A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo.
Walt Nauta, Round 3
After two previous delays, Trump co-defendant Walt Nauta is scheduled to be arraigned in South Florida today. Nauta’s arraignment was postponed the two previous times because he had not yet obtained local counsel.
Still no indication in the court docket that Nauta has obtained a lawyer who practices in federal court in South Florida. Stay tuned. If Nauta still doesn’t have local counsel today, it’s possible the magistrate judge will assign him a public defender rather than delay arraignment again.
Is this all part of Trump’s strategy to delay and drag out the proceedings? It’s certainly consistent with that. We should get a better idea later today soon of how elaborate of a stall strategy Trump is preparing. Trump is due to respond today July 10 to the government’s proposed schedule for pre-trial proceedings and a January 2024 trial date.*
*Correction: The judge previously extended the time for Trump to respond to July 10. The error was mine.
The MAL Surveillance Footage Was Key
The unsealing of an additional portion of the FBI affidavit in support of last August’s search warrant for Mar-a-Lago showed again how central the surveillance footage from Trump resort was and remains to the entire case. The feds, as you would expect, knew quite a bit about what had been going on inside Mar-a-Lago before they took the extraordinary step of searching a former president’s residence.
Watch Her Face!
I had so much fun watching Kaitlan Collins’ face as she realized she was breaking real news live on air with her interview of Former Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers:
Collins usually defaults to an impervious, no-nonsense look while on air, but as Bowers begins to hem and haw her eyebrows fly up and her eyes widen. For me, the rush of extracting a revelation in an interview is right up there with the thrill of mountain climbing or skiing. Pure adrenaline, but with the need to stay calm and focused enough to execute. So much fun watching this interview unspool.
The specifics of what Bowers recounted:
- Bowers talked to the FBI a few months ago for about four hours.
- He talked with them about two calls: (i) one with Trump and Rudy Giuliani after the election, and (ii) another call from just Trump.
- Bowers did not tell the FBI anything that he hadn’t already said publicly.
Trump Continues Attacking The Special Counsel
These kinds of outbursts are going to come back to bite Trump hard, especially at sentencing:
The Right-Wing Threat Matrix
The Jan. 6 defendant arrested near former President Obama’s D.C. home is clearly a danger to the public, a judge said in court Wednesday, but questioned whether the current charges against him are insufficient to detain him pre-trial. The judge recessed the proceeding and plans to take it back up today.
The man came to DC after Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) offered to let Jan. 6 defendants review surveillance footage from the Capitol. He ended up near the Obama residence after former President Trump recently posted on Truth Social what he claimed was the Obamas’ address. He was arrested with two guns and 400 rounds of ammunition in his van.
The man, a military veteran, may be suffering from mental health issues arising from his Iraq War service, the judge noted.
Biden Admin Will Appeal Social Media Gag Order
The Biden administration immediately took steps Wednesday to appeal the inane holiday ruling by a federal judge in Louisiana that bought hook-line-and-sinker the right-wing conspiracy theories that conservatives are censored on social media.
Look for the administration to also seek a stay of the injunction imposed by the lower court, which prevents several different components of the federal government from having contact with social media companies.
Reax To Credulous Trump Judge
TPM: Wild Ruling On Social Media Companies Is Latest Instance Of Trump Judge Setting Nationwide Policy
JustSecurity: Restricting the Government from Speaking to Tech Companies Will Spread Disinformation and Harm Democracy
Philip Bump: A deeply ironic reinforcement of right-wing misinformation
Lin Wood Can No Longer Practice Law
Facing potential disbarment in Georgia, Kraken attorney Lin Wood has received approval from the Georgia bar disciplinary authorities to retire, ending the proceedings against him and assuring effectively the same result as disbarment: Wood can no longer practice law anywhere.
Iowa GOPers Want Another Go At Abortion Restrictions
TPM: “Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) is calling the legislature back for a special session next week to pass abortion restrictions after the state Supreme Court deadlocked on a six-week ban last month, keeping the procedure legal in the state.”
Sums It Up
Like Morning Memo? Let us know!
