A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo.
America’s Challenge Is Clear
Last Tuesday was a good start, but to well and truly vanquish Trumpism is going to require defeating Trump himself at the polls one more time. History needs a verdict of twice-defeated more that it does twice-impeached.
The fight against Trumpism will proceed in the meantime on multiple fronts. Criminal investigations into his actions to subvert the 2020 election and improperly retain classified information at Mar-a-Lago could yield indictments, prosecutions, and convictions that will vindicate the rule of law. That’s important, but it doesn’t serve the same cathartic cleansing of the body politic as his defeat at the polls.
Republicans can’t be relied upon to do their duty and render their own verdict against him in the GOP primary. And so it will fall to everyone else to end this repugnant realm.
While it’s true that Trump is a product of a long and consistent arc of American history, not the anomaly some claim, his defeat is a necessary precondition to returning to a more progressive, enlightened, optimistic American narrative. Here we go.
The Lowlights In Under 3 Minutes
Lessons Learned?
It seemed like a contest among news outlets to prove who could do the toughest, most contextual headline about Trump’s announcement that he’s running again.
NPR had a good showing: “Donald Trump, who tried to overturn Biden’s legitimate election, launches 2024 bid”
WaPo brought it: Trump, who as president fomented an insurrection, says he is running again
For what it’s worth, the broadcast nets and MSNBC did not carry the speech live. Fox and CNN did, but hilariously broke away as Trump droned on.
The American Neofascist Aesthetic In All Its Gilded Ickiness
Oh, Look Who Else Showed Up
And Look Who Did NOT Show UP
Ivanka! Where was Ivanka?
Biden Engages Immediately
What The Trump Campaign Operation Will Look Like
In his first byline since returning to TPM, Hunter Walker breaks some news on the Trump campaign.
Trump Is No Grover Cleveland
Since Grover Cleveland has cornered the market on nonconsecutive terms as POTUS, the comparisons to Trump’s quest for a second term are inevitable. But Cleveland biographer Troy Senik says the comparisons basically stop there. A good thread:
Mike Flynn Ordered To Testify In Georgia 2020 Election Probe
Former Trump National Security Adviser turned conspiracist Mike Flynn lost his fight against a Georgia grand jury subpoena compelling his testimony in its probe of Trump’s 2020 election interference scheme. Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general, was challenging the out-of-state subpoena in Florida state court. He is due to testify Nov. 22.
Sad Trombone
The Justice Department’s objections to unsealing some of the filings surrounding the federal grand jury investigating the Jan. 6 higher-ups was filed … under seal. Media outlets are attempting to get the chief judge in DC to unseal the filings related to what looks like a big fight over executive privilege, a fight Trump appears to have mostly lost with a stream of former high-ranking White House officials having now testified. We’ll have to wait a bit longer to learn exactly what’s been happening in these secret proceedings.
Quite A Read
Prosecutors filed their sentencing memo on Rep. Matt Gaetz’s old running buddy Joel Greenberg and it’s a doozy of criming and other bad acts. Gaetz is going to walk away from this. Greenberg won’t.
Tim Miller Not Having Any Of Steve Bannon’s Bullshit
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LiBtarD FBI is literaLLY arrestinG RepublicaNS for beinG rePUBlican. ReMInd you of NAZIs much?
SeCOnd!
THird! GOET gets ALL the MEdaLS!
WhAt Do yOU kNoW? nOtHInG.