Insider obtained 48 pages of internal emails from the Department of Defense which detail how the military leaders monitored the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
McConnell Says Trump Will Face ‘Crowded’ GOP Field
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) says former President Trump will face a lot of competition in a Republican primary if he runs for president in 2024, The Hill reports.
Said McConnell: “I think we’re going to have a crowded field for president. I assume most of that will unfold later and people will be picking their candidates in a crowded primary field.”
White House Seeks New Communications Team
“The White House is considering a major overhaul of its press and communications shop in the coming weeks, a staff shakeup that’s aimed at putting a new team in place to drive President Joe Biden’s message into November’s midterm elections and in the months after voters decide whether his party retains control of Congress,” NBC News reports.
“The effort to revamp the White House press operation comes as Biden has expressed frustration that his message isn’t breaking through to Americans and his approval ratings continue to hit new lows, while his aides prepare for him to seek re-election.”
Maternal Mortality Rate Set to Rise
The Economist: “America has the highest maternal mortality rate in the industrialized world. With the overturning of Roe v Wade, the Supreme Court ruling that abortion was a constitutional right, it is likely to rise. International comparisons are imperfect but in 2018, while in the Netherlands and Norway there were no more than three maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births, in America there were 17.”
“Most U.S. states that now ban abortion, or soon will, allow exceptions if a woman’s life is in danger. But abortion providers and obstetrician-gynecologists say laws tend to be so vaguely worded that they often do not know if they are breaking them.”
Romney Says Boosting Election Deniers Could Backfire
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) said that helping election-denying candidates in Republican primaries could backfire on Democrats and lead to grave consequences for the country, the HuffPost reports.
Said Romney: “It’s not illegal but it sure is stupid. Be careful what you wish for. You may select somebody who actually wins and then you hurt the country as well as your own party.”
Justice Department Says Trump Probes Will Continue
Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said the Justice Department’s investigation into various efforts by Donald Trump to undermine the 2020 election will continue regardless of whether the former president announces his intention to again seek office in 2024, The Hill reports.
Said Monaco: “We’re going to continue to do our job, to follow the facts wherever they go, no matter where they lead, no matter to what level.”
She added: “We’re going to continue to investigate what was fundamentally an attack on our democracy.”
Fake Electors In Georgia Target of Election Probe
Eleven of the fake electors in Georgia say they’ve been told they’re now “targets” of the grand jury investigation in Fulton County, Politico reports.
J.D. Vance Asks Donors to Pay Off His Debts
“As Ohio Senate candidate J.D. Vance (R) fell far short of his Democratic opponent Tim Ryan (D) in recent campaign donations, one of the Republican’s chief fundraising vehicles says it prioritizes paying off the campaign’s debt from the May 3 primary he won,” Roll Call reports.
“The campaign’s biggest creditor: Vance himself. He loaned his campaign $700,000 for the primary.”
Generic Ballot Is Tied
A new CNN/SSRS poll finds Democrats and Republicans tied on the generic congressional ballot at 46% each.
Quote of the Day
“Let’s see what the Congress does. The Congress needs to act.”
— Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), quoted by ABC News, when asked if he was supportive of President Biden declaring a national climate emergency.
A majority in all but three states believe Congress should do more on climate change. However, one of those three states is West Virginia.
Lindsey Graham Agrees to Accept Subpoena
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) “will accept a subpoena for his testimony issued by a Georgia grand jury investigating possible election meddling in the 2020 presidential election by then-President Donald Trump,” CNBC reports.
Bill de Blasio Drops Out of Congressional Race
Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) announced that he is dropping out of the congressional race in New York’s 10th congressional district.
Said de Blasio: “It’s clear to me that when it comes to this congressional district, people are looking for another option and I respect that. Time for me to leave electoral politics and focus on other ways to serve.”
Most Say Neither Political Party Has the Right Priorities
A new CNN poll finds that 67% of voters say that Democratic candidates for Congress in the area where they live aren’t paying enough attention to the country’s most important problems, with just 31% saying that these candidates have the right priorities.
A similar 65% say that Republican candidates in their area aren’t paying enough attention to important national problems, with 33% saying that GOP congressional candidates have the right priorities.
Secret Service Can’t Recover Deleted Texts
“The U.S. Secret Service has determined it has no new texts to provide Congress relevant to its Jan. 6 investigation, and that any other texts its agents exchanged around the time of the 2021 attack on the Capitol were purged,” the Washington Post reports.
“Also, the National Archives on Tuesday sought more information on ‘the potential unauthorized deletion’ of agency text messages. The U.S. government’s chief record-keeper asked the Secret Service to report back to the Archives within 30 days about the deletion of any records, including describing what was purged and the circumstances of how the documentation was lost.”
This seems more than a little sketchy. It’s not easy to make digital communications entirely disappear unless you really try.
Doctor in Abortion Case Begins Defamation Lawsuit
“Attorneys for the Indianapolis doctor who helped a 10-year-old Ohio rape victim obtain an abortion took the first legal step on Tuesday in a possible defamation lawsuit against Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita (R) for his comments in a story that has captured international attention,” the Washington Post reports.
Biden Holds Off on Declaring Climate Emergency
“President Joe Biden will travel to Massachusetts on Wednesday to promote his efforts to combat climate change but will stop short of issuing an emergency declaration that would unlock federal resources to deal with the issue,” the AP reports.
“It was not clear whether an emergency declaration remained under consideration for later action.”
Trump and Pence to Hold Dueling Events In Arizona
Former Vice President Mike Pence will hold events on Friday for Karrin Taylor Robson (R) in the GOP primary race for Arizona governor, the Arizona Republic reports.
The same day, Pence’s old boss, former President Donald Trump, is set to hold a rally boosting rival candidate Kari Lake (R), “bringing the civil war within the Republican party to the battleground state with the primary election little more than a week away.”
Bennie Thompson Has Covid
Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), chair of the January 6 Committee investigating the attack on the Capitol tested positive for Covid, Politico reports.
“Thompson’s Covid diagnosis won’t substantially affect Thursday’s hearing, which is being led by Reps. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) and Elaine Luria (D-VA). The hearing, like the panel’s other public proceedings, is being held both virtually and in-person, which would allow Thompson to join in and question witnesses while he is in quarantine.”
