Today in one sentence: Trump asked the Supreme Court to block his sentencing in the New York election interference case involving falsified business records; the Justice Department plans to publicly release part of special counsel Jack Smith's final report on Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and disenfranchise millions of voters; a watchdog report found that three senior Trump-era Justice Department officials leaked details about COVID-19 nursing home death investigations in Democratic states to influence the 2020 presidential election; and Biden insisted that he could have beaten Trump in the 2024 election while acknowledging he wasn’t sure he could’ve completed a full second term.

1/ Trump asked the Supreme Court to block his sentencing in the New York election interference case involving falsified business records. The last-ditch request came after a New York appeals court refused to postpone his Friday sentencing – 10 days before his inauguration – on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to a hush money payment made to Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election. Trump continues to claim that he is immune from all prosecution and sentencing because he is the president-elect. Further, Trump claims that sentencing would damage “the institution of the Presidency and the operations of the federal government.” Justice Juan Merchan, however, has made clear he wouldn’t sentence Trump to prison and that an unconditional discharge – or a sentence without any punishment – was “the most viable solution.” The Supreme Court, meanwhile, ordered prosecutors to respond to Trump’s request by Thursday morning. (NPR / ABC News / Associated Press / CBS News / Wall Street Journal / New York Times / NBC News / Politico / Washington Post)

2/ The Justice Department plans to publicly release part of special counsel Jack Smith’s final report on Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and disenfranchise millions of voters. Attorney General Merrick Garland, however, will withhold the second part of the report concerned Trump’s handling of classified documents after he left office and his refusal to return them. Yesterday, Judge Aileen Cannon, who previously dismissed Trump’s classified documents case, temporarily blocked the release of Smith’s two part report in order to prevent “irreparable harm,” while the matter is considered by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. Both cases against Trump were dismissed after he won the election in November due to long standing Justice Department policies against prosecuting a sitting president. (ABC News / Politico / NPR / Associated Press / NBC News / New York Times / Washington Post)

3/ A watchdog report found that three senior Trump-era Justice Department officials leaked details about COVID-19 nursing home death investigations in Democratic states to influence the 2020 presidential election. The leaks targeted Democratic governors in New York and New Jersey and violated department policies and potentially the Hatch Act, with one official calling it their “last play” before the election. (Reuters / Politico / The Hill)

4/ Biden insisted that he could have beaten Trump in the 2024 election while acknowledging he wasn’t sure he could’ve completed a full second term. “It’s presumptuous to say that, but I think yes,” Biden said when asked if he believed he could have won, citing polls he had reviewed. Asked if he had the stamina to serve another four years in office, Biden, 82, replied: “I don’t know.” He added: “Who the hell knows? So far, so good. But who knows what I’m going to be when I’m 86 years old?” Before Biden dropped out of the race in July, some polls showed he was falling behind Trump, and he lost further ground after his poor debate performance in June, which put his health, age, and cognitive abilities in question. (NBC News / Washington Post / New York Times / Axios)

  • READ: Biden’s full interview. (USA Today)

✏️ Notables.

  1. Wildfires in Los Angeles have killed at least two people, destroyed over 1,000 structures, and burned nearly 6,000 acres. Trump, meanwhile, blamed the disaster on Gov. Gavin Newsom for not signing a non-existent “water restoration declaration.” In his first term, Trump also blamed California’s wildfires on “poor” forest management despite nearly 60% of the state’s forests being under federal management. He also suggested the state should “rake” their forests. (Politico / New York Times / Forbes)

  2. A watchdog group accused Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of voter fraud, alleging that Trump’s pick for Health and Human Services Secretary voted in the 2024 election using a New York address that New York courts “had already determined was not his legal residence.” (Politico / Axios)

  3. Trump was provided with questions in advance for a Fox News town hall during the 2024 campaign by someone within the network. Fox announced plans to investigate the alleged leak but denies evidence supporting the claim, while Trump’s communications team called him the “most accessible and transparent candidate” in U.S. history. (CNN)

  4. The Federal Reserve said it was concerned about elevated inflation risks linked to Trump’s proposed tariffs and immigration changes, leading officials to slow the pace of interest rate cuts. While the Fed lowered its benchmark rate to 4.25%-4.5%, most officials viewed further cuts as a “close call” and signaled plans for only two additional cuts in 2025 – down from four previously forecasted. Uncertainty over Trump’s economic policies, combined with persistent inflation pressures, has prompted the Fed to take a cautious approach moving forward. (Wall Street Journal / Bloomberg / CNBC)

  5. Trump is reportedly considering declaring a national economic emergency to impose his proposed universal tariffs. By invoking the International Economic Emergency Powers Act, Trump would have broad authority to impose tariffs on imports without needing to prove national security grounds. “Nothing is off the table,” one person said. (CNN)

Last year today: Day 1084: "Fair notice."
Five years ago today: Day 1084: Standing down.
Six years ago today: Day 719: Intentionally misleading.
Seven years ago today: Day 354: Executive time.