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Republican Jewish Coalition: GOP elites weigh Trump — and the alternatives — at high-profile Vegas gathering

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CNN
 — 

Former President Donald Trump is set to address the influential Republican Jewish Coalition on Saturday, days after becoming the first declared GOP candidate of the 2024 presidential campaign.

But the chandeliered ballroom at the opulent Venetian resort hotel in Las Vegas will teem with his rivals – including potential chief nemesis Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis – as some of the party’s most influential donors weigh alternatives to the divisive former president.

Trump still retains a “following” within the party, Mel Sembler, a Florida real-estate developer and GOP donor who sits on the coalition’s board, told CNN this week. But, he said, “I think people are getting tired of his controversies all the time.”

“What concerns me is if he wins the primary and loses the general,” added Sembler, who has not endorsed a 2024 candidate.

The annual leadership conference of prominent Jewish conservatives marks the first major gathering of GOP establishment forces since this month’s midterm letdown for the party, which saw Democrats retain their hold on the Senate and make inroads in state governments around the country.

Republicans did flip the House but will hold a slim majority in January after the “red wave” their party envisioned all year failed to materialize.

Leading Republican figures in Washington and elsewhere are casting blame on Trump for his role in boosting far-right Senate candidates who faltered in the general election – and for continuing to publicly nurse his own grievances about the 2020 election and his ongoing legal troubles. During his campaign kickoff Tuesday, he called himself a “victim” of a federal law enforcement system that he has spent years politicizing.

Trump’s legal difficulties appeared to deepen Friday when Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel to oversee the criminal investigations into the retention of national defense information at his Mar-a-Lago resort and parts of the January 6, 2021, insurrection.

Rather than seeing the party unify behind his third presidential bid, Trump faced immediate blowback. Minutes after his announcement, daughter and former senior White House adviser Ivanka Trump distanced herself from her father’s campaign, saying she does “not plan to be involved in politics.”

His announcement also overlapped with a high-profile book tour by his own former vice president – and potential 2024 rival – Mike Pence, who has spent the past several days reminding Americans of Trump’s role in the violent US Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.

Perhaps the biggest blow to Trump’s campaign infrastructure was the swift and public defection of several billionaire GOP donors – including a close ally, Blackstone CEO Steve Schwarzman – who said the country needed leaders “rooted in today and tomorrow, not today and yesterday.”

Others are hedging their bets.

Among those playing the field is Miriam Adelson, the billionaire widow of Las Vegas casino magnate and RJC benefactor Sheldon Adelson. The Adelsons have donated nearly a half-billion dollars to Republican groups and candidates in the last four election cycles – including tens of millions to boost Trump’s presidential ambitions, federal records show.

Trump in 2018 bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom – the nation’s highest civilian honor – on Miriam Adelson, citing her philanthropy.

Despite that relationship, Adelson intends to remain neutral in the GOP presidential primaries, an aide confirmed to CNN this week. Adelson, whose political contributions have slowed some since her husband’s death in January 2021, has indicated that she will financially support the eventual GOP nominee, whether that be Trump or someone else.

RJC executive director Matt Brooks said Trump has won plaudits from coalition members for his stalwart support of Israel during his presidency and unilateral withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

Still, Brooks said, “people are window-shopping right now. There are people who are asking if we need a new direction and a new face.”

Even as Trump prepares to make his pitch to the RJC, his allies and aides have sought to position him as the outsider in the 2024 contest, despite his recent White House occupancy.

“President Trump is running a campaign that represents everyday Americans who love their country,” campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement to CNN. “There are others who will answer to the political establishment, be beholden to corporations, and drag the United States into more unnecessary wars.”

And his allies note that Trump’s fundraising operation largely relies on a small-dollar donor base, reducing his reliance on the party’s elite and giving him a potential edge over opponents who do not boast the same small-donation game.

He enters the 2024 campaign with more than $100 million in cash reserves across a sprawling network of political committees – although federal law could constrain his ability to fully tap those funds for his campaign.

“He has proven he can raise a lot of money on his own,” Michael Caputo, a former Trump administration official who remains close to the former president, recently told CNN.

Trump is not making the trek to Las Vegas but is scheduled to address the gathering live via satellite Saturday as part of a morning lineup that will feature several other potential rivals for the GOP nomination, including South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, newly reelected New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Trump’s remote appearance was announced on Thursday, after it became clear that several of his potential 2024 rivals were scheduled to deliver their own remarks.

DeSantis – fresh off the momentum of his double-digit reelection victory in Florida – is slated to address the group Saturday night during its gala dinner.

Trump recently has stepped up attacks on DeSantis, and another potential 2024 challenger, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

Two sources familiar with Trump’s thinking said part of the reason he has lashed out is because he believes both governors are actively soliciting support from “his donors.” Trump has told aides and allies that DeSantis especially is trying to pitch himself to deep-pocketed Republicans who helped bankroll Trump’s reelection campaign.

A Republican fundraiser in Florida with knowledge of DeSantis’ political operation said, “Of course he’s talking to those people. They’re fair game and every Republican is going to go after those donors because that’s the smart thing to do, it’s not with the mindset, ‘Let’s screw Trump.’”

The conservative Club for Growth, one of the biggest outside spenders in politics, already has broken with Trump and earlier this week circulated internal polling that suggested DeSantis could mount a serious challenge to the former president in early voting states and Florida, where both reside. The group plowed $2 million into DeSantis’ reelection efforts this election cycle, according to Florida campaign filings.

David McIntosh, the former Indiana congressman who runs the group, declined a CNN interview request through a spokesman.

This week, as the contours of the new GOP majority in the House became clear – DeSantis won praise from national Republicans for injecting himself into congressional map-making this year. In a rare move for a governor, DeSantis pushed state lawmakers to adopt his map, which controversially eliminated two districts represented by Black Democrats and gave the GOP the advantage in as many as 20 of 28 districts.

“That map created four new Republican wins,” said a GOP consultant who has been close to Trump and asked not to be named to speak candidly about the 2024 race. “That’s the practical reality of a conservative governor standing up to his own party and saying. ‘We’re not going to cut deals and do things the old way.’”

DeSantis this week sought to sidestep questions about the growing rivalry with Trump, urging people “to chill out a little bit” – even as he touted his 19-point margin of victory in his reelection. CNN has previously reported that those close to DeSantis believe he does not intend to announce his plans before May.

“The smartest thing DeSantis could do is stay out of the fray for as long as possible,” said the Republican consultant. “Don’t stick your face in the frying pan too early.”

Many of Trump’s potential 2024 rivals spoke at the conference in Las Vegas, offering post-midterm assessments and making their pitch for how the party should move forward.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, an early ally of Trump, issued a long and passionate indictment of the former president on Saturday, casting Trump as a cancer on the Republican Party and the sole responsible figure for its recent election losses.

“We keep losing and losing and losing,” Christie said. “The reason we’re losing is because Donald Trump has put himself before everybody else.”

Christie slammed Trump for recruiting candidates under the singular qualification that they deny the results of the 2020 election.

“That’s not what this party stands for,” the former governor said. “It’s not what it should stand for in the future, and we’ve got to stop it now.”

Christie pointed to midterm GOP defeats in the battleground states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, and warned that without a resurgence in those states – especially in the suburbs – Republicans held no hope of winning back the White House in 2024.

Echoing those fears, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu said that “candidate quality matters,” while adding, “I got a great policy for the Republican Party: Let’s stop supporting crazy, unelectable candidates in our primaries and start getting behind winners that can close the deal in November.”

Sununu was initially courted to run for US Senate, but ultimately decided to run for reelection. The GOP nominee, retired Brig. Gen. Don Bolduc, who has pushed falsehoods about the 2020 election, went on to lose to Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan earlier this month.

Meanwhile, Florida Sen. Rick Scott, who headed the Senate GOP’s campaign arm this election cycle, said Republicans’ midterm hopes for a “red wave” did not materialize because the party focused too much on “how bad the Democrats are” and did not offer voters its own policy vision.

“The current strategy of most Republicans in Washington is to only be against the crazy Democrats – and they’re crazy – and never outline any plan what we are for and what we will do. That is a mistake,” the senator said.

Scott’s comments come days after his failed bid to oust Mitch McConnell as the party’s Senate leader.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who unsuccessfully ran for president against Trump in 2016, urged the GOP to try to broaden its appeal outside the party’s base.

“We spend far too much time preaching to the choir; talking to the same 2.6 million people watching Fox News every night,” Cruz said.

Cruz also said he had spoken at Senate Republicans’ leadership election this week to urge the party to take a harder line against Democratic policies.

“Republicans in the Senate don’t fight,” he said Saturday.

Cruz said he urged GOP leaders to “pick two or three or four things that matter and say, ‘We believe in it.’”

Outgoing Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan took a hard stance against the former president Friday night, saying in Las Vegas that the Republican Party was “desperately in need of a course correction.”

“Trump was saying that we’d be winning so much we get tired of winning. Well, I’m sick and tired of our party losing. And after this election last week, I’m even more sick and tired than I was before,” Hogan said.

“Look, this is the third election in a row that we lost and should have won. I say three strikes and you’re out. If you repeatedly lose to a really bad team, it’s time for new leadership,” he added.

This story has been updated with more information.

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SCOTUS gay marriage ruling was ‘clearly wrong’

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Sen. Ted Cruz argued that the US Supreme Court decision to legalize gay marriage was “clearly wrong” — while discussing the possibility of its reversal.

“So look, Obergefell, like Roe v. Wade, ignored two centuries of our nation’s history,” the Texas Republican said on his show, “Verdict with Ted Cruz” Saturday. “Marriage was always an issue that was left to the states.” 

Cruz was referencing Obergefell v. Hodges, the landmark decision that guaranteed the right to same-sex marriage nationwide in 2015.

Before the Supreme Court made that decision, “some states were moving to allow gay marriage, other states were moving to allow civil partnerships,” Cruz said. “They were different standards that the states were adopting.”

The senator’s comments followed the high court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade in late June, a ruling that upheld a Mississippi law banning the procedure after 15 weeks of pregnancy – and left the issue up to each of the 50 states.

Cruz said on his show, “Verdict with Ted Cruz,” that the decision to legalize gay marriage was “overreaching.”
Verdict with Ted Cruz
The Supreme Court recently overturned Roe v. Wade and is expected to have Obergefell v. Hodges on its chopping block next.
Alex Wong/Getty Images

Justice Clarence Thomas, in his opinion concurring with the decision to reverse Roe, called for the court to re-examine and potentially overturn rulings that protect gay marriage and access to birth control.

“In future cases, we should reconsider all of this Court’s substantive due process precedents, including Griswold, Lawrence, and Obergefell,” he wrote.

Thomas was referring to a 1965 ruling, Griswold v. Connecticut, that allowed married couples to access birth control and a 2003 ruling, Lawrence v. Texas, that banned states from outlawing consensual gay sex.

Justice Samuel Alito, however, wrote in the majority opinion overturning Roe that “we emphasize that our decision concerns the constitutional right to abortion and no other right.”

Justice Brett Kavanaugh added: “Nothing in this opinion should be understood to cast doubt on precedents that do not concern abortion.”

Still, Cruz said the decision to legalize gay marriage was “overreaching and “was clearly wrong when it was decided.”

“The Court said: ‘No we know better than you, and now every state must sanction and permit gay marriage.’”

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Children among protesters outside NRA convention as gun reform debate heats up after Texas school shooting

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Three days after a mass shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas left 19 children and two adults dead, the National Rifle Association kicked off its annual convention about 280 miles away in Houston.

Facing shrinking membership and revenue and on the heels of a nationwide gun reform debate, keynote speakers such as former President Donald Trump attended the convention that is scheduled to continue through Sunday, according to the NRA’s website.

During the convention, Trump criticized Republicans who decided not to attend after the shooting in Uvalde, saying, “unlike some, I didn’t disappoint you by not showing up.”

He also called the latest push for gun reform a politically-motivated one.

“They want total gun confiscation,” he claimed. “This would be the first step. Once they get the first step, a second, third and fourth. You’ll have a whole different look at the second amendment.”

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz echoed Trump’s sentiments, saying, “We know that keeping guns away from citizens who follow the law does very little to keep them away from criminals.”

Meanwhile, outside the convention hall, the state’s Democratic leaders, in addition to protesters that included children, expressed outrage about the NRA convention’s attendees. 

A young girl holds a sign during a protest outside the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston Friday,  Houston, Texas May 27, 2022, as the NRA Convention is held a few days after the Robb Elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.

Wally Skalij via Getty


“They prioritize power and profits over lives. I don’t know if you’ll ever find common ground with someone who operates like that,” Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke told CBS News. O’Rourke earlier in the week confronted Texas Gov. Greg Abbott regarding his response to the Uvalde shooting during a press conference.

An activist on Friday night also confronted Cruz at a restaurant in Houston. In video shared on social media, Benjamin Hernandez, a board member of the group Indivisible Houston, asked Cruz why he attended the convention and implored the senator to support “stronger gun laws,” including background checks. Cruz begins to answer several times, but Hernandez talks over him. 

Security quickly intervened and got between the two, as Hernandez repeatedly asked Cruz, “Why does this keep happening?” 

As security removed Hernandez from the restaurant, he yelled at Cruz, “Nineteen children died. That’s on your hands. That is on your hands. Ted Cruz, that’s on your hands!”

Hernandez told CBS News on Saturday that he confronted Cruz because he believes the senator “needs to be held accountable.”

Texas Democrat Sheila Jackson Lee told CBS News that months ahead of the midterm elections, she thinks Washington will not remain divided on gun laws.

“I hope not. I hope my sense of anxiety and my sense of anger does not counter our responsibility of working on compromise and getting it done.”



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DeSantis gets rock star treatment at CPAC

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ORLANDO, Fla. – Former President Donald TrumpDonald Trump62 percent of voters say Putin wouldn’t have invaded Ukraine if Trump were president: poll Noem: Biden should resign if he doesn’t take stronger action against Russia Inhofe’s chief of staff launches bid to replace him MORE may be the main event at this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), but the gathering also put in stark relief Florida Gov. Ron DeSantisRon DeSantisPhotos of the Week: Ukraine, Ketanji Brown Jackson and stallions Noem: Biden should resign if he doesn’t take stronger action against Russia The Hill’s Morning Report – How far will Russia go? MORE’s growing star power within the GOP.

Conference attendees repeatedly pointed to Trump as their top choice for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. But many also expressed a deepening interest in DeSantis, whom they see as an eventual successor to Trump and future presidential candidate, especially if Trump decides against another White House campaign.

The interest in DeSantis was clear on Thursday as droves of curious attendees filed into the main conference room ahead of his speech before promptly leaving after he had finished. At several points during his remarks, the crowd stood in applause. Just down the hall, a man held a sign emblazoned with “DeSantisland.”

Thomas Longo, a 51-year-old contractor from New York, said that although he hopes Trump will run again in 2024, he was drawn to DeSantis because of the Florida governor’s hardline stance on issues like vaccine mandates and critical race theory.

“DeSantis is a very powerful man,” Longo said. “He’s hopefully a potential president in ’28, I would prefer, at this point.”

“I would still like to see Trump get in there in ’24,” he added. “But I think Trump is man enough to know that if he’s not able to do it, I think Trump would back DeSantis. I really do, personally.”

Another attendee, Rebecca Schmigdall of Naples, Fla., said that Trump was the first candidate that comes to mind when it comes to the 2024 race for the White House, adding that she would prefer to keep DeSantis in the governor’s mansion “for as long as we can.”

“I don’t want DeSantis to leave us yet,” she said. “I think eventually he probably will. But I think him being a strong voice for the governors is more important right now.”

But Schmigdall, who’s attending her third CPAC, also said that Trump can’t stay at the helm of the conservative movement forever, noting that “at some point, someone’s going to have to take that job from him and take over and make it live on longer.”

“If somebody else steps up – probably not in ’24 but in ’28 – if someone else steps up and says ‘I’m going to continue those policies,’ I think that would be amazing,” she said.

Some attendees, however, were less keen on the idea of a comeback bid by Trump. Simon Molina Herrera, a student at the University of Maryland, College Park, and campus coordinator for the conservative group Turning Points USA, said he’s looking forward to “a new generation of leaders” in the Republican Party, pointing to DeSantis as an option.

Still, he said he’s unsure about a 2024 run by DeSantis.

“Ron DeSantis has been one of the greatest governors in the nation – keeping all the businesses open, keeping the state open,” he said. “He’s really great for a presidential candidate, but I think he should run for 2028.”

Asked about a potential 2024 bid by Trump, Molina Herrera said that if the former president runs again, he would most likely vote for another candidate in the primary.

“If he runs, he runs,” Molina Herrera said. “I mean, I’m not sure exactly if I will vote for him in the primaries. But if he ends up as the general candidate in the 2024 election, I think I might support him. We’ll see how everything goes.”

The conference – the largest annual gathering of conservative activists, writers and elected officials in the country – leaves little doubt about the sway that Trump still holds over the GOP’s grassroots.

The red “Make America Great Again” hats that became a symbol of his two presidential campaigns were a common sight at CPAC. There were still signs and flags emblazoned with slogans like “Trump won” – a reference to his baseless claim that the 2020 election was stolen from him – and “Trump 2024.”

And speaker after speaker paid tribute to the former president. Max Miller, an Ohio congressional candidate and former Trump aide, opened his remarks on Thursday by proclaiming that Trump was “right about everything.” Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) insisted that the former president had “ignited the brush fires of freedom.”

Meanwhile, in “CPAC Central,” the conference’s main marketplace, one vendor set up a life-sized cardboard cutout of Trump resembling Rambo, while a cartoonish gold statue of the former president stood in the background.

But DeSantis was also given the full rock star treatment. Before he took the stage on Thursday, CPAC Chairman Matt Schlapp heaped praise on the Florida governor, saying that he had “made every right move – you name the topic.” A video then played showing DeSantis confronting a handful of national Democrats, including President BidenJoe BidenOvernight Defense & National Security — Ukraine hangs in the balance On The Money — Inflation held firm in January as omicron raged Photos of the Week: Ukraine, Ketanji Brown Jackson and stallions MORE and Georgia gubernatorial hopeful Stacey Abrams.

Saul Anuzis, a longtime Republican strategist and former Michigan GOP chair who has attended CPAC for decades, said that the burgeoning interest in DeSantis among conference attendees isn’t necessarily born out of a weariness or dislike of Trump, but rather a desire for a fresh face who can carry on the political movement that the former president helped give rise to.

“To me what’ll be interesting to see is, even if people like Trump, do they want to move on?” Anuzis said. “And I think that’s where DeSantis’s appeal comes from – that maybe it’s time for a new generation. Maybe it’s time for fresh leadership.”

One key indicator of Trump’s strength among the conservative grassroots will come out on Sunday, when the results of CPAC’s annual straw poll are released. That straw poll will measure whether attendees want to see the former president run again, as well as how other prospective candidates perform.

Last year’s straw poll, conducted just over a month after Trump left office, found the former president as the heavy favorite to win the 2024 nomination, scoring a 34-point lead over the second-place finisher, DeSantis. But the same straw poll showed that only 68 percent of attendees wanted to see Trump run again.

DeSantis has brushed off speculation about a 2024 run, insisting that he’s focused only on his role as governor and running for reelection this year. Nevertheless, he has yet to follow the lead of several other would-be presidential candidates who have pledged not to seek the GOP nomination if Trump mounts another campaign.

One GOP strategist, who did not attend CPAC this year, said that it’s highly unlikely that DeSantis would challenge Trump in a presidential primary.

But if this year’s straw poll shows any erosion in Trump’s support, it could signal a potential opening for other would-be 2024 Republicans, like DeSantis, the strategist said.

“If this thing comes back and shows that Trump is holding his support or increasing it, that should kind of tell some of these other folks that 2024 might not be in the cards,” the pollster said. “But I think there have been a few signs that he’s not as strong as he used to be. The enthusiasm is there, especially at a place like CPAC, but that only goes so far.”

DeSantis isn’t the only potential 2024 hopeful to make an appearance at CPAC this year. Sens. Ted CruzRafael (Ted) Edward CruzPsaki on Cruz ‘Peanuts’ character comparison: ‘Don’t tell him I like Peppermint Patty’ Sen. Jim Inhofe to announce retirement: reports Watch live: Ted Cruz at CPAC, Day 1 MORE (R-Texas) and Marco RubioMarco Antonio RubioNoem: Biden should resign if he doesn’t take stronger action against Russia Watch live: Coverage from Day 2 of CPAC ’22 Five things to watch at CPAC MORE (R-Fla.), former Secretary of State Mike PompeoMike PompeoNoem: Biden should resign if he doesn’t take stronger action against Russia Watch live: Coverage from Day 2 of CPAC ’22 Five things to watch at CPAC MORE and South Dakota Gov. Kristi NoemKristi Lynn NoemNoem: Biden should resign if he doesn’t take stronger action against Russia Watch live: Coverage from Day 2 of CPAC ’22 Five things to watch at CPAC MORE all spoke at the event. Trump is slated to give a primetime address at CPAC on Saturday night.

Still, Trump remains “the 800-pound gorilla in the room” Anuzis said, adding that his penchant to attack anyone whom he perceives as a political rival – real or imagined – means that other Republicans interested in a potential 2024 run will have to tread lightly.

“You have to be polite,” Anuzis said. “If he decides to run, he wins the primary. Everybody knows that.” 



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SNL’s Ted Cruz Begs Trump to ‘Hit Me, Choke Me, Spit in My Face’

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Saturday Night Live kicked off this week’s show with Kate McKinnon’s Laura Ingraham, who used her Fox News platform to trash President Joe Biden’s first year in office.

“Can we all admit it’s a disaster?” she asked her viewers. “Inflation’s out of control, gas is at $19 a gallon and the green M&M has been canceled just for being a whore!”

Her first guest of the night was Aidy Bryant’s Ted Cruz, who began by explaining, “My beard is like January 6th. Shocking at first, but sadly it’s been normalized.” From there, he followed up his humiliating appearance on Tucker Carlson’s show by sending a message directly to Trump. “Donald, if you’re watching, I love you, baby,” he said. “You are the king. Honestly, hit me.”

When Ingraham asked if he really wanted Trump to hit him, he replied, “Oh, I don’t know. Hit me, choke me, spit in my face. I just want to stay in the mix.”

Then, after shouting out some of her last remaining sponsors—including “COVID Negs: The COVID test that’s guaranteed to be negative even if you have it. COVID Negs: I’m going to your wedding”—Ingraham welcomed Pete Davidson’s Novak Djokovic, Ego Nwodim’s Candace Owens and finally James Austin Johnson’s Donald Trump

“It’s wonderful to be here,” Trump told her. “I’m back like Tiger King 2. You had fun the first time, and now you’re like, ‘How are more people from this not in jail yet?’” He then presented his very own Wordle-based rant that made its way from vaccines to John Mayer to How I Met Your Father.

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Cruz apologizes for describing Jan. 6 attack as terrorism

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NEW YORK (AP) — Texas Sen. Ted Cruz had desperation written on his face.

The conservative ideologue and potential 2024 presidential contender appeared on Fox News Channel’s “Tucker Carlson Tonight” show Thursday to apologize for describing the Jan. 6 insurrection as “a violent terrorist attack on the Capitol” a day earlier, the eve of its anniversary.

“The way I phrased things yesterday, it was sloppy and it was frankly dumb,” Cruz told Carlson, a powerful voice in GOP politics whose show is among the most-watched on cable news.

Cruz insisted that he had misspoken, though he has consistently described the riot by Donald Trump supporters as a terrorist attack in interviews and statements over the last year.

But Cruz’s capitulation to outrage from the Republican Party’s far right flank underscores the power it increasingly holds over leading GOP politicians and the influence held by conservative TV hosts like Carlson, who reach millions of viewers every night. And it shows how lawmakers like Cruz, who was once considered one of his party’s most conservative voices, now face pressure from a new guard of hard-liners who swept into power with the backing of Trump’s base.

Cruz has been increasingly open about his interest in mounting another run for the GOP presidential nomination, noting that historically “the runner-up is almost always the next nominee.”

Carlson had used his previous night’s show to excoriate Cruz for his “terrorist” comment. Others piled on.

“Shame on Ted Cruz,” said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, a first-term lawmaker and Trump supporter who has peddled numerous conspiracy theories and was recently barred from Twitter for her anti-vaccination comments. She called Cruz’s initial comments “irresponsible” and disrespectful of “MAGA patriots.”

“I’m so done with Ted Cruz,” echoed Trump ally Sebastian Gorka on Twitter.

Cruz, along with other Republican Party leaders, had previously described the events of Jan. 6 as “terrorism” without blowback.

“The attack at the Capitol was a despicable act of terrorism and a shocking assault on our democratic system,” Cruz said in a statement released by his office a year ago Friday. “The January 6 terrorist attack on the Capitol was a dark moment in our nation’s history, and I fully support the ongoing law enforcement investigations into anyone involved,” he said May 28.

As recently as December, in an interview with The Associated Press, Cruz said that on Jan. 6, 2021, “we saw a terrorist attack on the Capitol.”

He went on to say “anyone who commits a crime of violence should be prosecuted, and that anyone who violently assaults a police officer should go to jail for a very long time. That’s true whether you’re right wing, left wing or you got no wings whatsoever.”

Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell has described the attack in similar terms. “American citizens attacked their own government,” he told the Senate after it acquitted Trump in its impeachment trial. “They used terrorism to try to stop a specific piece of domestic business they did not like.”

There is nothing surprising about that characterization. The FBI defines domestic terrorism as “Violent, criminal acts committed by individuals and/or groups to further ideological goals stemming from domestic influences, such as those of a political, religious, social, racial, or environmental nature.” In the Jan. 6 attack, Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in an effort to halt the peaceful transition of power and certification of President Joe Biden’s win.

But many, especially on the right, have resisted attempts to label violence as terrorism, especially when it is committed by white people.

Carlson, who has promoted the racist “Replacement Theory” that elites are trying to replace majority white populations with nonwhite immigrants, pressed Cruz on his characterization of the Capitol assault.

“You called this a terror attack when by no definition was it a terror attack,” he said. “That’s a lie. You told that lie on purpose and I’m wondering why you did.”

Cruz said he had long used the term to describe anyone who attacks police.

“It was a mistake to use the word yesterday because the Democrats and the corporate media have so politicized it,” he said.

Carlson and others have noted that no one in the assault has been charged with “terrorism.” But there is no federal law that provides for an explicit charge of domestic terrorism.

Federal law makes it a crime to give material support to designated foreign terrorist groups, which gives law enforcement agencies the ability to arrest people who donate money or otherwise aid such organizations, even if they haven’t harmed anyone or threatened violence themselves. No comparable law exists for people aligned with U.S.-based extremist groups, which enjoy expansive free speech protections.

Members of two extremist groups, the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, face the most serious conspiracy charges in the Jan. 6 riot. Individual rioters have been charged with assault and other violent crimes for their attacks on law enforcement. More than 100 police officers were injured, some critically.

Republicans have also taken issue with “insurrection” to describe the events of the day, because none of the rioters so far has been charged with treason or sedition, crimes that would fit with an insurrection attempt.

Those charges are extremely rare. Prosecutors may be reluctant to bring them because of their legal complexity and the difficulty in securing convictions. Overzealousness in applying such charges historically has also discredited their use.

___

Associated Press writer Colleen Long contributed to this report from Washington.

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Entertainment

‘SNL’ mocks Chris, Andrew Cuomo as Billie Eilish performs double duty

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NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” poked fun at unemployed brothers Andrew and Chris Cuomo as the show returned from a two-week hiatus with Billie Eilish doubling as host and musical guest.

The show’s cold open spoofed a holiday message from Dr. Anthony Fauci, played by Kate Mckinnon.

The fictional Fauci introduced a sad family gathering of unemployed brothers: Chris and Andrew Cuomo, played by Andrew Dismukes and Pete Davidson.

“Hello I am disgraced former Gov. Andrew Cuomo,” Davidson boomed.

“I’m disgraced former CNN anchor Chris Cuomo,” Dismukes announced.

Pete Davidson and Andrew Dismukes (right) portrayed Andrew and Chris Cuomo respectively during ‘Saturday Night Live’ on Dec. 11, 2021.
SNL / Youtube

“And we both lost our jobs because of COVID,” the brothers said.

Mckinnon, as Fauci, also enlisted “CDC actors” to enact situations that Americans might face amid the COVID-19 omicron variant’s spread.

“The most important thing is to get vaccinated. And if you’re vaccinated get boosted. And if you’re boosted, maybe you want a little top off, maybe a little splash,” she deadpanned.

Kate McKinnon returned to the ‘SNL’ stage as Dr. Anthony Fauci.
SNL / Youtube

Heidi Garner portrayed a restaurant hostess asking Mikey Day to produce his vaccination card.

“You mean you lost the one-inch piece of paper they gave you?,” she sneered. “Then you are banished from society. Have fun living in the woods.”

Aidy Bryant, meanwhile, lampooned Sen. Ted Cruz describing how he got his revenge on the late Sen. Bob Dole, for calling him unlikable.

“This week I was the one not wearing the mask at Bob Dole’s funeral … imagine him looking down at his own funeral and the only face you can see is mine,” Bryant gloated.

Eilish, 19 came out for her monologue wearing a lacy white dress with red trim.

“If you don’t know me for my music you might know me for my hair and my clothes. That’s why I dressed like Mrs. Clause going to the club.”

Singer Billie Eilish was tasked with hosting and performing duties during the episode.
SNL / Youtube

Of her penchant for wearing oversized clothes when she was younger, she quipped: “I was actually two kids stacked on top of each other trying to sneak into an “R” rated movie.”

She then pulled up a picture of an acne-ridden bespectacled 16-year-old Colin Jost to point out that it was unfair to judge people based on how they looked at that age.

The “Weekend Update” segment took on some of the top headlines from over the past few weeks, including the Jussie Smollett verdict and spread of COVID-19 in Manhattan.

“On Thursday, a Chicago jury declared Jussie Smollett really bad at acting,” Jost said. “It’s the worst staged hate crime since my all Christian production of ‘Fiddler on the Roof.’”

“The CDC believes the omicron variant was first appearing during a recent anime convention in New York. Damn. The one time they leave the house, Michael Che cracked.

The fake anchor also parodied the latest allegations against Chris Cuomo.

“After CNN fired Chris Cuomo it was revealed that he was accused of sexual misconduct just like his older brother. Well, those two are quite a pair, Cuomo said to a female co-worker,” Che joked.

A skit lampooning the perfect-looking Christmas cards of a suburban couple’s acquaintances featured Miley Cyrus.

“What better way to remind you that I met a celebrity at a restaurant 11 months ago than putting it on my Christmas card?,” Punkie Johnson said, adding that she only got the pop star to pose for the pic by accusing her of being racist if she didn’t.

Another sketch about a distracted teen’s TikTok feed featured a mismatch of videos about noodle eating, ridiculous conspiracy theories, bad acoustic covers of Flo Rida and Lil Wayne, claymation Homer Simpsons and hospital room twerking.

Eilish played a teen who invited a lonely neighbor (Mckinnon) over for Christmas dinner, only to discover through a series of handwritten messages that the woman is a bigoted schizophrenic killer.

The teenage singer-songwriter was introduced by her parents as she took the stage to give dynamic performances of the title track of her new record “Happier Than Ever,” and album closer “Male Fantasy.”

Eilish also portrayed a festive lounge singer who fronted a group of female singers who all had bad awkward experiences with Santa, played by Kennan Thompson.

“SNL” returns live next week from 30 Rock’s Studio 8H with host Paul Rudd and musical guest Charli XCX.

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World

Senate confirms Biden’s ambassador to NATO after Hawley lifts hold

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The Senate on Thursday confirmed Julianne Smith to be President BidenJoe BidenFlorida Republicans vote to limit vaccine mandates Bill honoring 13 service members killed in Afghanistan heads to Biden’s desk Overnight Defense & National Security — Presented by Boeing — Pentagon vows more airstrike transparency MORE’s ambassador to NATO after Sen. Josh HawleyJoshua (Josh) David HawleyRubio vows to slow-walk Biden’s China, Spain ambassador nominees One congressional committee is rejecting partisanship to protect state votes GOP digs in on blocking Biden diplomatic picks MORE (R-Mo.) agreed to lift a “hold” on Smith’s nomination.

Smith’s confirmation occurred by voice vote with no objections and was introduced on the Senate Floor by Sen. Jeanne ShaheenCynthia (Jeanne) Jeanne ShaheenBiden, top officials spread out to promote infrastructure package GOP digs in on blocking Biden diplomatic picks Blinken promises to ‘get to the bottom’ of ‘Havana syndrome’ MORE (D-N.H.). 

The position of NATO ambassador is viewed as a critical security bulwark in the face of increasing threats from Russia against the U.S. and Europe.

The confirmation vote proceeded quickly after Hawley lifted the hold, a delay tactic being employed by a number of Republican senators in an effort to voice objections over Biden’s policies but one that’s drawing intense criticism from Democrats who say it threatens national security. 

“A small group of my Republican colleagues have allowed partisan brinkmanship to pervade a critical aspect of our national security,” Shaheen said.

She called it “absolutely critical” that Smith assume her duties as the U.S. envoy to NATO at a time when the alliance is facing increasing threats from Russia in an effort to destabilize the region. Those include amassing troops on Ukraine’s border, threats over energy delivery to Europe, and the Kremlin’s support of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who has sent a flood of migrants from the Middle East to the border with Poland in opposition to European sanctions.

“Clearly, the more equipped NATO is to help deal with those challenges, the better. And if we’re going to participate with NATO, we need to have an ambassador on the ground, it should have happened several months ago when she was nominated,” Shaheen said.   

Smith’s nomination was announced in June and she was reported out favorably by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in September.  

Hawley on Thursday said he lifted a hold on her nomination after receiving a commitment that Smith would push NATO allies to increase their defense spending. 

The Missouri senator has holds on at least four other State Department nominees and a nominee with the Department of Defense in what he says is an effort to pressure some of Biden’s cabinet officials to resign over the U.S. pullout of Afghanistan. 

Sen. Ted CruzRafael (Ted) Edward CruzO’Rourke raises M in first 24 hours of Texas governor campaign Unsubscribe! The tyranny of political fundraising emails Rubio vows to slow-walk Biden’s China, Spain ambassador nominees MORE (R-Texas) has maintained a blanket hold on State Department nominees in opposition to the Biden administration’s policies towards a Russian natural gas pipeline, although he has lifted the holds in specific circumstances.

Shaheen urged her Republican colleagues to lift the holds on Thursday, saying there are 58 State Department nominees waiting confirmation. 

“I would like to think that my colleagues who have put these holds on our nominees aren’t doing it in an effort to undermine America’s security, and to undermine this administration and protecting the United States, but clearly, that’s the impact of what they are doing,” she said.



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Health

Ted Cruz And Other Right-Wingers Squawk After Big Bird Gets Vaccinated

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Sesame Street’s Big Bird character decided to get vaccinated to protect himself from COVID-19 — and it caused a massive flap among vaccine skeptics like Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz.

Not a peep from Cruz about that.

It all started when Big Bird, who according to Sesame Street lore is eternally six years old, tweeted on Saturday about going under the needle now that kids can get vaccinated. He said his “wing is feeling a little sore.” But “it’ll give my body an extra protective boost that keeps me and others healthy,” he added.

The Sesame Street star said he was surprised to learn that he has been “getting vaccines since I was a little bird” — kind of like American kids!

Right-wingers offered up some cuckoo responses, like Fox News’ Lisa Boothe’s claim that kids aren’t at risk from COVID-19.

Big Bird has been active in child immunization campaigns stretching back to the 1970s and frequently advocates for healthy choices through his performance on Sesame Street. Clearly, he ruffled some feathers.

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US

GOP rallies around Manchin, Sinema

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Republicans are rallying around Sens. Joe ManchinJoe ManchinSinema fundraising in Europe as reconciliation talks ‘ongoing’: report Warren: Billionaires who ‘have enough money to shoot themselves into space’ will pay for reconciliation bill To Win 2022: Go big on reconciliation and invest in Latinx voters MORE (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten SinemaKyrsten SinemaSinema fundraising in Europe as reconciliation talks ‘ongoing’: report Warren: Billionaires who ‘have enough money to shoot themselves into space’ will pay for reconciliation bill To Win 2022: Go big on reconciliation and invest in Latinx voters MORE (D-Ariz.), the centrists who are in a fierce battle with progressives in their party.

Senate Republicans, despite having many policy differences with Manchin and Sinema, are singing their praises, knowing that they will be key to stopping or slowing President BidenJoe BidenSinema fundraising in Europe as reconciliation talks ‘ongoing’: report Mexico urges more US investment in Central America to stem migration flows Trump calls into Take Back Virginia Rally to hype Youngkin MORE’s ambitious agenda.

Both Democrats would be top Republican targets in 2024 if they decide to run for re-election, and GOP leaders are usually loath to offer praise to such lawmakers.

But in a 50-50 Senate, where Manchin and Sinema can make or break Biden’s policy goals, many Republicans hail them as saviors.

“I tell them I think they’re saving the county,” said Senate Minority Whip John ThuneJohn Randolph ThuneMcConnell gets GOP wake-up call Democrat on controversial Schumer speech: Timing ‘may not have been the best’ Most Senate Republicans don’t want to see Trump run again MORE (R-S.D.).

“I know they’re getting beat up by their leadership and their base and everything else but I think they’re in a really good place right now because they’re in a position to influence and shape what comes out of this,” he added.

When Manchin told reporters recently that he didn’t want to spend more than $1.5 trillion on Biden’s “Build Back Better” agenda because he didn’t want “to change our whole society to an entitlement mentality,” it was music to the ears of GOP colleagues.

Thune said both Manchin and Sinema are “playing an incredibly constructive role in trying to make the country stronger, not weaker.”

Progressives see Manchin’s and Sinema as stubborn opponents, and disloyal to their party and president.

Sen. Bernie SandersBernie SandersSanders blaming spending bill delay on corporate lobbying McConnell-aligned group targeting Kelly, Cortez Masto and Hassan with M ad campaign Democrats struggle to gain steam on Biden spending plan MORE (I-Vt.), who says Democrats need to spend a minimum of $3.5 trillion on expanded Medicare benefits, expanded childcare and fighting climate change, says Manchin is not helping his constituents.

“You should go to West Virginia, ask working families whether they think it’s a good idea that older people — West Virginia’s an older state — have teeth in their mouths, have hearing aids, have eyeglasses,” Sanders said, offering biting criticism of the West Virginia senator.

“Ask working families whether or not he’s a hero when people are paying 20, 25 percent of their income for childcare. Ask people if he’s a hero in terms of not moving aggressively to [address] what the scientists tell us is an existential threat to the planet,” he added.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellCapitol Police mandating vaccines for Dignitary Protection Division agents: report The Hill’s 12:30 Report – The Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations – 90-year-old ‘Star Trek’ actor describes space visit McConnell-aligned group targeting Kelly, Cortez Masto and Hassan with M ad campaign MORE (R-Ky.) told Republican colleagues at a meeting last week that one reason for why he agreed to a deal with Senate Majority Leader Charles SchumerChuck SchumerTo Win 2022: Go big on reconciliation and invest in Latinx voters McConnell-aligned group targeting Kelly, Cortez Masto and Hassan with M ad campaign Green group pressures Sinema to spell out climate agenda MORE (D-N.Y.) on a short-term debt-limit increase was because he feared that Manchin and Sinema would be under growing pressure from fellow Democrats to weaken the filibuster to stave off a credit crisis.

McConnell also reached out to share his plan to solve the debt standoff with Manchin and Sinema before unveiling it publicly, according to a Senate GOP aide.

Manchin, asked about that by reporters last week, denied that he knew the details of McConnell’s proposed two-month debt-limit extension ahead of its public release.

Sen. Lisa MurkowskiLisa Ann MurkowskiMcConnell gets GOP wake-up call Using shared principles to guide our global and national energy policy Alaska man accused of threatening senators to remain detained ahead of trial MORE (R-Alaska), an important GOP swing vote, raised concerns at last week’s Tuesday GOP conference lunch that the debt-limit stalemate was putting pressure on Manchin and Sinema to gut the filibuster, according to two GOP sources familiar with the meeting.

Even sharp-tongued conservatives are offering complimentary words for the two centrists. Sen. Ted CruzRafael (Ted) Edward CruzMcConnell gets GOP wake-up call Equilibrium/Sustainability — Presented by Altria — Michigan leaves majority-Black city with lead-contaminated taps for three years YouTube confirms it picked kids featured in Harris video MORE (R-Texas) even referred to them by their first names.

“I’m glad there are at least a couple of Democrats in the Senate conference who are not willing to blindly sign on to Bernie Sanders’s socialist budget,” he said. “I’m glad to see Joe and Kyrsten standing up to the radical left. They’re demonstrating some real courage because the hard left is pounding them.

“I’m glad to see them demonstrating the strength of character to say, ‘This is not what the people of West Virginia want, this is not what the people of Arizona want,’” he added.

Senate Republicans are framing their messaging strategy around concerns that Manchin has expressed about rising inflation, the global competitiveness of U.S. companies, the future of fossil fuels and the lack of bipartisanship behind the proposed $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation proposal.

Republican have seized on Manchin’s worries about inflation and made it a regular talking point, even though experts such as Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell say that higher-than-average inflation is temporary and likely to ease by next year.

Cruz and other Republicans say they agree more with Manchin, who has pointed to rising prices at Dollar General stores in West Virginia as a major problem. Manchin’s comments are also helpful for Republicans who are using rising prices to attack Biden.

“I think he is absolutely right,” Cruz said of Manchin’s inflation fears. “We’re seeing an inflation bomb going off across this country. Hard-working Americans are seeing the cost of just about everything going up. We’re seeing the cost of gasoline go up, the cost of food go up, the cost of rent go up, the cost of lumber go up, the cost of homes go up.”

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) joked that he’s accused Manchin of stealing his message.

“I’ve accused him of plagiarism,” he quipped. “I’m glad that Sen. Manchin is talking about that, I hope he keeps talking about it.”

Sen. Thom TillisThomas (Thom) Roland TillisAdvocates frustrated by shrinking legal migration under Biden Key debt-limit vote sparks major fight among Senate Republicans Defense & National Security — Troops secretly train with Taiwan as tensions with China continue MORE (R-N.C.) said he agrees with Manchin that the country is at a “fiscal tipping point” because “we’ve just got so much money flooding the system.”

“I know it’s tough but I think he’s standing on principle. I think the same of Sen. Sinema,” he said.

Republicans leapt to Sinema’s defense earlier this month when activists followed her into a bathroom at Arizona State University, where she lectures, to pressure her to support Biden’s full agenda.

Sen. Mitt RomneyWillard (Mitt) Mitt RomneyMcConnell gets GOP wake-up call Democrat on controversial Schumer speech: Timing ‘may not have been the best’ The Biden-Harris train wreck may have its savior: 2024 GOP nominee Donald Trump MORE (R-Utah), who worked closely with Sinema on the $1.1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package passed by the Senate in August, called the tactics “inexcusable.”

Democrats also defended Sinema, but some of them also defended the activists filming here. Biden said he disagreed with such tactics but also said they came with being in the arena of politics, a notably less tough tone than Romney’s.

“We don’t always see eye to eye, but I respect her,” the Utah senator tweeted. “The harassment she has endured is inexcusable and disheartening. It reflects so poorly on the bullies and abusers.”

 



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