memeorandum: Israel's Defense Minister Says Government Should Halt Contentious Judicial Plan (Patrick Kingsley/New York Times)

7:40 AM ET, March 26, 2023

Top Items:

Andrew Feinberg / The Independent:

GOP weighs protecting Trump with law shielding ex-presidents from prosecution — Manhattan District Attorney's probe could result Mr Trump facing criminal charges over hush money payments he made to adult film star Stormy Daniels in 2016 — Trump supporter sells ‘Biden Sucks’ flag at Waco rally

Discussion: New York Post, Washington Examiner, Bloomberg, Breitbart, Mediaite, Vanity Fair, CNBC and Politico

New York Times:

Trump Puts His Legal Peril at Center of First Big Rally for 2024 — Facing a potential indictment, the former president devoted much of his speech in Waco, Texas, to criticizing the justice system, though his attacks were less personal and caustic than in recent days.

Discussion: New York Post, Breitbart, The Hill, New York Daily News and CBS News

New York Times:

As Trump Rallies in Waco, His Followers Shore Up His 2024 Bid — Despite a pattern of dangerous, erratic behavior, the former president remains a strong front-runner for his party's nomination. His durability stems from his most loyal supporters. — WACO, Texas — In the last 28 months …

Discussion: Fox News, Waco Tribune-Herald, USA Today, The Guardian, Raw Story, CBS News, Washington Press, Al Jazeera, BizPac Review, Insider, NewsNation, CNN, Associated Press, The Last Refuge and The Daily Caller

Politico:

Trump's first '24 rally has a familiar feel: Anger and attacks on his tormentors — WACO, Texas — It was Donald Trump's first formal rally of the 2024 campaign. But the former president spent the evening sticking with the usual hits, emphasizing personal grievances and going after his nearest targets …

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Fox News, RedState, CNN and Washington Post

Tom Boggioni / Raw Story:

‘The emperor has no clothes’: N.Y. Post sticks a knife in Trump's re-election hopes — Reflecting on Donald Trump's last seven days which have been filled with rage and threats of coming “death and destruction,” the editorial board of the normally Trump-friendly New York Post stated …

Discussion: Insider and Washington Examiner

Dean Obeidallah / MSNBC:

Trump's rhetoric is already dangerous. Taking it to Waco is an escalation. — Donald Trump is scheduled to hold his first major campaign rally Saturday, his first since he announced his 2024 presidential run in November and two days after he warned of potential “death and destruction” …

Discussion: Associated Press, Raw Story, CNN, RedState, Japan Times, Outside the Beltway, The Gateway Pundit, USA Today, NBC News, Washington Examiner, Mother Jones and Civil Discourse …

Zachary Petrizzo / The Daily Beast:

Trump Lawyer Says Ron DeSantis Will Emerge a ‘Bloodied Pulp’ Against Trump — “I would not want to enter the octagon with Donald Trump. Nobody comes out of that and looks pretty,” Christina Bobb said at a MAGA rally in Waco, Texas, Saturday afternoon. — Donald Trump lawyer …

Discussion: The Hill, Raw Story, The Post Millennial, Florida Politics, New York Magazine and Washington Press

Dan Balz / Washington Post:
Indictment or no, Trump's strategy is the same: Attack and threaten

Discussion: Rolling Stone, Raw Story, Washington Examiner, FOX News Radio, Mediaite, The Wrap, Daily News and Newsbusters

Jared Gans / The Hill:
Andrew Cuomo slams NY, Georgia investigations into Trump as feeding ‘cancer in our body politic’

Discussion: Washington Examiner, The Gateway Pundit, Fox News, RedState, The Post Millennial, The Independent, BizPac Review, New York Post, Mediaite, Raw Story and Just The News

The Texas Tribune:
Trump rallying in Waco on Saturday as anticipation mounts over potential indictment

Discussion: USA Today, Associated Press, Breitbart, Rolling Stone, The Daily Beast, Bloomberg, Washington Times, Washington Examiner, New York Daily News, PIX11, ABC News, CBS News and The Hill

New York Post:
Trump won't change, and that shows he can't win

Discussion: Digby's Hullabaloo, The Wrap and Mediaite

Lee Moran / HuffPost: ‘Unhinged’: Trump Ripped In Withering Editorial From Rupert Murdoch's New York Post

Associated Press:

McConnell leaves rehab facility after therapy for concussion — Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said Saturday he has been released from the rehabilitation facility where he had physical therapy for a concussion caused by a fall earlier this month. The 81-year-old Kentucky Republican …

Discussion: CNN, Breitbart, UPI, NBC News, The Hill, The Daily Caller, Washington Times and USA Today

Laura Litvan / Bloomberg:

McConnell Finishes Treatment for Fall and Is Working From Home — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was discharged from a rehabilitation center on Saturday after treatment for injuries suffered in a fall and said he'll still work from home for “the next few days.”

Discussion: Fox News, Washington Post, Politico, New York Times and CBS News

ABC News: McConnell released from inpatient therapy after concussion, fractured rib

Selena Simmons-Duffin / NPR:

‘Live free and die’? The sad state of U.S. life expectancy — Loading... Just before Christmas, federal health officials confirmed life expectancy in America had dropped for a nearly unprecedented second year in a row - down to 76 years. While countries all over the world saw life …

Patrick Kingsley / New York Times:

Israel's Defense Minister Says Government Should Halt Contentious Judicial Plan — Yoav Gallant, who oversees Israel's military, is the first minister in Benjamin Netanyahu's government to criticize a plan to weaken the judiciary. His comments follow fears that weeks of unrest have undermined military capacity.

Discussion: Associated Press, Reuters, middleeastmonitor.com, Digby's Hullabaloo, The Daily Beast, Financial Times and Bloomberg

Haaretz:
Netanyahu's Defense Minister Publicly Calls on Him to Halt Judicial Overhaul Legislation

Discussion: Reuters, Jerusalem Post, Washington Post and Jewish Telegraphic Agency

David Shepardson / Reuters:

Exclusive: Biden nominee to head FAA withdraws after Republican attacks — U.S. President Joe Biden's nominee to head the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is withdrawing his nomination after Republican criticism that he was not qualified to serve as the top aviation regulator …

Discussion: New York Times, Associated Press, Raw Story and RedState

A.G. Gancarski / Florida Politics:

Lincoln Project ad exploits Ron DeSantis' 9/11 fumble … A.G. Gancarski — A.G. Gancarski has written for FloridaPolitics.com since 2014. He is based in Northeast Florida. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter: @AGGancarski

Discussion: The Lincoln Project

New York Times:

In Blow to Taiwan, Honduras Switches Relations to China — The decision by Honduras is also a setback in Washington's efforts to use its influence in Central America to help prevent China from isolating Taiwan. — TAIPEI, Taiwan — China has persuaded Honduras to abandon formal ties …

Discussion: Associated Press, Bloomberg, Al Jazeera, UPI, Japan Times and TASS

Rosalind Mathieson / Bloomberg:

Putin Says Russia Will Station Tactical Nuclear Arms in Belarus — President Vladimir Putin said Russia is preparing to station tactical nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus, escalating a confrontation with the US and its allies over the war in Ukraine. — Moscow isn't handing control …

James Kynge / Financial Times: China is tightening its embrace with Russia as it builds bulwarks against the west

Associated Press:

'There's nothing left': Deep South tornadoes kill 26 — Rescuers raced Saturday to search for survivors and help hundreds of people left homeless after a powerful tornado cut a devastating path through Mississippi, killing at least 25 people, injuring dozens, flattening entire blocks …