Watch this assessment by @clairecmc on @MSNBC. All 4 minutes.
"Joe Biden had one thing he had to do tonight and he didn't do it," former senator Claire McCaskill said. "He had one thing he had to accomplish, and that was reassure America that he was up to the job at his age, and he failed at that tonight."
McCaskill on MSNBC: "I'm not the only one whose heart is breaking right now. There's a lot of people who watched this tonight and felt terribly for Joe Biden. And you know, you have to ask, how did we get here?"
"I don't know how the rest of the story is written," she said. "I don't know if things can be done to fix this. They might, and Trump is so terrible that this might heal itself, but based on what I'm hearing from a lot of people... there is a lot more than handwringing tonight."
McCaskill signaled that she's been hearing from "a lot of people," including those in "high elective offices," i.e. Democratic senators. "I do think people feel like we are confronting a crisis," she said, citing "glaring weaknesses in our president" that viewers saw tonight.
I'm able to capture and share these clips in real time thanks to @SnapStream. It's my favorite website on the whole entire internet 🤩 To find out how you can put these tools to work for your company or organization, click here ::: go.snapstream.com/moments/brian?…
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
Kudos to NBC News for releasing the transcript of @kwelkernbc's phone interview with Trump. The details are really revealing. Trump's stated premise about seeking an unconstitutional third term is predicated on his popularity, which he wildly exaggerates. 🧵
"We're very popular," Trump said, based on his imaginary "high 70s" approval rating. "And you know, a lot of people would like me to do that," remain in power for a third term. "I basically tell them, we have a long way to go, you know, it’s very early in the administration."
Welker indicated that she brought it up because "I've been talking to a lot of your allies. They say they're very serious" about an unconstitutional third term. She name-checked Steve Bannon. Trump responded by essentially confirming all of it. nbcnews.com/politics/donal…
President Trump says he is "not joking" about the possibility of a third term in the White House, even though it's unconstitutional. "There are methods" for doing so, he says, but "it is far too early to think about it."
NBC's lead: "Trump did not rule out the possibility of seeking a third term in the White House, which is prohibited by the Constitution under the 22nd Amendment, saying in an exclusive interview with NBC News that there were methods for doing so..." nbcnews.com/politics/donal…
When @kwelkernbc was on the phone with Trump, she started out by saying "I know you're joking about this," but then it turned serious. Trump wildly overstated his approval rating and said "a lot of people would like me" to have a third term. Here's the full transcript released by NBC:
KRISTEN WELKER: So, when you're jo – I know you're joking about this, but I've been talking to a lot of your allies. They say they're very serious. You know, I talked to Steve Bannon on the record, quite frankly. So, I can just tell you. I mean, he says he's, you know, really seriously looking at potential plans that would allow you to serve a third term.
PRES. DONALD TRUMP: Well, let me put it this way. You have to start by saying, I have the highest poll numbers of any Republican for the last 100 years. We're in the high 70s in many polls, in the real polls, and you see that. And, and you know, we're very popular. And you know, a lot of people would like me to do that. But, I mean, I basically tell them, we have a long way to go, you know, it’s very early in the administration.
KRISTEN WELKER: So, but I don't hear you ruling – like, in a very serious way, do you rule that out? Are you like, I can't serve a third term, it's unconstitutional? What's your thinking around it?
PRES. DONALD TRUMP: A lot of people want me to do it. But we have – my thinking is, we have a long way to go. I’m focused on the current.
KRISTEN WELKER: Have you been presented with any potential plans that would allow you to serve a third term?
PRES. DONALD TRUMP: Well, there are plans. There are – not plans. There are, there are methods which you could do it, as you know.
KRISTEN WELKER: Basic– Well, let me throw out one where President Vance would run for office and then would, basically, if, if you – if he won, at the top of the ticket, would then pass the baton to you.
PRES. DONALD TRUMP: Well, that's one. But there are others too. There are others.
KRISTEN WELKER: There are others? Can you tell me another?
PRES. DONALD TRUMP: No.
KRISTEN WELKER: Okay. So, but, but, sir, I'm hearing – you don't sound like you're joking. I've heard you joke about this a number of times.
PRES. DONALD TRUMP: No, no I'm not joking. I’m not joking –
KRISTEN WELKER: Yeah. Yeah.
PRES. DONALD TRUMP: But, I'm not – it is far too early to think about it.
KRISTEN WELKER: Okay. Okay. It's too early to think about it, but you’re not –
PRES. DONALD TRUMP: – If people would like, and I hope you're going to mention, I have the highest ratings of any Republican –
KRISTEN WELKER: Yep. Yeah–
PRES. DONALD TRUMP: – in 100 years.
KRISTEN WELKER: Yeah, yeah.
PRES. DONALD TRUMP: Nobody’s had ratings like this.
KRISTEN WELKER: Yeah. Do you – would you want to serve a third term, sir? That's – it's a lot of work. President is the toughest job there is. It's the toughest job in the country. You think you have –
PRES. DONALD TRUMP: Well, I like working.
KRISTEN WELKER: Yeah.
PRES. DONALD TRUMP: I like working, so, you know.
KRISTEN WELKER: Well, you, you–
PRES. DONALD TRUMP: Unlike sleepy Joe, unlike sleepy Joe.
KRISTEN WELKER: Would you, would you – you wouldn't want to pass the baton to Vice President Vance?
Radio Free Europe streamed unflinching coverage of Russia’s war in Ukraine to Russians when the Kremlin banned its citizens from calling it a war. (1/4)
Radio Free Asia bravely exposed China’s mass detention of the Uyghurs, a predominately Muslim ethnic minority in the far west of the country. (2/4)
The Open Technology Fund helped fund the creation of Signal, the hugely popular encrypted messaging app. (3/4)
The Voice of America may not live up to its ambitious name for much longer.
Today the staff was told to stop working. Some were told to hand in badges. And contracts with other American-funded networks were cancelled. This is a massive purge. 🧵
Employees expect VOA's worldwide news coverage to grind to a halt, according to half a dozen sources who spoke with me today. "The Voice of America has been silenced, at least for now," a veteran correspondent said.
While Trump allies argue that the broadcasters are bloated and outdated, advocates say that by dismantling the networks, the United States is ceding the airwaves to China and other world powers, thereby harming American interests abroad. cnn.com/2025/03/15/med…
Early efforts are underway to turn the Voice of America into the Voice of Trump. Here's what sources inside VOA are saying... 🧵
One of VOA's chief correspondents, Steve Herman, has been benched and subjected to an HR investigation just weeks after one of Trump's allies publicly attacked him. Another correspondent, White House bureau chief Patsy Widakuswara, has been abruptly moved to a new beat.
The changes – as yet unexplained to the newsroom – are "having a chilling effect on the entire institution," a VOA staffer said.
New: A letter from AP executive editor Julie Pace to White House chief of staff Susie Wiles signals a likely legal challenge now that the Trump admin has twice singled out the AP for punishment over its use of "Gulf of Mexico."
The actions "were plainly intended to punish the AP for the content of its speech," Pace writes.
"This is viewpoint discrimination based on a news organization's editorial choices and a clear violation of the First Amendment."
Pace says "the AP is prepared to vigorously defend its constitutional rights and protest the infringement on the public's right to independent news coverage of their government and elected officials."