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Trump Decides Fate Of Official After Atlantic Leak

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A major security breach has rocked the White House and left many wondering who will bear the brunt of the consequences.

President Donald Trump is not planning to fire national security advisor Mike Waltz in the wake of The Atlantic’s reporting of an apparent national security breach. A source close to the president told Fox News that Waltz’s job is safe and that he is not on the chopping block. 

Fox News is told Waltz has no plans to resign and is sticking to his schedule Tuesday. He will be talking to his Russian counterpart about a Black Sea ceasefire deal and has plans to speak to Trump as usual later Tuesday.

Waltz is also telling colleagues that he has never met or talked to the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, Fox News has learned.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt released a new statement on Tuesday. The National Security Council earlier said The Atlantic’s report referenced what appeared to be an “authentic message chain.” 

“Jeffrey Goldberg is well-known for his sensationalist spin,” Leavitt wrote, before offering three “facts about his latest story.” Leavitt said no “war plans” were discussed, no classified material was sent to the thread and that the White House Counsel’s Office has provided guidance on a number of different platforms for the president’s top officials to communicate “as safely and efficiently as possible.” 

“As the National Security Council stated, the White House is looking into how Goldberg’s number was inadvertently added to the thread,” Leavitt said. “Thanks to the strong and decisive leadership of President Trump, and everyone in the group, the Houthi strikes were successful and effective. Terrorists were killed and that’s what matters most to President Trump.” 

A senior White House official revealed to Fox News how Goldberg may have been added to the Signal text chain with Cabinet members. (RELATED: Atlantic Journalist Claims Trump Officials Mistakenly Included Him In Classified War Plans Group Chat)

Goldberg was apparently included in a Trump administration group chat on Signal in which top officials debated and then discussed details of attacks against Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly sent the group details including weapons used, targets, and timing — two hours ahead of the attacks, which began on March 15.

Others in the group were Vice President Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe.

From Goldberg’s bombshell story:

On Tuesday, March 11, I received a connection request on Signal from a user identified as Michael Waltz. Signal is an open-source encrypted messaging service popular with journalists and others who seek more privacy than other text-messaging services are capable of delivering. I assumed that the Michael Waltz in question was President Donald Trump’s national security adviser. I did not assume, however, that the request was from the actual Michael Waltz. I have met him in the past, and though I didn’t find it particularly strange that he might be reaching out to me, I did think it somewhat unusual, given the Trump administration’s contentious relationship with journalists—and Trump’s periodic fixation on me specifically. It immediately crossed my mind that someone could be masquerading as Waltz in order to somehow entrap me. It is not at all uncommon these days for nefarious actors to try to induce journalists to share information that could be used against them.

I accepted the connection request, hoping that this was the actual national security adviser, and that he wanted to chat about Ukraine, or Iran, or some other important matter.

Two days later—Thursday—at 4:28 p.m., I received a notice that I was to be included in a Signal chat group. It was called the “Houthi PC small group.” A message to the group, from “Michael Waltz,” read as follows: “Team – establishing a principles [sic] group for coordination on Houthis, particularly for over the next 72 hours. My deputy Alex Wong is pulling together a tiger team at deputies/agency Chief of Staff level following up from the meeting in the Sit Room this morning for action items and will be sending that out later this evening.

Goldberg went on to reveal that Hegseth discussed potentially dangerous classified information in the chat:

It was the next morning, Saturday, March 15, when this story became truly bizarre.
At 11:44 a.m., the account labeled “Pete Hegseth” posted in Signal a “TEAM UPDATE.” I will not quote from this update, or from certain other subsequent texts. The information contained in them, if they had been read by an adversary of the United States, could conceivably have been used to harm American military and intelligence personnel, particularly in the broader Middle East, Central Command’s area of responsibility. What I will say, in order to illustrate the shocking recklessness of this Signal conversation, is that the Hegseth post contained operational details of forthcoming strikes on Yemen, including information about targets, weapons the U.S. would be deploying, and attack sequencing.

Trump National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said in a statement that he informed Goldberg that “This appears to be an authentic message chain, and we are reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain. The thread is a demonstration of the deep and thoughtful policy coordination between senior officials. The ongoing success of the Houthi operation demonstrates that there were no threats to troops or national security.”

Trump was asked about the report during an event with Louisiana officials at the White House shortly after it surfaced. The president maintained he was no fan of the publication and said he had no knowledge of the editor being accidentally included in the chain.

“I don’t know anything about it. I’m not a big fan of The Atlantic; to me it’s a magazine that is going out of business,” Trump said. “I know nothing about it. You’re saying that they had what?”

A reporter responded that Trump officials were using Signal to coordinate on sensitive material and when Trump questioned “having to do with what?” the reporter said, “the Houthis.” Trump replied, “You mean the attack on the Houthis?”

“Well, it couldn’t have been very effective, because the attack was very effective, I can tell you that. I don’t know anything about it. You’re telling me about it for the first time,” Trump added.

Fani Willis’ Fmr. Assistant Drops Courtroom Bombshell

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Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ longtime assistant and “good friend” testified today that she has “no doubt” the besieged Democrat began her extramarital affair with special prosecutor Nathan Wade in 2019. The testimony contradicts Willis’ sworn statements to the court.

The testimony from Robin Yeartie came at a hearing concerning accusations that Willis hired her lover to secure a grand jury indictment against Donald Trump and misused taxpayer money to fund her affair with Wade. The testimony came before the judge overseeing the Georgia election subversion case.

From Fox News:

Robin Yeartie, a former Fulton County DA employee and self-described “good friend” of Willis, said Thursday she has “no doubt” Willis and Wade were in a romantic relationship starting in 2019 to when her and Willis last spoke in 2022. 

This contradicts Wills’ claims in court that she and Wade “have been professional associates and friends since 2019,” and “there was no personal relationship” between her and Wade in November 2021 at the time of Wade’s appointment.

“You have no doubt that their romantic relationship was in effect from 2019 until the last time you spoke with her?” attorney Ashleigh Merchant questioned. 

“No doubt,” Yeartie said.

The accusations against Willis were first made by Michael Roman, a co-defendant and 2020 Trump campaign official, in a court motion to dismiss the case.

This article originally appeared on American Liberty News. Republished with permission.

Ray Epps Charged, Debunks Conspiracy Theory

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

Former Marine Ray Epps has been charged with one count related to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, officially debunking a popular conspiracy theory peddled by former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

According to court documents, Epps was charged with a misdemeanor count of disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds. According to NBC News, “He was charged by information, which suggests that he plans to enter a plea deal.”

Epps, a one-time chapter president for the Oath Keepers, became the subject of controversy after he was not immediately charged for his actions at the Capitol on Jan. 6th.

According to The New York Times, Epps was “seen on video encouraging demonstrators to march with him and enter the Capitol at one point. At another point, however, he pleads for restraint once it becomes clear the situation is turning violent. He also pushes past a police barricade into a restricted part of the Capitol grounds.”

Popular primetime Fox News host Tucker Carlson promoted the conspiracy that Epps was actually an undercover federal agent helping incite the riot. Carlson has since been fired from the network however Epps recently filed a defamation suit against Fox.

“Fox knew it needed a scapegoat for January 6th. It settled on Ray Epps and began promoting the lie that Epps was a federal agent who incited the attack on the Capitol.”

Kim Godwin Steps Down As ABC News President

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Committee to Protect Journalists, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

There’s a shakeup in broadcast journalism…

Over the weekend, ABC News president Kim Godwin announced she is stepping down from her role.

“I have decided to retire from broadcast journalism,” she said in a lengthy statement to company staff. “Anyone who’s passionate about what we do knows there’s no other business like it, so this was not an easy or quick decision. But after considerable reflection, I’m certain it’s the right one for me as I look to the future and prioritize what’s most important for me and my family.”

Disney Networks president Debra OConnell said in a statement, “Dana and I would like to take this opportunity to express our deepest gratitude to Kim for her service as president of ABC News. Kim has navigated this team through consequential times in our world, and she did so with respect for the brand and profession – and for that and more, we thank her.”

Godwin’s decision to retire comes after she struggled to navigate the waters at the network with the news division “suffering from a cutthroat and toxic culture,” the report said.

She reportedly angered people with her leadership style which included making “swift moves” and creating an inner circle that “alienated staffers.”

Former President Donald Trump responded to the news in a post on social media.

“Happy to report that Kim Godwin, Head of ABC, has resigned,” he said. “Could it be the unfair reporting on EVERYTHING TRUMP? In any event, GOOD RIDDANCE! Hopefully somebody else will be able to control George Slopadopolous and the rest of the Fake News Thugs over at ABC? Best wishes Kim!”

Report: Chris Licht Out At CNN

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CNN Headquarters via Wikimedia Commons

Embattled CNN boss Chris Licht is leaving his post following an exposé published by The Atlantic that revealed widespread dissent within the ranks.

The New York Times reports:

Mr. Licht’s 13-month run at CNN was marked by one controversy after another, culminating in his exit earlier this week. He got off to a bumpy start even before he had officially started when he oversaw the shuttering of the pricey CNN+ streaming service at the request of its network’s new owners, who were skeptical about a stand-alone digital product. The cuts resulted in scores of layoffs.

Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN’s parent company, did not respond to a request for comment.

Mr. Licht’s departure represents a dramatic fall not long after he departed as an executive producer of Stephen Colbert’s top-rated late night show and vowed to bring a middle-of-the-road balance to CNN’s journalism. When Mr. Licht took the job, he told friends it was a “calling.”

Puck earlier reported that Mr. Licht was leaving CNN.

Licht hoped to appease CNN’s right-wing critics through the town hall. However, both sides remained dissatisfied with the outcome. Trump’s strongest supporters were upset with host Kaitlan Collins for fact-checking his false claims of election fraud in battleground states. Meanwhile, the network staff and on-air talent were disappointed that the former president received a major platform.

The decision by Licht comes less than a month after the network’s town hall with former President Donald Trump.

Earlier this week, CNN media reporter Oliver Darcy spoke out against Licht’s inability to keep the faith of the employees of the network after an avalanche of bad press.

“There are a wide range of emotions coursing through the halls of CNN. Some staffers are frustrated. Others are angry. Many are sad about the awful state of affairs that has taken hold of an organization they love,” Darcy wrote in his Reliable Sources media newsletter late Monday. “There is one near-universal sentiment, however, that has been communicated to me: Licht has lost the room.”

Puck News’ Dylan Byers reports “Warner Bros. Discovery will announce that Licht will be stepping down as chairman and CEO of CNN” within the next 48 hours.

Byers first reported that Licht had been tapped to lead the cable news network 16 months ago.

Biden Learns the Reason Democrats Don’t Want His Support on the Campaign Trail

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Don Lemon via Wikimedia Commons

Joe Biden just got a brutal reality check from nonother than CNN host Don Lemon.

While co-hosting his new morning show position, Lemon claimed Democrats are ashamed of Biden and are intentionally avoiding inviting him onto the campaign trail in the final days before Election Day.

Lemon, whose words pack a punch considering his own well-documented support of Biden, says candidates are wary of the President’s low approval ratings and “don’t want to be seen with him.” Instead, candidates have opted to invite former President Obama on the trail in hopes of currying favor with undecided voters.

“That’s a big factor in where Biden has been these last few days,” anchor and former Daily Caller reporter Kaitlan Collins said. “He is not going to the places that you’re seeing former President Obama go to. It’s because of that approval rating.”

“A lot of people are not, you know, they don’t want to be seen with the president, quite frankly, and they don’t even want to answer the question about whether they should be running with him or having him on the campaign trail or whether he should be running in 2024,” Lemon added.

According to The Daily Caller, a number of recent polls have signaled Biden’s downturn among Americans

A recent CNN/SSRS poll found Biden’s approval rating at 41% among registered voters, the second lowest of presidential approval ratings ahead of the midterms. The poll surveyed 1,290 registered voters between October 26-31 with a 3.4 margin of error.

Several polls throughout his presidency have consistently found the president’s approval ratings to stand between 30%-40%. More Americans continue to hold a negative view of Biden. Currently, 42% approve of Biden, while 53% disapprove, according to FiveThirtyEight.

Democrats have been hesitant to publicly support Biden’s second term and a number of lawmakers have already signaled their plans to support other Democrats candidates.

Ohio Democrat Senate candidate Tim Ryan hasn’t been shy about the fact he hopes Biden will abandon his 2024 plans. During an October debate against Republican opponent J.D. Vance, Ryan said Democrats need a “generational change.” (RELATED: Ohio Democrat Candidate Says Biden Should Not Run for President in 2024)

“I’ve been very clear. I’d like to see a generational change,” Ryan at the time.

“Mitch McConnell, Donald Trump, the president, everybody,” the Senate candidate added. “We need a new generation of leadership.”

Former House Speaker Gets Unexpected Endorsement Amid RNC Shakeup

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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.

On Tuesday night multiple outlets reported that Republican National Committee (RNC) chair Ronna McDaniel plans to step down after the South Carolina primary.

McDaniel has faced pressure from party figures who have expressed dissatisfaction with the direction of the RNC and its lack of finances heading into a 2024 general election. 

In a statement to The Hill, RNC spokesperson Keith Schipper said, “Nothing has changed. This will be decided after South Carolina.”

McDaniel has spoken with former President Trump about her resignation, according to The New York Times, which first reported on the news. They met Monday at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s home in Palm Beach, Fla. 

After reports surfaced that McDaniel may soon leave her post rumors quickly began to circulate that McCarthy could be a candidate to replace her.

In an unexpected twist, McCarthy’s known rival Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) fully endorsed the idea.

“I fully endorse Kevin McCarthy for RNC Chair. Kevin is well organized and a very high-revenue fundraiser. He will also be well-liked by the RNC Committee,” argued Gaetz. “The RNC Chair doesn’t make any policy decisions, set any agenda, or negotiate against Democrats, ever. Kevin would be terrific.”

The RNC’s fundraising dipped in 2023. The committee raised $87.2 million in 2023, but ended the year with $8 million left, according to its year-end filing with the Federal Election Commission.

No Labels Ends 2024 Unity Ticket Plan

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Missvain, CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Despite voting to proceed with its bid to shake up the 2024 presidential election, the centrist group No Labels announced Thursday that it is scrapping its plans to field a third-party candidate this year.

“Americans remain more open to an independent presidential run, and hungrier for unifying national leadership, than ever before,” stated the organization. “But No Labels has always said we would only offer our ballot line to a ticket if we could identify candidates with a credible path to winning the White House. No such candidates emerged, so the responsible course of action is for us to stand down.” (RELATED: Popular Dem Strategist Blames ‘Preachy Females’ For Disappointing Polls)

Last month, 800 delegates from all 50 states convened for a private meeting to approve the organization’s increasingly desperate plan to push an independent ticket.

In a press release, No Labels National Convention Chair Mike Rawlings asserted that voters remained extremely dissatisfied with Joe Biden and Donald Trump, making a case for a third-party candidacy.

The group indicated that they were open to both Democrats and Republicans and would ideally serve as a “unity” option for anyone disillusioned by partisan politics.

However, on March 18, former Georgia Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan (R) announced his withdrawal from consideration to run on a third-party presidential ticket backed by No Labels. (RELATED: Former Republican Lieutenant Governor Tells CNN Trump Has Values Of ‘Axe Murderer’)

“It was an honor to be approached, and I am grateful to all those who are engaged in good-faith efforts to offer Americans a better choice than the Trump vs. Biden re-match,” Duncan said in a statement.

Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) has chosen to run for the U.S. Senate as a Republican instead of launching a third-party bid for the White House. Additionally, former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley (S.C.), Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman (R) all made clear they were not interested in running.

Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News

Ex-Superior Court Judge Calls For Putting Trump ‘In a Jail Cell’ 

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Image via Pixabay

Yikes.

A former judge told CNN on Sunday that Donald Trump should be jailed if he violates the latest gag order.

CNN anchor Omar Jimenez spoke with former Superior Court Judge LaDoris Cordell as his guest on Sunday to discuss Trump’s latest social media attacks on New York Judge Juan Merchan and his family.

Cordell said that after going through the initial steps of warnings and fines, it was time for Trump to face what any other American would face in his situation if he violates another gag order: jail time.

According to Mediaite, Jimenez noted that Trump was “testing the limits” of his gag order, with Cordell agreeing that “he’s tiptoeing very close to the line.” However, Jimenez pointed out that Trump was not known for his restraint and asked, “What happens when Trump breaks that gag order on Truth Social or otherwise?”

[Y]ou said “when” and not “if,” and I think you’re right, Omar. When he steps across then gag order line, and I do hope that will be expanded, there should be only one response: “Bring your toothbrush, Donald Trump, because you’re going to sit in a jail cell for a while.” There has to be an immediate consequence when he defies a court order. That is a normal response. You cannot have a court system that is subjected to these kinds of threats and intimidation. Nowhere else has this ever happened and gone on without any consequences, and that has to change, and it has to change now.

Prior to that, Cordell explained that Trump’s threats are never empty and that the lives of the people he names in his posts are genuinely at risk:

What people should know, first off, is that this is not normal. Attacks upon our legal system, attacks on judges, witnesses, jurors, court staff, lawyers, and their families, it’s not normal. I’ve presided over thousands of hearings and trials during my nearly 20 years as a trial judge, and never did any defendants in my courtroom show such disrespect for the court system as was shown by Donald Trump. And occasionally I had to warn a defendant to conduct himself properly, but a warning was usually sufficient. In this instance, Trump’s words are clearly intended to intimidate, threaten, and incite violence against the people he names in the words coming out of his mouth and on social media.

So what he’s doing, he’s literally thumbing his nose at the courts, and he’s making a mockery of the legal system. And we know this because he has cautioned, he has never once, never cautioned his followers to abstain from making threats and otherwise attack his targets. He wants to put people in fear for their lives by having his followers do his dirty work. So almost the job of a trial judge is to ensure a fair trial for both sides and to manage the courtroom to ensure law and order. So when you have a disrupter like Donald Trump, judges have tools to rein them in. They have warnings, you got fines, you got gag orders, you got incarceration. And warnings and fines haven’t worked with Trump.

Trump Adviser Sentenced To Four Months In Prison

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Image via Pixabay

On Thursday, former Trump adviser Peter Navarro was sentenced to four months in prison for refusing to comply with a congressional investigation into the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

Last year, Navarro was convicted of two counts of contempt of Congress: one for failing to produce documents related to the probe and another for skipping his deposition. 

The Hill has more:

Prosecutors argued Thursday that Navarro showed “utter disregard” for the House committee’s probe and “utter contempt for the rule of law.” They asked the judge to impose a six-month prison term.

“The committee was investigating an attack on the very foundation of our democracy,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney John Crabb. “There could be no more serious investigation undertaken by Congress.”

The Justice Department (DOJ) has pushed back against claims Navarro’s sentence was politically motivated.

“It’s unfortunate that the statements mislead. They mislead,” Mehta said. “Nancy Pelosi is not responsible for this prosecution; Joe Biden isn’t responsible for the prosecution. It’s those kinds of statements from someone who knows better… that contributes to why our politics are so divisive.”

“Punishing Dr. Navarro won’t fix or change that,” Navarro attorney Stanley Woodward later said of the political climate.

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