Trump Threatens Relief Bill

$900 billion

President Trump, in a stunning Tuesday night tweet, called the $900 billion Covid relief bill passed by Congress an unsuitable “disgrace” and urged lawmakers to make a number of changes to the measure, including bigger direct payments to individuals and families, CNBC reports. “The president’s tweet, which included a video of him discussing what he considers the bill’s many flaws, came less than 24 hours after the Senate passed the measure.”

Why Trump Must Not Be Allowed to Hold Power Again

“Looking on the bright side of a humiliating national disaster, the manner of President Trump’s departure from power has clarified why he must never hold power again. … On one side are the lunatics — among them Giuliani, Powell and Flynn — who want Trump to violate laws and assume authoritarian powers. On the other side are sycophants who supported Trump’s spurious legal challenges to the election result but apparently draw the line at treason. By most accounts, Trump’s sympathies lie with the lunatics.”

Michael Gerson

Trump Is Definitely Not Helping the GOP

“Trump wants the Republican Party to remain beholden to him, and is desperate to retain his GOP power past Jan. 20. Top Republicans are increasingly queasy about the two runoffs in Georgia on Jan. 5 that will determine which party controls the Senate. Last night’s White House actions undermine the GOP Senate candidates by fomenting turmoil and distraction, and robbing the senators of a clear win on the stimulus.”

Axios

Twitter: White House Acounts Will Be Reset to Zero

0

“Twitter has told President-elect Joe Biden’s team that President Trump’s followers will not carry over to the official accounts assigned to the new president and White House in January, a reversal from the last transition,” Bloomberg reports. “The move would mean the Biden administration’s accounts will start with zero followers, cutting off a way for Biden to instantly reach millions of people who currently follow the official accounts used by Trump. The @POTUS account has more than 33 million followers while @WhiteHouse has 26 million.”

2020 Is the Deadliest Year in U.S. History

3.2 million

“This is the deadliest year in U.S. history, with deaths expected to top 3 million for the first time — due mainly to the coronavirus pandemic,” the AP reports. “Final mortality data for this year will not be available for months. But preliminary numbers suggest that the United States is on track to see more than 3.2 million deaths this year, or at least 400,000 more than in 2019.”

The Squad Aims to Be a Playah in House Politics

4

Playbook notes a move that raised eyebrows on the House floor last night: Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Presley and Rashida Tlaib all voted against the rule to move the relief package — a procedural motion that nearly always splits on party lines. “In a world where Speaker Nancy Pelosi has a narrow majority, if this group sticks together, they can influence the direction of the House Democratic Caucus. This message was received by senior Democrats last night.”