A political case against Trump

Plus: Bannon found guilty and Trump's secret census strategy [View this email online]( [NPR Politics]( July 23, 2022 This week, we looked at the 8th Jan. 6 committee hearing, electoral count reform and election denial canvassing. Plus, Biden tests positive for COVID-19. --------------------------------------------------------------- The Big Picture: A political case against Trump House Select Committee via AP After eight Jan. 6 committee hearings, it’s becoming clearer that the committee is less focused on making a legal case against former President Donald Trump as it is making a focused political one. "Every American must consider this: Can a president who is willing to make the choices Donald Trump made during the violence of Jan. 6 ever be trusted with any position of authority in our great nation again?" asked committee Vice Chair Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., [at Thursday night's hearing](. Jan. 6, 2021, was the worst attack on the U.S. Capitol since British soldiers burned it in 1814. But this was an attack that didn't come from outside; it came from within, from a mob of supporters of the defeated former president who pulled the wool over their eyes and convinced them — with lies — that it had all been stolen. The committee, across these eight hearings, has built a case — more political than legal — that Trump, who continues to lie about the election and teases that he will run again in 2024, is not fit to hold the office. Even many of those charged with crimes from that day are pointing the finger at Trump, saying they did it for him. The committee has tried to make the case that Trump knew what was going on, could have taken action, but chose not to – for hours. The question is, will it work to derail a potential second Trump term. Trump is already highly unliked – [58% say they have an unfavorable opinion of him in the latest NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll.]( And there appears to be at least some movement among independents after these hearings. A majority of them say they are at least paying some attention. Back in December, before the one-year anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack, 48% of independents blamed Trump mostly for what happened that day. Now, it’s up to 57%. Back in December, 43% described Jan. 6 as an insurrection and threat to democracy. That’s jumped to 52%. In a country stretched by partisanship, independents make up a good deal of the shrinking share of swing voters. And if they are moving away from Trump and hamper a potential run for the White House in 2024, the committee’s members will feel like they did their job in ringing the alarm to what a threat Trump still is to democracy. — [Domenico Montanaro]( NPR’s senior political editor/correspondent [Read More]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- ICYMI: Top Stories Andrew Harnik/AP Biden gets COVID: President Biden [tested positive for COVID-19]( this week. Biden’s physician on Friday said the president's mild symptoms [were improving as he received treatment]( including the antiviral Paxlovid. Bannon found guilty: Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon was [found guilty of contempt of Congress]( for defying a subpoena from the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection. Bannon put on no defense in the case, which featured testimony from just two government witnesses. Electoral count reform: A bipartisan group of senators this week [unveiled two proposals to reform the Electoral Count Act]( the widely criticized law that governs the casting and counting of Electoral College votes. The proposals would raise the threshold of votes needed to challenge any state’s slate of electors and would reaffirm that the "constitutional role of the Vice President, as the presiding officer of the joint meeting of Congress, is solely ministerial." [Election experts have expressed their support for the proposals.]( Biden on climate, detainees: The president announced new incremental climate initiatives, including providing new funding to communities to tackle extreme heat. Biden also signed an executive order that aims to [improve efforts to free American hostages and detainees held abroad.]( Behind the census citizenship push: New documents released by the House Oversight Committee show the Trump administration's push for a citizenship question on the 2020 census [was part of a secret strategy to alter population numbers used to divide up seats in Congress and the Electoral College.]( The documents provide a detailed look into some of the early behind-the-scenes discussions at a time when Trump officials were focused on keeping their plans under wraps. Election denial canvassing: In the more than 18 months since the 2020 election, no widespread fraud has been found anywhere in the U.S. [Yet grassroots efforts to uncover so-called fraud, like door-to-door canvassing of voters, are growing in states like Colorado.]( — [Brandon Carter]( NPR Politics social media producer --------------------------------------------------------------- Become a NPR Politics+ Subscriber Hey y'all. Want to show your support for our podcast and even listen to sponsor-free episodes? Try subscribing to The NPR Politics Podcast+ and get your political insights, news and analysis without the distraction. Learn more at [plus.npr.org/politics]( or at the link below. [Subscribe Today]( --------------------------------------------------------------- The Shot: Roy Cohn's influence persists Keystone/Hulton Archives/Getty Images Attorney Roy Cohn was already a legend when Trump met him in 1973 at a high-fashion Manhattan bar, NPR's Ron Elving writes, and soon he was relying on him for advice -- legal and otherwise. Cohn had been in the news for decades by then. In the early 1950s, Cohn served as lead counsel for Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy when the first-term Republican was looking for communists in government. and later, represented high-profile clients Cardinal Francis Spellman, New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner and the New York crime bosses Carmine Galante and John Gotti. Cohn was known for telling clients to fight all charges, to counter-sue when sued and to never concede defeat. Trump has followed that formula for half a century and that [has come to matter a great deal to the nation.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. [Listen Live]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Twitter]( What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: [nprpolitics@npr.org](mailto:nprpolitics@npr.org?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback) Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! [They can sign up here.]( Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Daily News, Code Switch, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Politics emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( [NPR logo]