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    Trump Special Master Request Rescinded: Report

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    6
    Marine One lifts-off after returning President Donald J. Trump to Mar-a-Lago Friday, March 29, 2019, following his visit to the 143-mile Herbert Hoover Dike near Canal Point, Fla., that surrounds Lake Okeechobee. The visit was part of an infrastructure inspection of the dike, which is part of the Kissimmee-Okeechobee Everglades system, and reduces impacts of flooding for areas of south Florida. (Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian) [Photo Credit: The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons]

    The federal judge in Florida who initially granted former President Donald Trump’s special master request has dismissed his lawsuit, marking a sudden end to the monthslong chronicle since the FBI’s search of Trump’s residence.

    Following the FBI’s unprecedented search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, the former president requested a third party to oversee the Justice Department’s investigation into the documents seized from the Florida estate.

    On Monday, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, an appointee of the former president, affirmed an appeals court’s decision that she lacked jurisdiction to appoint a special master to oversee documents taken from his estate and lifted an injunction that blocked investigators from using them in a criminal investigation in the meantime.

    By dismissing the lawsuit, titled Trump v. United States, all scheduled hearings over the dispute in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida are canceled, and all pending motions are “denied as moot,” according to a court order.

    gov.uscourts.flsd_.618763.199.0Download

    The Washington Examiner reports:

    Earlier this month, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit ruled that Cannon never had the jurisdiction to assign U.S. District Senior Judge Raymond Dearie, a semiretired jurist based in Brooklyn, to serve the role of the special master.

    “We cannot write a rule that allows any subject of a search warrant to block government investigations after the execution of the warrant,” Judge William Pryor, an appointee of George W. Bush, wrote for a unanimous panel ruling. “Nor can we write a rule that allows only former presidents to do so. Either approach would be a radical reordering of our caselaw limiting the federal courts’ involvement in criminal investigations. And both would violate bedrock separation-of-powers limitations.”

    Dearie had expected to complete his review by Friday. The 11th Circuit’s decision came less than two weeks after Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed special counsel Jack Smith to oversee the investigation into Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election and the unauthorized transfer of about 100 classified documents to Mar-a-Lago after he left the Oval Office.

    This story is developing. Check back with Great America News Desk for the latest updates.

    Michelle Obama Among Those who Pressured Twitter to Ban Trump: Report

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    4
    FLOTUS at Fayetteville, N.C. -The Arts Center speech Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian

    The latest installment of the bombshell “Twitter files” reveals more details on how the platform planned and executed its infamous ban on the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump.

    The latest file released by free speech advocate and Twitter CEO Elon Musk shows that high-profile Democrats like former first lady Michelle Obama pressured platform executives to ban the president from the social media platform.

    “Now is the time for Silicon Valley companies to stop enabling this monstrous behavior—and go even further than they have already by permanently banning this man from their platforms and putting in place policies to prevent their technologies from being used by the nation’s leaders to fuel insurrection,” Obama wrote in a lengthy statement posted to Twitter on Jan. 7.

    Journalist Michael Shellenberger released the fourth batch of documents that show internal communications by the company’s executives between Jan. 6-8, 2021, including and shortly after the riot at the Capitol Building, according to Fox News.

    The files also showed Twitter maintained a policy — called “Public-interest exceptions” — where elected officials were not banned as there was a great public interest in their comments, even if they seemed to violate other policies.

    While Trump’s temporary suspension was lifted, this second policy was specifically and intentionally ignored in Trump’s case, Shellenberger reported. Dorsey was also on vacation at the time of Trump’s ban.

    “Dorsey was on vacation in French Polynesia the week of January 4-8, 2021,” Shellenberger reported. The chief executive delegated much of the responsibility to senior executives, including former Twitter Head of Trust and Safety Yoel Roth and former Head of Legal, Policy, & Trust Vijaya Gadde, who Shellenberger points out were “overwhelmingly progressive.”

    “Twitter employees recognize the difference between their own politics & Twitter’s Terms of Service (TOS), but they also engage in complex interpretations of content in order to stamp out prohibited tweets,” Shellenberger also pointed out.

    Trump Responds to Brittney Griner’s Release

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    3
    Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Former President Donald Trump reacted to news the U.S. has agreed to release Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, commonly known as “the merchant of death.”

    In a message published to TRUTh Social, Trump called the prisoner swap terms “unpatriotic,” noting U.S. Marine Paul Whelan still remains wrongfully detained.

    “What kind of a deal is it to swap Brittney Griner, a basketball player who openly hates our Country, for the man known as “The Merchant of Death,” who is one of the biggest arms dealers anywhere in the World, and responsible for tens of thousands of deaths and horrific injuries. Why wasn’t former Marine Paul Whelan included in this totally one-sided transaction? He would have been let out for the asking. What a “stupid” and unpatriotic embarrassment for the USA!!!!” Trump wrote.

    Mark Levin Goes Nuclear Over Andy Biggs Speakership Challenge

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    8
    Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

    Conservative radio host Mark Levin didn’t hold anything back when he hosted Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs on his show this week.

    Shortly after Rep. Biggs announced in an op-ed his plan to challenge House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy for the Speakership in January Levin accused him of being a fraud.

    “A phony, a fake, and a fraud, in my humble opinion!” Levin said of Biggs.

    The conservative pundit didn’t shy away from insulting the House Freedom Caucus chair while introducing him to the audience.

    “He appears on cable from time to time with that goofball look. He’s barely able to complete sentences,” Levin said.

    Levin noted that while he considers himself a “strong critic” of McCarthy, slammed Biggs as a minor lawmaker attempting to “create drama” to win himself attention. 

    “I don’t know if McCarthy will turn out to be the greatest Speaker in American history or the worst Speaker in history. That can dealt with after the fact, but right now Biggs is deceiving his constituents, deceiving the American people that he has some plan to go forward,” Levin continued.

    “We’re losing our country. It’s unraveling, and Andy Biggs is not the answer and he doesn’t have any answers. He’s a moron. He’s an imbecile,” he said.

    Levin later topped all his Biggs insults by throwing out the whopper: “He’s a bleeding hemorrhoid on the body politic!”

    The barbs didn’t end after the radio program though, the two conservatives clashed in a Twitter spat too, with both competing to see who could brand the other a bigger a “fraud.”

    What do you think of Biggs’ latest challenge? Tell us in the comments below!

    Arizona Republican Reveals New Plan to Become House Speaker

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    8
    Ted Eytan from Washington, DC, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    House Freedom Caucus chairman Rep. Andy Biggs (Ariz.) announced on Tuesday that he plans to challenge Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) for the Speakership on the House floor in January.

    “We cannot let this all too rare opportunity to effectuate structural change pass us by because it is uncomfortable to challenge the Republican candidate who is a creature of the establishment status quo, or because the challenge is accompanied by some minimal risk,” Biggs wrote in an op-ed for The Daily Caller. 

    The Arizona Congressman previously mounted a challenge to McCarthy last month but Biggs was defeated by a margin of 188 to 31.

    This story is breaking. Stay with Great America News Desk for the latest updates.

    Former Trump Campaign Legal Adviser Announces Bid for RNC Chair

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    5

    On Monday night, Harmeet Dhillon officially announced her plan to challenge Ronna McDaniel to lead the Republican National Committee. (RNC)

    Dhillon, who previously worked as a legal adviser to Trump’s campaign in 2020, made the announcement during an evening appearance with Fox News’s “Tucker Carlson Tonight.”

    “Republicans are tired of losing and I think that that we really need to radically reshape our leadership in order to win,” Dhillon told Carlson. “We can’t keep running elections like we did in the 90’s and the 2000s and we really have to modernize to compete with the Democrats dollar for dollar in the ways they fundraise, the way they deliver their ballots to the ballot boxes.”

    She also added the need to revamp messaging to be “fresh and positive and not just reactive to news cycles and what the Democrats are doing.”

    Dhillon is already an RNC committee member.

    McDaniel has served as RNC chairwoman since 2017, however, Republicans’ recent failures in the midterm elections have triggered a cascade of infighting within the party.

    Dhillon is entering into a growing field of challengers seeking to outs McDaniel. Outgoing New York Congressman Lee Zeldin has strongly hinted at pursuing the role. Pro-Trump businessman, Mike Lindell is also challenging McDaniel for the position.

    On Monday, Lindell said that if elected as RNC chairman he would not collect a paycheck, instead, he would choose to reinvest the funds into the organization.

    “I would not take a paycheck from the RNC, I’d put all the money back into it. If I’m running it, the money that goes to it will actually go to doing good,” Lindell said. “I believe I can run the RNC and fix their problems, and it’s not going to take years and years.”

    Trump Tries to Walk Back Call to Change Constitution 

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0
    Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Donald Trump is setting the record straight after “fake news” reported on the former president’s TRUTH Social posts from the weekend where he indicated a wish to “terminate” the U.S. Constitution.

    On Monday, Trump followed up on the media fiasco on TRUTH blaming the media for intentionally twisting his message.

    “The Fake News is actually trying to convince the American People that I said I wanted to “terminate” the Constitution. This is simply more DISINFORMATION & LIES, just like RUSSIA, RUSSIA, RUSSIA, and all of their other HOAXES & SCAMS. What I said was that when there is “MASSIVE & WIDESPREAD FRAUD & DECEPTION,” as has been irrefutably proven in the 2020 Presidential Election, steps must be immediately taken to RIGHT THE WRONG. Only FOOLS would disagree with that and accept STOLEN ELECTIONS. MAGA!” Trump wrote on Monday.

    The former president’s original post was in reaction to revelations about Twitter’s handling of the Hunter Biden laptop story.

    “So, with the revelation of MASSIVE & WIDESPREAD FRAUD & DECEPTION in working closely with Big Tech Companies, the DNC, & the Democrat Party, do you throw the Presidential Election Results of 2020 OUT and declare the RIGHTFUL WINNER, or do you have a NEW ELECTION? A Massive Fraud of this type and magnitude allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution. Our great “Founders” did not want, and would not condone, False & Fraudulent Elections!” Trump posted over the weekend.

    Trump’s startling rhetoric triggered immediate responses from Republicans who strongly rebuked his messaging.

    Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski called Trump’s suggestion an “affront to our Republic.”

    “Donald Trump believes we should terminate ‘all rules, regulations and articles, even those found in the Constitution’ to overturn the 2020 election,” Outgoing Congresswoman Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) wrote on Twitter. “That was his view on 1/6 and remains his view today. No honest person can now deny that Trump is an enemy of the Constitution.”

    “With the former President calling to throw aside the constitution, not a single conservative can legitimately support him, and not a single supporter can be called a conservative. This is insane. Trump hates the constitution,” Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) tweeted.

    Trump-connected Attorney Mulling Challenge to RNC Chair

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    3

    Republican National Committee (RNC) chairwoman Ronna McDaniel could be facing more challenges as she seeks a third term in control.

    Harmeet Dhillon, a GOP lawyer with close ties to former President Donald Trump told Fox News she’s seriously considering making a run for the position.

    “Grassroots Republicans, donors and fellow RNC members alike have been reaching out to me since the midterm elections seeking changes in Republican leadership,” Dhillon told Fox News Digital. “After successive disappointing election cycles, I believe we owe it to our voters to have an honest dialogue about the direction of our party and what needs to change for us to win in 2024.”

    “Americans are seriously suffering, and Republicans can only help if we win,” said Dhillon. “I hope that we can unite as an RNC after hearing from actual Republican voters that they want – and demand – change, and I’m seriously considering stepping up to that leadership challenge.”

    Dhillon, who currently serves as an RNC national committee chairwoman from California, could reportedly make the announcement this week.

    The election for chair is decided by a majority vote of the committee’s 168 members, including state GOP chairmen and national committeemen. McDaniel claims to already have the support of at least 100 RNC members.

    A vote is expected to take place in January when the RNC holds its winter meeting.

    Dhillon would also be squaring off against outgoing New York Rep. Lee Zeldin (R), who is expected to announce his campaign after the Georgia runoff election, and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell.

    Air Marshalls Reportedly Planning Revolt Over Biden’s Border Demand

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    4
    CBP Photography, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    U.S. air marshalls are reportedly planning to rebel against a recent order from the White House instructing them to leave positions on commercial flights to take up new posts at the border.

    Air Marshal National Council President David Londo says dozens of air marshalls have confirmed their plans to reject President Biden’s demand.

    President Joe Biden has reportedly ordered U.S. air marshals to the southern border to make up for a lack of Border Patrol agents. The move is expected to leave the marshals at one-eighth of their normal coverage of U.S. flights- especially as the country heads into its busiest travel season.

    The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has denied Londo’s claim.

    It is “entirely inaccurate and does not reflect the critical and professional law enforcement role these officers perform,” the TSA said in a statement.

    According to The Daily Wire, Londo wrote to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, TSA Administrator David Pekoske, and Federal Air Marshal Service Director Tirrell Stevenson that the marshals had lost “confidence” in the officials’ ability to lead.

    “As it stands today, we believe that many FAMs will refuse to deploy, believing the order is reckless and leaving our country vulnerable to attack,” Londo wrote. “On behalf of our membership, stop these dangerous and irresponsible deployments before our adversaries take advantage of the opportunity this policy has provided.”

    “The Federal Air Marshal Service is understaffed and covering the fewest number of flights since before September 11, 2001,” the association said. “We strongly question the decision by the Department of Homeland Security to divert much-needed aviation security to the southern border especially as we enter the busiest travel season of the year, particularly as a federal emergency has not been declared at the border.”

    The Department of Homeland Security pushed back against Londo’s claims.

    “The suggestion that flights are being left unprotected is completely false,” the department said in a statement to Fox News. “TSA takes its responsibility to secure the skies for the traveling public very seriously. We will continue to protect commercial flights though [sic] our multi-layered security processes, including through the Federal Air Marshal Service which supports this critical mission on the ground and onboard aircrafts.”

    Last year, The Federal Air Marshal Service asked marshals to volunteer to spend a 30-day period at the southern border assisting agents processing migrants. However, the Biden administration made the deployments mandatory last month.

    The U.S.-Mexico border has seen an explosion in migrant crossings since Biden’s inauguration. On Thursday, new data revealed more than 73,000 illegal immigrants evaded Border Patrol agents in November alone.

    According to Fox News, the number of gotaways for November means that there are already over 137,000 gotaways so far this fiscal year, which began in October. In FY2022 there were nearly 600,000 gotaways. There were 389,155 gotaways at the border in FY2021.

    There were more than 2.3 million migrant encounters in FY2022 and more than 1.7 million in FY2021. So far, FY2023 is on track to exceed both of those numbers. 

    Democrat Senators Pressure Biden to Reconsider Rescinding Trump-era Title 42

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0
    Trump at the border wall via Wikimedia Commons

    Americans need Joe Biden to get some common sense and address the crisis at the border.

    Democrat senators are asking Homeland Security Department officials to reconsider ending the Trump-era Title 42 border policy used to expel some migrants.

    In a November letter to Sec. Mayorkas, Democrat Sens. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, Mark Kelly of Arizona, John Tester of Montana and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire argued that the Biden administration isn’t prepared for the surge of illegal migrants expected at the border when the policy end, according to The Daily Caller.

    “Since the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued the Public Health Determination and terminated the Title 42 Order on April 1, 2022, we have expressed concern with DHS’ preparations for the end of Title 42, especially as the situation has deteriorated at times,” the senators wrote.

    “Record annual encounters have led to untenable situations. In Arizona, shelters have been forced well beyond capacity. This month, El Paso has seen over 700 migrants released directly onto city streets due to overcrowding. This is not safe, and creates a dangerous situation for migrants and communities,” they added.

    A federal judge ruled on Nov. 15 that the Biden administration must end Title 42, which has resulted in the expulsion of more than 2 million illegal migrants.

    U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) encountered more than 2.3 million migrants at the southern border in the fiscal year 2022 and upwards of 230,000 migrants in October alone.

    Republicans have also mulled impeaching Mayorkas once the GOP retakes control of Congress in January.

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