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The record shows that Mr. Trump often pursues his stated goals, regardless of how plainly they lack legal or moral grounding. For this reason, Americans would be wise to see this language as a genuine threat, not simply Mr. Trump on a tangent. Why You Should Believe Him As president, Mr. Trump repeatedly sought to use the power of government to punish his political opponents. But rules can be rewritten, and Mr. Trump has made clear that he intends to pick officials who will take orders from the Oval Office. Mr. Trump would have broad authority to pursue such a plan, though he’d need Congress to provide a lot of money.

Persons: Donald Trump, Will, Trump, supplicants, ”, Newsmax, Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, James Comey, Andrew McCabe, Comey’s, Trump’s, Biden, Kamala Harris, Stephen Miller, Jan, Mark Esper, Esper, “, shoplifters, Mark Milley, John Kelly, James Mattis, Gavin, we’re, Gavin Newsom, Hurricane Maria, Hurricane Michael, Mr, Ron DeSantis, Mark Harvey Organizations: U.S, Department, National Guard, Justice Department, Mr, NPR, Fox, Capitol, American, —, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Joint Chiefs, Associated Press, Democratic, Puerto Rico, Florida Panhandle, National Security Council, Politico, Trump, Congress Locations: smithereens, America, New York, Ukraine, Arizona, United States, Erie, Pa, Iran, North Carolina, Coachella, California, Florida, Hurricane, Orange County, Calif, Iowa, Richmond , Va, South Carolina, Russia

If Trump Wins, Could He Really Use the Justice Department to Jail His Rivals? One of the most powerful appointees within the Justice Department is the director of the F.B.I., who ordinarily serves a 10-year term. He would be limited to a pool of senior Justice Department employees and Senate-confirmed officials, but still…. Even if Trump has installed loyalists at the top levels of the Justice Department, F.B.I. If the public comes to see the Justice Department as compromised, will witnesses and informants continue to cooperate?

Persons: Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Biden, weaponizing, Harris, Trump, Richard Nixon, Christopher Wray, James Comey, …, Joe Biden, —, Peter Keisler, George W, Bush, “, Hillary Clinton, Aileen Cannon, Jack Smith, Steve Bannon, Roger Stone, Paul Manafort, Robert Jackson Organizations: Trump, Department, Justice Department, Loyalists, Republicans, Senate, Power, White, Heritage Foundation, Federal, Justice, Prosecutors, Republican, 11th Circuits, Capitol Locations: U.S, Texas, Florida, America

☆ Here are Cases of Trump Rivals Who Were Subject to Investigation
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-21 | by ( Michael S. Schmidt | Matthew Cullen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +20 min

After Mr. Trump fired Mr. Comey, Mr. McCabe opened a two-pronged investigation into whether Mr. Trump was a counterintelligence threat and was obstructing justice. Mr. Trump said he wanted to “get the I.R.S.” on Mr. McCabe and for him to be fired. Working with Mr. McCabe, Mr. Strzok opened the two-pronged investigation into whether Mr. Trump was a counterintelligence threat and was obstructing justice. What Trump wanted doneMr. Trump called Mr. Strzok a traitor and said he should be criminally investigated for his handling of the Russia investigation. What news organizations did that Trump did not likeJournalists from all three organizations covered the Trump presidency and the Russia investigation aggressively and used material that Mr. Trump felt had been leaked to hurt him.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Marco Rubio, James B, Hillary Clinton, Robert S, Mueller III, James Comey, Comey, Clinton, Mr, “, Andrew G, McCabe, F.B.I, Comey’s, ”, Prosecutors, McCabe’s, Jeff Sessions, —, Peter Strzok, Strzok, Michael T, Flynn, Flynn’s, John F, Kerry Obama's, Kerry, Barack Obama, William P, Barr, Hilary Clinton, Sessions, Trump’s, John Durham, Michael D, Cohen Trump's, fixer, Cohen, Michael Cohen, Witch Hunt, John R, Bolton, Biden, John Bolton, Hillary, pardoning, subpoenaing Mr, White, Omarosa Manigault Newman, Manigault Newman, lowlife, ” Donald J, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, Melania Trump, Wolkoff Organizations: Trump Rivals, America, Republican, CNN, Justice Department, Department, Trump, Mr, White, Federal, Biden Justice Department, Publicly, Prosecutors, Justice, U.S, Trump Justice Department, Clinton Foundation, FBI, DNC, of Prisons, News, Washington Post, The New York Times, Fake News, Bolton, White House, House Locations: Florida, Russia, Washington, Virginia, Clinton, Iran, Manhattan, New York, Maryland

☆ I.R.S. Crackdown on Delinquent Millionaires Yields $1 Billion
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Alan Rappeport | More About Alan Rappeport | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Daniel Werfel, the I.R.S. commissioner, said that because of the agency’s larger enforcement staff, it has been able to focus on tracking down and sending letters to wealthy taxpayers who owe money. In many cases, these result in threats of additional penalties until the taxpayers eventually pay their tax bills, he said. Mr. Werfel said he believed many rich taxpayers had neglected to pay their bills because they thought the I.R.S. The agency was originally given $80 billion, but $20 billion of that was taken back as part of negotiations between Republicans and Democrats to suspend the debt limit last year.

Persons: Daniel Werfel, Werfel, ” Organizations: Republicans

☆ Live Updates: Supreme Court Overrules Chevron Doctrine, Imperiling an Array of Federal Rules
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-28 | by ( Adam Liptak | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +12 min

But that gave too much power to unelected government officials, according to conservatives, who ran a coordinated, multiyear campaign to end the Chevron doctrine. The Environmental Protection AgencyEnvironmentalists fear that the end of the Chevron doctrine will mean the elimination of hundreds of E.P.A. “I would expect the industry to attack the F.D.A.’s authority to do premarket review at all,” said Desmond Jenson, deputy director of the commercial tobacco control program at the Public Health Law Center. Others noted the Chevron decision could have a chilling effect, compelling the F.D.A. “The Supreme Court has not relied on Chevron in quite a few years,” she said.

Persons: ”, Lisa Heinzerling, Donald J, Trump, Mandy Gunasekara, President Trump, Jonathan Berry, doesn’t, ” Rather, Berry, ” Mr, Chevron, Biden, Garden, “, Desmond Jenson, Nicholas Bagley, Rachel Sachs, Louis, Abbe R, Gluck, Ms Organizations: Georgetown University, “, Congress, Labor, Act, Republican, Trump, Chevron, Labor Department, Mr, Environmental Protection Agency, Biden, University of Minnesota, The National Labor Relations Board, Food, Drug Administration, Public Health Law Center, Health, Affordable Care, University of Michigan, Washington University School of Law, Department of Health, Human Services, Centers, Medicare, Services, Yale Law School, Treasury, Internal Revenue, Treasury Department, Internal Revenue Service Locations: Chevron, St

☆ Rampant Identity Theft Is Taxing the I.R.S.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Alan Rappeport | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Rampant identity theft has overwhelmed the Internal Revenue Service, resulting in a backlog of 500,000 unresolved fraud cases, leaving taxpayers without refunds and credits that they are due, the agency’s watchdog wrote in a report to Congress on Wednesday. The report by the National Taxpayer Advocate described the slow pace of addressing the identity theft cases as a “blemish” on the performance of the I.R.S., which is in the midst of a sweeping modernization campaign that aims to improve taxpayer services. was criticized by the watchdog for identify theft delays last year, the backlog has gotten only worse. is taking nearly two years to resolve identity theft victims’ assistance cases and has an inventory of approximately 500,000 cases, up from 484,000 cases in September. delays in resolving identity theft victim assistance cases are unconscionable,” Erin Collins, the taxpayer advocate, wrote in the report.

Persons: “, ” Erin Collins Organizations: Internal Revenue Service, National Taxpayer

☆ I.R.S. Extends Freeze of Pandemic-Era Tax Credit Amid Widespread Fraud
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Alan Rappeport | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Internal Revenue Service is expanding its efforts to crack down on fraud in a pandemic-era tax credit program following an internal analysis that found a majority of outstanding claims appeared to be improper. The original program, which was expanded in 2021, was projected to cost the federal government $55 billion over a decade. had received nearly four million applications and had paid out $230 billion in employee retention refunds. It currently has a backlog of 1.4 million claims. commissioner, warned that the agency’s enforcement teams are scrutinizing claims closely and investigating illicit tax preparation companies that have been encouraging ineligible taxpayers to apply.

Persons: Daniel Werfel Organizations: Internal Revenue Service

☆ I.R.S. Failed to Police Puerto Rico Tax Break, Whistle-Blower Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-28 | by ( Jesse Drucker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For the past decade, thousands of wealthy Americans have been flocking to Puerto Rico to take advantage of a tax break that can cut their tax bills to zero. For nearly as long, there have been allegations that the benefit enables multimillionaires to avoid paying what they owe when they reap big investment profits. Now, an Internal Revenue Service insider has accused the agency of failing to police the tax break. Senate officials have begun an investigation into the whistle-blower’s allegations about the Puerto Rican tax benefit. announced its enforcement campaign on this issue,” said Senator Ron Wyden, Democrat of Oregon and chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.

Persons: I.R.S, “ It’s, ”, Ron Wyden Organizations: Internal Revenue Service, The New York Times, Puerto, Democrat, Senate Finance Locations: Puerto Rico, Puerto Rican, Oregon

☆ Trump May Owe $100 Million From Double-Dip Tax Breaks, Audit Shows
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( Russ Buettner | Paul Kiel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Former President Donald J. Trump used a dubious accounting maneuver to claim improper tax breaks from his troubled Chicago tower, according to an Internal Revenue Service inquiry uncovered by The New York Times and ProPublica. Losing a yearslong audit battle over the claim could mean a tax bill of more than $100 million. The 92-story, glass-sheathed skyscraper along the Chicago River is the tallest and, at least for now, the last major construction project by Mr. Trump. But when Mr. Trump sought to reap tax benefits from his losses, the I.R.S. That move resulted in Mr. Trump reporting losses as high as $651 million for the year, The Times and ProPublica found.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, ProPublica Organizations: Internal Revenue, The New York Times, Mr, Times Locations: Chicago

☆ Opinion | After College Presidents, Republicans Are Coming for Liberal Donors
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Michelle Goldberg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

In a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland this week, the Republican senator Josh Hawley demanded a federal investigation into dark money groups subsidizing “pro-terrorist student organizations” holding anti-Israel protests on college campuses. He cited Politico reporting linking big liberal philanthropies to some pro-Palestinian organizers. Open Society Foundations, for example, founded by the oft-demonized George Soros, has given grants to the anti-Zionist Jewish Voice for Peace, which has an active university presence. That’s one reason I fear that the backlash to the pro-Palestinian campus movement — which includes lawsuits, hearings and legislation — could help Republicans wage war on progressive nonprofits more broadly. If they do, the right would be following a well-worn authoritarian playbook.

Persons: General Merrick Garland, Josh Hawley, George Soros, Hawley, “, Garland, Donald Trump, Trump, Rachel Kleinfeld, Kleinfeld, it’s Organizations: Politico, Society, Jewish Voice, Soros, Carnegie Endowment, International, Service, Carnegie Locations: Israel, Hungary

☆ 10 Years, 100 Stories: The Work That Defines the Upshot
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( The Upshot Staff | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +20 min

Ten years ago this week, The New York Times introduced the Upshot, a section devoted to explaining “politics, policy and everyday life.” That’s a wide scope, by design. As a result, more than 5,000 articles later, the Upshot has been many things to many readers. To mark our 10th birthday, we’ve collected 100 stories that embody the Upshot. WordleBot Eden Weingart/The New York Times When Wordle first became popular, several people on the internet claimed, plausibly, that they had come up with the “best” opening word. Force of Ship Impact Was on the Scale of a Rocket Launch Erin Schaff/The New York Times We think of the Upshot as a place where back-of-the-envelope calculations can be both helpful and welcome.

Persons: ”, Nate Cohn’s, we’ve, Kevin Quealy, John Branch, John, Patrick Thomas, tut, Trump, pollsters, Obamacare, Leif Parsons, We’re, Jason Henry, Tony Luong, Jordan, ‘, Ruth Fremson, Laurel, ’ Rodrigo Corral, Alex Welsh, Paul Romer, Tim Enthoven, Barack Obama, epidemiologists, It’s, you’re, WordleBot Eden, Wordle, Lila Barth, McCabe, Tom Brady, ChatGPT, —, Erin Schaff Organizations: New York Times, Facebook, Yankees, Red, State Newspaper, ESPN, The Athletic, The Times, You’re, Voters, Trump, Mr, Times, Siena College, Walmart, The New York Times, Jordan Siemens, Health, New, Nike, Democratic, Twitter, America, Iowa, Iowa Democratic, Cancer, Hit, Biden, Insurance, Roe America, Disorders, Republican, Republican Party of, U.S, Budget, NASA, National, Traffic, Administration, Yorkers, Force Locations: It’s, Red Sox, State, America, Dakota, Ireland, Chipotle, Japan, U.S, United States, Siena, New Pennsylvania, District, Iowa, Covid, York City, New York, Pennsylvania, Roe, Tonga, Arizona, York, Holland

☆ Thousands Are Eligible for Tax Refunds From 2020
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Ann Carrns | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Who wouldn’t grab an income tax refund if they had one coming? About 940,000 people, it turns out — because they haven’t filed returns for the 2020 tax year, even though they may be due money back for that year. But there’s still close to a month left to file and collect the refunds. The Internal Revenue Service estimates that the typical refund for the people in this group is more than $900. “There’s money remaining on the table for hundreds of thousands of people who haven’t filed 2020 tax returns,” the I.R.S.

Persons: there’s, “, haven’t, Daniel Werfel, Werfel, Eric Smith Organizations: Internal Revenue Service Locations: Idaho, New York, Pennsylvania

☆ The I.R.S.’s Taxpayer Experience Officer Says Open Your Mail Already
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( Ron Lieber | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Everyone else, the agency insists, is going to benefit from the $80 billion that the agency won via the Inflation Reduction Act, which was passed in 2022. appointed Ken Corbin as its first chief taxpayer experience officer. I went to the agency’s headquarters in Washington to find out, which was an experience unto itself. Once properly badged — with the words “Escort Only” in the largest font — I had an hour with Mr. Corbin. What follows is a condensed version, edited for clarity, of our conversation — and his advice for taxpayers like you and me.

Persons: Ken Corbin, Corbin Organizations: Internal Revenue Locations: Washington

☆ I.R.S. to Crack Down on Corporate Jet Users Who Abuse Tax Code
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Alan Rappeport | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The NewsThe Internal Revenue Service said on Wednesday that it would begin cracking down on corporate jet owners that abused the tax code by claiming millions of dollars in deductions on airplanes that were sometimes being used for personal travel. The scrutiny of corporate jet use will involve new data analytics tools, which the I.R.S. has been developing with the $80 billion in funds it was granted through the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, to determine when executives or other company officials might be using corporate planes for vacations and private trips. The agency plans to begin dozens of new audits that will focus on large companies, partnerships and wealthy taxpayers. “These aircraft audits will help ensure high-income groups aren’t flying under the radar with their tax responsibilities,” Daniel Werfel, the I.R.S.

Persons: ” Daniel Werfel Organizations: Internal Revenue Service

☆ I.R.S. Commissioner Aims to Show Progress Amid Threats of Budget Cuts
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Alan Rappeport | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A year later, Mr. Werfel has overseen the clearing of a backlog of thousands of tax filings, shrinking wait times on the I.R.S. telephone lines and the creation of a system that lets qualified taxpayers submit their federal returns with no cost. But those achievements have not been enough to satisfy Republicans, who have accused Mr. Werfel of making the I.R.S. commissioners and when Mr. Werfel testifies before the House Ways and Means Committee on Thursday, he will receive a frosty reception as he fends off efforts to cut his agency’s budget. For Mr. Werfel, the face-off is an opportunity to explain why even skeptics would benefit from a well funded I.R.S.

Persons: Daniel Werfel, Werfel Organizations: Internal Revenue Service

It’s the most miserable time of the year: tax season. But we’re here to convince you that the I.R.S. That’s how it works in the rest of the developed world, and it could very easily work that way here, too. It is absurd that America’s tax system is so antiquated and complicated that most people must pay someone else to help them pay the government. So what is standing in the way of progress?

Organizations: Internal Revenue Service

☆ Former Contractor Who Leaked Trump’s Tax Returns Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Eileen Sullivan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A former Internal Revenue Service contractor accused of leaking the tax documents of Donald J. Trump and other wealthy Americans was sentenced on Monday to five years in prison. The former contractor, Charles Littlejohn, known as Chaz, worked for the tax agency from 2017 to 2021, when he stole the tax records of thousands of the country’s wealthiest people, including Mr. Trump, prosecutors said. Mr. Littlejohn then provided the information to The New York Times and ProPublica. “Today’s sentence sends a strong message that those who violate laws intended to protect sensitive tax information will face significant punishment,” Nicole M. Argentieri, the acting assistant attorney general who oversees the Justice Department’s criminal division, said in a statement. Prosecutors said the harm from Mr. Littlejohn’s disclosures were “so extensive and ongoing that it is impossible to quantify.”

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Charles Littlejohn, Chaz, Littlejohn, Prosecutors, Mr, ” Nicole M Organizations: Internal Revenue, New York Times, ProPublica, Justice

☆ In Race to Replace George Santos, Financial Questions Re-emerge
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-13 | by ( Nicholas Fandos | More About Nicholas Fandos | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Republican nominee in a special House election to replace George Santos in New York provided a hazy glimpse into her personal finances this week, submitting a sworn financial statement to Congress that prompted questions and led her to amend the filing. The little-known candidate, Mazi Pilip, reported between $1 million and $5.2 million in assets, largely comprising her husband’s medical practice and Bitcoin investments. In an unusual disclosure, she said the couple owed and later repaid as much as $250,000 to the I.R.S. But the initial financial report Ms. Pilip filed with the House Ethics Committee on Wednesday appeared to be missing other important required information, including whether the assets were owned solely by herself or her husband, Dr. Adalbert Pilip, or whether they were owned jointly. And despite making past statements that she stopped working there in 2021 when she ran for the Nassau County Legislature, Ms. Pilip reported receiving a $50,000 salary from the family medical practice in 2022 and 2023.

Persons: George Santos, Mazi Pilip, Pilip, Dr, Adalbert Pilip Organizations: Republican, Legislature Locations: New York, Nassau

☆ Opinion | Has No Labels Become a Stalking Horse for Trump?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Thomas B. Edsall | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

I asked her whether No Labels should be required to register as a political party. If No Labels fields candidates, it should register as a political party. It has the basic structure of a modern electoral organization, with leaders, data and campaign analysts, fund-raisers, and volunteers. A No Labels candidate, Kuo continued:will likely serve as a spoiler in what is shaping up to be a very tight race between President Biden and former President Trump. Given where No Labels is trying to position itself on the partisan spectrum, it is very likely that its candidate would draw votes from President Biden, rather than Donald Trump — with grave consequences for American democracy.

Persons: Kuo, Biden, Trump, Donald Trump, Seth Masket, Fred Wertheimer, ”, “, Wertheimer, Gary Jacobson, Nancy Jacobson Organizations: University of Denver, Democracy, University of California, Trump, Trump’s Locations: Arizona , Wisconsin, Georgia, San Diego

☆ Users of Venmo, Cash App and Other Digital Wallets Get a Tax Reprieve
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Alan Rappeport | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

For the second time in a year, the Internal Revenue Service is delaying enforcement of a contentious tax policy that would require users of digital wallets and e-commerce platforms to start reporting small transactions to the tax collection agency. said on Tuesday that it would slowly phase in the new policy, which would require individuals and small businesses to report digital transactions of as little as $600 to the federal government. The new reporting requirement was supposed to take effect late last year, but the Biden administration abruptly postponed it following pressure from lobbyists and backlash from users of services such as Venmo, PayPal, Cash App, StubHub and Etsy. The head of the Internal Revenue Service said the decision to delay the rule again stemmed from concern of higher tax bills among those who used digital wallets.

Persons: Biden Organizations: Internal Revenue Service, PayPal

☆ Opinion | Reason Prevailed in the House. For Just One Day.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( David Firestone | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The last speaker who prevented a shutdown, Kevin McCarthy, was booted from his position by Republican extremists for working with Democrats to pass a stopgap bill. Mr. Johnson might have tried to appease the howling kennel on the far right by throwing it a treat in exchange for support, as he did with the I.R.S. There were no policy riders or crazy demands for cuts, and as a result, all but two House Democrats voted for it. The far right never trusted Mr. McCarthy, but feels a kinship with Mr. Johnson’s fringe cultural positions. The stopgap bill is weird because it punts that fight to two dates.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, Johnson, Johnson’s, that’s, McCarthy Organizations: Republican, Pentagon

☆ Opinion | Why Is the Democratic Base Eroding?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

To the Editor:Re “The Democrats Are Their Own Worst Enemies,” by Pamela Paul (column, Nov. 3), about why polls are showing a loss of support for the party among minorities and the working class:Ms. Paul writes that “the Democratic Party cannot win and America cannot flourish if it doesn’t prioritize the economic well-being of the American majority over the financial interests and cultural fixations of an elite minority.”That, she says, is the reason that “the Democratic Party’s reliable base — the working class, middle-class families, even Black and Latino Americans and other ethnic minorities — have veered toward the G.O.P.”Is she talking about the same G.O.P. that, under the former president, passed legislation that gave enormous tax breaks to the wealthiest in the country? Is she referring to G.O.P. legislators who now want to reduce funding for the I.R.S., an agency that serves as a watchdog against unfair tax manipulation that leaves the middle class with a proportionately greater tax burden than the richest? If so, it is hard to imagine that the G.O.P., as opposed to the Democratic Party, is prioritizing the economic well-being of the American majority.

Persons: Pamela Paul, Paul Organizations: Democratic Party, Democratic Locations: America

☆ Higher Contribution Limits Are Coming for 401(k) Retirement Plans
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Ann Carrns | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Even if you can contribute the maximum amount, that doesn’t necessarily mean you should, Mr. McBrien said. You may have other goals to save for besides retirement, said Craig Copeland, director of wealth benefits research at the Employee Benefit Research Institute. Under the Secure 2.0 Act, a law passed late last year, savers earning $145,000 or more who make 401(k) catch-up contributions would have had to make them as pretax Roth contributions starting in 2024. Can I change the amount of my 401(k) contributions after open enrollment? But while health insurance choices are typically fixed for the full year unless you have a big change in your life, many employers let you tweak your retirement contributions at any time.

Persons: don’t, Kyle McBrien, McBrien, ”, Craig Copeland, “, Roth, pretax Roth Organizations: Research

☆ Opinion | ‘MAGA Mike Johnson’ and Our Broken Christian Politics
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( David French | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

There are two moments from Mike Johnson’s early days as speaker of the House that almost perfectly encapsulate the broken way that so many Republican evangelicals approach politics. But before she could finish, Johnson’s Republican colleagues started to shout her down. What does Mike Johnson think about any issue under the sun?’ I said, ‘Well, go pick up a Bible off your shelf and read it.’ That’s my worldview.”That quote is less illuminating than many people think. Mike Johnson and I have such similar religious convictions that we once worked together at the same Christian law firm. Yet we’ve taken very different political paths.

Persons: Mike Johnson’s, Johnson, ABC’s Rachel Scott, Johnson’s, ”, Florida Republican Matt Gaetz, “ MAGA Mike Johnson, Sean Hannity, “, ‘, Mike Johnson Organizations: Florida Republican, Fox News, Trump

☆ Opinion | Israel, the I.R.S. and the Big Grift
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Paul Krugman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It often seems to me that we need a term to describe a somewhat similar phenomenon in policy debates, which we might call the Big Grift. A case in point is the current demand by House Republicans that funding for Israel in this moment of crisis be tied to budget cuts that would undermine the ability of the Internal Revenue Service to crack down on wealthy tax cheats. This should be a major scandal, but my suspicion is that many voters just won’t accept the idea that G.O.P. Some history: Way back in 2001, in the aftermath of Sept. 11, House Republicans passed a bill responding to the emergency by … cutting corporate taxes. At the time, my sources told me that when political consultants tried to describe the bill to focus groups of voters, they refused to believe that the legislation was being described accurately.

Persons: balk Organizations: House Republicans, Israel, Internal Revenue Service, Republicans

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