Wait. . . ya mean he's not wandering the streets in filthy rags begging for handouts?
But. . . but. . . he's been CENSORED!
But. . . but. . . he's been CENSORED!
Donald Trump Announces 2016 White House Bid
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Trump to Joe Rogan on Spotify: 'Don't let them make you look weak'
The former president's support comes after Spotify reiterated its support for Rogan
Author of the article:Washington Post
Washington Post
Timothy Bella
Publishing date:Feb 08, 2022 • 19 hours ago • 4 minute read • 7 Comments
Former U.S. President Donald Trump points as he holds a rally in Florence, Arizona January 15, 2022.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump points as he holds a rally in Florence, Arizona January 15, 2022. PHOTO BY CARLOS BARRIA /REUTERS
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Former U.S. president Donald Trump offered his support to Joe Rogan on Monday night, saying the embattled Spotify host should “stop apologizing” for controversies surrounding coronavirus misinformation and his past use of racial slurs.
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Trump – who is facing criticism after the National Archives and Records Administration retrieved 15 boxes of documents and other items from his Mar-a-Lago residence that were improperly removed from the White House – claimed the media and Democrats had forced Rogan to “look weak and frightened” by apologizing for ongoing controversies.
Rogan, already under fire in recent weeks after medical professionals and musicians decried him for helping spread misinformation on COVID-19 on Spotify, apologized over the weekend for the many previous instances in which the host used the n-word on his podcast.
“Joe Rogan is an interesting and popular guy, but he’s got to stop apologizing to the Fake News and Radical Left maniacs and lunatics,” Trump said in a news release from his Save America PAC. “How many ways can you say you’re sorry? Joe, just go about what you do so well and don’t let them make you look weak and frightened.”
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Trump added, “That’s not you and it never will be!”
The former president’s support comes after Spotify reiterated its support for Rogan, despite roughly 70 episodes of “The Joe Rogan Experience” being recently removed from the platform without explanation. Spotify chief executive Daniel Ek wrote Sunday in an internal memo that Rogan, not Spotify, had chosen to pull the episodes.
Rogan has repeatedly downplayed the need for coronavirus vaccines and used his platform to flirt with misinformation about COVID-19. Podcasters and artists such as Neil Young and Joni Mitchell have told the streaming service they were taking their work off Spotify because the company was allowing Rogan to spread misinformation on the pandemic. Mary L. Trump, the former president’s niece and fierce critic, was among those who removed their work from Spotify in response to Rogan.
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Rogan, whose podcast library was acquired by Spotify in a reported US$100-million deal, admitted that he could do more to better inform his millions of listeners, particularly when it comes to the pandemic.
Then, the Spotify host on Saturday apologized in response to a compilation video shared widely on social media showing various moments over 12 years in which Rogan said the n-word on his show. The video was posted by singer India. Arie, who recently removed her catalogue from Spotify in response to Rogan’s “language around race.” While Rogan argued that the clips were taken out of context, the comedian acknowledged that the video looked “horrible, even to me,” saying his repeated use of the slur was “the most regretful and shameful thing that I’ve ever had to talk about publicly.”
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“I know that to most people there is no context where a White person is ever allowed to say that word, never mind publicly on a podcast, and I agree with that now,” Rogan said in a video posted to Instagram, adding that he hadn’t said the racial slur “in years” and that he never used the n-word “to be racist because, I’m not racist.”
In the same video, he apologized for a clip shared of him telling a story about being around Black people while seeing the film “Planet of the Apes.” “I was trying to make the story entertaining and I said: ‘We got out, and it was like we were in Africa, like we were in Planet of the Apes,’ ” he said. “I did not, nor would I ever, say that Black people are apes, but it sure … sounded like that. And I immediately said, ‘That’s a racist thing to say.’ ”
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While Ek stressed that Rogan’s comments were “incredibly hurtful” and “do not represent the values of this company,” he told employees that pulling the podcast, which has an estimated audience of 11 million listeners an episode, would be a mistake.
“I do not believe that silencing Joe is the answer,” Ek wrote in a memo shared with The Washington Post. “We should have clear lines around content and take action when they are crossed, but canceling voices is a slippery slope.”
A spokesman for Rogan did not immediately respond to a request for comment early Tuesday.
Donald Trump calling on Rogan to stop apologizing came the same day the National Archives and Records Administration acknowledged the recovery of the boxes from the former president’s Florida resort last month. While Trump advisers deny any nefarious content is in the boxes, the retrieval of the items raises new concerns about Trump’s adherence to the Presidential Records Act, which requires the preservation of memos, letters, notes, emails, faxes and other written communications related to a president’s official duties.
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The Washington Post reported that the items included correspondence with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, which Trump once described as “love letters,” as well as a letter left for Trump by President Barack Obama, according to two people familiar with the contents.
A Trump spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump’s remarks echoed his son Donald Trump Jr., who tweeted, “If they can cancel @joerogan they can cancel anyone.” Rumble, a short-video start-up that aims to become a right-wing competitor for YouTube, Facebook and TikTok, offered Rogan a $100 million deal to jump from Spotify to their platform Monday. Rumble has partnered with Trump Media and Technology Group, Trump’s newly formed social media company that aims to take on Big Tech.
Trump doubled down on his support of Rogan in a Monday interview with conservative pundit Todd Starnes.
“I stand with Joe,” Trump said.
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The former president's support comes after Spotify reiterated its support for Rogan
Author of the article:Washington Post
Washington Post
Timothy Bella
Publishing date:Feb 08, 2022 • 19 hours ago • 4 minute read • 7 Comments
Former U.S. President Donald Trump points as he holds a rally in Florence, Arizona January 15, 2022.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump points as he holds a rally in Florence, Arizona January 15, 2022. PHOTO BY CARLOS BARRIA /REUTERS
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Former U.S. president Donald Trump offered his support to Joe Rogan on Monday night, saying the embattled Spotify host should “stop apologizing” for controversies surrounding coronavirus misinformation and his past use of racial slurs.
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Article content
Trump – who is facing criticism after the National Archives and Records Administration retrieved 15 boxes of documents and other items from his Mar-a-Lago residence that were improperly removed from the White House – claimed the media and Democrats had forced Rogan to “look weak and frightened” by apologizing for ongoing controversies.
Rogan, already under fire in recent weeks after medical professionals and musicians decried him for helping spread misinformation on COVID-19 on Spotify, apologized over the weekend for the many previous instances in which the host used the n-word on his podcast.
“Joe Rogan is an interesting and popular guy, but he’s got to stop apologizing to the Fake News and Radical Left maniacs and lunatics,” Trump said in a news release from his Save America PAC. “How many ways can you say you’re sorry? Joe, just go about what you do so well and don’t let them make you look weak and frightened.”
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Trump added, “That’s not you and it never will be!”
The former president’s support comes after Spotify reiterated its support for Rogan, despite roughly 70 episodes of “The Joe Rogan Experience” being recently removed from the platform without explanation. Spotify chief executive Daniel Ek wrote Sunday in an internal memo that Rogan, not Spotify, had chosen to pull the episodes.
Rogan has repeatedly downplayed the need for coronavirus vaccines and used his platform to flirt with misinformation about COVID-19. Podcasters and artists such as Neil Young and Joni Mitchell have told the streaming service they were taking their work off Spotify because the company was allowing Rogan to spread misinformation on the pandemic. Mary L. Trump, the former president’s niece and fierce critic, was among those who removed their work from Spotify in response to Rogan.
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STORY CONTINUES BELOW
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Rogan, whose podcast library was acquired by Spotify in a reported US$100-million deal, admitted that he could do more to better inform his millions of listeners, particularly when it comes to the pandemic.
Then, the Spotify host on Saturday apologized in response to a compilation video shared widely on social media showing various moments over 12 years in which Rogan said the n-word on his show. The video was posted by singer India. Arie, who recently removed her catalogue from Spotify in response to Rogan’s “language around race.” While Rogan argued that the clips were taken out of context, the comedian acknowledged that the video looked “horrible, even to me,” saying his repeated use of the slur was “the most regretful and shameful thing that I’ve ever had to talk about publicly.”
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Article content
“I know that to most people there is no context where a White person is ever allowed to say that word, never mind publicly on a podcast, and I agree with that now,” Rogan said in a video posted to Instagram, adding that he hadn’t said the racial slur “in years” and that he never used the n-word “to be racist because, I’m not racist.”
In the same video, he apologized for a clip shared of him telling a story about being around Black people while seeing the film “Planet of the Apes.” “I was trying to make the story entertaining and I said: ‘We got out, and it was like we were in Africa, like we were in Planet of the Apes,’ ” he said. “I did not, nor would I ever, say that Black people are apes, but it sure … sounded like that. And I immediately said, ‘That’s a racist thing to say.’ ”
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Article content
While Ek stressed that Rogan’s comments were “incredibly hurtful” and “do not represent the values of this company,” he told employees that pulling the podcast, which has an estimated audience of 11 million listeners an episode, would be a mistake.
“I do not believe that silencing Joe is the answer,” Ek wrote in a memo shared with The Washington Post. “We should have clear lines around content and take action when they are crossed, but canceling voices is a slippery slope.”
A spokesman for Rogan did not immediately respond to a request for comment early Tuesday.
Donald Trump calling on Rogan to stop apologizing came the same day the National Archives and Records Administration acknowledged the recovery of the boxes from the former president’s Florida resort last month. While Trump advisers deny any nefarious content is in the boxes, the retrieval of the items raises new concerns about Trump’s adherence to the Presidential Records Act, which requires the preservation of memos, letters, notes, emails, faxes and other written communications related to a president’s official duties.
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The Washington Post reported that the items included correspondence with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, which Trump once described as “love letters,” as well as a letter left for Trump by President Barack Obama, according to two people familiar with the contents.
A Trump spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump’s remarks echoed his son Donald Trump Jr., who tweeted, “If they can cancel @joerogan they can cancel anyone.” Rumble, a short-video start-up that aims to become a right-wing competitor for YouTube, Facebook and TikTok, offered Rogan a $100 million deal to jump from Spotify to their platform Monday. Rumble has partnered with Trump Media and Technology Group, Trump’s newly formed social media company that aims to take on Big Tech.
Trump doubled down on his support of Rogan in a Monday interview with conservative pundit Todd Starnes.
“I stand with Joe,” Trump said.
Joe Rogan on Instagram: "There’s been a lot of shit from the old episodes of the podcast that I wish I hadn’t said, or had said differently. This is my take on the worst of it."
821K likes, 94K comments - joerogan on February 4, 2022: "There’s been a lot of shit from the old episodes of the podcast that I wish I hadn’t said, or..."
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Trump to Joe Rogan on Spotify: 'Don't let them make you look weak'
The former president's support comes after Spotify reiterated its support for Rogan
Man arrested for storming U.S. Capitol while out on bail for attempted murder
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Jan Wolfe
Publishing date:Feb 08, 2022 • 17 hours ago • 1 minute read • Join the conversation
Police release tear gas into a crowd of pro-Trump protesters during clashes at a rally to contest the certification of the 2020 U.S. presidential election results by the U.S. Congress, at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., Jan. 6, 2021.
Police release tear gas into a crowd of pro-Trump protesters during clashes at a rally to contest the certification of the 2020 U.S. presidential election results by the U.S. Congress, at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., Jan. 6, 2021. PHOTO BY SHANNON STAPLETON /REUTERS / FILES
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WASHINGTON — U.S. law enforcement agents on Tuesday arrested a North Carolina man accused of storming the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 while he was out on bail on an unrelated attempted murder charge, according to a newly unsealed court document.
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Prosecutors allege that during deadly Capitol siege Matthew Beddingfield jumped over a barricade, charged toward a group of police officers, and jabbed them with a metal flagpole he brought with him.
At the time of the Jan 6. attack, Beddingfield was out on bail while awaiting trial on an attempted murder charge.
In that case, Beddingfield was charged with shooting a 17-year-old in the head after an altercation in a Walmart parking lot in Smithfield, North Carolina.
Beddingfield was 19 at the time of his Dec. 2019 arrest in that case. The victim survived the shooting.
Soon after that incident, Beddingfield’s father told a local news outlet that his son had been robbed and was defending himself.
According to NBC News, Beddingfield eventually pleaded guilty to a lesser charge relating to the 2019 shooting and is currently on probation in that case.
A lawyer for Beddingfield was not immediately reachable for comment.
The U.S. Justice Department said last month that more than 225 defendants have been charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding police officers during the storming of the Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump.
Approximately 140 police officers were assaulted that day, according to the Justice Department.
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Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Jan Wolfe
Publishing date:Feb 08, 2022 • 17 hours ago • 1 minute read • Join the conversation
Police release tear gas into a crowd of pro-Trump protesters during clashes at a rally to contest the certification of the 2020 U.S. presidential election results by the U.S. Congress, at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., Jan. 6, 2021.
Police release tear gas into a crowd of pro-Trump protesters during clashes at a rally to contest the certification of the 2020 U.S. presidential election results by the U.S. Congress, at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., Jan. 6, 2021. PHOTO BY SHANNON STAPLETON /REUTERS / FILES
Article content
WASHINGTON — U.S. law enforcement agents on Tuesday arrested a North Carolina man accused of storming the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 while he was out on bail on an unrelated attempted murder charge, according to a newly unsealed court document.
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Prosecutors allege that during deadly Capitol siege Matthew Beddingfield jumped over a barricade, charged toward a group of police officers, and jabbed them with a metal flagpole he brought with him.
At the time of the Jan 6. attack, Beddingfield was out on bail while awaiting trial on an attempted murder charge.
In that case, Beddingfield was charged with shooting a 17-year-old in the head after an altercation in a Walmart parking lot in Smithfield, North Carolina.
Beddingfield was 19 at the time of his Dec. 2019 arrest in that case. The victim survived the shooting.
Soon after that incident, Beddingfield’s father told a local news outlet that his son had been robbed and was defending himself.
According to NBC News, Beddingfield eventually pleaded guilty to a lesser charge relating to the 2019 shooting and is currently on probation in that case.
A lawyer for Beddingfield was not immediately reachable for comment.
The U.S. Justice Department said last month that more than 225 defendants have been charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding police officers during the storming of the Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump.
Approximately 140 police officers were assaulted that day, according to the Justice Department.
FBI arrests Trump supporter who stormed Capitol while on bail on attempted murder charge
Matthew Beddingfield, of North Carolina, was first identified by online sleuths two months after the Jan. 6 attack.
nbcnews.com
Father of accused shooter at Smithfield Walmart: 'This wouldn't have happened if he hadn't been robbed'
The father of a suspect accused of opening fire in a Walmart parking lot on Friday said in court that his son had been robbed and was defending himself.
wral.com
Man arrested for storming U.S. Capitol while out on bail for attempted murder
WASHINGTON — U.S. law enforcement agents on Tuesday arrested a North Carolina man accused of storming the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 while he was out on bail…
trumpty dumptys next potential running mate?Trump to Joe Rogan on Spotify: 'Don't let them make you look weak'
The former president's support comes after Spotify reiterated its support for Rogan
Author of the article:Washington Post
Washington Post
Timothy Bella
Publishing date:Feb 08, 2022 • 19 hours ago • 4 minute read • 7 Comments
Former U.S. President Donald Trump points as he holds a rally in Florence, Arizona January 15, 2022.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump points as he holds a rally in Florence, Arizona January 15, 2022. PHOTO BY CARLOS BARRIA /REUTERS
Article content
Former U.S. president Donald Trump offered his support to Joe Rogan on Monday night, saying the embattled Spotify host should “stop apologizing” for controversies surrounding coronavirus misinformation and his past use of racial slurs.
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Article content
Trump – who is facing criticism after the National Archives and Records Administration retrieved 15 boxes of documents and other items from his Mar-a-Lago residence that were improperly removed from the White House – claimed the media and Democrats had forced Rogan to “look weak and frightened” by apologizing for ongoing controversies.
Rogan, already under fire in recent weeks after medical professionals and musicians decried him for helping spread misinformation on COVID-19 on Spotify, apologized over the weekend for the many previous instances in which the host used the n-word on his podcast.
“Joe Rogan is an interesting and popular guy, but he’s got to stop apologizing to the Fake News and Radical Left maniacs and lunatics,” Trump said in a news release from his Save America PAC. “How many ways can you say you’re sorry? Joe, just go about what you do so well and don’t let them make you look weak and frightened.”
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Article content
Trump added, “That’s not you and it never will be!”
The former president’s support comes after Spotify reiterated its support for Rogan, despite roughly 70 episodes of “The Joe Rogan Experience” being recently removed from the platform without explanation. Spotify chief executive Daniel Ek wrote Sunday in an internal memo that Rogan, not Spotify, had chosen to pull the episodes.
Rogan has repeatedly downplayed the need for coronavirus vaccines and used his platform to flirt with misinformation about COVID-19. Podcasters and artists such as Neil Young and Joni Mitchell have told the streaming service they were taking their work off Spotify because the company was allowing Rogan to spread misinformation on the pandemic. Mary L. Trump, the former president’s niece and fierce critic, was among those who removed their work from Spotify in response to Rogan.
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Article content
Rogan, whose podcast library was acquired by Spotify in a reported US$100-million deal, admitted that he could do more to better inform his millions of listeners, particularly when it comes to the pandemic.
Then, the Spotify host on Saturday apologized in response to a compilation video shared widely on social media showing various moments over 12 years in which Rogan said the n-word on his show. The video was posted by singer India. Arie, who recently removed her catalogue from Spotify in response to Rogan’s “language around race.” While Rogan argued that the clips were taken out of context, the comedian acknowledged that the video looked “horrible, even to me,” saying his repeated use of the slur was “the most regretful and shameful thing that I’ve ever had to talk about publicly.”
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Article content
“I know that to most people there is no context where a White person is ever allowed to say that word, never mind publicly on a podcast, and I agree with that now,” Rogan said in a video posted to Instagram, adding that he hadn’t said the racial slur “in years” and that he never used the n-word “to be racist because, I’m not racist.”
In the same video, he apologized for a clip shared of him telling a story about being around Black people while seeing the film “Planet of the Apes.” “I was trying to make the story entertaining and I said: ‘We got out, and it was like we were in Africa, like we were in Planet of the Apes,’ ” he said. “I did not, nor would I ever, say that Black people are apes, but it sure … sounded like that. And I immediately said, ‘That’s a racist thing to say.’ ”
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Article content
While Ek stressed that Rogan’s comments were “incredibly hurtful” and “do not represent the values of this company,” he told employees that pulling the podcast, which has an estimated audience of 11 million listeners an episode, would be a mistake.
“I do not believe that silencing Joe is the answer,” Ek wrote in a memo shared with The Washington Post. “We should have clear lines around content and take action when they are crossed, but canceling voices is a slippery slope.”
A spokesman for Rogan did not immediately respond to a request for comment early Tuesday.
Donald Trump calling on Rogan to stop apologizing came the same day the National Archives and Records Administration acknowledged the recovery of the boxes from the former president’s Florida resort last month. While Trump advisers deny any nefarious content is in the boxes, the retrieval of the items raises new concerns about Trump’s adherence to the Presidential Records Act, which requires the preservation of memos, letters, notes, emails, faxes and other written communications related to a president’s official duties.
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Article content
The Washington Post reported that the items included correspondence with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, which Trump once described as “love letters,” as well as a letter left for Trump by President Barack Obama, according to two people familiar with the contents.
A Trump spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump’s remarks echoed his son Donald Trump Jr., who tweeted, “If they can cancel @joerogan they can cancel anyone.” Rumble, a short-video start-up that aims to become a right-wing competitor for YouTube, Facebook and TikTok, offered Rogan a $100 million deal to jump from Spotify to their platform Monday. Rumble has partnered with Trump Media and Technology Group, Trump’s newly formed social media company that aims to take on Big Tech.
Trump doubled down on his support of Rogan in a Monday interview with conservative pundit Todd Starnes.
“I stand with Joe,” Trump said.
Joe Rogan on Instagram: "There’s been a lot of shit from the old episodes of the podcast that I wish I hadn’t said, or had said differently. This is my take on the worst of it."
821K likes, 94K comments - joerogan on February 4, 2022: "There’s been a lot of shit from the old episodes of the podcast that I wish I hadn’t said, or..."Trump to Joe Rogan on Spotify: 'Don't let them make you look weak'
The former president's support comes after Spotify reiterated its support for Rogan
'TOILET CLOGGED': Probe launched of Trump's White House records
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Susan Heavey
Publishing date:Feb 10, 2022 • 9 hours ago • 2 minute read • 9 Comments
In this file photo taken June 26, 2020, then U.S. President Donald Trump looks on during an American Workforce Policy Advisory Board Meeting in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C.
In this file photo taken June 26, 2020, then U.S. President Donald Trump looks on during an American Workforce Policy Advisory Board Meeting in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C. PHOTO BY MANDEL NGAN /AFP via Getty Images / Files
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WASHINGTON — A U.S. congressional committee is investigating former President Donald Trump’s handling of White House records after 15 boxes of documents were transferred from his Florida resort to a federal agency, including whether the material included classified information, the panel’s chairwoman said on Thursday.
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House of Representatives Oversight Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney said in a statement she was “deeply concerned” that the records were not promptly turned over to the National Archives when Trump’s term ended in January 2021 and “that they appear to have been removed from the White House in violation of the Presidential Records Act.”
Maloney, a Democrat, also expressed concern over U.S. media reports that Trump “repeatedly attempted to destroy presidential records, which could constitute additional serious violations” of that law, which requires the preservation of written communications related to a president’s official duties.
An upcoming book written by New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman said staffers found documents clogging Trump’s toilet in the White House during his tenure – an account that the Republican former president in a statement called “categorically false.”
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“Staff in the White House would periodically find the toilet clogged” and would then find “wads of clumped up, wet printed paper … either notes or some other piece of paper that they believe he had thrown down the toilet” in his bathroom, Haberman told CNN, adding it was unclear what types of documents were found.
In his statement, Trump acknowledged the boxes of records were sent to the Archives after discussions he called collaborative. Trump said he had been told he “was under no obligation” to hand over any White House materials, though he did not say who gave him that directive, which was at odds with the law.
“The papers were given easily and without conflict and on a very friendly basis,” Trump said.
The Washington Post reported on Wednesday that the National Archives and Records Administration, the federal agency responsible for preserving government records, has asked the U.S. Justice Department to investigate Trump’s handling of White House records.
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The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment on whether it would investigate. The National Archives said it would not comment on potential or ongoing investigations.
In a report on Thursday, the Post, citing two unnamed people familiar with the matter, said some of the documents Trump took to his Florida resort were clearly marked as classified, including documents at the “top secret” level.
The Archives in a statement on Monday said it had arranged for the transfer of 15 boxes of memos, letters and other documents from Trump’s private resort in Florida in mid-January, a month after a Trump representative reporting locating them.
The Archives also said it had worked with Trump representatives throughout last year to locate presidential records that had not been transferred to the agency.
Maloney said she asked the Archives whether it checked for and found any classified documents in the 15 boxes, whether it was aware of any other missing records from Trump’s administration and whether it had notified the U.S. attorney general. She also asked if the Archives was aware of any records destroyed by Trump without its approval, and any actions to recover or preserve them, giving the agency until Feb. 18 to respond.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Susan Heavey
Publishing date:Feb 10, 2022 • 9 hours ago • 2 minute read • 9 Comments
In this file photo taken June 26, 2020, then U.S. President Donald Trump looks on during an American Workforce Policy Advisory Board Meeting in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C.
In this file photo taken June 26, 2020, then U.S. President Donald Trump looks on during an American Workforce Policy Advisory Board Meeting in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C. PHOTO BY MANDEL NGAN /AFP via Getty Images / Files
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WASHINGTON — A U.S. congressional committee is investigating former President Donald Trump’s handling of White House records after 15 boxes of documents were transferred from his Florida resort to a federal agency, including whether the material included classified information, the panel’s chairwoman said on Thursday.
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House of Representatives Oversight Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney said in a statement she was “deeply concerned” that the records were not promptly turned over to the National Archives when Trump’s term ended in January 2021 and “that they appear to have been removed from the White House in violation of the Presidential Records Act.”
Maloney, a Democrat, also expressed concern over U.S. media reports that Trump “repeatedly attempted to destroy presidential records, which could constitute additional serious violations” of that law, which requires the preservation of written communications related to a president’s official duties.
An upcoming book written by New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman said staffers found documents clogging Trump’s toilet in the White House during his tenure – an account that the Republican former president in a statement called “categorically false.”
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Article content
“Staff in the White House would periodically find the toilet clogged” and would then find “wads of clumped up, wet printed paper … either notes or some other piece of paper that they believe he had thrown down the toilet” in his bathroom, Haberman told CNN, adding it was unclear what types of documents were found.
In his statement, Trump acknowledged the boxes of records were sent to the Archives after discussions he called collaborative. Trump said he had been told he “was under no obligation” to hand over any White House materials, though he did not say who gave him that directive, which was at odds with the law.
“The papers were given easily and without conflict and on a very friendly basis,” Trump said.
The Washington Post reported on Wednesday that the National Archives and Records Administration, the federal agency responsible for preserving government records, has asked the U.S. Justice Department to investigate Trump’s handling of White House records.
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The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment on whether it would investigate. The National Archives said it would not comment on potential or ongoing investigations.
In a report on Thursday, the Post, citing two unnamed people familiar with the matter, said some of the documents Trump took to his Florida resort were clearly marked as classified, including documents at the “top secret” level.
The Archives in a statement on Monday said it had arranged for the transfer of 15 boxes of memos, letters and other documents from Trump’s private resort in Florida in mid-January, a month after a Trump representative reporting locating them.
The Archives also said it had worked with Trump representatives throughout last year to locate presidential records that had not been transferred to the agency.
Maloney said she asked the Archives whether it checked for and found any classified documents in the 15 boxes, whether it was aware of any other missing records from Trump’s administration and whether it had notified the U.S. attorney general. She also asked if the Archives was aware of any records destroyed by Trump without its approval, and any actions to recover or preserve them, giving the agency until Feb. 18 to respond.
'TOILET CLOGGED': Probe launched of Trump's White House records
WASHINGTON — A U.S. congressional committee is investigating former President Donald Trump’s handling of White House records after 15 boxes of documents were…
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Trudeau minister threatens to seize accounts of 'pro-Trump' convoy donors
David Lametti was questioned about whether people who made donations to the trucker convoy will have accounts seized.
Author of the article:Brian Lilley
Publishing date:Feb 17, 2022 • 15 hours ago • 1 minute read • 378 Comments
Canadian Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada David Lametti speaks during a press conference on Parliament Hill on February 16, 2022.
Canadian Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada David Lametti speaks during a press conference on Parliament Hill on February 16, 2022. PHOTO BY BLAIR GABLE /REUTERS
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The justice minister in Justin Trudeau’s government has said that if you hold the wrong political views, you should be worried about your bank account.
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David Lametti, a lawyer and former law professor who is now the government’s lead legal authority, made the comments when questioned about whether people who made donations to the trucker convoy will have accounts seized.
When they invoked the Emergencies Act on Monday, the Trudeau government made clear that they were not just going after the crowdfunding of Freedom Convoy organizers but would also target individual bank accounts.
“A lot of folks said, ‘I just don’t like your vaccine mandates and I donated to this, now it’s illegal, should I be worried that the bank can freeze my account?’” Evan Solomon, host of CTV’s Power Play, asked Lametti.
Lametti, who had previously in the interview compared what is happening to terrorism, said yes, donors should be worried.
“If you are a member of a pro-Trump movement who is donating hundreds of thousands of dollars, and millions of dollars to this kind of thing, then you ought to be worried,” Lametti said.
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The Trudeau Liberals have used the Emergencies Act to greatly expand the power of the government to monitor financial transactions, expanding existing cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. They have also increased the responsibilities of financial institutions to report transactions.
The declaration of emergency goes so far as to “require any financial service provider to determine whether they have in their possession or control property that belongs to a person who participates in the blockade.” That could see the bank accounts of people who attended the protest but didn’t fund them frozen at the direction of the government.
blilley@postmedia.com
torontosun.com
David Lametti was questioned about whether people who made donations to the trucker convoy will have accounts seized.
Author of the article:Brian Lilley
Publishing date:Feb 17, 2022 • 15 hours ago • 1 minute read • 378 Comments
Canadian Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada David Lametti speaks during a press conference on Parliament Hill on February 16, 2022.
Canadian Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada David Lametti speaks during a press conference on Parliament Hill on February 16, 2022. PHOTO BY BLAIR GABLE /REUTERS
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The justice minister in Justin Trudeau’s government has said that if you hold the wrong political views, you should be worried about your bank account.
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Article content
David Lametti, a lawyer and former law professor who is now the government’s lead legal authority, made the comments when questioned about whether people who made donations to the trucker convoy will have accounts seized.
When they invoked the Emergencies Act on Monday, the Trudeau government made clear that they were not just going after the crowdfunding of Freedom Convoy organizers but would also target individual bank accounts.
“A lot of folks said, ‘I just don’t like your vaccine mandates and I donated to this, now it’s illegal, should I be worried that the bank can freeze my account?’” Evan Solomon, host of CTV’s Power Play, asked Lametti.
Lametti, who had previously in the interview compared what is happening to terrorism, said yes, donors should be worried.
“If you are a member of a pro-Trump movement who is donating hundreds of thousands of dollars, and millions of dollars to this kind of thing, then you ought to be worried,” Lametti said.
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Article content
The Trudeau Liberals have used the Emergencies Act to greatly expand the power of the government to monitor financial transactions, expanding existing cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. They have also increased the responsibilities of financial institutions to report transactions.
The declaration of emergency goes so far as to “require any financial service provider to determine whether they have in their possession or control property that belongs to a person who participates in the blockade.” That could see the bank accounts of people who attended the protest but didn’t fund them frozen at the direction of the government.
blilley@postmedia.com
Trudeau minister threatens to seize accounts of 'pro-Trump' convoy donors
David Lametti was questioned about whether people who made donations to the trucker convoy will have accounts seized.
Trump, children ordered to testify in N.Y. attorney general probe
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Karen Freifeld and Jonathan Stempel
Publishing date:Feb 17, 2022 • 9 hours ago • 3 minute read • Join the conversation
Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a rally at the Canyon Moon Ranch festival grounds in Florence, Ariz., Jan. 15, 2022.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a rally at the Canyon Moon Ranch festival grounds in Florence, Ariz., Jan. 15, 2022. PHOTO BY ROBYN BECK /AFP via Getty Images
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NEW YORK — A New York judge ruled on Thursday that former U.S. President Donald Trump and two of his adult children must answer questions under oath within 21 days in the state attorney general’s civil probe into their family company.
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Justice Arthur Engoron of the New York state court in Manhattan ruled in favour of Attorney General Letitia James in directing Trump, his son Donald Trump Jr and his daughter Ivanka Trump to testify.
Engoron said James had “the clear right” to issue her subpoenas and question the Trumps after having uncovered “copious evidence of possible financial fraud.”
Failing to issue subpoenas “would have been a blatant dereliction of duty,” Engoron wrote.
“Today, justice prevailed,” James said in a statement. “No one will be permitted to stand in the way of the pursuit of justice, no matter how powerful they are. No one is above the law.”
The decision followed a two-hour hearing in which the Trumps’ lawyers accused James of doing an end run around their clients’ constitutional rights by seeking testimony she could then use against them in a parallel criminal investigation.
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Trump attorney Alina Habba accused James of “selective prosecution and prosecutorial misconduct that this country has never seen,” citing what she called Democratic attorney general’s “vile disdain” for Trump, a Republican.
“If he was not who he is, she would not be doing this,” Habba said. “This court can help stop this circus.”
Trump in a statement issued later on Thursday called the accusations false and accused James of a political agenda in targeting him and his family.
“It is a continuation of the greatest Witch Hunt in history – and remember, I can’t get a fair hearing in New York because of the hatred of me by judges and the judiciary. Its not possible!,” Trump said in the statement.
Last month, James said her nearly three-year investigation into the Trump Organization had uncovered significant evidence of possible fraud.
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She described what she called misleading statements about the values of the Trump brand and six properties, saying the company may have inflated real estate values to obtain bank loans and reduced them to lower tax bills.
The Trumps have not been accused of criminal wrongdoing.
Engoron declined the Trumps’ request to put James’ case on hold while the criminal case, led by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, is pending. James joined that probe last May.
The criminal investigation, begun by Bragg’s predecessor Cyrus Vance, resulted last July in tax fraud charges against the Trump Organization and its longtime chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg. Both pleaded not guilty.
‘COMPLETELY MISSES THE MARK’
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Engoron said the argument that James was trying to bypass grand jury protections, which would give the Trumps immunity, by issuing civil subpoenas “completely misses the mark.”
He said the Trumps could refuse to answer questions, noting that Donald Trump’s other adult son Eric Trump invoked his constitutional right against self-incrimination more than 500 times when the attorney general’s office questioned him in 2020.
The judge also rejected the Trumps’ claim that James’ sometimes aggressive public statements about investigating Donald Trump, including a pledge that “we’re definitely going to sue him,” illustrated the “impropriety” of her probe.
Engoron said the spark for the investigation was not James’ dislike of the former president, but rather congressional testimony from Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer Michael Cohen that the Trumps were “cooking the books.”
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The judge also noted Trump’s history of investigations by the attorney general’s office, including “significant settlements” with James’ predecessors concerning a namesake university and charitable foundation.
Trump is suing to try to stop James’ investigation. He has not said whether he will run for president again in 2024.
Engoron ruled after Trump’s longtime accounting firm Mazars USA decided last week to cut ties with him and the Trump Organization, saying it could no longer stand behind a decade of financial statements despite finding no material discrepancies.
The Trump Organization said Mazars’ findings effectively rendered James’ and Bragg’s investigations “moot.”
Washington D.C.’s attorney general is separately suing the Trump Organization and Trump’s inaugural committee over the alleged misuse of $1.1 million of charitable funds. A Sept. 26 trial date was set on Thursday.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Karen Freifeld and Jonathan Stempel
Publishing date:Feb 17, 2022 • 9 hours ago • 3 minute read • Join the conversation
Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a rally at the Canyon Moon Ranch festival grounds in Florence, Ariz., Jan. 15, 2022.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a rally at the Canyon Moon Ranch festival grounds in Florence, Ariz., Jan. 15, 2022. PHOTO BY ROBYN BECK /AFP via Getty Images
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NEW YORK — A New York judge ruled on Thursday that former U.S. President Donald Trump and two of his adult children must answer questions under oath within 21 days in the state attorney general’s civil probe into their family company.
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Article content
Justice Arthur Engoron of the New York state court in Manhattan ruled in favour of Attorney General Letitia James in directing Trump, his son Donald Trump Jr and his daughter Ivanka Trump to testify.
Engoron said James had “the clear right” to issue her subpoenas and question the Trumps after having uncovered “copious evidence of possible financial fraud.”
Failing to issue subpoenas “would have been a blatant dereliction of duty,” Engoron wrote.
“Today, justice prevailed,” James said in a statement. “No one will be permitted to stand in the way of the pursuit of justice, no matter how powerful they are. No one is above the law.”
The decision followed a two-hour hearing in which the Trumps’ lawyers accused James of doing an end run around their clients’ constitutional rights by seeking testimony she could then use against them in a parallel criminal investigation.
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Article content
Trump attorney Alina Habba accused James of “selective prosecution and prosecutorial misconduct that this country has never seen,” citing what she called Democratic attorney general’s “vile disdain” for Trump, a Republican.
“If he was not who he is, she would not be doing this,” Habba said. “This court can help stop this circus.”
Trump in a statement issued later on Thursday called the accusations false and accused James of a political agenda in targeting him and his family.
“It is a continuation of the greatest Witch Hunt in history – and remember, I can’t get a fair hearing in New York because of the hatred of me by judges and the judiciary. Its not possible!,” Trump said in the statement.
Last month, James said her nearly three-year investigation into the Trump Organization had uncovered significant evidence of possible fraud.
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Article content
She described what she called misleading statements about the values of the Trump brand and six properties, saying the company may have inflated real estate values to obtain bank loans and reduced them to lower tax bills.
The Trumps have not been accused of criminal wrongdoing.
Engoron declined the Trumps’ request to put James’ case on hold while the criminal case, led by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, is pending. James joined that probe last May.
The criminal investigation, begun by Bragg’s predecessor Cyrus Vance, resulted last July in tax fraud charges against the Trump Organization and its longtime chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg. Both pleaded not guilty.
‘COMPLETELY MISSES THE MARK’
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Engoron said the argument that James was trying to bypass grand jury protections, which would give the Trumps immunity, by issuing civil subpoenas “completely misses the mark.”
He said the Trumps could refuse to answer questions, noting that Donald Trump’s other adult son Eric Trump invoked his constitutional right against self-incrimination more than 500 times when the attorney general’s office questioned him in 2020.
The judge also rejected the Trumps’ claim that James’ sometimes aggressive public statements about investigating Donald Trump, including a pledge that “we’re definitely going to sue him,” illustrated the “impropriety” of her probe.
Engoron said the spark for the investigation was not James’ dislike of the former president, but rather congressional testimony from Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer Michael Cohen that the Trumps were “cooking the books.”
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Article content
The judge also noted Trump’s history of investigations by the attorney general’s office, including “significant settlements” with James’ predecessors concerning a namesake university and charitable foundation.
Trump is suing to try to stop James’ investigation. He has not said whether he will run for president again in 2024.
Engoron ruled after Trump’s longtime accounting firm Mazars USA decided last week to cut ties with him and the Trump Organization, saying it could no longer stand behind a decade of financial statements despite finding no material discrepancies.
The Trump Organization said Mazars’ findings effectively rendered James’ and Bragg’s investigations “moot.”
Washington D.C.’s attorney general is separately suing the Trump Organization and Trump’s inaugural committee over the alleged misuse of $1.1 million of charitable funds. A Sept. 26 trial date was set on Thursday.
Trump, children ordered to testify in N.Y. attorney general probe
NEW YORK — A New York judge ruled on Thursday that former U.S. President Donald Trump and two of his adult children must answer questions under oath within 21…
HANSON: Hillary Clinton's greatest masterpiece of deceit
Author of the article:Victor Davis Hanson
Publishing date:Feb 17, 2022 • 9 hours ago • 4 minute read • Join the conversation
Former U.S. Secretary of State and former senator Hillary Clinton speaks during the New York Democratic Party 2022 state Nominating Convention, in New York City, Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022.
Former U.S. Secretary of State and former senator Hillary Clinton speaks during the New York Democratic Party 2022 state Nominating Convention, in New York City, Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022. PHOTO BY KENA BETANCUR /AFP via Getty Images
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Hillary Clinton’s never-ending shenanigans in 2015-2016 could be summarized as an attempted slow-motion coup. Four years of national hysteria, a divided nation, and dangerous new tensions with Russia were some of the wages of Clinton’s machinations.
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Clinton hired a British national and ex-spy, Christopher Steele, to compile dirt on her election opponent, Donald Trump. She hid her likely illegal campaign payments to him through at least three paywalls – the Democratic National Committee, the Perkins Coie law firm, and the opposition research firm Fusion GPS.
Partisans in the FBI helped her, by variously spying on minor officials affiliated with the Trump campaign, like George Papadopoulos and Carter Page. To expedite its improper surveillance, a corrupt FBI hierarchy presented fraudulent documents to a FISA court that authorized the illicit surveillance.
Clinton’s orbit of former subordinates and friends seeded the lies in the dossier throughout the Department of Justice, the FBI, and the CIA.
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During the Trump transition, the FBI also tapped into the communications of national security advisor designate General Michael Flynn. The illegally leaked surveillance put an end to his service to the Trump Administration and ruined his life.
The country went through 22 months and $40 million in legal expenses under special counsel Robert Mueller to investigate the Clinton-inspired Russian collusion hoax.
When it was all over, Mueller’s “dream team” found no such actionable Trump-Russian collusion.
Mueller himself ended up nearly humiliated, preposterously claiming under oath no knowledge about the Steele dossier or Fusion GPS – the twin pillars of deceit that prompted his own investigation.
But Clinton was undaunted.
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According to a recent affidavit filed by Special Counsel John Durham, Clinton furthermore had previously hired members of the Perkins Coie law firm to contract with tech experts to leverage their own existing access to the White House and Trump servers – and tap into the top-secret communications data of candidate and then-President Trump.
Their apparent desperate purpose was to find any dirt that the failed Steele dossier had not discovered.
As a result, Clinton’s tech hirelings helped promulgate another “collusion” lie that Trump Tower computers were communicating back and forth with the Russian Alfa Bank.
This additional Clinton investment in ruining Trump succeeded, as planned, in provoking media “collusion” hysteria that further paralyzed the Trump presidency.
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Nightly news still trafficked in the fake Steele dossier and the Russian collusion hoax. The additional phony Alfa Bank smear was cited as further proof that Trump should be removed from office.
Clinton’s efforts created the general background landscape of hysteria and untruth that greenlighted the first Trump impeachment over a phone call to the Ukrainian president.
“Collusion” helped prompt efforts to remove or discredit him through possible invocation of the 25th Amendment.
And such skullduggery mainlined the once unthinkable scenario of a military coup. In this Clinton-created climate of collective madness, retired generals referenced their commander in chief as Hitler and Mussolini-like. A former Obama Pentagon official even wrote out a scenario of a military coup removing him.
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Nonetheless, Trump completed a solid record of accomplishment of border security, energy production, full employment without inflation, deregulation, and a deterrent, but not interventionist, foreign policy.
The chief criticism of his administration was that Trump believed the Washington establishment and media were out to get him. In furor, he railed nonstop that the Left had conspired to monitor his communications and break the law to ruin him.
Yet that supposed paranoia is proving to be an unpleasant reality.
What would Trump’s presidency have been like had opponents like Clinton kept to normal adversarial politics? What if they had avoided spinning conspiracies, often through violation of federal laws? Could they have been content with just opposing him rather than seeking to destroy him?
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STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Article content
One of the reasons why American-Russian relations are poor, aside from Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggressive efforts to reclaim the borders of the old Soviet Union, was the nonstop and politicized demonization of “Russia.”
Americans were repeatedly and falsely told that “the Russians” had tried to destroy the Clinton campaign to partner with the traitor Trump and betray the United States. That was a slanderous lie.
Former CIA director John Brennan fed such hysteria by libeling Trump as “treasonous.” The retired Director of National Intelligence James Clapper smeared Trump as a “Russian asset.”
Will the nation ever demand an investigation to find out how and to what extent Hillary Clinton’s subordinates and contractors infiltrated the private communications of the president of the United States?
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STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Article content
Will the people ever learn how such false information was seeded throughout the government and media in a conspiratorial effort to destroy a sitting president?
Hillary Clinton by now is an old master of scandals. Her lifelong oeuvre is vast – the cattle futures scam, Rose law firm missing documents, Travelgate, Uranium One shenanigans, missing emails, and the Steele dossier.
But the ongoing effort of her paid associates to tap into the top-secret communications of a presidential candidate and further use such illicit information to ruin the American presidency will go down as her greatest masterpiece of deceit.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Victor Davis Hanson
Publishing date:Feb 17, 2022 • 9 hours ago • 4 minute read • Join the conversation
Former U.S. Secretary of State and former senator Hillary Clinton speaks during the New York Democratic Party 2022 state Nominating Convention, in New York City, Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022.
Former U.S. Secretary of State and former senator Hillary Clinton speaks during the New York Democratic Party 2022 state Nominating Convention, in New York City, Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022. PHOTO BY KENA BETANCUR /AFP via Getty Images
Article content
Hillary Clinton’s never-ending shenanigans in 2015-2016 could be summarized as an attempted slow-motion coup. Four years of national hysteria, a divided nation, and dangerous new tensions with Russia were some of the wages of Clinton’s machinations.
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Article content
Clinton hired a British national and ex-spy, Christopher Steele, to compile dirt on her election opponent, Donald Trump. She hid her likely illegal campaign payments to him through at least three paywalls – the Democratic National Committee, the Perkins Coie law firm, and the opposition research firm Fusion GPS.
Partisans in the FBI helped her, by variously spying on minor officials affiliated with the Trump campaign, like George Papadopoulos and Carter Page. To expedite its improper surveillance, a corrupt FBI hierarchy presented fraudulent documents to a FISA court that authorized the illicit surveillance.
Clinton’s orbit of former subordinates and friends seeded the lies in the dossier throughout the Department of Justice, the FBI, and the CIA.
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Article content
During the Trump transition, the FBI also tapped into the communications of national security advisor designate General Michael Flynn. The illegally leaked surveillance put an end to his service to the Trump Administration and ruined his life.
The country went through 22 months and $40 million in legal expenses under special counsel Robert Mueller to investigate the Clinton-inspired Russian collusion hoax.
When it was all over, Mueller’s “dream team” found no such actionable Trump-Russian collusion.
Mueller himself ended up nearly humiliated, preposterously claiming under oath no knowledge about the Steele dossier or Fusion GPS – the twin pillars of deceit that prompted his own investigation.
But Clinton was undaunted.
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Article content
According to a recent affidavit filed by Special Counsel John Durham, Clinton furthermore had previously hired members of the Perkins Coie law firm to contract with tech experts to leverage their own existing access to the White House and Trump servers – and tap into the top-secret communications data of candidate and then-President Trump.
Their apparent desperate purpose was to find any dirt that the failed Steele dossier had not discovered.
As a result, Clinton’s tech hirelings helped promulgate another “collusion” lie that Trump Tower computers were communicating back and forth with the Russian Alfa Bank.
This additional Clinton investment in ruining Trump succeeded, as planned, in provoking media “collusion” hysteria that further paralyzed the Trump presidency.
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Article content
Nightly news still trafficked in the fake Steele dossier and the Russian collusion hoax. The additional phony Alfa Bank smear was cited as further proof that Trump should be removed from office.
Clinton’s efforts created the general background landscape of hysteria and untruth that greenlighted the first Trump impeachment over a phone call to the Ukrainian president.
“Collusion” helped prompt efforts to remove or discredit him through possible invocation of the 25th Amendment.
And such skullduggery mainlined the once unthinkable scenario of a military coup. In this Clinton-created climate of collective madness, retired generals referenced their commander in chief as Hitler and Mussolini-like. A former Obama Pentagon official even wrote out a scenario of a military coup removing him.
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Article content
Nonetheless, Trump completed a solid record of accomplishment of border security, energy production, full employment without inflation, deregulation, and a deterrent, but not interventionist, foreign policy.
The chief criticism of his administration was that Trump believed the Washington establishment and media were out to get him. In furor, he railed nonstop that the Left had conspired to monitor his communications and break the law to ruin him.
Yet that supposed paranoia is proving to be an unpleasant reality.
What would Trump’s presidency have been like had opponents like Clinton kept to normal adversarial politics? What if they had avoided spinning conspiracies, often through violation of federal laws? Could they have been content with just opposing him rather than seeking to destroy him?
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Article content
One of the reasons why American-Russian relations are poor, aside from Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggressive efforts to reclaim the borders of the old Soviet Union, was the nonstop and politicized demonization of “Russia.”
Americans were repeatedly and falsely told that “the Russians” had tried to destroy the Clinton campaign to partner with the traitor Trump and betray the United States. That was a slanderous lie.
Former CIA director John Brennan fed such hysteria by libeling Trump as “treasonous.” The retired Director of National Intelligence James Clapper smeared Trump as a “Russian asset.”
Will the nation ever demand an investigation to find out how and to what extent Hillary Clinton’s subordinates and contractors infiltrated the private communications of the president of the United States?
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Article content
Will the people ever learn how such false information was seeded throughout the government and media in a conspiratorial effort to destroy a sitting president?
Hillary Clinton by now is an old master of scandals. Her lifelong oeuvre is vast – the cattle futures scam, Rose law firm missing documents, Travelgate, Uranium One shenanigans, missing emails, and the Steele dossier.
But the ongoing effort of her paid associates to tap into the top-secret communications of a presidential candidate and further use such illicit information to ruin the American presidency will go down as her greatest masterpiece of deceit.
HANSON: Hillary Clinton's greatest masterpiece of deceit
Hillary Clinton’s never-ending shenanigans in 2015-2016 could be summarized as an attempted slow-motion coup. Four years of national hysteria, a divided…
U.S. judge denies Trump's request to toss Jan. 6 incitement lawsuits
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Jacqueline Thomsen and Jan Wolfe
Publishing date:Feb 18, 2022 • 14 hours ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation
Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a rally, in Conroe, Texas, U.S., January 29, 2022.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a rally, in Conroe, Texas, U.S., January 29, 2022. PHOTO BY GO NAKAMURA /REUTERS
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WASHINGTON — Former U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday lost a bid to dismiss lawsuits accusing him of inciting the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
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In a lengthy written ruling, Judge Amit Mehta of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia said three lawsuits by Democratic members of Congress and two police officers could proceed toward trial.
Mehta agreed to dismiss Trump adviser Rudy Giuliani and Trump’s eldest son Donald Trump Jr., who were named as co-defendants, from the lawsuits.
Looming large in the litigation is a Supreme Court case from 1982 holding that presidents are shielded, or immune, from lawsuits over their official acts.
Mehta ruled Trump was not immune from the lawsuits, determining that the then-president’s fiery speech before the Capitol attack was not within the scope of his official presidential duties.
“To deny a President immunity from civil damages is no small step. The court well understands the gravity of its decision,” Mehta ruled. “But the alleged facts of this case are without precedent, and the court believes that its decision is consistent with the purposes behind such immunity.”
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Jesse Binnall, a lawyer for Trump, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump and his co-defendants have argued that their remarks preceding the Jan. 6 attack were free speech protected by the U.S. Constitution.
The Democratic lawmakers, including U.S. representatives Eric Swalwell and Jerry Nadler, have invoked an 1871 law passed to fight the white supremacist Ku Klux Klan that prohibits political intimidation.
The lawsuits alleged a conspiracy between Trump and rioters to halt Congress’s certification of President Joe Biden’s election victory.
Without ruling on the merits of that theory, Mehta said the allegation was sufficiently detailed to proceed toward discovery, a process in which litigants exchange evidence and take testimony.
“From these alleged facts, it is at least plausible to infer that, when he called on rally-goers to march to the Capitol, the President did so with the goal of disrupting lawmakers’ efforts to certify the Electoral College votes,” Mehta wrote.
Joseph Sellers, an attorney representing the Democratic lawmakers, said the ruling breaks new legal ground and “demonstrates the extraordinary nature of the conduct of which then-President Trump was engaged.”
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Jacqueline Thomsen and Jan Wolfe
Publishing date:Feb 18, 2022 • 14 hours ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation
Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a rally, in Conroe, Texas, U.S., January 29, 2022.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a rally, in Conroe, Texas, U.S., January 29, 2022. PHOTO BY GO NAKAMURA /REUTERS
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WASHINGTON — Former U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday lost a bid to dismiss lawsuits accusing him of inciting the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
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STORY CONTINUES BELOW
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In a lengthy written ruling, Judge Amit Mehta of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia said three lawsuits by Democratic members of Congress and two police officers could proceed toward trial.
Mehta agreed to dismiss Trump adviser Rudy Giuliani and Trump’s eldest son Donald Trump Jr., who were named as co-defendants, from the lawsuits.
Looming large in the litigation is a Supreme Court case from 1982 holding that presidents are shielded, or immune, from lawsuits over their official acts.
Mehta ruled Trump was not immune from the lawsuits, determining that the then-president’s fiery speech before the Capitol attack was not within the scope of his official presidential duties.
“To deny a President immunity from civil damages is no small step. The court well understands the gravity of its decision,” Mehta ruled. “But the alleged facts of this case are without precedent, and the court believes that its decision is consistent with the purposes behind such immunity.”
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Jesse Binnall, a lawyer for Trump, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump and his co-defendants have argued that their remarks preceding the Jan. 6 attack were free speech protected by the U.S. Constitution.
The Democratic lawmakers, including U.S. representatives Eric Swalwell and Jerry Nadler, have invoked an 1871 law passed to fight the white supremacist Ku Klux Klan that prohibits political intimidation.
The lawsuits alleged a conspiracy between Trump and rioters to halt Congress’s certification of President Joe Biden’s election victory.
Without ruling on the merits of that theory, Mehta said the allegation was sufficiently detailed to proceed toward discovery, a process in which litigants exchange evidence and take testimony.
“From these alleged facts, it is at least plausible to infer that, when he called on rally-goers to march to the Capitol, the President did so with the goal of disrupting lawmakers’ efforts to certify the Electoral College votes,” Mehta wrote.
Joseph Sellers, an attorney representing the Democratic lawmakers, said the ruling breaks new legal ground and “demonstrates the extraordinary nature of the conduct of which then-President Trump was engaged.”
U.S. judge denies Trump's request to toss Jan. 6 incitement lawsuits
WASHINGTON — Former U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday lost a bid to dismiss lawsuits accusing him of inciting the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Trump took classified material from White House to Florida, National Archives says
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Patricia Zengerle
Publishing date:Feb 18, 2022 • 8 hours ago • 1 minute read • Join the conversation
Former U.S. President Donald Trump looks on during his first post-presidency campaign rally at the Lorain County Fairgrounds in Wellington, Ohio, U.S., June 26, 2021.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump looks on during his first post-presidency campaign rally at the Lorain County Fairgrounds in Wellington, Ohio, U.S., June 26, 2021. PHOTO BY SHANNON STAPLETON /REUTERS
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WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump took classified information to his Florida home after leaving the White House, the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration said in a letter to Congress on Friday about the 15 boxes of documents it recently recovered.
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The Archives said it had informed the Department of Justice, which would handle any investigation.
“NARA has identified items marked as classified national security information within the boxes,” David Ferriero, the archivist of the United States, said in a letter to Democratic U.S. Representative Carolyn Maloney, chair of the House of Representatives oversight committee.
Maloney’s committee has been looking into Trump’s handling of records by the Republican president, who left office in January 2021.
“These new revelations deepen my concern about former President Trump’s flagrant disregard for federal records laws and the potential impact on our historical record,” Maloney said in a statement.
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“The National Archives did not ‘find’ anything, they were given, upon request, presidential records in an ordinary and routine process to ensure the preservation of my legacy and in accordance with the Presidential Records Act,” Trump said in a written statement.
“If this was anyone but “Trump,” there would be no story here.”
The letter from Ferriero also said that some White House staff conducted official business using nonofficial electronic messaging accounts that were not copied or forwarded into official electronic messaging accounts and that it was in the process of obtaining some of those missing records.
The Washington Post reported last week that some of the documents taken to Trump’s home were marked as classified, which could intensify the legal pressure Trump or his aides could face.
The Presidential Records Act requires the preservation of memos, letters, notes, emails, faxes and other written communications related to a president’s official duties.
Claiming executive privilege, Trump sued unsuccessfully to stop the release of records from his White House, including to the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Patricia Zengerle
Publishing date:Feb 18, 2022 • 8 hours ago • 1 minute read • Join the conversation
Former U.S. President Donald Trump looks on during his first post-presidency campaign rally at the Lorain County Fairgrounds in Wellington, Ohio, U.S., June 26, 2021.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump looks on during his first post-presidency campaign rally at the Lorain County Fairgrounds in Wellington, Ohio, U.S., June 26, 2021. PHOTO BY SHANNON STAPLETON /REUTERS
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WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump took classified information to his Florida home after leaving the White House, the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration said in a letter to Congress on Friday about the 15 boxes of documents it recently recovered.
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The Archives said it had informed the Department of Justice, which would handle any investigation.
“NARA has identified items marked as classified national security information within the boxes,” David Ferriero, the archivist of the United States, said in a letter to Democratic U.S. Representative Carolyn Maloney, chair of the House of Representatives oversight committee.
Maloney’s committee has been looking into Trump’s handling of records by the Republican president, who left office in January 2021.
“These new revelations deepen my concern about former President Trump’s flagrant disregard for federal records laws and the potential impact on our historical record,” Maloney said in a statement.
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“The National Archives did not ‘find’ anything, they were given, upon request, presidential records in an ordinary and routine process to ensure the preservation of my legacy and in accordance with the Presidential Records Act,” Trump said in a written statement.
“If this was anyone but “Trump,” there would be no story here.”
The letter from Ferriero also said that some White House staff conducted official business using nonofficial electronic messaging accounts that were not copied or forwarded into official electronic messaging accounts and that it was in the process of obtaining some of those missing records.
The Washington Post reported last week that some of the documents taken to Trump’s home were marked as classified, which could intensify the legal pressure Trump or his aides could face.
The Presidential Records Act requires the preservation of memos, letters, notes, emails, faxes and other written communications related to a president’s official duties.
Claiming executive privilege, Trump sued unsuccessfully to stop the release of records from his White House, including to the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters.
Trump took classified material from White House to Florida, National Archives says
WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump took classified information to his Florida home after leaving the White House, the U.S. National Archives and…
Trump's Truth Social app set for release Monday in Apple App Store
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Julia Love and Helen Coster
Publishing date:Feb 19, 2022 • 4 hours ago • 3 minute read • Join the conversation
This illustration photo shows a person checking the app store on a smartphone for "Truth Social", with a photo of former president Donald Trump on a computer screen in the background, in Los Angeles, October 20, 2021.
This illustration photo shows a person checking the app store on a smartphone for "Truth Social", with a photo of former president Donald Trump on a computer screen in the background, in Los Angeles, October 20, 2021. PHOTO BY CHRIS DELMAS /AFP via Getty Images
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Donald Trump’s new social media venture, Truth Social, appears set to launch in Apple’s App Store on Monday, according to posts from an executive on a test version viewed by Reuters, potentially marking the return of the former president to social media on the U.S. Presidents Day holiday.
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In a series of posts late on Friday, a verified account for the network’s chief product officer, listed as Billy B., answered questions on the app from people invited to use it during its test phase. One user asked him when the app, which has been available this week for beta testers, would be released to the public, according to screenshots viewed by Reuters.
“We’re currently set for release in the Apple App store for Monday Feb. 21,” the executive responded.
The launch would restore Trump’s presence on social media more than a year after he was banned from Twitter Inc, Facebook and Alphabet Inc’s YouTube following the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters, after he was accused of posting messages inciting violence.
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On Feb. 15 Trump’s eldest son Donald Jr. posted on Twitter a screenshot of his father’s verified “Get Ready! Your favorite President will see you soon!”
Led by former Republican U.S. Representative Devin Nunes, Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), the venture behind Truth Social, will join a growing portfolio of technology companies that are positioning themselves as champions of free speech and hope to draw users who feel their views are suppressed on platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. So far none of the companies, which include Twitter competitors Gettr and Parler and video site Rumble, have come close to matching the popularity of their mainstream counterparts.
In addition to the post disclosing Monday’s launch date, the screenshots seen by Reuters show the app is now at version 1.0, suggesting it has reached a level ready for public release. As late as Wednesday, it was at version 0.9, according to two people with access to that version.
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A representative for TMTG did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Apple’s App Store listing indicates that Truth Social is expected to be released on Feb. 21, a date that a source familiar with the venture confirmed in January. But in recent weeks Nunes had said publicly that the app would launch by the end of March.
On Friday, Nunes was on the app urging users to follow more accounts, share photos and videos and participate in conversations, in an apparent attempt to drum up activity, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.
Among Nunes’ posts, he welcomed a new user who appeared to be a Catholic priest and encouraged him to invite more priests to join, according to the person with knowledge of the matter.
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The chief product officer’s other responses during Friday’s question-and-answer session suggested the startup’s features would resemble those of Twitter.
Asked whether users would be able to edit their “truths,” the executive replied “not yet.” The ability to edit posts after publication is something Twitter users have long sought.
The next significant feature released on the platform will be direct messages, or DMs, between users, the executive wrote.
The company is also considering allowing users to sign up to receive notifications when others post content, the executive said. He signaled that the ability to block other users would be an important component.
“There will always be block functionality in the app,” he wrote.
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Truth Social will issue a policy on verified accounts “in the coming weeks,” the executive added.
Even as details of the app begin trickling out, TMTG remains mostly shrouded in secrecy and is regarded with skepticism by some in tech and media circles. It is unclear, for example, how the company is funding its current growth.
TMTG is planning to list in New York through a merger with blank-check firm Digital World Acquisition Corp (DWAC), and stands to receive $293 million in cash that DWAC holds in a trust, assuming no DWAC shareholder redeems their shares, TMTG said in an Oct. 21 press release.
Additionally, in December TMTG raised $1 billion committed financing from private investors; that money also will not be available until the DWAC deal closes.
Digital World’s activities have come under scrutiny from the Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, according to a regulatory filing, and the deal is likely months away from closing.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Julia Love and Helen Coster
Publishing date:Feb 19, 2022 • 4 hours ago • 3 minute read • Join the conversation
This illustration photo shows a person checking the app store on a smartphone for "Truth Social", with a photo of former president Donald Trump on a computer screen in the background, in Los Angeles, October 20, 2021.
This illustration photo shows a person checking the app store on a smartphone for "Truth Social", with a photo of former president Donald Trump on a computer screen in the background, in Los Angeles, October 20, 2021. PHOTO BY CHRIS DELMAS /AFP via Getty Images
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Donald Trump’s new social media venture, Truth Social, appears set to launch in Apple’s App Store on Monday, according to posts from an executive on a test version viewed by Reuters, potentially marking the return of the former president to social media on the U.S. Presidents Day holiday.
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In a series of posts late on Friday, a verified account for the network’s chief product officer, listed as Billy B., answered questions on the app from people invited to use it during its test phase. One user asked him when the app, which has been available this week for beta testers, would be released to the public, according to screenshots viewed by Reuters.
“We’re currently set for release in the Apple App store for Monday Feb. 21,” the executive responded.
The launch would restore Trump’s presence on social media more than a year after he was banned from Twitter Inc, Facebook and Alphabet Inc’s YouTube following the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters, after he was accused of posting messages inciting violence.
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On Feb. 15 Trump’s eldest son Donald Jr. posted on Twitter a screenshot of his father’s verified “Get Ready! Your favorite President will see you soon!”
Led by former Republican U.S. Representative Devin Nunes, Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), the venture behind Truth Social, will join a growing portfolio of technology companies that are positioning themselves as champions of free speech and hope to draw users who feel their views are suppressed on platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. So far none of the companies, which include Twitter competitors Gettr and Parler and video site Rumble, have come close to matching the popularity of their mainstream counterparts.
In addition to the post disclosing Monday’s launch date, the screenshots seen by Reuters show the app is now at version 1.0, suggesting it has reached a level ready for public release. As late as Wednesday, it was at version 0.9, according to two people with access to that version.
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A representative for TMTG did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Apple’s App Store listing indicates that Truth Social is expected to be released on Feb. 21, a date that a source familiar with the venture confirmed in January. But in recent weeks Nunes had said publicly that the app would launch by the end of March.
On Friday, Nunes was on the app urging users to follow more accounts, share photos and videos and participate in conversations, in an apparent attempt to drum up activity, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.
Among Nunes’ posts, he welcomed a new user who appeared to be a Catholic priest and encouraged him to invite more priests to join, according to the person with knowledge of the matter.
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Article content
The chief product officer’s other responses during Friday’s question-and-answer session suggested the startup’s features would resemble those of Twitter.
Asked whether users would be able to edit their “truths,” the executive replied “not yet.” The ability to edit posts after publication is something Twitter users have long sought.
The next significant feature released on the platform will be direct messages, or DMs, between users, the executive wrote.
The company is also considering allowing users to sign up to receive notifications when others post content, the executive said. He signaled that the ability to block other users would be an important component.
“There will always be block functionality in the app,” he wrote.
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STORY CONTINUES BELOW
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Truth Social will issue a policy on verified accounts “in the coming weeks,” the executive added.
Even as details of the app begin trickling out, TMTG remains mostly shrouded in secrecy and is regarded with skepticism by some in tech and media circles. It is unclear, for example, how the company is funding its current growth.
TMTG is planning to list in New York through a merger with blank-check firm Digital World Acquisition Corp (DWAC), and stands to receive $293 million in cash that DWAC holds in a trust, assuming no DWAC shareholder redeems their shares, TMTG said in an Oct. 21 press release.
Additionally, in December TMTG raised $1 billion committed financing from private investors; that money also will not be available until the DWAC deal closes.
Digital World’s activities have come under scrutiny from the Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, according to a regulatory filing, and the deal is likely months away from closing.
Trump's Truth Social app set for release Monday in Apple App Store
Donald Trump’s new social media venture, Truth Social, appears set to launch in Apple’s App Store on Monday, according to posts from an executive on a test…
Trump's Truth Social app launches on Apple App Store
Trump was banned from Twitter, Facebook and YouTube following the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Kenneth Li and Julia Love and Helen Coster
Publishing date:Feb 21, 2022 • 18 hours ago • 3 minute read • 11 Comments
This illustration shows a person checking the app store on a smartphone for "Truth Social" with a photo of former U.S. president Donald Trump on a computer screen in the background.
This illustration shows a person checking the app store on a smartphone for "Truth Social" with a photo of former U.S. president Donald Trump on a computer screen in the background. PHOTO BY CHRIS DELMAS /AFP via Getty Images
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Donald Trump’s new social media venture, Truth Social, launched late on Sunday in Apple’s App Store, potentially marking the former president’s return to social media after he was banned from several platforms last year.
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The app was available shortly before midnight ET and was the top free app available on the App Store early Monday. Truth Social was automatically downloaded to Apple Inc devices belonging to users who had pre-ordered the app.
Many users reported either having trouble registering for an account or were added to a waitlist with a message: “Due to massive demand, we have placed you on our waitlist.”
The app has been available for people invited to use it during its test phase, Reuters previously reported.
Trump was banned from Twitter Inc, Facebook and Alphabet Inc’s YouTube following the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters, after he was accused of posting messages inciting violence.
Led by former Republican U.S. Representative Devin Nunes, Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), the venture behind Truth Social, joins a growing portfolio of technology companies that are positioning themselves as champions of free speech and hope to draw users who feel their views are suppressed on more established platforms.
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STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Article content
So far none of the newer companies, which include Twitter competitors Gettr and Parler and video site Rumble, have come close to matching the popularity of their mainstream counterparts.
“This week we will begin to roll out on the Apple App Store. That’s going to be awesome, because we’re going to get so many more people that are going to be on the platform,” Nunes said in a Sunday appearance on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo.”
“Our goal is, I think we’re going to hit it, I think by the by the end of March we’re going to be fully operational at least within the United States,” he added.
Truth Social’s app store page detailing its version history showed the first public version of the app, or version 1.0 was available a day ago, confirming a Reuters report. The current version 1.0.1 includes “bug fixes,” according to the page.
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On Friday, Nunes was on the app urging users to follow more accounts, share photos and videos and participate in conversations, in an apparent attempt to drum up activity, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.
Among Nunes’ posts, he welcomed a new user who appeared to be a Catholic priest and encouraged him to invite more priests to join, according to the person with knowledge of the matter.
Even as details of the app begin trickling out, TMTG remains mostly shrouded in secrecy and is regarded with skepticism by some in tech and media circles. It is unclear, for example, how the company is funding its current growth.
TMTG is planning to list in New York through a merger with blank-check firm Digital World Acquisition Corp (DWAC) and stands to receive $293 million in cash that DWAC holds in a trust, assuming no DWAC shareholder redeems their shares, TMTG said in an Oct. 21 press release.
Additionally, in December TMTG raised $1 billion committed financing from private investors; that money also will not be available until the DWAC deal closes.
Digital World’s activities have come under scrutiny from the Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, according to a regulatory filing, and the deal is likely months away from closing.
torontosun.com
Trump was banned from Twitter, Facebook and YouTube following the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Kenneth Li and Julia Love and Helen Coster
Publishing date:Feb 21, 2022 • 18 hours ago • 3 minute read • 11 Comments
This illustration shows a person checking the app store on a smartphone for "Truth Social" with a photo of former U.S. president Donald Trump on a computer screen in the background.
This illustration shows a person checking the app store on a smartphone for "Truth Social" with a photo of former U.S. president Donald Trump on a computer screen in the background. PHOTO BY CHRIS DELMAS /AFP via Getty Images
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Donald Trump’s new social media venture, Truth Social, launched late on Sunday in Apple’s App Store, potentially marking the former president’s return to social media after he was banned from several platforms last year.
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STORY CONTINUES BELOW
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The app was available shortly before midnight ET and was the top free app available on the App Store early Monday. Truth Social was automatically downloaded to Apple Inc devices belonging to users who had pre-ordered the app.
Many users reported either having trouble registering for an account or were added to a waitlist with a message: “Due to massive demand, we have placed you on our waitlist.”
The app has been available for people invited to use it during its test phase, Reuters previously reported.
Trump was banned from Twitter Inc, Facebook and Alphabet Inc’s YouTube following the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters, after he was accused of posting messages inciting violence.
Led by former Republican U.S. Representative Devin Nunes, Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), the venture behind Truth Social, joins a growing portfolio of technology companies that are positioning themselves as champions of free speech and hope to draw users who feel their views are suppressed on more established platforms.
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Article content
So far none of the newer companies, which include Twitter competitors Gettr and Parler and video site Rumble, have come close to matching the popularity of their mainstream counterparts.
“This week we will begin to roll out on the Apple App Store. That’s going to be awesome, because we’re going to get so many more people that are going to be on the platform,” Nunes said in a Sunday appearance on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo.”
“Our goal is, I think we’re going to hit it, I think by the by the end of March we’re going to be fully operational at least within the United States,” he added.
Truth Social’s app store page detailing its version history showed the first public version of the app, or version 1.0 was available a day ago, confirming a Reuters report. The current version 1.0.1 includes “bug fixes,” according to the page.
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Article content
On Friday, Nunes was on the app urging users to follow more accounts, share photos and videos and participate in conversations, in an apparent attempt to drum up activity, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.
Among Nunes’ posts, he welcomed a new user who appeared to be a Catholic priest and encouraged him to invite more priests to join, according to the person with knowledge of the matter.
Even as details of the app begin trickling out, TMTG remains mostly shrouded in secrecy and is regarded with skepticism by some in tech and media circles. It is unclear, for example, how the company is funding its current growth.
TMTG is planning to list in New York through a merger with blank-check firm Digital World Acquisition Corp (DWAC) and stands to receive $293 million in cash that DWAC holds in a trust, assuming no DWAC shareholder redeems their shares, TMTG said in an Oct. 21 press release.
Additionally, in December TMTG raised $1 billion committed financing from private investors; that money also will not be available until the DWAC deal closes.
Digital World’s activities have come under scrutiny from the Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, according to a regulatory filing, and the deal is likely months away from closing.
Trump's Truth Social app launches on Apple App Store
Trump was banned from Twitter, Facebook and YouTube following the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol
Trump's Truth Social downloaded 170,000 times on Apple App Store
High anticipation and pre-orders likely accounted for the high volume, Apptopia said.
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Publishing date:Feb 22, 2022 • 20 hours ago • 1 minute read • Join the conversation
The Truth social network logo is seen displayed behind a woman holding a smartphone in this picture illustration taken February 21, 2022.
The Truth social network logo is seen displayed behind a woman holding a smartphone in this picture illustration taken February 21, 2022. PHOTO BY DADO RUVIC/ILLUSTRATION /REUTERS
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Donald Trump’s Truth Social app was downloaded 170,000 times on Apple Inc’s App Store since its launch last Sunday evening, according to research firm Apptopia.
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The app created by the company run by the former U.S. president was the most downloaded app on Apple’s store shortly after it was made public.
High anticipation and pre-orders of the app likely accounted for the high volume of downloads, Apptopia said.
Trump was banned from Twitter Inc, Facebook and Alphabet Inc’s YouTube following the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters, after he was accused of posting messages inciting violence.
Led by former Republican U.S. Representative Devin Nunes, Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), the venture behind Truth Social, joins a growing portfolio of technology companies that are positioning themselves as champions of free speech and hope to draw users who feel their views are suppressed on more established platforms.
So far none of the newer companies, which include Twitter competitors Gettr and Parler and video site Rumble, have come close to matching the popularity of their mainstream counterparts.
torontosun.com
High anticipation and pre-orders likely accounted for the high volume, Apptopia said.
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Publishing date:Feb 22, 2022 • 20 hours ago • 1 minute read • Join the conversation
The Truth social network logo is seen displayed behind a woman holding a smartphone in this picture illustration taken February 21, 2022.
The Truth social network logo is seen displayed behind a woman holding a smartphone in this picture illustration taken February 21, 2022. PHOTO BY DADO RUVIC/ILLUSTRATION /REUTERS
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Donald Trump’s Truth Social app was downloaded 170,000 times on Apple Inc’s App Store since its launch last Sunday evening, according to research firm Apptopia.
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Article content
The app created by the company run by the former U.S. president was the most downloaded app on Apple’s store shortly after it was made public.
High anticipation and pre-orders of the app likely accounted for the high volume of downloads, Apptopia said.
Trump was banned from Twitter Inc, Facebook and Alphabet Inc’s YouTube following the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters, after he was accused of posting messages inciting violence.
Led by former Republican U.S. Representative Devin Nunes, Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), the venture behind Truth Social, joins a growing portfolio of technology companies that are positioning themselves as champions of free speech and hope to draw users who feel their views are suppressed on more established platforms.
So far none of the newer companies, which include Twitter competitors Gettr and Parler and video site Rumble, have come close to matching the popularity of their mainstream counterparts.
Trump's Truth Social downloaded 170,000 times on Apple App Store
High anticipation and pre-orders likely accounted for the high volume, Apptopia said.
U.S. Supreme Court formally ends Trump's fight over Capitol attack records
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Lawrence Hurley
Publishing date:Feb 22, 2022 • 20 hours ago • 1 minute read • Join the conversation
Riot police push back a crowd of supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump after they stormed the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., Jan. 6, 2021.
Riot police push back a crowd of supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump after they stormed the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., Jan. 6, 2021. PHOTO BY ROBERTO SCHMIDT /AFP via Getty Images / Files
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WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday brought a formal end to former President Donald Trump’s request to block the release of White House records sought by the Democratic-led congressional panel investigating last year’s deadly attack on the Capitol by a mob of his supporters.
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The court’s decision to formally reject Trump’s appeal follows its Jan. 19 order that led to the documents being handed over to the House of Representatives investigative committee by the federal agency that stores government and historical records.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Dec. 9 upheld a lower court ruling that Trump had no basis to challenge President Joe Biden’s decision to allow the records to be handed over to the House of Representatives select committee. Trump then appealed to the Supreme Court
Trump and his allies have waged an ongoing legal battle with the House select committee seeking to block access to documents and witnesses. Trump has sought to invoke a legal principle known as executive privilege, which protects the confidentially of some internal White House communications, a stance rejected by lower courts.
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The House committee has said it needed the records to understand any role Trump may have played in fomenting the violence that unfolded on Jan. 6, 2021. His supporters stormed the Capitol in a failed bid to prevent Congress from formally certifying Biden’s 2020 presidential election victory over Trump.
The committee asked the National Archives to produce visitor logs, phone records and written communications between his advisers.
Biden, who took office two weeks after the riot, previously determined that the records, which belong to the executive branch, should not be subject to executive privilege.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Lawrence Hurley
Publishing date:Feb 22, 2022 • 20 hours ago • 1 minute read • Join the conversation
Riot police push back a crowd of supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump after they stormed the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., Jan. 6, 2021.
Riot police push back a crowd of supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump after they stormed the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., Jan. 6, 2021. PHOTO BY ROBERTO SCHMIDT /AFP via Getty Images / Files
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WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday brought a formal end to former President Donald Trump’s request to block the release of White House records sought by the Democratic-led congressional panel investigating last year’s deadly attack on the Capitol by a mob of his supporters.
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The court’s decision to formally reject Trump’s appeal follows its Jan. 19 order that led to the documents being handed over to the House of Representatives investigative committee by the federal agency that stores government and historical records.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Dec. 9 upheld a lower court ruling that Trump had no basis to challenge President Joe Biden’s decision to allow the records to be handed over to the House of Representatives select committee. Trump then appealed to the Supreme Court
Trump and his allies have waged an ongoing legal battle with the House select committee seeking to block access to documents and witnesses. Trump has sought to invoke a legal principle known as executive privilege, which protects the confidentially of some internal White House communications, a stance rejected by lower courts.
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The House committee has said it needed the records to understand any role Trump may have played in fomenting the violence that unfolded on Jan. 6, 2021. His supporters stormed the Capitol in a failed bid to prevent Congress from formally certifying Biden’s 2020 presidential election victory over Trump.
The committee asked the National Archives to produce visitor logs, phone records and written communications between his advisers.
Biden, who took office two weeks after the riot, previously determined that the records, which belong to the executive branch, should not be subject to executive privilege.
U.S. Supreme Court formally ends Trump's fight over Capitol attack records
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday brought a formal end to former President Donald Trump’s request to block the release of White House records…
Judge signals Trump may be unable to countersue Jean Carroll in defamation case
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Jonathan Stempel
Publishing date:Feb 22, 2022 • 12 hours ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation
U.S. President Donald Trump rape accuser E. Jean Carroll arrives for her hearing at federal court during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., October 21, 2020.
U.S. President Donald Trump rape accuser E. Jean Carroll arrives for her hearing at federal court during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., October 21, 2020. PHOTO BY CARLO ALLEGRI /REUTERS
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NEW YORK — A U.S. judge signalled on Tuesday he may not let Donald Trump countersue E. Jean Carroll, a writer who accused the former president of raping her in the mid-1990s and is suing him for defamation.
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At a hearing in Manhattan, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan suggested it might be futile for Trump to claim that Carroll’s lawsuit violated a New York “anti-SLAPP” law protecting free speech, citing several courts that found similar laws did not apply in federal court.
“I question whether you have the right to do what you are seeking to do, because it seems to me it’s entirely inconsistent with the notion of futility,” Kaplan told Trump’s lawyer Alina Habba. “It may not be the way I resolve this matter.”
Carroll, a former Elle magazine columnist, accused Trump in a June 2019 book excerpt of having raped her in a dressing room at the Bergdorf Goodman department store in Midtown Manhattan.
She sued five months later, claiming that Trump defamed her when he told a reporter he did not know Carroll, said “she’s not my type,” and accused her of concocting the rape claim to sell her book.
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New York’s anti-SLAPP law, short for “strategic lawsuits against public participation,” was enacted in Nov. 2020.
It was meant to protect journalists and others from wealthy companies and people who file frivolous lawsuits to silence critics. How the law might apply to public officials, or former public officials like Trump, remains unclear.
Kaplan questioned why Trump waited until January, 14 months after New York’s law took effect, to invoke it, which Carroll’s lawyers said reflected Trump’s pattern of delaying the case.
“This is about giving us the right to litigate these issues,” Habba said. “That is all I’m asking.”
Kaplan did not say when he will rule.
Both sides are awaiting a decision from the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan on whether Carroll’s lawsuit should be dismissed because Trump was immune from being sued.
In that appeal, the Biden administration essentially adopted an argument by Trump’s Justice Department that the government should be substituted for Trump as the defendant, which could doom Carroll’s case.
Carroll’s lawyers want to question Trump under oath and compare his DNA with a dress Carroll said she wore during the alleged rape.
The case is Carroll v Trump, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 20-07311.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Jonathan Stempel
Publishing date:Feb 22, 2022 • 12 hours ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation
U.S. President Donald Trump rape accuser E. Jean Carroll arrives for her hearing at federal court during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., October 21, 2020.
U.S. President Donald Trump rape accuser E. Jean Carroll arrives for her hearing at federal court during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., October 21, 2020. PHOTO BY CARLO ALLEGRI /REUTERS
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NEW YORK — A U.S. judge signalled on Tuesday he may not let Donald Trump countersue E. Jean Carroll, a writer who accused the former president of raping her in the mid-1990s and is suing him for defamation.
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At a hearing in Manhattan, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan suggested it might be futile for Trump to claim that Carroll’s lawsuit violated a New York “anti-SLAPP” law protecting free speech, citing several courts that found similar laws did not apply in federal court.
“I question whether you have the right to do what you are seeking to do, because it seems to me it’s entirely inconsistent with the notion of futility,” Kaplan told Trump’s lawyer Alina Habba. “It may not be the way I resolve this matter.”
Carroll, a former Elle magazine columnist, accused Trump in a June 2019 book excerpt of having raped her in a dressing room at the Bergdorf Goodman department store in Midtown Manhattan.
She sued five months later, claiming that Trump defamed her when he told a reporter he did not know Carroll, said “she’s not my type,” and accused her of concocting the rape claim to sell her book.
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New York’s anti-SLAPP law, short for “strategic lawsuits against public participation,” was enacted in Nov. 2020.
It was meant to protect journalists and others from wealthy companies and people who file frivolous lawsuits to silence critics. How the law might apply to public officials, or former public officials like Trump, remains unclear.
Kaplan questioned why Trump waited until January, 14 months after New York’s law took effect, to invoke it, which Carroll’s lawyers said reflected Trump’s pattern of delaying the case.
“This is about giving us the right to litigate these issues,” Habba said. “That is all I’m asking.”
Kaplan did not say when he will rule.
Both sides are awaiting a decision from the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan on whether Carroll’s lawsuit should be dismissed because Trump was immune from being sued.
In that appeal, the Biden administration essentially adopted an argument by Trump’s Justice Department that the government should be substituted for Trump as the defendant, which could doom Carroll’s case.
Carroll’s lawyers want to question Trump under oath and compare his DNA with a dress Carroll said she wore during the alleged rape.
The case is Carroll v Trump, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 20-07311.
Judge signals Trump may be unable to countersue Jean Carroll in defamation case
NEW YORK — A U.S. judge signalled on Tuesday he may not let Donald Trump countersue E. Jean Carroll, a writer who accused the former president of raping her in…
Trump New York criminal probe has new prosecutor after lawyers quit
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Luc Cohen
Publishing date:Feb 25, 2022 • 17 hours ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation
Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Florida, U.S. February 28, 2021.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Florida, U.S. February 28, 2021. PHOTO BY OCTAVIO JONES /REUTERS
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NEW YORK — A new prosecutor has been chosen to lead a criminal probe into former U.S. President Donald Trump, the Manhattan district attorney’s office said on Friday, after the departures of two top lawyers threw the investigation’s future into question.
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Susan Hoffinger will now lead the probe into Trump and the practices of his family business, the Trump Organization, according to Danielle Filson, a spokeswoman for Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney.
This week Special Counsel Carey Dunne and Mark Pomerantz – who had been leading the probe begun by former District Attorney Cyrus Vance – resigned. The New York Times reported they left after Bragg indicated to them he had doubts about pursuing a case against Trump.
Reuters has not been able to reach Dunne or Pomerantz for comment. Ron Fischetti, a lawyer for Trump, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Hoffinger’s appointment. On Wednesday, Fischetti said the departures indicated “the case is over” and that Bragg would not bring charges against Trump.
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Both Bragg’s probe and a separate civil investigation by New York State Attorney General Letitia James focus on whether Trump misrepresented the value of his real estate properties. Investigators are looking into whether values were inflated to obtain bank loans and reduced to lower tax bills.
Trump, a Republican who left office in January 2021, has previously denied wrongdoing and said both the state and city investigations were politically motivated. He has not ruled out seeking the presidency again in 2024.
Both Bragg and James are Democrats, as is Vance, who did not seek re-election.
The criminal probe resulted last July in tax fraud charges against the Trump Organization and its longtime chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg. Both Weisselberg and the company pleaded not guilty.
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Neither the Trump Organization nor its lawyer Alan Futerfas immediately responded to requests for comment.
Last week, a state judge overseeing James’ probe directed Trump and two of his adult children, Donald Trump Jr and Ivanka Trump, to answer questions under oath in depositions. The Trump family will appeal that ruling, their lawyer said.
James said on Friday that the appeal would not affect her team’s investigation.
“Make no mistake: My office will continue to pursue this case without fear or favour because no one is above the law,” James said in a statement.
Hoffinger worked at a private law firm focusing on criminal defense before joining Bragg’s office as executive assistant district attorney and chief of investigations in February, according to her LinkedIn profile. She had previously served in the Manhattan District Attorney’s office in the 1990s.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Luc Cohen
Publishing date:Feb 25, 2022 • 17 hours ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation
Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Florida, U.S. February 28, 2021.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Florida, U.S. February 28, 2021. PHOTO BY OCTAVIO JONES /REUTERS
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NEW YORK — A new prosecutor has been chosen to lead a criminal probe into former U.S. President Donald Trump, the Manhattan district attorney’s office said on Friday, after the departures of two top lawyers threw the investigation’s future into question.
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Article content
Susan Hoffinger will now lead the probe into Trump and the practices of his family business, the Trump Organization, according to Danielle Filson, a spokeswoman for Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney.
This week Special Counsel Carey Dunne and Mark Pomerantz – who had been leading the probe begun by former District Attorney Cyrus Vance – resigned. The New York Times reported they left after Bragg indicated to them he had doubts about pursuing a case against Trump.
Reuters has not been able to reach Dunne or Pomerantz for comment. Ron Fischetti, a lawyer for Trump, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Hoffinger’s appointment. On Wednesday, Fischetti said the departures indicated “the case is over” and that Bragg would not bring charges against Trump.
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Article content
Both Bragg’s probe and a separate civil investigation by New York State Attorney General Letitia James focus on whether Trump misrepresented the value of his real estate properties. Investigators are looking into whether values were inflated to obtain bank loans and reduced to lower tax bills.
Trump, a Republican who left office in January 2021, has previously denied wrongdoing and said both the state and city investigations were politically motivated. He has not ruled out seeking the presidency again in 2024.
Both Bragg and James are Democrats, as is Vance, who did not seek re-election.
The criminal probe resulted last July in tax fraud charges against the Trump Organization and its longtime chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg. Both Weisselberg and the company pleaded not guilty.
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Article content
Neither the Trump Organization nor its lawyer Alan Futerfas immediately responded to requests for comment.
Last week, a state judge overseeing James’ probe directed Trump and two of his adult children, Donald Trump Jr and Ivanka Trump, to answer questions under oath in depositions. The Trump family will appeal that ruling, their lawyer said.
James said on Friday that the appeal would not affect her team’s investigation.
“Make no mistake: My office will continue to pursue this case without fear or favour because no one is above the law,” James said in a statement.
Hoffinger worked at a private law firm focusing on criminal defense before joining Bragg’s office as executive assistant district attorney and chief of investigations in February, according to her LinkedIn profile. She had previously served in the Manhattan District Attorney’s office in the 1990s.
Trump New York criminal probe has new prosecutor after lawyers quit
NEW YORK — A new prosecutor has been chosen to lead a criminal probe into former U.S. President Donald Trump, the Manhattan district attorney’s office said on…