Takeaways from the Supreme Court arguments over whether Trump is ineligible to be president again

Lengthy arguments took place on Thursday at the U.S. Supreme Court over former President Donald Trump’s ineligibility case, but the Justices found space for levity nonetheless. (Feb. 8)

By NICHOLAS RICCARDI / AP / Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Thursday heard two hours of historic arguments in a Colorado case to remove former President Donald Trump from the ballot. The justices sounded highly skeptical of the effort.

It’s the first time that voters have tried to block a candidate from the presidency under a once-obscure post-Civil War constitutional provision barring those who “engaged in insurrection” from holding office.

Some takeaways from the arguments:

TRUMP SEEMS LIKELY STAY ON THE BALLOT

In tone and tenor, the justices’ questions challenged the notion that a state court can order a presidential contender off the ballot for violating Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. That section bars those who engage in insurrection from holding office.

The case was brought by a group of Republican and independent voters, and the state of Colorado. Their argument was rooted in the idea that states have the ability to police their own ballots and bar Trump for his role in the violent insurrection on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The riot stemmed from Trump’s refusal to accept the results of the presidential election that the Republican lost to Democrat Joe Biden.

Behind Closed Doors, Biden Exploded Over Special Counsel Report That Questioned His Memory

Matt Vespa / Townhall Tipsheet

Joe Biden’s meltdown about the findings of Special Counsel Robert Hur’s investigation into the president’s mishandling of classified materials didn’t just occur at the White House. Sure, that’s where millions saw the president become visibly angry and frustrated that the report documented his memory lapses, which include not remembering when his son, Beau, died. 

The report is going to damage his 2024 campaign. It brought a voter concern to the forefront, and the only good news is that Election Day is far away. The problem is that the issue might not dissipate as Biden cannot become younger—he’s not Benjamin Button. Biden vented privately among Democrats at their retreat in Virginia Thursday afternoon, where the president was dropping F-bombs over the report’s summary (via WaPo): 

"Privately, Biden was also furious about the report’s comments on his memory. During a private meeting with House Democrats at their policy retreat in Virginia earlier Thursday, Biden grew especially animated when asked how he was doing. 

“How the f--- could I forget the day my son died? Of course I remember everything,” he said, according two people with knowledge of his remarks...Read more and see Xs here,

RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS...LIVE!                                         

 

Today, Friday, February 9th, from 7-8:00pm EST, RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS Craig Andresen and Diane Sori discuss the Special Council's bombshell classified documents report and Biden's angry response to it; the SCOTUS hears oral arguments in the Trump v. Anderson Colorado ballot case; and other important news of the day. Hope you can tune in to RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS on https://rspradio1.com Click 'LISTEN LIVE' starting at 6:50 pm EST with show beginning at 7pm EST.

 

Nikki Haley's Explanation for Her Crushing Nevada Loss Is Pathetic

Matt Vespa / Townhall Tipsheet 

Stop it, Nikki. It was already nauseating watching this woman trying to spin crushing losses against Donald Trump as wins. In Iowa, she had the gall to declare the 2024 GOP primary race as a two-person contest. Ron DeSantis beat her in that one, winning second place to her third. Then, in New Hampshire, not even a deluge of liberal voters could stop a Trump route. Haley again tried to make the Granite State showdown a win for her. Remember that the former South Carolina governor hasn’t won a primary contest yet. 

She had her best opportunity in Nevada on Tuesday to clinch a victory, though it would be symbolic. The Nevada Republican Party declared that all delegates would be allocated through the caucus held on Thursday. Trump wasn’t on the primary ballot. Haley only faced two men no longer running for president: Tim Scott and Mike Pence. She still lost. ]

‘None of these candidates’ outvoted Haley 62.9 percent to 30.8 percent. Even with no Trump in sight in this contest, Haley couldn’t win. The writing on the wall is massive and in red lettering: the GOP base is ‘Never Nikki.’ The worst part is how she explained this humiliating loss, which was to claim that the ordinary was rigged. Read more, see Xs and videos here.

Netanyahu: Israel won't give into Hamas' "delusional" hostage deal demands

Barak Ravid / AXIOS

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that caving to Hamas' "delusional" ceasefire demands won't lead to the release of the hostages still being held in Gaza, but instead to another attack like the one the militant group committed on Oct. 7.

Why it matters: It was the first time Netanyahu commented on Hamas' response to a recent hostage deal proposal since it was given to Israel on Tuesday. While dismissing Hamas' demands, Netanyahu didn't close the door to negotiations, however.

Catch up quick: Qatar and Egypt presented Hamas with a framework for negotiations for a three-phase deal late last month after mediators met with U.S. and Israeli officials.

• Under that framework, the first phase would include a six-week ceasefire and the release of a set number of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Hamas freeing 35 to 40 Israeli hostages, including women, men over the age of 60 and those with serious medical conditions, according to Israeli and Qatari officials.
• The terms of the following two stages had been agreed on but the second phase was expected to include the release of Israeli soldiers and civilian men under the age of 60 from captivity in Gaza.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to why Rep. Blake Moore flipped from Yea to Nay on impeaching Mayorkas

The GOP miscalculated the support they had

Chad Pergram / Fox News

 

There were four Republicans who voted no tonight against impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Reps. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), Tom McClintock (R-CA), Ken Buck (R-Colo.) and House Vice Conference Chairman Blake Moore (R-Utah) – a member of the Republican leadership.

But Moore’s "nay" vote against impeaching Mayorkas deserves an asterisk. He’s not really against impeaching Mayorkas. Moore voted no so the Republican effort to impeach Mayorkas could live to fight another day.

To wit: Moore was on the board as a yea in favor of impeaching Mayorkas. But the GOP miscalculated how many yea votes that they had – as well as how many Democrats present and available to vote no.

The current breakdown in the 431 member House is 219 Republicans to 212 Democrats with four vacancies.Read more and see video here.

After a Crushing Defeat in Nevada, Nikki Haley Must Accept This Conclusion

Matt Vespa / Townhall Tipsheet

There needed to be an intervention on this when she got trounced in New Hampshire, but now is the time for Nikki Haley’s team to lock her in a room and hold an intervention. It’s over. Her 2024 campaign is finished. The only bright spot for the former South Carolina governor is that she lasted longer than Vivek Ramaswamy, whom she visibly disliked. 

Other than that, it’s been a beatdown ever since. Ms. Haley got pummeled in Iowa by Trump, got thrashed in New Hampshire, and now, even with the former president not on the ballot, she couldn’t break 30 percent: ‘none of these candidates’ won the contest last night with 62.9 percent of the vote. There were two people, Tim Scott and Mike Pence, who weren’t even running anymore, and she couldn’t sink the free throw here. 

Besides the results showing that Haley’s 2024 chances are dead and have been for some time, she’s not popular with the Republican Party base. This development has been evident for a while, but it’s now the other elephant in the room, which should signal to Ms. Haley that it’s time to go.