Election Chaos
So much to cover: Supreme Court fallout, new VA decision, Fulton County ballots, and Senator Kelly
It’s been a doozy of a week. A link to the latest Main Justice episode is below.
Starting with the continued fallout from the Supreme Court’s Louisiana v. Callais decision, Mary McCord and I focus on how the 6-3 ruling has opened the floodgates for other states like Tennessee, South Carolina, Florida and Texas to pursue chaotic redistricting efforts. The Justices even allowed Alabama to seemingly move forward with re-drawing their congressional maps, despite prior determinations of intentional racial discrimination in the state in violation of the 14th amendment (and so a very different case than Callais). Mary and I juxtapose this new landscape with last week’s redistricting decision in Virginia, as Democrats submit an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court on that ruling. We unpack the issues in that Virginia case, and why the decision is quite different than what the Supreme Court did in Callais.
In addition, a Fulton County district court decision came in allowing the Justice Department to hold onto the 2020 ballots seized in the FBI’s January raid. We give our critique of that decision, and why, if it were us, we would appeal it.
Plus, the co-hosts unpack the latest from Trump’s retribution efforts as James Comey’s criminal trial date is set - although we explain why you should not take that trial date to the bank just yet.
But there is some good new: in an uplifting end to a rough week, we highlight Senator Mark Kelly’s legal team’s argument before a panel of three judges in the DC Circuit. Senator Kelly won below in his case against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over his participation with five Members of Congress in a video reminding military members of their duty not to obey unlawful orders. We explain how the oral argument went and why the one judge who raised doubts about his case is wrong factually. (A link to an excellent Just Security piece on that issue is HERE)
And remember in less than one week, on May 19, my new book Liar’s Kingdom is being released. I also have recorded the audio. Links to pre-order are HERE
Stay engaged, now more than ever.
Andrew
This week’s pod, ‘Election Chaos…,” was extremely insightful and not too nerdy or geeked out! 😊 I appreciated your discussion on The Virginia Redistricting ruling. The informative explanation made me rethink it differently. Also hoping Sen Kelly’s appeal is successful.
Wow, 1 week to the release of Liar’s Kingdom- so excited for you! Also, next week, a video of MJ is pure joy! Thank you. 🙏💙
Sorry to say this, but Donald Trump lies like he breathes. He is also a self-centered malignant narcissist, who lacks the ability to empathize with anyone else. And of course he changed his mind at the last minute about the Iranian cease-fire, because he's disorganized, doesn't know what the heck he's doing, and makes it up as he goes along. And let us not forget the fact that five years ago on january 6th, Trump led an insurrection at the capitol, where many people died. There were people that, after attacking police, we're walking in the capitol building itself with confederate flags, shouting “Hang Mike Pence!” BecauseThe vice president wouldn't certify donald trump's lies about the election results. And the violence was so horrific that some people involved in defending the Capitol later committed suicide. Think about that. Then to make matters worse, trump pardons all the J6th rioters, many of which were members of right wing extremist groups like the "proud boys." Trump called them "true patriots" What a f****** joke. More presently, the fact that Pam Bondi's replacement immediately says, "let's just forget about the whole Epstein thing" shows how corrupt the entire system is. Trump has forced himself on countless women of ALL AGES throughout his life. Trump has also said, that if your famous and rich enough, "You can grab women by the p***y" He's also a pedophile, and has been mentioned in the Epstien files a record 38,000 times. Trump is a horrible human being, and he's incapable of empathy with any other human being, and only cares about himself. He's a spoiled brat, and has always used his daddy's connections to get out of the vietnam war, with his fake bone spurs b******t that he got his daddy's doctor to submit to the draft board. He and Epstein have raped countless girls aged only 11, 12, 13, and 14. Trump has cheated on every business deal he's ever made. He's cheated on every wife he's ever been married to. HE'S THE MOST IMMORAL AND WORST PRESIDENT IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES! Now he's started a war in the mid-east, where thousands of innocent people have been killed, including many children. The sooner he gets impeached, and/or removed from office due to health or other reasons, the better off the U.S. AND the world will be. Trump said he would keep the united states out of foreign war. He said he would lower the cost of living. What he has done is bomb Iran despite no imminent threat from them. And as one of the effects of this war, the cost of living for gasoline food, Medical care, housing and many other things continue to cost more. Trump is a clear and present danger to the United States, and the entire world. He needs to resign. The Republicans that have influence on him need to section 25, convince him to resign, and whatever, just get him the hell out of there! Sincerely David Morris, who was born one day long ago in Fort Wayne Indiana.