memeorandum: Trump argues he should ‘not be charged’ in classified docs case if Biden isn't (Lauren Irwin/The Hill)

12:40 PM ET, February 10, 2024

Top Items:

Lauren Irwin / The Hill:

Trump argues he should ‘not be charged’ in classified docs case if Biden isn't — Former President Trump argued Friday night that he should “not be charged” in his federal classified documents case since a special counsel announced this week that President Biden would not face charges for Biden's handling of classified materials.

Discussion: Washington Post, New York Post, Florida Politics, Associated Press, Washington Times, MeidasTouch, Slate, Washington Examiner, Deseret News, Breitbart, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Forbes, ABC News and New York Times

Politico:

Can Biden emerge from his ‘cocoon’? — With help from Eli Okun, Garrett Ross and Bethany Irvine — DRIVING THE DAY — WORKING WEEKEND — The Senate remains in session today as it grinds through a series of procedural hoops toward passage of the $95 billion supplemental spending bill delivering aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.

Politico:

White House frustration with Garland grows — The president believes the special counsel investigating his handling of classified documents went beyond his remit. And part of the blame is being placed on the AG. — Joe Biden has told aides and outside advisers that Attorney General Merrick Garland …

Natalie Allison / Politico:

Haley to troll Trump in South Carolina with mobile billboard highlighting his age — The mobile billboard will appear outside a Trump rally on Saturday. — Nikki Haley is stepping up her attacks on Donald Trump's age — this time at his own rally in South Carolina.

Discussion: The Hill, Fox News and The Daily Beast

Heather Cox Richardson / Letters from an American:

February 9, 2024 — Yesterday, Special Counsel Robert Hur, appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland in January 2023 to investigate President Joe Biden's handling of classified documents before he was president, released his report. It begins: “We conclude that no criminal charges are warranted in this matter.

Discussion: Associated Press and The Guardian

Ross Douthat / New York Times:

The Question Is Not If Biden Should Step Aside. It's How. — Joe Biden should not be running for re-election. That much was obvious well before the special prosecutor's comments on the president's memory lapses inspired a burst of age-related angst. And Democrats who are furious …

Discussion: Al Jazeera, Washington Examiner and HuffPost

New York Times:

In Private Remarks to Arab Americans, Biden Aide Expresses Regrets on Gaza — In a closed-door meeting, the aide offered some of the administration's clearest notes of contrition for its response to the Gaza war, a sign of rising Democratic pressure on President Biden.

Discussion: HotAir, Mondoweiss, Breitbart, The Gateway Pundit, New York Post, The Times of Israel, Sputnik News, Eschaton, Associated Press, ABC News, Business Insider, Twitchy, CNN, Power Line, NBC News, DNyuz and The American Conservative

David McAfee / Raw Story:

‘Yikes’: Internet erupts after ‘Dementia Trump’ makes several verbal slip-ups at NRA rally — Donald Trump Friday was hit with a stream of criticism for several verbal slip-ups at an event for the NRA in Pennsylvania. — The former president slurred when saying the word “subsidies,” said …

Discussion: The Daily Beast, The Spectator World, Blue Virginia, Breitbart, The Hill, PennLive, Mediaite, Fargo | KFGO, Rolling Stone, The Gateway Pundit, Democrats, NBC News, WisPolitics, Press Herald, CBS News and WHTM-TV

Washington Post:
‘Hair on fire’: Democratic worries grow over claims about Biden's memory lapses

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Political Wire, BizPac Review, The Dispatch, Axios, The Hill, Politico, New York Times and Newsbusters

Meridith McGraw / Politico:
Trump promises NRA that if elected, ‘no one will lay a finger on your firearms’

Discussion: PoliticusUSA, Benzinga, Raw Story, USA Today, Political Wire, PennLive, The Hill, Breitbart and Pennsylvania Capital-Star

New York Times:
White House Calls Special Counsel Report on Biden Politically Motivated

Brianna Herlihy / Fox News:
Hawley says Garland should invoke 25th Amendment if DOJ declines to charge Biden: ‘One or the other’

Discussion: The Hill, Daily Mail, NBC News, PJ Media, The Gateway Pundit, BizPac Review, Joe.My.God., Vanity Fair, Media Matters for America, RedState, El País, USA Today, Florida's Voice, Breitbart, IJR, New York Post, Washington Times and DNyuz

Ryan Lizza / Politico:
Biden faces his ‘Comey moment’

Matthew Xiao / Washington Free Beacon:
WATCH: ‘This Is Terrible,’ Democratic Strategist Says of Biden's Press Conference

NBC News:
Could Democrats replace Biden as their nominee?

Discussion: Fox News, Frontpage Mag, New York Post, RedState, Washington Examiner and BizPac Review

Yair Rosenberg / The Atlantic:
What Biden's Critics Get Wrong About His Gaffes

Discussion: Associated Press, Newsbusters, Bloomberg, Fox News, Raw Story, Washington Examiner, The Daily Caller, The Federalist, Slate, Benzinga, Boston Herald, New York Post, Digby's Hullabaloo, HuffPost and The Hill

Alex Gangitano / The Hill:
White House goes on attack against special counsel over Biden age, memory

C. Stewart Verdery Jr / The Hill:

History confirms Republicans rejected a once-in-a-lifetime immigration opportunity — Immigration politics may be the most important to winning and losing elections in America. Add the substance around immigration reform and border security and it is one of the most complicated policy issues facing America as well.

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Ukraine funding package moves closer to Senate passage

Discussion: Bernard Goldberg's Commentary

Ryan J. Reilly / NBC News:

New Jan. 6 footage appears to show rioter firing a gun in the air during Capitol attack — John Emanuel Banuelos was previously identified by NBC News as a Jan. 6 rioter who told police he had a weapon that day. New footage appears to show him firing it. — WASHINGTON — Newly unearthed footage …

Discussion: Raw Story

Laura Paddison / CNN:

Critical Atlantic Ocean current system is showing early signs of collapse, prompting warning from scientists — A crucial system of ocean currents may already be on course to collapse, according to a new report, with alarming implications for sea level rise and global weather …

Discussion: Associated Press, The Guardian and New York Daily News

Steven Shepard / Politico:

What the Long Island special election tells us about the battle over the suburbs — The race between former Rep. Tom Suozzi and Mazi Melesa Pilip could provide clues for both parties on immigration and crime as they gear up for 2024. — The nation's suburbs are moving toward Democrats.

Discussion: ABC News and Associated Press

Franco Ordoñez / NPR:

Republicans see Latino voters in Nevada as key to retaking the White House in 2024 — LAS VEGAS - Shuffling through jeans on a clothing rack in her small store at a Latino market, Christy Rosales says she hopes Trump returns to office. — The 40-year-old native of Colombia complains …

Discussion: nationalinterest.org and Los Angeles Times

Fox News:

Conservative firebrand announces run for key battleground Senate race being targeted by Dems … A conservative firebrand has officially filed to run for the Montana Senate in the heated contest to unseat Democrat Sen. Jon Tester. — Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont., made the long awaited announcement Friday …

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Raw Story, RedState, Punchbowl News, Washington Times, The Hill, CNN and The Daily Caller

Andrew Solender / Axios:
Leading GOP hardliner spurned by Trump in tough Senate fight

Liz Skalka / HuffPost:
Republican Larry Hogan Is Running For Senate In Maryland

Zoë Richards / NBC News:

Texas woman sentenced to 3 years in prison for death threats to judge in Trump's documents case — Tiffani Shea Gish of Houston had pleaded guilty in November to leaving threatening voicemails for U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon. — A Texas woman accused of making death threats …

Discussion: Washington Examiner, The Hill, US Department of Justice, The Mercury News, Law & Crime, Associated Press, Raw Story and BizPac Review

Kirby Wilson / Tampa Bay Times:

Matt Gaetz stopped at airport security for having a Taser, report says — Gaetz then threw away the weapon, according to a news report. — U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz was stopped by airport security in Dallas when it was discovered he had a Taser. — As he was headed to his flight …

Discussion: Raw Story and Political Wire

New York Times:
Chief Witness Against Gaetz Is Cooperating With House Ethics Investigation

Discussion: Raw Story, ABC News, The Hill, The American Spectator, Washington Examiner, New York Daily News, View from the Wing and Joe.My.God.

Michael Scherer / Washington Post:

Democrats file FEC complaint against Robert Kennedy Jr. and allied super PAC — The Democratic National Committee accused third-party candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Friday of violating federal election law by unlawfully coordinating with a supportive super PAC in a $15 million effort to collect signatures for state ballot access.