A prime-time spotlight on Trump

Even for a US president known for his erratic behavior, the Donald Trump that emerged from a month of televised hearings into the Jan. 6, 20 [View in browser]( [Bloomberg]( Follow Us [Get the newsletter]( Even for a US president known for his erratic behavior, the Donald Trump that emerged from a month of televised hearings into the Jan. 6, 2021 assault on the Capitol was shocking. Today’s prime-time finale may reveal more unsettling moments. Trump was the chief executive who threw his lunch against a wall in the White House when his attorney general wouldn’t back bogus claims of a stolen election. A president who didn’t care that some supporters were armed when he urged them to the Capitol to block the certification of Joe Biden’s victory because, as he was heard to say, “They’re not here to hurt me.” Key reading: - [Hearing Finale to Make Case of Trump as Derelict in Duty]( - [Jan. 6 Panel Chairman Thompson Has Covid, Hearing to Proceed]( - [Panel Takes Cues From Netflix With Made-for-TV Hearings]( - [Hearing Revelations Include Angry Trump, Risk to Pence]( And he’s the tweeter-in-chief who, when the mob was erecting mock gallows on the Capitol lawn for his vice president, sent out a message inciting the crowd further. Week after week, through eight hearings, witnesses — most of them members of Trump’s Republican Party and many who worked for him in the White House — portrayed a vindictive leader unwilling to admit he’d lost the election. For today’s hearing, the bipartisan House committee has reconstructed the agonizing 187 minutes that elapsed as a mob rampaged through the Capitol before Trump issued a video asking his supporters to go home. The attack left the symbol of American democracy strewn with broken glass and pools of blood. Hundreds of the rioters are facing charges and investigations are under way that could eventually lead to Trump’s inner circle. Many Republicans profess not to have watched the hearings or echo party leaders who dismiss them as political theater. Still, the evidence has hardened doubts in the party about the wisdom of backing another Trump presidency. Even as he’s teasing a run for the White House, half of Republicans now say they’d rather the party nominate someone else in 2024. — [Jon Morgan]( Trump speaks while departing the White House on Jan. 12, 2021. Photographer: Samuel Corum/Bloomberg Click [here]( to follow Bloomberg Politics on Facebook and share this newsletter with others. They can sign up [here](. Global Headlines Game over | Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi offered his [resignation]( to President Sergio Mattarella today after the collapse of his ruling coalition, raising the prospect of snap elections as soon as early October. The move threatens to throw the country into turmoil just as Europe is bracing for a recession and Italians are contending with a brewing energy crisis. The government will continue in caretaker mode to handle ongoing business. Marriage pact | Senate Democrats are trying to build Republican support to pass legislation [codifying]( same-sex marriage in US federal law and extend protections to all married couples. The effort represents a generational shift on LGBTQ rights even as the two parties battle over abortion, guns and other social issues. Russia started sending gas through its biggest pipeline to Europe after a 10-day maintenance period. The [resumption]( of exports via the Nord Stream link will provide some relief for the continent that’s racing to store the fuel before the winter. Land grab | The Kremlin is in a dash to hold referendums in Ukrainian territories occupied by its troops to give grounds for President Vladimir Putin to [annex]( them into Russia as early as September, sources say. Officials are preparing to organize votes by Sept. 15 in areas currently controlled by the Russian military and any others its troops are able to seize in coming weeks. Best of Bloomberg Opinion - [Britain Is Burning Up. India Knows How to Cool Off: Mihir Sharma]( - [Macron and Scholz Need a Grand Bargain on Energy: Lionel Laurent]( - [Sweating While Worrying About Shivering: Andreas Kluth]( Down to two | Conservative lawmakers whittled the UK [succession]( race down to two candidates yesterday, pitting Foreign Secretary Liz Truss against former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak. Truss, the bookies’ favorite, and Sunak will now go head-to-head over the coming six weeks to woo about 175,000 party members who will select the next Tory leader and prime minister to succeed Boris Johnson. Explainers you can use - [Truss Went From Anti-Thatcher Protests to Become UK Tory Darling]( - [Is the Heat Wave Caused By Climate Change? What Scientists Say]( - [Fate of the Texas Power Grid Depends on Daily Whims of Wind]( Covid surge | Tokyo is experiencing a [resurgence]( in Covid-19 cases ahead of the summer holidays, with the Japanese capital recording more new infections today than at any time during the pandemic. That’s forcing political and health-care leaders to reconsider what additional steps to take to contain the outbreak, if any. The Shibuya Scramble Crossing in Tokyo yesterday. Photographer: Ryohei Moriya/Yomiuri Shimbun Tune in to Bloomberg Citylab’s new podcast “[Bedrock, USA](” that explores the far-right’s impact on local government and what it means for US politics. Listen to the first episode [here](. And find the link to our weekly global politics Twitter Space via our [Politics Twitter handle]( at @bpolitics. News to Note - Biden says he expects to [speak]( to Chinese President Xi Jinping “within the next 10 days,” as the US considers whether lifting some tariffs on imports from China would help stem rampant inflation. - A price cap on Russian oil should go into effect [alongside]( the December implementation of the European Union’s restrictions on insurance for the commodity, a Biden administration official said. - Biden announced plans to advance [offshore]( wind power in the Gulf of Mexico and in Atlantic waters near the Southeast US, part of a bid to prove he’s confronting the climate crisis despite a congressional logjam. - Ukraine’s central bank [devalued]( the official hryvnia exchange rate to protect its foreign-currency reserves as Russia’s invasion ravages the economy. - Iran warned that proposed US legislation [targeting]( the Islamic Republic could further imperil stalled efforts to resurrect the moribund nuclear deal. - Amazon spent a record $4.98 million on [lobbying]( during the second quarter of this year as momentum intensified in Congress to pass legislation intended to crack down on technology giants. And finally ... Vincent Bollore was said to be an avid viewer of a TV series on Roger Ailes, the mastermind behind the rise of Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News into a powerhouse of right-wing politics in the US, [Benoit Berthelot]( writes. As he shifts his own CNews channel to cater for [conservative]( audiences deemed to be under-served by the mainstream media, the billionaire beefing up his presence across Europe and beyond is being dubbed the “French Murdoch.” Bollore and his son Yannick during a ceremony to mark the 200th anniversary of the Bollore Group in Ergue-Gaberic, France, on Feb. 17. Photographer: Fred Tanneau/AFP/Getty Images Like getting this newsletter? [Subscribe to Bloomberg.com]( for unlimited access to trusted, data-driven journalism and subscriber-only insights. You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg's Balance of Power newsletter. 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