LAUNCH "Chris Crucial": Today's Critical Stories

All you need to know

Trying to absorb everything the news media shouts at you can be like drinking from a fire hose. I should know – I used to do it… sorry about that!! Let me make it up to you:

Starting with this email, I’m now LAUNCHING a regular piece called Chris Crucial, where I break down ONLY the daily stories you will find important or intriguing… starting now! Let me know if you enjoy it! 👇

From GOP shenanigans to amazing music… let’s dive in to today’s Top 4 stories!

1. Nancy Mace’s Shocking Staff Collapse

It appears we aren’t the only ones fed up with Nancy Mace.

Here’s the Daily Beast on the staff revolt in the South Carolina Republican’s office:

As of Monday, according to three sources familiar with the matter, Mace’s entire D.C. staff has turned over since Nov. 1, 2023.

That’s nine staffers in the span of a few short months—with all but one of those employees leaving on their own accord.

Who’s that one exception, you might ask? Her Chief of Staff Dan Hanlon, who then promptly went on to run AGAINST Mace in her own district!

Ouch!

I think my favorite part of the story are the quotes from Mace’s now-former aides.

“Nancy is delusional as a boss,” one told the Beast. “She says nothing publicly without her consultants or senior staffers telling her to, but takes credit for everything. She’s a walking teleprompter.”

And then there’s this: “All this is why pretty much every staffer and fellow member on the Hill thinks she’s a joke. Also a big reason why she’s only able to hire former George Santos staffers right now.”

Mace is set for another serious primary challenge in 2024. Catherine Templeton, who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2018, announced her candidacy Monday.

I’ll keep a close eye on this race.

2. GOP Blocks Immigration Bill They Should LOVE

Before I dive in to this, let me quickly outline for a you a few things that the BIPARTISAN immigration bill — negotiated by Oklahoma GOP Sen. James Lankford and Arizona Independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema — would do:

• Provide $8 billion in funding to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). More than one third of that money would be allocated for expanding detention facilities.

• Speed up asylum claims — none would take more than 6 months

• Force asylum seekers to “show greater proof to seek refuge in the U.S.”

• Close the border if migrant crossing went over 5,000 on average (or 8,500 in a single day)

• Force President Joe Biden to use already-allocated funds to continue construction of a border wall

• Provide $7 billion in additional funds to Customs and Border Patrol, a 33% increase over its current budget

• Military funding: $14B for Israel, $60B for Ukraine, $4.83 for Indo-Pacific nations

• $10B in humanitarian funding for Ukraine, Gaza, and the West Bank

This seems like something close to a dream scenario for Republicans who have been insisting for months that there is a crisis at the southern border — and that Biden needs to do something about it ASAP.

Except, well, not.

Here’s how the House Republican leadership reacted to the BIPARTISAN bill on Monday:

It’s not clear — at least to me — that the legislation will even make it to die in the House. Within hours of the release of details of the bill, Senate Republicans were lining up against it.

Why, you ask, are Republicans opposed to a border bill that they should — on its merits — not just like, but love?

The answer you’ll get from them is because it supposedly allows 5,000 undocumented migrants to enter the country each day. As Tennessee GOP Sen. Marsha Blackburn said: “I will never vote to make illegal immigration legal.”

But, here’s the thing: That 5,000 claim is ridiculous. The Washington Post’s Aaron Blake explains why:

This is false. That’s merely the point at which a very restrictive process kicks in (it would also kick in if crossings reach 8,500 in a single day). At that point, no new asylum claims from those apprehended would be considered, and anybody caught crossing the border would be removed.

Ok, so Blackburn’s claim is bullshit. Which leads us to the REAL reason why Republicans have come out in opposition to the bill (before the details were even released: pure partisan politics.

In short: Republicans would rather have the issue for the general election campaign than take steps to actually solving the problem — a problem which they have railed against for months! — right now.

Don’t take my word for it! Here’s Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney: “The border is a very important issue for Donald Trump. And the fact that he would communicate to Republican senators and Congress people that he doesn’t want us to solve the border problem — because he wants to blame Biden for it — is really appalling.”

Yes, yes it is. Because there is a human cost here; we should never forget that.

3. Trump’s New Timing Problem

While we wait for the DC Appeals Court to rule on Trump’s claim of “total” immunity from criminal prosecution, the judge in his federal trial over 2020 election interference is giving us a hint of her timetable.

This is from POLITICO:

The judge presiding over Donald Trump’s Washington, D.C. criminal case acknowledged Monday that the former president’s trial could extend deep into 2024 — though significant uncertainty continues to cloud the timeline.

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan told attorneys in another criminal case that she intended to be out of the country in early August — unless Trump’s trial is underway.

August! Which means we could easily be talking about a criminal trial in the fall — right in the middle of the general election sprint… and just months before the next inauguration.

Below is my 3-minute thoughts on Trump’s strategy here, and what it means for the election:

But in the meantime, someone is desperate to be VP… and Liz Cheney is NOT having it!

4. Liz Cheney calls GOP Senator JD Vance “Not fit to serve” After Dangerous Ploy

After Senator J.D. Vance made a counter-constitutional ploy to become Donald Trump’s vice presidential pick in an interview with ABC’s “This Week,” Republican Liz Cheney ripped him apart.

Vance: "If I had been vice president, I would have told the states, like Pennsylvania, Georgia and so many others, that we needed to have multiple slates of electors, and I think the U.S. Congress should have fought over it from there…

“That is the legitimate way to deal with an election that a lot of folks, including me, think had a lot of problems in 2020. I think that's what we should have done.”

Liz Cheney put it simply:

Supporting Cheney’s arguments is a little document I like to call the Constitution, which clearly states a very different role for the vice president than what Vance would prefer: (Nota bene: The vice president serves as the president of the Senate):

The President of the Senate shall, in the Presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the Certificates, and the Votes shall then be counted. The Person having the greatest Number of Votes shall be the President

“Shall then be counted.” Not, “shall then be counted unless one candidate doesn’t agree with the outcome, and wants the vote to be moved to more favorable ground for him.”

To his credit, George Stephanopoulos shut Vance down as he tried to expand on his belief in extra-Constitutional measures.

Someone had to!

5. In Case You Missed… Beyond Critical

These also caught my eye:

NOTABLE QUOTABLE

“So I think we’re going to give New York a heavy shot.” — Donald Trump, on his plan to contest the Empire State in November. (He lost New York in 2020 by 23 points.)

DID YOU KNOW…

…that singer Billie Eilish’s (and actor Finneas’) uncle is Brian Baird, a Democrat who represented Washington State in the U.S. House for a decade in the 2000s?

SONG OF THE DAY

The Tracey Chapman-Luke Combs duet of “Fast Car” from last night’s Grammy Awards is, rightfully, drawing attention to what an amazing song that is.

Here’s one of my favorites covers of the same Chapman classic, by Birdy.

Thanks for reading up to this point!

I am going level with you — it takes a lot of work and energy to bring you the important stories of the day… But it’s my duty!!

Right now I’ve got 11,097 free subscribers. But if enough people join the growing community who support me with just $5/month – the price of a coffee nowadays – I could do this full time, and reach even more people with critical info!👇

Thank you!! – Chris

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