The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
President Donald Trump is reportedly considering a pardon of Sean “Diddy” Combs after he was found guilty of prostitution charges earlier this month.
A jury found Combs guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. More importantly, he was found not guilty of the most serious charges of racketeering, conspiracy, and sex trafficking. Due to the fact that he likely avoided a lengthy prison sentence, the verdict was considered a major win for the defense.
Now, Combs’ team reportedly wants the president to do away with those lesser charges, as well. According to a Tuesday report from Deadline, sources from within the administration said Trump has given serious thought to pardoning the music mogul.
The report continued:
Nearly two months after Trump publicly entertained the notion of a Diddy pardon in an Oval Office gaggle, a comprehensive get out of jail card for Combs is being “seriously considered,” an administration source tells Deadline.
Additionally, as several associates of the much-accused and currently incarcerated “All About the Benjamins” performer have been pitching the White House, other insiders confirm the topic has leveled up from “just another Trump weave to an actionable event” since Combs was found partially guilty in the his NYC sex-trafficking trial earlier this month. Of course, as a number of parties attest, this being the roller coaster of Trumpworld, any decision on a Combs pardon is in flux until POTUS actually puts his signature on paper.
As the report stated, the idea of Trump pardoning Combs is not a new one. Back in May, fellow music executive Suge Knight predicted that the president would lend Combs a hand in the event that he was convicted.
Wow. @JennaEllisEsq takes a guilty plea for “aiding and abetting false statements” in Fulton County case. It was all a lie & the public was deceived. https://t.co/MdXRdIiGoZ
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.
Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Fox News firebrand Mark Levin fired off some harsh accusations against President Biden’s Department of Justice on Sunday.
During the latest airing of Life, Liberty, and Levin, the host honed in on the number of leaks that have been made to the media in Trump’s ongoing legal cases.
Mark Levin criminally prosecutes Biden DOJ for 15 straight minutes of pure back-to-back FIRE 🔥🔥🔥
“This department is destroying America. It’s destroying the 2024 election. It’s violating every norm, every tradition, everything it inherited to ensure that that department could be trustworthy and could be reliable,” Levin said. “And I want to say this. If we don’t break the back of the Department of Justice, and I will explain what I mean in a moment, it will destroy this country.”
Levin then begins reading headlines from the New York Times, CNN, and the Washington Post about leaks regarding Trump’s legal cases.
“Who do these leaks help? Do they help Donald Trump? Do they help a single witness? It’s the federal government. It is the Biden Department of Justice. It is the Democrat Party’s Department of Justice that’s interfering in the election.
“Look at this! You see this?! These are the leaks! From grand juries to witnesses to Mar a Lago to the nature of the classified documents,” Levin adds. “Leak after leak after leak!”
Levin then claims that the “pattern of leaks” violates Trump’s 5th and 6th Amendment rights as well as contaminates the jury pool in the upcoming cases.
“All roads go through the Department of Justice. All roads go through Jack Smith‘s office, the special counsel,” Levin screams. “Now the Trump lawyers need to wake the hell up to do something about this.”
Special Counsel Jack Smith has charged the former President with 47 counts, if convicted Trump could spend the rest of his life in prison.
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has been ordered by New York Judge Arthur Engoron to pay the law firm Davidoff Hutcher & Citron (DHC) more than $1.36 million in unpaid legal fees, plus interest. The firm said the total bills for partner Robert Costello’s legal work amounted to $1.57 million. Giuliani previously paid $214,000, but stopped paying in 2023, according to the firm’s lawsuit.
Judge Engoron—best known for presiding over the controversial civil fraud case against Donald Trump’s business empire—rejected Giuliani’s arguments that he never agreed to pay the fees or didn’t receive the bills. Engoron noted that Giuliani had even written checks referencing the firm’s file and invoice numbers, undermining his claims.
This ruling adds to Giuliani’s mounting legal burdens from his efforts to defend former President Trump and expose alleged election irregularities following the 2020 election.
A Pattern of Politically Charged Investigations
Giuliani, once celebrated as “America’s Mayor” for his leadership after 9/11, has been the target of numerous investigations since working as Trump’s personal attorney. He represented Trump from November 2019 through July 2023 while fending off probes from:
Congressional Democrats investigating Trump’s Ukraine dealings and post-election challenges.
Special Counsel Jack Smith, who named Giuliani as an unindicted co-conspirator in the January 6th case against Trump. (That case was later dismissed after Trump’s 2024 election victory.)
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D), who charged Giuliani in her sprawling Georgia election case. Willis has since been disqualified from prosecuting the case and just lost her final appeal to stay on it.
Arizona prosecutors, who brought charges related to the state’s 2020 alternate electors effort—this case remains ongoing.
Giuliani has consistently argued these prosecutions are politically motivated attempts to punish Trump allies and dissuade legal challenges to election practices.
Engoron’s History Raises Eyebrows on the Right
Judge Engoron’s role has drawn skepticism from conservatives, who see him as part of a pattern of partisan lawfare against Trump-world figures. Engoron previously levied a massive $500 million civil penalty against Trump’s real estate empire—an unprecedented punishment that was later wiped out on appeal just last month.
Now, Engoron’s decision against Giuliani forces him to pay DHC for years of legal defense work, plus accumulating interest since October 2023. Giuliani’s legal team has not yet said whether they will appeal.
Broader Legal and Financial Pressures
This ruling is just one of several financial pressures on Giuliani. He is also facing:
A bankruptcy filing after losing a defamation suit brought by two Georgia election workers.
Disbarment proceedings in New York and Washington, D.C. over his legal challenges to the 2020 election.
Ongoing legal fees from multiple federal and state investigations.
Despite this, Giuliani has maintained that he acted within the law in his efforts to challenge election results and believes he will ultimately be vindicated.
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.
Last month, over 20 House Republican lawmakers refused to vote for Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s bid for House Speaker. However, after 15 grueling rounds of voting McCarthy finally held the Speaker’s gavel.
Not every holdout got exactly what he or she had asked for, some won plum committee assignments from McCarthy, here’s what we know so far:
Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, a vocal McCarthy foe during the speaker fight, flipped to “present” in the 14th round. Gaetz will continue to serve on the Judiciary panel and was appointed by the Speaker to the new weaponization subcommittee.
Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona a former head of the Freedom Caucus and one of the five so-called “Never Kevins,” kept his position on the powerful Judiciary and Oversight committee. The Arizona Congressman was also named chairman of the Judiciary’s subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance. Ultimately, Biggs changed his vote to “present” on the final ballot for speaker, helping propell McCarthy over the finish line.
Rep. Dan Bishop of North Carolina flipped to back McCarthy on the 12th ballot, and will continue to serve on both the Judiciary and Homeland Security committees. McCarthy also named Bishop to the Judiciary’s new subcommittee on the “Weaponization of the Federal Government.”
Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, the vocal McCarthy critic who voted “present” on the 14th and 15th ballots, was awarded a seat on the Oversight and Accountability Committee. She will also continue to serve on the Natural Resources panel.
Rep. Josh Brecheen of Oklahoma, the freshman Congressman flipped to McCarthy on the 12th ballot and won seats on the Homeland Security Committee and Budget committees.
Rep. Mike Cloud of Texas flipped to McCarthy on the 12th ballot. The Lone Star state Congressman won a new seat on the powerful Appropriations Committee, which controls federal spending. McCarthy also named him to the new select committee investigating the origins of the Covid pandemic.
Rep. Andrew Clyde of Georgia, another lawmaker who flipped to McCarthy on the 12th ballot, will serve on the Appropriations Committee for the first time.
Rep. Eli Crane of Arizona will serve on the Homeland Security Committee.
Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida was nominated to run against McCarthy for speaker and flipped to him on the 12th ballot. Donalds was named by McCarthy as the “speaker’s designee” on the influential Steering Committee, which decides which lawmakers get committee gavels and seats. Donalds also won a coveted spot on the Financial Services Committee, a top panel known on Capitol Hill as an “A” committee.
Rep. Bob Good of Virginia, one of the Never Kevins who flipped to “present” in the last round of voting, will serve on the Budget and Education and Workforce committees.
Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona flipped to McCarthy on the 12th ballot and was reinstated by Republicans on two committees —Oversight and Natural Resources panels. He was named chairman of the Natural Resources subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.
Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland will continue to serve on the Appropriations panel. Harris, a physician, will be the chairman of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration subcommittee.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida flipped to McCarthy on the 12th ballot. The freshman Congresswoman won a seat on the Oversight and Natural Resources panels.
Rep. Mary Miller of Illinois will remain on the Agriculture Committee.
Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina, one of the “Never Kevins” who flipped to McCarthy on the 12th ballot, was named by the speaker as one of nine Republicans on the Rules Committee. Additionally, the South Carolina congressman will remain on the Financial Services panel and will serve on the Budget Committee too.
Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee won a seat on the Financial Services Committee.
Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus who brokered a deal between conservatives and McCarthy, will remain on the Foreign Affairs Committee. Perry also won a new seat on the Oversight committee.
Rep. Matt Rosendale of Montana, a “Never Kevin” who flipped to “present” on the final ballot, will continue to serve on Natural Resources.
Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, who helped Perry negotiate a deal with McCarthy, was tapped to serve on the Budget committee and the influential Rules Committee. The Lone Star state congressman will also keep his seat on the Judiciary panel.
Rep. Keith Self of Texas will serve on the Foreign Affairs panel.
Rep. Victoria Spartz of Indiana, who flipped from “present” to vote for McCarthy on the 12th ballot, will continue to serve on the Judiciary panel.
Thursday morning, Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance announced he has accepted Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s debate challenge.
“The American people deserve as many debates as possible, which is why President Trump has challenged Kamala to three of them already,” Vance posted in response to Walz. “Not only do I accept the CBS debate on October 1st, I accept the CNN debate on September 18th as well. I look forward to seeing you at both!”
The American people deserve as many debates as possible, which is why President Trump has challenged Kamala to three of them already. Not only do I accept the CBS debate on October 1st, I accept the CNN debate on September 18th as well. I look forward to seeing you at both! https://t.co/63FyI99dKU
The Oct. 1 vice presidential debate will take place after the first planned debate between Harris and former President Trump, which is currently scheduled for Sept. 10 and will be hosted by ABC News.
Vance told Fox News host Laura Ingraham on “The Ingraham Angle” Wednesday that CBS News had reached out to his team hours before. CBS said in a statement that it offered the two running mates four dates: Sept. 17, Sept. 24, Oct. 1 and Oct. 8.
“We want to actually look at the debates, look at the moderators, talk about the rules a little bit,” he said.
“I strongly suspect we’re going to be there on October the 1st, but we’re not going to do one of these fake debates where they don’t actually have an audience there, where they don’t actually set the parameters in a way where we can have a good exchange of ideas. In other words, we’re not going to walk into a fake news media garbage debate. We’re going to do a real debate, and if CBS agrees to it, then certainly we’ll do it.”
“I think it’s important for the American people to actually see us discuss our views. If you look at the way that we’ve run this campaign, Donald Trump and I are giving every media interview. We’re talking to every audience that we can get in front of because our vision is so clear,” he told Ingraham.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
Donald Trump attended the Al Smith charity dinner customary for presidential candidates, and by most accounts, outdid himself, even with his reputation as an entertainer preceding him. His jokes landed well both with the in-person audience and viewers on social media, with X users sharing clips of his jokes hundreds of thousands of times. His masterful delivery only highlighted Harris’s absence, and the video she sent in place of her attendance seemed especially dull in comparison.
This year’s Al Smith dinner, however, was set to be a bit different from previous years, as Vice President Kamala Harris skipped the in-person event, sending a pre-recorded video instead. The 2020 Al Smith dinner was also different from previous election years, as it was held virtually amid the pandemic’s lockdowns and social distancing requirements.
Harris’s video featured SNL actress Molly Shannon playing an obsessive and socially Catholic supporter who gave a short monologue about the importance of voting for a woman who had “more heart,” “more compassion” and “had to be smart to become a top contender in a field dominated by men.” It also included a couple of jabs at former President Trump, with Shannon advising Harris not to lie and her quipping, “especially about election results,” and not to say anything negative about Catholics, and Harris responding that she would never do that, and it would be like criticizing Detroit in Detroit, referencing recent comments made by Trump that her campaign insisted were rooted in racism.
While the audience seemed to roar in laughter at Trump’s jokes throughout the night, her video appeared to fall flat, receiving minimal laughter.
Some have speculated that she chose not to attend the iconic dinner because she’s not the most talented speaker, and without the scales tipped in her favor like at the ABC presidential debate where moderators Linsey David and David Muir joined her in her debate against Donald Trump, she can’t perform — especially side by side with Donald Trump.
The campaign denied these claims however, insisting, “The Vice President is going to be campaigning in a battleground state that day, and the campaign wants to maximize her time in the battlegrounds this close to the election. Her team also told the organizers that she would very much like to attend their event as President. This would make her one of the first sitting Presidents to attend.”
Trump took advantage of her absence, joking at the dinner, “I must say I was shocked when I heard that Kamala was skipping the Al Smith dinner. I’d really hoped that you would come, because we can’t get enough of hearing her beautiful laugh. She laughs like crazy.”
Prior to the event, Trump posted on social media, “Just found out that Lyin’ Kamala is doing a video message tonight instead of being at the Al Smith Dinner. She shouldn’t be allowed to do a video message. Kamala should be there like almost every other Presidential Candidate in their History, except Walter Mondale, who lost 49-1. They didn’t give me the option of a video message, nor would I have done it. This is very disrespectful to everyone involved. She should be here, or lose the Catholic Vote!”
Fox News continues:
Dolan said he anticipates the dinner to raise roughly $9 million, which will be given to various charities to assist women and children in need, as part of the Church’s pro-life mission, according to a press release from the foundation.
Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News.
President Donald Trump suggested that he may push to have the 2026 FIFA World Cup games removed from Boston unless the city’s mayor, Michelle Wu, takes stronger action to curb rising crime, including a recent violent street takeover targeting police officers.
Speaking to the media during a White House meeting with Argentinian President Javier Milei, Trump expressed frustration over Boston’s public safety situation and said he would consider calling FIFA President Gianni Infantino to relocate the matches to cities that better ensure security for players, fans, and officials.
“We can take them away. I love the people of Boston. And I know the games are sold out, but the mayor is not good. There are worse than her. At least she’s intelligent… But she’s radical left,” Trump said.
The president added that if he determines “unsafe conditions” persist, he would ask FIFA to move the games elsewhere.
“The answer is yes… If somebody’s doing a bad job, and if I feel there’s unsafe conditions, I would call Gianni, the head of FIFA… and I would say, ‘Let’s move it to another location.’”
Violent Street Takeover Sparks Outcry
Trump’s comments come in the wake of a chaotic and violent street takeover in Boston that occurred early on October 5, involving more than 100 people. According to the Boston Police Department, participants engaged in reckless street racing and aggressively attacked police cruisers with fireworks, cones, and poles.
One police cruiser was set ablaze during the incident and had to be towed away.
“They were hell-bent on attacking law enforcement officials,” said the president of a Boston police union, condemning the incident.
Boston’s Role in the 2026 World Cup
Boston is currently slated to host seven matches during the World Cup, including five group-stage games, a Round of 32 fixture, and the first quarterfinal on July 9, 2026. The city’s hosting duties are considered a highlight for New England soccer fans and international visitors.
Mayor Michelle Wu’s office responded to Trump’s threat with a statement emphasizing Boston’s pride in hosting the event.
“Boston is honored and excited to host World Cup matches, and we look forward to welcoming fans from around the world to our beautiful city, the cradle of liberty and city of champions,” the statement said.
Broader Threats Over Public Safety
Trump extended his warnings beyond Boston, also mentioning the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
“I could say the same thing for the Olympics,” he said. “If I thought LA was not going to be prepared properly, I’d move it to another location.”
Mayor Wu has previously criticized the Trump administration’s approach to law enforcement and immigration policy, accusing it of “causing so much fear and harm in our communities.”
In August, Wu condemned federal threats to withhold funding or sue cities refusing to cooperate on immigration enforcement.
This latest exchange highlights ongoing political tensions between the Trump administration and Democratic leaders in major cities, particularly over public safety and policing.
Joe Biden’s incompetence should make the 2024 election an easy one…
Former ESPN host Sage Steele told Fox News Digital that she is planning to vote for Trump in the next election, saying that she strictly focuses on policy not personality when casting her vote.
“To me, Donald Trump is the obvious answer based on what he believes, what he can do, what he has shown that he can do starting with the defense of our country, our safety, etc. and nothing to do with the personal stuff. I don’t care anymore,” Steele said. “It’s about policy, not emotion. And that’s what I wish people could get over is that emotional stuff. It’s maddening.”
Steele had a laundry list of reasons why she thought Biden has been so unpopular, which included inflation, the border crisis, how people feel less safe, as well as his “decline mentally.”
“You can even go back to those Chinese balloons, you know, over our territory for over a week. And little things like that, that aren’t so little. If that’s happening, what else is happening?” Steele said. “So even people who don’t go deep and take deep dives on everyday politics and the goings-on across the country, you don’t need to take a deep dive to understand that we are in a dire situation. And to me, it really is now or never.”
Steele also expressed her “fear” of the looming Biden-Trump rematch and how “we have seen the depths” to which Democrats have tried to keep the former president off the ballot.
“I’m nervous for him. Sometimes I get nervous for his safety. Honestly, like it’s crazy,” Steele said. “The 91 charges, and you know, all the lawsuits and awarding $83 million… What happened with the Fani Willis case. Like, I am blown away. Every time I think, ‘OL, this is a new low. It can’t go any lower.’ What happens?!”
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador thinks Trump is all talk…
During a recent interview, President Obrador expressed doubts President Trump would follow through on his pledge to build a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border because of the two countries’ economic ties.
“Because we understood each other very well. We signed an economic, a commercial agreement that has been favorable for both peoples, for both nations. He knows it. And President Biden, the same,” he said in an interview released Sunday by CBS News’s “60 Minutes.”
When CBS reporter Sharyn Alfonsi asked López Obrador to respond to those who argue the wall “works,” he said a wall “doesn’t work,” adding he told then-President Trump the same during a phone call.
López Obrador said the two leaders agreed not to talk about the wall as they “were not going to agree” and the phone call was the only instance the two discussed it.
“That was the only time and I told him, ‘I am going to send you, Mr. President, some videos of tunnels from Tijuana up to San Diego, that passed right under U.S. Customs.’ He stayed quiet, and then he started laughing and told me, ‘I can’t win with you,’” López Obrador recalled.
In 2020, López Obrador — Mexico’s first leftist president in decades — said while he does not agree with Trump’s assertion the wall staved off COVID-19 transmission, he also would not publicly confront him over the claim.
López Obrador, at the time, asserted the relationship between the U.S. and his country was “very good” and emphasized the two nations “are not distant neighbors.”
