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February 5, 2026
The new Muppets Show
My middle child called and demanded that we watch the new Muppet Show. The new Muppet Show was great
https://x.com/iconer1983/status/2019232096112230575
February 5, 2026
When the GOP tried this 1982, the result was a great injunction that lasted until 2018
If Bannon gets his wish, you will see some fun litigation that will use the 1982 injunction as an example of the relief that would be appropriate.
Bannon's plan to send ICE to polling locations was tried in 1982 and resulted in major defeat
I have been volunteering on voter protection efforts since 2004. Until 2018, the RNC was under a cease and desist order/injunction that was due to the RNC doing something similar. All of the voter protection teams had the number of the lawyers in New Jersey who were in charge of monitoring compliance with this injunction. You had to go through the DNC voter protection team to file any thing to trigger this injunction
Bannon really wants to have law enforcement or ICE at polling locations
Steve Bannon says they’re going to “have ICE surround the polls†in November.
— Leah McElrath (@leahmcelrath.bsky.social) 2026-02-04T03:38:00.604Z
(They don’t have enough people to do that everywhere, but they could target select locations.)
When the GOP tried this 1982, the result was a great injunction that lasted until 2018
From 1982-2018, the Republican National Committee was barred from "ballot security measures" because of their record of using state actors to intimidate minority voters.
— Don Moynihan (@donmoyn.bsky.social) 2026-02-04T20:19:55.429Z
(H/t @rickhasen.bsky.social)
www.npr.org/2018/01/09/5...
If Bannon gets his wish, you will see some fun litigation that will use the 1982 injunction as an example of the relief that would be appropriate.
February 5, 2026
https://www.alternet.org/republicans-concerned-texas/
Republicans are 'very concerned about Texas' turning blue: GOP senator
The Texas Senate race could be interesting
Republicans are 'very concerned about Texas' turning blue: GOP senator
— #TuckFrump (@realtuckfrumper.bsky.social) 2026-02-05T00:39:54.000Z
https://www.alternet.org/republicans-concerned-texas/
While Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives have a razor-thin with just a four-seat advantage, their six-seat advantage in the U.S. Senate is seen as more likely to hold in November. However, that could change if the GOP loses the traditional Republican stronghold of Texas.
Semafor reported Wednesday that the contentious Republican U.S. Senate primary in Texas is making some Republican senators nervous. Incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) – who is running for a fifth term — is hoping to fend off challenges from both Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) and Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas). Cornyn and Paxton recently exchanged barbs on social media, with Cornyn's campaign pointing out that Paxton has been accused of infidelity following the collapse of his 38-year marriage to Texas Republican state senator Angela Paxton.....
The contentious Texas Republican Senate primary is particularly worrisome to Republicans in the wake of Democrat Taylor Rehmet's upset victory in a deep-red Texas state senate district last weekend. Rehmet prevailed over Trump-endorsed Leigh Wambsganss, who also out-raised Rehmet in the special election. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), who is the #4 Senate Republican, told Semafor that Democrats are "really motivated" in 2026 and that seats like Texas' shouldn't be taken for granted.
"We need the candidate that can win in the general," Capito said, adding that Republicans are "very concerned about Texas" given the "money coming out" of donors' pockets that could be spent elsewhere.
Semafor reported Wednesday that the contentious Republican U.S. Senate primary in Texas is making some Republican senators nervous. Incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) – who is running for a fifth term — is hoping to fend off challenges from both Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) and Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas). Cornyn and Paxton recently exchanged barbs on social media, with Cornyn's campaign pointing out that Paxton has been accused of infidelity following the collapse of his 38-year marriage to Texas Republican state senator Angela Paxton.....
The contentious Texas Republican Senate primary is particularly worrisome to Republicans in the wake of Democrat Taylor Rehmet's upset victory in a deep-red Texas state senate district last weekend. Rehmet prevailed over Trump-endorsed Leigh Wambsganss, who also out-raised Rehmet in the special election. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), who is the #4 Senate Republican, told Semafor that Democrats are "really motivated" in 2026 and that seats like Texas' shouldn't be taken for granted.
"We need the candidate that can win in the general," Capito said, adding that Republicans are "very concerned about Texas" given the "money coming out" of donors' pockets that could be spent elsewhere.
February 5, 2026
https://www.alternet.org/republicans-concerned-texas/
Republicans are 'very concerned about Texas' turning blue: GOP senator
The Texas Senate race could be interesting
Republicans are 'very concerned about Texas' turning blue: GOP senator
— #TuckFrump (@realtuckfrumper.bsky.social) 2026-02-05T00:39:54.000Z
https://www.alternet.org/republicans-concerned-texas/
While Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives have a razor-thin with just a four-seat advantage, their six-seat advantage in the U.S. Senate is seen as more likely to hold in November. However, that could change if the GOP loses the traditional Republican stronghold of Texas.
Semafor reported Wednesday that the contentious Republican U.S. Senate primary in Texas is making some Republican senators nervous. Incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) – who is running for a fifth term — is hoping to fend off challenges from both Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) and Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas). Cornyn and Paxton recently exchanged barbs on social media, with Cornyn's campaign pointing out that Paxton has been accused of infidelity following the collapse of his 38-year marriage to Texas Republican state senator Angela Paxton.....
The contentious Texas Republican Senate primary is particularly worrisome to Republicans in the wake of Democrat Taylor Rehmet's upset victory in a deep-red Texas state senate district last weekend. Rehmet prevailed over Trump-endorsed Leigh Wambsganss, who also out-raised Rehmet in the special election. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), who is the #4 Senate Republican, told Semafor that Democrats are "really motivated" in 2026 and that seats like Texas' shouldn't be taken for granted.
"We need the candidate that can win in the general," Capito said, adding that Republicans are "very concerned about Texas" given the "money coming out" of donors' pockets that could be spent elsewhere.
Semafor reported Wednesday that the contentious Republican U.S. Senate primary in Texas is making some Republican senators nervous. Incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) – who is running for a fifth term — is hoping to fend off challenges from both Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) and Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas). Cornyn and Paxton recently exchanged barbs on social media, with Cornyn's campaign pointing out that Paxton has been accused of infidelity following the collapse of his 38-year marriage to Texas Republican state senator Angela Paxton.....
The contentious Texas Republican Senate primary is particularly worrisome to Republicans in the wake of Democrat Taylor Rehmet's upset victory in a deep-red Texas state senate district last weekend. Rehmet prevailed over Trump-endorsed Leigh Wambsganss, who also out-raised Rehmet in the special election. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), who is the #4 Senate Republican, told Semafor that Democrats are "really motivated" in 2026 and that seats like Texas' shouldn't be taken for granted.
"We need the candidate that can win in the general," Capito said, adding that Republicans are "very concerned about Texas" given the "money coming out" of donors' pockets that could be spent elsewhere.
February 5, 2026
Deadline Legal Blog-Supreme Court allows California congressional map ahead of midterm elections
The high court previously approved Texas’ GOP-friendly map, which California’s Proposition 50 sought to counter.
https://x.com/NBCPalmSprings/status/2019209393380946227
https://www.ms.now/deadline-white-house/deadline-legal-blog/supreme-court-allows-california-congressional-map-midterm-elections
The Supreme Court rejected an emergency appeal from Republicans to halt California’s congressional map, which was passed in response to Texas’ Republican-friendly effort, launched at President Donald Trump’s urging ahead of the November midterm elections.
The high court rejection came Wednesday in an unexplained order with no justices noting dissent.
In December, the Supreme Court approved Texas’ map on the grounds that it was motivated by partisan considerations, which the court has permitted, and not by unlawful racial considerations. When the court sided with Texas, it also seemed to cite California’s effort approvingly. Justice Samuel Alito wrote in a concurring opinion that “the impetus for the adoption of the Texas map (like the map subsequently adopted in California) was partisan advantage pure and simple.”
A divided lower-court panel cited the Supreme Court order in the Texas case when it rejected a GOP challenge to California’s map. Republicans appealed to the justices, leading to Wednesday’s order.
The high court rejection came Wednesday in an unexplained order with no justices noting dissent.
In December, the Supreme Court approved Texas’ map on the grounds that it was motivated by partisan considerations, which the court has permitted, and not by unlawful racial considerations. When the court sided with Texas, it also seemed to cite California’s effort approvingly. Justice Samuel Alito wrote in a concurring opinion that “the impetus for the adoption of the Texas map (like the map subsequently adopted in California) was partisan advantage pure and simple.”
A divided lower-court panel cited the Supreme Court order in the Texas case when it rejected a GOP challenge to California’s map. Republicans appealed to the justices, leading to Wednesday’s order.
February 5, 2026
Deadline Legal Blog-Supreme Court allows California congressional map ahead of midterm elections
The high court previously approved Texas’ GOP-friendly map, which California’s Proposition 50 sought to counter.
https://x.com/NBCPalmSprings/status/2019209393380946227
https://www.ms.now/deadline-white-house/deadline-legal-blog/supreme-court-allows-california-congressional-map-midterm-elections
The Supreme Court rejected an emergency appeal from Republicans to halt California’s congressional map, which was passed in response to Texas’ Republican-friendly effort, launched at President Donald Trump’s urging ahead of the November midterm elections.
The high court rejection came Wednesday in an unexplained order with no justices noting dissent.
In December, the Supreme Court approved Texas’ map on the grounds that it was motivated by partisan considerations, which the court has permitted, and not by unlawful racial considerations. When the court sided with Texas, it also seemed to cite California’s effort approvingly. Justice Samuel Alito wrote in a concurring opinion that “the impetus for the adoption of the Texas map (like the map subsequently adopted in California) was partisan advantage pure and simple.”
A divided lower-court panel cited the Supreme Court order in the Texas case when it rejected a GOP challenge to California’s map. Republicans appealed to the justices, leading to Wednesday’s order.
The high court rejection came Wednesday in an unexplained order with no justices noting dissent.
In December, the Supreme Court approved Texas’ map on the grounds that it was motivated by partisan considerations, which the court has permitted, and not by unlawful racial considerations. When the court sided with Texas, it also seemed to cite California’s effort approvingly. Justice Samuel Alito wrote in a concurring opinion that “the impetus for the adoption of the Texas map (like the map subsequently adopted in California) was partisan advantage pure and simple.”
A divided lower-court panel cited the Supreme Court order in the Texas case when it rejected a GOP challenge to California’s map. Republicans appealed to the justices, leading to Wednesday’s order.
February 4, 2026
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/pete-hegseth-scouting-america-demands
I have some history here. I was Charter Organization Representative for my temple's troop and my oldest child was the first Eagle Scout for our troop. My oldest want to the National Scout Jamboree back when this event was held as Fort A.P. Hill. Since then, the National Jamboree has been moved to a different military base. I want to know what issues that Hegseth has with Scouting. I am fearful that Hegseth may not be happy with the fact that Scouting is now co-ed and that approximately 1000 female Eagle Scouts were sworn in last year.
The rank of eagle scout is a big deal. I know that this rank helped my oldest when he interviewed for a scholarship. Here is a story about the first class of female Eagle Scouts that made me smile https://www.backpacker.com/stories/people/profiles/the-first-ever-female-eagle-scouts-are-hikers-mentors-and-so-much-more/
I hope that I am wrong about Hegseth.
MaddowBlog-Pete Hegseth finds yet another culture war distraction to focus on: Scouting America
The Pentagon chief is now adding scouting “reforms” to threats like library books and grooming standards.
Pete Hegseth finds yet another culture-war distraction to focus on: Scouting America - MS NOW
— (@oc88.bsky.social) 2026-02-04T19:17:27.728Z
apple.news/AMIoKCnu3TGG...
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/pete-hegseth-scouting-america-demands
In Trump’s second term, his team is still focused on the Scouts, though in ways that are less fictional. The Washington Post reported:
.....But his culture war crusade has expanded to include Scouting America. In November, the former Fox News host suggested he was prepared to cut all ties between the Defense Department and the organization — a move that generated bipartisan pushback — and almost three months later, the Pentagon is now demanding that Scouting America meet undisclosed demands to make Hegseth happy.
“If Scouting America does not comply with Hegseth’s demands, which have not been made public,” the Post reported, “the group could also lose its access to military facilities — which would have a disproportionate impact on military children who participate in Scouting troops at U.S. bases overseas, people familiar with the matter said.” The Post’s report has not been independently verified by MS NOW.
Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, isn’t pleased.
“For more than a century, Scouting America has helped shape young Americans who are grounded in duty, leadership, and love of country,” Reed said in a statement. “The Scouts have provided one of the strongest pipelines into military and public service our nation has ever known.”
“Secretary Hegseth’s notion that scouting is weakened because young women are given the chance to participate is shameful and false,” the Democratic senator added. “Every Scout still wears the same flag on their sleeve and lives out the same timeless values, ethics, and morals that have always defined the organization. Scouting America produces exactly the kind of young men and women we need. Any attempt to threaten or politicize that legacy over personal cultural grievances is misguided and undermines a partnership that has long benefitted military families, readiness, and national security. We should be strengthening institutions that prepare young Americans to serve, not using the weight of the Pentagon to wage ideological fights against them.”
Time will tell what becomes of the unnecessary fight, but this year’s jamboree is scheduled for July.
“They are on the clock,” the Pentagon’s Parnell wrote on social media, “and we are watching.” Watch this space.
The Pentagon issued a warning late Monday to Scouting America, formerly known as the Boy Scouts, saying the organization risks losing its long-standing partnership with the U.S. military unless it rapidly implements ‘core value reforms.’
The public warning, delivered on social media by Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell, comes just months before thousands of Scouts are expected in West Virginia for National Jamboree, a once-every-four-years camping summit that relies on hundreds of National Guard and active-duty service members for medical, security and logistical support. A sudden loss of that support could jeopardize the youth gathering.
.....But his culture war crusade has expanded to include Scouting America. In November, the former Fox News host suggested he was prepared to cut all ties between the Defense Department and the organization — a move that generated bipartisan pushback — and almost three months later, the Pentagon is now demanding that Scouting America meet undisclosed demands to make Hegseth happy.
“If Scouting America does not comply with Hegseth’s demands, which have not been made public,” the Post reported, “the group could also lose its access to military facilities — which would have a disproportionate impact on military children who participate in Scouting troops at U.S. bases overseas, people familiar with the matter said.” The Post’s report has not been independently verified by MS NOW.
Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, isn’t pleased.
“For more than a century, Scouting America has helped shape young Americans who are grounded in duty, leadership, and love of country,” Reed said in a statement. “The Scouts have provided one of the strongest pipelines into military and public service our nation has ever known.”
“Secretary Hegseth’s notion that scouting is weakened because young women are given the chance to participate is shameful and false,” the Democratic senator added. “Every Scout still wears the same flag on their sleeve and lives out the same timeless values, ethics, and morals that have always defined the organization. Scouting America produces exactly the kind of young men and women we need. Any attempt to threaten or politicize that legacy over personal cultural grievances is misguided and undermines a partnership that has long benefitted military families, readiness, and national security. We should be strengthening institutions that prepare young Americans to serve, not using the weight of the Pentagon to wage ideological fights against them.”
Time will tell what becomes of the unnecessary fight, but this year’s jamboree is scheduled for July.
“They are on the clock,” the Pentagon’s Parnell wrote on social media, “and we are watching.” Watch this space.
I have some history here. I was Charter Organization Representative for my temple's troop and my oldest child was the first Eagle Scout for our troop. My oldest want to the National Scout Jamboree back when this event was held as Fort A.P. Hill. Since then, the National Jamboree has been moved to a different military base. I want to know what issues that Hegseth has with Scouting. I am fearful that Hegseth may not be happy with the fact that Scouting is now co-ed and that approximately 1000 female Eagle Scouts were sworn in last year.
The rank of eagle scout is a big deal. I know that this rank helped my oldest when he interviewed for a scholarship. Here is a story about the first class of female Eagle Scouts that made me smile https://www.backpacker.com/stories/people/profiles/the-first-ever-female-eagle-scouts-are-hikers-mentors-and-so-much-more/
I hope that I am wrong about Hegseth.
February 4, 2026
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/white-house-picks-a-fight-it-cant-win-over-obama-era-deportations
MaddowBlog-White House picks a fight it can't win over Obama-era deportations
If Team Trump wants to pursue a deportation policy without sparking a national backlash, it should stop talking about Obama’s policy and start emulating Obama’s policy.
Republicans apparently want to focus on Obama-era deportations. This isn't smart.
— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-02-04T20:24:04.149Z
Obama showed that it was possible to focus on deportations without terrorizing communities and sparking a national backlash. Team Trump should stop referencing Obama’s policy and start emulating it.
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/white-house-picks-a-fight-it-cant-win-over-obama-era-deportations
As Democratic outrage has grown in response to the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement tactics, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has begun referring to the masked, well-armed federal agents as the president’s “secret police.”
On Tuesday, Fox News asked White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt for her reaction to the label.
.....Let’s take a stroll down memory lane.
Early in Obama’s presidency, the Democrat saw an opportunity to build on the plan embraced by George W. Bush: A bipartisan agreement could combine a Republican priority — increased border security — and the Democratic goal of creating a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants already living in the United States.
At the time, GOP lawmakers balked, but they said they were open to reaching a deal down the road: If the Democratic administration agreed to focus on deportations and security measures first, Republicans said, that would generate trust that could serve as a foundation for a comprehensive solution......
Except, the truth isn’t nearly that straightforward. Yes, the Obama administration focused on deportations in the hopes of striking a bipartisan deal — an agreement that never happened because Republicans refused to hold up their end of the bargain — but the Democratic White House never deployed masked, well-armed agents to terrorize American communities.
Leavitt and her allies want to focus on the superficial similarities instead of the substantive details that make all the difference.
As The Atlantic’s Adam Serwer noted last week, Obama’s record on deportations “just shows that if you wanted to have a conservative immigration policy without partisan militias occupying cities and gunning people down in the streets, you could do it and a lot of Americans would be fine with it.”
Leavitt and Roberts proved largely the opposite of their intended point: If Trump wants to pursue a deportation policy without sparking a national backlash, he and his team should stop talking about Obama’s policy and start emulating Obama’s policy.
On Tuesday, Fox News asked White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt for her reaction to the label.
FOX NEWS: What's your response to Schumer saying Mike Johnson is "pro-secret police"?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2026-02-03T18:13:19.878Z
KAROLINE LEAVITT: I didn't hear Schumer speaking that way under President Barack Obama
(ICE agents didn't wear masks while terrorizing Americans back then)
.....Let’s take a stroll down memory lane.
Early in Obama’s presidency, the Democrat saw an opportunity to build on the plan embraced by George W. Bush: A bipartisan agreement could combine a Republican priority — increased border security — and the Democratic goal of creating a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants already living in the United States.
At the time, GOP lawmakers balked, but they said they were open to reaching a deal down the road: If the Democratic administration agreed to focus on deportations and security measures first, Republicans said, that would generate trust that could serve as a foundation for a comprehensive solution......
Except, the truth isn’t nearly that straightforward. Yes, the Obama administration focused on deportations in the hopes of striking a bipartisan deal — an agreement that never happened because Republicans refused to hold up their end of the bargain — but the Democratic White House never deployed masked, well-armed agents to terrorize American communities.
Leavitt and her allies want to focus on the superficial similarities instead of the substantive details that make all the difference.
As The Atlantic’s Adam Serwer noted last week, Obama’s record on deportations “just shows that if you wanted to have a conservative immigration policy without partisan militias occupying cities and gunning people down in the streets, you could do it and a lot of Americans would be fine with it.”
Leavitt and Roberts proved largely the opposite of their intended point: If Trump wants to pursue a deportation policy without sparking a national backlash, he and his team should stop talking about Obama’s policy and start emulating Obama’s policy.
February 4, 2026
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/tulsi-gabbard-whistleblower-inspector-general-congress
MaddowBlog-Congress to gain access to the whistleblower complaint against Tulsi Gabbard at last
Lawmakers have had to wait for months to learn the details about allegations against the DNI. That wait is now over.
Congress to gain access to the whistleblower complaint against Tulsi Gabbard at last
— Mike Walker (@newnarrative.bsky.social) 2026-02-04T16:44:54.953Z
www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/tulsi-gabbard-whistleblower-inspector-general-congress
Given her dreadful record, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard never should have been nominated in the first place. Given how poorly her confirmation process went, Gabbard never should have been approved by Senate Republicans.....
Last week, Gabbard’s troubles intensified after she needlessly participated in an FBI raid on an Atlanta-area elections office, despite the fact that the DNI is prohibited by law from taking part in domestic law enforcement. This week, her standing went from bad to worse when a report in The Wall Street Journal reached the public:
.....Given the circumstances, it’s unlikely that any member of the Gang of Eight will be able to speak publicly about what the complaint entails, but the disclosure will have the effect of advancing the broader controversy and at least opens the door to possible committee hearings.
The president, for his part, has said very little about the burgeoning story, though he did publish a brief item to his social media platform on Tuesday night that quoted a conservative outlet that said the complaint against Gabbard “did not appear credible” according to the inspector general’s office.
While it’s difficult to say whether that assessment is fair, it’s worth noting that The Washington Post reported that Gabbard took steps last spring to politicize her agency’s inspector general’s office.
The Post’s article was published in early June — shortly after the complaint from a whistleblower was filed against Gabbard with the IG’s office.
Last week, Gabbard’s troubles intensified after she needlessly participated in an FBI raid on an Atlanta-area elections office, despite the fact that the DNI is prohibited by law from taking part in domestic law enforcement. This week, her standing went from bad to worse when a report in The Wall Street Journal reached the public:
A U.S. intelligence official has alleged wrongdoing by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard in a whistleblower complaint that is so highly classified it has sparked months of wrangling over how to share it with Congress, according to U.S. officials and others familiar with the matter.
The filing of the complaint has prompted a continuing, behind-the-scenes struggle about how to assess and handle it, with the whistleblower’s lawyer accusing Gabbard of stonewalling the complaint. Gabbard’s office rejects that characterization, contending it is navigating a unique set of circumstances and working to resolve the issue.
.....Given the circumstances, it’s unlikely that any member of the Gang of Eight will be able to speak publicly about what the complaint entails, but the disclosure will have the effect of advancing the broader controversy and at least opens the door to possible committee hearings.
The president, for his part, has said very little about the burgeoning story, though he did publish a brief item to his social media platform on Tuesday night that quoted a conservative outlet that said the complaint against Gabbard “did not appear credible” according to the inspector general’s office.
While it’s difficult to say whether that assessment is fair, it’s worth noting that The Washington Post reported that Gabbard took steps last spring to politicize her agency’s inspector general’s office.
The Post’s article was published in early June — shortly after the complaint from a whistleblower was filed against Gabbard with the IG’s office.
February 4, 2026
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/speaker-johnson-abandons-all-subtlety-embraces-role-as-an-election-denier
MaddowBlog-Speaker Johnson abandons all subtlety, embraces role as an election denier
The House Republican has an ugly record when it comes to baseless election conspiracies. This week, he made it worse.
It’s easy to forget the degree to which Speaker Mike Johnson is a died-in-the-wool, knee-jerk election denier who touts genuinely bonkers ideas, indifferent to their ridiculousness.
— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-02-04T17:49:27.347Z
We’re not just talking about a few election-administration concerns; we’re talking about brazen nonsense.
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/speaker-johnson-abandons-all-subtlety-embraces-role-as-an-election-denier
Two days later, asked about Trump’s support for a federal takeover of election administration, the House speaker continued to endorse conspiratorial concerns about “some of the blue states,” before he raised some new and specific concerns.
....The House GOP leader has a long record of endorsing bizarre beliefs that he can’t prove, including declaring at a 2024 press conference, “We all know, intuitively, that a lot of illegals are voting in federal elections.”
But this latest example is especially offensive. To hear Johnson tell it, preliminary vote totals gave some Republican candidates optimism, until a more complete picture showed them losing. This, in his mind, suggests the results were “fraudulent,” which is ridiculous......
In the wake of Trump’s 2020 defeat, for example, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a crackpot lawsuit intended to invalidate state election results that Republicans didn’t like. It was Johnson who took the lead, not only in endorsing that ill-fated lawsuit, but also in getting his GOP colleagues to sign on to an amicus brief in support of the Texas case.
The New York Times reported that the lawyer for the House Republican leadership told Johnson at the time “that his arguments were unconstitutional.” The future speaker proceeded anyway. The same Times article referred to Johnson as “the most important architect of the Electoral College objections” on Jan. 6, 2021, which were intended to keep Trump in office despite his defeat....
“President Trump called me this morning to express his great appreciation for our effort to file an amicus brief in the Texas case on behalf of concerned Members of Congress,” Johnson wrote in the December 2020 email. “He specifically asked me to contact all Republican Members of the House and Senate today and request that all join on to our brief,” he continued. “He said he will be anxiously awaiting the final list to review.”
Or, put another way, Johnson was a member of Congress, but he effectively took on the role of a member of Trump’s political-legal operation, becoming the then-president’s point man on Capitol Hill while Trump was trying to seize illegitimate power.
This came on the heels of a radio interview in which the Louisiana congressman echoed a discredited conspiracy theory involving Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez and Dominion Voting Systems — nonsense that even many Trump acolytes no longer feel comfortable repeating.
In the same on-air appearance, Johnson also falsely told the public, “In Georgia, [the 2020 election] really was rigged. It was set up for the Biden team to win.”
It was after this that Johnson voted with other Republicans to reject the results of the 2020 election.....
This week, the House speaker is offering the political world a timely reminder about how brazen an election denier he still is.
Mike Johnson on Trump calling for Rs to "nationalize" elections: "We had 3 Republicans who were ahead on election day in last cycle & every time a new tranche of ballots came in they just magically whittled away until their leads were lost. It looks on its face to be fraudulent. Can I prove it? No"
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2026-02-03T19:33:43.243Z
....The House GOP leader has a long record of endorsing bizarre beliefs that he can’t prove, including declaring at a 2024 press conference, “We all know, intuitively, that a lot of illegals are voting in federal elections.”
But this latest example is especially offensive. To hear Johnson tell it, preliminary vote totals gave some Republican candidates optimism, until a more complete picture showed them losing. This, in his mind, suggests the results were “fraudulent,” which is ridiculous......
In the wake of Trump’s 2020 defeat, for example, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a crackpot lawsuit intended to invalidate state election results that Republicans didn’t like. It was Johnson who took the lead, not only in endorsing that ill-fated lawsuit, but also in getting his GOP colleagues to sign on to an amicus brief in support of the Texas case.
The New York Times reported that the lawyer for the House Republican leadership told Johnson at the time “that his arguments were unconstitutional.” The future speaker proceeded anyway. The same Times article referred to Johnson as “the most important architect of the Electoral College objections” on Jan. 6, 2021, which were intended to keep Trump in office despite his defeat....
“President Trump called me this morning to express his great appreciation for our effort to file an amicus brief in the Texas case on behalf of concerned Members of Congress,” Johnson wrote in the December 2020 email. “He specifically asked me to contact all Republican Members of the House and Senate today and request that all join on to our brief,” he continued. “He said he will be anxiously awaiting the final list to review.”
Or, put another way, Johnson was a member of Congress, but he effectively took on the role of a member of Trump’s political-legal operation, becoming the then-president’s point man on Capitol Hill while Trump was trying to seize illegitimate power.
This came on the heels of a radio interview in which the Louisiana congressman echoed a discredited conspiracy theory involving Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez and Dominion Voting Systems — nonsense that even many Trump acolytes no longer feel comfortable repeating.
In the same on-air appearance, Johnson also falsely told the public, “In Georgia, [the 2020 election] really was rigged. It was set up for the Biden team to win.”
It was after this that Johnson voted with other Republicans to reject the results of the 2020 election.....
This week, the House speaker is offering the political world a timely reminder about how brazen an election denier he still is.
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