MSNBC Guest Who Went After Pete Hegseth Facing Backlash From All Sides

Earlier this week, President-elect Donald Trump selected Pete Hegseth to serve as his Secretary of Defense. The reaction was swift, with the criticism in many cases downright nasty and ugly. MSNBC, which has been taking Trump’s win pretty hard and has suffered from plummeting post-election ratings, had on multiple guests who threw Hegseth under the bus by accusing him of being a “white supremacist.”

During “All In with Chris Hayes,” Sherrilyn Ifill, a lawyer and professor at Howard University, who also served as the former president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, made such a claim.

Ifill also focused on Hegseth’s role as a Fox News host, with Hayes jumping in to clarify that he was a “Fox & Friends Weekend” host, which Ifill called “an important distinction,” rather than mention how Hegseth is also a decorated veteran. “This is someone who, you know, is known to be a white supremacist, known to be an extremist, whose platform, whose book is basically about his opposition to the advancement of black officers to the top brass,” she claimed in a clip that has been circulating. She would later go on to acknowledge that Hegseth is a veteran, but claimed that that “is simply inefficient.”

That book, “War on Warriors,” which came out earlier this year and which we had a chance to review after interviewing Hegseth, specifically addresses the dangers and concerns of a woke military. Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) have raised such concerns. The lawmakers’ report also noted that the military is less extreme than the population.

There is also one particularly memorable chapter of Hegseth’s book that focuses on the care and concern he had for his fellow National Guardsmen who were black and were targeted by violent mobs shouting racial slurs while they were defending Washington, DC during the 2020 riots.

(Read more from “MSNBC Guest Who Went After Pete Hegseth Facing Backlash From All Sides” HERE)

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Trump Transition Team Compiling List of Current and Former U.S. Military Officers for Possible Courts-Martial

By MSN News. The Trump transition team is compiling a list of senior current and former U.S. military officers who were directly involved in the withdrawal from Afghanistan and exploring whether they could be court-martialed for their involvement, according to a U.S. official and a person familiar with the plan.

Officials working on the transition are considering creating a commission to investigate the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, including gathering information about who was directly involved in the decision-making for the military, how it was carried out, and whether the military leaders could be eligible for charges as serious as treason, the U.S. official and person with knowledge of the plan said.

“They’re taking it very seriously,” the person with knowledge of the plan said. . .

Matt Flynn, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for counternarcotics and global threats, is helping lead the effort, the sources said. It is being framed as a review of how the U.S. first got into the war in Afghanistan and how the U.S. ultimately withdrew.

“Matt Flynn has nothing to do with the Trump transition team, much less leading any review concerning military justice matters,” said Mark S. Zaid, Flynn’s attorney. In a statement Zaid said that “no one has sought out Mr. Flynn’s views on this hypothetical legal scenario.” (Read more from “Trump Transition Team Compiling List of Current and Former U.S. Military Officers for Possible Courts-Martial” HERE)

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Bureaucrats Say Trump’s Plan to Destroy Administrative State Might Trigger Mass Exodus

By Breitbart. Federal bureaucrats might leave their jobs early out of fear that President-elect Donald Trump will follow through on his promise to purge the government of rogue and corrupt actors within the administrative state.

The potential abandonment would greatly help Trump’s incoming cabinet secretaries clean up Washington. Trump transition adviser Mark Paoletta asked members of the administrative state on Wednesday to “leave” the bureaucracy or “be fired.”

The term “administrative state” specifically describes the phenomenon of unaccountable and unelected administrative agencies, including the national security apparatus, exercising power to create and enforce their own rules. The administrative state uses its rule-making ability to essentially usurp the separation of powers between the three branches of government by creating a so-called fourth branch of government not formed by the Constitution.

Many unelected bureaucrats within the administrative state also use their position to inflict their own agenda on citizens. For instance, before the “laptop from hell” story broke in 2020, 51 intel officials signed a letter that insinuated Hunter’s laptop was Russian disinformation. The letter was peddled by Politico under the title “Hunter Biden story is Russian disinfo, dozens of former intel officials say.” The 51 signatories, however, seemingly knew the Politico story was false at the time because the FBI had the laptop that Hunter abandoned at a Delaware computer repair shop. President Joe Biden cited the story during a 2020 presidential debate with Trump to discredit the laptop’s contents. The story was reportedly planted by Secretary of State Antony Blinken for Biden to use during the event.

(Read more from “Bureaucrats Say Trump’s Plan to Destroy Administrative State Might Trigger Mass Exodus” HERE)

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Gunfire Hits Commercial Airliner Near Cockpit as Plane Taxis Before Takeoff — And Shocked Passengers Speak Out

A bullet hit a Southwest Airlines plane near the cockpit as the flight was taxiing for takeoff at Dallas Love Field on Friday night, KXAS-TV reported.

An airport spokesperson told the station the gunfire forced an evacuation of the flight, and KXAS added that Dallas Police are looking for whoever pulled the trigger.

Flight 2494 was struck around 8:30 p.m., KXAS said, citing the Federal Aviation Administration, which added that the plane — which was taxiing for takeoff to Indianapolis — returned to the gate where passengers deplaned. . .

The station spoke to Shannon and Jamie Lee who were aboard the flight with two of their children; the couple told KXAS everything seemed normal until they heard the pilot on the loudspeaker.

“He said there’s a rattle outside of the plane, and they needed to return back to the gate,” Jamie Lee recalled to the station.

The couple told KXAS the pilot said the plane needed to be checked to determine if it was functional — then added that the front of the plane was damaged, and everyone would have to deplane. (Read more from “Gunfire Hits Commercial Airliner Near Cockpit as Plane Taxis Before Takeoff — And Shocked Passengers Speak Out” HERE)

Medical Examiner Makes Stunning Admission During Daniel Penny Trial

The medical examiner who deemed Jordan Neely’s death was a homicide caused by Daniel Penny placing him in a chokehold made a stunning admission on the witness stand Friday: she didn’t wait for the toxicology report; the viral video alone of Penny subduing Neely on the New York City subway was what convinced her that Penny killed Neely.

“No toxicological result imaginable was going to change my opinion,” the prosecution’s last witness, Dr. Cynthia Harris of the New York City Medical Examiner’s Office, testified during Penny’s trial, per NBC News reporters present in the courtroom.

So, the forensic pathologist based the autopsy report, in part, off of the footage itself of the fatal encounter, which Harris said she saw was clear-cut evidence ruling out that Neely had died of a drug overdose.

“After watching it, I had no further questions as to why he was dead,” Harris said.

Penny’s defense attorneys questioned Harris about her initially writing “inconclusive” for the cause of death on Neely’s death certificate. One day after Neely’s death, the finding on May 2, 2023, said “pending further study.” The doctor said she eventually decided on asphyxiation, consistent with compression of the neck, upon reviewing the video in question depicting Neely “dying.” (Read more from “Medical Examiner Makes Stunning Admission During Daniel Penny Trial” HERE)

Sweden, Finland Warn Residents to Be Ready for War: ‘Situation Is Serious’

Sweden and Finland have all begun warning their residents to prepare for the possibility of war as Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine rages on.

Stockholm on Monday published its latest version of “In Case of Crisis or War,” a pamphlet instructing civilians on how to prepare for, and ride out, a national crisis that was last sent out in 2018.

The pamphlet, which has been issued five times since World War II, is now twice as long at 32 pages and focuses on war preparations as the Swedish government warns of the worsening situation in Ukraine. . .

The Swedish campaign comes as neighboring Finland has also published its own online crisis prep brochure, detailing how the Finnish government would react in case of war.

Helsinki warned that as of the last government survey in September, only 58% of Finns have adequate emergency supplies at home to ride out a crisis. (Read more from “Sweden, Finland Warn Residents to Be Ready for War: ‘Situation Is Serious’” HERE)

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VIDEO: ‘Trump Dance’ Celebrations Explode Across the NFL: Lions, Titans, Raiders, 49ers Join In

The “Trump Dance” appears to be exploding across the NFL. It started with the 49ers’ Nick Boas last week, who celebrated sacking the Dolphins quarterback by performing a little Donald Trump dance. But now, players on three other teams have joined the dance craze.

First up was Bosa, who performed his take on Trump’s hilarious little double-fisted low pump after he sacked the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Baker Mayfield in the 49ers win. . .

Early in the NFL’s Sunday schedule, Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers did his version of the Trump dance as he celebrated a third-quarter touchdown. . .

The Detroit Lions’ Za’Darius Smith and Malcolm Rodriguez also broke out in the Trump dance on Sunday:

The Tennessee Titans’ Calvin Ridley and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine also jumped to their feet to perform the Trump dance after making a touchdown Sunday:

(Read more from “VIDEO: ‘Trump Dance’ Celebrations Explode Across the NFL: Lions, Titans, Raiders, 49ers Join In” HERE)

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Republicans Rip Border Bill as ‘Unilateral Decision,’ Leaving Trump Admin Underprepared

Senate Republicans slammed their Democrat counterparts in the chamber for moving forward with a “partisan” Homeland Security appropriations bill that they say has “substantial flaws” and will leave the incoming Trump administration without the resources they need to fix the border crisis.

Senate Committee on Appropriations ranking member Susan Collins, R-Maine, said in a statement that Democrats’ leadership has led to a “unilateral decision from the Majority to post a partisan measure on a critical appropriations bill that is meant to help secure our borders and combat the surge of deadly fentanyl and other illegal narcotics flooding our communities.”

She slammed this decision, claiming it “undercuts our efforts over the last two years to reach bipartisan consensus and allow Senators an opportunity to debate and amend appropriations bills.”

Appropriations Chair Patty Murray, D-Wash., did not provide comment to Fox News Digital in time for publication.

Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., the ranking member of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, also criticized the move by Democrats. (Read more from “Republicans Rip Border Bill as ‘Unilateral Decision,’ Leaving Trump Admin Underprepared” HERE)

Pentagon ‘Scrambling,’ Wiping Evidence of DEI as Trump Readies to Fire Woke Generals

The Pentagon is in “absolute disarray” with “generals scrambling” due to the incoming Trump administration’s plans to fire woke senior military leaders who prioritized diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) over combat readiness, according to sources.

One source compared it to a hornet’s nest being kicked over and that “DEI pages are starting to disappear off the main websites.”

“They’re being archived as we speak. They are full-bore focused on cleaning up anything DEI-related,” the source said.

Another source said people are trying to find out if they are on the list to be cut. “They are in panic mode,” the source said.

The scramble to hide evidence comes as President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team has begun gathering names of senior officers who pushed DEI.

One source familiar with the plan told Breitbart News that an executive order has been drafted to create a panel to recommend those senior officers for elimination and that the EO is “definitely” going to Trump’s desk. (Read more from “Pentagon ‘Scrambling,’ Wiping Evidence of DEI as Trump Readies to Fire Woke Generals” HERE)

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Mother Fighting Child Endangerment Charges After Son Walks Alone Less Than Mile From Home

A Georgia mom is refusing to strike a plea deal after she was arrested on child endangerment-related charges over her 10-year-old son’s unsupervised walk into town.

Brittany Patterson, 41, of Mineral Bluff, Ga., was arrested by the Fannin County Sheriff’s Department on Oct. 30 after she left her son alone at home and he wandered less than a mile into town, according to NBC News.

The Fannin County Sheriff’s Department initially called the mom to alert her to the fact that her son Soren was unaccompanied in the town located near the North Carolina border.

“It’s not a super dangerous or even dangerous-at-all stretch of road,” Patterson told the outlet, referring to the street that leads from their rural home to the town of Mineral Bluff. “I wasn’t terrified for him or scared for his safety.”

Deputies drove Soren home and, hours later, returned to handcuff and arrest her in front of her family. (Read more from “Mother Fighting Child Endangerment Charges After Son Walks Alone Less Than Mile From Home” HERE)

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Could This Be the Real Reason Why Trump Nominated Matt Gaetz As Attorney General?

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) has been nominated to be our next attorney general. It’s triggered all the right people, as he would take a baseball bat to the Department of Justice. It’s a clear sign that the era of gangster antics from the rogue officials and agents here is over. Gaetz is indeed the king of controversy. He wallows in it so that this confirmation fight will be bloody. It just is since there are more than enough squishy Republicans who could make this fight a slog.

There have been many theories as to why Gaetz was selected. Is it 4-D chess? Is it a ploy to get Gaetz to resign from Congress? He did so yesterday, according to House Speaker Mike Johnson. Even Politico thought the ploy of Gaetz leaving would make it easier for Trump to select who he really wants to be a stretch. Yet, it might be one massive loyalty test (via Politico):

Once Gaetz’s selection was announced, the chatter among top Republicans on Capitol Hill quickly turned to four questions:

1. Was Trump aware of the coming Ethics report on its Gaetz investigation?

The committee was planning to vote Friday on whether to release the report, as Punchbowl first reported. But if “Gaetz is no longer a member of the House, the report likely won’t be formally released,” as Olivia Beavers and Jordain Carney report.

Frankly, it seems implausible to us that this won’t come out — if not on Friday, then during Gaetz’s confirmation hearings (assuming, of course, that Trump doesn’t try to end-run around those with recess appointments to the Cabinet). The House leaks like a sieve, and the Senate Judiciary Committee is definitely going to want to see at least the underlying evidence in the report.

2. Is this for real?

Pretty much every Hill Republican we spoke with thinks there’s something strange going on here. One theory we heard over and over from bewildered Republicans is that perhaps by picking him, Trump is giving Gaetz an out from the Ethics report (which seems possible), and that Gaetz is returning the favor by becoming a sacrificial lamb who will ease the way for Trump’s eventual pick for AG (which seems like a stretch).

A separate theory we heard goes like this: Maybe Gaetz is resigning only from this Congress — so as to stymie the Ethics probe for now — with an intent to be seated for the next Congress come January. We find that very hard to believe, both because it doesn’t sound like it would realistically slow the Ethics report’s release, and because House Speaker MIKE JOHNSON has already spoken to Florida Gov. RON DeSANTIS about holding a special election right away — which there would be no need for if Gaetz were planning to be seated in January.

(Read more from “Could This Be the Real Reason Why Trump Nominated Matt Gaetz As Attorney General?” HERE)

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