Giuliani’s son tells Russian state TV people don’t want to live in America after FBI raided his dad

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The son of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani went on Russian TV to push conspiracy theories about the federal investigation of his father.

Andrew Giuliani accused the American government of hacking his father’s iCloud account (the feds reportedly gained access via a warrant).

“The thing that’s been amazing is over the last couple of weeks, how many people — and some of these people are people who haven’t talked to my father in five or ten years — have come out and said, ‘We may not have always agreed with your politics, but we completely agree this is absolutely the wrong thing to see our Justice Department politicize something as badly as they have.’ So it’s been people who have been very strong Trump supporters and some who have not been Trump supporters. They don’t want to live in a country where you’re going to have a Justice Department that is going to politicize something to the point where a former president’s personal counsel is going actually be spied on by the Justice Department,” he claimed. Continue reading.

A refresher for Kevin McCarthy on people doubting Biden’s victory

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“I don’t think anybody is questioning the legitimacy of the presidential election. I think that is all over with. We’re sitting here with the president today, so, from that point of view, I don’t think that’s a problem.”

— House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), in response to a reporter’s question outside the White House, May 12, 2021

McCarthy had just spent 90 minutes in a White House meeting with President Biden, Vice President Harris and the other congressional leaders when he made these remarks. All participants agreed the discussion on how to fund infrastructure investments was cordial.

Under the old rules of Washington decorum, a gaggle with reporters immediately after the meeting was perhaps not the best time for the House Republican leader to question Biden’s legitimacy as president.

But if that was his calculus, McCarthy was decorous to a fault. Continue reading.

Liz Cheney clashed with Bret Baier over Fox’s responsibility in the stolen election claims

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In an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier on Thursday, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), fresh off her removal from GOP House leadership for her criticism of former President Donald Trump, doubled down on her opposition to “big lie” conspiracy theories about the outcome of the 2020 presidential election — and told Baier that his own network had a responsibility to correct the record.

“Especially Fox News has a particular obligation to say that the election wasn’t stolen,” said Cheney.

Cheney was one of ten House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump for incitement to insurrection. She survived an initial challenge to her leadership, but after continuing to vocally oppose the former president’s attacks on democracy, was removed as House Republican Conference chair. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) is the frontrunner to take her place. Continue reading.

Trump’s GOP Drives Out Reagan Republicans

The GOP had long been looking for someone to fill the shoes of the former president and conservative icon. Instead, they found Donald Trump.

Republicans have spent decades searching for another Ronald Reagan, the conservative icon who for many continues to embody – years after his death – the small government, optimistic view of America and the Americans who make it happen.

They’ve yet to find him.

In the fruitless search, they ended up with Donald Trump. Now they’re stuck with him – even after his defeat for reelection last year – and the party is struggling with how to move forward and grow without a unifying ideology to define themselves and their vision for the future. Continue reading.

A sprawling investigation: What we know so far about the Capitol riot suspects

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Since the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, more than 400 people who were part of the pro-Trump mob that day have been arrested — a number that could still grow substantially.

Four months after the Jan. 6. attack on the U.S. Capitol, Congress is starkly divided about how to investigate the deadly assault by supporters of President Donald Trump, many of whom were animated by his false claims that the election was stolen. House Republicans this week ousted Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) from party leadership for continuing to warn that Trump’s rhetoric led to violence, and some GOP lawmakers have echoed the former president in attempting to minimize the destruction that day.

In fact, the ongoing criminal probe has swept up at least 411 suspects in what federal officials have called an unprecedented domestic attack on a branch of the U.S. government.

“I have not seen a more dangerous threat to democracy than the invasion of the Capitol,” Attorney General Merrick Garland told senators in a hearing Wednesday. He called the assault “an attempt to interfere with the fundamental element of our democracy, a peaceful transfer of power.” Continue reading.

Activists and Ex-Spy Said to Have Plotted to Discredit Trump ‘Enemies’ in Government

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The campaign included planned operations against President Trump’s national security adviser at the time, H.R. McMaster, and F.B.I. employees, according to documents and interviews.

WASHINGTON — A network of conservative activists, aided by a British former spy, mounted a campaign during the Trump administration to discredit perceived enemies of President Trump inside the government, according to documents and people involved in the operations.

The campaign included a planned sting operation against Mr. Trump’s national security adviser at the time, H.R. McMaster, and secret surveillance operations against F.B.I. employees, aimed at exposing anti-Trump sentiment in the bureau’s ranks.

The operations against the F.B.I., run by the conservative group Project Veritas, were conducted from a large home in the Georgetown section of Washington that rented for $10,000 per month. Female undercover operatives arranged dates with the F.B.I. employees with the aim of secretly recording them making disparaging comments about Mr. Trump. Continue reading.

First active duty service member arrested over Jan. 6 riot

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A Marine Corps officer was arrested Thursday over his involvement in the Jan. 6 insurrection, making him the first active-duty service member charged over the Capitol attack.

The Justice Department said in a statement that Maj. Christopher Warnagiris, 40, “violently entered the Capitol on Jan. 6, after pushing through a line of police officers guarding the East Rotunda doors.”

He then allegedly used his body to prop a door open to allow more people to rush into the Capitol. Continue reading.

House GOP flocks to police event one day after members question Jan. 6 actions

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GOP leader McCarthy does not address comments by Clyde, Gosar or Hice

The day after some House Republicans recast Jan. 6 rioters as victims, called into question a Capitol Police officer’s line-of-duty death and criticized the actions of a Capitol Police officer who justifiably shot and killed Ashli Babbitt, the conference’s leader did not push back on those members and their positions.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy — fresh off a “Back the Blue Bike Tour” ride with members and police — stood with acting Assistant Chief Sean Gallagher of the Capitol Police in the background and defended Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., who was also in attendance at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.

“With all due respect, I was right here with Congressman Clyde laying a wreath for a fallen officer outside of his district,” McCarthy said when asked about the comments of Clyde, Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., and Rep. Jody Hice, R-Ga., at a hearing Wednesday. Continue reading.

Gaetz associate Joel Greenberg expected to plead guilty next week

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A federal court has scheduled a change of plea hearing for Joel Greenberg, the Florida official and accused sex trafficker at the center of the legal investigation into Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), indicating he’ll likely enter a plea agreement with federal prosecutors.

District Judge Leslie Hoffman announced the hearing on Thursday, scheduling it for Monday, and ordered the parties to submit the terms of any plea agreement prior to the hearing.

The announcement shows that Greenberg is expected to plead guilty to federal charges, but the terms of an agreement — including specific charges he may plead guilty to — have not been made available. Continue reading.

WATCH: Ex-Secretary of Defense says Trump wanted the National Guard ‘to protect the demonstrators’

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Former Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller said Wednesday that Donald Trump was interested in the deployment of the National Guard during their Jan. 3 discussion.

When Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) questioned, “did you tell the president about the mayor’s requests or did President Trump ask if there were requests?”

“He asked if there were requests,” said Miller. Continue reading.