Ralph Norman Has No Regrets About His Call For ‘Marshall Law’

INSIDE: Matt Gaetz ... Kari Lake ... Greg Abbott
UNITED STATES - DECEMBER 3: Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., and members of the House Freedom Caucus conduct a news conference to call on Attorney General William Barr to release findings of an investigation into allegatio... UNITED STATES - DECEMBER 3: Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., and members of the House Freedom Caucus conduct a news conference to call on Attorney General William Barr to release findings of an investigation into allegations of 2020 election fraud, outside the Capitol on Thursday, December 3, 2020. Reps. Scott Perry, R-Pa., left, and Randy Weber, R-Texas, are also pictured. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo. Sign up for the email version.

Ralph ‘Marshall Law’ Norman Is Still At It

It’s been more than a year since TPM first revealed the now-infamous “Marshall Law” text that Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) sent Trump White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows three days before Biden’s inauguration – and Norman can’t seem to get his story straight.

In December 2022, when we first reported on the text, Norman asked us to send him the text to review then never got back to us.

In January 2023, Norman told a local newspaper in South Carolina, “Obviously, Martial Law was never warranted.”

But then yesterday on CNN, Norman said his only regret about the text was misspelling “martial.”

Peter Navarro To Be Sentenced Today

Prosecutors are seeking a six-month sentence today for Trump White House official Peter Navarro’s contempt of Congress conviction. Navarro failed to comply with a subpoena from the Jan. 6 committee.

Trump May Testify Today

Donald Trump may in fact testify today in the defamation trial against him by E. Jean Carroll.

Trump Prosecutions In Holding Pattern

With the DC Circuit Court of Appeals taking its own sweet time handing down its decision on whether presidents have immunity from criminal prosecution, Judge Aileen Cannon slow-rolling the Mar-a-Lago documents case, and Fani Willis’ Georgia case plodding along, the Stormy Daniels hush money trial set for March 25 is looking more likely to be Trump’s first criminal trial.

Trump Threatens, Bullies, And Ices Out Haley Donors

As I noted Monday, Donald Trump isn’t just capturing the GOP nomination, he’s consolidating absolute power within the party. Here’s his threat to Nikki Haley donors:

Anybody that makes a ‘Contribution’ to Birdbrain, from this moment forth, will be permanently barred from the MAGA camp. We don’t want them, and will not accept them, because we Put America First, and ALWAYS WILL!

Fun, Fun, Fun

In his bankruptcy proceeding, Rudy Giuliani has been ordered to testify in person next month about the state of his finances.

4 More Years Of Sketchy Trump Biz Dealings?

  • WSJ: Trump’s Golf-Course Tax Break Could Reach $323 Million
  • Miami Herald: Russian investor made millions off insider trading tied to Trump Media, court docs say (for the record, Trump is not implicated in this alleged scheme)

Hate To See It

The House Ethics Committee probe of Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) over allegations that led to a federal investigation but no criminal charges against him is ramping up, ABC News reports.

Kari Lake Still Sowing Chaos In Arizona

WaPo:

Arizona Republican Party Chairman Jeff DeWit announced his resignation Wednesday after a recording was made public that appeared to show him attempting to entice Republican Kari Lake to sit out the 2024 election for the state’s U.S. Senate seat.

GOP Bails On Border Bill To Help Trump

Donald Trump and the GOP would rather have the border as an issue to flog Joe Biden with during this year’s campaign than actually pass a border bill in which Democrats agree to give them big concessions. Mitch McConnell conceded as much yesterday. More importantly, a collapse of border bill negotiations leaves Ukraine aid high and dry with no clear path forward to overcome Republican opposition.

[Sponsored] An Inside Story Of The Democratic Party At A Moment Of Great Peril

The Truce, from journalists Hunter Walker (of Talking Points Memo) and Luppe B. Luppen, explores the major fault lines that define Democratic politics today and asks big questions about the future of the party. An engrossing page-turner, The Truce grapples with the dangers that threaten American democracy and the complicated cast of characters who are trying to save it.

Buy the book

What Politicizing The Border Looks Like

At the same time the border bill was foundering on the Hill, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott released one of the most inane, over-the-top, secession-esque statements I’ve ever seen:

It’s not just Abbott. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) ratified the move.

For those keeping score at home, Abbott is cartoonishly claiming his state is being invaded and left defenseless by the federal government as a justification for nullifying federal law (and basically abandoning the entire structure of federalism) while at the exact same time Trump and the GOP writ large are torpedoing border legislation so they can use racist and xenophobic rhetoric more effectively against Joe Biden for their own partisan electoral aims. Good times.

!!!

Houston Chronicle:

Texas saw an estimated 26,313 rape-related pregnancies during the 16 months after the state outlawed all abortions, with no exceptions for survivors of rape or incest, according to a study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Of Course They Did

Philip Bump does a public service by comparing a just-released transcript of a witness interview in the House GOP’s Hunter Biden jihad to the misstatements, half-truths, and spin that the Rep. James Comer (R-KY) and his ilk put on the closed-door testimony between the time it happened and the transcript was released.

Ohio Bans Gender-Affirming Care

Overriding a veto by Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, the Ohio legislature has banned gender-affirming care and transgender girls from playing on school sports team for girls and women.

Florida Is Still In The Grip Of DeSantis Fever

NYT:

Students can no longer take sociology to fulfill their core course requirements, Florida’s state university system ruled on Wednesday. Instead, its board of governors approved “a factual history course” as a replacement.

Jon Stewart’s Swan Song

In a fitting tribute to the two old white guys beyond their prime running for president, the Daily Show is bringing back Jon Stewart to host – but a full schedule is too much at this stage of his career, so he’ll only host on Mondays. Too acerbic?

In honor of the moment, the most-watched Stewart segment on YouTube:

Do you like Morning Memo? Let us know!

Latest Morning Memo

Notable Replies

  1. Hum, Is this what they wanted??? :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

    Texas teen birth rate rose for first time in 15 years after abortion ban, largely impacting Latinas (msn.com)
    he fertility rate for teens in Texas rose for the first time in 15 years in 2022, a shift driven by disproportionately high rates seen among Hispanic teens in the year after a six-week state abortion ban took effect, according to a University of Houston study.

    Latinas of all ages also experienced the biggest increase in births and fertility rates compared to other racial or ethnic group in the state from 2021 to 2022, according to the study released last week by University of Houston’s Institute for Research on Women, Gender & Sexuality.

  2. Let the howling begin
    The U.S. economy grew at a 3.3% pace in the fourth quarter, much better than expected (msn.com)

    The economy grew much faster than expected in the final three months of 2023, as the U.S. easily skirted a recession that many forecasters had thought was inevitable, the Commerce Department reported Thursday.

    Gross domestic product, a measure of all the goods and services produced, increased at a 3.3% annualized rate in the fourth quarter of 2023, according to data adjusted seasonally and for inflation

  3. Trump Threatens, Bullies, And Ices Out Haley Donors

    Trump is gutting the GOP, stealing their sheeple, and exposing their servile bondage, even as he flashes his panic and confusion day after day.

    Imagine fearing Nikki Haley.

  4. Oh my! Speaker Jesusbot’s Pulpit Pimp Pal is in in a bit of trouble!

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

778 more replies

Participants

Avatar for josephebacon Avatar for jnbenson Avatar for clemmers Avatar for trnc Avatar for becca656 Avatar for inversion Avatar for sniffit Avatar for chelsea530 Avatar for ralph_vonholst Avatar for lastroth Avatar for esva Avatar for leftcoaster Avatar for mrf Avatar for pshah Avatar for southerndem Avatar for 21zna9 Avatar for tsp Avatar for castor_troy Avatar for rascal_crone Avatar for dicktater Avatar for Hatmama Avatar for KalTX Avatar for iafixture Avatar for ClutchCargo

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: