House Republicans Send Brutal Message To Pelosi – Demand Answers From Her On Security Decisions Before Capitol Riot

Posted on February 15, 2021 by LifeZette

Top Republicans from various House committees teamed up on Monday to send Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) a letter demanding answers from her on security decisions she made before the Capitol riot last month.

Republicans Send Letter To Pelosi

House Administration Committee Ranking Member Rodney Davis, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jim Jordan, House Oversight Committee Ranking Member James Comer and House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Devin Nunes sent a letter to Pelosi saying that “many important questions” about her “responsibility for the security” of the Capitol on Jan. 6 “remain unanswered,” according to Fox News.

The Republican lawmakers brought up the fact that former Capitol Police Chief Steve Sund claimed that two days before the riot, he went to the sergeants at arms to request the assistance of the National Guard.

Sund Sent Letter To Pelosi

In a letter to Pelosi last month, Sund alleged that the former Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving said he was concerned about “the optics” and didn’t feel the “intelligence supported it.”

“As you are aware, the Speaker of the House is not only the leader of the majority party, but also has enormous institutional responsibilities,” the Republicans wrote. “The Speaker is responsible for all operational decisions made within the House.”

They added that over the past two years, they have observed a “very heavy-handed and tightly controlled approach to House operations that has been exerted by yourself, your staff, and an army of appointed House officials.”

“When then-Chief Sund made a request for national guard support on January 4th, why was that request denied?” the Republicans continued. “Did Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving get permission or instruction from your staff on January 4th prior to denying Chief Sund’s request for the national guard?”

They went on to point out that when Sund notified the Sergeant at Arms of his request for national guard support, it “took over an hour for his request to be approved because the SAA had to run the request up the chain of command,” saying that chain “undoubtedly included” Pelosi and her “designees.”

Republicans Double Down

The Republicans then blasted Pelosi for her decision to “unilaterally” fire Irving and demand the resignation of Sund.

“These decisions were made in a partisan manner without any consultation of House Republicans and therefore raise questions about the political motivations of your decisions,” they wrote.

Though Pelosi claimed the day after the riot that she had demanded Sund’s resignation because he “hasn’t called us since this happened,” the Republicans said this claim was easily “refuted” by Sund, who “detailed two occasions that he briefed you on the situation on the Capitol campus—the first occurring at 5:36 p.m. and the second at 6:25 p.m., both on January 6th.”

Republicans Express Concerns

Later in the letter, the Republicans expressed concerns over the “obstruction and inability to procure and preserve information” from House officers when they have requested it.

“Such information is necessary to properly conduct oversight on the January 6th events,” they wrote.

“Preservation and production requests were sent to the SAA and the House Chief Administrative Officer, among other legislative agencies, requesting that such relevant information concerning the attack on the Capitol, including correspondence, video footage, audio recordings, and other records, be preserved and produced to the relevant committees,” they continued.

“In multiple cases, your appointees, acting on your behalf, have denied requests to produce this information,” they added. “The response we received was: ‘We regret to inform you that given the scope of the information requested and the concerns implicated by the nature of the request… we are unable to comply with the request at this time.’”

They argued that despite the officers’ “refusal to comply with the request,” they learned that “some of the same material we requested was provided to the House Judiciary Committee on a partisan basis.”

‘This Is Unacceptable’

“This is unacceptable. Madam Speaker, that direction could only have come from you,” the Republicans wrote.

“Lastly, your hyperbolic focus on fabricated internal security concerns has taken critical resources away from the real threat, which is from outside the U.S. Capitol,” they wrote.

“Your decision to install magnetometers around the House Chamber is yet another example of this misdirection and misappropriation of House resources, which could be better used to protect members, staff, and official visitors from real, confirmed threats,” the Republicans said.

“Tellingly, Madam Speaker, you have failed to comply with this requirement yourself,” they concluded. “End this political charade, and work with us to protect the Capitol and those who work here every day.”

Pelosi has yet to respond, and her office declined to comment when contacted.

This piece was written by James Samson on February 15, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

The post House Republicans Send Brutal Message To Pelosi – Demand Answers From Her On Security Decisions Before Capitol Riot appeared first on The Political Insider.

GOP Rep Says Impeachment Was Really About Dems Trying To Frame 74 Million Trump Voters As Capitol Rioters

Posted on February 15, 2021 by LifeZette

Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) spoke out over the weekend to say that the last impeachment effort against former President Donald Trump was really about Democrats trying to “equate” the 74 million Americans who voted for him with “the couple hundred criminals who came in an ransacked the Capitol.”

Johnson Reveals What Impeachment Was Really About

Johnson explained that he feels that the “ultimate goal” for Democrats with this impeachment was to frame Trump’s supporters as indistinguishable from Capitol rioters.

“They really wanted to use impeachment as a vehicle because they wanted to equate all those tens of millions of Trump’s voters and all of his supporters and everybody who came to the rally, they wanted to equate all of those people with the couple hundred criminals who came in and ransacked the Capitol,” Johnson told Breitbart News.

“If [Democrats’] new impeachment standard is to take hold, most of the party leadership in the Democrats will have to be censured or impeached themselves,” he added. “I thought Trump’s attorneys did such a great job with their video montage where they showed all these guys — even the impeachment managers themselves — using the exact same language that they were trying to incriminate the president by using.”

“[Trump] has always stood for law and order and defense of the Constitution,” Johnson said emphatically. “He’s always opposed mob violence.”

Johnson Doubles Down

Later in the interview, Johnson predicted that congressional majorities will be using impeachment as political tools more often in the future.

“You are lowering the bar [for impeachment] now. You weaponized this,” he said. “You turned it into a political weapon to be used by the majority party against a president they don’t like. You opened a Pandora’s box that we may never be able to close again.”

Johnson added that he does not believe that the impeachment effort that Democrats just carried out was what the founding fathers had in mind when they framed the Constitution.

“What the Founders had in mind when they set up this impeachment article and the idea behind it was that it would be so serious that the decorum would be so appropriate for the weight of a moment like that,” Johnson explained.

“It was sort of presupposed,” he added. “It was understood, of course, that you would afford due process. They didn’t need to spell out the federal rules of the civil procedure in the Constitution for something like this because they thought that everyone would be acting like adults.”

“This was not a constitutional exercise,” Johnson concluded. “What [Democrats] tried to do [is] to raise ‘cancel culture’ now to a constitutional level.”

This piece was written by James Samson on February 15, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

The post GOP Rep Says Impeachment Was Really About Dems Trying To Frame 74 Million Trump Voters As Capitol Rioters appeared first on The Political Insider.

Lindsey Graham Says Mitch McConnell’s Anti-Trump Speech May Come Back To Bite Republicans

Posted on February 14, 2021 by LifeZette

Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) went on Fox News on Sunday to say that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) post-impeachment speech in which he condemned President Donald Trump may come back to haunt Republicans.

Graham went so far as to say that with this speech, McConnell “put a load on the back of Republicans.”

McConnell’s Anti-Trump Speech

This came one day after McConnell claimed that Trump had committed “a disgraceful dereliction of duty” by his actions before last month’s Capitol riot, and was “practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of that day.”

While interviewing Graham, Fox News host Chris Wallace said, “Let me ask you about one person that he might be mad at and tell me if he is or he isn’t, Mitch McConnell, who made a curious speech yesterday in which he basically said the president is guilty, but that the Senate doesn’t have the power to convict, to act against a former president.”

“What did he think of McConnell’s speech, what did you think of McConnell’s speech?” he added.

Graham Responds

“Well, number one, I was a bit surprised, but I heard this in 1998. I’ve been in three of the four impeachments,” Graham replied.

“I’m sorry about that. The bottom line — in 1998, you had a lot of Democrats acquit Clinton but got on the floor and said how bad he was,” he said. “You know, Nancy Pelosi called us all cowards. I don’t think most Republicans care what she thinks.”

“I think Senator McConnell’s speech, he got a load off a chest obviously, but unfortunately he put a load on the back of Republicans,” he added. “That speech you will see in 2022 campaigns.”

“I would imagine if you’re a Republican running in Arizona or Georgia or New Hampshire, where we have a chance to take back the Senate, they may be playing Senator McConnell’s speech and asking about it as a candidate,” Graham continued.

“I imagine if you’re an incumbent Republican, they’re going to be people asking you will you support Senator McConnell in the future,” he concluded. “So I like them, Senator McConnell. He worked well with President Trump. I think his speech is an outlier regarding how Republicans feel about all this.”

This piece was written by James Samson on February 14, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

The post Lindsey Graham Says Mitch McConnell’s Anti-Trump Speech May Come Back To Bite Republicans appeared first on The Political Insider.

Alan Dershowitz Warns That ‘Cancel Culture Is Quickly Becoming American Culture’

Posted on February 14, 2021 by LifeZette

Harvard law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz went on Fox News on Sunday to blast cancel culture, which was highlighted by threats made against former President Donald Trump’s defense attorney Michael Van Der Veen.

Dershowitz Compares Cancel Culture To McCarthyism

Dershowitz compared the current situation to McCarthyism in the twentieth century, and he also planned to fight it with all that he has.

“Cancel culture is quickly becoming American culture,” he said. “You know, Common Cause, which purports to be a liberal, not a radical organization, has now demanded that Facebook keep Donald Trump off its platform.”

“We are getting liberals, Nicholas Kristof of The New York Times, saying Fox should be taken off cable networks. It’s a call for censorship,” he continued.

“I grew up during McCarthyism,” Dershowitz added. “I hated communism. But I defended the rights of lawyers to defend accused communists. And I defend today every lawyer.”

“And if any lawyer is the subject of this kind of McCarthyism, I will represent you pro bono,” he said. “I will represent you in front of universities, in front of bar associations. I’m going to dedicate myself to making sure that the new McCarthyism of the hard left doesn’t become American culture.”

Jim Jordan Weighs In

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) also weighed in on this, expressing similar sentiments to Dershowitz.

“On the day we had the impeachment vote on the house floor, I told my Democrat colleagues, I said, the cancel culture won’t just stop with Republicans. It will come after all of us in the end,” he said. “And that’s why we all have to push back.”

“If we don’t push back on this and stop it and stand up, as Mr. Dershowitz said, stand up for the Constitution and the First Amendment, it will only get worse,” Jordan added. “This is the No. 1 issue for the country to address today.”

On Saturday, the Senate voted to acquit Trump after Democrats tried to impeach him for allegedly inciting the Capitol riots last month.

Had they succeeded in impeaching him, Trump would not have been allowed to run for office in the future. The acquittal means that as of this writing, Trump will be permitted to run for president again in 2024.

This piece was written by James Samson on February 14, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

The post Alan Dershowitz Warns That ‘Cancel Culture Is Quickly Becoming American Culture’ appeared first on The Political Insider.

Gretchen Whitmer Rebuffed By Michigan County As Residents Are Told To ‘Self-Determine’ Safety Measures

Posted on February 13, 2021 by LifeZette

A Michigan county defied Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D) this week by passing a resolution that tells residents to do what is in their own self-interest when it comes to safety measures regarding COVID-19.

Michigan County Rebels Against Whitmer

Missaukee County commissioners directly went against Whitmer in saying that it is “the right and responsibility of individuals to self-determine what is best for their own health, liberty and pursuit of happiness is necessary and ensured by our Constitution, which we have taken an oath to defend and uphold,” according to meeting minutes from February 9.

“The Missaukee County Commission calls upon the Michigan Legislature to exercise their co-equal authority by adopting constitutionally sound measures which limit the unchecked exercise and abuse of executive power, which restore individual responsibility and accountability, and which return Michigan to the ranks of freedom-loving governments everywhere,” the commissioner added.

The Missaukee County Commission went on to say that it would not support county funds being used “for the purpose of arrest and prosecution of any person accused of violating” orders from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS).

This is the agency that Whitmer utilized when her executive orders were ruled unconstitutional by the state Supreme Court in October.

Commissioner Speaks Out

Commissioner Star Hughston, the sponsor of the resolution, told Breitbart that the commissioners just want residents to be treated like adults, as they believe they can make their own decisions.

Hughston added that this is not about the science behind COVID-19, and is instead about whether the governor has the right to “come down with these rules.”

“No one had the right, especially her, to tell us that we have to” wear masks, close businesses, and her various other orders, he said, adding, “We are not idiots. We can decide what is best for us, and if you choose to wear a face mask and you have health concerns, then in my opinion, you would need to wear one. But if you don’t choose to wear one, then it’s your right.”

This comes one month after Chippewa County called on Whitmer to reopen the state “immediately.”

“At this point it just doesn’t make sense anymore that we’re closed,” Commissioner Scott Shackleton told 9&10 News. “Wisconsin is open for dining—in house dining. Indiana is, Ohio is, Minnesota is, and here we sit closed up tight.”

Whitmer has become infamous in many circles over the past years for enacting some of the strictest COVID-19 measures in the country on her state.

This piece was written by James Samson on February 13, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

The post Gretchen Whitmer Rebuffed By Michigan County As Residents Are Told To ‘Self-Determine’ Safety Measures appeared first on The Political Insider.

The Trump Impeachment Trial Is A Monsoon Of Manure – Why I Refuse To Watch It

Posted on February 13, 2021 by RealClearWire

By J. Peder Zane for RealClearPolitics

I refuse to watch the impeachment trial as a matter of principle. To devote any attention to this charade would legitimize the corruption of our Constitution.

Tuning in would be a tacit acceptance of the blizzard of BS that has buried the national discourse.

At least since Donald Trump’s election in 2016, Democrats and their media allies have demanded that we view their smears and lies as high-minded pursuits of the truth. Consider:

When they insisted that Trump was a Russian asset, we were told to believe they were safeguarding national security.
When they accused Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault and even gang rape, we were told to believe they were protecting the Supreme Court.
When in 2019 they made Trump only the third president in history to be impeached – and the only one not accused of committing a high crime or misdemeanor – we were told to believe they were defending the rule of law.
When scores of BLM protests turned violent last summer, they told us to believe that the gatherings were mostly peaceful.
When antifa thugs destroyed property, beat citizens and occupied public lands, they told us to believe that the group didn’t even exist.
When some undefined, unaffiliated people online appeared to subscribe to crazy conspiracy theories involving Satan and pedophiles, they told us to believe it was a vast and highly organized group called QAnon that was intent on overthrowing the government.
When they argued that “whiteness” and “white privilege” are the underlying source of America’s problems, they told us to believe they were trying to heal the nation.
When they censored allegations of the Biden family’s corruption, they told us to believe they were fighting disinformation.
When they allowed Twitter mobs to destroy people who had once said something they didn’t agree with or like, they told us to believe that they were seeking justice.
And, when they demonize and silence the tens of millions of people who oppose their quest for domination, they tell us to believe they are seeking unity.

Those are just 10 examples; there are scores of others.

From their position of power in Washington, Hollywood, Silicon Valley and academia, progressives continually manufacture false narratives that insult reason and decency and demand that we accept them as virtuous.

They are a most dangerous type – unserious people who are deadly serious. I refuse to submit.

Syndicated with permission from RealClearWire.

J. Peder Zane is an editor for RealClearInvestigations and a columnist for RealClearPolitics.

The post The Trump Impeachment Trial Is A Monsoon Of Manure – Why I Refuse To Watch It appeared first on The Political Insider.

Impeachment 2.0 – What Does It Really Mean For America And Our Future?

Posted on February 13, 2021 by Becky Noble

On Tuesday of last week, the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump began in the Senate. We have heard tearful harrowing tales of marauding bands of Trump supporters “hunting down” Congress members and Senators.

We have seen video footage of rioters scaling the walls of the Capitol building.

It is becoming clear that the Democrats, and some Republicans, many of whom, because of their impeachment-related voting records, already have primary challengers for 2022, not only want to blame Donald Trump for the Capitol Hill riot, but prevent him from ever running for office again.

But this time, something is different. It almost seems as if they want to blame anyone who might have an iota of support for Trump

That means you, America.

Americans should really study their history & learn from it. Many democrat politicians & media outlets have begun a persecution of Trump supporters & Conservatives blaming them for the issues in our country. That's exactly what the NAZIs did to the Jews when they came to power.

— Bringbackcommonsense (@BringbackCS) February 5, 2021

Language Meant To Inflame

As usual, the Constitution is getting in the way of the Democrat agenda. The process of impeachment was never meant to be used as a club to disable politicians we don’t like.

During the first full day of impeachment hearings, House Managers played video and audio recordings of the events of January 6.

But instead of putting context to audio and visual aids, they used phrases like this, from House Prosecutor Stacey Plaskett, Democrat Delegate representing the U. S. Virgin Islands: “They did it because Donald Trump sent them on a mission.”

Another from Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX): “On Jan. 6, Donald Trump left everyone in this Capitol for dead.”

And just in case inflammatory rhetoric wasn’t enough, Democrats are now being accused of selective editing of the video of Trump telling supporters to protest at the Capitol “peacefully and patriotically.”

Trump defense lawyers claim the video has been manipulated.

Sources say that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has told fellow Senators that their vote on whether or not to convict Trump would be “a matter of conscience,” and that Senators who disputed the constitutionality of the trial could still vote to convict Trump.

Senators, you have seen the evidence.

On January 6th, President Trump left everyone in this Capitol for dead.pic.twitter.com/XYKV8PMkFn

— Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) February 11, 2021

How have We Gotten Here?

Anyone can go online and google, “Trump impeachment,” and find out what what the mainstream media is saying, what the talking heads, both liberal and conservative are saying, and you can even find a schedule of events, which must come in handy when planning a watch party.

You know when to break out the chips and beer!

What you cannot find is the answer to the most important question: what does this mean, and how dangerous is it for America?

Americans have always argued and debated. It is in our collective DNA.

But ask anyone from any walk of life in America, “when did we become so divided?”

No one seems to have a good answer.

There have always been political parties with different ideas about how to do things, but only recently did a member of one party accuse another of attempted murder.

Political parties always been wary of each others’ candidates, but only recently did we accuse them of being evil, not just because we disagreed with them, but because they merely exist.

Even in our darkest times, Americans have come together. But will that even be possible?

Democrats insist that Trump supporters, and that encompasses at least 74 million people who at the very least, cast a vote for Donald Trump must somehow be erased from modern politics.

How Are We Harming America?

In his inauguration speech, President Joe Biden spoke of unity, and even as recently as Friday, talked about treating people with respect. It remains to be seen if Americans will respect each other.

But is this impeachment of a president who left office three weeks ago, and is at least of dubious constitutional provenance, disrespecting America? Is it harming America?

The Constitution is a tough document. It has been tugged on in every way imaginable in the last 245 years. It will likely survive, but we have taken its instruction and twisted it into something it was never intended for.

The way in which impeachment has been used may well be used as a weapon on existing parties or any future parties to come.

Granted, the Founding Fathers did not specify what “high crimes and misdemeanors” were. We were left to figure that out on our own. Maybe they were too optimistic about the intelligence of future Americans.

But if the impeachment process is misused, a precedent is set that is hard to come back from. They impeach ours, we impeach theirs, and America is caught in a dangerous game of tug-o-war.

The post Impeachment 2.0 – What Does It Really Mean For America And Our Future? appeared first on The Political Insider.

Van Der Veen Owns Impeachment Trial Fourth Day

Posted on February 13, 2021 by LifeZette

In the senate impeachment trial the Democrats have generally won the show and tell with video, as the Republicans will win the case. Although, the Republican lawyers were better on Friday. This is likely due to the advice of Senators Cruz, Lee, and Graham.

Sen. @tedcruz R-Texas, sits at a computer in a meeting room for the lawyers of former President Donald Trump on the fourth day of the Senate Impeachment trials for former President Donald Trump on Capitol Hill on Friday, Feb 12, 2021 in Washington, DC. pic.twitter.com/PqEv4Z1Dpu

— Jabin Botsford (@jabinbotsford) February 12, 2021

Friday’s Standouts

Standouts on Friday were the performances of Trump lawyer David Schoen and Michael van der Veen. Bruce Castor was better on Friday, but continues to disappoint, as when he referred to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger as Ben Roethlisberger, an NFL quarterback.

The Republicans did suffer, as has been widely noted, from a disadvantage on comms. The Democrats have had a slick and persuasive media presentation, albeit a tad redundant, while Republicans have relied on one short video clip, produced with bizarrely inappropriate music in the background, that they played over and over again without respite.

Perhaps it is because Democrats enjoy broad support amongst entertainment types that they were able to put together a superior show. As someone who produced and directed GOP media for twenty years I can tell you, Republicans really need to up their game in this department.

The Democrats proved Friday they are good reading presentations but are horrible extemporaneously, as van der Veen ripped them apart piece by piece and Schoen nailed them on hypocrisy, as did van der Veen, numerous times. Democrats Plaskett and Castro especially were more than once the victims of their own missteps, savagely pounced upon by van der Veen.

Republicans Get Aggressive

As for the chronology, the Republicans opened up the day aggressively.

They challenged Democrats on every point of law and common sense and got surprisingly personal with the Democrat House managers, showing them engaged in exactly the same type of behavior they accuse Trump of, hence the accurate charge of hypocrisy. But the fun really didn’t start until the question and answer period.

Senators sent one sided questions to the advocates on their side of the aisle, some senators sending a question to both sides to try and illustrate a point or trip up the opposition.

One thing must be said at this juncture. Despite earlier concerns, Democrat Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont played it right down the middle as judge. He has behaved honorably and professionally.

Republicans Win Q&A

The Republicans overwhelmingly won the Q&A, as Democrats lied, stumbled, and tried to spin their way out of trouble, to no avail. Bill Cassidy, Republican of Louisiana, interestingly sent a question up that helped the Democrats. He’s probably a solid vote for conviction, though he may just be protecting his moderate flank.

Van der Veen, taking a major page out of the message control handbook, responded to Democrat questions by going back to his own script and almost ignoring the questions. Well played.

So while the Democrats win on comms points, the Republicans ate their lunch during question and answer. On to Saturday and the conclusion of the trial. Our guess? 56-44 for conviction. 11 short of the vote needed to convict. That’s give or take a Republican surprise or two.

That gives the immediately former president two senate impeachment exonerations in about 13 months. There could also be later votes on censure and disqualification for office. Those are simple majority votes and Trump could be in trouble there.

This piece was written by David Kamioner on February 13, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

The post Van Der Veen Owns Impeachment Trial Fourth Day appeared first on The Political Insider.

GOP Congressman Reed Announces Plan To File Criminal Complaint Against Cuomo Aide Over Nursing Home Deaths

Posted on February 12, 2021 by LifeZette

Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY) spoke out on Friday to announce plans to file a criminal complain against New York Secretary to the Governor Melissa DeRosa after a report came out stating that she had admitted to hiding nursing home COVID-19 data so that the federal government wouldn’t find out how many people died.

Reed Attacks Cuomo

“[N]ow we have Gov. Cuomo’s second in command, essentially, on a taped confession to fellow Democratic lawmakers admitting she committed criminal activity to cover up for what they were hiding from the federal officials that were responsible to get to the bottom of this, and make sure that,” Reed told Fox Business.

“We learned what happened with the COVID-19-positive order that sent 15,000 [people] to their death that Cuomo issued back in March,” he continued. “This, obviously, cannot go unaccounted for.”

“And that’s why we were arguing this in the committee yesterday, when we demanding that transparency and accountability be part of this COVID-19 package,” the Republican said. “But, most importantly, the days of Cuomo are going to be numbered in Albany here. But, most important, we need to start with this second in command.”

“I’m demanding — I’m going to be looking at filing a personal criminal complaint against this individual, today, in local law enforcement offices, as well as federal offices,” Reed continued. “Because she needs to be arrested today. [L]et’s get this second in command arrested, hopefully today, by filing this criminal complaint.”

DeRosa Admits Cuomo Admin Hid Data

This comes after DeRosa apologized to Democrat leaders for hiding the true nursing home coronavirus death toll, saying “we froze” out of fear that the true numbers would “be used against us.”

She said in a video conference that they rebuffed a legislative request for the tally in August because “right around the same time, [then-President Donald Trump] turns this into a giant political football.”

“He starts tweeting that we killed everyone in nursing homes,” DeRosa said. “He starts going after [New Jersey Gov. Phil] Murphy, starts going after [California Gov. Gavin] Newsom, starts going after [Michigan Gov.] Gretchen Whitmer.”

She went on to say that Trump then “directs the Department of Justice to do an investigation into us…And basically, we froze.”

“Because then we were in a position where we weren’t sure if what we were going to give to the Department of Justice, or what we give to you guys, what we start saying, was going to be used against us while we weren’t sure if there was going to be an investigation,” DeRosa said. “That played a very large role into this.”

DeRosa’s ‘Apology’

Instead of apologizing to the public, DeRosa apologized to Democrats for putting them in a difficult political position.

“So we do apologize,” she said. “I do understand the position that you were put in. I know that it is not fair. It was not our intention to put you in that political position with the Republicans.”

This piece was written by James Samson on February 12, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

The post GOP Congressman Reed Announces Plan To File Criminal Complaint Against Cuomo Aide Over Nursing Home Deaths appeared first on The Political Insider.

James Clyburn Issues Brutal Warning To Trump – ‘This Is Just The Beginning’

Posted on February 12, 2021 by LifeZette

House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC) went on CNN on Friday to discuss Donald Trump’s Senate impeachment trial, and he ended up issuing a major warning to the former president during his interview.

Clyburn Issues Warning To Trump

Clyburn said that he does not think Trump is “going to escape” without consequences over Capitol riots, warning the ex-president that “this is just the beginning.”

“You know, I watched very intently, especially on yesterday as the House managers closed their remarks. They were brilliant all week. They have allowed the American people to see exactly who and what Donald Trump is,” Clyburn said.

“This, to me, is a big contribution to the Republican Party,” he added. “I don’t see how they could possibly not take this opportunity to free themselves of the yoke that this man is around their necks.”

“And so, I don’t know that they’ll do it. I suspect that they’ll give him a mulligan as they did before, but Donald Trump knows very well the next mulligan he gets is going to have to be on the golf course because they’re waiting for him down in Fulton County, Georgia, as well as up in New York. I don’t think he’s going to escape this. This is just the beginning,” he concluded.

Democrats are currently trying to impeach Trump in the Senate for allegedly inciting the Capitol riots last month. If they succeed, Trump will not be permitted to run for office in the future.

Clyburn Discusses Conversation With Bush

Last month, Clyburn claimed that former President George W. Bush told him he’s “the savior” for endorsing Joe Biden during the Democratic presidential primaries.

“George Bush said to me today, he said, ‘You know, you’re the savior because if you had not nominated Joe Biden, we would not be having this transfer of power today,’” Clyburn said on a press call with reporters just before the inauguration.

“He said to me that Joe Biden was the only one who could have defeated the incumbent president,” Clyburn added.

House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC) says President George W. Bush told him he's "the savior" for his help in getting Joe Biden the nomination.

Clyburn says Bush told him Biden was "the only one who could have defeated" Trump. pic.twitter.com/lXeRGLGCLu

— The Recount (@therecount) January 20, 2021

This piece was written by James Samson on February 12, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

The post James Clyburn Issues Brutal Warning To Trump – ‘This Is Just The Beginning’ appeared first on The Political Insider.