Current Affairs Of Pakistan & World: 01/10/21

Inside the GOP’s week from hell

Jan 10, 2021

DRIVING THE DAY

Good Sunday morning. I'm Eliana Johnson, your guest Playbook host and the editor-in-chief of the Washington Free Beacon, where I spend a lot of my time with conservatives, Republicans and MAGA-heads.

Here's what they're talking about right now, starting with the eleventh-hour PENCE-TRUMP breakup.

— Long derided as a toady and mocked for his obsequiousness, the veep said no mas after President Donald Trump tried to bulldoze him into overturning the election results, in part by convincing him that the Constitution allowed him to do so.

I'm told that Team Pence, led by counsel GREG JACOB, put considerable time and thought into the letter that made the split official: "It is my considered judgment," Pence wrote, "that my oath to support and defend the Constitution constrains me from claiming unilateral authority to determine which electoral votes should be counted and which should not."

The big question for the GOP going forward is how last week's events will reorder Republican politics. Specifically, how much power will Trump wield after he leaves office?

Republicans, at least the ones I spoke with, are unanimous in the view that Trump's role in inciting his diehards has undermined his influence. The question is how much. Some say that we've lived through plenty of Trump scandals that haven't loosened his grip on the party.

But before the election, Trump had a claim to a series of accomplishments Republicans could tout — from overseeing the confirmation of hundreds of new federal judges and three Supreme Court justices to defying conventional wisdom on the Middle East and China in ways that are likely to endure, at least in the GOP.

That won't be his legacy. Rather, I suspect any accomplishments will be entirely overshadowed by his unwillingness to concede and his decision to incite a mob. As a practical matter, his role in losing the Republican Senate majority demonstrated that there can be a political cost for standing with Trump.

BUT … Trump and his sons have threatened to campaign against incumbent Republicans who defied him last week, and you'd have to be a fool to underestimate the soon-to-be-ex-president's appetite for revenge.

Those involved with the Tea Party primary challenges a decade ago on both sides caution that primarying incumbent lawmakers takes real money and organization. They expressed skepticism about Trump's ability to do that successfully. Then again, look at what happened to Jeff Sessions (though he wasn't an incumbent).

Some in the party are calculating that even if Trump's base shrinks, it will nonetheless be quite valuable to have in a Republican primary. Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley and Florida Sen. Rick Scott, both of whom backed the election challenges, share the same political consultant: OnMessage.

BEFORE WE GET THERE, Trump and the rest of us have the next 10 days to worry about. The challenges of impeachment (read POLITICO's story on the latest thinking among Dems) and the 25th Amendment have been pretty thoroughly discussed.

But there's a third option that many Republican lawmakers are already employing. One GOP strategist termed this the "wink, wink, nod, nod" strategy, by which lawmakers simply treat VP Mike Pence as president.

To wit: The Washington Post reports that Senate Majority Leader MITCH MCCONNELL "has told fellow senators and other confidants that he does not plan to speak to Trump again."

The Pence-first approach got a trial run Wednesday when he took the lead in deploying the National Guard. On a phone call with congressional leaders from the secure location to which he was whisked away, Pence said he would call acting SecDef Chris Miller and Chair of the Joint Chiefs Mark Milley to get things moving. Lawmakers had expressed to him frustration at the delays.

"We were in the secure facility and the VP was gathering the leaders on the phone to get a status report and make sure they were OK and to discuss how quickly they could get back in," Pence chief of staff Marc Short told me. "Some expressed frustration there'd been a call for the National Guard and it hadn't yet been deployed; Pence volunteered to help and spoke to Miller and Milley."

A couple other nuggets from my notebook:

— GEORGIA AUTOPSY: Before Wednesday's tragedy, Republicans were well into dissecting what went wrong in Georgia.

Trump's role in the losses is a hotly debated topic. He told Kelly Loeffler before he landed in Georgia for a final rally on Monday that if she didn't back the Electoral College challenges, he would "do a number on her" from the stage, according to a source familiar with the events.

The president's refusal to concede also undermined the GOP's argument that they needed to keep the Senate to put a check on Joe Biden and the Democrats. Instead, enough voters apparently decided that Trump and Republicans were the ones who needed to be hemmed in.

One GOP pollster involved in the races told me that Loeffler was narrowly ahead 72 hours before Election Day. But the release of Trump's call to pressure the Georgia elections chief, combined with the flood of Republican senators who followed Hawley in vowing to challenge Biden's win, changed everything. "When you're in a really close race the imagery of the last 48 hours makes a difference because you don't have to move that many voters," the pollster said.

— OVERLOOKED: Tucked into the omnibus spending bill that passed in December is a provision creating a $30 million fund for "extraordinary protective services." A senior State Department official says the money will provide for private security for Trump administration officials who have been the subject of death threats from Iranian officials seeking to avenge the death of Qasem Soleimani. They include Secretary of State MIKE POMPEO, MILLEY, former Iran envoy BRIAN HOOK and national security adviser ROBERT O'BRIEN.

Given the events of the past week, including the harassment of Sens. MITT ROMNEY and LINDSEY GRAHAM, it's worth thinking about how long it'll be until we see a similar fund for the protection of lawmakers.

— LIGHT TRAFFIC ON WEST EXEC AVENUE: Those who've visited the Old Executive Office Building recently describe it as something of a ghost town, with newspapers sitting outside locked office doors well after 9 a.m.

It's hard to know the extent to which that's a product of the remote work environment and an intentional staggering of departures as opposed to resignations, but the vision of tumbleweeds blowing through the corridors of power says something about where we're at.

Many Republicans not named Stephen Miller and Johnny McEntee have fled the White House — and there have been a lot more resignations than reported.

— DEPT. OF BIGGER FISH TO FRY: Republicans are buzzing about a movement afoot within the Arizona Republican Party to censure Cindy McCain. A formal resolution dubbing her "a troubled individual" was taken up by a very receptive Maricopa County GOP on Saturday and heads to the state party later this month. Cindy McCain backed Biden in the election, and said in response that she's "a proud lifelong Republican and will continue to support candidates who put country over party and stand for the rule of law."

— WITH MALICE TOWARD NONE; WITH CHARITY FOR ALL:

KEEP UP WITH THE FIRST 100 DAYS OF THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WITH TRANSITION PLAYBOOK: It was a dark week in American history, and a new administration will have to pick up the pieces. Transition Playbook brings you inside the last days of this crucial transfer of power, tracking the latest from President-elect Biden and his growing administration. Written for political insiders, this scoop-filled newsletter breaks big news and analyzes the appointments, people, and the emerging power centers of the new administration. Track the transition and the first 100 days of the incoming Biden administration. Subscribe today.

ELIANA'S PLAYBOOK READS

SILVER LINING OF RESIGNING? — National Review's Andy McCarthy isn't the first person I've heard suggest that if Trump had any sense, he'd be trying to negotiate a favorable exit. By, say, asking Pence for a pardon in exchange for leaving or even floating a similar deal to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

"Moreover, it would be much better for the institution of the presidency if Pence pardoned Trump than if Trump pardoned himself," McCarthy argues. "Pence could justify it, as President Gerald Ford did for Nixon, as a matter of helping the country move on from a divisive controversy. For his part, Trump would probably have to agree not to seek public office again."

GOP'S PREDICAMENT — "Whose party is it?" by Cook Political Report's Amy Walter: "Since January of 2019, the NBC/Wall Street Journal poll has asked GOP voters if they identify more as a supporter of President Trump or as a supporter of the Republican Party. In almost every poll, more Republicans identified as supporters of Trump than of the Republican Party. In fact, in the final poll before the election (Oct 29-31, 2020), 54 percent of Republicans said they identified with Trump, while just 38 percent identified as a supporter of the GOP."

DEMS' PREDICAMENT — "As Dems retake government, standoff with party's left flank looms," by Washington Free Beacon's Charles Lehman: "Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff's surprise double triumph on Tuesday makes possible many of Biden's more expansive legislative priorities, such as his promised revisions to Obamacare or his $2 trillion climate plan. But it also means that he has lost the convenient excuse of a Republican-controlled Senate, which would have allowed him to refuse the more revolutionary changes endorsed by members of his party."

NON-POLITICS NEWS — " The sperm kings have a problem: too much demand," by NYT's Nellie Bowles: "And so in the capitalist crunch, Sperm World — the world of people buying and selling sperm — has gotten wild. Donors are going direct to customers. They meet with prospective mothers-to-be in Airbnbs for an afternoon handoff; Facebook groups with tens of thousands of members have sprung up.

"The reason I know this at all is simple enough: I am 32 years old, partnered to a woman, stuck at home and in the market for the finest sperm I can get."

"Louise Linton has made a movie," by NYT's Brooks Barnes: "It starts with spider sex." We'll leave it at that.

WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD BE READING

A woman standing by a makeshift memorial is pictured. | Getty Images

PHOTO DU JOUR: A makeshift memorial near the Capitol on Saturday honors the late Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick. | Al Drago/Getty Images

SIREN — "Capitol siege was planned online. Trump supporters now planning the next one," WaPo: "Calls for widespread protests on the days leading up to the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden have been rampant online for weeks. These demonstrations are scheduled to culminate with what organizers have dubbed a 'Million Militia March' on Jan. 20 as Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala D. Harris are to be sworn in on the same Capitol grounds that rioters overran on Wednesday."

SAD NEWS — The Capitol Police announced that Officer Howard Liebengood, 51, has died off duty.

IMPEACHMENT STATE OF PLAY — House Majority Whip JIM CLYBURN (D-S.C.) floated an impeachment trial delay on CNN's "State of the Union" this morning: "Mitch McConnell is a pretty good legislator. And he's doing what he thinks he needs to do to be disruptive of President Biden. But I would say to Mitch McConnell: Nancy Pelosi is smarter than that. We'll take the vote that we should take in the House. And she will make the determination as to when is the best time to get that vote, get the managers appointed and move that legislation over to the Senate. It just so happens that if it did go over there for 100 days, it could — let's give President-elect Biden the 100 days he needs to get his agenda off and running. And maybe we'll send the articles sometime after that."

TOOMEY JOINS MURKOWSKI, WANTS TRUMP GONE: "I think the best way for our country, Chuck, is for the president to resign and go away as soon as possible," the Pennsylvania senator said on "Meet the Press" Sunday. He added that there's no consensus on the 25th Amendment and not enough time for impeachment.

STUNNING 30,000-FOOT STORY — "Trump's Legacy: Voters Who Reject Democracy and Any Politics but Their Own," NYT: "For these voters, the lack of allegiance to small 'd' democratic values seemed to stem, in part, from the shift among many Republicans to imbibing information from sources that offer propaganda rather than news and facts. …

"Another likely factor that leads to delegitimizing political opponents among Trump supporters is the scorched-earth attacks on Democratic candidates during elections."

TERRIFYING RECONSTRUCTION: "Inside the Capitol siege: How barricaded lawmakers and aides sounded urgent pleas for help as police lost control," WaPo : "Three senior GOP aides piled furniture against the door and tried to move stealthily, worried that the intruders would discover them inside. In waves, the door to the hall heaved as rioters punched and kicked it. The crowd yelled 'Stop the steal!' Some chanted menacingly...: 'Where's Nancy? Where's Nancy?'"

ANOTHER TRUMP CALL TO GEORGIA — "'Find the fraud': Trump pressured a Georgia elections investigator in a separate call legal experts say could amount to obstruction," WaPo: "President Trump urged Georgia's lead elections investigator to 'find the fraud' in a lengthy December phone call, saying the official would be a 'national hero,' according to an individual familiar with the call who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the conversation."

— AND THEN THERE'S THIS: "White House Forced Georgia U.S. Attorney to Resign," WSJ

SILICON VALLEY CRACKDOWN — The blitz of social media giants booting what they deem Trump-supporting crazies continued over the weekend. … "Apple Has Banned Parler, The Pro-Trump Social Network, From Its App Store," per BuzzFeed. And perhaps more significant, Amazon Web Services is kicking Parler off its servers: "The suspension, which will go into effect on Sunday just before midnight, means that Parler will be unable to operate and will go offline unless it can find another hosting service," Buzzfeed also reported.

In the span of a few days, reports David Siders, Big Tech has gone from " an annoying foe to archvillain" for Republicans of all stripes.

HOT DOC … The Biden Inaugural Committee released an extensive list of its donors Saturday night that includes Google, Boeing, and Verizon.

COMING ATTRACTIONS — "President Trump to visit Rio Grande Valley on Tuesday," KVEO: "Trump will land in Harlingen on Tuesday at an unconfirmed time and then take a helicopter to McAllen. … Trump will be attending an unspecified dedication at the border wall near the U.S.-Mexico border."

CORONAVIRUS RAGING … The U.S. reported 3,500 new Covid-19 deaths and 262,000 new cases of the coronavirus Saturday.

THE DISTRIBUTION CHALLENGE — "Pressure Grows for States to Open Vaccines to More Groups of People," NYT: "[R]eaching a wider swath of the population requires much more money than states have received for the task, many health officials say, and more time to fine-tune systems for moving surplus vaccine around quickly, to increase the number of vaccination sites and people who give the shots, and to establish reliable appointment systems to prevent endless lines and waits."

"VIA GETTY" TAKEN INTO CUSTODY — "Tampa Bay man seen carrying lectern at U.S. Capitol riot arrested in Pinellas County," WFLA: "The man suspected of carrying Nancy Pelosi's lectern through the U.S. Capitol during riots in D.C. Wednesday has been charged with three federal crimes.

"The man smiling and waving at the camera has been identified as 36-year-old Adam Johnson of Parrish in Manatee County. 8 On Your Side has learned Johnson is married to a local physician and is a father of five."

— "More arrests in Capitol riot as more video reveals brutality," AP

— "Derrick Evans resigns W.Va. House after entering U.S. Capitol with mob," West Virginia MetroNews

VOGUE has HARRIS on its February cover, with a profile by Alexis Okeowo.

KNOWING MEENA HARRIS — "Meena Harris, Building That Brand," NYT: "Kamala Harris's niece is building her own empire with statement T-shirts. Just don't define her by her family."

And check out her Twitter feed, unmentioned in the story, which includes a lot of love for the Squad.

TRUMP'S SUNDAY — The president has nothing on his public schedule.

— Biden and Harris have nothing on their public schedules.

A NEW YEAR, A NEW CONGRESS, A NEW HUDDLE: It was an ugly and heartbreaking week inside the Capitol, particularly for all of those who work on the Hill. How are lawmakers planning to move forward? How will security change? How will a new Senate majority impact the legislative agenda? With so much at stake, our new Huddle author Olivia Beavers brings you the most important news and critical insight from Capitol Hill with help from POLITICO's deeply sourced Congress team. Subscribe to Huddle, the essential guide to understanding Congress. It has never been more important. SUBSCRIBE NOW.

PLAYBOOKERS

Send tips to Eli Okun and Garrett Ross at politicoplaybook@politico.com.

BIRTHDAYS: Jared Kushner is 4-0 … FCC Chair Ajit Pai is 48 … Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) is 71 … Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) is 62 … Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) is 64 … Joanna Rosholm (h/ts Kelley McCormick and Deb Eschmeyer) … Michelle Fields … Nick Calio, president and CEO of Airlines for America, is 68 … Glover Park Group's Lauren Edmonds … Beth Fouhy, senior politics editor at NBC News and MSNBC … Freddie Tunnard, WH producer for NBC News … POLITICO's Maya Parthasarathy and Kristen Miller … Esther Whieldon … AP national security reporter Robert Burns … Luke Johnson … former Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) is 58 … former Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) is 6-0 … Benjamin Hackett … Adam Walinsky is 84 … Jeremy Button … Blake Adami … Nat Wienecke is 49 … Barnett Rubin … Sally Gray Lovejoy … Freddy Gray, deputy editor of The Spectator and editor of Spectator USA, is 41 … Adam Weissmann …

… Liesl Hickey, partner at Ascent Media … Morgan Finkelstein, deputy director of events & ceremonies, media logistics at the Biden Presidential Inaugural Committee … Ryan Dierker … Vaughn Ververs, political editor at NBC … AnnMaura Connolly … Cheryl Benton (h/ts Teresa Vilmain) … Joseph Petrzelka, legislative assistant for Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) … Katherine Afzal … The Hill's Julia Manchester … Samuel Negatu … Chris Westfall, RT America producer, is 31 … Liz Chadderdon … Philanthropy Roundtable's Caitlin Summers … Alyssa Lattner of Latham & Watkins … Caroline Hakes … former Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.) is 83 … Hugh Livengood … Aaron Buchner … Robby Goldsberry … David Horowitz is 82 … Dante Scala … Nat Sillin … David Hallock … Steve Marchand … Stacy Hawkins Adams … Myranda Tanck … Lanny Wiles … Blake Hopper … Paul Dhillon (h/t Arif Hasan) … Jessica Mudditt … Braxton Marcela

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Current Affairs Of Pakistan & World