A lot has happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo. Sign up for the release.
The trial in Trump’s hush money case did everyone a favor by identifying Trump’s public rhetorical attacks on his daughter as an attempt to delegitimize the justice system, attack the rule of law, and subjugate anyone involved in holding Trump accountable.
In a moving five-page ruling, New York State Judge Juan Merchan extended the existing gag order against Trump to include family members, members of the court and the prosecutor. In doing so, he admitted that the original gag order did not contemplate a protective circle of family members and that, therefore, Trump had not violated it.
But it wasn’t so much the expansion of the gag order as Merchan’s descriptive language that struck a chord in those perilous times (emphasis added):
[T]he tendency to attack the relatives of the presiding jurists and lawyers assigned to their offices serves no purpose. This only instills concern in those summoned or called to participate in the process, since not only they, but also members of their family circle, are “righteous targets” for the vitriol of the accused.
And:
The average observer, after hearing the recent attacks through the accused, will have to come to the conclusion that if he is involved in that process, even indirectly, he should not only care about himself, but also about his loved ones. they undermine the fair administration of justice and constitute a direct attack on the rule of law itself.
The danger of the moment is that Trump’s rhetorical attacks are a precursor and an element of the explosive concoction that produces political violence. Real violence. He knows. He likes it. It appeals to him.
Even if silence were a mandatory step for the sanctity of the upcoming trial, it alone will not be enough to end the political violence that Trump has unleashed and continues to hold over the head of the Republic like a sword of Damocles.
Former Trump 2016 crusade press secretary Hope Hicks is expected to be a prosecution witness in the secret trial, NBC News reports.
I know many of you were disappointed that an appeals court allowed Trump to get away with reducing the appellate bail amount to just $175 million in his New York civil fraud case. But it’s also still a mixed result for Trump.
Yes, it’s not easy for him to pay the full $454 million, which would have increased his monetary pressure and (but not certainly) forced him to file for bankruptcy.
But the $175 million bail he obtained before Thursday’s deadline is still a significant sum. Significantly for Trump, state Attorney General Letitia James can now accept it if Trump loses the appeal, rather than having to fight bankruptcy proceedings or take action against it. to various Trump properties.
As for the collateral provided through Trump for the bond, an executive involved in the transaction told ABC News it was just money, but also said he may not remember if any investment-grade bonds were also part of the collateral. warranty. Who would do this kind of business with Trump? Here’s something for you:
Trump was granted bail by Knight Specialty Insurance Company, owned by the privately held Hankey Group, whose chairman told ABC News he considers himself a supporter of Donald Trump.
“That’s what we’re doing at Knight Insurance, and we’re pleased to be able to accommodate the former president in this situation,” Don Hankey told ABC News. “I’d say it’s more of a business decision, but I also take being partisan. “
Related note: There are a plethora of issues that can be challenged on appeal, and I suspect that the final award will still be substantial, albeit less than that awarded by the trial judge. Either way, James will be in a smart position once. Calls sell out in several months.
Matt Levine of Bloomberg: “A lot of other people want to be associated with Donald Trump and, for some reason, want to make him richer, and Trump Media’s moves are a pretty undeniable way to do that. Why do you want to be similar to the underlying business? »
A split Florida Supreme Court, 4-3, paved the way for the inclusion of a proposed constitutional amendment protecting abortion rights in the November election.
Putting the amendment on the ballot, where it will require a 60% majority to pass, is a massive victory for abortion rights supporters. It also fundamentally adjusts policy on the floor this cycle, even if it’s decidedly unclear whether this will be enough to turn things around for Democratic applicants in an increasingly red Florida.
Meanwhile, abortion in the state will be severely restricted, as the High Court also allowed the state’s new 15-week abortion ban to go into effect, prompting a six-week ban in 30 days.
Sarah Posner on the apocalyptic whistle Donald Trump uses to seduce evangelical Christians:
As macabre as it may seem to outsiders, to evangelicals immersed in end-time prophecies, these nightmarish scenarios are real. They are waging spiritual warfare against demonic spirits bent on destroying an America that God intended to be a Christian nation. To them, Trump’s accomplishments are more than just a list of abortion judges and policies; His whole being is a divinely ordained force, strong enough to disappoint Satan’s plans.
Federal judges in the Northern District of Texas are vowing to defy the Judicial Conference’s new guidance aimed at mitigating the right-wing legal movement’s brazen pursuit of judges in one- and two-judge districts. The Northern District of Texas includes Trump’s famous federal appointees. U. S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a federal attorney from Amarillo, who crafts right-wing legal cases.
Peter Navarro, the White House official jailed by Trump, once again failed in his quixotic quest to comply with the Presidential Records Act by handing over to the National Archives his Proton emails similar to his paintings from his tenure in the administration. The appeals court rejected his absurd interpretation of the Watergate-era statute.
The would-be saboteur of 2024, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. , said last night on CNN that Joe Biden poses a greater risk to democracy than Donald Trump.
A federal judgment in California has rejected several long-standing attempts by Hunter Biden to have his criminal tax case dismissed.
Lou Conter, a 20-year-old quartermaster, was on the maindeck of the USS Arizona when the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor began. He died at the age of 102, the last surviving member of the crew of the battleship whose sinking in the attack claimed the lives of 1,177 of his fellow soldiers.
Do you like Morning Memo? Let us know!
A lot has happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo. Register for the. . .
A lot has happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo. Register for the. . .
A lot has happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo. Register for the. . .
A lot has happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo. Register for the. . .