Home Blog Page 31

Trump Recounts Harrowing Shooting While Accepting GOP Nomination

By
Madeleine Jackson
-
1

On Thursday night, Donald Trump formally accepted the Republican nomination for President.

During his speech, Trump addressed the recent assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania, saying that he does not plan to discuss the horrific event again.

“I am running to be president for all of America, not half of America, because there is no victory in winning for half of America,” Trump emphasized as he addressed the thousands of delegates, party officials and activists packed into Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum and to the national audience of Americans watching the convention from home.

“The discord and division in our society must be healed. As Americans, we are bound together by a single fate and a shared destiny. We rise together. Or we fall apart,” the former president noted.

“Let me begin this evening by expressing my gratitude to the American people for your outpouring of love and support following the assassination attempt at my rally on Saturday,” Trump said. “As you already know, the assassin’s bullet came within a quarter of an inch of taking my life.” 

“You’ll never hear it from me a second time, because it’s too painful to tell,” he said. 

Trump praised the “very brave Secret Service agents who rushed to the stage and pounced on top of me for protection.” 

“There was blood pouring everywhere, and yet, in a certain way, I felt very safe, because I had God on my side,” Trump said. “The amazing thing is that prior to the shot, if I had not moved my head at the very last instant, the assassin’s bullet would have perfectly hit its mark, and I would not be with you tonight.” 

“I am not supposed to be here tonight. I stand before you in this arena only by the grace of almighty God. Many people say it was a providential moment,” Trump said. 

But the crowd chanted: “Yes you are! Yes you are!” 

And he acknowledged that “none of us knows God’s plan, or where life’s adventure will take us. But if the events of last Saturday make anything clear, it is that every single moment we have on earth is a gift from God. We have to make the most of every day for the people and country we love.”

Watch Trump’s RNC speech below:

Want to see the full event? Click the live stream below:

Biden Defense Department Tells Soldiers To Treat Pro-life Americans As Potential Terrorists

By
Donny Ferguson
-
4
Washington D.C., USA - January 22, 2015; A Pro-Life woman clashes with a group of Pro-Choice demonstrators at the U.S. Supreme Court.

A group of United States senators and representatives are demanding answers after United States military servicemembers received anti-terrorism training that included instructions to consider pro-life Americans as potential terrorists.

It is unclear why the military would be training for combat against Americans on American soil.

Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Ted Budd (R-NC), along with Representative Richard Hudson (R-NC) and their colleagues, “sent a letter to Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth demanding answers after an anti-terrorism training conducted at Fort Liberty, North Carolina depicted Pro-Life Americans as terrorists,” Lankford’s office reports.

“We write regarding social media reports that anti-terrorism training conducted at Ft. Liberty, North Carolina depicts Pro-Life Americans as terrorists. Specifically, the slides identify National Right to Life, ‘Choose Life’ license plate holders, and anyone who opposes the Supreme Court’s rightfully overturned decision in Roe v. Wade, which was rightfully overturned by the Supreme Court, as members of terrorist groups. Smearing Pro-Life Americans is despicable and emblematic of the ongoing politicization of the military under the Biden-Harris Administration,” the Members wrote.

The National Right to Life Committee is a peaceful mainstream conservative organization.  The training did not mention pro-abortion groups such as “Jane’s Revenge,” which have been engaged in a nationwide campaign of domestic terrorist attacks on pregnancy centers and Catholic churches.

“It is no wonder that the Army is struggling to recruit young men and women to join its ranks when it appears the service attacks their values and promotes a woke agenda rather than improving readiness and lethality…The American people deserve to be assured that these slides truly do not reflect the Army’s views, that a full investigation will be conducted, and that any offending employees will be properly held accountable. Finally, we must be assured that similar materials are not being utilized at other installations across the Army,” the Members continued.

Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC), John Barrasso (R-WY), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Mike Lee (R-UT), Steve Daines (R-MT), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Todd Young (R-IN), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Mike Braun (R-IN), Jim Risch (R-ID), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Mike Crapo (R-ID), and Bill Hagerty (R-TN) also signed the letter. 

The letter is supported by Catholic Vote, National Right to Life Committee, Family Research Council, Americans United for Life, Concerned Women for America, Students for Life Action, SBA Pro-Life America, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, and ACLJ Action.

The letter reads:

Dear Secretary Wormuth,

We write regarding social media reports that anti-terrorism training conducted at Ft. Liberty, North Carolina depicts Pro-Life Americans as terrorists. Specifically, the slides identify National Right to Life, “Choose Life” license plate holders, and anyone who opposes the Supreme Court’s rightfully overturned decision in Roe v. Wade,which was rightfully overturned by the Supreme Court, as members of terrorist groups. Smearing Pro-Life Americans is despicable and emblematic of the ongoing politicization of the military under the Biden-Harris Administration.

The American public expects the Department of Defense and its personnel to defend the homeland from actual terrorists, not Americans who seek protections for children in the womb. Labeling Pro-Life organizations as threats challenges servicemembers’ moral obligation to defend and protect even the smallest among us. In fact, around half of all Americans identify as Pro-Life. It is no wonder that the Army is struggling to recruit young men and women to join its ranks when it appears the service attacks their values and promotes a woke agenda rather than improving readiness and lethality.

We understand that the anti-terrorism slide was in fact briefed to a group of soldiers as recently as July 10th. What is unclear is how long these slides have been utilized at Ft. Liberty and whether similar briefings have been used at other installations. We also understand from a statement released by Ft. Liberty that these slides were not vetted by appropriate approval authorities.  

While Ft. Liberty’s statement asserts that the slides “do not reflect the views of the … US Army or the Department of Defense”, the American people are rightfully concerned that training of this kind is being disseminated in the first place and possibly at other military installations. The American people deserve to be assured that these slides truly do not reflect the Army’s views, that a full investigation will be conducted, and that any offending employees will be properly held accountable. Finally, we must be assured that similar materials are not being utilized at other installations across the Army. 

Therefore, we request responses to the following questions no later than July 29, 2024: 

Is it official Army policy to identify Pro-Life Americans and Pro-Life Organizations as “terrorist groups”?

How long have these slides been briefed to soldiers and how many soldiers have been briefed with these slides? 

What is the current process by which the Army reviews anti-terrorism training materials disseminated on Army bases? 

Who are the appropriate approval authorities charged with vetting training materials disseminated to soldiers across the Army?

What action is the Army taking to investigate the distribution of training materials depicting Pro-Life Americans as terrorists? 

What statutes or Army regulations were potentially violated and what action is the Army taking with regard to any offending employee? 

Will you commit to an installation-by-installation review to ensure that these or similar materials are not being disseminated elsewhere and that Army anti-terrorism training aligns with DoD anti-terrorism standard guidance and training? 

Will you commit, in writing, that these slides will no longer be used and all future training materials reviewed will align with current DoD anti-terrorism guidance?  

We look forward to your prompt attention and response.

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


Gaetz Becomes The Butt Of Joke Over Convention Appearance

By
Madeleine Jackson
-
1

You can’t unsee this…

Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz’s Republican National Convention appearance has caused an uproar online.

On Wednesday evening, the Florida lawmaker became the center of attention and mockery due to his appearance at his convention speech.

Some users on social media suggested that Gaetz had recently undergone Botox or other cosmetic procedures.

Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) compared Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) to an “inflatable sex doll” following his speech at the Republican National Convention.

“BREAKING,” Van Orden wrote to his followers in all-caps along with red siren emojis. “RNC debuts first AI powered inflatable sex doll to speak at a national convention.”

Check out some of the other reactions to Gaetz’s appearance:

I, DONALD TRUMP, WILL ACCEPT YOUR NOMINATION FOR PRESIDENT ON JULY 18TH! WILL YOU PLEASE DONATE ONE MORE TIME BEFORE I TAKE THE STAGE?

Lawmakers React To FBI’s Assassination Attempt Update

By
Madeleine Jackson
-
8
Gage Skidmore Flickr

Despite the FBI conducting 200 interviews and combing through 14,000 images they still don’t have a clear motive behind the attempted assassination of former President Trump at a campaign rally last Saturday in western Pennsylvania.

Republicans are demanding answers.

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) who’s on the House Oversight Committee, told Fox News Digital that he thinks it’s “bulls—” that federal investigators don’t have a motive yet. 

“I’m not buying that they have nothing,” Burchett said Wednesday. “I don’t have faith in this administration. If they (the Secret Service) don’t want conspiracy theories, they have to move quickly and answer tough questions.”

Burchett said they subpoenaed Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, who agreed to comply, according to the Oversight Committee’s post on X. A hearing is scheduled for July 22. 

“Americans demand and deserve answers from Director Cheatle about the attempted assassination of President Trump and the Secret Service’s egregious failures,” the Oversight Committee said in its X post shortly before 7 p.m. Wednesday. 

Wray told Congress that Trump’s would-be assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks, used his cellphone to search for images of President Biden and Trump as well as symptoms of depressive disorder before the shooting, according to CBS News. 

Secret Service snipers “neutralized” Crooks, who set up on a roof overlooking the rally less than 150 yards from where Trump was speaking.

How Crooks entered the building and fired off multiple shots remains under investigation and has led to finger-pointing between the Secret Service and local police.

I, DONALD TRUMP, WILL ACCEPT YOUR NOMINATION FOR PRESIDENT ON JULY 18TH! WILL YOU PLEASE DONATE ONE MORE TIME BEFORE I TAKE THE STAGE?

Congress Investigating Alleged Biden Attempt To Rig Election For Campaign Supporter

By
Donny Ferguson
-
2
Missvain, CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

A congressional committee is now investigating allegations that the Biden White House tried to sway a major workplace unionization vote in favor of the United Auto Workers union bosses.

U.S. House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) “probed senior Biden administration officials for their attempts to sway the outcome of a Mercedes-Benz unionization election,” the Committee announced in a statement

“In a letter to Jake Sullivan, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, Chairwoman Foxx is demanding information regarding the Biden administration’s attempts to influence the outcome of a unionization vote at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Vance, Alabama, as voting was underway,” the statement reads.

The UAW is a major donor and political supporter of Democrats, spending a reported total of $22.64 million on politics in the 2020 election cycle, according to OpenSecrets.

 “On May 17, Mercedes-Benz employees at a plant in Vance, Alabama, voted not to join the United Auto Workers (UAW). In this election, 56 percent of the workers cast their ballots against UAW membership, with more than 90 percent of eligible workers voting in the election. Simultaneously, the UAW became the first U.S. union to file charges using a new German supply chain law. The Committee on Education and the Workforce (Committee) is concerned about recent reports of unusual and inappropriate communications between you and German government officials in what appears to be an attempt to impact the outcome of this election,” Foxx writes in in the letter.

“On May 6, a news report stated that U.S. government officials had a phone call with German government officials and raised concerns over the Mercedes-Benz representation election in Alabama. … A later report regarding the call also indicated that you prodded Germany to examine the UAW’s allegations against Mercedes-Benz at the direct request of UAW President Shawn Fain. On May 16, the UAW announced that the German government was investigating Mercedes-Benz as a result of charges filed by the UAW in Germany. … It appears the Biden administration, through your actions, sought to put its thumb on the scale to benefit the UAW as the Mercedes-Benz election in Alabama was pending,” Fox continues, adding “It also suggests the UAW sought to use your influence and the White House’s bully pulpit to impact a union representation election.”

Foxx asked the White House for answers to the following questions:

Did you raise concerns with German government officials over the Mercedes-Benz representation election in Vance, Alabama, at the request of the UAW?

In your call with German government officials, did you or any other White House official ask Germany to initiate an investigation of Mercedes-Benz before the Mercedes-Benz union representation election in Alabama concluded?

Was the purpose of the call with German government officials to discuss the Mercedes-Benz union representation election in Alabama? Were other labor issues or representation elections discussed?

When did the call with German government officials take place? Provide any White House call logs related to this call.

Did you discuss your call with German government officials with any employees of the Department of Labor or the NLRB? If so, who?

Is a local union representation election a national security issue? Why is a local union representation election occupying the time of the U.S. National Security Advisor?

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


Special Counsel Appeals Trump Classified Docs Dismissal

By
Madeleine Jackson
-
2
Gavel via Wikimedia Commons Image

On Wednesday, Special Counsel Jack Smith formally appealed a federal judge’s dismissal of criminal charges against former President Trump over his alleged mishandling of classified information.

Smith’s office filed a notice saying it would appeal Florida-based U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon’s ruling tossing out the 40 charges Trump faced to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

The Hill has more:

The Trump-appointed judge on Monday ruled that Attorney General Merrick Garland did not have the authority to appoint a federal officer with the “kind of prosecutorial power wielded by Special Counsel Smith.”

“The bottom line is this: The Appointments Clause is a critical constitutional restriction stemming from the separation of powers, and it gives to Congress a considered role in determining the propriety of vesting appointment power for inferior officers,” Cannon wrote in a 93-page ruling.  

“The Special Counsel’s position effectively usurps that important legislative authority, transferring it to a Head of Department, and in the process threatening the structural liberty inherent in the separation of powers.” 

The ruling marked a major victory for Trump — the first time one of his four criminal cases has been dismissed entirely — and came on the heels of an attempted assassination of the former president. Trump said the dismissal should be seen as the “first step” toward “Uniting our Nation” following the failed effort to take his life, calling for his other cases to be dismissed.

A spokesperson for the special counsel’s office said Monday that Cannon’s ruling “deviates from the uniform conclusion of all previous courts to have considered the issue that the Attorney General is statutorily authorized to appoint a Special Counsel.”

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

Trump Shares Details of Call With Biden After Shooting

By
Madeleine Jackson
-
4
Joe Biden via Gage Skidmore Flickr

A whirlwind experience…

After surviving the attempt on his life, Donald Trump is sharing more details in the moments after the near-assassination.

In a phone conversation with ABC’s Jonathan Karl, Trump described his state of mind after a bullet hit his ear during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday. He told Karl that it had an “impact” on him when asked if he’d “changed” since the incident.

Mediaite reports:

Trump also shared details about the call he received from President Joe Biden after the shooting, which had been described as “short and respectful” in the press. Both Biden and Trump revealed more about their conversation in interviews since, with Trump telling Karl that it was “very nice,” saying of Biden: “He couldn’t have been nicer.”

In an interview with NBC’s Lester Holt on Monday, Biden said of the exchange, “I told him how concerned I was and wanted to make sure I knew how he was actually doing. He sounded good. He said he was fine. And he thanked me for calling him. I told him he was literally in the prayers of [First Lady Dr. Jill Biden] and me, and I hoped his whole family was weathering this.”

On Sunday night, Biden delivered an Oval Office address to the nation — only his third since taking office — about the attempted assassination attempt. 

“Our politics must never be a literal battlefield, and God forbid, a killing field,” Biden said. “We stand for an America not of extremism and fury, but of decency and grace.”

Speaking for the first time publicly since the assassination attempt of former president Donald Trump, Vice President Kamala Harris condemned the violence against Trump on Wednesday.

“As we all know, it was a heinous, horrible, cowardly act,” Harris said. “Thankfully, he was not seriously injured.”

Harris added that her and her husband’s thoughts immediately went to Melania.

“The bottom line is, no one should have to fear for the safety of a loved one because they serve in public office,” Harris continued.

Harris also shared her condolences for Corey Comperatore, who was struck by gunfire and killed while protecting his family.

“Our heart goes out to the family of Corey Comperatore a true hero who died protecting his family. And Doug and I, of course, are holding them close in our hearts. We are also wishing those who were critically injured that day a swift and full recovery. And we are thankful to the United States Secret Service, the first responders and local authorities.”

Peter Navarro To Leave Prison Ahead Of RNC Appearance

By
Madeleine Jackson
-
1
Image via Pixabay

Sweet freedom…

Former Trump economic adviser Peter Navarro is set to be released from prison Wednesday after serving a four-month sentence for refusing to comply with a congressional subpoena related to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. 

After leaving prison Navarro is expected to take the stage at the Republican National Convention, according to an email from former President Trump’s campaign.  

It’s unclear when Navarro will take the stage in Milwaukee, Wisc. where the GOP’s nominating event is taking place. The convention is scheduled to conclude Thursday evening, only one day after Navarro’s sentence ends. 

Trump himself said in May he would “absolutely” rehire Navarro if reelected to the White House in November. Navarro has said he does not want a pardon from Trump if reelected or one from President Biden. 

“I would absolutely have Peter back. This outrageous behavior by the Democrats should not have happened,” Trump said in a statement to The Wall Street Journal.

I, DONALD TRUMP, WILL ACCEPT YOUR NOMINATION FOR PRESIDENT ON JULY 18TH! WILL YOU PLEASE DONATE ONE MORE TIME BEFORE I TAKE THE STAGE?

Navarro was convicted last year of two counts of contempt of Congress — one for failing to produce documents related to the probe, and another for skipping his deposition before the House select committee that investigated the events surrounding the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. 

“It’s crying out for the Supreme Court to do this,” Navarro said of his appeal the day he began his sentence. “But the tragedy here is, because I have not been released pending appeal, I will have already done my time before that is done. 

“But that’s the price of living in Joe Biden’s America right now,” he added. “God bless you all. I’ll see you on the other side.” 

Report: Secret Service In High Alert Over Iranian Assassination Threat

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    2
    President Donald J. Trump is presented with a 10th Combat Aviation Brigade challenge coin following an air assault and gun rain demonstration at Fort Drum, New York, on August 13. The demonstration was part of President Trump's visit to the 10th Mountain Division (LI) to sign the National Defense Authorization Act of 2019, which increases the Army's authorized active-duty end strength by 4,000 enabling us to field critical capabilities in support of the National Defense Strategy. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Thomas Scaggs) 180813-A-TZ475-010

    Donald Trump is reportedly under increased surveillance due to an active security threat from Iran.

    U.S. intelligence received information in recent weeks indicating an Iran-backed plot to assassinate Donald Trump, which led to increased security around the former president. CNN reported that “there’s no indication that Thomas Matthew Crooks, the would-be assassin who attempted to kill the former president on Saturday, was connected to the plot, the sources said.”

    Two federal law enforcement sources told Fox News the level of the plot by Iran is unclear.

    The sources said there has been an increase in Secret Service protection to Trump in recent weeks because of the intelligence.

    The Department of Homeland Security and Secret Service has been increasingly concerned about Trump holding outdoor events, and have even expressed concern to Trump’s campaign.

    CNN Correspondent Evan Perez explained some of the known details on-air Tuesday, saying, “In recent weeks, the US government received intelligence from a human source that indicated that the Iranians were plotting to try to kill former President Donald Trump. Now, that led immediately to an increase in the protection for the former president. We heard over the weekend from the Secret Service that in recent weeks they had increased their protection for the former president.”

    “And so the question was exactly why. We now know that this is the reason why it was specific intelligence that was deemed to be credible enough, and that’s the reason why they increased the protection for the former president. It’s very important to point out that there is nothing to indicate at this point, is part of this investigation of the events on Saturday that the shooter, the would-be assassin that, tried to assassinate the former president on Saturday. There’s no indication that had anything to do with this Iranian plot. It appears to be a coincidence, obviously, but it is one of those things that is raising new questions, I think, for the Secret Service and for everybody involved in the protection of Donald Trump, how it was that these events, took place as they did on Saturday,” Perez added, referring to just how close a gunman came to Trump over the weekend.

    “How did someone, this 20-year-old person, get onto that roof, again, knowing that they had this intelligence, the Secret Service was aware of this intelligence, and they had taken obviously, some additional steps. But how did that person get on a roof and be able to fire off these shots, that almost killed, Donald Trump? Those are very, very big, important questions,” Perez added.

    Kennedy Issues Apology After Private Trump Call Leaked

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    1
    Gage Skidmore Flickr

    On Tuesday, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. apologized to former President Donald Trump after footage of a private call between the two was leaked online by his son Bobby Kennedy III.

    In the now-deleted video, recorded on Sunday, the day after the assassination attempt against Trump at his Pennsylvania rally, Bobby Kennedy III wrote that the former president can be heard “giving his real opinion to my dad about vaccinating kids.”

    In his initial post, Bobby Kennedy III added that he believed “these sorts of conversations should be had in public.” He also lambasted Senator JD Vance (R-OH) who Trump announced Monday as his running mate, saying that the former president had chosen “JD ‘fire all the unvaccinated nurses’ Vance” over “unity” – in a suggestion that his father was being considered as a potential choice.

    In the clip posted Tuesday, Trump can be heard criticizing vaccines and the dosage amounts.

    Something’s wrong with that whole system. And it’s the doctors, you find. Remember I said I want to do small doses? Small doses. When you feed a baby, Bobby, a vaccination that is like 38 different vaccines, and it looks like it’s meant for a horse, not a… you know 10 pound or 20 pound baby. It looks like you’re giving you should be giving a horse this. And do you ever see the size of it, right? You know, it’s just massive. And then you see the baby all of a sudden starting to change radically. I’ve seen it too many times. And then you hear that it doesn’t have an impact, right? But you and I talked about that a long time ago.

    Trump appears to then discuss working with Kennedy Jr. in the future, should he win the election, and his call with Biden following the shooting.

    Anyway, I would love you to do stuff. And I think it would be so good for you and so big for you. And we’re going to win. We’re going to win. We’re way ahead of the guy. He called me. And he said: ‘How did you choose to move to the right?’

    In response to the leak, Kennedy Jr. wrote that “when President Trump called” he was “taping with an in-house videographer.”

    He added: “I should have ordered the videographer to stop recording immediately. I am mortified that this was posted. I apologize to the president.”

    1...303132...195Page 31 of 195
    © Great America News Desk 2022