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Read: Republican Presidents Best Christmas Messages

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    Office of Congressman Tom Osborne, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    Over the years, Republican presidents have shared Christmas messages that reflect their administrations’ values and the spirit of the holiday season.

    Here are notable Christmas messages from Republican presidents:

    George W. Bush (2001-2009):

    In his first Christmas address after the September 11 attacks, President Bush spoke about the nation’s resilience and the importance of faith during challenging times.

    “This year in the midst of extraordinary times, our Nation has shown the world that though there is great evil, there is a greater good.”

    He emphasized the importance of love and sharing, noting: “Americans have given of themselves, sacrificing to help others and showing the spirit of love and sharing that is so much a part of the Christmas season.”

    Listen:

    George H.W. Bush (1989-1993):

    December 11, 1991

    At Christmas, we celebrate the promise of salvation that God gave to mankind almost 2,000 years ago. The birth of Christ changed the course of history, and His life changed the soul of man. Christ taught that giving is the greatest of all aspirations and that the redemptive power of love and sacrifice is stronger than any force of arms. It is testimony to the wisdom and the truth of these teachings that they have not only endured but also flourished over two millennia.

    Blessed with an unparalleled degree of freedom and security, generations of Americans have been able to celebrate Christmas with open joy. Tragically, that has not always been the case in other nations, but we look to the future with optimism, and we celebrate the holidays with special gladness as courageous peoples around the world continue to claim the civil and religious liberty to which all people are heirs. The triumph of democratic ideals and the lessening of global tensions give us added reason for celebration this Christmas season, and as the world community draws closer together, the wisdom of Christ’s counsel to “love thy neighbor as thyself” grows clearer.

    By His words and by His example, Christ has called us to share our many blessings with others. As individuals and as a Nation, in our homes and in our communities, there are countless ways that we can extend to others the same love and mercy that God showed humankind when He gave us His only Son. During this holy season and throughout the year, let us look to the selfless spirit of giving that Jesus embodied as inspiration in our own lives — giving thanks for what God has done for us and abiding by Christ’s teaching to do for others as we would do for ourselves.

    Ronald Reagan (1981-1989):

    Gerald R. Ford (1974-1977):

    December 24, 1975

    MERRY CHRISTMAS! These two words conjure up all of the good feelings that mankind has ever held for itself and its creator: reverence, tenderness, humility, generosity, tolerance–love. These are the stars we try to follow. These are the most enduring treasures we can bring to our world. I can remember a few Christmases in my own youth when just about the only thing we had to offer each other as a family was the love we shared, and the faith that together we could see things through to a better future. And it did. It made us work harder, study harder, try harder–and it brought out qualities and depths of strength and character that none of us in those days thought we had.

    The spirit of Christmas is ageless, irresistible and knows no barriers. It reaches out to add a glow to the humblest of homes and the stateliest of mansions. It catches up saint and sinner alike in its warm embrace. It is the season to be jolly–but to be silent and prayerful as well.

    I know this will be a particularly happy Christmas for me. I celebrate it surrounded by those I love and who love me. I celebrate it by joining with all of our citizens in observing a Christmas when Americans can honor the Prince of Peace in a nation at peace.

    The Ford family wishes you and your family a Christmas that brings all of the joy, the fulfillment, and the inspiration of this most precious of seasons. May God’s blessings be with you all.

    Read the Manliest Christmas Card Ever, Courtesy of General Patton

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      At a critical juncture in the Battle of the Bulge, General George S. Patton’s Third Army became bogged down in its drive to relieve the legendary 101st Airborne Division trapped at Bastogne, Belgium.

      The besieged Americans defended the vital crossroads town from a German force that outnumbered them by nine-to-one in critical sectors.

      Meanwhile, wintry conditions had grounded the Allied air force, neutralizing their advantage in the air.

      That’s when Patton called upon the power of prayer.

      Rev. Msgr. James Hugh O’Neill, chaplain of the Third Army, composed what became known as the “Weather Prayer” at Patton’s behest. 

      Here’s what it said:

      “Almighty and most merciful Father, we humbly beseech Thee, of Thy great goodness, to restrain these immoderate rains with which we have had to contend. Grant us fair weather for Battle. Graciously hearken to us as soldiers who call Thee that, armed with Thy power, we may advance from victory to victory, and crush the oppression and wickedness of our enemies, and establish Thy justice among men and nations. Amen.” 

      On the reverse side of the prayer card distributed to every GI under his command, Patton wrote:

      “To each officer and soldier in the Third United States Army, I wish a Merry Christmas. I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty, and skill in battle. We march in our might to complete victory. May God’s blessings rest upon each of you on this Christmas Day. — G.S. Patton, Jr., Lieutenant General, Commanding, Third United States Army.”

      The next day the skied cleared, American ground attack aircraft decimated the Nazis’ armored spearheads and the rest was history:

      This article was republished with permission from American Liberty News.

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

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        Trump at the border wall via Wikimedia Commons

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

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

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

        Read more:

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

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

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

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

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

        Report: Justice Dept. Seeks To Block Jan. 6 Defendants From Trump Inauguration

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        Tyler Merbler, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

        Justice Department attorneys are pressuring federal judges to reject petitions from at least two Jan. 6 defendants who are requesting that they be allowed to return to the nation’s capital for President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.

        Fox News reports:

        Cindy Young, convicted of four misdemeanors for her involvement in the riot at the Capitol, and Russell Taylor, who pleaded guilty to a felony conspiracy charge, both petitioned the courts to allow them to return to Washington, D.C., despite provisions of their sentences requiring them to stay away. 

        “Contrary to Young’s self designation that she ‘poses no threat of danger to the community,’ Young presents a danger to the D.C. community, including the very law enforcement officers who defended the Capitol on January 6, 2021,” U.S. attorneys said in response to Young’s petition. The federal attorneys cited calls from Young “for retribution against those involved in January 6 prosecutions” and argued that she has failed “to recognize the seriousness of her actions.”

        A request from Taylor, who was invited to attend the inauguration by members of Utah’s congressional delegation, is also being challenged by attorneys at the Department of Justice who argue that the serious nature of his crimes should preclude him from being able to “return to the scene of the crime.”

        “He is asking for the Court to bless his desire to return to the scene of the crime, and the Court should not look past his criminal conduct the last time he was on Capitol grounds,” the U.S. attorneys wrote in a filing to U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth. The attorneys added in their court filing that, while they had granted previous travel requests to other defendants involved in the Capitol siege, those approvals were to support people’s continued employment, and the requests did not involve travel to the nation’s capital. 

        There remains uncertainty around whether Trump will pardon any, some, or all of those defendants who were convicted of crimes as a result of their involvement in the U.S. Capitol siege that occurred in 2021. 

        Trump has said at times that pardons will be reserved for those who remained peaceful on that fateful day; however, at other points he has suggested a blanket pardon for all those who were convicted. 

        GOP Interim Report Accuses Jan. 6 Committee Member Of ‘Witness Tampering’

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          Tyler Merbler, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

          The newly released report by Republicans examining the “failures and politicization” of the now-disbanded House Jan. 6 committee also included a recommendation to open a criminal investigation into former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney.

          The 128-page interim report focuses on complaints the Jan. 6 select committee was improperly constituted and unfairly pinned blame on President-elect Trump.

          “Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi’s multimillion-dollar Select Committee was a political weapon with a singular focus to deceive the public into blaming President Trump for the violence on January 6 and to tarnish the legacy of his first Presidency,” the report states.

          The House GOP subcommittee, chaired by Congressman Barry Loudermilk, has accused Cheney of improper coordination with key witness Cassidy Hutchinson, claiming she engaged in witness tampering by “colluding” on testimony.

          The interim report shows texts between Hutchinson and Alyssa Farah Griffin, another former White House aide, and accuses Farah Griffin of acting as a backchannel between the two women.

          It later notes that Hutchinson reached out to Cheney, with the lawmaker in her own book noting she advised the aide to seek an attorney as “every witness deserves an attorney who will represent their interests exclusively.”

          According to The Hill, Cheney would likely assert that any actions she took through her work on the panel are protected by the Speech or Debate Clause, which protects lawmakers from court action related to their work.

          Outlets noted that witness tampering could also be an uphill battle in court, as such charges typically relate to encouraging a witness to lie or shift their story.

          Cheney strongly rebuked the interim report’s findings in a lengthy statement:

          “January 6th showed Donald Trump for who is really is – a cruel and vindictive man who allowed violent attacks to continue against our Capitol and law enforcement officers while he watched television and refused for hours to instruct his supporters to stand down and leave,” Cheney said in a statement noting the numerous Republican witnesses who testified before the panel.

          “Chairman [Barry] Loudermilk’s (R-Ga.) ‘Interim Report’ intentionally disregards the truth and the Select Committee’s tremendous weight of evidence, and instead fabricates lies and defamatory allegations in an attempt to cover up what Donald Trump did. Their allegations do not reflect a review of the actual evidence, and are a malicious and cowardly assault on the truth. No reputable lawyer, legislator or judge would take this seriously.”

          On Truth Social early Wednesday, Trump hinted that Cheney “could be in a lot of trouble,” seizing on a development that has stunned Washington.

          Trump

          State Reveals Plan To Purchase Auctioned Border Wall Materials To Store For Trump

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            CBP Photography, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

            Texas officials are stepping forward…

            Multiple elected officials in Texas expressed support over plans to buy and store border wall materials being auctioned off by the federal government and keep them in place until the Trump administration takes office next month.

            Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick reacted to reports of continued auctions of border wall materials that have been left near the border after the sudden stop of border wall construction in 2021. 

            “I will bid on all of that wall, and we will buy it in Texas, and we will give it to Donald Trump,” Patrick said on “The Ingraham Angle.”

            “I’ve got a billion dollars in my pocket to do it,” he said.

            His comments were supported by Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, who said she is “fully prepared” to help in the effort.

            “If you buy it, I have a place to store it — on state land! The [Texas General Land Office] is standing by to help!” she said, calling the auctioning off of border wall materials by the Biden administration “shameful.”

            The auctioning off of border wall parts began in 2023 with parts listed for sale on GovPlanet.com, an online auction marketplace. The Defense Department’s logistics agency told media outlets that the excess material had been turned over for disposition by the Army Corps of Engineers and was now for sale.

            However, the practice drew attention last week when The Daily Wire published video showing unused wall parts being transported on flatbed trucks in Arizona, even though the materials could be used in the next Trump administration. 

            Videos obtained exclusively by The Daily Wire from a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agent show unused sections of the wall being hauled away on the back of flatbed trucks from a section of the border just south of Tucson, a hotspot for illegal crossings during the Biden administration.

            A defense official told Fox News that the Pentagon has been disposing of excess wall construction in accordance with the FY 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, which required the Defense secretary to submit a plan to use, transfer or donate all remaining wall material purchased with Pentagon funds. That plan was submitted in March.

            The official said that border states, including Texas, were given preference for materials. Both Texas and California requested and received border materials, they said.

            “Through our reutilization, transfer, and donation process, nearly 60% of those materials were transferred to authorized recipients, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the states of Texas and California,” the official said. “The remaining 40% was sold to GOVPLANET under a competitive sales contract process beginning in June 2024. The material currently being sold through GOVPLANET online auctions no longer belongs to the U.S. Government, and DoD has no legal authority to recall the material or stop further resale of material it no longer owns.”

            Trump Aide Faints On Stage During Republican Gala

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            Photo via Pixabay images

            An adviser to President-elect Trump’s campaign, Alex Bruesewitz, passed out and collapsed as he was speaking onstage during a New York Young Republican Club gala Sunday night.

            Alex Bruesewitz, 27, was introducing incoming White House senior aide Dan Scavino inside a venue in Manhattan when he began stumbling over his words and fainted, video on social media shows.

            Watch:

            Several people quickly rushed to help after his collapse. It was not immediately clear what caused him to faint.

            “I talked to our friend Alex Bruesewitz and you know what he said to me? He goes ‘Did I at least look cool?’ I said Alex, you used gravity like I’ve seen nobody use gravity before in their lives,” Kassam said. “But he’s recuperating back there, so give him a big cheer so he’ll hear you.”

            Trump also said following the collapse that he believes Bruesewitz will be fine, according to the New York Post.

            “I know that Alex is going to be fine because he’s a tough son of a gun,” Trump said. “There’s no doubt about that. So I want to say hello to Alex, because he’s a very special guy.”

            Bruesewitz is the CEO of consultancy firm X Strategies LLC, which states its mission to help elect “America First” candidates. Its website says he is “a prominent political consultant and strategist known for his unwavering support of President Donald Trump and the America First agenda.”

            Before his collapse, Bruesewitz commended the New York Republican Club for backing Trump’s campaign. He also gave shout-outs to several supporters of the incoming president who were at the event, including former Florida congressman Matt Gaetz, who recently resigned from his U.S. House seat.

            Pentagon Reveals Records On Operation That Could Have Prevented 9/11

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            David B. Gleason from Chicago, IL, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

            After nearly two decades of courtroom arguments, the Defense Department has finally turned over records on an intelligence program that could have prevented the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

            The non-profit public interest law firm Judicial Watch announced in a statement after a nearly 19-year Freedom of Information Act battle, “the Department of Defense produced 62 pages of records out of hundreds of previously withheld documents regarding the U.S. intelligence program ‘Operation Able Danger.’ The Defense Department identified hundreds of pages of responsive records but withheld them, claiming the overwhelming majority are still classified to this day.”

            “It shouldn’t take two decades to decide that the American people can’t see documents about a military investigation that could have prevented 9/11. What an insult to the American people and the victims of 9/11,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.

            “Able Danger was formed in 1999. It compiled publicly available information regarding al Qaeda and other targets,” Judicial Watch notes.”

            “In August 2005 interviews, Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, and other experts reported that the operation identified four future September 11, 2001, hijackers as al Qaeda members in the United States well before the attacks,” Judicial Watch states, adding, “The Senate Intelligence Committee began its investigation of the program in August 2005. In September 2005, the Senate Judiciary Committee conducted a hearing on Able Danger, however, members of the data-mining team were blocked from testifying.”

            That’s when Judicial Watch stepped in, submitting a FOIA request to Defense Department for related records, as well as information on “U.S. intelligence, law enforcement and/or counterterrorism projects and/or programs utilizing data mining software/techniques to search open-source records in the public domain.”

            Judicial Watch lays out what they discovered, writing:

            The Defense Department response on August 24 from U.S. Special Operations Command identifies hundreds of pages of responsive records but claims the overwhelming majority are still classified and, over 20 years later, remain exempted from disclosure:

            [S]pecifically, Sections 1.4(a), military plans, weapon systems, or operations; 1.4(c), intelligence activities (including covert actions), intelligence sources or methods, or Cryptology; 1.4(g), vulnerabilities or capabilities of systems, installations, projects, plans, or protection services relating to the national security; and Section 1.7(e), for compilation of items of information that are individually unclassified, but may be classified if the compiled information reveals an additional association or relationship.

            The records obtained by Judicial Watch include an unredacted, declassified Top Secret/SCI record contains a 17-page listing of unclassified, open-source internet resources listing websites and URLs for topics such as terrorism news stories; Office of the Coordinator of Counterterrorism; and “Albanian Terrorism in Kosovo,” among many others. Across the bottom of page three of the lists of open-source records is a statement: “Began to understand the status of ongoing efforts!” The author of the exclamation is not identified.

            Small passages of what seem to be declassified Top Secret/SCI analytical reports (unnamed and undated) feature commentary such as:

            Arab countries in North Africa especially, Algeria, Tunisia, Morrocco, Libya, Egypt, and almost all other Arab countries have been annoyed for the high profile of Osama bin Laden first in Pakistan and later in Afghanistan especially, when he publicly claims that he trains Arab fundamentalists to overthrow most of Arab regimes in the Middle East.

            The records also cite journalist Jason Burke’s December 1998 reporting that Osama bin Laden decided to get into drug trafficking as a new weapon and approached (through intermediaries) major opium and heroin dealers, as well as major landowners in the opium-growing districts of Afghanistan, and offered to buy all of the opium they grow.

            Drug trafficking was also featured in an undated/unsourced, declassified TOP SECRET/SCI record that stated:

            In fact, heroin is the major source of income for the Taleban [sic] government that has seized power in Afghanistan. It is not the Taleban government alone; heroin is also a major source of earning for the Inter Service Intelligence ISI of Pakistan, which has been providing support and assistance for the Taleban government which has seized power in Afghanistan. The lion’s share of the funds earned through heroin smuggling is spent on intelligence service and also on subversive activities carried out by the ISI in neighboring countries.

            Another undated/unsourced excerpt states:

            Opium is traded at large bazaars in Afghanistan that are the treacherous domain of criminal syndicates. One of the more notorious is located in the town of Sangin, a three-hour drive west of the Taliban capital of Kandahar. ‘Sangin is known as a dangerous place,’ says Bernard Frahl, head of the U.N. drug-agency office in Islamabad, who visited the market town in October. “It is known for people going in and not coming out.” Of about 500 shopkeepers crowded along one main street, and two or three footpaths off it, he says, almost half sell opium.

            “The records produced to Judicial Watch include the homepage of a Swedish construction firm and what appears to be a worker complaint from someone employed in Saudi Arabia,” Judicial Watch adds.

            The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.

            Trump Reveals Plan To Pardon J6 Defendants On ‘Day 1’

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            Elvert Barnes, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

            Trump has big plans…

            President-elect Donald Trump shared that he plans to immediately pardon “most” rioters accused or convicted of storming the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 after his inauguration.

            “It’s going to start in the first hour,” Trump told Time Magazine Thursday, during an interview for his feature as the publication’s 2024 Person of the Year. “Maybe the first nine minutes.”

            However, Trump has remained vague on the exact details. More than 1,500 Jan. 6 defendants have been charged in connection with the Capitol attack, their conduct ranging from trespassing misdemeanors to assaulting police and seditious conspiracy against the U.S. government.

            In court filings, many rioters have expressed they expect immediate relief once Trump returns to the White House. Their lawyers have asked judges to delay sentencing, trials and other proceedings as Inauguration Day nears. However, Judges have largely denied those requests.

            Top leaders of the right-wing extremist Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, many convicted of sedition, face decades in prison for their roles in the riot, leading to questions about just how far Trump’s Jan. 6 pardons will go.

            Prosecutors in court filings Wednesday argued to a judge that, although Trump’s pardons might erase the penalties for Jan. 6 rioters, they won’t “unring the bell of conviction.”

            “In fact, quite the opposite,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Holvey wrote. “The defendant would first have to accept the pardon, which necessitates a confession of guilt.”

            On Thursday, President Biden commuted jail sentences for nearly 1,500 people and granted 39 pardons, marking the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history.

            Sentences were commuted for inmates placed on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic and who “have successfully reintegrated into their families and communities,” according to the announcement. The 39 individuals pardoned were convicted of non-violent crimes, the White House said.

            “I will take more steps in the weeks ahead. My Administration will continue reviewing clemency petitions to advance equal justice under the law, promote public safety, support rehabilitation and reentry, and provide meaningful second chances,” Biden said.

            Thursday’s pardons come as the president has faced bipartisan criticism for pardoning his son, Hunter, of felony gun and tax charges.

            Matt Gaetz To Launch Show On One America News Next Year

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            Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

            Former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz (R) is set to debut his own program, The Matt Gaetz Show, on One America News (OAN) starting January 2025 and airing weeknights at 9 p.m.

            The announcement follows Gaetz’s decision earlier this year to step away from Congress, a choice he explained during a recent appearance on The Charlie Kirk Show. Gaetz, who served in the House of Representatives since winning his first election in 2016, stated, “I think that eight years is probably enough time in the United States Congress,” underscoring his desire to prioritize his family and his role in supporting President-elect Donald Trump’s administration.

            Tuesday’s development marks a significant career shift for Gaetz, who had previously been considered for attorney general in the incoming Trump administration. That opportunity, however, did not materialize, prompting speculation about whether he might return to Capitol Hill. Gaetz put such rumors to rest last month when he reaffirmed his intention to focus on media opportunities and other ways to assist the Trump White House outside of Congress.

            Gaetz’s new show is expected to cover a range of conservative topics, including policy discussions and commentary on the Trump administration’s agenda.

            Politico has additional details:

            It is yet another high-profile, public platform for Gaetz, a firebrand Republican who made no shortage of enemies in the House before President-elect Donald Trump announced plans to nominate him to be attorney general. Gaetz immediately resigned from the House after Trump’s announcement, a move that also came just before the House Ethics Committee planned to meet regarding a probe into allegations against him regarding illegal drug use and sex with a 17-year-old.

            Gaetz has consistently denied the allegations and a Department of Justice investigation into him resulted in no charges. But the accusations quickly dogged his confirmation process, prompting him to drop out of consideration one week after Trump first announced plans to nominate him. The early withdrawal precluded what would have been a deeply personal and brutal confirmation hearing.

            At OAN, Gaetz will also co-host a video podcast with Dan Ball, host of “Real America with Dan Ball,” that the network said would feature “unfiltered conversations” for Gen Z, Millennials and early Gen Xers.

            Gaetz praised the network in a statement for embracing platforms like streaming, apps, podcasts and social media, which he called places “where Americans are going.” Trump during his 2024 run similarly embraced alternative media sources to reach voters.

            Known for its strong conservative viewpoints, OAN has been steadily expanding its roster of opinion-driven programming, and Gaetz’s high-profile presence is likely to attract loyal viewers from his political base and other cable news networks.

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