“Donald Trump may have rage-posted his way through President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address on Truth Social, but his social media site crashed for many before Biden even entered the House chamber, with technical issues lingering for at least an hour before and into his remarks,” the Daily Beast reports.
Quote of the Day
“I know I may not look like it, but I’ve been around a while. And when you get to my age, certain things become clearer than ever.”
— President Biden, quoted by the New York Times, at the State of the Union address.
Judge Sets Hearing Next Week in Trump Documents Case
“U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon ordered a hearing next week for legal arguments in the looming trial of Donald Trump for allegedly mishandling classified documents — while both sides await her decision on when the trial will be,” the Washington Post reports.
“Cannon, who held a hearing last week in which lawyers sparred over when to start the trial, told Trump’s lawyers and special counsel Jack Smith’s team to be prepared to spend the whole day in court.”
Bob Menendez Will Not Seek Re-Election
Embattled Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) “will not run for re-election in November, although he still refuses to hand in his resignation,” the New York Post reports.
Katie Britt, With Smiles and Menace, Delivers GOP Response
“With a sunny, inviting smile, Senator Katie Britt of Alabama welcomed Americans into her kitchen on Thursday night,” the New York Times reports.
“Many soon backed away nervously.”
“In the Republican Party’s official response to President Biden’s State of the Union address, Ms. Britt delivered a jarring speech that toggled between an increasingly strained cheerfulness and a fierce glare as she gave ominous warnings about illegal immigration.”
Daily Beast: “The performance was so bad that some Republicans watched the high-profile speech with a grimace. A GOP strategist told The Daily Beast that Britt’s delivery quickly became a gossip item Thursday night among operatives connected to Donald Trump—something that could have potential implications for her consideration as a vice presidential pick for the former president.”
Said this Republican: “Everyone’s fucking losing it. It’s one of our biggest disasters ever.”
George Santos Announces New Run for Congress
“Three months after former Rep. George Santos’ colleagues expelled him for a staggering array of alleged crimes and ethical violations, he has apparently decided that man cannot live by Cameo alone—and he wants his job back,” the Daily Beast reports.
“At least, Santos is officially running for Congress again, allowing him to raise money from the public and, potentially, spend it on his legal defense.”
My Reaction to the State of the Union
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State of the Union Address
President Biden will deliver the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress this evening.
The speech is expected to begin at 9 p.m. ET.
Leave your reactions in the comments.
Katie Britt to Call Biden ‘Diminished’ During Rebuttal
Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL) will call President Joe Biden a “dithering and diminished leader” in the Republican rebuttal to his State of the Union address Thursday evening, the AP reports.
Sinema Rules Out Third-Party Presidential Run
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) “ruled out a third-party presidential run on the No Labels ticket, the latest prominent centrist to do so,” Bloomberg reports.
“No Labels plans a virtual meeting with state delegates on Friday to discuss going forward with a presidential ticket.”
George Santos to Attend State of the Union
“Former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) will make a surprise appearance at the Capitol Thursday for President Biden’s State of the Union address, roughly three months after he was expelled from the House in a historic, bipartisan vote,” The Hill reports.
“Despite being expelled in December, Santos retains privileges to access the House floor. It is unclear if he will sit on the floor or in the public gallery.”
Special Counsel Says Trump’s ‘Deception’ Is Difference
“Donald Trump’s efforts to thwart a federal investigation into his hoarding of national security secrets set him apart from other political figures who’ve faced allegations of mishandling classified information, including President Joe Biden, Hillary and Bill Clinton, Mike Pence and James Comey, special counsel Jack Smith said in a court filing Thursday,” Politico reports.
“Rather than serve as evidence that Trump is being singled out by politically motivated prosecutors, Smith contends that the long list of figures — most of whom never faced any charges — underscores the egregiousness of Trump’s conduct, which was ‘aggravated’ by his months-long refusal to return the documents.”
Trump Can’t Delay E. Jean Carroll Penalties
“A New York judge on Thursday denied Donald Trump’s request for a temporary delay of the penalties in E. Jean Carroll’s defamation case, leaving the former president three days to pay or post a bond for the entire $83.3 million judgment,” ABC News reports.
Wrote Judge Lewis Kaplan in an order: “Mr. Trump’s current situation is a result of his own dilatory actions. He has had since January 26 to organize his finances with the knowledge that he might need to bond this judgment, yet he waited until 25 days after the jury verdict … to file his prior motion for an unsecured or partially secured stay pending resolution of post-trial motions.”
Biden Had a Huge Fundraising Day
“Big news events can spur big fundraising hauls, as the Biden campaign proved already once this week — and will be looking to do again off tonight’s speech,” NBC News reports.
“Biden raised $1.5 million online in the 24 hours following Super Tuesday, marking one of its highest single-day hauls of the cycle so far.”
TikTok Campaign Against Ban Backfires
“A House committee unanimously advanced legislation that would force ByteDance to divest the social media app TikTok, despite congressional offices being bombarded with calls from TikTokers who were urged by the platform to call their representatives to protest the bill,” Semafor reports.
“Aides from multiple congressional offices told Semafor that they were getting flooded with calls pushing back on the legislation Thursday. Some offices reported getting as many as 50 phone calls.”
“But later Thursday afternoon, the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously advanced the legislation in a 50-0 vote.”
Mock News Sites With Russian Ties Pop Up in U.S.
“Into the depleted field of journalism in America, a handful of websites have appeared in recent weeks with names suggesting a focus on news close to home: D.C. Weekly, the New York News Daily, the Chicago Chronicle and a newer sister publication, the Miami Chronicle,” the New York Times reports.
“In fact, they are not local news organizations at all. They are Russian creations, researchers and government officials say, meant to mimic actual news organizations to push Kremlin propaganda by interspersing it among an at-times odd mix of stories about crime, politics and culture.”
“While Russia has long sought ways to influence public discourse in the United States, the fake news organizations — at least five, so far — represent a technological leap in its efforts to find new platforms to dupe unsuspecting American readers. The sites, the researchers and officials said, could well be the foundations of an online network primed to surface disinformation ahead of the American presidential election in November.”
Larry Hogan Won’t Say If He Would Protect Abortion Rights
Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) declined to say whether he would vote to protect in-vitro fertilization or codify Roe v. Wade into federal law if Maryland voters send him to the Senate in November, NBC News reports.
Trump Boosts Christian Nationalism
USA Today: “The concept of Christian nationalism — technically, the belief that the secular government should favor Christianity or even be replaced by it — existed long before Trump’s rise to power. But experts said the former president’s embrace of the movement and his increasing use of Christian nationalist language is something altogether new.”
“The fervor for Christian nationalist ideology has catalyzed an active political movement… So while they have long been alarmed about Christian nationalist ideas, they see the new movement as an army of sorts, ready for a mission, with Trump as its general. They’re worried about what action the most extreme members could be directed to take if he wins – or loses – in November.”
