The politics are harder for Trump this time (with one big caveat)
In the weeks surrounding the first indictment of Donald Trump in Manhattan, any political repercussion seemed mild. It would be fair to argue that he was even helped by the indictment, in part because he called on the darkest, most conspiracy-laden — and yes, racist — elements of his base to go after Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
But this second indictment is different. And the politics could be harder for Trump, for three reasons.
Trump sending out a bat signal to attack Bragg was racist and gross — but effective with much of his base. Jack Smith, on the other hand, is a nonpartisan, unelected career prosecutor who most recently prosecuted war criminals in The Hague. Currently, Smith has been so removed from the fray that we didn’t even know the sound of his voice until Friday’s news conference.
This is not a story about hush money and an adult film star. It is not even about documents. This case is about national security secrets — and maybe even how Trump used those secrets to benefit himself.
And Republicans of integrity know Smith is a man of integrity. Just ask former Gov. Asa Hutchison and Sen. Mitt Romney.
So, will Republican leaders acknowledge the serious reality of this situation and break with their disgraced former standard bearer? Or will they continue to hide in fear of his base.
Don’t be fooled by a moment of SCOTUS sanity:
We saw a glimmer of hope from the Supreme Court earlier this week when it upheld the Voting Rights Act and struck down GOP-drawn congressional districts in Alabama that civil rights activists claimed discriminated against Black voters.
At a time when trust in the Supreme Court is plummeting, this was a welcome moment of sanity. But it may just be a moment. There are other rulings that are expected to come down in the next few weeks, including on affirmative action and immigration. Unfortunately, this one ruling is likely not a sign of more good decisions to come. It may instead represent a moment of light in an otherwise dark season of rulings. Don’t pop open the Champagne yet.
Some people you should know: Ken Dilanian, Ron Allen, Lisa Rubin, Garrett Haake, Katie Phang
Keeping a close eye on all the comings and goings from Miami’s federal courthouse is no small feat. Luckily, a group of my colleagues have been focused on it every day. Grand juries are typically top secret, so we rely on producers and reporters in the field to attempt to get some answers out of key people.
As you are looking for the latest Florida indictment updates, here are some people on the ground for us:
· Ken Dilanian https://twitter.com/KenDilanianNBC
· Ron Allen https://twitter.com/RonAllenNBC
· Lisa Rubin https://twitter.com/lawofruby
· Garrett Haake https://twitter.com/GarrettHaake
· Katie Phang https://twitter.com/KatiePhang
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s weekend routine
Are you bingeing any show right now?
You know what show I started watching? "Yellowstone." It’s good. I actually just started season two. So I just started it but everyone has been raving about this show. And it’s actually pretty good. Like I see what people are talking about.
What’s the last book you read?
“Poverty by America” by Matthew Desmond. It’s a phenomenal book.
You do have little kids, but what time do you wake up on the weekends?
Honestly, on weekends, I might get a little more sleep. But I’m a pretty early riser. I’m generally up by 5:15 a.m., 5:30 a.m. every morning. If I say later, I might go to like 7 a.m.
Are you a coffee drinker? How do you take your coffee?
I am. Black, straight black. And you know what’s funny, I never drank coffee until five, six years ago.