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Amanda Head: RINOs Betraying Trump

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    Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    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.

    Watch Amanda break it down below:

    Ex-CIA Officer Proposes Using ‘Counterterror’ Measures Against ‘Right-wing’ Americans

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    Gage Skidmore Flickr

    ANALYSIS – Can we say dangerous left-wing intelligence hack? 

    With Joe Biden and the Democrats demonizing conservatives, partisan, out-of-work former intelligence officers, without much of a ‘war on terror’ to fight anymore, and looking for new work, are now targeting Americans as their new terrorist bogeyman. 

    And following the bizarre ‘underwear hammer attack’ on Nancy Pelosi’s husband in San Francisco, the Democrats are on a tear blaming Republicans for violence.

    This is despite the fact that the Pelosi attacker was a crazy, life-long pot-smoking hippie, left-wing nudist, and illegal alien from Canada who only started making ‘right-wing’ social media posts a few weeks ago.

    But once you designate your domestic political opponents as ‘extremists’ and ‘enemies of democracy,’ you open the door to widespread abuse and repression by the state.

    And targeting American citizens as if they were ISIS is the result.

    As I noted earlier, we should expect to see a host of these former ‘counter-extremism’ hacks try to parlay their experiences against al-Qaeda to use against their fellow citizens.

    This is the old Cold War ‘Red Scare’ in reverse.

    And this is just the latest example. A partisan former CIA officer proposing we illegally use ‘counterterror’ measures against Americans.

    As Fox News reports:

    Former Senior Intelligence Service officer at the CIA, Marc Polymeropoulos published a Sunday piece declaring that technique once used to fight radical Islam should be turned against the right-wing in America.

    Polymeropoulos’ piece for NBC News Think warned that propagandists, whether Islamic terrorists or Republicans, should be subject to counterterrorism and counter-radicalization techniques.

    “I worked in counterterrorism operations for nearly my entire career at the CIA before retiring in 2019. The battle we engaged in with international terrorist groups like Al Qaeda wasn’t just with their legions of foot soldiers but with their highly effective propaganda arms as well,” he wrote. 

    “The U.S. and our allies considered those propagandists fundamental cogs in a terror group’s machinery, and just as culpable as any other terrorist. So we held them accountable when innocent civilians were killed.”

    Polymeropoulos suggested that the attack of Paul Pelosi was evidence that the American government needs to take a firmer approach to its own citizenry.

    This type of thinking is outrageous on so many levels. Simply un-American. Unconstitutional. And extremely dangerous.

    Polymeropoulos, who sounds more like a left-wing extremist than an intelligence officer, is also either willfully ignorant or outright deceptive when he claims that the American right has some sort of monopoly on violent rhetoric. 

    He laughably states that there is “nothing equivalent being done on the other side of the aisle” as far as promoting violence against their political opposition. 

    “Democratic politicians and leaders may not like Trump, but they don’t call for violence against him, let alone his execution,” he outrageously claimed.

    Of course, this is outright false.

    As Fox Notes: “He neglected to mention multiple incidents of left-wing calls to arms and violence against Republicans…”

    Fox added examples:

    In 2017, a far-left former Bernie Sanders campaign volunteer named James T. Hodgkinson fired upon on a group of Republican lawmakers as they practiced for the annual Congressional Baseball Game, critically injuring House Republican Whip Steve Scalise.

    Democrats didn’t equate their own hyper-aggressive anti-GOP rhetoric with his violent actions.

    And let’s be clear Democrat politicians do incite violence against their GOP opponents.

    Fox continues:

    Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., endorsed harassing political opposition in public in 2018. “They’re not going to be able to go to a restaurant, they’re not going to be able to stop at a gas station, they’re not going to be able to shop at a department store,” Waters proclaimed at the time. “The people are going to turn on them, they’re going to protest, they’re going to absolutely harass them.”

    Polymeropoulos also ignores left-wing activists protesting in front of the houses of Supreme Court justices, firebombing crisis pregnancy centers, and doxing (posting the addresses of public figures online). 

    Not to mention the assassination attempt against Justice Brett Kavanaugh by a heavily armed man at his home.

    Recall that in 2020, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., warned Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh that they “will pay the price” for rulings against abortion and “You won’t know what hit you.”

    Can we say “incitement to violence” against Justices?

    This ex-CIA hack also overlooks a full year of left-wing politically motivated riots in cities, often encouraged and enabled by Democrat politicians and ‘community’ leaders.

    But facts, consistency, and fairness aren’t needed when you are a political hack trying to get the all-powerful government to use your now unneeded skills to target your fellow Americans who disagree with you.

    All you need is your own extremist leftist rhetoric.

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

    Pope Francis Appoints Vocal Trump Critic As DC Archbishop In Provocative Leadership Move

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    Pope Francis has named Cardinal Robert McElroy, a known advocate for migrants and outspoken critic of President-elect Donald Trump, as the new Archbishop of Washington, D.C. The decision underscores the pontiff’s preference for church leaders who align with his progressive vision, even as it risks further deepening ideological divisions within the millennia-old Catholic Church.

    Cardinal McElroy, recognized as a strong supporter of LGBTQ inclusion and other liberal causes, has consistently aligned with Pope Francis on key social and theological issues. His appointment was announced two weeks before Inauguration Day, conspicuous timing that drew widespread attention given the cardinal’s history of publicly criticizing Trump’s policies on immigration and social justice. This is particularly notable in light of McElroy’s emphasis on synodality (dialogue with one another in the presence of the Spirit of God) and church reform, which have drawn both praise and criticism from Catholic observers.

    The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    As Forbes’ Conor Murray reports, the move to elevate McElroy comes as a stark contrast to Trump’s nomination of Brian Burch as ambassador to Vatican City. Burch, a conservative Catholic activist and president of the right-leaning advocacy group CatholicVote, was instrumental in rallying Catholic support for Trump during the 2024 campaign. His organization has frequently clashed with the more progressive stances of Pope Francis and his allies:

    McElroy has largely slammed Trump because of his views on immigration, including his promise to conduct mass deportations. McElroy was one of 12 Catholic bishops from California who co-authored a statement last month voicing support for “our migrant brothers and sisters,” acknowledging the “calls for mass deportations and raids on undocumented individuals” have created fear in migrant communities. After Trump’s first election victory in 2016, McElroy called it “unthinkable” that Catholics would “stand by while more than ten percent of our flock is ripped from our midst and deported.” He called Trump’s mass deportation plan an “act of injustice which would stain our national honor” and compared it to Japanese interment and Native American dispossession. McElroy criticized Trump’s plan to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy in 2017 for lacking any “shred of humanity,” stating Jesus Christ was “both a refugee and an immigrant during his journey.”

    In a 2023 column for America magazine, McElroy urged greater welcoming of divorced and LGBTQ Catholics into the church, stating the church’s “disproportionate” focus on sexual activity as sin “does not lie at the heart” of a Christian’s relationship with God and “should change.” McElroy called it a “demonic mystery of the human soul why so many men and women have a profound and visceral animus toward members of the L.G.B.T. communities.” In a February 2024 speech, McElroy considered the lack of support among Catholics for blessing same-sex marriages to be the result of “enduring animus among far too many toward LGBT persons.” McElroy has also criticized abortion being considered a “de facto litmus test for determining whether a Catholic public official is a faithful Catholic.” McElroy, however, called Biden’s lack of support for anti-abortion legislation an “immense sadness” in a 2021 America magazine column, and called the overturning of Roe v. Wade a “day to give thanks and celebrate.”

    Burch, founder and co-president of CatholicVote, was once a Trump skeptic but praised him in 2020 for making a “concerted effort to reach out to Catholics in a way that we haven’t seen in the past.” That year, he authored the pro-Trump book, “A New Catholic Moment: Donald Trump and the Politics of the Common Good.” Burch has slammed Francis for “progressive Catholic cheerleading” and accused him of creating “massive confusion” over his approval of blessing same-sex marriages in 2023.

    Also on Monday, Francis appointed Sister Simona Brambilla, an Italian nun, to lead a Vatican office, making her the first woman to lead a major Vatican department. The department, the Dicastery for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, is responsible for religious orders. Francis has long voiced support for greater roles for women in the church, though he has ruled out ordaining women as deacons or priests.

    McElroy’s appointment also highlights Pope Francis’ broader engagement with U.S. politics. In 2024, the pontiff made headlines when he urged voters to carefully consider their choices, describing the act of voting as a moral responsibility. During a press conference aboard the papal plane, Francis remarked on the complexities of American politics, advising voters to choose “the lesser evil” when faced with challenging decisions.

    While the pope has criticized Trump’s hardline immigration policies, he has also expressed concern over Vice President Kamala Harris‘ unwavering support for abortion rights. Both stances, Francis noted, conflict with the Church’s teachings on the sanctity of life. “One must choose the lesser of two evils,” the pope reiterated. “Who is the lesser of two evils? That lady or that gentleman? I don’t know. Everyone with a conscience should think on this and do it.”

    Despite the pontiff’s cultural influence, his impact on American politics was negligible. In the 2024 presidential election, former President Donald Trump secured a notable share of the Catholic vote, surpassing his performance in previous campaigns. According to exit polls conducted by The Washington Post, Trump won the national Catholic vote by a 15-point margin, with 56% supporting him compared to 41% for Vice President Kamala Harris.

    This represents a notable shift compared to the 2020 election, where the Catholic electorate was nearly evenly split, with 50% supporting Trump and 49% favoring Joe Biden, a lifelong Catholic.

    In the 2016 election, Trump secured 52% of the Catholic vote, while Hillary Clinton received 45%.

    The 2024 election also saw variations within the Catholic demographic. Trump’s support among white Catholics increased, with 59% backing him compared to Harris’s 39%, a 20-point margin. This was an improvement over his 15-point lead in 2020.

    Marburg79, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    Among Latino Catholics, there was a significant shift toward Trump. In 2020, Biden led this group by a substantial margin, but in 2024, Trump’s support increased notably, contributing to his overall gains among Catholic voters.

    The appointment of McElroy is likely to spark further debate within the Church, where a widening schism between liberal and conservative leaders continue to grow. However, it also reflects Francis’ commitment to shaping the Church’s leadership in a way that emphasizes his vision for pastoral care and inclusivity, even at the expense of unity.

    Yet, in the United States, voting trends strongly suggest that Trump’s campaign strategies—including selecting Senator JD Vance, a Catholic, as his running mate, and making explicit appeals to Catholic voters—resonated with this demographic, contributing to increased GOP support in the 2024 election and possibly beyond.

    Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News.

    Trump Celebrates ‘Major WIN’ in Lawsuit Against Pulitzer Prize Board 

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      He’s a winner…

      President Donald Trump took a victory lap, celebrating what he called a “major WIN” in his lawsuit against the Pulitzer Prize Board over its 2018 award to The New York Times and The Washington Post for their coverage of the Russia probe.

      The president declared the board’s defense was “viciously rejected” by a Florida appellate court, which denied its motion to pause proceedings until Trump leaves office.

      Trump took to Truth Social to praise the decision and slam the reporting as “fake” and “malicious”:

      BREAKING! In a major WIN in our powerful lawsuit against the Pulitzer Prize Board regarding the illegal and defamatory “Award” of their once highly respected “Prize,” to fake, malicious stories on the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, by the Failing New York Times and the Washington Compost, the Florida Appellate Court viciously rejected the Defendants’ corrupt attempt to halt the case. They won a Pulitzer Prize for totally incorrect reporting about the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax. Now they admit it was a SCAM, never happened, and their reporting was totally wrong, in fact, the exact opposite of the TRUTH. They’ll have to give back their “Award.” They were awarded for false reporting, and we can’t let that happen in the United States of America. We are holding the Fake News Media responsible for their LIES to the American People, so we can, together, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

      At the heart of the case is the board’s public defense of its Pulitzer-winning coverage. Trump sued for defamation in 2022, arguing that the board’s statements supporting the reporting – despite the Mueller probe finding no evidence of collusion – amounted to “malicious” and “false” claims.

      Florida’s Fourth District Court of Appeal ruled against the board’s attempt to delay the suit on constitutional grounds. Judges dismissed arguments that continuing the case would unconstitutionally interfere with a sitting president’s official duties, a line of attack the court called “misplaced.”

      “Such privileges are afforded to the President alone, not to his litigation adversaries,” the opinion reads, adding that only the person entitled to immunity may assert it, and that Trump had made no such attempt.

      The board had argued that allowing the case to proceed would violate due process, particularly since Trump himself has previously invoked presidential privilege to pause lawsuits against him.

      The decision clears the way for the case to continue, allowing Trump to maintain pressure on the Pulitzer Board.

      Trump Greenlights ‘Largest Deportation Operation’As Unrest Spreads

      By U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - https://www.ice.gov/about-ice/ero, Public Domain,

      President Trump is doubling down…

      Over the weekend, President Trump announced ICE must “expand efforts to detain and deport” illegal immigrants in “America’s largest [c]ities,” including Los Angeles, Chicago and New York.”

      The president’s comment came in a Truth Social post on Sunday evening after a week of anti-ICE protests that have taken place in major cities across the country, with most demonstrations remaining peaceful while others turned into violent riots in places like LA and Portland.

      “Our Nation’s ICE Officers have shown incredible strength, determination, and courage as they facilitate a very important mission, the largest Mass Deportation Operation of Illegal Aliens in History,” Trump wrote. “Every day, the Brave Men and Women of ICE are subjected to violence, harassment, and even threats from Radical Democrat Politicians, but nothing will stop us from executing our mission, and fulfilling our Mandate to the American People.”

      “ICE Officers are herewith ordered, by notice of this TRUTH, to do all in their power to achieve the very important goal of delivering the single largest Mass Deportation Program in History,” the president added.

      The immigration protests began in LA on June 7, after local ICE raids resulted in hundreds of arrests.

      The president immediately deployed the National Guard to the area when protests started two weeks ago, garnering criticism from Democrats insisting their presence would only escalate tensions.

      As the protests and riots expanded nationally, continuing into this weekend, violence also took hold of certain crowds, injuring both federal and local law enforcement officials, as well as demonstrators. 

      On Saturday, an innocent bystander was fatally shot during an organized protest in Salt Lake City, Utah, when two event peacekeepers in neon vests opened fire on a suspect, Arturo Gamboa, 24, who ran toward the crowd with a rifle, and ended up shooting the wrong person.

      In spite of the protests, Trump doubled down on his efforts to deport illegal immigrants in his Sunday post.

      “In order to achieve this, we must expand efforts to detain and deport Illegal Aliens in America’s largest Cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, where Millions upon Millions of Illegal Aliens reside,” he said. “These, and other such Cities, are the core of the Democrat Power Center, where they use Illegal Aliens to expand their Voter Base, cheat in Elections, and grow the Welfare State, robbing good paying Jobs and Benefits from Hardworking American Citizens.”

      He added that he wants ICE officers “to know that REAL Americans are cheering [them] on every day.”

      “The American People want our Cities, Schools, and Communities to be SAFE and FREE from Illegal Alien Crime, Conflict, and Chaos,” he wrote. “That’s why I have directed my entire Administration to put every resource possible behind this effort, and reverse the tide of Mass Destruction Migration that has turned once Idyllic Towns into scenes of Third World Dystopia. Our Federal Government will continue to be focused on the REMIGRATION of Aliens to the places from where they came, and preventing the admission of ANYONE who undermines the domestic tranquility of the United States.”

      The Trump administration called for a halt on deportation raids on agricultural sites, hotels and restaurants, and not to arrest “noncriminal collaterals” the New York Times reported. The move came out of fears that the sweeping raids were hurting key industries in the U.S.

      These 5 Republicans are Refusing to Back McCarthy for Speaker

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        House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy delivers remarks at the 2021 Capitol Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in Washington DC, December 1, 2021. USDA Forest Service photo by Tanya E. Flores.

        Current House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is facing unexpected pushback as he seeks to become House Speaker when Republicans officially re-take control of Congress in January.

        So far, five Republican lawmakers have publicly announced they do not plan to support McCarthy’s campaign to become Speaker and he will need every vote he can get with Republicans holding a smaller-than-expected majority.

        The GOP is expected to wind up with a 222-seat majority in January, compared to an estimated 213 seats for Democrats. If all 435 members of the House are present and voting for speaker in January, McCarthy can lose no more than four Republican votes. 

        These are the 5 Republicans jeopardizing McCarthy’s rise to the Speaker’s podium:

        Rep. Matt Gaetz

        Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz via Gage Skidmore Flickr

        “House Republicans need a leader with credibility across every spectrum of the GOP conference in order to be a capable fighting force for the American people,” said Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL). “That person is not Kevin McCarthy.” 

        Rep. Andy Biggs

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

        Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs initially cast doubt on McCarthy’s bid for Speaker after Republicans saw lackluster midterm results. The House Freedom Caucus chairman is now directly challenging McCarthy to become Speaker himself.

        “I think we need to have a real discussion about whether he should be the speaker or not,” Biggs told reporters the Thursday after Election Day.

        “I think that his statement recently that we shouldn’t impeach Secretary Mayorkas indicates that maybe we’re not going to be as aggressive going forward as we should be. I think we need to have a very positive statement of what we’re going to accomplish and do, and I haven’t seen that yet,” he added. “That’s — those are things that I think we should have a very frank discussion internally about, where we’re going to be going forward.”

        Rep. Matt Rosendale

        Montana Rep. Matt Rosendale has also expressed his doubts over McCarthy’s potential Speakership but hasn’t ruled out voting for him or for Rep. Biggs.

        “Each member of Congress has earned and deserves equal participation in the legislative process,” said Rosendale. 

        Rep. Matt Rosendale

        The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

        South Carolina Rep. Ralph Norman has also made it clear he won’t be casting his vote for McCarthy regardless of any concession the California lawmaker plans to make.

        “I’m not going to support Kevin McCarthy,” Norman told Just the News. “Washington is broken. There’s a cancer in this country, and it can’t be fixed with aspirin. It’s called overspending. When you’re bankrupt, you can’t function as a country.”

        Rep. Bob Good

        House Creative Committee, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

        Virginia Rep. Bob Good also signaled he will take a hard stance against McCarthy this January.

        “I believe we have at least a dozen or so that are strong, courageous, that will do what needs to be done on the House floor to ensure that we get an improvement in the speaker situation,” Rep. Good said to the “John Fredericks Show.”

        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.”

          DeSantis Responds to Trump’s Worst Attack Yet

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            Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

            Will Trump apologize for this?

            The 45th president of the United States is promoting a claim that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis “groomed” high school-aged girls.

            American Liberty News previously reported:

            Trump promoted a post that showed a grainy photograph of someone that is alleged to be DeSantis standing next to several women at a party who appear to be roughly the same age.

            “Here is Ron DeSanctimonious grooming high school girls with alcohol as a teacher,” the post claimed.

            Trump promoted the post on his social media channel, writing: “That’s not Ron, is it? He would never do such a thing!”

            The New York Times previously reported that the photo was published by a blog run by a Democrat super PAC and that two former female students said parties that DeSantis attended “took place after” they had graduated.

            The Florida Governor has been the recent target of a number of verbal attacks from Trump, however, the Governor refuses to sink to his level.

            On Wednesday, a reporter asked if DeSantis’s proposal to make it easier for government officials to sue the media for defamation would address Trump’s “damaging” posts about him. After defending his panel proposals, DeSantis got more direct about Trump’s attack:

            “I spend my time delivering results for the people of Florida and fighting against Joe Biden,” DeSantis said to applause. “That’s how I spend my time. I don’t spend my time trying to smear other Republicans.”

            Trump Files Amicus Brief To ‘Immediately’ Stop Biden Sale Of Border Wall

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              Trump at the border wall via Wikimedia Commons

              President-elect Donald Trump filed a legal brief in support of an effort by states to “immediately” stop the Biden administration’s sale of border wall materials, saying the action is “possibly criminal.” 

              On Thursday, Trump filed an amicus brief in support of a legal effort by Texas and Missouri who filed lawsuits earlier this week.

              According to Fox News, Texas and Missouri filed a motion earlier this week in a district court in the southern district of Texas to hold a status conference to determine if the government is in breach of the court’s permanent injunction from earlier this year. That injunction barred the Biden administration from using funds obligated for wall construction for anything other than that purpose. 

              Read more:

              “The Court should issue an order directing the Defendants to immediately stop any ongoing sale of border-barrier materials to private parties pending the Court’s review of Defendant’s conduct, and the Court should swiftly conduct a searching examination of the Government’s conduct, by formal discovery if necessary, to examine the Government’s compliance with the law, the Constitution, and the Court’s injunction,” Trump’s amicus brief states. 

              The Biden administration has been auctioning off border wall parts since at least 2023, with parts listed for sale on auction marketplaces, after it abruptly shut down most border wall construction in 2021.

              Those auctions have continued, with border officials telling Fox that auctions now occur weekly and have been for some time. However, the practice made news last week, when The Daily Wire published video showing parts being transported and cited Border Patrol agents who said the goal was to clear them out before Christmas.

              Trump’s amicus brief states that if officials in the Biden administration are “deliberately selling off border-wall materials at a major financial loss to the Government to obstruct the pro-wall policy of Congress and President Trump, such conduct likely constitutes a criminal act, such as a conspiracy to defraud the United States.” 

              “At the very least, the reported conduct raises troubling concerns of potentially criminal behavior,” the filing states. 

              Fox News Host Clashes With Trump In Tense Interview

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              President Donald Trump’s latest appearance on The Ingraham Angle turned out to be anything but routine. In a Monday night interview filmed in the Oval Office, Fox News host Laura Ingraham pressed the president repeatedly—on housing, the economy, foreign policy, and the MAGA movement itself—leading to one of Trump’s most combative televised exchanges in recent memory.

              Before the interview even aired, a preview clip posted to Ingraham’s Facebook page hinted at the unusual tone. Filming amid Trump’s famously gold-adorned surroundings, she teased, “So these aren’t from Home Depot?” The moment didn’t make it to air, but it set the stage for what followed: a testy back-and-forth between two of the most influential voices in conservative politics.

              Trump on Housing and the Economy

              Ingraham began by raising concerns about housing affordability and the average age of first-time homebuyers now hitting 40. Trump interrupted, “We inherited that, you have to understand,” but Ingraham shot back, “Let me get to the question, though.”

              She challenged Trump on his proposal for a 50-year mortgage—a concept some in the MAGA base criticized as prolonging debt. “Is that really a good idea?” she asked.

              “It’s not even a big deal,” Trump said. “I mean, you go from 40 to 50 years.” Ingraham corrected him: “30 to 50 years.” Trump deflected, blaming “Joe Biden and his lousy Fed person, Jerome Powell,” before asserting, “If we had a normal person, the Fed would have really low interest rates.”

              Ingraham pressed further: “Why are people saying they are anxious about the economy?” Trump dismissed the premise. “I don’t know that they are saying [that]. I think polls are fake. We have the greatest economy we ever had.”

              Her question came as Republicans are still reeling from setbacks in the New Jersey and Virginia elections. “Do you think voters have the wrong perception?” Ingraham asked. Trump responded, “More than anything else, it’s a con job by the Democrats. Costs are way down.”

              The $10,000 Bonus Controversy

              Ingraham also questioned Trump’s Truth Social post offering a $10,000 bonus to air traffic controllers working through the government shutdown. “There are a lot of delays now, sir,” she noted.

              Trump replied, “I’m not happy when I saw people refusing to do unpaid work during the shutdown. Look, life is not so easy for anybody. Our country has never done better. We should not have had people leaving their jobs. What I basically said—the ones that stayed, there were a lot of them—I’m sending them a $10,000 bonus.”

              When Ingraham pressed, “Where is that money coming from?” Trump quipped, “I don’t know. I will get it from some place. I always get the money from some place, regardless. It doesn’t matter.”

              Sparring Over China and Foreign Students

              The discussion turned global when Ingraham cited a CNN report on China expanding its missile facilities. “China are not our friends, sir,” she said.

              “They don’t want to mess around with us,” Trump countered. When Ingraham noted China’s theft of U.S. intellectual property, Trump asked, “Do you think the French are better?” Ingraham said yes. Trump shot back, “I’m not so sure.”

              The tension deepened when Ingraham raised the issue of foreign students. “A lot of MAGA folks are not thrilled about this idea of hundreds of thousands of foreign students in the United States,” she said. “Why, sir, is that a pro-MAGA position?”

              Trump defended the policy: “Without foreign students, you would have half the colleges in the United States go out of business.”

              “So what?” Ingraham said bluntly. Trump replied, “I think that’s a big deal.”

              The MAGA Movement—and Media Dynamics

              Ingraham repeatedly framed questions around the “MAGA folks” critical of Trump’s ideas. Trump pushed back: “MAGA was my idea. It was nobody else’s idea. I know better than anybody else MAGA wants to see our country thrive.”

              That line captured Trump’s increasingly defensive posture—not just toward Democrats, but toward members of the conservative media who now challenge him more openly. While The Ingraham Angle once provided friendly ground, Monday’s interview underscored the shifting balance between Trump and right-leaning outlets seeking to assert independence ahead of the 2024 election.

              Observers note that Trump’s prickly demeanor may reflect deeper frustrations: inflationary pressures remain despite his attacks on Biden’s policies; conservative pundits are fracturing over strategy; and Trump’s own polling among independent voters has shown volatility. Within this context, even mild criticism from longtime allies can provoke his ire.

              A Tense Exchange Symbolizing a Larger Rift

              The Oval Office encounter stood in stark contrast to Ingraham’s earlier visit in March, when Trump jovially showed off his “Coke button” and griped about paving over the Rose Garden. This time, there were no laughs—just sharp exchanges between two seasoned figures who have long shaped Republican discourse.