President Biden’s coronavirus symptoms “have improved” after completing first full day taking Pfizer’s antiviral pill, Paxlovid, his physician said in a letter on Friday, Axios reports.
History Repeats Itself
In the 1830s, President Andrew Jackson — whom Donald Trump has repeatedly said he admires — threatened to hang his vice president, John C. Calhoun, the Washington Post reports.
Extra Bonus Quote of the Day
“The committee is also aware that certain Secret Service witnesses have now retained new private counsel. We anticipate further testimony, under oath, and other new information in the coming weeks.”
— Rep. Elaine Luria (D-VA), at last night’s January 6 Committee hearing.
Trump Calls McConnell a ‘Disloyal Sleazebag’
Former President Donald Trump slammed Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) during the January 6 Committee hearing last night as a “disloyal sleazebag,” The Hill reports.
“Trump appeared to lose his temper after the Jan. 6 committee played a clip of McConnell’s speech on the Senate floor during Trump’s second impeachment trial in which he blamed the former president for inciting the attack on the U.S. Capitol.”
The GOP’s Electoral College Advantage Is Strong
Cook Political Report: “Republicans continue to benefit from an electoral map tilted in their favor on nearly all levels.”
“In fact, when looking exclusively at the Electoral College map, Republicans are enjoying a stronger advantage than at any point in the 25-year history of the Cook PVI.”
They Knew Exactly Who Trump Was
Gloria Borger: “It’s hard, of course, to choose among the striking revelations in the last episode of season one of the January 6 hearings, but how about this: Top staffers knew exactly who Donald Trump was, and decided to remain anyway.”
“It’s an argument we heard over and over again throughout recent years: Yeah, I coulda left this guy, but I thought it was better to stay so I could be part of the guardrails around Trump.”
“But here’s what we learned during these hearings: There were no guardrails around the then-President, and certainly none strong enough to contain his election fraud mania. In fact, Trump busted through them with great regularity. And when he didn’t (as in deciding not to fire his deputy attorney general and replace him with an election denier), it was only because he was told it would look bad for him if his entire Justice Department resigned.”
“So what we saw instead was a group of people dealing with a man they knew to be morally, intellectually and emotionally unfit for the office.”
The Energy Crisis Will Deepen
Daniel Yergen: “Is today’s energy crisis as serious as similar previous ones – particularly the 1970s oil shocks? That question is being asked around the world, with consumers hit by high prices, businesses worried about energy supplies, political leaders and central bankers struggling with inflation, and countries confronting balance-of-payments pressures.”
“So, yes, this energy crisis is as serious. In fact, today’s crisis is potentially worse. In the 1970s, only oil was involved, whereas this crisis encompasses natural gas, coal, and even the nuclear-fuel cycle. In addition to stoking inflation, today’s crisis is transforming a previously global market into one that is fragmented and more vulnerable to disruption, crimping economic growth. And, together with the geopolitical crisis arising from the war in Ukraine, it is further deepening the world’s great-power rivalries.”
The Mob Did Exactly What Trump Wanted
Charlie Sykes: “As Capitol police battled rioters, Secret Service agents feared for their lives, and legislators fled to safety, the President of the United States sat in his dining room and refused pleas to call it off. For hours, he watched television, never once calling the Defense Department, the D.C. National Guard, or anyone else in law enforcement.”
“Instead he dialed senators urging them to delay the certification of the presidential vote. And amidst the height of the chaos and the terror, he inflamed the mob he had sent by sending out a tweet attacking his own vice president.”
“Please let all of that settle in.”
“Trump didn’t call off the mob, because it was doing precisely what he wanted; and he was using the delay caused by the attack to lobby his allies to help execute his coup. Only when it was apparent that the assault on the Capitol had failed, did he bother to call off his Insurrection. And, as we saw on his ‘blooper reel’ last night, he refused to say that the election was over, even after the violence, and after the congressional vote to certify Joe Biden’s victory.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“We must all hang together, or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.”
— Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano (R), quoted by the Philadelphia Inquirer, at a meeting of the Republican Governors Association.
A Few Thoughts for the End of the Week
Join now to continue reading.
Members get exclusive analysis, bonus features and no advertising. Learn more.
Quote of the Day
“You know, you’re the commander in chief… You’ve got an assault going on on the Capitol of the United States of America, and there’s nothing? No call? Nothing? Zero?”
— Gen. Mark Milley’s testimony, expressed with astonishment, that President Trump refused to defend the Capitol on January 6.
European Central Bank Hikes Interest Rates
“The European Central Bank raised interest rates by a larger-than-expected half-percentage point and unveiled a new plan to buy the debt of Europe’s most vulnerable economies, seeking to protect the currency union as it navigates the twin threats of skyrocketing inflation and slowing economic growth,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
Brian Kemp Now Favored in Georgia Governor’s Race
Cook Political Report: “Our ratings change doesn’t indicate that we don’t believe this race will be close. It most certainly will, and abortion could tighten it. But when we look at the overall environment boosting Republicans, the headwinds Democrats face, and Kemp’s continued strong numbers in Democratic and bipartisan polls, it has become clear that Kemp now holds an edge in the contest. As such, we are shifting our rating from Toss Up to Lean Republican.”
Liz Truss Is Tory Favorite for U.K. Prime Minister
A new YouGov poll finds British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss extended her lead over former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak in the race to be the UK’s next prime minister, recording a commanding 24-point polling advantage over her rival, 62% to 38%.
A YouGov poll earlier this week gave Truss a 19-point advantage over Sunak.
Republicans Sharpen Attacks on Gay and Trans Rights
New York Times: “Since the Supreme Court decision last month overturning Roe v. Wade, anti-gay rhetoric and calls to roll back established LGBTQ protections have grown bolder. And while Republicans in Congress appear deeply divided about same-sex marriage — nearly 50 House Republicans on Tuesday joined Democrats in supporting a bill that would recognize same-sex marriages at the federal level — many Republican officials and candidates across the country have made attacking gay and transgender rights a party norm this midterm season.”
Where Was Kevin McCarthy?
A new video shows House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was absent from a critical discussion as the Capitol was under siege on January 6.
Amanda Carpenter: “McCarthy’s apparent absence raises even more questions about his actions and relationship with Trump.”
“Thousands of witnesses have voluntarily complied with the committee’s requests for testimony; McCarthy is one of the few who have resisted. The committee asked him for a voluntary interview in January 2022, and after he declined, the committee issued a subpoena seeking his testimony. In response, McCarthy’s lawyer sent the committee an 11-page letter on Friday, questioning the committee’s legality and constitutionality and making other specious arguments previously rejected by the courts.”
U.S. Fears China May Interfere with Taiwan Airspace
Biden administration officials are concerned that China could seek to declare a no-fly zone over Taiwan ahead of a possible visit by Speaker Nancy Pelosi as an effort to upend the trip, CNN reports.
China could also respond by flying fighter jets further into Taiwan’s self-declared air defense zone, which could trigger a response from Taiwan and the U.S.
One America News Dropped by Last Major TV Carrier
Verizon announced on Thursday that One America News will be removed from its channel lineup on July 31, leaving the far-right network with almost no TV providers, the Daily Beast reports.
