Yeah, the Smollett guy, Abrams doing the SOTU response, some MSM interview (saw on night shift) with a dem saying Trump is a racist. That's what they want to use to disrupt the SOTU message.
The Northam thing, could be a setup, too. If the dems spring his resignation later today or tomorrow, meaning they wanted to wait out the SB news cycle, they would go into SOTU as champions of the oppressed, or some such bullshit.
Looks like there could be a Pelosi/Harris turf war going on, though. Smollett/Fairfax Harris gang, the girl who accused Fairfax of sexual assault (also night shift) Pelosi gang. If so, good for POTUS to tweak them every now and then about Northam.
Hard to read the Northam thing.