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GOP Presidential Candidate Drops Out, Makes Key Endorsement

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Larry Elder ,Sgt. Jacob Harrer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Conservative talk show host Larry Elder has suspended his presidential campaign and is throwing his support behind former President Donald Trump.

In a statement Thursday evening, Elder expressed gratitude for his supporters and said he was honored by their enthusiasm and grassroots support. He further explained that after assessing his campaign and the state of the race, he had made the “difficult decision” to suspend his campaign.

“Throughout my campaign, I have been steadfast in my belief that the biggest issues facing our nation are the crisis of fatherlessness, the dangerous lie that America is systemically racist, the need for an amendment to the constitution to set federal spending to a fixed percentage of the GDP — otherwise government gets bigger whether Republicans or Democrats are in charge, and the need to remove the Soros-backed DAs across the country who refuse to enforce the law,” he said in a statement.

“The breakdown of the family structure and the absence of positive father figures in the lives of many children have far-reaching consequences for our society, including the crime wave we are currently seeing in America today,” he continued. “I hope that my campaign has helped shine a light on these critical issues and sparked important conversations about how we can solve them.”

In August, Elder made waves after he threatened to sue the Republican National Committee (RNC) for not including him in the first GOP debate. While the RNC determined Elder had failed to meet the required threshold for number of individual donors and polling, he accused them of purposely silencing him.

“I said from the beginning that it appeared the rules of the game were rigged, little did we know just how rigged it is. For some reason, the establishment leaders at the RNC are afraid of having my voice on the debate stage,” he said in an X post at the time.

In his Thursday statement, Elder encourages Republicans to support Trump for president.

“Now that I am exiting the race, I am proud to announce my endorsement of Donald Trump for President of the United States. His leadership has been instrumental in advancing conservative, America-first principles and policies that have benefited our great nation,” Elder said. “We must unite behind Donald Trump to beat Joe Biden and fight back against Biden’s unprecedented election interference and the left’s destruction of America.

“I want to thank my supporters, volunteers, and donors who invested their time, energy, and resources in this campaign. From Iowa to New Hampshire to Nevada and beyond, I am grateful for the opportunity to have met so many incredible Americans who share our values.”

Report: Fulton County DA has Discussed Plea Deals More Trump Co-defendants

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Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

New reports indicate Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has discussed potential plea deals with at least six other co-defendants in the Georgia election interference case.

The new reports from CNN show Willis’ office is clearly trying to have as many defendants flip on Trump as possible.

CNN reports:

Pro-Trump lawyer Robert Cheeley is among those who have been offered a plea deal in the Georgia case but, according to his lawyer, turned it down.

“To say that we are currently in discussions with the DA’s office would be an inaccurate representation of what is going on. They made us an offer some time ago and we declined it,” Cheeley’s attorney Richard Rice said.

Former Coffee County, Georgia, elections supervisor Misty Hampton and former Trump campaign official Mike Roman have also been in contact with the DA’s office about a possible deal, multiple sources said.

CNN has confirmed that three other defendants have also discussed a potential plea deal with Fulton County prosecutors but agreed not to name them after sources expressed concerns about speaking about the case at this phase.

So far, four defendants in the case have accepted plea deals.

Earlier this week, Mark Meadows became the latest co-defendant to agree to testify against Trump in exchange for immunity.

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

Judge Rules On Trump’s Requests for Immediate Verdict in Fraud Trial

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Gage Skidmore Flickr

On Wednesday, former President Trump’s legal team asked for an immediate and direct verdict in the Trump Organization civil trial following testimony from ex-attorney Michael Cohen. 

The request came after Cohen admitted during testimony that the former president did not ask him to inflate his finances on a personal financial statement.

During a second day on the stand, Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer and “fixer,” was asked directly whether Trump asked him to inflate his finances on personal financial statements.

“Trump didn’t ask you to inflate the numbers on his personal statement, correct?” Trump attorney Clifford Roberts asked.

“Correct,” Cohen replied.

After Cohen’s response, Roberts spoke with the former president and fellow defense attorneys and told Judge Arthur Engoron he had no further questions.

Roberts then asked for an immediate, direct verdict in the trial in light of Cohen’s testimony.

Judge Engoron immediately said: “denied.”

New York Attorney General Letitia James’ case accuses Trump, his two adult sons, the Trump Organization, and top executives of falsely inflating the values of Trump’s real estate properties and other assets in order to get tax benefits and better loan terms.

James seeks around $250 million in damages, and she wants to bar Trump and his co-defendants from running another business in New York.

Trump responded to the Judge’s ruling in a series of Truth Social posts Wednesday evening.

“The New York State Attorney Generals case against me is DEAD, but the Radical Left Judge REFUSES to end it. He just can’t let it go,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, repeating his frequent attack on the judge in the case.

“Letitia James should focus on Violent Crime, which is out of control. So unfair. I don’t even get a Jury Trial. A blight on the New York State Judicial System,” he continued. “Businesses are watching all over the world, and never coming in, only moving out. The Governor should get involved.”

He added, “Election Interference by my Political Opponent!”

Trump Fined In Civil Fraud Trial

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Gavel via Wikimedia Commons Image

Former President Trump was fined $10,000 for violating the gag order in his $250 million New York business fraud trial.

Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron ordered Trump to the witness stand and questioned him about comments he made outside of the courtroom.

The surprise calling of Trump to the witness stand came amid the second day of testimony from Michael Cohen, Trump’s former attorney and fixer, who faced a barrage of attacks about his credibility as a witness.

CNBC has more:

Trump doubled down Wednesday during a mid-morning break, saying Cohen “went to jail for lying” and branding him “a totally discredited witness.”

Trump, who stared down Cohen in court on Tuesday, repeatedly attacked his former lawyer in between the proceedings. He called Cohen a “proven liar,” a “felon” and a “disgrace” outside the courtroom.

He launched more attacks on social media, writing Tuesday evening that Cohen “was a complete and total disaster” in the trial.

“Lie after lie, and getting caught each time,” claimed Trump.

New York Attorney General Letitia James’ civil case accuses Trump, his two adult sons, the Trump Organization and top executives of falsely inflating the values of Trump’s real estate properties and other assets in order to get tax benefits and better loan terms.

James seeks around $250 million in damages, and she wants to bar Trump and his co-defendants from running another business in New Yo

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

Trump Files Series Of Motions In D.C. Election Interference Case

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Gage Skidmore Flickr

Former President Trump attempted to distance himself from the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol in a series of late-night legal motions.

Former President Trump’s legal team is asking a judge to toss his prosecution in his federal election interference case.

The Daily Beast reports that in one motion, Trump filed to dismiss his federal 2020 election subversion case, citing First Amendment rights surrounding Trump’s belief the election as stolen and claiming the indictment, “taken as true, violates this core principle.”

“The fact that the indictment alleges that the speech at issue was supposedly, according to the prosecution, ‘false’ makes no difference,” the defense wrote. “Under the First Amendment, each individual American participating in a free marketplace of ideas — not the federal Government — decides for him or herself what is true and false on great disputed social and political questions.”

“President Trump’s opinion on the subject was just that — an opinion formed based on his view of the available information. Virtually every American, including the cited public officials, had similar access to much of this same information, including a mountain of publicly reported facts and opinions, which were the subject of wall-to-wall media coverage throughout the post-election period and beyond,” they wrote.

“Each official thus had every opportunity to form his or her own conclusions, just like President Trump.”

The second motion seeks dismissal on statutory grounds, arguing, “The prosecution does not explain how President Trump violated these statutes, beyond simply saying he has while regurgitating the statutory language.”

The third motion asks Judge Chutkan to remove “repeated references to the actions of independent actors at the Capitol on January 6, 2021” from his indictment, claiming Trump was not charged “with responsibility for the actions at the Capitol” and therefore the “allegations related to these actions are not relevant and are prejudicial and inflammatory.”

“Because the Government has not charged President Trump with responsibility for the actions at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, allegations related to these actions are not relevant and are prejudicial and inflammatory. Therefore, the Court should strike these allegations from the Indictment,” his attorneys wrote in a motion to strike “inflammatory allegations” from Trump’s indictment. 

The fourth saw Trump request dismissal “on the basis of selective and vindictive prosecution.”

“These demands place an unacceptable burden on President Trump to foreshadow a possible formal defense,” they wrote.

Jenna Ellis Takes Plea Deal In Georgia Election Case

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Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Former Trump attorney Jenna Ellis became the fourth defendant to plead guilty in the Georgia election interference case on Tuesday.

According to reports from ABC News, Ellis is pleading guilty to one count of aiding and abetting false statements and writings.

Recently, defendants Kenneth Chesebro, Sidney Powell, and Scott Hall took plea deals in exchange for agreeing to testify against other defendants.

Ellis, who described herself as part of an “elite strike force team” of attorneys combating unfounded claims of election fraud, pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting false statements and writings.

“If I knew then what I know now, I would have declined to represent Donald Trump in these post election challenges,” a tearful Ellis told the judge.

“How do you plead to aiding and abetting false statements and writings,” Fulton County prosecutor Daysha Young asked.

“Guilty,” Ellis responded.

She was sentenced to five years of probation, 100 hours of community service and ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution and write a letter of apology to Georgia citizens.

In August, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis indicted former President Trump and 18 others for trying to overturn his 2020 defeat in Georgia.

Report: Fox News Pulls The Plug On Trump Interviews

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Gage Skidmore Flickr

Is Fox News icing out former President Donald Trump?

New reports indicate the media giant has potentially been blackballed from making appearances on the conservative network for the considerable future.

“In recent months, Trump’s inner circle has become increasingly convinced that Fox News is essentially sidelining the former president by restricting live appearances on their network,” reported Zachary Petrizzo. “‘Trump is not allowed live on Fox,’ a Trump operative told The Daily Beast, chalking it up to ‘fear’ that Trump could level a baseless allegation that could leave the network in a legal mess. A Trump adviser told The Daily Beast a similar story — that the former president isn’t allowed on live air anymore. At the very least, this person said, Fox News prefers to have Trump in a pre-recorded setting. ‘Fox sent down word from the top that they don’t want to ‘platform’ Trump like they did before,’ a Trump adviser told The Daily Beast. ‘I find it hilarious. For one, it sounds like something MSNBC would do.'”

“After a lengthy hiatus last year, Trump re-emerged on Fox News this past March,” said the report. “However, following Trump’s absence, the former president only came back in a diminished capacity. Starting in March of 2023, Trump conducted a string of interviews with Fox hosts and anchors including Sean Hannity, Bret Baier, and Larry Kudlow. But gone are the days of Trump simply calling in live and offering his stream of consciousness. According to a search by The Daily Beast and Media Matters for America, Trump last phoned in live to a Fox News program in April of 2022.”

Trump’s relationship with Fox News has deteriorated since leaving the White House but the current Republican presidential frontrunner has still made a number of appearances with the network in past months. The report noted that the network’s distance from Trump could also be a result of a recent settlement with Dominion Voting Systems.

Trump has fired off repeated attacks against the network over its coverage of the former President.

Second Trump Lawyer Pleads Guilty In Georgia Case

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Gavel via Wikimedia Commons Image

A second Trump attorney has pleaded guilty in the Georgia election interference case brought by District Attorney Fani Willis.

On Friday, Kenneth Chesebro agreed to testify truthfully in any future case proceedings and write a letter of apology to Georgia citizens.

According to reports from The Hill, Fulton County prosecutor Daysha Young told the court that if the case had gone to trial, the state would have shown that Chesebro — along with Trump, Rudy Giuliani and other co-defendants — entered a criminal conspiracy to cause other co-conspirators to “falsely hold themselves out as the duly elected and qualified electors for the president and vice president from Georgia following the Nov. 3, 2020, presidential election.” 

Young also said that Chesebro was present at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, when an inflamed pro-Trump mob stormed the building while the certification of the presidential election was underway. 

“Are you pleading guilty because you agree that there’s a factual basis that supports this remaining charge?” McAfee asked Chesebro. 

“Yes, this charge,” Chesebro replied. 

McAfee accepted the agreement. 

Chesebro was also sentenced to five years of probation, 100 hours of community service and ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution.

He was originally charged with seven felony counts linked to the alternate electors scheme, for which he drafted multiple memos detailing strategies for how slates of pro-Trump individuals could falsely claim to be their states’ valid electors.  However, Under the plea agreement, Chesebro will only be charged with one of those counts, conspiracy to commit filing false documents. 

Chesebro’s guilty plea comes a day after Sidney Powell also pleaded guilty. (RELATED: Sidney Powell Pleads Guilty In Georgia Election Interference Case)

Report: Sidney Powell Pleads Guilty In Georgia Election Interference Case

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Tom Williams, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Pro-Trump attorney Sidney Powell pled guilty in the Georgia election subversion case brought forward by Fulton County DA Fani Willis.

Per reports from The Hill, Powell appeared before Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee on Thursday to enter her plea, just days before her trial was scheduled to begin next week.

“How do you plead to the six counts of conspiracy to commit intentional interference with performance of election duties?” asked Daysha Young, a Fulton County prosecutor. 

“Guilty,” Powell said. 

McAfee accepted Powell’s plea and said that she could not withdraw it. Powell was sentenced to six years’ probation, a $6,000 fine and $2,700 restitution. She will also be required to “testify truthfully” in future proceedings and must turn over any documents requested by the district attorney’s office.  

CNN’s Marshall Cohen reports that as part of her guilty plea, Powell will be required to testify at future trials and write an apology letter to the citizens of Georgia, prosecutors said at a hearing Thursday.”

Powell is the second of 19 co-defendants in the case to plead guilty. 

Powell was indicted on seven charges in August, accusing her and the others of violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act statute by entering a months-long conspiracy to try to keep Donald Trump in the White House following the 2020 election. 

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

Democrat Billionaire Admits He Was Wrong About Trump

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Gage Skidmore Flickr

Silicon Valley venture capital investor Chamath Palihapitiya, who voted for Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden, is changing his tune about Donald Trump.

American Wire has more:

“For where every other president found a way to frankly make our situation a little bit worse, specifically around wars, he did not do that. And that is a huge accomplishment that needs to be acknowledged,” he said Monday on the “All-In Podcast” he cohosts.

“As a Democrat, who has been left homeless, who is now definitely in the center, but probably leaning increasingly right, I’m left yet again with an appreciation, despite the messenger of the message, of the Trump administration, because what those guys did, was pretty incredible,” Palihapitiya observed.

“These Abraham Accords, the accords with Israel and the GCC, the almost accord between Israel and Saudi, to really be able to like find a long-lasting peace is just a real example for the world. And those guys did a lot of really great work,” Palihapitiya said.

“This is a moment when you have to start to re-underwrite, is one’s ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’ causing more damage than anything President Trump could have done? And I think the answer is yes, because it is now causing us to not see that good work, and then embrace and extend it,” he added. “So much of the work that happened in that administration turned out to have been right, and that is what is so frustrating for me.”

“The work on the border wall, we didn’t like the messenger, so, we killed the message. Turned out it was right,” Palihapitiya noted. “Issuing long-term debt to refinance when rates were at zero. We didn’t like the messenger, so we killed the message. A structural peace deal in the Middle East. We didn’t like the messenger, so we killed the message. When are we going to stop shooting ourselves in the foot? When are we going to actually take the time to look past who was saying things and actually listen to them word for word?”