The Law Is Closing In on Trump

[Daily Kos Morning Roundup]( A morning roundup of worthy pundit and news reads, brought to you by Daily Kos. [Click here to read the full web version.]( - [The Law Is Closing In on Trump]( The Law Is Closing In on Trump, David French, New York Times There are now three clear indicators that criminal probes of Donald Trump are rapidly reaching a conclusion. First, in Georgia a special grand jury investigating his efforts to overturn the presidential election in the state has concluded its work. The Fulton County district attorney, Fani Willis, has indicated that charging decisions are imminent. Key parts of the grand jury report will be released this Thursday. Second, the Manhattan district attorney’s office is reportedly presenting evidence to a grand jury regarding the accusation that Trump paid hush money to the porn actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. Third, as The Times reported last week, the special counsel Jack Smith issued a subpoena to Mike Pence. The special counsel said it is investigating Trump’s mishandling of classified information and “efforts to interfere” with the certification of the 2020 presidential election on Jan. 6, 2021, and with the “lawful transfer of power” after the election. Pence is a direct witness to key events surrounding at least two of those subjects: Jan. 6 and the election interference efforts before Jan. 6. - [It’s Time to Prepare for a Possible Trump Indictment]( It’s Time to Prepare for a Possible Trump Indictment, Norman L. Eisen, E. Danya Perry and Amy Lee Copeland, New York Times We need to prepare for a first in our 246-year history as a nation: The possible criminal prosecution of a former president. If Mr. Trump is charged, it will be difficult and at times even perilous for American democracy — but it is necessary to deter him and others from future attempted coups. - [Bad news: Daily Kos revenue is down, and we might not be able to do all we do. Good news: You are a big part of the solution, and small donors have never let us down. Donate $5 TODAY.]( - [Real Church Committee Advises Jim Jordan’s “New Church Committee” to Change Course]( Real Church Committee Advises Jim Jordan’s “New Church Committee” to Change Course, Dennis Aftergut, Norman Ornstein, and Stuart Gerson, Slate Rep. Jim Jordan is one of the most powerful members of Congress. He chairs both the House Judiciary Committee and its new subcommittee on the “Weaponization of the Federal Government.” House Republicans have declared that Jordan’s investigations are “modeled” after the “Church Committee,” the famed 1975-76 Select Committee on Intelligence Activities created after a series of scandals involving the CIA. On Wednesday, a bipartisan group of 28 distinguished, former government officials who staffed the Church Committee wrote a letter describing how Jordan might be able to replicate that committee’s success, if that were his actual aim. Based on the subcommittee’s embarrassing first meeting on February 9, however, and Jordan’s statements and actions, it’s clear that he has no such intent. Indeed, the letter from those former Church Committee members elucidates the degree to which the Republican labeling campaign is a pathetic branding exercise. - [Mike Pence’s craven effort to appease MAGA points to a deeper conflict]( Mike Pence’s craven effort to appease MAGA points to a deeper conflict, Greg Sargent, Washington Post Pence’s legal strategy will likely fail. But this saga points to something beyond mere legalisms: Pence is plagued by a tortured relationship to Jan. 6 that he can’t outrun, one that also illuminates the continuing hold of Trump’s insurrectionism on the GOP’s evangelical base, which remains a destructive force in our politics. - [A massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake has devastated Turkey and Syria: Donate to humanitarian efforts assisting survivors that are in need during this horrific time.]( - [The real meaning of "freedom" for Ron DeSantis and his ilk]( The real meaning of "freedom" for Ron DeSantis and his ilk, Jonathan Weiler, Substack It's the freedom to dominate. And lord have mercy on anyone who disagrees. I’ve been meaning to write about an excellent book I read over the winter break, Freedom’s Dominion, by the historian Jefferson Cowie. The book recounts the history of Barbour County, Alabama, from the 1830s, when members of the Muscogee Nation were expelled en masse from their homes and land there, through the rise of native son, George Wallace, as a major national political figure in the 1960s. - [‘The Sun and Sky Were Darkened’: The Politics of the Train Derailment]( ‘The Sun and Sky Were Darkened’: The Politics of the Train Derailment, Daniel McGraw, The Bulwark Bleak economic realities for many communities in Appalachia. At the national level, the politics of this story have so far largely broken down along party lines, with conservatives blaming the Biden administration and the EPA for not enforcing standards already on the books while liberals blame big corporations (like railroad companies) that have the backing of Republicans to do whatever they want. One thing missing from the national debate, however, is any recognition of what is politically important and distinctive about the place where this happened. East Palestine is in a part of the country—where Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia all meet—that has been the key to both the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. (Indeed, the site of the derailment is right at the Ohio-Pennsylvania border and just a half-hour’s scenic drive to the West Virginia border.) This is part of the country where the manufacturing jobs left, the foreclosure crisis turned home-ownership investment into a big joke, and opioid drug overdoses and deaths are happening in huge numbers. ICYMI: Popular stories from the past week you won't want to miss: - [Guess who’s behind the ‘He Gets Us’ commercials that ran during the Super Bowl?]( - [Black rancher arrested after going public about being terrorized by white neighbors for years]( - [Book banner DeSantis pretends to be shocked after laws result in scrutiny of book about MLB legend]( Want even more Daily Kos? 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