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House Democrat Says Lawmakers ‘Had Wagers Going’ On Trump, Musk Implosion

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UK Government, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

It was only a matter of time…

Some members of Congress believed the implosion of President Trump’s relationship with tech billionaire Elon Musk was so inevitable that they were wagering on how long it would last, Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas) suggested Thursday.

“We had wagers going on the floor: Is this relationship going to last three months? Is it going to last six months?” Gonzalez told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins in an interview. “I don’t think anyone thought it was going to last a year.”

“I don’t think you needed to be a genius, though, to foresee that this eruptive and public display of divorce was going to happen at some point,” he added.

Trump and Musk publicly traded barbs on Thursday in an explosive end to their previously tight alliance, with cracks beginning to show in recent days as Musk blasted the House GOP’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” as a “disgusting abomination.”

On Thursday afternoon, Elon Musk publicly endorsed a call for President Donald Trump’s impeachment. Responding to a post on his social media platform X by conservative commentator Ian Miles Cheong — who suggested Trump should be impeached and replaced by Vice President JD Vance — Musk replied with a succinct “yes,” signaling his agreement with the sentiment.

The world’s richest man and SpaceX CEO said his space exploration company will ground the spacecraft used to shuttle astronauts and cargo to the International Space Station.

On Friday morning, Fox News reported that Musk may speak with some of the President’s aides in an apparent effort to calm the growing feud between the two powerhouses.

A senior White House official told Fox News that Trump does not expect to speak to Musk today. However, White House aides told Doocy that Trump administration staffers might try to talk to Musk. 

“No call scheduled or had. Musk wants a call. POTUS hasn’t made a decision,” a source familiar with the matter also told Fox News regarding a possible conversation between Trump and Musk.

Doocy also reported that a red Tesla vehicle that Trump bought during a Tesla demonstration on the South Lawn of the White House grounds earlier this year is now expected to be given away or sold off. 

The vehicle with Florida tags, as of Friday, remains parked near the White House on West Executive Drive.

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Media Personality Claims Tucker Carlson Is Frontrunner to Succeed Trump

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Tucker Carlson via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Swisher and Galloway were discussing the decline of television in the wake of Kimmel’s suspension from ABC when the conversation turned to podcasters.

“I think, look, we got to just burn those ships and move on. That’s the thing, because this is how Trump lives. He lives in the 80s in his head, so CBS, ABC, and NBC are the be-all and end-all,” Swisher argued.

“But they’re not. They’re not influential anymore. We should just move along and make our stuff. We should grow and conservative outlets should grow, whatever it happens to be. I was, although I think Tucker Carlson’s really– something’s going on with him. When he’s articulated, it was absolutely right,” Swisher added.

“We both have our issues with Tucker. I think Tucker right now is the most likely nominee for the Republican nomination. I think he has been very good lately,” Galloway replied — referring to Carlson’s warning against any kind of free speech crackdown following Kirk’s murder.

“Well, he’s consistent at least,” Swisher agreed.

“About housing, for young people, he comes across as intellectually honest. He comes across as courageous, not afraid to go against his own party. And I realize I’m talking our own book here,” Galloway continued, adding:

Our downloads are up 10 percent in the last 30 days. And guess what? Everyone from Megyn Kelly to Joe Rogan, you’re going to see a lot, increasingly people turn to podcasts like The Daily, because The New York Times is fearless and does the work.

You’re just going to see media that is not scared of Brendan Carr, or can’t be controlled by Brendan Carr. Boom, because people are really interested in what’s going on, and they like fearless. You know, I’ll give you an example, Don Lemon.

Watch:

New Report Indicates Trump Will Postpone 2024 Campaign Announcement

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Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

New reports signal Donald Trump is seriously considering delaying his long-anticipated 2024 presidential campaign announcement.

The delay comes on the heels of a number of high-profile legal and political setbacks that sources close to the matter say have distracted from the potential 2024 announcement. (Related: Department of Justice Publishes Affidavit Used for FBI Raid on Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Resort)

According to CNN:

After months of eyeing Labor Day weekend as the target launch date for a 2024 campaign, Trump has spent the past few weeks backing away from that timeline following the FBI search of his Mar-a-Lago estate and an increased panic among Republicans that the party may not be in for the red wave it has long anticipated this November.

While his timeline could shift again between now and November, the onslaught of political and legal concerns has the former President feeling nervous about prematurely diving into the 2024 primary, according to nine former and current Trump aides and allies who requested anonymity to discuss internal matters.

Otherwise, advisers say, the former President is more likely to be blamed for potential losses in the midterms if he becomes a candidate for president before November and his legal troubles distract from the bread-and-butter issues most Republicans — but especially those running in competitive races — would prefer to focus on.

The Republican Party has been predicted for months to sweep this year’s midterms by capitalizing on a series of blunders from the Biden administration such as the botched Afghanistan withdrawal, record inflation rates, and rising crime. However, analysts have recently reported that Republicans are now expected to win by a smaller margin than originally predicted.

A former Trump campaign aide told the outlet, “There is a direct tie if Trump becomes a campaign ad in November and Republicans lose the Senate, and the last thing he wants is to be blamed.”

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Manhattan District Attorney Opposes Push To Dismiss Trump Conviction

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

Manhattan prosecutors on Tuesday said they will oppose President-elect Trump’s demand to dismiss his criminal hush money.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) in the new letter said he won’t resist adjourning Trump’s sentencing next week so the judge can receive further briefing on the issue. 

“No current law establishes that a president’s temporary immunity from prosecution requires dismissal of a post-trial criminal proceeding that was initiated at a time when the defendant was not immune from criminal prosecution and that is based on unofficial conduct for which the defendant is also not immune,” Bragg wrote.  

“Rather, existing law suggests that the Court must balance competing constitutional interests and proceed ‘in a manner that preserves both the independence of the Executive and the integrity of the criminal justice system,’” he said. 

Bragg signed the filing himself – a departure from the office’s typical practice. 

Trump’s team celebrated the development.

“This is a total and definitive victory for President Trump and the American People who elected him in a landslide. The Manhattan DA has conceded that this Witch Hunt cannot continue,” Steven Cheung, Trump’s campaign spokesperson and incoming White House communications director, said in a statement. 

Judge Juan Merchan, who oversees the case, must decide whether to push back the Nov. 26 sentencing, toss Trump’s conviction altogether or move forward despite his election victory.   

Trump was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records tied to a hush money payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to conceal an alleged affair, which he denies, ahead of the 2016 presidential election. 

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

DeSantis Launches Florida Redistricting Push 

On Wednesday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis launched a redistricting effort to potentially secure additional Republican congressional seats in the state.

DeSantis announced the move, saying he will be convening a special session for the state legislature to adjust current maps. The move comes as red and blue states across the country have pursued redistricting to secure an advantage in the 2026 midterm elections.

“Today, I announced that I will be convening a Special Session of the Legislature focused on redistricting to ensure that Florida’s congressional maps accurately reflect the population of our state. Every Florida resident deserves to be represented fairly and constitutionally,” DeSantis wrote.

“This Special Session will take place after the regular legislative session, which will allow the Legislature to first focus on the pressing issues facing Floridians before devoting its full attention to congressional redistricting in April,” he added.

Currently, Republicans hold 20 of Florida’s 28 congressional districts. Florida Republicans may also face challenges because of language in the state’s constitution that puts tight restrictions on gerrymandering.

Texas and California have also pursued major redistricting efforts, with Texas overcoming some initial pushback from the courts.

In early December, the Supreme Court delivered a significant victory to Texas Republicans, clearing the way for a new congressional map that could add up to five GOP-leaning seats in 2026. In a 6-3 ruling, the justices halted a lower court order and said Texas can use the map while the legal fight plays out.

Florida is another key battleground where redistricting could bolster Republican prospects. Governor Ron DeSantis has already demonstrated a willingness to redraw maps, most notably by dismantling a North Florida district long viewed as favorable to Democrats. Further tweaks ahead of 2026 could reinforce Republican dominance in the state by locking in gains made over the last two cycles and reducing the number of truly competitive districts. (RELATED: Supreme Court Clears Texas To Use GOP-Friendly Map In 2026)

Similarly, in states like Ohio and Tennessee, GOP legislators continue to test the limits of court rulings and constitutional constraints, seeking maps that better reflect — in their view — statewide partisan preferences, which currently favor Republicans.

While these redistricting efforts are unlikely to produce a dramatic wave of new GOP seats on their own, they could prove decisive in a narrowly divided House. With margins expected to be razor-thin, even two or three additional Republican-leaning districts may be enough to offset losses from retirements or difficult midterm headwinds.

New Poll Reports Unexpected Candidate Could Topple Trump

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Gage Skidmore Flickr

This could be interesting…

Obama could be the only Democrat that could defeat Donald Trump this November- Michelle Obama that is.

A recent survey, conducted by Reuters/Ipsos, found that Obama was the only Democrat to surpass Trump in a hypothetical matchup, garnering 50 percent support to his 39 percent. Only 4 percent of respondents said they would not vote at all.

The Hill has more:

Meanwhile, the poll found that in a head-to-head matchup, President Biden and Trump are neck-and-neck. They each received 40 percent of the vote, while 8 percent said they would vote for someone else, and another 8 percent said they would not vote.

Other Democrats floated as potential replacements to Biden in the poll included Vice President Harris, who received 42 percent in a head-to-head match-up with Trump, who received 43 percent. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) trailed Trump by 3 percentage points, and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) trailed by 5 points in a hypothetical contest with the presumptive GOP nominee.

Obama was the top choice among Democrats to replace Biden on the 2024 ticket, according to a Rasmussen Reports poll released in February. Despite her popularity, the former first lady has repeatedly said she will not be pursuing a bid for the White House.

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

“As former First Lady Michelle Obama has expressed several times over the years, she will not be running for president,” Crystal Carson, the director of communications for Obama’s office, said in a statement in March.

Obama “supports President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ re-election campaign,” Carson said.

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

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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.

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Ukranian President Accuses Ex-Fox News Personality Of Colluding With Russia

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Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused conservative commentator Tucker Carlson of working with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.

Responding to Carlson’s own appearance on Piers Morgan Uncensored – during which he criticized Zelensky for his persecution of political opponents and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – the Ukrainian president claimed, “Regrettably, this blogger or journalist, whatever he wants to call him, he unfortunately fully repeats words of the Putin.”

“It seems to me that to this journalist, I do not remember his surname. Excuse me, Tucker. Yes, Tucker, his name, but it seems to me he needs to more deeply understand what’s happening in Ukraine,” Zelensky said during an appearance on pundit Piers Morgan’s program. “Just stop working for [Russian President Vladimir] Putin.”

Carlson, Zelensky said, knows better.

“When he simply says something, you know, just throwing the words,” the Ukrainian leader said. “Has he for one time in his lifetime lost his close ones? I wish to his family, I do not know his family, I wish them peace and no losses, but one must have his own opinion and understand that he probably influences many people. He’s simply disinforming them, misinforming the people.”

Watch:

Carlson, a former Fox News host, recently launched his own media company and used an interview and commentary style internet show to feature conversations with newsmakers and other public figures.

Last year, Carlson published an extensive interview with Putin, during which the Russian leader defended his invasion of Ukraine. (RELATED: Tucker Carlson Confirms Vladimir Putin Interview)

During his appearance on Piers Morgan Uncensored, Zelensky also claimed he had been invited to President Donald Trump’s inauguration but decided not to go.

“President Trump invited me to his inauguration, but he invited me in very general terms, as maybe other leaders,” he said. “I think that it was simply not very appropriate for me to come. He wouldn’t have time for [a] personal meeting.”

Democrat Lawmaker Announces Resignation After Being Convicted on Felony Charges

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Arrest image via Pixabay

Minnesota state Sen. Nicole Mitchell (D) said that she will resign after being convicted last week on two felony charges.

Nicole Mitchell was convicted of felony first-degree burglary and possession of burglary or theft tools for breaking into her stepmother Carol Mitchell’s Minnesota home in April 2024.

Nicole Mitchell pleaded not guilty, and during the trial, her defense argued that she was at the home to check on her stepmother, who lives with Alzheimer’s.

Nicole Mitchell’s stepmother Carol Mitchell reportedly took the stand, saying that she felt “extremely violated” after finding Nicole Mitchell in her home.

Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy said Nicole Mitchell “has gotten the due process she is entitled to and was convicted by a jury of her peers.”

“With the clarity brought by the resolution of this case, the Senate DFL Caucus will continue to focus on issues that improve the lives of Minnesota families and communities,” Murphy said.

GOP Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson criticized her decision to not resign immediately and blamed Democrats for “refusing to hold her accountable during session.” His caucus tried and failed to expel Mitchell from the chamber in the wake of the charges.

“Senator Mitchell was convicted of two felonies; she doesn’t get to give the Senate two weeks’ notice. Democrats shielded Mitchell for 15 months to protect their political power, but a jury needed just three hours to confirm what was already clear: she shouldn’t be a senator,” he said in a statement.

Gov. Tim Walz’s office is expected to announce details about a special election after Nicole Mitchell’s resignation. There is another special election set for September to fill a vacancy left by former House Speaker Melissa Hortman’s politically-motivated assassination.

Marjorie Taylor Greene Calls On Trump To Pardon George Santos

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Republican lawmaker Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) is coming to the defense of disgraced former Congressman George Santos, who is currently serving out his prison sentence.

On Monday, Greene called on President Trump to issue a pardon to Santos, who began his sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution in Fairton, New Jersey last month after being sentenced to 87 months in prison for wire fraud and identity theft. (RELATED: Disgraced Former Rep. George Santos Gets Over 7 Years In Prison)

In a letter to President Trump’s U.S. Pardon Attorney Ed Martin, Greene wrote:

I am writing to request that your office urge the President to commute the sentence of former Congressman George Santos. In April 2025, Mr. Santos was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges. I wholeheartedly believe in justice and the rule of the law, and I understand the gravity of such actions. However, I believe a seven-year sentence for such campaign-related matters for an individual with no prior criminal record extends far beyond what is warranted.

As a Member of Congress, I worked with Mr. Santos on many issues and can attest to his willingness and dedication to serve the people of New York who elected him to office. He committed himself to serving his constituents and did whatever it took to represent their interests in Washington, D.C. He is sincerely remorseful and has accepted full responsibility for his actions. Furthermore, my office has spoken with a pastor of his who discussed the regret and remorse of Mr. Santos, agreeing that the sentence imposed is a grave injustice.

While his crimes warrant punishment, many of my colleagues who I serve with have committed far worse offenses than Mr. Santos yet have faced zero criminal charges. I strongly believe in accountability for one’s actions, but I believe the sentencing of Mr. Santos is an abusive overreach by the judicial system.

Commuting his sentence would acknowledge the severity of his actions and simultaneously provide a path forward in allowing him to make amends for his crimes and strive to better serve the people in his community.

In May, Santos teared up on Piers Morgan Uncensored and pleaded with Trump for a pardon, “commutation, clemency, whatever the president is willing to give me,” after being sentenced.

The former congressman also requested protective custody after expressing fear of being “brutalized” in prison.

“I’m not fearful of dying in there, I’m more fearful of being severely brutalized and harmed, if you get my drift,” he said.

Watch:

Last month, during an interview with Tucker Carlson, Santos also expressed concern that his time in prison could be a “death sentence.”

“Tucker, can I be honest with you?” Santos asked Carlson, who called Santos’s prison sentence unfair compared to lesser sentences handed to violent criminals.

“I hope you will,” Carlson responded.

“I don’t know that I survive it. They’re putting me in a violent prison. It’s a medium facility. I’m not a street-wise guy. I don’t know how to fight. I’m a gay man. We– statistics tell you what happens to gay men in prison. I didn’t know I survived this. I, I’m being honest. I mean, I can’t change that,” Santos said, later saying his only hope is prayer and a longshot pardon from President Donald Trump.

When Carlson pressed Santos on whether he was being serious, Santos insisted he is not “exaggerating” his fear, saying he’s lived a “sheltered” life that in no way prepared him for prison.

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