memeorandum: Trump rallying supporters in Waco ahead of possible charges (Associated Press)

9:30 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: Wall Street Journal, Just The News, New York Post, Washington Examiner, Bloomberg, Breitbart, Mediaite, BizPac Review and Vanity Fair

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, The Hill, Breitbart, New York Daily News and CBS News

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

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, Washington Post, Fox News, RedState and CNN

Sophia Cai / Axios:

Trump suggests DA “dropped” Stormy case … - “I think they've already dropped the case,” Trump told reporters aboard his plane after appearing at a campaign rally in Waco, Texas. … - Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg's office has declined to comment on the case, which appears …

Discussion: The Daily Beast, BizPac Review and Associated Press

David Smith / The Guardian:

Trump describes 2024 election as ‘the final battle’ from podium in Waco — Former president honours January 6 rioters and delivers violent rhetoric in rally at Texas city during anniversary of Branch Davidian massacre — Donald Trump, the former US president, continued to invoke retribution …

Discussion: Raw Story, New York Magazine, Associated Press, Bloomberg, Japan Times, The Post Millennial and WFLA-TV

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

Paul Steinhauser / Fox News:

2024 Watch: Chris Christie ‘trying to figure out’ if there's a pathway to beating Trump, DeSantis — Your weekly look at the latest developments, buzz and speculation in the 2024 race for the White House — MANCHESTER, N.H. - Former Republican Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey said his trip …

Discussion: BizPac Review, Raw Story, Washington Post and The Last Refuge

New York Times:
As Trump Rallies in Waco, His Followers Shore Up His 2024 Bid

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

Zachary Petrizzo / The Daily Beast:
Trump Lawyer Says Ron DeSantis Will Emerge a ‘Bloodied Pulp’ Against Trump

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

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

Discussion: BizPac Review, The Gateway Pundit, Washington Examiner, Fox News, RedState, The Post Millennial, The Independent, 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: Rolling Stone, The Daily Beast, Breitbart, Washington Examiner, Washington Times, USA Today, New York Daily News, PIX11, CBS News, ABC News, Associated Press and The Hill

Associated Press:
Trump rallying supporters in Waco ahead of possible charges

Discussion: NewsNation

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

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

Discussion: Digby's Hullabaloo and The Wrap

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, The Daily Beast, Digby's Hullabaloo, Financial Times and Bloomberg

Steve Hendrix / Washington Post:
Netanyahu's political touch eludes him as Israel spirals into chaos

Discussion: USA Today

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

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

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 …

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

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

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

Joseph Menn / Washington Post:

Indicted Chinese exile controls Gettr social media site, ex-employees say — Guo Wengui, arrested March 15 on fraud charges, was known to have invested, but the extent of his influence on the site has not been previously reported. — NEW YORK — An exiled Chinese tycoon indicted …

Discussion: Political Wire

Politico:

The Shows: Sunday listings for March 26, 2023 — NBC “Meet the Press”: Joe Tacopina ... Preet Bharara ... Utah Gov. Spencer Cox. Panel: Yamiche Alcindor, Cornell Belcher, Peggy Noonan and Jake Sherman. — CNN “State of the Union”: Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) ... Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) …

Discussion: Crooks and Liars and Associated Press

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: Politico, Bloomberg, The Hill, The Gateway Pundit, Associated Press, Just The News, New York Times, Raw Story and RedState

James Kynge / Financial Times:

China is tightening its embrace with Russia as it builds bulwarks against the west — Bilateral ties between Beijing and Moscow represent an intensifying axis of authoritarianism — His words were unscripted, but they spoke volumes. When Xi Jinping bade farewell to Vladimir Putin …