Good evening from Lincoln Park, on East Capitol St. in DC. Tonight a group of protestors led by @freedomneighbor are holding a rally calling for the removal of the Emancipation Memorial “by any means necessary.”
The memorial was paid for by freed men and women, but designed by a white artist. It’s depiction of a kneeling Black man beside Lincoln has always been... problematic at best. It’s installation was attended by President Grant, and Frederick Douglass spoke. google.com/amp/s/www.wash…
Organizers are keenly aware of @realDonaldTrump “Law & Order!” response, and the threat of jail time for those targeting statues. They think Trump is actually directing even more attention to their cause. Who outside of DC knew about the issues with this statue before?
And we’re underway. Roughly 1/3rd media and 2/3rds demonstrators. There are historical re-enacters here. Doesn’t feel like a tear-stuff-down crowd at all.
Demonstrators have given a couple rounds of speeches. Now they’re arguing amongst themselves about whose movement this is- younger or older. The organization is sort of falling apart.
This woman is arguing for keeping the statue up, for what it teaches about its own moment in time. “We need light, and not heat,” she says.
Protestors are back to arguing amongst themselves. Now the organizer- who happily taped an interview with me earlier - is lambasting the media as a tool of the oppressor.
Oh fun. @JackPosobiec is in the crowd, not wearing a mask, and the protestors aren’t having whatever he’s doing. Keeping my distance. This event is over. It was a mess. Now the ending is pointlessly tense.
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Donald Trump attempts to walk back/clean up his weekend “termination” comments about constitutional rules & articles related to election, but in doing so doubles down on claim he should be declared 2020 winner or election re-run based on non-existent “massive & widespread fraud”
.@LeaderMcConnell ignored my questions about this on his walk from his office to the Senate floor.
Senator Murkowski appears to be the only returning elected congressional Republican to comment on the Trump/termination posts without being asked.
Hello from @GlennYoungkin’s election night party in Chantilly, VA. The bars are open, Fox News is on the monitors, and guests are clearly in the mood to celebrate.
My sources in and around this campaign were all nerves today. Broadly speaking, they’re confident they ran the better campaign, and that McAuliffe misjudged the issues he chose to run on. Their concerns: math (is VA too blue now?) & timing (did they peak too soon & wake up Dems?)
At the Youngkin event, supporters and aides feeling very good about the votes that have been counted, but eyeing empty map in NOVA warily. One supporter told me he thought Fairfax County missing their 8pm deadline/goal to release EV was suspicious.
"The Republicans want to participate," @GOPLeader says at his press conference this morning, trying to pre-but the Jan 6 select committee hearing later today. His argument is that the members Pelosi won't seat would ask the "tough questions" to expose why Capitol was unprepared.
@GOPLeader Batting second at this presser, @SteveScalise says the two members Pelosi won't seat (for publicly undermining the committee's efforts) were "canceled."
The line we're going to hear repeated from House Republicans over the next few weeks is that the select committee is all about Dems promoting a narrative, and trying to cover up for Pelosi, whom they accuse of failing to properly secure the Capitol on the 6th.
On the floor now, @mtgreenee says she hasn't gotten the chance to properly introduce herself across the aisle. Says she's a "very regular American."
@mtgreenee Greene is giving the full backstory of how she stumbled upon Q-Anon. Says she got there by Googling things about the Russia investigation in 2018. Says she didn't trust the government then. "A lot of Americans don't trust our government."
Greene says she regrets the Facebook comments and likes she posted about Q-Anon then. "I stopped believing it... any source of information that is a mix of truth and lies, is dangerous."
From the Impeachment Managers' Brief: "It is impossible to imagine the events of January 6 occurring without President Trump creating a powder keg, striking a match, and then seeking personal advantage from the ensuing havoc."
On Constitutionality of trial after POTUS term ends: "The Constitution governs the first day of the President’s term, the last day, and every moment in between. Presidents do not get a free pass to commit high crimes and misdemeanors near the end of their term."
Reading the brief I'm struck by the dozens of footnotes citing Trump's twitter account. The former President's tweets providing evidence of intent the managers use against him.
Has anyone seen or heard from Secretary @stevenmnuchin1 since last week? His negotiation on behalf of the President led to bipartisan bill, passed overwhelmingly, that the president won’t sign. How does he have the credibility to stay in that job? Or at least that role?
It’s a serious question. Who in the Trump admin could walk into Pelosi’s or McConnell’s office right now and say: The President will sign X, and they’d believe it. Jared? Without that person, how does this manufactured crisis end before Jan 20?
Meanwhile, today I interviewed a Pennsylvania grandmother who is losing her unemployment, and who told me "panic mode has now kicked in."
This isn't theoretical. Real people need help, period.