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Republican Billionaire Says Trump Failed To Meet ‘Low Expectations’

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    7
    Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    During a recent interview high-profile Republican billionaire Peter Theil said he was disappointed by former President Trump’s time in office.

    During an interview with The Atlantic’s Barton Gellman, Thiel said “voting for Trump was like a not very articulate scream for help,” which he hoped would change the country for the better but ultimately he was left disappointed.

    “There are a lot of things I got wrong,” Thiel told Gellman. “It was crazier than I thought. It was more dangerous than I thought. They couldn’t get the most basic pieces of the government to work. So that was—I think that part was maybe worse than even my low expectations.”

    Thiel, who financially backed Trump in 2016, also told Glemman he recently received a call from Trump over his refusal to contribute to his latest campaign. Trump reportedly told Theil “he was very sad” and “had expected way more” from the Republican businessman.

    “Months later, word got back to Thiel that Trump had called [Blake] Masters to discourage him from running for Senate again, and had called Thiel a ‘fucking scumbag,’” Gellman reported, adding that Thiel no longer wanted to make any donations to Republican candidates in the near future.

    Thiel told Gellman, “There’s always a chance I might change my mind. But by talking to you, it makes it hard for me to change my mind. My husband doesn’t want me to give them any more money, and he’s right. I know they’re going to be pestering me like crazy. And by talking to you, it’s going to lock me out of the cycle for 2024.”

    Thiel also called Trump’s attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election “not helpful,” and reportedly told Gellman that while Trump “did not turn out to be the revolutionary Thiel had hoped he might be,” he would not “refashion himself a Never Trumper in retrospect.”

    While the Republican billionaire has sworn off contributing to political candidates in the immediate future, Theil did express his support for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in May.

    Joe Manchin Will Not Seek West Virginia Reelection

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    2
    Joe Manchin via Wikimedia Commons

    On Thursday, moderate Senator Joe Manchin (D- W.V.) announced he would run for another term in the Upper Chamber.

    The Hill reports:

    “After months of deliberation and long conversations with my family, I believe in my heart of hearts that I have accomplished what I set out to do for West Virginia. I have made one of the toughest decisions of my life and decided that I will not be running for re-election to the United States Senate,” Manchin said in a statement. “But what I will be doing is traveling the country and speaking out to see if there is an interest in creating a movement to mobilize the middle and bring Americans together.”

    Manchin’s announcement almost certainly hands Republicans a seat in next year’s elections in a deep red state

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

    Trump Holds 39-point Lead Over DeSantis In Florida Poll

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    2
    Ron DeSantis via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Trump is still the reigning favorite in the Sunshine State.

    The most recent University of North Florida (UNF) poll sided with Trump, compared to just 21 percent for DeSantis and 6 percent for former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley. In a head-to-head poll, Trump leads DeSantis 59-29.

    The Hill has more:

    “Despite historically high approval in the polls, Governor DeSantis losing steam in his home state doesn’t bode well for his national campaign,” UNF professor Michael Binder said in a statement. “Even if you wipe out the rest of the competition in a head-to-head, Trump leads DeSantis by 20 points.”

    DeSantis has struggled in Florida, losing key endorsements to Trump despite his leadershhip. A majority of Florida’s congressional delegation has supported Trump, including Sen. Rick Scott (R), who made his Trump endorsement clear last week.

    “I am optimistic that we can return America to its rightful position of economic and military strength and the undisputed moral leader of the free world, but only with strong leadership in the White House,” Scott said in a Newsweek op-ed last week.

    “That is why I support my friend President Donald J. Trump to be the 47th President of the United States and encourage every Republican to unite behind his efforts to win back the White House,” he added.

    Watergate Prosecutor Says ‘Trump Is Toast’ In Fraud Trial 

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    6
    Slowking4, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    Former Watergate prosecutor Nick Ackerman said former President Trump is “toast” in his New York civil fraud case.

    New York Attorney General Letitia James’ case accuses Trump, his two adult sons, the Trump Organization, and top executives of falsely inflating the values of Trump’s real estate properties and other assets in order to get tax benefits and better loan terms.

    James seeks around $250 million in damages, and she wants to bar Trump and his co-defendants from running another business in New York.

    According to The Hill, Ackerman argued people are not only focused on the former president’s testimony but also his deposition with James’s lawyers last summer, where he invoked the Fifth Amendment more than 400 times.

    “Now what does it mean to take the Fifth Amendment? It means that you are refusing to answer a question, because a truthful answer would tend to be incriminating,” Ackerman said. “Then what did Donald Trump do last week? He went into court and said, ‘Oh, I didn’t do anything fraudulent, I wasn’t involved in a fraud.’ Which is just the opposite what in effect he was saying when he took the Fifth Amendment in his deposition.”

    “So you’ve got contradictory testimony,” Ackerman continued. “You can use his assertion of the Fifth Amendment against him to basically find that he’s lying, that he’s manipulating the system when he goes in, refuses to answer questions, answers the questions in a half-baked manner.”

    Earlier this week when Trump took the stand he fiercely defended his business practices and condemned those involved in the case as politically motivated “Trump haters.”

    “I just don’t see how this judge at the end of the day is not going to find that, with respect to Donald Trump … ‘Liar, liar, pants on fire,’” Ackerman said.

    Ackerman said that in his more than 40 years of civil law experience, he has never seen anyone “do such a stupid move as to suddenly start testifying” after they’ve taken the Fifth Amendment.

    After Brutal Poll, Top Obama Advisor Suggests Biden Drop Out of Race

    By
    Paul Crespo
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    4
    Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    ANALYSIS – Are Democrats wetting their beds about Joe Biden? As I wrote about earlier, even the New York Times (NYT) is admitting Biden is losing in the polls to Donald Trump in five key electoral states. 

    And David Axelrod, chief strategist for Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns, and a senior advisor to the former president Obama, is sending a message to the elderly Biden – “this is your last chance – get out now.”

    This is one of Obama’s top advisors, so it seems like a veiled message from the ex-president himself to Biden that it’s time to quit. We will likely hear this chorus to grow among Democrat movers and shakers.

    As reported by The Hill:

    When questioned about his comments Monday, Axelrod told CNN that it’s a good time for Biden to check if he should keep up his campaign. Sunday marked one year before the election.

    “As I’ve said for like a couple years now, the issue’s not — for him, is not political, it’s actuarial. You can see that in this poll and there’s just a lot of concern about the age issue, and that is something I think he needs to ponder. Just do a check and say, ‘Is this the right thing to do?’” Axelrod said.

    “Is this the best path? I suspect that he will say yes, but time is fleeting here, and this is probably the last moment for him to do that check, and it’s probably good if he does,” the Obama alum added.

    By ‘actuarial,’ Axelrod was referring to Biden’s age, calling it is “his biggest liability” and something he cannot change.

    “Among all the unpredictables there is one thing that is sure: the age arrow only points in one direction,” Axelrod wrote on X. Meaning, Biden is only going downhill from here.

    The NYT poll found Biden being trounced by Trump in five out of six battleground states including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, and Pennsylvania by margins of 3 to 10 points.

    The poll also found that 71 percent of registered voters said they agree to some degree that Biden is “just too old to be an effective president.” 62 percent of participants said Biden did not have the “mental sharpness to be an effective president.”

    The Hill added: “Axelrod told CNN that he’s not reacting to one poll with his comments but has had conversations with people and finds 2024 a unique year considering the threat of Trump — who is leading the GOP primary race — on the other side of the aisle.”

    The Hill continued:

    “Trump is a dangerous, unhinged demagogue whose brazen disdain for the rules, [norms], laws and institutions or democracy should be disqualifying,” Axelrod wrote in a separate post. “But the stakes of miscalculation here are too dramatic to ignore.”

    I would add that maybe the growing GOP impeachment inquiry into the Biden family business – ‘influence peddling’ – and the tax fraud and gun indictments against Hunter Biden, are also worrying Democrats.

    Echoing the growing talking points about Biden quitting while he still can, a separate Hill piece reported:

    Arguing Biden is “justly proud of his accomplishments,” Axelrod said Biden’s poll numbers will “send tremors of doubt” through the Democratic Party.

    “Not ‘bed-wetting,’” but legitimate concern, Axelrod wrote…

    “Only @JoeBiden can make this decision,” he continued. “If he continues to run, he will be the nominee of the Democratic Party. What he needs to decide is whether that is wise; whether it’s in HIS best interest or the country’s?”

     I don’t know about you, but I sense there is a lot of Democrat bed-wetting about Biden going around right now.

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

    Minnesota Supreme Court Dismisses Challenge To Keep Trump Off 2024 Ballot

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    7

    The Minnesota Supreme Court has dismissed a lawsuit seeking to bar former President Donald Trump from the state’s 2024 primary ballot.

    Left-wing group Free Speech For People argued that Trump violated the 14th Amendment during the Jan. 6th, 2020 Capitol riot.

    The 14th Amendment disqualifies anyone from running for office who had previously taken an oath of office who then “engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.”

    The Daily Wire has more:

    “There is no state statute that prohibits a major political party from placing on the presidential nomination primary ballot, or sending delegates to the national convention supporting, a candidate who is ineligible to hold office,” Chief Justice Natalie Hudson ruled.

    However, the court’s ruling only applies to the state’s primary ballot and left open the possibility that the plaintiffs could make another attempt to block Trump from appearing on the general election ballot in November 2024.

    Trump celebrated the ruling in a series of Truth Social posts on Wednesday.

    “Ridiculous 14th Amendment lawsuit just thrown out by Minnesota Supreme Court,” Trump said. “Congratulations to all who fought this HOAX!”

    In response to the ruling, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said in part: “Today’s decision in Minnesota, like New Hampshire before it, is further validation of the Trump Campaign’s consistent argument that the 14th Amendment ballot challenges are nothing more than strategic, un-Constitutional attempts to interfere with the election by desperate Democrats who see the writing on the wall: President Trump is dominating the polls and has never been in a stronger position to end the failed Biden presidency next November.”

    House GOP Elects New Vice Chair

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    2

    On Wednesday, House Republicans elected a new vice chair of the House Republican conference after Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) rose up from the position to grasp the gavel.

    House Republicans voted Utah Rep. Blake Moore to become the new vice chair of the GOP conference.

    Speaking to the press after winning the position, Moore praised the House GOP’s “Commitment to America” platform from the 2022 midterm elections, and the passage of its H.R. 1 energy bill and H.R. 2 border and immigration bill earlier this year.

    “It’s tough environment in Washington right now. It’s a split government type of thing, and we’re making — creating — as many ways as we possibly can as we move forward with this,” Moore said.

    According to reports from The Hill, Moore beat out six other candidates for the spot.

    The field included: Rep. Mark Alford (R-Mo.), Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga), Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.), Rep. Michelle Fishbach (R-Minn.), and Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R-Texas). Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.) was in the running as well.

    The election process took more than two hours as the House GOP cycled through multiple ballots, dropping the lowest vote-getter each time. Van Duyne had led in the ballots until Moore took the lead when the field was down to three candidates, with Alford coming in third place.

    Rep. Julia Letlow (R-La.) formally nominated Moore for the vice chair position in the election on Wednesday.

    Trump Reacts As Daughter Takes Stand In Fraud Trial

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    4
    Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Former President Trump is not happy that his oldest daughter, Ivanka, is being forced to take the stand in his business fraud trial.

    The night before Ivanka was set to testify Trump fired off a number of Truth Social posts criticizing the move.

    “Tomorrow my wonderful and beautiful daughter, Ivanka, is going to the Lower Manhattan Courthouse, at the direction of Letitia Peekaboo James, the Corrupt and Racist New York State Attorney General, who has allowed Murder and Violent Crime in New York to flourish, and a Trump Hating, out of control Clubhouse appointed Judge, Arthur Engoron, who viciously ruled against me before the trial even started, wouldn’t even consider a Jury, and said that Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach, Florida, is worth $18,000,000 when, in fact, it is worth 50 to 100 times that amount,” the former president wrote on Truth Social.

    “Now they are trying to bring Ivanka into the case, despite the Court of Appeals ruling that she cannot be charged. Sad!” he added.

    New York Attorney General Letitia James’ case accuses Trump, his two adult sons, the Trump Organization, and top executives of falsely inflating the values of Trump’s real estate properties and other assets in order to get tax benefits and better loan terms.

    James seeks around $250 million in damages, and she wants to bar Trump and his co-defendants from running another business in New York.

    Ivanka was dismissed from the case in June, however, the judge ruled that the dismissal did not prevent her from testifying. Ivanka appealed the decision, but an appeals court denied her request.

    In emails to her counsel, the attorney general’s office said Ivanka’s household staffing, credit cards, taxes, and New York housing were still being paid for or managed by the Trump Organization.

    “Ms. Trump, even after her formal resignation, has remained intertwined with the Trump Organization and we believe that she is still amenable to service through that enterprise,” Assistant Attorney General Sherief Gaber wrote in a Sept. 26 email.

    “Ms. Trump has clearly availed herself of the privilege of doing business in New York,” Engoron said while handing down his decision.

    Poll: Third-Party Candidate Leading In 6 Battleground States

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    This is unexpected…

    The poll from The New York Times and Siena College shows Robert F. Kennedy Jr. beating both Trump and Biden among voters under 45 in six swing states.

    Mediaite reports:

    The polling shows that in an average of data gathered from Georgia, Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Nevada, and Wisconsin, Kennedy has 34 percent support base with voters aged between 18-29, and he also has 31 percent with 30-44 year old voters. Trump’s numbers stand at 29 percent with 18-29 year olds, and 30 percent with 30-44 year olds. Biden stands at 30 percent in both categories.

    And in some states, Kennedy is winning younger voters by enormous margins. In Arizona,  Kennedy has 39 percent of the 18-29-year-old vote to Trump’s 26 — and in Georgia, Kennedy leads Trump 35 to 28 in the same demographic. Biden still has some sway with younger voters in several states — pulling in 37 percent of the 18-29 year old vote in both Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

    Kennedy originally entered the 2024 contest as a Democratic primary challenger to Biden, but it was about a month ago when he dropped that bid and reinvented his campaign as a third party independent run. Much of the media focus on Kennedy’s run has focused on his numerous bizarre and misinformation statements, though recent polls have shown that his independent bid could be cutting into Trump’s base more than Biden’s.

    Iowa Governor Reveals Reasoning Behind Unexpected Endorsement

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    Photo via Gage Skidmore

    Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds is explaining why she broke tradition and decided to endorse Florida Governor Ron DeSantis during the 2024 Republican presidential primaries.

    The popular Republican governor told NBC News’ Dasha Burns that she broke with Iowa’s tradition of governors remaining neutral through the primaries because the country has “too much at stake.”

    “I just felt like I couldn’t sit on the sidelines any longer,” she said. “We have too much at stake. I truly believe that he is the right person to get this country back on track.”

    NBC News noted that the endorsement was the “biggest endorsement of the primary” season so far and that it was a significant boost for the DeSantis campaign.

    When asked why she endorsed DeSantis, who is in second place in the race, she said: “I don’t base my decision on polls. I take a look at who I believe is the right person for the right job. I believe that Ron is the right person for the right job. And I believe he’s going to win.”

    Burns later asked about her relationship with former President Donald Trump who has fired off repeated attacks against Reynolds, often accusing her of being disloyal to the former President.

    When asked when the last time she spoke to Trump, she said, “Probably the last time he called to ask if I would endorse him, and I said I wasn’t at this point.”

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