🤫 Monetizing "big lie"

Plus: Russia hawks weigh in | Sunday, January 09, 2022

Open in app View in browser   Presented By Facebook   Axios Sneak Peek By the Axios Politics team ·Jan 09, 2022 Welcome back to Sneak. 🚨Breaking: Newly installed New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced at least 19 people — including nine kids — had been killed in a Bronx fire. The Philadelphia Inquirer also reported a 5-year-old told investigators he started the fire last week that killed 12 people — including his own mother — while playing with a lighter near a Christmas tree. All told, over 30 killed in five days, including the deadliest fire in Philly in over a century. Smart Brevity™ count: 1,162 words ... 4.5 minutes. Edited by Glen Johnson.     1 big thing: Monetizing "big lie" Screenshots of ads from the Senate candidates' campaigns. Compilation: Aïda Amer/Axios   Trumpy Republicans are using baseless 2020 election fraud claims to fill their coffers for this year's Senate primaries, Axios' Lachlan Markay and Alayna Treene report. Why it matters: In the immediate aftermath of the Jan. 6 attack, even former President Trump's most fervent supporters were unwilling to fight against certifying the election and fuel far-right claims Joe Biden didn't win. A year later, that's no longer true. GOP candidates at the top of tickets in the most competitive Senate races in the country are gaining momentum and popularity by feeding off the lies being perpetuated by Trump and his supporters. They're not only using it to gain popularity among the MAGA base but also to fill their campaign coffers. Who we're watching: Adam Laxalt: The Nevada Senate candidate, a former Republican state attorney general and Trump campaign state co-chairman, participated in 2020 election challenges and said he's planning to start new challenges in 2022. Jim Lamon: The Arizona Senate candidate backed a number of lawsuits attacking the 2020 election results, including suing former Vice President Mike Pence for his role in certifying the results. Lamon "strongly believes audits in elections and government should be more common, not less," a campaign spokesperson told Axios in an email. Ron Hanks: Hanks attended the Jan. 6 "Stop the Steal" rally and said he marched with supporters to the U.S. Capitol, though nothing has placed him inside the Capitol during the insurrection. Hanks told the Denver Post he stands "by everything [he] did on the sixth of January." Mo Brooks: The current House Republican and Alabama Senate candidate has been a leading proponent of election fraud claims. Marjorie Eastman: The U.S. Army combat veteran, who recently jumped into the North Carolina Senate race, has declined to say whether Biden was legitimately elected. Her campaign website includes a section on "election integrity." Keep reading.     2. Democrats skip labels to save selves Mandela Barnes listens to fellow Democrat Tammy Baldwin, who he hopes to join in the U.S. Senate. Photo: Darren Hauck/Getty Images   Democrat Mandela Barnes, the Wisconsin lieutenant governor running for U.S. Senate, has been endorsed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) — two Democrats representing vastly different wings of their party. Why it matters: Barnes is one of several Democratic candidates this year who aren't embracing or eschewing labels like "progressive" or "moderate." Instead, they're campaigning with a foot in both worlds and demonstrating a new mold — and potential electoral path — for their embattled party, Axios' Alexi McCammond writes. "I know that the only way we can govern at our best is when we have all of these varied interests at the table, all of these varied experiences at the table," Barnes told Axios in an interview. In Georgia's gubernatorial race, Stacey Abrams "has admirers on both wings of her party," the New York Times wrote in a recent article about her ability to transcend labels. In New York, May0r Adams is by no means a progressive hero but did get the endorsement of the city's biggest public-sector union. The big picture: It's not that these candidates aren't supportive of liberal issues or progressive platforms — in fact, the opposite is true. The difference between the 2018 campaign and this era of polarized politics is now they're bucking ideological silos to try to build a winning coalition. Keep reading.     3. Negotiators give alternatives to "Etch A Sketch" Manchin Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images   President Biden, Democratic leaders and their emissaries are trying to convince Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) to pass a sweeping federal elections bill with a menu of filibuster alternatives. The problem is speaking with him is "like negotiating via Etch A Sketch," sources with direct knowledge of his recent meetings tell Alayna. Why it matters: The president and his top legislative allies see the bill — Manchin's own Freedom to Vote Act — as key to thwarting Republican-led changes at the state and local levels and preserving their chances in this fall's midterm elections. "You think you're just about there. You think you've got an agreement on most of the things and it's settling in. And then you come back the next morning and you're starting from scratch," said the one source who made the Etch A Sketch analogy. To date, Manchin and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) haven't wavered in their opposition to lowering the 60-vote threshold for passing major legislation or creating a one-time carve-out to bypass the filibuster. That's made the conversations largely futile. The big picture: The White House is leaning heavily on Sens. Angus King (I-Maine), Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) to lobby Manchin over the Freedom to Vote Act. The four are longtime friends who've all, at one point, been skeptical of filibuster reform. What they're saying: One aide to a senator in the room described how, after meeting with the three senators, Manchin will go home and take several calls from outsiders. He'll then return with a myriad of new questions, reopening an old debate. Manchin's spokesperson declined to comment. Keep reading.     A message from Facebook Why Facebook supports updated internet regulations     Rochelle is one of many experts working on privacy at Facebook—to give you more control over your information. Hear more from Rochelle on why Facebook supports updating regulations on the internet's most pressing challenges, including federal privacy legislation.     4. Sullivan seeks advice from Russia hawks National security adviser Jake Sullivan enters the White House Briefing Room in December. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images   A group of Russia experts urged national security adviser Jake Sullivan to send more arms to the Ukrainians when he spoke with them before this week's high-stakes diplomatic meetings with Russian officials, participants told Axios' Hans Nichols and Zachary Basu. Why it matters: By soliciting advice from the hawkish pockets in the foreign policy establishment, including those who served under Trump, the Biden administration is considering all options while weighing how to discourage Russian President Vladimir Putin from invading Ukraine — and punish him if he does. "It's always smart to engage with outsiders. There's never a downside," said Michael McFaul, a National Security Council official under President Obama who later served as ambassador to Russia. "Jake is not afraid to interact with specialists, including those who may disagree with him," McFaul said, who declined to confirm last Monday's videoconference or his participation in it. Officials routinely meet with outside Russia experts with a diverse set of views and have welcomed "their expertise as we address this crisis," NSC spokesperson Emily Horne told Axios. Between the lines: Private meetings also can dissuade potential critics from publicly airing their grievances — and second-guessing — if a diplomatic engagement falters. Driving the news: With an estimated 100,000 Russian forces amassing on three sides of Ukraine, the U.S. and Russia will hold bilateral talks tomorrow in Geneva. Deputy secretary of State Wendy Sherman, who tangled with her Russian counterpart during the 2015 Iran nuclear deal negotiations, will lead the U.S. team. Those talks will be followed by a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council in Brussels on Wednesday, and then the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe on Thursday in Vienna. Russia views the bilateral talks with the U.S. as the main channel for a potential breakthrough, but Biden officials have stressed they will not discuss issues affecting NATO or Ukraine without those parties also at the table. Keep reading. Go deeper: "Vote on Nord Stream 2 sanctions puts Democrats in a bind"     5. Pics du jour Photos: Glen Johnson/Axios   Sneak's week got off to a snowy, sunny — and very early — start. As Axios celebrates its fifth anniversary, we hope you have a brilliant week, too.     A message from Facebook Facebook puts your safety and security front-and-center     Since July, Facebook's safety and security teams have taken action on: 1.8 billion fake accounts. 9.8 million terrorism-related posts. But our work to stop bad actors is never done. Learn more about how we're working to help you connect safely.   📬 Thanks for reading. 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