Politics

Home Politics

Georgia State Elections Board Orders Hand Counting Of Ballots

1
Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

The Georgia State Elections Board has issued a new ruling requiring all ballots to be hand-counted before the certification of this November’s election.

The board voted 3-2 to pass resolution 181-1-12-.12, mandating that a hand count be conducted at the precinct level on election night to ensure the totals align with machine results.

The New York Times further reports:

The new rule, which passed on a 3-2 vote, runs counter to extensive legal advice from the top election official and law enforcement officials in the state. A nonpartisan collective of local election officials had also objected to the change.

The measure is the latest in a stream of right-wing election policies passed by the State Election Board over the past few months. The board has come under increasing pressure from critics already concerned that it has been rewriting the rules of the game in a key swing state to favor former President Donald J. Trump. Last month, the board granted local officials new power over certifying the election, which opponents say could potentially disrupt the process if Mr. Trump loses in November.

Critics argue that requiring hand counting, in addition to a machine count, could introduce errors and confusion into the process and potentially disrupt the custody of ballots.

To start hand-counting on election night, poll workers would likely have to break open the seals on boxes of completed ballots, possibly exposing the ballots to fraud or loss. In previous elections, ballots remain sealed and stored securely unless a recount was ordered.

The ruling comes less than 50 days before a fiercely contested presidential election.

This article originally appeared on American Liberty News. It is republished with permission.

READ NEXT: Court Docs: Top Congressman Went To Drug-Fueled Sex Party With Teen

Kamala’s Trump-Epstein ‘Bombshell’ Falls Apart – Fact-Check Reveals Glaring Problem

5
The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Thursday’s unveiling of a decades-old sexual assault allegation against Donald Trump, purported involving Jeffrey Epstein and former model Stacey Williams, has sparked more questions than answers. The allegation surfaced during a paid Zoom call hosted by the Harris campaign, raising immediate doubts about the timing and intent behind the claim. Even more curious, the story found its way into print not in the United States but in the left-leaning British newspaper, The Guardian, after multiple American media outlets reportedly passed on the story.

Even some users who aren’t exactly Trump supporters found the release disappointing. On X, Election Wizard voiced frustration with the Harris campaign’s so-called “October surprise.” “I feel very let down by the Harris people. I was promised a ‘bombshell Trump story’ that would upend the race,” Election Wizard tweeted. “Instead, I got tabloid piece” published in a partisan British newspaper.

A Timeline That Doesn’t Add Up

Adding to the skepticism is the timeline of the alleged events, which is, at best, murky. The accusation, now over 30 years old, reportedly involves an encounter between Williams, Epstein and Trump. In a video interview, Williams recounts a walk with Epstein “from his brownstone on the Upper East Side down Fifth Avenue” in “late winter of 1993,” claiming they visited Trump on a whim.

However, this is where the details begin to unravel. According to ZeroHedge, Epstein only moved into the Wexler mansion on 9 East 71st Street in 1996—three years after this supposed impromptu visit with Trump was said to have taken place. So, how could such a meeting have happened in a location Epstein hadn’t even acquired yet?

As reported by American Liberty News on Wednesday, political journalist Mark Halperin warned about “actors” attempting to influence the 2024 presidential race. Halperin mentioned that he was approached with a story supposedly capable of “ending Trump’s campaign,” but he did not find it credible and chose not to pursue it:

“The point I was making is actors who want a certain outcome are on social media and in pitches to reporters, and in the case of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg… are trying to affect the end of the race because they’re so desperate to try to pull a Comey,” Halperin stated, referencing the 2016 election’s late-stage developments. He reiterated, “I’m not pursuing the story. I don’t think it’s true… All I’m saying is there are people out there pitching stuff.” (RELATED: Slain Soldier’s Family Dismisses The Atlantic’s Trump ‘Hit Piece’)

This clarification comes amid signs of stronger-than-expected early voting turnout for Republicans, though prominent conservatives are warning supporters not to become complacent.

This article originally appeared on American Liberty News. It is republished with permission.

READ NEXT: Democratic Party Operative Allegedly Caught Tampering With Ballot Drop Box In Montana

Trump Threatens Retaliation Against Iran Following Assassination Briefings

2

Former President Donald Trump has vowed retaliation against Iran following reports that the Islamic Republic has conspired to assassinate him as he runs for president in 2024.

During an event in Mint Hill, North Carolina, Trump made the threat while delivering a speech on manufacturing at the Mosack Group’s warehouse.

U.S. intelligence officials have reportedly briefed Trump on the suspected Iranian plot to kill him, according to his campaign. The revelation was first reported by The Guardian:

The briefing, from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), is believed to have focused on a scheme unrelated to two failed domestic assassination attempts against the Republican nominee for president, and came amid reports suggesting that Iran is conducting an ongoing hack against Trump’s campaign.

Steven Cheung, the Trump campaign’s spokesperson, said the briefing concerned “real and specific threats from Iran to assassinate [Trump] in an effort to destabilize and sow chaos in the United States”.

He added: “Intelligence officials have identified that these continued and coordinated attacks have heightened in the past few months, and law enforcement officials across all agencies are working to ensure President Trump is protected and the election is free from interference.”

This development marks another escalation in tensions between the former president and Iran, which has been implicated in assassination plots against Trump and Trump administration officials

After surviving his first assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, former President Donald Trump made a jaw-dropping revelation about his dying wish.

In a fiery statement on Truth Social, Trump shared a video clip of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and issued a bold warning regarding Iran:

“If they do assassinate President Trump, which is always a possibility, I hope that America obliterates Iran, wipes it off the face of the Earth. If that does not happen, American leaders will be considered ‘gutless’ cowards!”

READ NEXT: Beloved TV Star Stabbed To Death

McCarthy Wins Nod to Become House Speaker as Senate Leadership Feud Heats Up

7

Despite a last-minute challenge from House Freedom Caucus chairman Andy Biggs (Ariz.) Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) handily won the nomination for House Speaker in a closed-door conference meeting on Tuesday.

Rep. McCarthy won easily, 188 to 31, in the internal conference meeting.

The secret-ballot House Republican Conference vote is just the first step for McCarthy to take hold of the gavel. He must win a majority in a public vote on the House floor — at least 218 votes, assuming a fully sworn-in House — on the first day of the next Congress on Jan. 3.

According to The Hill, Biggs was nominated by Rep. Chip Roy (Texas), with Reps. Michael Cloud (Texas) and Ralph Norman (S.C.) seconding the nomination, according to a source in the room. Rep. Kelly Armstrong (N.D.) gave a speech in support of McCarthy.

While McCarthy has been considered the favorite to become Speaker when Republicans retake the House the lackluster midterm results have recently spurred infighting among House Republicans, with some directly criticizing McCarthy’s leadership.

Rep. Biggs announced his plans to challenge the California Republican for the position on Monday. (RELATED: Freedom Caucus Chairman Expected to Announce Challenge for House Speaker)

Biggs acknowledged successfully challenging McCarthy would be difficult.

Separately, Senate leadership is also facing an uncertain future as Florida Senator Rick Scott officially announced he’s running to unseat Mitch McConnell (Ky.) as Senate Minority Leader.

The chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee has been at odds with McConnell for most of this year over political strategy.

Scott announced his campaign in a letter to Senate Republicans on Tuesday:

“I’m writing to you today because I believe it’s time for the Senate Republican Conference to be far more bold and resolute than we have been in the past. We must start saying what we are for, not just what we are against,” Scott said in a letter to GOP colleagues. “I do not believe we can simply continue to say the Democrats are radical, which they are. Republican voters expect and deserve to know our plan to promote and advance conservative values. “

Scott added: “For those who want to get serious about ending reckless government spending and the devastating inflation it has caused, finally take action to protect Social Security and Medicare and preserve the promise of these programs for our children and grandchildren, hold government accountable from the FBI to the IRS, truly combat the extreme danger posed by Communist China and refocus our military on lethal defense instead of woke nonsense, I ask for your support in changing the direction of the Senate and rescuing America from the dangerous path Democrats have set it on.”

Marjorie Taylor Greene Turns On Trump’s Big, Beautiful Bill

Marjorie Taylor Greene -Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, via Wikimedia Commons

Tensions are rising…

Staunch Trump ally Marjorie Taylor Greene seemed to side with Elon Musk’s opinion that the lawmakers who voted to support President Trump’s One Big, Beautiful Bill Act should be “ashamed” of themselves.

NewsNation host Blake Burman asked Greene on The Hill, “Congresswoman, you say in full transparency you didn’t know that this was in there and now you’re shining a light on it. How did you not know?”

“Well, we don’t get the full bill text until very close to the time to vote for it, so that was one section that was two pages that I didn’t see,” replied Greene. “I find it so problematic that I’m willing to come forward and admit that those are two pages that I didn’t read because I never want to see a situation where state rights are stripped away, and that’s exactly what it– that’s what it says in that bill text, that it would take away states’ rights to regulate or make laws against AI for 10 years.”

She continued, “And I think that’s pretty terrifying. We don’t know what AI is going to be capable of within one year, we don’t know what it will be capable of in five years, let alone 10 years.”

Burman went on to ask Greene about Musk’s post attacking the “disgusting abomination” of a bill and declaring, “Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.”

Last month, the House of Representatives voted 215–214 following a turbulent 48 hours that saw late-night committee sessions, procedural skirmishes, and lobbying by House Speaker Mike Johnson to get Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” over the line.

“He doesn’t specifically say you, but you did vote for it,” Burman pointed out. “Why do you think he’s doing this now, and do you take issue at Musk calling out folks like yourself?”

Greene responded:

You know, I take no issue with anyone calling out the government. I think the American people, including Elon Musk, have the right to do that every single day. As a matter of fact, I wish they would come to Washington and call out this government a lot more. I’m one of the people that ran for Congress because I was angry at Republicans. I wasn’t angry at Democrats, they say what they’re going to do. They support big government, they support massive spending, they support the invasion of our country by illegal aliens from all over the world, including cartels and helping the cartels make billions of dollars. I ran in 2020 because I was angry at Republicans, so I fully understand what Elon is saying and, you know, I agree with him to a certain extent.

She concluded, “However, I don’t want to continue this government on a CR that’s funding Democrat and Biden policies and funding, and this bill was important to transition over to exactly what the American people voted for.”

The White House defended the President Donald Trump-endorsed “big, beautiful bill” on Tuesday. 

Trump “already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Tuesday when asked about Musk’s social-media post. “It doesn’t change the president’s opinion.”

In May, when Trump was asked about Musk’s criticism of the bill on CBS, he responded, “Well, our reaction’s a lot of things,” before pivoting to talk about the votes needed to support pass the bill. 

“Number one, we have to get a lot of votes, we can’t be cutting — we need to get a lot of support and we have a lot of support,” he said. “We had to get it through the House, the House was, we had no Democrats. You know, if it was up to the Democrats, they’ll take the 65 percent increase.”

Trump Tied with DeSantis in New Poll of GOP Voters

0

The latest Monmouth University poll shows that former President Donald Trump is tied with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as the leading choice for the Republican Party’s 2024 presidential nominee.

According to The Hill, the Monmouth University poll found a third of Republican voters saw Trump, who kicked off his campaign in November, as their top presidential pick, and another third favored DeSantis, who has yet to formally announce he’s running.

Former president Mike Pence scored just 2 percent support and Nikki Haley — who is set to become the only other big-name Republican officially in the ring with Trump — earned just 1 percent.

Trump closed the gap with DeSantis from a similar poll back in December that put the Florida governor ahead by 13 points, with 39 percent support compared to 26 percent for the former president. Trump has since climbed 7 points, and DeSantis has fallen 6 points.

But despite the uptick in voters backing Trump for the GOP nomination, DeSantis takes the win in a hypothetical primary matchup between the two, earning 53 percent to Trump’s 40 percent.

“Both Trump and DeSantis are well-liked by the party’s rank and file, but it’s likely that voter opinion of Trump is more firmly set than it is for DeSantis right now. The unknown factor is whether DeSantis can maintain this early edge if and when he gets on the campaign trail,” Monmouth University Polling Institute director Patrick Murray said in a report.

The Florida governor is said to be close to his final decision on whether he’ll run in 2024 and is widely expected to jump in the ring.

Florida CFO To Run For Matt Gaetz’s Former House Seat

0
Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis plans to run for U.S. Congress, he indicated in a resignation letter.

In the letter to Sunshine State Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida Secretary of State Cory Byrd, Patronis said, “… this letter is to give you notice of my resignation from the role as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the State of Florida in order to become a candidate in the 2025 Special Election for Florida’s First Congressional District.

“Because the primary election for CD 1 is currently scheduled for January 28, 2025, with the general election scheduled for April 1, 2025, I hereby irrevocably resign as CFO effective March 31, 2025.”

In a post on Truth Social on Monday, President-elect Donald Trump urged Patronis to run for the House seat.

“I hear that Jimmy is now considering launching a Campaign for Congress in Florida’s 1st Congressional District!” Trump said in the post. 

“Should he decide to enter this Race, Jimmy Patronis has my Complete and Total Endorsement. RUN, JIMMY, RUN!” Trump declared.

Patronis shared a screenshot of Trump’s post and wrote in a post on X, “Put me to work, Mr. President! @realDonaldTrump I am here to serve.”

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz won re-election to the House seat earlier this month but resigned shortly after Trump tapped him for attorney general. 

Last week, Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration for the Cabinet position after the President-elect reportedly informed him her did not have the required Senate support for confirmation.

Matt Gaetz To Launch Show On One America News Next Year

2
Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz (R) is set to debut his own program, The Matt Gaetz Show, on One America News (OAN) starting January 2025 and airing weeknights at 9 p.m.

The announcement follows Gaetz’s decision earlier this year to step away from Congress, a choice he explained during a recent appearance on The Charlie Kirk Show. Gaetz, who served in the House of Representatives since winning his first election in 2016, stated, “I think that eight years is probably enough time in the United States Congress,” underscoring his desire to prioritize his family and his role in supporting President-elect Donald Trump’s administration.

Tuesday’s development marks a significant career shift for Gaetz, who had previously been considered for attorney general in the incoming Trump administration. That opportunity, however, did not materialize, prompting speculation about whether he might return to Capitol Hill. Gaetz put such rumors to rest last month when he reaffirmed his intention to focus on media opportunities and other ways to assist the Trump White House outside of Congress.

Gaetz’s new show is expected to cover a range of conservative topics, including policy discussions and commentary on the Trump administration’s agenda.

Politico has additional details:

It is yet another high-profile, public platform for Gaetz, a firebrand Republican who made no shortage of enemies in the House before President-elect Donald Trump announced plans to nominate him to be attorney general. Gaetz immediately resigned from the House after Trump’s announcement, a move that also came just before the House Ethics Committee planned to meet regarding a probe into allegations against him regarding illegal drug use and sex with a 17-year-old.

Gaetz has consistently denied the allegations and a Department of Justice investigation into him resulted in no charges. But the accusations quickly dogged his confirmation process, prompting him to drop out of consideration one week after Trump first announced plans to nominate him. The early withdrawal precluded what would have been a deeply personal and brutal confirmation hearing.

At OAN, Gaetz will also co-host a video podcast with Dan Ball, host of “Real America with Dan Ball,” that the network said would feature “unfiltered conversations” for Gen Z, Millennials and early Gen Xers.

Gaetz praised the network in a statement for embracing platforms like streaming, apps, podcasts and social media, which he called places “where Americans are going.” Trump during his 2024 run similarly embraced alternative media sources to reach voters.

Known for its strong conservative viewpoints, OAN has been steadily expanding its roster of opinion-driven programming, and Gaetz’s high-profile presence is likely to attract loyal viewers from his political base and other cable news networks.

READ NEXT: New Health Scare? Medics Rush To Treat Top Republican Senator

Gaetz Floats Plan To Run For Florida Senate Seat

1
(Miami - Flórida, 09/03/2020) Presidente da República Jair Bolsonaro durante encontro com o Senador Marco Rubio..Foto: Alan Santos/PR

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) openly floated the idea of running for Sen. Marco Rubio’s (R-Fla.) Senate seat on Sunday.

“Many have asked which perch I will be fighting from next, and some of you throughout this conference have even given me a few suggestions,” Gaetz said at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest. “My fellow Floridians have asked me to eye the governor’s mansion in Tallahassee, maybe special counsel to go after the insider trading for my former colleagues in Congress.”

“It seems I may not have had enough support in the United States Senate. Maybe I’ll just run for Marco Rubio’s vacant seat in the United States Senate and join some of those folks,” Gaetz continued, nodding to the fact that he struggled to win enough support among senators to be President-elect Trump’s attorney general.

Rubio is leaving his Senate seat after being tapped by Trump to be his secretary of State. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) will appoint Rubio’s replacement. Though it was not clear if Gaetz was seriously considering running for Senate, his remarks drew applause from the crowd.

Gaetz immediately resigned from Congress when he was tapped to be Trump’s attorney general. He later dropped his bid amid concerns that he didn’t have enough support in the Senate for his confirmation.

Gaetz had sued to stop the House Ethics Committee from releasing its report, with a lawsuit slamming the report, saying it included “untruthful and defamatory information.”

The Ethics Committee released the report on Monday:

Lara Trump, President-elect Trump’s daughter in law and former Republican National Committee (RNC) co-chair, removed her name from consideration to replace Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).

“After an incredible amount of thought, contemplation, and encouragement from so many, I have decided to remove my name from consideration for the United States Senate,” Trump wrote in a Saturday post on the social platform X.

“I could not have been more honored to serve as RNC co-chair during the most high-stakes election of our lifetime and I’m truly humbled by the unbelievable support shown to me by the people of our country, and here in the great state of Florida,” she later added.

Kristi Noem Addresses 2024 Speculation

2
Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem isn’t rushing toward the presidential debate stage anytime soon.

Despite the Republican’s rising national profile, Gov. Noem told CBS News reporter Robert Costa that she’s “not convinced” she should pursue the Oval Office.

“’I’m not convinced that I need to run for president,” Noem said according to The Hill.

Costa continued to press the Governor if she is looking ahead to future elections. Noem has been floated as a potential presidential contender or even as a potential VP choice for Trump’s campaign.

Do you not feel a rush, governor, to make a decision on 2024?” he asked.

“I don’t, Bob, at all. No, I think it’s important that people focus on governing rather than going out and making big, broad statements and going out and taking action for their own political futures,” Noem said.  

Noem was endorsed in her reelection bid by former President Trump and said last summer that she’d support Trump’s latest White House campaign. However, after the midterms, the South Dakota lawmaker said that the former president does not “offer the best chance” for the GOP.