March 25, 2024 - Daily Digest

Trump's trial date has been set. Mark your calendars!

Today is March 25, 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) Trump’s Trial Date Set

It’s official, Donald Trump will be going to trial in New York on April 15th, in a major blow to his legal arguments. This will be the first time a former or current President stands trial on criminal charges. Trump is facing 34 felony counts related to the hush money payment scheme to Stormy Daniels prior to him becoming President. If convicted, Trump faces up to five years in New York state prison, although any prison sentence is highly unlikely. I will be monitoring the trial daily when it begins, so be sure to stay tuned for more!

2) New York Appellate Court Partially Grants Trump's Request To Stay Enforcement Of Judgment

A New York appellate court has partially granted Donald Trump's request to stay enforcement of the $460+ million judgment entered by Judge Engoron in Trump's civil fraud trial in New York. 

Previously, Trump's attorneys begged the appellate court to stay enforcement of the judgment pending appeal as Trump did not have sufficient liquid cash to post a bond in the full amount. In the alternative, Trump's attorneys asked the court to allow Trump to post a smaller bond in the amount of $100 million. Although the appellate court did not grant either request in full, it did allow Trump to post a $175 million bond, instead of the full $460 million. 

The deadline to post the bond is ten days from the date of this order. If Trump does not meet the deadline, the New York Attorney General will be able to begin enforcing the judgment by attempting to seize Trump's assets.

3) Israel Agrees To Major Hostage Proposal: Report

According to latest reporting, Israel has agreed to a significant new hostage proposal that would see the release of about 40 hostages from Hamas custody in exchange for the release of over 700 Palestinian prisoners currently serving time in Israeli prisons. Among the 700 prisoners to be released include about 100 prisoners currently serving life sentences for killing Israeli nationals. 

According to a senior Israeli official, Israel is planning on making "significant compromises in order to return the abductees home." While Israel has agreed to the deal, Hamas has yet to respond. Negotiations continue in Qatar to reach an agreement that is acceptable to both sides, but according to Axios, a response from Hamas should come within about three days. 

This latest report, if verified, comes at a precarious time for Israel-U.S. relations. Previously, President Biden and Senate Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer have both publicly called out Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his refusal to allow more aid into the Gaza enclave, while also committing to proceed with an incursion of Rafah, a town home to over 1 million civilians. 

The agreement will hopefully not end with the release of the 40 hostages. Around 100 hostages remain alive in Gaza, and the parties are actively negotiating to agree to a deal that would see the remaining hostages released from Hamas custody in phases over the next several weeks. 

4) Major Win For Western Interests In Slovakia

This weekend, liberal democracy scored a significant win in Slovakia where the race for the Presidency is moving onto a runoff election after a surprising victory for pro-west diplomat Ivan Korcok, despite being down in the polls leading up to the election. Korcok scored the surprise victory against Peter Pellegrini, a pro-Russian candidate who many experts believe would take Slovakia closer to Viktor Orban and Hungary. Previously, Pellegrini had been the favorite, both within the polls released and within the Slovakian media, to secure a win in the election, and potentially securing a large enough win to bypass the need for a runoff election. Pellegrini is an ally of Slovakia's current populist Prime Minister. 

Meanwhile, Ivan Korcok is a pro-West career diplomat who previously served as Slovakia's Foreign Minister, and also was the country's ambassador to the United States and Germany. Unlike Pellegrini, who supports Russia, Korcok firmly supports keeping Slovakia both in the European Union and NATO. 

Korcok's win in the first round of voting is a tell for other western democracies who have elections this year, like the United States. Polling has uniformly failed to properly estimate the strength of liberal democracy, and we are seeing it again here in the United States where polling often shows Donald Trump having a lead against President Biden, despite the data not always adding up. 

5) MTG and MAGA Call for Mike Gallagher's Expulsion

Marjorie Taylor Greene and several perpetually online MAGA personalities are calling for the possible expulsion of Congressman Mike Gallagher from Congress if he fails to resign his seat before April 2nd. Previously, Gallagher, the top Republican on the House Select Committee on China, announced that he would be stepping down from his post on April 19th of this year, months before the November election. Gallagher's decision would leave Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District vacant until the November election as under Wisconsin law, in order to have a special election to replace Gallagher prior to November, his resignation would have to be complete by April 2nd. 

Gallagher's upcoming resignation will shrink the Republican majority even further than it has already, and would allow Republicans to only lose two votes when passing legislation through the House. When appearing on Fox News recently, Greene reiterated her calls for Gallagher's expulsion (even though there is no legitimate basis for one):

Greene was not the only one. Alex Bruesewitz, a pro-Trump influencer, and an individual many rumor to be considering a run for Gallagher's seat, called on Congress to expel the Congressman before the April 2nd deadline to ensure that Wisconsin is able to hold a special election this year. 

Republicans continue to be in disarray as their already tight majority is only growing smaller with each passing week.