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Speaker Johnson Says GOP Is Blurring Faces In Capitol Riot Tapes

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

On Tuesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La) confirmed House Republicans are blurring the faces of individuals seen on January 6, 2021 Capitol footage to avoid retaliation from the Justice Department.

“We have to blur some of the faces of persons who participated in the events of that day because we don’t want them to be retaliated against and to be charged by the DOJ and to have other concerns and problems,” Johnson said in a press conference on Tuesday.  

“We’re working steadily on it. And we’ve hired additional personnel to do that,” Johnson said. “And all of those tapes, ultimately at the end, will be out so everybody can see them.”

“I don’t think partisan elected officials in Washington should present a narrative and expect that it should be seen as the ultimate truth,” Johnson said of Jan. 6.

“The release of the January 6 tapes is a critical and important exercise. We want transparency,” Johnson said. “House Republicans trust the American people to draw their own conclusions.”

Last month, House Republicans released some of the security footage from the riot and posted it online where its available to the public. However, with the change in Speaker leadership the House Administration Committee is now proactively reviewing all footage and posting as much online as possible, as well as allowing members of the public to request time at the in-person terminals.

Liz Cheney Not Ruling Out Third Party White House Run

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Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Former Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Cheney is not ruling out a run for the White House in the near future and plans to make a final decision in the coming months.

During a recent interview with The Washington Post, the anti-Trump Republican said she’s open to considering a third-party run for President, steering away from the already-crowded Republican primary field.

“Several years ago, I would not have contemplated a third-party run,” Cheney told The Washington Post. But “democracy is at risk” both at home and abroad, she said, citing former President Trump’s “continued grip on the Republican Party.” 

“We face threats that could be existential to the United States and we need a candidate who is going to be able to deal with and address and confront all of those challenges,” Cheney told the Post. “That will all be part of my calculation as we go into the early months of 2024.”

In October, Cheney refused to rule out a White House bid. She also said in her recent interview with the Post that she hasn’t ruled out voting for Democrat President Biden if he’s the 2024 nominee.

Cheney, who lost her 2022 midterm re-election bid, has repeatedly pushed against another Trump presidency. On Monday, Cheney issued a grim warning against supporting Trump.

“I hope that there are options and alternatives that reflect the important challenges that we’re facing, and that reflect leadership to meet those challenges, but that choice can never be Donald Trump because a vote for Donald Trump may mean the last election that you ever get to vote in,” she told NBC’s Savannah Guthrie on “Today.”

“And again, I don’t say that lightly, and I think it’s heartbreaking that that’s where we are, but people have to recognize that a vote for Donald Trump is a vote against the Constitution,” she continued.

She also said Monday that “there’s no question” that Trump would refuse to leave the White House at the end of his second four-year term if re-elected.

“He’s already attempted to seize power, and he was stopped, thankfully, and for the good of the nation and the republic,” she said. “But he said he will do it again. He’s expressed no remorse for what he did.”

She added that it’s “a very, very real threat and concern” that Trump will make himself a dictator if he wins the White House.

“I don’t say any of that lightly,” she said. “And frankly, it’s painful for me as someone who you know, has spent their whole life in Republican politics who grew up as Republican to watch what’s happening to my party, and to watch the extent to which Donald Trump himself has, you know, basically determined that that the only thing that matters is him his power, his success.”

Jury To Hear Election Workers’ Case Against Rudy Giuliani

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    Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    A Washington, D.C. federal judge ruled Sunday that a jury will hear and decide a case to determine how much ex-New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani owes two Georgia poll workers for falsely claiming they helped steal the 2020 election from former President Trump.

    U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell denied Giuliani’s request to hold a bench trial instead of a jury trial, meaning the judge would decide the case instead of a jury. In her ruling, she chided him for the “significantly tardy” motion, having set an October deadline for all pre-trial motions, according to The Hill.

    “Perhaps Giuliani’s submission is titled a ‘Trial Brief,’ rather than a motion seeking to convert the scheduled jury trial to a hearing, in a fairly blatant effort to avoid being called out for filing an untimely pretrial motion,” Howell wrote in a footnote.

    Following the 2020 election, Giuliani falsely claimed Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss committed election fraud by processing “suitcases” of illicit ballots in Georgia.

    The two election workers sued Giuliani, and as their case proceeded, he failed to turn over evidence despite “repeated reminders” from the court. Howell in August found Giuliani civilly liable for Freeman and Moss’s claims of “defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, civil conspiracy, and punitive damage,” citing the longtime Trump ally’s “willful shirking of his discovery obligations” as reason.

    In her Sunday opinion, Howell again cited Giuliani’s “discovery misconduct” as a reason to deny his request for a bench trial.

    “This Court will not reward him for conduct that has ‘already resulted in significant prejudice to Plaintiffs,’” Howell wrote, quoting her earlier decision.

    Report: News Networks Weigh In On Hiring Expelled Congressman

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      CNN Headquarters via Wikimedia Commons

      Less than a week after the House of Representatives voted to expel George Santos (R-N.y.) from the chamber and whispers are already spreading as to what the disgraced Congressman will do next.

      Santos, who is facing over 20 federal counts, has attracted attention since stepping foot in Congress triggering questions over a potential career in the media.

      It’s not uncommon for former elected officials or administration officials to join news networks after their terms have ended. However, it seems most cable news networks have plenty to say about Santos becoming a new contributor.

      Mediaite has more:

      A network source said NBC News and MSNBC “have no plans” of exploring any kind of relationship with the former congressman. A spokesperson for CNN said the network does not plan on speaking with him. A Fox News source said “we have no intention of entertaining that notion.” A NewsNation spokesperson said the network will not be hiring Santos.

      OAN, which has aired commentary critical of Santos, said through a spokesperson: “We are unaware of Mr. Santos seeking a position in media. Nor have we reached out to him.”

      Newsmax, where Santos has appeared frequently in recent weeks, did not respond to a request for comment.

      Trump Scores Ohio Republican Party Endorsement

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        Gage Skidmore Flickr

        Ohio’s Republican Party endorsed former President Trump in his reelection bid for the White House on Friday.

        “President Trump has proven time and again that despite the unhinged and relentless attacks from the radical left, he will never give up on fighting for Ohio’s workers, business and families,”  Ohio Republican Party chair Alex M. Triantafilou said in a Trump campaign press release. “His unapologetic leadership and commitment to putting America First is exactly what we need to reverse course from the failed policies of Joe Biden and Sherrod Brown.”

        According to multiple sources, the Ohio Republican Party was the first state Republican party to endorse the former president in the election. 

        “While we appreciate all of the Republican candidates who are passionately making their case to the American people, it is clear that President Trump is the right choice in this moment,” Triantafilou continued in his statement.

        Appeals Court Rules Over Trump’s Presidential Immunity In Civil Jan. 6 Suits

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        Elvert Barnes, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

        On Friday, an appeals court found former President Trump is not immune from civil lawsuits blaming him for the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

        The Hill has more:

        A three-judge panel affirmed that presidents can carry out their official duties without exposure to civil liabilities, but when they are not acting in that capacity, the protection doesn’t carry over.

        “The President…does not spend every minute of every day exercising official responsibilities,” Chief Judge Sri Srinivasan of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia wrote in an opinion. “And when he acts outside the functions of his office, he does not continue to enjoy immunity from damages liability just because he happens to be the President.”

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

        First Female Supreme Court Justice, Sandra Day O’Connor, Dead

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

        Retired Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court passed away Friday. She was 93 years old.

        “A daughter of the American Southwest, Sandra Day O’Connor blazed a historic trail as our Nation’s first female Justice,” Chief Justice John Roberts said in a statement. 

        “She met that challenge with undaunted determination, indisputable ability, and engaging candor. We at the Supreme Court mourn the loss of a beloved colleague, a fiercely independent defender of the rule of law, and an eloquent advocate for civics education,” he continued. “And we celebrate her enduring legacy as a true public servant and patriot.” 

        O’Connor died of “complications related to advanced dementia, probably Alzheimer’s, and a respiratory illness,” the court announced in a statement.

        Just over a decade after she retired, O’Connor announced in 2018 that she was withdrawing from public life after being diagnosed with dementia.

        Nominated by then-President Reagan in 1981, O’Connor became the first woman to serve on the nation’s highest bench.

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

        Tucker Carlson Makes Endorsement In 2024 Race

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          Tucker Carlson via Gage Skidmore Flickr

          Former Fox News star Tucker Carlson is throwing his support behind Donald Trump as he seeks to oust Joe Biden from the White House.

          “I became an active Trump supporter when they raided Mar-A-Lago last summer,” Carlson said on an episode of Roseanne Barr’s podcast this week. “That can’t stand. And I agree with Trump on a lot, but even if I disagreed with Trump on a lot, I’d still be a Trump supporter because you cannot allow that.”

          He said that the search of Trump’s home in Florida as part of a federal investigation into his handling of classified documents in the summer of 2022 was a tipping point for Carlson.

          “It’s bigger than Trump, it’s bigger than Biden. It’s do you want to live in a free country with a functioning justice system,” Carlson added. “So I’m voting for Trump, and if they convict him I will send him the max donations and I will lead protests.”

          Carlson was fired from the network earlier this year shortly after Fox agreed to pay nearly $800 million to Dominion Voting Systems to settle a defamation lawsuit triggered by the 2020 presidential election.

          Throughout the legal proceedings, some of Carlson’s internal communications were made public, often viewing Trump negatively.

          “I hate him passionately,” Carlson wrote of Trump to a Fox colleague in one now widely publicized message.

          Rand Paul Uses Life-saving Maneuver On Fellow Republican Senator

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

            On Thursday, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) used the Heimlich maneuver on Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) during the Senate GOP’s Thursday lunch after she choked on part of her meal. 

            Sen. Ernst referenced the ordeal in an X post and thanked Dr. Paul for his swift action.

            “Can’t help but choke on the woke policies Dems are forcing down our throats. Thanks, Dr. @RandPaul !” she wrote

            According to The Hill, Ernst and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) hosted the Thursday luncheon, which is provided weekly by a member and frequently features their home state’s delicacies. Grassley posted about the meal shortly beforehand.

            Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who has battled frequently with Paul over the years on foreign policy issues, remarked to The Washington Post afterwards “God bless Rand Paul.”

            “I never thought I’d say that,” he added.

            This is a breaking news story. Click refresh for the latest updates. This article was republished with permission from American Liberty News.

            McCarthy Cursed Trump Following Historic Speaker Vote

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              Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

              Tensions were running high after the House of Representatives voted to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).

              According to a new report from The Washington Post, McCarthy cursed out former President Donald Trump after he refused to defend the California Republican to his colleagues.

              The Hill has more:

              After Trump gave McCarthy a list of reasons why he didn’t support the former Speaker in a phone call, McCarthy let loose, the Post report said.

              “F‑‑‑ you,” he told Trump, according to two sources McCarthy told about the conversation, the Post reported.

              While Trump did not offer to support McCarthy after being ousted as Speaker the former president later explicitly endorsed Jim Jordan for the position.

              McCarthy has defended Trump in the wake of numerous civil and federal investigations into the former President.