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    Trump Seeks To Proceed With $10B Lawsuit Over Wall Street Journal

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    2
    The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    President Donald Trump’s legal team has requested a Florida federal judge reject a request from the Wall Street Journal to dismiss a $10 billion defamation lawsuit over the paper’s reporting on the bawdy letter allegedly penned by Trump that appeared in a birthday book for disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. 

    In a court filing late Monday, Trump’s lawyers argued that the July article and surrounding coverage were a “deliberate smear campaign designed to damage President Trump’s reputation” and subject the president to “public hatred and ridicule.” They also requested oral arguments over the Journal’s recent motion to dismiss.

    “Defendants did not publish the Article on the front page of The Wall Street Journal based on a mere harmless joke between friends,” Monday’s filing said. “Indeed, such an assertion strains credulity beyond repair. The Article, and the surrounding media around it, were all a deliberate smear campaign designed to damage President Trump’s reputation.”

    Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for aiding and participating in Epstein’s trafficking of underage girls, told Justice Department officials in August that Epstein had asked her to organize contributions to his 50th birthday book from friends and associates, but said she could not recall if Trump, then a private citizen, was among those who responded.

    Last month, the House Oversight Committee released records from Epstein’s estate that included a copy of a birthday book with the alleged letter from Trump that the newspaper had described.

    Trump then filed a lawsuit against the Journal in July, and has continued to assert the letter is fake and that the signature on the letter is not his.

    Acknowledging the release of the letter by the House Oversight panel, Trump’s lawyers alleged that the Wall Street Journal was still “deliberate and malicious” in its reporting by claiming that the letter was not only authored by Trump but also “on-brand” for the president. 

    The Wall Street Journal has stood by its reporting.

    “Because Plaintiff has publicly admitted that he was Epstein’s friend in the early 2000s, his reputation cannot be harmed by the suggestion that he was friends with Epstein in 2003. Indeed, he was listed in the Birthday Book as a ‘friend’ of Epstein. The fact that his relationship with Epstein may now be a political liability — over 20 years after the Birthday Book was presented to Epstein — does not change this conclusion,” the Journal contended in its request for dismissal.

    While the Journal’s reporting included a denial from President Trump, his lawyers argued in Mondays filing that the publication still acted with a “reckless disregard for the truth” because the request for comment was rushed and the reporting allegedly cast doubt on the president’s claim. 

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    Federal Prosecutors ‘At Work’ To Bring Charges Against John Bolton

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0
    The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    Federal prosecutors are reportedly preparing charges against former Trump National Security Adviser John Bolton, a longtime critic of President Trump, over his handling of classified materials — a move that comes after months of internal resistance from within the Justice Department.

    According to CNN’s Katelyn Polantz, prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland met over the weekend to hammer out the details of a potential indictment. Citing unnamed sources, Polantz reported that the Maryland team had initially pushed back against DOJ leadership’s push to charge Bolton, but those objections have now “lifted,” and the team is “at work” on the case.

    The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    Appearing on CNN’s The Situation Room with anchor Pamela Brown, Polantz explained that the disagreement was “about when to charge” Bolton — suggesting that some inside the DOJ were concerned about timing rather than substance.

    “From what I had learned through sources,” Polantz said, “was that the dispute was over timing — whether to charge John Bolton very soon or prepare an indictment very soon to take it through the grand jury, or whether there needed to be more time since those searches of his home and office only took place a couple of weeks ago.”

    In late August, FBI agents raided Bolton’s Maryland home and private office, seizing materials reportedly marked “secret,” “confidential,” and “classified,” including documents referencing weapons of mass destruction. Investigators also collected electronics and files labeled “Trump I–IV,” according to court filings.

    Bolton — who has been a vocal Trump critic since leaving the administration — has denied any wrongdoing. His attorney, Abbe Lowell, said the items taken were “decades old” and insisted that his client “did nothing inappropriate.”

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    Fox News To Join Other Networks In Rejecting Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon Media ‘Pledge’

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    5

    Not happening…

    Fox News is reportedly planning to join a coalition of news organizations to reject the War Department’s order that will sharply curtail press freedom at the Pentagon.

    The move follows a late Friday memo from Hegseth demanding reporters sign a new “In-Brief for Media Members” agreement or surrender their Pentagon access cards by Tuesday.

    The order forbids journalists from soliciting tips, photographing, or even sketching what they see inside the building.

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

    Networks are coordinating through the Pentagon press pool to issue a unified response to publicly oppose the measure, according to Status’ Oliver Darcy.

    Darcy reported Tuesday that Fox News, where Hegseth worked for almost a decade prior to his nomination, has “no plans to agree to the draconian rules,” citing sources.

    The move will set up “a showdown with his former employer,” according to Darcy.

    Darcy’s reporting was later backed up by CNN’s chief media analyst Brian Stelter, who wrote in his Reliable Sources newsletter, “CNN has already said that its journalists will not accept the new restrictions. I’m told that Fox News, NBC, ABC, CBS and CNN will issue a joint statement later today saying much the same thing.”

    The push by Hegseth has now been slammed across the board by newspapers and networks — such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, CNN, Newsmax and The Guardian — with the only outlet reportedly agreeing to the new terms being One America News.

    The Pentagon Press Association condemned the policy, saying: “This Wednesday, most Pentagon Press Association members seem likely to hand over their badges rather than acknowledge a policy that gags Pentagon employees and threatens retaliation against reporters who seek out information that has not been pre-approved for release.”

    Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell dismissed concerns on Monday, accusing reporters of a “full-blown meltdown” in a statement to Status and insisting the policy “is what’s best for our troops and the national security of this country.”

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    Rosie O’Donnell’s Obsession With Donald Trump Leaves Even Her Therapist Puzzled

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    5
    By David Shankbone - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3937757

    Actress and liberal activist Rosie O’Donnell once again lashed out at President Donald Trump — so intensely, in fact, that even her own therapist doesn’t understand the depth of her anger.

    Appearing Monday on MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace’s podcast The Best People, O’Donnell described Trump as a “madman” and insisted he’s a threat to every American. She admitted that she cannot comprehend how millions of Americans don’t share her deep-seated hostility.

    “I don’t know, Nicolle, how it is that some people cannot see it,” O’Donnell said. “My therapist said, ‘Why are you so upset?’ And I said to her, why are you not?”

    Wallace responded sympathetically, saying, “Yeah, I have that conversation too.”

    O’Donnell went on to warn of alleged harm the president is causing — such as supposedly cutting Medicaid funding — claiming ominously, “What he’s done now hasn’t even hit us yet. And if he’s not stopped now, we have lost our country.” O’Donnell did not clarify what she meant by “stopping” the president.

    A Long-Running Feud That’s Consumed O’Donnell

    O’Donnell’s public fixation on Trump dates back years. One of the most famous flashpoints came during the 2015 GOP primary debate when Trump, pressed by Megyn Kelly on his sharp remarks about certain women, quipped he was “only” referring to O’Donnell — a moment that drew cheers and laughter from the audience.

    The animosity only grew. Earlier this year, O’Donnell followed through on past threats to leave the United States, moving to Ireland after Trump’s reelection. She claimed she would only consider returning “when you know it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America.”

    Downward Spiral Fueled by Political Rage

    By O’Donnell’s own admission, her obsession with Trump has taken a toll on her mental health. She described the move overseas as necessary for her “sanity,” a stark indication of how politics have dominated her personal life. Friends and observers have noted how O’Donnell, once a beloved comedian and talk show host, has seen her public image sour and her career stall as she’s poured more energy into anti-Trump activism than entertainment. Even O’Donnell acknowledged her therapy sessions are consumed by her fury over one man — and that her therapist is confused by the intensity of it.

    A Media Narrative That Fell Flat

    O’Donnell blamed Trump’s popularity on what she called “lies” from the media and pop culture, singling out Mark Burnett’s hit show The Apprentice for portraying him as a successful businessman and leader. “Thanks to Mark Burnett’s ‘Apprentice’ show that lied to the American people, that sold fiction as fact … people were confused and lied to. And then they listened to Fox News and they were more lost,” she said.

    But even her friendly host, Wallace, tried to soothe O’Donnell’s despair. Wallace claimed Trump is “more unpopular now than he’s ever been,” citing RealClearPolitics polling showing his approval rating around 45.4 percent — though that’s still formidable given years of relentless media opposition.

    Watch:

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    YouTube Agrees To Pay Over 20 Million To Settle Trump Lawsuit

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0

    YouTube has agreed to pay Donald Trump $24.5 million after preventing him from posting new videos to his channel after the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riots.

    According to the filing, $22 million will be used to support Trump’s construction of a White House State Ballroom and will be held in a tax-exempt entity called the Trust for the National Mall.

    Tyler Merbler, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    Another $2.5 million will go to the other plaintiffs in the lawsuit — including the American Conservative Union, Andrew Baggiani, Austen Fletcher, Maryse Veronica Jean-Louis, Frank Valentine, Kelly Victory and Naomi Wolf — according to the filing.

    “This Notice of Settlement and Stipulation of Dismissal shall not constitute an admission of liability or fault on the part of the Defendants or their agents, servants, or employees, and is entered into by all Parties for the sole purpose of compromising disputed claims and avoiding the expenses and risks of further litigation,” the filing stated.

    YouTube suspended Trump’s account following the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, saying at the time that an uploaded video violated its policy for inciting violence. It restored Trump’s channel more than two years later, citing that voters could “hear equally from major national candidates in the run-up to an election.”

    Trump’s lawsuit alleged that YouTube prevented him from “exercising his constitutional right of free speech” by banning him indefinitely from the platform.

    YouTube, which is owned by Google parent company Alphabet, is the latest social media company to agree to settle with Trump this year over the suspension of his accounts following the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

    Meta agreed to settle with Trump by making a donation of $22 million to his presidential library and paying $3 million in legal fees in January.

    The Wall Street Journal quotes Trump lawyer John P. Coale, who brought the suits with lead litigation attorney John Q. Kelly.

    “If he had not been re-elected, we would have been in court for 1,000 years,” Coale said, suggesting that Trump’s return to power motivated the social media companies to settle. “It was his re-election that made the difference.”

    The report said the settlement comes as Google is “under pressure from the Justice Department to break up its ad businesses after a federal judge ruled this spring that the company had created a monopoly in advertising.”

    The Official Patriot Priorities Poll is LIVE. Share your views on our nation’s challenges and opportunities. [COMPLETE THE SURVEY]

    Sinclair Ends Jimmy Kimmel Ban

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    8
    The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    A quick turnaround…

    On Friday, Sinclair Broadcast Group announced that it will end its preemption of ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and the show will return on Friday. 

    “Our objective throughout this process has been to ensure that programming remains accurate and engaging for the widest possible audience. We take seriously our responsibility as local broadcasters to provide programming that serves the interests of our communities, while also honoring our obligations to air national network programming,” Sinclair said in a statement.

    “Over the last week, we have received thoughtful feedback from viewers, advertisers, and community leaders representing a wide range of perspectives. We have also witnessed troubling acts of violence, including the despicable incident of a shooting at an ABC affiliate station in Sacramento. These events underscore why responsible broadcasting matters and why respectful dialogue between differing voices remains so important,” the statement continued. “In our ongoing and constructive discussions with ABC, Sinclair proposed measures to strengthen accountability, viewer feedback, and community dialogue, including a network-wide independent ombudsman.”

    Sinclair added that proposals “were suggested as collaborative efforts between the ABC affiliates and the ABC network.”

    “While ABC and Disney have not yet adopted these measures, and Sinclair respects their right to make those decisions under our network affiliate agreements, we believe such measures could strengthen trust and accountability,” the company said. 

    “Our decision to preempt this program was independent of any government interaction or influence. Free speech provides broadcasters with the right to exercise judgment as to the content on their local stations. While we understand that not everyone will agree with our decisions about programming, it is simply inconsistent to champion free speech while demanding that broadcasters air specific content,” Sinclair continued. “As a company rooted in local stations, Sinclair remains committed to serving our communities with programming that reflects their priorities, earns their trust, and promotes constructive dialogue. We look forward to continuing to work with ABC to deliver content that serves a broad spectrum of our communities.”

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

    We Need 100% GOP Unity – Take 2 Minutes to Confirm Now! One Missing Verification Weakens Our Fight — Don’t Be the Missing Piece.

    Media Personality Claims Tucker Carlson Is Frontrunner to Succeed Trump

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    6
    Tucker Carlson via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Swisher and Galloway were discussing the decline of television in the wake of Kimmel’s suspension from ABC when the conversation turned to podcasters.

    “I think, look, we got to just burn those ships and move on. That’s the thing, because this is how Trump lives. He lives in the 80s in his head, so CBS, ABC, and NBC are the be-all and end-all,” Swisher argued.

    “But they’re not. They’re not influential anymore. We should just move along and make our stuff. We should grow and conservative outlets should grow, whatever it happens to be. I was, although I think Tucker Carlson’s really– something’s going on with him. When he’s articulated, it was absolutely right,” Swisher added.

    “We both have our issues with Tucker. I think Tucker right now is the most likely nominee for the Republican nomination. I think he has been very good lately,” Galloway replied — referring to Carlson’s warning against any kind of free speech crackdown following Kirk’s murder.

    “Well, he’s consistent at least,” Swisher agreed.

    “About housing, for young people, he comes across as intellectually honest. He comes across as courageous, not afraid to go against his own party. And I realize I’m talking our own book here,” Galloway continued, adding:

    Our downloads are up 10 percent in the last 30 days. And guess what? Everyone from Megyn Kelly to Joe Rogan, you’re going to see a lot, increasingly people turn to podcasts like The Daily, because The New York Times is fearless and does the work.

    You’re just going to see media that is not scared of Brendan Carr, or can’t be controlled by Brendan Carr. Boom, because people are really interested in what’s going on, and they like fearless. You know, I’ll give you an example, Don Lemon.

    Watch:

    President Donald Trump is FEARLESS! Unity. Peace. Make America Great Again. [Step up NOW and support Trump]

    ‘The View’ Host Admits She ‘Knew’ Her Question Sank Kamala’s White House Bid

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    2
    Gage Skidmore Flickr

    The truth hurts…

    A panel member from “The View” admitted that her question to Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential election was more than likely a contributing factor to her unsuccessful campaign.

    Co-host of “The View” Sunny Hostin admitted on Tuesday that she had known in real time that her question — about what she might have done differently than then-President Joe Biden — could cost then Vice President Kamala Harris the 2024 presidential election.

    Harris joined the hosts of ABC’s “The View” for their midday broadcast, where they discussed her upcoming memoir titled “107 Days” — which details the short-lived and ill-fated campaign upon which she embarked just hours after Biden announced his plan to withdraw from the race.

    Cohost Alyssa Farah Griffin raised the question about the overall mood of the country at the time, asking whether Harris and her team might have missed signs indicating that Americans were desperate for a seismic shift away from Biden — and already viewed her, his vice president, as an extension of his presidency.

    “Understanding that many people saw you as an extension of Joe Biden, were there glaring warning signs that, when there’s only two options to vote on, that you missed going into election day?” Griffin asked.

    “I’m a loyal person, and I didn’t fully appreciate how much people wanted to know there was a difference between me and president Biden,” Harris replied. “I thought it was obvious, and I didn’t want to offer a difference in a way that would be received or suggested to be a criticism, and, you know, in the campaign full-time I was pointing out the differences.”

    Hostin, who initially asked Harris the question heard around the world — what might Harris have done differently from Biden — said that she had understood the weight of the vice president’s non-answer in the moment.

    “You write you had no idea you just pulled the pin on a hand grenade. In the moment, I knew,” Hostin said, and then argued that the real problem wasn’t Harris and her inability to answer the question, but the way that Trump’s campaign had made use of it. “The Trump campaign weaponized your answer against you; my question.”

    Hostin asked Harris whether she felt like that question — and her answer — had tipped the election.

    “Because Sunny doesn’t want to take the blame,” Joy Behar quipped.

    “I absolve you,” Harris said to Hostin

    We Need 100% GOP Unity – Take 2 Minutes to Confirm Now! One Missing Verification Weakens Our Fight — Don’t Be the Missing Piece.

    Judge Tosses Trump’s Lawsuit Against New York Times

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    A federal judge on Friday tossed out Donald Trump’s $15 billion defamation lawsuit against the New York Times over its content, calling it a “decidedly improper” effort to attack an adversary.

    A federal judge in Florida threw out President Trump’s lawsuit against the New York Times on Friday, saying the complaint his attorneys filed earlier this week against the newspaper is too long and needs to be truncated to be considered.

    “A complaint is not a megaphone for public relations or a podium for a passionate oration at a political rally or the functional equivalent of the Hyde Park Speakers’ Corner,” Judge Steven Merryday, an appointee of former President George H. W. Bush, wrote in the order, saying his court was not a venue for Trump to “rage against an adversary.”

    A complaint should “fairly, precisely, directly, soberly, and economically inform the defendants … of the nature and content of the claims,” Merryday wrote. “A complaint is not a public forum for vituperation and invective – not a protected platform to rage against an adversary.”

    Merryday gave Trump 28 days to file an amended complaint of no more than 40 pages. 

    Earlier this week, President Donald Trump filed a $15 billion defamation and libel lawsuit against The New York Times, accusing the paper of being a virtual “mouthpiece” for the Democrat Party and making an illegal “campaign contribution” in 2024 to opponent Kamala Harris.

    Trump announced the lawsuit late Monday on Truth Social and said it would be brought in Florida. This marks yet another legal action taken by the president against a major media organization after forcing settlements with ABC News and CBS News over the past year.

    “Today, I have the Great Honor of bringing a $15 Billion Dollar Defamation and Libel Lawsuit against The New York Times, one of the worst and most degenerate newspapers in the History of our Country, becoming a virtual ‘mouthpiece’ for the Radical Left Democrat Party. I view it as the single largest illegal Campaign contribution, EVER,” he wrote. “Their Endorsement of Kamala Harris was actually put dead center on the front page of The New York Times, something heretofore UNHEARD OF!”

    Charlie Gave Everything for America – Will You Step Up Today?

    Trump Announces $15 Billion Lawsuit Against The New York Times

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    2
    Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    President Donald Trump has filed a $15 billion defamation and libel lawsuit against The New York Times, accusing the paper of being a virtual “mouthpiece” for the Democrat Party and making an illegal “campaign contribution” in 2024 to opponent Kamala Harris.

    Trump announced the lawsuit late Monday on Truth Social and said it would be brought in Florida. This marks yet another legal action taken by the president against a major media organization after forcing settlements with ABC News and CBS News over the past year.

    “Today, I have the Great Honor of bringing a $15 Billion Dollar Defamation and Libel Lawsuit against The New York Times, one of the worst and most degenerate newspapers in the History of our Country, becoming a virtual ‘mouthpiece’ for the Radical Left Democrat Party. I view it as the single largest illegal Campaign contribution, EVER,” he wrote. “Their Endorsement of Kamala Harris was actually put dead center on the front page of The New York Times, something heretofore UNHEARD OF!”

    Trump accused the Times of engaging in a decadeslong campaign of “lying” about him, his business, family, and the MAGA movement.

    “I am PROUD to hold this once respected ‘rag’ responsible, as we are doing with the Fake News Networks such as our successful litigation against George Slopadopoulos/ABC/Disney, and 60 Minutes/CBS/Paramount, who knew that they were falsely ‘smearing’ me through a highly sophisticated system of document and visual alteration, which was, in effect, a malicious form of defamation, and thus, settled for record amounts. They practiced this longterm INTENT and pattern of abuse, which is both unacceptable and illegal. The New York Times has been allowed to freely lie, smear, and defame me for far too long, and that stops, NOW! The suit is being brought in the Great State of Florida. Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

    In the lawsuit, Trump said he had to overcome “persistent election interference from the legacy media,” that was led by the Times. 

    “All across our country, Americans from a wide array of backgrounds saw the truth about him and voted accordingly—the same truth that the New York Times refused to recognize as it continued spreading false and defamatory content about President Trump,” the suit states.

    The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for Florida’s Middle District. The named defendants are the New York Times Company, reporters Susanne Craig, Russ Buettner, Peter Baker and Michael S. Schmidt, and Penguin Random House, which published “Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father’s Fortune and Created the Illusion of Success,” which was authored by Craig and Buettner.

    The New York Times endorsed Harris in 2024, no surprise in that its editorial board leans sharply to the left and has not endorsed a Republican for the White House since 1956. In its explanation, the board began by panning Trump as dangerously unfit rather than praising Harris.

    “It is hard to imagine a candidate more unworthy to serve as president of the United States than Donald Trump. He has proved himself morally unfit for an office that asks its occupant to put the good of the nation above self-interest,” the board wrote.

    The 85-page lawsuit called the endorsement “deranged” and also said “Lucky Loser” was a false and defamatory book. In 2023, a judge dismissed a lawsuit that he brought against the New York Times in 2021 for its prior reporting on his finances and claims he’d engaged in suspect tax maneuvers.

    gov.uscourts.flmd.447437.1.0Download

    Trump has already secured eight-figure settlements over suits he filed against ABC News and CBS News over the past year. 

    Veterans Paid the Price to Protect Tom Homan — Will You Stand With Them? [JOIN THE FIGHT]
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