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    Justice Department Refutes Trump Immunity Claim in Jan. 6 Civil Suits

      By
      Madeleine Jackson
      -
      9
      Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

      The Department of Justice (DOJ) refused to support former President Donald Trump’s claim that he should be immune from civil suits seeking to hold him responsible for his conduct on Jan. 6, 2021, when a mob of his supporters illegally entered the U.S. Capitol building as lawmakers certified the election for Joe Biden.

      The consolidated cases include legal challenges launched by 11 members of Congress who rushed for cover during the riot at the Capitol as well as Capitol Police officers. The cases allege Trump conspired to block lawmakers from carrying out their congressional duties. The suits also seek to hold Trump liable for physical and psychological injuries.

      According to reports from The Hill, the DOJ’s position comes as the former president has appealed a lower court ruling deeming he is not immune from the suits given that a president’s efforts to “secure or perpetuate incumbency” are not part of the White House role that otherwise prevents the president from facing civil suits for actions taken through the office.

      The government in its brief draws a clear line, arguing the broad protections for the president should not cover statements inciting violence. 

      “His briefs advance only a single, categorical argument: A President is always immune from any civil suits based on his ‘speech on matters of public concern’…even if that speech also constitutes incitement to imminent private violence. The United States respectfully submits that the Court should reject that categorical argument,” DOJ wrote in the filing.

      “In the United States’ view, such incitement of imminent private violence would not be within the outer perimeter of the Office of the President of the United States,” they write.

      The Justice Department’s brief doesn’t specifically back the claims from the lawmakers that Trump incited the riot, instead noting that they “plausibly allege” the former president’s speech that day motivated the attack.

      The district court that previously heard the suit also rejected Trump’s First Amendment defense.

      DOJ ultimately encourages the court to make a narrow ruling. The department briefly addressed its own investigation into Trump in a footnote dismissing any connection between outside civil suits and its own probe.

      “The United States does not express any view regarding the potential criminal liability of any person for the events of January 6, 2021, or acts connected with those events,” they write.

      Liberal Comedian Admits He’s ‘Afraid’ of Trump

        By
        Madeleine Jackson
        -
        0
        Gage Skidmore Flickr

        It’s no secret that comedian Bill Maher has a sour view of former President Trump, the two have engaged in back-and-forth spats online for years often with no kind word between them.

        However, the liberal comedian recently admitted to CNN’s Jake Tapper that he is scared of Trump “on a very personal level,” especially what the first president might do to him if he’s re-elected.

        “I am afraid of Trump on a very personal level because I don’t think he likes me. I understand why,” the HBO “Real Time” host told  Tapper on Tuesday as part of a CNN primetime special. “And I don’t know what he would do in a second term.”

        Maher, 67, told Tapper that after Trump won the 2016 presidential election, “I was afraid for my own wellbeing. I thought I could wind up in Guantanamo Bay. I think I still could.”

        “He’s obsessed sometimes. I don’t know. He went on a tear for about eight months when he was president every time, he’d have a rally. I have a list three pages long of the things he’s called me,” he said of the 45th president.

        “I mean, he is obviously someone who does not know any boundaries, and, you know, you have to worry when you see what other authoritarian rulers do in other countries to people,” Maher told Tapper of Trump.

        “I’m not thinking he’s going to become [Russian President Vladimir Putin] and start pushing people out windows,” Maher said, “but I’m not going to live on the 30th floor anywhere either.”

        Trump has slammed Maher as a “radical left maniac.”

        Earlier this month, Trump attacked CNN for adding Maher’s “Overtime” post-show segment to its Friday night programming. The cable network, Trump wrote in a Truth Social post, “wants to give wacky liddle’ Bill Maher a shot at bringing them back to just normal ‘bad’ when Bill Maher suffers from the same affliction as CNN — BAD RATINGS!”

        West Virginia Senator Stomps Out 2024 White House Speculation

        By
        Madeleine Jackson
        -
        3
        Joe Manchin via Wikimedia Commons

        Joe Biden is likely breathing a sigh of relief right about now…

        On Wednesday, Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin (W.V.) revealed he would not be running for president in 2024, a letdown for those hoping the moderate Democrat would pose a challenge to unpopular President Biden.

        “I’m not running for President of the United States,” Manchin told MetroNews during a radio interview broadcast from the State Capitol in Charleston, West Virginia.

        However, the two-term senator and former governor refused to say if he has decided to seek another term in the Senate as Republicans eye his seat as a top target to flip in 2024.

        West Virginia Attorney General and failed 2018 Senate hopeful Patrick Morrisey has already been named a likely challenger to seek Manchin’s seat.

        While speaking to The Hill, Morrisey said Manchin lost significant political capital when he voted in favor of President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, which included major components of President Biden’s agenda.

        In November, Rep. Alex Mooney (R- W.Va.) announced that he will run for Senate in 2024 in a bid to unseat Sen. Joe Manchin.

        As Great America News Desk previously reported:

        Manchin stonewalled President Joe Biden’s original Build Back Better plan but ultimately was the deciding vote for the renegotiated Inflation Reduction Act.

        “SEN. MANCHIN DEEPLY DISAPPOINTED WEST VIRGINIANS AND LET THEM DOWN TREMENDOUSLY WHEN HE SUPPORTED THE ‘BUILD BACK BROKE’ BILL LAST SUMMER. THAT LEGISLATION REALLY HIT OUR STATE VERY HARD. YOU CAN DRESS UP THE PIG ANY WAY YOU WANT BUT MOST PEOPLE IN WEST VIRGINIA UNDERSTAND THAT THAT BILL IS GOING TO HURT US,” MORRISEY TOLD THE OUTLET.

        “HE LET THE AIR OUT OF HIS BALLOON AND IT’S NOT GOING TO BE SO EASY TO PUMP IT BACK UP,” HE SAID.  

        MORRISEY, WHO IS “EVALUATING OPTIONS” ABOUT WHAT TO DO IN 2024, SAID “WE’RE LOOKING VERY CLOSELY AT THE SENATE RACE.”  

        While President Biden has indicated he plans to seek a second term in the White House, some Democrats seem undeterred by his plans. While some saw a Manchin 2024 campaign as a potential way to appeal to undecided voters due to his more moderate policies compared to his progressive colleagues another Democrat says she’s ready to step out of the shadows and challenge Biden.

        Former presidential candidate Marianne Williamson, 70, recently teased a rematch against Biden.

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

        Report: Georgia Grand Jury Recommended Multiple Indictments

          By
          Madeleine Jackson
          -
          1
          Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

          The special grand jury that investigated possible election interference by former President Donald Trump and others in Georgia’s 2020 presidential election results recommended indictments against multiple individuals, according to its forewoman Emily Kohrs.

          She declined to discuss specific indictments or give any names.

          The news comes more than a month after the Atlanta grand jury completed its investigation into Trump and his allies. (RELATED: Georgia Jury Concludes Trump Criminal Investigation Report)

          Their decision on whether or not to recommend indictments went directly to Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D).

          If Willis decides to indict anyone, including Trump, they will be forced to travel to Georgia.

          As The New York Times reports:

          “It is not a short list,” the forewoman, Emily Kohrs, said, adding that the jury had appended eight pages of legal code “that we cited at various points in the report.”

          She declined to discuss who specifically the special grand jury recommended for indictment, since the judge handling the case decided to keep those details secret when he made public a few sections of the report last week. But seven sections that are still under wraps deal with indictment recommendations, Ms. Kohrs said.

          Asked whether the jurors had recommended indicting Mr. Trump, Ms. Kohrs gave a cryptic answer: “You’re not going to be shocked. It’s not rocket science,” adding “you won’t be too surprised.”

          The investigation in Atlanta has been seen as one of the most significant legal threats to Mr. Trump as he begins another run for the presidency. In November, the Justice Department named a special counsel, Jack Smith, to oversee two Trump-related criminal investigations. And last month, the Manhattan district attorney’s office began presenting evidence to a grand jury on whether Mr. Trump paid hush money to a porn star during his 2016 presidential campaign, laying the groundwork for potential criminal charges against the former president in the coming months.

          This story is developing. Click refresh for the latest updates

          Former Fox News Host Slams ‘Sell-Out’ Network Amid Dominion Lawsuit

            By
            Madeleine Jackson
            -
            0
            Looking east towards 6th Avenue along north (48th Street) side of Fox News building on a snowy afternoon. [Photo Credit: Jim.henderson, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons]

            Former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly had nothing to say about his former employer during a recent interview.

            Dominion Voting Systems sued Fox News for $1.6 billion alleging the cable news giant intentionally aired false claims about the company being made by former President Trump and his supporters.

            “I’ll tell ya this, I would never have done what CNN and MSNBC did on Russian collusion or what Fox did on election fraud,” O’Reilly said Monday evening during an appearance on Chris Cuomo’s NewsNation show. “I would rather be fired, I would leave the job … I am not going to sell out for ratings, ever. And I never have.”

            O’Reilly’s comments follow a bombshell report that detailed private internal messages between Fox Employees showed top hosts expressed concern about the claims being made by Trump and his aides while expressing doubts about how the channel’s audience would react to fact checks of those assertions. (RELATED: Fox News Trashed Trump’s Election Fraud Claims: Court Documents)

            Fox has defended itself on First Amendment grounds, and last week in a filing of its own questioned Dominion’s motives and financial valuation.

            “There will be a lot of noise and confusion generated by Dominion and their opportunistic private equity owners, but the core of this case remains about freedom of the press and freedom of speech, which are fundamental rights afforded by the Constitution and protected by New York Times v. Sullivan. Dominion has mischaracterized the record, cherry-picked quotes stripped of key context, and spilled considerable ink on facts that are irrelevant under black-letter principles of defamation law,” the network said.

            O’Reilly, a former top prime-time host at the network, left Fox in 2017 amid allegations of sexual harassment.

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

            By
            Amanda Head
            -
            4

            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.

            DHS Hires Law Firm for Assistance in Potential Mayorkas Impeachment

              By
              Madeleine Jackson
              -
              10
              NEW YORK CITY (September 11, 2022) Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas lays flowers for USSS Master Special Officer Craig Miller and participates in the September 11th Anniversary Commemoration Ceremony at Ground Zero in New York City, NY. (DHS photo by Sydney Phoenix)

              The Biden administration is on the brink of impeachment proceedings.

              On Friday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed it has hired a law firm to aid in responding to the potential GOP House-led impeachment of Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

              According to reports from The Hill, the contract, signed with New-York based firm Debevoise & Plimpton, comes a week after a second article of impeachment was filed by Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.).

              “The Department of Homeland Security has retained outside counsel to help ensure the Department’s vital mission is not interrupted by the unprecedented, unjustified, and partisan impeachment efforts by some Members of Congress, who have already taken steps to initiate proceedings,” a DHS spokesperson said in a statement.

              “DHS will continue prioritizing its work to protect our country from terrorism, respond to natural disasters, and secure our borders while responding appropriately to the over 70 Congressional committees and subcommittees that have oversight of DHS.” 

              DHS doesn’t have any staff on hand with expertise in such a matter, an agency official told The Hill, and said the scale of legal assistance needed will depend on how the GOP decides to proceed with its probe. Still, the department declined to outline other financial details of the retainer.

              Republicans have yet to take any action on the resolutions, but House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and other Republican leaders have pledged what could be lengthy investigations ahead of an eventual impeachment.

              The impeachment of Cabinet officials is rare and hasn’t occurred since 1876.

              Immigrant Asylum Seekers Fleeing NYC Squalor for ‘Safer’ Canada

                By
                Madeleine Jackson
                -
                4
                CBP Photography, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

                While the Biden administration remains hellbent on allowing thousands upon thousands of migrants and asylum seekers to pour into U.S. cities with little to no regard for American citizens.

                However, despite Biden’s disregard for order at the border or within his own country asylum seekers say that the chaos in American cities has them already looking for the exit.

                According to The Washington Free Beacon, asylum seekers in New York City are desperate to flee the liberal city for “safer” Canada and New York City mayor Eric Adams (D) is happy to oblige.

                Multiple Latin American asylum seekers told reporters that the alarming and blatant drug use coupled with the ongoing homeless crisis has left migrants feeling hopeless and searching for answers. In response to the complaints being levied by migrants, as well as taxpaying residents, the mayor has funded bus tickets to transport migrants across the U.S.- Canada border.

                “Those who are seeking to go somewhere else — not that we’re pushing or forcing — if they’re seeking to go somewhere else, we are helping in the re-ticketing process,” Mayor Adams said on Monday in an interview with Fox 5. 

                “I wanted to live in New York because I thought it would be a better future for my daughters,” said Susy Sanchez Solzarno, 33, from Peru. “But as the days went by, I saw insecurity, many homeless people, many people who shout and are disrespectful, and many people on drugs. … I am going to Canada for the safety and future of my girls.”

                “A lot of the Americans used drugs [in New York],” said Manuel Rodon, 26, from Venezuela. “I feel like Canada will be safer. It is a much quieter country than America.”

                Since 2021, the Biden administration has forced states to take in thousands of migrants and bear the brunt of feeding and housing costs as well as other complications. The move has taken a distinct toll on various U.S. cities, especially NYC.

                The latest Quinnipiac University poll reflects New Yorker’s unhappiness with Mayor Adams.

                A Quinnipiac University poll of New York City registered voters out Wednesday found that 37% approve of the way he’s handling his job, while 43% disapprove and 20% don’t know. 

                That negative 6% approval rating is a flip from Quinnipiac’s last poll, in May 2022, where 43% of voters approved, 37% disapproved, and 20% didn’t know – a positive 6% approval rating. 

                “Polls go up and down, up and down. And we’re just going to continue to do what we do. And that’s produce for New Yorkers,” Adams said at an unrelated press conference Wednesday, after being told about the results of the poll. “I am really pleased with the administration the way they are. We’re going to continue to stay focused, no distractions and grind.”

                Fox News White House Correspondent Announces Birth of First Child

                  By
                  Madeleine Jackson
                  -
                  0

                  There is a lot to be excited about at Fox News.

                  Fox News White House Correspondent Peter Doocy and Fox Business reporter Hillary Vaughn announced their first child’s birth on Thursday.

                  Doocy and Vaughn, who have been married since 2021, confirmed to People magazine that their daughter, Bridget Blake Doocy, was born on Feb. 1.

                  “I didn’t realize this until now, but I’ve been training for motherhood my entire career by trying to get lawmakers on Capitol Hill to respond to my questions. This job isn’t much different,” Vaughn told People magazine.

                  Vaughn said her water broke when she was on her way to work at Capitol Hill, which she was “prepared” for. She said she knew where to find senators who used to be doctors, and that Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), who was a doctor in Wyoming, told her to reach out if she needs anything.

                  Doocy said that White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre joked with him about what he should name his baby last month, joking that he could name her “Karine.”

                  “During a briefing last month, the press secretary gave me permission to name the baby Karine and I joked we were considering naming the baby after the president: ‘Joe-sephine.’ But we can report here for the first time her name is Bridget Blake Doocy,” he told People.

                  “Fox & Friends” host Steve Doocy also announce the arrival of his first granddaughter on Thursday’s show, saying that he is “so proud.” 

                  “I’ve got an announcement: I am now a grandfather,” he said on Thursday’s “Fox & Friends” show.

                  Last year, President Biden was caught calling the White House correspondent a “stupid son of a bitch” after Doocy asked Biden whether inflation was a political liability for him.

                  The verbal slip took place during a White House event on Biden administration efforts to combat inflation. After the president complained that all the press questions were about the military buildup around Ukraine, Doocy shouted: “Will you take questions about inflation? Do you think inflation is a political liability ahead of the midterms?”

                  Thinking his microphone was turned off, Biden responded sarcastically: “No, that’s a great asset. More inflation.”

                  He added, “What a stupid son of a bitch.”

                  Later, Bret Baier asked Doocy about the “colorful exchange” with the president, Doocy replied: “He didn’t want to take any questions off-topic. He was at an event about inflation. I asked about inflation. Now wait to see if the White House has to bleep that on the transcript.”

                  Baier then asked: “What did the other reporters say about that? Did you talk with them?” Doocy replied: “They actually had to tell me he had said it, because I couldn’t hear anything over the shouting of the wranglers. So now the clip will live on.”

                  Ultimately, President Biden apologized to Doocy for the remark.

                  This is What 21 McCarthy Holdouts got in Committee Assignments

                    By
                    Madeleine Jackson
                    -
                    1
                    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.

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