22 Contradicting Trump Defenses Rolled Out By Republicans (So Far)

It never happened. It happened, but no quid pro quo. The Process! Read the Transcript! It's a coup! If you have trouble reading this message, view it in a browser.       Republicans Have Rolled Out at Least 22 Trump-Ukraine Defenses, Many of Which Contradict Each Other   We are headed towards that thrilling final page of the Republican Ukraine Defense Playbook: When the president does it, it's not illegal. Actually, it was smart and good. This is not the first defense, obviously. Many of the previous defenses involved denying it happened. Republicans rejected the notion that the president extorted a foreign government in order to force them to meddle in the 2020 election for his personal political gain—an abuse of power and a betrayal of his oath of office. The Whistleblower was a shadowy, biased source providing hearsay, you see. It never happened. Then more direct witnesses came forward, on the record, to confirm The Whistleblower's account—at which point they were attacked as NeverTrump Deep State bureaucrats. One consistent theme, however, is that the impeachment witnesses are speaking under oath, under penalty of perjury. The president and his defenders are not. Read More           Watchmen Writer Alan Moore's Take on Modern Superhero Movies Is Much Harsher Than Scorsese's   In the raging, never-ending debate on whether or not superhero films qualify as art, it seems like we've finally ran out of voices to weigh in. Legendary director Martin Scorsese started the war when he compared Marvel movies to theme parks, and seemingly ended it with a somber op-ed in The New York Times, in which he talks about the elimination of risk in cinema and the terrifying reality for new filmmakers. Read More           Exclusive: Shop the Next Big Q Timex Watch a Full Day Early   Turns out good things come in twos—at least when it comes to watches. Earlier this year, Timex brought out the first reissued iteration of the Q Timex, a diver-inspired watch with a red-and-blue bezel and a bit of a '70s vibe. To say it was a smash hit is something of an understatement. The watch—which made its debut right here at Esquire, by the way—sold out in less then 24 hours. Then it did it again. And again. It's still out of stock right now. Read More           Did J.J. Abrams Confirm a Huge Star Wars Fan Theory About Force Ghosts in Rise of Skywalker?   Force Ghosts are one of the biggest mysteries of Star Wars. After Obi-Wan Kenobi dies in A New Hope, the Jedi becomes more power than ever before, turning into a spirit who guides Luke Skywalker to defeat the Empire. The Force Ghost of Ben Kenobi continues to help the young Skywalker orphan train alongside Master Yoda in Empire Strikes Back. And when the Empire is finally crushed once and for all in Return of the Jedi, the Yoda and Kenobi return as spirits with the ghost of Anakin Skywalker to say farewell to Luke at the finale of the film. While we don't know exactly what their powers are, we do know Force Ghosts are important to the mythology of Star Wars. And according to J.J. Abrams, it seems these elusive Jedi spirits may play a central role in The Rise of Skywalker. Read More           The 16 Best White Sneakers to Wear With Everything, Any Time of Year   You should know by now that the old rules about wearing white are out the window. After Labor Day? Absolutely—and pretty much any way you like. That goes double for white sneakers. Once considered a summertime standby, we've now come to realize the (very) obvious: They look great all year long. Plus, they go with pretty much everything in your closet, whether it's a pair of jeans or a full-blown suit. So even though the colder months have closed in on us, that doesn't mean you should take your fresh white kicks out of your rotation. Just wait for a dry day (or choose a pair that can stand up to the elements) and wear with confidence. Here are 16 pairs to keep an eye on right now. Read More           Mike Pompeo 'Always Defends' His People, Except When They Need Defending   When I first heard of Mike Pompeo, he was still a Tea Party Brownbackian congresscritter from Kansas. President Barack Obama was trying (again) to close the detention camps at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, and to move those people still confined there to prisons here on the mainland. Pompeo led a claque of conservative congresscritters in strongly suggesting to the military hierarchy that maybe they didn't have to obey the lawful orders of the commander in chief in these matters. Read More         Read More on Esquire.com       Follow Us     Unsubscribe  Privacy Notice   esquire.com ©2019 Hearst Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Hearst Email Privacy, 300 W 57th St., Fl. 19 (sta 1-1), New York, NY 10019