MAGA Republicans stooped to new lows this week with their extremism, hypocrisy, chaos, and — as President Biden would call it — malarkey. In case you missed it: Donald Trump doubled down on his MAGAnomics tax scam and once again signaled he would pardon January 6 insurrectionists; Tim Scott, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Doug Burgum campaigned with Trump despite their past comments on how he is unfit for office; Ron DeSantis ended his campaign that was centered around Trump’s MAGA agenda before questioning Trump’s ability to win a general election; and Nancy Mace endorsed Trump even though she previously said the Republican Party needed a “new voice” after January 6.

Meanwhile, Nikki Haley reaffirmed her support for a national abortion ban; House Republicans are clamoring because they have no accomplishments to run on; a Minnesota Representative is the latest republican to “vote no and take the dough;” and House Republicans are bashing James Comer for the baseless impeachment sham.

Donald Trump doubled down on his tax scam that helped billionaires and big corporations pay a lower tax rate than the middle class for the first time in history.

Martha MacCallum: “Would you do larger tax cuts for corporations?”

Trump: “I was planning on doing it.”  

Washington Post: “Behind closed doors, Trump eyes second round of corporate tax cuts”

Vanity Fair: “Donald Trump Wants to Give His Favorite Corporations Another Giant Tax Cut in a Second Term: Report”

Washington Post: “Trump and his advisers have discussed deeper cuts to both individual and corporate tax rates that would build on his controversial 2017 tax law … Further cutting corporate taxes which would primarily benefit large firms.”

Forbes: “Trump Tax Cuts Helped Billionaires Pay Less Taxes Than The Working Class In 2018”

CBS News: “Two years after Trump tax cuts, middle-class Americans are falling behind”

The Guardian: “They were billed as a ‘middle-class miracle’ but according to a new book Donald Trump’s $1.5tn tax cuts have helped billionaires pay a lower rate than the working class for the first time in history.”

Trump doubled down on his promise to pardon January 6 insurrectionists. 

Audience member: “Free the J6ers!” 

Trump: “We will.”

NBC News: “Former President Donald Trump promised Wednesday night that if he is elected he will pardon a ‘large portion’ of the people convicted of federal offenses for their participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.”

Trump: “January 6, it was the largest crowd I’ve ever spoken to. And they were there proud, they were there with love in their heart. That was an unbelievable — and it was a beautiful day.”

Buck Sexton: “Will there be a lot of pardons and commutations of people you think were treated unfairly, J6 defendants, January 6 defendants under an administration, your administration?”

Trump: “Yes, absolutely. They were treated horribly … We had people put in jail for five, six, seven years who didn’t do anything wrong. And yes, that will happen very quickly.”

Tim Scott, Doug Burgum, and Vivek Ramaswamy all campaigned with Trump despite their past jabs laying out why Trump is unfit to lead and too unpopular to win a general election.

NBC News: “Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., said Donald Trump doesn’t have what it takes to win a general election, the sharpest jab he has thrown at the former president … ‘I don’t think he can win,’ Scott said. ‘You have to be able to win in Georgia. I don’t think he can win in Georgia. I think you’ll have to be able to win in Pennsylvania.’ Scott also appeared to blame Trump for losses in Georgia’s 2021 runoff elections that cost the GOP control of the Senate when Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock won.”

Scott: “And our former president, I voted for him twice. … But our party has been underperforming in three consecutive national elections. We have to get back on offense, and that’s why I know we must win.”

Associated Press: “Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, the only black Republican senator, said Trump made ‘unacceptable personal attacks’ and used ‘racially offensive language.’”

NBC News: “Vivek Ramaswamy argues Trump is ‘wounded’ and his movement needs a new leader”

NBC News: “[Ramaswamy] made the case that Trump may be too polarizing to advance the Republican agenda.”

The Dispatch: “Ramaswamy says he is confident he can ‘persuade’ Trump loyalists to jump ship and join his campaign … he believes these voters will ultimately concludes he is more electable.”

NBC News: “GOP presidential candidate Doug Burgum says he wouldn’t do business with Trump”

Burgum: “I just think that it’s important that you’re judged by the company you keep.”

After running on Trump’s extreme MAGA agenda, Ron DeSantis suspended his campaign and endorsed Trump, only to immediately cast doubt on his electability.

Politico: “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis may have endorsed Donald Trump for president on Sunday, but now he’s sounding alarm bells about the ex-president’s chances in November.”

Axios: “DeSantis unloads on Trump right after endorsing him”

Miami Herald: “DeSantis struggles to separate from Trump on policy when campaigning for 2024”

Nancy Mace became the latest member of the House Republican chaos conference to fall in line under Trump, despite initially calling for a “new voice” for the Republican party. 

Politico: Nancy Mace endorses Trump for president, flipping from earlier calls for ‘new voice’

Mother Jones: “After claiming the January 6 attack on the US Capitol had ‘wiped out’ Donald Trump’s legacy and that she wanted to be a ‘new voice’ for the Republican party, the South Carolina congresswoman has endorsed Trump’s re-election campaign just one day before the New Hampshire primary.” 

Mace on January 6: “I believe we need to hold [Trump] accountable. I hold him accountable for the events that transpired for the attack on our Capitol.”

Mace on January 6 attacks: “Every accomplishment that Republicans have made over the last four years, including President Trump had (made) were wiped out in just a few short hours.” 

On the eve of the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Nikki Haley doubled down on her pledge to sign a national abortion ban. 

Margaret Brennan: “Would you [sign a national abortion ban]?”

Haley: “I’ve said I’m fine with a federal law.” 

Fox News: “Nikki Haley, 2024 Republican candidate, vows to sign federal abortion ban if elected president”

Kirsten Welker: “Would you support a 15-week federal limit?”

Haley: “I would support anything that would pass.”

House Republicans are finally waking up to the “embarrassing” fact that they have “zero accomplishments” to campaign on this year.

NBC News: “‘It’s embarrassing’: Republicans worry they have no achievements to run on in 2024”

“When Congress began the new year, Rep. Andy Biggs gave a television interview and made a startling confession: House Republicans have done nothing they can run on.”

“‘We have nothing. In my opinion, we have nothing to go out there and campaign on,’ the Arizona Republican said on the conservative network Newsmax. ‘It’s embarrassing.’”

“Anchor Chris Salcedo responded with a bemused chuckle. ‘I know,’ he said. ‘The Republican Party in the Congress majority has zero accomplishments.’”

HuffPost: “The Least Productive Congress Since The Great Depression”

“Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), part of a group in the House that has stopped several spending bills from advancing to the Senate, saw his frustration boil over on the House floor Wednesday.

“‘One thing. I want my Republican colleagues to give me one thing — one! — that I can go campaign on and say we did,’ he said. ‘Anybody sitting in the complex, if you want to come down to the floor and come explain to me, one meaningful, significant thing the Republican majority has done.’”

Axios: “Capitol Hill stunner: 2023 led to fewest laws in decades”

Minnesota Rep. Pete Stauber became the latest MAGA Republican to take credit for federal infrastructure funding  despite voting against the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law — joining other Republicans who voted against the law but are touting its funding anyway.

HuffPost: “Minnesota Representative Praises New Bridge — Paid For By Infrastructure Bill He Opposed”

“Stauber is by no means the only Republican, or even lawmaker, to take credit for the impact of a bill they voted against. But Democrats have increasingly made an effort to call out Republicans more often for that behavior, which former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has dubbed ‘vote no and take the dough.’” 

MSNBC: “On social media, Stauber added that he was ‘“proud to announce’” the investment, which he described as ‘“a HUGE win’” for his district.

“There was, however, one key detail he neglected to mention: The investment in the Blatnik Bridge came by way of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that President Joe Biden signed into law — and which Stauber voted against.”

And Rep. James Comer’s own Republican colleagues are fed up with his baseless impeachment sham, which has spiraled into a “parade of embarrassments.”

The Messenger: “House Republicans are increasingly disenchanted with Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., saying his leadership of the Biden impeachment inquiry has become a ‘clueless investigation’ at best and — at worst — ‘a disaster.’

“‘One would be hard pressed to find the best moment for James Comer in the Oversight Committee,’ one House Republican lawmaker, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to maintain internal relationships, told The Messenger. “It’s been a parade of embarrassments.

“Comer has cast a wide net and caught very little fish. That is a big problem for him,” one personal ally of former President Donald Trump told The Messenger.

“‘James Comer continues to embarrass himself and House Republicans. He screws up over and over and over,’ the source said.”