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Judge Partially Lifts Trump Gag Order

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Gavel via Wikimedia Commons Image

Trump is elated…

On Tuesday, a New York judge partially lifted a gag order imposed on former President Trump’s speech in his hush money criminal case.  

The updated terms allow Trump to resume speaking about trial witnesses like Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels.

The partial lift however will allow Trump to address the jury who convicted him last month on 34 criminal charges, though the former president remains under a separate protective order that prohibits him from publicly disclosing their identities. 

The gag order remains in place when it comes to prosecutors overseeing the case, except for District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) as well as Judge Juan Merchan.

Judge Juan Merchan initially granted prosecutors’ request for a gag order that precluded Trump from making public statements about any witnesses in the case, jurors, prosecutors, court staff, or members of their family. Trump was not restricted from commenting on the judge or Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

The Hill reports:

Merchan reluctantly lifted those restrictions, saying it would be his “strong preference” to extend the jurors’ protection. 

“However, circumstances have now changed. The trial portion of these proceedings ended when the verdict was rendered, and the jury discharged,” Merchan wrote in his ruling. 

The partial lifting of the order comes just days before the first 2024 presidential debate on Thursday where Trump is expected to address his conviction in the case.

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

Trump Challenges Biden To Pre-Debate Drug Test

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Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Trump is throwing down the gauntlet…

Presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump challenged Joe Biden to take a drug test before this week’s televised presidential debate.

“DRUG TEST FOR CROOKED JOE BIDEN??? I WOULD, ALSO, IMMEDIATELY AGREE TO ONE!!!” Trump wrote Monday on Truth Social.

The former president has repeatedly suggested Biden could take a performance-enhancing drug before the debate, with some already discounting any well-received performance by the incumbent as a charade.

In two other posts on Truth Social, Trump praised Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas), who sent a letter to the president and his physician Monday, demanding he take drug tests immediately before and after the debate.

“Ronny Jackson was a brilliant Doctor, Admiral and now, a GREAT Congressman,” the presumptive GOP nominee wrote in one post. “He happens to be totally right about what is written in this MUST READ Article but, unfortunately, nothing will be done about it!”

Trump and Biden will square off Thursday night in a debate hosted by CNN, in what will be the first debate since the 2020 election. 

Trump last week said he does not want to underestimate Biden ahead of the debate.

“Well, all I can say is this: I watched him with Paul Ryan, and he destroyed Paul Ryan,” Trump said during an episode of the “All-In podcast” last week. “And he beat Paul Ryan, so, I’m not underestimating him.”

Campaign Manager Bluntly Throws in the Towel in Florida

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Ron DeSantis via Gage Skidmore Flickr

A pointless pursuit…

Despite Democrats’ attempts to make a dent in Florida, President Joe Biden’s campaign manager knows when it is time to call it quits.

In an interview that Puck’s John Heilemann described as a “rare and candid conversation,” Jen O’Malley Dillon was asked about the Biden team’s strategy for 2024, including what states the campaign viewed as true battlegrounds they could win.

Mediaite has more:

Heilemann: If you boil it down, what you’re saying is that 2020 was a national election; there were battleground states, but you ran the campaign like a national referendum on Trump. But in 2024, you’re running a half-dozen targeted state campaigns—which gets us to the topic of your paths to victory. I named six states [Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Arizona, and Georgia]. You’d agree those are battlegrounds, yes?

O’Malley Dillon: Yes.

And you’re saying you see North Carolina also as a battleground state?

Yes.

Florida?

No.

Thank you. I was afraid you were going to lie.

“The job of the campaign is to keep as many battleground states in play for as long as possible so we can navigate any flexibility in the race,” O’Malley Dillon explained, pointing out how Biden had won Georgia and Arizona in 2020 despite those states not being “in play at all at this point” in the election cycle, “and certainly were not traditional battleground states.”

O’Malley Dillon’s comments come just days after Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison visited Tallahassee for a Florida Democratic Party (FDP) rally and told reporters there he viewed the state to be “in play.”

In 2020, Biden successfully won 270 Electoral College votes without Florida and it seems his campaign may be forced into a similar approach.

Trump Scores Support From Another Billionaire

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Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Trump is scoring big…

Ark Invest CEO Cathie Wood said she would vote for former President Trump over President Biden in the November presidential election.

Wood took part in an interview with ‘Meet Kevin’ financial analyst and YouTuber Kevin Paffrath, during which she was asked the popular question, “Trump or Biden?”

Wood told the host she has three children with whom she has discussed the upcoming election and its consequences.

“As I’ve said to them, ‘Look, I am going to vote for the person who’s going to do the best job for our economy,’” Wood told Paffrath. “I am a voter when it comes to economics, and on that basis, Trump.”

She further explained that Laffer Associates founder and chairman Art Laffer “describes the first three years of the Trump presidency as the best in U.S. economic history, not the last one because of COVID, and I would agree.”

Watch:

The informal endorsement comes on the heels of several billionaires sending money and support toward Trump’s presidential campaign. (RELATED: Billionaire Makes Massive Political Contribution To Trump)

Timothy Mellon, heir to the Mellon banking fortune, made a $50 million contribution to the pro-Trump super PAC, Make America Great Again Inc.

In a memo following Mellon’s donation, the PAC announced it had reserved $100 million in advertising through Labor Day.

The New York Times continues:

Mr. Mellon is now the first donor to give $100 million in disclosed federal contributions in this year’s election. He was already the single largest contributor to super PACs supporting both Mr. Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is running as an independent. Mr. Mellon has previously given $25 million to both.

Billionaire Stephen Schwarzman, the CEO and co-founder of Blackstone, announced last month he will back Trump in the 2024 race after he previously called for the Republican Party to turn to a “new generation of leaders.”

CNN Clashes With Trump Spokeswoman, Abruptly Ends Interview

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CNN Headquarters via Wikimedia Commons

On Monday morning, CNN anchor Kasie Hunt abruptly ended her interview with Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt. The interview aired during CNN’s “This Morning,” just three days before the network is set to host the first Trump-Biden debate on Thursday.

Fighting Words From Team Trump

The tension escalated when Leavitt accused the debate moderators, Dana Bash and Jake Tapper, of having a bias against President Trump.

“That’s why President Trump is knowingly going into a hostile environment on this very network, on CNN, with debate moderators who have made their opinions about him very well known over the past eight years and their biased coverage of him,” Leavitt stated, previewing the upcoming debate.

Visibly annoyed by Leavitt’s remarks, Hunt defended her colleagues. “I’ll just say my colleagues, Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, have acquitted themselves as professionals as they have covered campaigns and interviewed candidates from all sides of the aisle. I’ll also say that if you talk to analysts of previous debates, that if you’re attacking the moderators, you’re usually losing.”

Fox News reports:

After Hunt tried to steer the conversation back to the debate, Leavitt told Hunt that it would take just five minutes to research Tapper and his commentary on the former president. 

“Ma’am, I’m going to stop this interview if you’re going to continue to attack my colleagues,” Hunt said. 

After Leavitt argued she was stating facts about Bash and Tapper, Hunt cut the interview off, her voice rising as she went back to the panel.

“I would like to talk about Joe Biden and Donald Trump, whom you work for,” Hunt said. When Leavitt continued, Hunt signaled to cut her off.

“I’m sorry, guys, we’re going to come back out to the panel,” Hunt said, clearly fuming. “Karoline, thank you very much for your time. You are welcome to come back at any point. She is welcome to come back and speak about Donald Trump, and Donald Trump will have equal time to Joe Biden when they both join us later this week in Atlanta for this debate.”

Thursday’s Debate: What You Need to Know

The first 2024 presidential debate featuring President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump is scheduled for Thursday, June 27, at 9 p.m. (ET).

CNN will host the event at their Atlanta studios, without a live studio audience.

The debate will have strict rules. When one candidate isn’t speaking, their microphone will be muted. Each candidate will have only a pen, paper and water at their podium. There will be two commercial breaks during the 90-minute event.

Viewers can watch the debate live on multiple platforms, including CNN, CNN International, CNN en Español and streaming on Max (formerly HBO Max). The debate is the first of two agreed upon by both campaigns, with the second one scheduled for September 10, hosted by ABC News.

Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News

Trump To Deliver Remarks In Chesapeake, Virginia

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Gage Skidmore Flickr

Donald J. Trump plans to deliver remarks in Chesapeake, Virginia on Friday, June 28th at 3 pm.

Trump released a statement:

Joe Biden’s America is expensive. Bidenflation has spiked the cost of goods by more than 20% under Biden, costing Virginia households more than $27,000. 

It costs more to eat, drive, and live under Joe Biden. Virginians have spent $9,173 more on transportation, $4,210 more on energy, $3,115 more on food, and $5,547 more on shelter on average since January 2021. 

It’s not only more expensive to live in Virginia thanks to Joe Biden, but also more deadly. Biden’s pro-criminal and open border policies have caused a 22.8% increase in fentanyl overdoses from 2020-2021 and another 1,951 Virginians killed by fentanyl poisoning in 2022. 

Virginia, a place that President Trump loves, has been decimated by weak Joe Biden. 

President Trump will ease the financial pressures placed on households and re-establish law and order in this country! We can Make America Great Again by tackling lawlessness head-on, ceasing the endless flow of illegal immigrants across our southern border, and reversing the detrimental effects of inflation by restoring people’s wealth. 

Want to register for tickets? Click HERE!

Doors open at 11 am and Trump is scheduled to deliver remarks at 3 pm at Historic Greenbrier Farms.

Check back for a live stream of the event below:

Trump Makes VP Decision, Drops Big Hint

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Trump has chosen his running mate…

Over the weekend, Trump told NBC News ahead of a rally in Philadelphia that he’s settled on a vice presidential choice.

“In my mind, yeah,” Trump said when asked if he’s decided.

Asked if his pick knows it’s them, Trump responded, “No, nobody knows.”

Trump also noted that “most likely” this person will be at his debate next week.

“They’ll be there,” he added. “I think we have a lot of people coming.”

Trump was also interviewed at the retail stop by Fox News’ Alexis McAdams and discussed the timing of his running mate announcement.

“I’ll be announcing it right around the time of the convention,” Trump reiterated to Fox News, as he pointed to the Republican National Convention, which kicks off on Monday, July 15 in Milwuakee.

Sources familiar with the process have told The Hill the front-runners for the position are North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Sen. JD Vance (Ohio) and Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.).

Others who received vetting materials and are under consideration include Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) and former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson.

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) is also rumored to be among those considered for the position. Trump reportedly plans to join the Virginia Republican for a rally following the first debate.

CBS News reported the Trump event would likely take place Friday near Virginia Beach, a second source said, though the final location had not been finalized.

Polling has shown Virginia could be a much closer race than it was in 2020, when Biden carried it by 10 percentage points over Trump.

Fox News poll of Virginia registered voters conducted June 1-4 showed Biden and Trump tied with 48 percent each. A Roanoke College poll conducted in mid-May showed the two candidates tied in a head-to-head match-up, and it found Biden leading Trump by 2 percentage points when third-party candidates were added.

Youngkin also faced speculation he may mount his own presidential bid against Trump before saying he was committed to completing his term as governor/

Judge Judy Labels Trump Hush Money Case ‘Nonsense’

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Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

A waste of time and taxpayer dollars…

“Judge Judy” Sheindlin called Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s (D) hush money case against former President Trump “nonsense” in a recent interview.

“You gotta twist yourself into a pretzel to figure out what the crime was. [Bragg] doesn’t like him — New York City didn’t like him for a while,” Sheindlin said of Trump in a “Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?” interview streaming Friday on Max.

“I would be happier, as someone who owns property in Manhattan, if the district attorney of New York County would take care of criminals who were making it impossible for citizens to walk in the streets and use the subway, to use his efforts to keep those people off the street, than to spend $5 million or $10 million of taxpayers’ money trying Donald Trump on this nonsense,” the longtime TV judge told Wallace.

Watch:

“I, as a taxpayer in this country, resent using the system for your own personal self-aggrandizement,” the “Judy Justice” personality said of Bragg.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Asked by the CNN anchor what she thought of Trump, the 81-year-old former Manhattan Family Court judge replied, “I think he was a good businessman, a real estate guy. And he was certainly terrific on ‘The Apprentice.’”

The celebrity judge’s comments come as the Manhattan DA seeks an extension of the restraining order against former President Donald Trump. (RELATED: Manhattan DA Seeks Extended Gag Order Against Trump Amid Death Threats To Bragg)

They argue that Trump’s public statements have increased tensions and led to threats against Bragg and his team before Trump’s July 11 sentencing.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office charged Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records as part of a hush-money scheme to prevent porn star Stormy Daniels from speaking out about her alleged extramarital affair before the 2016 presidential election.

Before Trump, no sitting or former president ever faced criminal charges. This is the lowest level felony in New York, any potential sentence will more than likely be served after the 2024 election.

As The New York Times reports:

The order, issued before Mr. Trump’s Manhattan criminal trial began in mid-April, bars him from attacking witnesses, jurors, court staff and relatives of the judge who presided over the trial, Juan M. Merchan.

Mr. Trump’s lawyers have sought to have the order lifted since Mr. Trump’s conviction in late May. But in a 19-page filing on Friday, prosecutors argued that while Justice Merchan no longer needed to enforce the portion of the gag order relating to trial witnesses, he should keep in place the provisions protecting jurors, prosecutors, court staff and their families.

Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News

Billionaire Makes Massive Political Contribution To Trump

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Image via Pixabay free images

One of the largest single disclosed gifts ever…

A reclusive billionaire from a storied American family with a legacy dating back to the Gilded Age has made one of the largest political contributions in the history of American politics.

Timothy Mellon, heir to the Mellon banking fortune, made a $50 million contribution to the pro-Trump super PAC, Make America Great Again Inc.

At the end of April, the organization had only $34.5 million.

In a memo following Mellon’s donation, the PAC announced it had reserved $100 million in advertising through Labor Day.

The New York Times continues:

Mr. Mellon is now the first donor to give $100 million in disclosed federal contributions in this year’s election. He was already the single largest contributor to super PACs supporting both Mr. Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is running as an independent. Mr. Mellon has previously given $25 million to both.

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

Democrats have sought to portray Mr. Kennedy as a spoiler supported by Republicans, in part by emphasizing Mr. Mellon’s dual contributions and seemingly split loyalties. The pro-Kennedy super PAC has distributed quotations from the hard-to-reach Mr. Mellon, and for a blurb that appears on the cover of Mr. Mellon’s upcoming book, Mr. Kennedy called the billionaire a “maverick entrepreneur.”

It is not clear what Mr. Mellon’s mega-donation means for his support of Mr. Kennedy going forward. He has so far toggled between giving to support both candidates. His most recent donation to Mr. Kennedy’s super PAC was a $5 million contribution in April.

But Mr. Mellon’s $50 million gift will significantly help pro-Trump forces narrow the financial advantage that President Biden and his allies have enjoyed so far. Miriam Adelson, the casino billionaire and widow of Sheldon G. Adelson, who died in 2021, has also made plans to fund a pro-Trump super PAC with at least as much money as the $90 million that her family gave in the 2020 campaign, although much of the cash has yet to arrive.

Mellon’s contributions follow Donald Trump‘s conviction in a hush money trial.

Critics argue that the case is politically motivated and based on an overly broad interpretation of campaign finance laws. They add that such payments are common among public figures seeking to avoid public scrutiny.

The Mellon family‘s wealth started when an Irish immigrant named Thomas Mellon founded T. Mellon & Sons’ Bank in Pittsburgh in 1869. His sons, Andrew W. Mellon and Richard B. Mellon, later grew the bank into a strong financial institution. This bank eventually became Mellon Financial Corporation, one of the largest banking institutions in the United States.

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Andrew Mellon played a crucial role in financing and supporting key industries such as aluminum, oil, and steel, contributing to the growth of major corporations, such as Gulf Oil, and Union Steel. As secretary of the Treasury from 1921 to 1932, his influence shaped the economic policies of the 1920s, known as the Mellon Plan, which contributed to the economic boom of the decade.

National Photo Company Collection, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

In 2007, Mellon Financial Corporation merged with The Bank of New York to form BNY Mellon, one of the world’s largest asset management and securities services companies, preserving their 150-year legacy in banking and finance.

Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News

Manhattan DA Seeks Extended Gag Order Against Trump

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    Gage Skidmore Flickr

    The Manhattan District Attorney’s office is seeking an extension of the restraining order against former President Donald Trump, citing increased death threats against DA Alvin Bragg.

    They argue that Trump’s public statements have increased tensions and led to threats against Bragg and his team before Trump’s July 11 sentencing on 34 felony counts.

    As The New York Times reports:

    The order, issued before Mr. Trump’s Manhattan criminal trial began in mid-April, bars him from attacking witnesses, jurors, court staff and relatives of the judge who presided over the trial, Juan M. Merchan.

    Mr. Trump’s lawyers have sought to have the order lifted since Mr. Trump’s conviction in late May. But in a 19-page filing on Friday, prosecutors argued that while Justice Merchan no longer needed to enforce the portion of the gag order relating to trial witnesses, he should keep in place the provisions protecting jurors, prosecutors, court staff and their families.

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

    The New York Police Department has logged 56 “actionable threats” since the beginning of April directed against Alvin L. Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney who brought the case, and against his family and employees, according to an affidavit provided with the filing.

    Prosecutors said the 56 logged complaints did not include numerous “threatening emails and phone calls,” which the NYPD are “not tracking as threat cases.”

    Mr. Trump was convicted on May 30 of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to a $130,000 payoff made to the porn star Stormy Daniels. The money was meant to cover up a sexual tryst she says she had with Mr. Trump in 2006, a decade before he was elected president. (Mr. Trump, 78, has continued to deny ever having had sex with Ms. Daniels.)

    In April, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office reported receiving two envelopes containing a white, powdery substance intended for DA Alvin Bragg.

    One of the envelopes reportedly contained a letter that used an expletive to refer to Bragg’s weight.

    Another contained an explicit message to Bragg, “ALVIN: I AM GOING TO KILL YOU,” followed by 13 exclamation points.

    Investigators determined the substances in both cases weren’t harmful.

    Trump is potentially facing up to four years in prison or alternative sanctions, including home confinement.

    Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News