirsty mob who wanted to have him hanged.

• Trump “never stopped fighting every day to deliver on the promises that we had made to the American people,” Pence gushed during a Fox News interview on Monday.
• Sure, the Capitol insurrection was “a tragic day,” but “I am not going to allow the Democrats to use that tragic day to distract attention from their failed agenda,” Pence declared. No sir!
• And that’s not all:

Missouri GOP Leader Says He Called Police Over Deranged Greitens Ad

Missouri state Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden (R) tweeted on Monday that he’d been in contact with the Missouri Highway Patrol in response to Senate candidate Eric Greitens’ campaign ad touting “hunting permits” for “RINOs” (“Republicans in Name Only”).

• Rowden jabbed at the allegations of domestic abuse against the candidate, saying that someone with Greitens’ record “should probably steer clear of this rhetoric.”

Cops’ Failed Uvalde Response Further Exposed

The Texas Tribune obtained documents and, crucially, police bodycam transcripts and surveillance footage of law enforcement’s botched response to the Uvalde elementary mass shooting.

• Some of the Tribune’s biggest findings include: Security footage showing that the cops didn’t try to open the doors to the classrooms where the shooter opened fire, there was a Halligan (a tool used by firefighters to bust through doors) available on-site that was never used and law enforcement had plenty of firepowers and defense equipment to deal with the shooter.
• A key passage:

Bipartisan Senators To File Text For Meh Gun Reform

The senators working on a historic, though modest, gun reform bill are expected to file the text for the legislation today. The talks had hit a snag when Republicans tried to force the issue of abortion in the negotiations, according to Punchbowl.

Trump Ready To Chuck Eastman Under The Bus

In true Trump fashion, the ex-president is preparing to pin the blame for inciting an insurrection in his authoritarian bid to cling to power on John Eastman, according to Rolling Stone.

• Trump’s been privately insisting that he “hardly” or “barely” knows Eastman, per the Rolling Stone.
• Lawyers and associates have reportedly been warning Trump against talking to or even about Eastman.

Jan. 6 Panel Hearing, Round Four

The House Jan. 6 Committee is holding its fourth hearing today at 1:00 p.m. ET.

• What it’s focusing on: Trump and Co.’s efforts to pressure state and local elections officials into stealing the 2020 election, including the fake elector scheme. Committee member Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), who will be leading the hearing, has said that the session will put extra scrutiny on ex-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows’ role.
• Witnesses:
  • Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R)
  • Georgia Secretary of State Chief Operating Officer Gabriel Sterling (R)
  • Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers (R)
  • Ex-Georgia elections worker Wandrea ArShaye “Shaye” Moss

Rogue GOP Commission Certifies Election Results

By a 2-1 vote, the all-Republican Otero County Commission in New Mexico finally certified the state’s 2022 primary election results on Friday after the state Supreme Court ordered it to do so.

• It wasn’t because the commissioners realized the MAGA election fraud conspiracy theories they’d bought into were B.S.: Before the vote, the commission chair lamented that “We honestly don’t have a choice.”
• Cowboys for Trump leader and convicted Jan. 6 insurrectionist Couy Griffin was the one “no” vote. He had to call in from D.C. to cast his vote because he was also being sentenced for trespassing on Capitol grounds.
  • Griffin was sentenced 14 days with time served, a $3,000 fine and a year of supervised release, during which he’ll be required to complete 60 hours of community service.

Drag Queen Drags Kari Lake

Richard Stevens, an Arizona drag queen who performs as Barbra Seville in Phoenix, put far-right gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, who used to be a friend but has recently jumped into the GOP’s war on LGBTQ+ people, on blast in this interview with the Arizona Republic.

• Lake’s gone to many of Stevens’ shows, and Stevens has performed in front of her daughter in drag when she was nine or 10, according to the drag queen (who also has pics to back up his story).
• Lake is now threatening to sue Stevens, who said that all the GOP candidate’s going to end up getting is “66 pairs of high heels, 112 wigs, a rescue dog and my mom’s ashes.”

Mo’s Mo-Ment Of Truth

Disillusioned ex-Trump acolyte Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) is facing off against Trump-backed rival Katie Britt in Alabama’s GOP Senate primary runoff today.

• We’ve got a pretty thin primary schedule today overall: Virginia and D.C., plus the runoffs in Alabama and Georgia.

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