Home Blog Page 60

Trump Appeals $454M Civil Fraud Judgement

0
Gavel via Wikimedia Commons Image

On Monday, former President Trump’s lawyers urged an appeals court to toss out the nearly half-billion dollar judgment against him in his New York civil fraud case, calling it an “unauthorized, unprecedented power-grab” by the state’s attorney general.

The Hill reports:

“Based on the ruling in this case, no company will want to come to New York to do business, and many businesses are fleeing,” Trump’s attorneys wrote in paperwork filed with the state’s mid-level appeals court. “The economic aspects of this decision are a disaster for New York. NYAG has used the statute in a way never seen before.”

The former president’s appeal arguments echoed those he made at trial, including that banks wanted to work with the Trump Organization, did their own due diligence and found no fraud. Trump’s attorneys also contended that there were “no victims and no losses” from the company’s business deals, describing the former president as “among the most visionary and iconic real estate developers in American history.”

“If Appellants’ conduct constituted ‘fraud’ under § 63(12), then that word has no meaning, and NYAG’s power to seize and destroy private businesses is boundless — and standardless,” the attorneys wrote.

In addition to the multimillion-dollar judgment, Trump was barred from holding top leadership positions at any New York company for three years.

In a statement, Trump attorney Chris Kise called the former president a “visionary and iconic real estate titan who has been baselessly pursued and persecuted” by James. He also condemned the judgment as “draconian, unlawful and unconstitutional.”

“During 44 days of trial, not one witness, not one complaint, and not one victim supported Letitia James’ manufactured claims of ‘fraud,’” Kise said. “To the contrary, the evidence established President Trump’s net worth far exceeded what was reported in his financial statements and the sophisticated bankers involved pursued and enjoyed a long and satisfactory business relationship with him as a prized client.”

Report: Trump Team Reportedly Rejected RFK Jr’s Offer To Trade An Endorsement For Government Position

3
Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

A surprising development…

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. held talks with Donald Trump’s team about a potential endorsement and job in the former president’s second administration, according to a report from The Washington Post.

The Post’s Josh Dawsey and Michael Scherer, citing four people familiar with the situation, reported on Monday that conversations about a Kennedy Jr. endorsement began shortly after the attempted assassination of Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania earlier this month.

Mediaite has more:

“I have a lot of respect for President Trump for reaching out to me. Nobody from the DNC, high or low, has ever reached out to me in 18 months. Instead they have allocated millions to try to disrupt my campaign,” Kennedy Jr. said.

The independent presidential candidate would only say about the conversations that “I am willing to talk to anybody from either political party who wants to talk about children’s health and how to end the chronic disease epidemic.”

According to the report from the Post, there were “concerns” among Trump advisors that Kennedy Jr. could be too problematic.

“President Trump met with RFK and they had a conversation about the issues just as he does regularly with important figures in business and politics because they all recognize he will be the next president of the United States,” a Trump spokesperson said.

Popular Lawmaker Firmly Rejects Harris VP Nomination Speculation

1
Gage Skidmore Flickr

He’s not interested…

Over the weekend, Independent Sen. Joe Manchin (W.V.) shot down rumors he may join Kamala Harris on the campaign trail as her running mate.

When asked on “CNN This Morning” if he would consider running as VP with Harris — whom Biden endorsed to replace him on the ticket — Manchin said, “No, I’m not.”

“It’s a new generation, you don’t want a 76-year-old vice president right now,” he continued.

CNN anchor Kasie Hunt then asked if the nation wants a 76-year-old president, following reports that Manchin is considering reregistering as a Democrat to run against Harris for the nomination.

“Well, if he feels like he’s 50 maybe,” Manchin quipped.

“I haven’t worked with Kamala at all,” he later added.

Manchin, a longtime Democrat, switched to an independent in May and floated a primary bid against Biden, but he ultimately decided against it.

“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” Biden wrote in a letter posted to social media.

The president said he will address the nation later this week to discuss his decision to ultimately drop out.

Hours before Biden’s announcement, Manchin became the fifth senator to call on Biden to leave the presidential race.

“I came to the decision with a heavy heart that I think it’s time to pass the torch to a new generation,” Manchin told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union.”

“I want him [Biden] to be the president in the last five months … of his term, to do what he can do is unite our country, to calm down the rhetoric and be able to focus attention to peace in the world,” the senator added.

Trump Labels Biden Withdrawl A ‘Coup’ – Insists On Invoking 25th Amendment

0
The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Senator JD Vance, blasted the Democratic party for leading a “coup” against President Joe Biden during an interview with Fox News host Jesse Watters.

The interview was taped before news broke Sunday that Biden was withdrawing from the 2024 general election and endorsing his Vice President Kamala Harris as the new presumptive nominee.

Watters asked Trump if he’d investigate “the people that hid Joe Biden’s condition,” to which Trump agreed he would, citing White House doctors who “keep giving him this wonderful report.”

Watters asked if Biden’s bowing out was a “coup against Joe Biden?” Trump responded with “sort of” before Vance gave his own opinion and proposed invoking the 25th amendment. “If Joe Biden can’t run for president, he can’t serve as president.”

Watch:

Read a transcript of the interview below:

TRUMP: Well, I think somebody has to look at it. Look, you had people that lied to the American public. And I tell you what. You ought to take a look at his doctors because his doctors keep giving him this wonderful report. I’m not a doctor, but I saw him the other day, was unable to get up the children stairs going into Air Force One.

WATTERS: Is it a coup against Joe Biden?

TRUMP: Sort of.

VANCE: Yeah, I think it is. I mean, look, there’s a constitutional process, the 25th amendment. If Joe Biden can’t run for president, he can’t serve as president. And if they want to take him down because he’s mentally incapable of serving, invoke the 25th amendment. You don’t get to sort of do this in the most politically beneficial way for Democrats. If it’s an actual problem, they should take care of it the appropriate way.

White House sources reportedly indicated that President Joe Biden’s hesitation to drop his re-election bid stemmed partly from concerns about Vice President Kamala Harris’ ability to defeat former President Donald Trump in an election.

Axios reporter Alex Thompson said that three of Biden’s aides familiar with private talks about his plans relayed to him the president’s concerns about Harris as a viable nominee this November in an article published just one day after Biden announced he was dropping out and endorsed his vice president.

Former President Obama has refrained from endorsing Harris explicitly and remarked in a statement on Sunday: “We will be navigating uncharted waters in the days ahead. But I have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges.”

Biden Drops Out Of 2024 Race

2
The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

President Joe Biden has officially withdrawn from the 2024 race in a stunning development.

Biden, 81, announced Sunday he will no longer seek another four years in office after his physical and mental acuity were called into question following a primetime debate that broadcast to the world his repeated struggles to finish sentences, giving confused looks and fumbling through his answers.

The Hill reports:

“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” Biden wrote in a letter posted to social media.

President Joe Biden delivers remarks in National Statuary Hall on the one-year anniversary of the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, Thursday, January 6, 2022, in Washington, D.C. (Official White House Photo by Cameron Smith)

The president said he would address the nation later in the week about his decision. He did not immediately endorse Vice President Harris or any other candidate to be the party’s nominee in November.

“For now let me express my deepest gratitude to all those who have worked so hard to see me reelected,” Biden wrote. “I want to thank Vice President Kamala Harris for being an extraordinary partner in all this work. And let me express my heartfelt appreciation to the American people for the faith and trust you have placed in me.”

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


Man Arrested For Alleged Death Threats Against Trump, Vance

3
Police image via Pixabay free images

Authorities have arrested a Florida man who threatened to kill former President Donald Trump his running mate J.D. Vance and their families.

The Jupiter Police Department announced that 68-year-old Michael M. Wiseman was arrested on Friday for charges for written threats to kill.

Fox News reports:

Authorities alleged that Wiseman wrote threats against the Republican presidential nominee and vice presidential nominee on his Facebook account and also made to members of the Trump and Vance families.

The police department said it was notified of the threats, including bodily harm, by multiple members of the community.

“JPD coordinated the investigation with the United States Secret Service and the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office,” the department said. “JPD officers took Wiseman into custody without incident.”

The threat came just days after Trump was shot at during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

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

MAGA Congresswoman Nominates Herself For Cabinet Role

4

Now that Trump is the official presidential nominee Republicans are floating ideas for critical leadership positions.

During an interview, Colorado Congresswoman Lauren Boebert (R) floated herself as a potential candidate for U.S. Secretary of Interior.

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

Native Voice One, a radio network that says it serves to bring Native voices to the world, spoke to Boebert on the third day of the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee.

While Native Voice One was holding a live show from inside the RNC, Boebert walked by the hosts. She was asked who she thought should be the interior secretary under the Trump administration.

“I think Lauren Boebert needs to be the secretary of interior,” she said, followed by a laugh. “President Trump, I would like to be secretary of interior.”

Boebert went on to express her feelings on the position.

“I think this is actually one of the most important agencies within the federal government. Public lands are something that are very dear to me and I’ve spent a lot of time on our tribal lands with our chairman and our councilmembers with the Mountain Utes and the Southern Utes,” said Boebert.

The Department of the Interior is responsible for the management and conservation of federal lands and natural resources.

Trump Recounts Harrowing Shooting While Accepting GOP Nomination

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

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

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: