Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA) claimed the U.S. Senate primary in California that she lost was “rigged” by “an onslaught of billionaires.”
Republicans in a Texas County Counted Votes by Hand
Texas Tribune: “It was not the efficient process Republicans envisioned, though one carried out with no visible calamity. From start to finish, the process took almost 24 consecutive hours and involved around 200 people counting ballots.”
“It remains to be seen if any of the candidates on the ballot will challenge the results, or whether this count will withstand next week’s official canvass.”
Flashback Quote of the Day
“Mr. President, January 6 was a disgrace. American citizens attacked their own government. They used terrorism to try to stop a specific piece of domestic business they did not like. Fellow Americans beat and bloodied our own police. They stormed the Senate floor. They tried to hunt down the Speaker of the House. They built a gallows and chanted about murdering the Vice President. They did this because they had been fed wild falsehoods by the most powerful man on Earth because he was angry he lost an election. Former President Trump’s actions preceding the riot were a disgraceful disgraceful-dereliction of duty.”
— Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), three years before he endorsed Donald Trump for president again.
New Trump Super PAC Ad Attacks Biden Over His Age
“The super PAC supporting Donald Trump for president is airing a blistering television ad before the State of the Union address, mocking President Biden’s halting response to questions about his memory and even questioning his life span, in a preview of the tenor of the general election ahead,” the New York Times reports.
“The spot appeared designed to try to get under Mr. Biden’s skin at a pivotal moment, as he prepares to give the State of the Union and faces low job approval ratings against his predecessor, Mr. Trump. The ad focuses on a topic that Mr. Biden and his allies have shown frustration about — questions over his age.”
Navy Demoted Ronny Jackson
“Ronny Jackson, the former White House physician turned GOP congressman, regularly touts his military bona fides,” the Washington Post reports.
“But Jackson is no longer a retired admiral. The Navy demoted him in July 2022 following a damaging Pentagon inspector general’s report that substantiated allegations about his inappropriate behavior as a White House physician.”
“Jackson is now a retired Navy captain, those people said — a demotion that carries significant financial burden in addition to the social stigma of stripped rank in military circles.”
House Bill Would Force Sale of TikTok
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) met with Energy and Commerce Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) about the bill to force ByteDance to divest TikTok yesterday and he indicated he is leaning towards supporting it, Punchbowl News reports.
Ex-GOP Candidate Wanted for Murder
Daniel Rodimer (R), who was endorsed by Donald Trump and nearly elected to Congress in 2020, is now wanted for murder, the Las Vegas Review Journal reports.
No Labels Doesn’t Plan to Be On Every State Ballot
No Labels is no longer saying they’re trying to get on the ballot in all 50 states, as they’ve long touted as their ambition for 2024 (and which No Labels still currently says on their website), Politico reports.
Writes No Labels chief executive Nancy Jacobson in the Dallas Morning News: “We have a strategy to get on the majority of state ballots for an independent presidential ticket.”
Biden Preps New Offensive Against Trump on Health Care
“Joe Biden’s campaign is preparing a fresh attack against Donald Trump that will center on a familiar issue: health care,” Politico reports.
“The president’s reelection team is rolling out new messaging that accuses the GOP frontrunner of harboring a ‘vendetta’ against popular policies that have expanded health coverage.”
“The push will emphasize Trump’s vow to try again to repeal the Affordable Care Act if elected, a move that would put insurance for millions at risk and dovetail with Republican support for restricting abortion and eliminating caps on prescription drug costs.”
One in Eight Voters Say Abortion Is Top Issue
A new KFF tracking poll finds that roughly 1 in 8 voters say abortion is the top factor influencing how they’ll vote in the 2024 elections, with the issue resonating particularly with Black and Democratic women and those ages 18 to 49.
Biden Plans Feisty Economic Reset
“President Biden will use tonight’s State of the Union address to admit that prices are still too high in some areas — but argue things were worse under former President Trump,” Axios reports.
“Biden, in what could well be the most important speech of his presidency, aims to project fighting optimism to an audience with plenty of doubts about the nation’s vigor — and that of the 81-year-old president.”
“Biden needs a cure for what some advisers call ‘Trump amnesia’ — the notion that the chaos and unpopularity of Trump’s presidency has receded from some voters’ memories nearly four years on.”
Quote of the Day
“I’m in New York for most of my life. You run into everybody in New York. I mean, I knew Harvey Weinstein. I knew Roger Ailes. I knew, O.J. Simpson came to my house. Bill Cosby came to my house.”
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr., explaining his relationship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Biden Has Canceled Student Debt for Nearly 4 Million
“President Joe Biden’s plans to deliver widespread student debt relief were dealt a serious blow last year when the Supreme Court struck down his one-time student loan forgiveness program. But he has still managed to cancel more federal student loan debt than any other president,” CNN reports.
“Since taking office, Biden’s administration has approved the cancellation of about $138 billion in federal student loans – wiping out debts for about 3.9 million borrowers – by using a number of existing programs that aim to offer debt relief for certain groups of struggling borrowers.”
“The amount Biden has canceled is equal to nearly 9% of the $1.6 trillion of federal student loan debt currently held by borrowers.”
A Pivotal State of the Union Address
“President Joe Biden faces a pivotal State of the Union address Thursday as he looks to silence skeptics about his ability to keep serving, convince restless Americans of a strong economy and reestablish the stakes of a likely rematch against Donald Trump,” USA Today reports.
“In what could be his final State of the Union address, the moment could not be much bigger for Biden, who is saddled with challenges at home and abroad.”
New York Times: “Donald Trump is a dire threat to democracy and Americans’ freedoms. How fine a point Mr. Biden puts on this message in the State of the Union is a different question. It would break with decades of political tradition to attack a campaign rival by name during the address, but Mr. Biden and allied Democrats have argued throughout his campaign that 2024 may be an inflection point that calls for unusual measures.”
ABC News: Biden faces high election-year stakes in State of the Union address.
Trump RNC ‘Purge’ Has Some Members Nervous
USA Today: “A top concern is Trump’s mounting legal bills, and whether he could try and get the party to pay for them. Some committee members supported a failed resolution that aimed at prohibiting the RNC from picking up Trump’s legal tab.”
“The overhaul of RNC leadership also has critics. Trump is known to surround himself with family members: in business and in politics. One of the ways that Trump managed his first term at the White House was by appointing family to key roles, including daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner.”
For Trump, it’s the only way to guarantee the utmost loyalty.”
Senate Braces for Long Battle to Succeed McConnell
“The race to succeed Mitch McConnell atop the Senate GOP could last for months without a clear winner, thanks to one big wildcard: Election Day,” Politico reports.
“Although Republicans are optimistic about their chances of winning the Senate in November, they still don’t know which candidates might deliver them the majority, or even how big that majority could be. Not to mention if Donald Trump wins back the presidency, his preference is bound to prove a critical factor in the leadership battle — if he loses, on the other hand, the GOP may look for a clean break from Trump’s pick.”
The Rematch Is Here
New York Times: “Complaints about politicians are as old as American politics itself. But pollsters and strategists believe something different is happening this year. Rarely have so many Americans been so unhappy with the direction of the country for so long. Rarely have so many voters said for so long that they want different leaders. The voters who dislike both Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump are talked about so often that they now have their own political moniker: double haters.”
“And yet, as the primary calendar marches forward, it is becoming increasingly clear that these voters can single, double, even triple hate, and still their choices will not change. After racking up delegates on Tuesday evening, and with Nikki Haley, Mr. Trump’s last remaining rival for the nomination, out of the race, the rematch is here.”
Alabama Passes Law Protecting In Vitro Fertilization
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) “signed legislation into law Wednesday shielding in vitro fertilization providers from potential legal liability raised by a court ruling that equated frozen embryos to children,” the AP reports.
“Republicans in the state Legislature proposed the lawsuit immunity as a way to get clinics reopened. They refused, however, to take up a bill that would address the legal status of embryos.”
