February 27, 2024 - Daily Digest

We must support Ukraine NOW!

Good morning! Today is February 27, 2024, and here are the critical stories that you may have missed from today. If you enjoy this content and want access to more, exclusive content or to support my work, then consider becoming a monthly subscriber below:

1) Ukraine Forced To Abandon Cities In The East As House Republicans Refuse To Pass Aid

Ukraine has had an extremely difficult week on the battlefield. In just the past week, Ukrainian soldiers were forced to withdraw from the key strategic town of Avdiivka, and Russian forces are now surging through Ukrainian defensive positions in the east, taking strategic towns along the way. The past week has seen Russian forces secure more wins than they had in the previous six months. On the battlefield, Ukrainian soldiers are fighting with light ammunition and drones made of plastic. In other words, the situation on the ground is getting extremely difficult for Ukrainian soldiers. 

This turnaround comes two years after Russia first launched its invasion of Ukraine, attempting to take Kyiv and depose of President Zelensky in the process. While Russia failed in 2022, their goals remain the same two years later. In the past few days, we have seen former Russian President and top Putin-advisor Dmitry Medvedev come out and make clear that Russian forces will have to march on Kyiv again sooner or later, and that the ultimate goal must be restoring Russia to its former glory. 

Medvedev's public comments represent what the future could look like if Ukraine does not receive the support it needs. During the toughest week for our ally, House Republicans continue to meander, refusing to pass additional aid to Ukraine. On the home front, the United States is just four days away from a possible partial government shutdown, and Speaker Mike Johnson has refused to move the bipartisan aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, one that has been sitting on his desk for over one week. 

According to President Biden and President Zelensky, Johnson's failure to move the aid package directly contributed to the recent failures on the battlefield for Ukrainian forces. Without the ammunition necessary to succeed, Ukrainian fighters have been forced to withdraw, and will continue to give up territory so long as Johnson and House Republicans continue to slow walk any additional aid. 

A dangerous situation is only becoming more serious. If House Republicans do not act soon, in just a few short months, Russia may achieve its goals from 2022. 

2) Judge Orders GOP 'Star Witness' To Be Jailed Pending Trial

A United States District Court Judge ruled that Alexander Smirnov, the Republican Party's so-called star witness in its attempt to impeach President Biden, will be jailed pending trial in the case where he has been charged with lying to federal law enforcement agents about President Biden and his son, Hunter Biden. 

Previously, Smirnov was indicted by Special Counsel David Weiss for spreading false information that House and Senate Republicans have relied on to push their impeachment inquiry of President Biden. According to the indictment, and further revelations made by prosecutors, Smirnov had high-level contacts within the Russian government and the stories pushed by Smirnov about the Bidens were possibly part of an effort to harm President Biden's election chances here in the United States. 

After Smirnov was initially released on bond by a magistrate judge in Nevada, he was arrested against by authorities after prosecutors asked to reconsider the bond given the potential for Smirnov to flee the United States. A federal judge in California, where the case will proceed, ruled that the arrest was proper, and today, ruled that there were no conditions that could guarantee that Smirnov would not flee the jurisdiction. During the hearing today, the judge asserted that there "was nothing garden variety about this case," especially given Smirnov's extensive contacts with officials overseas, and his ability to access millions of dollars in savings currently held by his significant other. 

Smirnov's attorneys attempted to keep him out of custody by putting forth a significant bond package, which included house arrest for Smirnov. This request was, however, denied. As a result, Smirnov will remain incarcerated in a federal facility in California until his trial which will likely not occur until next year.  

3) Manhattan District Attorney Asks Judge To Impose Gag Order On Trump

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has filed a motion with the court to impose a narrowly tailored gag order on Donald Trump in advance of his criminal trial which is scheduled to begin on March 25th. The motion cites several examples where Donald Trump made inflammatory comments about court staff and witnesses in other cases, including the civil fraud trial held in Manhattan late last year. The district attorney's request here is narrow insofar as it does not ask the court to bar Trump from making comments about Bragg himself, only to bar Trump from making comments about court staff, jurors, witnesses, and staff of the district attorney's office. 

The motion goes on to discuss the previous gag order already imposed in Washington, D.C. in Jack Smith's prosecution. That gag order went up on appeal in front of the D.C. Circuit and was upheld by the circuit court. This request is tailored to follow the gag order that was already upheld by a federal court in D.C. Given the narrow request, it would not be surprising to see the order granted in this case, especially as the trial will be held in just under one month. Trump's attorneys will now be invited to submit a response to the request, and the court will rule soon after. 

4) Zelensky Blasts Trump For Supporting Vladimir Putin

In a new interview with CNN's Kaitlan Collins, Ukrainian President Zelensky slammed Donald Trump for actively supporting Vladimir Putin and for instructing House Republicans against providing additional aid to Ukraine. In response to questioning from Collins, Zelensky stated that he “can’t understand how Donald Trump can be on the side of Putin,” calling Trump's support "unbelievable." When further asked about Trump's relationship with the Russian dictator, Zelensky stated: "I think Donald Trump doesn't know Putin. I know he met him . . . but he never fought with Putin . . .  I don't think he understands that Putin will never stop."

Zelensky's comments come at a very difficult time for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. Recently, while the United States Senate was able to pass a bipartisan bill to provide aid to Ukraine, that bill has stalled in the House of Representatives with House Republicans refusing to consider any additional aid at the direct behest of Donald Trump. Meanwhile, on the ground, Ukrainian forces continue to struggle to repel Russian attacks in the east, with the Russian army successfully capturing the key town of Avdiivka and other smaller towns in Eastern Ukraine. 

President Biden and President Zelensky have both blamed Ukraine's recent troubles on the battlefield on House Republicans for failing to pass aid to the country. Currently, Ukrainian soldiers are forced to fight with light ammunition and cheaply made drones. They are severely outgunned and outmanned by a Russian military that has been waiting for two years for the opportunity to seize additional territory while further diving western nations. If Congress does not pass additional aid to Ukraine, the country could see additional towns in the east fall. 

5) Ronna McDaniel To Step Down As RNC Chair On March 8th

After months of speculation, Ronna McDaniel has announced that she will be stepping down as the Chairwoman of the Republican National Committee. Her official last day in the role will be March 8th, just weeks after the South Carolina Republican primary and just three days after the March 5th Super Tuesday primaries. In a statement made this morning, McDaniel said the following about her tenure and her plans for the future: 

“I have decided to step aside at our Spring Training on March 8 in Houston to allow our nominee to select a Chair of their choosing. The RNC has historically undergone change once we have a nominee and it has always been my intention to honor that tradition. I remain committed to winning back the White House and electing Republicans up and down the ballot in November.”

Under McDaniel's leadership, the Republican Party has achieved historic losses. McDaniel became chairwoman in early 2017 when Donald Trump began his tenure as President of the United States. Since then, in 2018, McDaniel helped Republicans suffer significant losses in a midterm election that saw Republicans lose power in the House of Representatives. In 2020, Democrats successfully won the White House. In 2022, Democrats were able to stifle any notion of a red wave, successfully defending their majority in the United States Senate. 

The future of the RNC is just as unclear. Donald Trump and his allies are pushing Lara Trump to become the next co-chair of the Committee. Lara Trump is Donald Trump's daughter in law and has pledged to use all RNC resources to support Donald Trump's attempt to take back the White House. With several legal troubles hanging over Donald Trump, it's not clear whether he will even be the Republican Party's nominee in November, let alone in any position to actually win the election.