The star witness who falsely alleged that President Joe Biden and his son Hunter took a $10 million bribe from Ukraine was sentenced to six years in prison Wednesday.

Republicans repeatedly touted the testimony of Alexander Smirnov as the smoking gun against the president and his son, using it in an attempt to impeach Biden. But in February last year, Smirnov was indicted by special counsel David Weiss and charged with lying about the Bidens’ involvement with Ukrainian energy company Burisma, collapsing House Republicans’ case.

Last month, Smirnov pleaded guilty to four felony charges, which included one count of obstruction of justice and three tax evasion charges, and admitted to fabricating the conspiracy. As a condition of Smirnov’s plea deal, prosecutors agreed to ask for a maximum of six years in prison. Smirnov, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen, also has to pay about $675,000 in restitution to the IRS for his tax evasion charges.

Smirnov’s sentencing should end the case against the president and his son, with the only remaining loose end being Weiss’s final report, and Attorney General Merrick Garland will decide whether that should be made public. A jury convicted Hunter Biden on gun charges in June, and he pleaded guilty to tax charges in September. But President Biden pardoned his son before he could be sentenced in either case.

With Donald Trump set to be sworn in as president in less than two weeks, Republicans could attempt to pretend that this entire saga never happened. Or Representative James Comer and company might try to find another “informant” and gin up new charges against the Bidens, following through on Trump’s threats to go after his enemies. Trump’s pick to run the FBI, Kash Patel, zealously wants to put those threats into action. The next few months will show whether this case is really over.

Elon Musk is reneging on his biggest DOGE promise.

In a live interview on X Wednesday evening with political strategist Mark Penn, the billionaire conceded that his initial goal of cutting the federal budget by “at least $2 trillion” was a taller task than he first believed. 

“Do you think the $2 trillion is a realistic number now that you’re looking more closely at it?” Penn asked. 

“I think we’ll try for $2 trillion. I think that’s the best-case outcome,” Musk responded. “But I do think that you kind of have to have some overage. I think if we try for $2 trillion, we’ve got a good shot at getting one [trillion].” 

This is vindicating for budget specialists who have been deeply skeptical about Musk’s claims from the jump, as cutting $2 trillion from a $6.8 trillion budget is essentially unfeasible. 

Musk has been touting DOGE as a fiscal savior fighting big government ever since Trump named him as co-chair of the advisory body in November. But its potential grows more and more questionable as Trump’s inauguration draws nearer—and as Republican intraparty rifts grow more pronounced. Musk’s retraction on the $2 trillion he boldly proclaimed onstage at the Madison Square Garden Rally is only the latest example. 

Donald Trump appears to have a cozier relationship with the Supreme Court than previously thought.

The president-elect reportedly had a private call with Justice Samuel Alito on Tuesday, according to ABC News. Hours later, Trump filed a request with the court to dismiss his hush-money sentencing.

Alito spoke with Trump to recommend one of his former law clerks to a position within the forthcoming administration. Then, the following day, Trump’s lawyers had their own request of the bench: Block Trump’s criminal hush-money sentencing, reported ABC’s Katherine Faulders.

“William Levi, one of my former law clerks, asked me to take a call from President-elect Trump regarding his qualifications to serve in a government position,” Alito told the network on Wednesday. “I agreed to discuss this matter with President-elect Trump, and he called me yesterday........

© New Republic