House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) publicly contradicted one another at a press conference Wednesday over whether former President Trump should speak at the upcoming Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
Why it matters: The divergence between the No. 1 and No. 3 House Republicans shows the stark divide in the leadership ranks of the Republican Party in a post-Trump era.
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Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) said Tuesday that he believes former President Trump would win the Republican presidential nomination "in a landslide" if he decided to run again in 2024.
Why it matters: Romney, the 2012 GOP presidential nominee, has been one of the Republican Party's staunchest critics of Trump, voting to convict him in both of his impeachment trials. But even he acknowledged the vise-grip the former president has over the party's base.
Rep. Matt Gaetz. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) joined a group of conservatives last week at a training session for activists readying to combat the continued use of the voting technology that propelled Trumpworld's 2020 election-theft conspiracy theories.
Why it matters: Theories about uncounted or overcounted votes have become politically tricky and legally problematic for their most prominent backers. The activist training is part of an effort to put a more respectable and pragmatic face on the trend.
Judge Merrick Garland, President Biden's nominee for attorney general, decried the Trump administration's "zero-tolerance" immigration policy at his confirmation hearing Monday, calling it "shameful" and agreeing to cooperate with future investigations.
Why it matters: The policy — which "came at the expense" of weighing the impact on families, according to a Justice Department watchdog report — resulted in over 500 parents still separated from their children as of October 2020. Biden has launched a task force on reuniting families as part of a campaign pledge.
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In his first post-presidential appearance, Donald Trump plans to send the message next weekend that he is Republicans' "presumptive 2024 nominee" with a vise grip on the party's base, top Trump allies tell Axios.
What to watch: A longtime adviser called Trump's speech a "show of force," and said the message will be: "I may not have Twitter or the Oval Office, but I'm still in charge." Payback is his chief obsession.
National Institutes of Health director Francis Collins tells "Axios on HBO" that the Trump administration deserves credit for the "breathtaking" speed of COVID vaccine development.
The big picture: The fact that it "got done in 11 months from when we first knew about this virus is at least five years faster than it's ever been before before," Collins said.
Photo: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
Former President Trump will speak at next week's Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) conference in Florida, his first public appearance since leaving office, a source with direct knowledge tells Axios.
What we're hearing: Trump plans to directly attack President Biden's new immigration plan and will talk about the future of the Republican Party, a source familiar with his speech said.
Former President Trump with U.S. Space Force Senior Enlisted Advisor CMSgt Roger Towberma in the White House in May 2020. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
The Department of Defense's inspector general announced Friday it will review the Trump administration's decision to relocate U.S. Space Command from Colorado Springs, Colorado, to Huntsville, Alabama.
Why it matters: The inspector general will investigate whether the decision — announced a week before Trump left office — complied with Air Force and Pentagon policy.
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The Department of Justice has arrested six additional people with ties to the far-right Oath Keepers militia group for their participation in the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, the agency announced Friday.
Driving the news: A total of nine members of the group have been charged with coordinating the attack using military-style tactics. "The case against those affiliated with the Oath Keepers is the largest conspiracy case brought by the U.S. Justice Department so far in the Jan. 6 insurrection," AP writes.
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California venture capitalist Imaad Shah Zuberi was sentenced to 12 years in prison on Thursday for unregistered foreign lobbying, illegal campaign contributions and obstruction of justice.
Details: The obstruction of justice charge against Zuberi stemmed from an investigation into a $900,000 contribution he made to former President Trump's inaugural committee. Zuberi was also ordered to pay a $1.75 million fine and $15.7 million in restitution.