Weekend Report: Happy New Year!

Trump booted from another state ballot, as Americans support removal. Haley continues to sink herself over slavery. Ohio governor breaks from GOP, vetoes awful anti-trans bill targeting teens.

Heading back from a few days off, ready for the new year, and glad to see some things to celebrate—including having the Weekend Report ready a day earlier than I thought!

With the news that Maine has joined Colorado in removing Donald Trump from the ballot, the political implications are very good for Democrats and President Biden, no matter what the U.S. Supreme Court decides. Most Americans want Trump removed, and most Americans do not trust the Supreme Court to protect democracy and now see respected leaders and institutions doing the right thing.

It’s hard to believe a candidate could implode as badly as Nikki Haley did over a no-brainer like the fact that slavery was the central issue of the Civil War. But that is what is happening, no matter how much she tries to dig herself out—including now saying she would pardon Donald Trump, clearly a way to make it up to his base for having to eventually say slavery was bad.

And Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, who has backed the most horrendous anti-abortion legislation in the country, broke with other GOP governors and vetoed a bill banning gender-affirming care for minors. And that is reason to cheer, as 2024 is upon us.