Happy Friday. It’s an eerily warm, spring day in Washington, D.C. It’s Jan. 26, and it’s 73 degrees. Here’s what’s happening today: -
Former President Trump has likely tanked the chance that Republicans will pass a border deal. He’s been consumed with the campaign trail lately, but he told Republicans to oppose any package that is a compromise. That’s put a wrench in the talks.
- Trump abruptly left the courtroom today when a lawyer for E. Jean Carroll began closing arguments. There’s no video, but the courtroom sketches are very detailed.
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My TikTok feed is dominated with videos of people making “candy salads.” Because I take my job very seriously, I promise to make one to give you an honest review. 😘
I’m Cate
Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Send tips, commentary, feedback and cookie recipes to cmartel@digital-release.thehill.com. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here. |
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Border negotiations have been happening since before Thanksgiving, and while negotiators are hoping to reach a deal soon, it is already experiencing a lot of headwind from Republicans.
First, there’s Trump: Former President Trump, who has been occupied on the campaign trail and with his pending court cases, had been a “sleeping giant” in Al Weaver’s words, but he called for Republicans to oppose any border package that didn’t include all of his priorities. Read — ‘Trump’s push to deny Biden border victory aggravates lawmakers’
Then, there are House Republicans: Many conservative House Republicans will likely oppose the Senate plan. A senior aide to House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) told a group of Senate Republican chiefs of staff Thursday that the border deal negotiated with Democrats is dead on arrival in the House, according to The Hill’s
Alexander Bolton.
Plus, Speaker
Mike Johnson (R-La.) sent a letter to colleagues this morning, saying the Senate deal is “dead on arrival” in the House if reports about its contents are true. What we know, from The Hill’s Emily Brooks Tied into the border negotiation
s: The plan had been to couple Ukraine funding with border security changes to appease Republicans. But because this plan already appears to be falling apart, some Republicans who support Ukraine funding are looking for a Plan B. (The Hill) Op-ed from The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board: “A GOP Border Reckoning: We’ll soon know if the party really wants to solve the problem.” (
The Wall Street Journal) |
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‘Inside Trump’s Cutthroat Conquest of Iowa and New Hampshire’: |
The New York Time’s Shane Goldmacher, Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman report how former President Trump’s “victories in Iowa and New Hampshire were the product of a win-or-else ethos, a fractured opposition and his power to make the party stand for whatever he stands for.”
Ouch — An example of what they mean by ‘cutthroat’: “Mr. Trump had lost Johnson County, home of the University of Iowa, by a single vote. The regional political director who had overseen the area was not given a seat on the plane. The next morning, according to two people familiar with the matter, she was informed by a terse email from her supervisor that her contract with the Trump campaign was not being renewed.” (
The New York Times) |
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‘Haley presses on against Trump on the trail. Her fight is a lonely one.’: The Washington Post
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‘Trump Could Come Back. #Resistance Might Not.’: “The shock of 2016 spurred his critics to fight. A 2024 repeat could prompt flight instead.” Politico
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‘Trump’s Momentum Has World Bracing for Round Two’: The Wall Street Journal
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➤ SOUTH CAROLINA POLLING: |
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s push to qualify for states’ general election ballots is worrying Democrats after he successfully qualified for Utah and New Hampshire’s Election Day ballots.
💡 Why this matters: Kenney could pick off some voters who would otherwise vote for President Biden. More from The Hill’s Hanna Trudo |
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Bring back Court TV and its cameras — I’m nosey!: |
Former
President Trump testified Thursday in the defamation case brought by advice columnist E. Jean Carroll. One word to describe Trump’s testimony: The Hill’s
Zach Schonfeld was in the courtroom and described Trump’s two-minute testimony as “fiery.”
Trump said on his way out of the courtroom: “This is not America, not America, this is not America.” Schonfeld also noted that Trump said “nearly as much off the stand as he did while testifying.”
NEW THIS MORNING: Trump abruptly walked out of the courtroom Friday when a lawyer for Carroll started closing remarks.
Back story on the case: Carroll is suing Trump for “at least $10 million in damages for Trump’s denials that he sexually assaulted her in the mid-1990s.” Keep in mind: “For years, Trump has publicly attacked Carroll’s credibility and appearance in the court of public opinion, including recently at campaign rallies and in spates of Truth Social posts.” (
The Hill) |
➤ OMG, CHECK OUT THE COURTROOM SKETCHES: |
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A UN court told Israel to contain civilian deaths: |
“The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the top United Nations judicial body, ruled Friday that Israel must contain the civilian death toll in Gaza but did not issue an order demanding a cease-fire in the besieged strip.”
How this came about: “The preliminary ruling comes after a plea from South Africa to order a cease-fire in Gaza and stop the displacement of the Palestinian people.”
The court’s ruling: “The court said Israel must take all steps necessary to protect against the killing of Palestinian civilians and the physical destruction of infrastructure but diverged from South Africa’s more immediate calls to halt all military activity.” (The Hill) |
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Free Evan: Imprisonment to extend to 1 year: |
A court in Russia is extending the detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich by two months, meaning the journalist will spend at least a year in a Russian jail. (The Wall Street Journal)
Why he is in custody: An allegation of espionage that he and the U.S. government strongly deny. This is Gershkovich’s fourth extension since he was jailed last March. |
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The House and Senate are out. President Biden is in Washington, D.C., and Vice President Harris is in California. (all times Eastern)
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- 1 p.m.: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby brief reporters. 💻 Livestream
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4 p.m. Saturday: Former President Trump campaigns in Las Vegas. 🎰 Livestream
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7:30 p.m. Saturday: Biden campaigns in Columbia, S.C. 💻 Livestream
- 3 p.m. Tuesday: The Senate meets next. 🗓️ Tuesday’s agenda
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