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12:30 REPORT
Happy Friday. I’m back at CPAC today, though I’m still very interested in dipping out to go check out the Titanic exhibit. Who’s coming with me?! Here’s what’s happening today:
A few more of former President Trump’s shortlist picks for vice president are auditioning at CPAC today.
The mood at the conservative confab is a bit different this year. It feels less energetic. The Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol has also been a popular talking point.
Remember how I said yesterday that Washington, D.C., would *love* to have pandas again? Well, apparently I manifested it. The National Zoo is in talks with China to potentially send pandas back to D.C. You’re welcome.
I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Send tips, commentary, feedback and cookie recipes to cmartel@thehill.com. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here.
🐘 CPAC
Not your mother’s CPAC:
© Greg Nash, The Hill
I’ve covered the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) for nearly 10 years. It has been fascinating to watch the evolution. The annual event has always featured the right wing of the Republican Party, but this year has a different tone.
Jan. 6 is a constant undercurrent: The Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol has been front-and-center, discussed without stigma and as a patriotic protest. I’ve seen many people in “J6”-themed outfits — “Justice 4 J6” hats and a homemade “Pardon the J6” T-shirt. A large poster in the main hall reads, “Let my people go. Free the J6 prisoners. End rigged elections.”
This really struck a nerve: The CPAC marketplace features vendors selling eagle-themed T-shirts, Donald J. Trump gold hats, and bedazzled American flags. I found a Jan. 6-themed pinball machine with nods to “murdered” Ashli Babbitt, “stop the steal,” the “QAnon Shaman” who stormed the Capitol, and a screen showing Jan. 6 video footage. I posted photos and videos of this pinball machine on X, formerly known as Twitter. (The post seemed to strike a nerve on both sides of the aisle.) The X post / Watch the pinball machine in action
2024 conference also feels … sleepier: This year’s CPAC doesn’t seem as energetic as usual. Granted, Trump is speaking tomorrow, and it will likely be much more active then, but the tone so far feels somewhat muted.
➤ WHO'S SPEAKING TODAY?
- South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) *cough, possible Trump VP, cough*
- Jim Jordan (R-Ohio)
- Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.)
- Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) *cough, another VP option*
- Former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy *cough, you get the idea* Today’s agenda
The buzz among CPAC attendees: Who will be former President Trump’s vice presidential running mate? Several of the options he has floated are speaking at CPAC.
^ CPAC organizer Matt Schlapp equated it to 'The Apprentice': “This is like our version of ‘The Apprentice,’” Schapp said. “They’ll all get a chance to make remarks and give conservative activists a sense of what they’re about. And I’m sure Mr. Trump will be very interested to see the results of the straw poll.” (The New York Times)
💬 Live blog of today’s CPAC highlights
💻 Today’s CPAC livestream
➤ SIGHTS AND SOUNDS:
Former British Prime Minister Liz Truss had quite the entourage: NBC News’s Ben Goggin posted, “The amount of security protecting Liz Truss at CPAC is insane. More than 7 people.” 📸 Photo
© Greg Nash, The Hill
This must have taken a while to get ready: A CPAC attendee is dressed as “Lady MAGA USA,” with a vintage dress, sash and tiara. 📸 Photo
These people are having a ball: Check out these CPAC costumes.
‘Nuking the nuclear family’ billboard: The Independent’s Eric Michael Garcia noticed a CPAC sign criticizing “overly broad definitions of domestic violence,” “restraining orders without evidence of abuse,” “false allegations,” “presumption of guilt” and “ignoring that domestic violence is an equal opportunity problem.” Photo
Buzzwords I’ve been hearing: Radical left, patriot, J6, Trump’s lawsuits, witch hunt, etc.
💰 In Congress
Hey team, that’s a week away… *nervous laugh*:
Congress returns to Washington, D.C., next week with only a few legislative days before government funding expires.
The latest shutdown dates: Part of the government would shut down March 1. The rest would shut down March 8.
What’s happening now?: Leaders in both parties are scrambling to agree to a funding deal, but there are a number of major disagreements.
Plus: Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is under tremendous pressure from Republicans in his conference not to compromise. Twenty-eight House Freedom Caucus members signed a letter to Johnson, reupping their demands.
What to expect over the next week, via The Hill’s Mike Lillis, Mychael Schnell and Al Weaver
🐝 Trump’s Legal Troubles
Rudy’s got $148 million problems:
The Hill’s Zach Schonfeld reports that “Rudy Giuliani’s bankruptcy filing, spurred by a multimillion-dollar verdict against him for defaming two Georgia election workers, has provided fresh insight into the former New York City mayor’s finances.”
How much Giuliani owes?: In December, a federal jury ordered Giuliani to pay a whopping $148 million for his baseless claims of voter fraud.
What’s happening now?: “[Giuliani’s] bankruptcy judge late Tuesday allowed the longtime ally of former President Trump to appeal the defamation verdict but in the meantime, his bankruptcy proceeding has cracked Giuliani’s finances wide open, shedding light on his debts and overall standing.”
Read more — ‘Rudy Giuliani bankruptcy shows Trump ally drowning in debt’
🌕 Talk of the Morning
Hit it, Christy Carlson Romano!:
🎵 “We went to the moon in 2024, not 2023 but a year later.” 🎵 My Millennial readers will get this.
© Raquel Natalicchio/Houston Chronicle via AP
A U.S. spacecraft, Odysseus, landed on the moon Thursday for the first time since 1972(!)
📹 Watch the moon landing footage
The significance of this landing: “The landing is a historic one, marking the first commercial spacecraft to soft-land on the moon, and the first US-made vehicle to touch down on the lunar surface since the Apollo program ended more than five decades ago. This mission is of key interest to Intuitive Machines’ primary customer, NASA, which is seeking to scout the moon using robotic explorers developed by private contractors before sending astronauts there later this decade through its Artemis program.” (CNN)
🤹🏼 On The Campaign Trail
Omg, remember the AI Biden robocalls?:
NBC News’s Alex Seitz-Wald reports that “a Democratic consultant who worked for a rival presidential campaign paid a New Orleans magician to use artificial intelligence to impersonate President Joe Biden for a robocall that is now at the center of a multistate law enforcement investigation, according to text messages, call logs and Venmo transactions the creator shared with NBC News.” The full story — It’s worth reading
Back story: A few days before the New Hampshire presidential primary, voters received robocalls from a voice claiming to be President Biden, telling Democrats not to vote in the primary. It raised many concerns about AI election misinformation. (The Hill)
🐝 Internet Buzz
🍌 Celebrate: Today is National Banana Bread Day! Where all good bananas hope to live out the rest of their lives.
🐼 Omg, I literally manifested this yesterday: NBC News is reporting that Washington’s National Zoo is in talks with China to potentially get two pandas. (Washingtonian)
🌸 This is a damn shame: WAMU shut down the local news site DCist. If this feels like “Groundhog Day” to you, DCist shut down in 2017 by another owner, but then later restarted. (Axios)
📱 Getting traction — this is horrible: The New York Times published an investigation into child influencers. “Mothers are running Instagram accounts for underage girls aspiring to stardom. Many encounter a dark underworld dominated by men, including pedophiles.” Five takeaways from the Times
🗓 On The Agenda
The House and Senate are out. President Biden and Vice President Harris are in Washington, D.C. (all times Eastern)
👋 And Finally…
To leave you on a happy note for the weekend, here’s a dog waking up with Doritos in its mouth. The pure joy in this realization is incredible.
Stay Engaged
Send comments, story ideas and events for our radar to cmartel@thehill.com. A friend forward this to you? Subscribe here.
View past issues of 12:30 Report here and check out other newsletters from The Hill here. See you next week!
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