Background Briefing: January 25, 2021

On By gram

 

The Storming of the Capitol as the Culmination of Generation of Far-Right Extremism

We begin with the impeachment article charging Trump with “inciting violence against the government of the United States” which the House sent to the Senate today for a second impeachment trial of Trump beginning on February 8. Joining us is Ryan Devereaux, an award-winning investigative journalist who covers criminal justice and national security for The Intercept where his latest article is “Capitol Attack Was Culmination of Generations of Far-Right Extremism.” We discuss how far-right domestic terrorists have killed 114 people in America since 9/11 while jihadists have killed 107 Americans mostly abroad, and far-left terrorists killed only one person. Yet efforts by the former head of the Office of Intelligence and Analysis at the Department of Homeland Security who was fired in 2009 for documenting the rise of right-wing domestic terrorism in the U.S. were stymied because of howls of indignation from Republican lawmakers. And since then officials in I&A at DHS have been muzzled by the Trump White House for similar reporting under orders to play up the supposed threat of left-wing terrorism.

 

Has the Law Finally Caught Up With Trump?

Then we examine the possibility that the law might finally have caught up to Trump who has been one step ahead of the sheriff throughout his business and political career. Trump now faces the real prospect of being held to account for not just “provoking” the mob who stormed the capitol, but for helping plan and execute his last desperate attempt to keep in office and not be subject to any indictment as a sitting president. Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and author Michael D’Antonio, whose latest book is High Crimes: The Corruption, Impunity, and Impeachment of Donald Trump, joins us to discuss his articles at CNN “This won’t be like Trump’s last impeachment” and “Why the Trump martyr defense does not work.” 

 

The Future of Biden’s $1.9 Trillion Stimulus Package

Then finally we speak with Tamara Fucile, a Senior Advisor at the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities who served as Associate Director for Legislative Affairs at the OMB and as Deputy Staff Director for Minority Leader Charles Schumer’s Joint Economic Committee. She joins us to discuss the future of Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus package which needs 10 Senate Republicans to pass. With enhanced unemployment benefits running out in mid March, if the Democrats do not get the votes then they have to resort to the much slower budget reconciliation process.