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Report: Conservative Network Shared Private Smartmatic Employee Data With Trump Team After 2020 Election

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Gage Skidmore Flickr

Voting systems company Smartmatic is suing conservative media network One America News (OAN) and new evidence shows a direct connection to former President Donald Trump.

According to a report by CNN, an email exchange dated January 8, 2021, between OAN president Charles Herring and Trump lawyer Sidney Powell, who is also being sued by Smartmatic as well as other individuals tied to Trump for spreading misinformation about the 2020 election, purportedly contained a spreadsheet full of passwords for employees of Smartmatic.

The court records don’t reveal how OAN obtained the spreadsheet; according to CNN, lawyers for Smartmatic alleged the possession of the information means OAN executives “may have engaged in criminal activities” by “appear[ing] to have violated state and federal laws regarding data privacy.”

Per CNN:

While Smartmatic’s public filings didn’t identify the sender or recipient of the email, court records from a separate 2020-related lawsuit confirm that Herring and Powell exchanged emails on the same date. The pair’s communications about the purported Smartmatic spreadsheet, which have not been previously reported, resurrect questions that have dogged OAN for years regarding its tendency to blur the lines between opinion journalism and brazen political advocacy.

Smartmatic is seeking billions of dollars in damages from OAN and Fox News after the networks falsely claimed that the company flipped votes during the 2020 election.

Last year, Dominion Voting Systems won nearly $800 million in its similar defamation suit against Fox News.

North Dakota Governor Enters White House Race

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North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, greets U.S. President Donald J. Trump arrives at the North Dakota Air National Guard Base, Fargo, N.D., Sept. 7, 2018. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sgt. David H Lipp)

A relatively unknown Republican Governor has decided to enter the 2024 primary field in what appears to be an ever-growing group of competitors.

On Wednesday, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum became the most recent Republican to enter the race.

Burgum announced his candidacy in an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal.

“We need a change in the White House. We need a new leader for a changing economy. That’s why I’m announcing my run for president today,” he wrote.

The economy must be our top priority. We need to get inflation under control, cut taxes, lower gas prices and reduce the cost of living.

We need to stop buying energy from our enemies and start selling it to our friends and allies. America produces the cleanest and safest energy in the world. Anyone who cares about the environment should want all energy produced here.

Finally, we must recognize the real threat to America and strengthen national security. Our enemies aren’t our neighbors down the street. Our enemies are countries that want to see our way of life destroyed. The first time I ever saw Great Plains’ software in China in 1989 it had been stolen and pirated to sell for a tiny fraction of our price. We must rebuild our military and re-establish our nation’s position of strength to win the cold war with China.

“There’s a value to being underestimated all the time,” Burgum told The Forum Editorial Board in an interview published last month. “That’s a competitive advantage.”

Burgum, who has served as the governor since 2016, announced his campaign during an event in Fargo.

Besides former President Trump, the Republican presidential nomination field includes Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina governor and former ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, former two-term Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, multimillionaire entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and Michigan businessman Perry Johnson.

On Monday, former Vice President Mike Pence formally filed paperwork with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) ahead of his expected announcement on June 7.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who ran for the 2016 presidential nomination, also filed his paperwork with the FEC on Tuesday.

Former Trump Official Jumps Ship, Joins Competitors Campaign

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Vivek Ramaswamy speaking with attendees at the 2022 AmericaFest at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

A top supporter of former President Trump in the crucial early-voting state of New Hampshire is joining rival Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign.

According to Fox News, longtime state Rep. Fred Doucette, who served as New Hampshire co-chair of Trump’s 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns, is joining the Ramaswamy campaign as a senior strategist and co-chair in New Hampshire.

The Granite State holds the first primary and second overall contest in the GOP’s presidential nominating calendar.

Doucette, the current deputy majority leader in the Republican-controlled state House of Representatives, said in a statement that Ramaswamy is a candidate that gives someone to vote for instead of someone to vote against, in a thinly-veiled jab at President Joe Biden.

“Vivek is the person who will deliver the America First agenda, without the drama,” Doucette said in a statement released on Thursday by the Ramaswamy campaign.

Doucette stressed, “I believe that President Trump’s agenda worked” and said his decision not to support the former president as he runs a third straight time for the White House was “terribly hard.”

“I came on board in March of 2015 and we were fired up. We were energized. We were engaged. We were about getting it done,” Doucette recalled. But he described the current Trump campaign as “flat.”

Doucette argued that Trump’s 2024 campaign “is not taking a page and looking forward” and said that impression “played into a lot of my decision-making.” He added that Trump supporters in the key primary and general election battleground state “were disappointed” in some of the decisions made by the Trump campaign.

“Fred gets things done. He has a proven track record of leadership, delivering results and winning,” Ramaswamy said in a statement“We’re taking America First to the next level, and I am confident Fred will be a key asset in our mission in the crucible of New Hampshire politics. We’re ready to roll and revive the American experiment, starting with the Granite state.”

Ramaswamy has hit the ground running since announcing his presidential campaign in February, traveling to New Hampshire and Iowa numerous times.

CNN To Host First Trump, Biden 2024 Debate

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CNN Headquarters via Wikimedia Commons

Big things are coming…

On Wednesday, CNN announced it will host the first 2024 debate between President Joe Biden and presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump in late June.

“I’ve received and accepted an invitation from @CNN for a debate on June 27th. Over to you, Donald. As you said: anywhere, any time, any place,” Biden posted on X.

Trump told Fox News Digital in a subsequent statement he had also accepted the invitation for the June 27 debate, telling the outlet he is “looking forward to being in beautiful Atlanta.”

The Biden campaign earlier Wednesday called for the first debate to take place in late June, after Biden returns from the Group of Seven summit in Europe and after Trump’s hush money trial in New York will likely have concluded.

Trump, in a post on Truth Social, derided Biden as “the WORST debater I have ever faced” and said the two should discuss border policy, electric vehicles and inflation, among other topics.

“I am Ready and Willing to Debate Crooked Joe at the two proposed times in June and September,” Trump posted. “I would strongly recommend more than two debates and, for excitement purposes, a very large venue, although Biden is supposedly afraid of crowds – That’s only because he doesn’t get them. Just tell me when, I’ll be there. ‘Let’s get ready to Rumble!!!’”

In a separate statement to Fox News Digital, Trump said the proposed dates were “fully acceptable.”

“I will provide my own transportation,” he said.

The Biden campaign suggested a second debate in September ahead of the start of early voting in many states, as well as a vice presidential debate in late July, after the Republican National Convention.

GOP Governor Signals Interest in 2024 White House Run

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Photo of Chris Sununu via Gage Skidmore Flckr

New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu is leaving the door open as to if he will pursue a bid for the White House in 2024.

In an interview with Fox News, Sununu, who won reelection in November, admitted that he’s been approached about a possible presidential campaign and is seriously considering the matter. However, the governor acknowledged there’s still plenty of time to make a decision to make final decision and he still discussing the matter.

“It’s incredibly flattering,” Sununu said of the speculation that he could mount a presidential bid. “A lot of folks are coming to me, a lot of folks want me to run. It’s definitely conversations that we’re having, of course.”

“My first priority is New Hampshire. It really is,” he added. “But again, we’ll keep having those conversations. There’s no time table for making decisions or where it all goes.”

“I think people have to understand it is, what? Jan. 4 or 5, right? Of ‘23? So we still have well over a year before we even get to the first-in-the nation primary,” he said. “There’s going to be a lot of time before folks even get in the race.”

The New Hampshire Governor acknowledged that other high-profile Republicans are considering their own presidential campaigns which could also impact his ultimate decision.

“Who knows what might happen between now and then?” Sununu said. “And those unknown variables could really dictate who gets in the race and how successful they can be.”

Early polling suggests that Trump and DeSantis are the two frontrunners for the 2024 nomination.

Elon Musk Makes Bold Move With Pro-Trump Donation

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UK Government, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, made a significant political move by donating to a pro-Trump Super PAC, despite previous claims of neutrality.

The unexpected contribution could potentially impact the 2024 race, depending on the extent of Musk’s vast fortune given to former President Donald Trump.

Musk’s Financial Backing: A Game Changer?

On Friday evening, sources informed Bloomberg that Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla and the chairman of the social media giant X, made an undisclosed donation to America PAC, an independent political action committee dedicated to supporting Trump’s campaign.

Musk’s decision comes after he previously stated he wouldn’t donate to either major party candidate. However, he did hint at the possibility of a public endorsement in the future. This move indicates a growing alignment with conservative values and a more vocal stance on key issues.

The Hill has the latest:

The billionaire has also been highly critical of Biden on X, including criticizing the president over his allegiance to unions and his immigration polices.

“Why does the radical far left Biden administration welcome violent illegals into America to prey upon your friends & family?” Musk said in a post on X earlier this year. “We are even warned by other countries that it is insane to make America a haven for their convicted criminals!”

America PAC is required to disclose a new list of donors on July 17, per Bloomberg.

The news also comes after Trump outraised Biden significantly in May, thanks in part to a surge following the former president’s conviction in his New York hush money trial. The numbers helped erase the cash advantage Biden had early in the election cycle, though both candidates still have a lot of money at their disposal.

“The woke mind virus has thoroughly penetrated entertainment and is pushing civilization towards suicide,” Musk tweeted in 2022. “There needs to be a counter-narrative.”

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Report: Former Governor Will Make Final White House Decision in Next 60 Days

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Maryland GovPics, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Is the Republican primary field about to gain another contender?

Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (R) said that he will decide on whether to make another bid for the presidency in the next 45 to 60 days.

“I think running for president of the United States is an intensely personal decision. And that’s one that anybody who’s considering it should have the right to make on their own regardless of anybody else’s thoughts on it,” Christine told the Washington Examiner.

Christie, who ran for the Republican nomination in 2016, told the Examiner that the GOP should have a “robust primary” given the losses the party suffered over the last four years. He noted that former President Trump is “weaker” now than he was leading up to the 2020 election.

“With Donald Trump at the top of the ticket, you can be sure of the fact that we’ll have another four years of Joe Biden, and that to me is not acceptable for this country,” he said.

Christie, who is a regular political commentator on ABC, has previously criticized Trump even after working on his 2016 and 2020 campaigns, saying earlier this month that “he’s not what he used to be.”

Christie is scheduled to speak at an event in New Hampshire later this month, marking the latest Republican to travel to early primary states. Last week, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis traveled to Iowa, sparking fresh 2024 speculation.

Report: Team Biden Exiling ‘Disloyal’ Aides As Campaign Struggles

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Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

There’s trouble with Team Biden…

According to a recent report from Axios, the Biden campaign is exiling aides who dare to question its strategy as the President continues to slide backward in polls.

The report notes that senior Democrats have expressed concerns that Biden’s path to victory “relies on voter concerns about Jan. 6, political violence, democracy and Donald Trump’s character.”

Crowd of Trump supporters marching on the US Capitol on 6 January 2021, ultimately leading the building being breached and several deaths. [Photo Credit: TapTheForwardAssist, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons]

“It is unclear to many of us watching from the outside whether the president and his core team realize how dire the situation is right now, and whether they even have a plan to fix it,” one Democrat operative told Axios. “That is scary.”

Axios has more:

People close to the president told Axios they worry about raising concerns in meetings because Biden’s group of longtime loyal aides can exile dissenters.

“Even for those close to the center, there is a hesitance to raise skepticism or doubt about the current path, for fear of being viewed as disloyal,” a person in Biden’s orbit told Axios, speaking on condition of anonymity because of those dynamics. “There is not a discussion that a change of course is needed.”

The source of the enforced enthusiasm on the Biden campaign is reportedly top political aide Mike Donilon, who tells colleagues that “voters will do the right thing” and “Joe Biden is a great president, and great presidents get reelected.”

A 2022 Democrat campaign aide asserted that “2022 was a classic case of running away from a president, and their takeaway was, ‘Wow people really like us.’”

Fox News reported that an aggregate of network polls found dwindling support for President Biden among Black voters, down to 70% in 2024 from 86% in 2020. Trump, meanwhile, has cut into Biden’s coalition, according to polling, tripling his support from Black voters over the last four years, from 7% in 2020 to 21% in 2024.

‘The View’ Host Explains Why She Wants Trump To Win 2024 Nomination

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Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

On Wednesday, “The View” co-host Joy Behar explained why she hopes former President Donald Trump wins the Republican nomination in 2024- she’s afraid of Ron DeSantis.

After other co-hosts traded off criticizing the Florida Governor, Joy Behar slipped up and said that she believes Democrats can ultimately defeat another Trump campaign.

Cohost Alyssa Farah Griffin said that she believes DeSantis “is the most over-hyped politician in America.”

“I want to see him sit down with a neutral interviewer like George Stephanopoulos and actually answer tough questions,” Griffin said. Stephanopoulos served as White House press secretary for former President Bill Clinton.

“DeSantis is what they call a dweeb,” Behar exclaimed. “And Trump is the one who needs to get the nomination because then the Democrats will win.”

Conservative commentators offered their own opinions on Twitter.

“These 🤡’s debase themselves every day,” commentator Dave Rubin said. “She wants DeSantis to sit down with a ‘neutral journalist like George Stephanopolous’, who was press Secretary for Bill Clinton and happens to work at the same network as her.”

“Also the brain melting way she tries to pretend DeSantis’s victory wasn’t a record setting landslide, and how Joy says the quiet part out loud … they actually want Trump … because DeSantis is the real threat,” he added.

The Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh tweeted, “They openly admit that they want Trump because they think he’s easier to beat.”

New York Times Handles Trump Assassination Attempt By Cropping Out American Flag

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Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

In an attack that shook America to its core on Saturday afternoon, a failed loner attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump. The New York Times’ editorial choices in covering it over the past 24 hours have sparked widespread discussion and criticism.

NYT’s Editorial Decisions

One of the most controversial decisions was the alteration of their cover photo, which conspicuously cut out the American flag. This move did not go unnoticed and spurred intense reaction online. Additionally, The New York Times opted not to use the word “assassination” in its front-page story about the shooting.

Comparison with Other Media Outlets

The New York Times wasn’t alone in making editorial choices that drew scrutiny. CNN’s Jamie Gangel also faced criticism for her response. Gangel chose to chide Trump’s rhetoric mere seconds after the attack, a decision sorely lacking empathy and perspective.

However, these responses were somewhat subdued when compared to the reactions from two reporters from a far-left Seattle outlet. These ideologues appeared to cheer the near miss.

The Post Millennial reports:

Staff writer at The Stranger Ashley Nerbovig, who covers “policing, incarceration and courts” for the far-left outlet posted on X, “Make America aim again,” in reaction to the news that the former president had survived the shooting at a rally in Pennsylvania on Sunday. Nervobig deleted the post, but screenshots went viral. She then deleted her account.

Fellow Stranger writer Hannah Krieg criticized Seattle’s Democratic mayor for praising the Secret Service and wishing the best for the former president.

Following the news of the failed assassination, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrel posted on X, “This act of political violence is disturbing and unacceptable in our country. Thank you to the Secret Service and all the first responders who quickly secured the scene. Our thoughts are with the former president and all the people who attended today’s rally.”

Krieg shared the post and wrote, “Mayor Bruce Harrel swiftly comes to the defense of Trump, a failed insurrectionist touted by mainstream Democrats as an existential threat to Democracy.” She deleted the post and then locked her account after the blowback.

For readers and viewers, these examples highlight the importance of critically evaluating news sources and being aware of potential biases. It also underscores the need for media literacy in this country.

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