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Anatomy Of A Soft Coup: McCabe’s Unprecedented Criminal Investigation Of A Sitting President

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By Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) - Director Wray Installation Ceremony, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=63667603

The election of Donald Trump in November 2016 was, for the entrenched political class, a thunderclap. It was not supposed to happen. The experts, the pollsters, the seasoned operatives had assured the country that Hillary Clinton’s victory was inevitable. Yet by the morning of November 9, the White House was preparing to receive a president unlike any in modern history: a political outsider with no government experience, an instinctive distrust of Washington, and a willingness to discard its conventions. For some in the outgoing administration and the permanent bureaucracy, this was not merely a surprise. It was a crisis to be managed, or better yet, undone.

That undoing began in earnest just four months into Trump’s presidency, when Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe, with the approval of FBI Counterintelligence chief Bill Priestap and General Counsel James Baker, authorized a criminal investigation into the sitting president of the United States. This probe did not arise from fresh evidence of presidential misconduct. It rested on the same thin reeds that had underpinned the Russia collusion narrative since mid-2016: opposition research paid for by the Clinton campaign, laundered through the Steele dossier, and presented as intelligence. It was a case study in how partisan disinformation can metastasize into official action when it finds a willing audience inside the government.

To understand how extraordinary this was, one must appreciate the context. Intelligence reports later declassified in the Durham Annex revealed that, as early as March 2016, the Clinton campaign had hatched a plan to tie Trump to Russian operatives, not as a matter of national security, but as an electoral tactic. These plans were known to senior Obama administration officials, including John Brennan, James Comey, and Andrew McCabe, before the election. Yet when Trump won, the machinery they had assembled did not wind down. It shifted purpose: from preventing his election to destabilizing his presidency.

The first casualty in this internal campaign was Michael Flynn, Trump’s National Security Adviser and one of the few senior appointees with both loyalty to Trump and an understanding of the intelligence community’s inner workings. In late January 2017, Acting Attorney General Sally Yates, an Obama holdover, warned the White House that Flynn had misled them about conversations with the Russian ambassador. The FBI had already interviewed Flynn, in a meeting arranged by Comey that bypassed standard White House protocol. Even Peter Strzok, one of the interviewing agents, admitted they did not believe Flynn had lied. Nevertheless, the incident was used to force Flynn’s resignation on February 13, with Vice President Pence publicly citing dishonesty over sanctions discussions. In hindsight, it is clear this was less about Flynn’s conduct than about removing a man who might have quickly uncovered the flimsiness of the Russia allegations.

Next came Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a Trump loyalist but a DOJ outsider with no prior experience in its leadership. Under pressure over his own contacts with the same Russian ambassador, Sessions recused himself from any matters related to the 2016 campaign on March 2. This decision, encouraged by DOJ ethics officials from the Obama era and accepted without challenge by Pence and other advisers, effectively ceded control of any Trump-Russia inquiries to deep state officials and Obama holdovers. It was the opening the FBI needed.

By mid-May, after Trump fired Comey at the recommendation of Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, the FBI’s leadership was in open revolt. McCabe, Priestap, and Baker, all veterans of the Obama years, debated whether Trump had acted at Moscow’s behest. They even discussed the 25th Amendment and the idea of Rosenstein surreptitiously recording the president. These were not jokes. On May 16, McCabe authorized a full counterintelligence and criminal investigation into Trump himself, premised on the possibility that he was an agent of a foreign power. This was the first such investigation of a sitting president in US history.

Screenshot via X [Credit: @amuse]

The evidentiary basis for this move was paper-thin, much of it drawn from the Steele dossier, a work of partisan fiction that its own author was unwilling to verify. Baker, the FBI’s top lawyer, was a personal friend of Michael Sussmann, the Clinton campaign attorney who had helped funnel the dossier to the Bureau. Priestap, who signed off on the investigation, had overseen its use in obtaining FISA warrants to surveil Trump associates. They knew the source was tainted and the allegations were fiction. They proceeded anyway.

The day after the investigation formally opened, Rosenstein appointed Robert Mueller as Special Counsel, locking the inquiry beyond Trump’s reach. Mueller’s team, stocked with Democratic donors and Obama DOJ and FBI veterans, inherited the case and its political overtones. For nearly two years, the president governed under a cloud of suspicion, his every move interpreted through the lens of an unfounded allegation.

The impact on Trump’s presidency was profound. Key legislative initiatives stalled. Allies in Congress, warned privately by Pence and others that the investigation was serious, kept their distance. Figures like John McCain, Paul Ryan, and Jeff Flake acted in ways that hampered Trump’s agenda, from blocking Obamacare repeal to threatening his judicial nominations. Inside the executive branch, FBI Director Christopher Wray, another newcomer with no institutional knowledge of the Bureau’s internal politics, declined to purge the officials who had driven the investigation, allowing them to operate until they were forced out by Inspector General findings.

By the time Mueller submitted his report in March 2019, concluding there was no evidence of collusion, the damage was done. Trump’s first term had been defined in large part by a manufactured scandal. The narrative of foreign compromise, though disproven, had justified a Special Counsel, sustained hostile media coverage, and ultimately greased the skids for an unfounded impeachment over Ukraine.

The Durham Annex, unearthed years later, stripped away any lingering doubt about intent. It documented that the Russia collusion story was conceived as a political hit, that it was known to be false by the time it was weaponized in 2017, and that senior intelligence and law enforcement officials chose to advance it rather than expose it. In Madison’s terms, the accumulation of legislative, executive, and judicial powers in the same hands, here, the unelected leadership of the FBI and DOJ, amounted to tyranny.

That Trump survived this onslaught is remarkable. Few presidents, faced with a hostile bureaucracy, disloyal appointees, and a media eager to amplify every leak, could have done so. That the plot failed to remove him does not make it less a coup. It makes it a failed coup, one whose near-success should alarm anyone who values electoral legitimacy.

The lesson is clear. The intelligence and law enforcement apparatus of the United States must never again be allowed to become an instrument of partisan warfare. The use of fabricated opposition research to justify surveillance, investigations, and the effective nullification of an election result is a violation not just of political norms but of the constitutional order. It took years for the facts to emerge. It will take far longer to repair the trust that was lost.

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Sponsored by the John Milton Freedom Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to helping independent journalists overcome formidable challenges in today’s media landscape and bring crucial stories to you.

Fox News Host Endorses Kamala Harris

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    Looking east towards 6th Avenue along north (48th Street) side of Fox News building on a snowy afternoon. [Photo Credit: Jim.henderson, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons]

    Former Fox News host Geraldo Rivera has publicly endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president, marking a dramatic shift after years of aligning himself with former President Donald Trump. Rivera, who had long been a supporter and personal friend of Trump, announced his support for Harris in a statement posted Monday morning.

    Rivera’s endorsement, titled “Sore Loser,” came with sharp criticism of Trump’s post-2020 election actions. He reflected on the political journey of the former president, recounting their relationship from Trump’s 2016 run through his tumultuous time in office. Rivera noted that while he initially admired Trump’s rise to power, his views changed dramatically following the 2020 election and the subsequent events that led to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

    “Donald J. Trump stands a reasonable chance of becoming the 47th President of the United States,” Rivera wrote. “Despite assassination attempts, impeachments, special counsels, felony convictions, and hundreds of millions in civil penalties, most polls show his race against V.P. Kamala Harris is too close to call.”

    The veteran broadcaster expressed disappointment with Trump’s response to his 2020 election loss, highlighting their final conversation in November 2020. According to Rivera, Trump was initially open to the idea of accepting the election results, but later changed course, engaging in what Rivera described as a “menacing campaign” to discredit the election.

    Mark Taylor from Rockville, USA, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    “None exists,” Rivera said, referring to Trump’s unfounded claims of systemic election fraud. He accused Trump of misleading Republicans and his supporters into believing in the so-called “Big Lie” about the stolen election, leading to the chaotic breach at the Capitol.

    In his statement, Rivera criticized Trump’s handling of the events of Jan. 6, 2021, including the pressure Trump exerted on then-Vice President Mike Pence to overturn the election results. “Trump stabbed the Constitution in the back,” Rivera added.

    At that point, Rivera, whose net worth is estimated at around $20 million, criticized tens of millions of Trump supporters who believe, as economic indicators show, that the economy was stronger during Trump’s presidency—especially in contrast to the soaring inflation and real wages lagging far behind under the Biden-Harris administration.

    Rivera also failed to acknowledge the appeal of Trump’s other policies for many voters, such as those focused on border security and world peace.

    The television personality did not mince words about his opinion of supporting Trump again. “If you are a Republican, Donald Trump has made a liar of you,” he said.

    Rivera concluded his endorsement by stating, “That is why I am voting for Kamala Harris to be our 47th President.”

    Sunday’s NBC News poll shows Trump pulling even with Kamala Harris after trailing by 5 points last month.

    On Monday, CNN revealed that Trump is performing better with Black voters than any Republican since the 1960s—and it’s not just due to Black men. The poll also shows that Harris is attracting fewer Black female voters than any Democrat since the 1960s.

    While he was not technically “fired” from Fox News, Rivera left the network under contentious circumstances in June 2023. Rivera announced his departure from The Five, one of Fox News’ most popular shows, after a series of disagreements with his co-hosts, particularly over his opposition to Trump. He hinted at tensions behind the scenes, saying his exit was “amicable,” but also indicated he was “fired” from The Five.

    Rivera first joined Fox News Channel in 2001. Over the years, he became a prominent figure at the network, hosting his own show, Geraldo at Large, and appearing regularly on various Fox News programs, including The Five.

    Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News

    Sen. Vance Says He Was ‘Wrong’ About Trump

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    Senator J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) knows when to admit he was wrong.

    CNN’s Dana Bash pressed Vance on a tweet that he posted in 2016 when the “Access Hollywood” tape of Trump surfaced that stated, “Fellow Christians, everyone is watching us. When we apologize for this man, lord help us.”

    She asked him whether he still feels that way about Trump’s “sexual indiscretions” amid the ongoing hush money trial, noting he has since deleted the tweet.

    “But, look, my view on Donald Trump — I have been very clear on this — is, look, I was wrong about him. I didn’t think he was going to be a good president, Dana, and I was very, very proud to be proven wrong. It’s one of the reasons why I’m working so hard to get him elected,” he replied on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

    Vance had made comments against Trump’s bid in 2016, prompting Ohio Republicans in 2022 to urge Trump not to endorse him. Vance ended up clinching Trump’s support and winning his election.

    Vance is now among the rumored contenders to be the former president’s running mate in the 2024 election. 

    Big Tech Censorship is the Real Danger to Our Democracy, and Our History

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      Photo via Pixabay images

      ANALYSIS – The collusion between the far-left, the Democrat Party, and Big Tech is one of the most dangerous threats to American democracy today.

      It threatens our 1st Amendment right to free speech, and our ability to get valuable and dissenting views and news online.

      It also threatens to erase and rewrite history akin to the vile practices of totalitarian communist leaders Joe Stalin or Mao Zedong.

      This obscene censorship is also opposed by most Americans.

      According to a piece published Thursday by the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), suppressing so-called “misinformation” and “disinformation” online (code words for conservative views they don’t like) about topics like climate change, or elections, could rewrite history.

      A very dangerous thing indeed.

      Quoting the AEI authors, Media Research Center (MRC) NewsBusters writes:

      “[C]onsider now how future historians will view our societies if the collective digital record that has replaced paper diaries, letters, notes, and newspapers is purged of dissenting views,” wrote AEI nonresident senior fellow Bronwyn Howell

      “If records of the views of climate change skeptics were removed to make it easier to implement changes, it may never be evident to those in the future that this was in fact a highly contentious issue that divided societies and influenced the choices made by political leaders as the complex issues unfolded.”

      Howell specifically called out New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern for her speech to the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in September. In the speech, Ardern justified censoring certain content around climate change and war, as well as content subjectively deemed “hateful and dangerous.”

      “How do you successfully end a war if people are led to believe the reason for its existence is not only legal but noble?” Ardern told the multilateral body. “How do you tackle climate change if people do not believe it exists? How do you ensure the human rights of others are upheld, when they are subjected to hateful and dangerous rhetoric and ideology?”

      Anything that offends anyone can be deemed ‘hateful and dangerous,’ and aggressively suppressed, especially by the Left which uses these terms as weapons to pummel all views opposed to their radical agenda.

      Beyond just rewriting history, NewsBusters notes the threat to altering our present elections today. 

      By censoring contrary views that they deem ‘misinformation,’ the Left – having hijacked Big Tech social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn – are rigging elections in favor of the Democrats and their far-left ideology.

      Note: LinkedIn, the giant business and professional site, while generally not mentioned along with the other big ones, is one of the worst offenders. 

      It banned me for posting legitimate, well-sourced stories on China, Hunter Biden, the Wuhan bio lab link to COVID-19, as well as other political topics, including anything critical, or mocking, of the radical ‘trans’ agenda.’

      Newsbusters adds that:

      Just like the Chinese Communist Party-linked TikTok, American-in-name-only companies Facebook and Twitter are working to thwart certain posts about elections, interfering with the American democratic process and potentially altering the course of history.

      Big Tech companies regularly scrub social media of views they deem objectionable, and MRC’s CensorTrack database has documented over 4,500 total cases of censorship by these tech giants.


      Yet, a new national poll, conducted last week for The Federalist by Susquehanna Polling and Research, Inc., concluded that a significant majority of Americans disapprove of this Big Tech censorship.

      As CNS News reports:

      [The poll] asked U.S. voters the following question about the practice by behemoth social media platforms of censoring political content:

      “Do you approve or disapprove of Big Tech companies such as Twitter, Facebook, and Google censoring news stories and preventing users from sharing articles and information related to the upcoming election in November?”

      According to the poll’s results, two-thirds (66%) say they disapprove of Big Tech’s censorship – including 55% who “strongly” disapprove.

      About a quarter (24%) say they support Big Tech preventing users from seeing, sharing or posting political content that the social media platforms don’t like. 

      Almost 10% had no opinion or were undecided.

      But it isn’t just the far-left-controlled Big Tech censorship that Americans are opposed to, they also don’t trust the establishment media.

      As CNS News reports:

      Asked if they “trust the corporate news media to tell the truth when covering news stories” or think media “misrepresent the facts to push a political agenda,” just 13% say they believe in the media’s veracity, while three-fourths (77%) of voters think media aren’t telling the truth, in favor of a political narrative.

      So, over three quarters of all Americans don’t trust the establishment media and believe it pushes a political narrative.
      When the nation’s largest social media companies collude with one party, and one ideology, to suppress contrary views and news, our democracy is clearly in danger.

      As The Washington Post’s new motto posted after Donald Trump’s election says: ‘Democracy Dies in Darkness.” 

      And indeed, Big Tech and the establishment media are ensuring it does.

      Opinions expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of Great America News Desk.

      Governor Blocks Pardoned J6ers From State Jobs

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        Tyler Merbler, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

        Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) said he would block pardoned Capitol insurrectionists from serving in local government positions, citing a state law ordinance, according to a Thursday letter obtained by The Hill.

        “The State’s Personnel Code, administered by the Department of Central Management Services (CMS) and by you as its Director, requires the rejection of candidates for State employment who have engaged in infamous or disgraceful conduct (20 ILCS 415/8b.4),” Pritzker wrote to Raven A. DeVaughn, director of the state’s CMS.

        “To protect the integrity of our workforce and safety of our State, I hereby direct CMS to apply the State Personnel Code and consider any participation in the January 6 insurrection as infamous and disgraceful conduct that is antithetical to the mission of the State.”

        Earlier in the directive, Pritzker outlined the actions of Jan. 6 rioters who stormed the Capitol four years ago.

        “These rioters were accused or convicted of a combination of felonies and misdemeanors, including but not limited to: violence against law enforcement officers, threats against Members of Congress, destruction of federal property, and many other crimes. These crimes attacks threatened public safety as Members of Congress, staff, and other workers who were forced to hide from the violence for hours,” he detailed.

        “I am committed to building a State workforce that upholds our shared values and delivers results for the people of Illinois. Our State workforce must reflect the values of Illinois and demonstrate honesty, integrity, and loyalty to serving the taxpayers,” he added.

        “No one who attempts to overthrow a government should serve in government,” he concluded.

        President Trump signed an executive order after his inauguration granting pardons to more than 1,500 individuals charged in connection with the January 6 Capitol riot. He also announced several commutations for those who committed violent acts during the event. (RELATED: Trump Pardons Capitol Riot Participants)

        The president has defended his decision to free the rioters. 

        “These people have already served years in prison, and they’ve served them viciously. It’s a disgusting prison. It’s horrible. It’s been inhumane,” Trump told reporters, claiming the American public sided with his choice.

        Leonard Leo Pledges $1 Billion To Combat ‘Liberal Dominance’ In Corporate America, Media

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        Image via Pixabay free images

        Leonard Leo, a billionaire activist often credited as the architect of the conservative supermajority on the U.S. Supreme Court, has announced a $1 billion investment aimed at countering what he calls “liberal dominance” in corporate America, the media and entertainment sectors.

        In a rare interview with the Financial Times, Leo detailed his plans through his nonprofit group, the Marble Freedom Trust, which will focus its resources on the private sector. “We need to crush liberal dominance where it’s most insidious,” Leo said, explaining that the initiative will build talent and capital pipelines in industries where he believes left-wing extremism is most pervasive.

        Leo also emphasized targeting companies and financial institutions that he claims are influenced by “woke” ideology. “Expect us to increase support for organizations that call out companies and financial institutions that bend to the woke mind virus spread by regulators and NGOs,” he said, vowing that these entities would face consequences for prioritizing “extreme left-wing ideology” over consumers:

        Leo has spent more than two decades at the influential Federalist Society, guiding conservative judges into the federal courts and the Supreme Court itself. In 2018, conservative justice Clarence Thomas joked that Leo was the third most important person in the world.

        Leo’s efforts culminated under Trump’s presidency, when three Federalist Society-backed judges were appointed to give conservatives on the Supreme Court a 6-3 supermajority, and profound influence over US law. The court has since then ruled to overturn the right to an abortion, among other long-sought rightwing causes.

        In 2020, after Trump lost the election, Leo stepped back from running the daily operations of the Federalist Society, while remaining its co-chair.

        The following year, Leo founded Marble, with a $1.6bn donation from electronic device manufacturing mogul Barre Seid, to be a counterweight to what he said was “dark money” of the left. He spent about $600mn in its first three years, according to public financial disclosures.

        During the interview, Leo identified several potential targets for his campaign, including banks, China-friendly corporations and companies that have institutionalized diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) frameworks, as well as those adhering to environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing principles.

        He added that his goal is to find “very leveraged, impactful ways of reintroducing limited constitutional government and a civil society premised on freedom, personal responsibility and the virtues of Western civilization.”

        Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News.

        French President Macron Files Lawsuit Against Candace Owens

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        Image via Gage Skidmore Flickr

        On Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron filed a lawsuit against podcaster Candace Owens over her repeated claims that his wife, Brigitte, is a man.

        The lawsuit, which was filed in the Superior Court of the State of Delaware, calls Owens’ claims “devastating lies” and adds that the podcast host “disregarded all credible evidence disproving her claim in favor of platforming known conspiracy theorists and proven defamers.”

        In 2024, Owens —who was then a host at Ben Shapiro’s outlet the Daily Wire — boldly stated that she’d stake her “entire professional reputation” on Brigitte Macron being a man. Since then, Owens has repeatedly insisted that the French first lady is a biological man.

        Owens even launched an eight-episode series called “Becoming Brigitte” to further examine the conspiracy theory.

        That series, the suit alleges, is packed with “outlandish, defamatory, and far-fetched fictions” including “that Mrs. Macron was born a man, stole another person’s identity, and transitioned to become Brigitte; Mrs. Macron and President Macron are blood relatives committing incest; President Macron was chosen to be the President of France as part of the CIA-operated MKUltra program or a similar mind-control program; and Mrs. Macron and President Macron are committing forgery, fraud, and abuses of power to conceal these secrets.”

        “These claims are demonstrably false, and Owens knew they were,” the suit states.

        The lawsuit continues:

        This is nothing new for Owens. She has built a brand on provocation, not truth. Owens labels herself as an independent “investigative journalist” while routinely peddling misinformation under the guise of legitimate reporting. She has promoted a range of conspiracy theories, including anti-vaccine falsehoods, long-debunked antisemitic tropes such as blood libel, and Holocaust distortion — going so far as to dismiss the atrocities of Josef Mengele’s medical experiments as mere “propaganda.” Her content is not intended to inform but to inflame and attract attention through sensationalism and conspiracy theories.

        The Macron family, represented by high-profile American law firm Clare Locke, is seeking damages and is demanding a jury trial.

        A spokesman for Owens told Mediaite that she would respond to the suit on Wednesday’s episode of her podcast.

        “Candace will be officially responding to this on her podcast today,” the spokesman said, “as we are just learning about this in the press.”

        Last week, Candace Owens accused President Donald Trump of thinking that his political base is “stupid” on the latest episode of her show, which she opened by calling the Jeffrey Epstein scandal “terminal cancer” for the MAGA movement.

        After comparing the administration’s attempt at moving on from the Epstein scandal to the stories about Hunter Biden that were dismissed by the “Deep State,” Owens accused Trump of “being guilty of gaslighting the public.”

        “It seems like you think your base is stupid. That’s how I feel. I feel like Trump thinks his base is stupid, or, again, because I don’t think he’s pressing send on these messages, the people around him think that Trump is stupid. And that shouldn’t surprise you given the fact that all of these people were ‘Never Trump.’ They were ‘Never Trump.’ Trump is surrounded by people who hate him and have infiltrated his base,” argued Owens, who went on to submit that Trump — or those around him — had decided to give Ukraine more weapons in order to distract from the conversation about Epstein.

        “Operation: Just Give Them More War. Yeah, war as a distraction. Never mind! We can’t talk about Epstein because guys, guess what? Look at this headline: Trump announces an aggressive, or Trump is to announce an aggressive Ukraine weapons plan. Yeah, he already indicated that in that same press conference that there’s just going to be more weapons sent to Ukraine, they’re going to attack Russia. We’re just going to have to have a world war and another reset, I guess. So, you guys just stop talking about Jeffrey Epstein,” she added. “I am telling you that I will be the very last person that will stop talking about Jeffrey Epstein. I will do his entire genealogy backwards and forwards, including everybody around him, get their genealogy, before we let go of this.”

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        Trump DOJ Declines To Indict 6 Democrats In ‘Illegal Orders’ Video

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        Department of Justice prosecutors were unable on Tuesday to secure indictments against multiple Democratic lawmakers following scrutiny over a controversial video urging members of the military to refuse unlawful orders, according to a new report.

        The New York Times reported Tuesday — citing four individuals familiar with the matter — that prosecutors led by U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro failed to persuade a grand jury to support indictments. NBC News also confirmed the development.

        The lawmakers involved in the video include Sens. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ), along with Reps. Jason Crow (D-CO), Maggie Goodlander (D-NH), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), and Chris Deluzio (D-PA). All have military or intelligence backgrounds.

        In the video, the lawmakers urged service members not to comply with what they described as illegal directives and warned of internal threats to the Constitution.

        “You can refuse illegal orders. You must refuse illegal orders,” the lawmakers said.

        The remarks drew sharp backlash from President Trump and others, who argued the video crossed a dangerous line by encouraging disobedience within the armed forces — something many conservatives view as undermining military discipline and chain of command.

        “IT WASN’T, AND IT NEVER WILL BE! IT WAS SEDITION AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL, AND SEDITION IS A MAJOR CRIME. THERE CAN BE NO OTHER INTERPRETATION OF WHAT THEY SAID!” Trump wrote on Truth Social in November.

        In another post, Trump warned that sedition is “punishable by DEATH.”

        Kelly Escalates Fight With Pentagon Over Rank and Benefits

        Sen. Mark Kelly has since launched a separate legal battle tied to the fallout. Last month, he announced he filed a civil lawsuit against Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth after the Defense Department reportedly took steps to reduce Kelly’s rank and pension based on the video.

        Kelly framed the move as retaliation for political speech, though Republicans have argued that elected officials — particularly those with prior military service — should be especially cautious about messaging that could be interpreted as encouraging insubordination in the ranks.

        “Pete Hegseth is coming after what I earned through my twenty-five years of military service, in violation of my rights as an American, as a retired veteran, and as a United States Senator whose job is to hold him—and this or any administration—accountable,” Kelly said in a statement.

        “His unconstitutional crusade against me sends a chilling message to every retired member of the military: if you speak out and say something that the President or Secretary of Defense doesn’t like, you will be censured, threatened with demotion, or even prosecuted.”

        The case adds to a broader debate over whether political figures should be using their platform to issue guidance to troops — especially at a time when conservatives have warned about growing politicization within federal institutions, including the military itself.

        Slotkin Claims Victory After Grand Jury Declines to Indict

        Following the grand jury’s decision not to proceed, Sen. Slotkin celebrated the outcome and criticized the administration.

        “Today, it was a grand jury of anonymous American citizens who upheld the rule of law and determined this case should not proceed. Hopefully, this ends this politicized investigation for good,” Slotkin wrote Tuesday night on X.

        “But today wasn’t just an embarrassing day for the Administration. It was another sad day for our country,” she added.

        Slotkin argued that even pursuing the case reflected misuse of federal power.

        “Whether or not Pirro succeeded is not the point. It’s that President Trump continues to weaponize our justice system against his perceived enemies. It’s the kind of thing you see in a foreign country, not in the United States we know and love,” Slotkin said.

        Still, many Republicans counter that the central issue is not politics but accountability — particularly when lawmakers make statements that could be interpreted as urging troops to question lawful authority.

        “No matter what President Trump and Pirro continue to do with this case, tonight we can score one for the Constitution, our freedom of speech, and the rule of law,” Slotkin added.

        Ongoing Debate Over Civil-Military Boundaries

        While prosecutors were unable to secure indictments this week, the controversy underscores a growing national debate: how far elected officials can go in addressing service members directly without undermining military order or injecting partisan rhetoric into the armed forces.

        Trump, Officials Condemn Murder Of Israeli Staffers In D.C.

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          Police image via Pixabay free images

          The brazen murder of a young Jewish couple in Washington, D.C. has stunned the world.

          The victims, Sarah Lynn Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky, were fatally shot outside of the Capital Jewish Museum by a male suspect who shouted “free Palestine” before opening fire.

          Milgrim and Lischinsky — who were a couple on the verge of engagement, according to police — were gunned down after the American Jewish Committee’s (AJC) annual Young Diplomats Reception. Lischinsky was preparing to return to Israel to spend the Jewish holiday of Shavuot with his family prior to being killed.

          Trump administration officials were quick to denounce Wednesday evening’s shooting in Washington, which left two Israeli Embassy staffers dead outside of a museum.

          President Trump condemned the killings in a post on his Truth Social platform early Thursday.

          “These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW! Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA,” he wrote. “Condolences to the families of the victims.”

          Trump’s comment was later echoed by several Cabinet members and Jewish organizations across the country. 

          Attorney General Pam Bondi said she was on the scene hours after the crime took place and is praying for the family of victims. 

          “I am on the scene of the horrible shooting outside the Washington, DC Capital Jewish Museum with @USAttyPirro. Praying for the victims of this violence as we work to learn more,” Bondi wrote on X. 

          Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said he spoke with Bondi, also weighed in on the shooting, adding that he was “outraged” by the deaths.

          “We are witness to the terrible cost of the antisemitism and wild incitement against the State of Israel,” Netanyahu said in a statement. “Blood libels against Israel have a cost in blood and must be fought to the utmost.”

          How ‘Woke’ and Compromised is the FBI and Its ‘Agents Association’?

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            ANALYSIS – As someone involved in national security for over 30 years, I’ve written a lot about the FBI – about its successes as well as its politicization, and corrupt, partisan leadership. 

            I’ve even argued that perhaps the entire FBI should be dissolved or broken up.

            But I’ve generally defended the rank-and-file field agents, some whom I’ve known or worked with. I’ve noted that most are hardworking, honorable patriots.

            In a recent piece I even noted that a ‘Sizable Percentage’ of FBI Agents and Employees were reportedly ‘sympathetic’ to the Capitol rioters and believed the FBI was conducting a witch hunt against them.
            So, it saddens, and angers me, when I read that the FBI leadership lauded clueless or woke agents from the D.C field office who took a knee in front of BLM protesters and rioters in the summer of 2020.
            Recall that these police-hating, BLM race riots caused over $2 billion in damages nationwide, caused multiple civilian deaths, and injured over 2,000 local police and other law enforcement. 
            As Gagliano notes: “Seattle and Minneapolis police precincts were occupied and immolated, a federal courthouse was firebombed while federal agents were trapped inside, and deadly “autonomous zones” were established in Democrat-led cities.”
            This is the BLM mob these DC agents kneeled for in DC, and leadership lauded.
            What’s more, the FBI Agents Association rewarded these kneeling agents kowtowing to the BLM mob with $100 gift cards.

            Founded in 1981, the nonprofit organization boasts 14,000 members, including 90% of the current FBI agent workforce, and used to command respect from the rank-and-file agents.

            But maybe not so much now.

            James Gagliano, a retired FBI supervisory special agent, writes in New York Post:

            FBI executive management lauded on-duty agents who knelt before Black Lives Matter protesters at the height of the George Floyd unrest and riots for their “de-escalation” efforts, The Washington Times recently reported. A whistleblower said the counterterrorism special agent in charge of the Washington, DC, field office even hugged each of them after the June 4, 2020, incident. While not all the “presence patrol” agents assigned to the scene — which included the Supreme Court and the National Archives — “took a knee” in a show of solidarity or an act of cowardice and capitulation, at least seven did.

            And what was the FBI Agents Association’s response to this embarrassing gesture? Well, as the paper reported and FBI insiders confirmed to me, the organization rewarded the kneelers with a $100 “attaboy” — or what it describes as gift cards of “modest value.”

            While seven idiotic agents kneeling may only be a very small number of the entire FBI field agent force, the fact that our premier law enforcement agency had any who did that is disturbing.

            But even worse is the leadership and the association rewarding them for it.

            Gagliano rightly notes: “With outrageous, political decisions by its board, it has sullied itself just as James Comey, Andrew McCabe, Peter Strzok, Lisa Page and Kevin Clinesmith annihilated the top law-enforcement agency’s reputation during the 2016 Russiagate hoax.”

            This is why the FBI is now distrusted by about half the country. Only 44% of Gallup respondents in 2021 felt the Bureau was doing an “excellent” or “good” job.

            Gagliano concludes:

            I have come to grips with the fact that my beloved FBI has been irreparably broken by woke activists serving amongst its senior ranks. And with the Justice Department appearing to do this president’s bidding by targeting his political adversaries, it will take a monumental house-cleaning and seismic shift in culture at both DOJ and the FBI to begin to restore America’s trust and confidence.

            This something I have said before and wholeheartedly agree with. A thorough FBI housecleaning is badly needed

            Opinions expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of Great America News Desk.