It might take several iterations of this going forward. Republican infighting and dysfunction, thats the theme in washington, d. C. Right now. Congressional investigations reporter for the Washington Post, Jackie Alemany, thank you. Thanks to all of you for getting up Way Too Early with us on this monday morning. Morning joe starts right now. Are you concerned about americas reputation on The World Stage given the level of brinksmanship we have seen this year . Based on the maga republican support, yes. Based on what my administration is doing, no. President biden blaming maga republicans as the country falters and how the movement is endangering democracy. This as House Speaker Kevin Mccarthy defied if right wing of his party. And partnered with democrats to Keep Congress running. Now his job could be on the line. Well discuss mccarthys fate and who he may need to turn for help. Plus, hours from now donald trump will appear in court in manhattan for the start of a civil trial scrutini
Seeing trumps very own words and rhetoric in a court filing as it gets. Attorneys for the expresident accuse the Special Counsel of asking the court to, quote, take the extraordinary step of stripping President Trump of his First Amendment freedoms during the most important month of his campaign against President Biden. They say, quote, now keenly aware that it is losing that race for 2024, the prosecution seeks to unconstitutionally silence President Trumps but not President Bidens political speech. On pain of contempt. End quote. Now, if all this sounds familiar, its because trumps attorneys have been making this argument for months now. As the New York Times notes, almost from the moment mr. Trump was indicted, his legal team has raised a First Amendment defense. Its also a defense that jack smith anticipated. His indictment of donald trump on the Election Interference Case says on the second page, the defendant had a right, like every american, to speak publicly about the eleioand
it is 4:00 new york. it is not every day that a former president of the united states is in a courthouse. much less as a defendant in the case that threatens to bring down the entire brand that he used to propel himself into office in the first place. today, donald trump was back in court in the $250 million civil fraud trial in new york. before walking in, trump lashed out as he so often does at the judge, the trial, at the new york attorney general who brought the lawsuit. he did not mention judge engoron s clerk, who has been a frequent target of his, he remains under a gag order that prohibits him from talking about court staff. inside the courtroom, accounting expert eli bartov took the stand and testified that in his expert opinion the attorney general s claims of a years long pattern of fraud, manipulating the values of trump s real estate assets were baseless. there is no evidence whatsoever for any accounting fraud, he said. dold trump was reportedly visibly pleased.