First Thing: Trump treads familiar ground with first post-presidential speech

Good morning.

Donald Trump made his first post-presidential speech at the weekend, using the occasion to continue to peddle lies abut a “rigged” 2020 election and hint at a 2024 run for president. He covered familiar ground, lashing out at immigrants, Joe Biden and the media, as he spoke at the largest annual gathering of conservatives in Florida for the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).

After a standing ovation, Trump trotted out familiar lines, stating that “illegal aliens and dead people are voting” and that “this election was rigged and the supreme court and other courts didn’t want to do anything about it”.

After roundly criticising the Democrats, he suggested he “may even decide to beat them for a third time”. Trump won a straw poll to be crowned attendees’ choice for the 2024 Republican nomination, but arguably his 55% share of the vote could be seen as fairly low given how vocal many CPAC speakers have been in supporting him.

But his speech was not the only thing to raise eyebrows. Thousands of Twitter users drew comparisons between the stage design for the conference and a Norse rune used by the Nazis during the second world war. The conference has proved that the GOP has become the Trump party, argues Robert Reich, standing for nothing except overturning a past election and appealing to no one except the former president’s diehard support base. But he says this could play to Democrats’ strengths, meaning that they simply cannot be a viable opposition.

• A Republican senator predicted Trump will not be the GOP’s 2024 nominee for president, referencing the number of seats lost by Republicans in the House and Senate during Trump’s time in office. “If we idolize one person, we will lose,” Bill Cassidy, the Louisiana Republican senator said.

The White House denies it is being too soft on Saudi

The White House has defended its decision not to sanction Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Salman over the murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi, after publishing an intelligence report that concluded he had approved the killing.

Human rights groups and some senior Democrats have condemned the lack of action in response to the report, but the White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, said the Biden administration believed “there [are] more effective ways to make sure this doesn’t happen again”, adding that the government also wanted to “leave room to work with the Saudis on areas where there is mutual agreement … That is what diplomacy looks like.”

• Iran has said it is not willing to attend talks over its nuclear deal with the US, which were brokered by the EU, because the White House has not done enough to lift sanctions against Tehran. The Biden administration previously said it would discuss lifting sanctions at the negotiating table and not before.

• The first ever papal visit to Iraq will go ahead despite concerns about coronavirus and terrorism. Pope Francis, 84, will meet beleaguered Christian communities on Friday, alongside one of the world’s most influential Muslim leaders. All members of the pontiff’s entourage will be vaccinated before leaving, and social distancing and mask-wearing will be in place.

Fauci urged Americans to take whatever vaccine they are given

The US’s top infectious diseases expert, Dr Anthony Fauci, urged Americans to take whatever vaccine they are offered, after Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose jab was approved in the country this weekend. The vaccine becomes the third to be used in the US, after Pfizer and Moderna. Speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press show, Fauci said he “would have no hesitancy whatsoever” in taking the vaccine, despite studies suggesting it had lower efficacy rates than the other two.

“You can understand that type of a concern, but in order to really compare vaccines, you have to compare them head to head, and these were not compared head to head,” Fauci said, adding: “All three of them are really quite good, and people should take the one that’s most available to them.”

• The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine may be less effective in people with obesity, data suggests. Researchers in Italy found that obese healthcare workers produced just half of the antibodies in response to a second dose as those with a healthy weight.

• Israel uses Covid vaccine passports. What is it like? Countries around the world are considering giving certificates to people who have had the vaccine, allowing them to enter public spaces such as bars and swimming pools, but Israel has already done so. Oliver Holmes and Quique Kierszenbaum look at what life with the “green pass” is like.

The Golden Globes: glamorous but glitchy

In some ways, the 78th Golden Globes ceremony was familiar: hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler for a fourth time, and once again dominated by British stars. But this year, it also featured patchy wifi and lagging sound as it was conducted partially remotely because of coronavirus restrictions. Some actors, such as Jane Fonda, attended the show in person, while many others did so from their homes.

Netflix enjoyed great success, taking home awards for The Crown and The Queen’s Gambit, while the final season of Schitt’s Creek was also rewarded. And for the first time in the history of the Golden Globes, the majority of best director nominations were women. You can read the full list of nominees and winners here, and enjoy our photo gallery of the winners – and their living rooms.

In other news…

• The New York attorney general wants to investigate sexual harassment claims against the governor, Andrew Cuomo, demanding on Sunday evening to be granted the authority to do so. Cuomo admitted his behaviour could have been “misinterpreted as an unwanted flirtation” and offered a qualified apology.

• Prince Harry said he feared “history repeating itself” over the treatment of his wife, Meghan Markle, apparently referencing the death of his mother, Diana, in a car crash while being pursued by paparazzi. The statement came from clips from a much-anticipated interview with Oprah Winfrey, which will be aired in full on 7 March.

• Mynamar’s ousted leader faces a third charge, as the military attempts to solidify its leadership after a coup last month. Aung San Suu Kyi appeared in court via video link, looking healthy but perhaps having lost weight, according to her lawyer.

Stat of the day: 84% of Syrian refugees may have PTSD

More than three-quarters of Syrian refugees may have serious mental health issues, a decade after the beginning of the civil war. The research, by the charity Syria Relief into more than 700 Syrians living in Lebanon, Turkey and Idlib, found that 84% had at least 15 key symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Don’t miss this: Judge Judy talks manners, wealth and hanging up her gavel

As the famous TV judge, whose show has been No 1 in the US since 1998, prepares to air her last episode, Judge Judy discusses “political correctness”, how her childhood influenced her world view and accusations that her success lies in “vulnerable people be subjected to humiliation”.

Last Thing: golden Trump statue was made in Mexico

A golden statue of Trump caused much stir at the Conservative conference, with pictures going viral and attendees excitedly taking snaps with it. But the artist, Tommy Zegan, revealed that the artwork was built in Mexico – a country Trump spent many years demonising.

Sign up

Sign up for the US morning briefing

First Thing is delivered to thousands of inboxes every weekday. If you’re not already signed up, subscribe now.