A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo.
Your Turn, Peter And Dan
The House Jan. 6 Committee filed a 34-page report on Sunday night laying out how ex-White House trade adviser Peter Navarro and ex-White House social media director Dan Scavino ought to be held in criminal contempt for repeatedly flouting the committee’s subpoenas.
- The panel will vote today on whether hold Navarro and Scavino in contempt. If it does, then the Democrat-controlled chamber will vote on whether to refer the matters to the Justice Department for prosecution.
- Ex-White House chief strategist Steve Bannon and ex-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows have already been referred for criminal contempt by the House to the DOJ. Prosecutors have since charged Bannon with contempt, but the DOJ hasn’t taken any action with Meadows.
Biden Walks Back Declaration That Putin Can’t Stay In Power
The President clarified on Sunday that he wasn’t calling for regime change in Russia when he said that Russian leader Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power” in a speech the day before.
- Secretary of State Antony Blinken had walked back Biden’s comment earlier on Sunday, saying that the President only meant that Putin “cannot be empowered to wage war or engage in aggression” against Ukraine.
GOP Rep Resigns After Criminal Conviction
Rep. Jeff Fortenberry’s (R-NE) out: After he was convicted on all charges in his criminal trial last week, the Republican lawmaker announced on Saturday that he was resigning “[d]ue to the difficulties of my current circumstances.”
- The GOP lawmaker was convicted of lying to the FBI about a foreign donation scheme with his 2016 campaign. During his trial, he tried to argue that he didn’t deliberately lie to the FBI; everything was just one big misunderstanding due to poor cell phone reception.
- His departure will be effective this Thursday. The special election to replace him will be held no more than 90 days after that.
- Fortenberry didn’t announce the resignation in his truck, believe it or not.
Must Read
“How Joe Manchin Aided Coal, and Earned Millions” – The New York Times
Why Chris Wallace Left Fox
Ex-Fox News host Chris Wallace explained in simple terms why he jumped ship to CNN in a New York Times interview published on Sunday: He “just no longer felt comfortable” with the programming at the outlet after the 2020 election.
- Wallace rebuked Fox for becoming a bullhorn for Trump’s lies about the election, which the broadcaster found “unsustainable.”
- Wallace also confirmed that he had complained to Fox’s upper brass about then-fellow Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s so-called “documentary” series about the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection that aimed to whitewash the attack.
Mission Accomplished: ‘People’s Convoy’ Leaves After Bravely Annoying Commuters For A Few Weeks
One of the co-founders of the anti-……something trucker protests, aka the “People’s Convoy,” that’s been circling the D.C. Beltway for three weeks announced on Sunday that it was time to drive back to California, to which one of the truckers yelled, “Sounds like a great plan!”
Pour one out:
Gaetz Announces That He’ll Nominate Trump As House Speaker And Everything’s Stupid
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), currently at the center of a federal sex trafficking investigation, told a cheering crowd at a Trump rally on Saturday that he’s going to nominate the ex-president as speaker of the House if the GOP takes back the chamber in the midterms. Trump’s response when he took over the podium after Gaetz’s big announcement: “Well, that was interesting.”
Trump Warns Endorsee Perdue That He Better Win Or Else
Near the end of Trump’s rally for ex-senator-turned-Georgia gubernatorial candidate David Perdue on Saturday, the ex-president told Perdue, “I hope, David, you’re going to be the governor, or I just wasted a helluva lot a time tonight.”
- Perdue isn’t doing so hot right now: Incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp (R), one of Trump’s top targets on his post-2020 election revenge crusade, has been consistently leading the polls in the GOP primary. Meanwhile, Perdue lagged behind Kemp by more than 10 points in Fox’s poll on March 8.
- Trump’s warning came several days after he unceremoniously dumped Alabama Senate candidate Mo Brooks, whom Trump bashed for not sufficiently lying about the 2020 election enough. More worrying for Perdue, Trump had also privately complained about Brooks’ campaign falling behind his opponents in fundraising and polling.
A Thing Happened At The Oscars (Which I Didn’t Watch)
The Oscars were last night, and I sit here this morning bleary-eyed, clutching my tea and having seen none of it except this moment between Will Smith and Chris Rock after the latter made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith:
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