Donald Trump is set to deliver his first speech in Washington since leaving office, hours after Mike Pence told a crowd of supporters that “elections are about the future” – an apparent rejection of his former boss’s alleged fixation on “theft” of the 2020 elections. The former vice president, who is considering a 2024 presidential run, spoke this morning to Young America’s Foundation, a right-wing youth organization. He and Mr. Trump appear in Washington as evidence released by the select committee on Jan. 6 puts increasing pressure on the former president and his supporters. Rep. Jamie Raskin, one of the Democratic members of the committee, said last night that he does not believe the agency’s explanation for why the agents’ texts from Jan. 5 and 6, 2021, are missing. The Secret Service recently provided the select committee with a single text. Asked by Late Show host Stephen Colbert what he thought, Mr Raskin replied: “I don’t really buy it for a minute … there was a pre-planned migration of phones that just happened on the same day as the first violent riot in American history ?”
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Report: Chief Justice John Roberts Tried to Protect Roe Couldn’t Convince Colleagues
Chief Justice John Roberts has been working in secret to try to convince his Supreme Court conservatives not to overturn Roe v Wade, but the leak of Justice Samuel Alito’s draft opinion in early May likely hurt his chances, a new report says . Justice Roberts worked until the end of this spring’s Supreme Court session, but CNN is now reporting that Brett Cavanaugh, the right-wing justice seen as most likely to change his mind, probably never came close to doing so. The debates became more passionate when the justices discovered in late April that the draft opinion was to be made public.
John Roberts tried to protect Rowe but failed to convince colleagues, report says
The leak of the draft opinion has led to a renewed sense of urgency among the Conservatives to issue a final opinion before it faces further hurdles Oliver O’Connell26 July 2022 19:29 1658859019
Trevor Reed Urges White House to Step Up Efforts to Free Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan
Trevor Reed, the former US Marine who was released from a Russian prison in April, says he believes the Biden administration is not doing enough to bring home other Americans held in Russia. He says President Joe Biden has the ability to get WNBA basketball star Brittney Griner or corporate executive Paul Whelan out of Russia “extremely quickly,” but chose not to.
Trevor Reed calls on Joe Biden to step up efforts to free Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan
Mr Reid says President Joe Biden ‘has a responsibility to keep doing the right thing’ after being released from Russia Oliver O’Connell26 July 2022 19:10 1658857819
Biden fights recession talk ahead of keynote
Faced with a potentially bleak report this week on the overall health of the economy, President Joe Biden wants to convince a skeptical public that the US is not, in fact, headed for a recession.
Biden fights recession talk as key economic report approaches
President Joe Biden wants to convince a skeptical public that the US is not actually heading for a recession Oliver O’Connell26 July 2022 18:50 1658856652
Voices: Another wave of Covid in DC means delays on major legislation
Senator Joe Manchin announced yesterday that he has tested positive for Covid-19. Shortly thereafter, Senator Lisa Murkowski announced that she too had tested positive and was experiencing flu-like symptoms. Both said they will self-isolate according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. Of course, this all comes while President Joe Biden is in isolation due to Covid. And Manchin and Murkowski are just the latest senators to come down with the virus. Eric Garcia explains what this means for an already gridlocked Senate.
Covid is taking over Washington again. This means delays in important legislation
A rash of positive tests has sent an already gridlocked Senate into an even deeper phase of frustration Oliver O’Connell26 July 2022 18:30 1658855452
Ahead of possible recession, US consumer confidence falls for third month in a row
US consumer confidence fell for a third month in a row in July as Americans continue to feel the sting of inflation and worry about the specter of a possible recession.
US consumer confidence falls for third straight month as recession fears fade
Inflation and interest rate hikes are expected to create further headwinds in the coming months as midterm elections approach Oliver O’Connell26 July 2022 18:10 1658853939
Steve Bannon wants “shock troops” to dismantle the US government
Days after being convicted of criminal contempt of Congress, far-right agitator and Trump campaigner Steve Bannon told War Room podcast listeners Monday of a plan to purge the government of thousands of nonpartisan public servants if Donald Trump is re-elected president. Mr Bannon said he had gone far beyond “draining the swamp”. “This takes over, defeats and deconstructs the administrative state,” he said.
Steve Bannon calls for ‘4,000 shock troops’ to take down the US government
Steve Bannon, recently convicted of contempt of Congress, is now calling for the dismantling of the federal government “brick by brick” Oliver O’Connell26 July 2022 17:45 1658853052
Biden’s Covid symptoms ‘now almost completely resolved’
President Joe Biden’s Covid-19 symptoms are “now almost completely resolved,” says his doctor, Kevin O’Connor. He has completed his five-day course of Paxlovid and is feeling well enough to start exercising again. Dr. O’Connor wrote in a letter to White House Press Secretary Karin Jean-Pierre: President Biden wrapped up his five-day trip to Paxlovid last night. His symptoms are now almost completely resolved. His pulse, blood pressure, breathing rate and temperature remain completely normal. Its oxygen saturation continues to be excellent in room air. His lungs remain clear. The President is now feeling well enough to resume his physical exercise. The President will continue in isolation today, until his “Five Day”. As I have previously stated, the President continues to be extremely conscientious about protecting anyone in the Executive Residence, the White House, the Secret Service, and other personnel whose duties require any (albeit socially distanced) proximity to him. President Joe Biden continued to work during his Covid-19 isolation — seen here on the Truman balcony talking on the phone with White House Chief of Staff Ron Klein on July 25, 2022 (AP) Oliver O’Connell26 July 2022 17:30 1658852096
Report: Pompeo in talks to talk with committee Jan. 6
Former Trump Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in active discussions with the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol standoff over closed-door testimony, ABC News reports, citing sources familiar with the matter. Mr. Pompeo may speak with the investigative team in the coming days. According to Cassidy Hutchinson, a former aide to then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, Mr. Pompeo called her chief on Jan. 6, 2021, to alert him that discussions were taking place within the Cabinet about invoking the 25th Amendment as a possible way to remove then President Donald Trump from office. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaking at CPAC 2022 (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) Oliver O’Connell26 July 2022 17:14 1658851239
Catch up: Mike Pence’s speech in DC
In his speech to the Young America’s Foundation earlier, Mike Pence largely avoided any mention of his former boss. Instead, he mostly talked about his time as Mr. Trump’s vice president in the context of their partnership and avoided talking about their relationship. Mr. Trump and Pence have had a rocky relationship since the former vice president rebuffed Trump’s efforts to pressure him to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election on Jan. 6, 2021, to hand him the election. “We [have] everything has been going through a lot in recent years. A global pandemic, civil unrest, a divisive election, a tragic day in our nation’s capital, and a Democratic administration seemingly intent on weakening America, at home and abroad,” Pence said, before seemingly going on to make some sharp remarks about Mr. Trump’s focus on his lie that the 2020 presidential election was stolen.
Pence bypasses Trump in a speech to young conservatives in Washington
“Now some people may choose to focus on the past. But elections are about the future,” the vice president said. Andrew Naughtie26 July 2022 17:00 1658849214
Trump fumed at claims his power is waning: ‘My approval ratings have been, by all accounts, amazing’
Donald Trump has recently taken umbrage at the New York Times, particularly the Pulitzer Prizes he has previously won for covering his personal and political entanglements. This morning, he launched a new line of attack at the paper, firing off a nearly lengthy statement defending himself against an article by right-wing columnist Ross Douthat which claimed his royal power may be in decline. The entire statement is too long to reproduce here, but here is a representative excerpt: There are too many fights to discuss on our platform Truth Social (which in my opinion is much better than Twitter), but as the New York Times won a Pulitzer Prize for reporting on the Russia, Russia, and Russia hoax (only since then have they reported that the story was FAKE, it was a made up tale of zero truth or consequence), their story about my possible “weakening” of power is Fake News, not mentioning any of these recent Wins. PS, the Times should drop the “fabricated” Pulitzer Prize for reporting on Russia, Russia, Russia, which was the exact opposite of…
