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Jury Reaches Verdict In Historic Trump Hush Money Trial

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    Gavel via Wikimedia Commons Image

    This just in…

    On Thursday, the Manhattan jury found Donald J. Trump, the 45th president of the United States, guilty on all charges.

    Before the jury began deliberations, Judge Juan Merchan instructed its members that they did not need to have a unanimous verdict in order to convict the former president.

    The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office charged Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records as part of a hush-money scheme to prevent porn star Stormy Daniels from speaking out about her alleged extramarital affair before the 2016 presidential election.

    Before Trump, no sitting or former president ever faced criminal charges. This is the lowest level felony in New York, any potential sentence will more than likely be served after the 2024 election.

    Trump has yet to respond to the verdict.

    Trump, a slight favorite to win the White House, might face diminished support from some voters who aren’t keen on backing a candidate with a criminal record. On the flip side, it could galvanize his base and swing voters, who view the trial as a politically motivated attack while the economy languishes.

    The political significance of the trial was on display Tuesday, as the Biden and Trump campaigns held dueling events outside the courthouse.

    The Biden campaign featured actor Robert De Niro and retired law enforcement officers who were at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, for a press conference to bash Trump as dangerous. 

    It was the first time the Biden campaign held an event around the trial. Communications director Michael Tyler explained why it chose to do so, saying to the media, “Because you all are here.”

    “We want to remind the American people … of the unique, persistent and growing threat that Donald Trump poses to the American people and to our democracy,” he said.

    Trump’s team brushed off the Biden event as a sign of desperation.

    “Why is Joe Biden now making this a campaign event after months of weaponizing the legal system against President Trump? Because Joe Biden’s numbers are in the tank,” senior Trump campaign adviser Jason Miller said.

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

    Trump Speaks Out As Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments

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

    Former President Donald Trump is reacting after the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Thursday.

    The court is considering for the first time the meaning and reach of a provision of the 14th Amendment barring former officeholders who “engaged in insurrection” from holding public office again. 

    “I just finished watching Supreme Court, you know, like to watch in many respects. It’s unfortunate that we have to go through the thing like that,” Trump told reporters at a press conference at Mar-a-Lago in Florida. “I consider it to be more election interference by the Democrats that’s what they’re doing. Good news is we’re leading virtually every poll.” 

    The high court heard arguments Thursday on whether Trump should be disqualified from the ballot in Colorado for inciting in an “insurrection” at his Jan. 6, 2021 rally at the Capitol. 

    Trump called the oral arguments a “beautiful process” and said, “I hope that democracy in this country will continue.”

    “You have millions of people that are out there wanting to vote and they happen to want to vote for me or the Republican Party, whatever you want or however you want to phrase it, But I’m the one running and we are leading in every poll,” Trump said, calling the support he’s received a “great honor.” 

    The Hill and other outlets reported the Supreme Court justice appeared reluctant to take the extraordinary step of disqualifying former President Trump from appearing on the ballot.

    Trump Pardons Ex-MLB Star Darryl Strawberry

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    President Donald Trump has officially pardoned former Major League Baseball star Darryl Strawberry, a move celebrated by supporters as another example of Trump’s commitment to second chances, redemption, and faith-driven transformation.

    Strawberry, who became one of the most electrifying sluggers of the 1980s and 1990s, played a key role in leading the New York Mets to their 1986 World Series title and later joined the New York Yankees dynasty, winning championships in 1996, 1998, and 1999. Yet, behind the fame and success, Strawberry struggled with addiction and multiple run-ins with the law, leading to three separate suspensions from Major League Baseball.

    A White House official confirmed to the Associated Press that the pardon recognizes Strawberry’s “faith in Christianity” and a decade-long commitment to sobriety. Since leaving the game, Strawberry has become a symbol of recovery and spiritual renewal. He now leads a faith-based ministry and a recovery center, helping others overcome the same challenges that nearly derailed his own life.

    “President Trump believes in forgiveness and the power of personal transformation,” the official noted. “Darryl Strawberry represents both — a man who fell, got back up, and chose to make his life a testimony of hope.”

    A Broader Effort on Clemency and Reform

    This latest pardon comes amid a renewed focus by Trump on criminal justice reform and clemency for deserving Americans, particularly those who have demonstrated genuine rehabilitation and contributions to their communities.

    In recent months, Trump has issued a series of pardons to figures who, in his view, were either wronged by the system or have since proven their reform. These include non-violent offenders, military veterans, and public figures who have turned their lives around through faith and service.

    Strawberry’s Story Resonates Beyond Baseball

    Darryl Strawberry’s transformation has become a beacon for those battling addiction and despair. His ministry work reaches into prisons, rehab centers, and churches nationwide, where he often speaks about faith, responsibility, and redemption.

    Now, with his record officially cleared by the President, Strawberry’s story stands as a powerful reminder that America remains a nation of second chances — and that faith and perseverance can lead anyone from struggle to triumph.

    READ NEXT: Trump Pardons Former Lawmaker Convicted In Corruption Probe

    Department of Justice Recommends Trump Adviser Steve Bannon Receive Six-Month Jail Sentence

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      Thor Brødreskift / Nordiske Mediedager, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

      President Joe Biden’s Department of Justice is calling for former Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon to receive a six-month jail sentence and a $200,000 fine for defying a subpoena from the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

      The Department’s recommendation comes ahead of Bannon’s sentencing on Friday.

      A jury found Bannon guilty in July on two misdemeanor counts of contempt of Congress for refusing to testify and provide documents to the select committee. Bannon claimed executive privilege barred him from testifying before the committee despite its interest in actions he took well after his short stint in the White House.

      “His effort to exact a quid pro quo with the Committee to persuade the Department of Justice to delay trial and dismiss the charges against him should leave no doubt that his contempt was deliberate and continues to this day,” the prosecutors argued according to Politico.

      In their sentencing memo, the DOJ attorneys revealed newly disclosed contacts between Bannon’s lawyer, Evan Corcoran, and the select committee in which he pushed the panel to recommend dropping the charges in exchange for Bannon’s cooperation.

      One attached exhibit showed that an FBI agent had interviewed the select committee’s top investigator Tim Heaphy on Oct. 7 about his interaction with Corcoran, who once worked with Heaphy at the Justice Department. Corcoran contacted him just days before Bannon’s July trial to ask about joining forces to dismiss the case, Heaphy recalled. Heaphy, who took contemporaneous notes of the call and had another staffer join as a potential witness, said “the overall ‘vibe’ of his conversation” was an “attempt to solicit the Select Committee’s assistance in their effort to delay Bannon’s criminal trial and obtain a dismissal of the Contempt of Congress charges pending against him,” according to the FBI agent’s summary of the interview.

      Prosecutors also cited Bannon’s public comments about the select committee throughout his criminal proceedings, they noted that he routinely used his “War Room” podcast and public appearances at the courthouse to deride the investigation.

      “Through his public platforms, the Defendant has used hyperbolic and sometimes violent rhetoric to disparage the Committee’s investigation, personally attack the Committee’s members, and ridicule the criminal justice system,” prosecutors J.P. Cooney and Amanda Vaughn wrote. “The Defendant’s statements prove that his contempt was not aimed at protecting executive privilege or the Constitution, rather it was aimed at undermining the Committee’s efforts to investigate an historic attack on government.”

      A $200,000 fine is the maximum for the two counts of contempt of Congress — one for refusing to testify, and the other for refusing to produce any of the documents requested in the deposition.

      Bannon is one of just two former White House officials whom the DOJ accepted a criminal contempt referral from Congress. It chose not to pursue charges against the former chief of staff Mark Meadows or White House official Dan Scavino but has charged White House aide Peter Navarro. 

      Trump Confirms Direct Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks To ‘Begin Immediately’

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      Kremlin.ru, via Wikimedia Commons

      President Trump on Monday said that Russia and Ukraine will immediately begin negotiations on a ceasefire, following phone calls with the leaders of each country. He also noted the Vatican has offered to host the talks.

      The White House said Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin for about two hours, after speaking with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier in the day. 

      Trump has been pushing for a 30-day ceasefire in the war, and the White House said before Monday’s calls that he was frustrated with both sides.

      The president called for a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine before entering office, and more than two months of direct diplomacy has failed to get Putin to agree to even basic terms. 

      The announcement of direct negotiations comes after Putin last week skipped appearing at direct talks in Turkey that he proposed. 

      On Monday, Trump described the tone and spirit of his conversation with Putin as “excellent.”  

      “If it wasn’t, I would say so now, rather than later,” he wrote in a post on his social media site, Truth Social.

      Trump said he agreed with Putin that “largescale TRADE” can happen between Russia and the U.S. “when this catastrophic ‘bloodbath’ is ove

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

      Trump Signs Law Delivering First Medal Of Honor Pension Increase In 25 Years

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        President Donald Trump participates in a welcome ceremony with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Al Saud at the Royal Court Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 13, 2025. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)

        President Trump has signed the Medal of Honor Act, a bipartisan measure that delivers the first pension increase for Medal of Honor recipients in a quarter-century. The law lifts annual compensation from $16,880 to $67,500, a major boost aimed at honoring the 61 living Americans who earned the nation’s highest award for valor.

        A Rare Moment of Unanimous Support

        The bill, led by Rep. Troy Nehls and Sen. Ted Cruz, cleared the Senate unanimously last month. Lawmakers from both parties backed the increase, calling it a long-overdue adjustment for service members who put everything on the line in combat.

        What the New Law Does

        • Raises the annual Medal of Honor pension to $67,500
        • Quadruples current yearly compensation
        • Applies to all living recipients
        • Marks the first update to Medal of Honor pensions in 25 years

        Why It Matters

        Supporters say the upgrade brings the benefit in line with the significance of the medal itself. Medal of Honor recipients have long carried symbolic weight in American culture, yet their compensation has not kept pace with inflation or the modern cost of living.

        After the bill passed, Sen. Ted Cruz’s office put out a statement saying: “Medal of Honor recipients are often not retired from the U.S. military and often receive no compensation for the costs of their public engagements. Through these appearances, they share stories of heroism that inspire Americans, strengthen national pride, and support military recruiting and retention. Increasing their monthly pensions is essential to easing the financial burden on their families and ensuring they can continue representing the best of our nation’s values.”

        Looking Ahead

        With the new law in place, recipients will see the higher rate take effect immediately. For veterans groups, this represents a major win and a signal that Congress and the White House can still unite behind issues tied to military service and national honor.

        Amanda Head: Biden Admin Leaves Americans In The Dark As Usual

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        Joe Biden prefers to keep Americans in the dark…especially when it comes to his administration’s many many mistakes.

        Watch Amanda break down the latest scandal below:

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

        Don Jr. Signs Multimillion Deal with Video Streaming Platform

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          Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

          Donald Trump Jr. is taking his talents to Rumble.

          The former president’s oldest son has reportedly signed a seven-figure multi-year deal to host a podcast with the conservative social media website Rumble.

          According to The Hill, “Triggered” will debut later this month, streaming on Rumble and available on Locals, Rumble’s subscription platform, where following each episode, Trump Jr. will take live questions from viewers.

          Rumble has emerged in recent years as a smaller alternative to YouTube, formed amid long-held, unsubstantiated assertions from conservatives that Big Technology companies such as Apple, Facebook, and YouTube parent company Google are biased against their viewpoints

          “While other Big Tech companies are focused on censoring dissent, Rumble is building a platform that welcomes it, which is why so many content creators — all over the political spectrum — are now joining them,” he said in a statement this week.

          The official deal with Rumble comes as Don Jr. has seen his following on the platform skyrocket since his father left the White House.

          Jenna Ellis Takes Plea Deal In Georgia Election Case

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          Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

          Former Trump attorney Jenna Ellis became the fourth defendant to plead guilty in the Georgia election interference case on Tuesday.

          According to reports from ABC News, Ellis is pleading guilty to one count of aiding and abetting false statements and writings.

          Recently, defendants Kenneth Chesebro, Sidney Powell, and Scott Hall took plea deals in exchange for agreeing to testify against other defendants.

          Ellis, who described herself as part of an “elite strike force team” of attorneys combating unfounded claims of election fraud, pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting false statements and writings.

          “If I knew then what I know now, I would have declined to represent Donald Trump in these post election challenges,” a tearful Ellis told the judge.

          “How do you plead to aiding and abetting false statements and writings,” Fulton County prosecutor Daysha Young asked.

          “Guilty,” Ellis responded.

          She was sentenced to five years of probation, 100 hours of community service and ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution and write a letter of apology to Georgia citizens.

          In August, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis indicted former President Trump and 18 others for trying to overturn his 2020 defeat in Georgia.

          Trump Said Court Officials Apologized To Him, Had Tears ‘Pouring Down Their Eyes’

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            Former President of the United States Donald Trump speaking with attendees at the 2022 Student Action Summit at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Florida. [Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons]

            Former President Donald Trump said during an interview with Fox News’s Tucker Carlson that officials in the Manhattan courthouse where he was arrested apologized to him and were “actually crying.”

            “When I went to the courthouse, which is also a prison in a sense, they signed me in and I’ll tell you, people were crying,” he said. “People that work there, professionally work there, that have no problems putting in murderers and they see everybody. It’s tough, tough place and they were crying. They were actually crying.”

            “They said, ‘I’m sorry.’ They’d say, ‘2024, sir. 2024.’ And tears are pouring down their eyes. I’ve never seen anything like it,” he said. “Those people are phenomenal. Those are your police. Those are the people that work at the courthouse. They’re unbelievable people. Many of them were in tears or close to it. Many apologies. ‘We’re sorry, sir. We’re sorry.’ They had to have me do certain things they said. They said, ‘Sir, I can’t believe I have to ask you. I can’t even believe that I have to ask you to do it.’ You can see, so in one sense, it was beautiful because they get it. In another sense, you know, it’s nasty.”

            Trump concluded on the subject by saying that “in many ways, it was a beautiful day because the people understand.”

            Last week, Trump was arraigned on 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree.

            Earlier this month, a Manhattan grand jury voted to indict former President Donald Trump for his alleged role in a hush money bribe to adult film star Stormy Daniels amid the 2016 presidential election in DA Alvin Bragg’s yearslong investigation into the real estate mogul.

            Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York opted out of charging Trump related to the Daniels payment in 2019. The Federal Election Commission also tossed its investigation into the matter in 2021.