Daily Archives: January 20, 2024

Maines top election official said on Friday she intended to appeal the ruling by a state Superior Court judge this week that placed on hold her decision to exclude former President Donald J. Trump from the states Republican primary ballot.

In a statement, the official, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, said she welcomed the guidance of the U.S. Supreme Court, which is expected to hear arguments on a similar case on Feb. 8. But in the meantime, she said, she will seek the input of Maines highest court.

I know both the constitutional and state authority questions are of grave concern to many, Ms. Bellows wrote in a short statement on Friday. This appeal ensures that Maines highest court has the opportunity to weigh in now, before ballots are counted, promoting trust in our free, safe and secure elections.

In a ruling late Friday, the chief justice of Maines highest court, Valerie Stanfill, described the lower courts order as generally not appealable. She ordered Ms. Bellows to provide an explanation by Tuesday on why an appeal should be not dismissed.

Ms. Bellows, a Democrat elected by the State Legislature, ruled on Dec. 28 that Mr. Trump did not qualify for the state ballot in Maine because he engaged in insurrection by encouraging the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The 14th Amendment disqualifies government officials who engaged in insurrection or rebellion from holding office.

Her decision made Maine the second state to bar him from the ballot, after a Colorado court reached the same conclusion. Similar ballot challenges have been filed in at least 35 states; many remain unresolved though the primary season is already underway.

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Maine Secretary of State to Appeal Ruling on Her Decision to Exclude Trump From Ballot - The New York Times

REAGAN WAS SMILING, wrote Norman Mailer in 1968 as he watched a future American president lose. The result of the first round of the Republican National Convention was in, and Richard Nixon had beaten his challengers, including Ronald Reagan, to secure his partys nomination. Perhaps, Mailer speculated, Reagan was remembering Barry Goldwaters renunciation of the nomination in 1960, and the profitable results which had ensued. In 1960 Goldwater had received riotous applause; in 1964 he got the nomination.

The selection process works differently todayprimary elections, rather than opaque rounds of voting at conventions, determine the winner. But losing can still bring benefits. In the Iowa caucuses on January 15th Donald Trump trounced his nearest rivals, winning by around 30 percentage points. What could be motivating Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley, the candidates he beat into a distant second and third place?

The most obvious answer is the one that may have consoled Reagan: the prospect of future success. Most Americans struggle to name their congressman, or even their senators. A presidential run gives candidates unparalleled national exposure, which can pay off in four or eight years. John McCain lost the Republican nomination to George W. Bush in 2000, then beat Mitt Romney in 2008. Mr Romney secured the spot four years later. Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden lost to Barack Obama in 2008: Mrs Clinton got the nod in 2016. Mr Biden did in 2020, on his third try. In November 2023 Mr DeSantis took part in a bizarre debate against Californias governor, Gavin Newsom, one of the leading candidates to represent the Democrats in 2028.

Some long shots may run with the intention of settling for second prize: the vice-presidential slot. In 2004 John Kerry picked John Edwards, the runner-up; Reagan similarly tapped George H.W. Bush in 1980. And losers who find their way onto a ticket may eventually clinch the top job. Mr Biden himself benefited from his two terms as Mr Obamas vice-president. The elder Bush succeeded Reagan as president. Lyndon Johnson stepped up from the vice-presidency after John F. Kennedy was killed in office. But Mr Trump, who seems to nurse grudges, might be less inclined to run alongside a competitor. He insisted on January 10th that he already knows whom he will choose, regardless of primary results.

The runner-up may also hope to benefit from less probable scenarios. The 77-year-old Mr Trump might take ill; the Supreme Court could boot him off the ballot. Ms Haley is gaining support among moderate Republicans, independents, and even Democrats who worry that Mr Biden will lose to Mr Trump. No Labels, a centrist group, may be preparing to launch a presidential challenge. Some observers think she could become the groups candidate. Whatever her plan, after finishing a close third to Mr DeSantis in Iowa, a strong showing on January 23rd in New Hampshire (where non-Republicans can vote in the primary) would help.

Mr DeSantis, a popular governor but unnatural campaigner, has fewer options. His pitch (Trump without the chaos) did not persuade voters who still like the original. Mr DeSantis did the full Grassleya tour of all of Iowas 99 counties, named after a long-time senatorbetting everything on the first contest. That helped him to a narrow victory over Ms Haley. But it matters how, not just where, you finish. Mr DeSantis is limping. Ms Haley is poised to overtake him.

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What is the point of coming second to Donald Trump? - The Economist

Thousands have signed a progressive Christian group's petition calling for Catholic bishops to drop support for ex-President Donald Trump.

Faithful America, which backs social justice causes and opposes "Christian nationalism," urged Catholics to condemn bishops who "boost the Christofascist campaign of Donald Trump" in a recently launched online petition that had been signed by over 12,500 as of Friday afternoon.

The group mentioned in particular the "disturbing praise of Trump" from Archbishop of New York Timothy Dolan and former Bishop Joseph Strickland, of Tyler, Texas, "inappropriately" endorsing a sermon that erroneously claimed Democrats cannot be Catholic.

Faithful America urged Catholics to sign the petition because "Pope Francis has been clear: Bishops should behave in a more pastoral manner than this," while asserting that "Christian-nationalist politicians like Donald Trump and their vile, hate-based policies do not speak for us -- or for Jesus."

"Pro-Trump words and actions like those we saw from Cardinal Dolan, Bishop Strickland, and others in 2020 were partisan, unpastoral, and extremely harmful to immigrants, the poor, and the marginalized," the petition reads. "They no doubt pushed many people away from the Church and should not be repeated in 2024."

"The Gospel teaches love, equality, and dignity -- all values that the MAGA movement clearly rejects," it continues. "Please listen to the millions of faithful, loving Catholics and allies who want bishops to stay out of this election."

A spokesperson for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops told Newsweek via email that "the Catholic Church doesn't tell the laity to vote for any particular candidate or political party."

The representative added that U.S. bishops do publish a "teaching document" meant "to guide Catholics on what the Church teaches so they may form their consciences to make their decisions on election day."

Newsweek reached out for comment to Trump's office via email on Friday.

Faithful America celebrated in November after Pope Francis removed Strickland from his position, calling the former bishop "a notoriously election-denying, QAnon-spreading, Francis-bashing, vaccine-rejecting, LGBTQ-hating, division-sowing, fire-breathing darling of right-wing Twitter."

Strickland was removed following a rare investigation by the Vatican. He had opposed the pope's reforms during a bishopship that included a frequent promotion of right-wing politics. Strickland also once described President Joe Biden, a practicing Catholic, as "evil."

During a meeting in Portugal last year, Francis criticized some conservative American Catholics for "backwardness" in putting their political ideology above church doctrine, arguing that "ideologies replace faith" among "reactionary" Catholics.

Faithful America's anti-Trump petition aimed at Catholics was far from the first time that the group has targeted the former president. The group's petitions often promote left-of-center political causes through a Christian lens, while denouncing Trump, the MAGA movement and the religious right.

A petition launched last month condemned "MAGA Republicans" for pushing "cruel policies" regarding immigration during the ongoing congressional battle over U.S.-Mexico border policies and aid for Ukraine.

A Faithful America petition from February 2023 called Trump "the insurrectionist ex-president" and urged Christians to support a different candidate in the coming presidential election, warning that Trump "intends to double down on the fascist tactics that led to the deadly January 6 Christian-nationalist attack on our Capitol."

Update 1/19/24, 6:30 p.m. ET: This article has been updated to include a statement from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

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Thousands Sign Christian Petition Urging Bishops Not to Back Donald Trump - Newsweek

The accusations by the writer E. Jean Carroll that former President Donald J. Trump raped and defamed her have been the subject of two separate trials in U.S. District Court in Lower Manhattan and have unfolded as Mr. Trump campaigns for the Republican presidential nomination.

Last May, a jury found that Mr. Trump sexually abused Ms. Carroll, a former advice columnist for Elle magazine who said he assaulted her nearly three decades ago in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room.

That same jury found he had also defamed her after he repeatedly denied the accusations and accused her of lying. Now, Mr. Trump, 77, is back in the same federal courthouse, defending himself again against accusations of defamation.

On Thursday, Ms. Carroll, the first witness in the case, ended her testimony in a trial that is expected to wrap up next week. It is still unknown whether Mr. Trump will take the stand.

Heres a closer look at the two cases and whats at stake.

Ms. Carroll, 80, filed two lawsuits against Mr. Trump. The first, in 2019, accused the former president of making disparaging comments and branding her a liar in response to the publication of her book Why Do We Need Men? A Modest Proposal.

On June 21 of that year, Ms. Carroll published an excerpt from the book in New York magazine describing the assault.

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Why Donald Trump Is Facing E. Jean Carroll in Court a Second Time - The New York Times

BOSTON - What should we take away from the Iowa caucus results?

First and foremost, the reiteration of an important lesson - the Republican Party of 2024 is a wholly owned subsidiary of Donald J. Trump MAGA Enterprises, Inc.

When Trump famously said as he ran in 2016 that "I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn't lose any voters," he knew what he was talking about. The hardcore Trump base - an apparent majority of the GOP caucus voters in Iowa Monday - isn't going to be swayed by conservative challenger critiques, criminal trials, or incitement of mob attacks on the Capitol. They've found their man, and they're sticking with him no matter what.

Yes, Trump struggles to top 50% support in many state polls, fueling the old saw that if the assorted non-Trump candidates would just consolidate behind one challenger, the former president might be in trouble. Perhaps that's how it'll wind up working in New Hampshire next week, with Nikki Haley emerging as the likely beneficiary of Chris Christie's beaching. (Disclosure: a close family member of mine works for the Haley campaign.)

After a disappointing finish in Iowa, Vivek Ramaswamy ended his presidential bid late Monday night, according to his spokesperson. Those votes aren't going to Haley; didn't she call their man "scum"? And what if Ron DeSantis, the man voters seem to like less and less the more they get to know him, packs it in? Hard to believe there's a ton of opportunity for Haley there either.

And what about the notion that New Hampshire voters will relish the opportunity to negate the Iowa result? Maybe they will. Or maybe Trump's Iowa triumph will persuade wavering Republicans that it's OK to vote for him again after all. Consider how much of the anti-Trump argument within the party has been based on the notion that, after losing the White House to Methuselah and presiding over spectacular failures in recent Congressional elections, Trump himself is a wicked loser. Huh. The loser just won big in Iowa. How's that square up?

Speaking of President Biden, we hear Queen of Alternative Facts Kellyanne Conway opined on cable TV that he was the big loser of the Iowa outcome. Is that laughing I hear coming from Biden HQ? Recall the historic amount of votes the lackluster Biden campaign racked up four years ago and check out the polls that repeatedly show his running stronger against Trump than either DeSantis or Haley.

I'd guess Biden was perfectly happy with the Iowa outcome. Trump is what he needs to reanimate the Democratic base and swing voters so fed up with Trump's antics they rallied behind a candidate who didn't exactly thrill them. As Politico reported, Trump tolda roomful of Iowans the other day "these caucuses are your personal chance to score the ultimate victory over all of the liars, cheaters, thugs, perverts, frauds, crooks, freaks, creeps and other quite nice people."

That's you, America's non-MAGA citizens. It's enough to make you forget what a colossal gaffe Hillary Clinton's infamous line about all the "deplorables" backing Trump was.

Jon Keller is Political Analyst for WBZ-TV News, and his "Keller @ Large" reports on a wide range of topics are regularly featured during WBZ-TV News at 5 and 6 p.m. Keller's commentaries are also seen weekday mornings at 5:30 a.m. on WBZ This Morning.

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Keller @ Large: What Donald Trump's win in Iowa means for the presidential race - CBS Boston

Legal analyst and former federal prosecutor Glenn Kirschner said Thursday that former President Donald Trump just incriminated himself in a Truth Social post about his federal election interference case.

Trump was indicted by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in August on four federal felony counts, including conspiracy to defraud the United States, for his actions surrounding the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. On that fateful day, a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol building in Washington D.C. to stop the certification of Joe Biden's 2020 election win. The riot erupted after Trump repeatedly said, without any evidence, that the election was stolen from him via widespread voter fraud. The former president has denied taking part in an insurrection and pleaded not guilty to all charges in the case.

Trump, the frontrunner in the 2024 GOP presidential primary, has claimed that the case is politically motivated. Meanwhile, the former president and his legal team have also argued that he should receive presidential immunity in his federal election case since he was still in office when the riot ensued. However, critics say he was not acting in his official capacity at the time.

Kirschner, a former assistant U.S. attorney and frequent critic of the former president, said in a YouTube video posted Thursday night that Trump incriminated himself with a recent post he made on Truth Social, the former president's social media platform.

Trump wrote in a post on Thursday, "A president of the United States must have full immunity, without which it would be impossible for him/her to properly function. Any mistake, even if well intended, would be met with almost certain indictment by the opposing party at term end. Even events that 'cross the line' must fall under total immunity, or it will be years of trauma trying to determine good from bad..."

Kirschner weighed in on why he thinks Trump's post could be used in DOJ special counsel Jack Smith's federal election interference case against Trump.

"That's what I'd refer to as a tacit admission or an implied admission, but you really don't have to read between the lines. This is Donald Trump demanding immunity for himself since when is he ever concerned about what happens to others, other presidents for example. He wants immunity for himself, even when events cross the line," Kirschner said.

In his video, he then interpreted Trump's post as the former president saying, "I'm entitled to total immunity. I'm entitled to be permitted to commit these crimes. These crimes must be tolerated. These crimes must be excused."

The NBC News and MSNBC legal analyst believes that Smith and his team are keeping close tabs on the former president.

"It doesn't look like Donald Trump is going to stop providing confessions, admissions, incriminating statements to Jack Smith anytime soon. And trust me friends, Jack Smith's team of federal prosecutors is cataloging every word, every sentence, every post because Donald Trump can't help himself," Kirschner said.

Kirschner told Newsweek via text message on Friday, "Trump also believes (IMO) [in my opinion] that when he openly admits his wrong-doing, it causes people to question his criminal intent (which is a necessary element of proof, together with proof of a criminal act). 'If he's openly admitting it, he must not think it's criminal. He must not think he's doing anything wrong.'"

He continued: "Please! In reality, his admissions simply make it easier to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, including Trump's criminal intent."

Kirschner also pointed a finger at the United States government for hesitating to hold Trump accountable.

"Trump is right to believe that he can not only commit crimes but can also admit to crimes, and the institutions of government will STILL hesitate to hold him accountable. Hell, it's worked for him thus far, hasn't it? Our law enforcement agencies and institutions do a lousy job of holding accountable the ruling class criminals - people of wealth, power, influence, connections," he told Newsweek.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Trump's campaign told Newsweek via email on Friday, "Glenn is a notorious trafficker of wild conspiracy theories and dubious legal analysis. I would expect nothing more from a clout-chasing MSNBC contributor who has been shunned by the legal community at large."

Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is presiding over Trump's federal election interference case, has already ruled against Trump's immunity claim. But the former president has challenged her decision and the immunity claim is now with a federal appellate court.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

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Donald Trump Just Incriminated Himself on Truth Social: Legal Analyst - Newsweek