With Trump Pardons, The Jan. 6 Coup Attempt Is Finally Complete
INSIDE: Stewart Rhodes ... Elon Musk ... MTG
A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo.
As Dark Day
In one of his first acts of his second term, Donald Trump granted sweeping pardons to nearly all of the convicted Jan. 6 rioters and instigators and commuted the sentences of 14 of those serving the longest sentences on the most serious charge: seditious conspiracy.
Trump also ordered the Justice Department to end pending prosecutions of Jan. 6 defendants, an extraordinary and unprecedented interference with the department’s independence, and a foreshadowing of DOJ being run from the White House.
Among those freed were former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio and Oath Keepers honcho Stewart Rhodes. Overnight, Rhodes was seen leaving prison:
The acts of clemency from Trump brought full circle the conspiracy to subvert the 2020 election and hold on to power regardless of the election results. The spasm of violence on Jan. 6, 2021, was a neither a beginning nor an end but rather an inflection point in Trump’s fantastical, long-running Big Lie.
The pardons and commutations reinvigorate a slew of paramilitary right-wing extremist groups and other long-marginalized figures who see Trump as the their de facto leader and inspiration. Proud Boys returned to DC on Inauguration Day and were seen marching in the streets before the pardons were issued.
The Weaponization Begins
Under the guise of “ending the weaponization of the federal government,” President Trump by executive order has created a mechanism for weaponizing the intelligence community and the Justice Department – and it runs through Stephen Miller.
The Destruction Begins
“The Pentagon on Monday removed a portrait of Gen. Mark A. Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, from a corridor of the building filled with paintings of all of his predecessors.”–NYT
“President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday revoking the security clearance of 51 former intelligence officials who signed a 2020 letter arguing that emails from a laptop belonging to Hunter Biden carried ‘all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation’ and that of his former national security adviser John Bolton.”–CNN
“Trump administration quickly removes top immigration court officials.”–WaPo
Trump’s Executive Order Flex
A reminder that the executive orders are a combination of substantive and basically glorified press releases. Deborah Pearlstein offers a primer on how to tell the difference. Among the notable ones:
“President Trump on Monday signed an executive order to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement, the pact among almost all nations to fight climate change.”–NYT
“President Donald Trump has ordered the federal government to stop all permits for wind energy projects.”–Heatmap
“President Trump declared on Monday that his government would no longer treat the U.S.-born children of undocumented people as citizens, signaling his intent to essentially ignore the constitutional guarantee of birthright citizenship in a move that is all but certain to invite a legal challenge.”–NYT
Adopting some of the most strident anti-immigration language, Trump declares that “an invasion is ongoing at the southern border.”
Trump II Clown Show
Politico: How Musk helped boot Ramaswamy from DOGE
Longtime Missouri Republican Ed Martin, an advocate for the Jan. 6 rioters, has been named interim U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C.
A rundown from the Trump White House of the new chairs and acting chairs of various agencies, commissions, and boards.
Oligarch Watch
The images speak for themselves, but a couple of additional notes: The big tech executives had a more prominent position for Trump’s swearing-in than some of his cabinet nominees, and unlike members of Congress they could bring their spouses.
Image Of The Day
The news service caption above leaves a lot to be desired: “gestures.” TPM’s Josh Marshall on Elon Mush going full Sieg Heil.
Senate Starts Moving Trump Nominees
On a 99-0 vote, the Senate confirmed Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) as secretary of state.
On a 14-13 vote, the Senate Armed Service Committee advanced the nomination of Pete Hegseth for secretary of defense.
On a 13-2 vote, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee approved the nomination of Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD) as DHS secretary.
On a 14-3 vote, the Senate Intelligence Committee advanced the nomination of John Ratcliffe as CIA director.
On a 8-7 vote, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee cleared the nomination of Russell Vought as OMB director.
Vibe Check: Forced, Insipid, And Credulous
Forced:
Insipid:
Credulous:
Kumbaya
The contrast between how liberals see Democratic opposition to Trump as feckless and how MAGA Republicans portray Democrats as all-powerful traitorous conspirators always carries some cognitive dissonance but rarely as much as yesterday:
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The only days that could possibly have been worse than yesterday:
The Germans defeat the Normandy landings.
The Confederacy wins the Civil War.
The British defeat the American Revolution.