Rep. Thomas Massie to Speaker Mike Johnson: “Announce Your Resignation, You’re a Goner”

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Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., said Tuesday he is co-sponsoring a motion by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., to vacate Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., urging him to “pre-announce his resignation.”

“You’re not going to be the speaker much longer,” Massie told Johnson in front of a closed-door meeting of the entire Republican conference, Politico and Punchbowl News reported.

According to Punchbowl, Massie told Johnson he “should clean the barn and resign or else he’ll be vacated.” . . .

“I just told Mike Johnson in conference that I’m cosponsoring the Motion to Vacate that was introduced by @RepMTG. He should pre-announce his resignation (as Boehner did), so we can pick a new Speaker without ever being without a GOP Speaker,” Massie posted.

Massie’s public display drew boos and catcalls from the majority of the GOP conference, Politico and Axios reported. Massie is the first House Republican to publicly back Greene’s ouster of Johnson since her letter of discontent was sent to the conference last week.

(Read more from “Rep. Thomas Massie to Speaker Mike Johnson: “Announce Your Resignation, You’re a Goner” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

WATCH: Democrats Refuse to Condemn Burning American Flag, Chanting ‘Death to America’

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Numerous House Democrats in the nation’s capital refused to condemn burning the American flag and chanting “death to America” when confronted by a reporter this week.

The questions from the reporter came in response to far-Left protesters on the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City this week holding a pro-Palestinian demonstration that disrupted traffic.

“Anti-Israel protesters blocking the Brooklyn Bridge were burning the American flag and chanting ‘Death to America,’” the reporter said to Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA). “Do you support that type of protest? Congresswoman, do you support burning the American flag and chanting Death to America?”

Pressley refused to answer or even acknowledge the reporter.

The reporter later asked Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) the same questions.

(Read more from “WATCH: Democrats Refuse to Condemn Burning American Flag, Chanting ‘Death to America’” HERE)

Israel Decides on Response to Iranian Missile Attack: Report

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Israeli media reported on Tuesday evening that the country’s war cabinet has decided how it will respond to Iran’s unprecedented attack over the weekend with the timing being the only factor that has not yet been determined.

The war cabinet — which consists of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and a former head of Israel’s military, Benny Gantz — is now waiting for “opportunity to be exploited” so that the attack can be launched, according to Israel’s Kann News.

Government officials advised Netanyahu that he needed to attack “sensitive facilities in Iran” in response to the Islamic Republic launching more than 300 missiles and drones at Israel, the report said.

One government official said that the longer the response takes to carry out, the less likely it is to be significant in scale or impact. (Read more from “Israel Decides on Response to Iranian Missile Attack: Report” HERE)

House Dissatisfaction With Johnson Explodes Over Foreign Aid ‘Insanity’ That Neglects Southern Border

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House Republicans’ dissatisfaction with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is rapidly growing as Reps. Scott Perry (R-PA) and Jim Banks (R-IN) are sharing their frustrations about what Banks called “insanity” in Johnson’s foreign aid framework, which includes over three times as much money for Ukraine as it does for Israel while neglecting the U.S. Southern border.

Perry took to X Tuesday to share an image of the framework, showing the bills allocate $48.83 billion to Ukraine, $14.1 billion for Israel, $2.4 billion for “Red Sea Operations,” $2.58 billion for “INDOPACOM,” and $3.3 billion for a “Submarine Industrial Base.”

“Notice anything missing?” wrote Perry. Speaker Johnson “failed to incorporate any border security into any of the FOUR of the bills he’s going to ram down our throats this week.”

“On more than half a dozen occasions in the last six months, he promised the American People this wouldn’t happen,” Perry added.

Sharing Perry’s tweet, Banks called the package “Insanity,” emphasizing the plan would send three times as much money to Ukraine as it does Israel while simultaneously neglecting the U.S. Southern border.

(Read more from “House Dissatisfaction With Johnson Explodes Over Foreign Aid ‘Insanity’ That Neglects Southern Border” HERE)

Judge Allows Juror Who ‘Celebrated Trump’s Loss in 2020’ to Stay in Pool

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New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan reportedly allowed a juror who celebrated former President Donald Trump’s 2020 loss on social media to remain in the jury pool.

Trump’s unprecedented trial began Monday morning with jury selection, the first day of a process that could span two weeks. The trial could last until June.

During Tuesday’s jury selection, Trump’s defense attorneys tried to prevent a potential juror from staying on the case because she celebrated Trump’s 2020 loss, Fox News reported.

“They wanted to have a peremptory challenge to excuse the juror because they thought that she said she could be impartial, but had social media posts that apparently had her celebrating Trump’s loss in 2020,” Trace Gallagher reported, “and so they challenged her. The judge said, ‘Nope, she can be impartial. She stays.’”

(Read more from “Judge Allows Juror Who ‘Celebrated Trump’s Loss in 2020’ to Stay in Pool” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

“Hush Money” Trial Judge May Force Trump to Miss His Son’s Graduation

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New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan is yet to decide whether former President Donald Trump can attend his son Barron Trump’s upcoming high school graduation. Merchan has refrained from ruling on Trump’s request to be excused from trial proceedings scheduled for that day.

The commencement of the criminal trial, orchestrated by Democrat Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, unfolded on Monday. Bragg has charged Trump with 34 felonies, alleging falsification of business records in connection to payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. Notably, Trump is not facing accusations related to concealing a sex scandal. Trump vehemently denies all allegations against him, but if found guilty, he could potentially face incarceration.

While the jury selection process has commenced in the criminal trial, Trump’s legal team has proactively sought permission for him to forego trial proceedings on May 17, citing his son Barron’s impending high school graduation in Florida, the former president’s home state. Although Merchan has acknowledged the request, he has deferred making a definitive decision.

Merchan remarked, “It really depends on if we are on time and where we are in the trial,” indicating the possibility that Trump may have to forego attending his youngest son’s significant milestone due to the trial.

Observers have characterized the situation as another instance of perceived political targeting against Trump. Jason Miller, an advisor to Trump, lambasted the trial, labeling it a “disgusting” episode of political persecution. Trump himself, addressing reporters prior to entering the New York courtroom on Monday, decried the trial as a form of “political prosecution” and an unprecedented assault on the nation.

“This case was brought as political persecution,” Trump asserted, condemning it as an unwarranted attack on the country. He further criticized the involvement of what he described as an “incompetent man” in the proceedings, insinuating nefarious motives behind the trial.

Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) echoed similar sentiments, characterizing the trial as a form of “election interference.”

Saudi Arabia Publicly Acknowledges It Helped Defend Israel This Weekend

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Saudi Arabia formally acknowledged that it helped shoot down kamikaze drones heading for Israel. It’s part of the Kingdom’s not-so-secret “cozy” relationship with the Jewish state over the past few years. There are no formal diplomatic ties between these two countries yet.

Still, there’s hope that the Trump-era Abraham Accords, where Morocco, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, and Sudan signed a normalization treaty with Israel, can be built upon and expanded. There should be cautious optimism. These new revelations reveal that the Middle East, by and large, might not want to be thrust into a destructive regional war. However, recognizing Israel’s right to exist might still be a diplomatic work in progress. Arab nations provided Israel and American forces with vital intelligence during Iran’s assault against Israel over the weekend[.] (Read more from “Saudi Arabia Publicly Acknowledges It Helped Defend Israel This Weekend” HERE)

Edward Snowden Believes Speaker Johnson Is Showing Textbook Signs of “Congressional Capture”

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Speaker Johnson might as well go by “Flip Flop,” given his recent track record. He’s been switching his positions on major issues, directly going against what his base stands for. First, it was the funding for Ukraine; now, he’s in the thick of the FISA 702 battle and taking the wrong side yet again. What gives? Johnson’s speakership is becoming a series of flip-flops that’s leaving everyone wondering if he’s been bribed, blackmailed, or both.

So, why is Speaker Johnson flipping his position on the FISA 702 authorization, which allows warrantless surveillance? This very tool was used to spy on President Trump. Representative Bob Good recently discussed this on Steve Bannon’s WarRoom, pointing out that there’s a strong push influencing Johnson’s change of heart—and it appears to be working. . .

Speaker Johnson now believes that halting warrantless spying against innocent Americans would somehow spell disaster for the country. He recently shifted his stance, stating the change is from all the classified briefings he’s been getting.

Well, Speaker Johnson is probably telling the truth about all those briefings, and Edward Snowden thinks he’s figured out what’s really going on with Speaker Johnson. It’s a “textbook case” of “Congressional capture.”

(Read more from “Edward Snowden Believes Speaker Johnson Is Showing Textbook Signs of “Congressional Capture” HERE)

Marine’s Accusations: Pentagon Cover-Up in Afghanistan Bombing Probe

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The Marine at the heart of the recent Afghanistan probe has leveled serious accusations against the Pentagon, alleging a cover-up of evidence that could have prevented the deadly suicide bombing during the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.

Former Sgt. Tyler Vargas-Andrews, who suffered life-altering injuries in the attack, testified in March 2023 about the events leading up to the bombing. He claimed that despite having identified a potential threat, he and his team were prevented from taking action. Vargas-Andrews stands by his testimony, asserting that the attack could have been averted if action had been taken based on the on-the-ground intelligence available.

The subsequent probe initiated by CENTCOM failed to substantiate Vargas-Andrews’ claims, leading to a dispute over the accuracy of the findings. While the investigation concluded that the bomber was not the individual initially identified by Marines, Vargas-Andrews maintains that there was a failure to act on actionable intelligence.

One of the key points of contention revolves around missing photographs of the bomber, which could have provided crucial intelligence. Despite exhaustive searches, these photos remain unaccounted for, raising questions about the thoroughness of the investigation.

The identification of the bomber as Abdul Rahman Al-Logari, an ISIS operative released by the Taliban, adds complexity to the situation. While CENTCOM asserts that the evidence conclusively links Al-Logari to the attack, Vargas-Andrews insists that he still had an opportunity to engage the bomber and prevent the tragedy.

The discrepancies between Vargas-Andrews’ account and the findings of the investigation underscore the need for transparency and accountability in understanding the events leading up to the Afghanistan withdrawal.

Governor Vetoes Bill Barring Sex-Change Surgeries for Minors

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Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly of Kansas vetoed a bill on Friday that banned doctors from performing sex-change surgeries on minors.

The bill was approved by the state Senate on March 27, with 27 voting in favor and 13 against, and would have prohibited state funding from being used to “promote or advocate” for puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones or sex-change surgeries for minors. The bill also barred doctors from performing sex-change procedures on minors, but Kelly argued the legislation gets in the way of “parental rights,” according to a press release.

“This divisive legislation targets a small group of Kansans by placing government mandates on them and dictating to parents how to best raise and care for their children,” Kelly said in the press release. “I do not believe that is a conservative value, and it’s certainly not a Kansas value. To be clear, this legislation tramples parental rights.”

The bill would have also prohibited any individual or institutions that receives state funding from encouraging a child to “social” transition, meaning “acts other than medical or surgical interventions that are undertaken for the purpose of presenting as a member of the opposite sex, including the changing of an individual’s preferred pronouns or manner of dress.” (Read more from “Governor Vetoes Bill Barring Sex-Change Surgeries for Minors” HERE)