Closing in on Trump

We end our observance of Black History Month today focused on the future. Myia “MJ” Hall is a member of Gen Z, which means she belongs to one of the youngest generations of Americans. If, like me, you are most definitely not from Gen Z, hearing from members of this generational cohort is inspiring and reassuring. We asked MJ to write about what piqued her interest in saving our democracy and how she is expressing her sense of civic responsibility. Please read her response below. Thank you for going on this journey with us this month to meet just a few of the millions of Black Americans making a difference in American society today. —Melissa Amour, Managing Editor

• Supreme Court hears oral arguments on Biden’s student loan debt relief plan —CNN

• Murdoch: Hannity was ‘privately disgusted’ with Trump after 2020 election —The Hill

• McCarthy defends giving Tucker Carlson Jan. 6 trove access —WTOP

• What the 'lab leak' theory report about COVID's origins does and doesn't mean —ABC News

• Collapse of Afghanistan forces in 2021 partly due to Pentagon: report —USA Today

• Toxic Ohio chemical spill was Trump admin, GOP's fault: White House —USA Today

• Mexicans march en masse against president’s electoral reform —Bloomberg

• Nigerian election results: Opposition parties dispute results, call for fresh elections —CNN

• Florida Gov. DeSantis takes control of Disney’s self-governing district in payback for company’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill opposition —New York Daily News

• Elon Musk defends Scott Adams, says media is ‘racist against whites’ —The Washington Post

Dark days ahead?

A legal noose is tightening around Donald Trump. As various investigations slowly work their way toward conclusion, he is in increasing jeopardy of being charged with one or more crimes. The special counsel’s investigation, led by prosecutor Jack Smith, is closing in, issuing subpoenas to members of his inner circle. Though Trump remains surprisingly resilient within the Republican Party, Smith could well derail his dreams of a return to the White House. Trump is very aware of this, taking to his Truth Social platform this weekend to condemn Smith as a “mad dog psycho” and a “Trump Hater ... of historic proportions.” Get your popcorn ready. —NBC News

• “He will sell out everybody.” Now that presidential daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner have been subpoenaed by the special counsel, the question is, will their testimony ultimately lead to an indictment? Former federal prosecutor Glenn Kirschner predicts that if it does, Trump could turn on some of his family members—including the two former senior White House advisors—in the hopes of earning a plea deal. —Newsweek

• Trump must talk. The ex-president himself will be questioned too, albeit in another case. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson ordered last Thursday that he be deposed in a pair of lawsuits against the Justice Department and the FBI by two former agency officials. Peter Strzok and Lisa Page allege they were the targets of an improper political pressure campaign by his White House. —Reuters

• Trouble still brewing in Georgia. The judge who oversaw the Fulton County grand jury investigation of Trump’s efforts to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results said yesterday that the grand jury panelists “can talk about the final report.” His comments came in response to a backlash from Trump and his lawyers after the grand jury’s forewoman, Emily Kohrs, discussed the group’s report in a series of interviews with reporters last week. Contrary to Trump’s claims, her media appearances do not taint the jury’s findings. —The Hill

MORE: Mark Brnovich complaint: Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs seeks ethics review of former attorney general —The Washington Post

Warren: Fighting the disinfo front in Ukraine

“The pro-Putin disinformation myths are unrelenting: The massacre of civilians in Bucha, Ukraine, was staged; Russian-speaking residents in the Donbas region have been subjected to genocide; Russia was not stealing grain from Ukraine nor blocking shipments; and Nazism is rampant in Ukrainian politics and society, supported by the authorities in Kyiv. While misinformation takes a back seat to the deadly realities of the battlefield, ‘it indirectly affects a country’s willingness to resist or fight by demoralizing the population and the armed forces,’ said Alexander Motyl, a historian-artist and Ukraine expert at Rutgers University in New Jersey.” —Jim Warren on Trib Live

Jim Warren is the executive editor of NewsGuard, which rates the credibility of news and information sites.

MORE: Putin orders tightening of Ukraine border as drones hit Russia —Al Jazeera

Klaas: Democracy needs to work to be defended

“Democracy usually isn’t under threat where it delivers. Conversely, people are less likely to rally to defend democracy if they believe the system is failing them. … It’s not rocket science to solve maddening everyday problems, and American democracy would be better off if the government devoted more effort to it. Dangerous would-be autocrats across the globe have attacked democratic norms, procedures, and institutions. More people will join the fight for democracy when they feel that democracy delivers for them. But for many people right now, their lived experience of democracy feels a lot like being stuck on hold.” —Brian Klaas in The Atlantic

Brian Klaas is a contributing writer at The Atlantic and an associate professor of global politics at University College London.

MORE: Editorial Board: How to restore confidence in voting —The Washington Post

Shaking up the country, one voter at a time

By Myia “MJ” Hall

For my generation, it seems like it’s been one crisis after another. As Gen Zers, we saw our parents lose their homes in 2007. My first time voting kind of resulted in tyranny, and when I graduated college, it was on the heels of a pandemic. These things have all happened under both Democratic and Republican leadership. These little missiles seem to keep hitting our lives, and many of us have become apathetic.

My whole life I have been dissatisfied with the way things are going. Then my best friend gave me the “Forward” book by Andrew Yang, and it really helped put into perspective the systematic problems with our society. I wanted to actually support my vote in the ballot box not just hold my nose and hope for the best.

I got involved with the Forward Party because it was the first time I felt that I could make a difference in politics and felt like something could be done to make democracy better. Forward allows us to fight for something different and to take a front seat in politics without having to buy into the same groups that have dropped the ball our whole lives. 

After our Executive Committee Summit in North Carolina this month, I realized just how hungry people are to see something good happen in American politics. I see diverse individuals who want to stop extremism and just make the country better together. We all come from different backgrounds, different political affiliations, different age groups…and it’s kind of ridiculous that we’re all fighting for the same things still! I feel hopeful that we can help the country, and it’s amazing to see people just as passionate about it as I am. 

Our group doesn’t make any sense. I don’t get how a bunch of old guys can meet with a bunch of young guys, a Black conservative and a Black liberal can sit in the same room, and all can come to agreeable terms. But I know this is only because we have been conditioned to think otherwise. My ragtag group is going to shake the country, and I couldn’t be more ready.

MJ Hall is a co-lead of the Forward Party of North Carolina.

When I hear MTG say something, I’m always reminded of the famous Molly Ivins quote: “It was better in the original German.” —Jim S., Texas

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