May 11, 2023

Michael Cohen is asking a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit he faces from former President Trump.

The former Trump “fixer” says that Trump’s $500 million lawsuit against him is “retaliation” for his part in being a witness in Manhattan prosecutors’ criminal case against the former president.

“This suit combines the worst of Mr. Trump’s vindictive impulses. The Complaint, frivolous and scattershot, is an abusive act of pure retaliation and witness intimidation, albeit a ham-fisted one. It must be dismissed as a matter of law,” Cohen’s attorneys wrote in a court filing, according to The Hill.

“Former President Donald J. Trump has described his favorite Bible verse as ‘an eye for an eye,’ which fairly captures his long history of exacting brutal retaliation — both broadly against perceived political, professional, and personal enemies, and specifically against Defendant Michael D. Cohen. Some of this retaliatory conduct has been petty and mean-spirited; some of it is patently unlawful and includes witness tampering, obstruction, and civil rights violations. Mr. Trump often abuses the court system to this end,” Cohen’s attorneys wrote.

In the new dismissal motion, Cohen’s attorneys contended Trump’s suit must be tossed because many of Trump’s claims were brought too late, while others weren’t specific enough or did not show Trump suffered any harm.

Trump’s filed a lawsuit against Cohen last month in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

The suit alleges Cohen breached a confidentiality agreement and his attorney-client relationship with the former president, among other claims. The former president’s suit takes aim at Cohen’s book, podcast, and various media appearances, claiming he maliciously worked to acquire attention and wealth at Trump’s expense.

Trump sues Michael Cohen for $500 million https://t.co/BJUzEhtXA6 #OAN
— One America News (@OANN) April 13, 2023

Trump’s lawsuit against Cohen came shortly after he was indicted in New York on 34 felony charges concerning allegations he orchestrated a plan with Cohen and National Enquirer publisher David Pecker to help squash politically damaging stories before they became public knowledge.

As Biden Launches Re-election His Approval Plunges to New Low

Opinion

Donny Ferguson

May 10, 2023

Within weeks of President Joe Biden’s announcement he is seeking re-election in 2024, his job approval ratings have cratered to a new low.

The latest Gallup poll finds only 37 percent of Americans approve of the job Biden is doing, the lowest number yet recorded for him.

“Biden’s latest approval rating is from an April 3-25 Gallup poll, which was completed the day he announced he will seek reelection, and marks a three-point dip from March and a five-point drop from February,” Gallup notes.

“Biden’s job approval has been in the low 40 percent range for most of the past 19 months, apart from the current reading and a 38 percent score last July,” Gallup adds.

Other than Ronald Reagan, no president has ever been re-elected with approval below 40 percent at this point in his first term.

Both Jimmy Carter and Donald Trump, who lost their re-election bids, had slightly higher approval at just over 40 percent.

In addition to widespread doubt Biden can physically and mentally handle a second term, Gallup finds Americans are unhappy with inflation under Biden.

“The drop in Biden’s job approval corresponds with Americans’ worsening evaluations of the U.S. economy. Gallup’s Economic Confidence Index for April is -44, down from -38 in March. It was last at this level in October,” Gallup reports.

“19 percent say the economy is getting better and 75 percent worse, compared with ratings of 23 percent and 72 percent, respectively, in March,” Gallup’s polling finds.

Opinions expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of Great America News Desk.

Amanda Head: THIS IS How We Win!

Opinion

Amanda Head

May 10, 2023

Is it time to cancel PBS? Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt is leading the charge and says it’s time to stop using taxpayer dollars to fund controversial programming to indoctrinate kids.

Watch Amanda explain the situation below:

Opinions expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of Great America News Desk.

Former Trump Campaign Adviser Endorses DeSantis

Madeleine Jackson

May 10, 2023

Despite the fact Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) hasn’t even announced his presidential campaign yet the Republican is already seeing a surge in support.

Steve Cortes, who served as a campaign adviser to former President Donald Trump, announced on Tuesday he’s endorsing DeSantis for the GOP nomination in the 2024 presidential election.

“Governor Ron DeSantis represents the best possible option to win the presidency in 2024 and to govern as a highly capable, patriotic populist leader,” Cortes wrote in an op-ed published Tuesday.

“I have worked as a dedicated spokesman and advocate for Donald Trump for much of the last seven years, so I do not arrive at that conclusion flippantly,” Cortes added. “But our America First movement has always been bigger and more important than any one individual, and heading into this crucial election, our activism and our votes must be guided by a clear-eyed assessment of recent failures and potential future successes.”

Next, he pushed that the Republican Party needs to start throwing its support behind candidates who actually win elections, claiming there is “no substitute for victory.” He provided examples while noting the party failed to achieve its goals in the past three election cycles.

“Now it’s time to take that same approach for the nation,” Cortes wrote. “In Ron DeSantis, Republicans can rally to a fresh, vibrant, and optimistic agenda, one that includes electoral victory followed by disciplined and focused policy achievements.”

Cortes serves as a senior campaign advisor to Trump on both his 2016 and 2020 campaigns.

Trump and DeSantis have been labeled as the leading contenders for the GOP’s 2024 presidential nomination.

Last week, DeSantis teased a coming presidential announcement, according to The Hill. The Republican Governor originally noted that no announcement would come until after the state concluded its legislative session.

“I also understood that we had this opportunity here to be able to really, really do a lot of great stuff, and I’ve always said that we’re gonna see this through,” DeSantis said at a news conference. “What happens in the future? We’ll get on that relatively soon. You either gotta put or shut up on that as well.”

Report: Embattled Republican Rep. George Santos Indicted on 13 Charges

News

Madeleine Jackson

May 10, 2023

police-g0cc5dc285_1920 — Arrest image via Pixabay

The walls are closing in on Republican Congressman George Santos (R-N.Y.)

The freshman Congressman was arrested and taken into custody on Tuesday after being indicted on 13 federal charges, including wire fraud and money laundering.

The charges comprise seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, one count of theft of public funds, and two counts of making materially false statements to the House of Representatives.

Read the full indictment here:

644289305-Santos-indictment Download

Rep. Santos is in custody at the federal courthouse on Long Island, according to a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. Santos will be arraigned at approximately 1 p.m on Wednesday.

The New York Republican has been the subject of intense scrutiny since before he was sworn in amid questions about his resume and biography. Various institutions, including the House Ethics Committee, have launched investigations into the Congressman.

Why is the Government Hiding Records on the Trump Raid?

Opinion

Donny Ferguson

May 10, 2023

The Biden administration is allegedly illegally concealing records on the unprecedented FBI raid on the home of former President Donald Trump, which comes as Trump leads President Joe Biden in polls ahead of a possible 2024 re-election contest.

The non-profit public interest law firm Judicial Watch announced that, as of March 31, the National Archives has released only 1,276 pages of over 8,000 records on the federal government investigations of allegations Trump illegally retained and handled classified documents.

“The Biden administration’s National Archives is hiding almost every record it has about its manufactured records dispute with President Trump,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.

The released records were secured after Judicial Watch filed an August 2022 Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, after the National Archives and Records Administration allegedly unlawfully failed to respond to a February 2022 FOIA request for:

“All records regarding the referral from NARA to the Department of Justice regarding the records management procedures of former President Donald Trump. This request includes all related records of communication between any official or employee of NARA and any official or employee of the Department of Justice and/or any other branch, department, agency, or office of the federal government.”

“All records regarding the retrieval of records from President Trump or any individual or entity acting on his behalf by the National Archives and Records Administration. This request includes related records of communication between any official or employee of NARA and President Trump and/or any individual or entity acting on his behalf.”

Judicial Watch claims the released records confirm how “the Biden White House was directly involved in the dispute by initiating ‘special access request’ that advanced an FBI investigation of Trump’s records.”

According to Judicial Watch, Gary Stern, general counsel for the National Archives wrote to his colleagues on August 23, 2022:

And, this evening the Post just published a new story detailing an April 12, email that I sent to the Trump reps concerning the DOJ special access request for the 15 Trump boxes, along with many other details concerning the DOJ request and the overall issue. [Redacted]

“On April 12, an Archives official emailed Philbin [former White House deputy counsel Pat Philbin] and John Eisenberg, another former deputy White House counsel, to tell them the Justice Department, via the Biden White House, had made the request. The email offered the lawyers the opportunity to view the documents as well, but said the documents were too sensitive to be removed from the agency’s secure facility.”

Conservatives expect further releases of documents will show how the investigation and the current Justice Department criminal investigation are driven by concerns Trump will defeat Biden, and do not show any criminal intent or offense.

Opinions expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of Great America News Desk.

Tucker Carlson Announces New Platform For Show

News

Madeleine Jackson

May 9, 2023

You can’t keep Tucker Carlson down.

The recently ousted primetime Fox News star is wasting no time and has revealed his show will continue airing on Twitter from now on.

Carlson tweeted a short video breaking the news about where his program will air.

“You often hear people say the news is full of lies. But most of the time that’s not exactly right. Much of what you see on television or read in the New York Times is in fact true in the literal sense,” Carlson said.

We’re back. pic.twitter.com/sG5t9gr60O
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) May 9, 2023

“But that doesn’t make it true. It’s not true. At the most basic level, the news you consume is a lie. A lie of the stealthiest and most insidious kind. Facts have been withheld on purpose along with proportion and perspective. You are being manipulated,” Carlson stated.

“After more than 30 years in the middle of it, we could tell you stories. The best you can hope for in the news business at this point is the freedom to tell the fullest truth that you can. But there are always limits. And you know that if you bump up against those limits often enough, you will be fired for it,” Carlson continued.

“Amazingly, as of tonight, there aren’t many platforms left that allow free speech. The last big one remaining in the world, the only one, is Twitter, where we are now. Twitter has long served as the place where our national conversation incubates and develops. Twitter is not a partisan site, everybody’s allowed here, and we think that’s a good thing,”

And yet for the most part the news you see analyzed on Twitter comes from media organizations that are themselves thinky disguised propaganda outlets. You see it on cable news, you talk about it on Twitter. The result may feel like a debate but actually the gatekeepers are still in charge. We think that’s a bad system,”

“Starting soon we’ll be bringing a new version of the show we’ve been doing for the last six and a half years to Twitter.”

Carlson concluded by teasing “some other things” and emphasizing the importance of free speech.

Recently, Great American News Desk reported that Carlson was in talks with Elon Musk regarding a new business venture, it’s unclear if Carlson has secured an exclusive agreement with Twitter. (RELATED: Tucker Carlson Quietly Preparing for ‘War’ Against Fox News)

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

Report: Trump Found Liable In E. Jean Carrol Trial

News

Madeleine Jackson

May 9, 2023

A federal jury in New York City reached a decision Tuesday in the civil trial of E. Jean Carroll vs. former President Donald Trump.

The jury found that Trump was not guilty of rape, but was guilty of sexual abuse and forcible touching. The former president has been ordered to pay $5 million in damages.

The six men and three women on the jury began deliberating Tuesday morning on the ninth day of the civil trial, which took place in Manhattan federal court.

Carroll, 79, alleged that Trump raped her at the Bergdorf Goodman department store across the street from Trump Tower in Manhattan at some point in 1996. According to Carroll, the two had a chance run-in at the store, where Trump was shopping for a gift for “a girl.” She said he asked for her advice, and the two shopped together before he pushed her into a dressing room and assaulted her. Trump and his legal team insist that Carroll’s allegations are fabricated, with the former president’s initial reaction including an accusation that Carroll was motivated by wanting to sell copies of her book, according to Fox News.

That denial resulted in Carroll slapping Trump with a defamation claim, claiming that his response caused harm to her reputation.

Trump said on Truth Social prior to the jury’s final verdict that he plans to appeal the decision, claiming he was “silenced” throughout the trial.

“Waiting for a jury decision on a False Accusation where I, despite being a current political candidate and leading all others in both parties, am not allowed to speak or defend myself, even as hard nosed reporters scream questions about this case at me. In the meantime, the other side has a book falsely accusing me of Rape, & is working with the press,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Tuesday.

“I will therefore not speak until after the trial, but will appeal the Unconstitutional silencing of me, as a candidate, no matter the outcome!” he added.

Trump did not testify during the trial, but he was deposed on camera in October.

“She’s accusing me of rape, a woman that I have no idea who she is. It came out of the blue. She’s accusing me of rape — of raping her, the worst thing you can do, the worst charge,” Trump told Kaplan at his law office in October. “And you know it’s not true too. You’re a political operative also. You’re a disgrace. But she’s accusing me and so are you of rape, and it never took place. And I will tell you I made that statement, and I said, while it’s politically incorrect, she’s not my type. And that’s 100 percent true. She’s not my type.”

Trump was recently indicted in New York City on 34 counts of falsifying business records.

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

Report: New York Post Barred From Biden Event Ahead Of Possible Hunter Charges

Madeleine Jackson

May 9, 2023

The Biden administration appears to be distancing itself from any right-wing outlets as the walls are closing in on Hunter Biden.

The New York Post was reportedly denied press credentials for a White House event that took place on Monday, mere days ahead of a possible indictment for Hunter.

The event, which took place in the White House-adjacent Eisenhower Executive Office Building, reportedly addressed federal airline policies and also included remarks from Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

“We are unable to accommodate your credential request to attend the Investing in Airline Accountability Remarks on 5/8. The remarks will be live-streamed and can be viewed at WH.gov. Thank you for understanding. We will let you know if a credential becomes available,” the email read.

According to the Post’s report, of some 50 seats that had been reserved for reporters, nearly half remained empty throughout the president’s remarks. However, the outlet also noted that the email declining their request for credentials did not state that limited space was the reason for the rejection.

The decision to reject press credentials for The Post, which first published articles regarding Hunter’s laptop, comes two weeks after a meeting between Justice Department (DOJ) officials and Hunter’s legal team. The meeting triggered speculation that the DOJ is nearing its decision over whether to indict the President’s son. (RELATED: Is Hunter Biden Hiding In The White House To Avoid Arrest?)

Over the weekend, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) urged the DOJ to withhold charging Hunter until after a mid-week press conference.

“My message to the Department of Justice is very loud and clear: Do not indict Hunter Biden before Wednesday,” he told “Sunday Morning Futures” host Maria Bartiromo over the weekend.

Hunter Biden may face prosecution over federal tax charges as well as questions over the alleged illegal disposal of a handgun in Delaware.