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Former Speaker Skewers Matt Gaetz During Podcast Interview

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Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

The claws came out…

It’s not a secret that former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is no fan of Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz after helping lead the charge to oust him from the Speaker’s office.

While the Florida Republican who filed a motion to vacate the chair in October 2023, which triggered a vote of the House on whether to remove McCarthy as speaker claims his actions were motivated by McCarthy’s mishandling of the office, the former Speaker discussed his own opinion on the shocking events.

McCarthy claims Gaetz wanted him to end a House Ethics Committee probe examining whether Gaetz had sexual relations with a minor.  In January, the left-leaning publication The Daily Beast reported that Gaetz privately told colleagues he was motivated by the ethics investigation.

Appearing on the PBD Podcast, McCarthy discussed the drama with host Patrick Bet-David.

The ex-speaker pointed to court filings unsealed last week in which witnesses testified that Gaetz was at a drug-fueled party that was attended by a 17-year-old.

“Everything I said has come to fruition,” McCarthy stated. “It’s unfortunate that one person would utilize something to stop what was coming after them and disrupt the entire Congress.”

“How is the relationship now?” Bet-David asked. “Because I know I saw you guys at the RNC where he walked up to you while you’re talking to somebody. ‘You wouldn’t be on the stage, you would be booed’ or something like that. Are you guys better know or–

“No!” McCarthy said. “I don’t hang around with pedophiles, I’m sorry.”

Watch:

The Department of Justice investigated Gaetz, but ultimately declined to prosecute.

Florida Lawmaker Introduces Bill to Eliminate Democrat Party

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A Republican lawmaker is trying to change the political landscape of the Sunshine State.

Following Democrats’ widespread losses in Florida during the 2020 midterms, Republican state Sen. Blaise Ingoglia has filed a bill to eliminate the party entirely.

According to The Hill, “The Ultimate Cancel Act” (SB 1248), sponsored by Ingoglia (R-Spring Hill), would cancel the filings of any political party that supported slavery during the Civil War.

“The Democrat party adopted pro-slavery stances in their party platforms and this bill says that if you have done that in the past, then the Secretary of State shall de-certify and get rid of the party,” Ingoglia said. 

Any “canceled” party would have the opportunity to register again, however, the name of the organization must be substantially different from the name of any other party that was previously registered with the department.

The proposal is expectedly drawing widespread criticism from Democrats.

“Shame on the Republican Party for initiating legislation of this magnitude. This is what a dictator does,” newly elected Florida Democrat Party chair Nikki Fried said. 

 “It’s a complete and absolute abuse, and it’s unconstitutional. This bill will go nowhere. It is meritless. It deserves zero airtime and frankly, it’s a distraction from the Republicans’ failed policies,” House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell said.

Ingoglia said he has not spoken to the governor or legislative leaders about the bill.

The governor’s office has not commented on the bill. Legislative leaders in the House and Senate have also yet to express interest in taking up the bill during the upcoming session. If this were to become law, it would take effect in July 2023.

“Florida Democrats are lucky I’m not asking them to return all the political contributions that they got in years past for their Jefferson Jackson dinners since they want to cancel everything. They were raising money based upon two people that, by their own admission, should have been canceled,” Ingoglia said.

On Wednesday, the Florida Democrat Party issued the following statement:

“Presenting a bill that would disenfranchise 5 million voters is both unconstitutional and unserious. Under Ron DeSantis, Senator Ingoglia is using his office to push bills that are nothing more than publicity stunts instead of focusing on the issues that matter most to Floridians, such as reforming property insurance, addressing housing affordability and combating climate change.

“The sooner DeSantis and his puppets in the legislature learn that Florida is a Democratic Republic and not a Banana Republic, the better it will be for all Floridians.”

Ilhan Omar Reportedly Defended Trump Abroad, Shocking GOP Colleagues

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U.S. Rep Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, Rashida Tlaib, and Cori Bush speak at the Mississippi River in Minneapolis asking for President Biden to stop Line 3 pipeline construction.

“You will respect our president!”

In a moment few expected, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) allegedly came to the defense of President Donald Trump during a diplomatic trip to Europe earlier this year, according to Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL).

Luna recounted the incident on the PBD Podcast last week, describing a tense exchange between a Belgian official and a U.S. congressional delegation. Luna claimed the official mocked Trump, calling him disrespectful and treating the U.S. delegation as a joke.

That’s when, Luna said, Omar cut in and forcefully told the diplomat, “You might not like what our president is doing, and you might not agree with our foreign policy. But when we’re here, you will respect our president!”

The exchange reportedly occurred during an April meeting with European Union representatives. Luna described Omar’s comments as “surprising,” but said it was important for Americans to present a unified front when traveling abroad — especially, she added, against “jerks.”

The episode stands out, given Omar’s long track record of harsh criticism toward Trump. Just weeks ago, she referred to him as a “racist, corrupt liar.”

Trump has also lashed out at Omar, calling her a “disgrace” over her reaction to the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.

Omar has not yet confirmed or commented publicly on Luna’s account.

Along with the clip of Luna discussing her conversation with Omar, viewers can also watch her complete 170-minute interview on the PBD Podcast below:

Former Democrat Presidential Candidate Joins Republican Party

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Gage Skidmore Flickr

Big news for the GOP!

During former President Donald Trump’s Tuesday night rally in Greensboro, North Carolina, former Democrat candidate for president and independent Tulsi Gabbard formally announced she is joining the Republican Party.

Tulsi Gabbard via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Gabbard recently joined the Trump campaign as an honorary co-chair for the former president’s transition team alongside Robert F. Kennedy Jr., another former Democrat.

“I’m proud to stand here with you today, President Trump, and announce that I’m joining the Republican Party. I am joining the party of the people,” said Gabbard.

“The party of equality. The party that was founded to fight against and end slavery in this country. It is the party of common sense and the party that is led by a president who has the courage and strength to fight for peace,” added Gabbard.

“Thank you very much, Tulsi. That’s great. Wow, that was a surprise,” said Trump. “That was really, she’s been independent for a long time. That’s a great thing. A great honor. Thank you very much, Tulsi.”

Tulsi Gabbard served as a vice chair of the Democratic National Committee from 2013 through 2016 before resigning.

Gabbard left the Democrat party in 2022, declaring herself an independent. 

Gabbard represented Hawaii’s 2nd District in Congress from 2013 through 2021 as a Democrat. She serves in the U.S. Army Reserves with the rank of lieutenant colonel.

Watch a live stream from the rally HERE!

New Jersey Governor Declares War On Trump Admin.

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Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Despite Donald Trump’s landslide victory, Democrat Governors are already planning ways to hinder the incoming administration.

In a Q&A following President-elect Trump’s victory, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy warned he will “fight to the death” against the administration if he detects behavior “contrary to our values.”

“[A]s we respect the peaceful transition of power, if there is any attack on the Garden State or any of its communities from Washington, I will fight back with every fiber of my being,” Murphy said.

“If there’s an opportunity for common ground, we will seize that as fast as anybody,” he conversely added. 

Watch:

State Assembly Minority Leader John DiMaio (R-Hackettstown) told Fox News Digital that Murphy is “missing the message” voters sent Tuesday with the initial rhetoric.

“It’s time for the governor to recognize that his values may not reflect the values of New Jerseyans as widely as he assumes,” he said.

“While Murphy is prepared to spend resources on political battles with Trump, it’s hard to see how that aligns with the priorities of struggling families, working taxpayers and business owners who want more focus on their needs,” DiMaio said.

Report: Jan. 6 Rioter Convicted In Plot To Kill Federal Agents

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Tyler Merbler, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

A convicted Jan. 6 rioter has now been found guilty of planning to kill federal agents who were investigating his role in the Capitol attack.

Edward Kelley, 35, was convicted Wednesday by a jury of conspiracy to murder federal employees, solicitation to commit a crime of violence and influencing a federal official by threat following a three-day trial per The Hill.

Federal prosecutors said Kelley developed a “kill list” of FBI agents and others who participated in the investigation into his conduct on Jan. 6, hatching a plan to murder them while awaiting trial in his Capitol attack case. 

A defendant who pleaded guilty to his role in the scheme and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors testified that he and Kelley plotted attacks on the FBI field office in Knoxville, Tenn., using car bombs and explosives attached to drones, according to the Justice Department. They also discussed assassinating FBI employees in their homes or public places, like movie theatres.

Prosecutors showed a recording at trial of Kelley stating “every hit has to hurt.”

In his Capitol riot case, Kelley was convicted of 11 counts following a two-day bench trial, including obstructing law enforcement officers during a civil disorder; assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers; and engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or ground.

He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison at sentencing in May.

Election Expert Calls On Biden To Immediately Resign

Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Does Joe Biden have any friends left?

Expert election prognosticator and FiveThirtyEight founder Nate Silver called on President Biden to immediately resign and let Vice President Kamala Harris carry out the remainder of his term.

Silver’s argument came in response to a Washington Post article about Biden’s recent trip to Brazil that began like this:

MANAUS, Brazil — President Joe Biden was in the middle of the Amazon rainforest, unprotected from mosquitoes, fire ants and loud, squawking macaws. But there was another pest he did manage to avoid: the pack of reporters traveling with him.

For a short speech in front of about two dozen people, the journalists were initially instructed to watch Biden on a flat-screen television placed amid sand and lush trees as the president spoke about 50 feet away, though they were eventually moved closer. As Biden finished his remarks, maracas rattled by a local group prevented him from hearing reporters’ shouted questions about Ukraine.

During a six-day foreign trip to Peru and Brazil that wrapped up Monday, the president rarely spoke in public, answering almost no questions despite repeated efforts to engage him. One television producer took to writing messages on a large pad of paper, holding it up as Biden boarded and departed Air Force One.

The story went on to note that Biden has been conspicuously quiet about the results of the 2024 presidential election, which he “repeatedly called the most important election in history” and  “warned would change the country forever if [Donald] Trump prevailed.”

Silver was unamused by Biden’s performance as described by the Post.

“Is there any particular reason to assume Biden is competent to be president right now?” he asked rhetorically on X. “It’s a very difficult job. It’s a dangerous world. Extremely high-stakes decisions in Ukraine. He should resign and let Harris serve out the last 2 months.”

Suspect Arrested In Attempted Murder Plot Targeting OMB Director Russell Vought

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A Maryland man has been accused of attempting to murder Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought, according to NewsNation.

Court records from Arlington General District Court show that Colin Demarco was arrested on Jan. 22 and arraigned the following day. Records indicate he faces multiple charges, including first-degree attempted murder, first-degree solicitation to commit murder, wearing a mask in certain places, and carrying a concealed firearm, a misdemeanor.

Demarco is accused of plotting to kill Vought, a law enforcement source briefed on the case told NewsNation.

Police say they were called to a Virginia residence on Aug. 10 after a witness reported that a man wearing a surgical mask and rubber gloves appeared to be standing on Vought’s porch while possibly concealing a firearm under his shirt.

According to authorities, the suspect approached the witness and asked about Vought before leaving the scene.

Investigators later identified Demarco as the man described and executed search warrants that reportedly uncovered evidence tying him to the alleged plot. NewsNation reported that authorities found Demarco had obtained directions to the budget director’s home, had posted online about the victim, and had engaged in online discussions that appeared to solicit others to murder Vought.

Demarco is currently being held without bond. He is scheduled to appear in court again on Feb. 23 for a preliminary hearing. Court records list him as being represented by a public defender.

The case comes amid heightened concern nationwide over threats directed at public officials. In recent years, federal authorities have warned of an increase in violent rhetoric and plots targeting government figures across the political spectrum, including presidents, members of Congress, and senior administration officials.

Earlier this week, Ryan Routh was sentenced to life in prison plus seven years over his attempt to assassinate Donald Trump on a Florida golf course.

Prosecutors argued that Routh, 60, should get a life sentence after a jury last year convicted him on five counts for allegedly plotting “painstakingly to kill President Trump, and [taking] significant steps toward making that happen.” 

“Routh’s crimes undeniably warrant a life sentence — he took steps over the course of months to assassinate a major presidential candidate, demonstrated the will to kill anybody in the way, and has since expressed neither regret nor remorse to his victims,” prosecutors argued in a court filing. 

During the September trial, a jury quickly found Routh guilty on five felony counts, including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate and assaulting a federal officer. 

Routh allegedly hid in the bushes of the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach and pointed a military-grade SKS rifle towards Trump and a Secret Service agent. 

Trump Goes Off on Gov. Ron DeSantis, Glenn Youngkin

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Gage Skidmore Flickr

Former President Donald Trump unleashed a fiery monologue against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Thursday evening after winning re-election with higher-than-expected margins in the Sunshine State.

In a statement sent by Trump’s Save America PAC to his supporters, the former president called DeSantis an “average” Republican governor with “great Public Relations.” The former president also took credit for DeSantis’s 2018 gubernatorial victory that earned him his first term as governor and honed in on DeSantis’s response to COVID-19 which has largely been credited as the move which propelled him to national recognition.

In the unprovoked attack, Trump also revived the nickname “Ron DeSanctimonious” in what appears the most extreme escalation between the two Florida Republicans to date.

Read the statement below:

“NewsCorp, which is Fox, the Wall Street Journal, and the no longer great New York Post (bring back Col!), is all in for Governor Ron DeSanctimonious, an average REPUBLICAN Governor with great Public Relations, who didn’t have to close up his State, but did, unlike other Republican Governors, whose overall numbers for a Republican, were just average—middle of the pack—including COVID, and who has the advantage of SUNSHINE, where people from badly run States up North would go no matter who the Governor was, just like I did!”

Trump continued by saying that DeSantis was “desperate” in 2017 and that DeSantis “had low approval, bad polls, and no money, but he said that if I would Endorse him, he could win.”

“I also fixed his campaign, which had completely fallen apart,” Trump continued. “I was all in for Ron, and he beat Gillum, but after the Race, when votes were being stolen by the corrupt Election process in Broward County, and Ron was going down ten thousand votes a day, along with now-Senator Rick Scott, I sent in the FBI and the U.S. Attorneys, and the ballot theft immediately ended, just prior to them running out of the votes necessary to win. I stopped his Election from being stolen…”

“And now, Ron DeSanctimonious is playing games!” Trump concluded in his attack on DeSantis. “The Fake News asks him if he’s going to run if President Trump runs, and he says, ‘I’m only focused on the Governor’s race, I’m not looking into the future.’ Well, in terms of loyalty and class, that’s really not the right answer.”

However, Trump wasn’t done bashing Republican governors and soon turned his ire toward first-term Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin in the second wave of rage-filled statements.

“Young Kin (now that’s an interesting take. Sounds Chinese, doesn’t it?) in Virginia couldn’t have won without me,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “I Endorsed him, did a very big Trump Rally for him telephonically, got MAGA to Vote for him – or he couldn’t have come close to winning. But he knows that, and admits it. Besides, having a hard time with the Dems in Virginia – But he’ll get it done!”

It’s unclear what provoked Trump’s comments against Youngkin but hours before the enraged message Virginia Lt. Governor Winsome Sears announced she will not support Trump’s 2024 bid despite supporting him in past elections.

“A true leader understands when they have become a liability,” Sears said. “A true leader understands that it’s time to step off the stage. And the voters have given us that very clear message.”

“I could not support him. I just couldn’t, because we have seen, for example, in those states where he has endorsed the candidates, in fact, Republicans on the same ticket who he did not endorse over-performed, whereas his candidates totally underperformed by as much as 10 points,” she added. “We have a clear mission, and it is time to move on.”

On Friday, Gov. Youngkin said he hadn’t seen Trump’s comments.

“I didn’t see it. And I have to be honest, I’ve been busy all morning. Listen, you all know me, I do not call people names. I really work hard to bring people together,” Youngkin said.

Marjorie Taylor Greene Bluntly Declares MAGA ‘Was All A Lie’

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Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, once one of President Donald Trump’s most outspoken allies on Capitol Hill, has escalated her public break with the former president—this time taking direct aim at the Make America Great Again movement itself.

In a lengthy interview with independent political commentator Kim Iversen published on YouTube Thursday, Greene accused Trump of abandoning the grassroots voters who fueled his rise, branding MAGA a betrayal of the very people it promised to serve.

“MAGA is — I think people are realizing it was all a lie. It was a big lie for the people,” Greene said.

The Georgia Republican, who resigned from Congress last fall, argued that Trump has shifted his focus away from everyday Americans and toward wealthy donors and entrenched interests. According to Greene, political loyalty is now driven by money rather than principle.

“He’s more worried about serving the big big donors,” she said, referring to donors who contribute to Trump-aligned PACs and high-dollar projects, including his newly announced ballroom. “Those are the people that get the special favors, the government contracts, they get the pardons.”

Greene went on to argue that foreign governments and multinational corporations now wield disproportionate influence over U.S. policy.

“And it’s the foreign countries that are running the show here,” she added. “It’s the major big corporations and what is best for the world. That’s really what MAGA is.”

Her criticism extended to foreign policy, particularly Trump’s focus on Iran and the Middle East. Greene suggested domestic unrest is being ignored in favor of overseas conflicts.

“I’m sorry, we’ve got civil war practically breaking out in Minnesota, can we not care about that?” she said.

Greene reserved her sharpest criticism for U.S. involvement in Israel and Gaza, accusing Trump of prioritizing foreign interests over American lives and values.

“We’re seeing war on behalf of Israel,” Greene said. “We’re seeing the people in Gaza — innocent people in Gaza, hundreds of thousands of them completely murdered, so that they can build some new real estate development and money can pour in and everyone can get rich there in New Gaza.”

The remarks mark a dramatic evolution for Greene, who was once considered among Trump’s most reliable defenders in Congress. Her relationship with the former president began to fracture publicly after she accused him of dragging his feet on releasing government files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein—an issue popular among the GOP base skeptical of elite accountability.

Following those comments, Trump publicly distanced himself from Greene, dubbing her “Marjorie ‘Traitor’ Greene” and claiming she had “some sort of act going on.” Their feud intensified in the months that followed, culminating in Greene’s decision to leave Congress altogether.

While Greene has framed her resignation as a rejection of Washington politics, speculation has continued to swirl within conservative circles that she may be positioning herself for a future national run. Allies and critics alike have noted that her recent media appearances, broader ideological critiques, and willingness to challenge Trump directly resemble the early stages of a potential presidential or third-party campaign.

Greene has not formally announced any plans to run for president, but she has also declined to rule it out—fueling rumors that her break with Trump may be less about stepping away from politics and more about redefining the post-Trump conservative movement on her own terms.

According to a November report from Notus, Greene has privately expressed interest in following in Donald Trump’s footsteps to the White House. The outlet cites four sources familiar with her thinking, saying Greene believes she represents the “real MAGA” faction — the core conservative movement that has reshaped the GOP since 2016 — and that many Republican leaders have drifted away from those grassroots values. (RELATED: Marjorie Taylor Greene Reportedly Prepping For 2028 Presidential Run)

One source told Notus that Greene feels confident she has built the national donor network and grassroots support needed to mount a serious primary campaign, especially as the GOP’s base remains loyal to Trump’s populist agenda.

Watch the full interview: