Home Blog Page 200

How the FBI Colluded with Big Tech’s Twitter to Censor Hunter Biden Laptop Story

1
President Joe Biden hugs his family during the 59th Presidential Inauguration ceremony in Washington, Jan. 20, 2021. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris took the oath of office on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol. (DOD Photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Carlos M. Vazquez II)

ANALYSIS – While the establishment media continues to ignore the disturbing ‘Twitter Files’ released by Elon Musk showing how Twitter censored the Hunter Biden laptop story, more information now indicates it was worse than we first thought.

As Musk noted, it’s not a direct First Amendment violation for a private company to censor the news, but it absolutely is if it’s done at the behest of our government.

And while I will argue that as the nation’s new ‘public square,’ Big Tech does violate the First Amendment when it censors news, there is now no denying that in the Hunter laptop case it did so with input from the FBI.

I will save the public square censorship discussion for another time.

These new disclosures provide more evidence that under the purported guise of stopping Russian election interference, the FBI ended up being guilty of employing its own U.S. election interference.

And Twitter (like Facebook and LinkedIn, et al.) took the ball and ran with it.

Based on the Twitter emails recently released by Elon Musk and reported by former Rolling Stone journalist Matt Taibbi, the Daily Caller reports:

The FBI explicitly warned Twitter about a potential “hack-and-leak” operation involving Hunter Biden shortly before the platform censored the New York Post’s story based on emails from Biden’s laptop, according to a signed declaration by Twitter’s former head of Site Integrity, Yoel Roth.

The FBI, along with several other agencies, warned Roth that “state actors” might attempt to leak hacked materials shortly before the 2020 election in a bid to influence its results, according to the declaration filed with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) in December 2020, two months after the platform censored the NYP’s story. Roth stated that the conversation occurred during weekly meetings with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI, in which they warned him of potential threats to election security.

“These expectations of hack-and-leak operations were discussed throughout 2020. I also learned in these meetings that there were rumors that a hack-and-leak operation would involve Hunter Biden,” Roth wrote.

As Taibbi notes, Twitter, like all of Big Tech, including Twitter, is staffed by leftists and hence skewers its policies and actions to favor the left.

This system wasn’t balanced. It was based on contacts. Because Twitter was and is overwhelmingly staffed by people of one political orientation, there were more channels, more ways to complain, open to the left (well, Democrats) than the right.

The Daily Caller continues explaining the background to the Bureau’s own ‘election interference’ events:

Roth’s revelations about the meetings with intelligence agencies are similar to those of Mark Zuckerberg, who said in August that Facebook censored the Hunter Biden story after federal law enforcement officials asked him to restrict “misinformation” and “Russian propaganda” ahead of the 2020 election.

The FBI agent overseeing these weekly meetings was Supervisory Special Agent Elvis Chan, according to the NYP; however, Chan claimed not to recall whether the topic of Hunter Biden came up at these meetings in a deposition for a lawsuit filed by Republican attorneys general that alleged collusion to censor speech by federal agencies and Big Tech. Chan was also one of two FBI agents who met with Zuckerberg to warn him of potential Russian election interference before Facebook censored the story.

However, while the FBI insinuated and influenced Twitter and Facebook and other platforms, like LinkedIn, indirectly to censor the laptop story, it never explicitly provided Big Tech any evidence or statement claiming officially that the laptop info was hacked.

And this only makes Twitter’s decision more egregious.

As the Daily Caller concludes:

Taibbi tweeted an email indicating that Twitter’s trust and safety team initially explained to other employees that it made the decision to suppress the story — the company even went so far as to prevent it from being sent in private messages — because it violated Twitter’s policy for sharing “hacked materials.” Typically, such a ruling would require an official statement from law enforcement identifying the material as hacked, something that Twitter never received, according to Taibbi…

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

Trump Tries to Walk Back Call to Change Constitution 

0
Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Donald Trump is setting the record straight after “fake news” reported on the former president’s TRUTH Social posts from the weekend where he indicated a wish to “terminate” the U.S. Constitution.

On Monday, Trump followed up on the media fiasco on TRUTH blaming the media for intentionally twisting his message.

“The Fake News is actually trying to convince the American People that I said I wanted to “terminate” the Constitution. This is simply more DISINFORMATION & LIES, just like RUSSIA, RUSSIA, RUSSIA, and all of their other HOAXES & SCAMS. What I said was that when there is “MASSIVE & WIDESPREAD FRAUD & DECEPTION,” as has been irrefutably proven in the 2020 Presidential Election, steps must be immediately taken to RIGHT THE WRONG. Only FOOLS would disagree with that and accept STOLEN ELECTIONS. MAGA!” Trump wrote on Monday.

The former president’s original post was in reaction to revelations about Twitter’s handling of the Hunter Biden laptop story.

“So, with the revelation of MASSIVE & WIDESPREAD FRAUD & DECEPTION in working closely with Big Tech Companies, the DNC, & the Democrat Party, do you throw the Presidential Election Results of 2020 OUT and declare the RIGHTFUL WINNER, or do you have a NEW ELECTION? A Massive Fraud of this type and magnitude allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution. Our great “Founders” did not want, and would not condone, False & Fraudulent Elections!” Trump posted over the weekend.

Trump’s startling rhetoric triggered immediate responses from Republicans who strongly rebuked his messaging.

Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski called Trump’s suggestion an “affront to our Republic.”

“Donald Trump believes we should terminate ‘all rules, regulations and articles, even those found in the Constitution’ to overturn the 2020 election,” Outgoing Congresswoman Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) wrote on Twitter. “That was his view on 1/6 and remains his view today. No honest person can now deny that Trump is an enemy of the Constitution.”

“With the former President calling to throw aside the constitution, not a single conservative can legitimately support him, and not a single supporter can be called a conservative. This is insane. Trump hates the constitution,” Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) tweeted.

Trump-connected Attorney Mulling Challenge to RNC Chair

3

Republican National Committee (RNC) chairwoman Ronna McDaniel could be facing more challenges as she seeks a third term in control.

Harmeet Dhillon, a GOP lawyer with close ties to former President Donald Trump told Fox News she’s seriously considering making a run for the position.

“Grassroots Republicans, donors and fellow RNC members alike have been reaching out to me since the midterm elections seeking changes in Republican leadership,” Dhillon told Fox News Digital. “After successive disappointing election cycles, I believe we owe it to our voters to have an honest dialogue about the direction of our party and what needs to change for us to win in 2024.”

“Americans are seriously suffering, and Republicans can only help if we win,” said Dhillon. “I hope that we can unite as an RNC after hearing from actual Republican voters that they want – and demand – change, and I’m seriously considering stepping up to that leadership challenge.”

Dhillon, who currently serves as an RNC national committee chairwoman from California, could reportedly make the announcement this week.

The election for chair is decided by a majority vote of the committee’s 168 members, including state GOP chairmen and national committeemen. McDaniel claims to already have the support of at least 100 RNC members.

A vote is expected to take place in January when the RNC holds its winter meeting.

Dhillon would also be squaring off against outgoing New York Rep. Lee Zeldin (R), who is expected to announce his campaign after the Georgia runoff election, and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell.

Famous Navy Seal Now De-transitioning – Says He Was Manipulated

0
Katy Blackwood, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Former decorated Navy SEAL Chris Beck, who publicly announced his transition to look like a woman in 2013, has now said that this was a life-shattering mistake, and he is de-transitioning back to his biologically male gender.

Beck, who started going by the name Kirsten, was a poster child of the trans movement and was used aggressively by them to promote and impose their radical agenda in the U.S. military.

Beck earlier served in the Navy SEALs for 20 years, going on 13 deployments, including with the famed SEAL Team Six.

According to his speaker bio, he was awarded over 50 citations and medals, including the Bronze Star with valor and the Purple Heart.

But now Beck calls the trans movement a ‘cult’ that used, manipulated, and propagandized him into making this radical life change.

He is also speaking out to warn about the devastating effect of the trans agenda on children.

Beck made his explosive comments during an interview with political commentator Robby Starbuck. 

Starbuck tweeted that “Navy SEAL Chris Beck came out in 2013 as transgender. @andersoncooper did a special on @cnn about it. His story was used as propaganda to allow trans people in the military and to popularize the issue. Now Chris is ready to expose the truth.”

The Daily Caller reported:

He [Beck]told Starbuck that he is “not transgender” and used his confusion as an example of why psychologists should not “push their agenda” onto children. Beck claimed in the interview that it took a one hour long meeting at the Department of Veterans Affairs for him to be recommended hormones, which he has now been off for seven years. He went on to break down the effects of the hormones used for the gender transition on his body.

Beck was turned into a national figure when he came out as transgender in a 2013 CNN interview with Anderson Cooper. The interview came after he co-wrote the book “Warrior Princess” with psychologist Anne Speckhard. The book detailed him coming out as transgender. He warned viewers in the interview not to believe anything CNN said about him because he claims they “used [him]” and “destroyed [his] life” over the past decade.

Beck is also extremely concerned about the trans movement’s damaging effects on children.

The Blaze notes:

Beck explained the dangers of medical professionals’ “automatic acceptance” of children who have self-diagnosed themselves as transgender. He added that doctors should require “a minimum number of sessions” before allowing children to undergo life-altering hormone therapy treatment or gender-mutilating surgeries.

“There’s a lot of complications with these surgeries,” Beck noted. “And that’s a part that they don’t really talk about.”

Beck told Starbuck that he came on the podcast to take “full responsibility” for promoting gender ideology and stated that, at the time, he was “naive.” He explained that he is concerned that children are “being talked into this.”

“I don’t want this to continue, and I don’t want these kids to get hurt,” Beck stated.

And this a growing concern, especially as Team Biden is pushing to have taxpayer-funded transition surgeries for kids.

The Christian Post reports:

The United States Department of Health and Human Services says that taxpayer funds should be used to cover the cost of body mutilating “gender transition” surgeries for minors. In written responses to Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra said that the Biden administration supports using taxpayer dollars to cover the costs of elective body-deforming surgeries on youth, such as mastectomies and vaginoplasties. His responses were submitted Tuesday to the U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor.

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

Amanda Head: Celebrity Comedian Says Biden Admin Is One Big Diversity Hire!

0

President Joe Biden has surrounded himself around a laughing stock of “diversity hires” according to this comedian…

Watch Amanda break down the situation below:

These 5 Republicans are Refusing to Back McCarthy for Speaker

    13
    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.

    Current House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is facing unexpected pushback as he seeks to become House Speaker when Republicans officially re-take control of Congress in January.

    So far, five Republican lawmakers have publicly announced they do not plan to support McCarthy’s campaign to become Speaker and he will need every vote he can get with Republicans holding a smaller-than-expected majority.

    The GOP is expected to wind up with a 222-seat majority in January, compared to an estimated 213 seats for Democrats. If all 435 members of the House are present and voting for speaker in January, McCarthy can lose no more than four Republican votes. 

    These are the 5 Republicans jeopardizing McCarthy’s rise to the Speaker’s podium:

    Rep. Matt Gaetz

    Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    “House Republicans need a leader with credibility across every spectrum of the GOP conference in order to be a capable fighting force for the American people,” said Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL). “That person is not Kevin McCarthy.” 

    Rep. Andy Biggs

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

    Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs initially cast doubt on McCarthy’s bid for Speaker after Republicans saw lackluster midterm results. The House Freedom Caucus chairman is now directly challenging McCarthy to become Speaker himself.

    “I think we need to have a real discussion about whether he should be the speaker or not,” Biggs told reporters the Thursday after Election Day.

    “I think that his statement recently that we shouldn’t impeach Secretary Mayorkas indicates that maybe we’re not going to be as aggressive going forward as we should be. I think we need to have a very positive statement of what we’re going to accomplish and do, and I haven’t seen that yet,” he added. “That’s — those are things that I think we should have a very frank discussion internally about, where we’re going to be going forward.”

    Rep. Matt Rosendale

    Montana Rep. Matt Rosendale has also expressed his doubts over McCarthy’s potential Speakership but hasn’t ruled out voting for him or for Rep. Biggs.

    “Each member of Congress has earned and deserves equal participation in the legislative process,” said Rosendale. 

    Rep. Matt Rosendale

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

    South Carolina Rep. Ralph Norman has also made it clear he won’t be casting his vote for McCarthy regardless of any concession the California lawmaker plans to make.

    “I’m not going to support Kevin McCarthy,” Norman told Just the News. “Washington is broken. There’s a cancer in this country, and it can’t be fixed with aspirin. It’s called overspending. When you’re bankrupt, you can’t function as a country.”

    Rep. Bob Good

    House Creative Committee, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    Virginia Rep. Bob Good also signaled he will take a hard stance against McCarthy this January.

    “I believe we have at least a dozen or so that are strong, courageous, that will do what needs to be done on the House floor to ensure that we get an improvement in the speaker situation,” Rep. Good said to the “John Fredericks Show.”

    Woke Former Twitter Censorship Czar Says ‘Misgendering’ Can’t be Allowed

    12
    Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine answering questions from the press. As states across the country begin to reopen and nearly half are seeing COVID-19 cases rise, Governor Tom Wolf announced Friday that Pennsylvania is not one of them. ...Today at a daily COVID briefing with Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine, he noted another milestone: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention proprietary data for states indicates that we are one of just three states that has had a downward trajectory of COVID- 19 cases for more than 42 days. The other two states are Montana and Hawaii. JUNE 17, 2020 - HARRISBURG, PA.

    ANALYSIS – This is how the world ends, not with a bang, but a ‘misgendering.’  

    A recent podcast interview with the ex-Twitter censorship czar provides insight into the warped woke ‘logic’ behind insanely dangerous leftist censorship.

    The illuminating comments were made by the former head of trust and safety at Twitter to defend the company’s earlier choice to suspend the Babylon Bee, a Christian satire outlet, for ‘misgendering’ a public official.

    Misgendering is the new made-up woke term that refers to someone not calling someone else by their own totally made-up preferred gender identity. 

    And to the Left, this simple choice is a horrific act of brutality against a  ‘vulnerable community’ and cannot be tolerated under any circumstances – “full stop.”

    In the interview Yoel Roth stated:

    “So let’s start from a premise that it’s fu**ed up. But then again let’s look at what Twitter’s written policies are, Twitter’s written policies prohibit misgendering, full stop. And the Babylon Bee, in the name of satire, misgendered Admiral Rachel Levine.”

    Oh, the horror…

    As Fox News reported:

    Ex-Twitter safety chief Yoel Roth slammed conservative Twitter accounts during a discussion with journalist Kara Swisher that was later released on her Thursday podcast. 

    The Babylon Bee (The Bee) was suspended from Twitter after it made a joke at the expense of transgender Health and Human Services assistant secretary Dr. Rachel Levine, who identifies as a female. 

    The Bee had published a satirical piece congratulating the government official for being dubbed its “Man of the Year” for 2022.

    While letting him know that she did not agree with Twitter’s choice to suspend The Bee, Swisher invited Roth to explain his company’s course of action at the time.

    “It’s interesting to think about what the competing tensions around that are. I want to start by acknowledging that the targeting and the victimization of the trans community on Twitter is very real, very life-threatening, and extraordinarily serious,” Roth claimed. 

    “We have seen from a number of Twitter accounts, including LibsOfTikTok notably, that there are orchestrated campaigns that particularly are singling out a group that is already particularly vulnerable within society.”

    He went on to say, “Not only is it not funny, but it is dangerous, and it does contribute to an environment that makes people unsafe in the world.”

    The former Twitter official then went on to shield himself behind Twitter’s regulations, suggesting that his team was merely enforcing the rules on the books.

    Well, not only are Roth’s comments outrageous nonsense, they are dangerous to all our freedoms.

    It is a scientific fact that biological men and women cannot change sex. Despite every painful effort,  they can only change their appearance. 

    Biology and chromosomes can’t be transformed, even if genitals and breasts can be mutilated, and supplemented by a lifetime regimen of drugs and hormone injections. 

    Of course, clothing, accessories, and behavior can also be adjusted and modified.

    But, these are all essentially cosmetic, even when some are horribly invasive, changes.

    Calling a biological man a man is simply scientific fact. 

    It is even more accurate when the man has not undergone any sexual transition procedures, but simply ‘identifies’ as a woman.

    The same applies to women ‘identifying’ as men.

    But banning ‘misgendering’ isn’t enough, Twitter’s Terms of Service continues the insanity by prohibiting ‘deadnaming’ transgender individuals. 

    ‘Deadnaming’ is another newly made up woke term that refers to simply calling someone by the name they were known by prior to their deciding to identify with the opposite sex.

    In the case of Rachel Levine, that means calling him Richard, his name for the majority of his male life.

    Notice I just ‘misgendered,’ and ‘deadnamed’ Levine.

    While on a personal level some of us may choose to accept the preferred gender identity, pronouns, or new name of a ‘transgender’ individual, out of courtesy or whatever other reason, that choice should not be dictated by Big Tech, or anyone else. 

    And doing so has created a dangerous new logic that the right of a ‘transgender’ individual to demand everyone use his or her gender identity, or new name, absolutely trumps all our rights to our own beliefs and our constitutional right to free speech. 

    And that is the most dangerous thing of all 

    Please note that new ‘Chief Twit’ Elon Musk has reinstated Twitter accounts, such as Babylon Bee, previously suspended for policy violations, Twitter’s terms of service still lay out the old rules about misgendering.

    Musk needs to quickly,  but carefully, change those rules. How he does that will set a new standard for how these issues should be dealt with by other platforms, and society in general. GAND

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

    Democrat State Senator Announces Switch to GOP

    1
    Democrats via Pixabay images

    As the Democrat Party steadily inches leftward toward outright disaster members are seeking to distance themselves from increasingly radical values by any means necessary.

    A prominent West Virginia Democrat state senator officially flipped his registration to Republican this week. State Senator Glenn Jeffries submitted paperwork to join the Republican caucus after being elected in 2016 to serve as a Democrat. 

    According to The Daily Wire, Republicans now hold a majority in the state senate of 31 senators. 

    “I have the greatest respect for the many friends and supporters I have been blessed with during my time in public office,” Jeffries said in his announcement. “I hope to continue and strengthen those relationships going forward.”

    “Our politics have gotten so personal and difficult. I want to make sure that I serve constituents and our state in a respectful, thoughtful way that leads to a better life for all West Virginians,” he added. 

    Jeffries didn’t disclose what exactly led up to his decision to abandon the Democrat Party however in a release, the West Virginia Democrats said the change was because of “discomfort with Democratic Party values.”

    His change in party status was first announced by the Putnam County Republican Executive Committee. 

    “I warmly welcome Senator Glenn Jeffries into the West Virginia Republican Party,” Tony Hodge, the Putnam County Republican Party Chairman and the Co-Chairman of the West Virginia Republican Party, said. “Senator Jeffries has proven himself to be a very hard worker for Putnam County. His efforts to improve infrastructure such as water and sewer services as well as road maintenance have been exemplary.”

    Senate President Craig Blair welcomed Jeffries to the GOP in a statement this week.

    “With Senator Jeffries as a member of our caucus, we stand at 31 members strong. Glenn has been a leader in the minority caucus with his work in economic development and infrastructure,” Blair said. “As a successful small business owner, he knows what meeting a payroll, hard work, responsibility, and teamwork mean. I know he has been – and will continue to be – an incredibly valuable member of the West Virginia Senate.”

    As progressive Democrats continue to push the party towards insanity will moderate Dems make the eventual switch to the GOP? Tell us what you think in the comments below!

    Air Marshalls Reportedly Planning Revolt Over Biden’s Border Demand

    4
    CBP Photography, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    U.S. air marshalls are reportedly planning to rebel against a recent order from the White House instructing them to leave positions on commercial flights to take up new posts at the border.

    Air Marshal National Council President David Londo says dozens of air marshalls have confirmed their plans to reject President Biden’s demand.

    President Joe Biden has reportedly ordered U.S. air marshals to the southern border to make up for a lack of Border Patrol agents. The move is expected to leave the marshals at one-eighth of their normal coverage of U.S. flights- especially as the country heads into its busiest travel season.

    The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has denied Londo’s claim.

    It is “entirely inaccurate and does not reflect the critical and professional law enforcement role these officers perform,” the TSA said in a statement.

    According to The Daily Wire, Londo wrote to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, TSA Administrator David Pekoske, and Federal Air Marshal Service Director Tirrell Stevenson that the marshals had lost “confidence” in the officials’ ability to lead.

    “As it stands today, we believe that many FAMs will refuse to deploy, believing the order is reckless and leaving our country vulnerable to attack,” Londo wrote. “On behalf of our membership, stop these dangerous and irresponsible deployments before our adversaries take advantage of the opportunity this policy has provided.”

    “The Federal Air Marshal Service is understaffed and covering the fewest number of flights since before September 11, 2001,” the association said. “We strongly question the decision by the Department of Homeland Security to divert much-needed aviation security to the southern border especially as we enter the busiest travel season of the year, particularly as a federal emergency has not been declared at the border.”

    The Department of Homeland Security pushed back against Londo’s claims.

    “The suggestion that flights are being left unprotected is completely false,” the department said in a statement to Fox News. “TSA takes its responsibility to secure the skies for the traveling public very seriously. We will continue to protect commercial flights though [sic] our multi-layered security processes, including through the Federal Air Marshal Service which supports this critical mission on the ground and onboard aircrafts.”

    Last year, The Federal Air Marshal Service asked marshals to volunteer to spend a 30-day period at the southern border assisting agents processing migrants. However, the Biden administration made the deployments mandatory last month.

    The U.S.-Mexico border has seen an explosion in migrant crossings since Biden’s inauguration. On Thursday, new data revealed more than 73,000 illegal immigrants evaded Border Patrol agents in November alone.

    According to Fox News, the number of gotaways for November means that there are already over 137,000 gotaways so far this fiscal year, which began in October. In FY2022 there were nearly 600,000 gotaways. There were 389,155 gotaways at the border in FY2021.

    There were more than 2.3 million migrant encounters in FY2022 and more than 1.7 million in FY2021. So far, FY2023 is on track to exceed both of those numbers. 

    Amanda Head: Trudeau Encourages Chinese Protestors After Squashing Canada’s Freedom Convoy

    0

    What a double standard…

    President Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau both worked overtime to squash anti-Covid lockdown freedom convoy protests in the U.S. and Canada but suddenly support the protest in China.

    Watch Amanda explain the hypocritical move below:

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