DDT’s Trial Days – Too Much News!

Former Rep. George Santos (R-NY) made news again today when he dropped his candidacy as an independent for the House, saying he didn’t want to take votes from the GOP candidate in the district. His campaign has raised $48,128, spent $76,746, and owes $781,932.

The Senate required two days to pass the foreign aid stalled in the House for two months. By 79 to 18, the Senate voted for the four House bills in one package to give aid to Israel, Taiwan, Ukraine, Gaza humanitarian aid, and a package of miscellany including requiring TikTok to be divested from the Chinese company ByteDance within 30 days. Most of the bill’s contents were in the bill that the Senate passed by 70-29 in February. Earlier in the day, the Senate had voted 80-19 to forward the bill.

New, inexperienced MAGA Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) hoped to use the Ukraine aid battle to depose veteran Senate leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and become vice president candidate for Deposed Donald Trump (DDT), who is keeping wannabees dangling. Supporters of the Ukrainian aid have criticized Vance for inaccurate information, overestimating Ukraine’s needs for weapons and didn’t use classified information. McConnell allies compared Vance to Sen. Robert Taft (R-OH) who opposed the 1941 Lend-Lease Act to help Britain fight the Nazis and the formation of NATO.

DDT is telling young people that President Joe Biden wants to get rid of TikTok although U.S. investors, including DDT’s Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, want to purchase the social media. He lied that Biden wants to make “his friends over at Facebook become richer and more dominant.” Four years ago, DDT issued an executive order to attack TikTok which failed in Court. Yet he continued to claim that it should not exist on U.S. phones and said in July 2020, “we’re banning them from the United States.” In the House, 186 Republicans, including the entire GOP leadership, voted to take TikTok from its Chinese owner.

With the passage of the House bills, MAGA Mike Johnson (R-LA), who has been fiddling during the Ukrainian fire for his entire Speaker tenure, faces a contentious caucus. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) hopes for more support to depose Johnson and continues to rage against human rights for publicity—much like DDT. Last Friday, she declared a collection of fringe anti-LGBTQ+ activists “champions” in response to President Joe Biden’s new school protection for LGBTQ+ students under Title IX. On X, she misrepresented his ban on discrimination “on the basis of sex” as “changing the definition of ‘sex’ to mean gender identity.” The new rules are based on the Supreme Court’s 2020 Bostock v. Clayton County decision, that laws forbidding sex-based discrimination include sexual orientation and gender identity and thus forbid discriminatory or harassing behavior towards all students, including ones who are pregnant or have terminated a pregnancy.

Greene’s support for Russian President Vladimir Putin is developing opposition from not only her colleagues but also the conservative media. Tabloid New York Post’s headline ”NYET, MOSCOW MARJORIE” topped her photograph in a Russian fur cap after she fought to block aid for Ukraine.The story states that Johnson “crushed a putsch” by Greene and other rebels. DDT’s open defense of Johnson may also show Greene, once a DDT favorite, that she is on the wrong MAGA side.

Elise Stefanik (R-NY), also wishing to be DDT’s vice president, was another vote against Ukrainian aid after opposing the invasion two years ago, calling it “an unwarranted and unjustified invasion by a gutless, bloodthirsty, authoritarian dictator.” She added:

“Vladimir Putin is a war criminal and deranged thug. We must stand with democracies under assault.”

Stefanik was the only GOP House leader to oppose the foreign aid for Ukraine but didn’t issue any statement giving her reason.  

Democrats not only joined a minority of Republicans to provide aid to Ukraine but also saved the government from shutting down, reauthorized the surveillance law, passed a bipartisan compromises on tax policy that the House GOP leadership supported, and provided the military with funding in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Last spring, Democratic votes saved the U.S. economy by helping to pass the bipartisan debt ceiling solution.  

A mixed bag from this week’s Supreme Court decisions:

A majority of justices rejected a challenge to Texas vote-by-mail restrictions blocking anyone other than senior citizens from automatically using this process. Republicans believe that they can only win elections by increasing difficulties to casting ballots. Forced to vote in person, younger voters face lack of transportation, long lines, trouble finding or accessing polling places, and limited time off work. The majority of the few cases of voter fraud come from Republicans.

In its next session, the Supreme Court will hear a case concerning Biden’s regulations controlling homemade “ghost guns,” those made from kits. The three-judge 5th Circuit Court panel appointed by DDT upheld a district judge in Texas who invalidated the regulations, but a 5-4 vote in the high court temporarily stayed the ruling last summer by reinstating the 2022 federal regulation requiring serial numbers on incomplete frames and components receivers. The number of ghost guns submitted to police for tracing grew from 1,600 in 2017 to 19,000 in 2021. In 2022, the DOJ seized 25,785 ghost guns in the U.S. Philadelphia sued two ghost gun manufacturers after a mass shooter killed five people, and Colorado’s ghost gun ban went into effect this year.

Can a city block homeless from camping if it doesn’t provide other accommodations? The Supreme Court heard arguments on that question on Monday with conservatives skeptical of challenge to the crackdown in Grants Pass (OR). The Eighth Amendment, barring cruel and unusual punishment, has been used to prevent these laws. Punishment in the city ordinance includes fines up to several hundred dollars every time they are found. Justice Neil Gorsuch equated laws against homeless camping to urinating or defecating in public. Chief Justice John Roberts believes that courts don’t have a role in homeless policy and questioned why “these nine people are the best people to judge and weigh those policy judgments.”

Opponents to the law argued that cities already have the power to regulate encampments without driving the homeless out of these cities. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson asked if the city could “execute homeless people” if they couldn’t use the Eighth Amendment. The 9^th Circuit Court ruled 2-1 that Grants Pass cannot “enforce its anti-camping ordinances against homeless persons for the mere act of sleeping outside with rudimentary protection from the elements, or for sleeping in their car at night, when there is no other place in the city for them to go.” In 2018, the same court, covering nine western states, made that ruling in Martin v. Boise.  

The Supreme Court decision concerns the 650,000 homeless people in the U.S. Housing experts agree that civil and criminal penalties are counterproductive, but governments use them to satisfy critics of homelessness without addressing its causes, one of them lack of affordable housing. City officials argue that their policies are intended to encourage homeless people to seek housing although the city has no shelter. The U.S. has a demand for an additional 7.3 million affordable rental units, and 22.4 million spend more of their incomes on homes than deemed financially prudent. The median price for a one-bedroom apartment in Grants Pass is $1,250 a month, but the median per capita income is $30,649. The average person spends half of their income before taxes on rent. Grants Pass has one Christian-run overnight shelter for adults with 100 beds, and people must attend daily religious services. Pets, including service animals, are prohibited. Grants Pass has 600 homeless people.

On Tuesday, the high court seemed to support Starbucks for firing seven union activists, creating difficulty in a rapid halt to labor practices challenged as unfair under federal law. The National Labor Relations Board had ordered the workers’ reinstatement. Starbucks has opposed employee unionizing for several years.

The high court rejected an appeal from Arizona’s U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake to ban the use of electronic vote-counting machines in the state after she lost the 2022 gubernatorial election. Lake had no reason for her request, and a federal judge had sanctioned Lake’s attorneys for filing a “frivolous” and deceptive complaint. No justices dissented. After the ruling, Lake accused Hillary Clinton of wanting to assassinate her and said that “many of her friends … mysteriously died or committed suicide.”

DDT Trial Days 5-6: Judge Juan Merchan ruled that prosecutors can cross-examine DDT about his lies in two civil lawsuits—the sexual assault and defamation of E. Jean Carroll and the business fraud case—if he decides to testify. The judge also stated he opposes “jury nullification,” directing the jury to convict DDT if they find him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. After opening statements on both sides of the criminal business fraud case and 20 minutes of testimony from David Pecker, former CEO of the tabloid company American Media, the court closed early

In opening statements the prosecution stated that DDT knowingly lied and broke state laws “to undermine the integrity of a presidential election.” The defense attorney said “trying to influence an election” isn’t wrong. “It’s called democracy.” He also said he will call DDT “president.”

Pecker continued his testimony on Tuesday. High points:

Pecker’s meetings with DDT and DDT’s personal lawyer/fixer Michael Cohen to plan coverups for DDT’s affairs with women and “catch-and-kill,” paying for stories and then not publishing them. Two of them were $30,000 to Trump Tower doorman Dino Sajudin about DDT’s fathering a child with a maid who worked in the building and $150,000 to Karen McDougal about her alleged affair with DDT. Stormy Daniels received a flat payment of $130,000.

DDT’s failure to pay Pecker for McDougal’s $150,000.  

DDT’s personal review and approval of invoices and other financial documents despite his claim that he delegated everything to Cohen.

An increase in meetings with DDT to sometimes over once a week after he became a candidate in 2015.

Pecker’s promise to DDT that he would publish lies in the National Inquirer about his opponents such as the involvement of Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) father being involved in the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

Pecker’s testimony is important to the DA’s case changing misdemeanor charges for business records falsification to felonies in conspiring to promote an electoral campaign through unlawful means.

In the hearing about DDT’s violation of his gag order, Merchan appeared skeptical about arguments from DDT’s lawyers that he should not be held in contempt about his multiple violates of a gag order. Merchan postponed a decision on a $10,000 fine for attacking expected trial witnesses but told the lawyer that he wad “losing all credibility with the court.” The lawyer had tried to excuse DDT by saying that he was responding to political attacks and reposting Jesse Watters’ posts. Merchan pointed out that DDT had made his own additions to the post and put quotation marks around it. The Secret Service is meeting to determine how to handle its protection if DDT goes to jail.

The trial continues on Thursday.

Melania broke her silence during her husband’s criminal trial by advertising a $245 gold-plated necklace for Mother’s Day with the engraving “Love & Gratitude.”

April 20 (Weed Day) Brings Good News

The big news for the day: After stalling for two months, the House passed a package totalling $95 billion for national security aid that the Senate passed as one bill. To make themselves look independent, Republicans separated it into four different bills. The vote:

Ukraine aid, $61 billion: 311-112, with 210 Democrats and 101 Republicans voting in favor. One hundred and twelve Republicans opposed the bill. Seven did not vote, and 1 voted present.

Israel and Gaza humanitarian aid, $26.4 billion: 366-58, with 173 Democrats and 193 Republicans in favor. Fifty-eight Democrats and 21 Republicans opposed the bill. Seven did not vote.

Indo-Pacific aid, $8.1 billion: 385-34, with 34 Republicans opposing the bill. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) voted present, and 11 did not vote.

Variety of GOP national security priorities including a TikTok ban if it leaves its Chinese parent, ByteDance, within 360 days: 360-58. Thirteen did not vote.

Another bill of mixed GOP border priorities failed, 215-199. Seventeen did not vote. The bill was considered under suspension, needing a two-thirds majority to pass.

A breakdown of all individuals’ votes. The House has four vacancies. The Senate will hold a vote on the package on April 23. Specifics in the bills.

Democrats bailed out Speaker MAGA Mike Johnson, but he still criticized them in a press conference, saying that separating the bills was the only way he could get them to support the bills. Yet at least 173 Democrats voted for each of the bills in the package, and three of the four received at least 210 Democratic votes. Over 100 Republicans voted against Ukrainian aid.

Other Good News:

The U.S. Judicial Conference’s Advisory Committee on Appellate Rules has proposed that organizations—including corporations—must identify their financial backers when filing amicus briefs to allow knowledge of secret funds for those who will benefit. Corporate groups, frequently tied to billionaire benefactors, use these filings to push for personal benefits such as repealing tenants’ rights and block unions’ power to strike. The new rule would also require publishing names of donors contributing over $100 for preparing, drafting or submitting the brief if the person or entity had been a filing organization for under 12 months.

The 7^th Circuit Court has ruled that the Canadian operator of Enbridge drain the parts of the pipeline crossing Native American land in Wisconsin although the U.S. claims the decision violates a 1977 treaty between the two countries to keep the oil flowing. The U.S. admits that Enbridge is trespassing on trial land in carrying 540,000 barrels of mostly Canadian oil per day through Wisconsin to Ontario.

Colorado has become the second state after California to ban the use of a non-scientific term “excited delirium” in justifying use of force in police custody deaths. The term was used in at least 225 deaths throughout the U.S., and Colorado medics administered ketamine to 902 people for “excited delirium” in two and a half years, 17 percent of people experiencing complications. 

UAW got a huge union win in the South at a Chattanooga (TN) Volkswagen plant. In an 84 percent turnout, almost three-fourths of the 3,613 workers voted for the union, the biggest organizing UAW victory in years and a success after failing in 2014 and 2019. A majority of workers at Vance and Woodstock (AL) Mercedes Benz manufacturing plants have already signed union authorization cards for the UAW where workers will vote in mid-May. Recently, the UAW filed unfair labor charges against Mercedes for illegally firing union activists, disciplining workers for discussing the union at work, and prohibiting distribution of union information.

The U.S. Army will no longer allow permit military commanders to permit solders to dodge accusations of serious crimes by resigning instead of going on trial. Instead, the newly created Office of Special Trial Counsel, a group of military attorneys who specialize in handling cases involving violent crimes, must also approve the decision. The new rule applies only to cases under the Counsel’s purview such as sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, kidnapping, and murder. More than half of the 900 soldiers allowed to leave the Army in the previous decade rather than go to trial were accused of violent crimes. They had to acknowledge they committed an offense punishable under military law but were not required to admit guilt to a specific crime or face any consequences from a conviction such as registering as a sex offender.

Federal law will protect the rights of LGBTQ+ students and victims of campus sexual assault have new safeguards under new Biden administration rules based on a revised regulation from Title IX, a 1972 law barring sex discrimination in schools receiving federal funding. New provisions dismantle sexual assault rules by DDT’s former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and her requirement that unwelcome sex-based conduct must be “severe, pervasive, or objectively offensive.” Student cross examinations through representatives in live hearings are no longer mandated. New rules allow remote hearings and bar “unclear or harassing” questions. The changes protect trans students, but a provision forbidding schools from banning transgender athletes is on hold. The GOP party line is that the new rules damage progress for women and girls.

Biden’s Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has revealed new rules protecting pregnant workers, including time off for a number of reasons including prenatal doctor’s appointments, childbirth recovery, postpartum depression, miscarriage, and abortion. Pregnant workers can also be exempted from heavy lifting and have scheduling changes for those suffering from pregnancy symptoms like nausea or morning sickness. The rules are the last one issued for the 2022 Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA).

The Mine Safety Health Administration (MSHA) has announced an updated standard for safe exposure levels to toxic silica dust, thrown in the air during mining that contributes to progressive, incurable, and deadly black lung disease in coal miners. The particulate is especially common in low quality coal found in central Appalachia, causing progressive massive fibrosis which is a fatal hardening of lung tissue. The new rule increases medical surveillance with more clinical visits at no cost, silica dust monitoring, and greater site compliance with stricter consequences. In fiscal 2023, mining deaths jumped by 31 percent while MSHA suffered from a smaller budget increase. A problem is the use of an eight-hour day to estimate silica exposure whereas most miners work for 10- or 12-hour shifts, and inspections for mines are only annual.

By blocking construction of a 125-mile Ambler Road, the Biden administration is stopping a major mining project through the protected Arctic National Park and Reserve in northern Alaska to protect tribal subsistence hunting and fishing, a major part of some tribal lifestyles. DDT had approved the mining development days before he left the White House by the Interior head who covered up environmental and tribal impacts in the planning process, an approval condemned by the state’s bipartisan congressional delegation.  

For the first time, Ukraine shot down a Russian bomber as it returned from a mission killing several Ukrainians. One pilot was allegedly killed, and another crew member is missing. Russia claimed it crashed from a “technical malfunction.” Ukraine used a Soviet-era S-200 anti-air system dating back to the 1960s and considered obsolete. A second Russian aircraft armed with missiles turned around after the attack.

Pieces about “Lawmakers”:

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), under investigation by the House Ethics Committee, attended a 2017 party with minors where drugs were present, according to a sworn statement by a woman. She said a 17-year-old minor was naked at the party attended by other men and bedrooms available for sexual activities. The committee is probing whether Gaetz used illegal drugs and was under the influence of the drugs at parties while in Congress. Gaetz denied having a relationship with any minor.

Sen. Tom Cotton’s (R-AR) vigilantism about protesters on the Golden Gates Bridge in San Francisco demonstrates the conservative hypocrisy: Republicans believe in violent opposition against protesters only when they are liberals. In February 2022, U.S. conservatives were ecstatic when Canadian truckers shut down much of Ottawa to protest public health measures during the pandemic. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) said:

“Civil disobedience is a time-honored tradition in our country, from slavery to civil rights to you name it. Peaceful protest, clog things up, make people think about the mandates.”

On Fox, Sean Hannity said the truckers “are taking a stand for freedom, human dignity and autonomy, and for liberty,” and Tucker Carlson called it “the single most important human rights protest in a generation.” Cotton criticized Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for invoking emergency powers to deal with the disruption caused by the truckers’ blockade. GOP-controlled states such as Oklahoma and Florida provided immunity for people driving cars into protesters about George Floyd’s death. Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, illegally took a gun he illegally obtained across state lines and fatally shot two people. Exonerated by the law, he became a hero to conservatives, including DDT.

In more conservative hypocrisy, Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) claims to be an aggressive opponent of China and called on people in the U.S. to punish China with boycotts of products. He said, “You don’t do business with your enemies,” while he made money off Chinese businesses. While governor, Scott tried to recruit Chinese business to establish operations in his state, to his personal profit, and his firm was also fined $1.7 billion for Medicare fraud. With his wife, Scott ha invested millions of dollars in corporations with major interests in China.

Austin Smith, leader in Turning Point Action spreading conspiracy theories of “election fraud,” resigned as Texas state representative after he was accused of forging voter signatures on petitions for him to run for office.

Struggles with DDT, the House Plus State Issues

The Senate passed the FISA warrantless surveillance program by 60-34, just minutes after it expired on April 19. It goes to the President Joe Biden for his signature. 

DDT Trial Day Four: A full jury of 12 and six alternates were selected before Judge Juan Merchan held a Sandoval hearing about what Deposed Donald Trump (DDT) could be asked on the stand if he testifies. Prosecutors listed “misconduct and criminal acts” not charged in the indictment that they would question DDT about, including the ruling against DDT and his companies in the recent civil fraud case, findings in E. Jean Carroll’s two civil lawsuits against DDT for sexual abuse and defamation, and DDT’s violations of the gag order. DDT’s lawyers argued against these issues; the judge said he will rule on the objections by Monday.

DDT’s lawyer begged the judge to tell them who the first witness is. Merchan had agreed that prosecutors could keep this secret after DDT violated his gag order at least ten times during the past week. Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass agreed to give the name of the first witness but warned the lawyers that “if that should be tweeted, that will be the last time we provide that courtesy.” Merchan also reprimanded DDT lawyers for their repeated requests about pretrial matters that should have been earlier ruled on, some of them he called frivolous. He told them that this tactic will not delay the trial:

“We’re going to have opening statements on Monday morning. This trial is starting.”

DDT’s lawyers also failed an end run when they complained to a state appeals court that the judge rushed jury selection keeping DDT from having a fair trial. The court rejected the complaint as well as the application to delay the trial during DDT’s fight to get the trial moved from Manhattan.

After a man set himself on fire in the public park outside the courthouse, Chief Jeffrey Maddrey of the NYPD said the department will review security protocols in the area. The man is in critical condition in a burn unit.

DDT topped off the day by lying to the press that he didn’t know E. Jean Carroll. He still claims he will testify, a disaster, according to his lawyers.  

Polls may not reflect difficulties for DDT from the criminal trial, but GOP strategists called it “even more damaging, more constraining, and more significant than anyone expected.” Headlines concentrate on DDT falling asleep during the trial, and he couldn’t attend a big-money fundraiser in Texas on April 23. (It’s on Tuesday evening, and he could fly to Dalles because his trial doesn’t meet on Wednesdays.)

DDT doesn’t bother to campaign on Wednesday, but he hosted Polish President Andrzej Duda for almost three hours at a dinner in the Trump Tower this week. They discussed Ukraine and Middle East wars, agreeing that NATO countries should increase their defense spending to 3 percent. DDT has hosted world leaders such as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, British foreign secretary David Cameron, Argentine President Javier Milei, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. In opposition to DDT, Duda urged Biden to provide more Ukrainian aid. Like most of DDT’s favorites, the right-wing Duda restricts the judiciary, media, and civil society, but his party lost the 2023 election.

As people consider DDT possibly being convicted and imprisoned, they ask about his accommodations and Secret Service detail. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) filed legislation to remove security from anyone sentenced to imprisonment for at least a year. He stated that the DISGRACED Act would erase any conflict between the Secret Service’s mission and prison officials tasked with the protection of inmates.

Israel’s Attack on Iran: Quiet reigns, at least temporarily, after Israel fired on a military base and area with nuclear materials deep into Iran. Israelis said they wanted to prove that they could do it, and the U.S. is making no comment.

Infuriating hardliner right-wingers, three Democrats on the House rules committee supported other Republicans to move the $95 billion national security package of bills for a floor vote. The bill to proceed passed by 316-94 votes, 165 Democrats and 151 Republicans in favor. Fifty-five Republicans and 39 Democrats voted no. Republicans questioned the aid for Israel after its second attack. MAGA Mike Johnson plans to put the bills up for votes on Saturday. Most of the $60 billion for Ukraine would go to U.S. weapons manufacturers for its depleted weapons supplies; the other 20 percent is a loan which the president can cancel after November 15.

Israel would receive $17 billion for weapons with $9 billion for humanitarian aid in Gaza. Deterrence to China from $8.2 billion in the Indo-Pacific region is the third bill, and the fourth has several GOP priorities, including seizing Russian assets and forcing TikTok to leave its Chinese parent. Each of the four bills receives a separate vote. A fifth bill, securing the border and limit the migrants entering the U.S., requires two-thirds approval because of a different process and will likely fail. Because the House rejected the Senate omnibus bill of $95 billion for national security funding, that chamber will need to vote on whatever the House passes.

After the bills passed the rules committee, Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) found another follower to oust Johnson as Speaker: Paul Gosar (AZ) joined her and Thomas Massie (KY). Both Greene and Gosar are Christian nationalists. Bob Good (VA), chair of the Freedom Caucus, said Johnson’s coalition government “does not reflect the intention or the desire of the American people,” but he doesn’t like Greene and Massie. He wants to address the Speaker issue after the November election.

Additional GOP House members are complaining about their colleagues supporting Russian President Vladimir Putin. Michael McCaul (R-TX) was followed by Mike Turner (R-OH) in expressing the belief, and Don Bacon (R-NE) has stated the same sentiment along with Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) about those who want to derail Ukrainian security aid.

Hardliner Republicans, famous for their cruelty and their adolescent scatological statements, again demonstrate their complete disrespect for government. To guard against unannounced requests to pass resolutions limiting their leverage, the Freedom Caucus created the Floor Action Response Team (FART). They plan to take shifts monitoring the chamber floor to keep their party leaders from curbing their power. Two moves they see as threats are the removal of its members from the Rules Committee and changes to agreements they extorted from former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) in January 2023. The Republican Main Street group wants Johnson to remove Massie, Chip Roy (TX), and Ralph Norman (OK) from the committee to end the conservatives’ stranglehold on the committee that prepares bills for floor debate. Johnson declared he won’t change the rule that one member can file a motion to vacate the Speaker. Perhaps Freedom Caucus members may not know that the definition of fart is to “waste time on silly or trivial things.”

A few pieces from the states:

Katie Hobbs, Arizona’s Democratic governor, has stated that her last-year executive order protecting anyone participating in an abortion from prosecution is still in effect. Worried that the order might not stand, however, she called for the 1864 law banning abortions to be repealed. Hobbs’ order also removed county attorney’s authority to prosecute abortion cases although some may challenge that order. The state AG informed hospitals and clinics that the 15-week abortion ban is in place until June 8.

Ryan Walters, Oklahoma education superintendent who appointed New York resident and Libs of TikTok Chaya Raichik to the state board, gave a 12-minute speech at Oklahoma State University to the ultra-conservative Turning Point USA about never backing down before the “woke” opposition before he backed down. Protesters upset about the death of 16-year-old transgender Native American Nex Benedict from the alleged assault by three bullies in a high school bathroom blamed Walters for his anti-LGTQ+ rhetoric that harms queer youths’ mental health. After failing to answer a few questions, Walters left by the back door. He wants to ban LGBTQ+ books and teach the Bible in public schools, promotes the lie that schools provide litter boxes for “furries,” and calls teachers’ unions “terrorist organizations.”

Texas AZ Ken Paxton overcame a bipartisan impeachment effort but may face sanctions for trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election results, according to a three-judge panel from the 5^th Circuit Court who voted 2-1. The Supreme Court refused Paxton’s attempt to toss out four million votes in four states that Joe Biden won.

Pennsylvania candidate for U.S. Senate who may still live in Connecticut is incensed about a New York Times article refuting his claim rags and riches childhood story about growing up in a humble home on a Pennsylvania farm. He talked about baling hay, trimming Christmas trees, and doing other manual labor. McCormick, a former hedge fund director, is the son of a college president who lived in a home which students called a mansion (left).

DDT said if he were a Democrat that he would vote for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—for a very good reason. Kennedy’s supporters are DDT’s kind of people. Donors, including those at a San Diego fundraiser, are QAnoners, anti-vaxxers, Christian nationalists, antisemites, militia members, election deniers, and other pro-DDT extremists. A profile of Steve Slepcevic who hosted the fundraiser.

Trump Trial, House Machinations, Etc.

DDT Trial Day Two: In a “plea … to the people of Manhattan who may sit on this trial,” Rep. Byron McDonald (R-FL), wannabe VP, said that prospective jurors should not worry about impartiality but instead just rule in favor of Deposed Donald Trump (DDT). Never mind the evidence, which McDonald hasn’t seen. Another catch-up for the second day of trial is 24 hours of DDT’s rabid lying attacks about the case.

While defending DDT, Fox’s Laura Ingraham seems to agree that he paid off Stormy Daniels for his affair with him, something that DDT still denies. DDT and his lawyers are also fighting to keep his 2018 tweets out of court that admit he repaid Michael Cohen.

On the trial’s second day, DDT appeared to again fall asleep, and he lost another $330 million when Truth Social stock fell to $22.84. He may have also inadvertently confessed to the crime that he has long denied.

DDT’s lawyer Alina Habba claims that he is being denied constitutional rights of “due process” because he didn’t permit DDT to attend Supreme Court arguments about a case regarding January 6 insurrectionists. A typical criminal proceeding requires the presence of a defendant, but Habba is demanding the two-tiered justice benefiting DDT. Habba’s being an “actual attorney” is again questioned.

On April 16, seven jurors, four men and three women, were selected. (Description of the process and selected jurors here.) The trial needs five more plus six alternates. Judge Juan Merchan scolded DDT for muttering during the selection. He said that the defendant “was audible, he was gesturing and he was speaking in the direction of the juror. I will not tolerate that. I will not have any jurors intimidated in this courtroom.” Merchan also told Todd Blanche, one of DDT’s lawyers, that he was using the jury selection process to delay the proceedings and refused to dismiss one of the jurors for cause as Blanche wanted.

Prosecutors filed a motion to hold DDT in contempt of court with his Truth Social posts about witnesses continuing to violate the gag order. DDT’s lawyers argued that the posts were not covered because DDT was responding to their allegations.

In arguments, Supreme Court justices questioned the use of an obstruction law for convicting January 6 insurrectionists if defendants don’t tamper with records. Their rejection of this use could eliminate two of four charges against DDT as well as hundreds of January 6 Capitol riot convictions. Four justices—Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, John Roberts, and John Roberts—question whether the statute was appropriate for their conviction. Thomas returned to court after an unexplained absence on Monday. The statue determines a crime if a person would “alter, destroy, mutilate or conceal a record, document or other object” to impair an investigation but would “otherwise obstruct, influence or impede any official proceeding.” The “otherwise” would be whether both these provisions needed to be present for guilt.

When the Supreme Court decided not to hear Mckesson v. Doe, the decision leaves the 5^th Circuit Court ruling that people cannot organize a protest in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. DeRay Mckesson had helped organize a Baton Rouge protest after Alton Sterling was fatally shot. An unknown person threw a rock or similar object at a police officer who suffered “injuries to his teeth, jaw, brain, and head.” In 1982, the Supreme Court decision in NAACP v. Clairborne Hardware declared that protest leaders cannot be liable for a protest participant’s violent actions if the leader had not “authorized, directed, or ratified” the decision to throw the rock.

Another organizer had encouraged violence, but the Supreme Court ruled his rhetoric “did not transcend the bounds of protected speech.” The 5^th Circuit Court, however, ruled that Mckesson was at fault because he didn’t “dissuade” protesters from committing a traffic violation. In a future case, however, the Supreme Court could restore First Amendment rights to protest in the three states covered by the appeals court.

The House finally found something more important than “Home Appliance” week—Iran’s retaliation against Israel last weekend. Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) announced that “the House will move from its previously announced legislative schedule next week to instead consider legislation that supports our ally Israel and holds Iran and its terrorist proxies accountable.” He means that Republicans will pass messaging but non-binding resolutions bills such as “condemning Iran’s unprecedented drone and missile attack on Israel.”  

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) criticized GOP House members of hiding their legislative impotence in these 15 anti-Iran bills including a proposal to ban people from the U.S. from traveling to the country that will “further escalate tensions in the Middle East.” Rep. Randy Weber (R-TX) has called for regime change in Iran after the U.S. and UK led the 1953 coup to place a repressive monarchy instead of a democratically-elected leader.  

Speaker MAGA Mike Johnson said he has four bills this week—three each for funding Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan with the fourth for a group of issues including lend-lease for military aid, a TikTok ban, and sale of seized Russian oligarchs’ assets. No count exists on the success of any of these bills. As usual, hardline conservatives opposed Ukrainian aid and may oppose bringing any of these bills to the floor. They keep going back to the importance of funding for the U.S. southern border which they earlier opposed.

Together the bills may almost replicate the one Senate bill that passed in February except for humanitarian aid to Gaza, and no mention was made of security on the southern border. Separation of these bills is intended to placate the conservatives with the intent of keeping Johnson as Speaker. After the bills are readied, the vote will not occur for another 72 hours, per rules created in January 2023. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) has joined Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) in ousting Johnson from the position of Speaker. Johnson said that he won’t be resigning after Massie asked for his resignation.

After stalling for two months, the House has moved the impeachment of DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to the Senate for a trial. The conundrum in that chamber is whether to dismiss, table, or move forward on a brief impeachment trial. Johnson appointed 11 impeachment managers, and House Republicans made a ceremonial walk across the Capitol with articles to charge Mayorkas with “willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law” and “breach of public trust.” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) called the situation a “policy disagreement” and promised to deal with the issue “expeditiously.” Senators will be sworn in as jurors at 1:00 pm on April 17, and Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) will preside over the proceedings.

The impeachment of a Cabinet member is the first since 1876. Moderate GOP Senators such as Susan Collins (ME), Lisa Murkowski (AK), and Mitt Romney (UT) have questioned whether the House provided evidence of high crimes and misdemeanors, that Mayorkas carried out the Biden administration policies.

Another Senate issue is dealing with the House bill expanding surveillance authority under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) that will lapse on April 19 if Congress doesn’t pass it with the president’s signature. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) has increased his opposition to the bill after DDT called for Congress to “KILL FISA.” Some Democratic senators opposed the House bill for a variety of reasons, but changes at this point would open “a can of worms,” according to Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA).

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AK) has backtracked—slightly—from his desire to torture and kill people in the U.S. On an April 15 X post, he wrote:

“I encourage people who get stuck behind the pro-Hamas mobs blocking traffic: take matters into your own hands. It’s time to put an end to this nonsense.”

Later, Cotton edited the post to “take matters into your own hands to get them out of the way.” Regarding protesters on San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, he suggested his fellow Arkansans would toss them into the water and glue their hands to the pavement, forcing them to rip off their skin to escape. On his MSNBC show, Joe Scarborough pointed out how formerly reasonable people had developed violent rhetoric that has “become normal practice in the Republican party … preparing for a guy who has promised to be a dictator from Day One.” Cotton wanted to call out the military in June 2020 because of protests connected to the police murder of George Floyd.

The Arizona GOP Power Point presentation to get control of the abortion narrative in the state was accidentally sent to Democrats serving in the state legislature. From a report by AZ Family/CBS 5 political editor Dennis Welch:

“The Republican outline includes two phases, with the first offering a ballot referral that constitutionally protects abortion restrictions that are already on the books. But unlike the citizens’ initiative, the GOP’s phase one proposal ‘does not create a right to abortion.’ The second phase, titled ‘SEND VOTERS TWO OTHER OPTIONS THAT CONFLICT WITH (Arizona for Abortion Access) INITATIVE,’ would send a 15-week and a 6-week abortion ban to the ballot.”

Welch reported that “unlike the proposed Arizona Abortion Access Act, the GOP proposal does not create a right to abortion. In addition, it would give the (Arizona State) Legislature the authority to make future changes, which could include stricter abortion regulations. It would split and dilute support for the Arizona Abortion Access Act. As for what’s not in the memo: any attempt to repeal the Civil War-era law that, when it goes into effect, will ban nearly all abortions.”