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Leftist Outlets Stoke Fear of Second Trump Administration

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Leftist media outlets — the Washington Post, the New York Times, and the Atlantic — are stoking fear about a second Trump administration as former President Donald Trump leads President Joe Biden in key polling.

On Friday, Washington Post Editor-at-Large Robert Kagan wrote an op-ed titled “A Trump dictatorship is increasingly inevitable. We should stop pretending.” That was followed by a Monday excerpt labeled “The Fear of a Looming Trump Dictatorship” by columnist Ishaan Tharoor in the Post’s Today’s WorldView Newsletter.

“In just a few years, we have gone from being relatively secure in our democracy to being a few short steps, and a matter of months, away from the possibility of dictatorship,” wrote Kagan.

He expressed worry that if Trump were to win back the White House, he could potentially seek a third term and disregard the Twenty-Second Amendment:

What about the desire for reelection, a factor that constrains most presidents? Trump might not want or need a third term, but were he to decide he wanted one, as he has sometimes indicated, would the 22nd Amendment block him any more effectively from being president for life than the Supreme Court, if he refused to be blocked? Why should anyone think that amendment would be more sacrosanct than any other part of the Constitution for a man like Trump, or perhaps more importantly, for his devoted supporters?

(Read more from “Leftist Outlets Stoke Fear of Second Trump Administration” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

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Former Donald Trump Appointee Sentenced to 70 Months for Role in Jan. 6 Attack

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A former Trump administration official was sentenced to nearly six years in prison Friday for his role in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol in 2021.

Federico Klein, who served as a political appointee in the State Department, was arrested in March 2021 and convicted of multiple felonies and misdemeanor offenses in federal court.

He was sentenced to 70 months in prison. Prosecutors had sought 10 years and highlighted messages that suggested Mr. Klein joined the melee in the lower west tunnel of the Capitol because he wanted to continue his service to former President Donald Trump, according to NBC News.

The government also pointed to evidence that he used a stolen riot police shield in the violence and, during the fight, told officers, “You can’t stop this.”

Mr. Klein is among more than 1,000 people who’ve been arrested in connection with the assault on the Capitol, in which a pro-Trump mob stormed the building while congressional lawmakers were trying to certify President Biden’s election win. (Read more from “Former Donald Trump Appointee Sentenced to 70 Months for Role in Jan. 6 Attack” HERE)

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More Lies: Biden Makes False Claims About Gas Prices Under Trump Administration

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President Joe Biden falsely spoke about gas prices under the Trump administration Thursday, claiming the most common price of gas was “over five dollars” when he took office.

“The most common price of gas in America is $3.39, down from over $5 when I took office,” Biden said while speaking on Micron’s plan to invest in CHIPS Manufacturing in Syracuse, New York.

The national average price of gas was $2.39 on Jan. 23, 2021, days after Biden took office, according to data from GasBuddy.

The national average price of gas did not reach $5 until June 2022 under the Biden administration, and it remained under $3 for the entirety of the Trump administration, according to GasBuddy. (Read more from “More Lies: Biden Makes False Claims About Gas Prices Under Trump Administration” HERE)

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Phones of Pentagon Trump Officials Wiped of Jan. 6 Messages

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The Defense Department wiped the data from the phones belonging to top officials in the Trump administration, deleting text messages that were sent at about the time of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

American Oversight, a nonprofit watchdog organization, sought as part of a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit the records from the officials’ phones in the days after the Jan. 6 attack to gain insight into how the government responded while rioters breached the Capitol. However, the DOD responded in March, saying the requested records “were not preserved and therefore could not be searched” because “when an employee separates from DOD or Army he or she turns in the government issued phone, and the phone is wiped,” according to the court filings.

“It’s just astounding to believe that the agency did not understand the importance of preserving its records — particularly [with regards] to the top officials that might have captured: what they were doing, when they were doing it, why they were doing, it on that day,” Heather Sawyer, executive director of American Oversight, told CNN.

The lost communications between top Defense officials such as former acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller, former chief of staff Kash Patel, and former Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy are considered crucial to understanding the government’s response during the Capitol riot. The Homeland Security Department inspector general has taken investigative steps looking into missing text messages between Secret Service members at about the time of the Capitol riot, though that inquiry has taken fire over allegations that the independent watchdog has participated in a cover-up. American Oversight called for an inquiry into the Defense Department, too. (Read more from “Phones of Pentagon Trump Officials Wiped of Jan. 6 Messages” HERE)

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Supreme Court Asked to Punish Texas Over Use of ‘Trump Judges’

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Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. famously declared that there were no Trump judges or Obama judges. He is about to get a real test on that matter.

A law professor has filed a brief with the Supreme Court urging the justices to rule against Texas in a lawsuit over the Biden administration’s handling of immigration enforcement. The lawsuit claims Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has been unethically “judge shopping” by looking for Republican-appointed judges to handle his cases.

Stephen Vladeck, a professor at the University of Texas School of Law, said Mr. Paxton looks for courthouses dominated by Republican judges, many of them appointed by President Trump, to improve his chances of success.

Steve Bannon criminal contempt trial: Prosecution rests case
Mr. Paxton has filed 27 cases against President Biden‘s policies, 19 of them in Texas. Of those, all but one is being overseen by a judge appointed by a Republican president, Mr. Vladeck said.

“This is more than forum-shopping, it is thinly veiled judge-shopping,” the professor wrote in a brief filed with the high court. (Read more from “Supreme Court Asked to Punish Texas Over Use of ‘Trump Judges’” HERE)

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Grand Jury Indicts Trump Organization

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By Townhall. On Wednesday night, The New York Times reported, “Trump Organization and Top Executive Are Indicted in Tax Investigation.” The executive in question is Allen Weisselberg, the organization’s Chief Financial Officer. The charges are “not immediately clear,” because the indictment has not been unsealed. It is expected to be once Weisselberg and lawyers appear in court, which is expected to be tomorrow.

Nevertheless, there is some speculation. From The Times:

But prosecutors in the Manhattan district attorney’s office have been examining bonuses and luxury perks that Mr. Weisselberg received — including an apartment in Manhattan, leased Mercedes-Benz cars and private school tuition for at least one of his grandchildren — and whether taxes should have been paid on those benefits.

The indictment is a major development in the investigation led by the district attorney, Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., who has been conducting a sweeping inquiry into Mr. Trump and his business dealings along with the New York State attorney general, Letitia James.

(Read more from “Grand Jury Indicts Trump Organization” HERE)

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Trump Org, CFO Indicted by New York Grand Jury: Reports

By The Hill. . .Two people told the Post that Weisselberg is expected to surrender Thursday morning, and later that day, he’s expected to be arraigned in front of a state court judge. The Trump Organization is also expected to be arraigned. The New York Times reported that the indictments would be unsealed following the court appearances.

People familiar with the plans told the Post that charges are not expected against former President Trump himself at this time. . .

The Journal reported that the company and Weisselberg are expected to face charges related to allegations that Trump Organization employees avoided paying taxes on fringe benefits such as cars, apartments and other bonuses they received through the company.

Ronald Fischetti, an attorney representing former President Trump, said in an interview on Monday that Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr.’s office told him it is currently considering charges against the Trump Organization and individual employees for allegedly not paying taxes on company benefits. There are no charges related to hush money allegations or potential fraud regarding property valuations, he said. (Read more from “Trump Org, CFO Indicted by New York Grand Jury: Reports” HERE)

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Chuck Schumer Endorses Biden’s Plan to Force Public Schools to Allow Males in Female Bathrooms (VIDEO)

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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer supports former Vice President Joe Biden’s plans to force schools receiving federal funding to accommodate students’ who want to use bathrooms, locker rooms, and play sports with students of the opposite biological sex.

“Joe Biden said that on his first day of office, he will give transgender students access to sports, bathrooms and locker rooms in accordance with their gender identity in federally funded schools,” a reporter stated. “Do you think he has the ability to do this and do you agree with his decision?”

“I agree with the decision and I know he’ll check things out thoroughly, legally,” Schumer responded. (Read more from “Chuck Schumer Endorses Biden’s Plan to Force Public Schools to Allow Males in Female Bathrooms (VIDEO)” HERE)

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Trump Administration Denies Permit for Pebble Mine

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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has denied a permit for the Pebble Mine on Wednesday, likely dealing a lethal blow to the controversial project in Alaska’s Bristol Bay.

The decision on the proposed gold and copper mine is a victory for environmentalists, Native American groups, and the state’s commercial fishing industry, all of which opposed the project.

In a statement, the Corps said it “determined that the applicant’s plan for the discharge of fill material does not comply with Clean Water Act guidelines and concluded that the proposed project is contrary to the public interest.”

Opponents had argued the open-pit mine would leach sediment into nearby waters, harming the state’s salmon population while scarring pristine wilderness.

“Sometimes a project is so bad, so indefensible, that the politics fall to the wayside and we get the right decision. That is what happened today,” Tim Bristol, executive director of SalmonState, which promotes Alaska’s salmon industry, said in a statement. (Read more from “Trump Administration Denies Permit for Pebble Mine” HERE)

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Nancy Pelosi Gives 48 Hour Deadline for COVID Deal

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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has called on the Trump administration to reconcile remaining disputes on coronavirus stimulus legislation within 48 hours as lawmakers attempt to pass a bill before the 2020 election.

Pelosi set the 48-hour deadline on negotiations after speaking with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Saturday night for more than an hour. They agreed to speak again on Monday.

In an interview on ABC News on Sunday, Pelosi said the deadline has to do with lawmakers’ ability to get a deal done before the Nov. 3 election, which is just over two weeks away. The speaker said she’s optimistic about negotiations but that the outcome ultimately depends on the White House.

“The 48 only relates to if we want to get it done before the election, which we do,” Pelosi said. “We’re saying to them, we have to freeze the design on some of these things — are we going with it or not and what is the language? I’m optimistic, because again we’ve been back and forth on all this.” . . .

Pelosi, in a letter to House Democrats on Sunday, said Mnuchin had sent her the awaited language on coronavirus testing over the weekend, a long-standing point of contention in the negotiations. She said there was some “encouraging news,” though “much work remains” on the issue. (Read more from “Nancy Pelosi Gives 48 Hour Deadline for COVID Deal” HERE)

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ICE to Conduct Raids in Sanctuary Cities Before the Election

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The Trump administration will carry out several high-profile immigration enforcement raids in cities with sanctuary policies. While ICE carries out raids all the time, these raids were apparently leaked to get the maximum political benefit for the president in his re-election campaign.

Most of the targets in the raids will be criminal illegal aliens — those who have been convicted of serious crimes or whose trial is pending. The operations will be in California, Denver, and Philadelphia, and could potentially include other cities and jurisdictions across the country.

Fox News:

The Washington Post first reported about the operations, which could take place as soon as this week in California. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf may travel to at least one of the areas, it said.

“We do not comment on any law enforcement sensitive issues that may adversely impact our officers and the public,” an ICE spokesperson said in a statement. “However, every day as part of routine operations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) targets and arrests criminal aliens and other individuals who have violated our nation’s immigration laws.”

(Read more from “ICE to Conduct Raids in Sanctuary Cities Before the Election” HERE)

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