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ABC Military Journalist Disappeared After Being Mysteriously Targeted by FBI

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I, Aude, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

In a very strange tale, Rolling Stone recently reported that an acclaimed military journalist who has exposed shocking military cover-ups, friendly fire deaths, and foiled terror plots, disappeared after his home was raided by the FBI in April.

The magazine cited “sources familiar with the matter” as saying that the ABC producer James Gordon Meek was found with classified material on his laptop by the team of heavily armed FBI agents who appeared at his high-end, penthouse apartment in Virginia.

But this made no sense to friends and outside observers who noted that anything like that on his computer would be for a story he was likely working on.

Meek’s attorney, Eugene Gorokhov, told Rolling Stone: “Mr. Meek is unaware of what allegations anonymous sources are making about his possession of classified documents.”

Prior to his 13 years at ABC, Meek was a senior investigator for the House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee.

There was a great deal of speculation about what happened to Meek since he resigned from ABC immediately after the raid and declined a prestigious award soon thereafter.

He totally disappeared for the next several months, fueling even more speculation.

Some say his situation is a case of the Biden Justice Department targeting a journalist who had been extremely critical of Biden’s disastrous Afghanistan retreat.

“Independent observers believe the raid is among the first—and quite possibly, the first—to be carried out on a journalist by the Biden administration,” the magazine reported.

But later reports dismissed those concerns.

As the Daily Beast reported:

Inside ABC News, however, staffers were baffled by this framing, since Meek resigned from the network via email on April 27—the same day as the raid—citing “personal reasons” and told friends it was to “save colleagues and the company any embarrassment,” according to two people familiar with the situation.

Although the FBI declined to comment on the probe, the DOJ was more forthcoming, suggesting in a statement to Confider that the raid was not actually about Meek’s reporting work, despite what the Rolling Stone article seemed to indicate. “While the department cannot speak to any specific case or activity, the Department strictly adheres to the Attorney General’s July 2021 memorandum prohibiting the use of compulsory process with regards to members of the news media acting within the scope of newsgathering activities,” wrote Dena Iverson, principal deputy director in the DOJ’s Office of Public Affairs.

ABC News sources similarly poured cold water on the idea that Meek was being probed for his journalism: “If the purpose of the FBI’s search is to find classified documents the first call you’d be making would be to ABC’s lawyers because you want the protection of the company,” one such insider told Confider. “We would’ve defended him; ABC’s lawyers would be right there,” another network insider said.

In the aftermath of the FBI raid Meek also suddenly ended his involvement in a book he was co-writing with Lt. Col. Scott Mann, a retired Green Beret, entitled ‘Operation Pineapple Express: The Incredible Story of a Group of Americans Who Undertook One Last Mission and Honored a Promise in Afghanistan.’

Mann told Rolling Stone: ‘He contacted me in the spring, and was really distraught, and told me that he had some serious personal issues going on and that he needed to withdraw from the project.

Interestingly, Meek, who has not been charged with any crime, has since reportedly deleted photos of firearms and ammunition from his personal Facebook page.

Meanwhile, more recent reports have shown that Meek is now living discreetly with his elderly mother in McLean, Virginia.

The Daily Mail reported: “‘Missing’ ABC producer James Gordon Meek has emerged from hiding – but refuses to discuss the mysterious FBI raid that brought his storied journalism career to an abrupt halt.”

The reasons for the raid and his ‘disappearance’ from journalism remain a mystery.

DeSantis Responds to Abrupt Trump Attacks

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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is finally responding to the surprise attack from former President Donald Trump last week, calling it “noise.”

DeSantis was asked by a reporter what he thinks about Trump’s “big announcement” tonight and his thoughts about Trump repeatedly attacking him. (RELATED: Trump Goes Nuclear on Gov. Ron DeSantis, Glenn Youngkin)

“Well, you know, one of the things I’ve learned in this job is when you’re doing, when you’re leading, when you’re getting things done, you take incoming fire, that’s just the nature of it,” DeSantis said. “I roll out of bed in the morning, I’ve got corporate media outlets that have a spasm, just the fact that I’m getting up in the morning, and it’s constantly attacking, and this is just what’s happened.”

“I don’t think any governor got attacked more particularly by corporate media than me over my four-year term,” DeSantis continued. “And yet, I think what you learn is all that’s just noise. And really what matters is: Are you leading? Are you getting in front of issues? Are you delivering results for people? And are you standing up for folks? And if you do that, then none of that stuff matters. And that’s what we’ve done.”

“We focused on results and leadership. And, you know, at the end of the day, I would just tell people to go check out the scoreboard from last Tuesday night,” DeSantis continued. “The fact of the matter is, it was the greatest Republican victory in the history of the state of Florida.”

Trump also targeted Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin in a shocking message. Both Republican governors have been floated as potential contenders for the Republican presidential nomination.

Trump is expected to announce his 2024 presidential campaign in a Nov. 15th announcement from Mar-a-Lago.

However, while DeSantis has decided to move past Trump’s comments the former president seems to be doubling down. In a Tuesday afternoon Truth Social message Trump targeted DeSantis again by pointing out a 2018 gubernatorial ad in which the Florida governor praises him.

In a tongue-in-cheek ad, seemingly no longer available on his YouTube page, DeSantis was shown building a toy wall and reading a book about Trump to his children, brandishing himself as a “pit bull Trump defender.” 

“Hopefully TODAY will turn out to be one of the most important days in the history of our Country,” Trump teased in another Truth Social post.

DeSantis Commits to First GOP Presidential Primary Debate

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Florida Governor and presidential contender Ron DeSantis is refusing to stand in the shadow of Donald Trump.

DeSantis plans to participate in the first Republican presidential nomination debate “regardless” of whether former President Donald Trump takes the stage at the August showdown. 

“I’ll be there regardless. I hope everybody who’s eligible comes. I think it’s an important part of the process and I look forward to being able to be on the stage and introducing our candidacy and our vision and our leadership to a wide audience,” DeSantis said Thursday on “Fox News Tonight.”

Trump, who’s the commanding front-runner in the latest GOP presidential primary polls, has indicated that he may skip the debate. However, Trump campaign officials say the former president has yet to make a final decision on his participation. Trump’s aides have also been looking into options for an alternative event should the former president skip the debate, according to Fox News.

The debate is scheduled for August 23 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and will be hosted by Fox News.

The Republican National Committee (RNC), which is organizing all the GOP presidential nominating debates, is requiring a high donor threshold as well as polling thresholds for candidates to make the stage. 

The RNC is also mandating that candidates that meet the thresholds sign a loyalty pledge to back the eventual 2024 GOP nominee, in order to participate in the debate.

The state of Florida is adding a similar loyalty requirement for candidates to be included on the state’s ballot, according to POLITICO.

The new oath, which includes a promise to “endorse” the GOP nominee and requires a candidate to pledge not to run as an independent or third-party candidate, mirrors language adopted by the Republican National Committee for its first debate.

“We were trying to be consistent with what the debate was requiring,” said Evan Power, vice chair of the Republican Party of Florida, who said that campaigns were notified about the changes. “I don’t think this will come as a surprise.”

Polling Expert Gives Candidate 66% Chance Of Winning Election

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Bad news for Biden…

Polling expert Nate Silver is predicting Donald Trump finds himself back in the White House.

Silver was acclaimed in 2012 for correctly picking the winner of every state between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney and confidently forecasting an Obama victory. He was bullish on Hillary Clinton in 2016 but cautioned Trump had a reasonable chance.

“The candidate who I honest-to-God think has a better chance (Trump) isn’t the candidate I’d rather have win (Biden),” Silver, who formerly ran polling analysis website FiveThirtyEight, wrote in his “Silver Bulletin” substack

Silver’s forecast model, based on 40,000 simulations, found Trump had a 65.7% of winning the electoral college, compared to Biden, who had a 33.7% chance. However, Biden is slightly favored to win the popular vote. Trump lost the popular vote in 2016 but won the presidency with a slew of narrow swing state wins.

“If the Electoral College/popular vote gap looks anything like it did in 1 or 2020, you’d expect Biden to be in deep trouble if the popular vote is roughly tied,” Silver wrote.

The data expert wrote that there was still time for Biden to turn things around and suggested the president give the nomination to Vice President Harris or someone else at the Democratic convention. However, he wrote, “Disclaimer: that also might be a terrible idea.”`

Biden Says Re-Election Plans Entirely Revolve Around Trump

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Joe Biden via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Now we see where President Biden’s priorities are…

During remarks to donors at one of the fundraisers he attended on Tuesday in Massachusetts the President said he doubted he would seek a second term in the White House if Donald Trump was not also running for President.

“If Trump wasn’t running, I’m not sure I’d be running. But we cannot let him win,” Biden said, according to a press pool report from the event.

Another reporter also asked if Trump were to drop out of the race if Biden would consider doing the same.

“Would you drop out if Trump drops out?” the reporter asked.

“No, not now,” President Biden replied.

Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN), who is running a challenge against Biden for the Democrat Party’s 2024 nomination, responded to Biden’s quote on Tuesday, saying on X, “Says the candidate with lower approval figures and losing to Trump in every poll of consequence. It’s downright delusional.”

Trump has been narrowly topping Biden in head-to-head polls taken over the past several weeks, including in battleground states. 

President Biden’s age and leadership abilities have cast serious doubts among Americans that Biden is the right man for the job. Even former Obama adviser David Axelrod has openly questioned if it would be “wise” for Biden to back out of the race now.

Trump has dominated the polls thus far, however, his numerous legal battles are cause for concern.

Nikki Haley Kicks Off New Hampshire Primary With Unanimous Victory

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Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is off to a strong start in New Hampshire.

Haley won all six votes in Dixville Notch, N.H. which kicked off first-in-the-nation primary voting at midnight early Tuesday morning.

Of the six votes, four are registered Republicans and two are undeclared voters. The remaining voters in the Granite State will head to the polls later on Tuesday.

Although the small resort community is too small a sample size to signal the direction of the voters’ preferences, Haley celebrated the votes in a post on X, formerly Twitter, early Tuesday morning.

“A great start to a great day in New Hampshire,” the former South Carolina governor wrote. “Thank you Dixville Notch!”

Trump still leads New Hampshire with 50.6 percent of the vote, according to The Hill/Decision Desk HQ’s polling average. Haley is currently at 36.8 percent. Recent polls suggest Haley performs well among independents and moderate voters in New Hampshire. 

Nate Silver’s Forecast: Harris Now Favored Over Trump In 2024 Election

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Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

In a significant shift, Vice President Kamala Harris has pulled ahead of former President Donald Trump in the latest 2024 election forecast from data expert Nate Silver. According to Silver’s “Silver Bulletin” election model, Harris currently holds a 58% likelihood of winning the presidency, compared to Trump’s 42%.

This marks a reversal from early September, when Trump had over a 60% chance of victory. Silver attributes the shift to changes in polling data. He noted that Harris has gained a 3-point lead nationally and has been performing well in key battleground states like Georgia and North Carolina.

The exception is Arizona, where Harris has struggled in recent polling, but Silver noted it has only a 5% chance of being the tipping-point state.

While Silver still categorizes the race as a toss-up, he suggested that Harris’s hand appears stronger. He also pointed to positive economic revisions, which he said have bolstered Harris’s chances.

Silver explained that Harris has two viable paths to securing the Electoral College, whereas Trump’s options appear more limited. Harris could win the presidency even if she loses all the toss-up states, provided she secures Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

Mediaite has further details on Harris’ “Plan A” and “Plan B” pathways to victory:

Silver’s latest write-up of his forecast notes that Harris, unlike Trump, has two solid routes to winning the Electoral College. Harris can lose all the toss-up states while winning Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin and still become president.

Silver calls this “Plan A” – the long talked about “blue wall” that crumbled in 2016 for Hillary Clinton. Silver explains that Harris also has a “Plan B” if one of those states falls – despite her polling up in all three. Harris can win “North Carolin, Georgia, or both” in order to still get to 270 – especially as she’s in striking position in Nevada and ahead in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District.

Trump, on the other hand, must win all of the toss-up states and at least one of the three “blue wall’ states.

As recently as a few weeks ago, Silver’s model had Trump leading Harris in betting odds. However, recent developments have reshaped the landscape as the 2024 election approaches.

Silver’s full analysis is available by clicking here.

Ohio Democrat Candidate Says Biden Should Not Run for President in 2024

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Joe Biden via Gage Skidmore Flickr

More and more Democrats are turning their backs on Joe Biden.

Ohio Democrat Senate candidate Tim Ryan doesn’t want Joe Biden to seek another term in the White House and he’s not afraid to say it. During a debate against Trump-endorsed opponent J.D. Vance, Ryan doubled down on his previous comments that senior leaders in politics need to step aside.

“I’ve been very clear. I’d like to see a generational change,” Ryan said at a Monday night debate for the Ohio Senate against Republican candidate J.D. Vance.

“Mitch McConnell, Donald Trump, the president, everybody,” the Senate candidate added. “We need a new generation of leadership.”

Biden has repeatedly affirmed his plans to run for another term as president despite his low approval ratings and more Democrats emerging to oppose the potential run.

A recent poll from ABC News and the Washington Post indicated that only 35% of Democrat-registered and Democrat-leaning independent respondents want Biden to seek reelection.

Ryan isn’t the first Democrat to publicly state his aversion to Biden’s political plans. Democrat Michigan Rep. Elissa Slotkin also said Sunday that Biden should bow out of the 2024 race.

“I have been very vocal, including with my own leadership in the House, that we need a new generation. We need new blood, period, across the Democratic Party — in the House, the Senate and the White House. I think that the country has been saying that,” Slotkin said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

“The environment politically across the country is poisonous, and people I think want some change,” Ryan said. “It’s important for us, in both parties, these leaders who have been around for a while, I think it’s time for some generational change.”

Election prognosticators with RealClearPolitics have labeled the Ohio Senate race as a GOP stronghold but the race has been competitive as Rep. Ryan has attempted to portray himself as a moderate Democrat.

New Poll Reports Unexpected Candidate Could Topple Trump

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Gage Skidmore Flickr

This could be interesting…

Obama could be the only Democrat that could defeat Donald Trump this November- Michelle Obama that is.

A recent survey, conducted by Reuters/Ipsos, found that Obama was the only Democrat to surpass Trump in a hypothetical matchup, garnering 50 percent support to his 39 percent. Only 4 percent of respondents said they would not vote at all.

The Hill has more:

Meanwhile, the poll found that in a head-to-head matchup, President Biden and Trump are neck-and-neck. They each received 40 percent of the vote, while 8 percent said they would vote for someone else, and another 8 percent said they would not vote.

Other Democrats floated as potential replacements to Biden in the poll included Vice President Harris, who received 42 percent in a head-to-head match-up with Trump, who received 43 percent. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) trailed Trump by 3 percentage points, and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) trailed by 5 points in a hypothetical contest with the presumptive GOP nominee.

Obama was the top choice among Democrats to replace Biden on the 2024 ticket, according to a Rasmussen Reports poll released in February. Despite her popularity, the former first lady has repeatedly said she will not be pursuing a bid for the White House.

FLOTUS at Fayetteville, N.C. -The Arts Center speech Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian

“As former First Lady Michelle Obama has expressed several times over the years, she will not be running for president,” Crystal Carson, the director of communications for Obama’s office, said in a statement in March.

Obama “supports President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ re-election campaign,” Carson said.

Congressman Pushes Trump To Drop Out Of Race After Debate

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One of the harshest responses yet…

Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) suggested former President Donald Trump should consider dropping out of the presidential race following his performance in Tuesday night’s debate.

Moskowitz issued a statement on Wednesday titled, “Trump’s ability to continue campaign,” and it echoed sentiment aimed at President Biden following his clash with Trump earlier this year.

“If we are being honest, last night’s debate performance by former President Donald Trump was disastrous and hard to watch,” Moskowitz said.

“I believe now is the time for the former President to have those difficult conversations about whether or not he should continue serving as the Republican Party’s nominee for President,” he continued. “For now, I want to give him the space to meet with his family and make that decision.”

Polls from the debate show most viewers believe Harris came out on top. A CNN poll of debate watchers had 63% saying Harris won by the end of their 90-minute contest, compared to 37% for Trump.

However, Trump’s performance has not set off the widespread shock and concern among Republicans that surged through the Democrat Party following Biden’s debate performance in July. That concern ultimately forced Biden out of the race, endorsing Harris instead.

Contacted regarding Moskowitz’ statement on Wednesday, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung replied, “Moskowitz is a f—ing moron,” according to The Hill.

Fox News has extended a formal invitation to both the Trump and Harris campaigns for a second debate next month.