memeorandum: ‘Absurd’: DeSantis car crash reveals he's using state vehicles for presidential campaign (Matthew Chapman/Raw Story)

1:45 PM ET, July 28, 2023

Top Items:

The New Evidence Against Donald Trump In The MAL Case Is BRUTAL — A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM's Morning Memo. Sign up for the email version. — Surprise! — With reporters clustered at the DC federal courthouse awaiting a possible Trump indictment …

Discussion: Forbes, Balloon Juice, New York Times, The Mahablog, PoliticusUSA, emptywheel and Politico

Martin Pengelly / The Guardian:

Ex-Trump lawyer says evidence against him ‘overwhelming’ in Mar-a-Lago case — Ty Cobb, who represented Trump in Mueller investigation, says classified documents case is ‘tight’ after new charges filed — A former Trump White House lawyer said the evidence against the former president …

Discussion: The Hill, Alternet.org, New Republic, USA Today, Washington Post, Digby's Hullabaloo and Breitbart

Kevin Breuninger / CNBC:

‘These are my tapes’: Trump rips new charges in classified docs case — Donald Trump defended the handling of surveillance footage at his Florida home after being hit with new charges in his federal classified documents case. — The additional counts center on an alleged attempt …

Discussion: Bloomberg, HuffPost, The Hill, El País, Bulwark+, ZeroHedge News, Financial Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Examiner, Rolling Stone, Deadline, NBC News and Saywhat Politics

Amanda Marcotte / Salon:

“These people are admitting they lied to you”: Trump's own men undermine his “delusional” defense — Rudy Giuliani and Mark Meadows revelations show the Big Liars can't hide behind “delusional” defense — “For those that still believe there was widespread voter fraud, these people are admitting they lied to you.”

Discussion: The Hill, Raw Story, Alternet.org, Digby's Hullabaloo, Mediaite and Los Angeles Times

Shan Wu / The Daily Beast:

The New Trump Indictment May Be a Mixed Blessing — The charge arising from trying to delete a surveillance tape is helpful to prosecutors trying to prove Trump's criminal intent. But the indictment will also bring more delay. … The Trump indictment watch yesterday was not entirely …

Discussion: The Messenger, emptywheel, Breitbart, Washington Post, CBS News, The Atlantic, The Hill, The Dispatch, USA Today, Mediaite, PoliticusUSA, Insider and The Daily Caller

Washington Post:

Trump charged with seeking to delete security footage in documents case — Unsealed indictment charges second aide at Mar-a-Lago and brings new counts against the former president and longtime valet Walt Nauta — Prosecutors announced additional charges against Donald Trump on Thursday …

Discussion: Media Matters for America, The Messenger, CBS News, CNN, Zandar Versus The Stupid, Alternet.org, The Dispatch, Mediaite, STEPHANIE MILLER SHOW, IJR, ABC News, Associated Press, Raw Story, Insider, The Guardian and National Review

Politico:
Playbook: New felony charges rock Trump world

Discussion: The Hill and Raw Story

Brooke Singman / Fox News:
Trump reacts to ‘abuse’ by DOJ: ‘This is what you get’ for leading the polls

Discussion: Breitbart, RedState, Mediaite, BizPac Review, HuffPost, The Hill, Insider, IJR, The Messenger, PoliticusUSA, The Gateway Pundit, Washington Post and NBC News

New York Times:
Trump Faces Major New Charges in Documents Case

Donald J. Trump For President 2024:
Statement from the Trump Campaign

Discussion: The Federalist, The Daily Caller, PoliticusUSA and The Hill

Politico:
Trump charged with new crimes in classified documents case

Associated Press:
Trump accused of asking staffer to delete camera footage in Florida classified documents case

Matthew Chapman / Raw Story:

‘Absurd’: DeSantis car crash reveals he's using state vehicles for presidential campaign — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was involved in a car crash in Tennessee this week as he traveled for his campaign. He was unhurt in the incident. — However, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel …

Discussion: Sun-Sentinel, The Capitolist, Political Wire and WFLA-TV

Noah Berlatsky / Public Notice:

Republicans like the hate DeSantis is selling. They just don't like him. — He's not tanking because of his extremism. On the contrary. — ∙ Paid … The Republican primary campaign of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is already melting into a grease stain of incompetence.

Discussion: The Guardian, The Daily Beast and JNS.org

Politico:
DeSantis' reboot still dodges the biggest issue

Discussion: Florida Politics

Lucy Hodgman / Politico:
‘No silver lining in slavery’: Scott slams DeSantis on Florida curriculum comments

The Daily Beast:
DeSantis' PAC Has a New Strategy: Go All-In on Texas

Discussion: Florida's Voice, Raw Story, The Daily Caller, Florida Politics, Florida Phoenix, PoliticusUSA and CBS News

Kathryn Watson / CBS News:
DeSantis says “voters have to make a decision” on Trump's legal woes

Discussion: HuffPost, RedState, Politico, CNN, The Hill, Talking Points Memo, Florida Politics, Political Wire, Mediaite, The Messenger, The Daily Caller and Insider

Anthony Adragna / Politico:

More on McConnell and signs of a terrible September — With assists from POLITICO's Hill team — FROM MCCONNELL'S DESK: Burgess has a definitive look at how the Senate GOP is reacting to the minority leader's health scare — by cautiously planning an eventual leadership transition.

Discussion: Bloomberg, Washington Times, Associated Press, New Republic, USA Today, Just The News, The Hill and PJ Media

Jedd Rosche / CNN:
McConnell's office says he will serve through 2024 as GOP leader

Discussion: Reuters, Daily Mail, Washington Examiner and Wall Street Journal

Wall Street Journal:
Senate Passes Defense Bill, Setting Up Fight Over Abortion, Transgender Care

Discussion: ABC News, Washington Examiner, Roll Call, New York Times, The Daily Signal, Semafor, Outside the Beltway, UPI, Associated Press, Reuters, The Hill, USA Today, Just The News, Politico and Fox News

Burgess Everett / Politico:
McConnell seeks to silence GOP speculation about his future

Discussion: Washington Free Beacon, CBS News, Insider, USA Today, New York Daily News, NBC News, Alternet.org, Jezebel, The Messenger, The Guardian, Washington Examiner and New York Times

NBC News:
Mitch McConnell vows to serve his full term as Republican leader

Discussion: WHAS-TV, Jezebel, Vox, PoliticusUSA and Axios

HuffPost:

'It's Called Summer': GOP Brushes Off Record Heat Wave — Republicans say people concerned about unprecedented heat around the world should just chill out. — Unless you've been living underground or have a vested interest in turning a blind eye to reality, you know that climate change …

Discussion: ABC, The Messenger, CNN, Associated Press and New Republic

Jonathan Martin / Politico:

A Four-Way Race? The 2024 Presidential Contest is Anything But Settled. — Biden vs. Trump is the story today, but it's unlikely that voters will be satisfied choosing between a nearly 82-year-old incumbent and a 78-year-old challenger who may be a convicted felon.

Discussion: CNN, USA Today, NBC News and The Daily Caller

Washington Post: Democrats plot middle-class message to retake economic high ground

Ryan Tracy / Wall Street Journal:

Facebook Bowed to White House Pressure, Removed Covid Posts — Internal Meta emails say pressure from Washington was behind a decision to take down posts attributing pandemic to man-made virus — WASHINGTON—Facebook removed content related to Covid-19 in response to pressure …

Discussion: Reason, Breitbart, National Review, Twitchy, Chicks On The Right, New York Post, The Messenger, Public, The Daily Caller, The American Spectator and Fox News

New York Times:

The Mystery of How Tim Scott's Campaign Is Spending Its Millions — Most of the money spent by the senator's presidential campaign has gone to newly formed companies whose addresses are Staples stores in suburban strip malls. — Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina has more political money …

Discussion: The Hill

Michael D. Shear / New York Times:

Biden Overhauls Military Justice Code, Seeking to Curb Sexual Assault — The largest overhaul of the Uniform Code of Military Justice since its creation in 1950 removes commanders' authority over cases of sexual assault and a handful of other high-profile crimes. — Reporting from Washington

Discussion: The Hill, NBC News, Roll Call, Associated Press, UPI, CNN, Washington Examiner and Politico, more at Techmeme »

Elizabeth Elkind / Fox News:

RFK Jr. says Biden administration rejected his request for Secret Service protection in 2024 race — RFK Jr. invoked the 1968 assassination of his father Robert F. Kennedy — Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said Friday that his request for Secret Service protection as a 2024 presidential candidate was rejected by the Biden administration.

Discussion: The Hill, PJ Media, Breitbart, The Messenger, BizPac Review, Mediaite, RedState, Raw Story and IJR

Will Scharf / The Federalist:

How A Federal Judge Turned The Tables On Hunter Biden's Sweetheart Plea Deal — Judge Noreika knew lawyers were trying to paint her into a corner and hide the ball while forcing her to rubber-stamp their absurd bargain. — Hunter Biden arrived in a Delaware federal court on Wednesday morning expecting …

Discussion: The Daily Caller, Fox News, New York Post, Power Line, Patterico's Pontifications, Bloomberg, Townhall, FITSNews and BizPac Review

Steven Nelson / New York Post:
White House forced to vow Hunter Biden won't get pardon from dad after first son's sweetheart plea deal falls apart