Wednesday, July 24, 2024

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1/ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended Israel’s war in Gaza and condemned American protesters as “Iran’s useful idiots” in his speech to a joint session of Congress. Netanyahu portrayed the war in Gaza as a “clash between barbarism and civilization” and declared “we will win,” saying: “Our enemies are your enemies. Our fight is your fight. And our victory will be your victory.” Since the Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, which left 1,200 people dead and another 250 taken hostage, Israeli strikes in Gaza have since killed an estimated 39,090 Palestinians and injured another 90,147. Nearly all 2.3 million Gazans have been internally displaced. More than 50 congressional Democrats declined to attend the speech in protest of Netanyahu’s handling of the war. Republicans, meanwhile, criticized Harris’s decision not to attend and preside over the joint session of Congress in her role as president of the Senate. Although she was attending a previously scheduled gathering of the historically Black sorority Zeta Phi Beta in Indianapolis, Republicans nevertheless called it a “disgrace” and accused her of putting politics above the Israel-U.S. relationship. Republicans, however, did not attack JD Vance, who also had a prior commitment and did not attend. (Associated Press / Wall Street Journal / Bloomberg / New York Times / Washington Post / NBC News / CNN / ABC News)

2/ Democrats adopted rules to choose their presidential nominee via a virtual roll call vote. Voting to officially nominate Kamala Harris, who has already amassed enough pledged support from delegates to win, will begin online on Aug. 1. At least 3,180 of the nearly 4,000 Democratic delegates have already endorsed Harris. The party wants to officially nominate its presidential and vice presidential candidates by Aug. 7 to avoid the possibility of litigation over ballot access in Ohio. House Speaker Mike Johnson and other top Republicans, meanwhile, warned members to stop making overtly racist and sexist attacks against Harris. When nominated, Harris will be the first Black and South Asian woman to be a major party nominee. The warning follows a series of comments by Republicans that focused on Harris’ race as well as accusations that she is a “DEI hire” – a reference to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. (CNN / Washington Post / Politico /

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Tuesday, July 23, 2024

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1/ Kamala Harris has the support of enough Democratic delegates to win the party‚Äôs nomination for president. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries ‚Ästthe top two Democrats in Congress ‚Äď have also endorsed her for president. ‚ÄúWhen I announced my campaign for president, I said I intended to go out and earn this nomination,‚ÄĚ Harris said in a statement. ‚ÄúTonight, I am proud to have secured the broad support needed to become our party‚Äôs nominee. I look forward to formally accepting the nomination soon.‚ÄĚ Separately, Harris laid out her vision for the country during her first campaign rally in Wisconsin as the presumptive Democratic nominee, saying: ‚ÄúThis campaign is also about two different visions for our nation, one where we are focused on the future, the other focused on the past.‚ÄĚ Harris also highlighted her record as a prosecutor while attacking Trump‚Äôs legal issues, saying: ‚ÄúI will proudly put my record against his any day of the week [‚Ķ] I took on perpetrators of all kinds: predators who abused women, fraudsters who ripped off consumers, cheaters who broke the rules for their own gain. So hear me when I say: I know Donald Trump‚Äôs type.‚ÄĚ (CNN / New York Times / Politico / NBC News / ABC News / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal / CNN / New York Times)

2/ Trump‚Äôs running mate, JD Vance, claimed that the Democrats are ‚Äúa threat to democracy‚ÄĚ because Biden voluntarily stepping down as the party‚Äôs nominee after his poor debate performance. Vance, without evidence, claimed that Harris ‚Äúlied‚ÄĚ about Biden‚Äôs condition and that ‚Äúelite Democrats‚ÄĚ in ‚Äúsmoke-filled rooms‚ÄĚ pushed for Biden to leave the race. ‚ÄúThat is not how it works. That is a threat to democracy, not the Republican Party, which is fighting for democracy every single day,‚ÄĚ Vance said during his first solo rally in Ohio. ‚ÄúThis is not OK,‚ÄĚ adding it was an ‚Äúinsult to voters.‚ÄĚ Vance‚Äôs comments followed state Sen. George Lang warning the audience of an impending ‚Äúcivil war‚ÄĚ should Trump lose in November. Trump, meanwhile, is the first former president to be convicted of a felony when a jury in Manhattan found him guilty of 34 counts in May, he‚Äôs been charged with 37 felonies in connection with his removal of classified documents from the White House when he left office, charged with four felonies in connection with his attempt to remain in power after losing the 2020 presidential election, and faces racketeering charges in connection with efforts to overturn the election results in Georgia. (Washington Post / ABC News / Politico /

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Monday, July 22, 2024

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1/ Harris applauded Biden and his “legacy of accomplishment over the past three years” in her first public remarks since he dropped out and endorsed her for president. Harris, who has emerged as the party favorite to replace him at the top of the ticket, called Biden’s term “unmatched in modern history” and praised his “deep love of our country.” As expected, Harris did not directly address her presidential campaign, but the Biden-Harris campaign formally amended filings with the Federal Election Commission to rename its principal committee and declare her a candidate for president. Harris is expected to assume control of the Biden-Harris campaign account, which had nearly $96 million cash in hand at the end of June. (NBC News / CNN / ABC News)

2/ Nancy Pelosi endorsed Harris to replace Biden as the nominee for president, urging her colleagues to “unify and charge forward to resoundingly defeat Donald Trump.” Pelosi said she offered her endorsement “with immense pride and limitless optimism for our country’s future,” adding that her “enthusiastic support […] is official, personal and political.” Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries, however, stopped short of endorsing Harris. Instead the two said she is “off to a great start” and that they’re planning to meet with her in person “in short order.” The two added that Harris’s candidacy has “excited the country.” All 23 Democratic governors have now endorsed Harris, including would-be challengers Gavin Newsom, Josh Shapiro, Gretchen Whitmer, JB Pritzker, Andy Beshear, Wes Moore, Tim Walz, and Tony Evers – eliminating speculation that they might try to challenge her at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in four weeks. Harris has also secured the backing of more than half of the Democratic delegates she needs to become her party’s nominee. In total, it took less than 24 hours for Harris to all but clear the Democratic presidential field since Biden ended his presidential re-election campaign. The Harris campaign, meanwhile, said it raised a record-breaking $81 million in its first 24 hours – more than double the $39.6 million she raised during the entirety of her 2020 presidential bid. In total, Harris and the Democratic party have received roughly $250 million in donations and major donor commitments since Biden dropped out. (New York Times / Politico / Washington Post / ABC News / Axios / Politico / CNN /

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Thursday, July 18, 2024

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1/ Obama privately told allies that Biden needs to seriously reconsider his candidacy because his path to victory has been greatly diminished since the debate. Obama said he’s concerned that the polls and donors are moving away from Biden, while Trump’s electoral path is expanding. (Washington Post)

2/ Chuck Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries, and Nancy Pelosi each told Biden separately that he should reconsider his reelection bid ‚Äď or else risk losing and dragging the rest of the Democrats down with him. Schumer was reportedly ‚Äúblunt‚ÄĚ and ‚Äúpretty harsh,‚ÄĚ saying it would be better for the country and the Democratic Party if he ended his reelection campaign. Jeffries offered a similar message, saying Biden could put Democratic chances in the House at risk if he remained in the race. Pelosi, meanwhile, told Biden the polling data shows he can‚Äôt defeat Trump and that he‚Äôll destroy Democrats‚Äô chances of winning the House in November if he continues his campaign. Biden said he‚Äôd seen polling that showed otherwise. Much of the recent public polling shows that Biden narrowly trails Trump nationally, though much of the data remains within the margin of error, suggesting the race is a toss-up. When asked about the conversations, the White House responded: ‚ÄúPresident Biden is the nominee of the party. He plans to win, and looks forward to working with congressional Democrats to pass his 100 days agenda to help working families.‚ÄĚ (Politico / ABC News / New York Times / Washington Post / Associated PressAxios / CNN / Reuters / Axios / Politico / Axios / Politico / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal / NBC News)

3/ Biden is reportedly ‚Äúmore receptive‚ÄĚ and ‚Äúwilling to listen‚ÄĚ to arguments about why he should step aside after a number of Democrats have pressed him to reconsider his presidential bid. One Democratic adviser said Biden has gone from saying ‚ÄúKamala can‚Äôt win,‚ÄĚ to asking ‚ÄúDo you think Kamala can win?‚ÄĚ Although Biden hasn‚Äôt given any indication that he‚Äôs changing his mind about staying in the race, several top Democrats privately said they now believe Biden will drop out ‚Äď possibly as soon as this weeke...

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Wednesday, July 17, 2024

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1/ Special Counsel Jack Smith appealed Judge Aileen Cannon’s decision to dismiss criminal charges against convicted felon Trump for mishandling classified information and conspiracy to obstruct justice. Smith’s appeal, which was expected, will be heard in the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Atlanta. Cannon cited “unlawful appointment and funding of special counsel Jack Smith” as the grounds for dismissing the case after Trump argued that the appointment was unconstitutional. Trump was indicted and charged with 40 felony counts as part of the Justice Department’s investigation into his handling of classified documents after leaving the White House. (Axios / CNN / Bloomberg / CNBC)

2/ Biden is reportedly finalizing plans to reform the Supreme Court, including imposing term limits and establishing an enforceable code of ethics, which was absent from the code the court adopted last year. Biden has also discussed calling for a constitutional amendment to limit the broad immunity for presidents recently granted by the court. Establishing term limits and an ethics code would both require congressional approval, including 60 votes in the Senate. A constitutional amendment would require two-thirds support from both chambers of Congress or from a convention called by two-thirds of the states, as well as the approval of three-fourths of state legislatures. (Washington Post / CNN / Politico / Associated Press / NBC News)

3/ The Democratic National Committee attempted to virtually nominate Biden for re-election early. The party, however, pushed back the virtual roll call from as early as July 21 to the first week of August following criticism from some Democrats, accusing the party of attempting to ram Biden’s nomination through without an open process at the Chicago convention, which begins Aug. 19. Although the DNC is scheduled for Aug. 19, Democrats had planned for a pre-convention virtual roll call to account for an Aug. 7 Ohio deadline for ballot access. While lawmakers in Ohio have since passed a law to resolve the issue, the amended deadline doesn’t go into effect until Sept. 1 and the DNC has pointed to the potential of a legal challenge by Ohio Republicans to kick Biden off the ballot. (New York Times / Washington Post /

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Wednesday, July 17, 2024

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1/ Special Counsel Jack Smith appealed Judge Aileen Cannon’s decision to dismiss criminal charges against convicted felon Trump for mishandling classified information and conspiracy to obstruct justice. Smith’s appeal, which was expected, will be heard in the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Atlanta. Cannon cited “unlawful appointment and funding of special counsel Jack Smith” as the grounds for dismissing the case after Trump argued that the appointment was unconstitutional. Trump was indicted and charged with 40 felony counts as part of the Justice Department’s investigation into his handling of classified documents after leaving the White House. (Axios / CNN / Bloomberg / CNBC)

2/ Biden is reportedly finalizing plans to reform the Supreme Court, including imposing term limits and establishing an enforceable code of ethics, which was absent from the code the court adopted last year. Biden has also discussed calling for a constitutional amendment to limit the broad immunity for presidents recently granted by the court. Establishing term limits and an ethics code would both require congressional approval, including 60 votes in the Senate. A constitutional amendment would require two-thirds support from both chambers of Congress or from a convention called by two-thirds of the states, as well as the approval of three-fourths of state legislatures. (Washington Post / CNN / Politico / Associated Press / NBC News)

3/ The Democratic National Committee attempted to virtually nominate Biden for re-election early. The party, however, pushed back the virtual roll call from as early as July 21 to the first week of August following criticism from some Democrats, accusing the party of attempting to ram Biden’s nomination through without an open process at the Chicago convention, which begins Aug. 19. Although the DNC is scheduled for Aug. 19, Democrats had planned for a pre-convention virtual roll call to account for an Aug. 7 Ohio deadline for ballot access. While lawmakers in Ohio have since passed a law to resolve the issue, the amended deadline doesn’t go into effect until Sept. 1 and the DNC has pointed to the potential of a legal challenge by Ohio Republicans to kick Biden off the ballot. (New York Times / Washington Post /

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Monday, July 15, 2024

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What we know about the Trump assassination attempt so far:

The shooting at Trump’s rally on Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania is being investigated as an attempted assassination. Trump was shot and hit by a bullet in the “upper part of my right ear,” but is otherwise “fine,” his campaign said. As he was ushered away, Trump raised a fist to the crowd, mouthing: “Fight. Fight. Fight.”

The Secret Service said the shooter – 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks – fired “multiple shots” from an “elevated position” outside of the rally using an AR-style rifle that was legally purchased by his father. Two “suspicious devices” were found in his vehicle, and authorities suspect a third may have been found at his home.

Crooks and at least one audience member were killed, and two other attendees were critically injured.

Officials said Crooks didn’t have a history of interactions with law enforcement or of mental illness, and investigators haven’t found any evidence on social media or elsewhere that might help identify his motive for the attempted assassination. Crooks was registered to vote as a Republican, but had made a small donation to a Democratic-leaning group. Former classmates described him as kind, polite, and smart.

The rooftop where Crooks shot at Trump was identified by the Secret Service as a potential vulnerability in the days before the event.

Shortly after the shooting Biden condemned the attack, saying “There’s no place in America for this kind of violence. It’s sick […] We cannot allow for this to be happening. We cannot be like this.”

And in a pair of interviews on Sunday, Trump recounted the shooting, saying: “A lot of people say it’s the most iconic photo they’ve ever seen. They’re right and I didn’t die. Usually you have to die to have an iconic picture.” He added: “I’m not supposed to be here. I’m supposed to be dead.”

House Republicans, meanwhile, said they will “conduct a full investigation” into the shooting.

Trump’s campaign said he still plans to attend the Republican National Convention, which begins today in Milwaukee. The Secret Service said it was “not anticipating any changes to our operational security plans” for the RNC. “We’re ready to go.”

There have been 327 mass shootings in the U.S. in 2024 so far.

*Sources: *New York Times / Washington Post / NBC News / CNN /

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Saturday, July 13, 2024

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What we know about the Trump rally shooting so far:

The shooting at Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania is being investigated as an attempted assassination. Trump said he was shot and hit by a bullet in the “upper part of my right ear.” His campaign said he’s “fine.” He added: “I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin.” As he was ushered away, Trump raised a fist to the crowd, mouthing: “Fight. Fight. Fight.” The Secret Service said the shooter, described as a 20-year-old Pennsylvania man, fired “multiple shots” from an “elevated position” outside of the rally. The gunman and at least one audience member are dead, and two other attendees are critically injured. Biden condemned the attack, saying “There’s no place in America for this kind of violence. It’s sick […] We cannot allow for this to be happening. We cannot be like this.” The FBI, which is leading the investigation into the shooting, said it’s working to identify the gunman and determine the motive. Authorities said they recovered an AR-15-type semiautomatic rifle at the scene. House Republicans also said they will “conduct a full investigation” into the shooting. Trump’s campaign said he still plans to attend the Republican National Convention, which is scheduled to begin in Milwaukee on Monday. There have been 327 mass shootings in the U.S. in 2024 so far. (New York Times / Washington Post / NBC News / CNN / The Guardian / Bloomberg / Reuters / CNBC / Politico / BBC / Wall Street Journal / ABC News / Axios / CBS News / NPR / The Guardian / CBS News / ABC News / NBC News / CNN / WTF Just Happened Today? for more news and headlines, brought to you by Matt Kiser. The WTFJHT Podcast is narrated and produced by Joe Amditis.

Thursday, July 11, 2024

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1/ Trump claims he has nothing to do with Project 2025 – the plan developed by the ultra-conservative Heritage Foundation to transform the American government – despite the fact that at least 140 people from his administration were involved in putting together the 900-page playbook, including six Cabinet members and four of his ambassadors. The first 20 pages of the document were written by his first deputy chief of staff, Rick Dearborn; more than half of the authors, editors, and contributors to the playbook were Trump administration staffer; dozens more Project 2025 advisers staffed Trump’s government, including Mark Meadows and Stephen Miller. In total, nearly 240 people have ties to both Trump and Project 2025. Nevertheless, Trump claimed: “I have no idea who is behind it.” Meanwhile, a group of self-described “gay furry hackers” took credit for hacking into the Heritage Foundation, gaining access to the names, passwords, email addresses, and “other juicy info” from “every user” of the database, including Heritage President Kevin Roberts. Following the breach, Heritage Executive Director Mike Howell threatened the gay furry hacktivists via text message: “Are you aware that you won’t be able to wear a furry tiger costume when you’re getting pounded in the ass in the federal prison I put you in next year? Please share widely.” A member of the group who identified themselves as “vio” responded: “meow :3” (CNN / The New Republic)

2/ Trump will meet with Viktor Orbán, the Hungarian prime minister and autocrat, at Mar-a-Lago. Last week, Orbán met with Putin in Moscow. While Trump and Putin had professed a fondness for one another during his first term, Orbán has since sought close ties to Trump, expressing a belief that a new Trump presidency was the “only serious chance” for an end to the war in Ukraine. Trump, meanwhile, has continued to repeatedly claim he’ll end the war between Russia and Ukraine “in 24 hours” if he’s elected president again – a claim that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russia’s United Nations ambassador have disputed. (Time / ABC News / New York Times / Politico / Bloomberg / The Guardian)

3/ The Senate Judiciary Committee will conduct a review of the Supreme Court’s presidential immunity ruling, arguing that “Congress cannot turn a blind eye to it.” The meeting, however, won’t happen until September. Nevertheless, Dick Durbin said the hearing will consider “the immediate legal and policy ramifications” of the Supreme Court’s decision to grant Trump...

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Thursday, July 11, 2024

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1/ Trump claims he has nothing to do with Project 2025 – the plan developed by the ultra-conservative Heritage Foundation to transform the American government – despite the fact that at least 140 people from his administration were involved in putting together the 900-page playbook, including six Cabinet members and four of his ambassadors. The first 20 pages of the document were written by his first deputy chief of staff, Rick Dearborn; more than half of the authors, editors, and contributors to the playbook were Trump administration staffer; dozens more Project 2025 advisers staffed Trump’s government, including Mark Meadows and Stephen Miller. In total, nearly 240 people have ties to both Trump and Project 2025. Nevertheless, Trump claimed: “I have no idea who is behind it.” Meanwhile, a group of self-described “gay furry hackers” took credit for hacking into the Heritage Foundation, gaining access to the names, passwords, email addresses, and “other juicy info” from “every user” of the database, including Heritage President Kevin Roberts. Following the breach, Heritage Executive Director Mike Howell threatened the gay furry hacktivists via text message: “Are you aware that you won’t be able to wear a furry tiger costume when you’re getting pounded in the ass in the federal prison I put you in next year? Please share widely.” A member of the group who identified themselves as “vio” responded: “meow :3” (CNN / The New Republic)

2/ Trump will meet with Viktor Orbán, the Hungarian prime minister and autocrat, at Mar-a-Lago. Last week, Orbán met with Putin in Moscow. While Trump and Putin had professed a fondness for one another during his first term, Orbán has since sought close ties to Trump, expressing a belief that a new Trump presidency was the “only serious chance” for an end to the war in Ukraine. Trump, meanwhile, has continued to repeatedly claim he’ll end the war between Russia and Ukraine “in 24 hours” if he’s elected president again – a claim that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russia’s United Nations ambassador have disputed. (Time / ABC News / New York Times / Politico / Bloomberg / The Guardian)

3/ The Senate Judiciary Committee will conduct a review of the Supreme Court’s presidential immunity ruling, arguing that “Congress cannot turn a blind eye to it.” The meeting, however, won’t happen until September. Nevertheless, Dick Durbin said the hearing will consider “the immediate legal and policy ramifications” of the Supreme Court’s decision to grant Trump...

Visit WTF Just Happened Today? for more news and headlines, brought to you by Matt Kiser. The WTFJHT Podcast is narrated and produced by Joe Amditis.