Category: fox-news/politics/defense/wars

Johnson to meet Trump at Mar-a-Lago amid speakership threat

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., will meet former President Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Friday as the embattled House leader faces a threat to his speakership from Trump loyalist Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga.

Johnson and Trump have already been at odds on the House passing an additional $60 billion in aid to Ukraine, which Johnson has for months declined to allow the House to vote on legislation already passed by the Democratic-led Senate. 

Trump has previously stated that he would end the war within 24 hours should he be reelected, while he has also touted converting the cost of weapons transfers to Ukraine into a loan.

Trump also encouraged GOP lawmakers to successfully "kill" reauthorizing FISA, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a measure Johnson backed. The speaker is set to try again to push the measure through the House.

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Meanwhile, earlier this month, Greene authored a resolution to force the House to take a vote of no confidence in the speaker. Greene railed at Johnson for negotiating spending bills with Democrats and forgoing the GOP’s internal rule, requiring 72 hours before voting on legislation.

She is also a staunch opponent of providing more aid to Ukraine. Greene and Johnson met on Wednesday, with Greene saying she is still frustrated with the speaker’s handling of several hot-button issues.

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Nevertheless, Trump is expected to back the leadership of Johnson, who defended the former president in two impeachment trials.

In fact, Friday’s meeting has been billed as a "major announcement on election integrity," and to tout legislation that would prevent noncitizens from voting, although no further details have been provided.

The joint appearance will also give Johnson an opportunity to publicly showcase his close ties to Trump.

"It’s about Trump embracing Johnson," former Speaker Newt Gingrich said of Friday’s joint appearance, per the New York Times. "This is Trump saying, ‘He is the speaker, I am his friend, we are together.’ That’s a pretty important thing for him. He just has to endure."

The high-profile joint appearance comes days after Trump met with former U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron at Mar-a-Lago.

Trump impeachment witness Alexander Vindman accused of trying to profit off Ukraine war with defense contracts

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

Retired Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, who made waves as a witness during the first impeachment proceedings of former President Donald Trump, is now being accused of trying to profit off the war in Ukraine by pitching lucrative defense contracts through his private company.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., who was one of the sharpest critics of Vindman throughout the impeachment investigation, blasted him as an "opportunist," and accused him of undertaking continuous efforts to try and personally profit from his attacks against the Trump administration to his reported dealings in Ukraine.

The first impeachment of Trump centered around a July 2019 call in which Trump pressed Ukrainian President Zelenskyy to launch investigations into the Biden family’s actions and business dealings in Ukraine—specifically Hunter Biden’s ventures with Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma Holdings. The president’s request came after millions in U.S. military aid to Ukraine had been frozen, which Democrats and some witnesses, including Vindman, cited as a quid pro quo arrangement.

"When conservatives speak the truth, the mainstream media panics and desperately attempts to provide cover for the left. They did this for Alexander Vindman, just like they did for Hunter Biden, Dr. Fauci and teachers unions," Blackburn said, referencing liberal media outlets' staunch defense of Vindman throughout his time as a witness during the impeachment investigation.

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"Alexander Vindman has always been a political activist and opportunist masquerading behind his career. He saw an opening for personal fame and profited by exploiting the media’s outrage against President Trump," she accused.

"Vindman has spent the last three years on MSNBC and CNN attacking Republicans. Now, new revelations suggest Vindman could be profiting off the war in Ukraine, just as he did by speaking out against the Trump administration," Blackburn added.

According to a report by Human Events, a conservative digital newspaper, Vindman has been pitching the government of Ukraine to obtain defense contracts through Trident International LLC, of which he is the CEO.

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The report stated that last year, Vindman, who was born in Ukraine, pitched a project worth $12 million that his company said would address the country's problems with managing the readiness, repair and maintenance of its weapons systems by developing a center within the country to essentially operate as a middle-man between NATO and the Ukrainian military.

The center would reportedly operate in such a way that equipment and weapons could be repaired in closer proximity to the front line and cut down on the time it takes for transpiration and maintenance. 

It's unclear, however, if the project has been approved as the report stated court documents showed there was an ongoing dispute over payments related to the project.

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According to Breitbart News, Vindman appeared to confirm Human Events' report in a now deleted tweet.

"Thanks for the advert. I’m trying to get logistics in place to help Ukraine win the war and secure America. Looking for philanthropic contributions to get it going. Reach out if you support the cause of democracy and US National Security," Vindman allegedly tweeted.

Speaking with Fox News Digital, Vindman responded to the accusations by blasting Blackburn, accusing her of lying and contributing to him ultimately leaving the military.

"Ooh, Blackburn. She’s an idiot, an agent of chaos promoting disinformation. She has never said one true thing about me. Her attacks in 2019/20 contributed to an environment that made it impossible for me to continue my nonpartisan military service," Vindman said.

"More importantly, it’s the politicization of Ukraine, by the fringe right, that brought about this war, imperiling Ukraine, Europe, and most importantly the U.S.," he added.

Fox News' Brian Flood contributed to this report.