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Trump Speaks Out Ahead Of Hush Money Trial Kickoff

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Former President Donald Trump made history on Monday as the first former or current U.S. president to ever face a criminal trial in a case that also made him the first former chief executive to be criminally indicted.

    Monday marked the start of Trump’s first criminal trial in a matter involving a hush money payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 election.

    Monday’s trial begins with jury selection in which hundreds of New Yorkers must be whittled down to 12 people and six alternates. That process is expected to last at least several days before opening arguments begin and star witnesses take the stand.

    Around 9:30 am Trump entered the Manhattan courtroom flanked by his defense team, including Todd Blanche and Susan Necheles.

    Trump spoke briefly before entering the courtroom, calling the case an “assault on America” and a “political persecution.”

    “It’s an assault on America. And that’s why I’m very proud to be here,” Trump said as his remarks were carried live across major broadcast networks.

    Trump is also charged in three other criminal indictments: one in Georgia over his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss there, a federal indictment also involving the 2020 election and Jan. 6, 2021, and a federal case in Florida involving the potential mishandling of classified documents after he left office.

    Former President Trump’s hush money judge on Monday declined to recuse himself from the trial currently underway, refusing Trump’s latest demand that he step aside over his daughter’s employment at a firm that works for prominent Democrats. 

    Justice Juan Merchan’s denial, made from the bench on the first day of Trump’s first criminal trial, eliminates what could have been an eleventh-hour curveball before jury selection begins. He said the motion relied on “a series of references, innuendos and unsupported speculation.” 

    Report: DeSantis To Launch Fundraising Effort To Help Trump

      By
      Madeleine Jackson
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      Conservatives are uniting to get a Republican back in the White House.

      Florida Governor and former presidential contender Ron DeSantis reportedly plans to help former President Donald Trump raise money in the coming weeks and months ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

      DeSantis told donors and supporters about his plans to fundraise for the former president at a private retreat last weekend, NBC News reported.

      “I would say the majority in the room would now be willing to help Trump,” a DeSantis bundler who was at the recent meeting told NBC News.

      “I will follow the governor’s lead and I will do anything that he or President Trump ask me to do to help him win this election,” said Texas businessman Roy Bailey. “I know where there are DeSantis supporters all over Texas and all over the country that will want to help President Trump.”

      “He’s committed to helping Trump in any and every way,” Bailey added. “If we can unlock and motivate our donors for Trump and put more fuel in his tank, that’s what we want to do, and that’s what we need to do to make sure [President Joe] Biden is not reelected.”

      The report noted that DeSantis’ full backing of the Trump campaign is a major asset for Trump because “DeSantis’ finance committee is full of fundraisers with massive networks” that are able to donate money.

      Mike Pence Lands New Job

      By
      Madeleine Jackson
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      Mike Pence via Gage Skidmore Flickr

      Former vice president Mike Pence has landed a new gig.

      Pence will be teaching a course at Grove City College, the school announced Thursday. Grove City College is a conservative Christian school located in Grove City, Pennsylvania.

      “It was an honor to be on campus today and see President Paul McNulty and so many wonderful students!” Pence tweeted Thursday, with photos of him addressing the annual conference held by The Institute for Faith & Freedom.

      Pence will serve as the Distinguished Visiting Fellow for Faith & Public Life for the school’s new Center for Faith & Public Life, which will “explore and support the presence of Christian faith in public institutions,” the school said.

      In a separate statement, Pence said he was honored to be a visiting fellow for the college.

      “It is my great honor to serve as a visiting fellow to Grove City College’s new Center for Faith & Public Life,” Pence said. “Faith and engaging in public life are not mutually exclusive, nor should they ever be. History shows that Christians steadily working toward the common good have changed the world, and Grove City College opening a center shows they are committed to continuing this work.”

      The former vice president and governor of Indiana continued: “Grove City College has been a pivotal institution in helping students grow in their faith and in understanding God’s calling for their life through a rigorous education and a faith-based community. Grove City works to send out young men and women into the world to be beacons of light and truth in a world that needs leaders of integrity and principle.”

      Grove City College President Paul J. McNulty emphasized the role of faith in society and praised Pence as the “perfect choice” for the position.

      “No one has pursued this calling more sincerely than the former vice president,” the president continued. “He is an extraordinary role model for what it looks like to lead with wisdom and winsomeness in public life, and he will be a leading source of thought leadership and an impactful voice of the Center.”

      Cohen Wants Trump Sanctioned For ‘Sleaze-bag’ Remarks

        By
        Madeleine Jackson
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        3
        Image via Gage Skidmore Flickr

        Michael Cohen, the ex-personal attorney of former President Trump, said his former boss should be sanctioned for violating his gag order in the hush money case.

        Trump’s hush money trial is set to begin Monday. Cohen sat down for an interview with Politico ahead of the April 15 start date, where he continued his criticisms of the former President.

        “I’m not the defendant in this case. The defendant in this case is the former president, Donald J. Trump. So, what does he do? He starts to attack. And despite the gag orders that have been put on by the judges, he nevertheless continues to do what he wants,” Cohen said.

        “He will say whatever he wants. He violates the gag order. And like a petulant child, there appears to be no repercussion. He legitimately just posted something calling me a sleazebag,” he continued. “And of course, he attacked Stormy Daniels, as well. It’s called witness intimidation and obstruction of justice.”

        Cohen was responding to a post from Trump on Wednesday, where he called Daniels and Cohen “two sleaze bags who have, with their lies and misrepresentations, cost our Country dearly!”

        Battleground State Sides With Trump In Latest Poll

        By
        Madeleine Jackson
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        2

        Former President Donald Trump is seeking to rewin North Carolina as he aims to retake the Oval Office.

        A new poll from Quinnipiac University is the latest survey to indicate Trump with a slight edge over Biden in the crucial southeastern battleground state.

        Fox News has more:

        Trump grabs the support of 48% of registered voters in the survey, with Biden two points back at 46%, in a head-to-head 2024 election rematch. 

        The survey, conducted April 4-8 and released on Wednesday, indicates Democrats overwhelmingly backing Biden (95%-2%) and Republicans supporting Trump by a similar margin (94%-3%), with the former president holding a 49%-41% lead over his White House successor among independents. 

        Trump also has the edge over Biden when the matchup is expanded to include independent and third party candidates. Trump stands at 41% in the poll, with Biden at 38%, independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at 12%, and Green Party candidate Jill Stein and independent Cornell West each at 3%.

        While the poll suggests the presidential contest for North Carolina’s 16 electoral votes remains tight, it indicates that Democratic state attorney general Josh Stein holds an eight point (52%-44%) lead over Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson in the showdown for governor.

        ‘No Brainer’ Former ESPN Host Says 2024 Vote Is An Easy Decision

        By
        Madeleine Jackson
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        Jeff Kern, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

        Joe Biden’s incompetence should make the 2024 election an easy one…

        Former ESPN host Sage Steele told Fox News Digital that she is planning to vote for Trump in the next election, saying that she strictly focuses on policy not personality when casting her vote.

        “To me, Donald Trump is the obvious answer based on what he believes, what he can do, what he has shown that he can do starting with the defense of our country, our safety, etc. and nothing to do with the personal stuff. I don’t care anymore,” Steele said. “It’s about policy, not emotion. And that’s what I wish people could get over is that emotional stuff. It’s maddening.”

        Steele had a laundry list of reasons why she thought Biden has been so unpopular, which included inflation, the border crisis, how people feel less safe, as well as his “decline mentally.”

        “You can even go back to those Chinese balloons, you know, over our territory for over a week. And little things like that, that aren’t so little. If that’s happening, what else is happening?” Steele said. “So even people who don’t go deep and take deep dives on everyday politics and the goings-on across the country, you don’t need to take a deep dive to understand that we are in a dire situation. And to me, it really is now or never.”

        Steele also expressed her “fear” of the looming Biden-Trump rematch and how “we have seen the depths” to which Democrats have tried to keep the former president off the ballot. 

        “I’m nervous for him. Sometimes I get nervous for his safety. Honestly, like it’s crazy,” Steele said. “The 91 charges, and you know, all the lawsuits and awarding $83 million… What happened with the Fani Willis case. Like, I am blown away. Every time I think, ‘OL, this is a new low. It can’t go any lower.’ What happens?!”

        Potential McCarthy Replacement To Appear On Two Ballots

        By
        admin
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        0
        Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

        A California appellate court ruled Republican candidate Vince Fong can legally appear on both the state and federal congressional ballots this fall.

        Fong, a mentee and ex-staff member for former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), is running for his boss’ vacant seat.

        Prior to McCarthy’s resignation, Fong also filed to run for reelection in the California State Assembly, where he represents the Bakersfield area.

        California Secretary of State Shirly Weber (D) attempted to keep Fong out of the Congressional race, since he’d already declared for the state-level position and California law bars candidates from appearing twice. But, a judge ruled in late December that Fong could run.

        The Hill has more:

        Superior Court Judge Shelleyanne Chang ruled that Weber’s determination was “inapplicable” to Fong and said he could run in the 20th Congressional District. Chang noted that the law only applied to independent candidates for Congress, not partisan primaries.

        The 3rd Court of Appeals agreed Tuesday, ruling that since Fong was not “seeking to utilize the independent nomination process,” the statute did not apply to him.

        “If the Legislature wants to prohibit candidates from running for more than one office at the same election, it is free to do so,” the judges wrote. “Unless and until it does so, however, we must take section 8003 as we find it and enforce it as written.”

        If Fong wins both elections, he would resign from the Assembly and head to Congress. A special election would be held to fill the Assembly vacancy in 2025, Fong spokesperson Ryan Gardiner told the Los Angeles Times.

        Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News.

        Top Democrat Senate Recruit in Free-fall After Being Caught Using Racist Slur

        By
        Donny Ferguson
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        Ted Eytan from Washington, DC, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

        A top Democrat recruit for United States Senate has fallen behind his Republican opponent and is backing out of a Democrat debate after he used a racist slur in a congressional hearing.

        A planned April 23 debate between two Maryland Democrat candidates, Congressman David Trone and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, was canceled after Trone “refused to commit” in the wake of the incident.

        During a March 21 House Budget Committee hearing, Trone asked  about tax policy with Shalanda Young, who is both White House Director of the Office of Budget and Management, and black, “So this Republican j-gaboo that, it’s the tax rate that’s stopping business investment, it’s just completely faulty by people who have never run a business.”

        Trone says he meant to say “bugaboo,” but instead used a racial slur for black people when speaking to the black official.

        The incident could derail Trone, who is leading Alsobrooks in polls ahead of the May 21 primary to see who will succeed retiring three-term Democrat Senator Ben Cardin as the Democrat nominee.  Not only is Trone white and Alsobrooks black, in a state whose Democrat primary sees large black turnout.

        Trone, a millionaire businessman, has flooded TV with ads featuring black women supporting him. 

        Trone is still considered the favorite to win the Democrat nomination in the heavily Democrat state.

        But Trone’s expected easy win to claim the seat in November was upended when popular Republican former governor Larry Hogan jumped into the race.

        Hogan leads Trone by an average of 4.4% in polls of a hypothetical November matchup.

        Opinions expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of Great America News Desk. Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News.

        Report: Trump’s Shortlist For Treasury Secretary

          By
          Madeleine Jackson
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          2
          Image via Gage Skidmore Flickr

          Donald Trump has eyes set on the future.

          According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump is eyeing a number of high-profile Wall Street and Washington veterans as candidates for Treasury secretary if he wins another term in the White House.

          WSJ continues:

          The April 6 event in Palm Beach, Fla., is being hosted by billionaire hedge-fund manager John Paulson and co-chaired by investor Scott Bessent, both of whom have caught Trump’s eye as he weighs who he will nominate for key cabinet positions, according to people familiar with the matter.

          Other people Trump’s allies have discussed for Treasury secretary include: Robert Lighthizer, the former president’s top trade adviser; former Trump administration Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Jay Clayton; and JPMorgan Chase Chief Executive Jamie Dimon.

          The Trump campaign is also courting Blackstone CEO and former Trump donor Steve Schwarzman, who in 2022 broke with the former president, saying he planned to back “a new generation” of Republican leaders. Schwarzman hasn’t made a final decision but is considering supporting Trump’s re-election effort, according to people close to him. Some Trump advisers have also mentioned Schwarzman as a potential Treasury secretary.

          Former Trump Organization CFO Sentenced To Prison

          By
          Madeleine Jackson
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          2
          Image via Pixabay

          Former Trump Organization chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg has been sentenced to five months in prison for perjury stemming from former President Trump’s civil fraud case.  

          Weisselberg pleaded guilty to two counts of felony perjury last month as part of a plea deal with the Manhattan district attorney’s office. 

          The charges stemmed from a 2020 deposition with the New York attorney general’s office as it built its civil fraud case against the Trump Organization.

          The Hill has more:

          In his July 17, 2020, deposition with the attorney general’s office, state lawyers questioned Weisselberg over the size of Trump’s Manhattan triplex apartment in Trump Tower. The property was listed on the former president’s financial statements as 30,000 square feet in size but is actually less than 11,000 square feet.  

          Weisselberg told state lawyers he “didn’t find out about the error” in the triplex’s listed size until Forbes reported it and that he was never present when Trump described the size of the property. He has now admitted that both remarks were untrue. 

          The inquiry into Weisselberg’s perjury was spurred by his October testimony in the civil fraud trial, in which he was also a defendant. Without pleading guilty to a specific charge, he admitted as part of his plea deal that he falsely testified he “never focused” on the triplex throughout the course of his work for the Trump Organization. 

          Prosecutors with the district attorney’s office said in charging documents that the Trump Tower triplex’s size was “material” to the attorney general’s investigation. 

          The civil fraud trial ended earlier this year with a New York judge ruling that Trump and top executives, including Weisselberg, conspired to alter the former president’s net worth for tax and insurance benefits.  

          Weisselberg was ordered to pay more than $1.1 million, plus interest, and barred for three years from serving in top leadership positions in any New York corporation or business entity. He was also barred for life from serving “in the financial control function” of any New York business. 

          Trump was ordered to pay $454 million, plus interest, and faced similar business-related penalties.

          Weisselberg’s 5-month sentence marks his second stint in prison after the former CFO pleaded guilty in 2022 to evading nearly $2 million in taxes. He was sentenced to five months at the Rikers Island jail for tax evasion.

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

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