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Kari Lake Says She Won’t Seek Office Again

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Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

She’s done…

Former Republican Senate candidate Kari Lake says she’s done with pursuing public office.

“We know the movement that we have in Arizona, and I will never take that for granted. But there is a corrupt machine here that is hellbent on making sure I never hold office. So, I won’t put my family (and myself) through the torture of running again,” Lake wrote Saturday in a post on X.

Gallego, who had served in the House for nearly a decade representing a Phoenix-based seat, secured his victory against Lake, garnering 50.1 percent of the vote compared to Lake’s 47.7 percent, according to a polling aggregate from The Hill/Decision Desk HQ.

Lake has recently been in the spotlight after Trump nominated her to lead Voice of America.

In her Saturday post, Lake pledged to support Trump and help revamp the media outlet. Trump has said his vision is for Lake to “ensure that the American values of Freedom and Liberty are broadcast around the World FAIRLY and ACCURATELY, unlike the lies spread by the Fake News Media.”

“I will go to Washington, D.C., return @VOANews to its glory days, and help President Trump Make America Great Again,” Lake wrote.

CNN Commentator Criticizes Trump’s Response After Assassination Attempt

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A failed loner attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump in a horrific moment on Saturday afternoon. The incident left one rally goer dead and two others in critical condition.

Yet, CNN’s Jamie Gangel chose to focus on Trump’s immediate reaction following the attack.

The Aftermath of the Attack

Moments after narrowly escaping the assassination attempt, Trump was heard yelling “Fight! Fight! Fight!” to the crowd.

Gangel’s Reaction

Jamie Gangel, a reporter for CNN, expressed her disapproval of Trump’s choice of words seconds after he was shot. She stated:

That’s not the message that we want to be sending right now. We want to tamp it down.

Police have ransacked the Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, home of the deceased gunman, a 20-year-old male named Thomas Matthew Crooks.

The FBI later confirmed Crooks’ identity early Sunday and called the incident an assassination attempt, although President Biden initially declined to do so.

READ NEXT: Congressman Reveals Bombshell Request Before Trump Assassination Attempt

Centrist Republicans Float Re-electing McCarthy as House Speaker In Wake of Israel Attacks

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Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

The old saying goes “the more things change the more they stay the same…”

Some Republicans are mulling a move to reinstate Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) as House Speaker in the wake of the deadly attacks in Israel.

On Saturday morning, Palestine militant group Hamas launched its surprise attack on Israel, prompting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare war on the organization and order retaliatory action.

“Israel attacks have moderates holding out for the one person who can truly unite us: Kevin McCarthy,” a House GOP lawmaker said.

Last week, McCarthy was ousted by the votes of eight Republicans and all House Democrats thanks to a rule change McCarthy agreed to when he was elected speaker.

However, handing McCarthy back the Speaker’s gavel is an uphill battle due to the support Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) have already garnered. Last week, former President Donald Trump threw his support behind Jordan for Speaker.

McCarthy, for his part, is “aware and grateful” for the efforts to reinstate him, but he’s not engaging at this point, the House GOP lawmaker said.

However, some Republicans are optimistic that it could be done, given the severity of the attack in Israel. They believe the urgency surrounding the attacks could pressure the eight House Republicans who voted to oust McCarthy to switch their stance. Many Republicans are still upset with those who voted against McCarthy, who is a vocal supporter of Israel, and are “using this moment to show how wrong they were,” per the House GOP lawmaker.

“A short window is all we need in the House to reinstate Kevin McCarthy and change the rule,” Rep. John Duarte (R-CA) said.

House Republicans plan on meeting behind closed doors on Monday to hash out details and differences of opinion. On Tuesday, there will be a candidate forum to hear the pros and cons of each speaker candidate.

The conference plans to hold a secret vote on Wednesday to see who it wants to nominate for speaker on the floor. The nomination will go to whichever candidate secures a majority of the GOP conference. That figure could be as low as 113, including the three nonvoting GOP delegates to the House. If all 435 House members participate, a successful candidate will need 217 votes to become speaker.

New York Times Handles Trump Assassination Attempt By Cropping Out American Flag

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Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

In an attack that shook America to its core on Saturday afternoon, a failed loner attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump. The New York Times’ editorial choices in covering it over the past 24 hours have sparked widespread discussion and criticism.

NYT’s Editorial Decisions

One of the most controversial decisions was the alteration of their cover photo, which conspicuously cut out the American flag. This move did not go unnoticed and spurred intense reaction online. Additionally, The New York Times opted not to use the word “assassination” in its front-page story about the shooting.

Comparison with Other Media Outlets

The New York Times wasn’t alone in making editorial choices that drew scrutiny. CNN’s Jamie Gangel also faced criticism for her response. Gangel chose to chide Trump’s rhetoric mere seconds after the attack, a decision sorely lacking empathy and perspective.

However, these responses were somewhat subdued when compared to the reactions from two reporters from a far-left Seattle outlet. These ideologues appeared to cheer the near miss.

The Post Millennial reports:

Staff writer at The Stranger Ashley Nerbovig, who covers “policing, incarceration and courts” for the far-left outlet posted on X, “Make America aim again,” in reaction to the news that the former president had survived the shooting at a rally in Pennsylvania on Sunday. Nervobig deleted the post, but screenshots went viral. She then deleted her account.

Fellow Stranger writer Hannah Krieg criticized Seattle’s Democratic mayor for praising the Secret Service and wishing the best for the former president.

Following the news of the failed assassination, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrel posted on X, “This act of political violence is disturbing and unacceptable in our country. Thank you to the Secret Service and all the first responders who quickly secured the scene. Our thoughts are with the former president and all the people who attended today’s rally.”

Krieg shared the post and wrote, “Mayor Bruce Harrel swiftly comes to the defense of Trump, a failed insurrectionist touted by mainstream Democrats as an existential threat to Democracy.” She deleted the post and then locked her account after the blowback.

For readers and viewers, these examples highlight the importance of critically evaluating news sources and being aware of potential biases. It also underscores the need for media literacy in this country.

READ NEXT: Horrifying Discovery Made In Trump Gunman’s Car

Trump Assassination Attempt 911 Calls Released

Months after a 20-year-old gunman attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, Butler County officials have released 911 calls from that day.

One redacted call came from the wife of a 74-year-old shooting victim from Moon Township, telling police her husband was shot at the rally, but she does not know what hospital he was transported to. James Copenhaver, a 74-year-old man from Moon Township, was shot and critically wounded at the rally.

“Paramedics serviced him. I called Butler Hospital. He’s not there. They told me to call 911,” the woman can be heard telling a dispatcher.

The dispatcher tells her to stay on the line and not hang up.

“I won’t,” she says.

Other 911 calls released by Butler County give more insight into the moment gunman Thomas Crooks fired approximately eight times, nicking Trump in the ear, killing Corey Comperatore, and injuring Copenhaver and another man named David Dutch.

“We’re at the Butler Farm Show. We need assistance now,” says another.

“We’re at the Trump assembly, and there’s a guy shooting,” another caller can be heard telling dispatchers.

Listen to the chilling audio below:

The calls reveal a chaotic scene after shots rang out at the rally, with attendees unaware whether the shooter was an active threat to those attending the event.

Investigation revealed that Crooks had accessed the roof of a nearby building by climbing HVAC equipment and piping on the side of the building, which was outside the official perimeters of the rally but less than 200 yards from where Trump was speaking on stage.

A local officer with Butler County identified where the shots were coming from, located the shooter, and fired one round at Crooks with his rifle, “which caused the shooter to recoil and briefly fall out of sight,” Adams Township Police Department Sgt. Edward Lenz testified in September.

A Secret Service counter sniper then fired the fatal shot that neutralized Crooks on the roof of the AGR building, where he was perched with a direct line of sight to Trump.

Biden Remains Defiant In Letter Shared With Congressional Democrats

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Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

He’s in it to win it…

Despite a bevy of public pleas, President Joe Biden informed colleagues that he would not bow out of the race according to a letter sent to Congressional Democrats.

“I want you to know that despite all the speculation in the press and elsewhere, I am firmly committed to staying in this race, to running this race to the end, and to beating Donald Trump,” the president wrote in the letter.

Biden posted the letter himself to his X account.

Biden, 81, said he’s had “extensive” talks with Democrat leaders and he’s heard the “concerns” about his chances at beating Trump amid concerns about his age.

Numerous lawmakers have publicly called for Biden to remove himself from the ballot this November.

Texas Democrat Rep. Lloyd Doggett became the first sitting Member of Congress to publicly encourage Biden to step down earlier this week. In a more damning appearance, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi switched from accusing Trump of having dementia to validating questions about Biden’s mental acuity, further fueling the debate over his capacity to lead. 

Last Monday, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear (D) seemed to signal support for the idea of Biden stepping away from the race and seemed to promote himself as an alternative candidate. 

Read the full text of the letter below:

JOSEPH R. BIDEN, JR.
July 8, 2024

Fellow Democrats,

Now that you have returned from the July 4th recess, I want you to know that despite all the speculation in the press and elsewhere, I am firmly committed to staying in this race, to running this race to the end, and to beating Donald Trump.

I have had extensive conversations with the leadership of the party, elected officials, rank and file members, and most importantly, Democratic voters over these past io days or so. I have heard the concerns that people have — their good faith fears and worries about what is at stake in this election. I am not blind to them. Believe me, I know better than anyone the responsibility and the burden the nominee of our party carries. I carried it in 2020 when the fate of our nation was at stake. I also know these concerns come from a place of real respect for my lifetime of public service and my record as President, and I have been moved by the expressions of affection for me from so many who have known me well and supported me over the course of my public life. I’ve been grateful for the rock-solid, steadfast support from so many elected Democrats in Congress and all across the country and taken great strength from the resolve and determination I’ve seen from so many voters and grassroots supporters even in the hardest of weeks.

I can respond to all this by saying clearly and unequivocally: I wouldn’t be running again if I did not absolutely believe I was the best person to beat Donald Trump in 2024.
We had a Democratic nomination process and the voters have spoken clearly and decisively. I received over 14 million votes, 87% of the votes cast across the entire nominating process. I have nearly 3,900 delegates, making me the presumptive nominee of our party by a wide margin. This was a process open to anyone who wanted to run. Only three people chose to challenge me. One fared so badly that he left the primaries to run as an independent. Another attacked me for being too old and was soundly defeated. The voters of the Democratic Patty have voted. They have chosen me to be the nominee of the party.

Do we now just say this process didn’t matter? That the voters don’t have a say?

I decline to do that. I feel a deep obligation to the faith and the trust the voters of the Democratic Party have placed in me to run this year. It was their decision to make. Not the press, not the pundits, not the big donors, not any selected group of individuals, no matter how well intentioned. The voters — and the voters alone — decide the nominee of the Democratic Party. How can we stand for democracy in our nation if we ignore it in our own party? I cannot do that. I will not do that.

I have no doubt that I — and we — can and will beat Donald Trump. We have an historic record of success to run on. From creating over 15 million jobs (including 200,000 just last month), reaching historic lows on unemployment, to revitalizing American manufacturing with 800,000 jobs, to protecting and expanding affordable health care, to rebuilding America’s roads, bridges, highways, ports and airports, and water systems, to beating Big Pharma and lowering the cost of prescription drugs, including $35 a month insulin for seniors, to providing student debt relief for nearly 5 million Americans to an historic investment in combatting climate change.

More importantly, we have an economic vision to run on that soundly beats Trump and the MAGA Republicans. They are siding with the wealthy and the big corporations and we are siding with the working people of America. It wasn’t an isolated moment for Trump to stand at Mar-A-Lago and tell the oil industry they should give him $1 billion and he will do whatever they want.

That’s whose side Trump and the MAGA Republicans are on. Trump and the MAGA Republicans want another $5 trillion in tax cuts for rich people so they can cut Social Security and Medicare. We will never let that happen. It’s trickle-down economics on steroids. We know the way to build the economy is from the middle out and the bottom up, not the top down. We are finally going to make the rich and big corporations pay their fair share of taxes in this country. The MAGA party is also still determined to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which could throw 45 million Americans off their coverage. We will never let that happen either. Trump got rich denying rental housing to Black people. We have a plan to build 2 million new housing units in America. They want to let Big Pharma charge as much as they want again. What do you think America’s seniors will think when they know Trump and the MAGA Republicans want to take away their $35 insulin — as well as the $2,000 capon out-of-pocket prescription costs we Democrats just got them? Or what do you think American families are going to think when they find out Trump and the MAGA Republicans want to hit them with a new $2,500 national sales tax on all the imported products they buy.

We are the ones lowering costs for families — from health care to prescription drugs to student debt to housing. We are the ones protecting Social Security and Medicare. Everything they’re proposing raises costs for most Americans — except their tax cuts which will go to the rich.

We are protecting the freedoms of Americans. Trump and the MAGA Republicans are taking them away. They have already for the first time in history taken away a fundamental freedom from the American people by overturning Roe v. Wade. They have decided politicians should make the most personal of decisions that should be made by women and their doctors and those closest to them. They have already said they won’t stop there — and are going after everything from contraception to IVF to the right to marry who you love. And they have made it clear they will ban abortion nationwide. We will let none of that happen. I have made it clear that if Kamala and I are reelected, and the nation elects a Democratic House and Senate, we will make Roe v. Wade the law of the land again. We are the ones who will bring real Supreme Court reform; Donald Trump and his majority want more of the same from the Court, and the chance to add to the right-wing majority they built by subverting the norms and principles of the nomination and confirmation process.

And we are standing up for American democracy. After January 6th, Trump has proven that he is unfit to ever hold the office of President. We can never allow him anywhere near that office again. And we never will.

My fellow Democrats — we have the record, the vision, and the fundamental commitment to America’s freedoms and our Democracy to win.

The question of how to move forward has been well-aired for over a week now. And it’s time for it to end. We have one job. And that is to beat Donald Trump. We have 42 days to the Democratic Convention and 119 days to the general election. Any weakening of resolve or lack of clarity about the task ahead only helps Trump and hurts us. It is time to come together, move forward as a unified party, and defeat Donald Trump.

Sincerely,

Joseph R. Biden Jr.
President of the United States of America

Winner Projected In North Carolina

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The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

A winner has been projected in the critical Tarheel State…

Decision Desk HQ has projected former President Donald Trump will win the first major swing state North Carolina.

The state carries 16 electoral votes.

The Tarheel State has widely been considered a bellwether for the presidential election.

Trump won North Carolina in 2020, when he became the fourth Republican ever to carry the state without winning the presidency. He also won it in 2016, beating former Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. 

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

Republican Group Planning $50M Campaign To Stop Trump Re-election

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Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

A coalition of anti-Trump Republicans are willing to do whatever it takes to prevent a second Trump term in the White House.

Republican Voters Against Trump plans to spend $50 million on the anti-Trump campaign.

The campaign is organized by Sarah Longwell, a Republican strategist and longtime Trump critic. The plan is to target “moderate Republican” and Republican-leaning voters in swing states with testimonial videos of past Trump supporters who will share why they won’t be supporting the former president in the next election.

According to The Hill, the ads featuring the former Trump voter testimonials will be deployed on TV, streaming platforms, billboards, radio and digital media. They will run in the battleground states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. 

“Former Republicans and Republican-leaning voters hold the key to 2024, and reaching them with credible, relatable messengers is essential to re-creating the anti-Trump coalition that made the difference in 2020,” Longwell, the president of the group’s Republican Accountability PAC, said in a Tuesday statement.

“It establishes a permission structure that says that—whatever their complaints about Joe Biden—Donald Trump is too dangerous and too unhinged to ever be president again. Who better to make this case than the voters who used to support him?”

The voters who are sharing their testimonies are generally not applauding Biden or arguing why he should be reelected in 2024, but mostly sharing which incidents made them oppose the former president. 

“I voted for Donald Trump in 2020. January 6 was the end of Donald Trump for me,” Ethan, a Wisconsin resident, says in the video. He will be voting for Biden. “The peaceful transfer of power is one of the defining pieces of our democracy, and I could not believe that someone I had formerly supported would get behind an effort that would throw that under the bus … There is no choice.”

 The group had a similar strategy in 2020 where they shared over 1,000 testimonials during the election.

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.

Tulsi Gabbard Gives Update On Trump Debate Prep

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Tulsi Gabbard via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Former President Trump’s debate prep is going “great,” former Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard informed Fox News.

“He knows the issues. He is very honed in on her [Kamala Harris’] record in reminding voters… ‘what have you done for the last three and a half years?’ You can paint this rosy picture about what you’re going to do, but we’re paying attention to what you’ve already done and how her policies have destroyed our economy, made us less safe, both here at home and abroad,” she told “FOX & Friends” co-host Brian Kilmeade.

The former president recruited Gabbard to help sharpen his skills ahead of the highly-anticipated Sept. 10 debate, where he is slated to face off against Vice President Kamala Harris at the National Constitutional Center in Philadelphia. 

Gabbard infamously tore into Harris during a 2019 Democratic primary debate for jailing hundreds of Californians for marijuana violations despite smoking the drug herself.

“She put over 1,500 people in jail for marijuana violations and then laughed about it when she was asked if she ever smoked marijuana,” she said during the viral exchange.