Israel condemned Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s false claim that Adolf Hitler had “Jewish blood,” which he used to justify calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a “Nazi,” Axios reports.
Trump Wanted to Shoot Protesters
Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper charges in a new memoir that former President Donald Trump said when demonstrators were filling the streets around the White House following the death of George Floyd: “Can’t you just shoot them? Just shoot them in the legs or something?,” Axios reports.
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Esper, Mark T. (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 749 Pages - 05/10/2022 (Publication Date) - William Morrow (Publisher)
Georgia Official Texted Meadows During Trump Call
“As Donald Trump badgered Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on an hour-long call to ‘find’ the votes necessary to flip the battleground state to Trump’s column after the 2020 election, a Raffensperger aide fired off a plea for help,” CNN reports.
Said Jordan Fuchs, then the deputy secretary of state, in a text message to then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows: “Need to end this call. I don’t think this will be productive much longer.”
She added: “Let’s save the relationship.”
Europe to Make Fresh Push to Revive Iran Nuclear Deal
“European officials are preparing to make a fresh push to salvage a nuclear deal with Iran, offering to send a top European Union negotiator to Tehran in an effort to break a stalemate in talks,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
Todd Young Crossed Trump and Lived to Tell About It
“It’s been nearly six years since Todd Young pulled off one of the biggest Senate upsets of 2016,” Politico reports.
“Now, up for reelection in barn-red Indiana, the former chair of the Republican Senate campaign arm has pulled off an even more unlikely victory: avoiding a primary challenger.”
“Young is one of only four Senate GOP incumbents without the golden ticket of a Donald Trump endorsement this year. He has a record of taking some decidedly non-MAGA friendly positions and said Trump bore responsibility for Jan. 6 — in a state Trump carried twice by double-digits.”
Trump Forgot Who He Endorsed In Ohio
Ahead of the Ohio Republican U.S. Senate primary this week, Donald Trump fumbled J.D. Vance’s name at a rally Sunday.
Trump called Vance “J.P.” — then settled on “J.D. Mandel,” swapping his last name with that of his top primary opponent, Josh Mandel.
A Tough Month for Trump
Politico looks at the “four-week stretch of primaries” where “Trump-endorsed candidates are slogging through difficult races” or “running far behind.”
“The losses Trump is poised to take this month could still do significant damage to him — providing the first ballot-tested, post-presidential confirmation that Trump, while the most important animating factor in the GOP, is not the only force moving primary voters.”
DeSantis Sees Big Win as Springboard to White House
“Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) won’t say whether he’ll run for president, but he’s starting to acknowledge that his road to the White House might hinge on a big re-election win this year,” NBC News reports.
“For months, Florida Capitol insiders and Republicans familiar with the governor’s thinking have speculated that a resounding victory in November would strengthen his national bona fides as a top GOP presidential contender — even if his political benefactor, former President Donald Trump, decides to run again.”
Big Majority Back Sanctions on Russia, Aid to Ukraine
“Two months after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, Americans are stalwart in their support of the embattled country, with a large, bipartisan majority supporting increased sanctions against Russia and most also backing military and humanitarian support for Ukrainians,” according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll.
“In all, 73 percent say the United States is doing either the right amount or too little to support Ukraine.”
McConnell Silent About Sour Relationship with Trump
“Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has kept strictly silent with his Senate GOP colleagues, including members of his inner circle, about his sour relationship with former President Trump,” The Hill reports.
“McConnell, who takes pride in his discipline and ability to stay on message, hasn’t said anything in meetings large and small with GOP colleagues in response to a new book claiming that he felt “exhilarated” about the prospect that Trump destroyed his political career by inciting the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, the senators say.”
Russia’s Top Officer Visited the Front Line
“The chief of the general staff of the Russian military, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, the country’s highest ranking uniformed officer, made a visit to dangerous front-line positions in eastern Ukraine late last week in an effort to ‘change the course’ of Russia’s flagging offensive there,“ the New York Times reports.
“Ukrainian officials learned of the visit, the Ukrainian official said, but not in time to catch General Gerasimov. When Ukrainian forces launched an attack on one position visited by General Gerasimov, at School No. 12 in the Russian-controlled city of Izium on Saturday evening, he had already departed for Russia.”
Democrats Punch Back Against GOP’s Culture War
“Democrats are starting to fight back against the bludgeoning they’ve taken since the Republicans seized on socially charged issues to help win this fall’s midterms,” Axios reports.
“Recent research has shown the barrage of ‘culture war’ messaging — on everything from critical race theory to bashing LGBTQ communities — is working, and Democrats now realize they can’t ignore it any longer. They want to make 2022 a referendum on MAGA nation and its agenda.”
Biden Received Early Warnings on Immigration, Inflation
“President Biden enjoyed high approval among Americans in the early months of his presidency. Millions of vaccines were distributed throughout the United States. The White House trumpeted high job growth as proof of a rebounding economy,” the New York Times reports.
“But privately Mr. Biden’s lead pollster was already sounding the alarm that even with the early successes, certain gathering threats could sink support for the president and his party.”
Tucker Carlson Vows Not to Read Articles About Him
Tucker Carlson, the highest rated host in cable news, told Axios he hasn’t read a word of this weekend’s New York Times series about him — “and of course won’t.”
Russia Recasts Fight in Ukraine as War With the West
“Moscow is recasting its fight with Ukraine as a broader war between Russia and the West, as Kremlin leaders and state propaganda outlets warn Russians that the conflict with its smaller neighbor could spill over into a global clash,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“The Kremlin and state-controlled media have warned in recent days that the West ultimately seeks to contain—or even destroy—Russia and have threatened retaliation, including the possibility of nuclear strikes.”
Evidence Mounts of GOP Involvement in Trump Scheme
Associated Press: “The text exchange, in an April 22 court filing from the congressional panel investigating the Jan. 6 riot, is in a batch of startling evidence that shows the deep involvement of some House Republicans in Trump’s desperate attempt to stay in power. A review of the evidence finds new details about how, long before the attack on the Capitol unfolded, several GOP lawmakers were participating directly in Trump’s campaign to reverse the results of a free and fair election.”
“It’s a connection that members of the House Jan. 6 committee are making explicit as they prepare to launch public hearings in June. The Republicans plotting with Trump and the rioters who attacked the Capitol were aligned in their goals, if not the mob’s violent tactics, creating a convergence that nearly upended the nation’s peaceful transfer of power.”
Asa Hutchinson Mulls Run for President
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) said that he’s weighing a White House bid in 2024 and that he would still consider running even if former President Donald Trump enters the race, CNN reports.
Said Hutchinson: “You’ve got to get through, of course, this year. But that’s an option that’s on the table.”
He added: “I’ve made it clear: I think we ought to have a different direction in the future. I think he did a lot of good things for our country, but we need to go a different direction.”
British Lawmaker Admits He Watched Porn In Parliament
Neil Parish has told the BBC he is resigning as an MP after admitting he watched pornography twice in Parliament.
He said the first time was accidental after looking at a tractor website, but the second time – in the House of Commons – was deliberate.