Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) told the Cincinnati Enquirer he will not seek a third term in the U.S. Senate in 2022, a move that will unsettle politics in both Greater Cincinnati and Washington D.C.
Justices Dismiss Two Emoluments Cases
“The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed two cases over whether former President Donald Trump unlawfully profited from his businesses while in office,” CNBC reports.
“The suits, which were brought by a nonprofit as well as the state of Maryland and the District of Columbia, alleged that the former president violated the Constitution’s emoluments clauses, little-known provisions that bar presidents from receiving gifts from local or foreign governments.”
Early Warning Signs for Josh Hawley Were There
The Kansas City Star has a great profile of Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), tracing his ideological makeup from high school to now.
It also notes Hawley signed his high school yearbook: “Josh Hawley, president 2024.”
Republicans Face Squeeze on Impeachment
Playbook: “Republicans are under intense pressure to acquit Donald Trump — whether they think he committed an impeachable offense or not. At this point, it’s all about self-preservation.”
“When Mitch McConnel signaled the trial vote would be one of conscience for members — and that he wouldn’t be whipping the issue — he was, some would argue, giving Republicans room to break with the ex-president. But Senate sources tell us activists and typical Republican primary voters are pushing them in the opposite direction. Some donors fear if more than a handful of Republicans vote to convict, there is a real threat of a third-party MAGA uprising.”
“Which is to say: This is not an easy vote even for Republicans who want Trump gone for good.”
The Bidens’ Dogs Arrive at the White House
“Dogs have returned to the White House after a four-year hiatus,” CBS News reports.
“Champ and Major, the German shepherds of President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, arrived at the White House on Sunday, a few days after their owners.”
Biden Replaces White House Doctor
“President Joe Biden has commissioned Dr. Kevin O’Connor as his new White House physician, replacing Dr. Sean Conley in a role that became a source of controversy under former President Donald Trump’s four years in the White House,” ABC News reports.
“It’s not unusual for a new president to select their personal physician for their term, However, O’Connor will take on the job in the medical unit that faced a crisis of credibility under Trump following rosy readouts of physicals and misleading information about his COVID-19 treatment.”
Aides Who Stuck with Trump to the End Are Screwed
Politico: “Many other aides have left his side, eager to start anew far away from their former boss. White House aides and administration officials who once relished their West Wing perches have jetted off on remote getaways — cashing in on a mountain of unused vacation time. Others are frantically asking former colleagues for help finding work as they prioritize their own careers over whatever chapter Trump is planning for himself.”
“It’s not been easy. Tainted by Trump’s reputation, several Trump aides described an increasingly bleak job market with virtually no chance of landing jobs in corporate America and some even having seen promising leads disappear after the rampage at the U.S. Capitol. A second former White House official said they knew of “people who got jobs rescinded because of Jan. 6.'”
A Republican strategist was blunter: “They are really fucked.”
Giuliani Sued by Dominion Voting Systems
Dominion Voting Systems filed a defamation lawsuit on Monday against Rudy Giuliani, the lawyer for Donald J. Trump who played a key role in the former president’s monthslong effort to subvert the 2020 election, the New York Times reports.
The 107-page lawsuit, filed in the Federal District Court in Washington, accuses Mr. Giuliani of carrying out “a viral disinformation campaign about Dominion” made up of “demonstrably false” allegations, in part to enrich himself through legal fees and his podcast.
How Joe Biden Barely Won the Presidency
Coming soon: Lucky: How Joe Biden Barely Won the Presidency by Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes.
The book tells the inside story of the 2020 presidential election and in particular of the many lucky breaks Joe Biden got on his way to the Democratic nomination and eventually the presidency.
Lucky: How Joe Biden Barely Won the Presidency
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Allen, Jonathan (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 480 Pages - 03/02/2021 (Publication Date) - Crown (Publisher)
David Jolly Eyes Independent Run for Florida Governor
Former Rep. David Jolly is “strongly considering” a run for Florida governor in 2022 as an independent, Axios reports.
Tampa Bay Times: “Since the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, what appears to be an unusual number of Republicans in the three biggest Tampa Bay area counties have switched parties, mostly to no party affiliation, but some becoming Democrats.”
“News reports in Florida and nationwide have noted a similar phenomenon elsewhere, with voters citing anger at President Donald Trump and his supporters.”
Biden to Drop Trump’s Military Transgender Ban
“President Joe Biden is set to issue an executive order to reverse a Pentagon policy that largely bars transgender individuals from joining the military, dumping a ban ordered by President Donald Trump in a tweet during his first year in office,” the AP reports..
“Biden has been widely expected to overturn the Trump policy in his early days in office. The White House could announce the move as early as Monday.”
Sarah Huckabee Sanders to Run for Arkansas Governor
Former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders will announce her run for governor of Arkansas on Monday, Politico reports.
Lawmakers Threatened Ahead of Impeachment Trial
“Federal law enforcement officials are examining a number of threats aimed at members of Congress as the second trial of former President Donald Trump nears, including ominous chatter about killing legislators or attacking them outside of the U.S. Capitol,” the AP reports.
“The threats, and concerns that armed protesters could return to sack the Capitol anew, have prompted the U.S. Capitol Police and other federal law enforcement to insist thousands of National Guard troops remain in Washington as the Senate moves forward with plans for Trump’s trial, the official said.”
Members Quitting Mar-a-Lago
“Many once-loyal members of Mar-a-Lago are leaving because they no longer want to have any connection to former President Donald Trump,” CNN reports.
Republicans Who Voted to Impeach Face Primaries
New York Times: “The 10 House Republicans who voted for impeachment are already facing a fleet of primary challengers, censures and other rebukes from their hometown Republican Party organizations, an indication that the battle over Mr. Trump will play a defining role in shaping the direction of the party during the next two years.”
Birx Says There Was No ‘Full Time Team’ on Covid
Dr. Deborah Birx, the former White House coronavirus response coordinator under former President Donald Trump, revealed that she had no full-time team in the White House working on the response to COVID-19 under the former president, CBS News reports.
Impeachment Trial to Keep National Guard at Capitol
“Former President Donald Trump’s upcoming Senate impeachment trial poses a security concern that federal law enforcement officials told lawmakers last week requires as many as 5,000 National Guard troops to remain in Washington through mid-March,” Politico reports.
Trump Pressed Justice to Go Directly to Supreme Court
“In his last weeks in office, former President Trump considered moving to replace the acting attorney general with another official ready to pursue unsubstantiated claims of election fraud, and he pushed the Justice Department to ask the Supreme Court to invalidate President Biden’s victory,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“Those efforts failed due to pushback from his own appointees in the Justice Department, who refused to file what they viewed as a legally baseless lawsuit in the Supreme Court. Later, other senior department officials threatened to resign en masse should Mr. Trump fire then-acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen, according to several people familiar with the discussions.”
