Trump Shouldn’t Testify Before the Jan. 6th Committee—But He Might
Trump Shouldn’t Testify Before the Jan. 6th Committee—But He Might
Plus: Glenn Youngkin Believes in “Parents’ Rights”—But Only for the “Right” Kinds of Parents.
Recently at The Bulwark:
CHARLIE SYKES: Kevin McCarthy's Chaos Agenda
JVL: What If It *Is* the End of History, But Liberalism Loses? 🔐
THE NEXT LEVEL: He Gets You Hot In A Bad Way. 🔐
You can support The Bulwark by subscribing to Bulwark+ or just by sharing this newsletter with someone you think would value it.
CHRIS TRUAX: Trump Shouldn’t Testify Before the Jan. 6th Committee—But He Might.
Last Thursday, the final (maybe) hearing of the House January 6th Committee ended on a dramatic note—though not a particularly suspenseful one—when the committee voted on live TV to issue a subpoena to Donald Trump. At the time, this epic, who’s-your-daddy move didn’t get the respect it deserves because most pundits think it will come to nothing. I’m not so sure.
Of course, thanks to Nixon and Clinton, it’s now well established that even sitting presidents, to say nothing of ex-presidents, are subject to subpoena in both criminal and civil court cases. But it wasn’t until 1953, when former President Harry Truman refused to comply with a subpoena from the House Un-American Activities Committee, that presidents tried to resist congressional subpoenas on separation-of-powers grounds. (The House declined to enforce HUAC’s subpoena and the matter was dropped.)
If the Republicans win back the House, a more absolutist caucus is likely to refuse to raise the debt limit unless Democrats agree to spending cuts. And Kevin McCarthy is likely to oppose more military aid for Ukraine. Jake Sherman joins Charlie Sykes today.
Bulwark+ members can listen to an ad-free version of these podcasts on the player of their choice. Learn more at Bulwark+ Podcast FAQ.
ANSLEY SKIPPER: Glenn Youngkin Believes in “Parents’ Rights”—But Only for the “Right” Kinds of Parents.
Last month Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin proposed new model education policies regarding transgender students. The “guiding principle” of his proposal is that “Parents have the right to make decisions with respect to their children,” and that “Schools shall respect parents’ values and beliefs.”
Follow along with what Youngkin means by respecting parents’ decisions:
Youngkin aims to require transgender students to participate in sports teams and use restrooms according to what the schools say they should. And Youngkin also seeks to prevent teachers and administrators from referring to transgender students by their preferred names and pronouns. Which I guess means that neither the students, nor the parents, nor the teachers in the schools get to make decisions about important educational matters such as . . . nicknames.
BILL LUEDERS: Attack Ads Are Darkening the Skin Tone of Black Candidates.
It’s working. Once ahead in the polls, Democrat Mandela Barnes, the lieutenant governor of Wisconsin, is now trailing Republican incumbent Ron Johnson in the state’s race for U.S. Senate, a shift also seen recently in other important races. One factor is an onslaught of negative messaging that seeks to paint Barnes as a crime-loving radical. A key word here is “paint.”
One of the ads, from the National Republican Senate Committee, ends with a shot that brands Barnes, who is black, as “different” and “dangerous” as it pictures him alongside three congresswomen of color who are members of “The Squad,” none of whom has campaigned with him. For good measure, the state Republican party sent out a mailer in which the color of Barnes’s skin has clearly been darkened. Here’s a side-by-side comparison that appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel…
🚨OVERTIME 🚨
Happy Tuesday! Well, the Guardians weren’t able to pull it off. Appreciate all of you bandwagon Guards fans sending me condolences. When you’re from Cleveland, you’re used to disappointment. But the team really performed, and, as we like to say, there’s always next year. And we have a lot of promise.
Toxic lies aren’t new in politics… But they’re dangerous, argues Phil Heimlich in the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Trump and Treason… The inside scoop about how bureaucrats considered branding free traders… guilty of treason?
The internet is broken. A thread that details, well, the details.
That’s it for me. Tech support questions? Email members@thebulwark.com. Questions for me? Respond to this message.
—30—
Editorial photos provided by Getty Images. For full credits, please consult the article.