NEW YORK CITY (September 11, 2022) Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas lays flowers for USSS Master Special Officer Craig Miller and participates in the September 11th Anniversary Commemoration Ceremony at Ground Zero in New York City, NY. (DHS photo by Sydney Phoenix)
The Biden administration is on the brink of impeachment proceedings.
On Friday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed it has hired a law firm to aid in responding to the potential GOP House-led impeachment of Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
According to reports from The Hill, the contract, signed with New-York based firm Debevoise & Plimpton, comes a week after a second article of impeachment was filed by Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.).
“The Department of Homeland Security has retained outside counsel to help ensure the Department’s vital mission is not interrupted by the unprecedented, unjustified, and partisan impeachment efforts by some Members of Congress, who have already taken steps to initiate proceedings,” a DHS spokesperson said in a statement.
“DHS will continue prioritizing its work to protect our country from terrorism, respond to natural disasters, and secure our borders while responding appropriately to the over 70 Congressional committees and subcommittees that have oversight of DHS.”
DHS doesn’t have any staff on hand with expertise in such a matter, an agency official told The Hill, and said the scale of legal assistance needed will depend on how the GOP decides to proceed with its probe. Still, the department declined to outline other financial details of the retainer.
Republicans have yet to take any action on the resolutions, but House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and other Republican leaders have pledged what could be lengthy investigations ahead of an eventual impeachment.
The impeachment of Cabinet officials is rare and hasn’t occurred since 1876.
Federal Bureau of Investigation, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
FBI agents searched former Vice President Mike Pence’s residence Friday as federal authorities continue their classified document investigation, two sources confirmed to Fox News.
Local police blocked off the entrance to the Indiana residence before federal investigators arrived in a white vehicle.
Sources claim the search was planned for days and noted Pence is not at home Friday.
Last month, Pence informed Congress that he discovered documents bearing classified markings from his time as vice president on Jan. 16.
Pence attorney Greg Jacob wrote on Jan. 18 to Acting Director Kate Dillon McClure of the White House Liaison Division National Archives and Records Administration to inform her of the papers “containing classified markings.”
This story is breaking. Click refresh for the latest updates.
CBP Photography, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
While the Biden administration remains hellbent on allowing thousands upon thousands of migrants and asylum seekers to pour into U.S. cities with little to no regard for American citizens.
However, despite Biden’s disregard for order at the border or within his own country asylum seekers say that the chaos in American cities has them already looking for the exit.
According to The Washington Free Beacon, asylum seekers in New York City are desperate to flee the liberal city for “safer” Canada and New York City mayor Eric Adams (D) is happy to oblige.
Multiple Latin American asylum seekers told reporters that the alarming and blatant drug use coupled with the ongoing homeless crisis has left migrants feeling hopeless and searching for answers. In response to the complaints being levied by migrants, as well as taxpaying residents, the mayor has funded bus tickets to transport migrants across the U.S.- Canada border.
“Those who are seeking to go somewhere else — not that we’re pushing or forcing — if they’re seeking to go somewhere else, we are helping in the re-ticketing process,” Mayor Adams said on Monday in an interview with Fox 5.
“I wanted to live in New York because I thought it would be a better future for my daughters,” said Susy Sanchez Solzarno, 33, from Peru. “But as the days went by, I saw insecurity, many homeless people, many people who shout and are disrespectful, and many people on drugs. … I am going to Canada for the safety and future of my girls.”
“A lot of the Americans used drugs [in New York],” said Manuel Rodon, 26, from Venezuela. “I feel like Canada will be safer. It is a much quieter country than America.”
Since 2021, the Biden administration has forced states to take in thousands of migrants and bear the brunt of feeding and housing costs as well as other complications. The move has taken a distinct toll on various U.S. cities, especially NYC.
The latest Quinnipiac University poll reflects New Yorker’s unhappiness with Mayor Adams.
A Quinnipiac University poll of New York City registered voters out Wednesday found that 37% approve of the way he’s handling his job, while 43% disapprove and 20% don’t know.
That negative 6% approval rating is a flip from Quinnipiac’s last poll, in May 2022, where 43% of voters approved, 37% disapproved, and 20% didn’t know – a positive 6% approval rating.
“Polls go up and down, up and down. And we’re just going to continue to do what we do. And that’s produce for New Yorkers,” Adams said at an unrelated press conference Wednesday, after being told about the results of the poll. “I am really pleased with the administration the way they are. We’re going to continue to stay focused, no distractions and grind.”
The special counsel investigating Former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election has summoned former Vice President Mike Pence to testify.
The development follows months of negotiations between Department of Justice prosecutors and Pence’s legal team.
WATCH:
Former Vice President Mike Pence has been subpoenaed by the special counsel overseeing probes into former President Donald Trump, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. @pierretabc reports. https://t.co/ibqXxixsOGpic.twitter.com/x5YulOge8V
The move represents an escalation in the Justice Department investigation and sets the stage for a likely court battle over executive privilege, which lawyers for Mr. Trump have raised in recent years to block or slow the testimony of former administration officials in various probes.
Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Mr. Smith in November to examine efforts to undo the election results as well as to probe the handling of classified documents found at Mr. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. That investigation has intensified over a year to include an extraordinary warrant-backed search of the property in August.
Facebook has officially reinstated former President Donald Trump’s account.
Trump was banned from both social media platforms, along with others such as Twitter, following the January 6, 2021, riots at the U.S. Capitol. Facebook at the time said Trump would be barred from using both Facebook and Instagram for inciting violence, a violation of their terms of service.
It is unclear whether Trump will use the platform—though the former president was reinstated on Twitter last November, he has still not used his account, opting instead to use his own platform, Truth Social.
Last month, Facebook CEO Nick Clegg toldAxios that Trump’s accounts would be reinstated “in coming weeks,” though he cautioned that future bans are on the table. “We’ve always believed that Americans should be able to hear from the people who want to lead the country,” Clegg told Axios. “We don’t want to stand in the way of that.”
Trump has yet to post on either his Facebook or Instagram accounts, which together have more than 50 million followers.
This story is breaking. Click refresh for the latest updates.
The latest Monmouth University poll shows that former President Donald Trump is tied with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as the leading choice for the Republican Party’s 2024 presidential nominee.
According to The Hill, the Monmouth University poll found a third of Republican voters saw Trump, who kicked off his campaign in November, as their top presidential pick, and another third favored DeSantis, who has yet to formally announce he’s running.
Former president Mike Pence scored just 2 percent support and Nikki Haley — who is set to become the only other big-name Republican officially in the ring with Trump — earned just 1 percent.
Trump closed the gap with DeSantis from a similar poll back in December that put the Florida governor ahead by 13 points, with 39 percent support compared to 26 percent for the former president. Trump has since climbed 7 points, and DeSantis has fallen 6 points.
But despite the uptick in voters backing Trump for the GOP nomination, DeSantis takes the win in a hypothetical primary matchup between the two, earning 53 percent to Trump’s 40 percent.
“Both Trump and DeSantis are well-liked by the party’s rank and file, but it’s likely that voter opinion of Trump is more firmly set than it is for DeSantis right now. The unknown factor is whether DeSantis can maintain this early edge if and when he gets on the campaign trail,” Monmouth University Polling Institute director Patrick Murray said in a report.
The Florida governor is said to be close to his final decision on whether he’ll run in 2024 and is widely expected to jump in the ring.
It seems Ron DeSantis isn’t the only Republican governor eyeing the 2024 presidential primary…
New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu threw gas on the fire with the announcement of his establishment of a national fundraising organization to probe donor support for a possible White House bid.
Sununu confirmed on Thursday that he had created a 501(c)(4) organization called “Live Free or Die,” a nod to his state’s motto, as he ponders a possible 2024 campaign, according to The Hill.
“The organization is really to raise some funds to talk about the model that New Hampshire has,” Sununu said at a press conference on Thursday. “It allows logistically for us to go out and keep doing that, as we have been for quite a while.”
The organization allows Sununu to raise unlimited amounts of money while also not having to disclose the names of his donors. The 501(c)(4) structure requires a yearly report on donations to the IRS, as opposed to a federal PAC that requires quarterly disclosures.
Sununu has remained noncommittal on a run for president so far but he is part of a growing coalition of Republican voices that say former President Trumpshould not be the party’s nominee.
Fox News White House Correspondent Peter Doocy and Fox Business reporter Hillary Vaughn announced their first child’s birth on Thursday.
Doocy and Vaughn, who have been married since 2021, confirmed to People magazine that their daughter, Bridget Blake Doocy, was born on Feb. 1.
Meet Bridget Blake Doocy! Asked @joebiden for tips about being a new dad, at the WH holiday reception. His advice: “hold her tight.” Will do! https://t.co/iXsCcMnbss
“I didn’t realize this until now, but I’ve been training for motherhood my entire career by trying to get lawmakers on Capitol Hill to respond to my questions. This job isn’t much different,” Vaughn told People magazine.
Vaughn said her water broke when she was on her way to work at Capitol Hill, which she was “prepared” for. She said she knew where to find senators who used to be doctors, and that Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), who was a doctor in Wyoming, told her to reach out if she needs anything.
Doocy said that White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre joked with him about what he should name his baby last month, joking that he could name her “Karine.”
“During a briefing last month, the press secretary gave me permission to name the baby Karine and I joked we were considering naming the baby after the president: ‘Joe-sephine.’ But we can report here for the first time her name is Bridget Blake Doocy,” he told People.
“Fox & Friends” host Steve Doocy also announce the arrival of his first granddaughter on Thursday’s show, saying that he is “so proud.”
“I’ve got an announcement: I am now a grandfather,” he said on Thursday’s “Fox & Friends” show.
Last year, President Biden was caught calling the White House correspondent a “stupid son of a bitch” after Doocy asked Biden whether inflation was a political liability for him.
The verbal slip took place during a White House event on Biden administration efforts to combat inflation. After the president complained that all the press questions were about the military buildup around Ukraine, Doocy shouted: “Will you take questions about inflation? Do you think inflation is a political liability ahead of the midterms?”
Thinking his microphone was turned off, Biden responded sarcastically: “No, that’s a great asset. More inflation.”
He added, “What a stupid son of a bitch.”
Later, Bret Baier asked Doocy about the “colorful exchange” with the president, Doocy replied: “He didn’t want to take any questions off-topic. He was at an event about inflation. I asked about inflation. Now wait to see if the White House has to bleep that on the transcript.”
Baier then asked: “What did the other reporters say about that? Did you talk with them?” Doocy replied: “They actually had to tell me he had said it, because I couldn’t hear anything over the shouting of the wranglers. So now the clip will live on.”
Ultimately, President Biden apologized to Doocy for the remark.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy delivers remarks at the 2021 Capitol Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in Washington DC, December 1, 2021. USDA Forest Service photo by Tanya E. Flores.
Last month, over 20 House Republican lawmakers refused to vote for Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s bid for House Speaker. However, after 15 grueling rounds of voting McCarthy finally held the Speaker’s gavel.
Not every holdout got exactly what he or she had asked for, some won plum committee assignments from McCarthy, here’s what we know so far:
Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, a vocal McCarthy foe during the speaker fight, flipped to “present” in the 14th round. Gaetz will continue to serve on the Judiciary panel and was appointed by the Speaker to the new weaponization subcommittee.
Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona a former head of the Freedom Caucus and one of the five so-called “Never Kevins,” kept his position on the powerful Judiciary and Oversight committee. The Arizona Congressman was also named chairman of the Judiciary’s subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance. Ultimately, Biggs changed his vote to “present” on the final ballot for speaker, helping propell McCarthy over the finish line.
Rep. Dan Bishop of North Carolina flipped to back McCarthy on the 12th ballot, and will continue to serve on both the Judiciary and Homeland Security committees. McCarthy also named Bishop to the Judiciary’s new subcommittee on the “Weaponization of the Federal Government.”
Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, the vocal McCarthy critic who voted “present” on the 14th and 15th ballots, was awarded a seat on the Oversight and Accountability Committee. She will also continue to serve on the Natural Resources panel.
Rep. Josh Brecheen of Oklahoma, the freshman Congressman flipped to McCarthy on the 12th ballot and won seats on the Homeland Security Committee and Budget committees.
Rep. Mike Cloud of Texas flipped to McCarthy on the 12th ballot. The Lone Star state Congressman won a new seat on the powerful Appropriations Committee, which controls federal spending. McCarthy also named him to the new select committee investigating the origins of the Covid pandemic.
Rep. Andrew Clyde of Georgia, another lawmaker who flipped to McCarthy on the 12th ballot, will serve on the Appropriations Committee for the first time.
Rep. Eli Crane of Arizona will serve on the Homeland Security Committee.
Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida was nominated to run against McCarthy for speaker and flipped to him on the 12th ballot. Donalds was named by McCarthy as the “speaker’s designee” on the influential Steering Committee, which decides which lawmakers get committee gavels and seats. Donalds also won a coveted spot on the Financial Services Committee, a top panel known on Capitol Hill as an “A” committee.
Rep. Bob Good of Virginia, one of the Never Kevins who flipped to “present” in the last round of voting, will serve on the Budget and Education and Workforce committees.
Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona flipped to McCarthy on the 12th ballot and was reinstated by Republicans on two committees —Oversight and Natural Resources panels. He was named chairman of the Natural Resources subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.
Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland will continue to serve on the Appropriations panel. Harris, a physician, will be the chairman of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration subcommittee.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida flipped to McCarthy on the 12th ballot. The freshman Congresswoman won a seat on the Oversight and Natural Resources panels.
Rep. Mary Miller of Illinois will remain on the Agriculture Committee.
Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina, one of the “Never Kevins” who flipped to McCarthy on the 12th ballot, was named by the speaker as one of nine Republicans on the Rules Committee. Additionally, the South Carolina congressman will remain on the Financial Services panel and will serve on the Budget Committee too.
Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee won a seat on the Financial Services Committee.
Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus who brokered a deal between conservatives and McCarthy, will remain on the Foreign Affairs Committee. Perry also won a new seat on the Oversight committee.
Rep. Matt Rosendale of Montana, a “Never Kevin” who flipped to “present” on the final ballot, will continue to serve on Natural Resources.
Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, who helped Perry negotiate a deal with McCarthy, was tapped to serve on the Budget committee and the influential Rules Committee. The Lone Star state congressman will also keep his seat on the Judiciary panel.
Rep. Keith Self of Texas will serve on the Foreign Affairs panel.
Rep. Victoria Spartz of Indiana, who flipped from “present” to vote for McCarthy on the 12th ballot, will continue to serve on the Judiciary panel.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy delivers remarks at the 2021 Capitol Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in Washington DC, December 1, 2021. USDA Forest Service photo by Tanya E. Flores.
What did you think of President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address?
Pivoting to House Republicans, one of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s most ardent critics is reviewing the Speaker’s work so far and he has plenty to talk about…
Watch Amanda explain the situation below:
Opinions expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of Great America News Desk.
