Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani appealed a jury’s verdict ordering him to pay $148 million to two Georgia election workers for defaming them following the 2020 presidential election.
Giuliani filed for bankruptcy shortly after the verdict was handed down freezing the election workers’ case and their efforts to collect the staggering sum from the lawyer who previously represented Trump.
“We very much appreciate the judge’s expeditious consideration of this matter and look forward to proceeding accordingly,” Ted Goodman, political adviser to Giuliani, said in a statement earlier in the day after the bankruptcy judge’s ruling.
A Washington, D.C., jury ordered Giuliani to pay $148 million to the two election workers, Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, after they became a focal point of the Trump campaign’s claims of mass voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election.
Prior to the trial, Giuliani was found liable for failing to turn over discovery. The jury then decided how much he must pay.
“The absurdity of the number really underscores the absurdity of the entire proceeding,” Giuliani said after the verdict was handed down, also doubling down on his baseless claims about the two women.
It remains unclear how much money the mother-daughter duo would be able to recover from Giuliani, even if his appeal fails.
A well-known former Republican Senator doesn’t plan to support Donald Trump in the 2024 November election – or Kamala Harris for that matter.
Former Pennsylvania Senator Pat Toomey said during an interview on CNBC that he voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020 but is firmly against casting a ballot for Trump again.
“When you lose an election and you try to overturn the results so that you can stay in power, you lose me. You lose me at that point,” Toomey said during a contentious back-and-forth exchange with “Squawk Box” host Joe Kernen.
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"Neither Trump nor Harris will be my choice for president," says Fmr. Senator Pat Toomey when it comes to the presidential race. pic.twitter.com/RNLsg659gh
Toomey acknowledged he doesn’t support Harris and views many of her policies as economically disastrous.
“I acknowledge that the outcome is a binary situation, but my choice is not,” Toomey said when Kernen insisted the former senator would in essence be voting to benefit Harris by not voting for Trump.
“It is an acceptable position for me to say that neither of these candidates can be my choice for president,” Toomey said.
Toomey argued Republican control of the Senate would be “essential” to keep Harris in check if she’s elected to the Oval Office.
“The answer to that is Republican control of the Senate and that is absolutely essential,” he said of the prospect of Harris proposing major tax increases as president.
“If the other side runs the table, then Katie bar the door. They will repeal the filibuster, and they will be dragged by their left wing, which clearly is in charge now — and I think Kamala Harris proved that with her vice presidential selection,” he warned, referring to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
He predicted Harris would push “huge tax increases” and “some version of ‘Medicare for All’” if she is elected president.
“The good news is I think Republicans are going to take the Senate,” he said.
President Trump openly confirmed he is considering launching an investigation into former ally and New Jersey governor Chris Christie.
Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform late Sunday that Christie had lied about 2013 lane closures on the George Washington Bridge “in order to stay out of prison, at the same time sacrificing people who worked for him.” The president was referring to a decision by Christie’s associates to close access lanes to the bridge, which links New Jersey and Manhattan, in order to punish the Democratic mayor of a New Jersey town.
“Chris refused to take responsibility for these criminal acts,” Trump wrote. “For the sake of JUSTICE, perhaps we should start looking at that very serious situation again? NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW!”
The 2013 “Bridgegate” closures created days of traffic jams, and the scandal tarnished Christie’s reputation and helped to destroy his 2016 presidential candidacy. Christie has long denied any knowledge of the plan. He could not immediately be reached for comment.
It was not immediately clear what aspect of Christie’s Sunday appearance on ABC’s “This Week” had led President Trump to threaten him on social media.
Christie mentioned the president by name after he was asked by the journalist Jonathan Karl whether Vice President JD Vance, who has defended the criminal investigation into Mr. Bolton, is playing a role in it.
Christie responded by mentioning what he called the administration’s disregard for the idea of separation between the president and criminal investigations. He noted that Mr. Trump had recently described himself as the nation’s “chief law enforcement officer.”
“Donald Trump sees himself as the person who gets to decide everything, and he doesn’t care about any separation,” Christie told Karl. “In fact, he absolutely rejects the idea that there should be separation between criminal investigations and the politically elected leader of the United States. This is much different than it’s ever been run before.”
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Then on Monday, he doubled down after being asked if he plans “to investigate Chris Christie.”
“Look, Chris is a slob, everybody knows it. I know Chris better than anybody in the room. I always felt he was guilty. But what he did is he took the George Washington Bridge, which is very serious, he closed down the George Washington Bridge,” answered Trump. “And you had medical people, You had ambulances caught up. You know, this thing was closed down. And obviously he knew about it. But he blamed the young lady that worked for him, and another person, and they got into a lot of trouble. She ultimately was, I don’t know, exonerated, but she got out of it a little bit. But she went through hell. She was a young mother, nice person, I knew her a little bit. And another man went to jail. And Chris got off.”
“And so when I listen to Chris speak his hate, I say, ‘Oh, what about the George Washington Bridge?’ You know? ‘Tell me about the George Washington Bridge.’ He blamed other people, but he knew all about it. So, no, I don’t know. If they want to look at it — not for me. — if they want look at it, they can. You could ask Pam [Bondi]. I think we have other things to do, but I always thought he got away with murder,” he concluded.
Several members of Christie’s administration were ultimately convicted for their role in helping shut down multiple lanes of the George Washington Bridge back in 2013, though those convictions were later thrown out by the Supreme Court.
A federal appeals court ruled Monday that the Trump administration may continue swiftly deporting migrants while a legal challenge to the policy proceeds.
In a 2–1 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit allowed the deportations to continue and moved to speed up the timeline for the next stage of the case. The panel issued its order without an accompanying explanation.
The Trump administration has expanded the use of “third-country removals” as part of its broader immigration crackdown, deporting migrants to nations other than their countries of origin. The administration has reached agreements with several countries — including Cameroon, South Sudan and Eswatini — to accept deportees.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has defended the policy as a way to remove individuals it describes as particularly dangerous.
In court filings, the administration has also argued that federal judges lack the authority to intervene in how immigration enforcement policies are carried out.
The majority on the three-judge panel included Judge Jeffrey Howard, nominated by former President George W. Bush, and Judge Seth Aframe, a nominee of former President Joe Biden. Judge Lara Montecalvo, also nominated by Biden, dissented.
The ruling lifts limits imposed by U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy, another Biden nominee, who is overseeing a class-action lawsuit filed last year by four noncitizens challenging the deportation policy.
Murphy ruled last month that the administration could not deport migrants to third countries without first attempting to send them to their country of citizenship or another country with which they have ties.
“It is not fine, nor is it legal,” Murphy wrote in his decision.
His order required immigration authorities to first attempt deportation to a migrant’s country of citizenship or the country normally designated for removal. If that effort failed, Murphy said migrants must be given a “meaningful opportunity” to challenge their deportation once a third country is selected.
Murphy delayed the implementation of his ruling to allow the appeals court time to weigh in. The 1st Circuit’s order keeps his decision on hold while the appeal moves forward.
Trina Realmuto, executive director of the National Immigration Litigation Alliance, which represents the migrants, said the group welcomed the expedited timeline.
“While the order unfortunately delays implementation of the decision, we appreciate that the First Circuit ordered a swift resolution of the merits of the government’s appeal,” Realmuto said.
The dispute has already reached the Supreme Court once. Last year, the Trump administration successfully appealed to the high court after Murphy imposed earlier limits on the policy.
In a statement following Monday’s ruling, a DHS spokesperson said the court’s decision supports the administration’s position.
“The Biden Administration allowed millions of illegal aliens to flood our country, and the Trump Administration has the authority to remove these criminal illegal aliens and clean up this national security nightmare,” the spokesperson said. “If these activist judges had their way, aliens who are so uniquely barbaric that their own countries won’t take them back, including convicted murderers, child rapists and drug traffickers, would walk free on American streets.”
A Trump supporter has been sentenced to seven months in prison after he was convicted of election interference over social media posts.
Douglass Mackey was accused of a “scheme to deprive individuals of their constitutional right to vote,” after a Twitter account he ran under the handle “Ricky Vaughn” posted memes in the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election. One image showed a black woman standing in front of an “African Americans for Hillary” sign and said “Avoid the Line. Vote from Home,” “Text ‘Hillary’ to 59925.”
The Justice Department said around 4,900 unique telephone numbers texted the hotline although it was unclear how many were participating in the joke rather than trying to cast their ballots.
Former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey suspended Mackey from the platform.
Earlier this week, U.S. District Judge Ann M. Donnelly, an Obama appointee, sentenced Mackey, claiming that his actions were “nothing short of an assault on our democracy” and amounted to attempts “injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate” people from exercising their right to vote according to Courthouse News Service.
“Voting is the right that secures all other rights we hold dear,” Department of Justice Attorney Erik David Paulsen said. “They were committing fraud, one that was aimed at one of our most sacred rights in our democracy.”
Prosecutors also took aim at Mackey for derogatory posts he had made toward black people and women, but Donnely said her sentence did not have to do with his political beliefs. “You are not being sentenced for your political beliefs or for expressing those beliefs,” she said.
James Lawrence, an attorney for Mackey, previously said in an interview with The Daily Wire that his memes were satirical and were therefore not relevant to the law he purportedly violated. Mackey faced as many as 10 years in prison.
Some have contended that Mackey’s right to free speech had been violated in a politically motivated case by the Biden administration. “It’s a three-fer: the prosecutorial creation of a crime Congress has not prescribed, the trivialization of civil-rights law, and the intrusion of government as a monitor of political speech,” former federal prosecutor Andy McCarthy wrote in an opinion piece for National Review.
Less than a week after the House of Representatives voted to expel George Santos (R-N.y.) from the chamber and whispers are already spreading as to what the disgraced Congressman will do next.
Santos, who is facing over 20 federal counts, has attracted attention since stepping foot in Congress triggering questions over a potential career in the media.
It’s not uncommon for former elected officials or administration officials to join news networks after their terms have ended. However, it seems most cable news networks have plenty to say about Santos becoming a new contributor.
A network source said NBC News and MSNBC “have no plans” of exploring any kind of relationship with the former congressman. A spokesperson for CNN said the network does not plan on speaking with him. A Fox News source said “we have no intention of entertaining that notion.” A NewsNation spokesperson said the network will not be hiring Santos.
OAN, which has aired commentary critical of Santos, said through a spokesperson: “We are unaware of Mr. Santos seeking a position in media. Nor have we reached out to him.”
Newsmax, where Santos has appeared frequently in recent weeks, did not respond to a request for comment.
President Donald Trump is mourning the death of Village People co-founder and lead singer Victor Willis, whose iconic hit “Y.M.C.A.” became one of the defining songs of Trump’s campaign rallies and victory celebrations.
Willis, who co-wrote the 1978 disco classic and fronted the legendary group for decades, died Tuesday at the age of 74 following what his wife, Karen Huff-Willis, described as a “short, but aggressive illness.”
Trump honored the singer Wednesday in a heartfelt Truth Social post, reflecting on the special connection the two shared through one of the most recognizable campaign songs in modern political history.
“Victor Willis, the lead singer of the Village People, has passed away. He was a really good guy. Our favorite song, ‘Y.M.C.A.,’ has become, over the last few years, our ‘theme song,'” Trump wrote.
The president credited his campaign rallies with helping introduce the song to a new generation of Americans.
“It has brought so much happiness to millions of people. They loved the action, and we loved them and their great and uplifting song.”
Trump added that Willis’ legacy would live on every time the unmistakable opening notes of “Y.M.C.A.” are heard.
“We will think of Victor every time YMCA is played, like today, and all throughout this July Fourth Birthday week. My condolences to his wonderful family and group, Victor Willis will be sorely missed. God Bless Him!!!”
President Trump sent prayers to Victor Willis family
Few songs became more closely associated with Trump’s political movement than “Y.M.C.A.”
Whether closing out campaign rallies, celebrating election victories or walking off the stage after speeches, Trump frequently danced to the Village People anthem—complete with his now-famous fist-pump routine that became a viral internet meme and was copied by supporters around the country.
The tradition continued throughout the 2024 campaign and into Trump’s second inauguration festivities, where Village People themselves performed “Y.M.C.A.” during inaugural events in Washington.
Over time, the president’s signature dance became so recognizable that many supporters simply refer to it as the “Trump dance.”
Trump hit the YMCA dance on the National Mall and thousands of patriots erupted. 🇺🇸🔥 pic.twitter.com/KUss1pufB1
— Pastor Dave Scarlett (@dave_scarlettll) June 26, 2026
While Trump’s use of the song initially generated controversy, Willis eventually defended the president’s continued use of “Y.M.C.A.”
The singer said Trump had legally obtained the necessary political license to use the song and acknowledged that the president’s rallies dramatically boosted its popularity.
Willis noted that after Trump began regularly playing the song, “Y.M.C.A.” climbed back to No. 2 on Billboard’s Digital Songs chart, adding that the renewed exposure generated millions of dollars in additional royalties for the classic hit.
The Village People later accepted an invitation to perform during Trump’s 2025 inauguration festivities, saying they believed music should help bring Americans together regardless of politics.
From church choir to disco legend
Born in Dallas in 1951 and raised in San Francisco, Willis first discovered music singing in his father’s Baptist church before moving to New York to pursue acting and theater.
He joined the Negro Ensemble Company and appeared in several stage productions before teaming up with French producer Jacques Morali to create Village People.
As the group’s unmistakable lead vocalist and principal songwriter, Willis helped create enduring hits including “Y.M.C.A.,” “Macho Man,” “In the Navy,” and “Go West.” He later fought a lengthy legal battle to reclaim songwriting rights and eventually regained ownership of many of the group’s biggest hits.
With each passing day, it seems as if another prominent Republican is publicly breaking with former President Donald Trump over Republicans’ fewer-than-expected midterm wins.
Over the weekend, conservative influencer Candace Owens broke with the former president, and on Monday former New Jersey Governor also lamented how Trump is a drag for Republican candidates. While the amount of Republicans turning their backs on Trump is jarring these conservatives often have something in common.
A new report indicates that former Fox News star and current U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro declined President Donald Trump’s invitation to serve under FBI Director Kash Patel.
The New York Times’ Glenn Thrush reported that “Late last year, after Mr. Trump tapped Kash Patel, a podcaster with scant law enforcement experience, to be F.B.I. director, his aides approached Ms. Pirro about becoming his deputy,” citing two sources familiar with the exchange.
But Pirro, whose legal experience includes serving as a prosecutor and judge in New York’s Westchester County, turned down the role, even though she had “tried and failed to secure a top Justice Department job” during Trump’s first term.
The reason, according to Thrush, was Pirro had “no interest” in working for Patel.
The job ultimately went to former Fox News contributor and former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino.
On Monday, the Justice Department announced Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey will step into the Trump administration as co-deputy director of the FBI.
Bailey, who stepped down from his role as attorney general effective September 8, will hold his newly-created position alongside current FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino and serve under FBI Director Kash Patel.
Pirro went on to take over the U.S. attorney’s office in the District of Columbia, even though she “has not run a prosecutor’s office in the iPhone era,” Thrush wrote, adding that Pirro has not made it known whether she “hopes to ascend” to a bigger role in the DOJ.
“Like many big-shot outsiders who take on medium-shot government jobs, Ms. Pirro has been aggravated by red tape, particularly requirements that she obtain approval of other officials before taking actions she would have done unilaterally as Westchester County district attorney two decades ago,” Thrush wrote.
Pirro’s focus so far has been on stamping out violent crime in Washington, D.C.
On Monday, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced Nathalie Jones, 50, of Lafayette, Indiana, was arrested in the District of Columbia on Saturday in connection with making a series of threats on social media in which she threatened to kill President Trump.
“Hi everyone, it’s Judge Jeanine. I just wanted to let you know here from the United States Attorney’s Office in D.C. that an individual by the name of Nathalie Rose Jones is now in custody, charged with two federal crimes for knowingly and willfully threatening to take the life of the President of the United States,” Pirro said in a clip she released on social media.
“She did come from New York to Washington, D.C. and she has been threatening and calling for the removal of the president and even worse as she got to D.C. Her threats were on Facebook and Instagram and she continued to call the president a terrorist and was working to have him eliminated. She is now in custody. She will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Make no mistake about that,” Pirro said with a hint of a smile.
By The White House from Washington, DC - President Trump and The First Lady Participate in an Abraham Accords Signing Ceremony, Public Domain,
President Donald Trump announced the United States will soon drop sanctions against Syria.
During lengthy remarks on Tuesday, Trump laid out his vision for the Middle East, sharing a major announcement: He intends to drop sanctions against Syria.
“I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness,” Trump said in a speech in Saudi Arabia, his first stop on the first international tour of his second term in office.
“In Syria, which has seen so much misery and death, there is a new government that we must all hope will succeed in stabilizing the country and keeping peace,” he said. “So I say good luck, Syria.”
The nation was cut off from the global financial system under ousted President Bashar al-Assad’s government, imposed during 14 years of civil war.
Trump called the sanctions “brutal and crippling” but “important” at the time.
Trump said both Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Erdoğan had encouraged him to lift the sanctions.
“Oh, what I do for the crown prince,” Trump quipped.
U.S. sanctions had slapped financial penalties on any foreign individual or company that provided material support to the Syrian government and prohibited anyone in the U.S. from dealing in any Syrian entity, including oil and gas, and Syrian banks were effectively cut off from global financial systems.
Trump also revealed he has invited Saudi Arabia to join his historic Abraham Accords.
“It has been an amazing thing, the Abraham Accords,” Trump said at a Saudi Arabia investment conference. “And it’s my fervent hope, wish, and even my dream that Saudi Arabia, a place I have so much respect for … will soon be joining the Abraham Accords. I think it will be a tremendous tribute to your country.”
Trump negotiated the Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, at the end of his first term in office. Now, he is hoping to see Saudi Arabia join it as well.
During lengthy remarks, Trump laid out his vision for the Middle East. Minutes later, he made a second major announcement: He intends to drop sanctions against Syria.
