The Atlantic
The former president’s lawyers were bad but that was all too typical.
February 13, 2021
Jabin Botsford / AFP / Getty
If future generations of law professors want to teach a class in what never to do, the belligerent and self-indulgent performance of Michael van der Veen, one of Donald Trump’s impeachment lawyers, could provide a lot of the video content. Deep into his defense of the former president today, van der Veen broke into a highly personal complaint. More than 140 law professors including President Ronald Reagan’s solicitor general and a co-founder of the conservative Federalist Society had signed a letter condemning the Trump team’s arguments as “frivolous.” This letter badly hurt van der Veen’s feelings. The letter, he said, represented, a “direct threat to my law license, my career, and my family’s financial well-being.”
The issue of violent extremist groups in the United States has come to the top of the agenda since a mob of far-right groups stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6.
President Biden said there was “no need” for former President Donald J. Trump to get the briefings, traditionally given to ex-presidents as a courtesy and to keep them informed if their advice is needed.
White House Orders Assessment on Violent Extremism in U.S.
The order for the evaluation from the intelligence community comes as judges continue to deny bail for suspects in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
Avril D. Haines, the director of national intelligence, noted in her confirmation hearing this week that domestic terrorism was a thorny issue for intelligence agencies to tackle.Credit.Pool photo by Melina Mara
Jan. 22, 2021
WASHINGTON President Biden on Friday ordered the director of national intelligence to work with the F.B.I. and the Department of Homeland Security to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the threat from domestic violent extremism, a sign of how seriously the new administration is taking the issue in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol.
Avril Haines, who has been nominated to be director of national intelligence, told senators that she would assist with a public written assessment of the threat from QAnon.