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Mike Pompeo Offers New Insight into Possible Presidential Run

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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

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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

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    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

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      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.”

      Marjorie Taylor Greene Says Home Was ‘Swatted’

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        Marjorie Taylor Greene -Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, via Wikimedia Commons

        Georgia Congresswoman and loyal Trump supporter Marjorie Taylor Greene claims her home was “swatted” around 1 am Wednesday.

        The term swatting refers to a dangerous prank where someone calls in a false threat to authorities, saying they need to get to the intended target’s home right away. Police tend to arrive with a heavily armed response or a SWAT team. The dangerous trick has led to fatalities in the past.

        “Last night, I was swatted just after 1 am. I can’t express enough gratitude to my local law enforcement here in Rome, Floyd County. More details to come,” she tweeted.

        The conservative firebrand said more details of the incident are forthcoming.

        A spokesperson for Rep. Greene told The New York Post that the Congresswoman was the victim of a “political attack” but refrained from disclosing any more information.

        “Right now, Congresswoman Greene’s safety is our number one concern,” a spokesperson for the Congresswoman told The Post. “Late last night, she was a victim of a political attack on her family and home. Whoever who committed this violent crime will face the full extent of the law.”

        Rep. Greene received an outpouring of support and calls for those who made the call to immediately be held accountable following the incident.

        This story has been updated to reflect new information as it has become available.

        One day after, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s home was swatted once again, prompting an armed response to her residence.

        The National Pulse reports:

        “After we cleared the call and went back in service, Rome-Floyd 911 received a call from the suspect, claiming responsibility for the incident and explaining his/her motives,” the report stated. “It was a computer generated voice. They explained they were upset about Ms. Greene’s stance on ‘trans-gender youth’s rights,’ and stated they were trying to ‘swat’ her.”

        The report also stated caller said they are connected to a website, which police stated supports cyberstalking, and gave the police their user name on the site.

        “Right now, Congresswoman Greene’s safety is our number one concern,” Greene’s spokesperson Nick Dyer said Wednesday. “Late last night, she was a victim of a political attack on her family and home. Whoever committed this violent crime will face the full extent of the law.”

        Republican Governor Criticizes Trump Over Classified Records Retention, Urges DOJ to Finish Investigation

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

          Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson (R) says it’s time for the Justice Department to conclude its months-long investigation into the classified documents Donald Trump reportedly took from the White House after leaving office. During an appearance with CNN Tonight, the Republican governor criticized Trump for holding the records at Mar-a-Lago, which eventually spurred the recent FBI raid, saying the move was “not appropriate.”

          Mediaite reports:

          Well, in the short term, you could almost give the attorney general the title of honorary campaign manager and fundraiser for Donald Trump. Clearly, that has resorted to his benefit in the short term.

          I think it’s important we keep the public interest in mind. The public interest is making sure that classified information, sensitive public documents, are returned to archives, to their protected environment. It’s not appropriate for these documents to be running loose at Mar-a-Lago. That’s not appropriate. That has to be returned and secure.

          And then this whole thing needs to be wrapped up. Unless there’s something that is totally oblivious to the facts that we know now, this is not something that I see leading to indictments. I don’t see that. It needs to be wrapped up. And I hope that can be accomplished in the future so we can get on with the business of the country and get the documents restored. And I think that was the motivation of the Department of Justice. But who knows whenever they have not spoken clearly about it?

          On Monday, Trump’s legal team filed a motion seeking an order to appoint a special master to review the records obtained during the search. If granted, the motion would block the further review of seized materials until a special master is appointed and will require the Justice Department to provide a more detailed receipt for property and the prompt return of any item seized that was not within the scope of the search warrant.

          “ALL documents have been previously declassified,” Trump said in a statement. “We are demanding the appointment of a SPECIAL MASTER to oversee the handling of the materials taken in the raid. We are further demanding that the DOJ be forced to turn over a REAL, without ‘plants,’ inventory of my property that was taken and disclose where that property is now located.”

          “The wrongful, overbroad warrant was signed by a Magistrate Judge who recused himself just two months ago, from a MAJOR civil suit that I filed, because of his bias and animus toward me,” he continued. “This Mar-a-Lago Break-In, Search, and Seizure was illegal and unconstitutional, and we are taking all actions necessary to get the documents back, which we would have given to them without the necessity of the despicable raid of my home, so that I can give them to the National Archives until they are required for the future Donald J. Trump Presidential Library and Museum.”

          Last month, Gov. Hutchinson stirred the pot by officially declaring he would not support Trump’s next campaign, despite having voted for him in the past telling CBS Mornings that he believed the president’s actions regarding Jan. 6th constituted a “threat to democracy.”

          “As you can see from the testimony on Jan. 6, then and subsequent to the election where he was challenging the legality of it, the lawful transfer of [power] — yes, that was a threat to our democracy. That was a threat to our institutions of government,” the governor said. “And that’s not the behavior we want to see in a responsible president.”

          “I would not be supporting him for 2024″ he continued. “He acted irresponsibly. During that time, he was a risk to the nation, absolutely.” 

          Hutchinson, a known critic of the former president, has also floated the possibility of running for president in 2024, possibly teeing up an intense battle between the two Republicans. The Arkansas governor is likely to be succeeded by former Trump White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

          Judge Criticizes DOJ and FBI as He Rejects Argument to Keep Affidavit Under Wraps

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          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]

          A federal judge criticized the FBI and DOJ as he rejected a DOJ argument to keep the affidavit for the search warrant at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago under wraps.

          U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart said the DOJ did not meet the government’s required burden of proof to keep the document sealed, The Daily Caller reports.

          Reinhart wrote in his ruling that the government had a to show if it has a compelling governmental interest and the denial of access is “narrowly tailored to serve that interest.” 

          The DOJ argued that the unsealing “would jeopardize the integrity of its ongoing criminal investigation,” and that there were privacy concerns with unsealing it.

          In response, unsealing the document would “unsealing the Affidavit would promote public understanding of historically significant events. This factor weighs in favor of disclosure.”

          However, Reinhart has the government did show a compelling interest in not unsealing the whole affidavit but that there was an alternative between unsealing the whole thing or not unsealing anything.

          Reinhart has given the agency until August 25th to propose the redactions of the document they would like.

          [READ NEXT: Trump Makes Fun of Failed CNN Host and Liz Cheney]

          Trump Finds Time to Make Fun of Stelter Amid FBI Probe

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          From the session "The War at Home: Trump and the Mainstream Media". [Photo Credit: nrkbeta, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons]

          Despite emotions running high over an FBI probe into documents President Trump has in his possession the former president found time to make fun of his biggest critic at CNN, Brian Stelter.

          Stelter was recently fired from the network amid declining ratings and a realization that he is no longer relevant.

          The network is also attempting to make a move to become more neutral and Stelter, who was the media critic, chose to consistently criticize conservative media.

          Mediaite reports:

          “Brian Stelter of Fake News CNN got fired because he lied, and lied, and lied – ABOUT ME. May he REST IN PEACE!” Trump wrote, ironically misstating the circumstances of Stelter’s departure from the network.

          “CNN will end its Reliable Sources program on Sunday, August 21st. As a result Brian Stelter will leave the company. We appreciate his contributions to the network and wish him well as he embarks on new endeavors,” a CNN spokesperson told Mediaite in a statement this week.

          Next, Stelter earned a place of honor beside January 6 Committee Vice-Chair Rep. Liz Cheney, because they have roughly equivalent roles in Trump’s life.

          “Trivia question: Who’s got less charisma, Brian Stelter or Liz Cheney. I say Liz Cheney, because Stelter could have gotten more votes than she did the other night in Wyoming – She lost by 40!” Trump wrote.

          Despite Trump being in a battle with the FBI and other legal battles, the classic Trump always shines through.

          We’ expect nothing less from one of the best verbal sparers ever to do it.

          [READ NEXT: DOJ ADMITS Trump was Right]

          Former Fox News Editor Blames Trump for Firing

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          Looking east towards 6th Avenue along north (48th Street) side of Fox News building on a snowy afternoon. [Photo Credit: Jim.henderson, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons]

          Former Fox News Editor Chris Stirewalt was fired following the 2020 election.

          Stirewalt famously called Arizona for Joe Biden in what many said was a premature decision.

          Now, in a new book Stirewalt is criticizing former President Trump, and blaming him, at least in part, for his firing, DNYUZ reports.

          Stirewalt wrote, “I got canned after very vocal and very online viewers — including the then-president of the United States — became furious when our Decision Desk was the first to project that Joe Biden would win the former G.O.P. stronghold of Arizona in 2020.”

          Trump was furious at Stirewalt for calling the state too early.

          A ratings decline followed after Trump urged his supporters to watch other networks.

          But the decision to call Arizona was never reversed an ultimately turned out to be the right one.

          [READ NEXT: New Accusations Hit Member of Trump’s Family]

          Trump Says FBI Was After Documents That Would Exonerate Him: REPORT

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          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]

          A new report from The Daily Caller indicates that former President Trump believes the FBI was after documents that would exonerate him.

          The report says that the FBI was seeking documents that Trump believes would exonerate him from Russian collusion claims.

          We reported yesterday that the unit that conducted the raid was the same one involved in investigating the Trump-Russia hoax. [READ MORE: FBI Unit Investigating Trump has a Bias Problem]

          Along with the Russia evidence Trump also believes that the FBI was looking for election-related evidence.

          The FBI also collected passports from Trump which Trump claimed were stolen.

          The passports were outside the scope of the warrant and the DOJ admitted that the FBI overstepped the authority granted to them in the search warrant.

          The passports are reportedly being returned.

          [READ NEXT: DOJ Admits FBI Violated Trump’s Rights]