NYC’s weirdest new club is outside the Manhattan courthouse

[Daily Kos Morning Roundup]( A morning roundup of worthy pundit and news reads, brought to you by Daily Kos. [Click here to read the full web version.]( - [NYC’s weirdest new club is outside the Manhattan courthouse]( NYC’s weirdest new club is outside the Manhattan courthouse, Gwynne Hogan, Gothamist Patchouli-scented liberals, fur-clad performance artists and a small army of television reporters jostling for a few square feet of sidewalk — Manhattan’s weirdest new club is located just steps outside of Manhattan Criminal Court as spectators gather ahead of a possible felony indictment of former President Donald Trump. Curious onlookers and reporters began camping outside of the courthouse in earnest on Monday following comments made by Trump on Truth Social over the weekend, in which he insisted he'd be arrested on Tuesday and called on his supporters to protest. Tuesday came and went without an arrest or much of an outcry from Trump fans. But that didn't stop droves of reporters — and, to a lesser extent, supporters and protesters — from posting up outside the courthouse, aching for a glimpse of a potentially historic occasion. - [Trump allies misrepresent crime in NYC]( Trump allies misrepresent crime in NYC, Tesnim Zekeria and Rebecca Crosby, Popular Information Trump allies misrepresent crime in NYC Trump’s top allies have coalesced around that narrative, arguing that Bragg should forget about Trump and focus on the “skyrocketing” crime in New York City. In an interview on ABC News, former Vice President Mike Pence said he was “taken aback” at the reports of a potential indictment. “At a time when there’s a crime wave in New York City, the fact that the Manhattan DA thinks that indicting President Trump is his top priority just tells you everything you need to know about the radical left,” Pence said. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) echoed the same argument, claiming that crime is so bad in New York that “people are afraid to walk the streets.” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) followed suit, saying, “What we’ve seen in Manhattan is we’ve seen the crime rate go up, and we’ve seen citizens become less safe.” This argument was also amplified by numerous members of Congress, including Representative Elise Stefanik (R-NY), who argued that “[v]iolent crime [is] skyrocketing.” Representatives Jim Jordan (R-OH), Bryan Steil (R-WI), and James Comer (R-KY), wrote a letter to Bragg arguing that he should not “pursue such a politically motivated prosecution” while also allowing “criminals [to] run[ ] the streets.” Jordan furthered the claim on Twitter, stating that Bragg “[i]gnores record crime in New York City to attack political opponents.” All of these arguments are based on the false presumption that street crime is inherently more serious than white-collar crime. But there is an even bigger issue: the claim that crime is at record levels in New York City is false. - [Daily Kos is facing tough financial times. Grassroots donors like you make it possible for us to offer top-notch political coverage & activism. Can you chip in $3 a month to help us keep fighting?]( - [Excerpts from a civics textbook I assume would be welcome in Florida]( Excerpts from a civics textbook I assume would be welcome in Florida, Alexandra Petri, The Washington Post American history is full of many heroes, whose accomplishments we will have no problem telling you about in the state of Florida! They fought for justice, which was brave of them, if a little redundant, because there was no specific injustice to fight against. Here are just a few of their stories! Harriet Tubman is considered an inspiring figure by many because she made many trips on foot, often with other people. She specifically led trips from the South to the North, often at night. At night, you can see the stars! It is great to lead trips. She was a hero. Frederick Douglass was famous, too! We celebrated him during the Trump administration for being someone “who’s done an amazing job” and whose contributions are still being “recognized more and more.” He also gave a noteworthy speech about the Fourth of July. Who doesn’t love the Fourth of July? - [Yes, Trump’s indictment could cause a constitutional crisis. Just look at Israel.]( Yes, Trump’s indictment could cause a constitutional crisis. Just look at Israel., Zack Beauchamp, Vox Benjamin Netanyahu’s radical response to his indictment — and what it might portend for a potential Trump arrest. After winning Israel’s election in November 2022, Netanyahu — who had previously been in office in 1996-1999 and 2009-2021 — swiftly set about pushing a series of new laws imposing tighter political control on the legal system. The proposals, unveiled earlier this year, would deliver Netanyahu’s coalition partners on the far right a long-desired leash to rein in the (relatively) liberal Supreme Court. It also gives Netanyahu powers that he could use to nullify the case against him. The reaction has been a national uprising: 11 straight weeks of massive and disruptive street protests. On March 12 alone, about 500,000 Israelis took to the streets across the country — roughly the same number of Americans who attended protests on the biggest day of 2020’s Black Lives Matter demonstration, in a country with about 1/35th of America’s population. Being indicted pushed Netanyahu to radical lengths: a willingness to partner with extremists and pursue anti-democratic policies that he had previously decried, all in the name of staying out of prison. We should expect no less from Trump and his supporters. - [Trump’s indictment over hush money to a porn star would be poetic justice]( Trump’s indictment over hush money to a porn star would be poetic justice, Margaret Sullivan, The Guardian Unfortunately, actual justice may prove to be far more elusive You have to hand it to Stormy Daniels. After all of Donald Trump’s well-documented malfeasance over the decades – his fake university and failed casino, his Covid denialism, his consorting with dictators, his blatant lies about election fraud, his incitement of a deadly riot – it has taken a hush money payment to a porn actress to create the most imminent threat that he’ll face criminal charges. It may seem bizarre that such a small-time offense – a mere $130,000 to conceal a reported affair -- could be the thing to bring down this world-class con man. But in the never-ending weirdness of Trump World, it would make a kind of inevitable sense. The tawdriness of the Stormy Daniels situation, after all, is a perfect match for one of Trump’s enduring qualities. - [Enjoy the Daily Kos Recommended email with a cup of coffee from a Daily Kos mug. Click here to get yours now]( ICYMI: Popular stories from the past week you won't want to miss: - [After Trump's online prayer session glitches out, he weirdly blames the 'radical left']( - [More polling, more bad news for DeSantis]( - [Ukraine Update: Explosions in Crimea are another indication of how this war continues to change]( Want even more Daily Kos? Check out our podcasts: - [The Brief: A one-hour weekly political conversation hosted by Markos Moulitsas and Kerry Eleveld]( - [The Downballot: Daily Kos' podcast devoted to downballot elections. New episodes every Thursday]( Want to write your own stories? [Log in]( or [sign up]( to post articles and comments on Daily Kos, the nation's largest progressive community. Follow Daily Kos on [Facebook](, [Twitter](, and [Instagram](. Thanks for all you do, The Daily Kos team Daily Kos Relies on Readers Like You We don't have billionaire backers like some right-wing media outlets. Half our revenue comes from readers like you, meaning we literally couldn't do this work without you. Can you chip in $5 right now to help Daily Kos keep fighting? [Chip in $5]( If you wish to donate by mail instead, please send a check to Daily Kos, PO Box 70036, Oakland, CA, 94612. Contributions to Daily Kos are not tax deductible. Sent via [ActionNetwork.org](. To update your email address, change your name or address, or to stop receiving emails from Daily Kos, please [click here](.