Former President Donald Trump issued a caustic and highly personal statement against Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell today, effectively declaring war on the Kentucky Republican for failing to back his attempts to undermine the 2020 election. https://t.co/Sd27cejiti
— POLITICO (@politico) February 16, 2021
Never in this world have two people deserved each other this much.
— Mike Merna (@CPGdigitalguy) February 16, 2021
Trump's initial draft of his McConnell statement was nastier, per two people close to him, and it was delivered in lieu of the press conference he had thought about doing today https://t.co/tNI5uWLNDy
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) February 16, 2021
McConnell could’ve drastically reduced Trump’s political power by whipping votes to impeach and bar him from future public office. Instead, he tried to have it both ways and will have to endure Trump’s wrath without reducing his influence on the party. https://t.co/kTPu7kp5E7
— Tommy Vietor (@TVietor08) February 16, 2021
Don't mistake Trump's outburst. McConnell got everything he wanted from Trump. Trump owns everyone in the House GOP. The ten strayers are being purged. Again and again post-election Mitch has told Trump to go fuck himself and his position remains secure. That drives Trump mad.
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) February 16, 2021
Sort of interesting that, failing to overthrow the entire government in his effort to install himself as ruler, Trump is now just trying to overthrow McConnell as Senate GOP leader.
— S.V. Dáte (@svdate) February 16, 2021
"You want a corporate buttoned-up GOP to raise that congressional money, but you want the Trumpist GOP to raise the sort of grassroots money. Those two really … can't co-exist right now," @samstein says of the Republican divide between Sen. McConnell and fmr. Pres. Trump. pic.twitter.com/aQAvm4nr81
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) February 16, 2021
I no longer believe in love.
— Eric Garland (@ericgarland) February 16, 2021
🤣🖕😂 https://t.co/fe6VgDQtiH
Rep. Bennie Thompson on suing former President Trump: "I am privileged to partner with the NAACP to have my day in court so that the perpetrators of putting members of Congress at risk can be held accountable." https://t.co/9bIMWCg3S8 pic.twitter.com/Fn09POaOpJ
— The Hill (@thehill) February 16, 2021
Analysis | Cancel culture blends into victim culture https://t.co/dPRVSczqFx
— Thomas Edsall (@Edsall) February 16, 2021
"The differences between our own Utah Republicans showcase a diversity of thought, in contrast to the danger of a party fixated on 'unanimity of thought.'" https://t.co/er5EW6Adtu
— ABC News (@ABC) February 16, 2021
Voting your conscience is censurable. Inciting a mob to head out in hopes of hanging the VP, is free speech.
— Ana Navarro-Cárdenas (@ananavarro) February 16, 2021
A group of people who stand behind a person, whose fealty is to a flawed man, not to ideas or principles, is not a political party. It is a cult. https://t.co/jFRcbz8lAX
Former Republican Rep. @RepRiggleman:
— Bianna Golodryga (@biannagolodryga) February 15, 2021
"I'm on the ground here in Virginia in the 5th District and I would still say a majority of (Republicans) believe Trump shouldn't have been impeached, that there was a false flag operation at the Capitol and that stop the steal is real." pic.twitter.com/dLiAXKjEDx
New: I went to Mich, where state and local GOP are not wrestling w/ Trumpism, but doubling down. Those who backed Trump's election fraud conspiracies, + who organized the Jan. 6 rally, are being rewarded w/ party postions. Those who speak out are punishedhttps://t.co/NGgZSu4bit
— Steadman™ (@AsteadWesley) February 16, 2021
USA, Morning Consult for Politico poll:
— America Elects (@AmericaElige) February 16, 2021
2024 GOP (Conservative) primary (GOP voters only):
D. Trump: 56% (+12)
Pence: 13% (-5)
D. Trump Jr: 6%
Romney: 4% (-2)
Cruz: 3% (-3)
+/- vs. 9-15 January 2021
Fieldwork: 11-13 February 2021
Sample size: 600#Trump #RepublicanParty pic.twitter.com/qkvneXl22p
GOP consultant says Nikki Haley has the best shot at the 2024 GOP presidential nomination https://t.co/T8pD5H1bA1 pic.twitter.com/X6gxIVSTgO
— The Hill (@thehill) February 16, 2021
Gaetz suggests DeSantis could run for president in 2024 if Trump is out of the picture https://t.co/SeSDPfYTI8 pic.twitter.com/HPJstzvgcW
— The Hill (@thehill) February 16, 2021
When a moment of lucidity once escaped the void. pic.twitter.com/NRyFxCLabm
— KH-19 (@labboypro) February 16, 2021
Meanwhile, in the real – and real cold – world…
Anger is mounting over Texas' power grid failing in the face of a record winter freeze. The governor is calling for a probe of the grid operator as 4 million people are still without electricity – and there's no timetable for when power will be restored. https://t.co/fk6csymAjR
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 16, 2021
Because Texas is on its own grid it doesn’t have to abide by the same regulations that enabled other states (like OK) to avoid this massive failure. Jenkins blames that failure on past Governors.
— Katy Tur (@KatyTurNBC) February 16, 2021
“Bad weather is predictable. Bad policy has a consequence.” https://t.co/vjjDDFNP6W
This is a good time to note that the electrical grid in Texas was deregulated, privatized, and removed from interconnected networks to avoid federal regulation and increase profits to a small number of wealthy individuals.
— Bryan William Jones (@BWJones) February 16, 2021
“The ERCOT grid has collapsed in exactly the same manner as the old Soviet Union,” said Ed Hirs, an energy fellow at the University of Houston. “It limped along on underinvestment and neglect until it finally broke under predictable circumstances." https://t.co/CTESlOlwQS
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) February 16, 2021
73% of USA has snow on the ground. @ginger_zee says this is the most on record since this statistic began back in 2003. So not a huge data set, but definitely notable. pic.twitter.com/kG5Tcc3jGp
— Larry Mowry (@LarryABC7) February 16, 2021
Coronavirus vaccine shipments face "widespread delays" because of winter storm https://t.co/LPkGkBFF3p
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) February 16, 2021
***
PM STILL WRESTLING WITH NORTHERN IRELAND BREXIT FALLOUT
Despite telling the public to take reports with a "pinch of salt", Johnson's "road map" will reportedly encourage small outdoor gatherings and even sporting events as soon as March 8 https://t.co/PRHHXbK0SN
— The New European (@TheNewEuropean) February 16, 2021
Live footage of @BorisJohnson trying to understand the implications of the UK-EU trade deal he negotiated pic.twitter.com/906JtZiSk6
— Best for Britain (@BestForBritain) February 16, 2021
Worth recalling that all this goes back to the UK desire NOT to have a 'mobility' provision within the TCA – all part of 'ending Free Movement' and the professional services folk – including musicians, actors, fashion models etc -are all victim of that/4https://t.co/hCsJo5ei0g
— Peter Foster (@pmdfoster) February 16, 2021
New York 'gains at London's expense' post-Brexit – Yahoo Finance UK https://t.co/Hrdlbc2sUl
— A C Grayling #FBPE 3.5% #Reform #Rejoin #RRR 🐟 (@acgrayling) February 16, 2021
This is more than just a dead cat to distract from covid & Brexit damage…
— Dr Mike Galsworthy (@mikegalsworthy) February 16, 2021
…it’s this government very overtly and loudly undermining the reputation of, and trust in, our UK universities to win a few culture war beans.
It’s cynical and anti-British. https://t.co/lkXkQvwXf3
Still not clear what's in the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland? A useful explainer from @davidallengreen
— David Phinnemore (@DPhinnemore) February 15, 2021
On Article 16: "[Safeguards] are here to protect the protocol, not to actually find ways around protocol or to subvert or undermine the protocol" https://t.co/inViLC1hXz
The current crisis in Northern Ireland is not about 'teething problems'. It's not about Covid. It's not even about the Protocol or the EU's trigger of Article 16. It's about Brexit itself – and the government will do anything to cover it up.
— Jonathan Lis (@jonlis1) February 16, 2021
My latest https://t.co/k6dzy2x15K
Coveney: “Our focus has to be to try to listen to businesses and in particular to unionism in Northern Ireland and to try to respond to the concerns that have been outlined in as comprehensive a way as we can but… within the confines of the protocol”https://t.co/KPZjDof4ZK
— David Phinnemore (@DPhinnemore) February 16, 2021
It has always been possible to minimise checks between GB and NI, which DUP want but requires closer alignment with EU, which they don't.
— Naomi Long MLA (@naomi_long) February 16, 2021
These comments are the hard evidence that the DUP remain opposed to anything but the hardest Brexit, despite the damage. 1/2 https://t.co/KoeFtdjwR2
— Cold War Steve (@Coldwar_Steve) February 16, 2021
The Overnight Note 