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    Iran Rebukes Trump Demand While Announcing New Supreme Leader

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

    Iran has selected a new supreme leader to replace Ayatollah Ali Khamenei following his death in a U.S.-Israeli strike, while rejecting demands from President Donald Trump to have any role in the leadership selection.

    Iran’s Assembly of Experts — the powerful body of senior clerics responsible for choosing the country’s supreme leader — announced Sunday that Mojtaba Khamenei, the late leader’s 56-year-old son, will succeed his father.

    CNN’s Jeremy Diamond, reporting from Tel Aviv, said the decision came just over a week after the killing of Ali Khamenei during the opening phase of the conflict with Israel.

    “This is just in from Iran’s Assembly of Experts,” Diamond said. “This is the body of senior Iranian clerics responsible for electing the next supreme leader, and they have now chosen, just over a week after the assassination of the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, his son Mojtaba Khamenei as his successor.”

    Diamond noted that Mojtaba Khamenei is widely seen as a hardline figure with close ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

    “He is known for having close ties to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, and his selection will largely be viewed as a continuation of his father’s rule,” Diamond said. “This is quite a hard-line stance for the Assembly of Experts to be choosing as the next supreme leader of Iran.”

    According to the report, Mojtaba Khamenei was wounded in the same strike that killed his father. The attack also killed his wife.

    His appointment comes amid escalating tensions with the United States and Israel, both of which have sharply criticized Iran’s leadership.

    President Trump had previously dismissed the possibility of Mojtaba Khamenei becoming supreme leader, calling him a “lightweight” in an interview with Axios and saying such a choice would be unacceptable.

    Iranian officials, however, have firmly rejected any suggestion that Washington could influence the selection.

    Speaking Sunday on NBC News’ Meet the Press, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the choice of supreme leader is strictly an internal matter for Iran.

    When asked whether Iran would allow Trump any role in choosing the country’s next leader, Araghchi responded bluntly.

    “We allow nobody to interfere in our domestic affairs,” he said. “This is up to the Iranian people to elect their new leader. They have already elected the Assembly of Experts, and the Assembly of Experts will do the job. It is only the business of the Iranian people and nobody else’s business.”

    Araghchi also pushed back on Trump’s earlier demand for Iran’s “unconditional surrender.”

    “This is what he asked the previous time in June, when Israel started to attack us,” Araghchi said. “President Trump used the same phrase, ‘unconditional surrender.’ That was the tweet he made. And that didn’t happen.”

    “We resisted, and after 12 days Israelis asked for an unconditional ceasefire,” he continued. “So we never give up, we never surrender, and we will continue to resist as long as it takes. We are defending our territory, our people, and our dignity. And our dignity is not for sale.”

    Even as Iran moves forward with its new leadership, Israeli officials have issued stark warnings that the country’s next leader will also become a target.

    Days before the leadership announcement, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that anyone appointed to lead Iran’s ruling regime could face assassination if they continue policies hostile to Israel and its allies.

    “Every leader appointed by the Iranian terror regime to continue and lead the plan to destroy Israel, to threaten the United States and the free world and the countries of the region, and to suppress the Iranian people will be an unequivocal target for elimination,” Katz wrote in a post on X.

    “It does not matter what his name is or the place where he hides,” he added.

    Katz said he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have instructed the Israel Defense Forces to prepare for such action as part of Israel’s ongoing military campaign against Iran, known as Operation Lion’s Roar.

    “The Prime Minister and I have instructed the IDF to prepare and act by all means to carry out the mission as an integral part of the objectives of Operation Lion’s Roar,” Katz said.

    He added that Israel will continue coordinating with the United States to weaken the Iranian regime and create conditions that could lead to political change inside the country.

    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]

    Biden Challenger Signals Openness To Being Haley’s VP

      By
      Madeleine Jackson
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      1

      Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips could turn this election on its head…

      During a recent interview the long-shot primary challenger to President Biden said he was open to running alongside Nikki Haley as a “unity ticket.”

      “I think it’s a conversation that Ambassador Haley and I should have, if that’s what this comes down to,” Phillips said in a Thursday interview on Minneapolis’s News Talk 830 WCCO, first highlighted by Mediaite. 

      Phillips said “in the event of a Donald Trump victory this November,” he thinks “any American who opposes that, should celebrate, encourage and inspire an alternative that can actually win and lead our country in the way that people want, and I think anybody, including myself, should keep open minds and hearts about that.”

      “I hope Nikki Haley does, and I think America could be very well served by some type of a bipartisan ticket that restores faith in government and most importantly, demonstrates to the world — to the world — that America can work together and restore its extraordinary brand around the entire world,” Phillips said.

      The Minnesota Democrat repeatedly argued that Democrats should nominate someone else to take on Biden before ultimately jumping into the race himself.

      GOP Congressman Threatens Tucker Carlson

      By
      Madeleine Jackson
      -
      4
      Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America,

      Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) threatened former Fox News host Tucker Carlson during a Monday interview, saying if he ever met the pundit, he would “f‑‑‑ing kill” him.

      Speaking to British journalist Steven Edginton from GB News, Crenshaw slammed Carlson for his opposition to sending funds to Ukraine.

      Earlier in the interview, Edginton had asked Crenshaw about the argument that money being spent on Ukraine could be spent on other things.

      “Just coming back to this $100 billion to Ukraine, I know that people like Tucker Carlson will make the argument that there’s a real opportunity cost there, we could have spent that money on the border or fixing issues in America,” Edginton said in the interview clip. “What do you make of that argument?”

      Crenshaw replied that “you can walk and chew bubble gum at the same time.”

      “We spent 75-80 percent of our budget on a welfare state in America, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid. I would love to ask Tucker what he thinks that $100 billion should be spent on and if he would vote on it as a conservative,” Crenshaw said. “Tucker doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

      “Have you ever met Tucker?” Edginton asked after the interview ended.

      “We’ve talked a lot on Twitter,” Crenshaw, a former Navy SEAL who has a history of trading online insults with Carlson, said. “If I ever meet him, I’ll f‑‑‑ing kill him.”

      “He’s the worst,” the Texas lawmaker added.

      In his post on X, Edginton noted that Crenshaw said he would kill Carlson, adding: “I laughed it off. He said: ‘No seriously, I would kill him.’”

      The congressman later implied he was joking while replying to outrage from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA).

      Crenshaw’s reply was met with an X Community Note that read, “Dan Crenshaw did threaten Tucker Carlson’s life. His comment was caught on ‘hot mic’ A/V recording.

      Carlson replied to the lawmaker in a Monday post and invited him to sit for an interview.

      “Why don’t you come sit for an interview and we’ll see how you do?” Carlson said. “I’ll send you my address, @DanCrenshawTX.”

      Machado Defends Giving Trump Nobel Prize

      By
      Madeleine Jackson
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      0
      By Kevin Payravi - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=179718533

      Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado defended her decision to present President Trump with her Nobel Peace Prize medal during a recent visit to the White House, calling it a gesture of gratitude from the Venezuelan people for U.S. support in their fight for freedom.

      “I already said what I meant and what it means to the Venezuelan people to present President Trump with our gratitude for what he has done,” Machado told independent reporter Nicholas Ballasy on Capitol Hill.

      Machado urges anti-communist unity in the Americas

      Machado was in Washington this week meeting with lawmakers and rallying support for democratic movements across the region. Speaking to reporters, she called for the Western Hemisphere to be “free from communism,” arguing that once Venezuela is liberated, the broader effort will continue.

      After Venezuela is free, she said, “we will keep working and we will have a free Cuba and a free Nicaragua.”

      “This is a historic moment and we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for yes, the commitment, resilience, generosity and courage of the Venezuelan people, but also because we have counted with the support, vision and courage of incredible leaders such as the president of United States, Donald Trump, and members of this honorable Congress,” Machado told reporters.

      A symbolic handoff: “Bolívar” to the “heir of Washington”

      Machado presented the award roughly two weeks after U.S. military forces captured Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro and transported him to New York to face criminal charges—an operation that stunned observers across the region and energized Venezuelans demanding democratic change.

      Machado later explained that she told President Trump about a historic symbol of shared liberation between the U.S. and Latin America: a medal featuring President George Washington that Revolutionary War Gen. Marquis de Lafayette gave to Venezuelan revolutionary hero Simón Bolívar.

      “Two hundred years in history, the people of Bolivar are giving back to the heir of Washington a medal, in this case the medal of the Nobel Peace Prize as a recognition for his unique commitment with our freedom,” Machado said.

      President Trump later shared photos from the Oval Office showing him holding the framed prize, with Machado standing beside him.

      Nobel Committee pushes back, critics pile on

      Not everyone praised the moment. The Norwegian Nobel Committee emphasized that while a physical medal can change hands, the Nobel honor itself does not.

      “Regardless of what may happen to the medal, the diploma, or the prize money, it is and remains the original laureate who is recorded in history as the recipient of the prize,” the committee stated. “Even if the medal or diploma later comes into someone else’s possession, this does not alter who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.”

      Norwegian Labour Party politician Raymond Johansen criticized Trump for accepting the medal, calling it “incredibly embarrassing and damaging.” And Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) also took a shot at the president, saying Trump looked “kind of silly.”

      Trump and the Nobel: longstanding controversy

      Trump has been openly vocal in the past about being passed over for the Nobel Peace Prize, especially after major foreign-policy efforts. He campaigned for it last October, before Machado ultimately won.

      The president also linked the Nobel snub to his thinking about Greenland, according to a text exchange with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

      “Dear Jonas: Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace, although it will always be predominant, but can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America,” Trump wrote Støre.

      Trump later softened his remarks while speaking Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and subsequently announced a “framework” for a deal involving the Danish territory.

      JD Vance has a BIG meeting with Republican leadership coming up and wants to hear from YOU! What are the key issues facing America in 2026? Complete the  Republican Leadership Survey and make your voice heard!

      NBC News President Resigns

        By
        Madeleine Jackson
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        5
        WASHINGTON - Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson appears on MSNBC’s Morning Joe discussing the massive security efforts for the inauguration in Washington, D.C., Jan. 19, 2017. The show features interviews with top newsmakers and politicians and in-depth analysis of the day's biggest stories. Official DHS photo by Jetta Disco.

        NBC News president Noah Oppenheim is stepping down after nearly half a decade at the helm.

        The announcement was made Wednesday by NBCUniversal News Group Chairman Cesar Conde who also revealed New York Times editor Rachel Blumenstein is taking over the position.

        According to The Hill, Blumenstein most recently has served as deputy managing editor of the Times and comes to NBC after a long career in digital and print journalism, but lacks any network news experience.

        With Oppenheim’s departure, two other top NBC News executives will be promoted, the company said. Libby Leist, who has overseen the TODAY show, will now be an executive vice president, TODAY and Lifestyle, while Janelle Rodriguez, who has spearheaded the network’s news streaming service, will join the leadership team as executive vice president, NBC News NOW, the company said.

        “The appointments of Rebecca, Libby and Janelle provide a powerful foundation for the News Group as it continues to grow its leadership position,” Conde said

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

        Actress Fires Back at Critics Over Attendance at Mar-a-Lago Dog Rescue Event

        By
        Madeleine Jackson
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        4
        Marine One lifts-off after returning President Donald J. Trump to Mar-a-Lago Friday, March 29, 2019, following his visit to the 143-mile Herbert Hoover Dike near Canal Point, Fla., that surrounds Lake Okeechobee. The visit was part of an infrastructure inspection of the dike, which is part of the Kissimmee-Okeechobee Everglades system, and reduces impacts of flooding for areas of south Florida. (Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian) [Photo Credit: The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons]

        Actress Katherine Heigl is pushing back against critics who took issue with her appearance at a dog rescue fundraiser held at Mar-a-Lago, the Palm Beach estate of President Donald Trump, arguing the event was focused entirely on animal welfare rather than politics.

        Heigl attended the Wine, Women & Shoes Benefiting Big Dog Ranch Rescue fundraiser on Sunday at Trump’s Florida residence. According to the organization, the event raised $5.5 million to support its work rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming dogs.

        But her appearance quickly drew backlash online from critics who objected to her participation in an event held at the home of the former and current Republican president. The criticism reflects a broader dynamic in the country’s polarized political climate, where public figures often face scrutiny simply for appearing at venues associated with Trump or his allies.

        In recent years, commentators on the right have frequently used the phrase “Trump Derangement Syndrome” (TDS) to describe what they view as an outsized or reflexive hostility toward Trump and anything connected to him. Supporters argue the phenomenon leads some critics to condemn even non-political activities if they occur in proximity to Trump or his properties, while detractors of the term say it is used to dismiss legitimate concerns about the former president.

        Heigl appeared to push back against the idea that politics should overshadow charitable work.

        “Animals don’t vote. The only room they don’t like is the euthanasia room at a shelter,” Heigl said in a statement to Page Six. “They are completely at the mercy of us, and they have no voice of their own.”

        “This event was about animal advocacy — something that has always been deeply personal to me,” she continued. “Anyone who knows me knows that protecting animals is one of my greatest passions.”

        She also urged people not to turn animal welfare into a partisan issue.

        “As a society, we should all come together to protect the voiceless and the innocent,” she added. “This should not be a polarizing issue.”

        The actress also responded directly to critics on Instagram after the event circulated online. Some commenters questioned why she would attend a fundraiser held at Trump’s home, while others mocked or dismissed her involvement.

        When one commenter wrote, “Who even is she?” Heigl replied:

        “Doesn’t matter. Do you care about animals? If so donate! Time! Money! Attention! Your voice! It doesn’t matter who I am only what I do.”

        She followed up with another response encouraging people to focus on causes they care about rather than online criticism.

        “The same goes for you! Animals might not be your thing but I bet you care deeply about something that matters! Do your part! Don’t waste your time scrolling and making comments!”

        Heigl, best known for her roles in “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Knocked Up,” and “27 Dresses,” has long been active in animal rescue efforts. She and her mother co-founded the Jason Debus Heigl Foundation, named after her late brother, which works to rescue dogs and cats and fund spay-and-neuter programs.

        In recent years, the actress has stepped back somewhat from Hollywood life. In a 2023 interview on the “Today” show, Heigl said she relocated with her family to Utah after spending much of her career in Los Angeles.

        “I think some people are mountain people, and I think some people are beach people,” Heigl explained. “I’m sort of a mountain person and have always been that way.”

        She said the move helped provide balance after years in the entertainment industry.

        “And my mom realized, because we went out to LA when I was 17 and hustled and hustled for years, right?” Heigl continued. “And I think she realized at a certain point that I needed somewhere to escape to and kind of clear my head, and that grounded me.”

        Despite the controversy surrounding the Mar-a-Lago fundraiser, Heigl made clear that her focus remains on the charitable mission behind the event — helping animals that cannot advocate for themselves.

        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.

        Dem Congressman Declares ‘All Crashes Are Trump’s Fault’ In Hateful Rant

          By
          Madeleine Jackson
          -
          11

          Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) is facing fierce backlash online after suggesting President Donald Trump is to blame for a small plane crash in Georgia last weekend.

          Swalwell took to social media to declare that Trump has had “more planes crash” in his first month in office than any other U.S. president. He then doubled down on the comment with a blunt statement to Fox News Digital.

          “Trump is President. President Trump is in charge of air safety. All crashes are Trump’s fault,” he said.

          The lawmaker made his initial comment in reaction to a small private plane crash that took place this weekend in Covington, Georgia, which left two people dead.

          Social media users began to pile on immediately, calling out Swalwell for what they saw as an unfair connection to Trump.

          “Are you suggesting the catalysts for those crashes were all caused by policies changed in the last month?” one user wrote.

          “You really do have TDS. Grab some coffee and take a walk,” wrote another user who goes by the name of SouthernRepublicanMomma.

          Georgia’s crash saw a single-engine airplane take off from the Covington Municipal Airport at 11 p.m. on Saturday. Ground control lost communication with the plane roughly 20 minutes later, at which point police officers located the plane crashed near the runway.

          The plane’s two occupants were immediately announced dead at the scene.

          “On February 15, 2025, the Covington Police Department officers responded to the Covington Municipal Airport at approximately 11:21 p.m. after receiving a call from the FAA in reference to a single-engine aircraft that had taken off at approximately 11:00 p.m. There was no further communication from the aircraft after takeoff,” the Covington Police Department said in a statement.

          White House communications director Steven Cheung tore apart Swalwell in a statement reacting to his claim.

          “Swalwell must be taking his orders from Fang Fang or suffering from a severe debilitating case of Trump Derangement Syndrome because there is no other reason anyone with a functioning brain would make that that type of false and disgusting claim. He is a complete disgrace not only as an elected official, but as a human being who has continued to beclown himself,” Cheung said.

          The incident comes in the wake of multiple other plane crashes in recent weeks, the most dramatic being the collision of a helicopter and a commercial airliner in the skies over Washington, D.C. last month.

          Trump Announces Plan To Drop Sanctions On Syria

          By
          Madeleine Jackson
          -
          0
          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.

          Trump’s Signature To Be Added To US Currency

          By
          Madeleine Jackson
          -
          3
          President Donald Trump gestures to the crowd after delivering remarks at the House GOP Member Retreat, Tuesday, January 6, 2026, at the Donald J. Trump- John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)

          The Treasury Department announced Thursday that President Donald Trump’s signature will be added to future U.S. paper currency, a move that would mark a notable departure from longstanding norms governing American money.

          If implemented, Trump would become the first sitting president whose name appears on U.S. currency, a development that is already drawing both historical comparisons and legal scrutiny. Traditionally, U.S. paper currency features the engraved portraits of deceased presidents and statesmen, along with the signature of the Treasury secretary and the treasurer of the United States—not the president.

          The announcement comes alongside broader efforts tied to Trump’s image and legacy in U.S. coinage. The administration has supported the creation of two coins bearing Trump’s likeness: a proposed $1 coin and a special 24-karat commemorative gold coin. The latter recently received approval from the federal Commission of Fine Arts, which voted to move forward with a design based on a photograph of Trump taken in the White House.

          Historically, depictions of living individuals on U.S. currency have been restricted. Federal law generally prohibits living persons, including presidents, from appearing on U.S. currency. The administration, however, has argued that the restriction applies differently to coins than to paper money, opening the door to legal interpretation and potential challenges. The only sitting president ever to appear on a U.S. coin was Calvin Coolidge, who was featured on a commemorative half dollar in 1926 marking the 150th anniversary of American independence.

          Treasury officials framed the decision as part of a broader effort to commemorate the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary, also known as the Semiquincentennial, which will take place in 2026. The milestone has prompted a range of proposals aimed at celebrating American history, including new currency designs and commemorative issues.

          “Under President Trump’s leadership, we are on a path toward unprecedented economic growth, lasting dollar dominance, and fiscal strength and stability,” Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said in a statement.

          “There is no more powerful way to recognize the historic achievements of our great country and President Donald J. Trump than U.S dollar bills bearing his name, and it is only appropriate that this historic currency be issued at the Semiquincentennial,” he added.

          Supporters of the move argue that it reflects Trump’s economic agenda and its perceived impact on U.S. financial policy, while critics have raised concerns about breaking with precedent and politicizing national symbols like currency. Some Democrats and outside stakeholders have already voiced opposition, particularly regarding the commemorative gold coin, arguing that such decisions should adhere to established bipartisan norms and legal guidelines.

          Beyond the political debate, the mechanics of redesigning U.S. currency are complex. Changes to paper money typically involve coordination between the Treasury Department, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and the Federal Reserve, and can take years to implement due to security features, anti-counterfeiting measures, and logistical considerations.

          The Treasury has not yet provided a timeline for when the updated currency bearing Trump’s signature would enter circulation, nor has it clarified whether the change would apply across all denominations.

          READ NEXT: Senate Candidate Behind Bars After Florida Resort Incident

          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]

          Supreme Court Narrows Key Obstruction Law Used In Jan. 6 Prosecutions

            By
            admin
            -
            1
            Duncan Lock, Dflock, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

            In a pivotal 6-3 decision on Friday, the Supreme Court made it more challenging to charge Jan. 6 defendants with obstruction, a ruling that could impact scores of cases.

            The ruling was notably not split along ideological lines, underscoring its significance.

            Key Justices and Their Stances

            Office of U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

            Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, appointed by President Biden, joined the majority in Friday’s landmark decision, in sharp contrast to her strong words against Idaho‘s abortion ruling, which she bitterly criticized as a setback for “pregnant patients.” (RELATED: Supreme Court Allows Emergency Abortions To Resume In Idaho)

            In a surprising move, Justice Amy Coney Barrett broke away from her conservative peers and sided with the minority.

            Case Spotlight: Joseph Fischer

            The decision directly involves Joseph Fischer, a former police officer from Pennsylvania. Fischer, who participated in the U.S. Capitol riot, faces an obstruction charge among several other accusations, including assaulting a police officer and disorderly conduct.

            Fischer’s appeal specifically targeted the obstruction charge under Section 1512(c)(2). His defense argued that this statute, originally crafted to tackle evidence tampering following the Enron scandal, was being misapplied to his actions on Jan. 6.

            They asserted that the law’s intended scope was being overly stretched to cover protest activities​. On the other hand, the government argued that the statute’s broad language was deliberate, designed to address various obstruction forms, including those that disrupt official proceedings like the certification of electoral votes​​.

            Understanding Section 1512(c)(2)

            Section 1512(c)(2) penalizes those who “corruptly” obstruct, impede or interfere with official congressional investigations, carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years. The Justice Department utilized this statute to prosecute individuals whose actions postponed the Electoral College vote count on Jan. 6. However, Fischer and many others contended that the Biden administration‘s DOJ had repurposed the law from its original focus on document tampering to now include those involved in the Capitol riot.

            My debate against Crooked Joe last night was a total BLOWOUT! Please chip in NOW before the most critical End-of-Quarter DEADLINE!

            The Hill further reports:

            The Supreme Court’s decision could have profound implications on the Justice Department’s years-long prosecution of the Capitol attack.

            More than 350 rioters were charged with obstructing an official proceeding after mobbing the Capitol on the day Congress was set to certify now-President Biden’s win against Trump. Several members of the extremist Proud Boys and Oath Keepers groups were convicted of the charge, including the leaders of each group, Enrique Tarrio and Stewart Rhodes.

            Though most also faced other felony counts, 50 rioters were sentenced with the obstruction law as their only felony, according to Prelogar.

            Jackson signaled in a separate opinion that she believed it is possible for Fischer and the other defendants to still be prosecuted under the charge.

            “That issue remains available for the lower courts to determine on remand,” she wrote.

            Broader Implications

            The Supreme Court ruling may not only influence Fischer’s case but numerous other Jan. 6 defendants. It may even extend its impact to former President Trump, who faces related legal challenges.

            Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News.

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