Reports claim that Vice President Mike Pence testified before a federal grand jury on Thursday, which was assembled as part of the special counsel’s inquiry into ex-President Donald Trump’s attempts to reverse his 2020 electoral defeat. The specifics of Pence’s testimony remain undisclosed; however, it might offer crucial understanding of Trump’s mindset in the days preceding the January 6th assault on the U.S. Capitol.
Meanwhile, the hits keep coming for Fox News. A week after the landmark Dominion settlement, Tucker Carlson, one of the most prominent conservative voices in American media, was fired, among reports of internal tensions at the network. Concurrently, Enrique Tarrio, the former leader of the Proud Boys, is waiting on a verdict regarding sedition charges tied to the events of January 6th, while blaming former President Trump for inciting him to violence and leveling accusations of political maneuvering at the Justice Department and Democratic officials.The Fulton County probe of Trump’s attempt to overthrow a legal election in 2020, finally, continues to pick up steam. District Attorney Fani Willis is steadfastly pursuing an investigation into potential election subversion by former President Trump and his associates, shedding light on troubling new information and garnering increasing public concern.
Here’s what you need to know for the weekend:
Main Points for the Weekend:
1. Tucker Carlson fired; Fox News in crisis
Tucker Carlson’s abrupt departure from Fox News has sent shockwaves through the media landscape and the Republican Party. We do not yet definitively know why he was fired, but reports suggest it had to do with his usage of vulgar language to describe a network executive in text messages. The ouster came on the heels of a defamation lawsuit settlement with Dominion Voting Systems over the network’s conduct and lies about the 2020 election, as well as Republican criticism of Carlson’s portrayal of January 6. A powerful figure in the conservative movement, Carlson leveraged his prime-time show to disseminate conspiracy theories and populist rhetoric, drawing an audience of around three million viewers a night. He was (and still is) immensely influential with elected Republicans.
- Top point to make: Tucker Carlson played a pivotal role in propagating lies about Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election and the events of the January 6 insurrection. His departure from Fox News removes a prominent platform for dishonesty and misinformation. However, without a genuine commitment to upholding journalistic standards, any progress at the network will be superficial. There is a real risk that Carlson’s departure merely creates a vacuum for another host to cater to the MAGA audience with conspiracy theories and falsehoods. For meaningful change to occur at Fox News, there must be wholesale reform from the top down… as well as a recommitment to accuracy, integrity, and responsible reporting.
- If you read one thing: Washington Post, 4/26/23: With Tucker Carlson’s ouster, House GOP loses a key ally – and agitator: The now ousted Fox News personality drew more than 3 million viewers a night, the most in prime time for cable news. But the most loyal — or cowed — patrons were the more than 200 members of the House Republican Conference for the past few years. Carlson’s sway over those lawmakers ranged from influential to outright bizarre. Sometimes he tackled major policy issues, like his opposition to supporting Ukraine, and other times he ridiculed them over niche issues, like his defense of TikTok. Many House Republicans pined to appear on his show, while others gave him preferential treatment. In mid-February Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) gave Carlson’s team exclusive access to tens of thousands of hours of security footage from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
2. Ex-Proud Boys leader awaits verdict for his group’s role in the Jan 6 insurrection, as he lashes out at Trump and the Justice Department
Awaiting a verdict on sedition charges related to the January 6 attack, former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio has accused the Justice Department and Democrats of “weaponizing” government institutions and trying to manipulate the 2024 election. Tarrio, along with four members of the “Ministry of Self Defense,” has been on trial for four months, facing accusations of organizing a plot to prevent Joe Biden from taking office. As the case heads to jury deliberations, Tarrio’s attorney has also directly blamed former President Trump for inciting the violence at the Capitol, while Tarrio himself has criticized the prosecution for unfairly using “locker room talk” against defendants.
- Top point to make: Enrique Tarrio and the Proud Boys must be held accountable for their dangerous and anti-democratic actions during the January 6 insurrection. Their efforts to undermine the United States and its institutions put the very foundation of our democracy at risk. It is essential that we remain focused on the gravity of their actions and not be swayed by attempts to deflect blame. Tarrio played a pivotal role in inciting violence at the Capitol, and his group actively conspired to overthrow the government. The justice system must send a clear message that such actions will not be tolerated.
- If you read one thing: Politico, 4/26/23: Ex-Proud Boys chief uses ‘locker room’ defense from jail as case heads to jury: Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio — awaiting a verdict on charges he conspired to violently prevent Joe Biden’s presidency — lashed out at the Justice Department and Democrats on Tuesday, accusing them of “weaponizing” government institutions and seeking to “manipulate the 2024 election.” Tarrio used his appearance — his first public comments since his arrest and detention 13 months ago — to eagerly embrace far-right critiques of the Justice Department’s pursuit of Jan. 6 perpetrators, accusing prosecutors of “overcharging” defendants and criminalizing pro-Trump speech. He assailed the seditious conspiracy case against him and four other Proud Boys as a part of an effort to silence figures on the right.
3. Georgia probe of Trump’s election subversion efforts escalates
As Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ probe intensifies, new revelations continue to emerge on how former President Trump and his allies attempted to subvert the 2020 and 2021 elections. Willis is expected to announce possible indictments related to alleged interference in Georgia’s 2020 election this summer. Meanwhile, evidence suggests that Trump’s operatives considered using breached voting data to decertify Georgia’s Senate runoff in 2021 and that Trump himself participated in discussions about accessing voting software in Michigan and Georgia. Despite minimal political fallout from his New York indictment, a recent poll indicates that Trump faces growing disapproval regarding the Georgia election case, with a majority of Americans stating they think Trump broke the law.
- Top point to make: It is heartening to see the Georgia indictment proceeding smoothly so far, despite former President Trump’s attempts to obfuscate the matter. The integrity of our judicial system depends on its ability to function without interference and to hold individuals accountable, regardless of their status or political affiliations. With a substantial amount of evidence already in hand, the probe continues to uncover new aspects of Trump and his associates’ participation in attempting to subvert elections. As the investigation moves forward, it is encouraging to witness the public’s engagement with this story, their open-mindedness, and their commitment to following the evidence wherever it may lead.
- If you read one thing: Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 4/24/23: DA says indictment announcement coming this summer in Trump probe: Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis on Monday said she would announce this summer whether former President Donald Trump and his allies would be charged with crimes related to alleged interference in Georgia’s 2020 election. Willis revealed the timetable in a letter to local law enforcement in which she asked them to be ready for “heightened security and preparedness” because she predicted her announcement “may provoke a significant public reaction.” In the letters, Willis said she will announce possible criminal indictments between July 11 and Sept. 1, sending one of the strongest signals yet that she’s on the verge of trying to obtain an indictment against Trump and his supporters.
Expert Voices
Norm Eisen, former House Judiciary special counsel in Trump’s first impeachment trial (CNN Video): “Why do I think that DA Willis’s letter strongly suggests we’ll see criminal charges vs Trump? It comes on top of a MOUNTAIN of other indications, from the evidence in the public record, to the special grand jury report & more[.] I explained @CNNSitRoom w @wolfblitzer @kpolantz” Tweet
Robert Faris, a senior researcher at Harvard University’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy, who studies networked digital technologies and media: “Once a story reached Tucker Carlson, it was at the apex of conservative media, and Fox News is the voice of authority in conservative media…It let other people know that it’s OK to talk about these kinds of things in the language that they use. Just that it’s on the air, it’s ambient and it’s on in so many public spaces means that anything they platform has a wider reach than any of the more committed hyper-partisan sites.” NBC News
A.J. Bauer, an assistant professor who studies right-wing movements and media at the University of Alabama: “He [Tucker Carlson] platforms those and finds ways of amplifying peculiar, narrow theories that don’t have a widespread circulation…Because of that, he’s been particularly dangerous with regard to the problems of misinformation and conspiracy thinking. These fringe and marginal figures who struggled to get mainstream media access saw Tucker Carlson as their route into the mainstream.” NBC News
NEW: Brennan Center for Justice: Report: “Over the next 18 months, policymakers must address four overlapping threats to election security: the spread of false information to undermine election results and prevent citizens from voting; harassment, intimidation, and physical violence against election workers and officials; insider attacks; and cyberattacks against election infrastructure.” Brennan Center for Justice: Report: Securing the 2024 Election
