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    Trump Issues Series Of High-Profile Pardons To 2020 Election Allies

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    3
    President Donald Trump signs Executive Orders, Thursday, April 17, 2025, in the Oval Office. (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)

    President Donald Trump has granted full pardons to his former personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, and several other key figures who were prosecuted for their roles in challenging the 2020 presidential election results — a move the White House called a step toward “national reconciliation.”

    In a proclamation posted late Sunday night, U.S. Pardon Attorney Ed Martin listed dozens of individuals granted clemency “for certain offenses related to the 2020 presidential election.”

    “This proclamation ends a grave national injustice perpetrated upon the American people following the 2020 Presidential Election and continues the process of national reconciliation,” the statement reads.

    The list includes several prominent names long accused by Democrats and federal prosecutors of contesting the election: Mark Meadows, Sidney Powell, Kenneth Chesebro, Jeffrey Clark, John Eastman, Jenna Ellis, Boris Epshteyn, and others.

    Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr


    The proclamation, dated November 7, clarifies that it applies only to federal offenses and does not extend to President Trump himself.

    Also included in the sweeping clemency order were Republican activists who had served as fake electors for Trump in 2020, and who faced charges for submitting fraudulent certificates asserting they were the lawful electors, despite former President Joe Biden’s victories in those states.

    Those pardoned include Republican activists who had served as alternate electors in 2020 and faced prosecution for asserting that Donald Trump — not Joe Biden — was the rightful winner in their states. Many of these individuals have maintained they were exercising constitutionally protected political activity.

    Legal experts noted that the pardons do not affect state-level prosecutions, including ongoing cases in Georgia against several of Trump’s allies. Critics have long argued that these state prosecutions were politically motivated and part of a broader effort to criminalize dissent.

    “These great Americans were persecuted and put through hell by the Biden Administration for challenging an election, which is the cornerstone of democracy,” said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt in a statement to The Hill.
    “Getting prosecuted for challenging results is something that happens in communist Venezuela, not the United States of America, and President Trump is putting an end to the Biden Regime’s communist tactics once and for all,” she continued.

    Giuliani was disbarred from practicing law in New York State and the District of Columbia for making numerous false claims related to the 2020 presidential election. 

    Several of those pardoned — including Giuliani and Powell — were instrumental in raising concerns about irregularities and integrity issues in the 2020 race. Giuliani, who was disbarred in New York and Washington, D.C., for questioning the election results, is now fully cleared of federal allegations.

    Eastman, a constitutional scholar, and Clark, a former Justice Department official, were also included in the pardons after being unfairly portrayed as conspirators for exploring legal options available to the Trump campaign.

    The move comes after Special Counsel Jack Smith dismissed the federal case against President Trump himself, following his reelection. Giuliani, Powell, Clark, and Eastman were previously identified as uncharged co-conspirators in that case.

    Giuliani, Powell, Clark and Eastman were alleged co-conspirators in that federal case but were never charged with a federal crime.

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    Secret Service Employee Fired Over Charlie Kirk Comments

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    2

    A U.S. Secret Service employee has been placed on immediate administrative leave after reportedly celebrating the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk in a social media post, Fox News Digital confirmed Friday.

    “The U.S. Secret Service will not tolerate behavior that violates our code of conduct. This employee was immediately put on administrative leave, and an investigation has begun,” a Secret Service spokesperson told Fox News when asked about the employment status of Anthony Pough.

    Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    According to Real Clear Politics, Pough had posted on Facebook celebrating Kirk’s death, accusing the conservative leader of spreading “racism.”

    “If you are Mourning [sic] this guy .. delete me. He spewed hate and racism on his show,” Pough wrote, according to the outlet. He also referenced the recent Evergreen High School shooting in Colorado that left two students injured, writing, “Especially when we should be mourning the innocent children killed in Colorado.”

    Pough further claimed that Kirk’s death was “karma,” writing, “At the end of the day, you answer to GOD and speak things into existence. You can only circumvent karma, she doesnt [sic] leave.”

    Kirk was attending a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday afternoon when a single shot rang out and struck Kirk in the neck. He was transported to a local hospital and was pronounced dead just hours later. 

    Real Clear Politics reported that Pough was in “Phase 2” of his career with the Secret Service, a stage where agents are focused on protective assignments. He had not yet been assigned to any regular detail protecting former President Donald Trump. According to the agency’s website, Phase 3 typically involves post-protective field, protection, or headquarters assignments.

    Kirk was shot Wednesday afternoon while attending a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University. He was struck once in the neck and later pronounced dead at a local hospital. He is survived by his wife, Erika, and their two young children, ages 1 and 3. The couple married in 2021. (RELATED: MSNBC Fires Analyst Matthew Dowd For ‘Unacceptable’ Charlie Kirk Comments)

    Kirk leaves behind his wife, Erika Kirk, as well as their two children, ages 1 and 3. The Kirks married in 2021.

    Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance accompanied Kirk’s casket back to Arizona, where he resided with his family, on Thursday via Air Force Two. 

    READ NEXT: Report: Homeland Security Confirms Probe Into Immigration Status Of Boston Lawmaker

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    Trump Orders Reopening Of Alcatraz Prison

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    By kevinmcgill from Den Bosch, Netherlands - KAM_8466, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31689361

    On Sunday, President Trump said that he wants to reopen the Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, the historic prison offshore from San Francisco that closed more than 60 years ago.

    “For too long, America has been plagued by vicious, violent, and repeat Criminal Offenders, the dregs of society, who will never contribute anything other than Misery and Suffering. When we were a more serious Nation, in times past, we did not hesitate to lock up the most dangerous criminals, and keep them far away from anyone they could harm,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

    “That’s the way it’s supposed to be. No longer will we tolerate these Serial Offenders who spread filth, bloodshed, and mayhem on our streets. That is why, today, I am directing the Bureau of Prisons, together with the Department of Justice, FBI, and Homeland Security, to reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt ALCATRAZ, to house America’s most ruthless and violent Offenders,” he added.

    The island, which sits less than 2 miles offshore, was first developed in the mid-19th century, with the original structures including a lighthouse.

    Notable figures including Al Capone and George “Machine Gun” Kelly were once held at Alcatraz, which was a federal prison from 1934-63. 

    “Both the institution and the men confined within its walls reflect our society during this era,” the National Park Service adds on a web page about the prison, which was also known as The Rock and gave that name to a popular Michael Bay action film set on the island.

    In his Sunday post, Trump said Alcatraz’s “reopening” is going to “serve as a symbol of Law, Order, and JUSTICE.”

    The Bureau of Prisons notes on its website that “USP [United States Penitentiary] Alcatraz closed after 29 years of operation” due to soaring costs.

    “An estimated $3-5 million was needed just for restoration and maintenance work to keep the prison open. That figure did not include daily operating costs — Alcatraz was nearly three times more expensive to operate than any other Federal prison,” the bureau says.

    The move comes as the Trump administration has also sought to revitalize Guantanamo Bay and use it to house illegal migrants.

    The plan has faced roadblocks, however, with a federal court issuing a temporary restraining order blocking the Trump administration from sending three Venezuelan immigrants held in New Mexico to the Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, detention camp.

    Lawyers for the trio said in a legal filing that the detainees “fit the profile of those the administration has prioritized for detention in Guantánamo, i.e. Venezuelan men detained in the El Paso area with (false) charges of connections with the Tren de Aragua gang.”

    Police Arrest Would-Be Assassin Targeting Trump Cabinet Officials

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    11
    Arrest image via Pixabay

    Capitol police have arrested a Massachusetts man who allegedly traveled to Washington, D.C. armed with Molotov cocktails and a knife to kill newly-confirmed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

    Ryan Michael “Reily” English, who turned himself in to U.S. Capitol Police at 3:12 p.m. ET Monday, said he traveled to Washington, D.C., initially planning to kill Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., a police affidavit revealed.

    By Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America – Pete Hegseth, CC BY-SA 2.0

    But English shifted his target to Bessent after stopping at a library in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and reading that the Senate was voting Monday on his nomination as President Donald Trump’s Treasury chief, the document said.

    CNBC reported English contemplated throwing the Molotov cocktails at Bessent’s feet, according to the affidavit, which was filed in Washington, D.C., federal court. And if he were able to get close enough, English said, he would have stabbed Bessent with a knife.

    Bessent’s nomination was confirmed about three hours after English’s arrest. President Trump’s Cabinet nominee received bipartisan backing and was confirmed Tuesday with a 77-22 vote.

    English has been charged with unlawful receipt, possession or transfer of a firearm, as well as carrying a firearm, explosive or incendiary device on Capitol grounds.

    The affidavit said English approached an officer at the south door of the Capitol and said, “I’d like to turn myself in.” English told the officer that he was carrying weapons, including two Molotov cocktails.

    Two officers detained and searched English, finding two devices constructed of 50-milliliter vodka bottles with gray cloth affixed to their tops. They also found a folding knife and a lighter, according to the court documents.

    He said he was at the Capitol to “kill Scott Bessent,” the affidavit said.

    Police said they searched the vehicle and found a 750-milliliter bottle of 100-proof vodka and a gray sweatshirt with cloth cut off the sleeves.

    Ted Eytan from Washington, DC, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    Before transporting English into custody, police said they found a receipt in his pocket with a note written on the back of a receipt:

    “Judith dear god I am so sorry. You must understand I can feel myself dying slowly b/c of my heart. This is terrible but I cant do nothing while nazis kill my sisters,” the note read, according to the affidavit.

    “I love you. This is awful. Im so sorry. I love u. Please stay alive and heal. you can. you are strong enough. [F—] them for pushing us so far. you dont deserve this. Im so sorry for lying and plotting and lying. Please survive [7 hearts],” it read.

    In addition to his initial intention of killing Hegseth or Johnson, English told police he considered burning down the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.

    English said that he surveilled the Capitol grounds and figured he would have to kill at least three police officers in order to get to Bessent. English “expressed acceptance and content with the possibility of suicide by cop,” the affidavit said.

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

    DOJ Slams Alleged DC Pipe Bomber’s Bid To Claim Trump Pardon

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    1
    Tyler Merbler, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    The Justice Department is forcefully pushing back against a striking legal claim from the man accused of planting pipe bombs in Washington, D.C., on the eve of Jan. 6 — that he was effectively pardoned by President Trump.

    In a court filing Friday, prosecutors urged a federal judge to reject Brian Cole Jr.’s attempt to have his charges thrown out, calling his argument flatly incompatible with the “clear and unambiguous terms” of Trump’s sweeping Jan. 6 clemency order.

    Cole, who was arrested in December 2025 after years of investigation, is accused of placing two pipe bombs outside the Republican and Democratic National Committee headquarters on Jan. 5, 2021 — just hours before rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol.

    The devices never detonated, but the FBI has said they were functional and viable, raising the stakes of a case that remained unsolved for nearly five years.

    Earlier this year, Cole’s lawyers made a bold move: They argued that his actions were “inextricably and demonstrably tethered” to the events of Jan. 6 — and therefore covered by Trump’s mass pardon of people tied to the attack.

    They pointed to the broad language in Trump’s order, which applies to offenses “related to” events at or near the Capitol, and noted that Cole allegedly traveled to Washington for an election protest tied to the same political moment that fueled the riot.

    But the Justice Department isn’t buying it.

    “The defendant ignores that the proclamation expressly limited relief to individuals who had been ‘convicted of,’ or had a ‘pending indictment’ for, offenses related to the events at or near the United States Capitol on January 6,” U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro wrote.

    That distinction, prosecutors argue, is decisive.

    When Trump’s pardon took effect on Jan. 20, 2025, Cole had not yet been charged — putting him outside the scope of the order entirely.

    “The defendant belonged to neither category, and so the proclamation has no bearing on this case,” Pirro wrote.

    Cole was indicted weeks later, in January 2026, on charges including interstate transportation of explosives and malicious attempt to use them.

    Prosecutors also made clear that even a broader reading of the pardon wouldn’t help him.

    “Even if the Court somehow found, notwithstanding its text, that the proclamation could apply to this case,” Pirro wrote, the Justice Department’s interpretation should still prevail as a “consistent, reasonable” reading by the agency tasked with enforcing it.

    The clash sets up a high-stakes test of how far Trump’s Jan. 6 pardons can stretch — and whether conduct that happened before the riot, but is arguably connected to it, can fall under their umbrella.

    For now, the Justice Department’s position is blunt: Not this case. Not this defendant.

    READ NEXT: Congressman’s Sudden Death Upends Key Race

    Police Officer Chance Bretches was awarded a Lifesaving Medal with Valor for rescuing someone from a burning vehicle…But now radicals are trying to ruin his life just for doing his job. Officer Bretches and his family need your help.[Support Police Officers HERE]

    Trump To Sign Order To Prepare Guantanamo Bay For 30K Prisoners

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0
    President Donald J. Trump participates in a roundtable discussion on immigration and border security at the U.S. Border Patrol Calexico Station Friday, April 5, 2019, in Calexico, Calif. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)

    President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he would sign an executive order for the Pentagon to prepare Guantanamo Bay to detain 30,000 “criminal illegal aliens.”

    David B. Gleason from Chicago, IL, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    “Today I’m also signing an executive order to instruct the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security to begin preparing the 30,000 person migrant facility at Guantanamo Bay,” Trump said. “Most people don’t even know about it.”

    He said they need 30,000 beds to house the detainees, adding that putting them there will ensure they do not come back.

    “It’s a tough place to get out of,” Trump added.

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

    Trump Files Motion To Halt Hush Money Case Sentencing

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    Time is running out…

    On Monday, President-elect Donald Trump’s legal team filed a motion urging Judge Juan Merchan to hold off on sentencing him on Jan. 10 in his New York criminal conviction.

    Last week, the New York judge announced sentencing would move forward this Friday despite his imminent return to the White House

    Trump’s attorneys told Merchan they are appealing his recent rulings upholding the jury’s guilty verdict and argued the judge must pause the case in the meantime. 

    “By virtue of President Trump’s filing of appellate proceedings raising his claims of Presidential immunity, all proceedings in this Court are automatically stayed by operation of federal constitutional law,” Trump’s attorneys wrote in the new filing, which was made public Monday. 

    “In the alternative, even if such a stay were discretionary, the Court should grant such a stay. The Court should vacate the sentencing hearing scheduled for January 10, 2025, and suspend all further deadlines in the case until President Trump’s immunity appeals are fully and finally resolved, which should result in a dismissal of this case, which should have never been brought in the first place,” they continued. 

    They asked Merchan to notify the parties by 2 p.m. EST Monday whether he will cancel the sentencing and said they would be filing two appeals Monday in state court. 

    “The Supreme Court’s historic decision on Immunity, the state constitution of New York, and other established legal precedent mandate that this meritless hoax be immediately dismissed,” Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung, who is set to become White House communications director, said in a statement. 

    A New York jury found Trump guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection with a hush money payment made to adult film performer Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election so she would keep an alleged affair secret.  

    It is the only one of Trump’s criminal prosecutions to have reached trial.

    Trump’s sentencing in New York comes after the judge rejected two of his attempts to dismiss the case.

    In scheduling Friday’s sentencing, Merchan rejected a proposal to delay the proceeding until after Trump’s White House term, calling it “less desirable” and citing a need for finality in the case.

    Newsweek Editor Receives Backlash For Calling For Tucker Carlson Should Be ‘Neutralized’

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    1
    Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Newsweek senior editor-at-large Josh Hammer came under fire Wednesday after publishing a column that some critics mischaracterized as calling for harm against Tucker Carlson — an accusation Hammer says is rooted in bad faith and deliberate misinterpretation.

    In his Daily Mail piece, Hammer criticized Carlson for his recent interview with controversial commentator Nick Fuentes, arguing that Carlson’s platforming of Fuentes’ “repugnant beliefs” undermines what Hammer described as “the forces of civilizational sanity on the MAGA Right.”

    The line that drew the most attention, however, came at the end of the article:

    “The fox is now comfortably ensconced in the hen house. And unless the fox is neutralized, the victim could be the entire extant GOP coalition itself.”

    Critics — many of them fellow conservatives — quickly pounced on the word “neutralized”, accusing Hammer of reckless rhetoric, particularly in light of recent violence targeting right-leaning public figures.

    Conservative Figures Sound the Alarm Over Dangerous Climate

    Among those voicing concern was The Blaze host Jason Whitlock, who called the phrasing “irresponsible,” noting that the statement came just weeks after the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. “Josh Hammer calls for Tucker Carlson to be neutralized,” Whitlock wrote on X. “This is a Keith Olbermann-style Twitter post, not something that should be published by a news outlet. We just witnessed the assassination of Charlie Kirk. This is irresponsible by the Daily Mail.”

    The article was also condemned by Kirk’s former friend Candace Owens, who wrote, “I cannot believe the @DailyMail allowed this to be published.”

    Whitlock’s remarks reflect a growing anxiety across conservative media as political violence against the right has intensified. In addition to the shocking murder of Kirk, former President Donald Trump has survived multiple assassination attempts — including a rally shooting this summer that left several attendees wounded. Other conservative officials and commentators have faced threats, doxxing campaigns, and physical harassment in recent months.

    Republicans argue that these attacks are part of a broader cultural and political escalation — one amplified by a media ecosystem that downplays or outright ignores violence directed at conservatives, while eagerly condemning right-wing rhetoric as “dangerous.”

    Hammer Pushes Back: “Quit Lying”

    In response to the online backlash, Hammer took to social media to clarify his meaning and denounce what he described as willful misrepresentation.

    “One has to be truly stupid or willfully disingenuous (or both, as the case may be) to think that ‘neutralized’ here means anything other than its most common usages,” he wrote. “Quit lying.”

    He later posted a screenshot of a dictionary definition of “neutralize,” which reads: “To make (something) ineffective; counteract; nullify.” Hammer emphasized that his critique of Carlson was political — not personal — and that he was calling for Carlson’s influence to be curtailed, not for violence of any kind.

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    Report: Jan. 6 Rioter Convicted In Plot To Kill Federal Agents

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    1
    Tyler Merbler, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    A convicted Jan. 6 rioter has now been found guilty of planning to kill federal agents who were investigating his role in the Capitol attack.

    Edward Kelley, 35, was convicted Wednesday by a jury of conspiracy to murder federal employees, solicitation to commit a crime of violence and influencing a federal official by threat following a three-day trial per The Hill.

    gov.uscourts.tned.107879.85.0Download

    Federal prosecutors said Kelley developed a “kill list” of FBI agents and others who participated in the investigation into his conduct on Jan. 6, hatching a plan to murder them while awaiting trial in his Capitol attack case. 

    A defendant who pleaded guilty to his role in the scheme and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors testified that he and Kelley plotted attacks on the FBI field office in Knoxville, Tenn., using car bombs and explosives attached to drones, according to the Justice Department. They also discussed assassinating FBI employees in their homes or public places, like movie theatres.

    Prosecutors showed a recording at trial of Kelley stating “every hit has to hurt.”

    In his Capitol riot case, Kelley was convicted of 11 counts following a two-day bench trial, including obstructing law enforcement officers during a civil disorder; assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers; and engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or ground.

    He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison at sentencing in May.

    Armed Suspect Charged In Alleged Plot To Assassinate Trump At WHCA Dinner

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    1
    By The White House - https://www.flickr.com/photos/202101414@N05/54581054338/, Public Domain,

    A 31-year-old man is now facing federal charges after authorities say he attempted to carry out a shocking attack targeting President Donald Trump and top officials during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

    Cole Allen appeared in court Monday following the terrifying incident that forced Trump and other high-ranking figures to be rushed out of the Washington Hilton under heavy security.

    According to investigators, Allen allegedly stormed a security checkpoint Saturday night armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives—triggering panic at the high-profile event packed with journalists and political elites.

    The annual black-tie dinner was immediately shut down.

    A Secret Service agent was shot during the chaos but survived thanks to a bulletproof vest and has since been released from the hospital.

    Chilling “Manifesto” Raises New Questions

    Authorities say Allen left behind a disturbing manifesto outlining what appears to be a calculated plan to target members of the Trump administration.

    In the writings, he described prioritizing officials “from highest-ranking to lowest,” suggesting a methodical approach to the attack.

    He also made clear he was willing to harm others if necessary to reach his intended targets.

    In one particularly unsettling detail, Allen referenced his choice of ammunition—claiming he selected buckshot “to minimize casualties,” even as he prepared for violence.

    Trump Escorted Out As Event Collapses

    President Trump was quickly removed from the venue as the situation unfolded, with law enforcement scrambling to contain the threat.

    The Correspondents’ Dinner—long considered one of Washington’s most high-profile media events—was abruptly canceled as the situation spiraled.

    Facing Life Behind Bars

    Allen is now facing three federal charges tied to what prosecutors describe as an attempt to violently disrupt the event. If convicted, he could spend the rest of his life in prison.

    Authorities are continuing to investigate the suspect’s background and motives.

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

    FROM THE DESK OF DONALD TRUMP JR. Democrats tried to rig the census by counting millions of illegal immigrants — giving blue states more power in Congress. Now we’re making sure only American citizens are counted. But first, we need to verify our own records. CONFIRM YOUR VOTER INFORMATION NOW.
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