Trump Hogs the Headlines – “The Sunday Political Brunch” May 26, 2024

Trump Hogs the Headlines – “The Sunday Political Brunch” May 26, 2024

As a political reporter, I have covered eight presidents in my career. I was also alive for five others, so I have observed thirteen presidents in my lifetime. I was a Milwaukee Sentinel newspaper carrier as a kid and have been a political junkie my entire life. In all that time, the sitting president was the biggest story in the land, until now. No matter what you think of President Joe Biden, this is the only time in my lifetime that coverage of a former president overshadowed the current office holder. It’s odd and has potential consequences for the 2024 election. Let’s “brunch” on that this week!

 

“Trump Trial Triumph?” – This past week, the prosecution in the Trump “hush money” trial in New York rested, as did the defense, without ever calling the former president to the witness stand, as he promised he was willing to do. “They have no case,” Trump said outside the courtroom Tuesday, adding, “There’s no crime.” Among the arguments in the trial is that Trump lobbied (and paid) tabloid news outlets such as the National Enquirer not to run bad press about him. Defense attorney Todd Blanche argued that there was nothing illegal about soliciting a tabloid's help to run good stories about Trump; run bad stories about his opponents; and identify potentially damaging stories before they were published. It is all just unseemly, but criminal? It seems to me, free speech, and lobbying for free speech in the press casts a very wide net. We’ll see what the jury says.

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“Do Prosecutors Prevail?” – Trump’s legal team rested without ever calling the former president to testify and moved for a dismissal of all charges, but the judge has yet to rule. Closing arguments are scheduled for Tuesday. Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo argued that “the trial evidence overwhelmingly supports each element” of the alleged offenses and said the case should proceed to the jury. Again, the thorny legal issue here is not whether Trump had sex with porn star Stormy Daniels, but rather did his then-lawyer Micheal Cohen pay $130,000 for her silence, and then record it as “legal expenses” on company ledgers? My gut says this will go to the jury.

 

“Haley Latches Her Tail to Trump’s Comet” – Former Gov. Nikki Haley (R) South Carolina announced Wednesday that she would indeed vote for former President Donald Trump in November. This is despite Trump trashing her and calling her a “birdbrain” during the primaries, even though she served Trump loyally as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. She cautioned that, "Trump would be smart to reach out to the millions of people who voted for me and continue to support me and not assume that they’re just going to be with him. And I genuinely hope he does that.” She’s right, he needs to build on a number of Republican coalitions and factions to win. Will he listen?

 

“More Abortion Commotion” – As I have stated for months, the two top-tier issues in this November’s election cycle are the economy (inflation) and border security (fentanyl). But I’ve said the wildcard issue is abortion, and it could be decisive in not only the presidential race but in Congressional contests as well. This past week, the Louisiana Legislature voted that two abortion-inducing drugs could soon be reclassified as controlled and dangerous substances in Louisiana under a first-of-its-kind bill that was signed into law by the governor Friday. The widely available drugs are mifepristone and misoprostol, commonly known as “abortion pills,” that provide a quiet, private alternative to the now often-banned surgical procedure.

 

“Why Abortion Matters” – The next president will likely have two Supreme Court nominees (I predict the departures of Republican-appointed Justices Thomas and Alito). Only the U.S. Senate gets to vote on those appointments, so control of that body is a toss-up. Abortion policy could also be key in some close House races. To many moderates in both parties, the “abortion pill” was a fair compromise to the surgical termination of a pregnancy. A woman and her doctor could make the decision to quietly take a pill and that would be the end of it. How many states might follow Louisiana, and ban the drug, which does have FDA approval? We could be looking at more court fights, and this could be a wedge political issue in many races as campaign 2024 plays out.

 

“Flags Flying; Tongues Wagging” – Speaking of Justice Alito, an upside-down U.S. flag was planted on his property after the January 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol. Flags flown upside down are a sign of dire national distress. A similar flag was posted on another Alito property. Alito said his wife planted the flags. There will be January 6th cases and appeals before the high court. Will he have to recuse himself? What will his wife say? As we often say in politics, “You just can’t make this stuff up!”

 

“The Legal Hunt for Hunter Biden” – Call me crazy, but who on Earth is coordinating presidential son Hunter Biden’s criminal trials, with his dad’s reelection campaign? Okay, I know the rules, as I have both run and covered political campaigns. You CAN’T coordinate. It’s like a violation of “church v. state.” But here goes anyway. Hunter Biden is now scheduled to go on trial on September 5th on federal tax charges, just ten days before his dad is scheduled to debate former President Donald Trump on September 10th. In June, Hunter is to go on trial on federal gun charges, within days of his dad’s debate with Trump on June 27th. Why would you want those side shows competing with debates? This is a potentially fatal decision by Team Biden. Timing is everything in politics!

 

“Bumping Even RFK Jr. From the Headlines” – Robert F. “Bobby” Kennedy Jr., is still on a tough track for serious presidential consideration. His campaign says he is now on the ballot in fifteen states, but only five states confirm he has qualified. They are Utah, Oklahoma, Delaware, Michigan, and Hawaii. The Kennedy campaign also claims the key early states of Iowa and New Hampshire, along with California, Idaho, Nebraska and New Jersey, and others are in the election basket, but none of those are confirmed. It’s a work in progress. My point is that with Trump, then Biden dominating the headlines, it’s hard for any third-party candidate – even one named Kennedy – to get a word in edgewise.

 

“You Don’t Need a College Degree to Get This” – For years college students and parents alike have “enjoyed” filling out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). I’ve done plenty for my kids and me, but it’s not a joy (can you say akin to a dental visit?). In any case, a new online application was unveiled this year and it’s full of technical glitches and bombed. Here in West Virginia, applications for federal financial aid are down 30 percent. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R) West Virginia blamed the White House, for trying to pay off student loans. Capito said, "I think it's been a big blunder by the administration caused by their political ambition to ‘buy’ as many votes as they can, by paying off people's student debts."

 

Folks, as a military parent, go out and salute our troops this Memorial Day weekend!