A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo.
No No, I Was Calling For A Different Political Enemy’s Imprisonment!
Georgia GOP gubernatorial hopeful David Perdue insisted on Tuesday that when he gave a thumbs up at his supporters chanting “lock him up!” about incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp (R) at a rally on Saturday, he “misunderstood” what they were saying.
- “I really thought they were saying ‘lock them up,’” Perdue claimed during a local Georgia GOP gathering. It’s hard to keep track of whoboo to lock up!
- Context: Perdue was adopting Trump’s lies about the 2020 election being riddled with voter fraud in Georgia and accusing Kemp of allowing that fraud to happen. Perdue vowed to make sure those “responsible for that fraud in 2020 go to jail,” leading to the cheers that the candidate would later “misunderstand.”
What The WH Trump Jan. 6 Call Logs Do Show
The Washington Post and CBS News obtained the White House records of Trump’s Jan. 6 calls that were turned over to the House Jan. 6 Committee–and said records have a seven-hour hole that don’t include any calls Trump made during the actual Capitol insurrection. But the New York Times and Washington Post lay out all the newly revealed calls in those logs that we still got.
Indignant Clarence And Ginni Thomas Defenders Enter The Scene
- The National Review: “The Smearing of Clarence Thomas” – Andrew C. McCarthy
- The Wall Street Journal: “The Hypocritical Attack on Justice Clarence Thomas” – Jason L. Riley
Must Read
“Ginni Thomas’ Texts Are a Barometer for the Far Right” – The Atlantic
Manchin Quickly Punctures Biden’s Billionaire Tax Plan
Just 24 hours after Biden unveiled his proposed “Billionaire Minimum Income Tax” that would apply to households worth more than $100 million (only to the top one-hundredth of one percent of American households, per the New York Times), Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) made it clear on Tuesday he won’t let it get off the ground.
Russian State TV Host Calls Trump A Partner
Evgeny Popov, a Russian state-owned media host, called for regime change in the U.S. and declared that it was time to “help our partner Trump to become President,” according to Daily Beast columnist and Russian media expert Julia Davis.
- Popov’s comments came after Biden declared on Saturday that Russian leader Vladimir Putin, who’s been attacking Ukraine for nearly a month, “cannot remain in power.” However, Biden’s clarified since then that he wasn’t calling for actual regime change in Russia.
- Anyway, Trump would really like it if Putin could put his bloody invasion on hold for a sec and dig up some dirt on Hunter Biden, the president’s son, please and thank you.
Tennessee’s Trying To Stonewall Ex-Trump Official’s Bid For Congress
Something that might be flying under your radar: Tennessee is on track to block former Trump-era State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus, who is now running for Congress in Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District, from the state’s GOP primaries with a bill requiring candidates to live in the state for three years in order to qualify. And a lot of Republicans, including Trump loyalists, reeeaaally don’t want her to qualify even though Trump endorsed her.
- Ortagus is a Florida native who didn’t start living in Tennessee until she moved to Nashville last year, and, uh, she really doesn’t seem to know much about the district she’s running in!
- The Tennessee legislature passed the bill on Monday. All that’s left is Gov. Bill Lee’s (R) signature.
- But lo, the Tennessee Conservative PAC, which reportedly backs Ortagus, told Punchbowl on Tuesday that it’s ready to fund a lawsuit against the legislation if it passes. Stay tuned!
They’re Going To Jared
Trump son-in-law and former White House adviser Jared Kushner is expected to appear in front of the House Jan. 6 Committee for a voluntary interview tomorrow, and the White House confirmed on Tuesday that, unsurprisingly, Biden won’t be extending executive privilege over Kushner’s testimony.
Older Americans Can Now Get Second COVID Vaccine Booster
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced on Tuesday that it had authorized a second booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday for certain immunocompromised people and everyone ages 50 and up.
- According to the director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, current evidence “suggests some waning of protection over time” against getting seriously sick from COVID for older and immunocompromised individuals.
- Biden will get the second booster shot if his doctor recommends it, according to the White House.
Biden Signs Anti-Lynching Hate Crime Bill
Lynching is now a federal hate crime: Biden signed the Emmett Till Antilynching Act on Tuesday. Under the law, which is named after the 14-year-old Black boy who was brutally murdered by white men in 1955, lynching is a criminal offense punishable by up to 30 years. Congress tried to pass this kind of legislation about 200 times before.
CBS Hires Mick Mulvaney For Some Reason
Ex-Trump White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney is now a contributor at CBS News, where he’ll provide “political analysis across the Network’s broadcasts and platforms,” according to the press release I got.
Indeed, would CBS do without sage analysis like this?
From a guy who actively participated in Trump’s Ukraine aid quid-pro-quo scheme?
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