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Happy Monday evening, and welcome back to Today’s American News – your evening source for news and analysis on the circus that is American politics and entertainment.
Election subversion, classified docs cases against Trump dismissed… One of Donald Trump’s presumed motivations for running for president in 2024 was to free himself from potential legal consequences. It came as no surprise today when special counsel Jack Smith dropped the cases against Trump for election subversion and mishandling of classified documents. “The Government’s position on the merits of the defendant’s prosecution has not changed,” Smith noted in the filing, citing Trump’s victory earlier this month as the impetus for his motion. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan quickly agreed to the motion and dismissed the cases. Trump was found liable for sexual assault and convicted on 34 felony counts by a jury of his peers for crimes related to the Stormy Daniels hush money payment. Trump escaped sentencing for his 34 felony convictions.
Trump’s “mandate” isn’t really a mandate… For the third presidential election in a row, a majority of voters did not vote for Donald Trump. Trump fell short of the 50 percent threshold reached by President Biden and twice by President Obama. While Trump won the popular vote earlier this month, he hardly has the “mandate” his MAGA cronies claim. Compare Biden’s 2020 victory to Trump’s 2024 victory: Biden (2020) won a majority of voters; Trump (2024) won less than a majority of voters. Biden won the popular vote by 7 million; Trump won it by 2.5 million. Biden’s popular vote margin was 4.45%; Trump’s was 1.6%. Trump’s small victory, to MAGA Republicans, was a mandate whereas Biden’s convincing victory was not a mandate. Trump’s claim of an “unprecedented mandate” is a lie intended to grab power.
VP Harris keeping options open… The lede in today’s Playbook was not about Trump’s cabinet or anything Trump-related; rather, it was about the future of VP Kamala Harris. Many Harris supporters have been wondering what the vice president will do after she leaves office in January. Politico boils the answer down to two possibilities: She could run for president again in 2028 or she could run for governor of California in 2026. Though a typical governor’s office would be a clear step down from the vice presidency, California is massive in population and has an economy larger than all but four countries in the world. At this point, the only indications are that she wants to keep her options open. No matter what, in the words of the VP herself, she is “staying in the fight.”
As DeWine mulls Vance replacement, Brown opens door to 2026… Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican who has never closely aligned with Donald Trump, will appoint a replacement to fill the seat of JD Vance as he leaves the U.S. Senate to become vice president. One name DeWine never gave serious consideration: Columbus-area entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Ohio media has focused on more traditional names such as former Ohio Republican Party chair Jane Timken, Secretary of State Frank LaRose, and state Sen. Matt Dolan. DeWine’s appointee will face a 2026 U.S. Senate special primary and general election. Outgoing U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, defeated in his bid for re-election, told Politico over the weekend that he won’t rule out a 2026 comeback.
Trump snubs–nay, humiliates–his megadonor… On Friday, CNN reported Trump was set to nominate a megadonor, former U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler (R-GA), as agriculture secretary. On Saturday, however, Trump announced someone else for the role: Brooke Rollins, director of the Office of American Innovation and acting director of the Domestic Policy Council in Trump’s first term. For Trump, a choice between Loeffler and Rollins easily goes to the more-loyal Rollins. Loeffler’s final act as a U.S. Senator defied Trump; on January 6, 2021, after Trump’s insurrectionists were cleared out of the Capitol, Loeffler went back on her promise to vote to overthrow the election (and she had made this promise in public at a rally with Trump on stage with her). Given the millions of dollars Loeffler spent to elect Trump and given the massive farm subsidies her family receives, Loeffler’s nomination could have been Trump’s most corrupt yet – and that’s saying a lot. Did Trumpworld feed CNN a lie about Loeffler’s supposed nomination in order to humiliate the one-time traitor of Trump? Or does CNN just have horrible sources in the convicted felon’s orbit?
Today’s Buzz
Wicked defies gravity at the box office… “Wicked”, the screen adaptation of the venerated Broadway hit that offers new perspective on the events of “The Wizard of Oz”, debuted at $164.2 million in global ticket sales, including $50.1 million in international sales. The film’s North American debut sales ranked third among all 2024 releases. By a country mile, “Wicked” ($164.2 million) surpassed “Les Miserables” ($103 million) as the largest ever opening for a Broadway adaptation. Starring talented vocalists Cynthia Erivo (“Elphaba”) and Ariana Grande (“Glinda”) the opening of the Jon M. Chu-directed film ranks it fifth all-time among musical films. On Broadway for 22 years and counting, the hit has a cult-like following as evidenced by adults showing up to theatres in full character costumes.
Today’s Furry Friend
Meet the lovable stinker, Pearl.
That’s all for now in Today’s American News, your evening source attempting to make sense of American politics and entertainment. We look forward to being a regular part of your evening routine. Catch you tomorrow!
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