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President Joe Biden AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool

House Democrats are annoyed with President Joe Biden and Republicans can't get enough of it.

In the last month, Biden has twice withheld vetoes on GOP-led bills that most House Democrats opposed and after the White House signaled that Biden opposed them, too. Democratic lawmakers' frustration with Biden has become House Republicans' favorite new sideshow.

"Cannot stress enough how comical this Lucy & the football act is between the WH & House Dems," tweeted Jack Pandol, communications director for the House GOP campaign arm.

The latest flashpoint is over GOP legislation to end the COVID-19 national emergency. The White House planned to wait until May.

Most House Democrats voted against that bill last month after the White House said the bill's passage "would create wide-ranging chaos and uncertainty throughout the health care systems." However, before a Senate vote Wednesday night, the White House put out the word that Biden wouldn't veto the bill. It passed 68-23.

The White House's January statement did not threaten a veto, but it said the administration "strongly opposes" the bill's enactment "which would be a grave disservice to the American people."

"It's, like, kindergarten-level cooperation," Rep. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia fumed to Axios. Another Democrat, Rep. Dan Kildee of Michigan, told the Axios "the lack of clear information" and "clarity in messaging" from the White House is "not productive. It's very unhelpful."

House Republicans' campaign arm on Wednesday is seizing on the schism, including a popcorn emoji in an email highlighting such quotes from House Democrats. "House Democrats remain rip-roaring angry at the White House for once again exposing their extremism to voters," said Will Reinert, of the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Biden still "strongly opposes" the bill, a White House official said Wednesday night, "and the administration is planning to wind down the COVID national emergency and public health emergency on May 11."

But the official said Biden would sign the bill if it comes to his desk and the administration would continue the work to wind down the national emergency "with as much notice as possible to Americans who could potentially be impacted."

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said on Thursday that no members had raised concerns to him about the national emergency "dynamic" with the White House. The White House has kept its word when the administration says Biden will veto legislation. "And as far as I'm concerned, that is the most important marker of communication," he said.

Moving forward, however, Jeffries said he's hoping for early and clear communication from the White House, particularly with regard to Republicans' latest efforts to try to repeal what Jeffries called "common sense District of Columbia police reform measures."

"It's my hope and expectation that the White House will be crystal clear, well in advance of that legislation hitting the floor as to their perspective," Jeffries told reporters.

Earlier this month, House Democrats were furious with Biden's decision to allow Congress to overrule a DC crime law, especially after his administration put out a statement opposing the GOP measure.

The overwhelming majority of House Democrats voted in opposition, and 15 were targeted in GOP digital ads, saying they "voted for reduced sentences for violent crimes."

Most Senate Democrats voted for that resolution after Biden said he wouldn't veto it.

Biden's position caught DC Del. Eleanor Homes Norton by surprise during a news conference. "This is news to me," she said, adding that she was "very disappointed."

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Republicans can't get enough of House Dems' frustrations with Biden - Business Insider

Twitter CEO Elon Musk locked horns with President Biden after he slammed the proposals of so-called "MAGA House Republicans" on Monday.

Twitter was condemned by many for cracking down on the speech of then-President Trump and entire news outlets in past years, to the point Twitter was accused by many of being biased against conservatives. After Elon Musk's takeover, however, even Democratic Party leaders like Biden are being called out for their rhetoric and misleading political messages.

"If extreme MAGA House Republicans proposals become reality, services at 125 Air Traffic Control Towers would be shut down, and passengers at some large airports would face wait times of two hours or more," Biden tweeted.

Musk responded by calling upon Twitters own crowdsourced Community Notes, to put Bidens statement in context, "Is it accurate to refer to those making the proposal as extreme MAGA @CommunityNotes?"

President Joe Biden walks towards members of the media before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House, Feb. 24, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

REPUBLICAN SENATOR SLAMS BIDEN'S FAA NOMINEE: A 'COMPLETE MISMATCH'

Community Notes is described on Twitter's website as a feature aiming to "create a better informed world by empowering people on Twitter to collaboratively add context to potentially misleading Tweets."

Earlier in March, the White House issued a press release titled, "FIVE-ALARM FIRE: The House Freedom Caucus Extreme Budget Proposal Endangers PublicSafety." The proclamation warned that "Combined with other commitments extreme MAGA House Republicans have already made," there will be 5 ways in which "the extreme Freedom Caucus proposal will be a disaster for families."

Among claims that the Republicans' budget proposal will "Make Our Border Less Secure" and "Defund the Police," the press release warned that the "extreme MAGA Republican House Freedom Caucus proposal would shut down services at 125 Air Traffic Control Towers across the country."

One commentator responded to Musk calling upon Twitter to fact-check Biden by asking, "Is it accurate to group all those left of centre into the same group when people vent their frustrations about certain left wing figures?"

President Joe Biden speaks with reporters on the South Lawn of the White House on March 17, 2023. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

BIDEN FAA NOMINEE STALLS IN SENATE COMMITTEE AS REPUBLICANS CALL HIM UNQUALIFIED

Musk replied, "No, descriptions should be accurate. If only a small segment of the right or left is pushing something, then it wouldnt be correct to paint all of the left or right with that viewpoint."

Many commentators agreed, saying that Bidens terminology is one to smear his political opposition.

"No, it is just a way to vilify and group of people that do not agree with your policies," radio commentator Willie Lora tweeted.

Florida Republican Lavern Spicer wrote, "Of course not. It's just his new PR team thinks this will work!"

Tesla and SpaceX Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk speaks at the Satellite Conference and Exhibition in Washington, March 9, 2020. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

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"Good to see some real fact checking happening here," attorney Jason Roberge tweeted.

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Musk invites Twitter fact-checker community to check Biden's condemnation of 'MAGA' Republicans - Fox News

A spokeswoman for the district attorneys office declined to comment, other than to say that the office was assessing the credibility of the claim.

Mr. Jordan also sent letters Wednesday to the two former leaders of the investigation, Carey R. Dunne and Mark F. Pomerantz, demanding documents and testimony relating to Mr. Braggs case. Mr. Dunne and Mr. Pomerantz both resigned from their positions in the district attorneys office in February 2022 after Mr. Bragg decided not to seek a separate indictment of Mr. Trump related to his business practices.

Mr. Dunne, Ms. Dubecks predecessor as general counsel, declined to comment, as did Mr. Pomerantz.

Stephen Gillers, a professor at New York Universitys law school and an expert in legal ethics, said that most of the material the congressmen were seeking was protected by either attorney client-privilege or another form of legal protection known as the attorney work product doctrine and called the demand an extraordinary overreach.

In their breadth, the letters represent an unprecedented demand for information about traditionally secret government activity, the enforcement of criminal law, he said.

Mr. Trump, for his own part, used racist language to describe the district attorney on Thursday, referring to Mr. Bragg, who is Black, as an animal in a post on his social media platform. Later in the day, he posted a link that included two juxtaposed images one of him wielding a bat and the other of Mr. Bragg with a hand raised suggestive of a physical attack on the district attorney.

The district attorneys prosecutors have been presenting evidence to a grand jury since January, and there have been a number of signals that they are likely to move for an indictment of Mr. Trump soon. First, they told Mr. Trumps lawyers that he could testify before the grand jury in his own defense, a right granted to people who are nearing indictment. (He declined.) They have also questioned nearly every witness involved in the hush-money payment to the porn star, Stormy Daniels, in front of the grand jury.

But an indictment is not expected until next week at the earliest. The grand jury hearing evidence about Mr. Trump does not meet on Fridays.

William K. Rashbaum and Karoun Demirjian contributed reporting.

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Manhattan DA Fires Back at House Republicans Over Trump Hush-Money Case - The New York Times

WASHINGTON Ukraines ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Markarova, dropped by House Speaker Kevin McCarthys office suite Thursday as Republicans have grown increasingly divided on sending more aid to the country to combat the Russian invasion.

NBC News spotted Markarova entering the speaker's office Thursday evening, where she stayed for about 45 minutes before departing with House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Mike McCaul.

We have very strong bipartisan support and there are so many Republicans, the majority who supports us, so very strong bipartisan support, and we really appreciate it, Markarova said as she left.

McCaul, who is chairing a hearing titled Oversight, Transparency, and Accountability of Ukraine Assistance next Wednesday, took selfies with Markarova and walked with her down the hall as they both left McCarthys suite.

Asked about the ambassador's visit, McCarthy said Friday morning that he did not meet with Markarova, but he saw her in his office. She came by to drop off a book about Ukraine, he said.

McCaul a steadfast defender of U.S. aid and support for Ukraine said he did not meet with Markarova in McCarthys office.

Still, Markarovas visit comes amid a growing divide among congressional Republicans, amplified by 2024 hopefuls, over aid for Ukraine. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and other right-leaning members have said they want to end financial support for the country, while others have emphasized the need to back Ukraine against Russia.

Just before the midterm elections, McCarthy said he supports Ukraine but would not send the country a "blank check."

JulieTsirkin is acorrespondent covering Capitol Hill.

Ali Vitali is a Capitol Hill correspondent for NBC News, based in Washington.

Alexandra Bacallao contributed.

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Ukraine ambassador drops by McCarthys office as Republicans split on aid - NBC News

We still dont know whether Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., will seek a second term next year. What we do know is that she has spent a lot of time rubbing elbows with the wealthy donors whose support shed count on if she did.

Those fetes are crucial, particularly because of her decision in December to leave the Democratic Party and become an independent. She still officially caucuses with Senate Democrats, despite Republicans blatant overtures to cross over. But a new article by Politicos Jonathan Martin shows that while Sinema has worked tirelessly to cultivate a bipartisan, above-the-fray mien in public, behind the scenes she has been busy burning bridges in a way that will leave her not just independent but isolated.

The column is filled with tidbits about Sinemas behavior behind closed doors at Republican-heavy events, where she has opted to belittle her Democratic colleagues, shower her GOP allies with praise and, in one case, quite literally give the middle finger to President Joe Bidens White House.

Behind the scenes, Sinema has been busy burning bridges in a way that will leave her not just independent but isolated.

Among the many snide comments attributed to Sinema are digs at Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and her pro-filibuster buddy Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. (she feels she has better tax policy ideas than he does). The barb most people have latched onto is about the weekly Democratic caucus lunches, which shed already rarely attended even before she went solo:

Those lunches were ridiculous, she told a small group of Republican lobbyists at a reception in Washington this year in explaining why she had stopped attending her caucus weekly luncheons in the Capitol, according to an attendee.

First off, she explained, she was no longer a Democrat. Im not caucusing with the Democrats, Im formally aligned with the Democrats for committee purposes, Sinema said. But apart from that I am not a part of the caucus.

Then she let loose.

Old dudes are eating Jell-O, everyone is talking about how great they are, Sinema recounted to gales of laughter. I dont really need to be there for that. Thats an hour and a half twice a week that I can get back.

I spend my days doing productive work, which is why Ive been able to lead every bipartisan vote thats happened the last two years, Sinema reportedly said. In fact, as writer Kyle Tharp pointed out on Twitter, Sinema has apparently decided that productive work is selling her used stuff on Facebook Marketplace. Because its certainly not meeting with her constituents. While she may appear at these fundraisers and at gala affairs like the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland, lets not forget that Arizonans had to chase her into a bathroom just to ask her about whether she supported Bidens agenda back in 2021.

Its not clear who many of the sources for Martins reporting are, but that matters less than that Sinema felt willing to say these things in front of these crowds at all. Its evidence of extremely poor judgment, especially when so much of the Senates activity is built on personal relationships. The bipartisan wins in the last Congress arent replicable in this one, not when House Republicans have already lambasted their Senate counterparts for being too open to compromise. Her willingness to bad-mouth her supposed allies makes it even less likely that shell be spearheading any deals in the near future.

Moreover, it seems Sinema was unaware that many of the people she was entertaining with her riffs on her colleagues dont have her best interests at heart. It may say I next to her name now, but so long as she still provides a vote for Democratic interests, shes a problem for many of the Republicans in the crowds. And while she has a long history of political shapeshifting, she cant change her scales enough to win a GOP primary against someone like failed gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake.

Meanwhile, Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., has already announced that hell run for the Democratic nomination to replace Sinema. For all her pandering to the supposed middle-of-the-road Arizonan, polling on behalf of Gallegos campaign last year had her crashing and burning in a potential three-way race. Thats on top of previous polling that had showed her with a net unfavorable rating among basically every demographic in the state. And just last month, Gallego was well ahead of his competition in both head-to-head and three-way races.

It may say I next to her name now, but so long as she still provides a vote for Democratic interests, shes a problem for many of the Republicans in the crowds.

Im not sure how Sinemas hobnobbing with elites will do much to change those numbers, no matter how much money big donors throw at her. Sinema may be banking on the newly established No Labels Party in her state to help counteract the structural disadvantages of running as an independent. Or maybe she hopes being able to contrast herself with a far-right extremist like Lake leaves her enough votes to eke out a victory. Or she may just be betting on her shilling for bankers to land a cushy gig once her term expires.

But for all her self-regard as an indispensable, savvy dealmaker, Im just not sure that Sinema is very good at this game. Washington is a town that doesnt forget slights easily, and if someone else is sitting at her desk come 2025, I doubt any Democrats will be heartbroken.

Hayes Brown is a writer and editor for MSNBC Daily, where he helps frame the news of the day for readers. He was previously at BuzzFeed News and holds a degree in international relations from Michigan State University.

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Kyrsten Sinema is a problem for Republicans, Democrats, and herself - MSNBC