Ross Douthat Once Again Downplays the Trump Threat
Plus: Could This Trump Argument Persuade SCOTUS?
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CHARLIE SYKES: Exit DeSantis
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AARON FRIEDBERG AND GABRIEL SCHOENFELD” Ross Douthat Once Again Downplays the Trump Threat
“THERE WILL BE NO TRUMP COUP,” WAS THE HEADLINE of an October 20, 2020 New York Times column in which Ross Douthat downplayed suggestions that the president, if defeated, might use extralegal means to try to cling to power. Needless to say, that turned out to be dead wrong.
Having minimized the dangers posed by Donald Trump three years ago, Douthat is now back with a column repeating the error, minimizing the dangers posed by Trump while maximizing the perils supposedly posed by Nikki Haley. “Why Nikki Haley Could Be the Most Dangerous President” is the arresting title of his January 20, 2024 column. Is Douthat serious? Apparently so. What is his argument?
🎥 PODCASTS AND VIDEOS 🎧
Bulwark Podcast with Charlie Sykes: Will Saletan: A Rogue Presidency [Ad-Free🔐]
The Next Level: How Long Does the Planet Earth Have? (With David Wallace-Wells) [Ad-Free🔐]
The Focus Group: New Hampshire Weirdos for Nikki? (with Tim Miller) [Ad-Free 🔐]
Tim’s Take: Ron DeSantis Ends Campaign Humiliated
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KIM WEHLE: Could This Trump Argument Persuade SCOTUS?
LAST THURSDAY, A HANDFUL of Donald Trump’s (remaining) lawyers filed a brief in the U.S. Supreme Court urging reversal of last month’s Colorado Supreme Court ruling that he is ineligible for the presidential ballot because he engaged in insurrection within the meaning of Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment. The brief offers a shred of an argument that conservatives on the Supreme Court might cling to if they wish to deactivate that constitutional provision for purposes of the upcoming presidential election.
JILL D. LAWRENCE: Cancel the 2024 Presidential Debates if Trump Is the GOP Nominee.
NIKKI HALEY DID America a YUGE favor with her bold move on debates. She said she wouldn’t debate in New Hampshire unless Donald Trump agreed to participate, and of course he didn’t. Both ABC and CNN promptly canceled primary debates they’d planned for Thursday and Sunday, and thank you for that, network gods.
Now can we agree that if Trump is the Republican presidential nominee, we will scrap the three general-election debates scheduled for September and October?
🚨OVERTIME🚨
Happy Monday! Not sure if due to the travel or the kids’ birthday party, but I’m nursing a cold. Which means I’m breaking out my grandma’s chicken noodle soup recipe, which is in The Bulwark Thanksgiving Cookbook. Recently added is a recipe from reader Ellen Wheeler for Molasses Sugar Cookies, which she made and brought to our SFO event. Our readers are the best. I’ve gotta get to work on perfecting her recipe in my very finicky oven.
Can’t wait for the blame… Here was my thought on the DeSantis Twitter launch, and sure enough, the Anti-Anti-Trumpers are still blaming the Never Trumpers for Ron’s failure. Listen to my CenterClip today on Ron’s departure. Why did he fail? Not good at retail, something we all new.
A postmortem for DeSantis… From Chris Hayes.
Elise really wants the Veep… Writes Chris Cillizza.
A tribute to a fallen culture warrior… At McSweeney’s.
‘Emergency’ or Not… Covid Is Still Killing People. Here’s What Doctors Advise to Stay Safe.
Meanwhile, in Saint Louis… Stay safe on the icy roads! This fire truck’s driver is either a stunt driver or lucky.
Jason Kelce stole the show… At last night’s Buffalo / Kansas City game. I was pulling for the Bills, but now it’s Detroit all the way. Go Lions.
Mystery of Frank Ryan’s stolen game ball… solved.
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