Trump anxiety among GOP senators grows as indictments appear to help him

Republican senators who don’t want to see former President Trump as their party's nominee are feeling increasingly anxious that special counsel Jack Smith is actually helping Trump's presidential campaign through his dogged pursuit of the former president. 

They fear that another round of federal charges against Trump will only further boost his fundraising and poll numbers, solidifying his possession as the dominant front-runner in the 2024 Republican presidential primary field.  

And they worry that Smith’s effect on the Republican presidential primary is being magnified by prominent House Republicans and conservative media personalities who have rallied behind Trump, effectively blotting out the rest of the GOP presidential field.  

“They wish he would go away,” said a Republican senator, who requested anonymity to comment on private conversation, of fellow GOP senators’ concerns that Smith is helping propel Trump to victory.  

“They wish they would both go away,” the senator added, referring to Smith and Trump.  

The senator said constituents are calling on colleagues to “stand by Trump,” essentially turning the GOP presidential primary into a referendum on the former president and his battles with the Biden Justice Department. 

The senator said Smith is “absolutely” the best thing going for Trump’s presidential campaign.

Trump had a 15-point lead over Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in national polls March 30, when news of the former president’s first indictment in New York on 34 felony counts related to a hush money scheme became public.  

Since then, his lead over DeSantis, his closest rival, has grown to 33 points, according to an average of recent national polls.  

A second Republican senator said the Department of Justice will further boost Trump if it brings new charges related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and stop Congress from certifying President Biden’s victory Jan. 6, 2021.  

Trump already faces 37 counts in a federal indictment related to the classified documents found at his Florida residence.

“The things that one would have thought were disqualifying can be enhancing, can be improving your standing,” said the GOP senator, who also requested anonymity to comment on how Trump’s legal battles are energizing Republican voters to embrace his campaign.  

“I should explain to my constituents who complain that the Democrats are out to ambush Trump: ‘No, they want him to be Republican nominee because he is the one who would lose,’” the senator added.  

The senator said a new federal indictment against Trump “creates increased enthusiasm among his supporters and probably brings other voters along who see this as a rotten system.”

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who hasn’t yet endorsed any presidential candidate, said Trump is getting “stronger” because of the two indictments and the potential for additional charges from the Justice Department and the Fulton County (Ga.) district attorney.  

“I think he’s getting stronger,” he said, adding, “The primary gets less and less [competitive].” 

Paul speculated that the Biden administration and its allies may be focusing prosecutorial firepower on Trump to boost him in the primary, because Democratic strategists believe Biden has a good chance of beating him again in a general election.  


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“Maybe that’s their strategy. Maybe their strategy is: 'Let’s keep indicting him. We’ll build him up because he’s the one candidate who won’t have appeal to independents.’ And that might be true,” Paul said.  

The Kentucky senator said even Republicans who aren’t Trump fans feel angry and exasperated by the severity of the charges brought against him.

“More and more Republicans, even ones who have disagreements with him, are like: ‘Really, you’re going to indict him for trying to overturn the election?’” he said.  

Paul said he thought the strategy of Trump allies trying to push alternate slates of Electoral College electors in the weeks after the 2020 election was “a stupid strategy.” 

“I voted against it. I said at the time it was a dumb strategy. So I’m against that policy, but never in my right mind would I think that it’s a crime for [Trump] to say, ‘Let’s have an alternate set of electors,’” he said.  

Senate Republican Whip John Thune (R-S.D.), who has endorsed Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) in the 2024 presidential election and has repeatedly warned that Trump is a turnoff to swing voters, said the Department of Justice has only boosted Trump’s fundraising and standing in the polls.

“That seems to have happened so far,” he said. “He seems to have benefited every time that the Justice Department goes after him. 

“I’m hoping that the dynamic changes in a way that Tim Scott starts to break out,” Thune said.  

Trump’s campaign last week sent out a fundraising email to supporters within 24 hours of receiving a letter from Smith informing him that he is the target of a grand jury investigation related to the events of Jan. 6.  

He asked his subscribers to “make a contribution to show that you will NEVER SURRENDER our country to tyranny as the DEEP State thugs try to JAIL me for life.”  

Trump raised $35 million in the second quarter of this year, during which time he pleaded not guilty in separate criminal cases in Manhattan and the Southern District of Florida.  

DeSantis reported raising $20 million in the second quarter. 

Trump has repeatedly bashed Smith to rev up his core supporters.  

He shot off a fundraising email immediately after learning that he had been indicted in early June for violating the Espionage Act and conspiring to obstruct justice because of his handling of classified documents after leaving office.  

“We are watching our Republic DIE before our very eyes. The Biden-appointed Special Counsel has INDICTED me in yet another witch hunt regarding documents that I had the RIGHT to declassify as President of the United States,” he wrote June 8. 

Trump’s strategy of villainizing Smith and the Department of Justice has proven especially effective with small-dollar donors; his campaign reported collecting $6.6 million within days of Smith announcing his first round of charges.  

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), who voted twice to convict Trump of impeachment charges and wants his party to move away from the former president, said: “In the past, an indictment would be terminal for a candidate.” 

“Donald Trump has proven that’s not the case. He was right: He could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and it wouldn’t make a difference,” he said.  

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who doesn’t think Trump can win a general election matchup against Biden, said the indictments have rallied Republican voters behind Trump "so far."

“But he hasn’t had a trial yet," he said. "That could change things."  

Trump and DeSantis debut dueling military policies

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s presidential campaign and former President Trump this week rolled out dueling plans for the U.S. military, with both GOP candidates' proposals light on details and heavy on gripes over Biden administration efforts. 

While DeSantis’s proposition took aim at Pentagon diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, recruiting woes and policies impacting transgender service members, Trump’s plan focused largely on seeking reimbursements for U.S. aid to Ukraine, lambasting Europe for what he decried as only a “tiny fraction” of what Washington had contributed. 

But as both candidates strive to stand apart from each other’s messaging, choosing to focus on different aspects of national security, experts say there appears to be little difference between the two proposals.   

“There doesn't seem to be very much daylight between the two of them on a couple of different fronts,” said Katherine Kuzminski, an armed forces expert and society at the Center for a New American Security, a Washington, D.C., think tank. 

Former President Trump pumps his fist as he departs after speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC 2023, on Saturday, March 4, 2023, at National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

“I think there's a real focus on bringing resources back to the U.S. and not extending American leadership abroad. And then, certainly, when it comes to the domestic politics, the pushes for reform within the Department of Defense when it comes to DEI policies and transgender policy,” she said.

“There isn't really a debate between the two of them on these specific issues ... When you look at their policies, they're not actually all that different,” Kuzminski said.

Here are both candidate’s messages on the U.S. military and national security: 

DeSantis’s culture war complaints 

DeSantis’s plan, unveiled at a brief news conference last Tuesday in South Carolina, doubled down on past campaign promises to “rip the woke” out of the U.S. military and overhaul the institution.  

The “Mission First” proposal includes potential six-month performance reviews for all four-star generals and admirals, and possible dismissals should anyone be found to have “promoted policies to the detriment of readiness and warfighting.” 

He also pledged to rescind Biden’s executive order that allows transgender individuals to serve under their preferred sex, rip out DEI initiatives in the services or military academies, end Pentagon efforts to combat extremism in the ranks and reinstate personnel who were dismissed for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine as well as give them backpay.  

In addition, he promised to end programs meant to prepare military installations and troops for future climate change, bashing the Pentagon for shifting, in part, to electric vehicles. 

In an interview with CNN the evening after the press conference, DeSantis claimed his policy targets Pentagon efforts that hinder recruitment and said the military is currently suffering from America’s loss in confidence in the institution. 

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis rolls out his military policy proposal during an event for his 2024 presidential campaign on Tuesday, July 18, 2023, in West Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard)

“At this level, everybody has acknowledged these recruiting levels are at a crisis. ... I think it’s because people see the military losing its way, not focusing on the mission and focusing on a lot of these other things,” DeSantis said. 

DeSantis isn’t straying far from his policy proposals already enacted as Florida governor.

While head of the state, he has banned higher education institutions from putting dollars toward diversity and inclusion programs, forbade the use of federal resources to teach students about sexual activity, sexual orientation or gender identity, and prohibited some teachings about race and U.S. history. 

But Michael O'Hanlon, a security fellow at the Brookings Institution, called DeSantis’s stance a “missed opportunity” for the former Navy officer, who served in the Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps in Iraq. 

“Cleary DeSantis is fighting the culture wars and he’s sort of staying true to his M.O.,” O'Hanlon told The Hill.  

“I think it’s probably a missed opportunity for him. … He should be trying to show he is actually capable of developing serious views on the big strategic issues of the day, which are fundamentally not about diversity, equity and inclusion within the armed forces,” he said. “I think he ought to be engaging on China and Russia, how to solve the Ukraine, how to prevent war over Taiwan.” 

And Kuzminski said there’s a misperception that the Florida governor is capitalizing on “wokeness” as a recruiting challenge in the U.S. military,  

“That is the perception of some who may have served a long time ago, but the reality of military service is that it needs to reflect the population from which it's drawn,” she said. “That's a challenge that I think a President Trump 2.0 or President DeSantis is going to run ... into if they were to win the election.” 

On Ukraine, Desantis has offered tentative comments on the conflict, insisting it wasn't a U.S. national security priority and downplaying the Russian invasion. 

“While the U.S. has many vital national interests [such as] securing our borders, addressing the crisis of readiness within our military, achieving energy security and independence, and checking the economic, cultural and military power of the Chinese Communist Party, becoming further entangled in a territorial dispute between Ukraine and Russia is not one of them,” DeSantis said in March. 

He has since walked back his comments on the war being a “territorial dispute.” 

A firefighter walks with of a resident through smoke coming from a house on fire, after cluster rockets hit a residential area, in Konstantinovka, eastern Ukraine, on Saturday, July 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)

Trump’s Ukraine-Russia War focus 

Trump, meanwhile, has long made pledges to cut back U.S. involvement in foreign wars, starting with campaign promises ahead of the 2016 presidential election.  

Trump coasted through the 2016 GOP primaries under his so-called “America First” foreign policy, intended to diminish Washington’s role on the world stage and focus more dollars at home than overseas.  

During his presidency, he continued that line of thinking, calling for a reduction in service members serving abroad and criticizing the U.S. foreign intervention as being too expensive and ineffective. 

Trump seems to be doubling down on that track with his plan for “Rebuilding America’s Depleted Military,” also released last week. 

In a prerecorded video put out by his campaign, the former president focuses largely on foreign policy, repeating criticisms over Biden’s handling Russia’s war on Ukraine. 

If reelected, he claimed, he would demand Europe pay the U.S. to rebuild its weapons stockpiles — which have pulled from heavily since February 2022 to help bolster Kyiv in its fight.  

“Less than three years ago, I’d fully rebuilt the United States military and steered America into such a strong global position,” Trump boasted. 

“Twenty-nine months later, the arsenals are empty, the stockpiles are bare, the Treasury is drained, the ranks are being hollowed out, our country has been totally humiliated, and we have a corrupt, compromised president, crooked Joe Biden, who is dragging us into World War III,” he said. 

Trump also claimed Washington’s European allies were only giving a “tiny fraction” of the assistance to Ukraine compared to the United States, and suggested Biden was “too weak and too disrespected to even ask” for reimbursement.  

Trump also said in a recent interview that he could end the war in 24 hours, a claim many found dubious. 

O’Hanlon, who called Trump’s assertions on lagging European assistance to Ukraine “incorrect,” said he appears to be banking on his past arguments on making America first. 

Kuzminski agreed that Trump’s campaign looks to be “hitting harder on making Ukraine repay us,” and “doubling down" on those statements.

While Trump hasn’t been as vocal on culture war issues in the military this time around, he has a well-documented history when it comes to his stance on transgender service members in the military.

In July 2017, he announced on Twitter, apparently out of the blue, that transgender individuals would no longer be allowed “to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military.” 

That ban was eventually rescinded by Biden via executive order shortly after he entered the White House in January 2021. 

Democrats call on Judiciary GOP to probe DeSantis’s election police

A trio of Democrat lawmakers are calling on the House Judiciary Committee's GOP leadership to investigate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis's (R) handling of the state law enforcement agency, alleging he is using it to advance his political agenda and intimidate voters.

"Given the allegations of abuse of authority, improper politicization, and voter intimidation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), I am calling on the Judiciary Committee to open an investigation and [hold a] public hearing into Florida Governor Ron DeSantis's alleged mishandling of the agency," the lawmakers wrote in a letter to House Judiciary Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).

The letter, signed by Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.), Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) and Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), noted that because the FDLE receives $57 million in federal funding, Congress has the jurisdiction to investigate whether it is using the funds for "improper and unconstitutional ends." Their letter also noted that DeSantis's launch of a voting fraud unit employed help from the FDLE, which argued against the move because due to the lack of voting fraud cases.

The lawmakers alleged that DeSantis's push for the election police force was used to intimidate voters of color, blasting the police force as a "draconian response."

DeSantis signed a bill last year that created an election police force dedicated to investigating voter fraud and other election-related crimes.

"The Governor was reportedly motivated to target these individuals — mostly Black, an overwhelmingly Democratic constituency — to placate former President Trump and his false claims that widespread voter fraud led to his defeat in 2020, despite having won the State of Florida by three percentage points," the letter reads.

The lawmakers also alleged that DeSantis abused his power by sending FDLE to the southwest border, saying the move diverted resources from the state to "score political points in the runup to his campaign for president." And the lawmakers said the governor used the agency to target his political opponent, Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren, by producing crime statistics about his jurisdiction in an effort to make him "look bad."

"We cannot be good stewards of taxpayer dollars by funding a law enforcement arm that is being weaponized for a single governor's personal political purposes," the letter stated. "Whether it is seeking to disenfranchise voters, violate civil liberties, or dig up political dirt, the FDLE under Governor DeSantis's direction requires oversight by this Committee."

The Hill has reached out to DeSantis's office for comment.

Latest Democrat Scare Tactic: Biden Calls DeSantis ‘Trump Incarnate’ At Florida Rally

With the 2022 midterm election just days away, President Joe Biden made a campaign stop in Florida on Tuesday for gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist. There, he unveiled his latest scare tactic: compare GOP candidates to former President Donald Trump.

Actually it’s more than that – some Republicans are even worse than Trump! Hence Joe Biden calling current Gov. Ron DeSantis “Trump incarnate.”

Biden was stumping for Crist at a Democrat fundraiser in Golden Beach where he said this, “Charlie is running against Donald Trump incarnate. This guy doesn’t fit any of the categories I talked about. The way he deals, the way he denies.”

Biden continued, saying, “The rest of the world is looking at us, Charlie. They’re looking at us. It is really important that a state the size of Florida … comes down on the right side of history.”

RELATED: Nearly Two Open Jobs For Every Unemployed Worker, Data Shows

Republicans Are Nazis… Until They’re Not

In Democrats’ never ending case of self unawareness, Joe Biden also warned the crowd that if elected, Republicans would increase the everyday cost of living for Americans. But if anyone in the crowd has been to the grocery store, they might have figured out that the 40-year high inflation is already happening.

But Joe Biden comparing Ron DeSantis, or any Republican, unfavorably to Trump might be a new and improved version of Democrats comparing Republicans to Hitler and Nazis, until they say something that might be seen as coming around to the Democrats side.

For those who have an attention span longer than five minutes, you may recall George W. Bush was compared to Adolf Hitler on an almost daily basis throughout his presidency. But somehow, that all miraculously evaporated in March of 2017. During an interview with then-“Today” show Matt Lauer, the two were speaking about possible Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Bush stated:

“I consider the media to be indispensable to democracy. We need the media to hold people like me to account. Power can be very addictive and it can be corrosive, and it’s important for the media to call to account people who abuse their power. We need all the answers.”

The turnaround was so fast, leftists heads seemed to be on a swivel.

Gavin Newsom declared, “I am typing these words: President George W. Bush is right. Freedom of the press is ‘indispensable to democracy.’” The editor of “ThinkProgress” Jedd Legum said, ”When did George W. Bush become a voice of reason?”

When liberals thought there was an outside chance he might make Donald Trump look bad. That’s when the former “Hitler” became a good guy, compared to “New Hitler” Donald Trump.

Former Vice President Dick Cheney was vilified for his role with Bush in the Iraq war.

But when he cut a campaign ad for daughter Liz’s congressional campaign, where he called Donald Trump a “coward,” he was welcomed on the House floor at an event where Democrats marked the anniversary of the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi glowingly stated, “We were very honored by his being here.”

RELATED: ‘Trick On Taxpayers’ Outlines Questionable Projects Funded By COVID-19 Relief

Bonus Points If A Republican Hates Trump

Like Dick Cheney, for whom all that needed to be done was to voice contempt for Donald Trump, Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, when he was GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney, had implications of racism made against him for simply running against Barack Obama.

But upon his entry into the Senate and almost immediate criticism of Trump, NBC bemoaned the fact that, at the time, Romney was an island unto himself.

The implication is clear – whoever the current top Republican is, that person is the “New Hitler.” 

Then, when the next guy comes along, they become the “New Hitler,” and the old “New Hitler” becomes, actually, just a swell guy and an example of a “good Republican.” 

That’s what Joe Biden is signaling with this “Trump incarnate” jab at Ron DeSantis. 

Sometime in the near future, we could very well see the left and media compare Donald Trump favorably to the latest villain, Ron DeSantis.

Joe Biden was recently in Florida to look at damage left by Hurricane Ian, and praised DeSantis for relief efforts. DeSantis is comfortably leading Crist by 12.3 points and is expected to win reelection.

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VIDEO: Trump Ready To ‘Run Like The Wind’ And Show the Jackals Who the Lion Is

By Dr. Derek Ellerman

Hoo boy. Donald Trump is known for being flashy, and ever since he formally entered the world of politics, he’s been known for producing (or at least sharing) some incredible, heavy-duty videos. 

Some, in fact, have been made by fans and supporters – and many times, those are just as good. 

While Trump has been flirting with another run for the Presidency – just a few weeks ago at a rally in North Carolina, he vowed “We are going to drain that damn swamp!” – it seems every move he makes begs us to ask the question of ‘will he or won’t he.’

The latest video shared by Trump (apparently produced by an outfit called The United Spot) will no doubt have his supporters raring and ready to go. 

Note: this video isn’t the one I’m referring to, but is hilarious nevertheless:

RELATED: Trump Says Biden’s ‘Armageddon’ Comments About Russia Is ‘Saying Exactly The Wrong Thing’

Enter The Lion

Trump’s video is overlaid with an epic, dramatic speech from Christopher Walken’s ‘Uncle Mike’ character from the early 2000’s film Poolhall Junkies. 

It’s a fairly well-known piece of film lore – legendary quarterback Tom Brady used it in a hype video before the playoffs in 2020.

The speech is a metaphor for the lion as king of the jungle – and he’s still king, even if some of the other, lesser denizens of the jungle need a reminder every now and then. 

Watch: 

Here’s the full monologue that plays throughout the video: 

“You got this lion, he’s the king of the jungle. Huge mane out to here. He’s laying down under a tree, in the middle of Africa, he’s so big, he’s so hot! He doesn’t wanna move. Now, the little lion cubs they start messing with him, biting his tail, biting his ears, he doesn’t do anything.

The lioness, she starts messing with him, coming over making trouble, still nothing. Now the other animals, they notice this, and they start to move in. The jackals, hyenas, they’re barking at him, laughing at him.

They nip his toes and eat the food that’s in his domain. They do this and they get closer and closer and bolder and bolder, till one day…that lion gets up and tears the shit outta everybody, runs like the wind, eats everything in his path, ’cause every once in a while, the lion has to show the jackals who he is.”

The jackals, as the video proceeds, are revealed to be Democrat impeachers Adam Schiff, Jerry Nadler, (who, it turns out, apparently knew that the first impeachment of Trump was unconstitutional, but went through with it anyway) Nancy Pelosi, and Never Trump Republicans Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger.

The latter have already learned who the lion is – with Cheney losing her Republican primary in a landslide, and Kinzinger getting redistricted out of office by Democrats as their thanks for all his hard work on their behalf. 

Actually, it’s notable in how few jackals are shown. There are hundreds, if not thousands more that could be portrayed in this context. 

RELATED: Trump Celebrates ‘Lightweight’ Never Trumper ‘Liddle’ Ben Sasse’s Resignation From Senate

Amazing Videos

After the recent FBI raid of his home at Mar-a-Lago, Trump released another brilliant video – teasing that “The best is yet to come.” 

The video opens up with an ominous warning from Trump, and even more ominous thunderstorm sounds. 

After going through the economic and foreign policy calamities of the Biden administration, it ends on a positive note – with Trump sounding exactly like a man who is preparing to run for office again. 

Watch:

Trump isn’t the only one putting out melt-your-face videos either.

RELATED: Poll Shows Conservative Latinos With a Massive Swing Toward Republicans

The GOP Learning To Make Sweet Videos

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, seen by many as the eventual successor to Trump, kicked it up a notch in his own campaign for re-election. 

The former Navy man parodied Top Gun to teach conservatives how to deal with a hostile media. 

The results are incredible. 

Watch: 

Not to be outdone by any means, MAGA Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene also took to the skies – but in a helicopter. 

She wasn’t without weapons though, she brought along an AR and invited supporters to win a trip to hunt feral hogs with her. 

If Republicans can keep churning out videos like this, conservatives can say goodbye to Hollywood altogether. 

VOTE NOW: Who had the best video?

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Report: Biden Accused of Sending ‘Clandestine’ Flights of Migrant Children to New York

A mayor in upstate New York has accused the Biden administration of conducting seemingly “clandestine” flights of migrant children into the state, with one witness claiming they thought it was “against their will.”

The news comes just weeks after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was accused of “kidnapping” illegal immigrants and sending them to Martha’s Vineyard.

The New York Post reports that at least two flights came from El Paso, Texas and arrived in Montgomery County, New York, and carried dozens of minors between the ages of 13 and 18.

The flights have all the hallmarks of what DeSantis and Texas Governor Greg Abbott have been accused of by Democrats and the media.

“This seems clandestine,” Montgomery Village Mayor Steve Brescia told the Post.

He also suggested officials were “never informed” about the flights.

“It’s just disturbing we weren’t informed of any of this,” Brescia complained.

RELATED: After Lawsuit Threat, DeSantis Produces Consent Form Used to Fly Migrants to Martha’s Vineyard

Secret Flights of Migrant Children?

The Biden administration’s flights of illegal immigrants across the country have been an open secret for some time. Officials at the White House contend there is nothing clandestine about them or the timing of their arrivals – oftentimes late at night.

The Political Insider reported in June that the Biden administration had increased migrant flights into New York – happening since at least August of 2021 – with an additional airport being utilized to handle the overflow.

A local reporter shared video and captioned it with a disclaimer stating “officials say flights are legal under U.S. immigration law.”

But Brescia’s use of the word ‘clandestine’ seems relevant, especially considering that is the exact phrasing the New York Times used in accusing DeSantis of illegality for the Martha’s Vineyard flights.

“Details have begun to emerge of the clandestine mission that was carried out,” they wrote, referencing “flights paid for with state money in possible violation of the state law that allocated the money.”

One can reasonably assume the Times will not only avoid the word ‘clandestine’ in describing the Biden migrant flights, but they will likely not even cover the story at all.

RELATED: DeSantis Says Gavin Newsom’s ‘Hair Gel’ is Affecting Brain Function After CA Governor Demands ‘Kidnapping’ Charges

The Hypocrisy is Unreal

California Governor Gavin Newsom sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland last month requesting the Department of Justice look into “kidnapping” charges for those involved in the effort to send illegal immigrants to Massachusetts.

Several Democrats and media personalities griped that DeSantis did not alert authorities at the flight destination locations and have suggested the illegals were ‘tricked’ into boarding the plane.

And on those counts, the hypocrisy is rich.

Authorities in Montgomery County were allegedly so completely left in the dark about what was happening that somebody noticing “suspicious” activity at the airport and had to alert them to the matter.

The police then had to chase down the buses taking them elsewhere.

“Police quickly intercepted the bus as it left the airport to question the chaperones and migrant kids, who hailed from Honduras, Ecuador, Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua,” the Post reports.

Additionally, the initial call to authorities “stated the witness thought he heard one of the children say they were here against their will.”

It is unclear if these flights followed established protocols for transporting illegal immigrant minors.

Montgomery County’s Deputy Police Chief Paul Arteta said adults accompanied the minors and had the paperwork on their flight plans and destinations – including “a dozen different shelters, children’s homes and ‘vetted sponsors’ across New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.”

“Taking them 2,000 or 3,000 miles further away from where they originated is just terrible,” Arteta said. “They knew they were going to be helped in some way but they had absolutely no clue what was going on.”

Republican Representative Claudia Tenney of New York called for President Biden’s impeachment over the illegal immigrant flights into her state earlier this year.

“This is a complete, aggravated dereliction of duty, which is why … I called for Joe Biden to be impeached and removed,” she demanded.

“His primary obligation as the commander-in-chief and president of the United States is to enforce our laws, to live up to his oath, to enforce our border security, and to tell the truth to the American people,” Tenney insisted.

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MSNBC’s Joy Reid Compares Floridians Evacuating Hurricane Ian to Illegal Immigrants: ‘Ironic That They Have to Pour Over the Borders and Go North’

MSNBC host Joy Reid belittled Floridians trying to escape Hurricane Ian, comparing them to illegal immigrants and suggesting it’s “ironic” they have to “pour over the borders” to get out of the state.

Reid made the comments on her show Tuesday, as Ian was strengthening into what is likely to be a catastrophic storm once it hits the Sunshine state.

Reid would have done well to test her messaging out by saying it in a mirror where she surely would have picked up on the fact that her claim is plain dumb.

But she didn’t. Instead, viewers were treated to this deep thought.

“It’s a bit ironic now that you might have Floridians having to pour over the borders and go north and get out of the state of Florida in the exact same crisis we have been talking about on a trolling level in that state for a long time,” she said.

RELATED: Top Dem Nadler Knew Trump Impeachment Process Was ‘Unconstitutional’ But Schiff and Pelosi Dismissed Him

Joy Reid Compares Florida Residents Fleeing Hurricane Ian to Illegal Immigration

The idea that people temporarily leaving their homes ahead of Hurricane Ian by evacuating to another part of the state or a neighboring state within their own country is akin to illegally entering another country altogether is as stupid as it sounds.

Which is exactly the kind of programming you’d expect from MSNBC.

And Reid doubled down.

“And be careful about attacking people who have to move to save their own lives and safety, because you never know who, it’s your people that have to move, when it’s your people who have to migrate, when it’s your people who have to get on that road,” she continued.

“So just a thought.”

But there isn’t a ‘thought’ to be found anywhere in that statement. They aren’t evacuating to another country. And in a short period, everybody will be moving back to their home.

RELATED: Matt Gaetz Warns There Are Republican Squishes Already Trying to Shut Down Biden Impeachment

Accuses DeSantis of Owning the Libs

Rest assured, liberals in the media are hoping Hurricane Ian results in a catastrophic disaster. They can’t wait for any crisis that can be used to ‘own’ Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

They’ve put on their dancing shoes.

Ironically, Reid suggested the hurricane will test DeSantis in a way he hasn’t been tested because he doesn’t work and spends most of his time allegedly on Fox News.

“Florida prepares for a monster storm, with landfall expected tomorrow,” she said during the broadcast. “Governor Ron DeSantis is going to be put to the test, forced to actually do his job. When he’s used to spending most of his time hanging out on Fox News and owning the libs.”

All while trying – and failing – to own DeSantis.

While it is true that he absolutely owns the libs, it’s usually a side benefit of doing his job. Left-wing hacks that infest the American media don’t like politicians that actually do what is good for their state or what is good for the country. That’s why he is so reviled by people like Joy Reid.

Bottom feeders like this will always have jobs on mainstream outlets as long as Republicans are successful at putting America first. Consider her continued presence to be a good sign.

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Rep. Matt Gaetz: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Could Make Presidential Run In 2024

In a weekend interview, Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz, a major Trump ally, suggested that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis might be a frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024 should former president Donald Trump decide not to run.

On the Fox News Channel, Gaetz stated that “he was proud of” DeSantis, and went on to say that, “the truth is that the Biden folks know that if Donald Trump is not the candidate in 2024, the leader of our movement will be Ron DeSantis.”

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Tackling COVID-19 In Florida

In recent days, the Biden administration has floated the idea of domestic travel restrictions, possibly targeting Florida, in the wake of a report from the CDC indicating that Florida currently has the highest amount of cases of a U.K. variant of COVID known as B.1.1.7.

DeSantis blasted the Biden White House, saying the idea of travel restrictions was “absurd” and “a political attack on the people of Florida.”

He also called out the Biden administration for suggesting the restrictions, saying it was “ridiculous to impose while relaxing restrictions on the U.S.-Mexico border.” 

While the nation is still feeling the effects of COVID, Ron DeSantis managed a state with minimal lockdowns and an elderly population that was taken care of first.

Because Florida is a state with a large portion of the population over 65, right now, it leads the nation with the highest vaccination rate among senior citizens.

Rep. Gaetz also stated, “people see that in Florida, businesses are opening, unemployment is dropping, home buying is increasing, and that type of prosperity is very attractive to people who are having to endure lockdowns in other parts of America.”  

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Is DeSantis A Name To Watch?

Ron DeSantis may become a name to watch simply for the fact that he takes on the media in Trump-like fashion.

Recently, DeSantis was criticized for Super Bowl celebrations that could possibly spread more contagious strains of COVID-19.

DeSantis fired back, “The media is worried about that obviously.” He went on, “You don’t care as much when it’s a peaceful protest, you don’t care as much if you are celebrating a Biden election. You only care about it if it’s people you don’t like.” 

DeSantis has long been a critic of what he says is a bias in the media against conservatives.

He supports a bill in the Florida legislature that would impose penalties on social media companies whose algorithms are perceived to favor one candidate over another.

RELATED: Biden Bans Use Of ‘Illegal Alien’ In Official Communications Involving Illegal Immigrants

Trump Would Be A Supporter 

There is much speculation that Donald Trump will run for a second term as president in 2024. Ron DeSantis is up for re-election for Governor in 2022.

Trump will almost certainly be an avid supporter of DeSantis’ gubernatorial re-election.

There has also been some speculation as to whether Trump may start a third party. On Saturday, seven Republican Senators voted to convict Trump on charges that he incited the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

While many of those Senators were just re-elected, one, Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) is up for re-election in 2022. Trump could very well support a primary challenger should one emerge.

Rep. Liz Cheney, who voted to impeach Trump already has a challenger for 2022, who may also enjoy support from Trump and his supporters. 

Trump also lashed out at Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) who recently made the comment that “Trump didn’t get away with anything yet.”

McConnell’s comments came after he voted against convicting Trump in his second impeachment trial.

The former president fired back, calling McConnell, “a dour, sullen and unsmiling political hack.”

If Trump remains popular in Florida – and doesn’t run for President in 2024 – it will definitely be an advantage for Ron DeSantis.

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