Something to watch on midterm messaging: DNC chair is sounding out a new refrain that wasn’t a part of the playbook months ago: “Listen, the Republican Party is soft on Russia,” @harrisonjaime said several times today at DNC mtg.
I asked Harrison about reports on tensions btwn DNC and WH. He said he had a great lunch in recent weeks w/ Pres. Biden.
Q: Did you air any grievances?
HARRISON: “There were no grievances to air…”
Was upbeat on Biden, didn’t get into relationships w/ Biden aides…
Asked him if Iowa should still go first. Why not have SC, with more diverse electorate, go first?
Harrison said he wasn’t pushing for any change. Likes SC’s place in the 2024 batting order.
“I can tell you, South Carolina likes being where it is. We're not going anywhere.”
Per several sources familiar, Flynn did show up virtually to @January6thCmte today… one source says there is intense interest in what he and Sidney Powell were telling Trump ahead of Jan. 6 and in final days
Flynn lawyer statement:
“General Michael Flynn appeared before the January 6th Committee today in compliance with their subpoena and, on advice of counsel, exercised his 5th amendment right to decline to answer the Committee’s questions.”
Martial law and voting machines, and conversations with Trump. That’s what the committee is interested in, per a person close to it. They pointed me to this exchange below. In “Peril,” we also detail how Flynn and S. Powell were in Trump’s ear…
(thread) Going back to Sept. 2021, when they first issued a subpoena to Bannon & others citing "Peril" passages on Willard Hotel war room, the @January6thCmte has been signaling its focus on investigating what they believe could be a criminal conspiracy to overturn an election...
Tonight is an important night, coming nearly six months later. Tonight, the committee is, for the first time, firmly stating that it believes crimes were committed related to Trump's multi-front efforts to overturn the election and his scheme of organizing "alternate electors."
Details of what the commitee is now saying was a criminal conspiracy...
1) Eastman was in the Oval on Jan. 4, 2021 with Trump. They both confronted Pence and his aides before Trump flew to GA. “You really need to listen to John,” Trump told Pence. “Listen. Listen to John.”
INSIDE THE ROOM: Last night, at classified Hill briefing, Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) stood up and closed the briefing with urgent plea to admin. officials and colleagues. Warned that "free world has failed Ukraine" and "history is watching us," per 3 lawmakers who were there....
“She was the final speaker and got up, the last one up after many others said just said a few words and asked questions. But then she gave me chills,” one of the lawmakers said. “Marcy called us out. She said the free world has failed Ukraine.”
A 2nd lawmaker said Kaptur’s remarks ended w/ a round of applause as congressional leaders and Biden administration military and national security officials listened. “When someone seemed to signal her time was up, she said, ‘I’ve been here [in Washington] 45 years," kept spkg.
CPAC notes/Day 3: Former president Trump continues to falsely claim the 2020 election was “rigged” and that he won presidential elections “twice.” And praises @RepMTG by name, one day after she spoke at a white nationalist conference in Florida.
Of note: Trump now signaling his solidarity with blocs of the congressional GOP, but has not spoken name of McCarthy (yet) or McConnell, just months before midterms. Instead praises R. Scott, Hagerty, J. Kennedy, Jim Jordan, Gaetz. Trump spelling out the Trump wing on Hill.