Why Donald Trump’s lawyers won’t be able to rely on the same arguments other lawyers have made on behalf of Jan. 6 rioters. A school shooting in Iowa leaves one student dead and five people injured. And a Stanley cup collaboration with Starbucks sends fans into a frenzy.
Here’s what to know today.
Why Trump can’t use the ‘idiot’ defense during his Jan. 6 trial
A college student said participating in the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, was “the stupidest decision of my life.” A federal public defender said his client, also a rioter, wanted to learn how to “critically think” to avoid being misled again.
In fact, many lawyers have struck a similar theme when seeking leniency for Jan. 6 rioters. They have argued their clients wanted former President Donald Trump’s “respect” and thought that they were “following presidential orders.” Other lawyers have said their clients have PTSD, bipolar disorder, anxiety or learning difficulties. Some defendants have even called themselves idiots.
It’s hard to see the same approach working for Trump as his own Jan. 6 trial nears.
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In court filings in connection with special counsel Jack Smith’s election interference case, which could go to trial as soon as March, Trump’s lawyers have gone the opposite route. For example, they have written that Trump’s worries about election fraud were not knowingly false and were “maintained in good faith.”
Not to mention Trump has bragged in the past about his Ivy League education and described himself as “a very smart guy” with “a very good brain.” It’s likely he wouldn’t like his lawyers arguing that he lacked the mental capacity to distinguish inherent disinformation from reality.
There’s also a practical reason Trump’s lawyers can’t have trouble arguing that he fell for misinformation: Willful blindness, they Supreme Court ruled years ago, isn’t an excuse.
Justice reporter Ryan J. Reilly explores the legal arguments Trump’s lawyers will have to make when defending the former president’s actions.
Read more related coverage
- President Joe Biden is set to deliver his first campaign speech of the year today, focusing squarely on the threat to democracy posed by Donald Trump.
- There has been no shortage of attempts to confront or “stop” Trump, but NBC News’ chief political analyst argues that none of those attempts are going to work. In an analysis , Todd discusses what he thinks would be a more impactful method.
- Trump will appear in federal court in Washington, D.C., next week, when his lawyers will argue his presidential immunity claim.
- A group of House Democrats called on Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to recuse himself from a case involving Trump’s eligibility to appear on Colorado’s Republican primary ballot.
- Harry Dunn, a Capitol Police Officer who came face to face with Trump supporters on Jan. 6, launched a run for Congress.
- A Florida venue canceled an event that was to feature Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene after learning the event, touted as a book-signing, was to commemorate the third anniversary of the Capitol riot.
More documents unsealed in the Jeffrey Epstein case
A second set of unsealed documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein focuses on how teen girls were recruited to go to his Florida home. Some of the depositions released yesterday describe how girls who went to his home were then asked to bring friends for additional payment.
One woman who was 16 or 17 at the time said she had no massage experience and no assumption or expectation that the visit would involve sexual activity. “Jeffrey took my clothes off without my consent the first time I met him,” the woman said, according to a transcript of a deposition. Read the full story here.
Sixth-grader killed in Iowa school shooting
A small town about 40 miles northwest of Des Moines is mourning the death of a sixth-grade student after a gunman opened fire yesterday morning at Perry High School. Five other people, four students and a school administrator, were injured in the shooting, which unfolded on the school’s first day back from winter break. All day, parents frantically sought to find out if their children were safe. In the evening, community members sought comfort at a candlelight vigil. Gov. Kim Reynolds called the shooting a “senseless tragedy.” NBC News’ live blog tracked the latest updates and reaction throughout the day.
Officials identified the shooter as 17-year-old student Dylan Butler, a student at the school. Butler appeared to have died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Here’s what else we know.
DeSantis ramps up his attacks against Haley
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is intensifying his attacks on fellow Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley as the Iowa caucuses near. She’s a “phony” and a “darling of the Never Trumpers,” DeSantis said. And she “just doesn’t get Iowa,” he added. “And I think that’s becoming more and more apparent.”
In a joint interview with NBC News and The Des Moines Register, DeSantis also voiced his support after a school shooting earlier in the day in Perry, Iowa, but said dealing with such events “is more of a local and state issue.” When asked if he’d support any changes at the federal level to help prevent future shootings, he didn’t name any.
This is the second interview in a series called “Closing Arguments: Iowa,” in which NBC News teamed up with The Des Moines Register to jointly interview Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy. To learn more and watch the full interviews, visit NBCNews.com/politics.
Israel lays out plans for next stage of Gaza conflict
Israel’s defense minister has outlined plans for the next stage of the war in Gaza, including a more targeted approach in the north and a sustained fight in the south, where Hamas leaders and Israeli hostages are thought to be but where masses of civilians fled at Israel’s urging.
Yoav Gallant also laid out a vision for the Palestinian enclave after the current war that would see neither Israel nor the militant group rule the strip while the U.S. and others oversee rebuilding.
The plans come as Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to arrive in the Middle East, with pressure building on Israel to ease its assault and allow more aid in for civilians.
Arrests in the murder of a pregnant Texas teen, boyfriend
Officials in San Antonio shared new information in the murder of a pregnant San Antonio teen and her boyfriend after announcing the arrest of two suspects in the case.
The two suspects arrested are 19-year-old Christopher Preciado and his father, 53-year-old Ramon Preciado. Christopher Preciado is charged with capital murder, while Ramon Preciado is accused of helping move the bodies of Savannah Soto and Matthew Guerra. While the couple was found dead in a car on Dec. 26, the Bexar County medical examiner said the alleged murders are believed to have taken place five days prior. San Antonio Police Department detectives believe the deaths were related to “a narcotics deal that went bad.”
Soto’s brother said in an interview with NBC News that his sister did not do drugs. However, he and his family were worried about her relationship with Guerra.
Today’s Talker: People slept outside of Target stores for…
…a limited-edition Stanley Quencher Starbucks cup. For those not in the know, the Stanley Quencher is an insulated cup that has become a viral sensation in recent years, and this week’s release of the Starbucks-edition Stanley has affirmed its popularity. Videos on social media also showed people getting into screaming matches about who was first in line, and cups are already re-selling on eBay for hundreds of dollars (it retailed for $49.95).
Politics in Brief
Trump admin: Donald Trump received at least $7.8 million in payments from foreign governments during two of his four years in the White House, according to a new report by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee.
Iowa ad blitz: The Donald Trump campaign has turned its fire on Nikki Haley, a decision that allies of the former president say reflects a new dynamic in the GOP presidential race.
Ohio politics: A transgender woman said she was disqualified from running for a seat in the Ohio House of Representatives because she did not disclose her former name.
‘Multiple bomb threats’: Government buildings across the South received bomb threats, the second day in a row that such warnings prompted serious security measures at government facilities.
Staff Pick: Two fights for justice
After Robert Cantor was found dead with a gunshot to the head after a house fire, his family wasn’t sure prosecutors could convict the man accused in the killing. There was no murder weapon, no DNA and no proof that he’d even been in the same town that night. But they did — and after the case was overturned, they had to do it again. Both trials were agony for his family, who shared their story with “Dateline.” — Jamie Knodel, news editor
In Case You Missed It
Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
A quick tip for those hoping to exercise more in the new year: Training shoes — lightly cushioned, flat sneakers that keep you grounded — are different from running shoes, which offer more support. And which shoes you wear could change the quality of your workout. Here are the seven best training shoes for both men and women.
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