How It Looks: Optics Key In Fight Over Kavanaugh Hearing

Shorter Tom Cotton: That dang free speech is for white Republicans, NOT you, hippies! Chris Hayes takes the story from here: CHRIS HAYES (HOST): Back in 2020, during the George Floyd protests, a United States senator penned a controversial op-ed in the New York Times, calling for the US military to be brought in to crush the protests in the streets, claiming those demonstrations were shot through with, quote, cadres of left-wing radicals like Antifa. That was, of course, Republican Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas. And that essay was hugely controversial, led to a revolt among staff at the Times, where leaders concluded it should not have been published.

Turning Point USA's Charlie Kirk agrees with the 1864 Arizona abortion ban law that was written by a pedophile who married a 12-year-old child. He also married a 15-year-old girl. William Jones has a very dark history, and conservatives are supporting the law anyway. And Kirk agrees with Trump, saying that Democrats are "the extremists," Media Matters reports. "President Trump is talking about how the Democrats are the extremists.

“President Joe Biden urged the House and Senate to quickly approve Speaker Mike Johnson’s multi-part plan to get aid to Israel, Ukraine and the Indo-Pacific,” Politico reports. Said Biden: “The House must pass the package this week and the Senate should quickly follow. I will sign this into law immediately to send a message to the world: We stand with our friends, and we won’t let Iran or Russia succeed.” Politico: Democrats signal they’re open to helping Johnson on foreign aid as conservatives revolt. The last thing in the world Mike Johnson wanted was Biden’s endorsement.

Former attorney general William Barr effectively endorsed Donald Trump, despite having previously criticized Trump’s conduct while in office and comparing him to a “defiant, 9-year-old kid,” the Washington Post reports. Said Barr: “I’ve said all along, given two bad choices, I think it’s my duty to pick the person I think would do the least harm to the country, and in my mind, that’s — I will vote the Republican ticket.”

“Donald Trump’s campaign has found a new way to press for badly needed cash,” Politico reports. “In a letter received by Republican digital vendors this week, the Trump campaign is asking for down-ballot candidates who use his name, image and likeness in fundraising appeals to give at least 5 percent of the proceeds to the campaign.” They add: “Any split that is higher than 5% will be seen favorably by the RNC and President Trump’s campaign and is routinely reported to the highest levels of leadership within both organizations.”

Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (D-NJ) “remains unconscious after suffering a heart attack on April 6, indicating that the congressman’s medical condition is substantially more severe than had been initially revealed,” the New Jersey Globe reports. “His prognosis is uncertain, and his potential return to Washington is unclear.”