Home Blog Page 152

Conservative Pundit Ann Coulter Declares ‘Trump is Done’

By
Madeleine Jackson
-
24
Former President of the United States Donald Trump speaking with attendees at the 2022 Student Action Summit at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Florida. [Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons]

Is the Republican Party officially moving on from Donald Trump? According to conservative pundit and author Ann Coulter, the answer is a resounding “yes.”

In Coulter’s latest podcast of Unsafe aptly titled “Trump’s Done” she dives into the signs Republicans are moving away from the former president and how his influence in slowly but surely dwindling.

Throughout the podcast Coulter notes how Trump’s star has begun to fade, comparing the phenomenon to Sarah Palin who saw her rockstar status revoked following John McCain’s unsuccessful 2008 presidential campaign.

Coulter also noted Trump’s once-infamous rallies dwindling turnouts as further evidence he’s losing power within the GOP.

According to Mediaite:

“They’re like Deadheads,” Coulter said of those still running to MAGA rallies. “They’re following him from place to place. He sings the same songs.”

Loyalty among Trump “fanatics,” she added, is not “indicative of a movement sweeping the nation.” Coulter mentioned a pair of Stone emails she received from the Trump team. The first was an email “slamming” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), considered by many to be Trump’s biggest 2024 competition, should both men run for the Republican Party nomination. A second email, Coulter said, was Stone “backpedaling” on his criticism of DeSantis after he heard complaints from conservatives supportive of the governor.

Trump being “done” could be the message some politicians have been waiting to hear before wading into the 2024 presidential campaign arena. While the former President has made a habit of hinting at his potential presidential campaign some conservatives have held their breath in regard to their own political aspirations.

“Republicans, it’s not the party of Trump. It’s safe to come back, and it’s safe for Republicans to stand up and run without Donald Trump,” she said.

Former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley previously said she would not launch a presidential campaign if Trump also were to run, and she’s likely not the only Republican sharing that mindset.

However, Coulter was careful to note that moving away from Trump isn’t necessarily a bad thing for the Party and predicted the GOP could still sweep the midterms.

“People are angry. Republicans are really angry. We are on a smooth glide path to really, really good midterm elections, and the only thing that can blow it is what probably will blow it: the Republican Party,” she said.

Ben Shapiro Points to Trump as Reason GOP is Losing Midterms Momentum

By
Madeleine Jackson
-
15
Ben Shapiro via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Conservative pundit and co-editor of The Daily Wire Ben Shapiro says former President Donald Trump is the reason Republicans are losing steam as they get closer to the November midterms finish line.

In a series of tweets, Shapiro said the Republican Party based its midterms strategy on a “miscalculation.”

“In fact, the entirety of American politics is based on dueling versions of the same false mythology: the Mythology of the Emerging Democratic Minority Majority (MEDMM),” Shapiro said on Twitter.

With less than 80 days until the midterm elections, Republicans are laser-focused on winning back the House from Democrats. However, even Mr. Shapiro noted that while Republicans remain poised to win back the House of Representatives it’s looking like it will happen with slimmer margins than previously predicted.

Last week’s Fox News power rankings predicted Republicans to win between 220 and 248 seats in the House, for a majority of between two and 30 seats. That’s less bullish on the GOP than the network’s July projection, which foresaw between 225 and 255 Republican House seats in the new Congress.

Shapiro concluded by warning that Republicans are playing exactly into Democrats’ hands.

Larry Hogan Sides With Biden, Says Republican Party is Filled With Signs of Fascism

By
Madeleine Jackson
-
4
Maryland GovPics, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (R) is siding with President Biden and attacking the GOP.

Last week while addressing a crowd in Maryland, President Biden accused the Republican Party-especially supporters of former President Donald Trump of “semi-fascism.” (Related: President Biden Labels MAGA Supporters as a ‘Threat to Democracy’)

However, instead of rushing to defend his own party Gov. Hogan sided with the President and agreed he sees signs of Authoritarianism within the GOP.

The Washington Examiner reports:

“Well, there’s no question we see some — some signs of [authoritarianism in the Republican Party]. And I’m, you know, one of the ones speaking out,” Hogan said in an interview on CBS’s Face the Nation.

“You know, I think it’s that kind of divisive rhetoric on both sides that’s really bad for America,” the Maryland governor said of Biden’s comments. “And, you know, I’ve been talking about the toxic politics, and if Republicans are calling Democrats ‘socialists’ and ‘communists’ and we have the president of the United States calling Republicans ‘fascist,’ I don’t think it adds to the overall discussion.”

“I mean, the fact that the president would go out and just insult half of America, because, effectively, half of America votes Republican, half of America ultimately votes Democrat — it swings a little bit one way or the other, but effectively, call half of America semi-fascist, because he’s trying to stir up controversy, he’s trying to stir up this anti-Republican sentiment right before the election, it’s just — it’s horribly inappropriate,” Sununu said. “It’s insulting. And people should be insulted by it. And he should apologize.”

Gov. Hogan is a longtime critic of former President Trump and has often been accused of being a RINO, a Republican in name only, by other conservatives.

On Monday, Fox News contributor Mollie Hemingway called President Biden’s comments on Republicans “more hateful” than anything said by former President Trump.

According to Mediaite:

The more that he experiences some of his own decline with his mental faculties, the more that jerkiness comes out. This is more hateful than the worst thing Donald Trump ever said, and it’s being said about tens of millions of Republicans. He trying to walk it back and say it’s only about Trump supporters. That’s just another word for saying Republicans. Republicans support their previous presidents, including the most recent president, and this is just incredibly dangerous, dangerous rhetoric that nobody who purports to lead a country should be saying against half the country.

Judge Signals ‘Preliminary’ Intent to Side with Trump’s Lawyers After Mar-a-Lago Raid

By
Madeleine Jackson
-
8
The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

On Saturday a federal District judge in Florida signed she is inclined to side with Donald Trump’s legal team’s request a special master be appointed to review the materials recovered from the FBI’s recent raid of the former president’s Mar-a-Lago residence.

On Aug. 8th, the FBI raided former president Trump’s residence to recover sensitive materials for the National Archives.

However, instead of fighting against U.S. District Judge Bruce Reinhart, the judge who approved the affidavit used to obtain the search warrant, Trump’s league team filed a motion for  District Judge Aileen M. Cannon to appoint a special master.

Law and Crime reports:

On Saturday evening, Judge Cannon replied that she was inclined to grant the request for a special master due to the “exceptional circumstances presented” by the events at Mar-a-Lago.  However, that inclination, she said, was “subject to an opportunity” for additional arguments by both sides, including the U.S. Government.

Next came a series of specific demands for “the defendant” — the U.S. Government.  Judge Cannon ordered the government to “publicly file a Response” to Trump’s list of demands on or before Tues., Aug. 30.

Additionally, Judge Cannon ordered the government to file under seal a “more detailed” list of the property seized during the Aug. 8 search and a “particularized notice indicating the status of Defendant’s review of the seized property, including any filter review conducted by the privilege review team and any dissemination of materials beyond the privilege review team.”

The documents requested by Judge Cannon must, per her order and “accordance with Rule 53,” explain the parties’ “respective and particularized positions on the duties and responsibilities of a prospective special master, along with any other considerations pertinent to the appointment of a special master in this case.”

Special Masters have been appointed to review allegedly privileged materials in other high-profile cases, including a search of Rudy Giuliani’s office and home.

Department of Justice Publishes Affidavit Used for FBI Raid on Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Resort

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    3
    Marine One lifts-off after returning President Donald J. Trump to Mar-a-Lago Friday, March 29, 2019, following his visit to the 143-mile Herbert Hoover Dike near Canal Point, Fla., that surrounds Lake Okeechobee. The visit was part of an infrastructure inspection of the dike, which is part of the Kissimmee-Okeechobee Everglades system, and reduces impacts of flooding for areas of south Florida. (Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian) [Photo Credit: The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons]

    The Justice Department has officially released the redacted affidavit used to obtain the search warrant used by the FBI in its recent raid of former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence under the direction of U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart.

    A website where the federal judge in Florida is unsealing documents relating to the FBI’s raid is repeatedly crashing because of surging demand.

    “The government is conducting a criminal investigation concerning the improper removal and storage of classified information in unauthorized spaces, as well as the unlawful concealment or removal of government records,” the affidavit states. 

    Approximately 20 pages of the 38-page affidavit were either significantly or fully redacted.

    The FBI said it had “probable cause to believe” that records containing classified information, including National Defense Information, would be found within Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in addition to what he had previously turned over to the National Archives and Records Administration according to the document.

    Read the redacted affidavit below:

    Trump-raid-affidavitDownload

    Judge Bruce Reinhart gave the Justice Department until noon on Thursday to submit the redacted document after rejecting the Justice Department’s pressure to keep the record under seal.

    Fox News reports:

    Reinhart said that after reviewing the Justice Department’s redaction, the government “has met its burden of showing a compelling reason” and “good cause to seal portions of the Affidavit,” saying the disclosure would reveal “the identities of witnesses, law enforcement agents, and uncharged parties,” the investigation’s “strategy, direction, scope, sources, and methods, and “grand jury information” protected by federal rules. 

    Reinhart said that after reviewing the affidavit with redactions, he has determined that the Justice Department “has met its burden of showing that its proposed redactions are narrowly tailored to serve the Government’s legitimate interest in the integrity of the ongoing investigation and are the least onerous alternative to sealing the entire Affidavit.” 

    On Monday, Judge Reinhart wrote in a memo that he was inclined to make parts of the document public, saying it would “promote public understanding of historically significant events.” The DOJ pressured Reinhart to keep the document under wraps out of concern Trump supporters would retaliate against witnesses.

    Ahead of the affidavit’s release, Trump slammed the Justice Department’s “political hacks and thugs” in a statement shared to Truth Social.

    “The political hacks and thugs had no right under the Presidential Records Act to storm Mar-a-Lago and steal everything in sight including passports and privileged documents. They even broke into my safe with a safecracker – Can you believe?” Trump added. “This Act was created for a very good reason, and it works. We are right now living in a Lawless Country that just so happens to be, also, a Failing Nation!”

    When asked if national security could’ve been compromised by Trump’s handling of classified documents, Biden deferred to the ongoing investigation

    Trump has responded following the affidavit’s release calling for Judge Reinhart’s immediate recusal from the case.

    “Judge Bruce Reinhart should NEVER have allowed the Break-In of my home. He recused himself two months ago from one of my cases based on his animosity and hatred of your favorite President, me,” Trump wrote on his Truth social account. “What changed? Why hasn’t he recused himself on this case? Obama must be very proud of him right now!

    President Joe Biden dismissed claims from Trump that he broadly declassified the boxes of White House documents he took to Florida after leaving office.

    “I’ve declassified everything in the world. I’m president,” Biden said sarcastically, waving his hands in the air to reporters outside of the White House. “Come on.”

    Republican lawmakers have shared harsh reactions to the substantial redactions since the affidavit’s publication.

    Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs shared a screenshot of one of the heavily redacted pages and called for more transparency on this Twitter.

    North Carolina Congressman echoed calls for transparency in his own message.

    Conservative report Elijah Schafer shared a touch-and-cheek message about the redacted document as well.

    READ NEXT: President Biden Labels MAGA Supporters as a ‘Threat to Democracy’ >>

    President Biden Labels MAGA Supporters as a ‘Threat to Democracy’

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    20
    The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    President Joe Biden labeled Republicans on the ballot in this year’s midterm elections as a “threat to democracy” while at a campaign event in Maryland Thursday evening. 

    Touching on former President Trump and his “Make America Great Again” slogan Biden accused Republicans of wanting to send the country “backward.”

    According to The Hill:

    “Now you need to vote to literally save democracy again,” Biden told a large crowd at the Democratic National Committee rally in Rockville, Md., just outside of Washington, D.C. “Trump and the extreme MAGA Republicans have made their choice — to go backwards full of anger, violence, hate, and division. But we’ve chosen a different path forward, the future, unity, hope and optimism.”  

    “We choose to build a better America,” Biden said.  

    Throughout Biden’s speech, he also touched on accomplishments from his administration before circling back to Republicans. The President later attempted to separate what he labeled “MAGA Republicans” from “conservative Republicans” citing Maryland’s current Gov. Larry Hogan (R), as an example of the later. 

    “The MAGA Republicans don’t just threaten our personal rights and economic security. They’re a threat to our very democracy,” Biden said as he wrapped up his remarks. “They refuse to accept the will of the people. They embrace, embrace political violence. They don’t believe in democracy.” 

    “This is why in this moment, those of you that love this country — Democrats, independents, mainstream Republicans — we must be stronger, more determined, and more committed to saving America than the MAGA Republicans are destroying America,” he said.  

    This is hardly the first time President Biden has attacked supporters of the former president and attempted to label them as dangers to society. In May, Biden called MAGA the “most extreme political organization in history” following the leak of a Supreme Court draft that signaled the end of Roe v. Wade.

    “What are the next things that are going to be attacked? Because this MAGA crowd is really the most extreme political organization that’s existed in American history. In recent American history,” Biden told the crowd.

    On Friday, Biden’s White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre doubled down and defended the President’s comments calling Trump supporters fascists.

    Mike Pompeo Offers New Insight into Possible Presidential Run

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    22
    Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo raised eyebrows when he was recently asked if he plans to launch a presidential campaign in 2024, possibly teeing up a challenge against his old boss Donald Trump.

    During a “Faith and Freedom Barbecue” event in South Carolina hosted by Rep. Jeff Duncan, Pompeo stopped short of confirming his next political move but was clear to note he would not let any outside actors influence his decision to run for office. The event is known to attract political donors as well as presidential hopefuls, other high profile Republicans in attendance included Governor Henry McMaster and Senator Tim Scott, who has also been floated as a possible presidential contender.

    Mediaite reports:

    “We’re going to make our decision based on if we think this is the right place for us to serve,” Pompeo said. “If I come to believe I ought to become president, that I have something to offer the American people, I will run no matter who all decides to get in and who else decides not to get in the race.”

    The remark was a thinly-veiled shot at the former president who has not shied away from saying he’s seriously considering a third run for the White House. Trump’s repeated hints regarding his potential campaign have caused some conservatives to hold off on making their own decisions regarding the race.

    In April, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley said she planned to support Trump in 2024 and would not launch her own campaign against him.

    “I would not run if President Trump ran, and I would talk to him about it. That’s something that we’ll have a conversation about, at some point, if that decision is something that has to be made,” she remarked.

    This is hardly the first hint Pompeo has dropped that he’s seriously considering a run for president. In June, Fox News host Maria Bartiromo asked the ex-Secretary of State about his political ambitions.

    “Are you planning to run for president in ’24?” she asked.

    “Well, thanks for the compliment,” Pompeo deflected. “We need to build an American majority and an American coalition.”

    “I’m working on 2022 all across the country helping to get folks elected,” he added. “And Susan and I will work and pray and decide how we’re going to best serve America as we move forward.”

    Does Mike Pompeo have what it takes to take on Trump? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

    Report: Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn to Make ‘Unannounced’ Visit to Taiwan

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    1
    Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 . attraverso Wikimedia Commons

    On Thursday, sources revealed Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) will land in Taiwan for an unannounced visit.

    “I just arrived in Taiwan to send a message to Beijing – we will not accept bullying America will stand firm for freedom around the world and will not tolerate acts that harm our country and our allies,” Sen. Blackburn shared in a message on Twitter.

    Blackburn’s visit comes on the heels of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s recent trip to Taiwan which has infuriated the Chinese government.

    China, which has long claimed Taiwan as its own territory, argues the trips infringe on its sovereignty and violate America’s One China Policy which states that the U.S. acknowledges the Beijing government as the sole government of China.

    Fox News reports:

    The Indo-Pacific Region is the next frontier for the New Axis of Evil,” Blackburn said in a statement that did not mention her impending visit to Taiwan. “Meeting with leaders from Fiji, the Solomon Islands, and Papua New Guinea was an important step in showcasing America’s commitment to the region and expanding our strategic relationships.”

    “Continuing these long-established partnerships is important to the success of both East Asian nations and the United States. I am grateful for their leadership. We must stand against the Chinese Communist Party,” she added.

    China reacted to the previous August visits by launching multiple live-fire military exercises surrounding Taiwan in what many have described as a “dress rehearsal for an invasion.”

    According to Sen. Black burn’s office, she is the sole lawmaker on the visit. The Senator was already on her way home from a foreign trip visiting Fiji, the Solomon Islands, and Papua New Guinea this week.

    Trump Reignites Feud with McConnell Calling for His ‘Immediate’ Ouster

      By
      Madeleine Jackson
      -
      4
      Mitch McConnell, Kevin McCarthy, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer attend medal ceremony via Wikimedia Commons

      Donald Trump has reignited his feud with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) once again calling for Republicans to oust him from the leadership position.

      In a statement Wednesday, Trump described the Kentucky Republican as a “pawn” for Democrats and insisted Republicans should choose another lawmaker to lead.

      “Mitch McConnell is not an Opposition Leader, he is a pawn for the Democrats to get whatever they want,” Trump said in his statement. “He is afraid of them, and will not do what has to be done. A new Republican Leader in the Senate should be picked immediately!”

      The two Republicans previously enjoyed a friendly and professional relationship for much of Trump’s time in the White House however, the two broke ties after McConnell infamously turned on Trump following the Jan. 6th Capitol riot. Since then Trump has repeatedly attacked the Senator and called for his immediate ouster.

      Trump’s most recent attack on McConnell follows comments last week made by the Senate Minority Leader regarding the “quality” of some Republican Senate candidates- many of whom were personally chosen and endorsed by the former president.

      “I think there’s probably a greater likelihood the House flips than the Senate. Senate races are just different — they’re statewide, candidate quality has a lot to do with the outcome,” McConnell said.

      In Wednesday’s statement, Trump accused McConnell of giving the “Radical Left the Trillions and Trillions of Dollars that they constantly DEMAND” and faulted him for failing to stop passage of the landmark tax, climate and healthcare law known as the Inflation Reduction Act.

      Fox News Host Sean Hannity Threatens Legal Action Against Democrat Senate Candidate

        By
        Madeleine Jackson
        -
        4
        The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

        A feud is brewing between Fox News veteran Sean Hannity and Pennsylvania Senate hopeful John Fetterman (D). Hannity is now threatening legal action against the Democrat politician over his fundraising messages.

        On Fox News, Hannity accused the Pennsylvania Senate candidate of deliberately lying about him in his fundraising texts. Fetterman claimed Hannity also spread lies about him during a recent interview with Republican Senate candidate, Mehmet Oz.

        Mediaite reports:

        “As of now, the Fetterman campaign is refusing to debate Doctor [Mehmet] Oz, also refusing my invitation to appear on the program — as he and his campaign have been lying about me, raising money off of my name, he apparently yet another fundraising text, attacking me, lying about me, calling me a liar,” Hannity said. “Every day he lies about me, I’ll continue to tell the truth about his radical, extreme positions.”

        Hannity then took it a step further by threatening legal action against Fetterman.

        “By the way, my trust fund brat friend, when you attack me, I will attack you back 10 to 100 times harder — because you’re a lying loser and raising money for your losing campaign,” Hannity said. “He may be hearing from my lawyers very shortly. He better hope that mommy and daddy have enough money to pay his legal bills.”

        “We don’t lie on the show,” Hannity said Monday. He added, “Instead of accusing me of lying, which we didn’t do, John needs to quit his whining, stop his crying, man up, put on his hoodie, defend his radical opinions.”

        1...151152153154Page 152 of 154
        © Great America News Desk 2022