mark
Raw Story
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[l] at 4/17/24 9:56pm
Donald Trump on Wednesday struck out at jurors in his criminal case over alleged hush money payments and falsification of business records, leaving the internet to speculate about what will happen next.Trump earlier in the day quoted Fox News host Jesse Watters' apparent attack against "lying" jurors. Legal professionals suggested it was a clear violation of the gag order, and speculated that the judge will likely agree with the prosecutors' perspective on that topic.Social media users also chimed in on what it means.ALSO READ: Revealed: What government officials privately shared about Trump not disclosing financesHuffington Post reporter S.V. Date said, "Looks like someone's itching to check out Rikers for a bit.""Trump shares conspiracy theory about his jury," said the popular "Patriot Takes" account.@anyonewantchips wrote, "Trump just violated his gag order again by posting an attack on the jury. Time for Judge Merchan to lock him up."On the other side, Trump loyalist Tom Fitton had this to say about the post:"Trump raises questions about corruption in the jury selection process," he wrote Wednesday.Legal analyst and MSNBC host Katie Phang didn't hold back in her analysis, suggesting the former president tried to get around the gag order but ended up stepping in a trap instead."By 'reposting' or 'retyping' or 'quoting' those lies by Jess Watters, Trump thinks he's too clever by half," she wrote Wednesday evening. "He's in for a rude awakening."She then added, "He has violated the expanded gag order."

[Category: Rikers, Jury, Gag order, Trump]

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[l] at 4/17/24 9:31pm
Donald Trump will likely blame his latest jury attacks on the fact that he was merely quoting someone else, but that's not going to hold up before the judge in the former president's criminal case alleging hush money and a transactional cover-up, a legal expert said Wednesday. Trump earlier in the day posted a purported quote from a Fox News host, Jesse Watters, suggesting the jurors are lying to the judge in order to be placed on the case. Those comments had one former judge saying Trump was "dancing on the line" when it comes to his expanded gag order. Legal analyst and former prosecutor Renato Mariotti appeared on CNN on Wednesday to give his take on the jury attack. ALSO READ: A neuroscientist reveals how Trump and Biden's cognitive impairments are different For Mariotti, he says Trump is likely going to claim that he was merely quoting someone else. But he will have a difficult time making that argument, since the post wasn't shared directly, and was instead typed out, either by Trump or someone else in control of the ex-president's Truth Social account, Mariotti said. "In other words, you are endorsing or approving the statement adopting the statement of Jesse Watters," he said. "I think that's how the D.A. is going to argue it tomorrow -- the D.A.'s team -- and I think the judge is likely to agree." Watch the video below or click the link here.

[Category: Gag order, Judge, Judge merchan, Trump]

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[l] at 4/17/24 8:45pm
How many strikes will New York Judge Juan Merchan permit until he turns the screws on defendant Donald Trump's suspected violation of a gag order? Ret. Judge Jill Konviser, who served on the benches in both Manhattan and Brooklyn courts, suggested former President Donald Trump has been treated with kid gloves compared to others accused of crimes. "I think he's given an amazing amount of leeway and in that sense, you know we hear Trump talking about him being treated differently," she said during an appearance on CNN, regarding Merchan's patience and tolerance with Trump after two days of trial. "He's getting a benefit here because the judge is not holding his feet to the fire." ALSO READ: Revealed: What government officials privately shared about Trump not disclosing finances Konviser believes Merchan is trying to be even handed "to move this case forward" and because he "doesn't want any more stops." She suspects the clock is ever present for Merchan and so he "wants to get it over with." Prosecutors for District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office are angling to hit Trump with $1,000 sanctions for each of the three gag order violations they say Trump is responsible for. But Konviser believes Trump has been going too far. In fact, on Wednesday Trump quoted on Truth Social Fox News anchor Jesse Watters who said: “They are catching undercover Liberal Activists lying to the Judge in order to get on the Trump Jury." This particular post for Konviser is hard to not see as a violation. She said that Trump is "dancing on the line crossing the line" to add to his "tango lesson" last week with previous posts. "So I think the judge would be well within his rights to make that make that call now," she said, noting that Merchan has to be prudent to prevent a mistrial. "But what does it get him at the end of the day, we still want to get through this as quickly as possible." Watch below or click the link here.

[Category: Jury, Trump]

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[l] at 4/17/24 8:28pm
As a mutiny appears to be building from the right flank to clip House Speaker Mike Johnson from his post, the Louisianan is forging ahead to put a U.S. national security aid package to back war-torn Ukraine and Israel. One of those Republicans who has been an outspoken critic of Johnson is Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) who appeared on CNN's "The Lead" with Jake Tapper to express his souring on his fellow conservative colleague. "I would rather us do our job, try to move this stuff forward and work together, — but I will say I'm very disappointed in the speaker," he said. "This is a bridge too far in terms of where we're headed right now in terms of putting Ukraine first rather than America's borders first."ALSO READ: Revealed: What government officials privately shared about Trump not disclosing finances""I am sympathetic and open to having a conversation about Israel and Ukraine but only after you've done your job to secure the border in the United States; and so that's my starting place." A pink slip drumbeat has been increasing ever since Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) threatened to sack Johnson by filing a motion to vacate the speaker from office. The move is reminiscent of the fate that befell former speaker Kevin McCarthy last year. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) joined her in seeking Johnson's removal. "I asked him to resign," Massie told reporters on Tuesday. Johnson's response, according to Massie, was to say fat chance. "He said he would not." Greene reinforced her determination for a change of guard posting on Twitter/X: “Speaker Johnson must announce a resignation date and allow Republicans to elect a new Speaker to put America First and pass a Republican agenda.” “I am not resigning,” Johnson boomed after meeting with fellow House Republicans at the Capitol. “We are simply here trying to do our jobs,” Johnson said, adding that the talk of his demise as speaker were “absurd ... not helpful.” Roy wishes the speaker could return to his original stance of protecting America's borders first."I would love to do what we need to support Israel again... but in this $95 billion package there's $9 billion and humanitarian aid... which if you go look at it goes to fund Hamas," he told Tapper. "So if we funding Israel, I support it, but we're also funding Israel's enemies and funding has this is the kind of duplicitous crap the American people are tired of.""So I'd like to go back to the drawing board, pass Israel stand-alone and not have this package that has that funding and it did that i think is nefarious and focus on the border first."Watch below or click the link here.

[Category: Mike johnson, Trump, Chip roy]

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[l] at 4/17/24 7:58pm
Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-NY) went off on Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) in an interview with CNN's John King on Wednesday evening, pinning much of the congressional dysfunction on her and demanding she move on from her threats to call a vote to remove House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA).Greene has turned on Johnson as he faces pressure to bring a vote in the House on defense aid to Ukraine — something she adamantly opposes despite Johnson having loaded the proposed legislation with compromises to the far right, like making some of the aid into loans."I'm going to read some numbers that you know too well," said King. "These are more for our viewers. You went 51-49 — you're a freshman — you just want 51-49 while Biden carried your district, President Biden, by nearly five points in a presidential year, you're in a tough district."ALSO READ: A neuroscientist explains how Trump is using existential fear to win the election"What happens when you raise your hand in the room and say, people, people, if we keep up the circus, I won't be here next year?" King followed up."Well, I would offer to you that I truly don't make my decisions based on that, but there are good number of us who understand that we live in a divided nation," said Molinaro. "We have a bipartisan government and the only way good policy is going to be made better. The only way we're going to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, Israel and Ukraine, the only way we push back against evil like Putin, is to do an a bipartisan way, and I'll want to be judged by my ability and willingness to work across the aisle with anyone who's honest in earnest about solving the problems that face america and the people I serve."Regarding Greene, he added, "her theater in this constant effort to hold the Congress hostage has to come to an end. I'm gonna have no part in it and a good number of my colleagues, conservative and moderate, believe that enough is enough. It is time to move on and to move past this kind of nonsense."Watch the video below or at the link here. Marc Molinaro slams Marjorie Taylor Greene over speaker antics www.youtube.com

[Category: Marjorie taylor greene, Gop]

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[l] at 4/17/24 7:47pm
Donald Trump's repost of a Fox News host's hush money trial juror attack is pure juror intimidation, says CNN legal expert Jeffrey Toobin. "It's clearly, I think an attempt to intimidate jurors," he said while he appeared on CNN's "Anderson 360" Wednesday night. "And it is clearly barred by by the gag order in this case." The former president reposted on Truth Social a quote made by Fox News anchor Jesse Watters that reads: “They are catching undercover Liberal Activists lying to the Judge in order to get on the Trump Jury." ALSO READ: Revealed: What government officials privately shared about Trump not disclosing financesThat move may fly in the face of a gag order imposed by New York Judge Juan Merchan banning any public statements by defendant Trump aimed at witnesses, court staff, and prospective jurors along with family members of the judge and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Bragg has brought a 34-count criminal indictment for falsifying business records by attempting to buy the silence of both porn star Stormy Daniels and ex-Playboy playmate Karen McDougal in weeks leading up to the 2016 election. Trump has denied the affairs and pleaded not guilty. Toobin is convinced that Trump is living in a fabled existence, and has yet to grasp he on trial that could jeopardize his future freedom. "Donald Trump doesn't seem to realize that he is now a criminal defendant and criminal defendants have different and lesser rights than ordinary citizens," he said. "They are not allowed to interfere in in the trial process, especially when there is a gag order that specifically address attempts to intimidate jurors." "I mean, it is just not permissible and I think prosecutors who will have already asked to have him founded contempt for other violations where he's talked about witnesses. This in many respects is much more serious because judges take the jury and the integrity of the jury as almost sacrosanct and the idea that he's intimidating the jury is something that I think Judge Merchan is going to be very concerned about." The simple parroting of Watters comment could actually force a scheduled April 23 contempt hearing that Bragg's prosecutors called for to cite previous gag order violations to to be moved up.Watch below or click the link.

[Category: Trump]

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[l] at 4/17/24 7:12pm
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) is on the receiving end of attention from COVID vaccine conspiracy theorists after suffering from a medical emergency.According to Jason Salzman of the Colorado Times Recorder, "In the days after U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert was rushed into emergency surgery to remove a blood clot that threatened her life, the online underworld swirled with speculation that the clot resulted from Boebert receiving a COVID vaccination."In a recent interview with local radio host Jay Dee, the far-right lawmaker told the anti-vaccine crowd this was false — and reminded them that she was one of them.ALSO READ: Revealed: What government officials privately shared about Trump not disclosing finances“I’m not COVID vaxxed. So we can we can squash those rumors now,” said Boebert."Throughout the pandemic, Boebert repeatedly slammed efforts to control the virus, baselessly calling federal health officials 'needle Nazis,' saying that half of COVID relief funds would fund abortions, and lashing out at public health officials," noted the report. Ironically, however, Salzman added, rather than for vaccine recipients, "blood clots continue to be a concern for people who contract COVID" — and typically the worst symptoms of the COVID vaccine are just fatigue and muscle pain that clear up within a couple of days.Boebert, who had an exceptionally tight re-election contest in the 2022 midterm election and has been put on the back foot by a scandal involving lewd behavior on a theater date, is currently trying to jump ship to a more conservative district on the other side of Colorado.Vaccine conspiracy theorists, who gained new national prominence following the COVID pandemic, have often tried to blame any medical illness or death of public figures on the COVID vaccine — even when there is no evidence whatsoever. Following the death this month of controversial former football star O.J. Simpson from prostate cancer at age 76, far-right InfoWars webcaster Alex Jones baselessly fingered the COVID vaccine, posting that "Turbo Cancers are off the charts, and we warned you."

[Category: Covid, Covid19, Lauren boebert]

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[l] at 4/17/24 6:54pm
Former federal prosecutor Glenn Kirschner was struck by the "unusual" rapidity and method with which Judge Juan Merchan built out a jury in former President Donald Trump's criminal hush payment case in Manhattan — and in a newly released video, outlined what he believed it meant."We are knee-deep in jury selection in that New York courtroom in which Donald Trump is being tried in the first of his four criminal cases," he opened on his "Justice Matters" series.So far, a number of jurors have already been seated, despite Trump's efforts to interrogate them heavily about their social media usage, which ultimately led to exasperation from the judge. The selection process has gone quickly, Kirschner noted, with Merchan weeding out 50 at the start with the simple question of whether they felt they could be fair — something he added that he's never seen before.ALSO READ: Revealed: What government officials privately shared about Trump not disclosing financesMerchan, said Kirschner, is deviating from the norm because generally judges — including those he saw "over and over" when he worked as a prosecutor — don't instantly dismiss people who say they can't be fair and impartial, for example, in a homicide case involving a gun, where someone says they're too pro-gun or anti-gun to judge it fairly. Instead, these jurors usually get asked "follow-up questions" to "rehabilitate" them, he said. Merchan decided not to even try to do this, and spend "lots and lots of time" on them — which, Kirschner said, was a "wise choice."What this means, he said, is that the jurors are getting qualified "really fast" — with seven jurors already confirmed, "regular people" in including two lawyers, who have all said they can be fair even to a former president.Lawyers serving as jurors is also unusual, he said, because most prosecutors aren't comfortable with it because they don't want jurors who are "grading [their] performance." But Kirschner feels differently — "I generally like lawyers as jurors in my cases" because in his experience, lawyers on the jury can rein back in other jurors who are speculating about facts not in evidence and need to be reminded to follow the judge's instructions.Ultimately, Kirschner said, "I like what I've seen" so far from the prosecution, from Judge Merchan, and from the jurors. "I have a good feeling."Watch the video below or at the link here. Judge Merchan's unusual jury selection process, and what it means for Trump's first criminal trial www.youtube.com

[Category: Trump]

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[l] at 4/17/24 6:32pm
Donald Trump may have violated his gag order set by the New York judge in his criminal hush money trial by parroting a Fox New host's attack against potential jurors being seated in the case, according to a legal expert. On Wednesday, during a pause in proceedings where Trump is defending himself against a 34-count indictment that he falsified business records to bury alleged sexual affairs weeks before the 2016 election, the former president quoted Fox News host Jesse Watters stating: “They are catching undercover Liberal Activists lying to the Judge in order to get on the Trump Jury." For NYU professor and general counsel of the Department of Defense Ryan Goodman, this was a huge no-no. ALSO READ: Revealed: What government officials privately shared about Trump not disclosing finances "It is a very, very clear violation of the gag order," he told CNN's Erin Burnett on her show "Out Front." "The gag order's last provision says that Trump cannot make public statements about any prospective juror or any juror. Full stop." He continued: "It's not about his intent. It's not about making statements about jurors in order to interfere with a criminal proceeding, which is part of the gag order — he just cannot make public statements about them. He just did." The gag order was initially imposed on defendant Trump by New York Judge Juan Merchan to insulate witnesses, court staff, and jurors. But after Trump started a social media barrage against Merchan's political consultant daughter who did work for various Democratic candidates, he expanded the gag order terms to include family members of both the prosecutors and the judge. So Trump must "refrain" from "making or directing others to make public statements about any prospective juror or any juror in the is criminal proceedings," according to the document.The 45th president who is also the presumptive Republican nominee for president has been beside himself to lift the gag order so he can sound off at will about his disdain for the historic first criminal trial of a former president."I want to speak, or at least be able respond," he groused on Truth Social. "Election Interference! RIGGED, UNCONSTITUTIONAL TRIAL! Take off the Gag Order!!!"An April 23 hearing date was scheduled after Bragg's team requested Trump be held in contempt for violating the gag order three times before the most recent Truth Social post."This is going to come out next week," Goodman said, adding that Trump could be threatened with contempt and even jail time "if he continues to do this."Watch below or click here.

[Category: Gag order, Donald trump]

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[l] at 4/17/24 6:05pm
One of Donald Trump's big defenses in the hush money criminal case is the claim that he wanted to pay women off to keep it from his wife, Melania. One legal expert said that the claim won't stand up in court because Trump was trying to wriggle out of the hush money. Speaking on an MSNBC panel, former top Justice Department prosecutor Andrew Weissmann explained that the stories about Trump will be told "in gruesome detail." That piqued the interest of host Nicolle Wallace: "Like what?"ALSO READ: How a billionaire's privilege is taking down our republicWeissmann said that the seedy world of "catch and kill" stories from the National Enquirer would ultimately be a big part of the discussion."And why they decided, for instance, one of the key pieces of evidence for the D.A. seems to be to refute the idea that he wants to do this just to keep it from Melania is Donald Trump saying, 'Well, let's see if we could do this later and if I lose the election, who cares because I'm not doing this to keep it from my wife.'"Weissmann is citing Trump's comments to Michael Cohen not to pay the hush money until after November. If he lost, it wouldn't matter, but if he won, he still wanted to hide it. That shows it wasn't about his wife but about his campaign and his presidency, according to the expert."And on day one of this case, it was Monday," Weissmann continued. "The catch and kill was more than just catch and kill. It was, ironically, a fake news campaign. It was to keep information that was damaging to Donald Trump out. But I think we're going to hear a number of details that the D.A. is correct in what he's proffering about efforts to smear his opponents."Weissmann went on to say that one thing he anticipates they will hear is that Trump was being sent headlines to approve for the National Enquirer beforehand."I don't want to call this a major news outlet, but [it was] a media outlet in complete cahoots with a political campaign," Weissmann closed. See the video discussion below or click the link. How prosecutors will kill Trump's claim he was worried about Melania: Legal expert www.youtube.com

[Category: Defense, Melania, Trump]

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[l] at 4/17/24 5:39pm
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is in grave peril as renegade House Republicans are threatening to call a motion to remove him from power, exactly as they did for his predecessor Kevin McCarthy.The craziest part of this whole affair, analyst David Chalian told CNN's Jake Tapper on Wednesday, is that the far-right House rebels are throwing away the power of the entire GOP House majority in its current state — coming at a moment when they were just rebuked by the summary dismissal of their articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas."Let's just start with this moment in history, which I think it's fair to say, there [are] some Republicans in disarray," said Tapper.ALSO READ: 15 worthless things Trump will give you for your money"I mean, when you think about the first impeachment of a cabinet secretary in 150 years that several Republicans themselves said did not meet the threshold of high crimes and misdemeanors — the entire trial was done within 3.5 hours and so clearly Democrats weren't taking it seriously, but even some Republicans had didn't meet the threshold — you have Republicans, perhaps poised to oust their second speaker in six months' time.""Most conservative speaker in the modern history of this Congress!" interjected Tapper."As they are holding the majority of the House of Representatives, the one slice of government they're in charge of. And they may just go through this self-immolation exercise again of getting rid of its own speaker, all while the Republican nominee for president and the former president is sitting as a criminal defendant on trial in New York, awaiting jury selection to be completed in this first criminal case of his. It's just — it's a moment where you step back and say, you know, fiction writers would write each one of these things and you wouldn't believe it's all happening in the same day."Watch the video below or at the link here. David Chalian says House Republicans are committing "self-immolation" www.youtube.com

[Category: Mike johnson, Gop]

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[l] at 4/17/24 5:11pm
Donald Trump desperately wanted to know if his daughter and allies were watching CNN's Anderson Cooper interview former Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal as she gave her side of the story about an alleged 15-month affair.The tale came in a passing comment from conservative lawyer George Conway, previously married to Kellyanne Conway. The story, he explains, illustrates just how worried Trump was about the news story. McDougal was given a contract by David Pecker, a close friend of Trump's and CEO of AMI, the parent company of the National Enquirer. Meanwhile, Stormy Daniels was given a similar amount of money through a check from Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen. Read Also: No, Donald Trump, fraud is not protected by the First Amendment"There is a vantage point where you have — where you sort of had maybe more intimate knowledge to what Trump was seeking to keep hidden as a candidate in that transition period before you became one of the loudest voices warning us," MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace said to Conway. She then asked how bad the affair stories were for him. "I think it is pretty bad. I think he was very concerned about it," Conway said of Trump. "I'll tell a story I haven't told too publicly before: I remember that evening when Anderson Cooper interviewed McDougal. I was sitting at dinner with my ex-wife, Jared and Ivanka Trump, and the phone rang."He continued: "She went into the kitchen and answered the phone. 'Oh! It's Daddy!' And what did he want to know? Whether they were watching Karen McDougal. So, he was very, very concerned about it."Trump's trial in New York over the scheme with Stormy Daniels is scheduled to begin on Monday on April 22. See the video below or click here. 'Oh! It's Daddy': Ivanka got a call asking if she was watching affair accuser interview youtu.be

[Category: Ivanka, Trump]

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[l] at 4/17/24 4:46pm
Donald Trump is already sharing "fake allegations about jurors" in his criminal hush money case, a former federal prosecutor said on Wednesday.Trump made history this week when he became the first former president to face criminal trial after jury selection began in the case accusing the ex-president of falsifying business records to hide an affair from the public ahead of the election. Before the fog has even settled on the jury selection, the former president is now coming directly for those jurors, according to MSNBC legal analyst Joyce Vance.For his part, Trump quoted Fox News host Jess Watters.ALSO READ: 15 worthless things Trump will give you for your money"'They are catching undercover Liberal Activists lying to the Judge in order to get on the Trump Jury,' Jesse Watters," Trump wrote on his own social media network, Truth Social, Wednesday. He didn't add further context.But Vance thought that was inappropriate behavior coming from a criminal defendant."Trump is now 're-truthing' fake allegations about jurors," she wrote on Wednesday. "A fully jury isn't even sworn in and he's already coming for them."Democrat Harry Sisson called it "jury intimidation.""This is absolutely jury intimidation," he said. "This is against the rules of the court and Donald Trump should be held accountable for it. No more playing games."

[Category: Jury, Trump]

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[l] at 4/17/24 4:27pm
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) complained that Democrats had ignored Senate procedures after they voted down two articles of impeachment against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.In a vote along party lines, Democrats managed to table the two articles of impeachment. Republicans cried foul because the move circumvented a Senate trial."We've set a very unfortunate precedent here," McConnell said following the vote. "This means that the Senate can ignore, in effect, the House's impeachment.""And by doing what we just did, we have, in effect, ignored the directions of the House, which were to have a trial," he added. "No evidence, no procedure, this is a day that's not a proud day in the history of the Senate."In a move that broke Senate precedent, then-Majority Leader McConnell refused to grant a hearing to Merrick Garland, President Barack Obama's nominee for the Supreme Court in 2016. The decision marked a significant shift in the handling of Supreme Court nominations.ALSO READ: Revealed: What government officials privately shared about Trump not disclosing financesIn August 2016, McConnell expressed pride in blocking Obama's nominee, a sentiment echoed by the 11 Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee who also opposed any proceedings for Garland."One of my proudest moments was when I looked Barack Obama in the eye and I said, 'Mr. President, you will not fill the Supreme Court vacancy,'" McConnell said in a speech at the time.Critics called the minority leader hypocritical after his remarks on Wednesday."Isn't Mitch McConnell being rather hypocritical in saying the Senate should have respected the wishes of the House for an impeachment trial?" Ben McCrory asked on X (formerly Twitter)."McConnell can shove it on precedence and the institution. He’s done enough to break that body and this country," another commenter wrote.Watch the video clip below or click the link.

[Category: Mitch mcconnell]

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[l] at 4/17/24 4:20pm
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) was confronted by CNN's Jake Tapper on Wednesday morning about how exactly he plans to fend off the motion to remove him from power being planned by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and her allies, and whether he has looked for any votes from Democrats to save him in the midst of a critically narrow House majority.Johnson had few answers to any of these questions."I'm wondering, have you talked to Democrats at all about if that happens and if some of these Republicans voted to remove you as speaker — and it's this is not a hypothetical, it looks like this actually might happen — will Democrats vote to keep you as speaker?" asked Tapper.ALSO READ: Who will Robert F. Kennedy Jr. hurt more in Election 2024? History has an answer4"I've not asked any Democrats to get involved in that," said Johnson. "I believe the House will do its will." He added, "We live in a very divided time and very divisive policy ticks and the age of social media, 24-hour news cycle, where everybody can express their opinions every moment of the day about things that are disgruntled about, it makes a lot of challenges. But we're going to get through this. Listen, we are the greatest nation in the history of the world, okay? We are going to show that we're going to keep the train on the tracks and not get derailed and get involved in all this at such a dangerous time on the world stage. And look ... I don't walk around thinking about the motion to vacate. It's a procedural matter here that I think has been abused in recent times. Maybe at some point we change that. But right now, I gotta do my job and so do all my colleagues and I'm confident in the end of the day, in spite of all the drama and all the palace intrigue, I think we're going to get that done.""Well, whoever — I mean, if they bring the motion to vacate forward, there aren't enough Republicans, there aren't 218 or whatever Republicans," said Tapper. "Somebody's going to need Democrats ... if you win and keep your job, if there is a motion to vacate, it will be with Democratic support, or these people who are who rebelled against Kevin McCarthy and thought voting with Democrats was the worst thing in the world will also use Democratic votes.""Jake, I don't know what's gonna happen," said Johnson. "I'm not focused on that. I'm focused on doing my job. Look, when you do the right thing, you let the chips fall where they may. I mean, that's that's how that's my life philosophy ... we tried to get the best possible outcome for the American people, to move the ball forward for the American people. And I've got to stay focused on that every day and not, not all the drama that's that's my answer."Watch the video below or click here. Jake Tapper confronts Mike Johnson about vacate motion www.youtube.com

[Category: Jake tapper, Mike johnson]

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[l] at 4/17/24 3:54pm
Melania Trump is standing by her man while he faces his first criminal trial, but behind-the-scenes she's fuming their son Barron was thrust into headlines. "He talked about missing Barron's graduation to the cameras and then again on Truth Social because it caused a lot of coverage about that and it's just not something she would have liked," Trump's former White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham told The Daily Mail. "No reason to put such a happy occasion into new stories like that, which will follow their son everywhere. "I thought it was incredibly selfish of him to use Barron in that way."Indeed, a furious Trump strolled to the media scrum outside his courtroom in the corridor of 100 Centre Street on Monday to gripe. He said, "It looks like the judge will not let me go to the graduation of my son who's worked very, very hard.""He's a great student and he's very proud of the fact he did so well and was looking forward for years to having his graduation with his mother and father there, and it looks like the judge isn't going to allow me to escape this scam, it's a scam trial."The public display that incidentally plotted Barron in a political pickle was undoubtedly something that's miffing Melania, who has long been known to be very protective of their son. "She's family person and it's normal that would make someone sad," a source told The Mail.The 45th president is facing 34 criminal counts in an indictment brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg suggesting he tried to bury revelations of an alleged sexual affair with porn star Stormy Daniels and eliminate the publication in the National Enquirer of another conquest with ex-Playboy playmate Karen McDougal.He charges Trump with fraudulently falsifying New York business records to "conceal crimes that hid damaging information from the voting public during the 2016 presidential election."The trial has recorded two days and already seated seven jurors. The potential shame brought on by the sordid details of the trial have built up some to wonder why the former First Lady isn't by his side. But according to The Mail, Melania is very much supporting him, despite experiencing humiliation once the initial reports of $130,000 payments to Daniels splashed in the news in 2018. So much so that she traveled separately from her POTUS husband when he delivered the State of the Union address."She's not going anywhere," a source close to the Trumps told the outlet. "They're going through it together.""She's been that rock of the family."

[Category: Barron trump, Melania, Trump]

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[l] at 4/17/24 3:41pm
Former President Donald Trump is toying with the idea of promising a large tax cut for the middle class as part of his 2024 re-election campaign — and one way he might do it is to raid the funding for Social Security and Medicare.According to Gram Slattery of Reuters, "Donald Trump has indicated to advisers he is keen on a new middle-class tax cut should he return to the White House, two people familiar with the discussions said, an initiative that could appeal to voters but could also worsen America's yawning budget deficit. Among the ideas that advisers have presented to the former president is a cut to the federal payroll tax, said one of those people, a move that could lower the flow of money into the Social Security and Medicare trust funds and open Trump to criticism from Democrats that he is torpedoing the safety net for elderly Americans."Trump has not settled on the idea of cutting the money from payroll taxes, noted the report — however, "he is open to the idea."ALSO READ: Who will Robert F. Kennedy Jr. hurt more in Election 2024? History has an answer."Other ideas that Trump's close economic advisers are discussing include an increase in the so-called standard deduction on year-end tax returns and a cut to the marginal income tax rate for middle-income households, one of the people with knowledge of those conversations said," the report noted. "It was unclear if either of those ideas had been presented to Trump directly."The former president is no stranger to tax cuts. In his first term, one of his most significant legislative accomplishments was a sweeping tax package that cut over a trillion dollars from individual and corporate income taxes, as well as a number of other changes to the tax code like a limit on deductions for state and local taxes. This bill broadly lowered taxes for almost all Americans, but the vast majority of the benefits flowed to the top 1 percent of income earners, making it controversial.Trump himself has often been accused of tax evasion in his personal finances, including about a mysterious loan raised during his civil fraud trial in New York that may not in fact exist.

[Category: Medicare, Social security, Social security benefits, Trump]

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[l] at 4/17/24 3:26pm
Lincoln Project co-founder George Conway poked fun at Donald Trump Wednesday, suggesting it was easy for the conservative attorney to trigger the former president."You have an interesting perspective on how thin-skinned Donald Trump is," MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace told Conway. "Your tweets drove him bat s--t crazy.""He can't help it!" Conway exclaimed. Trump, he said, "hate watches" MSNBC. Trump is known for attacking the network as being nothing more than a branch of the Democratic Party. "He might be watching right now," Conway chuckled. "And probably throwing something at the television. I don't know. He can't help himself — but [to] emotionally react to things. And one of the things is that he's a narcissistic sociopath, and everyone has to get used to it [as] the reason why you [cannot] normalize him. You can't treat him like a normal human being because he is not. He is unwell."According to Conway, it's why Trump can't follow directions from his attorneys, even if it is in his own interest. That was on full display during the E. Jean Carroll trial. In that case, Trump reportedly fired his lawyer, Joe Tacopina, who had been blocking Trump from saying or doing anything publicly on the matter so as to protect himself from further litigation. Once Tacopina was gone, Trump began posting online and acting out in court. "He played right into the plaintiff's hands in the E. Jean Carroll case," said Conway. "They're trying to show he's a jerk, and he acts like a jerk in front of the jury, and he showed disrespect for the jury. And the fact of the matter is, he's saying, 'None of this ever happened.' Well, okay. Where is your testimony? Where is your testimony?"What he found the most interesting, Conway continued, is that he can get the best advice from the highest-paid lawyers in the country, and it can still be one person needling him on television that triggers a response. "He will be told it is insane for any lawyer to give him advice to testify in his own defense. But then, you know, what is going to happen when someone like me goes on a show and says, 'Donald, Donald, you're scared! Your lawyers are making you look scared.'"See the discussion in the video below or click here. George Conway pokes Trump: I can get in his head by announcing 'you're scared' to testify youtu.be

[Category: George conway, Trump]

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[l] at 4/17/24 3:11pm
GOP Sen. J.D. Vance is urging his fellow Republicans in the House to block Speaker Mike Johnson's foreign aid plan -- a move characterized in a news report as "an uncommon effort by a member of one chamber to sway policy across the Capitol." In remarks before the Republican Study Committee this Wednesday, Vance argued that aside from aid to Israel, there was no reason to advance any other aid bills, such as the ones pertaining to Ukraine and Taiwan, until Republicans score a victory on border security, according to sources speaking to Politico. "Vance is one of the Hill’s most active critics of new Ukraine aid, and he joined other conservatives in opposing a border security deal that emissaries from both parties negotiated to hitch a ride on a foreign aid bill," Politico's report stated. "His views got backup during the RSC meeting from Stephen Miller, a former senior adviser to Donald Trump who was the group’s other speaker." But according to those present at the hearing, some of the House members present at the hearing "scoffed" at Vance's attempt to comment on their chamber’s business.ALSO READ: Trump campaign tells GOP candidates he's taking a cut of their cash if they use his name“What does he know?” about House procedures, one lawmaker reportedly asked. A spokesperson for RSC said Vance's comments were just another example of conservatives having "open and honest discussions with our members.""Today was no different. We appreciate Senator Vance and Stephen Miller taking the time to share their points of view,” said spokesperson Miranda Dabney."The criticism comes as Johnson presses forward with his aid plan as an ouster threat led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) looms in the background. Earlier this week, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) became the second Republican to join Greene in backing a proposal to boot the speaker, though it’s not clear how soon the duo might try to force a vote on their plan," Politico reported.

[Category: J.d. vance, Trump]

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[l] at 4/17/24 2:55pm
Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) extended Wednesday a tender hand toward a fellow House representative he feared was suffering after a grievous loss. That representative was Rep. James Comer (R-OH) — and after a less-than-successful battle of wits against Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) — the loss was the pretense he'll ever impeach President Joe Biden, Moskowitz explained. "I think it’s important that together as a committee that we begin Chairman Comer’s therapy session," the Democrat said. "Chairman Comer has suffered tremendous loss...that is the loss, obviously, of his impeachment hearing."Moskowitz was riffing off a spat between Raskin and Comer that saw both men telling the other to seek therapy during a House Oversight Committee hearing on China. "You need therapy," Raskin told Comer. "You're the one who's involved with the deranged politician, not me, okay?...I've divorced myself from Donald Trump a long time ago."ALSO READ: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez takes 'victory lap' after making GOP see red over tiny green pinsIn his testy battle, Raskin also threatened him with what one political news hound dubbed "Comer Kryptonite': Moskowitz."If Biden took a bribe, why aren’t you impeaching him?" Raskin demanded. I can invite Mr. Moskowitz to come back in. Do you want to move for impeachment today?"On social media, Moskowitz responded by sharing a "Lord of the Rings" gif in which robed men with lengthy beards declare "the beacons are lit!"In the House, Moskowitz asked Comer to consider one of the stages of grief: denial. "The only way we as a committee are going to help Chairman Comer get better is we have to get to the root cause," he said. "I want to talk about denial, the denial that the impeachments aren't over."Moskowitz was not the only person to watch Raskin and Comer's war of the minds and respond with a joke at Comer's expense. "Can we please have a moment of silence for the complete loss of Comer's dignity and self-respect?" @kepi1107 replied. "One moment..please."X user @KingSafdar441 had advice for Comer on how to cope with his loss: "Injecting humor into tense situations can help foster a more productive atmosphere for dialogue and decision-making."Moskowitz's remarks received criticism from X user Rose Cathy. "He is making me start feeling sorry for Comer," she wrote on Wednesday. "That's not okay."

[Category: Moskowitz, James comer]

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[l] at 4/17/24 2:12pm
The campaign for Donald Trump's 2024 presidential bid has come up with a new way to raise cash — which involves calling on down-ballot candidates who use his name and likeness in fundraising pushes to give him a cut of the money they raise. “Beginning tomorrow, we ask that all candidates and committees who choose to use President Trump’s name, image, and likeness split a minimum of 5% of all fundraising solicitations to Trump National Committee JFC. This includes, but is not limited to, sending to the house file, prospecting vendors, and advertising,” Trump co-campaign managers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita wrote in a letter reported on by Politico. “Any split that is higher than 5% will be seen favorably by the RNC and President Trump’s campaign and is routinely reported to the highest levels of leadership within both organizations," the letter added. Also read: Prosecutors outline ammo they'll hit Trump with if he takes stand in hush money trialAccording to reports, Trump is having trouble closing a fundraising gap with President Joe Biden, whose campaign has raised over $190 million, which is more than double what Trump has raised. The letter was sent out the same week Trump's New York hush money criminal trial began, a hearing expected to last six to eight weeks which is expected to hamper his presence on the campaign trail since he's required to be in court for each session. "Down-ballot Republican candidates and committees have long used Trump in fundraising appeals, recognizing that he has support among the party’s small-dollar fundraising base. But in the letter, Wiles and LaCivita reiterated their request that Republicans 'avoid' using certain 'language and tactics' while using Trump’s name, image and likeness," Politico's report stated. The letter warns that, “Any vendor whose clients ignore the guidelines mentioned above will be held responsible for their clients’ actions,” and that, “Repeated violations will result in the suspension of business relationships between the vendor and Trump National Committee JFC. This includes list rental agreements.”Read the full report over at Politico.

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