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Juries will or, perhaps, may decide whether former president Donald Trump committed serious federal crimes. He faces trial in Washington, D.C., and Florida on felony charges, and, unless hes reelected to the presidency or cuts a deal with prosecutors, those will result in verdicts adjudicating his guilt.

Most Americans, though, already think he has committed serious federal crimes. A poll conducted by Siena College for the New York Times found that more than half of registered voters thought hed done so. That includes more independents, nearly all Democrats and even a fifth of Republicans.

It also includes a fifth of people who say they plan to vote for him in November.

In other words, a fifth of Trumps support in a general election rematch against President Biden thinks their preferred candidate committed a serious crime.

A political observer airdropping into 2024 with no knowledge of the preceding 20 years or so would undoubtedly find this remarkable. How could someone viewed as a criminal earn so much support for serving as president? But weve all been here for the past 20 years and we know the answer: because he is the beneficiary of a fervent, loyal base of support and because he is the beneficiary of a media universe that has effectively muted the difference between him and his opponent.

A Fox News poll released this past weekend shows how that has worked. Respondents were asked to evaluate whether Biden and Trump were honest and trustworthy. Less than half said each man was; the overall difference between the two was only seven percentage points. Republicans were less willing to say Trump was honest than Democrats were to say that Biden was. Independents, too, were more willing to describe Biden that way. Among members of the opposite party, though, views of each candidate were in the single digits.

The Fox News poll (which, unlike the news channels coverage, can be considered reliably objective) also asked if each candidate was more inclined to do whats best for himself or whats best for the country. Respondents were more likely to say Trump focused on what was best for himself but more than half of respondents (including independents) said that Biden, too, mostly did what was best for himself.

It is not new that Biden is viewed as being only slightly less tainted than Trump. A September Fox News poll also found that Trump was more likely to be identified as corrupt but, again, not by much.

A lot of this is driven by views among Republicans, which generally sit at the polar opposite of views held by Democrats. Democrats, for example, see the charges Trump faces as legitimate. Republicans, by contrast, see the impeachment inquiry targeting Biden that way, which ehhhh.

But the differences here are subtle overall and among partisans. The effort to portray Biden as ethically compromised has been largely, though not entirely successful. A fifth of Republicans think Trump committed a crime but will vote for him anyway, probably in part because they dont care about the crimes Trump committed (like trying to retain power despite losing in 2020). In part, its probably because they have convinced themselves that Biden isnt any better.

Here, Fox News (the pollsters) are in part measuring the effectiveness of Fox News (the right-wing media channel). Much of the networks coverage last year centered on a now-discredited claim that Biden had taken a bribe. It has energetically promoted the impeachment inquiry as serious and legitimate. Coverage has been unwavering, as it usually is.

Democrats do not build their own echo chambers the way Republicans do, former Republican strategist Sarah Longwell said in an interview with the New Yorker. She added, Having spent a long time on the Republican side, I am constantly flabbergasted by the inability of Democrats to prosecute a case against Republicans relentlessly, with a knife in their teeth.

Trumps politics have been rooted in whataboutism since the outset. For every allegation against him, he and his supporters have a well, what about counterexample drawing an often unfair comparison with someone on the left. The House Republicans effort to impeach Biden may not have been specifically initiated to reduce the implied condemnation of impeachment or even to cast Biden as unethical. There are a lot of Republicans, it seems, who are unable to recognize the flimsiness of the existing case.

Whether that outcome was intentional or not, those have been the outcomes. Criticizing politicians as unethical is, of course, a low-friction rhetorical path. But that this rhetoric has resulted in Biden being seen as only slightly less unethical than Trump is unquestionably a remarkable achievement for the right.

So much so that a fifth of those who support the likely Republican nominee view him as criminal. But, they would argue: at least he isnt Biden.

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Analysis | A fifth of Trump supporters think he committed a serious crime - The Washington Post

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The refusal of House Republicans to fund aid for Ukraine, their insistence on pursuing a bogus impeachment scheme hatched by an indicted Russian FBI source in contact with Russian intelligence services and their unfailing loyalty to an anti-democratic demagogue infatuated with Russian President Vladimir Putin will further aggravate the existential threat facing democracy around the globe. MAGA Republicans recent conduct will only hasten the dangerous trend toward authoritarianism spelled out in Freedom Houses recent report Freedom in the World 2024: The Mounting Damage of Flawed Elections and Armed Conflict.

Global freedom declined for the 18th consecutive year in 2023, Freedom House reported. The breadth and depth of the deterioration were extensive. Political rights and civil liberties were diminished in 52 countries, while only 21 countries made improvements. Flawed elections and armed conflict contributed to the decline, endangering freedom and causing severe human suffering.

The threat from right-wing groups and ideologies rejecting democratic values such as diversity, the rule of law, free speech, equality and tolerance the very same values the MAGA movement targets are at the root of the worldwide phenomenon. Almost everywhere, the downturn in rights was driven by attacks on pluralism the peaceful coexistence of people with different political ideas, religions, or ethnic identities that harmed elections and sowed violence, Freedom House observed. These intensifying assaults on a core feature of democracy reinforce the urgent need to support the groups and individuals, including human rights defenders and journalists, who are on the front lines of the struggle for freedom worldwide.

The role of the United States in bolstering democracies, just as it did in World War II and the Cold War, has never been more critical. As it has for decades, the United States can play a vital role in the expansion of global freedom, the report reiterated. But much depends on whether the November 2024 presidential election reinforces or weakens Americas democratic values, processes, and institutions, along with its will to uphold the cause of democracy around the world.

The United States remains vulnerable at home, where harassment and intimidation of federal, state, and local politicians, election administrators, and judges pose a serious challenge to the conduct of Novembers presidential election. Moreover, still haunted by the January 2021 attack on the Capitol and related court cases, Americans are heading into a decisive election starkly divided, with some questioning the very utility of fundamental democratic institutions.

As the worlds only true superpower, the only country that can summon a global alliance and the historic exemplar of democratic values, the United States must take the lead in defending democracies against internal and external threats. If governments, donors, and the private sector do not deepen their solidarity with front-line allies, hold dictators accountable for rights abuses and corruption, and invest in democratic institutions at home and abroad, democracy will continue its downward trajectory, the report said. If the United States sacrifices core principles for the sake of illusory short-term interests, then we will lose a global order in which democratic norms prevail and that deliver liberty, prosperity, and security for those living now and for future generations.

Military defense of democracies continues to be an essential part of protecting our alliances facing aggression from authoritarian regimes such as the Kremlins full-scale invasion of Ukraine [that] continued for a second year, further degrading basic rights in occupied areas and prompting more intense repression in Russia itself. But the question remains if the United States has the will to do so.

We recently witnessed how perilously close the United States is to frittering away our democratic leadership in the world. When the Republican presidential front-runner espouses fondness for fascist ideas and displays a determination to destroy NATO, and his minions rely on Russian-hatched conspiracies to impeach a president and seem willing to let Ukraine go under, we can imagine the threats to democracy here and abroad reaching the point of no return.

Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.), a nine-year veteran of the Navy and three-term congresswoman who recently returned from the Munich Conference, expressed to me her dismay at Republicans irresponsibility in defending democracy at a critical moment. She pointed at four-times-indicted former president Donald Trump and his party for undermining and walking away from our alliances.

She explained, The rules-based order benefits not just the U.S. but other countries, yet Republicans want to blow up the system. Republicans seem not to care that we depend on an alliance of democratic allies to do everything from protecting the seaways to confronting Chinas aggression, she noted. She said there is a military phrase: We never fight alone. And yet we will find ourselves isolated, vulnerable and saddled with higher defense costs if Republicans persist in enabling Putin and destroying our democratic alliances.

We are at an inflection point, Sherrill said, echoing the Freedom House report and speaking with obvious emotion. I cannot accept that the country I have given my life to, the country [for which] I cannot count the number of oaths I have taken, the country I have fought for, I cannot accept that we cannot stand with Ukraine.

And yet if Republicans have their way denying Ukraine a lifeline, doing the bidding of Putin internationally and lifting a Putin pawn to the U.S. presidency democracys backsliding will become an avalanche. Imagine if the only country capable of reinforcing the rules-based order and preventing tyrannical regimes from overwhelming vulnerable countries stood with the authoritarians. Under such circumstances, democracy in the United States and around the world would be unlikely to survive.

Its hard to quibble with the argument that the upcoming election is the most important in our history and in the history of Western democracies. The world will be watching.

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Opinion | Democracy is imperiled globally. Republicans aren't helping. - The Washington Post - The Washington Post

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WASHINGTONU.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, on Thursday spoke on the U.S. Senate floor on Republicans refusal to work with Democrats to address the crisis at the border they pretend to care about because they would rather help Trumps re-election.

Murphy explained why Republicans blocked his bipartisan legislation with U.S. Senator James Lankford (R-Okla.) to address the crisis at the border: Because Republicans do not wantto fix the border.The secret's out. ForRepublicans, the border is amoneymaking grievance machine.And if we passed our border billand fixed the problem,Republicans literally wouldn'tknow what for do with theirdays.Fox would lose ratings.Republican Senators would loseclicks and donors. Donald Trumpwould lose an issue to campaignon.What would some of my Republican Senatecolleagues do with theirweekends if they couldn't godown to the border and dress upas border patrol officers andscream about fake outrage?If the border bill passed, ifthe border was under control,Republicans might have to gethobbies. If the bipartisan bill tocontrol our border had passed,our border would be moreorderly.Our immigration system would bevastly improved.America would be better off andmore secure.But, yes, Republicans would losetheir moneymaking grievancemachine: the broken border.That's what happened. Republicans killed the toughestbipartisan border bill that theyhave ever seen because theydon't want to fix the border.They want to keep it a messbecause they think it helps thempolitically.

Murphy compared President Bidens intentions with Donald Trumps desire to exploit the border as a political issue: You know who does want to fixthe border?President Joe Biden, Democratsin Congress.Joe Biden asked for thoseadditional resources to hiremore patrol agents, to buildmore detention capacity, to installmore technology at the border tointerrupt the fentanyl trade.Joe Biden helped write thebipartisan border bill whichgave him those new powers Italked about. And today, Joe Bidenis going to be at the border totalk about his agenda to putborder security first, but alsoto make other badly neededchanges to our immigrationsystem, like improving ourasylum system and getting apathway to citizenship forpeople who have been living inthe shadows of our society forfar too long.Donald Trump is going to be atthe border today, too, but for adifferent reason.Donald Trump does not see theborder as a problem that needsto be fixed.Donald Trump sees the border asa problem to be exploited.He openly brags aboutinstructing his followers herein the United States Senate tokill the bipartisan border billbecause its passage would havebeen good for Joe Biden and thecountry.

Murphy concluded: For Joe Biden the border is aserious issue that he wants tofix.He has a plan to do it.For Donald Trump and theRepublicans, the border is justa moneymaking grievance machinethat they refuse to solve.

A full transcript of Murphys remarks can be found below:

So, here's a snapshot ofwhat happened.Republicans said that fixing theborder was their top priority.They appointed a hardlineconservative, my friend Senator James Lankford, to come up with a bipartisan bill to fix the border. They said if Lankford can get the deal, they'd support it.

We got that deal.If it passed, it would have beenthe toughest border securitybill in our lifetime.Arguably, it would have been thetoughest border security billever.$20 billion for border security, more detention beds, more patrolofficers, more asylum officers,more equipment to interceptfentanyl, a new power for the president toclose parts of the border whencrossings get too high.An end to the era in which anasylum applicant could spend tenyears in the country beforetheir application was heard.

It was tough.It would have helped to fix theborder.It was a compromise.Get this: it was supported by theconservative pro-Trump BorderPatrol Union and theleft-leaning Association ofImmigration Attorneys. TheWashington Post was for it, andThe Wall Street Journal wasfor it.It was a true compromise.

But within hours of the bill'srelease, Republicans killed it.When it came to the floor, onlyfour Republicans voted for thebill they asked for.It has now been 22 days sinceRepublicans killed the toughestborder security bill of ourlifetime a bipartisan bill thatwould have helped us control theborder.

Why did Republicans do this?Because Republicans do not wantto fix the border.The secret's out. ForRepublicans, the border is amoneymaking grievance machine.

And if we passed our border billand fixed the problem,Republicans literally wouldn'tknow what for do with theirdays.Fox would lose ratings.Republican Senators would loseclicks and donors. Donald Trumpwould lose an issue to campaignon.

What would some of my Republican Senatecolleagues do with theirweekends if they couldn't godown to the border and dress upas border patrol officers andscream about fake outrage?If the border bill passed, ifthe border was under control,Republicans might have to gethobbies.

If the bipartisan bill tocontrol our border had passed,our border would be moreorderly.Our immigration system would bevastly improved.America would be better off andmore secure.But, yes, Republicans would losetheir moneymaking grievancemachine: the broken border.

That's what happened. Republicans killed the toughestbipartisan border bill that theyhave ever seen because theydon't want to fix the border.They want to keep it a messbecause they think it helps thempolitically.

22 days since Republicans killedthe toughest bipartisan bordersecurity bill in over a decade.

You know who does want to fixthe border?President Joe Biden, Democratsin Congress.Joe Biden asked for thoseadditional resources to hiremore patrol agents, to buildmore detention capacity, to installmore technology at the border tointerrupt the fentanyl trade.

Joe Biden helped write thebipartisan border bill whichgave him those new powers Italked about. And today, Joe Bidenis going to be at the border totalk about his agenda to putborder security first, but alsoto make other badly neededchanges to our immigrationsystem, like improving ourasylum system and getting apathway to citizenship forpeople who have been living inthe shadows of our society forfar too long.

Donald Trump is going to be atthe border today, too, but for adifferent reason.Donald Trump does not see theborder as a problem that needsto be fixed.Donald Trump sees the border asa problem to be exploited.He openly brags aboutinstructing his followers herein the United States Senate tokill the bipartisan border billbecause its passage would havebeen good for Joe Biden and thecountry.

For Joe Biden the border is aserious issue that he wants tofix.He has a plan to do it.For Donald Trump and theRepublicans, the border is justa moneymaking grievance machinethat they refuse to solve.

The problem is that nothing can passin Washington without Republicansupport.I know there are Republicans whovoted for the bipartisan bill. Only four, but the rule is that Republicansrefuse to support moreresources, more patrol officers,more detention beds, and therule is that they will voteagainst any bipartisanlegislation to make the bordermore secure.

So, [it has been] 22 days since Republicanskilled the toughest bordersecurity bill during our time inthe Senate, and unfortunately theborder is going to remainunresolved so long as Republicans dont want to solve it.

###

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Murphy: For Donald Trump And The Republicans, The Border Is Just A Moneymaking Grievance Machine That They ... - Senator Chris Murphy

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Credit: AP

Credit: AP

One of the first to arrive was U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, a Democrat who has twice been drawn out of her suburban Atlanta district. Now shes competing for a newly drawn majority-Black seat on the western edges of metro Atlanta, where shes heavily favored over several rivals.

She was asked whether her ever-shifting districts could help bolster a case for statewide office if she runs for governor in 2026.

Ive always been asking God to expand my territory, and if hes doing so in this way, Im happy to go wherever I need to go and represent the good citizens of Georgia, McBath said.

Qualifying is always marked by unexpected happenings that could shake up an election year. On Monday, one of the first landed shortly after the proceedings began.

Thats when former U.S. Rep. John Barrow, a moderate Democrat, announced he would challenge Georgia Supreme Court Justice Andrew Pinson, who was appointed to the seat by Gov. Brian Kemp in 2022.

Barrow was widely expected to seek a judgeship after his attempt to run for a seat on the states top court was scuttled in a legal ruling.

But some viewed Barrow, the Democratic nominee for secretary of state in 2018, as more likely to compete for an open spot on the state Court of Appeals rather than face an incumbent.

Barrow made clear he would target Pinsons role as state solicitor general handling complex appellate court cases, including litigation involving Georgias anti-abortion law.

We cannot expect Pinson to fight for our interests now that hes been appointed to the only court that can stop what he helped start, he said.

It also marked a new phase in the race to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Drew Ferguson in his deep-red seat in west Georgia. Former state Rep. Philip Singleton was one of the first to join the large field competing to succeed him.

Washington is broken, but the country is not, Singleton said, adding that hes not a Spartacus candidate who makes empty promises to the districts conservative base.

Were the only candidate who can actually go and put their money where their mouth is and do those things, he said.

Then there were the dozens of candidates lining up to challenge entrenched incumbents. Some are in for uphill battles. Democrat Elaine Padgett hopes to challenge Republican state Rep. Todd Jones in November. Jones won nearly two-thirds of the vote in 2022 in his Forsyth County-based district.

This is the year because women are on the ballot womens health care, womens rights. We need change in the House, Padgett said. We need to legislate for the majority of Georgia, not the few.

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com

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In Georgia, Republicans and Democrats line up to run for office - The Atlanta Journal Constitution

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Large parts of the Republican Party now treat Vladimir Putin as if he were an ideological ally. Putin, by contrast, continues to treat the U.S. as an enemy.

This combination is clearly unusual and sometimes confusing. It does not appear to stem from any compromising information that Putin has about Donald Trump, despite years of such claims from Democrats. Instead, Trump and many other Republicans seem to feel ideological sympathies with Putins version of right-wing authoritarian nationalism. They see the world dividing between a liberal left and an illiberal right, with both themselves and Putin along with Viktor Orban of Hungary and some other world leaders in the second category.

Whatever the explanation, the situation threatens decades of bipartisan consensus about U.S. national security.

Already, House Republicans have blocked further aid to Ukraine a democracy and U.S. ally that Putin invaded. Without the aid, military experts say Russia will probably be able to take over more of Ukraine than it now holds.

If Trump wins a second term, he may go further. He has suggested that he might abandon the U.S. commitment to NATO, an alliance that exists to contain Russia and that Putin loathes. He recently invited Russia to to do whatever the hell they want to NATO countries that dont spend enough on their own defense. (Near the end of his first term, he tried to pull American troops out of Germany, but President Biden rescinded the decision.)

Trump has also avoided criticizing Putin for the mysterious death this month of his most prominent domestic critic, Aleksei Navalny, and has repeatedly praised Putin as a strong and smart leader. In a town hall last year, Trump refused to say whether he wanted Ukraine or Russia to win the war.

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Republicans Who Like Putin - The New York Times

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