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Senate Campaign Arm Files Brief To Keep Trump On Colorado Ballot

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    Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC via Wikimedia Commons

    The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) and Montana Sen. Steve Daines (R) have filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court to keep Donald Trump on Colorado’s primary ballot.

    Daines’s amici curiae — or friend-of-the-court — brief is part of a broader Republican backlash against the Colorado Supreme Court’s ruling that Trump violated the Constitution’s insurrection clause.

    Daines, the chair of the Senate Republican campaign arm, argues the Colorado Supreme Court’s ruling “breaches” the Constitution’s “bedrock guarantee of American democracy.”

    According to The Hill, Daines and the NRSC wrote that they have “a unique and profound interest” in the case because they support and seek to uphold the rights of all American citizens to vote for the candidate of their choice, arguing the Colorado court decision deprives Americans of that right.

    They argue that even if Section 3 of the 14th Amendment bars Trump from holding office, it does not bar him from appearing on the ballot, and that it is solely the prerogative of Congress to disqualify him from the Oval Office if he wins the election.  

    “So even if the Colorado Supreme Court were correct that President Trump cannot take office on Inauguration Day, that court has no basis to hold that he cannot run for office on Election Day and also seek removal for any alleged disqualification from Congress if necessary,” they wrote.

    Daines announced last month he would file a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court asking it to reverse the Colorado court’s decision, which he called “a disgrace to our country and our democracy.” 

    Blue State Joins Effort To Boot Trump Off Primary Ballot

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    Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Massachusetts has become the latest state to try and boot former President Donald Trump from the state’s primary ballot.

    On Thursday, Free Speech For People and a Massachusetts-based civil rights firm filed a lawsuit on behalf of voters trying to prohibit Trump from appearing on the ballot under the U.S. Constitution’s insurrection clause of the 14th Amendment.

    According to The Washington Examiner, in a Thursday filing to the Massachusetts Ballot Law Commission, the groups said the Republican front-runner, “through his words and actions, after swearing an oath as an officer of the United States to support the Constitution, engaged in insurrection or rebellion, or gave aid and comfort to its enemies, as defined by Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment,” and he is, therefore, ineligible to hold office.

    “Donald Trump violated his oath of office and incited a violent insurrection that attacked the U.S. Capitol, threatened the assassination of the Vice President and congressional leaders, and disrupted the peaceful transfer of power for the first time in our nation’s history,” Ron Fein, Legal Director at Free Speech For People, said in a press statement.

    The advocacy group also filed a suit in Illinois on Thursday with Illinois co-counsel Hughes Socol Piers Resnick & Dym and election lawyer Ed Mullen.

    “Our country faces a crisis in Trump’s bid for reelection. We cannot let a candidate who revels in undermining the rule of law continue his candidacy in clear violation of a constitutional mandate. In Illinois, the electoral board has a mandatory duty to keep disqualified candidates off the ballot. As the growing consensus of legal decisions show, Trump engaged in insurrection; he cannot run for president,” attorney Caryn Lederer said in a press statement announcing the efforts in Illinois.

    Free Speech For People has also filed lawsuits on behalf of voters in Minnesota, Michigan, and Oregon. 

    Trump is appealing decisions in Colorado and Maine that are keeping him off the ballot.

    Stefanik Withdraws Endorsement Over Republican’s Anti-Trump Comments

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      Elise Stefanik with Donald Trump via Wikimedia Commons

      House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik was the bearer of bad news this week.

      Stefanik (N.Y.) announced she is revoking her endorsement of former Ohio state lawmaker Crag Riedel’s bid for Congress over his reported criticism of former President Trump.

      “Earlier this week, I informed Craig Riedel (OH-09) that I will be withdrawing my endorsement. I was very disappointed in his inappropriate comments regarding President Trump, Stefanik wrote Thursday in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. “As we begin 2024, my focus is on ensuring we nominate the strongest candidates on the ballot who are committed to electing President Trump this November and expanding our House GOP Majority.”

      Riedel came under fire last month after leaked audio showed the Ohio lawmaker was not interested in Trump’s support.

      In the audio, first obtained by the Charlie Kirk Show, Riedel was asked, “You’re not looking for a Trump endorsement, are you?” 

      “I’m not. We are not. Nope,” Riedel said.

      When asked if he is “making it a point that you don’t want Trump’s endorsement,” Riedel could be heard answering “yep.”

      He later goes on to say he dislikes the way Trump communicates and “calls peoples names,” and called the former president “arrogant.”

      However, despite Riedel’s private comments he later chose to endorse Trump and touted his record.

      Trump Legal Team Requests Judge Hold Jack Smith In Contempt

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      Image via Gage Skidmore Flickr

      Donald Trump’s legal team have asked Judge Tanya Chutkan to hold Special Counsel Jack Smith in contempt of court for continuing to submit filings following Chutkan’s stay order.

      Trump’s attorneys accuse Smith’s office of ignoring Chutkan’s ruling and want to block further filings with the federal election interference case on hold while Trump appeals a court ruling that struck down his presidential immunity defense.

      Smith recently requested the court limit Trump’s trial arguments.

      As Bloomberg reports:

      In a filing Thursday in Washington, Trump’s lawyers argued that Smith and his team wrongfully ignored a stay of the case by continuing to file new motions and serve thousands of pages of evidence on the defense during his appeal. Trump asked US District Judge Tanya Chutkan to order Smith to explain why he shouldn’t be held in contempt and sanctioned by the court.

      “The prosecutors have cast these hallowed mandates aside to score cheap political points against President Trump on behalf of the Biden Campaign,” Trump’s lawyers said in the filing. “In so doing, the prosecutors have repeatedly and willfully disregarded the Court’s explicit instructions.”

      The government has said in recent court filings that it would continue to meet some deadlines to ensure that the trial “proceeds promptly” if Trump’s appeal fails.

      Smith’s office declined to comment on Trump’s latest filing.

      The case is one of four Trump hopes to overcome in his third bid for the White House.

      This article was republished with permission from American Liberty News.

      Trump’s Attorney Confirms Trump Ballot Concerns

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      Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America,

      Trump will never let them see him sweat…

      Former President Trump’s attorney Alina Habba confirmed his concerns the Supreme Court will ultimately uphold Colorado and Maine’s decisions to boot Trump from the primary ballot.

      Responding to New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman’s recent comments about Trump’s concerns, Habba during an interview on Fox News said, “That’s a concern he’s voiced to me, he’s voiced to everybody publicly, not privately. And I can tell you that his concern is a valid one.”

      “You know, Republicans are conservative, they get nervous. They unfortunately … sometimes shy away from being pro-Trump because they feel that even if the law is on our side, they are swayed much like the Democratic side, right?” Habba told Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum. “So they’re trying so hard to look neutral that sometimes, they make the wrong call.”

      Last month, Colorado and Maine sparked swift backlash after ruling Trump is ineligible to be on the primary ballot under the 14th Amendment.

      Trump on Wednesday appealed Colorado’s ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court, one day after he appealed Maine’s decision.

      Three of the justices on the U.S. Supreme Court were appointed by Trump, a point of concern Haberman addressed last week.

      “They believe, generally speaking, he and his advisers, that they will have success at the Supreme Court, but he has also voiced some concern that a court that has — he appointed three of the justices at the Supreme Court and gave the conservatives a supermajority — he is concerned that they are going to look as if they’re trying not to rule in his favor and might rule against him,” Haberman said during a CNN appearance last week.

      However, both Trump and his legal team have reportedly privately voiced concerns the justices may “shy away from being pro-Trump.”

      Habba on Wednesday said she encourages the justices to “really look at the law in the Constitution.”

      “It’s a very clean cut,” she said. “There’s no … politics that should be involved in this. It’s just simply American, and if the justices read the law, as I do, as most Americans and attorneys do, even [Alan Dershowitz] — who’s a known liberal — it’s just a simple decision, and it should have nothing to do with if you’re Republican or Democrat.”

      Dershowitz last month called Colorado’s decision “an attempt to totally manipulate an amendment that was never designed to disqualify people in a future election,” Forbes reported.

      Multiple State Capitols Evacuated Due To Mass Email Threat

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      At least four state capitols were shut down and evacuated Wednesday following a mass email sent to several secretaries of state.

      The sender claimed to have placed explosives inside “your state capitol.”

      In recent days, California’s secretary of state said former President Donald Trump was eligible to run for public office, but Maine’s top election official disqualified him under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.

      Similar efforts are underway in other states.

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

      This story was republished with permission from American Liberty News.

      Republican Gov. Warns Against Haley For Vice President

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      South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) said former President Trump should not pick fellow GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley as his running mate.

      Noem was asked by Newsmax’s Eric Bolling if it would be a mistake if Trump chose Haley to be his vice presidential pick and she only has one answer. She quickly replied “yes.”

      “But if he picked her, I would tell him I disagreed with him. But then I would support the ticket, because he’s still the president and the president still makes the decisions,” Noem said Tuesday.

      The popular South Dakota Governor has previously said she would be Trump’s running mate “in a heartbeat.” In September, the former president said he likes “the concept” of a female vice president but hadn’t given much thought to whom he would choose.

      Noem is reportedly among a group of rumored candidates, including Haley.

      “And you know, I just, I’ve had a lot of disagreement with Nikki Haley over the years, and I just don’t know which Nikki Haley is going to show up every day,” Noem said, highlighted by Mediaite. “She’s a different person depending on whatever works for her political agenda.”

      “So, I just, what I love about President Trump, or what I think the American people love about President Trump, is that he’s just himself and he’s just genuine,” Noem continued. “He’s just a normal human being who tells the truth, and gets up every day fighting for people. He has no reason to do this job other than the fact that he really truly does believe in America. And he wants to put the people out there — they get up every day and go to work. He wants to put them first.”

      Judge Makes New Ruling In Jan. 6 Case

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      Gage Skidmore Flickr

      On Tuesday, a federal judge threw out most of the civil counts against former President Donald Trump in connection with the death of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick during the U.S. Capitol riots on Jan. 6.

      According to Fox News, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta dismissed three of the five civil counts in a lawsuit filed last January by Sandra Garza, Sicknick’s girlfriend in a 12-page ruling.

      Garza’s lawsuit against Trump and Jan. 6 rioters Julian Khater and George Tanios sought damages from all three men for claims of wrongful death, conspiracy to violate civil rights, and negligence per se.

      In his ruling Tuesday, Mehta dismissed the wrongful death act count and both negligence per se allegations.

      In a statement to Fox News Digital, Mark Zaid, an attorney representing Garza, said that they are “considering our next step options” to depose Trump. 

      “We are pleased to see that our lawsuit in pursuit of justice for the late Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who died in the aftermath of the January 6th insurrection, has been permitted to continue. We are now considering our next step options, to include deposing former President Trump,” Zaid said.

      Read the filing below:

      While a majority of the counts against trump were dismissed, Garza’s claims against the defendants under D.C.’s Survival Act and the conspiracy to violate a civil rights claim will proceed.

      The Survival Act allows an individual’s legal representative to pursue legal action on their behalf after their death.

      Trump Scores Endorsement From Top House Republicans

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

      Donald Trump is scoring endorsements left and right…

      On Tuesday, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), the No. 2 Republican in the House, endorsed former President Trump in his 2024 presidential bid.

      “I am proud to endorse Donald Trump for president in 2024, and I look forward to working with President Trump and a Republican House and Senate to fight for those families who are struggling under the weight of Biden’s failed policies,” Scalise wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

      In a statement reported by Fox News, Scalise focused on migration issues at the southern border and economic metrics during Trump’s first term in office.

      “The economy was strong and interest rates were low — grocery costs were affordable, and families could afford to buy a house and provide for their children,” Scalise said in the statement. “The border was secure and crime was down. America had secure energy policies, keeping gas and utility prices low.”

      And he hit President Biden on border enforcement.

      “Fiscal Year 2023 surpassed Fiscal Year 2022 as the worst year at the border with the most migrant encounters on record, 169 individuals on the terrorist watchlist apprehended attempting to enter illegally, and over 27,000 pounds of fentanyl seized by the CPB,” Scalise said. “In Joe Biden’s America, our communities aren’t safe.”

      On Wednesday, Trump solidified his support from House GOP leaders with Tom Emmer’s official endorsement.

      “Democrats have made clear they will use every tool in their arsenal to try and keep Joe Biden and his failed policies in power. We cannot let them. It’s time for Republicans to unite behind our party’s clear frontrunner, which is why I am proud to endorse Donald J. Trump for President,” Emmer said in a statement posted Wednesday to X, formerly known as Twitter.

      Emmer had previously indicated in an interview with The Hill last year that he might not endorse a candidate in the primary.

      Report: Shots Fired Inside Colorado Supreme Court

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      Police image via Pixabay free images

      A man is under arrest after firing gunshots inside the Colorado Supreme Court building. The alleged gunman broke into the building overnight, held a security guard at gunpoint and proceeded to open fire, state police said in a statement.

      Investigators do not believe the incident is related the previous threats to the Colorado Supreme Court justices who declared former President Donald Trump ineligible to run for reelection.

      Fox 31 Denver explains:

      According to the Denver Police Department, officers responded to a call at 1:15 a.m. about a two-car crash in the area of 13th Street and Lincoln. One of the drivers allegedly pointed a handgun at the other.

      A short time later, the Colorado State Patrol said the same suspect shot out a window on the east side of the Colorado Supreme Court building known as the Ralph L. Carr Judicial Center located at 2 East 14th Ave.

      The suspect then breached the building and came in contact with an unarmed security guard with the Colorado State Patrol Capitol Security Unit.

      CSP said the suspect held the security guard at gunpoint and demanded access to other parts of the building. The suspect obtained keys from the guard and accessed an unknown number of floors.

      After firing shots on the building seventh floor, the suspect called police and voluntarily surrendered.

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

      This article was republished with permission from American Liberty News.