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    Obama Claims New Yorkers ‘Don’t Take Trump Seriously’

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    7
    The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    During a podcast interview, former President Barack Obama swiped at Donald Trump claiming the former President is not taken “seriously” in the city he called home for years, New York City.

    Obama appeared alongside Bill Clinton and President Biden in the newest episode of the “SmartLess” podcast. 

    Obama was asked on the “SmartLess” podcast by co-host Jason Bateman whether he was surprised how quickly the “protection and passion for democracy was diluted” in recent years. Obama responded by noting the trend began during former President Clinton’s time in the White House before accelerating during his presidency.

    “I have been surprised that there haven’t been guardrails inside the Republican Party. Trump didn’t surprise me,” he said, before taking aim at Trump.

    “I mean, he comes from New York. There’s nobody in New York who does business with him or lend him money. He’s not considered a serious guy here,” Obama added.

    Obama went on to explain how he thought more Republicans would say some of Trump’s behavior went too far.

    “But, so I was surprised he was elected, but I wasn’t surprised in terms of his behavior. I did expect, and I suspect Bill and Joe, you’d agree with this, that there would be some folks in the Republican Party who would say, no, you can’t go that far. You can’t start praising Putin and saying that his intelligence is better than the US intelligence agencies,” he said.

    Trump is currently on trial in New York for falsifying business records to make alleged hush money payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels.

    RNC Chair Lara Trump Releases New Single

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    Image via gage Skidmore Flickr

    The Trump family is full of talents.

    On Thursday night, RNC chair Lara Trump released her second single and teased the release of several more songs coming soon.

    According to Mediaite, Trump—who made headlines with her 2023 cover of Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down”—spontaneously dropped yet another single, “Anything is Possible,” at midnight on Thursday evening.

    “A little something I had fun with over the winter,” wrote Trump in a social media post announcing the song. “And a few more too that I’ll save for a future date, special for my YUGE fans in the liberal media [winky face emoji].”

    In the uplifting single about faith, which is currently available to stream on Spotify and Apple Music, Trump sings, “I’ve had my ups and downs, cried when no one’s around. Still I gotta put my game face on, even when I’m not feeling strong. No matter how it seems, I wouldn’t trade a thing, ’cause all of it makes me who I am.”

    She continues in the chorus, “Don’t think, just jump, you can’t give up. Know that anything is possible. Have faith, believe, just trust, you’ll see, anything is possible.”

    It is unclear whether Trump currently has an album in the works or whether she has just produced a collection of singles.

    Earlier this month, Trump was elected to serve as co-chair of the Republican National Committee following Ronna McDaniel’s exit.

    Elon Musk Accuses Trump Ally Of ‘Leaking’ Info To The Media

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    3
    UK Government, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    Tensions are running high within Trump’s inner circle…

    Billionaire Elon Musk clashed publicly with Boris Epshteyn, one of Trump’s closest allies in what sources called a “massive blowout” over key Cabinet appointments.

    According to three sources cited by Axios, the dispute reached a boiling point during a dinner at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club last week during which Musk accused Epshteyn of leaking sensitive details about the transition process, including potential personnel picks.

    “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Epshteyn reportedly fired back during the heated exchange.

    The altercation highlights a power struggle as Musk, a newcomer to Trump’s inner circle, increasingly advocates for his preferred candidates. Musk has reportedly criticized Epshteyn’s influence in selecting Justice Department nominees, including Matt Gaetz for attorney general.

    Musk is lobbying for Howard Lutnick, co-chair of Trump’s transition team, as Treasury secretary, over Wall Street veteran Scott Bessent.

    Despite the friction, Musk maintains considerable support among Trump’s family and allies. 

    However, the tech billionaire’s growing role in the transition has rankled longtime Trump loyalists, who view him as overstepping boundaries. 

    Musk has been among the president-elect’s most vocal and influential supporters since he endorsed Trump immediately after a July assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally but some in Trump’s inner circle say the Tesla CEO is being to overstay his welcome.

    “Elon won’t go home. I can’t get rid of him. Until I don’t like him,” Trump quipped, according to a source in the room when Trump met with Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill last Wednesday.

    some Republicans have questioned how long Trump and Musk can happily co-exist, particularly given Trump’s past frustration with those who take up too much of the spotlight.

    “Trump is not going to have another alpha. I think Trump is going to tire of him,” one source close to the transition told The Hill.

    One Republican lobbyist with ties to Trump said there are some in the president-elect’s orbit who think Musk is “a little big for his britches.”

    Trump transition team spokesperson Karoline Leavitt did not respond to requests for comment from The Hill, but in a statement on Wednesday to NBC News described Musk and Trump as “great friends and brilliant leaders working together to Make America Great Again.”

    “Elon Musk is a once in a generation business leader and our federal bureaucracy will certainly benefit from his ideas and efficiency,” Leavitt said.

    Trump’s Truth Social Merger Deal Hits A Pause

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0
    Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    It’s a bad time to be Trump…

    New reports indicate the potential merger deal with the former President’s Truth Social platform is dead in the water.

    The Daily Beast reports:

    The public shell corporation that has been preparing to merge with former President Donald Trump’s technology firm—the parent company of his social media platform, Truth Social—announced Thursday that it was dropping its plans to pursue the merger through a specialized process called a ​​private investment in public equity (PIPE) transaction. The company also said it planned to return $533 million it had raised from investors to complete the deal. The merger between Digital World Acquisition Corp. (DWAC), a special purpose acquisition company, and Trump Media & Technology Group failed to materialize by a September 2022 deadline set by U.S. regulators, giving DWAC the option to back out of the deal. A TMTG spokesperson claimed in a release Thursday that the two companies still planned to merge and said the development was, in fact, a positive step—but declined to comment when pressed by Reuters to say how backing out of the PIPE deal would benefit either party.

    This is a breaking news story. Click refresh for the latest updates.

    New Accusations Released About Member of Trump’s Family and Inner Circle

    By
    admin
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    4
    [Photo Cred: Office of the President of the United States, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons]

    Former Trump adviser Peter Navarro recently made some potentially damaging accusations about Jared Kushner, former President Trump’s son-in-law and longtime White House adviser.

    As reported by Mediaite, Navarro recently bashed Kushner about his portrayal of several dramatic actions he allegedly took while working at the White House.

    “Appearing on Newsmax, Navarro addressed Kushner’s claim in his recently-published book that he was treated for thyroid cancer while serving in the White House.

    Host Chris Salcedo flagged the excerpt from the book and stated Kushner “withheld a cancer diagnosis during tense negotiations with communist China.

    Navarro addressed Kushner’s book.

    “It’s fiction,” he continued. “And the thyroid thing, that came out of nowhere. I saw the guy every day. There’s no sign that he was in any pain or danger or whatever. I think it’s just sympathy to try to sell his book now.”

    Salcedo asked if Kushner is “worthy” of Trump’s trust.

    “No,” Navarro replied. “Time after time, whether it’s mismanagement of the campaign, mismanagement of the pandemic, taking too much credit for NAFTA, taking too much credit for the Abraham Accords. I mean, the guy was just a one-man wrecking crew, 36 years old I think when he got in there with no training. His only qualification was that he was the boss’s son-in-law.”

    Notably, Navarro is dealing with a few of his own issues at the moment. A few days ago he was sued by President Biden’s Justice Department for refusing to hand over emails from his personal accounts which were used to conduct official White House business. Earlier this summer, he was criminally charged for ignoring a subpoena from the Jan. 6 Committee.

    Trump Media Investor Convicted Of Insider Trading

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    3
    Arrest image via Pixabay

    On Thursday, a Manhattan grand jury found financier Bruce Garelick guilty of insider trading charges in a scheme that involved the merger of former President Donald J. Trump’s social media company with a publicly traded shell company.

    Federal prosecutors had charged Garelick with five counts of securities fraud and conspiracy. 

    Authorities claimed Garelick shared confidential information with his boss and at least one other person that Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent company of Truth Social, was close to announcing a merger with Digital World Acquisition Group, the shell company.

    Mr. Garelick, 54, a former hedge fund manager, had been a board member of Digital World. 

    The New York Times has more:

    The information helped two brothers — Michael Shvartsman and Gerald Shvartsman — make nearly $23 million in illegal trading profits by buying Digital World securities in advance of the announcement, which sent the stock soaring. Mr. Garelick, who worked for Michael Shvartsman at a small Miami-based venture capital firm called Rocket One, made about $50,000 by trading off what authorities said was nonpublic information.

    Last month, the Shvartsman brothers decided to forgo a trial and pleaded guilty to securities fraud charges. In their plea agreements, prosecutors have recommended a sentence of roughly four to five years for Michael Shvartsman; and three to four years for his younger brother.

    Digital World raised about $300 million from investors in its initial public offering in September 2021. A little over a month later, the SPAC announced a deal to merge with Trump Media. After a long delay, the merger was completed in March and Trump Media became a publicly traded company. Mr. Trump’s nearly 70 percent stake in the firm is worth about $6 billion.

    In a closing argument, Daniel Nessim, a federal prosecutor, described Mr. Garelick as a “sophisticated professional” who “cheated” and used inside information to benefit himself and his boss, Michael Shvartsman.

    Garelick could face at least 25 years in prison.

    This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

    Trump Scores Support From Another Billionaire

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Trump is scoring big…

    Ark Invest CEO Cathie Wood said she would vote for former President Trump over President Biden in the November presidential election.

    Wood took part in an interview with ‘Meet Kevin’ financial analyst and YouTuber Kevin Paffrath, during which she was asked the popular question, “Trump or Biden?”

    Wood told the host she has three children with whom she has discussed the upcoming election and its consequences.

    “As I’ve said to them, ‘Look, I am going to vote for the person who’s going to do the best job for our economy,’” Wood told Paffrath. “I am a voter when it comes to economics, and on that basis, Trump.”

    She further explained that Laffer Associates founder and chairman Art Laffer “describes the first three years of the Trump presidency as the best in U.S. economic history, not the last one because of COVID, and I would agree.”

    Watch:

    The informal endorsement comes on the heels of several billionaires sending money and support toward Trump’s presidential campaign. (RELATED: Billionaire Makes Massive Political Contribution To Trump)

    Timothy Mellon, heir to the Mellon banking fortune, made a $50 million contribution to the pro-Trump super PAC, Make America Great Again Inc.

    In a memo following Mellon’s donation, the PAC announced it had reserved $100 million in advertising through Labor Day.

    The New York Times continues:

    Mr. Mellon is now the first donor to give $100 million in disclosed federal contributions in this year’s election. He was already the single largest contributor to super PACs supporting both Mr. Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is running as an independent. Mr. Mellon has previously given $25 million to both.

    Billionaire Stephen Schwarzman, the CEO and co-founder of Blackstone, announced last month he will back Trump in the 2024 race after he previously called for the Republican Party to turn to a “new generation of leaders.”

    Former PayPal President Ditches Democrat Party, Endorses Trump

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1

    Trump just scored another major donor…

    Former president of PayPal David Marcus announced he has switched political parties and endorsed Donald Trump via X.

    “I am crossing the Rubicon and backing the Republican Party and President Trump. Many — including a former version of myself — get trapped in a mental framework that becomes their identity and prevents them from radically evolving their thinking with new facts and information. I finally broke free from it.”

    “My journey has been a gradual political 180 from where I stood in every previous election. It has been an eye-opening process of disenchantment, zero-basing lifelong beliefs, and rebuilding from there,” wrote Marcus.

    Marcus cited an anecdote where, in 2017, he was enlisted to raise $100M from Silicon Valley for the Democratic National Convention in order to “prevent a repeat of Hillary Clinton’s inadequate, outdated 2016 campaign.”

    David Marcus is aligned with Trump on technology innovations like crypto and AI as well as foreign policy–especially the Middle East. Marcus opined, “on Iran, this administration is continuing a misguided Obama-era plan to bring Iran closer to the West by unfreezing Trump-era sanctions, thus giving the Mollahs’ regime the ability to fund terrorism and pursue its anti-America, anti-Israel, and anti-Jewish agenda.”

    “I believe we need a President who is unequivocally pro: America, the Constitution, business, Bitcoin/crypto, innovation, Israel, small government, legal immigration, free speech, meritocracy, and common sense — and anti: regulatory proliferation, illegal immigration, unjust wars, Iran’s current regime, and domestic groups that oppose American values.”

    Marcus completed his post by referencing the attempt on former President Trump’s life at a rally in Butler, PA on July 13.

    “It’s impossible to close this post without mentioning President Trump’s recent assassination attempt. The courage and resolve he displayed seconds after being hit by a bullet was awe-inspiring for his followers and detractors alike. This was a man, however imperfect, who, at that moment, incarnated the American spirit in the most vivid way, starting to bring a split nation together,” wrote Marcus.

    “In this pivotal moment, confronted with the choices we have, I am endorsing and supporting a return to a Republican administration in 2025,” the post concluded.

    Trump has seen a number of prominent pro-business donors flock to his campaign this season as Republicans seek to a return to the White House.

    Fox News Host Laura Ingraham Joins Board of Trump Jr.’s New SPAC

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0

    Fox News primetime host Laura Ingraham has been named a board member of a new special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC) led by Donald Trump Jr..

    The blank-check firm, Colombier Acquisition Corp. III, filed its registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Friday, planning to raise 26 million units at $10 each — a total IPO target of about $260 million.

    The stated mission of the new SPAC is stirring: the company intends to “fund the next chapter of American Exceptionalism and help Make America Grow Again.”

    A Powerful Line-Up

    This initiative brings together heavyweight conservative and business voices:

    • Donald Trump Jr. himself is listed as a director of the SPAC.
    • Ingraham, as noted, takes a board seat, aligning her media voice with pro-growth, America-first business leadership.
    • Others on the board include billionaire investor Chamath Palihapitiya (often dubbed “Wall Street’s SPAC king”), Blake Masters (a former president of the Thiel Foundation and GOP Senate candidate-turned-investor), and conservative business leader Chris Buskirk of 1789 Capital.
    • The SPAC is sponsored by 1789 Capital — a firm with ties to Trump family allies including Trump Jr. — and led operationally by finance veteran Omeed Malik.

    Why This Matters for the Republican Agenda

    1. Scaling American Growth — The SPAC presents an opportunity to invest in high-potential private companies that are aligned with conservative economic principles: innovation, domestic manufacturing, job creation. It echoes longstanding themes of shrinking dependency on foreign supply chains and revitalizing American industry.
    2. Bringing Conservative Media Into the Arena — Laura Ingraham’s role on the board is significant beyond her television presence. It bridges the media platform with private-capital activity in service of a pro-growth agenda, reinforcing conservative alignment across cultural and economic spheres.
    3. Leveraging the Trump Ecosystem — This SPAC is further proof of increasing alignment between the Trump family’s business interests and the conservative movement. With Trump Jr. at the helm and Fox News hosts like Ingraham working in the same orbit, the cultural and economic wings of the movement are becoming more integrated. Some might view this as a consolidation of influence — and for supporters, it represents an effective mobilization of talent, media, capital and ideas.
    4. Messaging Strength — The marketing language around “American Exceptionalism,” “Make America Grow Again,” and taking bold action to merge private champions into public markets resonates deeply with patriotic, pro-growth, and pro-Liberty voters and investors. It signals optimism about the future of U.S. business and opportunity.

    Considerations for Conservative Investors & Supporters

    • Alignment of values and vision: This venture clearly invites participation by those who believe in American economic strength, renewal of manufacturing, and innovation under a conservative framework.
    • Risk and reward: As with all SPACs, there are inherent risks — particularly the uncertainty of what private company will be merged and how the market will react. However, the backing of high-profile conservative leaders may bring a unique brand strength and network effect.
    • Cultural impact: Ingraham’s involvement means that conservative media will potentially be linked to private-market outcomes. This could amplify messaging but also raise questions about separation of media and business roles (a subject of debate).
    • Timing: The filing was recent, and the IPO process is underway. As the venture develops, more details will emerge (which company they will target, when, etc.). Supporters should watch for updates and ensure that the company they merge with aligns with the broader vision.

    What’s Next

    Supporters in the conservative movement will likely view this development as a concrete manifestation of turning media influence into economic muscle — shaping culture and business in tandem.

    The IPO units are expected to trade under the ticker “CLBR U” on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

    The next steps will include selecting a target company to merge with, closing the deal, and executing on growth plans. Investors should monitor the company’s announcements and disclosures via SEC filings.

    Media watchers will track how this move influences the relationship between conservative media, the Trump business ecosystem, and public market investment.

    The Democrat Shutdown is nothing more than a political scheme to hold America hostage. JD Vance is calling Schumer to END THE SHUTDOWN. [CO-SIGN THE MEMO HERE]

    Trump Returns To Twitter – Now X

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0
    Photo via Pixabay images

    Former President Donald Trump’s official X account is back…for now.

    The first ad, posted at 2:54 am, included a voiceover from Ronald Reagan and was captioned, “Are you better off now than you were when I was president? Our economy is shattered. Our border has been erased. We’re a nation in decline. Make the American Dream AFFORDABLE again. Make America SAFE again. Make America GREAT Again!”

    Another ad was published at 3:00 am and read, “They want to silence me because I will never let them silence you. They’re not coming after me, they’re coming after you. I just happen to be standing in their way and I’m never moving. We will Make America Great Again!”

    Musk and Trump will talk live on X at 8 pm ET and Musk has already addressed the technical issues that have plagued past events – including the glitchy of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) presidential campaign last spring.

    “Am going to do some system scaling tests tonight & tomorrow in advance of the conversation,” Musk wrote on X ahead of the event.

    Trump had been banned from Twitter, which Musk bought for a staggering $44 billion and renamed X, after the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol.

    Trump has only posted once since Musk restored his Twitter account, @realDonaldTrump, as the former president reserves his social media usage for Truth Social, which he owns. In August of 2023, Trump post his Fulton Country jail mugshot with a link soliciting donations.

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