memeorandum: Republicans respond to Trump ballot bans with bill to make SCOTUS only authority on insurrection challenges (Tyler Olson/Fox News)

2:30 PM ET, January 11, 2024

Top Items:

Latest GOP split: Senate leaders hold out as House brass goes all-in for Trump — The former president's allies warn it's a risky move, depending on “how much Donald Trump wants to keep a grudge.” — Most Senate GOP leaders are confronting a dilemma they hoped to avoid …

Discussion: Washington Post, Business Insider, U-S-NEWS.COM, The Daily Caller, Daily Kos, Raw Story, ABC News, Breitbart, Political Wire, The Messenger, Roll Call, The Hill, HuffPost and CNN

Jose Pagliery / The Daily Beast:

Bomb Threat Made at Home of Judge in Trump's Bank Fraud Trial — A bomb squad rushed to Justice Arthur F. Engoron's house on Long Island, a source told The Daily Beast. — The danger surrounding Donald Trump's bank fraud trial in New York escalated just hours before its final hearing on Thursday …

Discussion: USA Today, New Republic, CNBC, Raw Story, Breitbart, New York Daily News, NBC 7 San Diego, Rolling Stone and The Messenger

Adam Klasfeld / The Messenger:

Trump Launches into Courtroom Tirade About ‘Witch Hunt’ Fraud Case, Claiming He Deserves Damages — The former president didn't wait for the judge's permission before reciting a roughly five-minute rant that he's being ‘persecuted’ — Donald Trump launched into a tirade Thursday …

Discussion: Raw Story, Mother Jones, Associated Press, Axios, The Western Journal, UPI, USA Today and The Hill

Zach Schonfeld / The Hill:

Ramaswamy backs Trump before Supreme Court in 14th Amendment case — Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy on Thursday filed a brief backing former President Trump as the Supreme Court decides whether he can be disqualified from the ballot under the 14th Amendment.

Discussion: New York Times, The Messenger, Washington Examiner, New York Post, Washington Post, The Daily Signal and Business Insider

NBC News:
Judge in Trump's civil fraud trial faces bomb threat ahead of closing arguments

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, New York Times, The Hill, Axios, Business Insider, The Gateway Pundit, The Guardian, Mediaite, Raw Story, Law & Crime, The Messenger, New York Post and The Post Millennial

Tyler Olson / Fox News:
Republicans respond to Trump ballot bans with bill to make SCOTUS only authority on insurrection challenges

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Power Line, Los Angeles Times and The Messenger

CNN:
Trump can't speak during closing arguments in NY civil fraud trial, judge says

Charlie Mahtesian / Politico:

Don't Be So Certain Trump Has the Nomination Locked Up — Here's the path for a Nikki Haley upset. — Contrary to conventional wisdom, Nikki Haley doesn't have to win New Hampshire, or even South Carolina — she just has to keep it close enough to keep donors and voters convinced there might …

Discussion: New York Times, ABC News, The Nation, The Atlantic, New Jersey Monitor, No More Mister Nice Blog, Washington Times, New York Magazine, El País, Business Insider and Washington Examiner

Ron Dicker / HuffPost:

Trump Reacts To Woman Telling Him He ‘Personally Demeaned’ So Many Ex-Associates — The former president was confronted by a DeSantis supporter at the Fox News town hall and tried to spin his way out of it. — LOADING — Donald Trump on Wednesday wriggled out of a town hall question …

Discussion: Business Insider, Mediaite, Wall Street Journal, The Hill, The Messenger and Axios

New York Times:
Will You Vote for Trump Again?

Discussion: Raw Story and CBS News

Camille Mumford / Emerson Polling:
New Hampshire 2024 Poll: Haley Gains, Trump Loses Support but Maintains Lead

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, The Hill, Daily Caller News Foundation, ABC News, Florida Politics and Political Wire

Washington Post:
Chris Christie caught on hot mic, says Nikki Haley will ‘get smoked’

NBC News:
'I know who it's going to be': Trump hints he's made up his mind about his VP pick

CNN:
Chris Christie ends 2024 presidential campaign

Tess Owen / VICE:

Democrats Propose Bill to Neuter Militias — The “Preventing Private Paramilitary Activity Act” would effectively limit most militia activity. — Militias who like to spend their weekends training to overthrow the government could find themselves running afoul of federal law …

New York Times:

Kim Reynolds Has Another Account, @Kimberl26890376, and Opinions About Donald Trump — In recent months, the Republican governor of Iowa has used a secondary account on X to share her unfiltered feelings on the Republican presidential primary race. — Not long after the calendar turned to 2024 …

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, BizPac Review, Daily Caller News Foundation, Raw Story and Bloomberg

Mike Spies / ProPublica:

Secret Recording Shows NRA Treasurer Plotting to Conceal Extravagant Expenses Involving Wayne LaPierre — Audio obtained by The Trace and ProPublica reveals, in real time, the gun lobbying group enacting a plan that would conceal payments for fancy hotels, limousines and other luxury expenses connected to its longtime CEO for a decade.

Discussion: Political Wire

The Hill:

Hogan steps down from No Labels board amid 2024 speculation — Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) stepped down as co-chair of No Labels last month, raising speculation about a potential third party presidential campaign. — Hogan's resignation letter, dated Dec. 15 and first reported …

Discussion: Associated Press, The Messenger and Digby's Hullabaloo

NBC News:
No Labels engages Chris Christie allies on a potential third-party run

Discussion: The Messenger, The Hill, Bloomberg and New York Times

Judd Legum / Popular Information:

Musk uses megaphone to promote misleading claims about voting, push for severe restrictions — This week, Elon Musk has repeatedly promoted false and misleading claims about voting to his 168 million followers on X, the social network formerly known as Twitter.

Discussion: NBC News, Breitbart and HotAir

Chris Queen / PJ Media:

The Plot Thickens in the Fani Willis Corruption Allegations — These Fani Willis allegations are getting crazier by the day. By now, I'm sure you've read Athena Thorne's intrepid report on the accusations that Willis hired an attorney with whom she is supposedly carrying on an extramarital affair …

Discussion: New York Post, The Western Journal, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Twitchy, RedState, HotAir, The Guardian, The Hill, The Gateway Pundit and Erick Erickson's Show Notes

Politico:
Jan. 6 committee helped guide early days of Georgia Trump probe

Discussion: BizPac Review, New York Times, American Greatness, Blaze Media, The Daily Caller, The Messenger, Breitbart, Rolling Stone, New York Post, The Post Millennial and NBC News

Erin Cox / Washington Post:

Maryland Elections Board member arrested on Jan. 6 riot charges resigns — Carlos Ayala, nominated to the state's top election board by Republicans last year, allegedly wore a ‘Stop the Steal’ button while breaching the U.S. Capitol — A top Maryland elections official was arrested this week …

Discussion: US Department of Justice, The Hill, The Messenger, CBS News and Raw Story

Zack Budryk / The Hill:

Renewable energy grows at fastest rate in decades: IEA — Renewable energy expanded more than 50 percent last year compared to 2022, potentially putting the international goal of tripling capacity by 2030 in sight, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Discussion: IEA and Electrek

Sibi Arasu / Associated Press:
Renewables grew rapidly in 2023, but must grow faster still to meet climate change target, IEA says

Discussion: Forbes, Semafor, The Guardian and Radio Free Asia

Alanna Durkin Richer / Associated Press:

Feds charge eBay over employees who sent live spiders and cockroaches to couple; company to pay $3M — Online retailer eBay Inc. will pay a $3 million fine to resolve criminal charges over a harassment campaign waged by employees who sent live spiders, cockroaches and other disturbing items …

Discussion: New York Post and Press Herald

Lexi Lonas / The Hill:

Federal judge rules book ban lawsuit against Florida school can move forward — U.S. District Judge Kent Wetherell ruled on Wednesday a lawsuit against a Florida school over it pulling books off its shelves has standing to move forward, a win for those who have been raising the alarm about book bans in schools.

Discussion: New Republic, Los Angeles Times and PEN America

Sophie Peel / Willamette Week:

Staffers Allege Jamie McLeod-Skinner's Driver Feared Physical Violence From Her — The new allegations, however, mark the first public claim that the congressional candidate laid a hand on an employee. — Expand — Three former campaign workers for U.S. congressional candidate Jamie McLeod-Skinner …

Discussion: BizPac Review

Politico:

American intel officials warn of risk of Hezbollah attacking U.S. — Hezbollah has more capability to strike inside the U.S. than other terrorist groups like ISIS, officials say. — U.S. officials assess that there's a rising risk Lebanese Hezbollah militants will strike Americans in the Middle East …