Bragg Trial Judge Tells Trump Attorney He’s ‘Losing All Credibility’

Dmytro "Henry" Aleksandrov
-
0
Bragg Trial Judge Tells Trump Attorney He’s ‘Losing All Credibility’

(Dmytro “Henry” Aleksandrov, Headline USA) During Apr. 23, 2024, hearing to consider alleged violations of the gag order imposed on his client, Donald Trump’s defense attorney was told by Judge Juan Merchan that he was “losing all credibility.”

Trump’s attorney Todd Blanche argued that Trump did not violate the order, which restricts him from making statements about witnesses, prosecutors besides the district attorney, court staff and jurors, family members of the staff, district attorney or judge, according to the Daily Caller.

Prosecutors argued that Trump violated the order ten times and urged Merchan in court filings to impose the maximum $1,000 fine for each of his alleged violations.

“He’s allowed to respond to political attacks, Your Honor. There is no dispute that President Trump is facing a barrage of political attacks from all sides, including from the two witnesses referenced in the early post,” Blanche told the judge during the hearing, referring to pornstar Stormy Daniels and former Trump attorney Michael Cohen, two witnesses in the case who have frequently attacked Trump publicly, as “sleaze bags.”

Trump was being careful to comply with the order and was aware of what it prohibits, Blanche argued. The attorney also said that reposts are not subject to the order.

“You’re losing all credibility, I have to tell you right now. You’re losing all credibility with the court,” Merchan told Blanche.

On March 26, 2024, Merchan imposed the initial gag order on Trump and then expanded it on Apr. 1, 2024, to also restrict statements about “the family members of any counsel, staff member, the Court or the District Attorney.”

“This Court should warn the defendant that future violations of the Court’s restrictions on his extrajudicial statements can be punished not only with additional fines but also with a term of incarceration of up to thirty days,” District Attorney Alvin Bragg wrote in Apr. 15, 2024, filing.

College Hosts Professor Who Wants to ‘Defend’ U.S. from ‘Christian Enemies’

Dmytro "Henry" Aleksandrov
-
0
College Hosts Professor Who Wants to ‘Defend’ U.S. from ‘Christian Enemies’

(Dmytro “Henry” Aleksandrov, Headline USA) Muskegon Community College in Michigan recently invited David Gushee, a popular professor of Christian ethics at Mercer University, to discuss his new book “Defending Democracy from its Christian Enemies.”

In his book, Gushee argued that Christians have become reactionary and taken anti-democratic stances, according to its online description. He also analyzed “how Christians have discarded their commitment to democracy and bought into authoritarianism.”

The College Fix reported that Gushee has written or co-authored more than 28 books and over 175 academic book chapters and articles. Additionally, he frequently appears on podcasts and news outlets for interviews regarding his work in the religious sphere.

“In 2014, Gushee sparked controversy within conservative Christian circles by advocating for full LGBTQ inclusion in church, theology, and broader culture. His 2020 publication, ‘After Evangelicalism: A Path to a New Christianity,’ served as a guide for individuals undergoing faith deconstruction,” the college’s news release said.

In his far-left and anti-Christian book, Gushee argued he is concerned that many Christians were at the forefront of the Jan. 6, 2021, protest, claiming to act as God’s agents on this planet on behalf of his “representative,” referring to Donald Trump.

Gushee also said that Jan. 6, 2021, was the reason why he decided to write the book.

“The book examines right-wing Christian politics focusing on places and times when reactionary Christians, very unhappy with the direction of modern culture, and unsatisfied with the results of the democratic process, tip over into authoritarian politics,” he said.

Gushee also suggested that Christians should advocate for and preserve legitimate democracy in the public square because he is wary of ways that Christians have supposedly supported authoritarianism in the past, the Fix reported.

On his website, Gushee wrote that he believes the solution to Christian engagement in politics does not lie in secular liberalism, but instead in the practices of “congregational democracy, dissident black Christian politics and covenantal theology.”

Biden Ridiculed for Claiming Florida ‘In Play Nationally’ — Polls Say Otherwise

Luis Cornelio
-
0
Biden Ridiculed for Claiming Florida ‘In Play Nationally’ — Polls Say Otherwise

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) President Joe Biden’s political radar seems to be off, as he claimed that Florida – a state he lost by over 300,000 votes in 2020 – is back “in play nationally” ahead of the 2024 presidential election. 

Biden made these remarks during a lackluster campaign stop at Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, Florida on Tuesday.

“Thank you for all you’re doing,” Biden asserted, according to the White House’s official transcript. “And it means a great deal.  Florida — I think Florida is in play, nationally.” 

Despite his assurances, polls out of Florida show Biden’s opponent, former President Donald Trump, who won the state in the last election, leading by a near double-digit margin. 

According to a Florida Atlantic University poll, 50 percent of registered voters in Florida voiced their intent to vote for Trump, while 42 percent said they favored Biden. Five percent mentioned other candidates, with three percent remaining undecided. 

“Despite this very marginal improvement for Biden, it seems that Florida is going to be a safe state for Trump in this election cycle,” said Dukhong Kim, Ph.D., associate professor of political science at FAU, referring to the poll published on April 18. 

Biden’s assertion about Florida being potentially in play in 2024 left many critics baffled, who quickly mocked what seemed to be wishful thinking. 

The remarks were first reported by an Associated Press reporter, who posted a photo of the campaign event, showing Biden addressing a few dozen individuals inside what appears to be a classroom.

“Nationally in Florida,” responded Florida GOP Chairman Evan Power on Twitter, likely mocking Biden with a play on words. 

“Biden’s cognitive decline is showing again,” said a tweet from Trump’s campaign Twitter page, “Trump War Room.”

Other observers pointed out the absence of the usual zeal and enthusiasm seen at campaign gatherings. 

 “You can’t count a guy out with that kind of enthusiasm behind him,” wrote Garry Gallahan, host of his eponymous show on Newsmax, referring to a man standing behind Biden.

Another user remarked, “You can feel the energy in the room,” alongside a zoomed-in photo of the event, where attendees appeared disinterested in Biden’s remarks.

Other mocking reactions included:

Corrupt Bennie Thompson Now Attempting to Facilitate Trump’s Assassination

Ben Sellers
-
0
Corrupt Bennie Thompson Now Attempting to Facilitate Trump’s Assassination

(Ben Sellers, Headline USA) After cherry-picking the evidence for Nancy Pelosi’s selective Jan. 6 Star Chamber committee and attempting to conceal terabytes worth of exculpatory material, the sham investigation led by corrupt Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., provided much of the basis for corrupt special counsel Jack Smith’s sham indictment of former President Donald Trump.

But even if the U.S. Constitution does not prohibit Trump from assuming office should voters reject the kangaroo-court verdict and re-elect him to the presidency in spite of—or because of—the lawfare attacks, a new bill being drafted by Thompson may tip his hand as to what Democrats have in store for their backup plan to keep Trump out of office: killing him.

By colluding with one another in the warped justice system, leftists can push spurious and meritless criminal lawsuits, gain convictions and then—if Thompson gets his way—strip the sitting U.S. president of all Secret Service protection.

HR 8081, the so-called DISGRACED Former Protectees Act, “would terminate Secret Service protection for individuals who otherwise qualify for it upon sentencing following conviction for a Federal or State felony,” according to a fact sheet.

It is unclear whether a presidential pardon would nullify the statute.

Naturally, it is unlikely to pass in the current GOP-led House, although that razor-thin majority can by no means be taken for granted in the leadup to the Nov. 5 election.

Other questions about the bill suggest it might not pass muster with the U.S. Supreme Court if challenged on its constitutionality—but, of course,  in order to have standing, Trump would first have to be stripped of his Secret Service protection and then survive long enough to win the case.

While the bill is clearly intended to target Trump, Thompson’s fact sheet claimed that it “raises no punitive concern” in order to avoid running afoul of at least one SCOTUS precedent.

“The purpose of this bill is to hand off inmate protection to relevant prison authorities rather than involve the Secret Service,” said the sheet. “Further, the removal of Secret Service protection does not change the criminal statutes or alter the penalty for crimes.”

Nonetheless, it fails to address what happens if Trump is both convicted and elected president, which would potentially pose concerns over national security at the very least.

Already, several Democrats have issued dogwhistle calls for their legions of social-justice warriors to target Trump if and when the need arises.

In January, Alex Soros, the youngest son and heir apparent to billionaire George Soros’s New World Order agenda, retweeted a graphic from the Atlantic that includes two photos: one of a bullet hole in a window, and the other of $47 in cash.

The Last Refuge, a conservative website, said that Soros was “[b]eing subtle like a brick through a window.”

Due to his nonconsecutive terms, Trump would become the 47th president, while if incumbent Joe Biden were to win re-election, he would remain the 46th president.

Also in January, a hot-mic conversation between two journalists covering Trump’s courtroom hearing in Washington, D.C., caught one of them fantasizing about shooting the former president.

“I mean, if he’s driving, we’ve got a good shot!” said the unidentified individual with shockingly close access to Trump.

Several concerns also have arisen recently about Supreme Court justices—including Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who faced a credible assassination attempt following the overturning of Roe v. Wade after the Biden Justice Department refused to prosecute rioters outside the homes of conservative jurists and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer openly encouraged the violence.

Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., also had a scare in February after an unidentified powder was sent to his private residence, requiring a Hazmat unit to respond.

Although Thompson is running in one of the traditionally “safe” Democrat districts in Mississippi that is racially gerrymandered in accordance with the Civil Rights Act, Republicans are fielding a challenger in the hopes of unseating him this November.

Ron Eller, a military veteran and physician assistant, supports construction of a U.S.–Mexico border wall and expansion of domestic energy production, two top Trump priorities.

He plans to emphasize consensus-building and positive American values that both Republicans and Democrats can agree on, such as promoting good places for Americans to raise their families, with strong schools and clean air and water.

Thompson has represented the district since 1993.

Ben Sellers is the editor of Headline USA. Follow him at twitter.com/realbensellers.

Rep. Massie Threatened w/ $500 Fine for Posting Evidence of Congressional Treason

Ken Silva
-
0
Rep. Massie Threatened w/ $500 Fine for Posting Evidence of Congressional Treason

(Ken Silva, Headline USA) Congress’s betrayal of the American people was on full display Saturday, when lawmakers waved Ukrainian flags in celebration of them passing a $95 billion foreign aid package for Ukraine and Israel.

Apparently, House Speaker Mike Johnson—one of the key architects of the aid package—wants you to forget about the betrayal. According to Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who posted video of the congressional treason, the House Sergeant at Arms threatened him with a $500 fine if he doesn’t delete the footage.

“Mike Johnson really wants to memory hole this betrayal of America,” Massie quipped on Twitter.

Meanwhile, the aid package is before the Senate, which could pass it as soon as today. Joe Biden has promised to sign it immediately.

Biden has spoken separately with Johnson and Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries to thank them.

“I urge the Senate to quickly send this package to my desk so that I can sign it into law and we can quickly send weapons and equipment to Ukraine to meet their urgent battlefield needs,” Biden said.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine said he was “grateful” to both parties in the House and “personally Speaker Mike Johnson.”

Conservatives aren’t as happy.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., recently introduced a motion to vacate Johnson from the speakership, but it has not been brought to the House floor for a vote. Greene warned she would force a vote on it if Johnson continued to cave to Democrats’ demands.

“I’m not saying I have a red line or a trigger, and I’m not saying I don’t have a red line or trigger. And I think that’s just where I’m at right now. But I’m going to tell you right now: Funding Ukraine is probably one of the most egregious things that he can do,” she said.

Massie voiced his support for the motion this week over Johnson’s “betrayal” and announced he would co-sponsor it.

“[Johnson] should pre-announce his resignation (as Boehner did), so we can pick a new Speaker without ever being without a GOP Speaker,” he said.

Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him at twitter.com/jd_cashless.

Private Company Helping Maricopa County Rush Through Its Ballot Verification Process

Jacob Bruns
-
0
Private Company Helping Maricopa County Rush Through Its Ballot Verification Process

(Jacob Bruns, Headline USA) In order to try to address the flood of mail-in and absentee ballots on Election Day, Maricopa County, Arizona, has hired a company to help it breeze through its ballot verification process, the AZ Mirror reported.

In light if the county’s past issues with its haphazard handling of ballots, however, some are questioning what level of vetting and scrutiny the company Runbeck, will be subjected to, and whether it may be yet another ploy for county officials to dodge accountability if a flood of fake ballot mysteriously contaminates the count.

Runbeck, a ballot printing and processing company, will put the ballots through its high-speed counting machines, ostensibly as part of the county’s ongoing attempts to avoid repeats of the 2020 and 2022 elections, both of which were marred by widespread irregularities.

An independent forensic audit commissioned by the state Senate raised a litany of issues concerining the intake and chain-of custody for mail-in ballots, as well as the ink and paper quality used on the ballots at polling stations. It was unable to complete its examination of the voting softwar and equipment due to resistance from county and state officials, who refused to supply the requested passwords and lacked candor in what they did provide.

Despite the damning observations, the same election officials again bungled the 2022 race, during which many of the voting machines jammed on Election Day due to improperly sized paper. The county took an inordinately long time tallying its results, with questions along the way about chain-of-custody issues, which spurred a series of lawsuits from losing GOP gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake about the suspicious circumstances.

For the 2024 election, Runbeck and county officials claimed already to have begun renovating the county’s ballot-verifying site in order to increase counting efficiency, particularly to address the massive influx of Election Day mail-in ballot drop offs, which are expected to increase from approximately 290,000 in 2022 to 350,000 in 2024.

According to Runbeck, the verification machines cost about $1 million each, and the county would need several of them, plus additional staff to operate and maintain the machines.

Scott Jarrett, Maricopa’s director of Election Day voting, said the investment in the Phoenix-based company was part of the county’s desire to continuously improve its processes.

Nonetheless, there have been concerns about the fact that the county was contracting out such an important task to a private company, particularly given the recent history of technological blips during elections.

Don Hiatt, a candidate for Maricopa County recorder, wondered, “Why is this being outsourced to a private company? Why doesn’t the county own this machine?”

Democratic Party observer Ed Giebel, in contrast, was encouraged by Runbeck’s verification process.

“It’s not like you can inject 5,000 ballots into the process,” he said.

Giebel’s thoughts were echoed by Republican State Rep. Alex Kolodin, who said that he was “a lot less concerned about Runbeck” than he was before his investigation of their process.

“Eyes on the process is always the best way to avoid problems,” he concluded.

Headline USA’s Ben Sellers contributed to this report.

Judge Who Ruled to Disbar Ex-Trump Lawyer Exposed as Democrat Donor

Molly Bruns
-
0
Judge Who Ruled to Disbar Ex-Trump Lawyer Exposed as Democrat Donor

(Molly Bruns, Headline USA) Investigative journalists with the Georgia Star News revealed that California Judge Yvette Roland, who recently recommended the disbarment of former Trump lawyer John Eastman, donated substantial amounts of money to leftist organizations and candidates, despite attempting to claim impartiality in the case.

Since becoming a judge, Roland has made five partisan donations totaling $594, according to records by the Federal Election Commission.

Prior to that, during the 2008 campaign, she made nine donations to the Obama campaign and the Democratic National Committee totaling $7,078 while working as a lawyer at Duane Morris LLP.

Last year, Roland donated $500 to a Democrat PAC called Newsom for California Governor 2022, which then passed all of its earnings—about $23 million—to a super-PAC called Campaign for Democracy Group.

CDG supports California Gov. Gavin Newsom, as well as Democrat oganizations in several other states, according to WND.

“Across the country, extremist Republicans are systematically attacking the very foundations of a free society—bullying and criminalizing the most vulnerable, denying women equality and reproductive healthcare, attacking communities of color, dehumanizing immigrants seeking the American Dream, banning books and restricting speech, and undermining the most basic tenant of our democracy, the right to vote,” says the CDG website.

The CDG also attacked Eastman for questioning the legitimacy of the 2020 election, along with several other high profile figures such as former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

Some suspect that Newsom’s PAC “smurfed” donations, meaning they accepted hundreds of small donations possibly facilitated by big-money leftist donors under many different names.

This strategy is often used to avoid campaign contribution limits.

Newsom for California Governoe received 74 million contributions between 2023 and 2024, despite the population of the state of California being only 38.9 million.

Many of Eastman’s initial objections to the certification of the 2020 election turned out to be valid concerns, despite Democrat insistence that nothing was wrong with the election.

Consequently, they claimed that Eastman committed offenses of “moral turpitude” by daring to challenge the election, using the same methods of legal recourse that Democrats including Al Gore and Hillary Clinton have previously exercised their right to in past elections.

In a speech on Jan.6, 2021 Eastman explained that “dead people voted.”

Election officials in the state of Michigan admitted that 1,500 voters in 2020 were dead people. When Eastman pointed that out, state election officials insisted that it was not an issue because 1,500 votes would not have changed the election results anyway.

Eastman is appealing the disbarment. His GiveSendGo has raised more than $745,000 as of Tuesday afternoon, with a goal of $950,000.

HOT INVESTMENT?: Flame-Throwing Robot Dogs Hit the Market

Ken Silva
-
0
HOT INVESTMENT?: Flame-Throwing Robot Dogs Hit the Market

(Ken Silva, Headline USA) It’s a robot, it’s a dog. It’s a robot dog—with a flamethrower attached.

And now, it can be yours for $9,420.

The Ohio-based company Throwflame recently unveiled what it’s calling the “Thermonator,” which is touted as the first-ever flame-throwing robot dog.

“This quadruped is coupled with the ARC Flamethrower to deliver on-demand fire anywhere!” Throwflame states on its website.

According to the website, the Thermonator is about 30 inches long and weighs 37 pounds. It can shoot blast streams of fire up to 30 feet.

Throwflame said flamethrowers are unregulated federally, but advised potential buyers to check their state regulations before making a purchase.

Throwflame brags of being the oldest flamethrower manufacturer in the US, and claims to have released the first-ever full-sized, commercially available flamethrower in 2015. That flamethrower, the X15 Flamethrower, sends a stream of flaming fuel or napalm up to 50 feet, according to the company.

Throwflame markets its products to both private individuals and government agencies. Its unveiling of a flame-throwing robot dog comes as police and military departments are looking to increasingly rely on drones and AI.

Such robots could be coming sooner than expected.

Indeed, the Army is reportedly seeking $33 for its 2025 budget to fund “human-machine integrated formations,” or H-MIF, which are essentially robots designed to do the work of humans.

The Military Times has also reported that the Army’s MCOE Experimental Company, 1st Battalion, 29th Infantry Regiment, 316th recently conducted an urban assault with robots.

“Instead of human soldiers rushing across open areas and bursting into buildings, robots took the lead … 20 soldiers with four robotic vehicles were able to cross the open terrain to reach the building. But first robots with smoke generators created a screen,” the publication reported.

“At the same time, robot vehicles with tethered drones jammed enemy signals and extended the soldiers’ network. Small drones dropped robotic ground vehicles with cameras atop buildings to scout the interior while even smaller aerial drones entered windows, scanning the inside of the structure and transmitting back a “blueprint” of the building to soldiers on the ground,” the publication added.

“Then robot “dogs” with cameras of their own, entered the building looking for hazards and seeking out enemy troops.”

Following Niger, Chad Moves to Expel US Troops from Country

Ken Silva
-
0
Following Niger, Chad Moves to Expel US Troops from Country

(Ken Silva, Headline USA) Is this what a collapsing empire looks like in real time?

Amidst the news that the Pentagon will withdraw U.S. troops from Niger—a move that follows shocking whistleblower revelations that the Biden administration abandoned troops there—the African country of Chad has also asked the Defense Department to remove its presence from there.

Bloomberg reported on Chad’s request Friday, citing a letter from the country’s air force chief of staff. According to Bloomberg, the Chad chief of staff’s letter was meant “to warn the Americans that we have made the decision to stop their activity.”

Separately, CNN also reported last Thursday on Chad’s request for U.S. troops to leave the country.

Bloomberg noted that Chad’s request comes just ahead of a presidential election, which the country’s interim leader Mahamat Deby is widely expected to win.

If the U.S. leaves Chad, the Army would have to close what Bloomberg described as “one of its few remaining outposts to fight a roiling jihadist insurgency in the region.”

Bloomberg further noted that the military rulers of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, who all seized power over the past three years, have cut security ties with their former allies in the West.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon is apparently planning its withdrawal from Niger.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, whose office investigated the Niger whistleblower complaints, expressed concern about how the Biden administration will handle with withdrawal.

“I fear the administration will handle this withdrawal similarly to the withdrawal from Afghanistan,” Gaetz said Friday on Twitter. “The safety and security of all service members must be our top priority in this time of transition.”

The situation in Niger stems from the country’s government declaring last month that the U.S. military presence there is “illegal.” In a letter published last Wednesday by the Washington Post, an Army whistleblower accused Biden of endangering the troops’ lives by leaving them there against the wishes of the country’s new government.

“Americans deployed here have not been able to perform their primary mission and have been told to ‘sit and hold.’ It is clear that the country of Niger does not want a permanent military presence in the country and they have informed us that we need to leave,” the whistleblower said.

“At the same time, there are approximately 1,100 US Military Service Members in the country who are essentially being held hostage from returning home to their families while the State Department continues with failed diplomacy by not communicating with the country of Niger on what their withdrawal plans will look like.”

Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him at twitter.com/jd_cashless.

ATF Agents Weren’t Wearing Body Cameras When They Killed Clinton Airport Exec

Ken Silva
-
0
ATF Agents Weren’t Wearing Body Cameras When They Killed Clinton Airport Exec

(Ken Silva, Headline USA) The House Judiciary Committee has sent a series of questions to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives about its fatal March 19 predawn raid on Bryan Malinowski, the former director of the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport.

The Judiciary Committee sent a letter to ATF Director Steven Dettelbach on Monday, following several damning details being revealed about the ATF’s raid—including that the agents weren’t wearing body cameras. Malinowski’s family has also released footage showing the ATF covering a Ring doorbell camera before its raid, suggesting that Malinowski didn’t know who was at the door.

“President Biden’s Executive Order 14074 requires ATF agents … to wear active body-worn cameras during the execution of a search warrant. The Department has since confirmed to the Malinowski family that ATF agents were not wearing body cameras during the raid, a violation of the Department policy,” committee chairman Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, said in the letter to Dettelbach.

“It is also unclear whether ATF agents complied with Justice Department policy on ‘no knock’ entries.”

To Jordan’s point on the no-knock raid, Malinowski’s family says there is no publicly available evidence showing whether agents knocked on the door or announced their presence. His wife Maer said she only heard loud banging immediately followed by the crash of the front door being forced open.

Meanwhile, it has been revealed the ATF’s raid on Malinowski was over a paperwork issue.

Malinowski was allegedly selling guns without having a required federal firearm license, of FFL. Someone is required to have an FFL if selling guns is his or her principal livelihood—though the Biden administration has recently changed that to cover potentially all private gun owners.

Jordan noted the timing of the ATF raid and its impending rule change that could put millions of Americans in the same situation as Malinowski.

“ATF seeks to drastically expand the universe of Americans who would be classified as a ‘dealer’ under federal law requiring them to obtain a license to become a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL), subjecting them to a term of imprisonment of up to five years and a fine of up to $250,000, or both,” he said.

“Mr. Malinowski exercised his Second Amendment rights and was a firearms enthusiast. Even if, as ATF has alleged, Mr. Malinowski violated federal law, it does not justify ATF’s actions that ultimately lead to the use of deadly force.”

Jordan requested a slew of documents from the ATF, including the affidavit and other records that underpinned its search warrant for Malinowski’s home. Jordan also asked for all communications about the planning and execution of the disastrous March 19 raid.

Jordan wants those records by May 6, he said.

Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him at twitter.com/jd_cashless.

1...1,3351,3361,337...3,863Page 1,336 of 3,863