Donald Trump’s O.J. Defense

Plus, It’s All About the Hydrogens.

Aug 12

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PHILIP ROTNER: Donald Trump’s O.J. Defense.

It’s stunning how quickly the public debate has evolved over the FBI search of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence. Aside from Attorney General Merrick Garland’s remarks yesterday and a legal filing requesting the judge to unseal the search warrant, the Department of Justice has made no official statements. Unofficially, though, unnamed “people familiar with the investigation” have told the Washington Post that “classified documents relating to nuclear weapons” were allegedly among the things the FBI was looking for.
Meanwhile, Trump, his attorneys, and his proxies appearing on TV and talk radio have been changing their talking points with whiplash-inducing rapidity. On Monday night, everything was end-of-the-republic cries of doom. Then came all the talk of “defunding” the FBI.

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Ted Nordhaus of the Breakthrough Institute answers doubts about nuclear energy. And the panel (including Walter Olson) then turns to the FBI’s Mar-a-Lago search warrant and the GOP meltdown. Also, Biden had a good week. Will it matter?

Liz Cheney is sacrificing her seat to get charges brought against Trump, the smoke’s clearing on the Mar-a-Lago search, and Democrats should hand in their politician cards if they can’t capitalize on the GOP attacking law enforcement. Jonathan Martin joins Charlie Sykes for the weekend pod.

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BILL LUEDERS: Trump’s Ugly Comedy of Hate.

The other night during his traveling road show appearance in Waukesha, Wisconsin, Donald Trump launched into his shtick about transgender athletes.
“You know the stories [sic] of the swimmer?” the former-president-turned-stand-up-comedian teased the crowd. “Should I tell it? You probably heard it. Should I or not?”
“Yeah!” came the collective response.
Thus encouraged, Trump told the heartrending tale of a “young female swimmer” who happened to be “great, really great” and who was looking to “break the United States record in some kind of an event.” All she needed was “about one-eighth of a second.”
Here Trump paused to acknowledge, truthfully, that this was “a crazy story.” In fact, it was so out-of-bounds his handlers had advised him against telling it. “They don’t want it mentioned,” he confided. “I don’t understand why it’s politically incorrect. But I think that’s why I got elected in the first place.”

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DANIEL MCGRAW: It’s All About the Hydrogens.

For the sin of getting the Inflation Reduction Act across the line, Joe Manchin has been getting it from both ends.
On the one side, coal groups are upset. The West Virginia Coal Association and several other state-based coal industry groups wrote that “This legislation is so egregious, it leaves those of us that call Sen. Manchin a friend, shocked and disheartened.”
But at the same time more than 350 conservation and community groups came to the conclusion that the IRA favors fossil fuel interests in such a way that the bill “constitutes a violent betrayal . . . to combat environmental racism and destruction.” Jamie Henn, the director of Fossil Free Media, tweeted, “It’s not a climate solution. It’s a climate bomb.”

READ THE REST.

🚨OVERTIME 🚨

Now they’re calling for violence. Peter Wehner on the madness of Republicans.

Marco Rubio, perhaps, had a point. Yet, today he is out defending him. Who changed, Marco? Us who agreed with you then, or you?

Digital Harry Caray was weird. But it was well done.

CDC on COVID: YOLO. We’re all on our own.

Liz Cheney (R-Reality)… An Atlantic profile on our soon to be primaried (and losing) friend.

Salman Rushdie attacked. His status is unknown at this time, but unfortunately, expect to see more of this.

John Bolton laughing at a Newsmax Anchor… Is the best thing you’ll see all day. A former FOXer pushed out for lewd pics suggesting he knows more about Trump’s foreign policy than the guy who was his national security advisor? Lol.

Gov. DeSantis Park. Naming things after people who are still living (or in office...) What could go wrong? Ask Georgia.

Hitler and the Pope. What did or Pope Pius XII not do? Our friends at Conor’s Forum take a look at recently released documents.

That’s it for me. Tech support questions? Email members@thebulwark.com. Questions for me? Respond to this message.

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Editorial photos provided by Getty Images. For full credits, please consult the article.

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