A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo.
It Was All Right There
It turns out that the U.S. Capitol Police’s surveillance cameras outside House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) home caught the break-in in real time on Friday. Officers monitoring the department’s 1,800-odd cameras didn’t immediately notice the intruder. When San Francisco Police arrived at the Pelosi residence, flashing police lights appeared on the screen and caught the attention of Capitol Police, according to the Washington Post, CNN, and the New York Times.
- Once Capitol Police began to rewind the tape, this is what they reportedly saw:
The officer in D.C. quickly pulled up additional camera angles from around Pelosi’s home and began to backtrack, watching recordings from the minutes before San Francisco police arrived. There, on camera, was a man with a hammer, breaking a glass panel and entering the speaker’s home, according to three people familiar with how Capitol Police learned of the break-in and who have been briefed on or viewed the video themselves.
- The USCP didn’t find out about the break-in and subsequent assault on Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi, until 10 minutes after the fact, CNN reports.
- Pelosi faces more threats than any other lawmaker, a law enforcement official told the Post. The police reportedly believe that’s due to the Democratic leader being a woman, being constantly attacked by Republicans, and the fact that she’s second in line to the presidency (something the attacker explicitly mentioned when he confronted Paul Pelosi).
Pelosi Attack Suspect Allegedly Said He Had Other Targets
David DePape, the man who’s been charged with breaking into Pelosi’s home and assaulting her husband with a hammer, allegedly told first responders at the scene that he had planned on attacking a local professor and several state and federal politicians (plus their families), according to a new DOJ filing, which didn’t identify the targets by name.
- DePape also allegedly said he was on a “suicide mission” to stop the “lies coming out of Washington D.C.”
- DePape pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to all state charges connected to the attack. He hasn’t entered a plea for the federal charges yet (for which he could face decades of prison time if convicted).
Judge Reins In Vigilante Group’s Actions At Arizona Drop Boxes
A federal judge on Tuesday prohibited Clean Elections USA, a right-wing group that’s been monitoring ballot drop boxes in Arizona, from engaging in some of the surveillance methods that’ve led to voter intimidation and harassment.
- Both sides stipulated to the temporary restraining order, though it appeared to go farther than what had been discussed earlier in the day in open court.
- The agreed-to order prohibits the group from: taking photos/videos of people at the drop boxes, spreading information about the voters online, and lying on social media or in interviews about Arizona’s laws on early voting.
- The judge, Michael Liburdi, had previously allowed Clean Elections USA to keep monitoring the drop boxes last week in a different lawsuit by the Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans and Voto Latino. Liburdi said on Tuesday that the evidence provided in this suit, which was brought by the League of Women Voters, was more compelling.
Trump Insists He Won’t Go Back To Twitter
Trump’s likely to get un-banned from Twitter now that Tesla CEO Elon Musk, a supposed (but not really) free speech “absolutist,” officially has full control of the social media giant. But the ex-president repeated on Tuesday his previous claim that he “won’t go back” to Twitter even if he could because he prefers his knockoff app, Truth Social.
- Trump claimed that Truth was better because “it’s friendlier” but also “can be very nasty.” The ex-president’s brain worms never take a vacation, do they?
- Truth Social has been found to censor anti-Trump posts, by the way.
SCOTUS Shoots Down Graham’s Request For Lifeline
The Supreme Court rejected Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-SC) bid on Tuesday to block the Fulton County district attorney’s subpoena for his testimony in her Trump election meddling probe in Georgia.
- Graham now has to testify in front of the special grand jury in the district attorney’s case.
- The South Carolina senator can still object to questions, but only on a case-by-case basis.
- Of particular interest to the district attorney: Graham’s call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) after the 2020 election in which the senator allegedly asked Raffensperger about throwing out legally cast ballots.
Bolsonaro Allows Transition But Refuses To Concede
Far-right Brazilian leader Jair Bolsonaro finally broke his silence on Tuesday after left-wing challenger President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva beat him in Brazil’s presidential election on Sunday: The incumbent has agreed to transition to the new administration.
- But Bolsonaro, who had claimed he’d only lose the election if it were rigged, refused to recognize da Silva’s victory. He just thanked his supporters for voting for him.
- Bolsonaro also didn’t call on his supporters to end the hundreds of roadblocks they set up in protest against his defeat as they waited for him to speak.
Wisconsin GOP Guv Nominee Promises Permanent GOP Control If He Wins
Tim Michels, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers’ (D) Republican rival, declared during a campaign event on Monday that Republicans “will never lose another election in Wisconsin after I’m elected governor.”
- Michels has parroted Trump’s voter fraud lies about the 2020 election and even floated the idea of decertifying the 2020 election results (which isn’t possible).
- Evers’ veto pen is one of the few safeguards left against Wisconsin GOP lawmakers’ voter suppression efforts.
- A spokesperson for Michels denied that the candidate was promising single-party rule, telling the Washington Post that Michels just meant that his policies would be so popular, “voters will reward” Republicans in future elections.
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