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Presented by Facebook: POLITICO's must-read briefing on what's driving the afternoon in Washington. | | | | |  | | By Garrett Ross | | | Here’s your bombshell of the day: CNN’s Ryan Nobles, Annie Grayer, Zachary Cohen and Jamie Gangel get the deets on a tranche of text messages to MARK MEADOWS — the chief of staff to former President DONALD TRUMP — in the months leading up to the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. The scores of messages were sent by Sens. MIKE LEE (R-Utah) and Rep. CHIP ROY (R-Texas) and were obtained as a part of the Jan. 6 select committee’s investigation. “When situated in the overall timeline of events between the election and January 6, the series of texts from Lee and Roy provide new details about how two Trump allies went from fierce advocates of the former President's push to overturn JOE BIDEN’s win to disheartened bystanders. By January 3, Lee was texting Meadows that the effort ‘could all backfire badly.’ But shortly after the election, both men were encouraging Trump to keep fighting,” CNN’s team writes. The succession of texts paints a picture of two staunch Trump allies who wanted to back the former president’s false claims of fraud and dangerous attempt to overturn the election, but by December were expressing “grave concerns to Meadows about the plan to challenge the certification of the election on January 6.” “When January 6 finally came, neither Lee nor Roy joined their colleagues in objecting to the 2020 presidential election results,” CNN writes. “After the violence unfolded and Congress returned to session, Roy said on the House floor, ‘The President should never have spun up certain Americans to believe something that simply cannot be.’” Here’s a selection of the more than 100 texts , which exhibits how Roy and Lee went from Point A to Point B:
- “We need ammo. We need fraud examples. We need it this weekend.” — Roy to Meadows, on Nov. 7.
- “[SIDNEY] POWELL is saying that she needs to get in to see the president, but she's being kept away from him. Apparently she has a strategy to keep things alive and put several states back in play. Can you help get her in?” — Lee to Meadows, on Nov. 7.
- “Frigging Rudy needs to hush…” — Roy to Meadows, on Nov. 22
- “[I]f you want senators to object, we need to hear from you on that ideally getting some guidance on what arguments to raise.” … “I think we're now passed the point where we can expect anyone will do it without some direction and a strong evidentiary argument.” — Lee to Meadows, on Dec. 16
- “The president should call everyone off. It's the only path. If we substitute the will of states through electors with a vote by congress every 4 years... we have destroyed the electoral college... Respectfully.” — Roy to Meadows, on Dec. 31
- “I am truly sorry I am in a different spot then you and our brothers re: Wednesday. But I will defend all.” — Roy to Meadows, on Jan. 4.
- “This is a sh*tshow” … “Fix this now.” — Roy to Meadows, on Jan. 6
HOT NEWS FROM SILICON VALLEY — “Twitter Counters a Musk Takeover With Strategy to Force a Negotiation,” by NYT’s Lauren Hirsch and Kate Conger Happy Friday afternoon. The White House sent out the president's schedule earlier this morning: Biden has nothing on his public calendar. (In case anyone was wondering, neither do I!)
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Learn about our efforts | | | ALL POLITICS DEMS REBEL OVER BIDEN ASYLUM CHANGE — Biden’s border moves are causing heartburn for vulnerable Democrats who question “his administration’s decision to lift a pandemic health order that has drastically curtailed migrants’ ability to seek asylum at the southern border,” WaPo’s Mike DeBonis writes . “Democratic senators from Nevada to Georgia to New Hampshire have distanced themselves from the move, charging that the administration has yet to present a satisfactory plan to prepare for the expected increase in attempted border crossings. The decision also threatens to create friction between these Democrats and liberal voters demanding more protections for migrants.” REDISTRICTING READ — Dems had a better-than-expected cycle of map-drawing that set them up well in many key states, but now they’re facing another uphill battle as Republicans counter in the courts: “the conservative Supreme Court has bolstered Republican efforts to reverse that trend, with more cases in the wings from GOP attorneys and legislators from multiple states,” write WaPo’s Colby Itkowitz and David Weigel . “What worries Democrats and voting rights advocates most is the potential that the Supreme Court will validate a legal theory that state legislatures alone must draw political maps — a judgment that would give lawmakers final say over redistricting, stripping out the role that governors, judges and even independent commissions set up by voters have in the process.” CONGRESS HAWAII FLY-OH — The saga of Hawaii Rep. KAI KAHELE’s mysterious work for Hawaiian Airlines continues. The Honolulu Civil Beat’s Nick Grube has the scoop on an arrangement that Kahele and airline execs worked out before the congressman took office. “Contract documents and other internal records obtained by Civil Beat show Kahele has been on a specialized leave of absence that was designed for Hawaiian Airlines pilots who have been appointed or elected to state or federal office or who hold a position within a government agency that is ‘directly connected with aviation.’ Kahele, however, seems to be the only person within the company who qualifies for the benefit. “After Kahele was elected to Congress in November 2020, Hawaiian Airlines and the Air Line Pilots Association, which is the national labor union that represents the company’s pilots, crafted a new leave policy that would allow the first-term congressman to maintain his flight status, seniority and longevity with the company while he represented Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District in Washington. The addendum was approved by Hawaiian Airlines and ALPA officials on Jan. 19, 2021 with an effective date of Jan. 1, 2021, which was two days before Kahele was sworn in to office. “For some within the company, several of whom spoke with Civil Beat only if they were not identified because they fear retaliation, the new policy felt like special treatment for someone who could help the company’s bottom line.” CONGRESS ABROAD — A group of lawmakers made a visit to Taipei and “met with Taiwan’s leader on Friday in a show of support for the island democracy, in a surprise trip that signals more tension between Washington and Beijing,” WSJ’s Joyu Wang reports. The visit by the six-member delegation, led by Sen. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-S.C.) and Senate Foreign Relations Chair BOB MENENDEZ (D-N.J.), “prompted a military response and angry words from Beijing.” Joining Graham and Menendez were Sens. RICHARD BURR (R-N.C.), ROB PORTMAN (R-Ohio) and BEN SASSE (R-Neb.) and Rep. RONNY JACKSON (R-Texas).
| | | | INTRODUCING DIGITAL FUTURE DAILY - OUR TECHNOLOGY NEWSLETTER, RE-IMAGINED: Technology is always evolving, and our new tech-obsessed newsletter is too! Digital Future Daily unlocks the most important stories determining the future of technology, from Washington to Silicon Valley and innovation power centers around the world. Readers get an in-depth look at how the next wave of tech will reshape civic and political life, including activism, fundraising, lobbying and legislating. Go inside the minds of the biggest tech players, policymakers and regulators to learn how their decisions affect our lives. Don't miss out, subscribe today. | | | | | THE ECONOMY LAYING OFF LAYOFFS — Biden is trying to Build the economy Back Better on the heels of a brutal pandemic. But one area that seems to need little intervention is job security. “New claims for unemployment benefits are trending at their lowest levels since 1968, a sign of how few layoffs are happening in the tightest labor market in half a century,” writes WSJ’s David Harrison . “Job security today, by some measures, is even better than it was in the economic halcyon days of the late 1960s. Behind today’s extremely tight labor market is a transformed U.S. economy, not least because its labor force is much bigger, including more women and more jobs in the service sector.” WAR IN UKRAINE — “Loud explosions rocked Kyiv early Friday as Russia threatened to escalate attacks on Ukrainian command centers in response to alleged strikes inside Russian territory, with both sides gearing up for a new stage in the ground war,” reports WSJ’s Brett Forrest and Matthew Luxmoore. — “The Russians are staging attack helicopters at the border with Ukraine and bringing in soldiers and artillery, according to the Pentagon, as both sides furiously prepare for what is expected to be a bloody battle to control the vast plains of the country’s east,” NYT’s Marc Santora and Michael Schwirtz report. — The brave new world: “Ukrainian officials have run more than 8,600 facial recognition searches on dead or captured Russian soldiers in the 50 days since Moscow’s invasion began, using the scans to identify bodies and contact hundreds of their families,” WaPo’s Drew Harwell writes. — Mariupol stands strong: “Unbroken by a Russian blockade and relentless bombardment, the key port of Mariupol is still holding out,” AP’s Yuras Karmanau reports. — Zelenskyy’s warning: Ukrainian President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY sat down with CNN’s Jake Tapper for an exclusive interview, during which he delivered a stark warning: “‘all of the countries of the world’ should be prepared for the possibility that Russian President VLADIMIR PUTIN could use tactical nuclear weapons in his war on Ukraine.” CNN’s Jeremy Herb has more
| | | |   | | | BEYOND THE BELTWAY POLICING IN AMERICA — As the nation watches another killing at the hands of a police officer in Grand Rapids, Mich., there is a growing trend across cities in the country that are trying to shift away from minor traffic stops. “Los Angeles last month became the biggest city to restrict the policing of minor violations. In Philadelphia, a ban on such stops has just taken effect. Pittsburgh; Seattle; Berkeley, Calif.; Lansing, Mich.; Brooklyn Center, Minn.; and the State of Virginia have all taken similar steps. Elsewhere across the country, a half-dozen prosecutors have said they will not bring charges based on evidence collected at these stops,” writes NYT’s David Kirkpatrick, Steve Eder and Kim Barker. “Officials pushing the new rules cite data showing that minor stops not only disproportionately snare Black drivers but also do little to combat serious crime or improve public safety, and some escalate into avoidable violence, even killing officers or drivers.”
| | | | DON'T MISS ANYTHING FROM THE 2022 MILKEN INSTITUTE GLOBAL CONFERENCE: POLITICO is excited to partner with the Milken Institute to produce a special edition "Global Insider" newsletter featuring exclusive coverage and insights from the 25th annual Global Conference. This year's event, May 1-4, brings together more than 3,000 of the world’s most influential leaders, including 700+ speakers representing more than 80 countries. "Celebrating the Power of Connection" is this year's theme, setting the stage to connect influencers with the resources to change the world with leading experts and thinkers whose insight and creativity can implement that change. Whether you're attending in person or following along from somewhere else in the world, keep up with this year's conference with POLITICO’s special edition “Global Insider” so you don't miss a beat. Subscribe today. | | | | | AMERICA AND THE WORLD PULLOUT FALLOUT — WSJ’s Jessica Donati recounts the harrowing story of Mohammad, a 56-year-old American who was separated from his 8-year-old son, James, in the chaos of evacuating the Kabul airport in Afghanistan in August. “They screamed his name but couldn’t see their son in the crowd. Mohammad asked the American soldiers stationed there if he could go back out to look. They said he wouldn’t be allowed back through the gate. … “This is when Mohammad faced an impossible decision. His wife was recovering from a cesarean section and spoke no English. If he stayed behind, he feared what would happen to her and the baby on what would be a difficult, uncertain journey. Yet if he joined them on the flight, he would abandon James to a city overrun by insurgents. He gave a description of James to the soldiers who promised to look for the boy. … “Some families got lucky and were reunited at military bases abroad. Many more are trapped in separate countries, awaiting help from the State Department, which is overwhelmed by the flood of refugees seeking entry into the U.S. The Biden administration plans to accept as many as 100,000 Ukrainians fleeing another war, and many of them will run into the immigration bottleneck created by the collapse of Afghanistan and the journey of people like Mohammad and his family. … “Almost a week after leaving his boy in Kabul, Mohammad learned James had been rescued. … At Fort McCoy, Mohammad pressed U.S. immigration officials and other entities at the base, including the International Rescue Committee, about how he could return to Afghanistan to get James. He learned that he faced the same dilemma he experienced the first time around in Kabul. If he left, he wouldn’t be allowed to return. … Mohammad said he was losing hope that James would soon reach the U.S. Maybe they could all live in India, he said. The family sold one of their two apartments in Kabul, but the money has been frozen in Afghan bank accounts.” PLAYBOOKERS WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Brian Callanan, senior managing director and general counsel for Liberty Strategic Capital and a Trump Treasury alum, and Amanda Callanan, marketing director for the Claremont Review of Books, welcomed Clara Grace Callanan on March 21. Pic ... Another pic
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