Category Archives: Donald Trump

Donald Trumps upcoming Texas two-step will give him the chance to tout his Lone Star endorsements for the May 24 GOP state primary runoffs.

Trumps visit, however, is more personal.

Still the most influential voice in the Republican Party, the former president has an eye toward 2024, when he could make another run for the White House. And like his previous presidential runs, Texas would play a critical role.

This is perceived as a very strong base for him and he needs to keep the wires alive to tap into that Texas energy for him, said Bill Miller, an Austin-based Republican consultant and lobbyist. If the hard core here in some way should say, Yeah, I really like him, but ..., thats not what he wants. Hes got to keep that but right out of the conversation.

On May 9, Trump is scheduled to headline a Dallas dinner to raise money for Republican congressional candidates. The National Republican Congressional Committee began rounding up donors for that about a month ago.

Trump also has announced an all-day rally in Austin for May 14. Its part of his American Freedom Tour, a series of campaign-style events that seem designed to keep his profile high and to generate income.

Tickets to the Dallas dinner are treated as campaign contributions, but tickets for the American Freedom Tour event are not campaign donations, which suggests that proceeds go to the organizers and speakers.

Trump will likely use both events to tout his Texas endorsements. Trump-backed candidates are part of five GOP runoffs, most notably Attorney General Ken Paxton, whos running for a third term against Land Commissioner George P. Bush.

Despite the stakes, Trump has more than Texas runoffs on his mind.

He says he loves Texas. The Lone Star State has helped propel his political career. For his presidential bids, Trump had the help of prolific fundraisers like Dallas businessman Roy Bailey, who served as co-chairman of Trumps national finance committee. Dallas businessman Tommy Hicks Jr., an early Trump supporter, is now co-chairman of the Republican National Committee. Bailey said more money came out of Texas for Trump than any other state.

In 2020, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick was Trumps Texas campaign chairman. And Paxton filed the ill-fated and critics say ill-advised lawsuit to overturn election results in key battleground states.

Most of Trumps Texas rallies have been well-attended spectacles and a celebration of his movement. Where else will you find a woman draped in a dress decorated with photos of Trump?

If he runs for president in 2024, Trump needs Texas Republicans to maintain their energetic support for him, as well as the continued doling of campaign cash.

Thats why the May visit wont be his last trip to Texas, particularly if he plans to stay on the national political scene.

Meanwhile, other Republicans, such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, will continue to position themselves as potential 2024 presidential hopefuls.

Then theres Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who this year wants to beat Democratic challenger Beto ORourke by 10 or more percentage points to help propel him as a possible 2024 candidate for president or vice president.

DeSantis and Abbott have been dueling each other on the most provocative new law or public policy. The Florida governor recently signed the Parental Rights in Education law, which prohibits instruction related to gender identity or sexual orientation in kindergarten through third grade. The law, which critics have dubbed dont say gay legislation, would possibly restrict such instruction for older kids, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

Last week Abbott made a bold move of his own. He announced that Texas officials would begin busing migrants to the steps of the U.S. Capitol and inspecting vehicles driven in from Mexico. He called the move an unprecedented response to illegal immigration.

Abbotts latest move escalates his clash with President Joe Biden over how to handle illegal immigration. The governor has sent thousands of state police and Texas National Guard soldiers to the border to arrest migrants on trespassing charges. In a nod to Trump, Abbott also has committed $1 billion to erecting a barrier along the states border with Mexico. That came after Biden issued an order to discontinue wall construction begun by Trump.

Critics, including ORourke, have called Abbotts latest border tactic a political stunt.

The maneuvers by potential 2024 candidates wont matter, however, if Trump is a candidate in 2024. The way he keeps beating a path to Texas, it appears another Trump presidential bid is on the horizon. And entering 2022 Trumps various campaign accounts had totaled $122 million. While that money technically cant be rolled over into a 2024 presidential campaign, he can spend it now.

Until and unless he says hes not running, Trump is the Republican front-runner for 2024.

Republicans want to win, Miller said. Theyre going to take a long hard look at Trump. It wont be automatic. Hell have to work for it, but hes the front-runner for the nomination.

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Trump visits Texas ahead of primary runoff election - The Dallas Morning News

The USFL will launch on Saturday, April 16 in yet another attempt to start a professional football league.

This is the second attempt at spring football for the USFL. The first league enjoyed short-lived success from 1983-86. The new USFL will bank on that nostalgia factor with the same franchises and team names from the 1980s. It's also not a direct challenger for the NFL.

Why did the original USFL catch on and eventually fail? That's a history lesson worth looking at.

New Orleans businessman David Dixon, who helped get the Saints to the NFL, had a vision for a spring and summer football league, and that groundwork was laid in 1980.

MORE USFL: Top players from original league | Ranking uniforms | Rule changes | Schedule

The timing helped. The NFL had a strike-shortened season in 1982, and the USFL's first season was the following spring in 1983. The league had 12 teams, and several of those teams played in NFL stadiums.

The league also secured solid television deals. The 1983 USFL championship game between the Michigan Panthers and Philadelphia Stars was televised on ABC and Keith Jackson and Lynn Swann called the game.

The league lasted three seasons from 1983-85.

The USFL originally planned to bar underclassmen, but that changed when they allowed Georgia star Herschel Walker, arguably the greatest college football player of all time, to sign with the New Jersey Generals after his junior season. Heisman Trophy winners Mike Rozier and Doug Flutie followed Walker to the USFL over the NFL.

The talent level in the USFL was legitimate. Future Pro Football Hall of Famers Jim Kelly, Steve Young, Reggie White and Gary Zimmerman also played in the league. Kelly and Young played in a legendary 34-33 shootout between the Houston Gamblers and Los Angeles Express in 1985; a game in which Kelly passed for 574 yards and five TDs.

On the field, the USFL allowed for two-point conversions, a rule the NFL would not adopt until 1994. That was one of the quirks of a league that enjoyed modest success in its first season.

The USFL didn't have a salary cap, and that made for financial trouble for some franchises. The stability of those franchises from year to year was tough.

The league tried to expand from 12 to 18 teams for its second season, and by the third season it trimmed back down to 14 teams. Only six of those USFL franchises lasted all three seasons.

The new version of the USFL will start with eight teams in 2022.

Donald Trump also was involved in the USFL. He became the owner of the New Jersey Generals in 1984, and he led the push for the league to move to a fall schedule and directly compete with the NFL. The USFL filed an antitrust lawsuit with the NFL and won the case for $1, but the three-year court battle added to the league's financial woes.

The USFL would ultimately fold in 1986.

The original USFL had success and was seen as a fun alternative for the NFL and offered a blueprint for success in some cases.

The nostalgia factor will be high, too. The new USFL kept the teams names and it paid homage to the original league. The glamour franchise (New Jersey Generals), their biggest rival (Tampa Bay Bandits) and the most-successful franchise (Philadelphia Stars) are back.

Marv Levy and Bill Polian took the lessons learned from the Chicago Blitz and built a four-time AFC champion with the Buffalo Bills around Kelly at quarterback.

Ultimately, the financial instability and directly challenging the NFL led to the league's demise. That's a lesson the XFL would learn later, and the new USFL would be better served as a developmental league that experiments with new innovations the NFL can use later.

The USFL is in the right window on the sports calendar, and this time it coincides with the MLB coming off a lockout. Don't be surprised if there is modest success at the start, but can it maintain that viewership?

Excerpt from:

What happened to the original USFL? Herschel Walker, Donald Trump and an ill-fated NFL lawsuit - Sporting News

Former President Donald Trumps love for golf is no mystery. He has often been seen on a golf course, even before and after his term. Trump is said to be good at the game, frequently teaming up with various other people for one round.

That being said, one of Trumps more iconic rounds came in 2017.

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The businessman was out on a Columbus Day round, where he ended up shooting 73. It was an iconic moment for Trump, especially since he is known to love the game. Lindsey Graham was with Trump when he carried out the task, celebrating by tweeting later on.

The highlight of the day, as per Grahams tweet, was the windy and wet weather that day. While speaking with GOLF.com later on, Graham only furthered the claims in his tweet. Indeed, Trump had shot 73 that day at the Trump National Golf Club Washington DC in Virginia.

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Thats Our Major: Donald Trump Says Hes Successful in Golf and Reveals HisAchievements

about 1 month ago

The club mentioned is a private club and is about 30 miles from the White House. Apparently, they played from the blue tees, which measured around 6,800 yards. Trump, as per Graham, made one birdie and two bogeys, along with pars on all other holes. On the front nine, he shot even par, Graham revealed.

Trump also made most fairways, acting as a gracious host when he ran out of golf balls.

Furthermore, Graham referred to his swing as nice and compact, which results in accurate drives and consistent irons. Trumps swing could even be described as athletic, which eventually helps with his game.

Not one mulligan. Not one, Graham admitted.

While on the course last month, Trump seems to have shot an ace. Many people are asking, so Ill give it to you now, it is 100% true, Trump said. It happened while at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, where Trump was playing with some professionals as well.

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I hit a 5-iron, which sailed magnificently into a rather strong wind, with approximately 5 feet of cut, whereupon it bounced twice and then went clank, into the hole.

That being said, Trump has also enjoyed playing golf with PGA Tour stars. The list includes Tiger Woods, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, and Rory McIlroy. Of course, the venues tend to be owned or managed by Trumps management.

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Do you have a favorite Trump and golf moment? Let us know in the comments below.

WATCH THIS STORY: How Scottie Schefflers Wife Saved Him From a Masters Meltdown With a Powerful Statement

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Donald Trump Is So Good at Golf That He Once Shot a 73 From the Blue Tees - EssentiallySports

Its Bidens messaging, not the message, that he seems to disagree with.

And on this topic Khanna shifts into off the record speak, punctuating every few actual words with the phrase off the record off the record off the record like hes redacting a document. Its the rare instance in which he sounds inarticulate.

What Khanna will say for readers is this: Bidens instincts are much better than all the junior staff who work for him, he tells me. He speaks in language thats not politically correct. When his staff winces at things, hes channeling what real Americans think. And I think theyre too careful. I think: Let him be out there. Let him speak. Let him inspire. Dont try to over-protect him. I mean, thats the only thing that I can think of . . . he says, trailing off.

Consider Ro Khannas own district, Californias 17th.

The area spans parts of Silicon Valley and, in approximately 185 square miles, contains $11 trillion in market capital. One big tech company in the area is Intel. The chip-making corporation is pledging to build semiconductor fabrication plants outside Columbus, Ohio, bringing thousands of jobs to the area. I would be taking weekly trips to Columbus, Khanna says.

If Trump were still in office, the whole country would have known about it.

Biden could go there, he says, and people could see a party with energy. A forward motion. A sense that we are on the march. On the move. It seems like Washington is not moving. Its all caught up in staleness. And in this imagined trip to Ohio, Khanna envisions Biden on stage with a new generation of active, exciting members with him, he says not needing to mention, of course, that he would be one of them.

Ro Khanna was 27 years old when he saw Barack Obama deliver his speech at the Democratic National Convention in 2004. From the cheap seats at the Fleet Center in Boston, he attended as a volunteer for John Kerry, watching the future president deliver what he felt was an I love America speech.

Less than 10 years later, Khanna ran for his Congressional district, losing to seven-term incumbent Mike Honda. Two years later, he ran again and this time, he won. Khanna is now one of the most visible young Democrats in Congress. Inside the bookcases in his office, memoirs by Gene Sperling and Elizabeth Warren flank a potty-training manual. (Khanna has two young children at home. As a rule, he and his wife do not discuss them in political settings.)

A former lecturer of economics at Stanford University, Khanna is academic by nature, conversant in the technology of his district and how to transfer some of that wealth to the rest of the country. But he draws some blanks on the cultural fascination with his district. Khanna makes a point of reading People magazine, just to see if Im keeping up, he says. I used to have this challenge on pop culture. When I ask whether hes watching The Dropout, a Hulu series about Silicon Valleys most well-known fraud case, the story of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos, Khanna says no, but also doesnt seem to know what Im talking about. That night, at drinks with friends, he tells me a few days later, they explained the show and told him, You really should be watching this.

While he is eager to model at least parts of Trumps approach to the news cycle, he does not share the same appetite for celebrity entertainment. At the Gridiron dinner in Washington last weekend, Khanna agreed that the featured Republican speaker, Chris Sununu, was genuinely funny and witty. But when a guest turned to him mid-speech and said, That guy could be president, Khanna flinched. I was like, really? This is what we need in this country? Like, the bar is entertaining and stand-up comedy? I mean, its better to have a sense of humor than not. Lincoln had one. Reagan had one. But the deification of entertainment as, like, the criteria for what we want in our president it was amusing to me.

In his office, Khanna clips his iPhone into a tripod by his desk, staring into the small screen. As he flits from the Hartmann podcast to a meeting with progressive leaders to a hit with Fox News Digital, the congressman has the look of a man who is waiting a guest in his own building until the next generation truly takes over. In Washington, the big-name Democrats who have power or have come close to it Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders are all over 70.

Congressman Ro Khanna prepares for a Zoom call in his office at the Cannon House Office Building in Washington, DC, on April 1, 2022. Detail shot of Khanna's bookshelf.

Why has the transition to a newer generation been so slow? There are two reasons, Khanna says. One is structural: Running for office still requires money and name recognition. But the second reason is philosophical.

We are in such a time of flux that the familiar is more comfortable for people. People are craving stability.

But there will be a moment when people say, OK, its time for the new.

Khannas last interview of the day is with Fox Newss America Reports, in the rotunda of the Cannon House Office Building. He has been asked, and not for the first time, to talk about rising oil prices. On Foxs daily programming, Biden is to blame for rampant inflation, but Khanna is asking viewers to consider the role of the corporations. As chair of the House Oversight Subcommittee on Environment, he has waged a monthslong campaign against oil executives, forcing six to testify before lawmakers for the first time late last fall.

He likes going on Fox. Some activists on the left criticize him for it, but for Khanna, its a sport. He enjoys the pressure of debate, the ability to measure his own performances after the fact. If you are a Democrat and not going on these shows, Khanna says, then youre not getting intellectually challenged. Youre not hearing the counter-argument. Youre not seeing the blind spots to your point of view. After each hit, he sometimes checks Twitter to read the reviews. A recent appearance on Neil Cavutos show, he says, wasnt one of his best interviews, but Cavuto had raised some very good points, also about oil prices, and this he enjoyed.

Frankly, it made me think harder about the question.

Read more here:

The One Thing Ro Khanna Thinks Donald Trump Gets Right - POLITICO

Propagandists on Russian state television told their public audience last week that the time has arrived to sever diplomatic relations with the United States and that the Kremlin is finalizing its "preparations" to interfere with future American elections.

"The Daily Beast's" Julia Davisreported on Mondaythat President Joe Biden's unwavering support for Ukraine has revitalized Moscow's appetite for manipulating the American electorate.

Their objective, one of the individuals revealed, is to "again help our partner," former President Donald Trump, "to become president."

But Davis' takeaway was a little broader. While Trump is certainly a valued asset inside of Russia, Davis believes that "the real agenda of the Kremlin's operatives was never limited to boosting any particular candidates, but rather aimed to harm America as a whole."

This line of thinking was evident in conversations that occurred among Russian President Vladimir Putin's "puppets" on state television, Davis found.

"With Europe, economic wars should take priority. With America, we should be working to amplify the divisions and in light of our limited abilities to deepen the polarization of American society," political scientist Malek Dudakov said on Thursday's edition of "The Evening With Vladimir Soloviev".

"There is a horrific polarization of society in the United States, very serious conflicts between the Democrats and Republicans that keep expanding. You've already mentioned that America is a dying empire and most empires weren't conquered, they were destroyed from within. The same fate likely awaits America in the near decade," he continued. "That's why, when all the processes are thawed, Russia might get the chance to play on that."

Davis noted that the show's host, Vladimir Soloviev, believes that Putin's bloody war in Ukraine and the US's backing of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's government is a preview of an upcoming clash between the US and Russia that is only starting to heat up.

He lamented that Russia's ability to spread disinformation was significantly diminished when Russia Today was banned on American airwaves after Putin attacked Ukraine.

"I would act through various diasporas" to make up for the elimination of that channel for misinformation, Soloviev said. "For example, I would work with the Spanish-speaking mediasince America is becoming predominantly Spanish-speaking, with the colossal influence of Latin America, I would work through their press, through those narratives, moving in that direction they aren't allowing us to work with American media directly, but we have many opportunities that we aren't using thus far."

Other chatter, however, went far beyond ideological battles, according to what Davis' witnessed on Soloviev's program just days earlier:

Pundit Karen Shakhnazarov: "I would find it useful to break diplomatic relations with the United States. I don't see any point in maintaining them. And that would deliver a crushing blow to Biden. There are plenty of people in the U.S. who say that he is bringing us all to the edge of nuclear war. That will be a strong signal."

Soloviev expanded on that point, suggesting that Russia should just go ahead and nuke the US because that is the true nature of the war in Ukraine.

"De facto, we aren't fighting a campaign against Ukraine, but against the entire West," he said. "Maybe it's time we strike them?" he added, referring to the US, "since we're already a pariah state, a war criminal if everything is so bad."

Davis pointed out that "short of nuclear holocaust, it is now clear that Russia is focusing its efforts on distracting America from its foreign policy objectives by threatening to meddle in US internal affairs."

Konstantin Dolgov, the deputy chairman of the Committee on Economic Policy of Russia's Federation Council, confirmed as much on Soloviev's show.

"The results will apparently not be good for the Democrats," he said of the November midterms, which he designated as "just a rehearsal. The main elections are further ahead and preparations for those are already underway."

Continued here:

Russian state TV teases "preparations" to help "partner" Trump win in 2024 - Salon

Former President Donald J. Trumps eldest son sent the White House chief of staff a text message two days after Election Day in 2020 that laid out strategies for declaring his father the winner regardless of the electoral outcome, people familiar with the exchange said on Friday.

The text, which was reported earlier by CNN, was sent two days before Joseph R. Biden Jr. was declared the winner of the election. The recipient, Mark Meadows, turned a cache of his text messages over to the House committee investigating the events leading up to the deadly riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, as the Electoral College results in Mr. Bidens favor were being certified.

Its very simple, Donald Trump Jr. wrote to Mr. Meadows on Nov. 5, 2020. He wrote at another point, We have multiple paths We control them all.

The message went on to lay out a variety of options that Mr. Trump or his allies ultimately employed in trying to overturn the results of the election, from legal challenges to promoting alternative slates of electors to focusing efforts on the statutory date of Jan. 6 for certification of the Electoral College results.

In a statement, the younger Mr. Trumps lawyer, Alan Futerfas, confirmed that the text message was sent but suggested it was someone elses idea that Donald Trump Jr. was passing along.

After the election, Don received numerous messages from supporters and others, Mr. Futerfas said. Given the date, this message likely originated from someone else and was forwarded.

Still, the text message underscores the extraordinary lengths that Mr. Trumps allies and official aides were already exploring right after Election Day to keep Mr. Trump in power if the voters throughout the country failed to do so.

Donald Trump Jr. and his brother Eric called on Republicans to keep fighting on their fathers behalf in the immediate aftermath of Election Day, as votes were still being counted in a string of close races in battleground states like Pennsylvania and Arizona.

The total lack of action from virtually all of the 2024 GOP hopefuls is pretty amazing, Donald Jr. wrote on Twitter the same day he sent the text to Mr. Meadows. They have a perfect platform to show that theyre willing & able to fight but they will cower to the media mob instead. Dont worry @realDonaldTrump will fight & they can watch as usual!

The House committee is investigating what led to the assault on the Capitol and the various efforts to try to thwart Mr. Bidens victory, all of which failed. Ultimately, a mob of supporters of Mr. Trump stormed the Capitol during the certification. At least seven people died in connection with the riot.

The effort to disqualify insurrectionists. New lawsuitswere filed against three Arizona officials, including Representatives Paul Gosar and Andy Biggs, to bar them from office under the 14th Amendment. This is part of a larger legal effort to disqualify G.O.P. lawmakers from re-election if they participated in events surrounding the Jan. 6 attack.

Contempt charges. The House voted to recommend criminal contempt of Congress chargesagainst Peter Navarro and Dan Scavino Jr., two close allies of former President Donald J. Trump, after the pair defied subpoenas from the special committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack.

Ivanka Trump testifies. The former presidents daughter, who served as one of his senior advisers, testified for about eight hoursbefore the Jan. 6 House committee. On the day of the riot, Ms. Trump was in the West Wing. She is said to have tried to persuade her father to call off the rioters.

Justice Department widens inquiry. Federal prosecutors are said to have substantially widened their Jan. 6 investigationto examine the possible culpability of a broad range of pro-Trump figures involved in efforts to overturn the election. The investigation was initially focused on the rioters who had entered the Capitol.

Mr. Trump and a number of his advisers pressured Vice President Mike Pence to use his ceremonial role in the Electoral College certification to upend the process, something Mr. Pence was adamant was beyond his authority.

The text message that Donald Trump Jr. sent to Mr. Meadows acknowledged that scenario, which was championed by a lawyer advising President Trump, John C. Eastman. We either have a vote WE control and WE win OR it gets kicked to Congress 6 January 2021, the text message said.

The younger Mr. Trump also texted with Mr. Meadows during the riot, urging him to move the president to act as the violence played out.

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Donald Trump Jr. Text Laid Out Strategies to Fight Election Outcome - The New York Times

As he spoke, however, a tension became apparent in the room. Trump and his aides and allies may be living up the moment. Some may have their eyes on the potential of a presidential run in 2024. But on Tuesday night, like many others since Trump left the White House, they remained consumed by what happened in 2020.

Theres a great anger at what took place and because of a rigged election, Trump said, standing inside a mirrored jewel box of a ballroom next to the pool. We now have Ukraine it would have never happened. We now have inflation the likes of which nobody ever thought possible.

Trump is in limbo, needing to focus on the future but incapable of letting go of the past. It was evident all around him on Tuesday. Like a dysfunctional family reunion, Trump donors, allies, aides and advisers reminisced about days gone by. It was the old crew, there through times good and bad. Corey Lewandowski, once cast out of Trumps circle over accusations he assaulted a donors wife, was greeted with open arms as he buzzed around the room. Hope Hicks, who shies away from the public eye, flitted from table to table, hugging old colleagues. And Reince Priebus maneuvered himself through friends as he held fizzy drinks for himself and Kellyanne Conway, who razzed him about how he would be remembered in her upcoming memoir.

That a memoir would be the vehicle of ribbing was fitting in a way. The currency of Trumpland is often grievance dished out in a variety of forms, from the anonymous leak to the social media blast, to the dishy tell-all available for advance order on Amazon. And if its not directed at one another then it is focused predominantly on the 2020 election, which, against all prevailing evidence, Trump continues to insist was rigged against him alone.

Under glittering crystal chandeliers, guests sipped Trump-brand wine, nibbled puff pastry hors doeuvres and speculated about who might be Trumps next running mate. Among the special guests were conservative media stars like Fox News Katie Pavlich, former OAN host-turned-champion of election falsehoods Christina Bobb,and Matthew Boyle, the Washington bureau chief at Breitbart News Network, who was given free rein.

Mr. Boyle is allowed to roam he is a guest, a press wrangler said to the media, which was instructed to stay put in a roped-off corner.

Trump and his crew were gathered on Tuesday to see Rigged: The Zuckerberg Funded Plot to Defeat Donald Trump, a new documentary from Trump ally and Citizens United head Dave Bossie about the 2020 election that tries to draw a line between Facebooks grant funding in certain parts of the country and Democratic turnout. Trump, who was interviewed for the film, along with a cast that includes former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), said he was eager to see how the flick came out.

Then-presidential candidate Donald Trump, left, reacts to the crowd as he shakes hands with co-host David Bossie at the Freedom Summit in Greenville, S.C., in 2015.|Rainier Ehrhardt/AP Photo

I really liked Citizen Kane. Gone With the Wind was fantastic. Titanic was fantastic. But this is the one Im really looking forward to seeing, Trump said to the crowd gathered at his very own Xanadu.

The past had gripped him again, this time in cinematic form.

Those Republicans who support Trump but are one step away from his inner circle find the scene that unfolded Tuesday night to be counterproductive. At a time when the ex-president could be focused on propelling the Republican Party toward the upcoming elections, Trump is still anchored down by conspiracies and anger over losing the last one. At a time when President Joe Bidens own weaknesses make him an easy political target, Trump and his political apparatus instead seem to be unable to move past the abyss of election-fraud lies.

Some of the people here not here, but maybe in the back corner there, Bossie said, gesturing to a small group of reporters, say that we shouldnt be talking about 2020. I think its vital that we do. Because if we dont find out what happened in 2020, how are we going to stop it from happening?

Unlike some of the election-fraud conspiracies propagated by Trump and his allies, Bossies film examines the publicly documented $400 million that Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg spent via the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative on the 2020 election in charitable giving. The film does not lay out any illegal activity but looks at the spending by two nonprofit organizations in places like Arizona and Georgia where Biden won by narrow margins.

Sophisticated graphics and ominous music are interwoven with soundbites from election-fraud backers like Cleta Mitchell, a Republican election lawyer who advised Trump on how to protest the 2020 results, and Trump, who claims Zuckerberg himself was working to make it impossible for a Republican to win. It all has a stiff whiff of nefariousness, except that its not unexplored ground. The Zuckerberg conspiracy has been around for months, with nothing untoward yet proven. In fact, election officials have said the funds were critical for ensuring they could operate under the crazy conditions of the pandemic. But it is the latest target by the right, with dozens of proposed bills in state legislatures now taking aim at outside donations for election purposes.

In full transparency, Mark [Zuckerberg] and [his wife] Priscilla [Chan] announced their support for this effort well in advance of the election, so this documentary is neither new nor newsworthy, said Brian Baker, a spokesperson for Zuckerberg and Chan, in a statement to Fox News last week. This film appears to feature the same people advancing the same claims that have been debunked by multiple federal and state courts and respected news organizations, only this time, set to dramatic music.

The impacts of Trumps eagerness to live in the realm of 2020 conspiracy are visible in obvious and subtle ways. There are the movies screened at Mar-a-Lago and the guests invited there, among them Mike Gableman, the former state Supreme Court justice leading Wisconsins GOP-ordered review into the 2020 election. Theres the fact that a large portion of Republicans continue to deny that Biden rightfully won the presidency, and that following the elections, at least eight Republican-controlled state legislatures actually passed bans on money given to election offices from outside organizations an implicit reaction to Zuckerberg.

And then there is the talk around Trumps own future. After the former president walked down a short velvet rope line, shaking hands and flashing his trademark thumbs-up, Bossie was asked why so much time and money is being spent talking about 2020 rather than laying out the case against Biden.

We do plenty of that, Bossie said. We have to uncover what they did to do two things: make the American people understand that the president didnt lose a fair election, and they changed the rules.

But once Bossie had stepped away, one attendee, a political aide, came over to the news media to vent frustrations about the lack of a forward-looking vision, a change in course or plan of action to make sure a 2020 loss doesnt happen for the Republican Party again.

Until we have a reckoning and a conversation, I dont know what we are doing here, said the attendee, who like many of the guests in the room was well versed in talking to journalists and immediately asked to go on background to speak anonymously.

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Trump's fixation on the past puts his political future in limbo - POLITICO

Douglas P. DeFeliceGetty Images

(Permanent Musical Accompaniment To The Last Post Of The Week From The Blogs Favorite Living Canadian)

On Friday afternoon, the federal prosecution in the alleged plot to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer utterly fell apart. Two defendants were acquitted on all charges, and the jury hung on charges against the two other accused conspirators. The court declared a mistrial on the latter. So the government took the ol horse collar on this prosecution. An Oh-fer. 0-4. From the Detroit News:

As one might imagine, the reaction from Whitmers office was scalding. From WXYZ:

Putting aside for a moment the fact that western Michigan is a place where the wild things roam, sometimes in and out of jury pools, it seems likely that one of the things that torpedoed the case was some bungling by the FBI. In that event, there would be something undeniably heinous about this acquittal.

After the initial burst of publicity following the arrests, the case began going sideways a year ago.

Of course, the government will likely re-try the two defendants who were not acquitted, who also are the alleged ringleaders. And one does suspect that, had these guys been hapless immigrants talking loosely about stealing the Pentagon, the feds would have been able to get a conviction. Still, this was a serious case. Everybody needs to do a lot better.

Chip SomodevillaGetty Images

They were all crooks and they were crooks for the working day. From CNN:

And Sluggos mouthpiece is trying out some new material.

Elderly hound snoozes on porch. Declines to pursue wild game.

Moral high ground.

These guys are killing me.

Weekly WWOZ Pick To Click: Eat That Chicken (King James and the Special Men): Yeah, I pretty much still love New Orleans.

Weekly Visit To The Pathe Archives: This Thursday was National Beer Day so, in celebration, from 1932, here are 100,000 New Yorkers, led my Mayor Jimmy Walker, in a 10-hour parade demanding an end to Prohibition and, as the Brit narrator says, demanding beer, glorious beer. Hard to argue with a man who once said, A reformer is a guy who rides through a sewer in a glass-bottomed boat. History is so cool.

A singularly wonderful event has happened in the Substack universe. My friend and onetime NPR running buddy, Roy Blount, Jr., has joined in and people should support him. Anyone who can write a piece entitled, "My Sister Is Glued To The Dry Cleaners" ("This glue could stick Sinatra to the Chinese Army") deserves our encouragement.

Is it a good day for dinosaur news, Guardian? Its always a good day for dinosaur news!

This was a dino that heard the thundering roar of the asteroid and then looked up and saw the end of existence coming. An eyewitness to extinction. This demands respect, even 66 million years later.

And this was the day that began the long process by which dinosaurs lived then to make us happy now.

Ill be back Monday to see if Lindsey Graham has found his necktie yet. What a putz. Be well and play nice, ya bastids. Stay above the snake-line, wear the damn mask, get the damn shots, especially the damn boosters. Spare a kind thought for Ukraine.

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Donald Trump Jr. Text Floats Ways to Overturn 2020 Election - Esquire

Former President Donald Trump will stop in Austin on May 14as part of his "American Freedom Tour."

His appearance will come 10 days ahead ofthe Texasprimary runoffs, whenseveral Trump-endorsed candidates are hoping to secure victory. On May 9, he will headline a fundraising dinner hosted by theNational Republican Congressional Committee in Dallas.

The location of Trump's Austin event has not been announced, but the tour's website promises a slew of "insiders and influencers" at the event.

More: Fact check: Did Trump vote by mail for the 2020 election?

The lineup includes Donald Trump Jr. and his girlfriend KimberlyGuilfoyle, a former Fox News host and presidential adviser, as well as conservative commentator Dinesh D'Souza.

Mike Pompeo, former secretary of state and CIA director under Trump, also is scheduled to appear.

Tickets for the event range from $9 to $2,995; top-level donorscan participate in a roundtable discussion with Pompeo. Other price tiersget attendees photo ops with Trump Jr. and a seat at a"Q&A breakfast" with D'Souza.

Trump has backed five candidates competing in runoff contests, including embattled Attorney General Ken Paxton who is seeking a third term and is facing Land Commissioner George P. Bush.

Trump also weighed in on the GOP runoff in the race to replace Bush, putting his support behind state Sen. Dawn Buckingham, R-Lakeway, over Tim Westley, a pastor.

More: Ken Paxton, George P. Bush come out swinging as Texas attorney general race heads to runoff

The rest is here:

Donald Trump to speak in Austin ahead of the May primary runoffs - Austin American-Statesman

Why question Trump aboutgolf?

I don't understand why anyone would question whether Donald Trump actually hit a hole-in-one. Donald Trump spends more time playing golf than any former president; he spent more time playing golf,despite his claim that he wouldn't. Given how much golf Trump plays, it is not surprising that he would eventually hit a hole-in-one. Besides, in light of his documented habit of cheating at golf, and his penchant for making false claims, if he were going to lie about something like this, he would have done so long ago. The truly unbelievable thing about this story is that anybody cares.

Michael J. Kirshner,WestPalm Beach

Disney World Florida opposes"The Dont Say Gay bill. If so, would they pledge to not give financial support in the upcoming elections to any state representative who voted for the bill and to donate to those who voted against it? That would be a real stand.

Paul LaKind, Palm Beach Gardens

Russia invades Ukraine. The war continues for a few months, and it is suggested that an attempt be made to negotiate a settlement. Since negotiation infers a give and take process, in attempting to reach a settlement, what does Russia have to give?

Now, let us suppose that Canada invades the U.S. over a perceived or real difference. The conflict continues for several months and Canada manages to occupy substantial territory in Montana, North Dakota, and Minnesota. Can you in your wildest dream think that we would give any land to a country that had invaded our border? When you add to it the negotiation Russian atrocities, there is nothing to discuss, except letting the rest of the world decide a suitable punishment for war crimes.

Burt Edelchick,Hobe Sound

Re the House GOP members vote down their own bill over red herring: The failure of 10 Florida congressional Republicans to rename the federal courthouse in Tallahassee after the first Black Florida Supreme Court Justice is yet another example of GOP cowardice, hypocrisy and their inability to genuinely pledge allegiance to the republic for which they supposedly stand. This is the same party where the majority of its elected officials reimagined the events of Jan.6, and now theyre doing a hatchet job on Joseph Woodrow Hatchett who, against all odds, passed his bar exam during the Jim Crow era and worked his way up to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit.

The decision to renounce a bill that theyinitially co-sponsored, based on Judge Hatchetts support of the Establishment Clause in the U.S. Constitution, is unconscionable. According to Frank Cerabino, despite several unsuccessful efforts in the Sunshine State to allow government sanctioned prayer in schools, Were still dancing around the subject Judge Hatchett decided 34 years ago. You can pray all you want in public school. But you cant subject other peoples children to your prayers. One would think that the party thattouts The Free State of Florida and Parental Rights in Education would realize that politicians forcing kids to pray is the antithesis of liberty and that the failure to honor Judge Hatchett flies in the face of justice for all.

Nancy Chanin,Delray Beach

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Letters: Is Trump's hole-in-one the Big Lie? - Palm Beach Post