Former President Donald Trump’s legal team on Wednesday accused the House committee investigating the Capitol riot of seeking to uncover evidence that would support a criminal referral against him.

Why it matters: The brief asked the Supreme Court to consider committee Chair Bennie Thompson’s, D-Miss., interview with The Washington Post as part of its effort to block the release of records to the committee.

Catch up quick: Last week, Trump’s lawyers asked the Supreme Court to block the release of documents and records from his administration, arguing that their release would undermine certain presidential special privileges. Read Full Story

• The Hill: Jan. 6 Committee Hoping to Issue Interim Report by Summer: Report
• The Washington Times: Conservative Group Plans Candlelit Vigils on Capitol Riot Anniversary
• American Thinker: The COVID Con Is All Democrats Have
• The Federalist: As 2021 Closes Decked in Democrat Disasters, Pelosi Clings to Jan. 6
• PJ Media: Five New Year’s Resolutions Every Conservative Should Embrace

Republicans see an opportunity to set a governing agenda to contrast with what they say is an increasingly rudderless Democratic-run Washington, but the effort has not yet coalesced.

They are still hammering out the details of what is intended to be a broad-based platform, lawmakers leading the effort told The Washington Times.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy created seven policy task forces back in June to craft that legislative agenda for Republicans to run on in the 2022 midterm elections and to govern on in 2023.

The outlines of the platform so far include opposing vaccine mandates, shearing the power of tech oligarchs, strengthening the U.S. defense systems to compete with China and reviving get-tough immigration policies. Read Full Story

• The Hill: Congress Zooms In on Cybersecurity After Banner Year of Attacks
• Townhall: Inflation Set to Drive Consumer Prices Even Higher in 2022
• American Thinker: Omicron Upends Class Politics of COVID
• The Federalist: Blue States Raging With COVID
• The Daily Caller: Winsome Sears: Democrats Losing Grip on Two Key Demographics

While ancillary issues like cancel culture and critical race theory further the divide between Democratic elites and American voters — and, indeed, electability — the top issue in 2022 has always been and will continue to be the economy. 

Pocketbook issues always matter most, especially now and regardless of the daily social media cycle. On that score, President Joe Biden has every reason to be concerned. Even Democrats can’t paint a rosy picture for 2022, hence the likes of NPR predicting a “red wave.”

In politics, the equation is simple: You start with a crisis — in this case, inflation. If enough people worry about the crisis, they will blame current leadership in Washington, D.C. And blame eventually becomes change. Read Full Story

• The Hill: McConnell: Manchin’s Opposition to Biden Plan ‘Shot in the Arm for the Country’
• Washington Examiner: Nearly 50 GOP Lawmakers File Brief to Support Navy SEALS Seeking Vaccine Exemption
• Townhall: Was This the Moment Schumer Ruined What’s Left of Biden’s Presidency?
• The Federalist: Defund the Speech Police
• PJ media: WH’s Message to Unvaccinated: Get Ready for ‘Winter of Severe Illness and Death’