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McConnell Biography Unveils Senate Leaders Private Reaction After 2020 Election

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Mitch McConnell, Kevin McCarthy, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer attend medal ceremony via Wikimedia Commons

A new biography on Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) exposes new details surrounding his tense relationship with former President Donald Trump.

Michael Tackett, deputy Washington bureau chief at the Associated Press, drew from nearly three decades of McConnell’s political career using sources including recorded diaries by the elder statesmen and past interviews. In the finished book, The Price of Power, which hits shelves on October 29, Tackett uncovered several shockingly negative assessments of the ex-president by McConnell, who has publicly expressed his support and endorsed him in the 2024 election.

After Trump lost the election in 2020, McConnell congratulated his former Senate colleague President Joe Biden and warned his fellow Republicans not to challenge the election results. But behind the scenes — and as Trump tried and failed to overturn the election results — he apparently couldn’t wait to see the last of Trump:

Privately, he said in his oral history that “it’s not just the Democrats who are counting the days” until Trump left office, and that Trump’s behavior “only underscores the good judgment of the American people. They’ve had just enough of the misrepresentations, the outright lies almost on a daily basis, and they fired him.”

“And for a narcissist like him,” McConnell continued, “that’s been really hard to take, and so his behavior since the election has been even worse, by far, than it was before, because he has no filter now at all.”

Before those Georgia runoffs, McConnell said Trump is “stupid as well as being ill-tempered and can’t even figure out where his own best interests lie.”

An account of the aftermath of January 6, which had McConnell in a secure location while his aides “barricaded” in the office, revealed an emotional moment between the former Senate Majority Leader and his staff:

McConnell then went to his office to address his staff, some of whom had barricaded themselves in the office as rioters banged on their doors. He started to sob softly as he thanked them, Tackett writes.

“You are my family, and I hate the fact that you had to go through this,” he told them.

North Carolina Democrat Resigns After Tampering Trump Election Materials

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A local Democrat Party chair in North Carolina resigned after he was arrested for allegedly ripping out and stealing roadside signs supporting former President Donald Trump. 

Lowell Simon, the now former chair of the Moore County Democrat Party, who is also running for North Carolina House in November, was charged with two counts of misdemeanor larceny of political signs. 

The Moore County Democratic Party announced in a Facebook post on Monday that 68-year-old Simon had resigned as chair “following recent allegations and arrest related to the theft of political signs.” 

The Moore County Sheriff’s Office said a deputy working in the West End area observed Simon removing campaign signs from the roadside along Seven Lakes Drive at approximately 5:25 p.m. Thursday. 

Fox News reports:

“The deputy, who was responding to an unrelated call at the time, later followed up at Simon’s residence, where the signs were found in his vehicle,” according to the office. “Simon admitted to removing the signs, which were then recovered and returned to their original owner.” 

A warrant for Simon’s arrest was issued Saturday. He was released “under a written promise to appear in court,” according to the sheriff’s office, and his first court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 30. 

“While we appreciate the hard work and dedication he has shown to the Democratic Party and the community, the Moore County Democratic Party cannot and will not condone the tampering of political signs or any other illegal activity,” the local party wrote on Facebook. “Mr. Simon has offered an apology for his actions, as well as his resignation, both of which have been accepted by the MCDP.”

“My worse angels got the better of me and I removed the signs,” Simon said. “I shouldn’t have done that. I didn’t do it in the stealth of night or anything. I did it when it was five o’clock in the afternoon.”

“We believe in the importance of freedom of expression and speech, and hope that local law enforcement will continue to enforce such laws that protect those freedoms fairly and without bias across party lines,” the local party added. “As we move forward, our focus will remain on electing Democrats up and down the ballot in this critical election. Together, we are committed to promoting the values of justice, fairness, and freedom that our Party holds dear, and we look forward to building a better future for all in Moore County.”

RFK Jr. Hints At Trump Admin. Role

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Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could be joining the future Trump administration…

On Monday, the Independent presidential candidate signaled in a video that he may join the Trump administration’s Department of Agriculture to work on policy.

“When @realDonaldTrump gets me inside the USDA, we’re going to give farmers an off-ramp from the current system that destroys soil, makes people sick, and harms family farms,” he wrote Monday on social platform X, just days after losing his mother, along with a video asking supporters to donate to his “Make America Healthy Again” cause.

The donation page is dedicated to fueling support for the former president.

“America’s current ag policy is destroying America’s health on every level. It’s destroying the economic health of farmers by forcing them to get big or get out,” Kennedy said the video. “Big corporate farms do just fine, while the small and medium family operators are squeezed to the point of collapse.”

The independent then touched on issues caused by toxic pesticides and polluted soil, and shared plans to remove internal “conflicts of interest” within the agency.

“We’re going to ban the worst agricultural chemicals that are already prohibited in other countries. And we’re going to remove conflicts of interest from the USDA dietary panels and commissions,” he said. “I’ve seen some of what America’s most innovative, regenerative farmers are doing today. They can literally green deserts. They rebuild depleted soils, wells that have been dry for 30 years start flowing again.”

Authorities Apprehend Man With Weapon Outside Trump Rally

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Over the weekend, authorities arrested a man outside of Donald Trump’s rally in Coachella, California who was in possession of multiple firearms.

Vem Miller, 49, said to Fox News that he reported the guns to authorities, which he says he always travels with despite never using them, at a checkpoint to get into Trump’s Coachella rally on Saturday evening and argued that documents Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said were fake are legit. 

“I always travel around with my firearms in the back of my truck,” Miller told Fox News Digital in a phone interview.

He says he has never fired them, but he started keeping them with him when he started getting death threats. 

“I’ve literally never even shot a gun in my life,” Miller said.

“I don’t know anything about guns. I am beyond a novice,” he continued. 

Miller says he’s Armenian and has documents that use his full Armenian name and documents that don’t which were inside of his truck at the time, because using those documents in some places around the world could get him killed, referring to campaigns over the centuries to murder Armenians. 

A spokesperson for the Trump campaign issued a statement to Fox News Digital and said they were monitoring the situation.

“We thank law enforcement for securing the rally site and helping ensure the safety of President Trump. We are aware of news reports about the arrest and are currently monitoring the situation and gathering more information,” the statement read. 

In a previous statement, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office said, “This incident did not impact the safety of former President Trump or attendees of the event.” 

A source close to the Trump campaign also told Fox News’s Bill Melugin, and another told Fox News’ Bryan Preston, that they do not believe this was an assassination attempt on Trump.

he was quickly released on $5,000 bail and so far, no federal charges have been filed.

Report: Judge Agrees To Unseal Additional Filings From Jan. 6 Trump Case

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U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan agreed to unseal additional filings from special counsel Jack Smith laying out his election interference case against former President Trump

Chutkan agreed to a request from Smith to unseal exhibits that accompany his 180-page brief asserting that prosecutors can still bring much of their Jan. 6 case against Trump in the wake of a Supreme Court decision granting former presidents broad criminal immunity. 

Chutkan granted Smith’s motion to post redacted versions of the exhibits, which could include grand jury transcripts, texts and other evidence assembled by prosecutors.

The Hill reports:

“The court determines that the Government’s proposed redactions to the Appendix are appropriate, and that Defendant’s blanket objections to further unsealing are without merit. As the court has stated previously, ‘Defendant’s concern with the political consequences of these proceedings’ is not a cognizable legal prejudice,’” she wrote.

Trump opposed both the unsealing of Smith’s motion as well as the accompanying evidence.

But Chutkan also agreed to stay her ruling for seven days after an earlier motion from Trump’s legal team asked for additional time “so that President Trump can evaluate litigation options relating to the decision.”

“There should be no further disclosures at this time of the so-called ‘evidence’ that the Special Counsel’s Office has unlawfully cherry-picked and mischaracterized — during early voting in the 2024 Presidential election,” Trump’s team wrote in an earlier filing Thursday.

Cook Political Report Shifts Multiple Races Toward Republicans

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The Cook Political Report has adjusted its ratings in two key mid-Atlantic congressional races, shifting both in favor of the Republican Party.

The nonpartisan election forecaster made its first change in the race for Virginia’s 7th Congressional District, shifting its classification from “Lean D” to “Toss Up.” The race is for an open seat, following the announced departure of Democrat Abigail Spanberger, who is leaving the House in January to run for governor. It now sees a competitive matchup between Eugene Vindman, brother of Alexander Vindman—who played a central role as a witness during Donald Trump’s first impeachment—and Derrick Anderson, a former Green Beret.

Despite Vindman significantly outspending Anderson on campaign ads, the race appears to have tightened.

The district covers a substantial portion of Central and Northern Virginia, including areas like Orange, Culpeper, Spotsylvania and Prince William counties, with Fredericksburg and Culpeper among its largest cities. It has a slight Democratic lean with a D+1 partisan voter index, which Cook’s Erin Covey notes may be Vindman’s saving grace in a presidential election year.

In another update, New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, currently held by Republican Thomas Kean Jr., has shifted from “Toss Up” to “Lean R.” This change is significant as Kean’s seat is one of only 16 Republican-held districts that President Joe Biden carried in the 2020 election.

Kean may benefit from the favorable reputation of his father, former Governor Tom Kean, among his Northern New Jersey constituents. Moreover, his opponent, Democrat Sue Altman, has struggled to gain visibility in the costly New York City media market.

Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News

Trump Responds To Latest Debate Invite

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Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

A quick response…

On Wednesday, former President Donald Trump rejected Fox News’ invitation for another presidential debate.

The network proposed a debate in Pennsylvania to be held on either Thursday, Oct. 24, or Sunday, Oct. 27. Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum would have been the moderators.

Trump called into Fox & Friends last month and was asked about doing a second debate with Harris. The former president seemed uninterested in the idea but said if it were to happen, one of the Fox primetime hosts should moderate.

In a statement posted to Truth Social Trump said he would not debate Harris again:

I WON THE LAST TWO DEBATES, ONE WITH CROOKED JOE, THE OTHER WITH LYIN’ KAMALA. I ACCEPTED THE FOX-NEWS INVITATION TO DEBATE KAMALA ON SEPTEMBER 4TH, BUT SHE TURNED IT DOWN. JD VANCE EASILY WON HIS DEBATE WITH TAMPON TIM WALZ, WHO CALLED HIMSELF A KNUCKLEHEAD! I AM ALSO LEADING IN THE POLLS, WITH THE LEAD GETTING BIGGER BY THE DAY – AND LEADING IN ALL SWING STATES. THE FIRST THING A PRIZEFIGHTER DOES WHEN HE LOSES A FIGHT IS SAY THAT HE “DEMANDS A REMATCH.” IT IS VERY LATE IN THE PROCESS, VOTING HAS ALREADY BEGUN – THERE WILL BE NO REMATCH! BESIDES, KAMALA STATED CLEARLY, YESTERDAY, THAT SHE WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING DIFFERENT THAN JOE BIDEN, SO THERE IS NOTHING TO DEBATE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER! DONALD J. TRUMP

The network claimed in a statement addressed to the Trump and Harris campaign that the final debate would be an “opportunity for each candidate to make his or her closing arguments” before November. And they referenced a New York Times op-ed which called for Harris to debate on Fox News.

“As made clear in The New York Times on Monday: ‘Harris Should Offer to Debate Trump Again – On Fox’ — this would present an opportunity for each candidate to make his or her closing argument,” said Fox News Media president and executive editor Jay Wallace in a statement.

Wallace added, “We’re including proposed criteria and format, which mirror those of the CNN & ABC debates; as well as data on our broad audience reach. We appreciate your consideration and look forward to the opportunity to foster informed political dialogue at this pivotal moment for our nation.”

Fox News Proposes Presidential Debate

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Looking east towards 6th Avenue along north (48th Street) side of Fox News building on a snowy afternoon. [Photo Credit: Jim.henderson, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons]

Fox News has invited Donald Trump and Kamala Harris to participate in another debate before Americans cast their ballots.

Fox has offered the candidates the opportunity to debate each other in Pennsylvania on two potential dates: Thursday, Oct. 24 or Sunday, Oct. 27. Fox News anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum would moderate the proposed debate.

The network claimed in a statement addressed to the Trump and Harris campaign that the final debate would be an “opportunity for each candidate to make his or her closing arguments” before November. And they referenced a New York Times op-ed which called for Harris to debate on Fox News.

“As made clear in The New York Times on Monday: ‘Harris Should Offer to Debate Trump Again – On Fox’ — this would present an opportunity for each candidate to make his or her closing argument,” said Fox News Media president and executive editor Jay Wallace in a statement.

Wallace added, “We’re including proposed criteria and format, which mirror those of the CNN & ABC debates; as well as data on our broad audience reach. We appreciate your consideration and look forward to the opportunity to foster informed political dialogue at this pivotal moment for our nation.”

The rules proposed by Fox states that it will mute a candidate’s microphone when the time belongs to the another candidate. Moreover, Trump and Harris will not be permitted to interact with their campaign staff during commercial breaks

CNN has offered to host another debate on Oct. 23 — with the Harris campaign accepting the offer. 

Melania Trump Admits She’s Concerned Over Husband Safety

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Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Former First Lady Melania Trump admitted she’s worried about her husband former President Trump’s safety in the final weeks leading up to the November election, blaming Democrats for creating a “toxic atmosphere.”

“I think, you know, when they call him, he’s a threat to democracy, let’s ask ourselves who is really a threat to democracy. They are ongoing with lawfare against the former president, as well as, you know, trying to get him off of the voting ballots and trying to silence him,” she said Tuesday on “The Five.” 

“So, yes, of course, I was always afraid [of] what can happen and that they continue with that kind of language [that] is just – it’s a toxic, toxic atmosphere.”

Over the summer, former President Trump faced two assassination attempts on his life. 

The first was in Butler, Pa., in July when would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks fired shots that grazed his ear. The second came in September when suspected would-be assassin Ryan Routh was spotted at the 2024 GOP presidential nominee’s golf course in West Palm Beach, Fla., allegedly poking a rifle out of the tree line near where Trump was playing golf.

Melania Trump also opened up about her priorities and goals should she return to the White House next year and vowed to continue her “Be Best” and “Fostering the Future” initiatives for children and women.

She launched the “Fostering the Future” initiative after leaving the White House in 2021, which seeks to secure educational opportunities and scholarships for children in the foster care community, according to a description on her website.

“I have many students now, so I will continue with that, and we need to give back to those children and support them so once they have education, they could have a great job, and after that, they could give back to communities,” Trump told “The Five.”

Former Democrat Rep. Endorses Trump

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Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

He’s just telling it like it is…

Former Democratic Rep. Peter Deutsch of Florida publicly endorsed former President Donald Trump on Monday, specifically calling out the Biden administration’s weak stance on global conflicts.

Deutsch, who served Florida’s 20th Congressional District for six terms from 1993-2005,  endorsed Trump during a campaign call commemorating the anniversary of the Hamas attacks on Israel, according to The Hill. 

“I feel very comfortable today publicly announcing that I’m endorsing Donald Trump to be reelected as president,” Deutsch said, The Hill reported. “Driving force for me to make this decision is what I believe is the most important factor in being president, which is really world peace.”

“And I think that Kamala Harris and the Harris-Biden administration in terms of what they have done and are doing … make the world a dramatically less safe place,” Deutsch added.

On Monday, Trump participated in an October 7th remembrance event and released a statement:

“Today, President Trump will commemorate the one-year anniversary of October 7th with a visit to Ohel Chabad Lubavitch, the final resting place of Rabbi Schneerson in New York, and he will give remarks at an October 7th Remembrance Event in Florida. The atrocities, including the slaughtering and capturing of innocent Israelis and Americans, that took place on October 7th would have never happened if President Trump were still in the White House. For Americans and Israelis alike, it’s imperative that President Trump is re-elected so he can end the bloodshed caused by an emboldened Iranian terrorist regime, which is stronger and richer today from the Harris-Biden Administration’s incompetence and weak policies.” – Karoline Leavitt, Trump Campaign National Press Secretary