THREAD Washington Post does story with headline, 'Trump quotes Putin condemning American democracy, praises autocrat Orban.' Raises question: OK, what did Trump say? 1/12 washingtonpost.com/elections/2023…
Put aside Orban. After all, the US political system did not convulse for years over Viktor Orban, as it did over Putin. So what did Trump say about Putin? 2/12

A new study of trans in America. Big majorities have not used hormone treatments, not had surgery. Big majorities prefer *not* to be called 'trans woman' or 'trans man.' (Prefer 'nonbinary' or 'gender non-conforming.') 1/5 washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/a-new-… Total number: Slightly less than one half of one percent of US population. Of that small number, 70 percent do not present themselves in public as trans all the time. Sometimes do, sometimes don't. 2/5 washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/a-new-…

Chinese balloon story getting more troubling tonight. WSJ, others reporting that Biden administration now says earlier, Trump-era Chinese balloon incursions happened, but nobody in US government knew about them at the time. 1/4 wsj.com/articles/biden… Story, as told in WSJ, is that Biden officials 'pieced together' what happened later. So Trump administration veterans are telling truth when they say they never knew of such things, because the Biden team figured it all out later. 2/4 wsj.com/articles/biden…

Big news last August when Adam Schiff, Dems asked Intelligence Community for 'damage assessment' of Trump classified documents case. Show the terrible harm Trump has done to national security! So now, months later, has anyone seen the assessment? 1/5 washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/whatev… Answer: No. 'We have not been briefed,' says House Intel member. 'I'm still waiting,' says Senate intel chair Warner. 'Damage assessment' nowhere to be found. 2/5 washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/whatev…

Several headlines tonight along lines of 'U.S. May Execute Its First Openly Transgender Woman.' Missouri prisoner was convicted of killing 'former girlfriend.' Journalists straining to avoid saying that killer, Scott McLaughlin, was a man at time of 2003 murder. 1/4 In prison, Scott McLaughlin was mentored by another murderer, James Hicklin, who successfully sued state of Missouri to force it to pay for transgender hormone treatment. James Hicklin now goes by name Jessica. 2/4 apnews.com/article/legal-…

On Republicans joining J6 Committee: One thing McCarthy feared was that committee leadership would keep GOP members in dark about what was going on. So now, look at this episode from @DraperRobert piece in NYT: 1/4 nytimes.com/2022/12/23/mag… @DraperRobert Late June. Cheney has gotten explosive, revised testimony from Cassidy Hutchinson. Members don't know what is going on. Cheney & Thompson summon them to SCIF for hush-hush meeting on June 28. 2/4 nytimes.com/2022/12/23/mag…

Fetterman campaign, many in media, seem to believe Oz made killer gaffe when he said federal government should play no role in abortion. Rather, wanted to see women, doctors, local political leaders involved in democratic process to set policy at state level. 1/5 Democrats pounced. Oz wants to station local politicians in hospital rooms with women making difficult medical decisions! 2/5 washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/whats-…

Elections approach. High gas prices a problem for president's party. Saudis, OPEC+ plan to cut production, send prices higher still. Biden asks, then threatens Saudis: Can you delay a month? 1/4 washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/joe-bi… Move would just happen to delay gas price increase until after election. Saudis, OPEC+ defy Biden, refuse. Go ahead with production cuts. Now, angry Biden threatens 'consequences.' Some Dems threaten to cut off Saudi military aid. 2/4 washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/joe-bi…

Much talk about the John Fetterman interview with NBC. Some speculation that his performance and reliance on computer caption screen will heighten, not lessen, questions about his health, and is thus bad for his campaign. 1/4 nbcnews.com/nightly-news/v… I don't think so. My guess is most people will watch interview and say he has (slight) trouble with speech, but is all there and capable of communicating. Which is why race seems to be turning toward issues, on which GOP will make (persuasive) case that he is terrible. 2/4

DOJ wins daily PR battle with photo of classified documents strewn across floor at Mar-a-Lago. Story is Trump alleged mis-handling of classified documents, and just look at them -- scattered all over the floor! Can you believe it? 1/11 Is that the way the documents were found? Many on Twitter believe so. Representative tweet: 'This is how Trump stored Top Secret material he stole.' 2/11

Trump documents: What we still don't know. TOP SECRET/NOFORN? Well, the Nunes memo was TOP SECRET/NOFORN, and the only thing its publication damaged was the reputation of the FBI. 1/4 washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/trump-… That is not to say the Mar-a-Lago documents, or some of them, might not have some serious national security content and implications. They might. 2/4

More reporting that J6 committee, in videotaped, under oath interview, did *not* ask Pat Cipollone about statement Cassidy Hutchinson attributed to him, that they would be 'charged with every crime imaginable' if they let Trump go to Capitol on January 6. 1/4 It was a pretty simple situation. Hutchinson testified: He said X to me. Committee could have asked him: Did you say X to her? Instead, committee stayed away from question. 2/4

A simply stunning report about J6 committee. Cassidy Hutchinson testified she talked with Pat Cipollone on morning of January 6. White House counsel worried about Trump going to Capitol. Hutchinson said he told her to make sure it didn't happen... 1/6 npr.org/2022/06/28/110… Hutchinson testified Cipollone said if Trump went to Capitol, 'We're going to get charged with every crime imaginable if we make that movement happen.' Then detailed some of the alleged crimes... 2/6

When Liz Cheney got to the tune-in-for-the-next-exciting-episode portion of the recent J6 committee hearing, starring Cassidy Hutchinson, Cheney read two examples of what she suggested was witness tampering by TrumpWorld. 1/6 First, Cheney read 'how one witness described phone calls from people interested in that witness' testimony.' Then, Cheney quoted from a description of 'a call received by one of our witnesses,' in that witness' own words. 2/6

Jaw-dropping that golfer Phil Mickelson was asked today to explain that he is not a 'partner' of Osama bin Laden and the 9/11 hijackers. Why in the world would he be bin Laden's 'partner'? Because he joined Saudi-funded LIV Golf. 1/5 Moral preening of sports journalists at Mickelson US Open newser today was off the scale. Would Mickelson write a letter to 9/11 families about his decision to join LIV Golf? 2/5

If you're interested in Trump 2020 election challenge, you should read newly-released John Eastman emails. Shed light on Eastman's notion of overturning election results on basis of theories and estimates, not actual evidence. 1/4 politico.com/f/?id=00000180… One Pennsylvania state lawmaker introduced Eastman as the man 'responsible for opening my eyes to our ability to exercise our plenary authority to decertify presidential electors (without ANY 'evidence' of retail 'voter fraud')... 2/4

Trump issues statement calling for Lesley Stahl of '60 Minutes' to apologize for saying, in an October 2020 interview, that there was 'no real evidence' of spying on Trump's campaign. 1/7 Trump is right about '60 Minutes.' Indeed, Stahl's position was puzzling. Here is the relevant portion of the transcript: 2/7 dailymail.co.uk/news/fb-887933…

Biden SCOTUS selection process is baffling. Yes, it all goes back to South Carolina in February 2020. Desperate to survive, Biden made promise to Clyburn, voters that has locked him in today. 1/6 But as general principle, why announce off top that you're eliminating around 95% of the field of possible nominees? Eliminating all men--white, black, Hispanic, Asian, other--and all white, Hispanic, Asian, other women? 2/6

People are still talking about the Steele dossier. One point on Buzzfeed decision to publish it: Yes, many were outraged. I was too, briefly, before realizing it was good for the public to see the BS first-hand. 1/7 But if you are one of those angry at Buzzfeed decision, consider an alternative scenario: Nobody published the dossier. But after IC chiefs' decision to brief Obama & Trump on it, news organizations reported on secret compromising info on Trump. 2/7

1619 Inc. The founders introduce new products -- one volume version, plus children's book, to go with podcast spinoff -- and tweak the story a bit to satisfy critics without actually correcting errors. 1/4 washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/1… Also, 1619 Inc. now has action agenda. And you better go along. Tells readers 'what they now must do or else risk personal complicity in the painful story they have just been told.' 2/4

Virginia governor's race turning toward Youngkin. Pollster in @RTDNEWS: 'Something has happened in the last few weeks among suburban women.' Youngkin connecting on education, jobs, economy. 1/4 richmond.com/news/state-and… @RTDNEWS From @rtdnews 'Between September and October, independent voters swung toward Youngkin, who also made gains among women. Other polls have shown him chipping away at McAuliffe's support in the suburbs.' 2/4 richmond.com/news/state-and…