All the Ex-President’s Sycophants
All the Ex-President’s Sycophants
Plus: There Are Brave GOP Senators—McConnell Should Be One
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BILL LUEDERS: All the Ex-President’s Sycophants.
THE WILLINGNESS OF DONALD TRUMP’S fans and followers to overlook his abundant flaws is truly awesome to behold. He seems to exert a Svengali-like influence, pulling into his orbit even people who once could clearly discern his manifest unfitness.
A few days ago in The Bulwark, Charlie Sykes examined the sad case of Ben Shapiro, who went from proclaiming “I will never vote for Donald Trump because I stand with certain principles” in 2016, to endorsing him in 2020, saying, “Whatever damage he was going to do, he’s already done,” to singing Trump’s praises in 2024, long after Trump had demonstrated that there was plenty more damage and dysfunction that he could produce. Like attempting a coup and calling the January 6th rioters “patriots” and those incarcerated for their crimes that day “hostages.” And being charged with 91 felonies. That sort of thing.
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A.B. STODDARD: There Are Brave GOP Senators—McConnell Should Be One.
MITCH MCCONNELL HAS ACKNOWLEDGED REALITY: Donald Trump is his party’s inevitable nominee and plans to punish anyone in Congress who cooperates on a border compromise or Ukraine aid. To please Trump, Republicans must work toward outcomes that damage President Joe Biden and Ukraine but help Vladimir Putin.
McConnell just wasn’t supposed to be one of those Republicans. He has been a champion for the defense of Ukraine, and the mutual dislike he and Trump feel for one another is universally known. So he startled his colleagues last week when he referred to an immigration deal tied to military aide for Ukraine as putting the party “in a quandary,” and said Republicans mustn’t “do anything to undermine” Trump.
🚨OVERTIME🚨
Forgive me, father, for I have Zynned… Dave Weigel takes a look at why the alternate nicotine delivery product has the far-right in a tizzy. (Semafor)
I guess Fox is pulling for the 49ers? Given this bizarre attack package on Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. (Aaron Rupar/ X)
Bravo, Jim DeFede… The south Florida journalist wouldn’t let Rep. Maria Salazar off the hook for taking credit for something she voted against. (HuffPo)
She Talked Like a Millionaire… But Slept in a Parking Garage and Fooled Nearly Everybody. (Jon Kamp/WSJ)
Show Me More… Duels? A Missouri Senate Republican floats bringing them back. (Daily Beast) I think Sen. Schroer might have watched The Skulls too many times.
Jim McGovern just loves his job on Rules… Roasting Republicans.
Nancy Pelosi has had it with home protests… And continues to voice her theory that #Ceasefire advocates are taking foreign cash. (Twitter) She’s been criticized for the theory. (CNN)
⌚️Despite Limited Resources… He Makes Watches by Hand (NYT).
Spotlight Speaker Series… At BigTentUSA, James Carville and Sarah Longwell with Katie Couric. (YouTube)
Cleveland prepares for the eclipse… With locally-made glasses! (WKYC)
In DC, working from home isn’t about the comfy pants — it’s about the commute. (WTOP)
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