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Shortly after 5 p.m. Thursday, a New York jury brought the country to an unprecedented brink by finding Donald Trump guilty of financial fraud, making the former president a convicted felon for now (unless or until the conviction is overturned on appeal) and making the upcoming election a referendum, he now hopes, not just on his record against Joe Biden’s but the entire political system.
Republicans call it a miscarriage of justice; for Democrats, it’s proof that no one is above the law.
History will remember it as a new chapter: Donald J. Trump is the first former president to be convicted of a crime.
“We didn’t do anything wrong. I am a very innocent man,” Trump told reporters after the verdict, dressed in his trademark blue suit and too-long tie at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York.
Then a familiar script as the former president embraced martyrdom, arguing that his conviction was part of a larger war for the soul of a nation.
“I’m fighting for our country. I’m fighting for our Constitution,” he said. “Our whole country is being rigged right now.”
Trump was found guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in a case stemming from “hush money” payments to porn star Stormy Daniels in the waning days of the 2016 presidential campaign. Each count carries a maximum prison term of four years.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 11, just four days before Trump is slated to accept the Republican presidential nomination for a third consecutive time.
Although questions abound about the fate of the former president and the nation, there is little to no chance Trump will end up behind bars before the end of the year. He is expected to remain free on bail pending appeal, a process that is not likely to be exhausted until well after Election Day.
The case now shifts to the appellate courts—as well as the proverbial court of public opinion.
Democrats have been desperate to cast the election as a rematch of Biden v. Trump with an emphasis on character, not a judgment on President Joe Biden’s first term in office. They may have gotten what they wanted.
“Donald Trump is a racist, a homophobe, a grifter, and a threat to this country,” said Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. “He can now add one more title to his list—a felon.”
Sources close to the former president prefer a different description.
A senior Trump campaign official predicted weeks before the decision that a conviction would “make him the Nelson Mandela of America,” comparing Biden to Russian President Vladimir Putin for his imprisonment of political rival and late dissident Alexei Navalny.
The framework suits Trump, who blasted out an email fundraiser shortly after his conviction calling himself “a political prisoner,” arguing both that “justice is dead in America” and “our country has fallen.”
This kind of rhetoric, complete with comparisons of the U.S. to the Third World, is likely to accelerate in the weeks and months ahead. Both major presidential campaigns now argue that the other could end democracy.
“These people would do anything and everything to hold onto political power. They don’t care if they destroy our country in the process,” said the former president’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr.
Martyrdom has been a central theme of Trump’s return to politics. After his indictment in New York last year, the GOP nomination was practically a fait accompli and his campaign nearly told RealClearPolitics as much at the time. It is unclear whether that phenomenon will translate to a general election.
Court has not crippled Trump so far, however, and Biden has not surpassed his rival a single time this year in the RealClearPolitics Average of polls. Well aware of those numbers, the Biden campaign attempted to tamp down jubilation on the left over the bad legal news consuming the right. They warned that Trump still could win.
“There is still only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office: at the ballot box,” said Biden-Harris communications director Michael Tyler.
Ian Sams, spokesman for the White House counsel’s office reacted to the news by saying only, “We respect the rule of law, and have no additional comment.” By remaining silent, however, he ceded the spotlight to Trump, allowing his rival to shape the first 24 hours of the narrative.
[Biden didn’t comment until early Friday afternoon, when he noted before turning to the Israel-Hamas war that, “just like everyone else,” Trump will have an opportunity to appeal the verdict. The president added: “That’s how the American system of justice works. And it’s reckless, it’s dangerous, and it’s irresponsible for anyone to say this was rigged just because they don’t like the verdict.”]
Nothing bars Trump from running for president as a felon. It is unclear, however, if he will be able to cast a vote for himself while his case goes through the appeal process.
A more immediate consequence of the trial ending: Trump’s schedule just opened up, and Trump can return to the campaign trail in earnest.
Sources in regular contact with the former president report that the prospect of prison has not cast a shadow over Trump personally. One told RealClearPolitics that Trump “sincerely believes” that divine providence now guides his steps and “that he has been chosen for a time such as this.”
Trump has six months to convince the country to return him to the White House, and in the most extreme circumstance, to preserve his freedom. Republicans were as bullish over those odds as they were angry.
“Today’s verdict from this partisan, corrupt, and rigged trial just guaranteed Trump’s landslide victory on Nov. 5, 2024,” Mike Davis, founder and president of the pro-Trump Article III Project, told RealClearPolitics.
Former Rep. Peter Meijer, a Michigan Republican who voted to impeach Trump, echoed that sentiment, warning that a conviction would backfire on Democrats. “The chain reaction will cause infinitely more damage than whatever they think they are preventing,” he told RCP.
The conviction created a tidal wave of donations as Trump began fundraising almost immediately after leaving court. The Trump campaign buckled briefly at the surge. The fundraising website, WinRed, temporarily crashed under the strain of heavy traffic.
“I’ll lose friends for this,” wrote Shaun Maguire in a lengthy post on X announcing his $300,000 donation to Trump. A partner at Sequoia Capital and a former Democratic donor, Maguire said that “lawfare” in part inspired his donation:
“Fairness is one of my guiding principles in life,” he said, “and simply, these cases haven’t been fair for Trump.”
Following the conviction, there was a discernable shift on the right among conservatives who normally argue that the judicial system ought to remain apolitical. Some Trump allies described the guilty verdict as “the Rubicon.”
Asked about the new Republican appetite to use the courts to go after political opponents, Trump senior adviser Stephen Miller told RCP that “the good guys must be as tough as the villains or freedom is doomed.”
The field of potential vice presidential candidates snapped to attention in their immediate condemnation of the conviction.
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said the verdict was “a complete travesty that makes a mockery of our system of justice.” Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, called it “election interference.” Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., said it was an “absolute injustice” that “erodes our justice system.”
“From the start, the weaponized scales of justice were stacked against President Trump. Joe Biden, far left Democrats, and their stenographers in the mainstream media have made it clear they will stop at nothing to prevent President Trump from returning to the White House,” said Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., in a lengthy statement to reporters.
“This lawfare should scare every American,” said a more succinct North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, a Republican. “The American people will have their say in November.”
The safest thing for any Republican elected official anywhere Thursday night was to attack the judicial system. Defending that institution, meanwhile, was verboten.
Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a frequent Trump critic now running for Senate, appeared to miss the memo when he shared a statement calling for GOP leaders to “reaffirm what has made this nation great: the rule of law.”
Replied Chris LaCivita, a senior Trump adviser dispatched to oversee the Republican National Conventio: “You just ended your campaign.”
The most common sentiment among Trump’s close circle of advisers and friends was that something had changed permanently, not in the former president personally but in the country.
“Today marks a turning point,” said Brooke Rollins, who led Trump’s Domestic Policy Council before launching the America First Policy Institute, a nonprofit think tank often described as a Trump White House in waiting. “I see it as a fire that has been lit. I see the sleeping giant of the American people awakened.”
On the second day of jury deliberations, Trump had kept up appearances with a smile. A verdict was not expected Thursday, and by the afternoon, Judge Juan Merchan was preparing to dismiss the jury for the day.
The foreman replied instead that the jury had reached a verdict. He read each of the 34 charges and followed by a one-word pronouncement: “guilty.”
A smile turned to a grimace, and Trump, surrounded by his defense team, stared forward stone-faced as he listened to the verdict and American history. He vowed in brief remarks to reporters afterward that he would “fight till the end and we’ll win because our country’s gone to hell.”
It was like so many of the pronouncements he has made after so many of the other controversies that have defined his political life. It was also different. A loss, if the conviction stands, could mean prison.
Rollins predicted that Trump would persevere, as he has before.
“From my perspective,” she said, “it is almost biblical to see this sort of courage and leadership and unwillingness to back down even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.”
The post Trump Vows to Fight On Despite Conviction appeared first on The Daily Signal.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) clarified on Friday that former President Donald Trump still has the right to vote in Florida elections despite a Manhattan jury finding him guilty on 34 counts that District Attorney Alvin Bragg has asserted are felonies.
The post DeSantis: ‘Trump Hasn’t Lost His Voting Rights in Florida’ appeared first on Breitbart.
Americans will speak on the Trump verdict on November 5, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) said during an appearance on Breitbart News Daily the day following the Manhattan jury finding Trump guilty on all 34 counts on his business records trail.
The post Exclusive — Marsha Blackburn: America Will Speak on Donald Trump Verdict on November 5 appeared first on Breitbart.
Left-wing social media channels are celebrating former President Donald Trump's Thursday guilty verdict by touting Stormy Daniels.
The post Liberal Social Media Pages Celebrate Donald Trump Verdict by Thanking Stormy Daniels appeared first on Breitbart.
Former president Donald Trump appeared to refer to his disgraced former attorney, Michael Cohen, without using his name during a press conference at Trump Tower in Manhattan on Friday morning.
The post Donald Trump Appears to Diss ‘Sleaze Bag’ Michael Cohen Without Naming Him appeared first on Breitbart.
There was no "slush fund" or "hush money" in relation to former President Donald Trump's business records trial in New York, Trump made clear during a press conference Friday morning.
The post Trump: There Was No ‘Hush Money,’ Almost Everyone Has an NDA appeared first on Breitbart.
The National Rifle Association (NRA) won at the Supreme Court against New York and the anti-gun movement Thursday, unanimously ruling that the NRA’s First Amendment rights were violated by politicians who oppose the Second Amendment, in a major victory with implications for former President Trump.
The post Supreme Court Rules 9-0 New York Violated NRA’s First Amendment Rights, Good News for Trump appeared first on Breitbart.
Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD) said Thursday on MSNBC's "Alex Wagner Tonight" that former President Donald Trump's guilty verdict in the New York business document trial was a "sweet vindication of the rule of law."
The post Raskin: Trump Guilty Verdict ‘Sweet Vindication of the Rule of Law’ appeared first on Breitbart.
Following the "Guilty" verdict against former President Donald Trump in Manhattan on Thursday, legal experts have been weighing in, with some saying that the conviction will be overturned, while others have been saying the coming election in November will be the final arbiter.
The post Legal Experts After Trump Guilty Verdict: Election Will Decide the Outcome appeared first on Breitbart.
Trump announced a press conference shortly after a jury returned a verdict finding him guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records.
The post Former President Donald Trump to Hold Press Conference Following Guilty Verdict appeared first on Breitbart.
A Pakistani migrant is now accused of attempting to murder a group of Orthodox Jewish students outside of a Brooklyn, New York, school this week, allegedly shouting "I'm gonna kill all the Jews!"
The post Watch–Pakistani Migrant Tries to Run Over Jewish Students in NYC: ‘I’m Gonna Kill All the Jews!’ appeared first on Breitbart.
The Biden campaign is cheering the guilty verdict of former President Donald Trump in New York today in his business records case, the merits of which have been widely questioned by legal scholars and experts.
The post Biden Campaign Cheers Trump Verdict appeared first on Breitbart.
Biden is guilty of persecuting his political opponents, Gabbard declared after Trump was found guilty of falsifying business records.
The post Tulsi Gabbard Proclaims Biden ‘Guilty of Abuse of Power’ Following Trump Verdict appeared first on Breitbart.
Donald Trump's conviction on all 34 felony counts in a business records trial "isn't justice, it's election interference," J.D. Vance says.
The post J.D. Vance: Trump Guilty Verdict ‘Isn’t Justice, It’s Election Interference’ appeared first on Breitbart.
Former President Donald Trump and his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., are trolling leftists from the courthouse in New York.
The post Trump and Son Don Jr. Troll Leftists from Courthouse appeared first on Breitbart.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) is reportedly planning to introduce legislation that would ban smartphones in schools.
The post New York to Introduce Legislation Banning Smartphones in Schools appeared first on Breitbart.
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Weissmann said Wednesday on MSNBC's "Andrea Mitchell Reports" that he has a "man crush" on Judge Juan Merchan, who is presiding over former President Donald Trump's New York business record trial.
The post ‘He Is Such a Great Judge’: MSNBC’s Weissmann Says He Has a ‘Man Crush’ on Judge Merchan appeared first on Breitbart.
Tariq Habash and Lily Greenberg Call, former political appointees for President Joe Biden who resigned over the Israel-Hamas war, said Wednesday on CNN's "News Central" there is a "dam breaking."
The post ‘It Feels Like There Is a Dam Breaking’: Biden Appointees Habash, Call Tout Resignations for Gaza Dissent appeared first on Breitbart.
CNN poll analyst Harry Enten said Wednesday on "News Central" that polling shows most voters don't care about the New York business records case against former President Donald Trump.
The post CNN’s Enten: ‘No Change’ In Public Opinion About Trump During New York Trial, People ‘Don’t Really Care’ appeared first on Breitbart.
In a podcast interview Thursday, Queens County district attorney Melinda Katz (D) indicated nearly 40 percent of untraceable "ghost guns" in New York City were traced back to Queens.
The post D.A. Indicates 39 Percent of Untraceable ‘Ghost Guns’ Traced to Queens appeared first on Breitbart.
Former President Donald Trump did not appear pleased with New York County Judge Juan Merchan's jury instructions Thursday morning.
The post Donald Trump: ‘Mother Theresa Could Not Beat These Charges…the Whole Thing Is Rigged’ appeared first on Breitbart.
Because no national figures ever actually go there to interact with the residents, the people of the Bronx are often spoken for, and caricatured, by media and politicians claiming to represent them.
The post Morris: MIA New York Democrats Don’t Know Their Constituents appeared first on Breitbart.
Former Trump administration attorney Ty Cobb said Tuesday on CNN's "OutFront" that a guilty verdict in former President Donald Trump's New York business record trial by Friday was likely.
The post Ty Cobb: Guilty Verdict in Trump New York Case Likely by Friday appeared first on Breitbart.
Fox News legal analyst Jonathan Turley said Tuesday on Fox News Channel's "Special Report" that former President Donald Trump's New York trial for allegedly falsifying business records related to payments to porn star Stormy Daniel has had many "reversible errors" for an appeal.
The post Turley: There Are Many ‘Reversible Errors’ in Trump’s New York Trial appeared first on Breitbart.
Todd Blanche, one of former President Donald Trump's attorneys, called disgraced former lawyer Michael Cohen the "greatest liar of all time" or "GLOAT" during closing arguments Tuesday.
The post Trump Defense Dubs Cohen ‘Greatest Liar of All Time’ in Closing Arguments appeared first on Breitbart.
Defense attorney Randy Zelin said Tuesday on CNN's "News Central" that the prosecution in former President Donald Trump's business record trial "fell way short" of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The post CNN Guest: Prosecution ‘Fell Way Short’ of Proving Case Against Trump appeared first on Breitbart.
Former President Donald Trump slammed President Joe Biden on Tuesday for using the legal system to wage political warfare against him.
The post Donald Trump at Week 6 of Trial: ‘Make No Mistake … I’m Here Because of Crooked Joe Biden’ appeared first on Breitbart.
A crowd shouted down anti-Trump actor Robert De Niro during his speech outside a Manhattan courthouse where Donald Trump stood trial.
The post ‘F*ck You’: Crowd Shouts Down Robert De Niro Outside New York Courthouse appeared first on Breitbart.
Jews face discrimination in the American publishing industry and litmus tests about whether they support "Zionism," according to a report Monday in the New York Times.
The post NYT: Jews Face Prejudice Against ‘Zionists’ in U.S. Publishing Industry appeared first on Breitbart.
Former Rep. Donna Edwards (D-MD) said Monday on MSNBC's "Chris Jansing Reports" that former President Donald Trump doesn't have the same '"juice" because the New York business record trial was taking a toll on him.
The post Donna Edwards Says Trump Doesn’t Have the Same ‘Juice’ — Trial Taking a ‘Toll’ appeared first on Breitbart.
Former President Donald Trump’s business records trial is in its final stages as closing arguments will commence on Tuesday, and deliberations will begin as soon as Wednesday.
The post Stage Set for Closing Arguments, Deliberations in Trump Trial appeared first on Breitbart.
The cost of illegal immigration is bearing out in the Big Apple and tourists are the latest to foot the bill.
The post NY Times: Migrant Hotels Make Visiting New York City More Expensive than Ever appeared first on Breitbart.
A man is accused of throwing flaming liquid onto another man on the subway in New York City, as residents endure rising assaults on trains.
The post PHOTO: Man Burned While Shielding Fiancee During Flaming Liquid Attack on NYC Subway appeared first on Breitbart.
Thousands turned out for former President Donald Trump's rally in the Bronx, the Trump campaign announced on Thursday.
The post Trump Campaign: 25,000 Turned Out for Bronx Rally appeared first on Breitbart.
Former President Donald Trump playfully said he wanted to get a grill after rapper Sheff G flashed an expensive smile at his Bronx rally.
The post Donald Trump Wants Grill After Rappers Endorse Him at Bronx Rally: ‘I Got to Get My Teeth Like That’ appeared first on Breitbart.
A group of several dozen migrants joined liberal Democrat politicians in New York City on Thursday to protest for even more government benefits for "newcomers."
The post Migrants Protest for More Free Government Benefits in New York City appeared first on Breitbart.
Former President Donald Trump took aim at “radical left pro-crime policies,” including cashless bail, that have “destroyed” New York City while speaking at his hometown rally in the Bronx on Thursday.
The post Trump: ‘Radical Left Pro-Crime Policies’ Have Destroyed New York City appeared first on Breitbart.
Several rappers were seen at the rally in the Bronx to support of former President Donald Trump on Thursday.
The post Watch: Rappers Flock to Trump Rally in the Bronx appeared first on Breitbart.
Hochul said, "Well I'll tell you, what won't make a difference at all Jake, and that is for Donald Trump to be the ringleader and invite all his clowns to a place like the Bronx. New York will never, ever support Donald Trump for president."
The post NY Gov. Hochul: Trump Wasting Time in NYC While Biden Winning over Battleground States appeared first on Breitbart.
The man who literally redrew the skyline of the city that never sleeps before shocking the world by winning the presidency in 2016 said Thursday at a hometown rally in the Bronx that he’s never seen his former home in such bad shape as it is now under Democrat rule.
The post Native Son Donald Trump: New York Is ‘A City in Decline,’ We Will Make It ‘Great Again’ appeared first on Breitbart.
Black and Hispanic communities are most negatively impacted by President Joe Biden's policies -- including unfettered illegal immigration -- former President Donald Trump said during his historic rally in the Bronx.
The post Trump at Bronx Rally: Biden’s Policies Negatively Affecting Black and Hispanic Communities appeared first on Breitbart.
Democrats, in another stab at "reverse court-packing," have demanded conservative Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito recuse himself from two ongoing cases involving former President Donald Trump and January 6.
The post Reverse Court-Packing: Democrats Demand Samuel Alito Recuse Himself from Trump Cases for ‘Appeal to Heaven’ Flag appeared first on Breitbart.
Former President Donald Trump will hold a rally in the South Bronx, New York, on Thursday, May 23.
The post Watch Live: Donald Trump Holds Rally in the Bronx appeared first on Breitbart.
Life was better in the Bronx when Donald Trump was in office, and Democrats have "used" them, some Bronx residents told Fox News.
The post WATCH — Bronx Residents: Life Was Better Under Donald Trump; Democrats Have Used Us appeared first on Breitbart.
Crowds are gathering for former President Donald Trump's rally in the Bronx — a heavy Democrat stronghold.
The post WATCH: Crowd Gathers for Donald Trump’s Historic Rally in the Bronx appeared first on Breitbart.
Former FBI Director James Comey said Wednesday on NewsNation's "Dan Abrams Live" that he believed former President Donald Trump would be convicted in his New York business record trial.
The post Comey: ‘Overwhelming Chance’ Trump Will Be Convicted in New York Business Records Trial appeared first on Breitbart.
Trump supporters at a New York Yankees baseball game unfurled a mugshot banner in support of the former president ahead of his rally in the Bronx.
The post Trump Supporters Unfurl Mugshot Banner at Yankee Stadium: ‘Never Surrender’ appeared first on Breitbart.
Residents in the Bronx expressed support for former President Donald Trump ahead of his rally on Thursday evening, pointing out that "people need to see" that their president cares about them.
The post Bronx Residents Ahead of Trump Rally: ‘Trump Is the Man’ appeared first on Breitbart.
President Joe Biden made a well-publicized commencement address on May 19 at Morehouse College in Atlanta, a historically black college. The networks touted the speech but didn’t put any “fact-checkers” on it. It contained at least four fibs.
In an echo of his 1987 lies that crumbled in his first presidential campaign, Biden claimed, “I was the first Biden to ever graduate from college.” A newspaper obituary for his maternal grandfather Ambrose Finnegan noted he graduated college.
He repeated his story that his son Beau died of a brain tumor after he spent “a year in Iraq as a major—he won the Bronze Star—living next to a burn pit.” In 2019, FactCheck.org noted the science on cancer from exposure to burn pits in Iraq was “insufficient,” but Biden tells that story often.
Then Biden uncorked his typical race-baiting: “Today in Georgia, they won’t allow water to be available to you while you wait in line to vote in an election.” Georgia’s Legislature passed a bill in 2021 that said no person should “give, offer to give, or participate in the giving of any money or gifts, including, but not limited to, food and drink” within 150 feet of a polling place. It doesn’t mean you can’t have water!
Biden also claimed, “there’s a national effort to ban books—not to write history, but to erase history. They don’t see you in the future of America.” The leftists all said that “erasing history” bunk about Florida’s education standards, when it was crystal clear that black history was mandated, not erased.
None of these fact-check moments made the front-page New York Times story gushing over the Morehouse speech. It mentioned Biden spoke of deaths in his family and left out the “burn pits” part.
Biden’s recent lie that inflation was at 9% when he became president was so blatant that most of the liberal “fact-checkers” called it out: AP, CNN, FactCheck.org, PolitiFact, Snopes, and The Washington Post. (Lead Stories and Reuters did not.) We’ll see if these latest Biden falsehoods get checked (again).
They could also check Biden’s four whoppers in remarks the day before at a campaign fundraiser in Atlanta.
The president told his backers, “I wasn’t going to run again after my son died because of being in Iraq for a year in those burn pits.” He said, “We were supposed to lose in 2020.” He claimed Donald Trump told Time magazine, “States should monitor women’s pregnancies and prosecute those who violate the abortion bans.” Trump did not say that. Biden also claimed Trump said there were “really good people on both sides” in Charlottesville protests, implying he praised neo-Nazis. That’s an ongoing hoax.
At a Sunday afternoon campaign event in Detroit, the president again dragged out the line, “I’m the first in my family ever to go to college.”
A Sunday night speech at the NAACP brought more of the tired-brain gaffes. Biden claimed he was vice president “during the pandemic.” He said Obamacare was “saving millions of families $800,000—$8,000 a year in premiums.” The White House transcript adjusted it down to $800.
Then he returned to “folks wanting to ban books” and “erase black history, literally.”
He misquoted Trump as saying, “I’ll be a dictator on Day One” and “just inject bleach” to cure COVID-19. He bungled in claiming Trump said if he lost, there will be “bloodshed.” Trump implied an economic “bloodbath.”
The more Biden mangles the facts, the more you can be sure that national TV coverage is going to edit out the embarrassing parts. Call it “erasing history as it unfolds.”
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The post Bungling Biden’s Commencement Whoppers appeared first on The Daily Signal.
The rumors that Aaron Rodgers had been legitimately offered the opportunity to retire and become Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s running mate were true.
The post Aaron Rodgers Confirms He Turned Down Opportunity to Become RFK Jr.’s VP to Remain Jets QB appeared first on Breitbart.
The New York Times admits that mass immigration is "a core tenet of neoliberalism," deeply opposed by the nation's working class who are most impacted by the continuous inflow of millions of foreign workers willing to work for lower wages.
The post NY Times: Populist Working Class Opposes Neoliberal Mass Immigration appeared first on Breitbart.
A migrant from the Dominican Republic says New York's government is not living up to its promises to help migrants settle in the USA.
The post New York Migrant Complains: Not Enough Welfare, Aid appeared first on Breitbart.
Brad Smith, the Trump witness who was essentially silenced by Judge Juan Merchan in former President Donald Trump's business records trial, revealed what he would have told the jury had he been able to testify.
The post Trump Witness Merchan Silenced Speaks Out: Brad Smith Explains What He Would Have Told Jury appeared first on Breitbart.
MSNBC host Joe Scarborough said Tuesday on "Morning Joe" that former President Donald Trump's claims of a double standard in the legal system were "rank bullsh-t."
The post Scarborough: ‘Rank Bullsh-t’ That Trump on the Wrong End of Legal Double Standard appeared first on Breitbart.
Former President Donald Trump's defense has rested in the New York business records trial, and closing arguments are set for Tuesday, May 28.
The post Donald Trump’s Defense Rests, Closing Arguments Set for Tuesday, May 28 appeared first on Breitbart.
The top House Republican is warning that the Democratic Party is trying to jail its chief political rival before November’s election.
Appearing with Family Research Council President Tony Perkins on Saturday morning’s episode of “This Week on the Hill,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., declared, “Donald Trump is being targeted because of who he is. If he was not running for president again, I don’t think you’d see any of this barrage of prosecutions, these local district attorneys and state attorneys who are after him … .”
Referring to the myriad state and federal indictments leveled against former President Donald Trump over the past 15 months, Johnson added, “They have targeted him because he is soon to be officially the nominee of the Republican Party for president, and this is their only way to stop him.”
“Everybody around the country can see this for what it is, anybody who looks at what is happening objectively has to reach the same conclusion. They are targeting him because of who he is,” Johnson explained.
He continued, “And the real threat to this … is it is the weaponization of our system of justice itself. … You have to understand this is something that would undermine a very foundational principle of our country. The people have to trust that the justice system is fair, that there really is equal justice under law. And if we don’t have that, we lose something very important to maintain a constitutional republic.”
Perkins added, “The former president says it’s not just about him, but it’s what he represents, the people that he represents, the fact that he has stood up to the Left, to the media. That’s the reason he is the target.”
Johnson agreed: “I think he symbolizes a pushing back against that federal corruption and the Deep State and the bureaucracy and all the things that frustrate the American people. They see in Donald Trump someone who is unafraid to sort of crash through those barriers in a certain respect.”
He further noted, “I think that’s why he is such a threat to them, and that’s why they pulled out all the stops.”
Over the course of 2023, four criminal indictments, amounting to a total of 88 felony charges, were issued against Trump. The first, consisting of New York state charges, alleged that the former president had falsified business records. That trial is currently underway in Manhattan.
The Department of Justice indicted Trump last June for allegedly illegally keeping classified documents pertaining to national security—after having left the White House in 2021. A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., then indicted Trump for allegedly attempting to “defraud the United States” by overturning the 2020 election results. Almost immediately afterward, Trump was indicted in Fulton County, Georgia, for alleged racketeering related to the 2020 election results.
“What they’re doing here really is a travesty of justice,” Johnson said of the Democrats’ campaign against Trump, which critics have characterized as “lawfare.”
“Very practically speaking, this was [Trump’s] fifth week of trial in Manhattan on this charge, a crime that they can’t even adequately define. Prosecutors passed on bringing these charges eight years ago. They did it now for political reasons, and they kept him off the campaign trail.”
Perkins noted that left-wing lawfare extends far beyond just Trump, pointing to the 57-month prison sentence handed down to pro-life activist Lauren Handy for blockading the entrance to a Washington, D.C., abortion facility in 2020.
Handy is reportedly the first person to be sentenced to prison under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, although the Biden administration’s Justice Department is actively prosecuting other pro-lifers, too. Johnson said that the Biden administration’s targeting of pro-lifers is an “instance of priorities being exactly in the wrong place.”
“They’re aggressively prosecuting people who are exercising their First Amendment freedom to talk about the sanctity of human life on a public sidewalk. And meanwhile, they catch and release dangerous criminals, persons who come across the border illegally, and people who are violent offenders multiple times over,” Johnson stated. “And yet they’re targeting people that have a different political viewpoint. I just think it’s such a blatant example of exactly what we’re talking about. And the people see this. They see a two-tiered system of justice, and that’s a real threat to us.”
“If you lose the rule of law, if you lose the foundational underpinnings of a constitutional republic, what you ultimately result with, again, is a return to tyranny, because the people who are in charge have abused their authority,” the speaker explained. “And we know that power corrupts, and as Lord Acton observed, absolute power corrupts absolutely. You have to have all these checks and balances. You have to have the separation of powers, and you have to have the maintenance of law and order.”
Recent polling suggests that a supermajority of Americans agree that the Biden administration is carrying out a lawfare campaign against the former president.
A March survey from McLaughlin and Associates found that nearly 70% of voters believe the slew of indictments against Trump are politically motivated, and almost 60% of voters (including close to 40% of Democrats) think [President Joe] Biden has played a role in the crusade against Trump. Additionally, 56% of voters (including a third of Democrats) said they believe that “Joe Biden wants to stop President Trump from winning the election by putting him in jail.”
The monthly Harvard CAPS/Harris polls have found some shifting over the past few months on whether voters would still support Trump if he were convicted on various charges, with voters typically being split 50-50 with a slight advantage in Trump’s favor, but the latest poll’s findings demonstrated that the flurry of lawsuits against the former president isn’t helping Biden’s popularity.
Originally published at WashingtonStand.com
The post ‘A Travesty of Justice’: House Speaker Dissects the Left’s ‘Lawfare’ Campaign Against Trump appeared first on The Daily Signal.
Only eight out of nearly two dozen black Philadelphia voters interviewed by the New York Times last week plan to vote for President Joe Biden.
The post NYT Interviews 2 Dozen Black Philadelphia Voters, Just 8 Are Voting for Biden appeared first on Breitbart.
Google, Mark Zuckerberg's Meta, and other tech giants are engaged in a fierce lobbying battle against two New York bills aimed at protecting children online, with spending expected to surpass $1 million.
The post They Want Your Kids: Google, Meta Lead Massive Tech Lobbying Against New York’s Child Online Safety Bills appeared first on Breitbart.
Supporters of former President Donald Trump gathered together in the Bronx on Saturday to show their support for the former president ahead of his upcoming visit to the city.
The post Trump Supporters Gather in the Bronx Ahead of Trump Visit appeared first on Breitbart.
New York City has had nearly 22,000 reported shoplifting incidents since the beginning of the year, up five percent from the same period in 2023.
The post Report: Nearly 22,000 Shoplifting Incidents Logged in NYC Since 2024 Began appeared first on Breitbart.
It's a dream scoop for the New York Times: Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito displayed a "Stop the Steal" symbol outside his house! Unfortunately for the Times and reporter Jodi Kantor, there isn't any real evidence for that headline -- only a heaping helping of BlueAnon fever-swamp paranoia.
The post Dulis: NYT Suggests, Without Evidence, Justice Samuel Alito Sent ‘Stop the Steal’ Message Outside His Home appeared first on Breitbart.
Former President Donald Trump's business records trial is drawing to an end, with closing arguments possible on Tuesday.
The post The End Is Near: Trump Trial Heads Toward Finish appeared first on Breitbart.
A play telling the harrowing stories of victims, and heroes, of the October 7 attacks on Israel opened in New York this week — described by playwrights Phelim McAleer and Ann McElhinney as "a cultural moment" and "a story of resilience."
The post ‘October 7’ Play Opens in NYC, Telling Victim Stories Through Verbatim Accounts appeared first on Breitbart.
CNN legal analyst Elie Honig said Thursday on CNN's coverage of former President Donald Trump's business record trial that witness Michael Cohen had his "knees chopped out" during defense lawyer Todd Blanche's cross-examination.
The post CNN’s Elie Honig: Michael Cohen Had His ‘Knees Chopped Out’ by Trump’s Attorney appeared first on Breitbart.
Pro-Palestinian protesters blocked traffic in Queens, New York City, New York, for what they called "Nakba Day."
The post New York: Pro-Palestinian Protesters Block Traffic in Queens for ‘Nakba Day’ appeared first on Breitbart.
Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) said Thursday on CNN's "News Central" that "there's been no evidence of any crime whatsoever" in former President Donald Trump's New York business record case.
The post Cotton: ‘There’s Been No Evidence of Any Crime Whatsoever’ in Trump’s NYC Trial appeared first on Breitbart.
A dozen of former President Donald Trump's top supporters so far have shown up to Manhattan to support him, which not only likely engenders his gratitude, but also has become a high-profile speaking slot, with a crowd of reporters assigned to detail the trial's every development.
The post Trump Trial Becomes Prime Venue for Veep Contenders, Supporters appeared first on Breitbart.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D), the prosecutor linked to billionaire George Soros who is currently prosecuting former President Donald Trump on 34 felony counts, has offered plea deals to six of the nine migrants accused of attacking two New York Police Department (NYPD) officers in January.
The post Alvin Bragg Offers Plea Deals to Migrants Accused of Attacking NYC Cops as He Prosecutes Trump appeared first on Breitbart.
More than 2,500 prestigious pooches competed in 2024's Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, with only one competitor taking home the gold.
The post Miniature Poodle ‘Sage’ Wins ‘Best in Show’ at Westminster Kennel Club Competition appeared first on Breitbart.
Families racked up credit card debt and went into delinquencies at an increased rate since the pandemic, the New York Fed found Tuesday.
The post New York Fed: Credit Card Delinquency Spikes as Costs Soar Under Joe Biden appeared first on Breitbart.
Stormy Daniels' husband and adult film actor Barrett Blade said Tuesday on CNN's "Erin Burnett OutFront" that if former President Donald Trump is found not guilty, they will likely leave the United States.
The post Stormy Daniels’ Husband Barrett Blade: Likely We Will Leave the U.S. If Trump Acquitted appeared first on Breitbart.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) is floating the idea of having newly arrived migrants become lifeguards for the city's public pools, declaring them "excellent swimmers."
The post Watch: Mayor Eric Adams Floats Giving NYC Lifeguard Jobs to Migrants Because They’re ‘Excellent Swimmers’ appeared first on Breitbart.
Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) said Tuesday on Fox News Channel's "The Story" that former President Donald Trump's New York City business record trial is "bogus," and he went Monday to "support a friend."
The post J.D. Vance: Trump’s NYC Trial Is a ‘Bogus’ Sham, I Was There to Support a Friend appeared first on Breitbart.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., in New York on Tuesday, condemned the so-called hush-money criminal trial of former President Donald Trump.
Johnson blasted the trial as a “sham” and said that it’s being used to manipulate the 2024 presidential election.
I’m disgusted by what’s happening in the sham trial against President Trump.
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) May 14, 2024
The American people can see it’s politically motivated.
Their star witness, Michael Cohen, is a known liar who is clearly on a mission for personal revenge. pic.twitter.com/dub4dyu91s
“I’m an attorney. I’m a former litigator myself. I’m disgusted by what is happening here,” the Louisiana lawmaker said. “What is being done here is being done to our entire system of justice overall.”
Johnson said the American people are “losing faith” in the U.S. justice system and our institutions because they see them being “abused.”
The House speaker said the facts in Trump’s case are important, as they always are in a trial. The former president’s actions were “previously reviewed, and no charges were filed. Why is that?” Johnson asked rhetorically.
“Because there’s no crime here,” he said, answering his own question.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg started up this case eight years after the crime was allegedly committed, Johnson said, because “it’s painfully obvious, we’re six months out from an election day, and that’s the reason they brought these charges here and across the country.”
Johnson noted that the legal officials in this case are all partisan Democrats.
“What we’ve got here is a partisan Democrat district attorney. We have a [President Joe] Biden donor judge, and we have an [assistant district attorney] who was recently a top official at the Department of Justice, Biden’s DOJ, and recently received over $10,000 in payments from the Democratic National Committee,” he said.
Bragg, who brought the charges against Trump, also is a Democrat.
Johnson said the “star witness” in the Trump trial, former Trump attorney Michael Cohen, is simply out for retribution.
Cohen is “clearly on a mission for personal revenge,” the Louisiana Republican said, adding that Cohen is known to be a witness who “has had trouble with the truth.”
Cohen admitted to lying to Congress in 2017, which was among the crimes that led to his disbarment.
“There’s nothing he presents here that should be given any weight at all by a jury and certainly not by this judge,” Johnson said.
The charge against Trump is falsification of business records, he said, “but I think everyone knows that he is not the bookkeeper of his company.”
The House speaker said Trump is “innocent” in the case and that “anyone with common sense can see what’s happening here.”
On top of everything else, Johnson said, the court has issued a gag order against Trump, which deprives the former president of his right to free speech during an election campaign. The whole trial represents a clear case where the judicial system has been weaponized against Trump, he said, and is punishing one presidential nominee while providing “cover” for another.
“The American people are not going to let this stand,” Johnson said. “Election Day cannot get here soon enough, and we will continue to shine a light on all of this in Congress because we have that constitutional responsibility.”
The post ‘SHAM’: House Speaker Johnson Condemns Trial of Trump as ‘Politically Motivated’ appeared first on The Daily Signal.
NFL QB Aaron Rodgers is calling attention to reports that the U.S. government confiscated Pat Tillman's personal journals after his death.
The post WATCH: Aaron Rodgers Tells Tucker Carlson That U.S. Gov’t ‘Confiscated’ Pat Tillman’s Journal After Death in Iraq appeared first on Breitbart.
New York City Councilwoman Shahana Hanif is suggesting that taxpayers pony up for permanent housing for immigrants.
The post New York City Councilwoman Blasts Mayor Eric Adams, Demands Permanent Housing for Immigrants appeared first on Breitbart.
Pro-Palestinian Columbia graduates wore keffiyehs, zip-tie handcuffs, and caps sporting the name of Hamas terrorists at their ceremony.
The post Pro-Palestinian Columbia Graduates Tear Diplomas, Show Support for Hamas at Ceremony appeared first on Breitbart.
Former President Donald Trump will remain gagged during his criminal trial in Manhattan, a New York appeals court ruled Tuesday.
The post Court Rules Against Donald Trump’s Gag Order Appeal appeared first on Breitbart.
Dexter Taylor was sentenced to ten years in prison for charges related to firearms he built from "ghost gun kits," according to NBC New York.
The post Software Engineer Sentenced to 10 Years for Building So-Called ‘Ghost Guns’ appeared first on Breitbart.
A man is accused of stabbing a tourist near New York City's Times Square on Saturday, leaving residents shocked.
The post WATCH: Serial Offender Accused of Stabbing NYC Tourist in Chest appeared first on Breitbart.
Actor Steve Buscemi is OK after he was punched in the face by a man on a New York City street, his publicist said Sunday.
The post New York City: Actor Steve Buscemi Punched in Face — ‘Random Act of Violence’ appeared first on Breitbart.
CNN host Fareed Zakaria said on this week's broadcast of "GPS Sunday" that the criminal charges brought against former President Donald Trump in New York City were politically motivated.
The post CNN’s Zakaria: NYC ‘Prosecutors Are Politically Motivated’ Against Trump appeared first on Breitbart.
Former Utica Mayor Louis LaPolla admitted to committing mail fraud and stealing donations meant for a scholarship that he had established.
The post Former Mayor of Utica Admits to Committing Mail Fraud, Stealing Scholarship Donations appeared first on Breitbart.
On Friday’s broadcast of HBO’s “Real Time,” host Bill Maher reacted to New York Times Executive Editor Joe Kahn arguing that the paper shouldn’t be an instrument for the Biden campaign and only write negative stories about Republicans while writing
The post Maher: NYT Is Just a Democratic Party Instrument appeared first on Breitbart.
A New York City teacher accused of sexual activity with a student remains in the classroom even after officials fired her.
The post ‘Can’t F***ing Touch Me’: NYC Teacher Fired amid Student Sex Allegations Remains in Classroom appeared first on Breitbart.
On Friday’s broadcast of “CNN News Central,” House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) said the media have downplayed how much Hamas has blocked a ceasefire and specifically called out The New York Times for its reporting
The post Top House Armed Services Dem: NYT, a Lot of Outlets Keep Helping Hamas, Disincentivizing Them from Making a Deal appeared first on Breitbart.
New York City authorities are searching for a man who choked a woman with a belt then dragged her away and sexually assaulted her.
The post Police: NYC Woman Choked with Belt, Sexually Assaulted by Unidentified Man appeared first on Breitbart.
Former President Donald Trump said on Friday that his New York business records trial is "election interference" and that "it all comes out of" Washington, DC.
The post Trump on N.Y. Trial: ‘It All Comes Out of Washington, They Have Their Reps Here’ appeared first on Breitbart.
Former President Donald Trump shredded Justice Juan Merchan, who gagged Trump in his business records trial, as he left court on Friday.
The post Trump Rips Merchan over ‘Unconstitutional’ Gag Order: ‘I’d Be Very Proud to Go to Jail for Our Constitution’ appeared first on Breitbart.
CLAIM: President Ronald Reagan, like President Joe Biden, withheld arms from Israel to influence its military policy. VERDICT: MISLEADING. Reagan acted within the law, and in very different circumstances, in withholding arms. The New York Times‘ Peter Baker — winner of
The post Fact Check: NYT Claims Reagan Withheld Arms from Israel, Like Biden appeared first on Breitbart.
Police say a 16-year-old anti-Israel protester, accused of vandalizing a World War I memorial in New York City, has been caught.
The post VIDEO: Police — 16-Year-Old Anti-Israel Protester Vandalized WWI Memorial in New York City appeared first on Breitbart.
Crime is rising rapidly in New York City due to a wave of President Joe Biden's immigrants, and even NPR admits the trend.
The post NPR Admits Joe Biden’s Immigrants Spike Crime in New York City appeared first on Breitbart.
Former federal prosecutor Paul Butler said Thursday on MSNBC's "The ReidOut" that former President Donald Trump's attorney made a huge mistake by going after adult film star Stormy Daniels during her cross-examination at the New York business record trial.
The post Fmr Prosecutor Paul Butler: Defense Attorney Treating Stormy Daniels Like ‘Trash’ Will Hurt Trump appeared first on Breitbart.
A federal judge in New York threw out a proposed abortion and gender identity amendment that was set to appear on the November ballot.
The post Judge Tosses New York Abortion, Gender Identity Amendment from November Ballot appeared first on Breitbart.
Miss Israel was called a "war criminal," a "little Zionist," and threatened with a knife for identifying as an IDF soldier in New York City.
The post Report: Miss Israel Threatened, Harassed in NYC for Identifying Herself as IDF appeared first on Breitbart.
The first faculty-led anti-Israel encampment was established on Wednesday at The New School in New York City.
The post First Faculty-Led Anti-Israel Encampment Established at New School appeared first on Breitbart.
An international jewel thief, wanted by Interpol for theft in South Korea, was reportedly released into the United States late last year after arriving at the southern border near San Diego, California.
The post Report: International Jewel Thief, Freed into U.S. from Border, Accused of Stealing $300K of Jewelry in NYC appeared first on Breitbart.
A 16-year-old New York City boy was fatally shot in the head in a brazen daylight attack by a bike-riding gunman.
The post Police: NYC Teen Fatally Shot in Head by Bike-Riding Suspect in Broad Daylight appeared first on Breitbart.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) announced that the city's Department of Corrections was prepared to imprison former President Donald Trump at Rikers Island.
The post Mayor Eric Adams Says NYC ‘Prepared’ if Judge Jails Trump at Rikers Island appeared first on Breitbart.
Justice Juan Merchan denied former President Donald Trump’s defense's move for a mistrial on Tuesday over adult film star Stormy Daniels’ testimony at his business records trial in Manhattan.
The post Trump Defense’s Move for Mistrial over Stormy Daniels’ Testimony Denied by Merchan appeared first on Breitbart.
Most voters predict the business records trial will lead to a conviction of former President Donald Trump "on some charges," per a poll.
The post Poll: Most Predict Trump Conviction ‘on Some Charges’ in Business Records Trial, Plurality Says It Has Been Unfair appeared first on Breitbart.
Donald Trump cited some of his fiercest critics on Tuesday to underscore the political nature of his criminal trial in Manhattan.
The post ‘No Smoking Gun’: Donald Trump Cites Media Critics to Debunk Criminal Trial appeared first on Breitbart.
Manhattan prosecutor Matthew Colangelo's wife, Anne Small, sits on the board of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund with Jonathan Soros.
The post Matthew Colangelo’s Wife Sits on NAACP Legal Defense Fund Board with Jonathan Soros appeared first on Breitbart.
Pro-Palestinian protesters in New York City draped a Palestinian flag around a memorial while burning an American flag.
The post Protesters Drape Palestinian Flag Around NYC Memorial, Burn American Flag appeared first on Breitbart.
CNN host Kaitlan Collins said Monday on "Anderson Cooper 360" that former President Donald Trump is now being careful because he does not want to be sent to jail for violating the gag order in his New York business record trial.
The post CNN’s Collins: Trump ‘Is Being Careful,’ He Doesn’t Want to Go to Jail appeared first on Breitbart.
MSNBC commentator Donny Deutsch said Monday on "Deadline" that former President Donald Trump was "terrified" of going to jail because he will be "pulled apart" by not being able to have his normal routines.
The post Donny Deutsch: Trump Is ‘Terrified’ of Jail, ‘He Will Be Pulled Apart’ appeared first on Breitbart.
A cadre of pro-Palestinian protesters were seen parading outside the swanky New York Met Gala, which fashion mogul Anna Wintour hosted.
The post Watch — Pro-Palestinian Protesters Storm Barricade, Crash Met Gala: Arrests Made appeared first on Breitbart.
The lead prosecutor for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s “hush money” case against former President Donald Trump received thousands of dollars from the Democratic National Committee in 2018, Federal Election Commission records show.
Matthew Colangelo, who was President Joe Biden’s acting associate attorney general and spent two years in the current president’s Justice Department, joined the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office as senior counsel in December 2022.
The lawyer received $12,000 from the Democratic National Committee for “political consulting” in two payments of $6,000 on Jan. 31, 2018, FEC records show.
Fox News Digital first reported the payments to Colangelo from the DNC.
Reports say Matthew Colangelo received $12,000 from the DNC for "political consulting" in 2018.
— Daniel Baldwin (@baldwin_daniel_) May 6, 2024
Colangelo delivered the opening statement for the prosecution in the Trump hush money case.
Yet Trump can't talk about this due to his unconstitutional gag order.
Trump is not supposed to speak about Colangelo because Judge Juan Merchan imposed a gag order that prevents the former president from speaking about prosecutors on the case besides Bragg.
Colangelo was appointed in 2022, while Bragg was still investigating Trump in relation to a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels to keep her silent regarding an alleged affair. Colangelo delivered opening statements for the prosecution in April, arguing that Trump falsified business documents about the payment as part of a broader initiative to “corrupt the 2016 election.”
“It was election fraud, pure and simple,” Colangelo said.
Trump consistently has characterized the case as “election interference,” referring to it as a “Biden witch hunt” and the “Biden case.”
House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan sent a letter Tuesday to Attorney General Merrick Garland regarding Colangelo, requesting documents and communications from his tenure at the Justice Department. Jordan demanded personnel files pertaining to Colangelo’s hiring, employment, and termination there, as well as records and correspondences related to Trump or his organization.
“Bragg is engaged in one such politicized prosecution, which is being led in part by Matthew B. Colangelo, a former senior Justice Department official,” Jordan wrote. “Accordingly, given the perception that the Justice Department is assisting in Bragg’s politicized prosecution, we write to request information and documents related to Mr. Colangelo’s employment.”
While at the New York State Attorney General’s Office before Biden became president, Colangelo led the probe into the Trump Foundation, which resulted in its dissolution. He also led the investigation that eventually became Trump’s civil fraud case, according to The New York Times.
Neither Bragg nor the Democratic National Committee immediately responded to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
Originally published by the Daily Caller News Foundation
The post Former Biden DOJ Official Prosecuting Trump Received Thousands of Dollars From DNC appeared first on The Daily Signal.
New York State Sen. Kevin Parker (D-Brooklyn), who stands accused of raping a woman in 2004, claimed in court documents that the law supporting the lawsuit against him in the case was unconstitutional, despite the fact he voted for it.
The post Report: Democrat NY State Senator Fights Law Permitting Rape Lawsuit Against Him After He Voted for It appeared first on Breitbart.
A “possible leader” of the anti-Israel protesters, who broke into and barricaded themselves in Columbia University’s Hamilton Hall last week, is reportedly a 40-year-old heir to a multimillion-dollar fortune and repeat provocateur.
The post ‘Possible Leader’ of Columbia University Hamilton Hall Protest Is a 40-Year-Old Millionaire Heir ‘Anarchist’ appeared first on Breitbart.
Governor Doug Burgum (R-ND) said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union" that it would be a "travesty of justice" if former President Donald Trump were convicted in the New York business records trial.
The post Burgum: ‘Travesty of Justice’ if Trump Convicted in NY Trial appeared first on Breitbart.
Footage of a "boy who identifies as a girl" attacking a female student in a girls' bathroom at a New York high school has sparked backlash.
The post Male ‘Transgender’ Student Assaults Girl in New York High School Bathroom, School Receives Threats appeared first on Breitbart.
The corporate media do not care. Clarke is a black, female Democrat. She is precious. She will be protected. Period.
The post Nolte: Desperate Media Cover Up DOJ Official Kristen Clarke’s Potential Perjury appeared first on Breitbart.
Alvin Bragg asked Justice Juan Merchan to punish Donald Trump for four comments concerning Michael Cohen and David Pecker.
The post Justice Juan Merchan Weighs Punishing Donald Trump a Second Time for Allegedly Violating Gag Order appeared first on Breitbart.
A CNN report on the head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Kristen Clarke, is drawing accusations that the outlet sought to curry favor with President Joe Biden’s DOJ through its framing.
After The Daily Signal published a report on Tuesday highlighting evidence that Clarke had not disclosed an arrest and an expungement during her nomination process to the DOJ—and then explicitly denied ever having been arrested to Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton—CNN published a report on Wednesday headlined “DOJ civil rights leader says she was a victim of abuse in extraordinary statement.”
CNN’s Hannah Rabinowitz framed the story around an “exclusive” statement from Clarke to the outlet, in which Clarke confirms that she did not disclose her arrest and expungement and alleged that her ex-husband, Reginald Avery, had domestically abused her for years. Avery, who previously said that Clarke attacked him with a knife in 2006 while they were married, denied his ex-wife’s allegations in a statement to The Daily Signal on Thursday. He also called CNN’s story “a hit piece.”
“Clarke’s now-expunged arrest, which reportedly occurred during a domestic dispute, quickly became a cause célèbre among right-wing media and lawmakers who claim she lied during her 2021 Senate confirmation hearing, with some calling for her resignation,” wrote Rabinowitz, who did not clarify to The Daily Signal why she did not link to the original Daily Signal report.
CNN did not immediately respond to The Daily Signal’s request for comment on the story.
Commentator Stephen Miller called out Rabinowitz in a tweet Wednesday evening.
“To be clear what happened here,” he tweeted. “1. Kristen Clarke, the head of Biden’s DOJ Civil Rights Division, did not disclose an arrest from a domestic fight 2. CNN took the original report, omitted that fact she lied under oath, did not link to the original story, and framed Clarke’s own statement.”
To be clear what happened here:
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) May 1, 2024
1. Kristen Clarke, the head of Biden's DOJ Civil Rights Division did not disclose an arrest from a domestic fight
2. CNN took the original report, omitted that fact she lied under oath, did not link to the original story, and framed Clarke's own… https://t.co/B89z4fFumE
The Federalist Editor-in-Chief Mollie Hemingway similarly accused Rabinowitz of running cover for the DOJ: “CNN propagandist Hannah Rabinowitz was asked by DOJ to spread this info op and she complied, hiding the explosive journalism which provoked it.”
Author Steve Krakauer, the executive producer of “The Megyn Kelly Show,” said it was “outrageous journalistic malpractice for CNN leadership to hang a young reporter out to dry like this, slapping her byline on propaganda spin of an administration, and diminishing actual journalism in the process.”
Chuck Ross, an investigative reporter at The Washington Free Beacon, also weighed in on CNN’s framing.
“Amazing,” said Ross. “After @MaryMargOlohan reports that DOJ’s Kristen Clarke lied about being arrested, Clarke runs to CNN with a claim that she lied only because she was the victim of domestic abuse. And CNN spins it with the typical ‘conservatives pounce’ framing.”
Amazing. After @MaryMargOlohan reports that DOJ's Kristen Clarke lied about being arrested, Clarke runs to CNN with a claim that she lied only because she was the victim of domestic abuse. And CNN spins it with the typical "conservatives pounce" framing. https://t.co/IOUdYtOuSl pic.twitter.com/BFe0pkUz4S
— Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) May 1, 2024
“Domestic abuse is never okay,” said Republican Utah Sen. Mike Lee, in response to the CNN story. “U.S. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said ‘no’ when asked by the Senate Judiciary Committee whether she had ever been arrested for a violent crime. That wasn’t true.”
Domestic abuse is never okay.
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) May 1, 2024
U.S. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said “no” when asked by the Senate Judiciary Committee whether she had ever been arrested for a violent crime.
That wasn’t true.https://t.co/wgiDFIhBoC
New York Times reporter Glenn Thrush quickly criticized Lee for the remark, appearing to defend Clarke without acknowledging her omission to the Senate Judiciary Committee. “Clarke said she was subjected to years of abuse by her ex-husband—and her arrest for slashing his finger was expunged,” he wrote, in response to Lee. “She said she’s still ‘terrorized and traumatized.’ The senator, who initially presented this incident without that context now makes this statement.”
Ross followed up on Thrush’s remark, challenging him: “Come on. She lied to the Senate about ever being arrested. DOJ didn’t reply to the reporter who broke this story, @MaryMargOlohan. The White House mocked her when she asked for comment. Then Clarke goes to CNN with a defense of her arrest that may or may not be true.”
Come on. She lied to the Senate about ever being arrested. DOJ didn’t reply to the reporter who broke this story, @MaryMargOlohan. The White House mocked her when she asked for comment.
— Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) May 1, 2024
Then Clarke goes to CNN with a defense of her arrest that may or may not be true https://t.co/O1Twll9npq
“Clarke deceived the Senate too many times during her confirmation regarding her position on defunding police and writing anti-white essays in college for anyone, much less an NYT reporter, to take her claims at face value,” Ross added.
The post CNN Accused of ‘Propaganda’ for ‘Spinning’ Bombshell DOJ Story About Kristen Clarke appeared first on The Daily Signal.
Legal experts have been sounding the alarm that former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen's TikTok fundraising videos have hurt the prosecution.
The post Legal Experts: Michael Cohen TikTok Videos, Fundraising May Have ‘Torpedoed’ NY Trump Prosecution appeared first on Breitbart.
Columbia University Professor Joseph Slaughter said Wednesday on MSNBC's "Chris Jansing Reports" that the school's administration's "gross mismanagement" caused the New York Police Department to have to clear the encampment and arrest the protestors.
The post Columbia Professor Slaughter: Protests Escalated Because of ‘Gross Mismanagement’ appeared first on Breitbart.
An anti-Israel encampment was established at Fordham University in New York City on Wednesday, hours after ones at other colleges were raided.
The post Anti-Israel Encampment Established at Fordham University Hours After Police Raided Others appeared first on Breitbart.
There are many reasons why legal experts are questioning the legitimacy of the criminal prosecution of former President Donald Trump. But the major reason is that the main claim in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s case—that Trump’s $130,000 settlement payment of a potential claim by Stormy Daniels was a campaign-related expense—is totally bogus.
Here’s a quick tutorial on why Bragg doesn’t have a legal leg to stand on—call it “Federal Campaign Finance Law for Dummies 101”—an apropos title, given what’s going on.
Daniels claims that she had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006, fully 10 years before the 2016 presidential election, which Trump denies. For the payment, Daniels agreed to sign a nondisclosure agreement, which is a standard provision in many settlement agreements of personal injury cases and other claims.
Bragg contends that Trump falsified business records, a misdemeanor, when this payment was listed as legal expenses instead of a campaign expense.
Supposedly, according to Bragg, that converted the misdemeanors into felonies because Trump was concealing another crime. That other crime, according to prosecutors, is a violation of Section 17-152 of New York law, which makes it a misdemeanor to “promote … the election of any person to public office by unlawful means.”
Besides the fact that it’s very strange to allege that the commission of a misdemeanor for the purpose of covering up the commission of another misdemeanor is enough to allege a felony, the only plausible theory that Bragg is pushing for the alleged “unlawful means” was a violation of federal law by concealing a campaign-related payment.
With me so far?
But Trump was running for president. The raising and spending of money for campaigns for president and Congress is governed by federal law, the Federal Election Campaign Act, not state law. Any wrongdoing related to federal campaign financing falls under the enforcement authority of federal officials, not a local prosecutor like Bragg.
In fact, the Federal Election Commission, on which I served as a commissioner, has civil enforcement authority and the U.S. Department of Justice has criminal enforcement authority over violations of this law.
For the nuisance-value settlement payment to Daniels to fit within Bragg’s rickety legal structure, it would have to be a crime under federal law. In other words, it would have to be considered a campaign-related expense that was falsely reported under the Federal Election Campaign Act.
If you want an example of such a violation, just look at the $113,000 civil penalty the Hillary Rodham Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee agreed to pay in 2022. They listed the payments for the opposition research that formed the basis for the infamous Steele dossier, which fabricated the entire Trump-Russia collusion hoax, as legal expenses instead of opposition research.
But opposition research on the opposing candidate is obviously a campaign-related expense under applicable federal law, so the FEC had authority to investigate and enforce the law against this deception.
That’s not the case with the Daniels’ payment. For starters, the incident in question that led to the payment is alleged to have happened 10 years before the 2016 campaign. More importantly, the payment fails the test the FEC applies to determine whether an expense is campaign-related.
Under federal law and corresponding regulations, the FEC applies the “irrespective test” to “differentiate legitimate campaign and officeholder expenses from personal expenses.” As the FEC explains on its website, under the irrespective test, “personal use is any use of funds … to fulfill a commitment, obligation, or expense of any person that would exist, irrespective of the candidates’ campaign.”
In other words, if the expense would exist even if the individual were not a candidate, then it’s personal and not a campaign expense.
The payment to Daniels clearly fails that test. Trump was a celebrity long before he ran for office, and celebrities get these kinds of nuisance claims all the time. In fact, the prosecution’s first witness in the New York case, David Pecker, said he had helped settle similar claims to avoid legal costs and embarrassment by suppressing stories for numerous other celebrities, including Arnold Schwarzenegger and Tiger Woods.
The easiest way to understand this test is to take the example of a personal injury claim.
Candidate A has a car accident several years before he runs for Congress that injures another driver. After the campaign has started, the candidate decides to settle the personal injury claim made by the other driver by paying that driver $130,000 in exchange for a nondisclosure agreement.
Settling and paying the claim may help the candidate in his campaign by avoiding personal embarrassment. But that doesn’t make it a campaign expense. It’s a claim that would exist even if the candidate were not running for office and is thus considered a personal expense under federal law.
Daniels’ claim is also a personal claim that existed long before Trump ran for the presidency and, given his celebrity status, would have continued to exist even if he never ran for president.
That’s no doubt why neither the FEC nor the Justice Department ever filed an enforcement action against the Trump campaign or Trump personally over the payment; specifically, because it was not a campaign-related expense.
You know what would have led to enforcement actions? If Trump had actually claimed this was a campaign-related expense and had used campaign funds to make the payment, I have no doubt he would have been prosecuted by the feds for the illegal use of campaign funds to pay a personal expense.
That’s what former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill., went to prison for after he pleaded guilty in 2013 to spending $750,000 on personal expenses.
Keep in mind that Bragg’s entire manufactured case of 34 counts of falsifying business records depends entirely on the legitimacy of his contention that the settlement payment should have been listed as a campaign-related expense.
It shouldn’t because it wasn’t.
And all of the other testimony from the prosecution’s witnesses about this payment and other settlement payments that are obviously intended to blacken the character of the former president and prejudice the jury doesn’t change the fact that none of these payments were campaign-related expenses. Period. End of story—or at least it should be.
The post Trump’s NY Prosecution Is a Bogus Case by a Bogus Prosecutor appeared first on The Daily Signal.
Democrat policies have gutted Manhattan’s once-thriving business district known as Flatiron.
The post Nolte: Democrat Policies Doom New York’s Famous Flatiron District appeared first on Breitbart.
Joe Biden’s fascist lawfare assault on former President Trump is backfiring, according to the latest polling.
The post Nolte: NYC Trial Makes 32% More Likely to Vote for Trump, Only 26% Less Likely appeared first on Breitbart.
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is taking lawsuits against the Illinois "assault weapons" ban and the ban in Maryland into conference.
The post U.S. Supreme Court Taking Gun Ban Challenges to Conference appeared first on Breitbart.
An anti-Israel protester, who was part of a group that took over a building on the campus of Columbia University, complained about a police raid and asked to "go home."
The post Anti-Israel Protester Complains About Columbia NYPD Raid: ‘It’s Finals. Can I Go Home?’ appeared first on Breitbart.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) slammed Democrat New York City Mayor Eric Adams and the presidents of Columbia Univeristy.
The post AOC Criticizes Mayor Eric Adams, Columbia University for NYPD Raid appeared first on Breitbart.
Columbia University issued a statement in response to reports that officers from the New York Police Department (NYPD) had begun a raid on the campus.
The post Columbia University on NYPD Raid: ‘We Were Left with No Choice’ appeared first on Breitbart.
Officers with the New York Police Department (NYPD) began making arrests at the City University of New York (CUNY) on Tuesday evening.
The post NYPD Begins Making Arrests at CUNY City College appeared first on Breitbart.
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