POLITICO NIGHTLY: The Jan. 6 committee’s season finale

View in browser   BY ANKUSH KHARDORI Presented by With help from Joanne Kenen CLIFFHANGER — Tonight at 8 p.m. Eastern, the Jan. 6 select committee will conduct its final public hearing — a season finale of sorts as the panel adjourns for a brief hiatus. The hearings that began early last month were supposed to be a limited series, but it looks increasingly likely that the show will be picked up for a second season, returning in the fall. The panel’s members say that the hearings have generated new investigative leads and spurred new witnesses to come forward, so they could be back on the airwaves with new plotlines and new characters faster than “The Kardashians.” Of course, they need to do it quickly, since new management is expected to take over the studio early next year and overhaul the programming lineup . It’s been an eventful first season for a series that had a deceptively simple premise: Could a congressional committee free of Republican obstruction provide a comprehensive account of what led to the siege of the Capitol? An engrossing primetime premiere episode exceeded many people’s expectations by providing evocative live testimony and the prospect of formal, stylistic innovation — carefully constructed, well-paced segments that used documentary evidence, archival footage and live witnesses — which, alas, the creators ultimately struggled to maintain . There were curious breakout stars, like Donald Trump’s former Attorney General Bill Barr. Barr himself spread baseless theories of election fraud in the run-up to the 2020 election that were premised on cherry-picked and false anecdotes, but his musings about Trump being “detached from reality” nevertheless proved to be a hit with many once-skeptical viewers . Some old audience favorites returned to the screen, like Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who testified about The Call . But there were also plenty of engrossing debuts — not just Cassidy Hutchinson, whose testimony about Trump throwing food at the wall like an angry baby resonated with this viewer, but people like Caroline Edwards, the Capitol police officer who testified about “slipping in people’s blood” while fending off the violent mob, and Shaye Moss, the former Georgia election worker who testified about how Trump and Rudy Giuliani’s lies upended her and her mother’s lives . There were memorable moments that included cutting one-liners ( “an apparently inebriated Rudy Giuliani” ) and elaborate inside jokes ( deadpan accounts of Matt Gaetz’s requests for a very broad pardon ). There were manipulative but apparently effective teases ( pardons, again ) and much-hyped, last-minute scheduling changes that succeeded at drawing in viewers . There were some oddities too. Some once-central figures, like Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner , made strangely abbreviated appearances, while some new faces drew mixed reactions from professional observers. There was a backdoor pilot for a spin-off about whether the Trump campaign had defrauded donors . And last week’s hearing at times seemed like a very special episode about the dangers of far-right extremism . For those of you who may just be tuning in, tonight’s installment represents the culmination of months of build-up by the committee’s members, who will present the results of their investigation into what Trump was doing during the 187 minutes when he was in the White House while the rioting unfolded and his own vice president was hiding in a loading dock under the Capitol. The panel will call two live witnesses : Matthew Pottinger, Trump’s deputy national security adviser at the time, and Sarah Matthews, who was a deputy press secretary in the Trump White House. Both of them resigned immediately after the siege. The members have also indicated that they will present more taped testimony from former White House Counsel Pat Cipollone and — perhaps most intriguingly — never-before-seen outtakes of Trump’s video message to his supporters the day after the siege. What I’ll be watching for: It’s been widely reported that Trump repeatedly refused to call off his supporters during the three-hour period in question, but what else was going on? Who was he speaking to , and what was he saying? Did anyone try to get him to weigh in on the particulars of the law enforcement response on the ground, and if so, did he approve or reject any specific plans? What sorts of further insights can we get into Trump’s state of mind at the time? The committee has been exceptionally effective at driving political news coverage this summer, but after tonight’s hearing, the public and the media will have an opportunity to take a step back and make sense of what we did — and did not — learn from the show. Welcome to POLITICO Nightly. Reach out with news, tips and ideas at nightly@politico.com . Or contact tonight’s author at ankush.khardori@gmail.com . Pro tip: For an easy way to keep up with the biggest news out of tonight’s hearing, turn on mobile notifications for @politicongress ’ bite-sized, analysis-packed live updates.   A message from American Energy Action: Clean Energy is the Way Forward: Investing in renewable energy reduces our reliance on foreign oil and boosts our nation’s energy independence while providing lower, more consistent costs for consumers. Learn more.   FROM THE HEALTH DESK SOME POSITIVE NEWS — It was probably more of a “when” than an “if,” Commonwealth Fund journalist-in-residence at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Joanne Kenen emails Nightly. President Joe Biden tested positive for Covid this morning. Given that the current BA.5 variant is the most contagious yet, it’s really not a surprise. The president takes precautions, but he doesn’t live in a bubble. He travels. He meets people. And Covid is pretty much everywhere right now . Biden, as he reminded us in a brief video from the White House , is vaccinated and double boosted. He’s taking the antiviral drug Paxlovid, a five-day series of pills that further cuts the risk of severe illness. As of today, his symptoms are mostly a dry cough and runny nose, according to a letter from physician to the president Dr. Kevin O’Connor . He could get worse — even young, healthy people often have several lousy days. And even among the vaccinated, there is a chance of long Covid (though scientists aren’t sure how big a chance). But the odds are that Biden will be OK. At 79, Biden’s age is a risk factor. But other than that, he has no serious risk factors, such as diabetes, based on publicly available health information. Yes, he fell off his bike recently. But really, how many 79-year-olds even get on a bike, let alone get on, fall off and get right back on again? In a kinder and gentler world, everyone would be relieved by Biden’s good prognosis. Our world is neither kind nor gentle. POLITICO’s Lara Korte noted that within 20 minutes of the news of Biden’s diagnosis, “President Harris” was trending on Twitter . Biden himself didn’t seem too worried. “Keep the faith,” he said in his video. “It’s going to be OK.”   STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president’s ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today .     Read more of POLITICO’s coverage breaking down Biden’s positive Covid case: — How does Biden’s case of Covid-19 compare to Trump’s? — Biden’s whereabouts in the week leading up to his Covid diagnosis — Biden world not looking to change things up after POTUS’ Covid infection — Opinion | Get Well, Mr. President! And Don’t Lie About Your Health. — Nightly flashback: Biden vs. Covid: 4 experts on the risks   A message from American Energy Action:     WHAT'D I MISS? — Fetterman inching back onto campaign trail, 2 months after stroke: Pennsylvania Senate candidate John Fetterman is slowly finding his way back onto the campaign trail , dropping into phone banks and today attending three fundraisers in the Philadelphia area. Fetterman reportedly said on a Zoom call on Tuesday that he’s “90 percent better and campaigning.” Fetterman currently leads his opponent Dr. Mehmet Oz by four to nine points in the polls. — Top Trump lawyers briefed in detail on alternate elector plot on Dec. 13, 2020: The day before electors gathered to cast their states’ presidential votes as required by law, Christina Bobb of One America News emailed several Trump campaign aides and allies to discuss arrangements for the false electors. POLITICO reviewed the email, which has not been previously reported. It sheds light on how people in and close to the Trump campaign worked to contest the election, as well as the detailed planning that went into promoting alternate electors in states Biden carried. — Miami-Dade rejects sex ed textbooks over concerns it violates ‘Don’t Say Gay’: Miami-Dade County students could go months without sex education books after school board members this week rejected two proposed textbooks over concerns they violate the state’s “Parental Rights in Education” bill . The decision came down to a 5-4 vote. Miami-Dade is the fourth largest school district in the country. — New York reports nation’s first polio case in nearly a decade: New York health officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have confirmed the nation’s first case of polio in nearly a decade , state authorities said today. The virus was discovered in Rockland County, a suburb of New York City. — Supreme Court says Biden can’t restore immigration enforcement plans for now: The Supreme Court today denied the Biden administration’s request to reinstate its immigration enforcement priorities but agreed to hear the case later this year . In a 5-4 decision, the justices rejected the administration’s request to stay a court order blocking the Department of Homeland Security from setting its enforcement priorities to focus more on those who pose a threat to national security and public safety. The Court will hear oral arguments in the case in December.   INTRODUCING POWER SWITCH: The energy landscape is profoundly transforming. Power Switch is a daily newsletter that unlocks the most important stories driving the energy sector and the political forces shaping critical decisions about your energy future, from production to storage, distribution to consumption. Don’t miss out on Power Switch, your guide to the politics of energy transformation in America and around the world. SUBSCRIBE TODAY .     AROUND THE WORLD PELOSI PUSH — Speaker Nancy Pelosi said today that she’s urging the State Department to label Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism , though she declined to elaborate on whether Congress would act if the Biden administration doesn’t, writes Andrew Desiderio . Pelosi said in a brief interview that a state sponsor designation for Moscow is “long overdue,” adding: “I’ve been advocating it for four months, at least.” The speaker’s comments come after POLITICO reported that she told Secretary of State Antony Blinken earlier this week that Congress would make a formal declaration on the matter if he did not, as Russia’s war in Ukraine becomes more brutal by the day. Pelosi also declined to address her conversations with Blinken. Authority to designate nations as sponsors of terrorism is typically reserved for the secretary of state, but many in Congress are now pushing for a more forceful pressure campaign aimed at Russia. Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) introduced a non-binding resolution calling on Blinken to make the designation and gifting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a framed copy of the resolution during a visit to Kyiv.   A message from American Energy Action: CLEAN ENERGY IS THE WAY FORWARD: Investing in renewable energy doesn’t only reduce our reliance on foreign oil—It provides lower, more consistent costs for consumers and sets our nation on a path toward decarbonization. Learn more.   NIGHTLY NUMBER 45 minutes The amount of time an unauthorized drone shut down air traffic at the airport closest to the U.S. Capitol building today, the Federal Aviation Administration said — raising fresh questions about airports’ ability to deal with drones that fly too close, without grinding traffic to a halt. PARTING WORDS POLITICO illustration/Photos by Getty, iStock BRO V. WADE — Here’s a sneak peek at Derek Robertson ’s latest POLITICO Magazine story, out Friday morning. The Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade inspired an outpouring of grief, anguish and political opprobrium from feminists and abortion rights supporters. Take the following, for example: “We are literally going backwards in time. It makes no sense how anyone thinks it’s their right to tell a woman what to do with her body. I just don’t get it… At what point do you look at the Constitution and say, hey this was written by people who had slaves, and maybe not everything is exactly to a tee in the Constitution?” Is that the bullhorn pronouncement of a NARAL organizer? An AOC Instagram monologue? A particularly impassioned podcast intro from the “Pod Save” crew ? Sorry, that’s not right : It’s Dave Portnoy , the media mogul and Barstool Sports president better known for his viral pizza reviews, unrepentant aggro-masculinity and social-media trolling than for pro-choice activism. Portnoy’s particular brand of transgressive boorishness served as an inspiration to Republican politicians eager to capitalize on the backlash to newly established progressive social norms around things like gender pronoun usage and diversity, equity and inclusion practices. But that alliance was never ideological — it was aesthetic. To a certain kind of secular, mostly apolitical Barstool bro, the party of evangelical pro-lifers might not have been an ideal fit, but it was certainly more appealing than the party of “woke” scolds and stuffy bosses across the aisle. Now that the Supreme Court has handed social conservatives their most significant ideological victory of the modern political era, those voters will have to choose: Is it worth giving sanction to an overtly religious, mostly unpopular political project simply to own the libs? Portnoy himself explicitly says no . But cultural backlash is as unpredictable as it is powerful, and its place at the heart of the modern GOP means that how a particular type of independent, attitudinally conservative voter responds could shape America for years to come. Did someone forward this email to you?  Sign up here .   Follow us on Twitter Calder McHugh @calder_mchugh Myah Ward @myahward Naomi Andu @naomiandu   FOLLOW US

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