MAGA Republicans reached new heights this week with their extremism, hypocrisy, chaos, and — as President Biden would call it — malarkey. In case you missed it: Donald Trump went to Michigan and took his record as one of the most anti-worker, anti-union presidents in American history with him; Tim Scott is running on anti-abortion extremism to try to save his failing presidential campaign; Ron DeSantis once again endorsed a national abortion ban; and Scott and Mike Pence bragged about their roles in crafting Trump’s 2017 tax scam.

Also this week, James Comer and House Republicans’ first hearing of their impeachment sham fell flat on its face, Trump wants MAGA Republicans to “SHUT IT DOWN” if they don’t get their extreme budget cuts, and even Mitch McConnell is warning of the disaster a Republican shutdown could wreak on national security and the economy.

Donald Trump tried to gaslight the American people into forgetting his yearslong anti-union and anti-worker record with a visit to Michigan, and it was a total flop. 

Vox: “Donald Trump isn’t the union legend he’s pretending to be” 

Michigan Advance: “Trump to UAW: Endorse me or you won’t have a union” 

NBC News: “Few striking autoworkers show up for Trump’s speech at a nonunion factory”

CNN: “Trump claims to be pro-worker. His record says he’s anti-union”

The Hill: “UAW negotiator lays into Trump: ‘Where are the jobs he promised?’”

Michigan Advance: “UAW president says Trump visit to non-union Michigan company is a ‘pathetic irony’”

Politico: “UAW president slams Trump’s labor record ahead of Michigan rally”

Associated Press: “Trump says he always had autoworkers’ backs. Union leaders say his first-term record shows otherwise”

Fox News: “UAW president sees ‘no point’ in meeting Trump: ‘He serves a billionaire class’”

Tim Scott is trying to save his floundering campaign by highlighting his anti-abortion extremism.

The Hill: “Scott targets 2024 rivals on issue of abortion in new ad”

Washington Examiner: “In the week of Trump’s abortion backlash, Scott has increased his calls for GOP rivals to support a 15-week abortion ban.”

Ron DeSantis doubled down on his support for a national abortion ban. 

New York Times: “DeSantis Says He Would Sign a 15-Week Abortion Ban as President”

ABC News: “In an easily missed moment during Wednesday night’s chaotic GOP presidential primary debate, Gov. Ron DeSantis said he would sign a federal 15-week abortion ban.”

During the Republican debate, both Scott and Mike Pence bragged about playing a role in crafting Donald Trump’s MAGAnomics tax scam.

Pence: “I’m incredibly proud of that tax cuts and tax reform bill. I worked on Capitol Hill to help get that bill passed into law, the largest tax cut in American history.”

Scott: “I helped write the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.”

Serial liar James Comer and House Republicans’ sham impeachment inquiry is getting torn to shreds. 

Melanie Zanona, CNN: “NEW: Frustration in the GOP over 1st impeachment hearing, as the GOP witnesses undercut their narrative & say no evidence of crimes. ‘Picking witnesses that refute House Republicans arguments for impeachment is mind blowing. This is an unmitigated disaster,’ said senior R aide.”

Stephen Neukam, The Messenger: “Another House GOP staffer tells me ‘Comer and staff botched this bad.’ Tells me the information presented by Republicans has been ‘confusing’ and Democrats are ‘on message.’ ‘How can you not be better prepared for this?’”

Jacqueline Alemany, Washington Post: “Senior GOP aide weighs in on Comer’s hearing so far: 

– Comer has lost control, allowing Dems to land attacks 

– witnesses Comer selected have disputed House GOP arguments on the impeachment inquiry 

– has failed to attract mainstream media attention RE more damning evidence.”

New York Magazine: “Republicans Held an Impeachment Hearing and It Turned Into a Clown Show”

The Guardian: “The Biden impeachment hearing was a fishing expedition – no one took the bait”

The Hill: “GOP struggles to find footing in first Biden impeachment hearing”

TIME: “House GOP Uses First Impeachment Hearing to Showcase How Flimsy Its Case Is”

CNN: “Fact check: Republicans make false, misleading claims at first Biden impeachment inquiry hearing”

NBC News: “House GOP’s impeachment witnesses say there’s no evidence yet that Biden committed a crime”

ABC News: “Democrats call Biden impeachment inquiry ‘about nothing,’ GOP chair struggles to keep control”

Trump made it clear that he’s still the ringmaster of the extreme House Republican circus by repeatedly calling on them to shut down the government.

Sahil Kapur, MSNBC: “Donald Trump’s new instruction to congressional Republicans on government funding: ‘UNLESS YOU GET EVERYTHING, SHUT IT DOWN!’

(Worth remembering, Trump forced a 35-day shutdown over wall money as president but ultimately caved and reopened gov’t after getting nothing.)”

House Republicans are inching closer to a government shutdown and even Mitch McConnell is warning against the devastating costs America would pay under a Republican shutdown.

McConnell: “A vote against a standard short-term funding measure is a vote against paying over $1 billion in salary for Border Patrol and ICE agents working to track down lethal fentanyl and tame our open borders.”

McConnell: “Shutting down the government is not like pressing pause. It’s not an interlude that lets us pick up where we left off. It’s an actively harmful proposition. Instead of producing any meaningful policy outcomes, it would actually take the important progress being made on a number of key issues and drag it backwards.”

Burgess Everett, Politico: “For the third straight day, McConnell is railing against a shutdown … Citing Senate research, says government shutdowns cost billions of dollars”

ABC News: “Military families brace for loss of paycheck, services under a government shutdown”

Reuters: “Biden, US officials warn of hunger for millions in a government shutdown”

New York Times: “Biden Administration Warns That Government Shutdown Could Disrupt Air Travel”

Washington Post: “FEMA delays $2.8 billion in disaster aid to keep from running out of money”

Washington Post: “A government shutdown could wreak havoc on many federally funded programs if lawmakers cannot negotiate a spending deal by the Saturday deadline, including potential disruptions to some services provided by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.”