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Melania Missing From Famous Trump Christmas Celebration, This Is Why

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    The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    Reports reveal former First Lady Melania Trump spent her holidays with her ailing mother.

    A source close to the former first lady told Fox News Digital that she did not attend the Trump family Christmas celebration at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, earlier this week so that she could spend time with her ailing mother. 

    “Melania has always been very devoted to her entire family,” a source close to Melania Trump told Fox News Digital. “It should be no surprise that she spent this Christmas with her ailing mother.” 

    Page Six reported that Melania’s mother, Amalija Knavs, is in the hospital and is very sick.

    Former President Donald Trump and Melania’s son, Barron, attended the Christmas dinner with his father and other family members at Mar-a-Lago.

    The former first lady, in an interview with Fox News Digital earlier this year, said she fully supports her husband’s presidential campaign and looks forward to “restoring hope for the future and leading America with love and strength” during a possible second term in the White House. She told Fox News Digital it would be a “privilege” to serve as first lady again. 

    An unidentified source told Page Six that Trump recently struck a deal with Melania to step up her public appearances as the former First Lady has opted to largely stay out of the spotlight in recent years.

    “Trump and his family are so secure that he will become president again that insiders at Mar-a-Lago say he’s reached an agreement with Melania to step up top-tier diplomatic appearances in 2024,” the source reportedly told Page Six. “Melania realizes it’s her time to join the ranks of historic First Ladies and leave her mark on history … she feels better prepared for her potential role the second time around.”

    Trump Accuses GOP Primary Rivals Of Trying To Rig Iowa Caucus

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    In a Tuesday video message, former President Donald Trump urged supporters to show up for the 2024 Iowa Caucus while accusing his opponents of cheating.

    Trump began the video clip posted to Truth Social by thanking his “Trump caucus captains” and urging them to “turn out” their voters on caucus night.

    “Teach them how to caucus. Take them in your car on caucus night. If you have to do whatever is necessary, we’ve got to get them in. We got to make America great again. So do whatever it takes. If you do, we will win and win big,” Trump said in what began as a fairly standard political message.

    Trump then accused the process of being rigged.

    “And that’s what you have to do. You know, the other side does cheat!” he insisted, adding:

    And we’re not going to let that happen. We cannot let that happen. But that’s what we need from you. Get in your car, get a lot of people and get down and caucus. Give a great speech for me. I hope you will. And I know you will have such confidence in you as you had in me. And you have in me.

    During the 2016 presidential contest, Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas) beat Trump in the Iowa Caucus and was accused of cheating, according to Mediaite.

    “Based on the fraud committed by Senator Ted Cruz during the Iowa Caucus, either a new election should take place or Cruz results nullified,” Trump added and later threatened to sue.

    Special Counsel Seeks To Silence Trump Through 2020 Election Trial

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    Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Special Counsel Jack Smith is asking a judge to prohibit former President Donald Trump from making “political attacks” about his federal 2020 election interference case set to go to trial in early spring.

    “Through public statements, filings, and argument in hearings before the Court, the defense has attempted to inject into this case partisan political attacks and irrelevant and prejudicial issues that have no place in a jury trial,” senior assistant special counsel Molly Gaston wrote in court papers filed Wednesday.

    “Although the Court can recognize these efforts for what they are and disregard them, the jury — if subjected to them — may not,” she continued. “The Court should not permit the defendant to turn the courtroom into a forum in which he propagates irrelevant disinformation, and should reject his attempt to inject politics into this proceeding.”

    Prosecutors’ motion asks the court to bar Trump and his lawyers from introducing evidence that suggests he is being selectively prosecuted, that prosecutors are coordinating with the Biden administration or that foreign actors interfered in the 2020 presidential election.

    It further urges U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is overseeing the trial proceedings in Washington, to prohibit certain evidence related to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. 

    Prosecutors are seeking to prevent Trump from placing blame on the National Guard or the D.C. mayor for the attack or from claiming undercover agents helped provoke violence.

    “Allowing the defendant to introduce evidence about undercover actors would inevitably lead to confusing minitrials on collateral issues, such as the identities and intentions of the alleged undercover actors,” prosecutors wrote. “For example, it may require the Government to introduce evidence to show that people whom the defendant alleges were undercover actors actually were his vehement supporters.”

    Trump is charged in the case with four federal felonies. He has pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing.

    The trial is currently slated for March 4, however, Trump’s appeals may interfere with the scheduled date.

    Democrat Senator Demands Fellow Dem ‘Shut Up’ About Biden’s Poll Numbers

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    The gloves are off…

    Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman (D) didn’t mince words when he brushed off longtime Democrat strategist James Carville’s concerns over Biden’s recent nosedive in polling.

    Fetterman had an inflammatory response to Carville’s warnings, cursing him out and questioning his relevance in a recent Politico interview.

    “There’s a whole lifetime in politics between now and next November as well. I’m not worried about that. And I’m very vocal about this, too, while there are Democrats that are being very critical about the president. … I’ll use this [as] another opportunity to tell James Carville to shut the fuck up,” Fetterman told Politico regarding Biden’s polling.

    “My man hasn’t been relevant since grunge was a thing,” Fettterman said. “And I don’t know why he believes it’s helpful to say these kinds of things about an incredibly difficult circumstance with an incredibly strong and decent and excellent president. I’ll never understand that.”

    “I really am not worried about that because he is my guy,” Fetterman told Politico. “And he is going to be the Democrats’ guy, and I’m proud to campaign with him.”

    Carville pushed back against the senator’s claims about his lack of relevance and said that other Democrat senators “apparently haven’t gotten the memo yet,” Politico reported.

    “[Fetterman’s] colleague Sen. Casey asked me to host a fundraiser with him last week,” Carville told Politico. “Sen. Brown asked me to go to Cleveland to campaign with him.”

    Trump Predicts GOP White House Hopeful Will Ultimately Endorse Him

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    Vivek Ramaswamy speaking with attendees at the 2022 AmericaFest at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

    Donald Trump is confident he will soon have another feather in his cap…

    On Wednesday, Trump predicted Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will ultimately endorse him for President following reports Ramaswamy has canceled TV advertising ahead of the first primary contests.

    “He will, I am sure, Endorse me. But Vivek is a good man, and is not done yet!” Trump wrote Wednesday on TruthSocial.

    “We are focused on bringing out the voters we’ve identified — best way to reach them is using addressable advertising, mail, text, live calls and doors to communicate with our voters on Vivek’s vision for America, making their plan to caucus and turning them out,” Ramaswamy campaign press secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a Tuesday statement.

    Ramaswamy’s praise of the former president has fueled speculation that the biotech entrepreneur is eying a spot on a potential Trump ticket as vice president.

    On Sunday, Ramaswamy expressed some hesitancy over the prospect of taking a position in a second Trump administration telling Fox News’s Maria Bartiromo, “I didn’t get where I am, [his wife, Apoorva Ramaswamy] didn’t get to where she is by being ‘Plan B people,’ and so I’m actually confident we’re going to overdeliver massively at the Iowa caucus.”

    Trump, meanwhile, said in August that Ramaswamy would be “very good” as a running mate, adding, “Anybody that said I’m the best president in a generation … I have to like a guy like that.”

    Ramaswamy has struggled to maintain momentum in the Republican primary race after briefly surging in the polls this summer.

    North Dakota Republicans Call On State Lawmaker To Resign

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      Arrest image via Pixabay

      Multiple North Dakota Republicans are calling on a state lawmaker to resign after reports surfaced that he made disturbing and racist comments to a police officer during a DUI stop this month.

      State Rep. Nico Rios (R) was pulled over on Dec. 15 for not staying in his lane and was arrested for drunk driving charges.

      Police body camera footage obtained by the AP showed Rios cursing at the office, questioning his English accent and using homophobic slurs and anti-migrant language. He also reportedly said he would call the North Dakota attorney general about the incident and noted the officers would “regret picking on me because you don’t know who…I am.”

      On Tuesday, Republican House Majority Leader Mike Lefor pointed to the police officer’s report, which stated the lawmaker was “verbally abusive, homophobic, racially abusive and discriminatory,” towards the officer while asking him to resign.

      “There is no room in the legislature, or our party, for this behavior. I understand people make mistakes, but his comments and defiance to law enforcement are beyond the pale. In addition, any lawmaker attempting to use his or her elected position to threaten anyone or skirt the law is completely unacceptable,” Lefor said in a statement, according to the AP.

      North Dakota Republican Party Chairwoman Sandi Sanford reiterated Lefor’s comments, saying Rios’s “actions and words fall short of the basic decency we expect from any of our neighbors. He endangered the community he was elected to serve and disrespected peace officers. This violates our core values as Republicans.”

      Rios earlier this week said his behavior was unacceptable, apologized and pledged “to make sure this never happens again.”

      “I owe it to myself, my district, and everyone and I vow to make sure this never happens again,” he said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “Moving forward after this night I feel like I have to emphasize my complete and total commitment to supporting Law Enforcement. I messed up big time and I am truly sorry.” 

      Michigan Supreme Court Rules On Trump Ballot Bid

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      Gage Skidmore Flickr

      On Wednesday the Michigan Supreme Court rejected the latest bid to keep Donald Trump off the state’s primary ballot.

      A liberal-leaning group had appealed a state appeals court ruling that regardless of whether the 14th Amendment disqualifies Trump from holding office, Michigan’s secretary of state lacks the legal authority to remove him from the ballot.

      The Democrat-controlled court let that lower ruling stand, stating in an unsigned order that it was “not persuaded that the questions presented should be reviewed by this Court.”

      The Hill has more:

      In a solo dissent in Michigan on Wednesday, Justice Elizabeth Welch wrote that it was “important” for the state court to issue a decision on the merits given the gravity of the legal questions at issue.

      But she likened the case to Minnesota, while drawing contrast to Colorado.

      “Significantly, Colorado’s election laws differ from Michigan’s laws in a material way that is directly relevant to why the appellants in this case are not entitled to the relief they seek concerning the presidential primary election in Michigan,” Welch wrote.

      Welch also noted that Tuesday’s ruling leaves open the possibility that the plaintiffs could renew their efforts for the general election if Trump becomes the Republican nominee, which polling indicates is very likely.

      The ruling is a significant win for Trump as he seeks to appeal the Colorado Supreme Court’s ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court.

      The 14th amendment prohibits someone from holding “any office … under the United States” if they engaged in insurrection after taking an oath as “an officer of the United States” to “support” the Constitution.

      Former President Trump celebrated the Michigan Supreme Court’s ruling on Truth Social.

      “The Michigan Supreme Court has strongly and rightfully denied the Desperate Democrat attempt to take the leading Candidate in the 2024 Presidential Election, me, off the ballot in the Great State of Michigan,” Trump wrote Wednesday in a Truth Social post. “This pathetic gambit to rig the Election has failed all across the Country, including in States that have historically leaned heavily toward the Democrats.”

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

      GOP Lawmakers ‘Swatted’ on Christmas Day

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      Police image via Pixabay free images

      Two Republican lawmakers had an eventful Christmas Day…

      Police officers were called to the homes of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green (R-Ga.) and Rep. Brandon Williams (R-NY) after false reports were made.

      In an X post, Monday, Rep. Williams announced, “Our home was swatted this afternoon. Thanks to the Deputies and Troopers who contacted me before arriving. They left with homemade cookies and spiced nuts! Merry Christmas everyone!”

      In a follow-up post, Williams revealed that Capitol and local police were investigating the incident and that five police cars had arrived at his home following the false report.

      “Swatting” is the act of making a false police report with the intention that the victim receives a visit from armed law enforcement.

      “The deputies & troopers were polite, professional, & prompt. God bless them,” Williams added.

      Greene was visited by law enforcement on Monday morning after an anonymous caller told 911 that a man had been shot at the congresswoman’s address.

      Local police were reportedly called by the suspect, who took responsibility for the incident and said “they were upset about Greene’s stance on ‘trans-gender youth’s rights.’”

      “I have been swatted 8 times but the FBI can’t seem to figure out who is responsible for the swatting and says the law doesn’t allow them to track them down,” protested Greene on X following the incident. “The FBI can do so many things, has even abused FISA to spy on hundreds of thousands of Americans, but can not figure out who wants me killed by a hail of bullets fired by a SWAT team responding to murder suicide calls supposedly coming from me.”

      Federal Judge Rejects Bid To Keep Trump Off West Virginia Ballot

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      Gavel via Wikimedia Commons Image

      On Thursday, a federal judge rejected the latest attempt to keep Donald Trump off the 2024 primary ballot in West Virginia.

      Obama-appointed district judge Irene Berger ruled that John Anthony Castro, the little-known presidential candidate who brought the lawsuit to remove Trump, lacked standing to sue. 

      “The evidence establishes that [Castro] has no campaign offices, staff, or advertising in West Virginia, does not appear in polling, has little name recognition among West Virginia Republican primary voters, and has extremely minimal campaign funds, vastly insufficient to run an actual campaign,” Berger wrote. “If there were any question as to whether the allegations in the complaint are sufficient to overcome a facial challenge, the evidentiary submissions remove any doubt that Mr. Castro’s purported ‘campaign’ exists as a vehicle for pursuing litigation, not votes.”

      Federal judges in Arizona and Rhode Island likewise found Castro lacked standing because he is not seriously running for office. 

      The decision comes days after Colorado’s Supreme Court ruled Trump was ineligible to appear on the state’s ballot under Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment, likely teeing up a Supreme Court battle.

      “This is a big win for the integrity of our elections,” said Republican West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey in a statement, according to News and Sentinel. “This lawsuit was frivolous to begin with and without merit – it had no basis in either law or fact. Any eligible candidate has the right to be on the ballot unless legally disqualified, and we will defend the laws of West Virginia and the right of voters and candidates to the fullest.”

      Trump Appeals To Supreme Court Over Colorado Banning Him From Ballot

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

      ANALYSIS – This could be huge. Donald Trump is appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court – which he helped shape as president – following a ruling in Colorado to bar him from its presidential primary ballot over his engagement in an “insurrection.”

      Colorado’s all Democrat appointed, left-leaning Supreme Court has ruled 4 to 3 that former President Donald Trump is disqualified from holding office again because he engaged in an “insurrection” over the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.

      Republicans see the Colorado court’s decision as yet another egregious example of the Democrats’ ongoing campaign of election interference against Trump.

      The majority justices’ decision reversed a Denver district judge’s finding last month that Section 3 of the 14th Amendment did not apply to the presidency.

      The three justices who dissented did so on procedural grounds. In three separate dissenting opinions, each based on different legal arguments, they all concluded that the Colorado Supreme Court had overstepped its authority.

      Colorado’s decision will go into effect on Jan. 4, 2024 – the eve of Colorado’s March 5 Republican primary.

      In the wake of the decision, Team Trump came out swinging. As The New York Times reported:

      “Unsurprisingly, the all-Democrat appointed Colorado Supreme Court has ruled against President Trump, supporting a Soros-funded, left-wing group’s scheme to interfere in an election on behalf of Crooked Joe Biden by removing President Trump’s name from the ballot and eliminating the rights of Colorado voters to vote for the candidate of their choice,” a campaign spokesman, Steven Cheung, said. “We have full confidence that the U.S. Supreme Court will quickly rule in our favor and finally put an end to these un-American lawsuits.”

      Similar challenges in New Hampshire, Michigan and Minnesota have all been dismissed in court, because the idea is nonsense. The courts there also decided that the Constitution is unclear about whether Section 3 of the 14th Amendment applies to the president.

      As Trump’s lawyers have already said he will appeal the verdict. The shock ruling will put an exceptional case before the U.S. Supreme Court – possibly being forced to decide the question for all 50 U.S. states.

      The U.S. Supreme Court is made up of nine justices, six of whom are conservatives, or “constitutionalists,” three of whom were appointed by President Trump.

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

      This article was republished with permission from American Liberty News.