A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo.
Hawlin’ Ass
Look, the events of Jan. 6 were horrific and absolutely must be taken seriously for the sake of preserving American democracy, but during its hearing last night, the House Jan. 6 Committee unveiled security footage of fist-pumper Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) scampering away from the insurrectionists as they ransacked the Capitol, and it was a truly incredible sight to behold:
Trump’s Head Explodes Over Jan. 6 Hearing
The ex-president took to his fake Twitter app, TRUTH Social, to calmly express his concerns about last night’s proceedings:
Naturally there’ve been more rants since the ones Aaron Rupar showed in his video:
Catching Up On Our Hearing Coverage
The House Jan. 6 Committee’s hearing last night aired during primetime, so we stayed up until midnight so you didn’t have to to get y’all caught up on how the session unfolded:
- Our trusty liveblog can be read here.
- “Committee Presents Showcase Of Republican Fear On January 6” – Kate Riga
- “Radio Traffic Shows Pence Security Detail’s Panic During Capitol Attack” – Matt Shuham
We also hosted a discussion on the hearing via Twitter Spaces:
The Secret Service’s Panic During Insurrection
One particularly disturbing moment during the hearing came when the committee presented a White House security official’s testimony and audio recordings of the Secret Service’s fearful radio exchanges during the Capitol attack as then-Vice President Mike Pence was being whisked away to safety from the mob.
Trump’s Pouring Big $$$ Into Legal Fees For Jan. 6 Witnesses
Trump is getting close to spending $2 million from his political committees on legal expenses for witnesses who’ve been testifying in front of the House Jan. 6 Committee, according to new FEC filings reported by the Daily Beast.
Trump’s Already Crafting Plot To Fully Control Federal Government
Axios has a shocking report laying out a detailed plan Trump and his cronies are currently hammering out in which the ex-president, if reelected to the White House, would expel what could be thousands of career employees in the federal government to replace them with MAGA loyalists.
GOP NY Guv Nominee Zeldin Attacked During Campaign Event
Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY), who’s running to replace incumbent New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D), was attacked in the middle of a stump speech on Thursday by a man Zeldin said was wielding a knife. Reports vary on whether the man was carrying a knife or some kind of pointed object. The county sheriff’s office reported that the attacker was taken into custody, and Zeldin’s campaign announced later that the Republican was not injured.
House Passes Protection For Contraception Access
The House on Thursday approved the Right To Contraception Act, legislation that would enshrine the right to obtain contraception into federal law, by a 228-195 vote, with all Democrats and eight Republicans voting “yes.”
- The GOP votes came from:
- Liz Cheney (R-WY)
- Adam Kinzinger (R-IL)
- Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA)
- Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH)
- John Katko (R-NY)
- Nancy Mace (R-SC)
- Maria Salazar (R-FL)
- Fred Upton (R-MI)
- Two Republicans voted “present”:
- Bob Gibbs (R-OH)
- Mike Kelly (R-PA)
- Sens. Ed Markey (D-MA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) have already introduced the Senate version of the bill. We don’t know yet if it has enough support to make it past the filibuster, though.
5 GOP Sens Support Marriage Equality Bill
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) said on Thursday that though he felt the bill aimed at codifying marriage equality into law, aka the Respect for Marriage Act, was “unnecessary,” he would “see no reason to oppose it” if it was put to a vote in the Senate.
- Johnson’s announcement means Democrats are halfway toward overcoming the filibuster to pass the bill. Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH), Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) have already said they support or are likely to support it.
Biden Tests Positive For COVID
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced on Thursday that the President had tested positive for COVID-19 earlier that day and had only mild symptoms. The press secretary also promised to give daily updates on Biden’s health status “out of an abundance of transparency,” and one can’t help but wonder if that promise was prompted by Trump’s notorious attempt to cover up his COVID diagnosis.
Biden put out a video a short while later saying he was “doing well”:
Outgoing GOP Maryland Guv Won’t Back GOP Nominee As His Replacement
In case you missed it: Term-limited Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) won’t support Dan Cox, a hardcore MAGA election denier who won the GOP’s gubernatorial primary in Maryland on Tuesday, according to Hogan’s spokesperson. (And more than just being an election denier, Cox also chartered buses to go to the D.C. Trump rally on Jan. 6)
Italy’s PM Resigns
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi resigned on Thursday, triggering a snap election that will be held on Sept. 25.
Trump Lawyer Allegedly Had Racist Meltdown About NY AG
According to a new lawsuit filed against her, Trump defense lawyer Alina Habba allegedly screamed “I hate that Black bitch!” in her office after New York Attorney General Letitia James (D), who is Black, successfully convinced a judge to hold Trump in contempt in April. The allegation is included in a lawsuit against Habba filed by a Black former assistant who accused the Trump lawyer of a bunch of racist behavior in the workplace.
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