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    Is Biden’s DOJ Out to Get Trump? Or Did Trump Do This to Himself?

    By
    Paul Crespo
    -
    3
    Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    In an event unprecedented in American history, a former U.S. president, protected by U.S. Secret Service agents, and currently running for president, was booked on federal criminal charges Tuesday by U.S. Marshals at the U.S. federal courthouse in Miami, before being taken to be fingerprinted and processed.

    Donald Trump pled ‘not guilty’ to all charges.

    The charges relate to Trump taking a lot of highly classified documents from the White House after he left office. And once discovered, he gave multiple bizarre reasons for having them.

    According to the indictment, the highly sensitive materials Trump kept included documents about overseas nuclear weapons holdings and various military plans.

    But they are really all about the fact that he refused to turn many of them over for upwards of 18 months. And I have criticized Trump for doing that.

    So, did Hillary Clinton get treated differently? Of course! And is Joe Biden’s Department of Justice (DOJ) out to get Trump?

    Absolutely! That’s a given.

    But Trump could still have avoided all this had he behaved differently, before and after he got caught. And that’s important too.

    As with Richard Nixon and Watergate, it was about the cover up.

    The 37 charges against Trump include violations of the Espionage Act or the willful retention of national security information as well as one count of “conspiracy to obstruct justice,” one count of “withholding a document or record,” one count of “corruptly concealing a document or record,” one count of “concealing a document in a deferral investigation,” one count of “scheme to conceal” and one count of “false statements and representations.”

    Based on the evidence represented in the indictment, and from his own words and deeds, it seems that he did do most of the things he is accused of, despite the Team Trump calls that this is only a political prosecution.

    I have said before that Trump basically dared the Justice Department to come after him. And I still believe that had Trump simply turned over all the classified materials when they were first requested, this would have likely ended last year without any criminal proceedings.

    But Trump didn’t.

    The FBI then conducted a very showy surprise raid on the ex-president’s Florida home, Mar-a-Lago, on August 8, 2022. That raid, and the documents recovered there, eventually led to the 37-count indictment that now put Trump where he is.

    THE FBI RAID ON MAR-A-LAGO

    Many condemned the FBI raid that launched all this as unprecedented and wrong, including me. I argued that it sent a horrible message to the world and looked highly political. (As does the indictment, arrest, and potential trial).

    Apparently, the FBI had doubts about the raid as well.

    Steven D’Antuono, who left the FBI late last year, explained the FBI-DOJ disagreements over the planning and execution of the Mar-a-Lago search during an interview last week with the House Judiciary Committee.

    While he called the back-and-forth between DOJ and the FBI “an everyday discussion,” he noted that it still created “consternation” among the law enforcement officials, reported Politico.

    According to the interview transcripts reviewed by Politico, D’Antuono said DOJ wanted the FBI to quickly seize the classified documents from Mar-a-Lago, claiming they could fall into the wrong hands. But the FBI’s Washington Field Office team preferred to seek Trump’s permission, through his attorneys, to search the premises.

    The FBI even proposed a plan to surveil Mar-a-Lago in case Trump’s team tried taking any of the disputed papers offsite, according to D’Antuono.

    The FBI “had a plan in place to have surveillance around if we needed to,” he said.

    “Again, no one was there. So, if they brought in — they – meaning the [former] president’s, you know, people — brought in a big box truck, we would see it, right, and we would have the search warrant in hand and be able to act at that point.”

    In the end, DOJ got its way, and they conducted the surprise raid. Fortunately, Trump wasn’t there when it occurred. And that was at least something.

    “I didn’t want the spectacle for obvious reasons of why we’re sitting here today. … It’s a reputational risk, right, and that’s the way I looked at it from the Bureau,” reported Politico.

    Unfortunately, the FBI has still suffered a great deal of reputational risk, as has the DOJ under Biden. This all stinks as political.

    But Trump has played a big part in all this as well.

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

    January 6th Panel Votes to Recommend DOJ Prosecute Trump

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    17
    Gage Skidmore Flickr

    On Monday, the House Select Committee investigating the events surrounding the January 6th, 2021 Capitol riot voted to recommend the Department of Justice criminally prosecute former President Donald Trump.

    The committee voted 9-0.

    According to Fox News, the first referral recommended by the committee is for Trump’s obstruction an official proceeding of Congress. The committee will also refer Trump to DOJ for conspiracy to defraud the federal government, making a false statement and inciting, assisting, or aiding and comforting an insurrection.

    In what is expected to be its final meeting on Monday, the House Select Committee to Investigate January 6 said it will formally ask the DOJ to pursue charges after a nearly 18-month probe into the former president’s involvement in the activities that lead to the Capitol breach on January 6, 2021.

    The committee’s unprecedented criminal referral holds no official legal weight, and a final determination in whether to pursue the charges will be up to Attorney General Merrick Garland and the Justice Department.

    At Monday’s meeting, the committee’s members, seven Democrats and two anti-Trump Republicans, each presented a portion of their findings against Trump before taking the vote to issue criminal referrals. 

    The committee will also refer four Republican members of Congress to the House Committee on Ethics for defying the committee’s subpoenas. One of the Republicans who defied their subpoena was then-House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, (R-Calif.)

    The committee also subpoenaed:

    • Jim Jordan, R-Ohio
    • Mo Brooks, R-Ala.
    • Scott Perry, R-Pa.
    • Andy Biggs, R-Ariz.

    According to The Hill, It’s unclear if the Ethics panel will launch an investigation based on the select committee’s new recommendations. Unlike most other standing committees, membership on the Ethics panel is evenly divided between the parties. And the committee strives — at least rhetorically — to avoid the divisive partisan politicking that practically defines some of the other panels. 

    Yet with just weeks left in the 117th Congress, there’s a small and closing window for the committee to launch any new probes while Democrats are still in the House majority. And it’s unlikely that a GOP-led Ethics Committee would take the remarkable step of investigating the role of sitting Republicans in an event as polarizing as the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. 

    Trump To Host UFC Fight On White House Lawn For Nation’s 250th Birthday Celebration

      By
      Seijah Drake
      -
      0

      In an unprecedented combination of politics, patriotism, and prizefighting, President Donald J. Trump announced plans to host a UFC championship event on the grounds of the White House as part of the 250th anniversary of America’s founding in 2026.

      Speaking at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, Trump electrified the crowd with his trademark flair and unexpected showmanship:

      “Does anybody watch UFC? The great Dana White? We’re going to have a UFC fight — think of this — on the grounds of the White House.”

      The event is expected to draw between 20,000 and 25,000 spectators, turning the South Lawn into a high-profile arena for one of the world’s fastest-growing sports. UFC CEO Dana White, a known Trump ally and supporter, is reportedly spearheading the effort and may even build a temporary arena on the historic property. Their relationship, built on mutual admiration and media savvy, is set to culminate in a one-of-a-kind spectacle on one of the world’s most iconic stages.

      Leading up to and following the 2024 election, Trump made regular appearances at UFC events, receiving raucous receptions from packed arenas across the country. Each time he entered, chants of “USA” and deafening applause followed him through the crowd. Fighters — including reigning champions and top contenders — have repeatedly gone out of their way to acknowledge him cage-side, often shaking his hand, giving him a shoutout in post-fight interviews, or posing for photos after victories. The relationship has become a cultural touchstone, especially among younger male voters and sports fans who see the crossover between MMA and Trump’s brand of anti-establishment politics as a natural fit.

      “We have a lot of land there, we’re going to build a little — we’re not, Dana is going to do it,” Trump said. “Dana is great, one of a kind. It’s going to be a full UFC championship fight, and we’re going to do that as part of ‘America250’.”

      The UFC event is just one component of what Trump promises will be the “single greatest year in the history of our country.” Marking 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the president laid out an ambitious vision for 2026, featuring a slate of high-profile events.

      Trump, who has been a frequent and welcome guest at UFC events, has long touted the promotion as emblematic of American grit, discipline, and competitiveness.

      While presidents have hosted concerts, picnics, and even Easter egg rolls on the property, this will mark the first time that the historic estate becomes a venue for a global sports event with tens of thousands of fans in attendance.

      Trump Denies Secret Putin Calls Made After Leaving White House

        By
        Madeleine Jackson
        -
        3
        Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

        Trump is firmly denying allegations in veteran journalist Bob Woodward’s new book.

        In his new book, Woodward claims the Republican presidential nominee has held multiple phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin since leaving office in January 2021.

        Woodward also wrote in his book, ‘War,’ that Trump agreed to secretly send Putin COVID-19 testing equipment. 

        Steven Cheung, the communications director for the Trump campaign, told The Hill in a statement that “None of these made up stories by Bob Woodward are true,” and said that Trump gave no access to the journalist for the latest book, as Trump had for past books.

        Cheung attacked Woodward’s mental fitness in the statement saying he “suffers from a debilitating case of Trump Derangement Syndrome.”

        The spokesperson further pointed to Trump’s lawsuit against Woodward, in which the former president seeking $50 million from the veteran journalist over his publication of tapes of interviews he conducted with Trump while he was in office between Dec. 2019 and Aug. 2020, which featured in the 2020 book ‘Rage.’

        Woodward wrote that according to Trump’s aides, there have been as many as seven phone calls between Trump and Putin since Trump left the White House in 2021, according to CNN.

        Woodward also cited Trump aide Jason Miller as not being aware of any calls between Trump and Putin, but added that President Biden’s Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines did not conclusively rule out contacts between the Russian leader and the former president. 

        “I would not purport to be aware of all contacts with Putin. I wouldn’t purport to speak to what President Trump may or may not have done,” Haines said, according to Woodward.

        Take Action Now: Support the Fight to Protect Wrongly Accused Officers!

        Republican Triumphs As Florida’s Special Congressional Race Ends Surprisingly Close

          By
          Patrick Houck
          -
          0
          Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

          What were once expected to be safe Republican holds turned into unexpected battlegrounds, at least Tuesday night. In two key Florida special congressional races, Democratic turnout surged, tightening margins in districts that previously leaned solid red—but in the end it wasn’t enough.

          Republican state Senator Randy Fine has officially won the special election for Florida’s 6th Congressional District, defeating Democratic challenger Josh Weil in a closely watched race that drew national attention. The election, held on April 1, 2025, fills the seat vacated by former Congressman Michael Waltz, who left office to become President Trump’s national security advisor.

          Fine, who secured a commanding lead in the Republican primary, ran a campaign focused on border security, protecting Second Amendment rights and fully backing Trump’s America First agenda. His campaign received a boost from a high-profile endorsement by President Trump, helping to energize Republican turnout in the final stretch.

          The race was seen as a critical bellwether for GOP momentum heading into next fall, especially with the House majority hanging in the balance. Fine’s win is expected to strengthen the Republican hold in Congress, though Democrats showed surprising competitiveness in a district previously considered reliably red.

          With his victory, Fine will now head to Washington, where he’s expected to align closely with Trump’s legislative goals and be a reliable vote for the conservative agenda.

          Early voting data showed Republican advantages shrinking in the Sunshine’s States First and Sixth Congressional Districts dramatically compared to last November, raising alarm bells within GOP circles and prompting calls for an all-hands-on-deck approach to avoid costly losses.

          With control of the House hanging by a thread, these special elections became a critical test of Republican turnout strength—and a clear warning that Democrats aren’t sitting this cycle out.

          Fueled by Trump’s ambitious agenda and determined to redeem themselves after last year’s disappointing performance, Democrats appear highly motivated, closing gaps in traditionally red districts and forcing the GOP to fight harder than expected.

          The results could send a powerful signal about which party has the energy heading into November—and whether Republicans can maintain the momentum needed to defend their historically narrow House majority.

          Florida Judge Rules On Request To Dismiss Trump’s Classified Docs Probe

          By
          Madeleine Jackson
          -
          1
          Image via Gage Skidmore Flickr

          On Thursday, Florida District Court Judge Aileen Cannon rejected former President Donald Trump’s motion to dismiss charges of retaining classified documents.

          This is only one of two motions from Trump’s legal team. The judge has not ruled on the other motion to dismiss based on the Presidential Records Act (PRA). 

          Trump’s attorney Todd Blanche initially asserted that the PRA gives the president the authority to retain documents he sees fit. However, later the judge one point remarked that the Trump defense team’s view of the Presidential Records Act would essentially “gut the PRA.”

          Fox News continues:

          “Presidents since George Washington have taken material out of the White House,” said Blanche, adding that the PRA was passed in the late ’70s and nothing in the statute says anything about documents with markings or anything that gives the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) the ability to challenge a president’s decision about which documents are personal versus presidential.

          Trump’s attorney also pointed out often that the then-president caused these boxes to be moved while he was still president and that this is the first time NARA has challenged a decision made by a president about which documents are personal versus presidential. They claim NARA only took this action because the president in question was Donald Trump.

          Blanche replied that it is up to Congress to change the law. “That’s what’s supposed to happen. DOJ can’t just decide… [what is personal versus presidential],” he said. 

          “We don’t have a lot of case law on this because this has never been done before,” added Blanche. “While he was the president he took records, like many presidents… For the first time ever, NARA took a different path and made a criminal referral,” instead of negotiating with the president as had been done in the past.

          Cannon at one point said, “Correct… the seizure of a president’s records was seen to be an extraordinary act.”

          Biden Admin Threatens To Sue Texas Over Barriers Blocking Illegal Immigration

            By
            Madeleine Jackson
            -
            9
            Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

            The Biden Administration is taking the gloves off.

            Biden’s Justice Department is threatening to sue the state of Texas over a new effort to deter illegal immigration.

            The Department of Justice is threatening to sue Texas over “humanitarian concerns” if it does not remove barriers floating on the Rio Grande River.

            “The floating barrier poses a risk to navigation, as well as public safety, in the Rio Grande River, and it presents humanitarian concerns,” the DOJ said, claiming that it was “unlawful” for Texas to install the barriers.

            Governor Greg Abbott tweeted that Texas would not be removing the barriers, saying that they “would see the DOJ in court.”

            https://twitter.com/karengraham2009/status/1680222749568974848

            “Texas has the sovereign authority to defend our border, under the U.S. Constitution and the Texas Constitution,” Abbott tweeted. “We have sent the Biden Administration numerous letters detailing our authority, including the one I hand-delivered to President Biden earlier this year.”

            “The tragic humanitarian crisis on the border was created because of Biden’s refusal to secure the border. His open border policies encourage migrants to risk their lives crossing illegally through the Rio Grande, instead of safely and legally over a bridge,” he added. “Texas is stepping up to address this crisis. We will continue to deploy every strategy to protect Texans and Americans — and the migrants risking their lives.”

            The 4-foot-wide orange spherical buoys spin if someone tries to grab onto them, according to the New York Post. The barrier can be moved or extended if need be.

            The latest deterrence method is part of the state’s “Operation Lone Star” program which aims to combat the border crisis caused by President Biden’s catastrophic border policies.

            Last week, Texas Senator John Cornyn (R) defended the use of the buoys at a news conference, saying Biden had failed to secure the border.

            “Well, we wouldn’t be having this conversation if President Biden and the Department of Homeland Security were doing its job,” he said. “

            Report: News Networks Weigh In On Hiring Expelled Congressman

              By
              Madeleine Jackson
              -
              1
              CNN Headquarters via Wikimedia Commons

              Less than a week after the House of Representatives voted to expel George Santos (R-N.y.) from the chamber and whispers are already spreading as to what the disgraced Congressman will do next.

              Santos, who is facing over 20 federal counts, has attracted attention since stepping foot in Congress triggering questions over a potential career in the media.

              It’s not uncommon for former elected officials or administration officials to join news networks after their terms have ended. However, it seems most cable news networks have plenty to say about Santos becoming a new contributor.

              Mediaite has more:

              A network source said NBC News and MSNBC “have no plans” of exploring any kind of relationship with the former congressman. A spokesperson for CNN said the network does not plan on speaking with him. A Fox News source said “we have no intention of entertaining that notion.” A NewsNation spokesperson said the network will not be hiring Santos.

              OAN, which has aired commentary critical of Santos, said through a spokesperson: “We are unaware of Mr. Santos seeking a position in media. Nor have we reached out to him.”

              Newsmax, where Santos has appeared frequently in recent weeks, did not respond to a request for comment.

              Chris Christie Suggests He Would ‘Torpedo’ Trump in GOP Primary Battle

              By
              Madeleine Jackson
              -
              22
              Maryland GovPics, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

              Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie suggested to an audience on Monday that he may enter the 2024 presidential race to target former President Donald Trump.

              Christie hinted at potentially joining the race while delivering remarks at St. Anselm’s College in New Hampshire.

              “You better have somebody on that stage who can do to him what I did to Marco because that’s the only thing that’s gonna defeat Donald Trump,” Christie said in reference to him going hard after Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) during the debates. “And that means you gotta have the skill to do it and that means you have to be fearless because he will come back and right at you.”

              Christie said that “it’s not gonna end nicely” and Trump’s “end will not be a calm and quiet conclusion.”

              Christie campaigned in New Hampshire more than any other GOP candidate in 2016 but received lackluster results, leading him to suspend his campaign.

              “And so, if I run again, I can’t imagine that I would continue to do it the same way,” he added. “But this time if I run, I would just hope that you come to a better conclusion than you did the last time.”

              The former president and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis currently sit at the top of the polls for the 2024 Republican nomination.

              Christie told Fox News that he wanted to go to New Hampshire to talk to people “who I know are the best-informed voters in the country about things that I think are important in the world and in our country right now — and to see how they react to that, and see that what they think about things that I think are important.”

              Biden DHS Still Colluding with Big Tech to Censor Dissent

              By
              Paul Crespo
              -
              2
              Joe Biden via Gage Skidmore Flickr

              ANALYSIS – Even as Biden’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) publicly shuttered its stillborn ‘Disinformation Governance Board’ (aka Ministry of Truth) after a huge outcry, new evidence shows that Team Biden is still trying to use DHS to collude with Big Tech to censor Americans on social media.

              The latest information uncovered through an investigation by The Intercept points to a Facebook-designed portal that government officials could use to flag content they deem objectionable and request that the platform remove it. 

              According to The Intercept:

              There is also a formalized process for government officials to directly flag content on Facebook or Instagram and request that it be throttled or suppressed through a special Facebook portal that requires a government or law enforcement email to use. At the time of writing, the “content request system” at facebook.com/xtakedowns/login is still live. DHS and Meta, the parent company of Facebook, did not respond to a request for comment. The FBI declined to comment.

              That the federal government believes it can directly help control what views and news can be disseminated online is beyond reprehensible.

              As The Intercept notes:

              How disinformation is defined by the government has not been clearly articulated, and the inherently subjective nature of what constitutes disinformation provides a broad opening for DHS officials to make politically motivated determinations about what constitutes dangerous speech.

              In other words, governments don’t decide what is valid information and what isn’t.

              Instead, that is what politics, a free media and the marketplace of ideas are for.

              But Big Brother, especially under Democrats, is relentless in its appetite for control. (RELATED: Congressional Leaders Expose Scheme to Pump Liberal Misinformation Network Into Classrooms)

              The Intercept continues to describe this Orwellian effort:

              Key Takeaways:

              * The work is primarily done by CISA, a DHS sub-agency tasked with protecting critical national infrastructure.

              * DHS, the FBI, and several media entities are having biweekly meetings as recently as August.

              * DHS considered countering disinformation relating to content that undermines trust in financial systems and courts.

              * The FBI agent who primed social media platforms to take down the Hunter Biden laptop story continued to have a role in DHS policy discussions.

              And all this has been corroborated by official documentation and other news reporting.

              Earlier, NewsBusters reported that:

              DHS continued its counter-“disinformation” work in a more cloaked fashion, and that the government specifically intended to target certain content areas including COVID-19, election security and “domestic violent extremism.”

              Considering how much ‘accepted’ information about COVID was later proven false or questionable and how the FBI and DOJ have been falsely hyping the otherwise minor ‘domestic violent extremism’ threat, this effort is highly concerning.

              Meanwhile, a DHS Office of Inspector General report recommended that DHS “develop a unified strategy to counter disinformation campaigns that appear in social media.”

              All this portends an extremely dangerous trend that must be stopped in its tracks. 

              It is critical that a GOP-controlled Congress investigate and help dismantle all these insidious DHS ‘disinformation’ efforts as soon as possible.

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

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