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DeSantis Discusses Pardoning Jan. 6 Defendants, Including Trump

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Ron DeSantis has some big plans if elected President of the United States.

On Thursday, the Florida Governor said that if elected president he will consider pardoning all the Jan. 6 defendants — including former President Trump — on his first day in office.

“On day one, I will have folks that will get together and look at all these cases, who people are victims of weaponization or political targeting, and we will be aggressive in issuing pardons,” DeSantis said on “The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show” podcast when asked about whether he will consider pardoning Jan. 6 defendants, including Trump, who is currently facing a federal investigation over his role on Jan. 6.

“I would say any example of disfavored treatment based on politics, or weaponization would be included in that review, no matter how small or how big,” he added.  

DeSantis also accused the Justice Department and the FBI of weaponizing its authority.

DeSantis also claimed that the FBI is targeting anti-abortion groups, as well as parents who want to attend school board meetings. He said that if elected, his administration would determine on a “case-by-case” basis if the government was weaponized against certain groups.  

“We’re going to find examples where the government’s been weaponized against disfavored groups, and we will apply relief as appropriate, but it will be done on a case-by-case basis,” he said.  

Report: Republican Governor Expected To Launch Presidential Campaign In June

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North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, greets U.S. President Donald J. Trump arrives at the North Dakota Air National Guard Base, Fargo, N.D., Sept. 7, 2018. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sgt. David H Lipp)

The Republican presidential primary field is still growing.

Fresh reports indicate another Republican governor is planning to launch his presidential campaign in the coming weeks.

Sources close to two-term North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum told Fox News that the former software company CEO is planning to officially launch his campaign during an event in Fargo on June 7.

Fox News has more:

Sources close to Burgum say the governor would likely focus a presidential campaign on two issues — the economy and energy. However, Burgum, who served as chair of the Western Governors Association, could also point to his recent moves as governor to sign into law a strict measure that bans abortions six weeks after gestation with limited exceptions, as well as legislation to restrict transgender rights and a bill making gender-affirming care for minors in the state a criminal offense.

Fargo, where Burgum is expected to make his announcement, is close to his tiny hometown of Arthur and sources with knowledge of the governor’s thinking say “it underscores that a theme of the campaign is that he’s the only candidate from a small town in the heartland and Americans want more small town values. One of his greatest perceived weaknesses is actually his best virtue.”

Despite the North Dakota Gov. being a relatively unknown name compared to others in the race, Burgum would enter the 2024 presidential race as one of the wealthiest members of the Republican field.

Before entering politics, Burgum steered his one-time small business, Great Plains Software, into a $1 billion software company. His business was eventually acquired by Microsoft while Burgum stayed on board as a senior vice president.

Gov. Burgum, who would widely be considered a dark horse candidate, would enter a competitive primary field. Earlier this week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis launched his highly anticipated campaign. Former ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, tech mogul Vivek Ramaswamy, and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson have also launched campaigns against frontrunner Donald Trump.

Oath Keepers Founder Sentenced to 18 Years Over Role in Jan. 6 Riot

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Gavel via Wikimedia Commons Image

Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes has been sentenced to 18 years in prison following his conviction on seditious conspiracy theories for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol. 

A federal judge delivered the sentence on Thursday. The sentencing represents the longest prison term yet assigned to a figure involved in the riot despite Rhodes not entering the Capitol building that day, according to reports from The Hill.

“He exploited his vast public influence as the leader of the Oath Keepers and used his talents for manipulation to goad more than twenty other American citizens into using force, intimidation, and violence to seek to impose their preferred result on a U.S. presidential election,” the Justice Department wrote in a sentencing memo earlier this month.

Seditious conspiracy carries a maximum 20-year prison sentence, but the Justice Department also sought a terrorism enhancement for Rhodes as well as other Oath Keepers defendants.

Judge Amit Mehta largely sided with the Justice Department, which suggested a 25-year prison sentence for Rhodes. The DOJ largely argued the former Army soldier encouraged other fellow veterans to violate the oaths to defend the Constitution they took when beginning their service. 

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

DeSantis Scores Endorsement from Top GOP Donor

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is hitting the campaign trail running…

Despite his previous support of Donald Trump, Hal Lambert, who founded Point Bridge Capital – also known as “MAGA ETF” is betting against Trump in this election.

“I’m in for DeSantis this time — I plan to do a lot to help DeSantis win,” Lambert told the New York Post prior to DeSantis joining the race. “Ron is good at giving a message.”

Lambert served on Trump’s inaugural committee in 2016. His issue with Trump for 2024 is that the former president is too focused on the results from 2020.

“We can’t talk about things from four years ago that can’t be changed,” Lambert said. “Trump is going to have a difficult time winning the general election. The election won’t be about Joe Biden’s bad record. It will be a referendum on Trump instead.”

Lambert founded Point Bridge Capital as an exchange-traded fund that invests only in companies with employees and political action committees (PACs) that support Republican candidates. 

The Republican donor noted that immigration is set to be a major focus for Americans during the campaign cycle and Trump’s inability to fulfill his campaign promises could come back to haunt him.

“With millions of illegals from all over the world swarming across the border under Biden, it’s an everyday reminder that Trump didn’t fulfill his number one campaign promise — building a wall and having Mexico pay for it,” Lambert said. “We got neither and our country will forever be changed.”

DeSantis launched his highly-anticipated presidential campaign on Wednesday with Twitter owner Elon Musk.

The popular governor joined a growing list of primary challengers.

Earlier this week Sen. Tim Scott (S.C) announced his bid for the White House. Former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley, tech mogul Vivek Ramaswamy, and former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson have also jumped into the race. Conservative commentator and California gubernatorial candidate Larry Elder also recently announced his candidacy for president.

Former president Donald Trump has consistently dominated polls since announcing his third presidential campaign.

Florida Congresswoman Pursues $16 Million Fine Against Anti-Trump Democrat

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Photo via Gage Skidmoer Flickr

Freshman Congresswoman Ann Paulina Luna (Fla.) wants revenge against House Democrat Adam Schiff (Calif.)

Rep. Luna has reportedly introduced a resolution that would fine Schiff $16 million for his claims that former President Trump colluded with Russia to win the 2016 election.

“The GOP Conference agrees that Adam Schiff has betrayed the trust of the American people, purposely abused positions of extreme authority, lied continuously, and as such, must be held to account,” Luna said. “Accordingly, the resolution requires Rep. Schiff to pay a $16 million dollar fine, half of the cost American taxpayers were forced to pay for the Russia hoax investigation.”

Luna accused the lawmaker of taking advantage of his position as chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence to mislead the American people by his repeated accusations of collusion.

“By repeatedly telling these falsehoods, Representative Schiff purposely deceived his Committee, Congress, and the American people,” the resolution said. It noted that Schiff “lent credibility” to the Steele dossier, supported a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act warrant against Trump aide Carter Page, and publicly accused Page of being a Russian collaborator.

“Representative Schiff exploited his positions on HPSCI to encourage and excuse abusive intelligence investigations of Americans for political purposes,” it said. “Representative Schiff used his position and access to sensitive information to instigate a fraudulently based investigation, which he then used to amass political gain and fundraising dollars.”

“American taxpayers paid $32 million to fund the investigation into collusion that was launched as a result of Rep. Schiff’s lies, misrepresentations, and abuses of sensitive information,” it added.

Last week, Luna introduced a separate resolution to expel Schiff from Congress for abusing his position on the intelligence committee.

Last week, Schiff said Luna’s resolution to expel him from Congress was “payback” for his effort to hold Trump accountable.

“A MAGA Republican Member of Congress just filed a motion to expel me from the U.S. House of Representatives. I stood up to Donald Trump and held extreme MAGA forces accountable,” Schiff said on Twitter last week. “Now they want payback. They’ll go after anyone who defends the rule of law.”

WATCH: Truck Tries to Crash Through White House Barrier

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President Joe Biden delivers remarks in National Statuary Hall on the one-year anniversary of the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, Thursday, January 6, 2022, in Washington, D.C. (Official White House Photo by Cameron Smith)

ALERT – In what appears to be an idiotic attempt to supposedly kill Joe Biden, a 19-year-old man repeatedly rammed a U-Haul truck into the barriers around the White House at Lafayette Park on Monday night. 

To be clear these barriers (or bollards) are designed to stop large vehicles and are a substantial distance from the White House perimeter fence.

There was no mention of explosives or other dangerous materials aboard the truck. Had there been this would be an entirely different story.

Still, the incident prompted the evacuation at The Hay-Adams Hotel on the 800 block of 16th Street.

The driver, Sai Varshith Kandula of Chesterfield, Missouri has reportedly been arrested and charged with multiple crimes, including threatening to kill, kidnap, or inflict harm on the president, vice president or family member.

He was also charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and reckless operation of a motor vehicle.

A man who said he was walking home from his run on the mall videotaped a driver in a U-Haul truck repeatedly ram the barricade at Lafayette Park near the White House.  

“I decided it was time to get the hell out of there” he says

See the video below.

According to a United States Park Police statement, the driver “intentionally crashed into the bollards on the outside of Lafayette Park.”

Ya, that looks about right.

The Secret Service spokesman also tweeted:

Shortly before 10:00 p.m. Monday, Secret Service Uniformed Division officers detained the driver of a box truck after the vehicle collided with security barriers on the north side of Lafayette Square on 16th Street. There were no injuries to any Secret Service or White House personnel and the cause and manner of the crash remain under investigation. 

Seems to me that the cause and manner of the crash are pretty obvious – the guy kept trying to ram through the barricades.

In a follow-up tweet, the spokesman said: “Charges will be filed by the United States Park Police with investigative support from the #SecretService.” 

In the photo below the truck can be seen more clearly after the driver was secured and removed. The bollards can also be more clearly seen.

Meanwhile, is that a swastika flag on the pavement at the police officer’s feet?

The location of the crash is noteworthy since it lies at the south end of 16th St where it is now known as Black Lives Matter (BLM) square. Fox 5 reported:

Had the barriers been breached, two fences providing additional layers of security would have been in-between the driver and the White House. Lafayette Square has long been one of the nation’s most prominent venues for demonstration near the Executive Mansion. The park was closed for nearly a year after federal authorities fenced off the area at the height of nationwide protests over policing following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, but it reopened in May 2021.

What the news outlet doesn’t say is that during those violent BLM riots at Lafayette Park in 2020 numerous officers were injured, cars and property burned, and the thin blue line of police at the park between the rioters and White House fence were almost overrun.

During the height of the rioting on May 31st, President Trump was also briefly rushed to the underground bunker by the Secret Service.

These barriers are designed to stop vehicles, not mobs of angry rioters.

Opinions expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of Great America News Desk.

Judge Sets Date For Trump ‘Hush Money’ Trial

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Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Donald Trump is going to trial.

On Tuesday, the former president appeared in a New York City virtual court hearing Tuesday, where a judge announced when the blockbuster trial will commence.

Trump will go on trial on March 25, 2024- months before the 2024 election.

Trump has been prohibited from sharing any evidence turned over by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office during pre-trial discovery on social media while the case is ongoing, according to Fox News.

New York State Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan imposed the protective order May 8 but stopped short of imposing a gag order. 

On Tuesday, he appeared next to his attorney, Todd Blanche. During the hearing, Merchan asked Trump if he has a copy of the protective order. 

“Yes, I do,” Trump replied. 

Mechan then asked Blanche if he has explained to Trump that it constitutes a “mandate order” and warned that “violations could result in sanctions,” that “could include a finding of contempt.”

Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. 

Earlier this year, a New York grand jury voted to indict former President Donald Trump for his alleged role in a hush money bribe to adult film star Stormy Daniels amid the 2016 presidential election in DA Alvin Bragg’s yearslong investigation into the real estate mogul.

Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York opted out of charging Trump related to the Daniels payment in 2019. The Federal Election Commission also tossed its investigation into the matter in 2021.

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

Report: DeSantis To Launch Presidential Campaign Wednesday

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Things are about to get interesting…

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is reportedly planning to announce his entrance to the 2024 Republican presidential primary on Wednesday.

Sources familiar confirmed to Fox News that the popular, conservative two-term governor will declare that he’s a candidate for president, on Wednesday at 6 p.m. ET during a conversation with Elon Musk on Twitter.

Along with his announcement, DeSantis is expected to file paperwork with the Federal Election Commission, which officially launches his GOP presidential campaign.

A formal campaign kickoff event will likely take place sometime after this week’s donor gathering, but no details have been shared by the campaign.

DeSantis joins a growing primary field. Earlier this week Sen. Tim Scott (S.C) announced his bid for the White House. Former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley, tech mogul Vivek Ramaswamy, and former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson have also jumped into the race.

Former president Donald Trump has consistently commanded polls since announcing his third presidential campaign.

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

FBI Refuses to Hand Over Docs Linked to Alleged Biden Crime Ring

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Jsg2020, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has refused to turn over subpoenaed documents related to the House Oversight Committee’s investigation into the Biden family’s business dealings.

On Monday, the agency refused to provide the document in a private meeting with the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, according to Fox News. The unclassified FD-1023 document details criminal allegations of a pay-to-play scheme related to the Biden family’s business dealings, according to a whistleblower at the agency who spoke with Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa).

Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) who chairs the Oversight Committee, issued the subpoena to the FBI, which previously failed to provide the document by a May 10 deadline. Comer has threatened to hold the FBI’s budget “hostage” until the agency turns over the document.

“They don’t respect anyone in Congress,” Comer said Monday on Fox News. “They’ve been able to get away with this for a long time. The media continues to turn a blind eye. The Senate Republicans continue to fund the FBI. Why would you change your business model when you’re getting everything you want?”

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said he had a call with FBI Director Christopher Wray on Friday and is confident the agency will eventually provide the document.

“I explained to the director that we will do everything in our power, and we have the jurisdiction over the FBI, and we have the right to see this document,” McCarthy said Sunday on Fox News. “I believe after this call, we will get this document.”

Comer said Monday he has spoken with McCarthy about holding Wray under contempt if he does not comply.

Draft Tucker PAC Goes Silent After Threat From Carlson

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Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

A recently launched PAC pressuring former Fox News host Tucker Carlson to run for president has gone silent after receiving a legal threat from Carlson’s lawyer.

Carlson’s lawyer, Harmeet Dhillon, sent the PAC officers a cease-and-desist letter Monday.

“Mr. Carlson will not run for President in 2024 under any circumstances, and therefore your misrepresentations are damaging to Mr. Carlson and defrauding his supporters,” Dhillon wrote in the letter, obtained by The Hill. “If you do not immediately cease and desist your efforts to solicit money to ‘draft’ Mr. Carlson, we will use every legal means at our disposal to vindicate his rights and protect his supporters from these misrepresentations.”

Dhillon added that the PAC did “not have Mr. Carlson’s permission or support to use his name, image, or likeness in your efforts,” accusing them of doing so “for your own benefit” to later sell donor lists, and that taking funds would lead to donors’ “disappointment and frustration.”

The move came days after the PAC aired a political ad on the conservative outlet Newsmax.

Chris Ekstrom, the PAC’s chairman and one of its financial backers, told The Hill that the ad had raised only $212 online so far and that he contributed $35,000 of his own money. He noted that the PAC will either donate the funds raised to a charity that Carlson supports or refund it to those who contributed.

Following the letter, the Draft Tucker PAC said it asked Newsmax to pull the Draft Tucker PAC ads currently running on the network.

“Tucker’s attorney has contacted us to let us know that Tucker is not a candidate for president nor has any intentions of running and asked us to cease all activities on his behalf. We are going to honor that request,” spokesman and GOP consultant Charlie Kolean said in a statement.

Carlson has repeatedly said that he would not run for president in 2024 but his influence on the right coupled with his recent ouster from Fox News has left some supporters wondering if he could ultimately change his mind.

The ex-primetime host has teased the return of his show on Twitter but has yet to share specific details on the venture.

Earlier this month, The Washington Post published a report that Carlson is in talks with former President Donald Trump to form a new Republican debate forum. (RELATED: Tucker Carlson In Talks With Donald Trump To Host GOP Forum)

Carlson and his team have discussed the possibility of moderating a candidate forum outside of the traditional protocols surrounding the GOP primary debate system, according to two people familiar with the considerations. These people said the setup — as well as Carlson’s availability to take on that kind of role, given the noncompete constraints of his contract with Fox — remain unclear. But Carlson has personally expressed enthusiasm about the idea, according to people familiar with his comments. At least one major candidate — Trump — has told Carlson he’s interested, according to a person familiar with the exchange.