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Supreme Court Takes Up Trump Immunity Claim

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    Duncan Lock, Dflock, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

    On Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court announced it will take up the issue of whether former President Donald Trump can invoke presidential immunity to shield himself from federal prosecution.

    The high court scheduled an oral argument for the week of April 22, 2024.

    The high Court’s decision comes after a U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit panel ruled against the immunity claim in the 2020 election case against Trump brought by special counsel Jack Smith.

    The Daily Wire has more:

    Andrew Weissmann, a former federal prosecutor who worked in special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia inquiry into Trump, said, “The SCOTUS stays DC case and expedites hearing the Trump appeal on immunity. But every day of delay operates as granting Trump de facto immunity.”

    The Supreme Court denied a bid by Smith in December to fast-track consideration of the immunity claim while Trump’s lawyers argued the question should be considered in a “cautious, deliberative manner.”

    Trump has pleaded not guilty in the federal case in which he is accused of unlawfully plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 election. His lawyers filed to dismiss the case in October by arguing that Trump’s actions were “within the heartland” of his “official duties.”

    U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, rejected Trump’s immunity claim, saying that the defendant’s “four-year service as Commander in Chief did not bestow on him the divine right of kings to evade the criminal accountability that governs his fellow citizens.”

    Trump is facing three other criminal cases, including another one led by Smith over the former president’s handling of classified documents.

    Trump recently cited presidential immunity in a request to get the documents case dismissed.

    Illinois Judge Removes Trump from Ballot

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    Gavel via Wikimedia Commons Image

    Donald Trump has been removed from a third state’s ballot…

    On Wednesday, Cook County Circuit Judge Tracie Porter barred Trump from the Illinois ballot one month after the anti-Trump challenge was dismissed by the Illinois State Board of Elections. 

    According to court documents obtained by Fox News, the order urged the board to remove Trump or “cause any votes cast for him to be suppressed,” for violating section three of the 14th Amendment, or the “disqualification clause,” for engaging in insurrection.

    Porter’s ruling reverses last month’s decision by the Illinois Board of Elections to keep Trump’s name on the primary ballot after a group of Illinois voters accused the former president of engaging in insurrection. 

    However, the order is put on hold until Friday, in case of an appeal from Trump’s attorneys to the Illinois Appellate Court, First District or the Illinois Supreme Court. 

    A campaign spokesperson for Trump issued a statement to Reuters saying it “is an unconstitutional ruling that we will quickly appeal.”

    For the first time, the Supreme Court is considering the meaning and reach of Section 3 of the Constitution’s 14th Amendment, which bars former officeholders who “engaged in insurrection” from holding public office again.

    The 14th Amendment, Section 3 of the Constitution states, “No person shall… hold any office… under the United States… who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States… to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.”

    Impeachment Critic Introduces Resolution Urging VP To Remove President With 25th Amendment

    By
    admin
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    Kamala Harris via Wikimedia Commons

    Colorado Republican Ken Buck announced a resolution on Monday calling for Vice President Kamala Harris to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Biden from office.

    The resolution is unexpected as Rep. Buck has fiercely criticized Republicans’ effort to impeach President Joe Biden.

    “Calling on Vice President Kamala Harris to convene and mobilize the principal officers of the executive departments of the Cabinet to activate section 4 of the 25th Amendment to declare President Joseph R. Biden incapable of executing the duties of his office and to immediately exercise powers as Acting President,” Buck’s resolution read.

    Rep. Buck’s resolution cites several examples of why Buck believes President Biden to be no longer capable of executing his office.

    Mediaite has more:

    Whereas President Joseph R. Biden is the oldest sitting President in United States history at 81 years old;
    Whereas President Joseph R. Biden has been televised wandering aimlessly at events, including an event with the King of Jordan at the White House in February 2024, an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit event in November 2023, and a Global Fund conference in September 2022;
    Whereas President Joseph R. Biden frequently speaks publicly in an incoherent and indiscernible manner, often with the aid of a teleprompter, including speeches he gave at a brewery in Wisconsin in January 2024, a speech in Vietnam in September 2023, and a Presidential townhall with CNN in July 2021;

    Buck’s resolution concludes by declaring Harris must “immediately use her powers under section 4 of the 25th Amendment to convene and mobilize the principal officers of the executive departments in the Cabinet to declare what is obvious to a horrified Nation: That the President is unable to successfully discharge the duties and powers of his office.”

    Buck will not seek reelection to his heavily Republican district in 2024 and expressed his disappointment with the GOP. Vocal Republicans have also voiced frustration over Buck’s opposition to the Biden impeachment as well his decision to vote against impeaching Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas.

    “I think that we have three committees that are working very hard on uncovering evidence of Hunter Biden’s wrongdoing,” Buck said in September of 2023.

    “They are looking to see if there is a connection with Joe Biden. If they reach that point where they could find evidence of a connection, fine. I think that the Republicans will move forward with an impeachment inquiry. Right now, I’m not convinced that that evidence exists. And I’m not supporting an impeachment inquiry,” he concluded.

    This article originally appeared on American Liberty News. Republished with permission.

    Rep. Boebert’s Son Arrested On Federal Charges

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    Yikes…

    The eldest son of Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., was arrested Tuesday in connection with multiple reported property thefts.

    Tyler Jay Boebert, 18, faces five felony charges and more than a dozen misdemeanor offenses in connection to a recent string of vehicle trespass and property thefts, the Rifle Police Department said. 

    He is charged with four counts of criminal possession of ID documents belonging to multiple victims, one count of conspiracy to commit a felony and “over 15 additional misdemeanor and petty offenses,” the department stated. 

    He is charged with four counts of criminal possession of ID documents belonging to multiple victims, one count of conspiracy to commit a felony and “over 15 additional misdemeanor and petty offenses,” the department stated. 

    “This is an ongoing investigation, no further information will be released at this time,” Rifle police said, adding that all suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. 

    Rep. Boebert told Fox News in a statement, “I love my son Tyler, who has been through some very difficult, public challenges for a young man and the subject of attention that he didn’t ask for.”

    “It breaks my heart to see my child struggling and, in this situation, especially when he has been provided multiple opportunities to get his life on track,” she said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “I will never give up on him and I will continue to be there for him. As an adult and father, Tyler will take responsibility for his actions and should be held accountable for poor decisions just like any other citizen.”

    Mitch McConnell To Step Down As GOP Leader

      By
      Madeleine Jackson
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      Mitch McConnell via Gage Skidmore Flickr

      On Wednesday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced he will step down from his leadership position in November.

      McConnell, who turned 82 this month, is announcing the decision in a speech on the Senate floor.

      The news was first reported by The Associated Press, which obtained a copy of his prepared remarks.

      “One of life’s most underappreciated talents is to know when it’s time to move on to life’s next chapter,” McConnell said in prepared remarks obtained by the AP. “So I stand before you today … to say that this will be my last term as Republican leader of the Senate.”

      Biden To Make Unannounced Visit To Walter Reed Hospital

        By
        Madeleine Jackson
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        President Joe Biden delivers remarks in National Statuary Hall on the one-year anniversary of the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, Thursday, January 6, 2022, in Washington, D.C. (Official White House Photo by Cameron Smith)

        On Wednesday, President Biden revealed that he is making an unannounced trip to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for a physical exam.

        Earlier this month, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated that Biden’s physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, does not believe a cognitive test is necessary. She said O’Connor believes Biden proves his cognitive ability “every day [in] how he operates and how he thinks.” 

        “Does the White House think that the idea of the president taking a cognitive test as a part of this physical is a legitimate idea?” a reporter asked.

        “I’m just gonna say what Dr. O’Connor said to me about a year ago when [Biden’s physical] was released,” Jean-Pierre responded. “The president proves every day [in] how he operates and how he thinks, by dealing with world leaders, by making difficult decisions on behalf of the American people – whether it’s domestic or it’s national security.”

        Biden received his last physical on Feb. 16 of last year, when his physician gave him a clean bill of health in a letter that said Biden was “fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency.”

        The Wednesday physical will likely be the final update on Biden’s health before the November presidential elections.

        Walter Reed, the hospital used by all presidents for routine medical care and examinations, is located in Bethesda, Maryland.

        The President’s health and age have been contentious topics throughout his presidency.

        Marianne Williamson Returns to Presidential Race

        By
        Madeleine Jackson
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        Joe Biden via Gage Skidmore Flickr

        On Wednesday, long-shot candidate Marianne Williamson announced she is jumping back into the presidential race to challenge Joe Biden.

        Williamson made the announcement in a video statement on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Williamson said she returned to the race because she feels President Biden is a vulnerable candidate to put up against former President Donald Trump.

        “As of today, I am unsuspending my campaign for the presidency of the United States,” Williamson said. “I had suspended it because I was losing the horse race. But something so much more important than the horse race is at stake here, and we must respond.”

        “Right now, we have a fascist standing at the door. Everybody’s all upset about it. Well, we should be upset about it. But we’re not going to defeat the fascist by–well, by what? What is President Biden offering?” she asked. “What is he saying beyond, ‘You know, the economy is doing really well.’?”

        “We’re still in this. Let’s do this. This is serious,” she added. “We need to say to the American people, ‘we see your pain,’ and we need to say to Donald Trump, ‘we see your B.S.’”

        Williamson originally suspended her campaign on Feb. 7, dropping out of the race without making an endorsement.

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

        Jeb Bush Defends Trump Following $355M Court Ruling

        By
        Madeleine Jackson
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        1

        Former 2016 Republican presidential hopeful Jeb Bush defended his old rival in a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed.

        The column, which was co-authored by Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale, slammed the recent civil fraud trial against Trump, which resulted in a nearly $355 million fine and barred Trump from operating his business in New York for three years. 

        “Every American has a right to be critical of Mr. Trump’s politics—one of us ran against him in 2016,” reads Bush’s op-ed, titled, “Elon Musk and Donald Trump Cases Imperil the Rule of Law.” 

        “…But equality before the law is precious, and these rulings represent a crisis not only for the soundness of our courts, but for the business environment that has allowed the U.S. to prosper,” the opinion piece continued. “If these rulings stand, the damage could cascade through the economy, creating fear of arbitrary enforcement against entrepreneurs who seek public office or raise their voices as citizens in a way that politicians dislike.”

        The op-ed marks a defense of Bush’s former 2016 rival, albeit not for Trump’s political stances. Instead, Lonsdale and Bush are calling for a “dispassionate” legal system that will not throttle businesses and lead to a weakened economy. 

        “​​New York and Delaware have played an outsize role in business in the U.S.” the pair wrote. “Many major companies are incorporated in Delaware owing to the state’s body of corporate legal precedents; and a significant number of banks operate in New York, the world financial capital. The appellate courts in those states now have a chance to review these dangerous judicial rulings and try to stop further damage to the reputations of their respective judiciaries.”

        “If they don’t, blue-state politicians may have the satisfaction of ‘sticking it’ to Messrs. Trump and Musk, but the loss to those states will be significant,” they continued. “The damage to the legal fabric of the country will be even worse. A dispassionate justice system is at the heart of American exceptionalism, and the country will be poorer if we lose it.”

        Long-Shot Candidate Drops Out Of Race, Endorses Trump

        By
        Madeleine Jackson
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        1
        Gage Skidmore Flickr

        A long-shot presidential candidate has suspended his campaign and endorsed former President Donald Trump to become the Republican nominee.

        On Tuesday, Texas pastor Ryan Binkley announced his decision to end his campaign.

        “Today, I am suspending my campaign for the Presidency of the United States of America and offering my endorsement and unwavering support for President Trump,” Binkley wrote on X. 

        “When I began this journey, it was with a message in my heart that our country needs to awaken to the fact that the unsustainable deficit spending and debt path we are on will undoubtedly lead us to a generational economic disruption,” he continued. “I believe that we can get off that path and begin a journey to balance the federal budget by transforming and demonopolizing the healthcare system which has been bankrupting our nation. I also felt deeply that as bad as the U.S. fiscal and monetary policy is, the political corruption and cultural divide in our country is an even greater threat. Throughout my campaign, I have seen our party struggle to find a place for a new vision while weighing the corrupt allegations and indictments against President Trump. He will need everyone’s support, and he will have mine moving forward.” 

        Binkley, the co-founder and current CEO/president of Generational Equity Group, a merger and acquisitions business advisory in Texas, announced his bid in April of last year.

        “Currently our nation is lost, divided, and in financial trouble. Here’s the good news: united, we can rise to change it as we restore our faith in God, freedom, and each other,” Binkley’s website said.

        According to Fox News, Binkley’s campaign platform focused on issues like immigration reform and border controls, boosting the economy, privatizing healthcare, utilizing cheap energy sources like nuclear energy, and supporting pro-life policies.

        Explosive Device Detonated Outside Of Republican Attorney General’s Office

        By
        Madeleine Jackson
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        1
        Police image via Pixabay free images

        Authorities are investigating an explosive that was detonated Saturday morning outside the office of Alabama Republican Attorney General Steve Marshall.

        In a statement on Monday, Marshall said that there were no injuries from the explosion and that Alabama authorities would be further investigating the incident. No possible motives have been given and no suspects have been identified by state authorities. 

        The Daily Wire has more:

        “In the early hours of Saturday, February 24, an explosive device was detonated outside of the Alabama Attorney General’s Office building in Montgomery,” Marshall said in a statement. “Thankfully, no staff or personnel were injured by the explosion. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency will be leading the investigation, and we are urging anyone with information to contact them immediately.”

        The explosion reportedly took place at the intersection of Washington Avenue and South Bainbridge Street in Montgomery. and followed reports of a suspicious package being at the scene. 

        “It was determined that the suspicious package was an explosive device that was detonated in the early morning hours of Saturday, Feb. 24,” the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said. “Nothing further is available as the investigation remains ongoing.”

        The Alabama Bureau of Investigation was informed of the incident around 8:19 a.m. on Saturday morning.

        Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Sgt. Jeremy Burkett said that there was no property damage from the detonation. 

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