The @charliekirk11 bit about black pilots is a racist lie.

Every pilot, white, black, and otherwise, is required to get the same minimum number of hours of training.

Everyone, no exceptions, must all pass written and practical tests under the Airman Certification Standards. I’ve just checked the FARs (The regs for all aviation matters) and sure enough…there's *nothing* in Part 61 training rules about DEI. There's no DEI in the FAR. (Nor in Parts 91, 135, 141)

I’m happy to have a FAR-off with these idiots. Mine’s already tabbed. (Pilot joke)

1/ I wrote a piece calling the House GOP a failed state last Friday:

It wasn't just a flippant comment.

I was thinking about this last night, and the commonality of the MAGA GOP to the legislative bodies in failed states is deeper than I first thought.tinyurl.com/4ft8yjcx 2/ A few things that sprang to mind: Obviously, leadership instability is the big one in the news. Weak or nonexistent governance; beyond getting the cash, few care to actually govern or lead. Corruption is rampant. (Stock trading is just the tip.)

1/ Great coverage on @Morning_Joe of the tidal wave of terrible polls showing @realdonaldtrump is political poison.

As Joe pointed out, it has always been thus; losses or vast underperformance since 2017, on years and off.

For the base, though... @Morning_Joe @realDonaldTrump 2/ ...the profound power they yield over the GOP means whether Trump is the nominee and kills their majorities or whether he goes and kills their majorities is all of a piece.

There. Is. No. Escape.

#ETTD is eternal and unerring.

1/ Given the new NYT/Sienna poll, I'd just like to remind you one more time that spending money to defeat Trump in the primary is burning through donor resources that will be desperately needed in the general election.

In this, there are three schools of thought, all wrong. 2/ The first school of thought is that Ron DeSantis can be magically elevated to surpass Trump. There's a LOT of Republican (and some Dem-leaning) donor money trying to make this point.

If DeSantis wasn't in the lower quartile of warmth, connection, personality, humanity...

1/ So there's a mistake that covers both instrument flying and politics.

It's called "chasing the needles."

That's what you're seeing now with the DeSantis campaign. 2/ In instrument flying you use a display that shows you how high or low you are relative to the glideslope and how far left or right of the runway you are.

A stable approach means you fly the glideslope down to the airfield. If you get off the glideslope or localizer...

1/ For the army of butthurt MAGA But Muh Free Speech bleating over my critique of this absurd "X" rebranding...

A. Stanning every Elon decision is just silly; stanning THIS decision is absurd. As @karaswisher notes, this idea a "hold my beer" moment. @karaswisher 2/ Desperate rebrands are inherently a weak strategy when it's the product itself that needs the upgrade. Elon has worked diligently to make this site less fun, interesting, and easy to use.

We'll leave motive out of it for now.

But ad rev has...

1/ Good morning.

If any of you are still bamboozled by Nancy Jacobsen and Mark Penn's @NoLabelsOrg's actual intentions let me hook you up.

They claim to be moderate, centrist problem solvers who are running a 3rd part effort to "give Americans more choices." @NoLabelsOrg 2/ Nancy is one of DC's most powerful, influential, and connected players. A Swamp Empress. Richer than God.

She and Mark Penn are angry, though. Very, very angry. At whom, you ask?

Well, Democrats.

They were exiled from Clinton world. Obamas, same.

1/ I have a few thoughts about Chris Christie.

Yes, I'm delighted he's turned his considerable prosecutor's instincts on Donald Trump. Better late brave than never.

But there's a catch.

We're not here because Chris Christie is suddenly a brave truth teller. 2/ We're here because Jared Kushner shanked Christie.

Jared blocked Christie from getting the AG (or any) position in the Trump Administration.

And for six years, Christie was a reliable defender of Trump.

1/ Before we enter a sunny summer where fecund nature's bounty grows green and wild and where the laughter of the warm wind caresses the flowers, let's get some perspective over the indictment, the GOP field, the conservative media apparatus, and the dangers of magical thinking. 2/ The argument the case must be airtight if they're moving it to Miami to protect it from venue challenges that would obtain if it were tried in DC is...dangerous.

There's no better summary than this from @MarcACaputo:

themessenger.com/politics/trump…

1/ A few quick thoughts about Tucker.

First, and most deliciously, is the seething, furious meltdown on the right, alt-right, and loon-right. On the right, Tucker's wealth, origins, and prep-school presentation always helped launder the uglier stuff and dumb-down complex... 2/ ...issues for the demo. (Boomer, older GenX non-hs grads who comprise the core of the base). On the alt-right, Bannon's stompy-foot pissy-fit about Tucker and Fox tells you he lost the single best venue for laundering white nationalist...

1/ I'm not a bankshot guy. I'm not a magical thinking guy. I'm not a "look away, chile and it'll all be fine" guy.

I'm also not a lawyer, so let's be clear this is just advice as a guy who's been in this fight against Trump for EIGHT FUCKING YEARS at a level beyond Twitter. 2/ If you're in the existential fight to save this country from an authoritarian movement that's increasingly aggressive, confident, and centered on Trump, don't play the game you want to be in.

1/ So the Dominion lawsuit depositions from Rupert Murdoch and Fox News are lighting up the Internet tonight, and there's a true frenzy over the revelations that the entire network, even the performative nightside trio of terror.

They knew Trump lost. They knew there... 2/ ...was not then (nor is there now) a scintilla of fraud. They knew, and lied. Over, and over, and over. They chose guests they knew were lying. They allowed story meetings promoting a massive, dangerous lie that reduced faith and belief in the American system.

Here's what I wrote in #ETTD about Trump and Reince:

"Not long after Trump entered the race, Priebus feared Trump would bolt the party, run as an independent, and wreck the GOP’s chances against Hillary Clinton. He absurdly believed that if he convinced Trump to sign a GOP... 2/...loyalty pledge, Trump would support the party after he lost the primary and that the oath would moderate some of Red Hat Don’s more grotesque excesses.

1/ Let's be clear about the RNC loyalty pledge Ronna wants Trump to sign.

Hahahhahahahahahahahaahhahahahahahahhahahahhahahahahhahahahahhahahahhahhahahahhahahahhahhahhahahahahahahhahha <breathe> hahhhahahahhahahahhahahhahhahhahhahahhahahahahahahhahahahhahhahhahahahhaha. 2/ This is the same horseshit fantasy thinking that led Reince to scuttle up to Trump Tower with an Office Depot award certificate for Trump to Sharpie-splooge over.

If you think Trump has ever, ever, ever considered any contract, vow, oath, agreement...

1/ Earlier this week, @projectlincoln announced its targeting of 18 vulnerable Republicans to the usual pissy complaints from the GOP, its ancillary media, and even some centrist types who say...

https://twitter.com/ProjectLincoln/status/1621357847979114497

@ProjectLincoln 2/ ... "But wait...they're not AS bad as Marge Sporkfoot or Biggs or Boebert or Gaetz or blah blah blah."

Bless your hearts. They ARE, though. They're all of a piece now, and ideological and political conformity is the core of the MAGA caucus.

1/ It was two years ago today that Donald Trump incited and encouraged a violent mob to attack the United States Capitol.

It wasn't a tourist visit.

It wasn't a protest.

It was an attack at the root of our republic and democratic governance. 2/ He had help. Inside, the cadre of "men" like Josh Hawley, Mike Lee, Ted Cruz et al were cheering the mob and efforts to undo the election.

On his agitprop channels from Fox to Bannon to OAN, the lie of a phony election fueled the apocalyptic fervor of his horde.

1/ A bit of faffing about on the anti-anti-Trump right at the moment. I know, I know you hate us with the fire of 1000 Suns, but you don't get to escape as easily as "I love Ron DeSantis! He's DREAMY!"

God, after 7 fucking years, don't you get it? 2/ In 2016 you said, "Never" and meant, "Do me harder, Daddy" once Trump won. Oh, you did the "I hate the tweets love the policy" bullshit but you know in your heart how false and reprehensible that was from the start.

You don't get to walk away from that.

1/ Fam, we'll see if y'all are still here in the morrow, but I've got a flight to London tomorrow (a trip that just jumped up a notch) and I'm going to get some sleep.

Before I go, since it may be the last, I have five assertions for assertions for you. 2/

ITEM 1: Everything Trump Touches Dies is an inexorable and inevitable law of the universe. #ETTD

ITEM 2: America was always great. Imperfect but great and worth fighting for.

1/ For once, the shoe is on the other foot. Today, it's the GOP wailing and screeching about their failure of messaging. The GOP's message discipline was central to its success for decades.

You could wake candidates up out of a sound sleep and they'd rattle off the MOTD. 2/ They tested and polished and tweaked and worked it on hitting the right tone and messages. It's an art form.

It's also dead.

Trump killed it. Now, the persuasion doesn't matter, only the lib-pwning. They're bound and locked into profoundly stupid ideas like...

1/ Quick note on Florida.

What the fuck did you THINK would happen?

The Florida GOP is the single best Republican party in the country, hands down. It has infinite money, a deep bench of consultants and operatives, and *wins.* 2/ It’s Alabama football vs the Middle Missouri Girls’ Preparatory Academy Field Hockey team.
The FL Dems? Tough love time: they can’t organize a two-car motorcade, I’ve got more money in my glove compartment, and their skilled operators could fit around a Waffle House table.

1/ So here it is. He's back, and people are finally realizing that no amount of "He's the Former Guy" wishcasting was going to work.

No amount of "He CAN'T run if he's under indictment" copium is changing the grim reality of our world now.

Will it be tonight at 8pm? 2/ Lucy, football. Or maybe he'll cry havoc and let slip to mooks of war. Nothing -- save a shark attack, a meteor strike, or a medical crisis was ever going to stop his return.

Already, the replay of 2016 is in full flood. The Good Republicans, that vanishing tribe...