Donald Trump Announces 2016 White House Bid
- Thread starter B00Mer
- Start date
Dealing with bureaucraps? Try running a business for a while. I once got a letter from a bureaucrap in the lands branch telling me they had other more important things to deal with than my request for a lease. GOvernments should do a Ronnie Raygun every ten years.
Elon Musk recruits women to bear additional kids: Report
'To reach legion-level before the apocalypse, we will need to use surrogates,' tech billionaire allegedly wrote in text message.
Author of the article:Spiro Papuckoski
Published Apr 17, 2025 • Last updated 1 day ago • 2 minute read
It appears Elon Musk doesn’t want to stop adding to his growing family.
While the tech billionaire is a dad to at least 14 children with four women, a new report is shedding light on Musk’s methods to recruit additional women in a bid to father more children.
The 53-year-old Tesla and SpaceX CEO allegedly contacts young women through private messages that he wants to produce a “legion-level” of children with higher intelligence, evoking the military unit used by the Roman army.
Additional children are needed because of lower birth rates in Western countries and before the world comes to an end, according to the paranoid, baby-making billionaire.
“To reach legion-level before the apocalypse, we will need to use surrogates,” Musk allegedly wrote in a text message to conservative influencer Ashley St. Clair while she was pregnant with their child, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Their child was born last year and named Romulus, another nod to the Roman empire. Romulus founded and was the first king of ancient Rome.
The 26-year-old St. Clair revealed that their son was conceived during a New Year’s trip to St. Barts. She also alleged that Musk offered her $15 million and $100,000 in monthly child support to keep the baby news under wraps.
Musk also has children with Canadian singer Grimes, Neuralink executive Shivon Zilis, and ex-wife Justine Musk.
Sources in the report also suggest Musk may have more children than is publicly known.
Musk’s only public comments following the Journal‘s report this week was a post that read, “TMZ >> WSJ.”
It is also alleged that Musk uses his social media site X to identify women who may be willing to bear his additional offspring.
In one instance, Musk began following cryptocurrency reporter Tiffany Fong on X. He reportedly messaged her a short time later to see if she was interested in having a child. She declined the offer because she wanted a more nuclear family.
The 31-year-old Fong revealed his approach to a few friends and expressed concern about her earnings after disclosing earlier that she made more than $20,000 on X every two weeks.
According to the report, Musk learned that Fong shared his request with others and scolded her for not being discrete. He then unfollowed Fong and her engagement dropped, which affected her earnings.
torontosun.com
'To reach legion-level before the apocalypse, we will need to use surrogates,' tech billionaire allegedly wrote in text message.
Author of the article:Spiro Papuckoski
Published Apr 17, 2025 • Last updated 1 day ago • 2 minute read
It appears Elon Musk doesn’t want to stop adding to his growing family.
While the tech billionaire is a dad to at least 14 children with four women, a new report is shedding light on Musk’s methods to recruit additional women in a bid to father more children.
The 53-year-old Tesla and SpaceX CEO allegedly contacts young women through private messages that he wants to produce a “legion-level” of children with higher intelligence, evoking the military unit used by the Roman army.
Additional children are needed because of lower birth rates in Western countries and before the world comes to an end, according to the paranoid, baby-making billionaire.
“To reach legion-level before the apocalypse, we will need to use surrogates,” Musk allegedly wrote in a text message to conservative influencer Ashley St. Clair while she was pregnant with their child, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Their child was born last year and named Romulus, another nod to the Roman empire. Romulus founded and was the first king of ancient Rome.
The 26-year-old St. Clair revealed that their son was conceived during a New Year’s trip to St. Barts. She also alleged that Musk offered her $15 million and $100,000 in monthly child support to keep the baby news under wraps.
Musk also has children with Canadian singer Grimes, Neuralink executive Shivon Zilis, and ex-wife Justine Musk.
Sources in the report also suggest Musk may have more children than is publicly known.
Musk’s only public comments following the Journal‘s report this week was a post that read, “TMZ >> WSJ.”
It is also alleged that Musk uses his social media site X to identify women who may be willing to bear his additional offspring.
In one instance, Musk began following cryptocurrency reporter Tiffany Fong on X. He reportedly messaged her a short time later to see if she was interested in having a child. She declined the offer because she wanted a more nuclear family.
The 31-year-old Fong revealed his approach to a few friends and expressed concern about her earnings after disclosing earlier that she made more than $20,000 on X every two weeks.
According to the report, Musk learned that Fong shared his request with others and scolded her for not being discrete. He then unfollowed Fong and her engagement dropped, which affected her earnings.
Elon Musk recruits women to bear additional kids: Report
It appears Elon Musk doesn't want to stop adding to his growing family.
Kristi Noem's purse, with $3,000 cash, stolen from popular DC restaurant
Author of the article:Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Myles Miller
Published Apr 21, 2025 • 1 minute read
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem Tours Notorious Prison During Trip To El Salvador
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem attends a Security Alliance for Fugitive Enforcement Memorandum of Cooperation signing ceremony, at the presidential palace on March 26, 2025 in San Salvador, El Salvador.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s purse that contained $3,000 in cash was stolen while she was dining at a popular Washington, DC restaurant over the weekend, an incident now under investigation by the US Secret Service, according to a person familiar with the incident.
Noem was eating with her family at The Capital Burger when she felt what she thought was her grandchild brush against her leg, the person said. Moments later, she realized her purse was missing, according to the person, who isn’t authorized to speak publicly.
Officials believe the bag may have also held sensitive items such as her DHS official lapel pins. Her government-issued phone was recovered and has been accounted for.
Surveillance footage reviewed by investigators showed a masked individual stealing the purse and quickly leaving the restaurant, the person said. No arrests have been made.
Noem has served as one of the Trump administration’s most visible figures on immigration enforcement, frequently appearing in television ads and social media campaigns ordering migrants to go home or be found and deported. She has posed on horseback at the southern border region, accompanied federal agents on raids and championed tough-on-immigration messaging in media appearances.
She briefly addressed the theft during the White House Easter Egg Roll on Monday, saying the matter remained under investigation.
Noem was hosting her entire family in Washington, including her children and grandchildren, and had been treating them to dinner, activities and Easter gifts, according to another person familiar with the matter.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Myles Miller
Published Apr 21, 2025 • 1 minute read
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem Tours Notorious Prison During Trip To El Salvador
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem attends a Security Alliance for Fugitive Enforcement Memorandum of Cooperation signing ceremony, at the presidential palace on March 26, 2025 in San Salvador, El Salvador.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s purse that contained $3,000 in cash was stolen while she was dining at a popular Washington, DC restaurant over the weekend, an incident now under investigation by the US Secret Service, according to a person familiar with the incident.
Noem was eating with her family at The Capital Burger when she felt what she thought was her grandchild brush against her leg, the person said. Moments later, she realized her purse was missing, according to the person, who isn’t authorized to speak publicly.
Officials believe the bag may have also held sensitive items such as her DHS official lapel pins. Her government-issued phone was recovered and has been accounted for.
Surveillance footage reviewed by investigators showed a masked individual stealing the purse and quickly leaving the restaurant, the person said. No arrests have been made.
Noem has served as one of the Trump administration’s most visible figures on immigration enforcement, frequently appearing in television ads and social media campaigns ordering migrants to go home or be found and deported. She has posed on horseback at the southern border region, accompanied federal agents on raids and championed tough-on-immigration messaging in media appearances.
She briefly addressed the theft during the White House Easter Egg Roll on Monday, saying the matter remained under investigation.
Noem was hosting her entire family in Washington, including her children and grandchildren, and had been treating them to dinner, activities and Easter gifts, according to another person familiar with the matter.
Kristi Noem's purse, with $3,000 cash, stolen from popular DC restaurant
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s purse that contained $3,000 in cash was stolen while she was dining at a popular DC restaurant
Person found on ’elevated surface’ inside Trump Tower in New York is arrested, police say
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Published Apr 21, 2025 • 1 minute read
Exterior view from Trump Tower in New York City, on May 31, 2024.
Exterior view from Trump Tower in New York City, on May 31, 2024.
NEW YORK — Police arrested a 30-year-old person inside Trump Tower on Monday after getting a report of a disorderly person on an “elevated surface” inside the building, authorities said.
New York City Police responded at around 4:30 p.m. to the skyscraper where President Donald Trump keeps a penthouse. The tower also houses private condominiums, restaurants, shops, and a soaring public atrium that is open to tourists.
Independent journalists on the scene posted video of security officials evacuating people from the atrium and police officers later exiting the building. The officers were wearing helmets and safety harnesses of the kind used by emergency responders who specialize in rescuing people from high places.
The NYPD’s emergency service unit took the person into custody without further incident, police said. It wasn’t immediately clear what charges the person might face and the incident remains under investigation, police said.
Trump Tower has been the scene, over the years, of protests, bomb scares and the occasional stunt. A person tried to scale the building in 2016 and got to the 21st floor before officers dragged him in.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Published Apr 21, 2025 • 1 minute read
Exterior view from Trump Tower in New York City, on May 31, 2024.
Exterior view from Trump Tower in New York City, on May 31, 2024.
NEW YORK — Police arrested a 30-year-old person inside Trump Tower on Monday after getting a report of a disorderly person on an “elevated surface” inside the building, authorities said.
New York City Police responded at around 4:30 p.m. to the skyscraper where President Donald Trump keeps a penthouse. The tower also houses private condominiums, restaurants, shops, and a soaring public atrium that is open to tourists.
Independent journalists on the scene posted video of security officials evacuating people from the atrium and police officers later exiting the building. The officers were wearing helmets and safety harnesses of the kind used by emergency responders who specialize in rescuing people from high places.
The NYPD’s emergency service unit took the person into custody without further incident, police said. It wasn’t immediately clear what charges the person might face and the incident remains under investigation, police said.
Trump Tower has been the scene, over the years, of protests, bomb scares and the occasional stunt. A person tried to scale the building in 2016 and got to the 21st floor before officers dragged him in.
Person found on ’elevated surface’ inside Trump Tower in New York is arrested, police say
New York City Police responded at around 4:30 p.m. to the skyscraper where President Donald Trump keeps a penthouse.
Father of Tesla Cybertruck crash victim files lawsuit over death
Author of the article:Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Emily Chang
Published Apr 24, 2025 • 3 minute read
The family of one of three college students who died in a Cybertruck crash in California filed a lawsuit in a bid to gain access to the Tesla Inc. truck and better understand how their daughter died.
The driver and two passengers were killed while they were on Thanksgiving break in late November when the vehicle ran into a tree on a residential street and caught fire.
Carl Tsukahara, whose 19-year-old daughter, Krysta, was sitting in the back seat of the truck when it crashed, said Thursday he’s trying to find out what happened — and why.
“Why did the driver have this car? Where were the kids throughout the night? Who was with whom?” he asked during an interview. “Why did the car catch on fire? Why couldn’t Krysta get out?”
Toxicology Report
A toxicology report found the driver had high levels of drugs and alcohol in his system and that Tsukahara had trace amounts of drugs and alcohol.
The wrongful death suit filed Wednesday in Alameda County Superior Court targets the driver’s family but doesn’t name Tesla as a defendant.
The family of the driver, Soren Dixon, didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Tsukahara wasn’t physically injured by the crash itself. Instead, an autopsy showed she died of asphyxiation when she couldn’t open the doors to get out.
A witness who tried to rescue Tsukahara and others in the vehicle told police, “I went back to the broken window and yelled for them to try and get out at this window. Krysta tried to come up, sticking her head from the back. I grabbed her arm to try to pull her towards me but she retreated because of the fire.” The rescuer was able to pull one passenger to safety. But the driver and a third passenger also died of asphyxiation.
Krysta’s death was caused by her inability to get out of the car and being consumed in the fire that engulfed the vehicle, according to the family’s attorney, Roger Dreyer of Dreyer Babich Buccola Wood Campora LLP.
Lawyer, Engineers
Dreyer said he has engineers who specialize in fire science and crash reconstruction, but they haven’t been able to inspect the Cybertruck.
“We can’t get access to the vehicle without permission from the owner,” he said. “And we can’t get data from Tesla without permission from the owner.”
The lawsuit includes unidentified “Doe” defendants, which allows the Tsukahara family to keep its options open to add Tesla later.
“Defendants negligently entrusted, managed, maintained, drove, operated, repaired, manufactured and designed the subject vehicle so as to cause the collision and the resulting injuries and damages to plaintiffs,” according to the complaint.
Tesla didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Early Thursday, an 18-year-old driver of a Cybertruck who’d been recruited to play basketball for University of Southern California was hospitalized after crashing into a tree in the Los Angeles area, the Associated Press reported, citing media accounts and local authorities.
‘Safest Vehicles’
Tesla later said in an X post its cars are “exceeding safety standards across 4 continents.”
“Nobody wants to be in a car accident,” the post said. “But if the worst happens, you want to be in one of the safest vehicles on the road.”
Tesla’s Cybertruck has been a relatively niche product for the automaker, with a recall notice showing the EV company has sold about 46,000 trucks in the first 15 months since it started deliveries, just a fraction of its overall vehicle sales. The Cybertruck has been subject to eight safety recalls since it launched, with the latest marking its second issue related to steel trim coming loose.
The company has touted the Cybertruck’s five-star safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, including showing crash test pictures of the vehicle in its latest earnings report on Tuesday.
Krysta’s father described her as an “amazing girl” who “never got in trouble.”
“It still haunts us every day, and it will for the rest of our life,” Carl Tsukahara said while sitting inside his home in Piedmont, a wealthy enclave that borders Oakland. “She died a horrible death and suffered.”
“We keep hoping to wake up from this horrible nightmare,” said his wife, Noelle Tsukahara.
— With assistance from Kara Carlson and Dana Hull.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Emily Chang
Published Apr 24, 2025 • 3 minute read
The family of one of three college students who died in a Cybertruck crash in California filed a lawsuit in a bid to gain access to the Tesla Inc. truck and better understand how their daughter died.
The driver and two passengers were killed while they were on Thanksgiving break in late November when the vehicle ran into a tree on a residential street and caught fire.
Carl Tsukahara, whose 19-year-old daughter, Krysta, was sitting in the back seat of the truck when it crashed, said Thursday he’s trying to find out what happened — and why.
“Why did the driver have this car? Where were the kids throughout the night? Who was with whom?” he asked during an interview. “Why did the car catch on fire? Why couldn’t Krysta get out?”
Toxicology Report
A toxicology report found the driver had high levels of drugs and alcohol in his system and that Tsukahara had trace amounts of drugs and alcohol.
The wrongful death suit filed Wednesday in Alameda County Superior Court targets the driver’s family but doesn’t name Tesla as a defendant.
The family of the driver, Soren Dixon, didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Tsukahara wasn’t physically injured by the crash itself. Instead, an autopsy showed she died of asphyxiation when she couldn’t open the doors to get out.
A witness who tried to rescue Tsukahara and others in the vehicle told police, “I went back to the broken window and yelled for them to try and get out at this window. Krysta tried to come up, sticking her head from the back. I grabbed her arm to try to pull her towards me but she retreated because of the fire.” The rescuer was able to pull one passenger to safety. But the driver and a third passenger also died of asphyxiation.
Krysta’s death was caused by her inability to get out of the car and being consumed in the fire that engulfed the vehicle, according to the family’s attorney, Roger Dreyer of Dreyer Babich Buccola Wood Campora LLP.
Lawyer, Engineers
Dreyer said he has engineers who specialize in fire science and crash reconstruction, but they haven’t been able to inspect the Cybertruck.
“We can’t get access to the vehicle without permission from the owner,” he said. “And we can’t get data from Tesla without permission from the owner.”
The lawsuit includes unidentified “Doe” defendants, which allows the Tsukahara family to keep its options open to add Tesla later.
“Defendants negligently entrusted, managed, maintained, drove, operated, repaired, manufactured and designed the subject vehicle so as to cause the collision and the resulting injuries and damages to plaintiffs,” according to the complaint.
Tesla didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Early Thursday, an 18-year-old driver of a Cybertruck who’d been recruited to play basketball for University of Southern California was hospitalized after crashing into a tree in the Los Angeles area, the Associated Press reported, citing media accounts and local authorities.
‘Safest Vehicles’
Tesla later said in an X post its cars are “exceeding safety standards across 4 continents.”
“Nobody wants to be in a car accident,” the post said. “But if the worst happens, you want to be in one of the safest vehicles on the road.”
Tesla’s Cybertruck has been a relatively niche product for the automaker, with a recall notice showing the EV company has sold about 46,000 trucks in the first 15 months since it started deliveries, just a fraction of its overall vehicle sales. The Cybertruck has been subject to eight safety recalls since it launched, with the latest marking its second issue related to steel trim coming loose.
The company has touted the Cybertruck’s five-star safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, including showing crash test pictures of the vehicle in its latest earnings report on Tuesday.
Krysta’s father described her as an “amazing girl” who “never got in trouble.”
“It still haunts us every day, and it will for the rest of our life,” Carl Tsukahara said while sitting inside his home in Piedmont, a wealthy enclave that borders Oakland. “She died a horrible death and suffered.”
“We keep hoping to wake up from this horrible nightmare,” said his wife, Noelle Tsukahara.
— With assistance from Kara Carlson and Dana Hull.
Father of Tesla Cybertruck crash victim files lawsuit over death
The family of one of three college students who died in a Cybertruck crash in California filed a lawsuit.
Trump pardons Nevada politician who paid for her plastic surgery with funds to honour a slain officer
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Rio Yamat
Published Apr 24, 2025 • Last updated 11 hours ago • 2 minute read
LAS VEGAS — President Donald Trump has pardoned a Nevada Republican politician who was awaiting sentencing on federal charges that she used money meant for a statue honoring a slain police officer for personal costs, including plastic surgery.
Michele Fiore, a former Las Vegas city councilwoman and state lawmaker who ran unsuccessfully in 2022 for state treasurer, was found guilty in October of six counts of federal wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She was out of custody ahead of her sentencing, which had been scheduled for next month.
In a lengthy statement Thursday on Facebook, the loyal Trump supporter expressed gratitude to the president while also accusing the U.S. government and “select media outlets” of a broad, decade-long conspiracy to “target and dismantle” her life.
The White House confirmed Fiore had been pardoned but did not comment on the president’s decision.
The pardon, issued Wednesday, comes less than a week after Fiore lost a bid for a new trial. She had been facing the possibility of decades in prison.
Federal prosecutors said at trial that Fiore, 54, had raised more than $70,000 for the statue of a Las Vegas police officer who was fatally shot in 2014 in the line of duty, but had instead spent some of it on cosmetic surgery, rent and her daughter’s wedding.
“Michele Fiore used a tragedy to line her pockets,” federal prosecutor Dahoud Askar said.
FBI agents in 2021 subpoenaed records and searched Fiore’s home in Las Vegas in connection with her campaign spending.
In a statement, Nevada Democratic Party Executive Director Hilary Barrett called the pardon “reckless” and a “slap in the face” to law enforcement officers.
Fiore, who does not have a law degree, was appointed as a judge in deep-red Nye County in 2022 shortly after she lost her campaign for state treasurer.
She was elected last June to complete the unexpired term of a judge who died but had been suspended without pay amid her legal troubles. Pahrump is an hour’s drive west of Las Vegas.
In her statement Thursday, Fiore also said she plans to return to the bench next week.
Nye County said it is awaiting an update on Fiore’s current suspension from the state Commission on Judicial Discipline, which told The Associated Press in an email that it was aware that Fiore had been pardoned but that it didn’t have further comment on her situation.
AP also sent an email seeking comment from Fiore’s lawyer.
Fiore served in the state Legislature from 2012 to 2016. She was a Las Vegas councilwoman from 2017 to 2022.
While serving as a state lawmaker, Fiore gained national attention for her support of rancher Cliven Bundy and his family during armed standoffs between militiamen and federal law enforcement officers in Bunkerville, Nevada, in 2014 and Malheur, Oregon, in 2016.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Rio Yamat
Published Apr 24, 2025 • Last updated 11 hours ago • 2 minute read
LAS VEGAS — President Donald Trump has pardoned a Nevada Republican politician who was awaiting sentencing on federal charges that she used money meant for a statue honoring a slain police officer for personal costs, including plastic surgery.
Michele Fiore, a former Las Vegas city councilwoman and state lawmaker who ran unsuccessfully in 2022 for state treasurer, was found guilty in October of six counts of federal wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She was out of custody ahead of her sentencing, which had been scheduled for next month.
In a lengthy statement Thursday on Facebook, the loyal Trump supporter expressed gratitude to the president while also accusing the U.S. government and “select media outlets” of a broad, decade-long conspiracy to “target and dismantle” her life.
The White House confirmed Fiore had been pardoned but did not comment on the president’s decision.
The pardon, issued Wednesday, comes less than a week after Fiore lost a bid for a new trial. She had been facing the possibility of decades in prison.
Federal prosecutors said at trial that Fiore, 54, had raised more than $70,000 for the statue of a Las Vegas police officer who was fatally shot in 2014 in the line of duty, but had instead spent some of it on cosmetic surgery, rent and her daughter’s wedding.
“Michele Fiore used a tragedy to line her pockets,” federal prosecutor Dahoud Askar said.
FBI agents in 2021 subpoenaed records and searched Fiore’s home in Las Vegas in connection with her campaign spending.
In a statement, Nevada Democratic Party Executive Director Hilary Barrett called the pardon “reckless” and a “slap in the face” to law enforcement officers.
Fiore, who does not have a law degree, was appointed as a judge in deep-red Nye County in 2022 shortly after she lost her campaign for state treasurer.
She was elected last June to complete the unexpired term of a judge who died but had been suspended without pay amid her legal troubles. Pahrump is an hour’s drive west of Las Vegas.
In her statement Thursday, Fiore also said she plans to return to the bench next week.
Nye County said it is awaiting an update on Fiore’s current suspension from the state Commission on Judicial Discipline, which told The Associated Press in an email that it was aware that Fiore had been pardoned but that it didn’t have further comment on her situation.
AP also sent an email seeking comment from Fiore’s lawyer.
Fiore served in the state Legislature from 2012 to 2016. She was a Las Vegas councilwoman from 2017 to 2022.
While serving as a state lawmaker, Fiore gained national attention for her support of rancher Cliven Bundy and his family during armed standoffs between militiamen and federal law enforcement officers in Bunkerville, Nevada, in 2014 and Malheur, Oregon, in 2016.
Trump pardons Nevada politician who paid for her plastic surgery with funds to honour a slain officer
Politician who paid for her plastic surgery with funds to honour a slain officer.
Democratic congressman pushes Trump impeachment, but backs down from vote
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Matt Brown, Lisa Mascaro and Leah Askarinam
Published May 14, 2025 • Last updated 19 hours ago • 4 minute read
WASHINGTON — A Democratic lawmaker is backing down, for now, from a renegade bid to impeach President Donald Trump after colleagues in his own party criticized the effort and refused to support it.
Rep. Shri Thanedar of Michigan isn’t abandoning his resolution to impeach Trump, saying that, as an immigrant, he wants to do all he can to protect America’s Constitution and its institutions. But with his own party leaders opposed, Thanedar late Wednesday edged back from forcing a vote that was certain to fail.
“Instead, I will add to my articles of impeachment and continue to rally the support of both Democrats and Republicans to defend the Constitution with me,” Thanedar said on social media. He said other offences could be added to the resolution, including Trump’s plan to accept a free Air Force One replacement from Qatar.
“I will continue to pursue all avenues to put this President on notice and hold him accountable for his many impeachable crimes,” Thanedar said.
It’s the third time Trump has faced impeachment efforts after being twice impeached during his first term as president _ first in 2019 on charges related to withholding military aid to Ukraine as it confronted Russia and later on a charge of inciting insurrection over the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by a mob of his supporters. Trump was acquitted both times by the Senate.
Thanedar’s reversal followed multiple conversations with his fellow House Democrats in the halls of Congress and private talks with senior party leaders who urged him to reconsider.
“As I tried to explain to him, having been around the track a couple of times on this, it’s not enough to be right,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, who served as the lead manager for Trump’s second impeachment. Raskin noted that impeachment “as a constitutional matter is a mixed question of law and politics,” and that, for the moment, Democrats lacked the needed power to mount a successful effort.
Asked whether Democrats would bring impeachment charges in a future Congress should they win back power, Raskin replied: “Who knows? There’s so many things that could happen between now and then.”
Thanedar is not the only Democrat who has signaled support for impeachment efforts against Trump. But his decision to go it almost alone comes as he faces his own political challenges at home, with several primary opponents looking to unseat him in his Detroit-area congressional district.
House Democratic leaders called his resolution a poorly timed distraction as they work to generate opposition to the Republican tax cut bill.
“Right now, our focus is on health care being stripped away from the American people,” said Rep. Pete Aguilar of California, chair of the House Democratic Caucus. “That is the most urgent and dire thing that we could be talking about this week.”
Aguilar added that Trump “is no stranger to impeachment“ but said Thanedar’s proposal is “not ripe and not timely” given the Republican push to approve their tax package.
Other Democrats agreed that the party should be focused on Republican efforts to cut spending on important programs that Americans rely on, such as Medicaid and nutrition assistance.
“There’s no support for an impeachment resolution. There have been no hearings on compiling a record for which impeachment can be based. And this is just a procedure that’s meaningless at this point,“ said Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga. ”The sponsor is out of sync with the mood and the trajectory of House Democrats.”
“The work that we need to focus on is that Republicans are stripping away access to health care, stripping away nutritional assistance for hungry kids, and giving tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans and large corporations,” said Rick Larsen, D-Wash. “This resolution has nothing to do with that.”
Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson, a close Trump ally, denounced Thanedar’s impeachment effort as a “sham,” “an embarrassing political stunt” and “out of touch.” He promised that his party would vote the effort down.
Thanedar’s resolution claiming Trump committed “high crimes and misdemeanors” came as Trump is traveling in the Middle East in his first major trip abroad of his second term, violating a norm in American politics of not criticizing the president once he leaves the U.S. waters’ edge.
But Thanedar said he was pressing ahead in part because of Trump’s trip abroad and the potential conflicts of interest as the president appears to be mixing his personal business dealings with his presidential duties.
“My constituents want me to act,” Thanedar told The Associated Press late Tuesday.
“It’s time for us to stand up and speak. We can’t worry about, ‘Is this the right time?’ We can’t worry about, ‘Are we going to win this battle?’ It’s more about doing the right thing,” he said.
Impeachment of a president or other U.S. officials, once rare, has become increasingly common in Congress.
Republicans in the House opened an impeachment inquiry into then-President Joe Biden, a Democrat, but stopped short of action. The Republicans in Congress did, however, impeach Biden’s Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The Senate dismissed two articles of impeachment against Mayorkas, ending his trial.
Thanedar, who’s from India, has said he came to the United States without many resources. He said he loves the U.S. and wants to defend its Constitution and institutions.
When he took over the Detroit congressional district, it was the first time in decades that the city was left without a Black lawmaker in Congress.
— Staff writer Kevin Freking contributed to this report.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Matt Brown, Lisa Mascaro and Leah Askarinam
Published May 14, 2025 • Last updated 19 hours ago • 4 minute read
WASHINGTON — A Democratic lawmaker is backing down, for now, from a renegade bid to impeach President Donald Trump after colleagues in his own party criticized the effort and refused to support it.
Rep. Shri Thanedar of Michigan isn’t abandoning his resolution to impeach Trump, saying that, as an immigrant, he wants to do all he can to protect America’s Constitution and its institutions. But with his own party leaders opposed, Thanedar late Wednesday edged back from forcing a vote that was certain to fail.
“Instead, I will add to my articles of impeachment and continue to rally the support of both Democrats and Republicans to defend the Constitution with me,” Thanedar said on social media. He said other offences could be added to the resolution, including Trump’s plan to accept a free Air Force One replacement from Qatar.
“I will continue to pursue all avenues to put this President on notice and hold him accountable for his many impeachable crimes,” Thanedar said.
It’s the third time Trump has faced impeachment efforts after being twice impeached during his first term as president _ first in 2019 on charges related to withholding military aid to Ukraine as it confronted Russia and later on a charge of inciting insurrection over the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by a mob of his supporters. Trump was acquitted both times by the Senate.
Thanedar’s reversal followed multiple conversations with his fellow House Democrats in the halls of Congress and private talks with senior party leaders who urged him to reconsider.
“As I tried to explain to him, having been around the track a couple of times on this, it’s not enough to be right,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, who served as the lead manager for Trump’s second impeachment. Raskin noted that impeachment “as a constitutional matter is a mixed question of law and politics,” and that, for the moment, Democrats lacked the needed power to mount a successful effort.
Asked whether Democrats would bring impeachment charges in a future Congress should they win back power, Raskin replied: “Who knows? There’s so many things that could happen between now and then.”
Thanedar is not the only Democrat who has signaled support for impeachment efforts against Trump. But his decision to go it almost alone comes as he faces his own political challenges at home, with several primary opponents looking to unseat him in his Detroit-area congressional district.
House Democratic leaders called his resolution a poorly timed distraction as they work to generate opposition to the Republican tax cut bill.
“Right now, our focus is on health care being stripped away from the American people,” said Rep. Pete Aguilar of California, chair of the House Democratic Caucus. “That is the most urgent and dire thing that we could be talking about this week.”
Aguilar added that Trump “is no stranger to impeachment“ but said Thanedar’s proposal is “not ripe and not timely” given the Republican push to approve their tax package.
Other Democrats agreed that the party should be focused on Republican efforts to cut spending on important programs that Americans rely on, such as Medicaid and nutrition assistance.
“There’s no support for an impeachment resolution. There have been no hearings on compiling a record for which impeachment can be based. And this is just a procedure that’s meaningless at this point,“ said Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga. ”The sponsor is out of sync with the mood and the trajectory of House Democrats.”
“The work that we need to focus on is that Republicans are stripping away access to health care, stripping away nutritional assistance for hungry kids, and giving tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans and large corporations,” said Rick Larsen, D-Wash. “This resolution has nothing to do with that.”
Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson, a close Trump ally, denounced Thanedar’s impeachment effort as a “sham,” “an embarrassing political stunt” and “out of touch.” He promised that his party would vote the effort down.
Thanedar’s resolution claiming Trump committed “high crimes and misdemeanors” came as Trump is traveling in the Middle East in his first major trip abroad of his second term, violating a norm in American politics of not criticizing the president once he leaves the U.S. waters’ edge.
But Thanedar said he was pressing ahead in part because of Trump’s trip abroad and the potential conflicts of interest as the president appears to be mixing his personal business dealings with his presidential duties.
“My constituents want me to act,” Thanedar told The Associated Press late Tuesday.
“It’s time for us to stand up and speak. We can’t worry about, ‘Is this the right time?’ We can’t worry about, ‘Are we going to win this battle?’ It’s more about doing the right thing,” he said.
Impeachment of a president or other U.S. officials, once rare, has become increasingly common in Congress.
Republicans in the House opened an impeachment inquiry into then-President Joe Biden, a Democrat, but stopped short of action. The Republicans in Congress did, however, impeach Biden’s Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The Senate dismissed two articles of impeachment against Mayorkas, ending his trial.
Thanedar, who’s from India, has said he came to the United States without many resources. He said he loves the U.S. and wants to defend its Constitution and institutions.
When he took over the Detroit congressional district, it was the first time in decades that the city was left without a Black lawmaker in Congress.
— Staff writer Kevin Freking contributed to this report.
Democratic congressman pushes Trump impeachment, but backs down from vote
A Democratic lawmaker is backing down, for now, from a renegade bid to impeach President Donald Trump.
Trump administration officials say Secret Service is investigating Comey’s ’86 47’ social media post
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Published May 15, 2025 • Last updated 1 day ago • 2 minute read
WASHINGTON — Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Thursday that federal law enforcement is investigating a social media post made by former FBI Director James Comey that she and other Republicans suggest is a call for violence against President Donald Trump.
In an Instagram post, Comey wrote “cool shell formation on my beach walk” under a picture of seashells that appeared to form the shapes for “86 47.”
Numerous Trump administration officials, including Noem, said Comey was advocating for the assassination of Trump, the 47th president. “DHS and Secret Service is investigating this threat and will respond appropriately,” Noem wrote.
Merriam-Webster, the dictionary used by The Associated Press, says 86 is slang meaning “to throw out,” “to get rid of” or “to refuse service to.” It notes: “Among the most recent senses adopted is a logical extension of the previous ones, with the meaning of ‘to kill.’ We do not enter this sense, due to its relative recency and sparseness of use.”
The post has since been deleted. Comey subsequently wrote, “I posted earlier a picture of some shells I saw today on a beach walk, which I assumed were a political message. I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence.
“It never occurred to me,” Comey added, “but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.”
Comey’s original post sparked outrage among conservatives on social media, with Donald Trump Jr. accusing Comey of calling for his father’s killing.
Current FBI Director Kash Patel said he was aware of the post and was conferring with the Secret Service and its director.
James Blair, White House deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs, noted that the post came at a delicate time given that Trump is traveling in the Middle East.
“This is a Clarion Call from Jim Comey to terrorists & hostile regimes to kill the President of the United States as he travels in the Middle East,” Blair wrote on X.
Comey, who was FBI director from 2013 to 2017, was fired by Trump during the president’s first term amid the bureau’s probe into allegations of ties between Russian officials and Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. Comey wrote about his career in the best-selling memoir “A Higher Loyalty.”
He is now a crime fiction writer and is promoting his latest book, “FDR Drive,” which is being released on Tuesday.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Published May 15, 2025 • Last updated 1 day ago • 2 minute read
WASHINGTON — Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Thursday that federal law enforcement is investigating a social media post made by former FBI Director James Comey that she and other Republicans suggest is a call for violence against President Donald Trump.
In an Instagram post, Comey wrote “cool shell formation on my beach walk” under a picture of seashells that appeared to form the shapes for “86 47.”
Numerous Trump administration officials, including Noem, said Comey was advocating for the assassination of Trump, the 47th president. “DHS and Secret Service is investigating this threat and will respond appropriately,” Noem wrote.
Merriam-Webster, the dictionary used by The Associated Press, says 86 is slang meaning “to throw out,” “to get rid of” or “to refuse service to.” It notes: “Among the most recent senses adopted is a logical extension of the previous ones, with the meaning of ‘to kill.’ We do not enter this sense, due to its relative recency and sparseness of use.”
The post has since been deleted. Comey subsequently wrote, “I posted earlier a picture of some shells I saw today on a beach walk, which I assumed were a political message. I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence.
“It never occurred to me,” Comey added, “but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.”
Comey’s original post sparked outrage among conservatives on social media, with Donald Trump Jr. accusing Comey of calling for his father’s killing.
Current FBI Director Kash Patel said he was aware of the post and was conferring with the Secret Service and its director.
James Blair, White House deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs, noted that the post came at a delicate time given that Trump is traveling in the Middle East.
“This is a Clarion Call from Jim Comey to terrorists & hostile regimes to kill the President of the United States as he travels in the Middle East,” Blair wrote on X.
Comey, who was FBI director from 2013 to 2017, was fired by Trump during the president’s first term amid the bureau’s probe into allegations of ties between Russian officials and Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. Comey wrote about his career in the best-selling memoir “A Higher Loyalty.”
He is now a crime fiction writer and is promoting his latest book, “FDR Drive,” which is being released on Tuesday.
Trump administration officials say Secret Service is investigating Comey’s ’86 47’ social media post
Kristi Noem said Thursday that federal law enforcement is investigating a social media post made by former FBI Director James Comey.
Well, I heard it first here…
WASHINGTON, May 12 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump signed a wide-reaching executive order on Monday directing drugmakers to lower the prices of their medicines to align with what other countries pay that analysts and legal experts said would be difficult to implement.
The order gives drugmakers price targets in the next 30 days, and will take further action to lower prices if those companies do not make "significant progress" toward those goals??? Like…tariffs?
Trump told a press conference that the government would impose tariffs if the prices in the U.S. did not match those in other countries and said he was seeking cuts of between 59% and 90%…but…but what if those pharmaceutical companies are American based? Will Trump set the precedent of tariffing American companies now?
If drugmakers do not meet the government’s expectations, it will use rulemaking to bring drug prices to international levels and consider a range of other measures, including importing medicines from other developed nations and implementing export restrictions, a copy of the order showed.
WASHINGTON, May 12 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump signed a wide-reaching executive order on Monday directing drugmakers to lower the prices of their medicines to align with what other countries pay that analysts and legal experts said would be difficult to implement.
The order gives drugmakers price targets in the next 30 days, and will take further action to lower prices if those companies do not make "significant progress" toward those goals??? Like…tariffs?
Trump told a press conference that the government would impose tariffs if the prices in the U.S. did not match those in other countries and said he was seeking cuts of between 59% and 90%…but…but what if those pharmaceutical companies are American based? Will Trump set the precedent of tariffing American companies now?
If drugmakers do not meet the government’s expectations, it will use rulemaking to bring drug prices to international levels and consider a range of other measures, including importing medicines from other developed nations and implementing export restrictions, a copy of the order showed.
Loading…
www.reuters.com
Police investigate disappearance of Melania Trump statue in her native Slovenia
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Published May 16, 2025 • Last updated 1 day ago • 1 minute read
A bronze sculpture representing Melania Trump
A bronze sculpture representing Melania Trump stands on a bank of the Sava river in the village of Rozno, near her hometown of Sevnica, Slovenia, Nov. 6, 2024. Photo by Darko Bandic /AP
LJUBLJANA, Slovenia — Police in Slovenia are investigating the disappearance of a bronze statue of U.S. first lady Melania Trump that was sawed off and carried away from her hometown.
The life-size sculpture was unveiled in 2020 during President Donald Trump’s first term in office near Sevnica in central Slovenia, where Melanija Knavs was born in 1970. It replaced a wooden statue that had been set on fire earlier that year.
Police spokeswoman Alenka Drenik Rangus said Friday that the police were informed about the theft of the statue on Tuesday. She said police were working to track down those responsible.
According to Slovenian media reports, the bronze replica was sawed off at the ankles and removed.
Franja Kranjc, who works at a bakery in Sevnica that sells cakes with Melania Trump’s name in support of the first lady, said the stolen statue won’t be missed.
“I think no one was really proud at this statue, not even the first lady of the USA,“ he said. ”So I think its OK that it’s removed.”
The original wooden statue was torched in July 2020. The rustic figure was cut from the trunk of a linden tree, showing her in a pale blue dress like the one she wore at Trump’s presidential inauguration in 2017. The replica bronze statue has no obvious resemblance with the first lady.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Published May 16, 2025 • Last updated 1 day ago • 1 minute read
A bronze sculpture representing Melania Trump
A bronze sculpture representing Melania Trump stands on a bank of the Sava river in the village of Rozno, near her hometown of Sevnica, Slovenia, Nov. 6, 2024. Photo by Darko Bandic /AP
LJUBLJANA, Slovenia — Police in Slovenia are investigating the disappearance of a bronze statue of U.S. first lady Melania Trump that was sawed off and carried away from her hometown.
The life-size sculpture was unveiled in 2020 during President Donald Trump’s first term in office near Sevnica in central Slovenia, where Melanija Knavs was born in 1970. It replaced a wooden statue that had been set on fire earlier that year.
Police spokeswoman Alenka Drenik Rangus said Friday that the police were informed about the theft of the statue on Tuesday. She said police were working to track down those responsible.
According to Slovenian media reports, the bronze replica was sawed off at the ankles and removed.
Franja Kranjc, who works at a bakery in Sevnica that sells cakes with Melania Trump’s name in support of the first lady, said the stolen statue won’t be missed.
“I think no one was really proud at this statue, not even the first lady of the USA,“ he said. ”So I think its OK that it’s removed.”
The original wooden statue was torched in July 2020. The rustic figure was cut from the trunk of a linden tree, showing her in a pale blue dress like the one she wore at Trump’s presidential inauguration in 2017. The replica bronze statue has no obvious resemblance with the first lady.
Police investigate disappearance of Melania Trump statue in her native Slovenia
Police in Slovenia are investigating the disappearance of a statue of U.S. first lady Melania Trump that was sawed off and carried away
Comey being interviewed by the Secret Service over ’86 47’ social media postTrump administration officials say Secret Service is investigating Comey’s ’86 47’ social media post
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Published May 15, 2025 • Last updated 1 day ago • 2 minute read
WASHINGTON — Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Thursday that federal law enforcement is investigating a social media post made by former FBI Director James Comey that she and other Republicans suggest is a call for violence against President Donald Trump.
In an Instagram post, Comey wrote “cool shell formation on my beach walk” under a picture of seashells that appeared to form the shapes for “86 47.”
Numerous Trump administration officials, including Noem, said Comey was advocating for the assassination of Trump, the 47th president. “DHS and Secret Service is investigating this threat and will respond appropriately,” Noem wrote.
Merriam-Webster, the dictionary used by The Associated Press, says 86 is slang meaning “to throw out,” “to get rid of” or “to refuse service to.” It notes: “Among the most recent senses adopted is a logical extension of the previous ones, with the meaning of ‘to kill.’ We do not enter this sense, due to its relative recency and sparseness of use.”
The post has since been deleted. Comey subsequently wrote, “I posted earlier a picture of some shells I saw today on a beach walk, which I assumed were a political message. I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence.
“It never occurred to me,” Comey added, “but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.”
Comey’s original post sparked outrage among conservatives on social media, with Donald Trump Jr. accusing Comey of calling for his father’s killing.
Current FBI Director Kash Patel said he was aware of the post and was conferring with the Secret Service and its director.
James Blair, White House deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs, noted that the post came at a delicate time given that Trump is traveling in the Middle East.
“This is a Clarion Call from Jim Comey to terrorists & hostile regimes to kill the President of the United States as he travels in the Middle East,” Blair wrote on X.
Comey, who was FBI director from 2013 to 2017, was fired by Trump during the president’s first term amid the bureau’s probe into allegations of ties between Russian officials and Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. Comey wrote about his career in the best-selling memoir “A Higher Loyalty.”
He is now a crime fiction writer and is promoting his latest book, “FDR Drive,” which is being released on Tuesday.
Trump administration officials say Secret Service is investigating Comey’s ’86 47’ social media post
Kristi Noem said Thursday that federal law enforcement is investigating a social media post made by former FBI Director James Comey.
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Rebecca Santana And Eric Tucker
Published May 16, 2025 • Last updated 23 hours ago • 2 minute read
Former FBI Director James Comey was being interviewed by the Secret Service on Friday about a social media post that Republicans insisted was a call for violence against President Donald Trump, according to a law enforcement official.
The interview is part of an ongoing Trump administration investigation and is expected to help investigators assess the purpose and intent of the post and whether Comey intended to communicate a threat to the president, which he flatly denied. Any decision on whether charges should be filed would be up to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Trump said Friday, though there’s a high bar in proving that comments or posts amount to direct threats of violence.
The official who confirmed the interview, which is standard for the Secret Service while investigating comments perceived as potentially threatening, was not authorized to discuss the matter by name and spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press.
At issue is an Instagram post from Thursday in which Comey wrote “cool shell formation on my beach walk” under a picture of seashells that appeared to form the shapes for “86 47.”
Merriam-Webster, the dictionary used by The Associated Press, says 86 is slang meaning “to throw out,” “to get rid of” or “to refuse service to.” It notes: “Among the most recent senses adopted is a logical extension of the previous ones, with the meaning of ‘to kill.’ We do not enter this sense, due to its relative recency and sparseness of use.”
Numerous Trump administration officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, asserted that Comey was advocating the assassination of Trump, the 47th president. FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau was also supporting the investigation.
Asked about it Friday during a Fox News interview, Trump said: “He knew exactly what that meant. A child knows what that meant. If you’re the FBI director and you don’t know what that meant, that meant assassination. And it says it loud and clear.”
He deflected a question on what he thought should happen, saying the decision would be up to Bondi.
The post was deleted Thursday after it was made, with Comey subsequently writing: “I posted earlier a picture of some shells I saw today on a beach walk, which I assumed were a political message. I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence.
Trump and Comey have had a fraught dynamic dating back nearly a decade.
Comey was the FBI director when Trump took office in 2017, having been appointed four years earlier by then-President Barack Obama and serving before that as a senior Justice Department official in President George W. Bush’s administration.
But the relationship was strained from the start, including after Comey resisted a request by Trump at a private dinner to pledge his personal loyalty to the president — an overture that so unnerved the FBI director that he documented it in a contemporaneous memorandum.
Trump fired Comey in May 2017 amid an FBI investigation into potential ties between Russia and Trump’s presidential campaign. That inquiry, later taken over by special counsel Robert Mueller, would ultimately find that while Russia interfered in the 2016 election and the Trump team welcomed the help, there was insufficient evidence to prove a criminal collaboration.
Comey being interviewed by the Secret Service over ’86 47’ social media post
Former FBI Director James Comey was being interviewed by the Secret Service on Friday about a social media post.
Ex-FBI director Comey calls Instagram controversy ’bit of a distraction’Comey being interviewed by the Secret Service over ’86 47’ social media post
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Rebecca Santana And Eric Tucker
Published May 16, 2025 • Last updated 23 hours ago • 2 minute read
Former FBI Director James Comey was being interviewed by the Secret Service on Friday about a social media post that Republicans insisted was a call for violence against President Donald Trump, according to a law enforcement official.
The interview is part of an ongoing Trump administration investigation and is expected to help investigators assess the purpose and intent of the post and whether Comey intended to communicate a threat to the president, which he flatly denied. Any decision on whether charges should be filed would be up to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Trump said Friday, though there’s a high bar in proving that comments or posts amount to direct threats of violence.
The official who confirmed the interview, which is standard for the Secret Service while investigating comments perceived as potentially threatening, was not authorized to discuss the matter by name and spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press.
At issue is an Instagram post from Thursday in which Comey wrote “cool shell formation on my beach walk” under a picture of seashells that appeared to form the shapes for “86 47.”
Merriam-Webster, the dictionary used by The Associated Press, says 86 is slang meaning “to throw out,” “to get rid of” or “to refuse service to.” It notes: “Among the most recent senses adopted is a logical extension of the previous ones, with the meaning of ‘to kill.’ We do not enter this sense, due to its relative recency and sparseness of use.”
Numerous Trump administration officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, asserted that Comey was advocating the assassination of Trump, the 47th president. FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau was also supporting the investigation.
Asked about it Friday during a Fox News interview, Trump said: “He knew exactly what that meant. A child knows what that meant. If you’re the FBI director and you don’t know what that meant, that meant assassination. And it says it loud and clear.”
He deflected a question on what he thought should happen, saying the decision would be up to Bondi.
The post was deleted Thursday after it was made, with Comey subsequently writing: “I posted earlier a picture of some shells I saw today on a beach walk, which I assumed were a political message. I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence.
Trump and Comey have had a fraught dynamic dating back nearly a decade.
Comey was the FBI director when Trump took office in 2017, having been appointed four years earlier by then-President Barack Obama and serving before that as a senior Justice Department official in President George W. Bush’s administration.
But the relationship was strained from the start, including after Comey resisted a request by Trump at a private dinner to pledge his personal loyalty to the president — an overture that so unnerved the FBI director that he documented it in a contemporaneous memorandum.
Trump fired Comey in May 2017 amid an FBI investigation into potential ties between Russia and Trump’s presidential campaign. That inquiry, later taken over by special counsel Robert Mueller, would ultimately find that while Russia interfered in the 2016 election and the Trump team welcomed the help, there was insufficient evidence to prove a criminal collaboration.
Comey being interviewed by the Secret Service over ’86 47’ social media post
Former FBI Director James Comey was being interviewed by the Secret Service on Friday about a social media post.
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Hillel Italie
Published May 19, 2025 • 3 minute read
NEW YORK — Former FBI director James Comey says that he’s still a bit bewildered over how a seemingly innocent Instagram shot of shells arranged in the sand led to allegations by Donald Trump among others that he was calling for the president’s assassination and to an interview with the Secret Service.
“It’s been a bit of a distraction, honestly,” Comey said with a weary laugh Monday night during an appearance at a Barnes & Noble on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
Comey was promoting FDR Drive, a crime novel coming out this week. One of the book’s themes, ironically, is weighing the potential of speech to incite others to violence.
Comey, whom Trump fired in 2017 amid an FBI investigation into potential ties between Russia and Trump’s first presidential campaign, explained Monday that he and his wife, Patrice, had been returning from a walk on the beach last Thursday when they came upon some shells organized in a way that resembled numbers, including “86.”
They speculated over whether it was a home address, or a political message. His wife noted that “86” in some restaurants means they had run out of an ingredient. Comey remembered it was slang for saying something was boring and should be “ditched.”
“And she said, ‘You should take a picture of it.’ So I took a picture of it, and then we walk home and she said, ‘You should really put that on Instagram. It’s kind of a cool thing.’ I said, ‘You’re right. It’s a cool thing,'” he explained.
To many viewers, the numbers seemed to spell out 86 and 47. Merriam-Webster, the dictionary used by The Associated Press, says 86 is slang meaning “to throw out,” “to get rid of” or “to refuse service to.” It notes: “Among the most recent senses adopted is a logical extension of the previous ones, with the meaning of ‘to kill.'”
Trump is the country’s 47th president.
“Some hours later she (Patrice) said to me, ‘You know, people on the internet are saying you’re calling for the assassination of Donald Trump,” Comey explained. “And I said, ‘Well, if they’re saying that, I’m taking it down because I don’t want any part of violence.'”
Comey quickly pulled the image, but it had already reached the attention of Trump and other administration officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and FBI Director Kash Patel. Trump himself, interviewed on Friday on Fox News, said that Comey “knew exactly what that meant. A child knows what that meant. If you’re the FBI director and you don’t know what that meant, that meant assassination. And it says it loud and clear.”
Comey confirmed Monday that he received a call from the Secret Service later Thursday, spoke to them on the phone and agreed to meet with them in person.
“And so they gave me a ride to their headquarters, the Washington field office interviewed me,” he said. “It seems like a year ago, but it was Friday, right? I told them what I just told you. And so I, it seems like a thing that I don’t fully understand and maybe it’ll go away now.”
Comey has written several books since Trump fired him, including the million-selling memoir A Higher Loyalty. More recently, he has taken up fiction, his previous novels including Central Park Drive and Westport.
Ex-FBI director Comey calls Instagram controversy ’bit of a distraction’
Former FBI director James Comey says he's bewildered an Instagram shot led to allegations he was calling for the president's assassination.
Elon Musk’s drug use on campaign trail generated concern, report says
Author of the article:Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Richard Clough
Published May 30, 2025 • Last updated 17 hours ago • 2 minute read
Elon Musk was using drugs more heavily than previously known while on the campaign trail to help elect Donald Trump president, worrying some people close to the mercurial billionaire, the New York Times reported.
The chief executive officer of Tesla Inc. and SpaceX travelled with a medication box that held about 20 pills and was taking so much ketamine that it was affecting his bladder, according to the report, which cited private messages and interviews with people who know or work with Musk. He also took Ecstasy and psychedelic mushrooms on occasions, the New York Times said.
The report adds to Musk’s troubles as the world’s richest person formally steps away from his role advising Trump to return to a business empire under stress.
Tesla’s sales have slumped in part because of a backlash to Musk’s political activities and bombastic personality, while SpaceX this week suffered another setback in a key rocket program. Tesla shares rose less than 1% as of 11:28 a.m. in New York. The stock is down 11% this year, largely recovering from a deep slide in the first quarter.
In a statement, the White House lauded Musk for leaving his companies to work with the administration, without directly addressing New York Times’ reporting.
“In just four months, Elon has accomplished more for American taxpayers than many career politicians — a fact often overlooked by the legacy media,” said White House Deputy Press Secretary Harrison Fields.
Musk will join Trump in Washington on Friday for a televised sendoff. “This will be his last day, but not really, because he will, always, be with us, helping all the way,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Representatives for Musk, Tesla and SpaceX didn’t respond to requests from Bloomberg for comment.
Musk was also juggling turmoil in his personal life involving romantic partners and legal battles over his children, according to the report.
— With assistance from Jennifer A. Dlouhy.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Richard Clough
Published May 30, 2025 • Last updated 17 hours ago • 2 minute read
Elon Musk was using drugs more heavily than previously known while on the campaign trail to help elect Donald Trump president, worrying some people close to the mercurial billionaire, the New York Times reported.
The chief executive officer of Tesla Inc. and SpaceX travelled with a medication box that held about 20 pills and was taking so much ketamine that it was affecting his bladder, according to the report, which cited private messages and interviews with people who know or work with Musk. He also took Ecstasy and psychedelic mushrooms on occasions, the New York Times said.
The report adds to Musk’s troubles as the world’s richest person formally steps away from his role advising Trump to return to a business empire under stress.
Tesla’s sales have slumped in part because of a backlash to Musk’s political activities and bombastic personality, while SpaceX this week suffered another setback in a key rocket program. Tesla shares rose less than 1% as of 11:28 a.m. in New York. The stock is down 11% this year, largely recovering from a deep slide in the first quarter.
In a statement, the White House lauded Musk for leaving his companies to work with the administration, without directly addressing New York Times’ reporting.
“In just four months, Elon has accomplished more for American taxpayers than many career politicians — a fact often overlooked by the legacy media,” said White House Deputy Press Secretary Harrison Fields.
Musk will join Trump in Washington on Friday for a televised sendoff. “This will be his last day, but not really, because he will, always, be with us, helping all the way,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Representatives for Musk, Tesla and SpaceX didn’t respond to requests from Bloomberg for comment.
Musk was also juggling turmoil in his personal life involving romantic partners and legal battles over his children, according to the report.
— With assistance from Jennifer A. Dlouhy.
Elon Musk’s drug use on campaign trail generated concern, report says
Elon Musk was reportedly using drugs more heavily than previously known while on the campaign trail to help elect Donald Trump president.
anyone campaigning for the trumptychrist would have to be high on something.Elon Musk’s drug use on campaign trail generated concern, report says
Author of the article:Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Richard Clough
Published May 30, 2025 • Last updated 17 hours ago • 2 minute read
Elon Musk was using drugs more heavily than previously known while on the campaign trail to help elect Donald Trump president, worrying some people close to the mercurial billionaire, the New York Times reported.
The chief executive officer of Tesla Inc. and SpaceX travelled with a medication box that held about 20 pills and was taking so much ketamine that it was affecting his bladder, according to the report, which cited private messages and interviews with people who know or work with Musk. He also took Ecstasy and psychedelic mushrooms on occasions, the New York Times said.
The report adds to Musk’s troubles as the world’s richest person formally steps away from his role advising Trump to return to a business empire under stress.
Tesla’s sales have slumped in part because of a backlash to Musk’s political activities and bombastic personality, while SpaceX this week suffered another setback in a key rocket program. Tesla shares rose less than 1% as of 11:28 a.m. in New York. The stock is down 11% this year, largely recovering from a deep slide in the first quarter.
In a statement, the White House lauded Musk for leaving his companies to work with the administration, without directly addressing New York Times’ reporting.
“In just four months, Elon has accomplished more for American taxpayers than many career politicians — a fact often overlooked by the legacy media,” said White House Deputy Press Secretary Harrison Fields.
Musk will join Trump in Washington on Friday for a televised sendoff. “This will be his last day, but not really, because he will, always, be with us, helping all the way,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Representatives for Musk, Tesla and SpaceX didn’t respond to requests from Bloomberg for comment.
Musk was also juggling turmoil in his personal life involving romantic partners and legal battles over his children, according to the report.
— With assistance from Jennifer A. Dlouhy.
Elon Musk’s drug use on campaign trail generated concern, report says
Elon Musk was reportedly using drugs more heavily than previously known while on the campaign trail to help elect Donald Trump president.
U.S. government is investigating messages impersonating Trump’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Michelle L. Price
Published May 30, 2025 • 1 minute read
WASHINGTON — The government is investigating after elected officials, business executives and other prominent figures in recent weeks received messages from someone impersonating Susie Wiles, President Donald Trump’s chief of staff.
A White House official said Friday the matter is under investigation and the White House takes cybersecurity of its staff seriously. ,The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The FBI did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that senators, governors, business leaders and others began receiving text messages and phone calls from someone who seemed to have gained access to the contacts in Wiles’ personal cellphone. The messages and calls were not coming from Wiles number, the newspaper reported.
It is unclear how the person gained access to Wiles’ phone, but the intrusion is the latest security breach for Trump staffers. Last year, Iran hacked into Trump’s campaign and sensitive internal documents were stolen and distributed, including a dossier on Vice President JD Vance, created before he was selected as Trump’s running mate.
Wiles, who served as a co-manager of Trump’s campaign before taking on the lynchpin role in his new administration, has amassed a powerful network of contacts.
Some of those who received calls heard a voice that sounded like Wiles that may have been generated by artificial intelligence, according to the report. Some received text messages that they initially thought were official White House requests but some people reported the messages did not sound like Wiles.
— Associated Press writer Eric Tucker contributed to this report.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Michelle L. Price
Published May 30, 2025 • 1 minute read
WASHINGTON — The government is investigating after elected officials, business executives and other prominent figures in recent weeks received messages from someone impersonating Susie Wiles, President Donald Trump’s chief of staff.
A White House official said Friday the matter is under investigation and the White House takes cybersecurity of its staff seriously. ,The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The FBI did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that senators, governors, business leaders and others began receiving text messages and phone calls from someone who seemed to have gained access to the contacts in Wiles’ personal cellphone. The messages and calls were not coming from Wiles number, the newspaper reported.
It is unclear how the person gained access to Wiles’ phone, but the intrusion is the latest security breach for Trump staffers. Last year, Iran hacked into Trump’s campaign and sensitive internal documents were stolen and distributed, including a dossier on Vice President JD Vance, created before he was selected as Trump’s running mate.
Wiles, who served as a co-manager of Trump’s campaign before taking on the lynchpin role in his new administration, has amassed a powerful network of contacts.
Some of those who received calls heard a voice that sounded like Wiles that may have been generated by artificial intelligence, according to the report. Some received text messages that they initially thought were official White House requests but some people reported the messages did not sound like Wiles.
— Associated Press writer Eric Tucker contributed to this report.
U.S. government is investigating messages impersonating Trump’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles
The government is investigating after elected officials and business execs received messages from someone impersonating Susie Wiles.