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Watch: Drunk Driver Crashes Into Biden’s Secret Service Motorcade

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Police image via Pixabay free images

On Sunday night, a car crashed into part of President Joe Biden‘s motorcade near his Delaware campaign headquarters.

President Biden looked stunned as a sedan hit a U.S. Secret Service vehicle being used to close off intersections as Biden was walking from the campaign office to his waiting armored SUV. 

The sedan then tried to continue into a closed-off intersection, before Secret Service personnel surrounded the vehicle with weapons drawn and instructed the driver to put his hands up.

On Monday morning, authorities said the 46-year-old driver had been charged with driving a vehicle under the influence of alcohol and inattentive driving. 

This article was republished with permission from American Liberty News.

Michigan Appeals Court Rules On Trump Ballot Challenge

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Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

On Thursday, the Michigan Court of Appeals sided with former President Donald Trump, ruling the Republican candidate can appear on the state’s primary ballot.

While the appeals court upheld two lower court decisions the Court declined to decide whether Trump should be disqualified under the 14th Amendment, which bars those who previously took an oath to uphold the Constitution but later “engaged in insurrection” from holding office again.

The Hill has more:

The court determined that the former president’s spot on the general election ballot was not ripe for consideration. 

“It would be improper to decide whether to grant a declaration that Trump is disqualified from holding the office of President of the United States at this time,” the 3-0 opinion reads. “At the moment, the only event about to occur is the presidential primary election.”

Regarding his spot on Michigan’s primary ballot, the secretary of state has “no discretion” to decide not to place him — or any other candidate identified as a primary candidate by a state political party — on the ballot.

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

House Greenlights Biden Impeachment Inquiry

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Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

The U.S. House of Representatives voted on Wednesday evening to formalize an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.

The Republican resolution passed on a party line vote of 221-212. Earlier in the day, Hunter Biden defied the House Oversight Committee’s subpoena to testify behind closed doors, pushing lawmakers to initiate contempt of Congress proceedings.

The Hill continues:

The resolution makes official an inquiry into Biden that has been underway for months, after former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in September said that various GOP probes into the president would be under the umbrella of impeachment — but did not hold an official vote. 

Republicans have said they moved to formalize the inquiry in part because the White House responded to document requests last month with a letter that argued their inquiry was unconstitutional due to the lack of a vote, citing a Trump-era legal opinion.

“We’re very pleased with the vote today. I think that’s it a message loud and clear to the White House. We expect you to comply,” House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.), who is leading one of the arms of the probe, said after the vote.

President Biden ripped House Republicans for what he called a “baseless political stunt.”

After the vote, the president released a statement, saying in part: “I wake up every day focused on the issues facing the American people – real issues that impact their lives, and the strength and security of our country and the world. Unfortunately, House Republicans are not joining me.”

On the Senate side, some Republicans remain skeptical of the investigation’s most salacious allegations. If the House votes to approve articles of impeachment against Biden, it will be imperative to win over the following holdouts:

  • Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), who stated that no evidence had been found of wrongdoing by President Biden himself. However, he added that if such evidence is uncovered, it would be critical and important. “But we haven’t seen that yet,” he added.
  • Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of the chamber’s GOP leadership, said,”I don’t see any evidence there” before conceding that “The House is going to do what the House is going to do. I don’t have any influence.”
  • Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) argued that Republicans have not learned from the Democrats’ strategic mistakes in their first impeachment of former President Trump. According to Rounds, the Senate did not have sufficient evidence to convict Trump during the impeachment trial. Democrats “were trying to develop it in the trial.” Rounds emphasized that House Republicans must provide clear and incontrovertible evidence of impeachable offenses before bringing it to trial before the Senate. If they fail to do so, their actions will be deemed as “crying wolf.”

The inquiry is investigating the finances of the Biden family, treatment of Hunter Biden by the Justice Department and Hunter’s alleged influence-peddling scheme.

This article was republished with permission from American Liberty News.

Report: Special Counsel To Use Trump White House Cell Data In Election Interference Case

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

New filings show special counsel Jack Smith plans to call witnesses who have analyzed data extracted from former President Trump’s cell phone in the federal election interference case.

Smith reportedly plans to bring in experts for testimony, including one who can weigh in on Trump’s Twitter habits and another who has analyzed the movement of the crowd following the President’s speech on Jan. 6th, 2021.

Prosecutors on the election interference case also extracted data from Trump’s White House cell phone, and that of an aide, described in the filing only as “Individual 1.”

The expert, who is unnamed in the court filing, reviewed how Trump and the aid used their phone throughout the post-election period, and has “specifically identified the periods of time during which the defendant’s phone was unlocked and the Twitter application was open on Jan. 6.” 

It’s unclear the extent of the information prosecutors have from Trump’s phone, though the filing says the expert analyzed “images found on the phones and websites visited.”

A separate expert prosecutors plan to bring in will analyze how a crowd of Trump supporters moved in response to his speech which included calls to “march towards the Capitol.”

The expert “plotted the location history data for Google accounts and devices associated with individuals who moved, on January 6, 2021, from an area at or near the Ellipse to an area encompassing the United States Capitol building.”

Their review “will aid the jury in understanding the movements of individuals toward the Capitol area during and after the defendant’s speech at the Ellipse.”

Hunter Biden Lawyers Seek To Dismiss Delaware Gun Charges

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President Joe Biden hugs his family during the 59th Presidential Inauguration ceremony in Washington, Jan. 20, 2021. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris took the oath of office on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol. (DOD Photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Carlos M. Vazquez II)

Hunter Biden’s legal team has filed a motion to dismiss the indictment against him over gun charges in Delaware.

Earlier this year, special counsel David Weiss charged Hunter Biden with making a false statement in the purchase of a firearm; making a false statement related to information required to be kept by a federal firearms licensed dealer; and one count of possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance. 

The president’s son pleaded not guilty to all counts in October before a sweetheart plea deal fell through.

Biden’s lawyers are attempting to have the indictment dismissed by saying it “violates” the collapsed plea agreement and maintain it is “still in effect” between the president’s son and federal prosecutors. 

Fox News has more:

“The Indictment against Mr. Biden must be dismissed because it violates a Diversion Agreement that is in effect between Mr. Biden and the prosecution,” Lowell argued in the filing. “In exchange for Mr. Biden giving up various rights—including his Fifth Amendment right to remain silent by agreeing to the Statement of Facts drafted by the prosecution and numerous restrictions on his liberty—the prosecution agreed to provide him immunity for any offense concerning his purchase of a firearm (among other offenses).” 

Citing the initial agreement, which Republicans have billed as a “sweetheart plea deal,” Lowell said prosecutors, in July, said they could not bring firearms charges “based on the firearm identified in the factual statement to the Diversion Agreement.” 

“Nevertheless, the prosecution did just that, by subsequently bringing this Indictment charging Mr. Biden with three felony firearm offenses, which all relate to the firearm identified in the Diversion Agreement’s factual statement,” Lowell continued Monday. “Because Mr. Biden gave up valuable rights as part of this contract, in exchange for the prosecution’s promise not to prosecute him, such promise must be fulfilled.”

Last week, Biden was also indicted on tax charges in California.

CNN reported that Hunter was hit with nine counts on charges that include failure to file and pay taxes; evasion of assessment and false or fraudulent tax return.

Biden is facing up to 17 years in prison for his crimes.

Special Counsel Asks Supreme Court To Weigh In On Trump Federal Election Interference Case

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Duncan Lock, Dflock, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Special Counsel Jack Smith asked the Supreme Court to immediately take up former President Trump’s federal 2020 election criminal case, urging the justices to weigh in on Trump’s immunity defense as the former president seeks to have the case tossed entirely.

Citing Trump’s fast-approaching March 4 trial date, Smith asked the Supreme Court to immediately take up the issue.

The Hill has more:

“It is of imperative public importance that respondent’s claims of immunity be resolved by this Court and that respondent’s trial proceed as promptly as possible if his claim of immunity is rejected,” Smith wrote in the filing.

Smith also requested the Supreme Court expedite its consideration of whether to take up the issue. If they do agree to hear it, Smith further asked that the justices expedite their consideration of the case.

“This case presents a fundamental question at the heart of our democracy: whether a former President is absolutely immune from federal prosecution for crimes committed while in office or is constitutionally protected from federal prosecution when he has been impeached but not convicted before the criminal proceedings begin,” Smith wrote in the filing.

This is a breaking news story. Click refresh for the latest updates.

CNN Report Finds Trump Leading In Key Battleground States

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Image via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Bad news for Biden…

The latest CNN poll found former President Donald Trump leading President Joe Biden in Georgia and Michigan after failing to win the states during the 2020 election.

CNN has more:

In Georgia, a state Biden carried by a very narrow margin in 2020, registered voters say they prefer Trump (49%) over Biden (44%) for the presidency in a two-way hypothetical matchup. In Michigan, which Biden won by a wider margin, Trump has 50% support to Biden’s 40%, with 10% saying they wouldn’t support either candidate even after being asked which way they lean. In both Michigan and Georgia, the share of voters who say they wouldn’t support either candidate is at least as large as the margin between Biden and Trump.

Overall, just 35% in Michigan and 39% in Georgia approve of Biden’s job performance, the surveys find, and majorities in both states say his policies have worsened economic conditions in the country (54% in Georgia, 56% in Michigan).

Respondents also noted that President Biden’s age plays a major role in his leadership ability. For months, Republicans and Democrats alike have pointed to Biden’s numerous public gaffes and missteps as signs the President is ineffective and should not serve another term.

Most voters in both states say Biden, who’s 81, does not have the attributes they’re looking for in a president when it comes to his policy positions (57% in Michigan, 56% in Georgia), his ability to understand the problems of people like them (60% in Michigan, 56% in Georgia) or his sharpness and stamina (69% in Michigan, 66% in Georgia).

Fewer in each state say that Trump, who’s 77, falls short of their expectations for a president on those same measures. But Trump fares worse than Biden on temperament – 57% in Michigan and 58% in Georgia say the former president doesn’t have the temperament they’re looking for, compared with about half who say the same about Biden.

Trump and Biden are the clear frontrunners for the GOP and Democrat presidential nominations, setting the stage for a 2020 rematch in 2024.

The polls, conducted by SSRS, also surveyed respondents on how other GOP presidential primary candidates would fare against Biden in the two battleground states.

In a matchup between Nikki Haley and Biden, the former U.N. ambassador would win the general election in both states, according to the polls.

In a hypothetical general election matchup between Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Biden, the sitting president narrowly leads DeSantis by 3 percentage points in Georgia. In Michigan, DeSantis leads Biden by 7 percentage points.

Hunter Biden Indicted In California Tax Probe, Faces 17 Years In Prison

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President Joe Biden hugs his family during the 59th Presidential Inauguration ceremony in Washington, Jan. 20, 2021. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris took the oath of office on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol. (DOD Photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Carlos M. Vazquez II)

On Thursday, the President’s son Hunter Biden was indicted in California on numerous tax charges.

Special Counsel David Weiss has been using a federal grand jury in Los Angeles to gather evidence of possible criminal tax charges against Hunter Biden. 

CNN reported that Hunter was hit with nine counts on charges that include failure to file and pay taxes; evasion of assessment; and false or fraudulent tax return.

Biden is facing up to 17 years in prison for his crimes.

Read the indictment below:

Prosecutors said that Hunter Biden made more than $7 million during that period, which included money that he received from Burisma, CEFC China Energy, and others.

“Between 2016 and October 15, 2020, the Defendant spent this money on drugs, escorts and girlfriends, luxury hotels and rental properties, exotic cars, clothing, and other items of a personal nature, in short, everything but his taxes,” prosecutors said.

Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty in October to federal gun charges in U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware after being charged out of Weiss’ years-long investigation. 

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer attributed Thursday’s indictment to the efforts of “two brave IRS whistleblowers, Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler.” 

“The Department of Justice got caught in its attempt to give Hunter Biden an unprecedented sweetheart plea deal,” Comer said. “Every American should applaud these men for their courage to expose the truth.”

“Unless U.S. Attorney Weiss investigates everyone involved in the Bidens’ fraud schemes and influence peddling, it will be clear President Biden’s DOJ is protecting Hunter Biden and the big guy.”

This is a breaking news story. Click refresh for the latest updates.

McCarthy Announces Early Retirement

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Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that he is resigning from Congress.

The California Republican will leave at the end of the year, setting up a special election before 2024’s U.S. House of Representatives elections.

Multiple Republican lawmakers told Axios last week that the former House Speaker would vacate his long-held congressional seat before the end of the year.

According to the report, McCarthy had reportedly gone so far as to confide in major donors that he intended to “get the hell out” of Congress, further eroding the GOP’s tenuous three-vote majority.

“I have another week or so to decide because if I decide to run again, I have to know in my heart I’m giving 110%,” McCarthy told financial reporter Andrew Ross Sorkin last Wednesday at Manhattan’s DealBook Summit. “I have to know that I want to do that,” the longtime Republican leader continued. “I also have to know if I’m going to walk away, that I’m going to be fine with walking away. And so I’m really taking this time now.”

Reaction to the then-rumors from his Republican colleagues was mixed.

“I mean, why the hell would he stay?,” one Republican lawmaker opined. “Damn shame,” quipped another.

Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz (R), who lead the intra-party rebellion against McCarthy, had an uncompromising take: “I suspect the former speaker will return to spend more time with the people he’s always represented – on Wall Street and K Street. I don’t imagine he’ll be walking the streets of Bakersfield.”

Some Republicans are worried that McCarthy may use his campaign funds to interfere in the primaries of the eight GOP lawmakers who voted for his removal instead of helping to expand the GOP’s majority.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is expected to hold a special election after McCarthy departs at the end of the year.

This article was republished with permission from American Liberty News.

Trump Predicts Biden Won’t Be Democrat Nominee

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Joe Biden via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Trump is calling it now, Biden will not be the Democrats’ nominee for president next year.

“I personally don’t think he makes it,” Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity during a town hall-style event in Davenport, Iowa, on Tuesday. 

“I can’t think of in the last couple of months any appearance that he’d had where he wasn’t either mumbling or bumbling or stumbling or having no clue where to go, where to exit. Now my question is: do you think in 11 months he will be their candidate?” Hannity asked Trump. 

“I think he’s in bad shape physically. Do you remember when he said, ‘I’d like to take him behind the barn’? If he took me behind the barn, and I went like this,” Trump said, puckering to blow air from his mouth, “I believe he’d fall over. I believe he’d fall over, who knows!” 

“And by the way, it was okay for him to say that,” Trump said of Biden’s comment. “He could say that and everybody thought it was so cute. If I ever said it, they’d say, ‘He’s a dictator, he’s a horrible human being.’ You know it’s a whole double standard we have, not only in the law but just about everything else, as you know very well. I personally don’t think he makes it physically. I watched him at the beach. He wasn’t able to lift a beach chair which is meant for children to lift… and mentally I would say he’s possibly equally as bad and maybe worse.” 

Trump has been narrowly topping Biden in head-to-head polls taken over the past several weeks, including in battleground states. A recent poll conducted by The Economist/YouGov found that 51% of respondents believe Trump has done a better job as president, while 41% answered that Biden has done better.