Bob Woodward says Trump is a 'threat to democracy'

Brady Knox

October 24, 10:53 AM October 24, 10:53 AM

Journalist Bob Woodward called former President Donald Trump a "threat to democracy."

Woodward accused Trump of being unfit for office and portrayed him as an existential threat to the country. He went a step further than in previous interviews, saying that Trump is "dangerous" and a "threat to democracy."

"Trump was the wrong man for the job," Woodward said during an interview with John Dickerson on CBS Sunday Morning. "I realize now, two years later, all of the Jan. 6 insurrection, leads me to the conclusion that he's not just the wrong man for the job, but he's dangerous, and he is a threat to democracy, and he's a threat to the presidency because he doesn't understand the core obligations that come with that office."

BOB WOODWARD CALLS TRUMP AN 'UNPARALLELED DANGER'

He also claimed that Trump views the presidency as a personal possession, saying, "I think [he considers it] as a trophy. And he has got it. And he is gonna hold it."

The journalist argued Trump seems to have valued his friendship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as evidenced by his decision to keep their correspondence from his presidency. Woodward said Trump tried to smooth over his previous insult of calling Kim "Little Rocket Man."

"I said [to Kim], 'Did you ever hear of the song "Rocket Man"?' He said, 'No, no.' 'Did you ever hear of Elton John?' 'No, no.' I said, 'I did you a great favor. I called you Rocket Man.' He goes, 'You called me Little Rocket Man!'" Trump said, according to Woodward.

The Trump Tapes, an audiobook by Woodward set for release Tuesday, includes 20 interviews Woodward had with the former president, totaling approximately eight hours.

More Republicans say DeSantis should have influence over party than Trump: Poll

Cami Mondeaux

October 24, 09:43 AM October 24, 09:43 AM

More Republicans believe Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis should have a “great deal” of influence over the party compared to former President Donald Trump, highlighting a seeming shift in loyalty ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

About 72% of Republican voters say DeSantis should have a great deal or good amount of influence over the party’s direction compared to 64% who said the same about Trump, according to a recent ABC News/Ipsos poll.

MIDTERMS 2022 LIVE: UPDATES FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL AHEAD OF CRUCIAL ELECTION

Sixty-three percent say Sen. Ted Cruz should have a heavy influence over the party, and another 52% say Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) should also help guide the party’s future direction.

Other high-profile Republicans have lower favorability ratings among Republican voters, with only 42% saying former Vice President Mike Pence should have a good amount of influence over the party and even fewer (15%) saying the same for Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), according to the data.

Democrats have a more expansive pool of politicians they want to have an influence over the party, with 81% wanting former President Barack Obama guiding the party, followed by President Joe Biden (69%), Vice President Kamala Harris (65%), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren (63%), and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (56%).

The ABC News/Ipsos poll surveyed 686 adults between Oct. 21-22 with a margin of error of 4 percentage points.

Biden and Democrats can't let go of Florida despite GOP gains

Naomi Lim

October 24, 06:00 AM October 24, 06:05 AM

JACKSONVILLE, Florida — Democrats, including President Joe Biden, are not giving up on Florida despite the state’s marquee races becoming insurmountable for the party three weeks before Election Day.

Cook Political Report prognosticators this week updated Sen. Marco Rubio's (R-FL) reelection bid against Rep. Val Demings (D-FL) from "lean" to "likely" Republican. Meanwhile, potential 2024 presidential candidate Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) has a record $100 million fundraising advantage over his opponent, former Gov. and Rep. Charlie Crist (D-FL). But that is not deterring Democrats from launching their national get-out-the-vote drive in the Sunshine State.

FIVE TAKEAWAYS FROM LONE FLORIDA SENATE DEBATE BETWEEN MARCO RUBIO AND VAL DEMINGS

From the economy to crime, education, and immigration, Democrats being “out of sync” with the majority of Floridians’ concerns has contributed to their struggles in the state, according to Florida Republican Party Executive Director Helen Aguirre Ferre.

“We have an advantage of voter registration over Democrats for the first time in Florida's history,” Aguirre Ferre told the Washington Examiner of Republicans' 2-point edge over Democrats. “We have nearly 300,000 more active registered voters who are Republican over Democrats, and that's absolutely significant.”

Florida has been slowly slipping out of Democrats’ reach, according to Florida Republican National Committee spokeswoman Julia Friedland. Former President Donald Trump precipitated that trend with his 2016 and 2020 election wins in the state thanks, in part, to his popularity among many Latino and Hispanic voters.

"As Democrat complacency grows in Florida, Republicans continue to dig deeper, making important inroads and taking no community for granted," Friedland said.

But days after first lady Jill Biden stumped for Crist and Demings in Orlando last weekend, Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison began his national bus tour aimed at mobilizing voters in Jacksonville on Thursday. Crist was in attendance, but Demings was not. The former Orlando police chief is also not expected to appear alongside the president while he is in Fort Lauderdale on Nov. 1 for a Crist reception.

"Folks, y'all ready? You ready to do this thing? You ready to turn it up?" Harrison asked the small crowd. "They say Florida can't be flipped, but, my God, y'all gonna do it!"

Kobie Christian, a Florida Democratic Party spokesman, dismissed the idea that Democrats have to cede Florida. He described it as “a perennial swing state.” Remember, DeSantis “squeaked by with a small margin in 2018 that went to a recount,” Christian said.

“Keep in mind that there is nothing that DeSantis has done to reach out across the aisle or court moderate voters,” he added. “He’s only campaigned on the most extreme cultural issues, including an abortion ban that will be front and center for many voters.”

For Christian, Kansas's rejection of a ballot measure that would have removed the state's constitutional abortion protections last summer “demonstrated that issues matter more than voter registration.” He pointed, too, to the Florida property insurance crisis as another top priority.

Florida politics have morphed over decades due to population growth, public opinion on issues, party organization, money, and political leadership, according to University of Central Florida politics professor Aubrey Jewett.

"Florida's rapid political change over the last four years has been fueled by an influx of new conservative Republican residents, the leadership style of Trump and DeSantis, and a switch in political attitudes by Hispanic voters who have come to view the Democratic Party as socialist and out of touch with their everyday concerns," the Politics in Florida author said.

The RNC credits its success in Florida to its policies and grassroots organizing, knocking on more than 2 million doors to date this midterm election cycle and making more than 5 million voter contacts. In particular, it has invested in Latino and Hispanic outreach, including through the state's five community centers. The Doral and Tampa locations, for instance, are teaching staff and volunteers to prepare permanent residents for the U.S. citizenship test's civics component.

Simultaneously, DeSantis has addressed possible low Republican turnout as Florida recovers from Category 4 Hurricane Ian. The governor issued an emergency order last week that increased the number of early voting days and locations, as well as streamlined the vote-by-mail request process, in Charlotte, Lee, and Sarasota counties. Early voting now starts on Oct. 24.

The DNC underscored its funding and staff collaboration with the Florida Democratic Party, including dedicated black and Latino organizers, backed by a paid voter registration program among other technology and tools to help with phone calls and texting. Harrison has hosted a range of events, such as Latino, Haitian, Puerto Rican, LGBT, and youth listening sessions and roundtables.

In addition to the Senate and governor races, Cook Political Report identified three competitive House contests, though Republicans are bolstered by DeSantis and the GOP state legislature's redistricting. But the nonpartisan group considers Crist's old St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and Largo seat on Florida's Gulf Coast as Republicans' only flip opportunity, categorizing the 13th District to be "likely" GOP.

"The old boundaries of District 13 supported Biden over Trump by 4 points, 51.5% to 47.4%," Jewett said. "However, under the new boundaries, District 13 supported Trump over Biden by 7 points, 53% to 46%, a swing of 11 points."

DeSantis endorses O'Dea in Colorado Senate race, bucking Trump

David M. Drucker

October 23, 02:40 PM October 23, 02:40 PM

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is recording a robocall for underdog Senate contender Joe O’Dea, a boost for the Colorado Republican after former President Donald Trump urged grassroots conservatives to abandon his campaign.

“Hello this is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. America needs strong leadership and desperately. That’s why I’m endorsing Joe O’Dea for U.S. Senate. Colorado, please vote for Joe O’Dea,” DeSantis says in the robocall, a recording of which was provided to the Washington Examiner on Sunday by the O’Dea campaign. “I’ve watched Joe from a distance. And I’m impressed.”

In endorsing O’Dea, DeSantis is charting a course separate from Trump in the midterm elections and stoking speculation the two Republican heavyweights are on a collision course in the upcoming 2024 GOP presidential primary. Just days earlier, the former president lashed out at O’Dea, calling him a “RINO,” which stands for “Republican in Name Only,” and criticizing him for speaking openly about their disagreements.

Running in a blue state that rarely elects Republicans statewide and trailing Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) in public opinion polls despite a favorable political environment, O’Dea’s strategy of distancing himself from Trump and taking centrist positions on certain issues is sensible. Bennet led O’Dea 49.5% to 42% in the RealClearPolitics average and has topped his Republican challenger in all six of the most recent surveys.

LAXALT BATTENS DOWN CONTROVERSIAL RHETORIC, EYEING VICTORY OVER CORTEZ MASTO IN NEVADA SENATE RACE

But none of that matters to the former president, who tends to prioritize personal loyalty to him over expanding the Republican Party’s reach in blue states. A day after the candidate vowed on a Sunday morning talk show to "actively campaign against" Trump, on Oct. 17 the former president posted a lengthy rejection of O’Dea on Truth Social, the Twitter-like social media platform he founded. O’Dea, 60, owner of a large construction company, is mounting his first bid for public office.

“There’s this RINO character in the Great State of Colorado, Joe O’Dea, that is running against the incumbent Democrat for the United States Senate, who is having a good old time saying that he wants to 'distance' himself from President Trump, and other slightly nasty things,” Trump said. “MAGA doesn’t Vote for stupid people with big mouths. Good luck Joe!”

Enter DeSantis, who is cruising to reelection in Florida.

Next to Trump, the Florida governor is perhaps the most popular Republican among grassroots conservatives nationwide, and the O’Dea campaign is expressing confidence that DeSantis’s endorsement two weeks before Election Day will bolster support among any wavering GOP base voters. They are a distinct minority in Colorado, but O’Dea needs them in his corner if he hopes to assemble a voter coalition capable of toppling Bennet.

“This guy isn’t a career politician. He’s a contractor. He’s built a company from nothing. He’s a leader who knows how to fight and get results. Michael Bennet votes with [President] Joe Biden 98% of the time. The results have been a disaster for the American people,” DeSantis says in the robocall. “Colorado needs new leadership.”

“Joe’s focused on building the wall and cracking down on crime,” DeSantis adds. “He’ll stand-up to the big spending politicians in both parties and cut red tape. Vote Joe O’Dea and let’s turn Colorado red!”

That last component of the Florida governor’s remarks, about O’Dea’s staunch support for border security and focus on reducing crime, is viewed as crucial by the Colorado Republican’s campaign.

O’Dea has distanced himself from Trump on matters relating to the 2020 election and has expressed regret that Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court. But he has sounded just like any other conservative Republican on issues relating to immigration and public safety — not to mention inflation. Combined with DeSantis’s fresh seal of approval, the O’Dea campaign argues it is positioned to maximize support from the GOP base.

The O’Dea campaign is planning to deploy DeSantis’s endorsement and robocall comments in targeted digital advertising and other forms of voter outreach.

In addition to support from DeSantis, O’Dea has been endorsed by a who’s who of Republicans eyeing a 2024 White House bid, including former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie; Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR); former ambassador Nikki Haley; Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan; and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC). DeSantis also has the backing of Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX).

Live Jan. 6 testimony? Liz Cheney vows Trump won't get a 'circus'

Rachel Schilke

October 23, 10:41 AM October 23, 10:41 AM

Former President Donald Trump will not be allowed to turn any testimony he gives to the Jan. 6 committee into a "circus," Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) said on Sunday.

Cheney, who is the vice chairwoman of the panel, said the House select committee is treating the matter of Trump's testimony with "great seriousness" and members will go through all the steps necessary to give it the level of discipline that it deserves.

TRUMP LAWYERS SHUNNING JAN. 6 COMMITTEE SUBPOENA: REPORT

"We will — are not going to let the former president — he's not going to turn this into a circus," she said during an interview on NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday.

Cheney was responding to a question from host Chuck Todd, who asked her about the prospect of Trump testifying live for TV. The congresswoman stressed that the committee will not let Trump turn any testimony he gives into a "first debate" with President Joe Biden — a nod to a potential rematch in 2024.

The Jan. 6 committee voted unanimously to subpoena Trump for documents and testimony at the end of its last hearing earlier this month. The subpoena was formally announced on Friday. The subpoena demands evidence and documents be presented by Nov. 4 and that Trump sit for deposition in person or through a video link around Nov. 14.

Trump has castigated the committee but has not stated publicly whether he intends to comply with the subpoena.

New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman recently told CNN's Jake Tapper that Trump has told advisers he would consider testifying — if it was broadcast live.

Trump on trial: Here are 7 key demands made of Donald in his subpoena from the Jan. 6 committee

Ryan King

October 22, 11:58 AM October 22, 11:58 AM

The Jan. 6 committee made good on its pledge to subpoena former President Donald Trump on Friday.

At the finale of the public hearing last week, committee members sent shockwaves throughout the Beltway by declaring their intention to subpoena Trump for testimony and documents. During the hearing, they lambasted him for his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and the coinciding efforts to overturn the 2020 election and insisted his testimony was needed.

"In short, you were at the center of the first and only effort by any U.S. President to overturn an election and obstruct the peaceful transition of power, ultimately culminating in a bloody attack on our own Capitol and on the Congress itself," the panel wrote in a letter to Trump accompanying the subpoena.

JAN. 6 COMMITTEE SUBPOENAS DONALD TRUMP

Trump is required to deliver the requested documents by Nov. 4 and give testimony on Nov. 14.

At the heart of its demands, the panel wants Trump to sit for testimony and turn over his communications during the time surrounding the riot. But in the subpoena, investigators laid out 19 specific document demands to ensure their ask was crystal clear. Here are the top seven demands.

1. Communication on Jan. 6

Trump is required to turn over every single communication he had on Jan. 6, 2021, including through phone calls, text messages, and applications such as Signal. The panel wants the messages regardless of whether he was "an active or passive participant" in the communication.

2. Documents about the Justice Department and 2020 election

The panel is demanding all documents or communications Trump may have had about the DOJ or the 2020 election, sent through Signal or other means. No timeline was given in the broad demand.

3. Communications on state certifications

Messages sent between Sept. 1, 2020, and Jan. 20, 2021, about plans to impede upon state certifications of elections or efforts to prop up an alternative elector scheme must be sent to the committee.

4. Efforts to summon people to Washington

Investigators want Trump to hand over communications that entail "efforts to encourage or summon individuals to travel" to Washington, D.C., on the day of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. They gave a time frame of Nov. 3, 2020, to Jan. 6, 2021.

5. Documents about losing lawsuits

The committee is demanding all documents and communications between Nov. 3, 2020, and Jan. 6, 2021, that "in any way" discuss losing lawsuits about the 2020 election.

6. Messages with key supporters

In one of their demands, panelists name-dropped a slew of Trump supporters who have been key figures of interest in its sprawling investigation. The panel wants any communications Trump had between Nov. 3, 2020, to Jan. 20, 2021, that involved Steve Bannon, Roger Stone, Michael Flynn, Jeffrey Clark, John Eastman, Rudy Giuliani, Jenna Ellis, Sidney Powell, Kenneth Chesebro, Boris Epshteyn, Christina Bobb, Cleta Mitchell, or Patrick Byrne.

7. Information on communication devices

Likely to ensure it has a full grasp of Trump's communication tactics, the panel is demanding information "sufficient to identify every telephone or other communication device" that the former president utilized between Nov. 3, 2020, to Jan. 20, 2021.

So far, Trump has been tight-lipped about whether he will comply with the Jan. 6 committee's comprehensive request. He has hired Dhillon Law Group to help handle the squabble with the panel, Politico reported. The firm has represented others, such as Michael Flynn and Sebastian Gorka, who have found themselves in the committee's crosshairs.

The panel has cited historical precedents in which presidents have complied with congressional demands and indicated it believes it would prevail against a legal challenge. Trump has ripped the panel, blasting it for unfairness.

“The double standard of the Unselects between what has taken place on the ‘Right,’ and what has taken place with [the] radical Left, lawless groups such as antifa, Black Lives Matter, and others, is startling and will never be acceptable, even to those who will be writing the history of what you have done to America,” Trump wrote in a lengthy statement following news of the plans to subpoena him.

You can read the full subpoena below:

Trump seems for deposition in E. Jean Carroll defamation lawsuit

Brady Knox

Oct 19, 07:23 PM Oct 19, 07:23 PM

Former President Donald Trump appeared for a deposition for columnist E. Jean Carroll's defamation match against him.

The deposition took spot inside Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, in accordance to CNN, and Carroll and her attorneys expressed pleasure with the system.

“We’re happy that on behalf of our client, E. Jean Carroll, we ended up ready to take Donald Trump’s deposition currently. We are not equipped to remark even further,” said a spokesperson for Kaplan Hecker & Fink, the regulation firm representing Carroll.

The deposition is component of a yearslong lawsuit introduced by Carroll, who sued Trump for defamation in 2019 immediately after Trump denied promises he had raped the journal columnist in a New York section keep in the mid-1990s. Carroll filed the suit right after Trump repeatedly denied the allegations, describing her as “not my form.”

E. JEAN CARROLL Plans LAWSUIT In opposition to TRUMP Below NEW 'SURVIVOR' Legislation

It is not obvious irrespective of whether Trump answered any questions as he has been recognized to do in former lawsuits. In a deposition for the New York legal professional general's investigation into his New York organization dealings back in August, Trump reportedly invoked the Fifth Amendment 440 situations throughout a four-hour-very long deposition.

Trump's legal professionals have not however addressed the defamation. Trump's lawyer, Alina Habba, previously advised Politico of the impending deposition, “We appear forward to creating on the report that this case is, and always has been, completely with no advantage.”

Carroll's lawsuit, soon to be joined up coming thirty day period by a different lawsuit accusing Trump of sexual assault under a new New York law, alleges that Trump defamed her in his reaction to her allegations that the previous president raped her.

“I’ll say it with wonderful respect: Variety one, she’s not my kind. Selection two, it never transpired. It never ever happened, Alright?” Trump explained to the Hill in 2019. “Totally lying. I do not know everything about her. I know absolutely nothing about this girl. I know absolutely nothing about her. She is — it is just a awful thing that persons can make statements like that.”

Trump’s legal professionals have argued that for the reason that he was the president at the time he made the remark, he really should be viewed as a federal worker who was answering reporters’ concerns. Nonetheless, a decide denied a bid to substitute Trump with the U.S. government, which would allow it to invoke the doctrine of sovereign immunity, as a federal appeals court docket weighed irrespective of whether to make it possible for the lawsuit to commence, per CNBC.

Trump subpoena coming 'shortly,' Liz Cheney claims

Jack Birle

Oct 18, 07:55 PM Oct 18, 08:00 PM

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) reported Tuesday that the Jan. 6 committee's subpoena of previous President Donald Trump is imminent.

Talking at a discussion board at Harvard University, Cheney stressed the subpoena, which the House choose committee accredited unanimously final 7 days, is for Trump's testimony and for paperwork relevant to gatherings bordering the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

'POTENTIALLY Incredibly CRIMINAL': KINZINGER CRITICIZES Key Services FOR JAN. 6 Habits

"So we are going to be issuing a subpoena shortly, both equally for his testimony below oath as nicely as for documents. And we are going to choose whichever future ways we have to take assuming that he will satisfy his legal obligation and honor the subpoena, but if that won't transpire, we are going to acquire the steps soon after that," Cheney stated.

Cheney, who is vice chairwoman of the Jan. 6 committee, manufactured the remarks times soon after Rep. Adam Kinzinger (IL), the other Republican member of the panel, advised George Stephanopoulos on This 7 days that Trump is "essential by legislation to come in."

Trump responded to the Jan. 6 committee's vote to approve a subpoena with a 14-webpage assertion on Friday.

He denounced the panel as becoming produced up of “highly partisan political Hacks and Thugs” and criticized Congress for funding the investigation into the Capitol riot irrespective of it becoming what he phone calls a “Charade and Witch Hunt," but the former president did not directly say no matter if he intends to cooperate with the subpoena.

Trump can take aim at GOP candidate Joe O'Dea in closing stretch of Colorado Senate race

Juliegrace Brufke

Oct 17, 04:56 PM Oct 17, 04:56 PM

Former President Donald Trump is taking aim at Colorado GOP Senate nominee Joe O’Dea as the candidate appears to unseat Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet (CO) in November in a state that has been trending blue in the latest cycles.

Trump took to social media to slam the centrist Republican around his comments for the duration of an visual appearance on ABC’s This Week that he does not consider the former president must operate again in 2024.

“There's this RINO character in the Great Condition of Colorado, Joe O'Dea, that is managing versus the incumbent Democrat for the United States Senate, who is possessing a excellent previous time stating that he desires to 'distance' himself from President Trump, and other a bit terrible points,” Trump reported in a Reality Social write-up on Monday.

MIDTERMS 2022: Dwell UPDATES FROM THE Marketing campaign Path Forward OF Important ELECTION

“He should glimpse at the Economic system, Inflation, Vitality Independence, defeating ISIS, the Strongest Ever Border, Good Trade Specials, & much far more, right before he speaks. MAGA doesn't Vote for stupid people today with huge mouths. Very good luck Joe!” he included.

O’Dea, the CEO of a Colorado development firm, dismissed Trump’s criticisms, arguing that he is hoping to have a “rehash of 2020” and would like to preserve his campaign focused on the problems.

"I'm a construction dude, not a politician. President Trump is entitled to his feeling, but l'm my possess gentleman and I will get in touch with it like I see it. One more Biden-Trump election will tear this state apart. DeSantis, Scott, Pompeo or Haley would be far better choices,” he mentioned in a assertion.

“These elections must be concentrated on Joe Biden's failures — supercharged inflation, a damaged border, rampant crime, a war on American electricity — not a rehash of 2020,” O'Dea included.

A resource shut to O’Dea observed that even though the prospect breaks with significantly of the bash on social problems together with abortion and very same-sexual intercourse marriage, his “domestic agenda is conservative — open up all kinds of power, extra cops, crack down on crime, safe the border. “

“Reflective in his branding, as well. He’s his possess man. A doing the job guy who has been effective, but he’s also struggled. He understands what individuals are likely through. This is how he’s created a blue-collar, operating-class coalition,” the supply told the Washington Examiner.

Even though Republicans see the state as a possible pickup, polling presently reveals Bennet with an edge in the race. A current Marist study confirmed the Colorado Democrat with a 7-level guide.

Trump resorts charged Key Provider 'exorbitant' charges, Congress claims

Katherine Doyle

October 17, 02:50 PM October 17, 02:50 PM

The Mystery Assistance compensated as substantially as five situations the authorities amount for brokers being at previous President Donald Trump’s attributes to protect the president and his family members, achieving upwards of $1.4 million above four yrs, new billing information exhibit.

Trump’s organization billed agents up to $1,185 a night to keep at the Trump Intercontinental Lodge in Washington, D.C., one particular of dozens of conditions in which the Key Services compensated over the governing administration-accepted selection.

BIDEN HAS Used A lot more THAN 1-FOURTH OF HIS TIME IN Office environment IN DELAWARE

The information obtained by Congress indicate a price to U.S. taxpayers of at the very least $1.4 million, according to figures initially noted by the Washington Put up.

Secret Provider supervisors routinely requested waivers to permit the company to spend more than the government-authorized charge for stays at Washington, D.C., hotels, the Washington Publish claimed. The documents deal with Trump's 4 a long time in place of work and by way of September 2021. They do not include things like all payments to Trump’s firms.

“The exorbitant premiums charged to the Top secret Company and agents’ frequent stays at Trump-owned qualities raise substantial concerns about the previous President’s self-dealing and may well have resulted in a taxpayer-funded windfall for previous President Trump’s battling businesses,” Household Oversight Committee Chairwoman Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) wrote in a letter to the company director on Monday.

Trump frequently traveled to lodge homes operated by his company although in office environment, which include Mar-a-Lago in Palm Seaside, Florida, and the Trump Countrywide Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey. Not all officers stayed at his homes.

The records call into query a claim by Trump’s son Eric Trump that the Trump Business frequently offered the Magic formula Support hotel rooms at price tag, at a steep discount, or totally free.

In 2019, Eric Trump said that when Trump travels, agents “stay at our qualities no cost.”

He explained in 2020 that rooms have been provided to the government at underneath-current market premiums.

“We give the rooms at value and could make considerably far more revenue renting them to customers or attendees,” Eric Trump claimed.

Look at: The Check out complains media not concentrating on Biden 'list of accomplishments'

Julia Johnson

October 17, 01:35 PM Oct 17, 01:35 PM

On Monday's broadcast of The Check out, the hosts puzzled how Democratic candidates could far better campaign as the midterm elections technique.

"Is this for the reason that the media isn't really focused on the accomplishments... exactly where is the disconnect?" host Whoopi Goldberg questioned, noting that numerous really don't assume President Joe Biden's steps are plenty of.

Host Sunny Hostin agreed that there is a "listing of accomplishments of this administration."

OBAMA IS Right: DEMOCRATS' ANTI-TRUMP FIXATION IS KILLING THEM

On the other hand, fellow host Alyssa Farah Griffin pushed back, conveying that voters are focused on paying out for needed items. "People are not emotion it," she mentioned.

In accordance to Goldberg, "the bash that is in electricity put jointly a take care of of the nation soon after four decades of [Trump], I imply, and they kind of set a whole bunch of stuff, and now persons are stating, perfectly, that is not very good enough ... That may possibly not be excellent plenty of that you preset almost everything. We want anything distinct."

The girls then reacted to former President Barack Obama's tips to Democrats to spend a lot less time on their opponents' rhetoric, and concentration on the troubles impacting voters.

Griffin mentioned that former President Donald Trump is not on the Nov. ballot and that ordinarily midterms are a referendum on the present administration.

Host Ana Navarro disagreed with the plan that Trump is not on the ballot, claiming that Trump-endorsed candidates throughout the state act as his proxies.

"[Obama] ran in opposition to john McCain. He did not run towards a 2 times-impeached insurrectionist" Navarro mentioned. "I don't know how you dismiss Donald Trump."

"It can be extremely tricky to not be indignant and outraged," she included.

Hostin chimed in that "men and women are involved about how they are heading to put foods on the table," agreeing with Obama.

Local issues like Great Salt Lake erosion in Utah become potent campaign cudgels

Cami Mondeaux

October 17, 03:30 AM October 17, 03:30 AM

The pitched battle for a Senate majority is being fought, in part, along the Great Salt Lake's miles of flat expanses in northern Utah.

The iconic ultra-salty lake, larger in square mileage than the state of Rhode Island, is rapidly drying. Its water is being diverted to nearby communities in Utah, one of the nation's fastest-growing states. The Great Salt Lake's shrinkage has now become a hot topic in a Senate battle that wasn't on many people's political radar screens earlier in the 2022 cycle: the race between Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee and independent candidate Evan McMullin.

To be sure, Lee is a favorite to win reelection. Lee is nearing 12 years in the Senate, where he has become a national spokesman for conservative causes. Utah is one of America's most Republican states, regularly giving GOP presidential nominees some of their best results.

Polling also shows Lee leading. A Sept. 13-15 OnMessage Inc. poll for the Senate Republicans' campaign arm, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, put Lee at 51% and McMullin way back with 34%. And a Lighthouse Research & Development poll conducted a few days later for the Utah Debate Commission showed a somewhat close race, with Lee leading McMullin 48%-37%.

But supporters of McMullin, a former undercover CIA officer and chief policy director for House Republicans before growing disaffected with the GOP in 2016, when the party nominated Donald Trump for president, note the results of a Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll. The survey, conducted from Sept. 3 to Sept. 21, gave Lee a lead over McMullin of only 36% to 34%. Another 16% said they didn't know who they would vote for, while 13% would mark the ballot, which includes two third-party candidates in addition to Lee and McMullin, for somebody else.

The McMullin campaign can point to a mid-July Deseret News/Hinckley Institute poll showing environmental protection legislation has emerged as one of the top five issues facing Utah voters. It's easy to see why, even in one of the nation's most Republican states. If the Great Salt Lake continues to shrink and shrivel, the effects on the state’s environment, wildlife, and economy would be catastrophic, according to local experts.

The erosion of the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere reflects the importance of local issues in a high-stakes battle for Senate control. The chamber has been split 50-50 since Jan. 20, 2021, and Democrats hold the majority thanks to Vice President Kamala Harris's tiebreaking vote.

Both Lee and McMullin are well known in Utah. In 2016, McMullin ran for president as an independent, appearing on the ballot in 11 states, receiving a bit over 732,000 votes (0.53%). But McMullin in Utah nabbed 21.54% of the 2016 presidential vote (Trump, however, won the state with 45.54%, to Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's 27.46%).

Running for Senate this year, McMullin is pursuing a nonpartisan campaign, pledging he won't caucus with either party if he makes it to the Senate. McMullin got a serious boost in April when Utah Democrats decided not to put forward their own Senate nominee and instead combine forces with his candidacy.

On the campaign trail, McMullin has talked up the need for mitigation efforts around the rapidly shrinking Great Salt Lake, where the salinity of the water averages about 12%, making it much saltier than the ocean. Lee, in contrast, has focused, among other issues, on his high-profile roles in helping to get confirmed former President Donald Trump's three Supreme Court justices. And Lee wrote a book released in June Saving Nine, arguing against expanding the size of the Supreme Court, as some liberal Democrats argue.

But local issues have played outsize roles in state races in recent years, sometimes yielding surprising electoral results. In short, voters often are most interested in topics that affect them directly. In the 2021 Virginia governor's race, Republican Glenn Youngkin, a wealthy former private equity executive and first-time candidate, emphasized education extensively on the campaign trail. That ended up being a deciding factor with many voters, giving Youngkin a win over Democratic rival Terry McAuliffe, a former governor who sought a comeback.

Limited water options

Salt Lake City and its suburbs are among the nation's fastest-growing regions, with the population surpassing 1.2 million residents in 2021. But with rapid population growth comes a range of environmental problems. Water that is typically diverted from rivers and snowfall into the Great Salt Lake is being sent elsewhere, causing the lake to reach its lowest water levels on record.

The lake's shrinking water levels, which threaten the state’s surrounding ecosystem, air quality, and economic growth, have prompted state legislators and local officials to begin allocating federal dollars toward preserving it. But local biologists are also seeking help from federal lawmakers to boost their efforts.

The lake has already shrunk by more than 65% over the last three decades, taking up less than 1,000 square miles, compared to the 3,300 it covered in the late 1980s, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. As the water levels continue to shrink, the lake’s salinity will only rise — threatening the local ecosystem.

Because the Great Salt Lake is a terminal lake, meaning it only retains water that flows into it without outflowing to other bodies of water, it relies on a consistent inflow to maintain its water levels. This has historically been done by melting snowfall in the Utah mountains that is diverted to the lake via small streams and rivers.

However, as the state has experienced a surge in population growth, more and more of this water has been diverted to other sources, such as farms, residential areas, and businesses. This process, combined with climate change, has greatly reduced water levels in the lake.

“We're taking too much water too early in the process of trickling downstream, and so now we have the pressures of climate change, where we're seeing these extremely high temperatures and we're getting more precipitation in the form of rain instead of snow,” Bonnie Baxter, a biology professor at Westminster College in Utah, told the Washington Examiner. "This is on top of a system where we've diverted so much of the water and the aquifers are depleted so we don't get a rebound effect. … In fact, if we get a good water year, what happens is the reservoirs upstream fill up and the water never makes it down to the lake.”

As water continues to shrink, that salinity could reach 17% by the end of the summer and threaten the algae in the water. The algae is a crucial food source for brine shrimp that live in the lake, which in turn are crucial food sources for the millions of migratory birds that travel through the area each year.

But the shrinking water levels pose an even greater threat to the surrounding population: As the lake recedes, more dust that contains harmful contaminants such as arsenic and copper (some of which have settled in the lake due to nearby mining) become airborne.

“That dust problem is a potential catastrophic crisis,” Baxter said. “We get particulate matter and also heavy metals blown into the air, so it's an air quality problem. As the lake shrinks, more of that basin is exposed, and some of that lake bed will become airborne.”

State lawmakers eye shrinking water levels

In theory, fixing the shrinking levels is simple: Divert water back to the lake. This, however, is easier said than done.

Utah legislators have sought to address the shrinking Great Salt Lake because of the potential air quality threats it poses to nearby residents, as well as the state’s economy.

During Utah's legislative session earlier this year, lawmakers passed a bill that would divert funds to “prepare and maintain a comprehensive plan” for the lake that would develop strategies to “deal with a fluctuating lake level” and encourage nearby development to preserve its water levels. Lawmakers also established a Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Program that aims to increase water flow into the lake.

Utah’s members of Congress, all Republicans, have also pushed efforts to bring federal help to the lake. Sen. Mitt Romney and Reps. Chris Stewart, Burgess Owens, and John Curtis introduced legislation that would authorize $10 million for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to “monitor and assess the water availability and conditions” of the Great Salt Lake. Lee also supported the legislation.

Utah Senate candidates talk up lake shrinkage

McMullin has long pointed to environmental issues in Utah since launching his election bid in October.

While applauding efforts already being spearheaded by local legislators and Congress, McMullin said he would continue working on efforts to preserve the lake. This would include strengthening economic development in rural areas, investing in low-emissions innovation, and developing water conservation practices, among other things.

“There are already some wise steps being taken to address the shrinking lake — and we will all need to be aggressive to do our part,” McMullin told the Washington Examiner. "Utah is one of the most stunning places on Earth. We are fortunate to call it home, and tens of millions of others visit from around the world every year. We have a responsibility to be stewards of this beautiful place that powers our economy."

McMullin said environmental issues are just one area where that attitude can help, he said, because it’s “an issue where there is common ground.”

“No one wants to see the lake levels receding to record-low levels and or our air quality further damaged by exposed shores and salt flats,” McMullin said. “This Senate race is about replacing divisive and ineffective senators like Mike Lee, changing the broken politics of Washington, and coming together to solve problems. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Democrat, Republican, or independent — the health and future of the Great Salt Lake affects all of us, and we have to be willing to work together to address it.”

Lee's Senate office and reelection campaigns did not respond to questions from the Washington Examiner about Great Salt Lake erosion mitigation efforts.

Ilhan Omar flips script, slams Trump for 'dual loyalty tropes'

Daniel Chaitin

October 16, 11:36 PM Oct 16, 11:36 PM

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) employed a common rebuke in reacting to former President Donald Trump more than his statement Sunday criticizing Jews in the United States.

In an job interview, which aired several hours just after Trump's Truth Social put up drew backlash and headlines, Omar invoked the exact same type of language levied at her yrs in the past in response to controversial remarks she designed about Jewish folks. The congresswoman did so as she slammed the "hypocrisy of the Republicans," saying they have not rushed to condemn Trump like they may possibly have performed with her.

TRUMP RANTS ABOUT US JEWS NEEDING 'TO GET THEIR ACT TOGETHER' AND 'APPRECIATE' ISRAEL

Previous President Trump “repeatedly invokes twin loyalty tropes that are unsafe and hazardous,” Omar informed host Mehdi Hasan on MSNBC. “Anti-Semitism is on the rise and all of us have a accountability to condemn it," she also stated.

It was in February 2019, when Omar was continue to a 1st-expression congresswoman, that she sent out a series of tweets complaining about the influence of the pro-Israel lobby on Congress and at a person stage mentioned, "It can be all about the Benjamins, little one!" This elicited backlash for what quite a few persons seen as anti-Semitic reviews, such as Democratic management who condemned Omar’s “use of anti-Semitic tropes and prejudicial accusations about Israel’s supporters," and Republicans together with Trump himself, who named on Omar to resign.

Omar before long tweeted out a assertion wherever she acknowledged that “anti-Semitism is real” and claimed that she was “grateful for Jewish allies and colleagues who are educating [her] on the agonizing background of anti-Semitic tropes.” She additional that she “unequivocally apologize[d]," but later equivocated on the "unequivocal apology" she provided, insisting, "I apologized for the way that my words and phrases designed people experience."

Omar and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), who ended up the first Muslim ladies elected to Congress, experienced formerly taken heat for their vocal guidance of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions motion from the Israel for its procedure of Palestinians.

In his Reality Social publish on Sunday, Trump criticized Jews in the United States more than a perceived deficiency of guidance for Israel. "No President has completed extra for Israel than I have. Rather shockingly, nevertheless, our great Evangelicals are significantly more appreciative of this than the people of the Jewish faith, in particular all those living in the U.S. Individuals dwelling in Israel, while, are a distinct story — Greatest approval ranking in the Environment, could conveniently be P.M.! U.S. Jews have to get their act collectively and respect what they have in Israel — Before it is also late!" he wrote.

Among the individuals who chastised Trump for the publish was head of the American Defamation League, Jonathan Greenblatt. “We really don't want the former president, who curries favor with extremists and antisemites, to lecture us about the US-Israel relationship. It is not about a quid pro quo it rests on shared values and security interests. This ‘Jewsplaining’ is insulting and disgusting,” he mentioned in a tweet.

Senate Republican candidate vows to 'actively campaign against' Trump

Daniel Chaitin

Oct 16, 02:04 PM October 16, 02:04 PM

Joe O’Dea, the Republican difficult Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) in this year's midterm elections, pledged to "actively campaign in opposition to" previous President Donald Trump.

An interview with CNN anchor Dana Bash on Sunday turned to the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, which O'Dea identified as a "black eye" for the region, and he called for accountability, as properly as obtaining the region to go forward.

COLORADO'S SLEEPER SENATE RACE JUST Received Actual

"I don't assume Donald Trump must run once more," O'Dea included. " I am likely to actively campaign from Donald Trump and make certain that we have received four or 5 really terrific Republicans proper now."

He listed other leading associates of the celebration, like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who like Trump, is regarded a prime-tier applicant for the GOP if he decides to run for the presidential nomination in 2024.

"Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Tim Scott, they could run and serve for 8 yrs. I'm likely to do my work as a U.S. senator to make guaranteed that they have superior campaigns in the most important here, so we have a great variety of candidates for 2024," O'Dea explained.

O'Dea, a businessman who has not been scared to say Trump missing the 2020 election, is placing up a fierce challenge in opposition to Bennet, the Democratic incumbent.

A study documented by the Washington Examiner in late August showed a virtual tie in between the two, though the Cook dinner Political Report prices the race as "lean" Democrat.

Key Support downplayed threats in the operate-up to Jan. 6: Documents

Zachary Halaschak

Oct 15, 06:09 PM October 15, 07:22 PM

The Key Assistance appeared to lessen the threats that Jan. 6 protesters posed in the guide-up to the violence, in accordance to freshly unveiled paperwork.

Just about 900 internet pages of documents, produced as aspect of a Freedom of Details Act request by Bloomberg News, displays that as 1000's of protesters descended upon the nation’s money, the Secret Services unit liable for figuring out such threats didn’t assume what was to arrive.

6 TAKEAWAYS FROM Previous JAN. 6 Listening to Prior to MIDTERM ELECTIONS

The documents, which integrated emails, risk assessments, and stories, clearly show that the Solution Provider Protecting Intelligence & Assessment Division planned for extremist groups like the much-proper Very pleased Boys and Oath Keepers to occur to Washington, D.C., ahead of then-President Donald Trump’s speech but that they didn’t imagine there would be “civil disobedience.”

Between the files was an 11-site intelligence report that broke down the protests that ended up scheduled for Jan. 6 and highlighted that the Proud Boys, a team that has customers now on trial for their alleged crimes, would be in attendance.

The partly redacted intelligence report’s evaluation concluded, “Many of the teams scheduling to engage in demonstration functions on Jan. 6, 2021, are the similar which participated in demonstration pursuits on Nov. 14, 2020 and Dec. 12, 2020. Verbal and physical altercations ensued in between professional-Trump and anti-Trump supporters all through each occasions.”

The morning of the Jan. 6 rally, which highlighted a bellicose speech by Trump followed by hordes of his supporters storming the Capitol, the Secret Service handed out a situational recognition report noting that some 10,000 individuals were being heading to the speech.

“Some customers of the of the crowd are sporting ballistic helmets, human body armor and carrying radio products and military quality backpacks,” the report browse. The Secret Assistance “will go on to check all crowds in the space of the White House zone. No civil disobedience at this time.”

The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 assault has been intently inspecting how the Magic formula Provider and other legislation enforcement businesses executed and reacted on the day of the riot. For the duration of its most recent listening to on Thursday, the committee discussed the warnings that legislation enforcement acquired prior to the siege.

The panel also voted unanimously to subpoena Trump in an effort and hard work to glean new info from the individual at the centre of the investigation.

'Entirely theatrical': Byron York argues Jan. 6 grand finale isn't going to transform significantly

Ryan King

Oct 13, 04:39 PM Oct 13, 04:39 PM

The Jan. 6 committee's most likely last general public hearing was "complete theater" and failed to change the outline of the tale that persons currently understood, the Washington Examiner's main political correspondent Byron York argued on Thursday.

Through an visual appeal on Tv following the presentation finished, York mused about how the committee went by means of great lengths to make its public hearings powerful to the community and underscored how the panel held the hearing in near proximity to the midterm elections. But finally, he contended the committee largely rehashed what the public previously understood with a few exceptions.

JAN. 6 Pick out COMMITTEE Expected TO VOTE TO SUBPOENA TRUMP: REPORT

"The fundamentals of the tale did not change today. The story getting essentially that this mob did attack the Capitol," he explained to Fox News's Martha MacCallum. "Most persons ended up horrified, tried using to get it to stop. But President Trump liked it. He thought they were being fighting on his behalf. We observed a lot more proof about that currently. But nothing at all to alter the basic outline of the story."

In contrast to prior hearings, the a single on Thursday did not function any live witness testimony, as an alternative showcasing associates of the committee giving statements about what they uncovered throughout the system of the inquiry.

The statements ended up interlaced with clips of testimony from the troves of witnesses that the panel interviewed considering the fact that initiating its investigative perform final yr. York emphasised that the panel employed expertise to assistance gin up excitement.

"You know, the committee very famously employed a former president of ABC Information to sort of craft their hearings into an thrilling series. Every just one experienced type of a beginning, a climax, and a tease for the up coming episode. They all did that," he stated.

Potentially the most newsworthy event of the listening to arrived at the end when the panel voted in favor of subpoenaing former President Donald Trump for testimony and paperwork, but York shrugged it off.

"This is — the subpoena of the president is completely theatrical. The major explanation getting, it is 26 days just before the election. It seems that Republicans are likely to gain regulate of the Dwelling and the committee is absent. They have no authority to do anything at all additional," he surmised. "It’s absolute theater."

York also pointed out that the panel unveiled stunning new footage of congressional leaders reacting to the riot in genuine-time, but once more iterated it did not transform the over-all tale much.

Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-MS) is reportedly expected to formally subpoena former President Donald Trump upcoming 7 days, while an specific timeline has not been set.

The the committee is anticipated to launch a closing report on its conclusions, but has not laid out an actual date for when the report will fall. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) reported he doubts the Jan. 6 committee will launch its report right up until after the midterm elections.

Trump personnel tells FBI of purchase to go Mar-a-Lago packing containers: Report

Ryan King

October 12, 07:24 PM Oct 12, 10:50 PM

An staff at Mar-a-Lago reportedly explained to federal investigators that previous President Donald Trump gave a directive to go bins to his residency in the operate-up to the FBI raid in August.

Investigators were being equipped to corroborate the account with other witness testimony and stability-digicam footage showing people today transferring the packing containers, sources advised the Washington Article. Trump built the ask for to transfer the bins subsequent a May possibly subpoena.

DOJ ASKS SUPREME Court docket TO REJECT TRUMP'S Request TO BLOCK USE OF Labeled Components

“The Biden administration has weaponized legislation enforcement and fabricated a Doc Hoax in a determined endeavor to retain political energy,” Trump spokesman Taylor Budowich reported. “Every other President has been supplied time and deference pertaining to the administration of paperwork.”

Budowich refrained from commenting on the particulars of the report, the Washington Article claimed.

To begin with, the witness denied managing delicate content, but the worker's tale shifted in the course of adhere to-ups with investigators, according to the report. The staff has reportedly been interviewed several instances and is viewed as a essential witness.

Adhering to the raid, Trump tore into the FBI, blasting the bureau for rummaging via the closet of his spouse, Melania Trump. FBI agents collected paperwork from the personalized quarters of Mar-a-Lago, according to court docket paperwork. Authorities also combed via a storage space where by lots of of the paperwork have been stashed at one particular stage.

About the time Trump reportedly gave the buy to shift bins into his residency, federal investigators issued a subpoena in May perhaps trying to find extra paperwork they considered had been holed up in Mar-a-Lago, court docket paperwork showed.

Following a January doc exchange amongst Trump and the Countrywide Archives and Data Administration, officers mentioned they learned material with classified markings and referred the matter to the Justice Office. Investigators at the DOJ thought there was extra categorized substance at Mar-a-Lago and pursued the May perhaps subpoena in response.

Federal officials arrived in Mar-a-Lago in June and received extra files. Trump reportedly made an visual appeal all through the exchange. A law firm for Trump signed a doc in June attesting that all the categorised content had been turned about to the ideal of her awareness. She has reportedly considering that spoken with investigators.

Right after that document trade, the DOJ grew to become convinced that several paperwork were even now holed up in Trump's Palm Beach front vacation resort. This led to the FBI's Aug. 8 look for and seizure.

The DOJ is investigating attainable violations of the Espionage Act and obstruction of justice in its inquiry about the Mar-a-Lago doc tranche, according to courtroom paperwork.

Because January, the government has recovered at minimum 325 records with classification markings from Mar-a-Lago, together with 162 “SECRET,” 103 “CONFIDENTIAL,” and 60 “TOP SECRET” files, NBC Information documented.

Trump has denounced the raid as an "unAmerican break-in" and has vehemently denied any wrongdoing. "There is no 'crime' getting to do with the storage of documents at Mar-a-Lago, only in the minds of the Radical Still left Lunatics who are destroying our Place, and were being just forced by the Courts to give me again substantially of what they took (STOLE?) during their unprecedented and unneeded break in of my house," Trump stated in a Truth Social publish Wednesday night time. "The Clinton 'Socks Circumstance,' which is legislation, states it all belongs to 'the President,' NO Crime, and the Presidential Report Act is uncomplicated, 'negotiate,' and NO Crime. These people are Insane!!!"

Trump has also claimed he declassified the material snatched by FBI officials, boasting a president can declassify product "even by wondering about it." Even so, lawyers for Trump have said in court that the specific grasp, who has since been appointed to glimpse for privileged materials in the seized files, must "possess a Prime Mystery/SCI protection clearance" to analyze the tranche.