The Memo: Special master victory buys time for Trump
Former President Trump won a significant victory over investigators Thursday. If it stands, it will slow to a crawl the probe into how sensitive documents at Mar-a-Lago were handled. Unless an appeal filed by the government on Friday succeeds, major action in the probe now seems all but certain to be postponed past the midterm elections — by which time Trump might plausibly declare himself a 2024 presidential candidate. In that scenario, he can be expected to argue with even more gusto that he is being victimized for political reasons by the Department of Justice (
Read MoreCracks in GOP emerge over abortion policy and messaging
Republicans are squabbling over policy and messaging surrounding abortion amid mounting evidence that the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade is hurting the GOP ahead of midterms. Most Republicans supported overturning Roe v. Wade, and the number of pro-abortion rights Republicans in Congress is dwindling. But GOP lawmakers disagree on the next move to make, and many think legislation calling for strict bans on abortion will only compound their problems. Legislation introduced this week to impose a nationwide abortion ban after 15 weeks of g
Read MoreMerrick Garland faces stormy waters over Trump investigations
The convergence of investigations against former President Trump, led by the FBI’s search of his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida for classified materials, has put Attorney General Merrick Garland at the center of a political storm. Republicans, led by former President Trump, have attacked Garland’s Justice Department as politically motivated and vowed to investigate his actions if the party retakes the House in November. Democrats have mostly given Garland the space to do his job, but some liberals have argued there is already clear evidence to indict Trump and questioned why
Read MoreDOJ appeals to gain access to seized Mar-a-Lago docs
The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday asked a federal court for access to classified documents seized last month from Mar-a-Lago, appealing a lower court ruling that has barred prosecutors from using those materials while investigating former President Trump's handling of government records. In a new motion to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, DOJ officials said the materials taken from Trump’s South Florida estate include highly sensitive documents, and that denying prosecutors immediate access to those records would delay their investigation at a heig
Read MoreTrump looks to boost Vance in tense Ohio Senate race
Former President Trump is heading to Ohio on Saturday to give a boost to his endorsed Senate candidate J.D. Vance (R) in a race that has proven more competitive than initially thought. The “Hillbilly Elegy” author, a once-Trump-critic-turned-acolyte, is facing off against Democratic challenger Tim Ryan (D) for the open Senate seat in a state Trump won by 8 points in 2020. Still, recent polling has shown Vance leading Ryan by single digits, and the Democrat has proven to be a formidable fundraiser, fueling hopes that Democrats could pull off a surprise victory
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