A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo.
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 moment:
Look for a lot more on Hawley. When there’s momentum, it would be a bad thing if it stopped. Hawley will say that he was only moving so fast, so that the police could focus on other problems.
I talked to former D.C. police officer Michael Fanone outside the #Jan6thHearings. Here is his response to seeing video of Sen. Josh Hawley running away from rioters after fist bumping them earlier in the day on Jan. 6 :
He can run, but he can’t outrun the jokes. And if/when he runs for the Senate again, those clips are gonna be on auto-loop. Probably with music. And with the laughter in the background.
I realize it’s part of a legal strategy to fully incriminate Trump as a criminal instigator of insurrection, but I think it may come back to haunt us later.
By making Trump the Svengali-like controller of the mob, and presenting them as people without any willpower or personal responsibility, it seriously misrepresents the MAGA movement, which will be a mortal threat to democracy well after Trump is gone.
In particular, one of the summations last night said (I’m paraphrasing) “millions of Trump supporters would lay down their lives to defend the country. Trump preyed on and subverted this patriotism in support of his own lies.”
No.
This was a rabble of criminal scum, which the videos and audios played in that very hearing made clear.
Secret Service head James Murry is separating from Fed employment on July 31st. Not sure, but there’s probably an entirely different set of rules and laws dictating his responsibility and obligation to submit to interview and give testimony as a current Fed employee, before the 31st, as opposed to when he’s a private citizen afterward. If so the next week would be of prime importance to depose him about this whole lost data affair.
With all the Joshing aside I would like to remind everyone that Hawl-ass Hawley will now become the senior senator from MO with Blunt retiring.
MO Rs will have the choice of Greitens, Schmitt, or sitting Rep Vicki Hartzler. Greitens is doing well, Hartzler didn’t get Trump’s approval, and Schmitt is a suer like Trump.
Josh is young enough to have more material ready to be used in ads against him. His ego, and the fact that he and his family don’t actually live in MO will give fertile ground to more outrageous output from him.
