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Joni Ernst Backs Hegseth For Defense Secretary After Pressure From Team Trump

By
Patrick Houck
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3
By Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America - Pete Hegseth, CC BY-SA 2.0

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) announced her support for Pete Hegseth as secretary of defense Monday evening, marking a reversal from her earlier reluctance to back the embattled nominee. Ernst’s decision came just days after she indicated skepticism about Hegseth’s qualifications for the role.

According to Politico, Ernst’s shift followed a concerted effort by President-elect Trump’s allies to persuade her. The report describes an intense pressure campaign that reportedly left the senator’s political life “extremely uncomfortable.”

Mediaite further reports:

Last Thursday, after meeting with Hegseth, who has been accused of sexual assault and alcohol abuse, Ernst, a veteran and sexual assault survivor, told Fox News’ Bill Hemmer that she was undecided on his nomination.

“I think for a number of our senators, they want to make sure that any allegations have been cleared, and that’s why we have to have a very thorough vetting process,” she said at the time.

On Monday, after another meeting with Hegseth, Ernst changed her tune in a statement:

I appreciate Pete Hegseth’s responsiveness and respect for the process. Following our encouraging conversations, Pete committed to completing a full audit of the Pentagon and selecting a senior official who will uphold the roles and value of our servicemen and women — based on quality and standards, not quotas — and who will prioritize and strengthen my work to prevent sexual assault within the ranks. As I support Pete through this process, I look forward to a fair hearing based on truth, not anonymous sources.

However, sources close to the matter strongly implied Ernst’s change of heart went beyond a productive discussion with Hegseth. One Trump ally, speaking to Politico, emphasized the role of grassroots activism, saying Ernst faced “an onslaught of criticism from MAGA activists” and “got the message loud and clear.”

In recent days, allies of Trump adopted an approach that is not novel for the president-elect and his followers: Make life extremely uncomfortable for anyone who dares to oppose him. The swarm of MAGA attacks that Sen. Joni Ernst has experienced is a warning of what’s in store for others who express skepticism of his personnel choices.

Days after signaling she continued to have serious concerns about confirming Hegseth, Ernst on Monday sounded a different note. She described their conversation Monday afternoon as “encouraging,” said she would “support” Hegseth through the process, touted some of the commitments he made to her about what he would do in the role, and suggested she would only take allegations against him seriously if they come from named accusers.

The change in tune followed an aggressive push for Hegseth by top Trump allies and supporters, as well as a defiant performance by the Defense secretary nominee that has Trump’s team bullish on him getting confirmed. But it’s not just Hegseth. Trump allies believe his choice to lead the FBI, Kash Patel, and his nominee for director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, are in a stronger position as well.

With a narrow Senate majority, endorsements from key Republican senators like Ernst are critical to the prospects of Trump’s nominees.

READ NEXT: Trump Gives Jaw Dropping Response Over Potential Biden Revenge Scheme

Trump Gives Surprising Response When Asked About Prosecuting Biden

By
Madeleine Jackson
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3
Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Will the Trump administration prosecute Joe Biden? It does not seem likely…

President-elect Donald Trump told NBC News anchor Kristen Welker he would be open to prosecuting President Joe Biden if “I find something that I think is reasonable.”

Trump sat for an exclusive interview that aired on Sunday morning’s edition of NBC’s Meet the Press, during which Welker asked Trump about the “retribution” he has publicly demanded for years, and specifically his promise to appoint a special prosecutor to “go after” Joe Biden.

KRISTEN WELKER: Well, let me ask you this. You said, President Biden, quote, that you’re going to appoint a real special prosecutor to go after Joe Biden. You said that during –

PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP: Where did I say that?

KRISTEN WELKER: — the campaign

PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP: Where?

KRISTEN WELKER: You said that on Truth Social, June 12, 2023: “I will appoint a real special prosecutor to go after the most corrupt president in the history of the United States, Joe Biden –

PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP: Well, that part is true.

KRISTEN WELKER: — and the entire Biden crime family.” Are you going to do that? Are you going to go after Joe Biden?

PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP: I’m really looking to make our country successful. I’m not looking to go back into the past.

Trump said he’d only consider going after Biden if “I find something that I think is reasonable” — but claimed it wouldn’t be his decision:

KRISTEN WELKER: I want to pause here, because what you’re saying is significant. Because you wrote on Truth Social in 2023 that you’re going to appoint a real special prosecutor to go after Joe Biden. Now you’re saying you’re not going to do that.

PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP: I will say this, no, I’m not doing that unless I find something that I think is reasonable, but that’s not going to be my decision. That’s going to be Pam Bondi’s decision, and, to a different extent, Kash Patel, assuming they’re both there, and I think they’re both going to get approved. But I — I — you know, while you ask me that, what they’ve done to me with weaponization is a disgrace.

KRISTEN WELKER: We’ll get to some of that, sir —

PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP: No, no, wait, wait, wait, you can’t do one without the other. In the history of our country, nothing like this has ever happened. And I’ve won these cases. I’ve won every one and the rest are in the process of being won. Deranged Jack Smith is on his way back to The Hague where he can execute people. This is where he should have stayed. I don’t — I think he’s dangerous even being there. But I’ll tell you what, what they’ve done to me in terms of weaponization, indictments, impeachments and everything else. And in the end, it probably helped, because I got the biggest vote, the most votes any Republican’s ever gotten in history.

Watch the whole interview:

Lara Trump Steps Down From RNC Amid Senate Rumors

By
Madeleine Jackson
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3
Image via gage Skidmore Flickr

Lara Trump has announced her plans to step down as co-chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC) after accomplishing her goals.

In an announcement on X, Trump’s stepdaughter said she reached her three main objectives after Donald Trump won a landslide re-election.

“With that big win, I kind of feel like my time is up,” she said. “What I intended to do has been done.”

Her sudden departure has prompted speculation the Trump family member is eyeing a potential run to replace Florida Sen. Marco Rubio (R), whom her father-in-law, President-elect Trump, picked to be Secretary of State.

“It is something I would seriously consider,” Lara has told outlets in reference to a run for Senate.

“If I’m being completely transparent, I don’t know exactly what they would look like. And I certainly want to get all of the information possible if that is something that is real for me,” Trump added.

“But yeah, I would 100 percent consider it.”

Trump, who was elected to lead the RNC alongside fellow chair Michael Whatley in March added that Whatley will remain as RNC chair.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) will choose Rubio’s replacement if the senator is confirmed to lead the State Department. That replacement would serve until 2026, when a special election will be held to determine who will serve the remaining two years of Rubio’s term.

Lara Trump joined Fox News on Sunday and was asked about the vacant seat that Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) left open after being tapped by her father-in-law to be secretary of State.

“Some may say it’s an asset, some may say it’s not an asset,” she said of her last name. “I think it depends how you look at it.”

Certainly, you know, we’ve all had the opportunity over the past nine years really to fully involve ourselves in politics, to understand the American people, what they want, and we’ve all been residents for the state of Florida now for over three years. If that’s something that’s put in front of me, it would be a true honor. But, yeah, look, I think probably my last name does heighten my political profile a little bit, but I’ve got a proven track record. I’ve been co-chair of the RNC during the most consequential election of our lifetime. We were so proud of what we did at the RNC making sure that there was election integrity, making sure we got the early vote on, making sure we turned out low propensity voters and raising huge amounts of money. So I would say that my track record speaks for itself. Maybe having the last name Trump is just a little bit extra. I’m always happy to have it.

Report: Trump Admin. Planning Major Loophole To Deport Illegal Migrants

By
Madeleine Jackson
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9
Trump at the border wall via Wikimedia Commons

The incoming Trump administration is reportedly devising a plan to remove illegal migrants from the United States.

Illegal migrants that have been ordered deported by an immigration judge, but hail from a country that refuses to take them back, may be sent to Turks and Caicos, the Bahamas, Grenada, Panama or possibly elsewhere once President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House, according to NBC News.

The Trump transition team has not confirmed the proposed immigration plan.

The Daily Caller reports:

Foreign governments that refuse to take back deportees have long frustrated federal immigration authorities in multiple administrations. In lieu of remaining in detention indefinitely, many of these individuals may simply be released back into the U.S., even if an immigration judge has ordered them to be removed.

During Trump’s first White House term, he secured safe third country agreements with El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, which were intended to keep asylum seekers at bay by forcing them to seek refuge in those countries first before applying in the U.S. However, the Biden administration suspended those deals immediately upon entering office — part of a massive unraveling of Trump-era immigration policies by President Joe Biden that helped spark the current southern border crisis.

National Police Association Endorses Trump FBI Pick

By
Madeleine Jackson
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2
Jsg2020, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

A big win…

The National Police Association (NPA) announced on Friday its endorsement of President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for FBI director, Kash Patel.

In a statement Friday, the NPA—a nonprofit group that represents more than 240,000 U.S. police officers— praised Patel’s “distinguished career” both as a former federal prosecutor and legal liaison to the Joint Special Operations Command.

“The law enforcement community knows that effective leadership at the FBI is essential for building public trust and enhancing coordination across all levels of policing,” the group said. “Kash Patel’s proven record of leadership, expertise in counterterrorism and intelligence, and ability to navigate complex legal and operational challenges make him the ideal candidate to restore faith in the FBI’s mission and ensure it remains a steadfast ally to our nation’s police forces.

“We are confident that under his stewardship, the FBI will thrive in its vital mission to protect and serve the American people,” the group added.

Trump announced earlier this month that he plans to fire FBI Director Christopher Wray and nominate Patel as his replacement. Wray could also voluntarily vacate the position on his own before Trump’s inauguration, though he has not yet said whether he plans to do so.

“This FBI will end the growing crime epidemic in America, dismantle the migrant criminal gangs, and stop the evil scourge of human and drug trafficking across the Border,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social announcing his plans to nominate Patel.

Patel’s nomination has also sparked criticism from some circles, who have cited his earlier vows to prosecute journalists and career officials at the Justice Department and FBI that he sees as being part of the “deep state.”

Authorities Apprehend Suspect In Trump Campaign Office Burglary

By
Madeleine Jackson
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2
Arrest image via Pixabay

A suspect accused of breaking into a Donald Trump campaign office outside of Washington, D.C. has been arrested, according to reports.

Toby Shane Kessler, 39, was detained on Saturday by the University of California, San Francisco Police Department for squatting in a campus dorm, the Loudoun County sheriff’s office said in a release on Thursday. 

Kessler was allegedly behind the break-in at a Trump campaign office in Ashburn, Va., in August. He broke in through the back door of the office and spent a “brief” period of time there before exiting, according to the Loudoun County sheriff’s office. 

The office is also used as the Virginia 10th District Republican Committee’s headquarters.

The sheriff’s office said that Kessler faces burglary charges, though law enforcement did not say if he took anything from the office. 

“It is rare to have the office of any political campaign or party broken into,” Sheriff Mike Chapman said at the time the incident took place. “We are determined to identify the suspect, investigate why it happened, and determine what may have been taken as well as what may have been left behind.”

In mid-August, the Loudoun County sheriff’s office said Kessler has a “history of criminal behavior and appears to have been in the Washington metropolitan area at least since 2018.” 

Trump has not commented on the arrest.

YMCA Singer Defends Trump’s Use Of Song – Floats Potential Inauguration Performance

By
Madeleine Jackson
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2
Gage Skidmore Flickr

Victor Willis, a founding member of the Village People and co-writer of the popular “Y.M.C.A.” disco song defended President-elect Donald Trump’s use of the song and rebuked claims the song is a “gay anthem.”

The 73-year-old songwriter wrote a lengthy Facebook post explaining that the popular song was based on his perception of the organization, saying he “knew nothing about the Y being a hang out for gays.” Y.M.C.A. is an acronym for the Young Men’s Christian Association nonprofit.

“When I say, ‘hang out with all the boys’ that is simply 1970s black slang for black guys hanging-out together for sports, gambling or whatever. There’s nothing gay about that,” he said of the lyrics.

Willis added that even though some members of Village People were gay, “Y.M.C.A” was not meant to be about sexuality, and people should get their “minds out of the gutter.”The singer went on to say those assumptions are “damaging to the song” and that starting next year, he and his wife will sue any news outlet that refers to “Y.M.C.A.” as a gay anthem.

Willis said he has received “over a thousand complaints” about the use of “Y.M.C.A” at Trump’s campaign rallies. Trump started using the song on the campaign trail in 2020.

The songwriter added that while getting all the complaints was a “nuisance,” he eventually realized the benefit of Trump using the song and reviving its popularity more than four decades after its release. 

“For example, Y.M.C.A. was stuck at #2 on the Billboard chart prior to the President Elect’s use. However, the song finally made it to #1 on a Billboard chart after over 45 years (and held on to #1 for two weeks) due to the President Elect’s use,” Willis wrote, saying, “the financial benefits have been great.”

“I decided to allow the president-elect’s continued use of YMCA because he seems to genuinely, genuinely like the song and so many other artists were stopping him from using their music,” Willis said on Fox News.

Willis told Fox News the Village People likely would decline to perform at Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony but given the President-elect’s role in reviving the 1978 song’s popularity.

“If you were to ask me today if the Village People would perform at the inauguration, I would probably say not because we’d be concerned about endorsement.”

“However, because the president-elect has done so much for YMCA and brought so much joy to so many people, the song has actually gone back to No. 1, and it’s still No. 1 today, so if he were to ask the Village People to perform the song live for him, we’d have to seriously consider it.”

Fani Willis Ordered To Hand Over All Communications With Special Counsel Jack Smith

By
Madeleine Jackson
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1

She has five days…

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has been ordered to hand over all records related to her communications with special counsel Jack Smith and the House January 6 Committee.

The Georgia prosecutor is leading a controversial RICO case against now-President-elect Donald Trump and several of his top associates for alleged election interference. The case is currently frozen and Trump filed a motion to dismiss the criminal charges on Wednesday.

The Daily Wire reports:

Willis’ office claimed in March that it did not have any documents on file or communications with Smith or the J6 Committee, Fox noted. However, the claim was untrue, and the office did have such communication.

Daily Wire reporter Luke Rosiak in October revealed Nathan Wade – Willis’ romantic partner, whom she hired as special prosecutor in the Trump case – had extensive communications with the Biden White House, according to records.

Wade billed the Fulton County office for hours of meetings with the White House, the congressional January 6 committee, and other D.C. officials, according to records obtained by the House Judiciary Committee.

On November 18, 2022, he billed eight hours for “Interview with DC/White House,” but under oath, he claimed he didn’t remember the meeting and couldn’t even say whether it was online or in person. Between September 7 and September 9, 2022, Wade billed $6,000 to taxpayers for “Witness Interviews; conf call DC; team meeting,” but couldn’t remember what the D.C. meeting entailed.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney also said in his ruling that Willis violated Georgia’s open records act when she failed to respond to nonprofit Judicial Watch’s lawsuit about the communication.

Judicial Watch filed a suit in March after Willis said she does not have responsive records to the request — the same thing she had told House Republican investigators seeking details about her election interference case brought against President-elect Trump.

Willis had claimed she was not properly served, but McBurney wrote that despite confusion on the court docket initially, the prosecutor “never offered up a meritorious defense.”

She is ordered to produce any relevant records and pay attorney fees.

Trump Moves To Quash Georgia Case After Massive Election Win

By
Madeleine Jackson
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1

On Wednesday, President-elect Donald Trump moved to throw out his criminal election charges in Georgia after winning the 2024 election.

The new filing aims to toss Trump’s fourth and final criminal case, which accuses him of entering a months-long unlawful conspiracy to overturn President Biden’s 2020 victory in Georgia.  

“Accordingly, well before the inauguration of President Trump, this Court should inquire into its jurisdiction to continue to hear this appeal,” wrote Steve Sadow, Trump’s lead attorney in Georgia, in the filing. 

“That inquiry should result in this Court deciding that both this Court and the trial court lack jurisdiction to entertain any further criminal process against President Trump as the continued indictment and prosecution of President Trump by the State of Georgia are unconstitutional,” Sadow continued. “President Trump respectfully submits that upon reaching that decision, this Court should dismiss his appeal for lack of jurisdiction with directions to the trial court to immediately dismiss the indictment against President Trump.” 

The Georgia case has not yet reached trial and has been raised for months as an appeals court takes up Trump’s argument that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) should be disqualified over her romance with a top prosecutor on the case who was forced to step aside. 

Trump was charged in the case alongside more than a dozen of his allies, who could still face trial even if his charges are dismissed.

After securing the presidency Trump’s two federal indictments were also tossed out.

Trump’s filing comes hours after one of his co-defendants who pleaded guilty, Kenneth Chesebro, filed court documents seeking to invalidate his plea deal struck in October of last year.

Kash Patel Threatens To Sue Ex-Pence Aide

By
Madeleine Jackson
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1
Image via gage Skidmore Flickr

The gloves are off…

Kash Patel’s legal team threatened Wednesday to sue a former aide to Mike Pence who claimed he was unfit to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Over the weekend, President-elect Donald Trump announced Patel would replace current FBI Director Christopher Wray for his incoming administration.

“Today, Kash Patel sent a letter to my counsel @MarkSZaidEsq – threatening legal action & demanding that I retract my comments on MSNBC about his unfitness to serve as FBI Director,” Troye wrote on X. “This aligns with his threats against the media & political opponents, revealing how he might conduct himself if confirmed in the role.”

She added, “I stand by my statements—my priority remains the safety & security of the American people. I am not the only one who has expressed concerns about him. So why me? And so it begins.”

On Monday, Troye claimed during an MSNBC interview that Patel would “lie about intelligence” while serving in the Department of Defense during Trump’s first term. A lawyer representing Patel told Troye her comments were “defamatory” and demanded she retract them via a public statement on X “within five business days of receipt of this letter.”

“Unless this step is taken, Mr. Patel will take swift legal action to uphold his rights and reputation,” wrote Patel’s attorney Jesse Binnall.

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