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Ex-Trump Admin. Official Wins Race for Montana House Seat

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Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

The GOP is inching closer to securing a majority in the House of Representatives as former Trump Administration official Ryan Zinke declares victory in Montana’s newly created 1st Congressional District.

Zinke, the former interior secretary during the Trump administration, beat Democrat opponent Monica Tranel the Associated Press reported on Thursday.

According to The Washington Examiner:

Prior to Tuesday’s election, Zinke’s and Tranel’s campaigns both focused on affordability, though Zinke also focused on inflation and spending, while Tranel focused on growth. To combat inflation, Zinke has suggested slowing federal spending and has advocated more action to lower energy costs, according to KTVH.

“The things that are hurting are inflation — energy costs too much, fertilizer’s too much,” he said during a debate in Bozeman last month.

Ahead of the election, Tranel highlighted her four-point affordability plan, which calls for investing in the American workforce and domestic manufacturing, as well as standing up against corporate consolidation. To fix the housing situation, Tranel said during last month’s debate that she wants to expand tax credits for affordable developments and put restrictions on corporations that have been purchasing homes for investment purposes.

Report: Obama Privately Warns That Trump Is ‘More Formidable’ Than Dems Realize

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The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Former President Obama reportedly had a private meeting with President Biden this summer where he warned him that former President Trump is a “more formidable candidate” than many Democrats realize. 

Two people familiar with the meeting informed Washington Post White House reporter Tyler Pager about the private lunch Obama had with Biden in June where the former president told Biden not to underestimate Trump and pledged to support Biden’s re-election bid.

According to the sources, Obama “voiced concern about Donald Trump’s political strengths — including an intensely loyal following, a Trump-friendly conservative media ecosystem and a polarized country — underlining his worry that Trump could be a more formidable candidate than many Democrats realize.”

As such, the 44th president “promised to do all he could to help the president get reelected,” which, Pager added, “was a welcome gesture for the White House at a time when Biden is eager to lock down promises of help from top Democrats.”

The report said, “During their lunch, Obama made it clear his concerns were not about Biden’s political abilities, but rather a recognition of Trump’s iron grip on the Republican Party.”

Regarding Obama’s pledge to help Biden’s campaign, Pager noted how the former president’s aides say he “will reprise his playbook from recent elections.” 

New York Court Rules On Trump Gag Order

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Gavel via Wikimedia Commons Image

On Tuesday, New York’s highest court declined to hear Donald Trump’s appeal on the gag order in his hush-money case.

The gag order, issued by Judge Juan Merchan in the criminal case against Trump, remains in effect.

CNN has more:

In their filing with the appeals court, Trump’s attorneys argued that the case presents “substantial constitutional questions of the highest importance.”

“This Gag Order restricts President Trump’s core political speech on matters of central importance at the height of his Presidential campaign, where he is the leading candidate, and thus it violates the fundamental right of every American voter to hear from the leading candidate for President on matters of enormous public importance,” his attorneys wrote.

If the Court of Appeals did find the gag order unconstitutional, Trump’s attorneys wrote it would “undermine the justification” for the fines Trump received for his violations.

In their own filing, Bragg’s office urged the court to dismiss the appeal, arguing that Trump has a “well-documented history of leveling threatening, inflammatory, and denigrating remarks against trial participants.”

Judge Juan Merchan granted prosecutors’ request for a gag order that precluded Trump from making public statements about any witnesses in the case, jurors, prosecutors, court staff, or members of their family. Trump was not restricted from commenting on the judge or Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

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

Trump Lawyers Seek to Delay Mar-a-Lago Documents Trial

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Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Trump’s legal team is requesting a judge to delay the upcoming trial concerning the former president’s alleged mishandling of classified documents after leaving the White House.

“The government’s request to begin a trial of this magnitude within six months of indictment is unreasonable, telling, and would result in a miscarriage of justice,” they wrote in the brief.

“The Government appears to favor an expedited (and therefore cursory) approach to this case,” they added.

Trump’s attorneys also argue the trial will hinder the former president’s campaign abilities.

“The Court now presides over a prosecution advanced by the administration of a sitting President against his chief political rival, himself a leading candidate for the Presidency of the United States,” the filing reads.

“Therefore, a measured consideration and timeline that allows for a careful and complete review of the procedures that led to this indictment and the unprecedented legal issues presented herein best serves the interests of the Defendants and the public.”

The Justice Department has requested a Dec. 11 trial date. Judge Aileen Cannon had earlier set an initial August trial date, which the filing also asks her to withdraw.

The filing from Trump’s attorneys also notes the magnitude of the unclassified discovery swiftly turned over after Trump’s arraignment, including more than 800,000 pages. 

Attorneys for Trump’s co-defendant Walt Nauta, Trump’s valet who was spotted on security camera footage moving boxes in and out of a Mar-a-Lago storage room, also signed onto the filing. Last week, Nauta pleaded not guilty in a Miami courtroom. (RELATED: Trump Valet Pleads Not Guilty in Mar-A-Lago Case)

MyPillow CEO Makes Emotional Plea Following Smartmatic Court Loss

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Mike Lindell via Gage Skidmore Flickr

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell told a judge he has no money left to pay the sanctions imposed against him in a defamation case brought by voting technology company Smartmatic.

“I’m in ruins,” Lindell said tearfully during a virtual hearing before U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols on Wednesday, according to a report from ABC News. “I borrowed everything I can. Nobody will lend me any money anymore.”

Lindell was ordered to pay $56,369 in sanctions to Smartmatic, which sued him for defamation in 2022 over his baseless claims that the company helped rig the 2020 presidential election against President Donald Trump.

A judge previously labeled a countersuit Lindell filed as “frivolous” and imposed the fine to cover Smartmatic’s legal costs.

Lindell said he was not even able to pay the judgment in installments.

“I can’t turn back time … but I will tell you, I don’t have any money,” he told the judge.

The embattled pillow executive described a steep financial downfall, claiming he was forced to let hundreds of employees go.

He also said he lost several MyPillow warehouses and owes millions to the IRS. Lindell told Nichols his only possessions were two homes and a truck he was trying to sell for cash.

He asked Nichols to postpone any payments until after a final judgment is issued in the case.

According to ABC News, Nichols asked Lindell on Wednesday for proof that he was in financial ruin. He described Lindell’s claims as “non-verifiable” and gave him until Friday to submit proof he was bankrupt.

“I have nothing to hide,” Lindell reportedly told Nichols. “I want Smartmatic to see the financial situation I’m in as well.”

Smartmatic filed a motion to hold Lindell in contempt of court for his failure to comply with the sanctions order, accusing him of dodging payments.

Federal Judge Rejects Bid To Keep Trump Off West Virginia Ballot

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Gavel via Wikimedia Commons Image

On Thursday, a federal judge rejected the latest attempt to keep Donald Trump off the 2024 primary ballot in West Virginia.

Obama-appointed district judge Irene Berger ruled that John Anthony Castro, the little-known presidential candidate who brought the lawsuit to remove Trump, lacked standing to sue. 

“The evidence establishes that [Castro] has no campaign offices, staff, or advertising in West Virginia, does not appear in polling, has little name recognition among West Virginia Republican primary voters, and has extremely minimal campaign funds, vastly insufficient to run an actual campaign,” Berger wrote. “If there were any question as to whether the allegations in the complaint are sufficient to overcome a facial challenge, the evidentiary submissions remove any doubt that Mr. Castro’s purported ‘campaign’ exists as a vehicle for pursuing litigation, not votes.”

Federal judges in Arizona and Rhode Island likewise found Castro lacked standing because he is not seriously running for office. 

The decision comes days after Colorado’s Supreme Court ruled Trump was ineligible to appear on the state’s ballot under Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment, likely teeing up a Supreme Court battle.

“This is a big win for the integrity of our elections,” said Republican West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey in a statement, according to News and Sentinel. “This lawsuit was frivolous to begin with and without merit – it had no basis in either law or fact. Any eligible candidate has the right to be on the ballot unless legally disqualified, and we will defend the laws of West Virginia and the right of voters and candidates to the fullest.”

Trump Says He Has $100M In Legal Fees Amid Cascade of Court Battles

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Image via Pixabay free images

Former President Trump said in Iowa that he has more than $100 million in combined legal fees as he faces an onslaught of court battles.

In a speech to supporters in Sioux City, Iowa, Trump claimed he lost billions of dollars going into politics and lamented the cost of his legal fees. 

Trump claimed he turned down multiple opportunities to make money during his presidency because, he said, it would be a conflict of interest, and “I have too much respect for the office.”

“It’s cost me a couple of billion dollars to be a politician. Everyone else makes, they make [money]. I said, ‘No, we can’t do that.’ I could have made a fortune. The countries are coming [and saying,] ‘We’d like to build a job and we’d like to have you involved.’ Billions. I say, I tell my kids, ‘Sorry, kids, we can’t do it. I’m president.’ I respected the office,” Trump said.

“And of course, then they made it much worse with legal fees. I have $100 million worth of legal fees,” Trump said. “And they’re doing good. At least I have good lawyers, because you can spend $100 million and have lousy lawyers too. It happens.”

The four criminal cases against Trump include two federal cases brought by special counsel Jack Smith, who charged Trump with 37 felony counts.

Report: Top Hegseth Advisor Placed On Administrative Leave

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

A top advisor to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was escorted out of the Pentagon on Tuesday and placed on administrative leave, according to a Defense Department official. 

Dan Caldwell had been placed on leave for an “unauthorized disclosure” of information amid an investigation into Pentagon leaks an official confirmed to Fox News Digital that Reuters’ initial reporting is accurate but declined to comment on an ongoing investigation. 

Last month the Defense Department announced a probe into “recent unauthorized disclosures of national security information” and said it planned to use polygraphs to determine the source of leaks. 

“The use of polygraphs in the execution of this investigation will be in accordance with applicable law and policy,” DOD Chief of Staff Joe Kasper wrote in a memo. “This investigation will commence immediately and culminate in a report to the Secretary of Defense.”

He wrote that “information identifying a party responsible for an unauthorized disclosure” would be referred for criminal prosecution.”

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

Ex-Trump Aide Says She Won’t Vote For Former President

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Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Former Trump aide Sarah Matthews is turning her back on her old boss…

On Monday, Matthews said she would not cast for Trump in November.

“When we have a candidate on the ballot who will not uphold the Constitution, then I feel like I have to put policy aside” Matthews said on MSNBC’s “Inside with Jen Psaki.”

“And I wanna support the person who is best suited to defeat Donald Trump,” she added in the clip, highlighted by Mediaite.

“I think it’s my duty to pick the person I think would do the least harm to the country,” Barr said on Fox News’s “America’s Newsroom.” “And in my mind, that’s — I will vote the Republican ticket.”

Matthews said she has talked with a lot of Republicans, including high-ranking elected officials, who “bash” Trump privately. But, she added, “many of them will not even say it publicly.” 

“What they often say is that they’re supporting him because of the policies, that they want the conservative agenda. And where I get really frustrated is that they’re treating this like it’s a normal election, a normal Republican candidate and a normal Democratic candidate,” Matthews continued. “Well, this couldn’t be anything further from the case.”

Democrat Senator Openly Backs Trump’s Iran Proposal

Gage Skidmore Flickr

President Donald Trump said Monday that the United States and Israel have already destroyed Iran’s nuclear program and warned that Tehran would face renewed military action if it attempts to rebuild its weapons capabilities. His remarks came as new reports allege the Iranian regime is pursuing chemical and biological warheads for its ballistic missiles.

Speaking at Mar-a-Lago alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump delivered a blunt warning to Tehran over its nuclear and missile ambitions.

“Now I hear that Iran is trying to build up again, and if they are, we’re going to have to knock them down,” Trump said. “We’ll knock the hell out of them.” He added that Iran would be “much smarter” to pursue a deal.

Trump framed Iran’s defeat as central to restoring stability in the Middle East, crediting joint U.S.-Israeli military action with fundamentally shifting the regional balance of power.

“We just won a big war together,” he said. “If we didn’t beat Iran, you wouldn’t have had peace in the Middle East. We wiped it out.”

When asked whether he would support further Israeli military action if Iran continues advancing its missile or nuclear programs, Trump responded without hesitation.

“If they continue with the missiles — yes,” he said. “The nuclear — absolutely.”

Pressed on whether he would support efforts to overthrow Iran’s ruling regime, Trump declined, while pointing to the country’s internal turmoil and economic collapse.

“I’m not going to talk about overthrow of a regime,” he said. “But they have tremendous inflation. Their economy is busted.”

Trump also noted that widespread protests inside Iran are frequently met with deadly force by the government.

The president’s comments followed a report Sunday from Iran International alleging that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is accelerating work on unconventional missile payloads, including chemical and biological weapons. The report cited unnamed military and security sources.

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) echoed Trump’s hardline stance in a Monday post on X, saying he would support military strikes to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

“Iran can’t ever develop a nuclear weapon,” Fetterman wrote.

“Fully supported the strike earlier this year. Fully support any future strikes to damage or destroy their nuclear ambitions,” added Fetterman, a vocal supporter of Israel.