Crash Course: Hunter Biden's laptop: The right's pseudo-scandal industry hopes for another big win

Of course it's a non-issue: Republicans hope to force the media to cover it, and hope to make Joe Biden cry. Your daily update from [Salon](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlcbPQP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvaHduNnI3aGc3ai8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWtod2U2NGJmMW9XA3NwY0IKY4HQLo9jQaPKg1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo). Hunter Biden's laptop: The right's pseudo-scandal industry hopes for another big win Elon Musk [released internal company documents](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlcbPQP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvaDdwYTc4OHJscy8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWtod2U2NGJmMW9XA3NwY0IKY4HQLo9jQaPKg1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) pertaining to Twitter's decision last summer to briefly delete tweets relating to the now-infamous New York Post article about Hunter Biden's laptop. At least momentarily, that shifted the conversation from Musk's relationships with the numerous unsavory characters with whom he interacts on Twitter to a long thread he commissioned from journalist Matt Taibbi, supposedly revealing, at least [according to Musk](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlcbPQP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvZG5rY3dmOW1mYy8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWtod2U2NGJmMW9XA3NwY0IKY4HQLo9jQaPKg1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo), that Joe Biden had defiled the First Amendment. He did no such thing, of course. First of all, this went down during the 2020 campaign and Biden wasn't president at the time. As a presidential candidate, he had a perfect right to appeal to a private company not to publish salacious material about his family, following Twitter's own rules. Nonetheless, the ensuing brouhaha on the right was overwhelming. The Hunter Biden laptop story has become an obsession on the right and this latest installment has them in the throes of ecstasy. They don't care about the Constitution. They care about the juicy dirt on that laptop and they want the whole country talking about it. This is a patented Republican scandal. [Read more from Heather Digby Parton.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlcbPQP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvOXJ0Y2Zqcnhhbi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWtod2U2NGJmMW9XA3NwY0IKY4HQLo9jQaPKg1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) (Photo via Getty Images/Salon) Of course Trump wants to "terminate" Constitution: He wants to seize power and rule by force [Trump's](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlcbPQP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvNnhoZWQ5MWUxaS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWtod2U2NGJmMW9XA3NwY0IKY4HQLo9jQaPKg1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) latest and perhaps most blatant attack on democracy came this past weekend, when he literally declared on his Truth Social platform that the U.S. Constitution should be "terminated" so that he can be returned to power immediately. It is no exaggeration to say that Donald Trump wants to be a dictator. How is the mainstream news media responding to Trump's escalating warlord behavior and his threats of violence? As usual, largely through mockery and forced, anxious humor. Also by downplaying or ignoring the danger, failing to provide proper context and repeatedly asserting that the country's democracy crisis is fading because of the midterms and that a return to "normal" is almost here. Whenever possible, the media defaults to its obsolete habits of the pre-Trump era: Both-sides coverage, conventions of "fairness" and "balance," access journalism and horserace coverage focusing on who is supposedly up or down in opinion polls and fundraising. All these familiar patterns of Beltway reporting and commentary do the work of normalizing both Trump and the Republican fascist movement. [Read more from Chauncey DeVega.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlcbPQP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvYXBsZ3F4MjRmNS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWtod2U2NGJmMW9XA3NwY0IKY4HQLo9jQaPKg1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) (Photo via Spencer Platt/Getty Images) - [Elon Musk’s hyped “Twitter Files”](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlcbPQP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvOW96cWk4ZG4zNy8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWtod2U2NGJmMW9XA3NwY0IKY4HQLo9jQaPKg1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) show Biden campaign asked to remove Hunter Biden nude photos - Manhattan DA hires top [ex-DOJ official who went after Trump](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlcbPQP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvZ3pvZ2Z6anE2Zi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWtod2U2NGJmMW9XA3NwY0IKY4HQLo9jQaPKg1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) to lead renewed investigation - ["Every day is the Red Wedding"](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlcbPQP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvc2tvN2dza2V1bS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWtod2U2NGJmMW9XA3NwY0IKY4HQLo9jQaPKg1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo): Milo Yiannopoulos fired from Kanye West's campaign amid infighting - It's time for a Christmas truce in Ukraine — and [real peace talks](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlcbPQP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMG5ha3M2cXpjNC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWtod2U2NGJmMW9XA3NwY0IKY4HQLo9jQaPKg1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - [BMI is not an accurate measurement](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlcbPQP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMjByeDkwc3UwdC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWtod2U2NGJmMW9XA3NwY0IKY4HQLo9jQaPKg1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) of one's health. Why are we still using it? - Potato, puh-tah-toe: Inside the [wide world of mispronounced foods](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlcbPQP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvejBuMmQ1eHp6dy8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWtod2U2NGJmMW9XA3NwY0IKY4HQLo9jQaPKg1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - ‘Y'all,’ that most Southern of Southernisms, [is going mainstream](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlcbPQP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMmt2aDVzbmgyby8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWtod2U2NGJmMW9XA3NwY0IKY4HQLo9jQaPKg1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) – and it’s about time - ["Wildcat" directors](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlcbPQP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMnVwY3R3NmYwbC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWtod2U2NGJmMW9XA3NwY0IKY4HQLo9jQaPKg1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) on shooting challenges: "How can you tell this story if you can't film the cat?" - Making an [almost-perfect Boulevardier](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlcbPQP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbGh3ZnJibW03OS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWtod2U2NGJmMW9XA3NwY0IKY4HQLo9jQaPKg1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) is just the beginning - Ben & Jerry's owner may launch ice cream made from [cow-free dairy](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlcbPQP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvN21hYWEzZ2pieS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWtod2U2NGJmMW9XA3NwY0IKY4HQLo9jQaPKg1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) If you found yourself here without subscribing, sign up for [Crash Course](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlcbPQP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbHFsdHQxMnZnOC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWtod2U2NGJmMW9XA3NwY0IKY4HQLo9jQaPKg1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo), so you don't miss anything! Kanye West's road to Trump's dinner table was paved by GOP and Fox News hype Ye, who shares Trump's tendency to seek attention when the conversation isn't about him, [went on Infowars to tell Alex Jones](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlcbPQP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvcDk5aHg0ZHEycy8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWtod2U2NGJmMW9XA3NwY0IKY4HQLo9jQaPKg1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo), "I like Hitler" and "we got to stop dissing the Nazis all the time." In case that wasn't clear enough for the folks in the balcony, Ye tweeted a swastika, causing Musk to surprise many by rescinding Ye's reinstatement. Republican leaders now want to throw the Ye problem in Trump's lap. Trump is going to pretend he had no idea how unhinged Ye was prior to this overt Nazism. But this blame-shifting is distorting what should otherwise be seen as a clear timeline: Even before Trump had Ye over for the now-notorious dinner at Mar-a-Lago, Republican leadership and conservative media had made Ye a cause célèbre. They did this after Ye displayed strong warning signs that he held fascistic beliefs beyond even what the mainstream GOP is willing to tolerate in the era of Trump. If Trump thought he could get away with spinning Ye as an acceptable member of polite society, it's in large part because Fox News and other prominent conservatives had suggested it first. [Read more from Amanda Marcotte.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlcbPQP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvb2xqbHZ6eWlseS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWtod2U2NGJmMW9XA3NwY0IKY4HQLo9jQaPKg1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) (Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images) - "The New York Times Newsroom Gets Ready to Walk Out," [New York Magazine](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlcbPQP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMHlkeWdwbm8yby8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWtod2U2NGJmMW9XA3NwY0IKY4HQLo9jQaPKg1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "Avoid the unhealthy salad: What to add and not add to your leafy greens," [The Washington Post](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlcbPQP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvYXo1ODdtMGRwai8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWtod2U2NGJmMW9XA3NwY0IKY4HQLo9jQaPKg1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "Astra Magazine Had Creative Freedom and a Budget. It Wasn’t Enough," [The New York Times](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlcbPQP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvanF6a3VuaGljei8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWtod2U2NGJmMW9XA3NwY0IKY4HQLo9jQaPKg1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "Expiration Dates Are Meaningless," [The Atlantic](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlcbPQP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvems0ZnI2eHM0ei8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWtod2U2NGJmMW9XA3NwY0IKY4HQLo9jQaPKg1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "Songwriter Paul Williams on the inspirations for his tunes in The Muppet Christmas Carol," [Entertainment Weekly](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlcbPQP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvYTBzemJxc2NmOC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWtod2U2NGJmMW9XA3NwY0IKY4HQLo9jQaPKg1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "The shadow race is on to succeed Dianne Feinstein," [Politico](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlcbPQP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvcnJ2NDM3a3Z6OS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWtod2U2NGJmMW9XA3NwY0IKY4HQLo9jQaPKg1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) “Centrist” Republican still willing to support Trump after he calls to terminate the Constitution Republican lawmakers have stayed largely silent on Trump's call to terminate the U.S. Constitution but Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Ohio, the chairman of the centrist Republican Governance Group, told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos that he would still be willing to support Trump in the 2024 election if he wins the GOP nomination. "That's a remarkable statement," Stephanopoulos replied. "You just said you'd support a candidate who's come out for suspending the Constitution." "He says a lot of things, but that doesn't mean that it's ever going to happen. So you got to [separate] fact from fantasy -- and fantasy is that we're going to suspend the Constitution and go backwards. We're moving forward," Joyce replied. [Read more from Igor Derysh.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlcbPQP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvcmIwM3NlbDY0ei8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWtod2U2NGJmMW9XA3NwY0IKY4HQLo9jQaPKg1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) (Photo via Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) [Unsubscribe from this list](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlcbPQP0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9yZWFkLmxldHRlcmhlYWQuZW1haWwvY3Jhc2gtY291cnNlL3Vuc3Vic2NyaWJlP2lkPUAzNTQzOTUyVwNzcGNCCmOB0C6PY0GjyoNSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) Copyright © 2022 Crash Course, All rights reserved. 1000 N. West Street, Suite 1200, Wilmington, DE 19801 [Made with Letterhead [Letterhead logo]](~/AASU4wA~/RgRlcbPQP0QiaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbmVwbm83czh5c1cDc3BjQgpjgdAuj2NBo8qDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~)