You’ve gotten us off to a solid first week of our TPM Journalism Fund drive. We’re hoping to get to the $125,000 milestone by the end of today. That’s 5/8 of the way toward our goal. This drive is really important for TPM and, as I’ve said, if you’re already a member it’s just a single click. Super easy. If you’ve been planning on contributing or considering it, please make today the day. Just take a moment right now. Like this actual moment and click right here. As I said, it’s just one click. Super easy.

We truly appreciate it.

There he was, on tape if not in person: Bill Stepien, the very campaign manager of Donald Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign, explaining calmly and matter of factly that President Trump lost, he and the candidate knew he had lost and every conspiracy theory and false claim and desperate attempt to stay in power was in the words of Bill Barr, bullshit. It wasn’t even begrudging nor presented as an admission. Just matter of fact.

I’m not sure I agree with all of this. But TPM Reader JB captures an important part of what’s happening in these hearings.

Politically, the best thing about hearings is the optics.   So important.

Dems are in charge.  They sit on high and Trumpers come before them, either in person or video, and are asked to explain their behavior in public. 

It may have gotten lost in the whirlwind of our live coverage of today’s third Jan. 6 committee hearing, so I wanted to make a quick note to bring it to your attention: Ginni Thomas told the Daily Caller this afternoon that she was willing to talk to the Jan. 6 select committee — and the committee quickly sought to take her up on that offer.

Let history show that we knew. We all knew.

From Judge Luttig’s testimony today to the Jan. 6 select committee:

Today, almost two years after that fateful day in January 2021 … Donald Trump and his allies and supporters are a clear and present danger to American democracy. That’s not because of what happened on January 6th. It’s because to this very day the former president, his allies and supporters pledge that in the presidential election of 2024 if the former president or his anointed successor as the Republican Party presidential candidate were to lose that election that they would attempt to overturn that 2024 election in the same way they attempted to overturn the 2020 election but succeed in 2024 where they failed in 2020.

I want to again thank everyone who has contributed so far to our TPM Journalism Fund drive. Just a few moments ago we hit a big milestone, half way toward our ambitious but critical goal of raising $200,000. So thank you. We know from experience that the second half is a much heavier lift than the first, just in the nature of things. But we feel good about being here on the third day after we publicly announced the drive. If you’ve seen our announcements and have been planning to contribute, please make today the day. If you’re already a member it’s literally just one click. Super easy. Just click right here.

A new episode of The Josh Marshall Podcast is live! This week, Josh and Kate are joined by TPM reporter Matt Shuham to discuss the first two January 6 committee hearings.

While we cover today’s third Jan. 6 hearing, you can listen to the new episode of The Josh Marshall Podcast here.

Two new big stories out tonight (here and here) make even more clear that Ginni Thomas, the wife of Justice Clarence Thomas, was actively involved in the effort to overthrow the American republic. While they don’t say so directly they make it seem overwhelmingly likely that Thomas was feeding Trump lawyer John Eastman details of the internal deliberations of the Court. They also show that Trump lawyers hoped a show of violence on January 6th would cow the Court into accepting one of Trump’s challenges.

Congregants from a synagogue in South Florida are suing to block the state’s 15-week abortion ban from going into effect on July 1, arguing the law violates their religious freedom as adherents of Jewish law.