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House Greenlights Biden Impeachment Inquiry

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Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

The U.S. House of Representatives voted on Wednesday evening to formalize an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.

The Republican resolution passed on a party line vote of 221-212. Earlier in the day, Hunter Biden defied the House Oversight Committee’s subpoena to testify behind closed doors, pushing lawmakers to initiate contempt of Congress proceedings.

The Hill continues:

The resolution makes official an inquiry into Biden that has been underway for months, after former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in September said that various GOP probes into the president would be under the umbrella of impeachment — but did not hold an official vote. 

Republicans have said they moved to formalize the inquiry in part because the White House responded to document requests last month with a letter that argued their inquiry was unconstitutional due to the lack of a vote, citing a Trump-era legal opinion.

“We’re very pleased with the vote today. I think that’s it a message loud and clear to the White House. We expect you to comply,” House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.), who is leading one of the arms of the probe, said after the vote.

President Biden ripped House Republicans for what he called a “baseless political stunt.”

After the vote, the president released a statement, saying in part: “I wake up every day focused on the issues facing the American people – real issues that impact their lives, and the strength and security of our country and the world. Unfortunately, House Republicans are not joining me.”

On the Senate side, some Republicans remain skeptical of the investigation’s most salacious allegations. If the House votes to approve articles of impeachment against Biden, it will be imperative to win over the following holdouts:

  • Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), who stated that no evidence had been found of wrongdoing by President Biden himself. However, he added that if such evidence is uncovered, it would be critical and important. “But we haven’t seen that yet,” he added.
  • Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of the chamber’s GOP leadership, said,”I don’t see any evidence there” before conceding that “The House is going to do what the House is going to do. I don’t have any influence.”
  • Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) argued that Republicans have not learned from the Democrats’ strategic mistakes in their first impeachment of former President Trump. According to Rounds, the Senate did not have sufficient evidence to convict Trump during the impeachment trial. Democrats “were trying to develop it in the trial.” Rounds emphasized that House Republicans must provide clear and incontrovertible evidence of impeachable offenses before bringing it to trial before the Senate. If they fail to do so, their actions will be deemed as “crying wolf.”

The inquiry is investigating the finances of the Biden family, treatment of Hunter Biden by the Justice Department and Hunter’s alleged influence-peddling scheme.

This article was republished with permission from American Liberty News.

Here’s Why James Comer Quit Appearing On ‘Fox & Friends’

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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]

    The chairman of the House Oversight Committee is done listening to one Fox News co-host’s skepticism towards the ongoing investigation into allegations of impeachable conduct by President Joe Biden.

    Despite receiving praise from Lawrence Jones, Ainsley Earhardt and Brian Kilmeade, Kentucky Rep. James Comer (R) has stopped appearing on “Fox & Friends” due to Steve Doocy’s constant criticism that Republicans haven’t presented more than circumstantial evidence that Hunter Biden criminally involved his father in his business dealings.

    With the House expected to vote on an impeachment inquiry into President Biden as early as today, Comer told Newsmax’s Eric Bolling that he “quit going on ‘Fox & Friends’ because of Doocy.” Comer added that he had a theory about why Doocy has “been very critical of the investigation.”

    “But I don’t think the average viewer of Fox News agrees with Doocy one bit,” he continued.

    Mediaite reports:

    During an interview with Comer about his House investigation into President Joe Biden on Wednesday, Bolling said, “Forget the Democrats like Dan Goldman who say there’s no evidence. My concern is when the media, especially the conservative media, starts siding with the Bidens. Listen to Steve Doocy over at Fox saying you don’t have evidence.”

    Bolling then played a clip of Doocy saying, “The Republicans at this point don’t have– they have a lot of ledgers and spreadsheets, but they have not connected the dots. They’ve connected the dots, the Department of Justice did on Hunter, but they have not shown where Joe Biden, you know, did anything illegally.”

    Comer responded, “Well I think we’ve done a pretty good job connecting the dots. We’ve traced two checks from influence peddling schemes going directly into Joe Biden’s pocket.”

    When Bolling asked Comer why Doocy had criticized his efforts, the Kentucky Republican went on a tear.

    “He’s had that position from the very beginning. I’ve quit going on ‘Fox & Friends’ because of Doocy, you know? I mean, he’s the one guy on Fox that’s been very critical of the investigation. I have my theory why, and we’ll talk about that at a later point, but at the end of the day, he’s entitled to his opinion, but I don’t think the average viewer of Fox News agrees with Doocy one bit.”

    “Even 40% of the Democrats are concerned that Joe Biden has violated the law with his family’s shady business. The American people expect somebody to investigate the president of the United States for public corruption, and thank God the Oversight Committee is,” Comer said, ending his rebuttal.

    This article was republished with permission from American Liberty News.

    Report: Special Counsel To Use Trump White House Cell Data In Election Interference Case

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    Elvert Barnes, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    New filings show special counsel Jack Smith plans to call witnesses who have analyzed data extracted from former President Trump’s cell phone in the federal election interference case.

    Smith reportedly plans to bring in experts for testimony, including one who can weigh in on Trump’s Twitter habits and another who has analyzed the movement of the crowd following the President’s speech on Jan. 6th, 2021.

    Prosecutors on the election interference case also extracted data from Trump’s White House cell phone, and that of an aide, described in the filing only as “Individual 1.”

    The expert, who is unnamed in the court filing, reviewed how Trump and the aid used their phone throughout the post-election period, and has “specifically identified the periods of time during which the defendant’s phone was unlocked and the Twitter application was open on Jan. 6.” 

    It’s unclear the extent of the information prosecutors have from Trump’s phone, though the filing says the expert analyzed “images found on the phones and websites visited.”

    A separate expert prosecutors plan to bring in will analyze how a crowd of Trump supporters moved in response to his speech which included calls to “march towards the Capitol.”

    The expert “plotted the location history data for Google accounts and devices associated with individuals who moved, on January 6, 2021, from an area at or near the Ellipse to an area encompassing the United States Capitol building.”

    Their review “will aid the jury in understanding the movements of individuals toward the Capitol area during and after the defendant’s speech at the Ellipse.”

    Hunter Biden Lawyers Seek To Dismiss Delaware Gun Charges

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    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)

    Hunter Biden’s legal team has filed a motion to dismiss the indictment against him over gun charges in Delaware.

    Earlier this year, special counsel David Weiss charged Hunter Biden with making a false statement in the purchase of a firearm; making a false statement related to information required to be kept by a federal firearms licensed dealer; and one count of possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance. 

    The president’s son pleaded not guilty to all counts in October before a sweetheart plea deal fell through.

    Biden’s lawyers are attempting to have the indictment dismissed by saying it “violates” the collapsed plea agreement and maintain it is “still in effect” between the president’s son and federal prosecutors. 

    Fox News has more:

    “The Indictment against Mr. Biden must be dismissed because it violates a Diversion Agreement that is in effect between Mr. Biden and the prosecution,” Lowell argued in the filing. “In exchange for Mr. Biden giving up various rights—including his Fifth Amendment right to remain silent by agreeing to the Statement of Facts drafted by the prosecution and numerous restrictions on his liberty—the prosecution agreed to provide him immunity for any offense concerning his purchase of a firearm (among other offenses).” 

    Citing the initial agreement, which Republicans have billed as a “sweetheart plea deal,” Lowell said prosecutors, in July, said they could not bring firearms charges “based on the firearm identified in the factual statement to the Diversion Agreement.” 

    “Nevertheless, the prosecution did just that, by subsequently bringing this Indictment charging Mr. Biden with three felony firearm offenses, which all relate to the firearm identified in the Diversion Agreement’s factual statement,” Lowell continued Monday. “Because Mr. Biden gave up valuable rights as part of this contract, in exchange for the prosecution’s promise not to prosecute him, such promise must be fulfilled.”

    Last week, Biden was also indicted on tax charges in California.

    CNN reported that Hunter was hit with nine counts on charges that include failure to file and pay taxes; evasion of assessment and false or fraudulent tax return.

    Biden is facing up to 17 years in prison for his crimes.

    Tucker Carlson Unveils Next Career Move

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      Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

      A new challenger to cable news will arrive today.

      Tucker Carlson is set to launch his own streaming service for $9 per month, which might go live as early as Monday morning.

      The eponymously named Tucker Carlson Network has five shows planned in the first few weeks. Its logo is a red pill with the initials TCN.

      The network’s leadership comprises of Carlson confidants; with Neil Patel as CEO, Justin Wells as the network president and Carlson as the face of the operation, hosting multiple shows. The network’s programming will feature long-form interviews, commentaries and investigative reporting.

      Carlson revealed his reasons for challenging the status quo in a press release Monday morning:

      “News coverage in the West has become a tool of repression. Reporters no longer reveal essential information to the public; they work to hide it. We plan to tell the truth about things that matter – clearly and without fear.”

      Wells expressed gratitude to Elon Musk’s X for amplifying Carlson’s message following his dismissal from Fox News and stated that Carlson isn’t leaving the social network:

      “Tucker has maintained an important connection with the audience on X. We look forward to continuing that relationships but also providing people with even more video content through Tucker Carlson Network.”

      The Wall Street Journal further reports:

      Carlson and his team explored launching TCN through X, but the company wasn’t able to move quickly enough to build out the technology they needed to run a subscription service, the people said.

      X declined to comment.

      Carlson will continue to post the service’s free content on X. His media company will also launch a new podcast, “The Tucker Carlson Podcast,” which will feature audio versions of that content.

      Carlson’s team is exploring distributing the service through streaming-TV apps independently and through X, one of the people said. 

      The network is currently only accessible through TuckerCarlson.com.

      This article was republished with permission from American Liberty News.

      Special Counsel Asks Supreme Court To Weigh In On Trump Federal Election Interference Case

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      Duncan Lock, Dflock, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

      Special Counsel Jack Smith asked the Supreme Court to immediately take up former President Trump’s federal 2020 election criminal case, urging the justices to weigh in on Trump’s immunity defense as the former president seeks to have the case tossed entirely.

      Citing Trump’s fast-approaching March 4 trial date, Smith asked the Supreme Court to immediately take up the issue.

      The Hill has more:

      “It is of imperative public importance that respondent’s claims of immunity be resolved by this Court and that respondent’s trial proceed as promptly as possible if his claim of immunity is rejected,” Smith wrote in the filing.

      Smith also requested the Supreme Court expedite its consideration of whether to take up the issue. If they do agree to hear it, Smith further asked that the justices expedite their consideration of the case.

      “This case presents a fundamental question at the heart of our democracy: whether a former President is absolutely immune from federal prosecution for crimes committed while in office or is constitutionally protected from federal prosecution when he has been impeached but not convicted before the criminal proceedings begin,” Smith wrote in the filing.

      This is a breaking news story. Click refresh for the latest updates.

      CNN Report Finds Trump Leading In Key Battleground States

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      Image via Gage Skidmore Flickr

      Bad news for Biden…

      The latest CNN poll found former President Donald Trump leading President Joe Biden in Georgia and Michigan after failing to win the states during the 2020 election.

      CNN has more:

      In Georgia, a state Biden carried by a very narrow margin in 2020, registered voters say they prefer Trump (49%) over Biden (44%) for the presidency in a two-way hypothetical matchup. In Michigan, which Biden won by a wider margin, Trump has 50% support to Biden’s 40%, with 10% saying they wouldn’t support either candidate even after being asked which way they lean. In both Michigan and Georgia, the share of voters who say they wouldn’t support either candidate is at least as large as the margin between Biden and Trump.

      Overall, just 35% in Michigan and 39% in Georgia approve of Biden’s job performance, the surveys find, and majorities in both states say his policies have worsened economic conditions in the country (54% in Georgia, 56% in Michigan).

      Respondents also noted that President Biden’s age plays a major role in his leadership ability. For months, Republicans and Democrats alike have pointed to Biden’s numerous public gaffes and missteps as signs the President is ineffective and should not serve another term.

      Most voters in both states say Biden, who’s 81, does not have the attributes they’re looking for in a president when it comes to his policy positions (57% in Michigan, 56% in Georgia), his ability to understand the problems of people like them (60% in Michigan, 56% in Georgia) or his sharpness and stamina (69% in Michigan, 66% in Georgia).

      Fewer in each state say that Trump, who’s 77, falls short of their expectations for a president on those same measures. But Trump fares worse than Biden on temperament – 57% in Michigan and 58% in Georgia say the former president doesn’t have the temperament they’re looking for, compared with about half who say the same about Biden.

      Trump and Biden are the clear frontrunners for the GOP and Democrat presidential nominations, setting the stage for a 2020 rematch in 2024.

      The polls, conducted by SSRS, also surveyed respondents on how other GOP presidential primary candidates would fare against Biden in the two battleground states.

      In a matchup between Nikki Haley and Biden, the former U.N. ambassador would win the general election in both states, according to the polls.

      In a hypothetical general election matchup between Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Biden, the sitting president narrowly leads DeSantis by 3 percentage points in Georgia. In Michigan, DeSantis leads Biden by 7 percentage points.

      Appeals Court Upholds Trump Gag Order

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        Gage Skidmore Flickr

        On Friday, an appeals court largely upheld a gag order limiting former President Donald Trump’s statements in his federal election interference case.

        The ruling from a three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals largely affirms a prior ruling from Judge Tanya Chutkan. The initial order barred Trump from making statements that “target” foreseeable witnesses, court staff, and prosecutors.

        The Hill has more:

        The appeals court refined that directive, barring Trump from any statements “made with the intent to materially interfere with, or to cause others to materially interfere with” the course of the case.

        But it removed Smith from the list of protected court staff, giving Trump free reign to go after a prosecutor he is fond of taunting as “deranged.” 

        “We agree with the district court that some aspects of Mr. Trump’s public statements pose a significant and imminent threat to the fair and orderly adjudication of the ongoing criminal proceeding, warranting a speech-constraining protective order. The district court’s order, however, sweeps in more protected speech than is necessary,” the panel wrote.

        Read the ruling here:

        Trump Will Be A Dictator! – Shriek Panicked Democrats

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        Gage Skidmore Flickr

        ANALYSIS – Welcome to the 2024 version of the liberals’ “Russia collusion” hoax. But now they hysterically claim that Donald Trump will abandon the Constitution, destroy democracy and become a dictator.

        You know, just like the last time he was president.

        This latest Trump demonization is an effort to scare left-wing voters unenthusiastic about reelecting Joe Biden next year.

        Democrats believe that Biden stands a better chance against Trump in 2024 if the campaign is a battle for the future of democracy rather than a referendum on Biden’s record.

        And this idiotic fear campaign is now in full gear, The New York Times and The Washington Post recently published articles previewing a future Trump dictatorship. The Atlantic will devote its January/February issue to articles predicting Trump’s harmful impact on civil rights, the Justice Department, immigration and more if elected again.

        Sadly, these accusations are potentially more dangerous than the fake Russia collusion claims.

        Sen. J.D. Vance, an Ohio Republican, said on social media that Trump opponents “need to take a chill pill.” He added: “All of these articles calling Trump a dictator, are about one thing: legitimizing illegal and violent conduct as we get closer to the election.”

        Meanwhile, let’s ignore for a moment that Biden has done far more than any recent president to shred the Constitution, cancel student loan debt without Congress, target opponents with a weaponized federal government, censor dissident speech in collusion with Big Tech, not to mention persecute his chief political rival and ex-president by criminalizing politics with lawfare.

        Trump makes that case often on the campaign trail, notes the Washington Times:

        “He’s been weaponizing government against his political opponents like a Third World political tyrant,” Mr. Trump said of the president at a campaign event last weekend in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. “Biden and his radical left allies like to pose as standing up as allies of democracy. Joe Biden is not the defender of American democracy. Joe Biden is the destroyer of American democracy. It’s him and his people. They’re the wreckers of the American dream. The American dream is dead with them in office.”

        Well, it’s hard to top all that undemocratic things Biden has done, but if Trump tries, it will be a reaction to the left’s long-standing control over and abuse of the deep state.

        And I as I wrote on November 23, ‘Trump’s Much-Needed ‘Radical’ Second Term Agenda’ will be a very welcome corrective to the decades of leftist penetration and subversion of our institutions.

        Even then, Trump can only achieve so much.

        As The Washington Times reported:

        Republican Party strategist John Feehery, a partner at EFB Advocacy in Washington, said Democrats and media outlets are raising fears of a Trump dictatorship because “they think he is going to win and they are completely panicked.”

        “I don’t know how somebody who doesn’t have functional control over the military or the intelligence community could possibly be a dictator,” he said. “[Democrats] don’t have deep faith in our constitutional framework, so they are projecting that lack of faith into Trump. I think it is ridiculous.”

        But sometimes Trump, or his associates, don’t help.

        Kash Patel, a top deputy in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence under Trump, said this week that he and other Trump allies would seek payback against “deep state” actors and media members in a second Trump term.

        The Washington Times noted:

        “The one thing we learned in the Trump administration, the first go-round, is we’ve got to put in [government] all American patriots, top to bottom,” Mr. Patel told podcast host Steve Bannon. “And we’ve got them for law enforcement. We got them for intel collection, we got them for offensive operations. We got them for DOD, CIA, everywhere. We will follow the facts and the law and go to courts of law and correct these justices and lawyers who have been prosecuting these cases based on politics. … We will go out and find the conspirators, not just in government but in the media.

        “Yes, we’re going to come after the people in the media who lied about American citizens, who helped Joe Biden rig presidential elections. We’re going to come after you, whether it’s criminally or civilly, we’ll figure that out. This is why they hate us. This is why we’re tyrannical. This is why we’re dictators.”

        However, when asked during a televised town hall whether he plans to become a dictator, Trump laughed.

        “No, no, no – other than Day One,” he said. “We’re closing the border, and we’re drilling, drilling, drilling. After that, I’m not a dictator.”

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

        Tucker Carlson Shoots Down Vice President Rumors

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        Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

        Former Fox News star Tucker Carlson doesn’t seem keen on running for public office, however, he did not completely rule out the possibility.

        Carlson was asked during an event this week if he would consider being Donald Trump’s running mate.

        “God would have to yell at me very loud,” Carlson said at the American Principles Project Foundation’s annual Christmas gala, where he gave a speech, according to Semafor.

        One attendee at the dinner asked Carlson about a recent Axios report suggesting former first lady Melania Trump was advocating for her husband, the frontrunner for the GOP nomination, to consider selecting Carlson as a running mate.

        From the report:

        She thinks Carlson would make a powerful onstage extension of her husband, a source close to Trump told us. The former first lady has made few campaign appearances this time around — but a Trump-Carlson ticket might encourage her to hit the trail.

        Trump, asked last month about Carlson as a potential V.P., said: “I like Tucker a lot. … He’s got great common sense.”

        Carlson responded that he doesn’t have a close relationship with the former First Lady and hasn’t planned on running for public office.

        “I don’t know her, really,” Carlson said. “To go from being, like, a well-paid street corner schizophrenic to, like, a politician — it’s just kind of hard to envision.”