A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo.
Thanks For The Free Rides, Bro!
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s (R) trying to pander to Trump’s base as he seeks a third term in November make a serious point about the border by sending buses carrying migrants (who volunteered to go on the trips) to D.C., but it’s kind of blowing up in his face right now.
- The only thing Abbott’s gambit has achieved so far is helping migrants with little cash to spare reach a city that has the resources to welcome them with food, shelter, assistance with paperwork and arrangements to help the migrants get to their final destination within the U.S.
- “I am very thankful to the governor. His help is very much welcomed,” a Cuban migrant told the New York Times.
DeSantis Signs Bill Creating Police Force For Nonexistent Voter Fraud
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed legislation on Monday that would create an “Office of Election Crimes and Security,” an election fraud police force for investigating election fraud, despite there being zero evidence of massive election fraud.
- DeSantis himself said that Florida’s 2020 elections process was secure and “inspires confidence,” so it’s sorta weird that he thinks there needs to be an entirely new set of cops to police it. It’s almost like there’s a false narrative he’s trying to push here.
- Florida’s not the only GOP-controlled state out to saddle elections with extra policing: Georgia’s legislature passed a bill earlier this month that would empower the state’s bureau of investigations to probe voter fraud.
Trump Held In Contempt Of Court For Flouting NY AG’s Subpoenas
New York state Judge Arthur Engoron held the ex-president in contempt on Monday for refusing to comply with New York Attorney General Letitia James’ (D) subpoenas in her civil investigation into the Trump Organization.
- Trump will be fined $10,000 per day for every day that he keeps withholding the documents James seeks in her subpoenas.
- The judge might lift the contempt order if Trump lawyer Alina Habba submits a sworn statement detailing every step Trump purportedly took to find the subpoenaed documents, according to the New York Times. Habba also said on Monday that she plans to appeal the ruling.
- Speaking of Habba, almost everyone else on Trump’s legal team reportedly can’t stand her and think she’s completely incompetent.
A Trove Of Damning MAGALand’s Post-Election And Insurrection Texts
CNN obtained 2,319 texts that, according to the outlet, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows had turned over the House Jan. 6 Committee. The logs revealed frantic and desperate conversations between the White House official and various Trump stooges like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (who suggested that Trump declare martial law to stay in power) between the November election and Jan. 21 last year.
Trump Totally Won’t Go Back To Twitter Because His Knockoff’s Doing Just Great
Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter for $44 billion is fueling conservatives’ hopes that Trump’s Twitter account will be restored by Musk’s purported adherence to “free speech.”
- Trump insisted after news of the deal broke that he definitely still won’t be returning to Twitter even if he gets un-banished. The ex-president claimed he would stay on his own app, TRUTH Social, which definitely hasn’t been a total mess under the leadership of TRUTH Social CEO and former dairy farmer Devin Nunes.
- Trump’s own advisers aren’t buying Trump’s claims that he’ll be staying away from Twitter, the Washington Post reports.
Election-Denying Candidates In Top Primary Races Catapulted To Victory In Michigan GOP
The Michigan Republican Party nominated two pro-Trump election conspiracy theorists to be its candidates for secretary of state and Michigan attorney general during the party’s convention on Saturday.
- Kristina Karamo, the nominee for secretary of state, is part of a QAnon-affiliated “coalition” of secretary of state hopefuls who’ve been recruited to take control of the elections process.
- Matt DePerno, the nominee for attorney general, has advanced MAGAland’s tired conspiracy theory claiming Dominion Voting Systems’ voting machines had rigged the election against Trump.
Finland And Sweden To Apply For NATO Membership Together Thanks To Putin’s Ukraine Assault
In what’s shaping up to be a massive self-own for Russian leader Vladimir Putin, the two Nordic countries are moving simultaneously to join NATO as soon as mid-May as a direct result of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
White House Boosts Access To COVID-19 Antiviral Pill
The White House announced on Tuesday that the Biden administration had secured 20 million courses of Paxlovid, the COVID-19 antiviral pill created by Pfizer.
- The pill has been found to reduce the risk of hospitalization or death from COVID-19 by nearly 90 percent, according to Pfizer.
- Treatment with Paxlovid involves taking the pill with ritonavir, another antiviral drug, every 12 hours for five days soon after symptoms begin.
Understanding A Piece Of Florida GOP’s War On Disney
“Disney’s special tax district in Florida, explained” – The Washington Post
Say Ciao To Italian Elon Musk
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