Plus, Cassidy Hutchinson calls Trump 'the most grave threat' to American democracy

Principles First Newsletter - September 28, 2023 - View in browser ([link removed])
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“Let us labor for the security of free thought, free speech, pure morals, unfettered religious sentiments, and equal rights and privileges for all men, irrespective of nationality, color, or religion.”
Ulysses S. Grant (1822 - 1885)
18th President of the United States; Commanding General of the Union Army
Zelensky confronts an increasingly skeptical Republican Party
The White House is seeking $24 billion in additional aid for Ukraine, a request that’s gotten caught up in the larger standoff over funding the government.
The Washington Post
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Gen. Mark Milley, polarizing Joint Chiefs chairman, exits center stage
Admirers say he helped save American democracy. Critics contend he dragged the military deeper into the fray.
The Washington Post
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Why I Can Never Forgive Rupert Murdoch
The Fox News honcho destroyed the real conservative movement I still hold dear, and he did it for the money, Matt Lewis writes.
Daily Beast
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Cassidy Hutchinson Reappears. She Has More Trump Stories to Tell.
“I would like not to be a hermit,” the former White House aide says upon the publication of a memoir about her journey down a political rabbit hole.
The New York Times
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Menendez Accused of Brazen Bribery Plot, Taking Cash and Gold
The governor of New Jersey called on Senator Robert Menendez to resign. The senator stepped down from his chairmanship of the Foreign Relations Committee.
The New York Times
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ADL Report Finds High Levels of Extremist Activity in Texas
Since the start of 2021, Texas has experienced a significant amount of extremist activity. One driver of this phenomenon is Patriot Front, a white supremacist group that has distributed propaganda across Texas – and the rest of the U.S. – with alarming frequency, using the state as a base of operations.
Anti-Defamation League
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Why Is Donald Trump Afraid to Debate?
He’s ducking exchanges with his competitors who could challenge his record and platform.
The Wall Street Journal
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Can Katie Britt Be the Face of the GOP’s Post-Trump Future?
The Alabama senator disdains the politics of hate, rarely mentions her party’s frontrunner and favors robust aid to Ukraine. That positions her well to lead a party digging out from Trumpism.
Politico
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Ron DeSantis' descent continues, unabated by the debate and time on the trail
At the same time, the Florida governor is racing to raise money in Texas and California.
NBC News
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Controversial right-wing group Project Veritas suspends all operations indefinitely, report says
Project Veritas is known for its use of hidden cameras to discredit mainstream media organizations and progressive groups.
The Independent
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Rupert Murdoch’s surprise exit from Fox leaves son Lachlan in line of succession at media empire
Magnate Rupert Murdoch’s surprise announcement Thursday that he’s stepping down as leader of his two companies leaves his son Lachlan firmly in line of succession at Fox and the rest of the media empire.
Associated Press
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Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson switches to Republican Party
Though the mayor’s position in Dallas is technically nonpartisan, Johnson joins Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker as one of two Republican mayors to lead a major Texas city.
The Texas Tribune
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‘Waiting for him to drop out’: DeSantis’ influence nosedives in Florida
Some party members view the once-powerful governor as weakened amid his campaign struggles.
Politico
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Republicans’ Divisions Point to a Larger Political Crisis in the US
This was a very bad week for the Republican Party. The divisions inside their House caucus show that Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) majority is in danger, with multiple threats to depose him, and underscore the magnitude of instability inside the caucus, which has a razor-thin majority and cannot afford more than a handful of dissenters.
The Messenger
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Mitch McConnell is right about government shutdowns
When the federal government shuts down, nobody really wins — and Republicans tend to lose.
MSNBC
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Was McCarthy distracted from governing by impeachment inquiry?
House Republicans pledge a slow, methodical pace on the Biden impeachment inquiry, but some rank-and-file believe that their leaders have missed the target on priorities.
The Washington Post
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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Flirts With the Libertarian Party
Mr. Kennedy sat down with the party’s chair in July, a previously undisclosed meeting, as Democrats fret about a third party bid.
The New York Times
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The Open Plot to Dismantle the Federal Government
“I can’t overstate my level of concern about the damage this would do.”
The Atlantic
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As Trump Prosecutions Move Forward, Threats and Concerns Increase
As criminal cases proceed against the former president, heated rhetoric and anger among his supporters have the authorities worried about the risk of political dissent becoming deadly.
The New York Times
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Anti-vaxxers are now a modern political force
The once-fringe movement is now seeing an influx in cash after the Covid pandemic.
Politico
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Questionable Stock Trade Patterns in Ramaswamy's Wall Street Past
With Vivek Ramaswamy rising fast in the 2024 presidential primary polls, his pre-politics career as a biotech entrepreneur have faced growing scrutiny over allegations of pump and dump tactics. But one crucial part of his past has so far been overlooked: his short but extremely lucrative stint on Wall Street as a hedge fund investor.
Newsweek
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Cassidy Hutchinson tells CNN’s Jake Tapper that Trump is the ‘most grave threat’ to American democracy
Cassidy Hutchinson warned Tuesday that her former boss Donald Trump would not have guardrails if he wins a second term as president, arguing that Trump’s violations of the Constitution after he lost the election in 2020 should be disqualifying from the White House.
CNN
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Judge rules Donald Trump defrauded banks and insurers while building real estate empire
A judge ruled Tuesday that Donald Trump committed fraud for years while building the real estate empire that catapulted him to fame and the White House, and he ordered some of the former president’s companies removed from his control and dissolved.
Associated Press
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Trump Floats the Idea of Executing Joint Chiefs Chairman Milley
The former president is inciting violence against the nation’s top general. America’s response is distracted and numb.
The Atlantic
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Opinion | If you want to save democracy in 2024, Biden is the only viable choice
I hate that the world’s fate rests on an octogenarian’s vitality. But it does.
The Washington Post
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Where do GOP candidates stand on the issues? See for yourself.
The Republican presidential candidates have spent months carving out their viewpoints.
Politico
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The GOP’s defenses of Bob Menendez, and what they ignore
The dam is breaking when it comes to Democrats urging Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) to resign. They responded with cautious silence Friday after the Justice Department announced Menendez’s indictment on bribery charges; by Tuesday, at least 18 Democratic senators, and many other party leaders, had called for him to step down. But perhaps predictably, Republicans pushed back Tuesday.
The Washington Post
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Asa Hutchinson sets new goal for 2024 campaign after missing debate requirement
"If that goal is met, then I remain competitive," he said in a statement.
ABC News
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The Coming Attack on an Essential Element of Women’s Freedom
No-fault divorce has improved the lives of millions. Now some extreme Republicans want to abandon it.
The Atlantic
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What Is J.D. Vance’s Angle?
Bipartisan MAGA troll feels like a dizzying paradoxical line to toe. But the freshman senator from Ohio may be onto something.
The New York Times
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Is America uniquely vulnerable to tyranny?
What a brilliant new book gets right — and wrong — about America’s democracy.
Vox
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Kari Lake to Announce Senate Run, Setting Up High-Stakes Arizona Race
Republican will launch her campaign at Oct. 10 rally; three-way race with independent Kyrsten Sinema and Democrat Ruben Gallego is likely.
The Wall Street Journal
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Events
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Register for Principles First Summit ([link removed])
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Our friends at Checks & Balances are pleased to invite you to a virtual event featuring Judge J. Michael Luttig and New York Times columnist David French in conversation: "Section Three: Constitutional Remedy or Pipe Dream?"
Register for Checks & Balances Discussion ([link removed])
Think Pieces of the Week
Inside the Next Republican Revolution
Whether Trump wins or not, the GOP plans a renewed assault on his nemesis, the “deep state.” Can conservatives train enough loyalists to actually get the job done?
Michael Hirsh at Politico
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The Patriot
How General Mark Milley protected the Constitution from Donald Trump
Jeffrey Goldberg at the Atlantic
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Did Kennan Foresee Putin?
What the Diplomat Got Right About Russia and the West
Andrei Kolesnikov at Foreign Affairs
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Why Modi Can’t Make India a Great Power
Government-Backed Intolerance Is Tearing the Country Apart.
Sushant Singh at Foreign Affairs
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How Elites Ruined the American Left
“If it’s true that the left is not appealing to the working class, then that is a failure of the left and not of the working class,” says Freddie deBoer.
Politico
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Podcasts of the Week
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The xxxxxx Podcast - Trump Ever After: Live from TribFest
September 25, 2023

Olivia Nuzzi, Bret Stephens, and Ben Terris joined Charlie Sykes on stage in Austin over the weekend. While the Dems have Gretchen Whitmer to look forward to, the GOP's future may be people like Vivek—because the base must be entertained. Meanwhile, we may be facing a government shutdown because Gaetz and Boebert think it will increase their celebrity status.

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Conversations with Bill Kristol - Frederick W. Kagan: On where things stand in Ukraine
September 28, 2023

Where do things stand in Ukraine? What are the battlefield results of the Ukrainian counteroffensive so far, and what military and political outcomes might follow? Why should the US and allies continue to support Ukraine?

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The Dispatch Podcast - Are We Doomed Yet?
September 28, 2023

Making sense of the latest carnival of inanity posing as a presidential debate is a task too great for Steve and Jonah. So they have summoned Yuval Levin, director of social, cultural and constitutional studies at AEI, to help them analyze the GOP primary debate, rank pre-government shutdown asininity, and determine whether we should even be paying attention at all.

🚨🚨 #PrinciplesFirst alerts:

🚨🚨 #PrinciplesFirst ([link removed]) alert:

@RepMikeLawler ([link removed]) (R-NY) on the GOP’s fear of working constructively: “Bring it. Give me a break. I’m in a district that Joe Biden won by 10 points. I was elected to be an adult, to be serious, to be sober and to govern.” pic.twitter.com/fmNYEDGR9n ([link removed])

— Principles First (@Principles_1st) September 27, 2023 ([link removed])

🚨🚨 #PrinciplesFirst ([link removed]) alert:

Cassidy Hutchinson: “I think we are at a make-or-break moment for the Republican Party. If they're not willing to split with Trump, then we're in serious danger for the party.” pic.twitter.com/45nulXUmVZ ([link removed])

— Principles First (@Principles_1st) September 26, 2023 ([link removed])

🚨🚨 #PrinciplesFirst ([link removed]) alert:

“In the chaotic period before & after the 2020 election, Milley did as much as, or more than, any other American to defend the constitutional order & to prevent the military from being deployed against the American people.”

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— Principles First (@Principles_1st) September 21, 2023 ([link removed])

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