A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo.
‘I’m Going To Punch Him Out’
CNN released new Jan. 6 footage last night showing a livid House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) reacting to her chief of staff’s report that Trump, who had urged his supporters to march to the Capitol at the end of his rally speech, wanted to come to the Hill with the mob.
- Pelosi’s response: “If he comes, I’m going to punch him out. I’ve been waiting for this. For trespassing on the Capitol grounds, I’m going to punch him out. And I’m going to go to jail, and I’m going to be happy.”
Leahy Taken To Hospital
Sen. Patrick Leahy’s (D-VT) office announced on Thursday night that the senator was “not feeling well” and was taken to the hospital for an overnight stay “as a precaution.”
- We don’t know exactly what caused Leahy to feel unwell.
- Leahy, one of the most senior members of the Senate, has been admitted to the hospital three times in the past two years. He went last year after experiencing muscle spasms, and he had to have two surgeries this past summer to fix a broken hip after suffering a fall.
Jan. 6 Panel Votes To Subpoena Trump
In a major escalation of its probe, the House Jan. 6 Committee voted unanimously to subpoena the ex-president for documents and testimony during what may have been the panel’s last public hearing yesterday.
- Missed the hearing? Catch up on the developments through our live blog.
- “Trump Worried That If He Didn’t Steal The Election, Then ‘People Would Know’ He Lost It” – Josh Kovensky
- The committee unveiled disturbing new footage of the Capitol attack and lawmakers’ response to the violence:
Migrants Might Actually Get Visas Thanks To DeSantis’ Stunt
The Texas sheriff who’s investigating Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ (R) nakedly political scheme to fly duped Venezuelan migrants from the Lone Star State to Martha’s Vineyard has certified the migrants as victims of a possible crime, which makes them eligible to apply for special visas for crime victims and witnesses called “U-visas.”
- The sheriff has said he’s investigating the case as “possible unlawful restraint” due to the migrants’ allegations that they were tricked into boarding the planes with fake promises of housing and assistance at their destination and that they weren’t told they were going to Martha’s Vineyard.
- The Texas probe isn’t the only investigation DeSantis is facing over his MAGA theater: The Treasury Department is looking into whether the GOP governor used federal COVID-19 aid to pay for the flights.
Clinics Now Offering Free Vasectomies
Vasectomies have been on the rise ever since the Supreme Court’s conservative majority struck down Roe v. Wade, so several Planned Parenthood clinics have started offering to do the procedures for free.
Make sure to be smarter about it than Michael Scott, folks.
SCOTUS Nixes Trump’s Bid For Help In MAL Case
The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected the ex-president’s request to reinstate Judge Aileen Cannon’s order allowing the special master in the Justice Department’s Mar-a-Lago case to review the classified documents Trump stashed at his Florida resort. The high court’s decision came as a one-sentence order without noted dissents.
Parkland High School Shooter Avoids Death Penalty
A jury on Thursday rejected the death penalty for Nikolas Cruz, the man who opened fire at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, and killed 17 people in 2018. Instead, Cruz will be sentenced to life without parole.
Must Read
“He Marched At The Nazi Rally In Charlottesville. Then He Went Back To Being A Cop.” HuffPost
“The mystery behind L.A. racist tape scandal: Who leaked it — and why?” – The Los Angeles Times
“Disability Advocates Say The Response To John Fetterman Using Closed Captioning In An Interview As He Recovers From A Stroke Was ‘Deeply Upsetting” And Stigmatizing’ – Buzzfeed News
Congressional Ethics Staff Chief Slapped With DUI
Omar Ashmawy, the chief counsel and staff director for the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE), was arrested and charged with drunk driving last month after crashing into the front porch of a house in Pennsylvania, Yahoo News found. The official was put on leave on Wednesday after Yahoo News reached out to him and the OCE, which…what?
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I’ll bet her fists are sharp and TFG would cry.
Maybe Nancy just wants to succeed Gavin in California? Assaulting someone in public is how Republicans audition for the move from House to governor’s mansion, as Greg Gianforte showed us in Montana.
I will admit that I never particularly liked Nancy Pelosi. Not really sure why, but I just thought someone else would be better as Speaker. However, her masterful handling of the Dem caucus since the Trump era and the courage she showed in her trip to Taiwan has really impressed me. I think I might have been wrong…
Nancy may be a grandmother, but she’s a GIANT of the House of Representatives. Bigger than Carl Albert.
I think so too.