Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) were enthusiastic devotees to then-President Donald Trump’s election steal attempt — until they slowly realized the whole thing was a giant bust, according to their texts with then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, obtained by CNN.
Continue reading “‘This Is A Sh*tshow’: Texts Show Trump’s GOP Allies Growing Disillusioned With Election Steal Crusade”It’s a Good Question!
From TPM Reader CB …
Continue reading “It’s a Good Question!”Here’s my thing: Republicans are doing a bunch of insane things and the media barely mentions them. Nothing new there. But with Abbot stopping trucks at the border–why isn’t Biden forcing a showdown? Constitutionally, Abbot just doesn’t have that right, does he? So why doesn’t Biden make a move?
Waiting for the Ref
From TPM Reader JB …
Continue reading “Waiting for the Ref”It seems like it is another time to discuss how the democrats get the coverage they ask for. Axios can leave out the republican damaging portion because democrats answer questions and republicans use the opportunity to frame news as bad for dems. Democrats are still waiting for that moderator in the sky to say that they are right and then feel ok. Life doesn’t work that way on the playground or battlefield or boardroom or bar. If you stand for something, you don’t wait for other people to validate you, you don’t look back for approval, you say out loud and proud that you are right. Let’s practice, “Anyone not voting to reduce insulin prices is killing patients and impoverishing their families. You can’t go to heaven if you are knowingly killing people.”
Important Read
As I mentioned yesterday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) is violating the federal constitution in at least two ways in order to drive up inflation and create food shortages in the US, all to pressure President Biden and help himself get reelected. Here’s a good run-down on what’s happening from Josh Kovensky.
Fox Distances Itself From Trump’s Twitter Knockoff Despite Verified Account
A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo.
Hey Man, We’re Not A Part Of This
Fox News wants to make it clear that it has nothing to do with Trump’s TRUTH Social app, even though there’s a verified Fox News account on the app.
- That might break TRUTH Social CEO and former dairy farmer Devin Nunes’ heart, who had posted a screenshot of the verified Fox account and wrote “Great to have RSS feed for @FoxNews now LIVE here on TRUTH!”
See, I’d like to post screenshots of the account that allegedly doesn’t belong to Fox and of Nunes’ victory lap, but I can’t do that because I have to stand in line behind (allegedly) more than 1.5 million people before I can enjoy the full TRUTH Social experience for myself–even though Nunes told Americans desperately seeking the TRUTH that the app would be “fully operational” by the end of March.
Alas:
RNC Officially Ditches Presidential Debate Organization
The RNC has decided to take its ball and go home after failing to bully the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) into meeting the GOP’s demands on the structure of future debates: The RNC voted unanimously to withdraw from the CPD on Thursday, the RNC’s final salvo against the organization that Republicans (Trump, specifically) accuse of being unfairly biased against them.
- RNC chair Ronna McDaniel vowed after the vote that her group would find “newer, better debate platforms” to “ensure that future nominees are not forced to go through the biased CPD in order to make their case to the American people.”
- The RNC also passed a resolution requiring GOP presidential candidates to pledge in writing that they won’t participate in any debates that haven’t been “sanctioned” by the party. Anyone who refuses to make the pledge or participates in a non-sanctioned debate will be banned from future sanctioned debates, according to the resolution.
- The RNC will figure out its criteria for sanctioned debates based on, among other things, “input from presidential campaigns,” in the Wall Street Journal’s words (“approval from Daddy Trump” in my words).
Elon Musk Admits His Doubts About Being Able To Buy Twitter
Tesla CEO Elon Musk, speaking publicly for the first time on his $43 billion offer to buy Twitter on Thursday, said during a TED event that he was “not sure” if he’ll “actually be able to acquire” the social media giant.
- The billionaire claimed to have a Plan B if Twitter turns down his bid. He didn’t explain what that plan was.
- Twitter employees really don’t want Musk at the helm, according to the Washington Post.
Trump-Endorsed Candidate Accused Of Groping By Eight Women
Eight women, including a GOP Nebraska state senator, alleged on Thursday that Charles Herbster, a Republican gubernatorial candidate in Nebraska who’s been backed by Trump, groped them between 2017 and this year.
- State Sen. Julie Slama alleged that Herbster reached up her skirt and touched her during a Republican event in 2019.
- Six of the women (not including Slama) said that Herbster groped their buttocks during political events or beauty pageants. A seventh woman told the Nebraska Examiner that the gubernatorial candidate had forcibly kissed her after privately cornering her.
- Herbster denied the accusations on Thursday, with his campaign claiming that the accounts were a “political hit-piece built on 100% false and baseless claims.”
Russia Admits Flagship Has Sunk
Russia partially confirmed on Thursday Ukraine’s report that Russia’s largest ship in the Black Sea has sunk. However, Russia claimed that it went under due to “stormy conditions” and the ship “losing stability due to hull damage from a detonation of ammunition stores during a fire,” not because Ukraine had shot missiles at it.
DeSantis Dives Into GOP Abortion War
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed a 15-week abortion ban on Thursday that doesn’t make exceptions for rape or incest, only if the pregnancy is a “serious risk” to the pregnant person.
- DeSantis’ signing ceremony, complete with child props, came several hours after Kentucky’s GOP-controlled legislature overrode Gov. Andy Beshear’s (D) veto on its abortion ban, which (unlike other red states’ bans) is effective immediately.
Stephen Miller Testifies In Front Of Jan. 6 Committee
The House Jan. 6 Committee questioned former White House senior adviser and white nationalist propaganda aficionado Stephen Miller for eight hours on Thursday. The session got heated several times, according to the New York Times.
FDA Authorizes First COVID Breath Test
On Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization to the first COVID-19 test that detects the virus through breath samples. The equipment, which is called “the InspectIR COVID-19 Breathalyzer,” can provide results in less than three minutes, according to the FDA.
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Judge Rips Trump In Jan. 6 Trial: ‘Democracy Is In Trouble’ Because Of ‘Charlatans’ Like Trump
A federal judge reportedly rebuked former President Trump’s election fraud falsehoods while delivering the verdict in the trial of a Jan. 6 insurrectionist who claimed he was following “presidential orders” when storming the Capitol and endangering lawmakers’ lives.
Continue reading “Judge Rips Trump In Jan. 6 Trial: ‘Democracy Is In Trouble’ Because Of ‘Charlatans’ Like Trump”Five Points On Greg Abbott’s Border Blockade And National Power Grab
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has created a big problem in Texas — and made it a national pressure point.
Continue reading “Five Points On Greg Abbott’s Border Blockade And National Power Grab”Where Things Stand: DeSantis Joins Mad Dash To Make Abortion Illegal Before Doing So Is Even Legal
As he has with most trendy right-wing political stunts, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) refused to be left out of the abortion-banning race.
Continue reading “Where Things Stand: DeSantis Joins Mad Dash To Make Abortion Illegal Before Doing So Is Even Legal”Ohio Supreme Court Strikes Down GOP Legislative Maps For A *Fourth* Time. Will It Matter?
By now, you may know the story: The Ohio Supreme Court, with three Democrats and its Republican chief justice making up a majority, has rejected a proposed state legislative map drawn by the GOP-dominated redistricting commission.
Continue reading “Ohio Supreme Court Strikes Down GOP Legislative Maps For A *Fourth* Time. Will It Matter?”Sunk! Russians Admit Top Black Sea Ship Has Hit Rock Bottom
Russia admitted that its largest ship in the Black Sea had gone under on Thursday, after Ukraine said on Wednesday that it scored a rocket strike on the vessel.
Continue reading “Sunk! Russians Admit Top Black Sea Ship Has Hit Rock Bottom”