If Democrats want to save democracy and work toward unity, they must remove the obstacle of the filibuster.
Opinion: To Save Democracy And Achieve Unity, Senate Democrats Must Kill The Filibuster
Former GOP Rep Carlos Curbelo: Republican Party Has Become “Engulfed in Lies and Fear”
Former Republican representative Carlos Curbelo, who served as the U.S. representative for Florida’s 26th congressional district
from 2015 to 2019, has criticized his party for pushing former president Donald Trump’s fictions about the elections, saying that his colleagues have become “engulfed in lies and fear.”
Joe Biden Has Ordered Retaliatory Airstrikes Against Iranian-Backed Militias in Syria
International relations were quite different under Donald Trump. The 45th president was happy to cozy up to enemies of the United States like Russia. And Trump often had frosty relationships with long-time allies like France, Canada and Germany.
Joe Biden’s ascension to the presidency has excited allies. Canadian PM Justin Trudeau went as far as saying that the United States leadership has “been sorely missed.”
Biden’s presidency is also bad news for those countries who may want to do America harm. On Thursday night, Biden ordered airstrikes against Iranian backed militias in Syria.
CNN reports, “The US military struck a site in Syria on Thursday used by two Iranian-backed militia groups following rocket attacks on American forces
in the region in the past two weeks, according to a US official. The strikes mark the military’s first known action under President Joe Biden. The site was not specifically tied to the rocket attacks, but were believed to be used by Iranian-backed Shia militias operating in the region.”
“History Will be Kind to Trump” Fox News’ Greg Gutfeld Has Delusional Take on Trump’s COVID Response
This week, the United States hit a grim milestone. The country has now experienced 500,000 deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thankfully, Joe Biden‘s response to the virus has been much more aggressive than Trump’s was. According to Axios, America is now averaging 1.7 million vaccines a day.
And with many doses being administered, both cases and deaths are going down in dramatic fashion. Fox’s Greg Gutfeld, though, wants to make sure it is Trump getting credit for the virus fight rather than Biden.
The Five host told viewers on Thursday, “You have the vaccine and you have the rapid testing happening under Trump, right? And he still loses. But what’s interesting is that his prioritization was flawless. It was about rapid testing and vaccines.”
Gutfeld continued, “
The imperfect — he saw the imperfect solutions with the masks and the social distancing, and he saw it for what it was, is that’s not what’s going to get us through. However, he had to play the game, and he wouldn’t play the game. He had to pretend that no, this is the number one priority, masks, but he — but he didn’t do it, but now, history is going to be kind to Trump over this.”
Mike Pence And Donald Trump Are Still Close Friends
Donald Trump doesn’t have much use for friends. His two closest friends were a bodyguard who worked in his administration and Michael Cohen, a lawyer who went to jail for him.
Once the usefulness of the friendship has come to pass, Trump is quick to take the exit ramp. And when Mike Pence decided not to help the former president overturn the election, he wasn’t all that useful anymore.
The former Vice President, though, doesn’t seem to have gotten the memo. According to a report from CNN:
“Pence told a group of Republican lawmakers on Tuesday that not only does he remain close friends with Trump but he has plans to launch a political-action organization defending the administration’s record. And Representative Jim Banks of North Carolina, who was part of the meeting, which was held in Pence’s transition office, said the riot “never came up.” Six weeks out from a potentially near-death experience made possible by your ex-boss? It’s time to let bygones be bygones.”
WATCH: Dem. Rep. Gerry Connolly Smacks Down Trump Sycophant Jim Jordan
Donald Trump has now been out of office for over a month. That does not mean, however, that the people who enabled him over the last four years are going to stop now.
Ohio Senator Jim Jordan might be Trump’s Chief sycophant. And in a nod to those duties, Jordan attempted to protect USPS evil-doer Louis DeJoy during today’s hearing. This led to a savage rebuke from Virginia Democrat Gerry Connolly.
Trying to give cover to DeJoy, Jordan remarked, “12,000 (Post Office boxes) had been moved by the Obama administration Postmaster-General, but oh somehow you were the worst. Again, all under the guise of creating this crazy chaos that they wanted around the election relative to mail-in balloting, and you were the guy they used to start it all in the summer… They had you as the worst guy on the planet back then and everything seems to be so much better now.”
Connolly jumped in:
“The point is, it was Donald Trump, the Republican nominee who was planting the idea, aided and abetted by disruptive changes proposed by a new Postmaster-General, and a compliant Board of Governors, that actually eroded public confidence in the ability to vote by mail. That wasn’t a Democratic narrative, that was a Republican narrative by the President of the United States and his enablers… I didn’t vote to overturn an election and I will not be lectured by people who did about partisanship.”
Trump Sent Message to Facebook Oversight Board About His Ban
Facebook’s Oversight Board has confirmed that it received a statement from former President Donald Trump regarding the case of whether or not to keep the ban against him in place.
“We can confirm that a user statement has been received in the case before the Oversight Board concerning President Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
Facebook requested the
board’s “observations or recommendations on suspensions when the user is a political leader,” a sign that the board’s decision on Trump could influence how the platform handles future bans on world leaders.
Lindsey Graham Says He and Trump are Strategizing on 2022 Mid-Terms
Donald Trump would very much like to be the future of the Republican party. He certainly has a lot of support. 43 senators just voted to acquit him during his impeachment trial. Over 150 congresspeople decided to join in on his election fight.
But there are those that don’t want to see Trump be the GOP standard bearer. Republican voters don’t tend to turn out when the former president isn’t on the ballot. This was clear during the January Georgia mid-terms where Democrats took control of the senate. Mitch McConnell is the leader of this faction.
Lindsey Graham, though, thinks his long-term colleague is wrong about Trump. And the South Carolina senator said that he might with the former president this weekend to strategize on the 2022 mid-terms.
Graham told reporters on Monday, “He’s very involved in helping the team win.” Trump “made a bunch of phone calls” and is “trying to get the best team on the field.”
New: Senator Lindsey Graham says he spent considerable time with Donald Trump this past weekend calling key lawmakers on the ballot in 2022, especially GOP senators, to offer encouragement. “He spent a lot of time on the phone, “ Graham reported in a brief interview. 1/2
WATCH: NBC’s Pete Williams Explains Why Trump’s “Goose is Cooked”
Donald Trump has spent much of his adult life in litigation. In his 45 years in business, the ex-president was involved in over 3,500 suits.
Over the last four years, Trump enjoyed the protection offered to him by his position. Those days, however, are over and the law is soon to come for him.
This morning the Supreme Court ruled that Trump’s tax returns must be turned over to New York state. And this means, according to NBC’s Pete Williams, that the 45th president’s “goose is cooked.”
Williams said during an appearance on Andrea Mitchell‘s MSNBC show:
“It’s over. The president is out of legal options to try to stop this. Remember, what the grand jury wants is about eight or are nine years of the president’s corporate and personal tax returns from his accountants. The accountants have already said we will do whatever the courts say so I would expect that this material will be turned over within a matter of days.”
The Supreme Court Shoots Down Trump’s Final Pennsylvania Election Challenge
The Supreme Court has denied a final challenge brought by Donald Trump to the Pennsylvania 2020 election process.
Supreme Court Rules Trump’s Tax Returns Must Be Turned Over to NY Prosecutor
The Supreme Court has rejected former President Donald Trump‘s final bid to shield his financial documents from view, ruling that his tax returns must be turned over to a New York state prosecutor.
The ruling is “
the apparent culmination of a lengthy legal battle that had already reached the high court once before,” according to the Associated Press.
Opinion: Texas Fiasco Highlights Need for What Biden Calls Unity: Mutual Care Modeled by Government Leaders
In a small sentence, Biden made a huge point. Let’s serve people, not presidents or politics.
Report: Trump To Start Fundraising Again in an Effort To Defeat McConnell
Mitch McConnell doesn’t want Donald Trump to have anything to do with his party anymore. Trump was useful for a while. Wealthy people got a huge tax break and there are 3 new Conservative Supreme Court Justices.
But in the Senate Minority Leaders’ mind, Trump just cost Republicans the Georgia runoffs. And McConnell is reportedly ready to just ignore Trump for the next few years.
The 45th president, though, isn’t the kind of man to let any kind of slight go. And according to a new report, Trump is ready to start fundraising in an effort to defeat McConnell and his candidates.
S.V. Dáte from the Huff Post writes:
“After lying low for nearly a month after leaving office, Donald Trump is ramping up a return to relevancy that will involve renewed fundraising and continuing attacks on a new nemesis: the highest-ranking Republican in Washington, Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell. Trump has not been collecting money for his Save America leadership committee since Jan. 6, the day a mob he incited attacked the U.S. Capitol, but a website that will permit him to tap into his lucrative small-donor list will be up and running within days, said a Republican familiar with his plans.”
WATCH: Rudy Giuliani Eulogizes Rush Limbaugh With a Pervy Golf Story
People from all corners of the political world came out to mourn Rush Limbaugh on Wednesday. Donald Trump broke his media silence by calling into Fox News, OAN and Newsmax.
Mike Pence remained silent after news broke that Donald Trump didn’t care about his or his family’s safety. But Pence used his Twitter account to mourn the passing of “a giant.”
Today America lost a Giant with the passing of Rush Limbaugh, and Karen and I send our most heartfelt sympathies to Kathryn, his brother David, and the millions of Americans who loved and cherished his incomparable voice. pic.twitter.com/tGlhCiY7g6
Trump Appears on Newsmax, Won’t Say if He’s Running in 2024
Since the day he left the White House, Donald Trump has been relatively quiet. The Twitter ban, thankfully, has prevented him from easily communicating with his supporters and dissenters.
But there were two recent events that brought Trump out from hiding. The first was the anti-Trump speech given by Mitch McConnell on Saturday. The other was today’s death of Rush Limbaugh.
Tonight, the 45th president will be giving interviews to Newsmax, OAN and Fox News. During the Newsmax interview, host Greg Kelly asked Trump is he was planning on running again in 2024.
“
It’s too early to say, but I see a lot of great polls out there, that’s for sure,” he responded. “We have tremendous support. I won’t say yet [if I’m running again] but I have tremendous support and I’m looking at poll numbers that are through the roof…I’m the only guy who gets impeached and my numbers go up.”
Report: McConnell Laughed Off Trump Statement, Will Ignore Him Going Forward
Donald Trump has never let any slight, perceived or real, go unanswered. And this wasn’t just during his presidency, but during his entire business career.
So when Mitch McConnell blasted the 45th president on Saturday, Trump was itching to reply. The former president was reportedly so mad that he had be talked out of including a crack about McConnell’s chins.
According to a new report from Manu Raju, the Senate Minority Leader will not be paying Trump any mind. The CNN Correspondent writes:
“Amid their fallout following the deadly US Capitol riot at the hands of Trump supporters, McConnell has made the calculation that he’s done with the former President and is moving on, according to sources close to the GOP leader. And after Trump issued a blistering attack on McConnell, riddled with false statements and personal broadsides, the GOP leader has no plans to respond.”
Pentagon Officials Delayed Promotions for Female Generals Out of Fear of Trump’s Reaction
Pentagon officials delayed promotions for female generals out of fear of former President Donald Trump’s reaction.
According to a New York Times report,
then-Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper and General Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, worried that the Trump administration would replace General Jacqueline D. Van Ovost of the Air Force and Lieutenant General Laura J. Richardson of the Army with their own candidates before leaving office. They said that they suspected any candidates who weren’t white men would have their nominations scuttled.
People Paid Money to See the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino Imploded in Atlantic City
The Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, was officially imploded as of earlier this morning, signaling the end of former President Donald Trump’s stamp on the city. The building was razed at 9:08 a.m. in a controlled explosion.
People paid money to see the implosion in person.
“Front-row seats to view Wednesday morning’s spectacle were sold on the cheap,” The New York Times reported. “Onlookers in cars hoping to witness the symbolic finale of the former president’s casino empire in the seaside resort city were charged $10 and herded into a lot most recently used as a pandemic-era food distribution site.”
“It’s an end of a not-so-great era,” Atlantic City resident Jennifer Owen told the publication. Owen paid $575 for a front-row seat at a VIP breakfast with a direct view of the implosion.
The building took about 20 seconds to collapse entirely.
You can watch it happen in the video below.
WATCH: Trump Plaza casino in Atlantic City is imploded pic.twitter.com/O8xAoKiYB2
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) February 17, 2021
Trump Lawyer David Schoen is Whining That he Was Marginalized by Legal Team
There was a large contrast between the two legal teams during the Trump impeachment trial. The Democratic House Managers were well prepared and effective. The Trump lawyers were seemingly unprepared and drew laughter and derision from Conservatives and Liberals alike.
The former president’s legal team can claim it “won” the case. Their efforts, though, did little to burnish their reputations. On Tuesday, the New York Times published a report on the lawyers and in that report, David Schoen complains that he was marginalized by Bruce Castor and Michael van der Veen.
Schoen told Maggie Haberman and Michael Schmidt, “
Again, the president made clear that I was to take the lead and do most of the presenting. However, when Bruce came in, he brought his partner Mike and several other lawyers to help them. He immediately began setting an agenda and assigning roles. My role was marginalized.”
WATCH: Fox Anchors Are Worried McConnell/Trump Feud Will Destroy the GOP and Dems Will Take Advantage
Donald Trump may have just led Republicans to losses in the House (2018) and the White House and Senate (2020/21), but he still wants complete control of the party.
Mitch McConnell isn’t willing to give it up. This was clear this weekend when the Senate Minority Leader delivered a stinging rebuke to Trump following the impeachment trial.
And irritated Trump reacted to McConnell’s speech today, penning a letter in opposition to the Kentucky senator. The two men have begun a feud that will dominate the party for the foreseeable future.
During Tuesday‘s episode of The Five, Fox hosts Jesse Watters and Greg Gutfeld laid out their concerns about the fight.
Watters began:
“What I’m worried about is in the next two, three, four years, Trump plays troublemaker with the primaries and the midterms, he plays kingmaker, the guy can raise a ton of money and is no doubt the most powerful force in the Republican party and on the cutting edge of grassroots Republican politics. I do worry that this battle will cause harm to the party and divide the party and let Democrats come in and take advantage.”