Abbreviated Pundit Roundup: Confirm Loretta Lynch Now

Week 3 of testimony in Donald Trump's first criminal trial of 4 started with a bang! Judge Merchan took the bench and immediately ruled that Trump had violated the gag order for a 10th time (2nd ruling on this, the first one involved 9 violations). Here is a bit of what he said from the bench: Now—The judge finds Trump in contempt for a 10th time."Going forward, this court will have to consider a jail sanction." — Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) May 6, 2024 Merchan:"The last thing that I want to do is to put you in jail," calling it a last resort.

Mark Levin just made a bossy, egotistical, and absurd demand to Donald Trump. If a prospective VP candidate won't come on my RADIO SHOW, Donald, don't pick them! Transcript via Media Matters: MARK LEVIN (HOST): You know, America, we have a little test here. We have 14 and half million listeners on this program every week.

The RNC has hired 28-year-old former bikini model Elizabeth Pipko as one of its newest spokespeople, the New York Post reports.

“Donald Trump will return to Minnesota next week as he tries to add the state to his electoral calculations despite two prior defeats,” MPR News reports. “Trump has reportedly told donors and other associates that he has a pathway to flip Minnesota, a state that Democrats have had a lock on in presidential races for longer than anywhere else.

Prosecutors in Donald Trump’s “hush money” trial said they have “a little more than two weeks of their case left, citing a few Fridays off in the coming weeks,” the New York Times reports. “After that, the defense can put on a case, but does not have to. And after that, we will get closing arguments and the case will go to the jury.”

“A U. S. soldier was detained in Russia last week,” NBC News reports. “He had been stationed in South Korea and traveled to Russia on his own and not on official business.”