Biden And The All-Star Game: A Presidential Wild Pitch?

By Philip Wegmann for RealClearPolitics

The president loves baseball, and has said the earliest memories he has are of the sport: a glove under his pillow the night before his first game and a too-big Little League jersey that hung past his knees. Given a chance to pick between an inning on the mound in the majors or the vice presidency, a much younger Joe Biden wouldn’t hesitate.

“I would have pitched!” the then-vice president told a crowd gathered for the final game of the 2009 Little League World Series, before following through with his trademark addendum, “By the way, I’m not kidding.”

Biden’s whimsical yearning was a variation on an old anecdote told by Dwight Eisenhower, and the crowd laughed appreciatively. He told them how he started at shortstop in elementary school but was playing centerfield by high school.

RELATED: Trump Goes All-In: ‘I Would Say Boycott Baseball’

The lesson he learned along the way, Biden said that day in Williamsport, Pa., is that “we owe our best to whoever is watching.” Here, Biden was paraphrasing Joe DiMaggio, as he acknowledged, adding that he hoped “I have done that in my career.”

Almost a dozen years later, Biden is in the Oval Office. Mixing sports with politics, however, may have led to a few errors in his still-new presidency.

It included an ESPN interview; he said he would “strongly support” pulling the All-Star Game out of Atlanta to protest new voter laws in Georgia. It ended with an extended rundown, caught between angry fans and legislators.

The White House now insists, contrary to fact, that Biden never weighed in on where the “Midsummer Classic” should or should not be played.

Like most Democrats, Biden opposes the new voting law, which requires a photo ID to cast a ballot, sets limits on absentee voting, and reduces the number of ballot drop boxes.

But the president erred when he said during his first press conference that the law “ends voting early” at 5 p.m. (it actually extends early voting hours and keeps Georgia’s 7 p.m. Election Day voting hours intact). He called it “un-American.”

The Washington Post fact-checker gave his claim “four Pinocchios.” The error has not been acknowledged, let alone corrected, and corporations have started making business decisions in response to public pressure on the issue.

Atlanta-based Coca-Cola, Delta Airlines, and Home Depot oppose the law. Outside of Georgia, Apple, JPMorgan, and United Airlines issued similar statements. This kind of posturing isn’t unusual and usually only spooks the local chamber of commerce when a company actually decides to act instead of issue press releases.

RELATED: Top Republicans Take On MLB, Big Business Over Georgia Voting Law

Late last week, Biden was asked about “the possibility that baseball decides to move their All-Star Game out of Atlanta because of this political issue” by ESPN’s Sage Steele.

“I think today’s professional athletes are acting incredibly responsibly. I would strongly support them doing that. People look to them, they’re leaders,” Biden replied.

The exchange was almost Trumpian. No, Biden didn’t shout. But he went beyond politics. He talked about sports and politics, almost like a talking head — and exactly like his press secretary promised he never would act.

When reporters pressed Jen Psaki earlier this year on the impeachment trial of former President Trump, she demurred, saying Biden wouldn’t comment because “he is not a pundit.”

The answer about the All-Star Game, however, has opened the president up to a host of related topics. Now that he’s weighed in on baseball in light of the Georgia voting law, for instance, will he do the same regarding the U.S. participating in the Beijing Olympics given the anti-democratic tendencies of the Xi regime?

RealClearPolitics put that question to Psaki on Friday, and while the press secretary punted, saying that the U.S. Olympic Committee would play a “big role,” she insisted that the president “did not” weigh in on baseball.

“I don’t know if you heard the answer, the question and the answer that happened a few minutes ago where we addressed this, and I answered the question. And I give a little more context, but maybe you weren’t paying attention to that part,” Psaki replied.

Another reporter had asked earlier in the briefing if Biden believed businesses should consider pulling out of Texas as that state considers a bill similar to Georgia’s new law.

RELATED: Marco Rubio Dares MLB Commissioner To Give Up Augusta National Golf Club Membership In Georgia

“Well, first, he didn’t call for businesses to boycott. Businesses have made that decision themselves, of course. He also was not dictating that Major League Baseball move their game out of Georgia. He was conveying that if that was a decision that was made, that he would certainly support that,” Psaki said.

But the president had weighed in on the question, and less than an hour after the briefing wrapped, MLB announced that there would be no All-Star Game in Atlanta.

Georgia Gov. Kemp laid the decision at the feet of Biden, saying that it was “the direct result of repeated lies from Joe Biden and Stacey Abrams about a bill that expands access to the ballot box and ensures the integrity of our elections.”

Abrams, a Democratic activist and former gubernatorial candidate who led the opposition to the law, released her own statement praising the league and its players “for speaking out.” At the same time though, she added that she was “disappointed” that the MLB is relocating the game due to its economic impact. She wasn’t the only Democrat to do so.

Newly elected Sen. Jon Ossoff broke with Biden, telling National Review, “I absolutely oppose and reject any notion of boycotting Georgia. Georgia welcomes business, investment, jobs, opportunity, and events.”

The solution, he said, was to “stop any financial support to Georgia’s Republican Party, which is abusing its power to make it harder for Americans to vote.”

Republicans reacted at the national level by condemning the move, and South Carolina Rep. Jeff Duncan even announced he was drafting legislation to strip MLB of its federal antitrust exemption. And while that is a doomed effort so long as Democrats control the House, it was indicative of a shift on the normally corporate-friendly right.

RELATED: Newt Gingrich Slams ‘Disgraceful’ Big Corporations For Attacking GA Election Law – Shows How ‘Corrupt’ They’ve Become

The Georgia House of Representatives threatened to pull Delta’s tax cuts on jet fuel, the Texas GOP is reportedly mulling a similar response to corporate criticism, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell threw a brush-back pitch at the business community. He argued in a statement that corporations were acting like a “woke alternative government” with their boycotts.

If that continued, McConnell warned, their actions would “invite serious consequences if they become a vehicle for far-left mobs to hijack our country from the constitutional order.”

At a moment when Republicans are fighting to keep the White House and Democrats in Congress from increasing the corporate tax rate, McConnell likened the threatened boycotts to “economic blackmail.”

Psaki responded to that statement Monday by saying, “We’ve not asked corporations to take specific actions. That’s not our focus here.” And without going into details Tuesday, she declined to comment on MLB moving the All-Star Game to Colorado even though that state has laws similar to Georgia’s, other than to say “the Georgia legislation is built on a lie. There was no widespread fraud in the 2020 election.”

The White House has not backed down from Biden’s false claim that the Georgia law limits voting hours. But the president appeared to moderate his tone and acknowledge the economic harm that boycotts cause to local communities.

When asked about a different sport in the same state, the president demurred. And if he was a cheerleader who was “very supportive” of MLB’s decision to can the Georgia All-Star Game, he was more libertarian this week when it came to golf.

Should the Masters tournament relocate? “I think that is up to the Masters,” Biden said after remarks about the pandemic in the State Dining room at the White House. Talking sports this time, he was more cerebral, weighing the pros and cons of boycotts.

“Look, you know, it is reassuring to see that for-profit operations and businesses are speaking up about how these new Jim Crow laws are just antithetical to who we are,” he said.

“The other side to it too is: When they, in fact, move out of Georgia, the people who need the help the most — people who are making hourly wages — sometimes get hurt the most.

“I think it’s a very tough decision for a corporation to make or a group to make, but I respect it when they make that judgment, and I support whatever judgment they make,” he started to conclude, before adding that “the best way to deal with this is for Georgia and other states to smarten up.  Stop it.  Stop it.  It’s about getting people to vote.”

Before Biden spoke to reporters, State Department spokesman Ned Price announced that the U.S. is considering a boycott of the Beijing Olympics in 2022.

The president had previously said that his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, didn’t have “a Democratic bone in his body,” and Price told reporters that a boycott “is something that we certainly wish to discuss.”

State then appeared to quickly flip-flop. A senior department official, speaking anonymously, told CNBC in that “our position on the 2022 Olympics has not changed. We have not discussed and are not discussing any joint boycott with allies and partners.”

Syndicated with permission from RealClearWire.

The post Biden And The All-Star Game: A Presidential Wild Pitch? appeared first on The Political Insider.

Mitt Romney Is Awarded JFK ‘Profile In Courage Award’ For Impeachment Vote

On Friday, the John F. Kennedy Library announced it would give its Profile in Courage Award to Sen. Mitt Romney for his “historic vote” to impeach President Trump during his first impeachment trial.

Part of the reasoning was Romney’s willingness to break with the rest of his party to cast a controversial – to Republicans – vote.

Caroline Kennedy, Former Ambassador and daughter of President Kennedy, said in a statement, “Senator Romney ‘s commitment to our Constitution makes him a worthy successor to the senators who inspired my father to write Profiles in Courage.” 

“He reminds us that our Democracy depends on the courage, conscience and character of our elected officials,” she added.

RELATED: Chris Wallace: Biden Relied On ‘White House Talking Points’ During Foreign Policy Questions

Romney Was Only GOP Vote In Trump’s First Impeachment Trial

According to The Hill, “Romney was the sole Republican senator to vote to impeach Trump on a charge of abusing his power last February over the former president’s effort to press Ukraine to investigate now-President Biden and his son Hunter’s dealings in Ukraine.”

“In doing so, Romney made history – he became the first U.S. senator to vote to convict a president of his own party on an impeachment charge,” the outlet added.

Romney responded to his award, “I’m humbled by the Kennedy family’s recognition today. But I see courage every week from my colleagues in the Senate, many of whom make tough decisions to do what they believe is right even though it may be politically unpopular.”

Romney And Six Other Republicans Voted To Convict Trump In Second Trial

In Trump’s second impeachment trial over his alleged role in inciting the Capitol riot on January 6, Romney and six other Republican senators voted to impeach Trump.

Romney said on Friday, invoking his father and former Michigan Governor George Romney, that he “did what was right regardless of consequence.”

RELATED: Joy Behar Launches Attack On Judge Jeanine Pirro – ‘I Used To Like You, What The Hell Is Going On With You?’

“I aspire to his example, though I have failed from time to time,” Sen. Romney said. “We must subordinate our political fortunes to the causes of freedom, equal opportunity and truth, particularly as they are under assault here and abroad.” 

The John F. Kennedy Library Foundation created this award in 1989 to honor the 35th president’s commitment to public service and is presented each year on Kennedy’s birthday to leaders who exhibit “politically courageous leadership.”

 

Now is the time to support and share the sources you trust.
The Political Insider ranks #16 on Feedspot’s “Top 70 Conservative Political Blogs, Websites & Influencers in 2021.”

 

The post Mitt Romney Is Awarded JFK ‘Profile In Courage Award’ For Impeachment Vote appeared first on The Political Insider.

Five Questions Joe Biden Must Be Asked At His First Press Conference – But Probably Won’t

President Biden is expected to hold his first formal press conference on Thursday, over two months since his inauguration.

His effort in hiding from the media broke a 100-year record, leaving journalists with a healthy pool of topics with which to discuss.

Here are five questions that the President must be asked during today’s press conference:

Is There A Crisis At The Border?

The border crisis may be the only guarantee on the list to be addressed by reporters. The situation at the U.S.-Mexico border has become nothing short of a disaster and can’t be ignored – even by a normally compliant lapdog media.

Will reporters demand President Biden define the situation as a crisis, though? That remains to be seen.

The Biden administration has been reluctant to use the word “crisis” to define the debacle of their own making.

Still, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has admitted the current situation leaves the United States on pace to see the most migrants breaching the border “in the last 20 years” while Mexican officials have argued the Biden administration has created a “boom time for (drug) cartels.”

But he must admit what is happening is a crisis.

As Senator Lindsey Graham says, “It’s pretty hard to fix a problem if you don’t know what the problem is.”

When Will You Be Raising Taxes?

Perhaps there are more glamorous questions on this list, but Americans – and readers of The Political Insider – who are struggling during the pandemic economy may be most interested in knowing if taxes will be raised on them or their employers, and how it might affect them and their families.

Barron’s reports that “Biden’s tax policy could bring the corporate tax rate as high as 28%, from the current 21%.”

And reporters at the press conference may want to ask the President about a campaign pledge saying, “If you make less than $400,000, you won’t see one single penny in additional federal tax.”

That claim has already been called into question, however.

Americans will most likely want to know why and how taxes are going to be raised during a pandemic, especially when the President recently claimed his $1.9 trillion “relief bill” and direct payments were what people struggling needed.

Do You Support Nancy Pelosi’s Effort To Overturn A State-Certified Election?

This should be a piece of cake for the media – especially considering how they lambasted Donald Trump for not accepting election results over the past five months.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in discussing the state-certified victory of Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R), who defeated Democrat Rita Hart by six votes in Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District, is currently pushing an effort to overturn the election.

Fox News reporter Chad Pergram asked Pelosi if she “could … see a scenario … of unseating the current member and seating Rita Hart?”

“We’ll see where that takes us,” she replied. “There could be a scenario to that extent.”

Biden must be asked if he accepts the results of a certified election or if he, like Pelosi, supports overruling a bipartisan commission on this particular race.

The hypocrisy that might be revealed would be staggering.

Do You Support Abolishing The Filibuster?

Axios recently reported that President Biden, according to sources close to him, is “fully prepared to support the dashing of the Senate’s filibuster rule to allow Democrats to pass voting rights and other trophy legislation for his party.”

The filibuster is designed to prolong debate and delay or prevent a vote on a bill. Ending debate requires the agreement of three-fifths (60) of Senators, or in today’s Congressional makeup – 10 Republicans would have to join the majority party.

This is a crucial topic as the Democrats’ push to pass the voting rights bill H.R. 1, which is a major overhaul of election law.

“It is a brazen and shameless power grab by Democrats,” Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) explains. “It speaks volumes that this is HR 1 and S1, that the number 1 priority of Democrats is … keeping Democrats in power for 100 years.”

The American people need to know if the man they just voted into office supports such a brazen power grab.

Do You Still Feel Andrew Cuomo Is The ‘Gold Standard’ Of Leadership?

President Biden has spent weeks now tiptoeing around the many scandals surrounding Andrew Cuomo.

One way to get him on record would be for reporters to ask him about his own words in describing the New York Governor.

“Andrew Cuomo, thank you for your leadership and the example you’ve set for all Americans during this pandemic,” Biden tweeted in August.

POLL: Will the media ask Biden ANY hard questions, or give him a total pass?

By voting, you agree to receive email communication from The Political Insider. Click HERE for more information.

During an appearance on The Jimmy Fallon Show in April, months earlier, Biden suggested Cuomo had “done one hell of a job” and “I think he’s the gold standard.”

Biden’s White House Press Secretary, Jen Psaki, has been asked the question, but Biden himself must commit.

The former “gold standard” is now embroiled in:

  • A nursing home scandal, in which his executive order forced facilities to take in COVID-positive patients.
  • Administration officials admitting they hid those numbers from the DOJ.
  • Multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, including a groping claim that has been referred to police.
  • Claims of bullying and verbal abuse by fellow lawmakers and media members.
  • The latest scandal involves Cuomo directing health officials to prioritize testing for his family in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.

What They’ll Really Ask Biden At The Press Conference

Even if the White House press pool decides to ask President Biden about any of these topics, there is little doubt they will frame the queries in a friendly manner.

There will be few combative moments that became a routine part of the press conferences with former President Donald Trump.

In fact, you’re more likely to see questions about cats and ice cream than you are the above matters.

Americans deserve better than this. Will the press conference provide that?

We shall see.

 

Now is the time to support and share the sources you trust.
The Political Insider ranks #16 on Feedspot’s “Top 70 Conservative Political Blogs, Websites & Influencers in 2021.”

 

The post Five Questions Joe Biden Must Be Asked At His First Press Conference – But Probably Won’t appeared first on The Political Insider.

Newt Gingrich Annihilates Pelosi For Running ‘Machine-Like House’ – ‘Total Collapse Of The Legislative Process’

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich spoke out to blast the current House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) for running a “machine-like House” as she tries to force the Democratic agenda through Congress.

Gingrich Sounds Off On Democrats In The House

While appearing on New York WABC 770 AM radio’s “The Cats Roundtable” on Sunday, Gingrich said that members of the House are acting like “robots” in voting in-step with Pelosi. He added that the “machine-like” process is “a total collapse of the legislative process.”

“I think that it really tells you how the system is evolving that they’re ramming through all of this legislation,” Gingrich said of the House under Pelosi’s leadership.

He went on to add, “They have a five-vote margin, and basically, they’re saying to their members, ‘You don’t have to read anything. You don’t have to know what’s in it. We don’t have to have any hearings. You can’t offer any amendments. All you need to know is show up and vote yes.’”

Related: Newt Gingrich Eviscerates Pelosi – ‘Most Destructive Speaker In History’

Gingrich Zeroes In On Pelosi

“And It is the most machine-like House I can remember going back to Joe Cannon in around 1905. And these folks don’t represent anybody except Nancy Pelosi,” he continued. “And so, they walk in. They’re told, ‘We’re bringing up this next bill and vote yes.’ And they go, ‘Absolutely.’ And it’s a total collapse of the legislative process.”

“[T]he Democrats are expected to automatically vote yes no matter what. I mean, it’s working, but it has nothing to do with a free society or a representative government,” Gingrich added. “It’s just pure machine politics. And that to me has been probably the biggest surprise of what’s happened so far this year.”

Not stopping there, Gingrich later described Democrats in the House as “Pelosi’s robots.”

“[Y]ou’re getting an automatic, robotic, you know, sort of like Pelosi’s robots are walking out there, and they’re voting yes automatically,” he said. “If the Republicans offer an amendment — even if it’s a smart amendment — they vote no automatically. The same thing is happening in the Senate.”

Related: Gingrich: Pelosi Impeachment Push Is Because She’s Scared Trump Might Run Again – And Win

Check out Gingrich’s full interview below.

In the months since the presidential election, Gingrich has been critical of Pelosi, Joe Biden, and their fellow Democrats. Given his latest comments, it does not seem like Gingrich will be backing down and refraining from attacking the left anytime soon.

This piece was written by James Samson on March 22, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

Read more at LifeZette:
Biden Accuser Tara Reade Slams Him And Democrats For Reaction To Cuomo Claims
Gretchen Whitmer Gets Bad News As Michigan House Makes Moves To Subpoena Her Former Health Director
Chelsea Handler Says That ‘Everyone Has To Give A Little Bit Away Who Has Too Much’

The post Newt Gingrich Annihilates Pelosi For Running ‘Machine-Like House’ – ‘Total Collapse Of The Legislative Process’ appeared first on The Political Insider.

President Trump Slams Washington Post For Now-Corrected ‘Hoax’ Georgia Election Investigation Story

On Monday, former President Donald Trump responded to The Washington Post making multiple massive corrections to their story that accused Trump of tampering with the Georgia elections, calling the Post’s claims a “hoax.”

The damning quotes from an unnamed “source,” that Washington Post now admits Trump did not make, were used by Democrats in his second impeachment trial.

RELATED: Woke-A-Cola: Coke Will Only Work With Law Firms That Abide By 30% Diversity Quotas

Washington Post Admits Damning Quotes Were False

The Washington Post corrected their bombshell story that originally claimed Trump pressured Georgia’s top elections investigator, Frances Watson, to “find the fraud” in his state’s election. 

The Post also claimed that the then-president supposedly told her she would be “a national hero” if she found any discrepancies. 

Actual audio of the call was published last week by The Wall Street Journal, which proved the Trump quotes were false.

The quotes were used against Trump during his second impeachment trial.

Obviously this is a major correction and story. This is no mere typo.

The Washington Post, which cited the quotes to one person who was an anonymous source, corrected their story Monday.

Trump’s statement read, “The Washington Post just issued a correction as to the contents of the incorrectly reported phone call I had with respect to voter fraud in the Great State of Georgia.”

“While I appreciate the Washington Post’s correction, which immediately makes the Georgia Witch Hunt a non-story, the original story was a Hoax, right from the very beginning,” Trump blasted.

Trump Pulls No Punches

The former President also noted that media bias seems to “slant one way.”

Trump added, “You will notice that establishment media errors, omissions, mistakes, and outright lies always slant one way—against me and against Republicans.”

“Meanwhile, stories that hurt Democrats or undermine their narratives are buried, ignored, or delayed until they can do the least harm—for example, after an election is over,” Trump wrote.

RELATED: Meghan McCain Smacks Down Joy Behar After She Tries To Defend Andrew Cuomo Amidst Sexual Misconduct Scandal

Trump Calls News Outlets ‘Political Entities’

Trump said news coverage of the coronavirus vaccine was part of this bias.

Trump said, “Look no further than the negative coverage of the vaccine that preceded the election and the overdue celebration of the vaccine once the election had concluded.”

“A strong democracy requires a fair and honest press,” he continued. “This latest media travesty underscores that legacy media outlets should be regarded as political entities—not journalistic enterprises.”

Donald Trump then “thanked” the Post for its update to their story.

“In any event, I thank the Washington Post for the correction,” Trump wrote.

 

Now is the time to support and share the sources you trust.
The Political Insider ranks #16 on Feedspot’s “Top 70 Conservative Political Blogs, Websites & Influencers in 2021.”

 

The post President Trump Slams Washington Post For Now-Corrected ‘Hoax’ Georgia Election Investigation Story appeared first on The Political Insider.

Joe Biden Finally Breaks Silence On Sexual Harassment Accusations Against Andrew Cuomo

On Sunday, President Joe Biden personally weighed in on the controversies surrounding embattled New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, saying that he would wait until the end of the investigation to give his opinion on the proper response.

As the president returned to the White House after spending the weekend in his home state of Delaware, a reporter asked Biden if he believed Cuomo should resign.

RELATED: Pelosi Refuses To Demand Cuomo Resign – Says He ‘Should Look Inside His Heart’ To See If He Can Lead Effectively

Biden: ‘I Think The Investigation Is Underway And We Should See What It Brings Us’

Biden replied, “I think the investigation is underway and we should see what it brings us.”

For weeks, President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have remained silent on scandals that have engulfed New York’s governor even as more women have come forward to accuse Cuomo of sexual harassment.

On Friday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that the president and vice president believe “every woman who has come forward deserves to have her voice heard” and should “be treated with respect.”

Prominent Democrats Calling For Cuomo’s Resignation

Yet, other high profile Democrats have begun to speak out, including asking Cuomo to step down.

On Friday, Democratic Sens. Kristen Gillibrand and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer joined many New York Congressional Democrats in calling for Cuomo’s resignation.

Cuomo: ‘I’m Not Going To Resign’

But Cuomo says he’s not going anywhere.

“I’m not going to resign,” Cuomo said, adding, “I also want to be clear: There is still a question of the truth.”

“I did not do what has been alleged,” Cuomo insisted. “Period.”

RELATED: CNN Reporter Praises Biden Speech – ‘All Americans Have Been Missing’ A President That Has Empathy

Cuomo sexual harassment controversy comes in the wake of nursing home scandal

The sexual harassment accusations against Cuomo come in the wake of his office being accused of hiding the actual number of deaths in New York nursing homes due to the governor’s COVID-19 policies, which required seniors who tested positive for the virus to be allowed to enter these facilities filled with the elderly.

Now is the time to support and share the sources you trust.
The Political Insider ranks #16 on Feedspot’s “Top 70 Conservative Political Blogs, Websites & Influencers in 2021.”

The post Joe Biden Finally Breaks Silence On Sexual Harassment Accusations Against Andrew Cuomo appeared first on The Political Insider.

John Dean of Nixon/Watergate Fame Predicts Trump Will Be Indicted Soon

Former Nixon White House Counsel John Dean said on Thursday that he believes it is only a matter of days until former President Donald Trump is indicted. The name John Dean might sound familiar, he served as White House Counsel to Richard Nixon during the Watergate years.

Dean’s prediction comes from recent events surrounding former Trump attorney Michael Cohen.

In a report from The Hill, Cohen has allegedly met with the Manhattan District Attorney’s office on seven different occasions, apparently pertaining to a criminal investigation into Trump’s taxes.

Cohen, is serving a three-year home confinement for tax fraud, bank fraud, and lying to Congress about payoffs to adult film star Stormy Daniels, who allegedly had sexual encounters with Trump.

Dean opined:

“I assure you that you do not visit a prosecutor’s office 7 times if they are not planning to indict those about whom you have knowledge. It is only a matter of how many days until DA Vance indicts Donald & Co.”

Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr. (D), is currently conducting a wide-ranging investigation into Trump’s family business and finances.

RELATED: Violent Extremists Attack Federal Courthouse In Portland

What Is The Manhattan D.A Looking For?

Back in February, the Supreme Court ruled to allow the release of Trump’s tax returns. Trump has consistently said that at some point he would release his returns, but has yet to do so.

While the Court has allowed the release of the returns, they will not be made public, intentionally. The ruling simply allows them to be used in grand jury proceedings, which are to remain confidential.

However, former U.S. Attorney Harry Litman said that if Vance charges Trump, he is “98 percent sure (Trump’s tax information) will become public knowledge.”

Besides looking at Trump’s tax returns for the years 2011-2018, there are several aspects of Trump’s finances and business dealings that Vance is looking into.

According to The Hill, one of those things is Trump’s Seven Springs estate in New York. Vance’s office is trying to find out if the value of the property was inflated in order to reap greater benefits from financial institutions. 

The Hill report goes on to say that some of the other things being investigated that are related to Trump’s finances are reports of very low federal income tax payments and hundreds of millions of dollars of loans that are coming due for repayment.

RELATED: NY Assembly Takes First Step Toward Impeachment Of Cuomo, Police Report Filed Over Groping Allegations

Damaging Trump Politically

The speculation is also on whether any indictment would harm Trump’s political future, and if so, how much?

Trump’s political opponents say that any damage may be done among more moderate supporters instead of staunch Trump supporters.

Democrat Strategist Jamal Simmons told The Hill he believes the base of his supporters “won’t care.”

He added, “But for everyone else — for that khakis-and-blue-shirt-wearing office worker in the middle of Ohio who is just trying to keep his taxes low, for that average Republican voter out there — I can’t imagine, given other alternatives, they would choose Donald Trump again if he was facing legal jeopardy.”

Simmons may be engaged in some wishful thinking. Susan Del Percio, a Republican strategist, but also a sometime critic of Trump, stated, “Is his goose cooked on this? It depends on what’s in there.”

RELATED: Pelosi: ‘Of Course’ There Could Be A Scenario Where We Overturn State-Certified Election of GOP Rep.

They Are Not Stopping With Donald Trump

Indictment and conviction of just Donald Trump are not enough.

Not only will Democrats keep coming after Trump for alleged crimes, they are also eyeing his family as well.

In February, Donald Trump Jr. was deposed by District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine as part of a lawsuit brought by the district over the misuse of funds by Trump’s inaugural committee.

Former First Daughter Ivanka Trump was also deposed in relation to the same inauguration fraud allegations.

In October 2020, Eric Trump, who runs the day-to-day operations of the Trump Organization, was deposed as part of the New York Attorney General’s investigation into whether the Trump Organization improperly inflated the value of its assets.

Trump has called the extensive investigation “a continuation of the greatest political Witch Hunt in the history of our Country.” 

 

Now is the time to support and share the sources you trust.
The Political Insider ranks #16 on Feedspot’s “Top 70 Conservative Political Blogs, Websites & Influencers in 2021.”

The post John Dean of Nixon/Watergate Fame Predicts Trump Will Be Indicted Soon appeared first on The Political Insider.

President Trump’s Former Defense Secretary Blames Him For Capitol Riot

On Thursday, former acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller accused his former boss, President Donald Trump, of helping cause the January 6 riot at the Capitol with his speech earlier that day.

Miller’s remarks came during an interview on VICE on Showtime about one month after Trump was acquitted by the Senate on an incitement charge.

Watch the interview below.

RELATED: Pelosi Claims Americans ‘Overwhelmingly’ Support Democrats’ Gun Control Bill In The House

Trump’s Defense Secretary Blames Him For Violence

VICE News’ Seb Walker asked Miller, “Did you listen to the president’s speech in the morning? What did you make of it what you heard the kinds of things he was saying?”

Miller replied, “Concerning.”

Walker continued his line of questioning, “When you heard him say, ‘We’re gonna walk down Pennsylvania Avenue,’ ‘take our country back,’ that is what was concerning to you?”

Miller responded, “Sure, yeah. But by the same token, there had been a lot of rhetoric spewed over the previous bunch of years.”

 

Walker continued, not letting up.

“But on this day, more than any other, when the vote is being certified in Congress, that must of set alarms bells off ringing in your head,” Walker queried.

Miller said, “Yes.”

Then Walker asked his question, point blank.

“Do you think the president was responsible for what happened on the 6th?” Walked pressed.

Miller said he did not think the violence would have unfolded if not for the president’s speech.

“I don’t know, but it seems cause and effect,” Miller said. “Yeah.”

RELATED: GOP Rep. Cawthorn Taunts Pro-Gun Control Democrats: ‘Come And Take Them’

Miller: Violence Wouldn’t Have Happened Without Trump’s Speech

Miller added, “Would anybody have marched on the Capitol, and overrun the Capitol, without the president’s speech? I think it’s pretty much definitive that wouldn’t have happened.”

As to whether or not he believes Trump was actually encouraging the crowd that day to riot, Miller said, “So yes, the question is, did he know he was enraging the crowd to do that? I don’t know.”

Many have speculated that the president telling the crowd to march down streets and be “strong” contributed to what unfolded.

However, Trump explicitly told the crowd that day to “peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard.”

Former President Trump was acquitted of the charge “incitement of insurrection” in relation to the January 6 riot at the United States Capitol on February 13.

Watch the interview with Miller here:

 

Now is the time to support and share the sources you trust.
The Political Insider ranks #16 on Feedspot’s “Top 70 Conservative Political Blogs, Websites & Influencers in 2021.”

 

The post President Trump’s Former Defense Secretary Blames Him For Capitol Riot appeared first on The Political Insider.

Gingrich Accuses Biden Of Laying Out ‘Welcome Mat’ for Illegal Aliens – Will Shake The ‘Fabric Of American Society’

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich went on Fox News on Thursday to blast President Joe Biden and warn of the impact his immigration policies could have on the United States.

Gingrich Attacks Biden

Gingrich went so far as to say that Biden is “detached from reality,” and is laying out the “welcome mat” by signaling to the world that the United States is “open for illegal immigration.” He added that the results of this will be catastrophic and will shake the “fabric of American society.”

“When you’re dealing with a president who forgets the name of his secretary of Defense and forgets the name of the Pentagon, he could probably, I don’t know that he walks away but probably sit away forever,” Gingrich said. “Why would any of this affect him? He will say, ‘Oh gee, I guess that’s probably a problem.’”

“And I think that we really underestimate the degree to which he’s detached from reality and the degree to which people will, later on, look back and say, ‘Gosh, there were terrible consequences, why didn’t we know better?’” Gingrich added.

Related: Newt Gingrich Warns Trump Will Keep Dominating Republican Party – ‘Nobody Can Fight Him’

Gingrich Doubles Down

Gingrich continued: 

“Well, we did know better, but we adopted a policy deliberately that sends a signal — you know, everywhere in the world, whether they’re watching ‘Fox & Friends,’ whether they’re just talking to themselves, people gossip, and they learn and everywhere in the world right now the signal is out that the U.S. is a welcome mat, that President Biden would love for you to come stay, and the economic opportunities in America, despite everything, are still so much better than in most of the world.”

“You can’t blame a father or a mother who wants their child to grow up here, rather than in poverty, but you can blame the American government for not being honest about the cost,” the former Speaker said.

Related: Newt Gingrich Slams Trump Impeachment Lawyers – ‘Absolute Lack Of A Coherent Defense’

“This is going to be extraordinarily expensive, and it’s going to shake, I think, the fabric of American society,” Gingrich concluded. “And … my guess is that in four years of the Harris-Biden administration, you’re going to actually see an enormous influx, probably in the neighborhood of 6 to 15 million people.”

This piece was written by James Samson on March 11, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

Read more at LifeZette:
Reporter Arrested After BLM Riot Melee
Marco Rubio Says No To Radical Abortion Activist at Department of State
Kayleigh McEnany Reveals She ‘Warned The Reporters’ That Biden Would Rarely Talk To The Press

The post Gingrich Accuses Biden Of Laying Out ‘Welcome Mat’ for Illegal Aliens – Will Shake The ‘Fabric Of American Society’ appeared first on The Political Insider.

Trump Sends Warning To GOP – He Will Not Endorse ‘RINOS,’ Sends ‘Cease And Desist’ Order

On Monday, President Trump’s leadership political action committee, Save America PAC, sent out a notice warning the Republican Party that neither he nor his PAC will endorse ‘RINOs,’ or ‘Republicans In Name Only.’

The former President has been busy since leaving office.

Also on Monday, legal counsel for Trump sent cease-and-desist letters to the Republican National Committee, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, and the National Republican Congressional Committee that orders them to stop using Trump’s name for their fundraising activities.

In the RINOs statement, Trump declared, “No more money for RINOS period. They do nothing but hurt the Republican Party and our great voting base – they will never lead us to Greatness. Send your donation to Save America PAC at DonaldJTrump.com. We will bring it all back stronger than ever before.”

RELATED: Biden DHS Secretary Reportedly Asks For Help With Border Crisis He Said Doesn’t Exist

GOP Pushing Back

In a report from Politico, the RNC is apparently refusing any such cease-and-desist order, and RNC Chief Counsel Justin Reimer stated that the committee “has every right to refer to public figures as it engages in core, First-Amendment protected political speech, and it will continue to do so in pursuit of these common goals.”

Essentially they claim that they are allowed to use Trump’s likeness and name because he is a public figure. 

While none of the committees who received cease-and-desist letters commented, some who work closely on GOP campaigns say that it is “impossible not to use Trump’s name because his policies are popular with the base.” 

Knowing that ‘RINOs’ will likely use Trump’s policies as mere campaign rhetoric, while governing as establishment Republicans, could be Trump’s impetus for his statements.

RELATED: Candace Owens Thanks NYT’s ‘Bigotry’ For Hispanics ‘Fleeing The Democratic Party’

Trump Already Endorsing Candidates

Republicans surely know that the one endorsement GOP candidates will want is that of Donald Trump.

He has already begun endorsing candidates for 2022 such as South Carolina Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA), and Sen. John Boozman (R-AR).

He has also given an early endorsement to former White House Press Secretary  Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who has announced a run for Governor in Arkansas, and the re-election of Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas.

But he’s not just bringing endorsements.

Trump stated on Saturday that he would be campaigning against Sen. Lisa Murkowski, one of seven Republican Senators who voted to convict Trump during his second impeachment trial.

She is the only one of the seven that is up for re-election in 2022.

Murkowski had some harsh statements for Trump immediately following the Capitol riot:

“On the day of the riots, President Trump’s words incited violence, which led to the injury and deaths of Americans — including a Capitol Police officer — the desecration of the Capitol, and briefly interfered with the government’s ability to ensure a peaceful transfer of power.”

“Such unlawful actions cannot go without consequence and the House has responded swiftly, and I believe, appropriately, with impeachment.”

Trump fired back in the way his supporters expect:

“I will not be endorsing, under any circumstances, the failed candidate from the great State of Alaska, Lisa Murkowski. She represents her state badly and her country even worse. I do not know where other people will be next year, but I know where I will be — in Alaska campaigning against a disloyal and very bad Senator.”

Trump also went on to criticize Murkowski’s vote to confirm President Joe Biden’s pick for Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland.

“Her vote to advance radical left Democrat Deb Haaland for Secretary of the Interior is yet another example of Murkowski not standing up for Alaska.”

RELATED: Hillary Clinton: Republicans Don’t ‘Pledge Allegiance’ To USA, They Pledge To Trump ‘Cult’

2022 Could Be Interesting Time For GOP

The next election cycle could be a tricky one for Republicans. Currently, there are only five seats separating them from taking back control of the House.

But in the Senate, there are several who have decided against running for re-election, and Democrats are most certainly eying those seats. 

Sens. Richard Burr (R-NC) and Pat Toomey (R-PA) have already announced they will not be seeking re-election. Toomey had voted for convict Trump.

On Monday, Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) also announced he would not seek another term. Blunt holds several Republican leadership positions and is a close ally of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

In addition, Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Richard Shelby (R-AL) are also retiring. This could give the United States Senate a very different look after 2022.

Trump and his PAC would most likely be involved in endorsing candidates for those seats. 

More Trump-endorsed Senators may be at odds with more moderate Republicans like Sens. Mitt Romney and Susan Collins.

It is an illustration that for many long-time GOP Senators, the Republican Party may no longer be their domain.

 

Now is the time to support and share the sources you trust.
The Political Insider ranks #16 on Feedspot’s “Top 70 Conservative Political Blogs, Websites & Influencers in 2021.”

The post Trump Sends Warning To GOP – He Will Not Endorse ‘RINOS,’ Sends ‘Cease And Desist’ Order appeared first on The Political Insider.