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

‘Watch Everywhere That You’re Going’

A federal grand jury in Atlanta has returned an indictment against Arthur Ray Hanson II, of Huntsville, Alabama, accusing him of transmitting interstate threats to injure Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and Sheriff Patrick Labat in retaliation for the prosecution of Donald Trump. Hanson left two threatening voicemails after calling the Fulton County Government customer services line, prosecutors alleged.

According to the Justice Department, Hanson’s threats against Willis in one voicemail included:

• “watch it when you’re going to the car at night, when you’re going into your house, watch everywhere that you’re going”
• “I would be very afraid if I were you because you can’t be around people all the time that are going to protect you”
• “there’s gonna be moments when you’re gonna be vulnerable”
• “when you charge Trump on that fourth indictment, anytime you’re alone, be looking over your shoulder”
• “what you put out there, [expletive], comes back at you ten times harder, and don’t ever forget it.”

Jan. 6 Defendant Loses His Shit In Courtroom Outburst

CBS News’ Scott MacFarlane was in the courtroom:

A physical altercation broke out during a hearing on Monday in the case of Vitali GossJankowski, a defendant convicted of several charges related to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, resulting in toppled tables and multiple federal agents subduing the defendant on the ground.

Disqualification Clause Trial Gets Underway

The Colorado evidentiary hearing to determine whether Donald Trump is ineligible for the presidency under the Constitution’s Disqualification Clause got underway Monday with testimony from a member of Congress and a DC police officer:

• Law&Crime: Trial to kick Trump off ballot in Colorado for Jan. 6 starts with harrowing police testimony
• NYT: Colorado Trial Considers Whether the 14th Amendment Disqualifies Trump
• Colorado Public Radio did a liveblog for an in-depth review of Day 1

ICYMI

CNN:

Special counsel Jack Smith withdrew a subpoena seeking information from former President Donald Trump’s 2020 campaign this week, a source familiar told CNN.

This is the second withdrawn subpoena related to Smith’s investigation into fundraising practices following the 2020 election. Earlier this month, Smith withdrew a subpoena seeking records from Save America, a Trump-controlled political action committee, two sources familiar with the matter said.

Nevada Man Charged With Alleged Anti-Semitic Threats To Jewish Senator

John Anthony Miller of Las Vegas faces federal charges in Nevada for allegedly leaving threatening, anti-Semitic voicemails for Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV), who is Jewish. Among the threats Miller allegedly made in the voicemails, according to the criminal complaint:

• “All these fucking lies is in your fucking hands, you fucking bitch, and I’m gonna fucking see you soon, you fucking sellout fucking faggot bitch.”
• “You just fucking woken up a motherfucking monster, you fucking piece of shit unhuman, subhuman, you’re vermin, bitch, you are vermin, bitch, and we’re gonna finish what Hitler started you fucking slut.”
• “You done picked your side bitch and you done chose evil. I don’t give a fuck if you
  were born into it or not, bitch, you are fucking evil, bitch and we’re gonna exterminate you, fuck.”

Good Read On Mike Johnson

Bulwark:

There is no contradiction in observing that Mike Johnson is both a mild-mannered, courteous, conservative evangelical Christian and a politically extreme ideologue. He has surrounded himself with some of the most dangerous, anti-democratic Christian leaders in the country—the same people who theologized the January 6th insurrection—and offered them his public support and praise. Is there any doubt about the flock to which he belongs?

Israel-Gaza Watch

• NYT: Under Shroud of Secrecy, Israel Invasion of Gaza Has Begun
• WaPo: House GOP demands IRS budget cuts along with Israel aid
• Politico: Israel aid drives wedge within Congress
• WSJ: Israel Hits Hamas Tunnels as Ground Offensive Intensifies
• NYT: U.N. Officials Describe Catastrophic Conditions in Gaza as Israel Advances

‘If You Spill A Drop Of American Blood, We Will Spill A Gallon Of Yours’

Oof — this Morning Joe supercut of Trump foreign policy comments from just the last few weeks pic.twitter.com/B6QrJJiRgw

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 31, 2023

Senate Dems Plan Vote To Subpoena Clarence Thomas Benefactors

Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats are planning to vote on subpoenas for two key figures in the ethics scandals surrounding Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas: Harlan Crowe and Leonard Leo.

2024 Ephemera

• Politico: 3 Expert Shoemakers Say Ron DeSantis Is Probably Wearing Height Boosters
• Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), who has served in Congress since 1996, will not seek re-election in 2024.

Acapulco Death Toll Climbs To 45

In the slow, painful recovery from last week’s Category 5 Hurricane Otis, Acapulco reports a death toll of 45 people, with dozens still missing.

Truer Words Never Spoken

Jack Smith isn't prosecuting Donald J. Trump to stop Trump from running for president.

Donald J. Trump is running for president to stop Jack Smith from prosecuting him.

— Mrs. Betty Bowers (@BettyBowers) October 28, 2023

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

Chutkan Reimposes Gag Order On Trump

Maybe we should do an office pool?

After U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan reinstated her gag rule in the Jan. 6 case against former President Donald Trump in an order issued Sunday night, it seems like only a matter of time before he violates it.

Chutkan, showing a great deal of restraint and careful consideration (perhaps too much), had paused her gag order while she considered Trump’s argument that she should keep it on pause while he appealed it. While the gag order was stayed, Trump continued to make the kinds of public attacks on witnesses that had given rise to the gag order in the first place, a point Special Counsel Jack Smith had seized on.

In her Sunday night order denying Trump’s request for a ongoing stay of the gag order, Chutkan highlighted a Trump post on Truth Social last week attacking Mark Meadows. “This statement would almost certainly violate the Order under any reasonable definition of ‘targeting,'” Chutkan wrote.

In some respects, the gag orders and the public debate over Trump’s out-of-court conduct are secondary to the prosecutions themselves –- but they’re of particular interest for three reasons:

1. Is the rule of law strong enough for Trump to be treated the same as any other criminal defendant?
2. Will Trump succeed in creating an environment in which witnesses, judges, prosecutors, and others are too intimidated and fearful to fulfill their responsibilities to the rule of law?
3. Will Trump end up in jail or under other harsh sanction because he refuses to abide by the terms of his pre-trial release?

In another sign that any Trump violation won’t lead to his pre-trial release being revoked immediately, Chutkan write in a footnote that she would give the parties a chance to be heard before sanctioning any purported future violations: “Before concluding that any statement violated the Order, the court would afford the parties an opportunity to provide their positions on the statement’s meaning and permissibility.”

2 Disqualification Clause Cases Come To A Head

• Colorado: An evidentiary hearing begins today in the Colorado Disqualification Clause case against Donald Trump. The mini-trial in state court is expected to last a week.
• Minnesota: Oral arguments are scheduled for Thursday before the state Supreme Court over the Disqualification Clause case against Trump.

Fani Willis Is Targeting The Big Fish Duh

This is not a surprise at all, but The Guardian confirms that some of the bigger fish in the Georgia RICO case have not (yet) received offers of plea deals, including Donald Trump, Mark Meadows, Rudy Giuliani and John Eastman.

As for the small fish, a great Liz Dye treatment of Jenna Ellis’ guilty plea.

Don’t Sleep On The MAL Case!

• A brief rundown on how fast and loose Trump’s lawyers are playing under the protective eye of U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon.
• A reminder of how sensitive the MAL docs really are:

The filing provides further confirmation that some of the classified docs are incredibly sensitive. Some docs require special equipment to allow for the discussion of the docs. Cant think of another mishandling/leak/espionage case involving the disclosure and use of such docs. https://t.co/DTSKXY5GYr

— Brandon Van Grack (@BVanGrack) October 27, 2023

Big Week In Trump’s NY Fraud Trial

NYT: Trump’s Children Are Set to Take the Stand at His Fraud Trial This Week

Hmmm …

Arizona Republic: Indicted Michigan lawyer pushed false claims of fraud for Arizona ‘audit’ report, texts reveal

2024 Ephemera

• Mike Pence ends his presidential campaign:

Pence: I have decided to suspend my campaign for president, effective today pic.twitter.com/RGncQnqngh

— Acyn (@Acyn) October 28, 2023

• WSJ: The race is on for second place in Iowa
• WaPo: Youngkin ‘purge’ removed nearly 3,400 legal Virginia voters from rolls
• NYT: How Trump’s Verbal Slips Could Weaken His Attacks on Biden’s Age
• On bifurcating aid to Ukraine and Israel:

Chris Christie on Trump calling for Israeli aid to be separated from Ukraine aid: "He wants to separate them to continue to coddle Putin." pic.twitter.com/g2qOjNCrbX

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 29, 2023

Israel-Gaza Watch

• WSJ: Israeli Forces Make Major Advance Toward Gaza City
• NYT: Netanyahu Finds Himself at War in Gaza and at Home
• AP: Crowd storms Russian airport to protest flight from Israel
• On the U.S. domestic political front, the big issue is House Republicans wanting to separate Ukraine aid and Israel aid.
• CNN: New Speaker Mike Johnson vows to move standalone $14.5 billion Israel aid package in the House, setting up showdown with Senate
• Politico: McConnell goes all out as Ukraine fight fractures GOP
• An English translation of French diplomat Dominique De Villepin’s assessment of the Israel-Hamas War (warning: it’s a long-ish read):

Absolutely masterful interview on Gaza of Dominique De Villepin, former Prime Minister of France, who famously led France's opposition to the Iraq war and who, IMHO is the best diplomat the West has produced in decades.

This is so important, so incredibly well argued, that I… pic.twitter.com/KSSdM4p5Bf

— Arnaud Bertrand (@RnaudBertrand) October 28, 2023

• Another thoughtful thread from Danny Seidemann, who graciously toured me and a group of journalists through East Jerusalem a decade ago:

1/

1/ With great reluctance, and with little faith that this will change anybody's mind, I still feel compelled to add a story/observation that clarified things to me on the anti-Israel /anti-Semitism issue.

— Daniel Seidemann (@DanielSeidemann) October 29, 2023

A Puzzle For Our Time

Brian Beutler:

 I find myself increasingly puzzled over how to weaken this widespread liberal assumption that risk aversion and following the public lead is always wise, even at the expense of the better world they want to build. Even when the underlying issues are salient, failure of the status quo seems likely, and the consequences of failure would be severe. 

Matthew Perry, 1969-2023

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