Rudy Giuliani Claims Left Engaged In Child Sex Trafficking

Skip to main content Manage SubscriptionLogin! subscribe Politics TV Interviews Entertainment Sports Podcasts Opinion UK Mediaite+ Mediaite Manage SubscriptionLogin! subscribe Politics TV Interviews Entertainment Sports Podcasts Opinion UK Mediaite+ Appeals Court Upholds Gag Order on Trump – But Allows Him To Criticize Jack Smith GOP Mega-Donor Slams ‘Disgraceful’ Last Months of Trump’s Presidency While Endorsing Haley on Fox News ‘I Am A Really Bad Person’: Michigan School Shooter Addresses Court Before Sentencing Elon Musk Trying to Get Disney Chief Bob Iger Fired After DealBook Disaster White House Dumps Council on American-Islamic Relations from Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia Materials Rudy Giuliani Bizarrely Claims ‘The Left’ Is Engaged In Widespread Child Sex Trafficking: ‘This Goes a Lot Deeper Than We Realize’ Candice OrtizJul 10th, 2023, 5:15 pm Twitter share button Rudy Giuliani is at it again with yet another wild rant, this time focused on what he considers a widespread endorsement of child sex trafficking from the left. These wacky claims came from Giuliani’s appearance on the Monday edition of Steve Bannon’s War Room podcast. A clip from the interaction began circulating on Twitter via Patriot Takes. During their interview, Giuliani mentioned that he finally got to see the new film Sound of Freedom. The faith-based film covers the topic of child sex trafficking and follows a federal agent on a quest to rescue children trapped in an abusive environment. Although the movie has had mixed reactions, it’s raked in an impressive $40 million since its release a week ago. The movie has been labeled “a box office triumph for QAnon believers,” by Rolling Stone magazine. And the film’s star, Jim Caviezel, has been linked to the movement. But regardless of what kind of movies you prefer to watch, Giuliani suggested on Monday that if you have criticisms about this film, you’re part of the child trafficking problem. “Everybody has to see that movie. And the left’s reaction to it is very, very telling that this goes a lot deeper than we realize. This whole perversion of our children. This is a sick thing that’s going on. When you attack a movie like this, there’s a motive for it,” Giuliani said. “Amen,” Bannon replied. Have a tip we should know? tips@mediaite.com Filed Under: Rudy GiulianiSteve Bannon Previous PostNext Post Previous PostNext Post Load Comments Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Tips Have a tip or story idea? Email us. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. Most Popular ‘We Heard Him With Our Own Ears!’ CNN’s Dana Bash Stunned By Trump Rival’s Claim Cops Incited Jan. 6 Rioters ‘I Have No Evidence But—’ NBC’s Chuck Todd Floats Trump Collusion With Debate Attack Dog Ramaswamy ‘I Was Shaking Listening to Him’: Van Jones Says Vivek Ramaswamy’s Debate Remarks ‘One Step Away From Nazi Propaganda’ ‘Pathetic and Disgusting’: McGovern Slams Marjorie Taylor Greene, Says ‘It’s Really Rich to Get a Lecture on Civility’ From Her Hot Mic Catches Megyn Kelly’s Post-Debate Panel Mocking Ron DeSantis’s Expression: ‘Looked Like You Shot His Dog’ You may also like: ‘I Hope Every American Watches That Clip’: Liz Cheney Stunned By Ex-Trump Pentagon Official Promising to Attack Media Critics Alex GriffingDec 8th, 2023, 10:59 am Biden Lashes Out At Trump With Vivid Riff on Capitol Riot During Private Fundraiser Tommy ChristopherDec 8th, 2023, 10:45 am Watch Tucker Carlson Maintain a Straight Face as Alex Jones Claims Biden Attacks Dogs and ‘Wanders Around the White House Totally Naked’ Jamie FreveleDec 8th, 2023, 10:28 am ‘That Is The Sweet Spot!’ CNN Anchor Stunned By New Jobs Report and Inflation ‘Cooling’ Tommy ChristopherDec 8th, 2023, 9:58 am Hunter Biden Blew More Than $1 Million on Adult Entertainment, Clothes, and ‘Various Women’ Instead of Paying Taxes: Indictment Colby HallDec 8th, 2023, 9:50 am Trump RAGES At ‘Trump Hating Judge’ In Jan 6 Case Day After He Appeals Her Order Denying Immunity Dismissal Tommy ChristopherDec 8th, 2023, 9:15 am © 2023 Mediaite, LLC About Us Advertise Privacy Accessibility User Agreement Ethics & Diversity Policy Contact

Republicans have normalized the crazy QAnon conspiracy theory and have made it central to their ideology.

[https://www.mediaite.com/politics/rudy-giuliani-bizarrely-claims-the-left-is-engaged-in-widespread-child-sex-trafficking-this-goes-a-lot-deeper-than-we-realize/]

Trump-appointed judge gives a ‘break’ to Jan. 6 rioter at sentencing

WASHINGTON — A federal judge nominated by former President Donald Trump gave a “break” Friday to a man who used bear spray during the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, saying he did not deserve the prison sentence requested by prosecutors. U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden sentenced Tyler Bensch, who pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts in connection with the riot, to two years of probation and 60 days home incarceration. Prosecutors had requested nine months in federal prison. “You participated in a national embarrassment,” McFadden said before imposing the sentence. “You came ready for trouble.” But, he added, Bensch’s involvement was “pretty minor” when compared to others, while noting that his age was a mitigating factor. Bensch was 19 years old on Jan. 6, 2021. “I am giving you this break because of your age” at the time and a lack of criminal history, McFadden said. “This doesn’t need to define you or your life.” Bensch was arrested in August alongside members of the “B Squad” who were associated with the far-right Three Percent movement and “Guardians of Freedom,” as well as Jeremy Liggett, a far-right extremist who ran unsuccessfully for a congressional House seat last year. Bensch pleaded guilty to disorderly and disruptive conduct on restricted grounds along with theft of government property, admitting that he helped carry a stolen police shield from the grounds of the Capitol. In an interview with the FBI after his arrest, Bensch said B-Squad members took part in firearms training and hand-to-hand combat training ahead of the attack. In their sentencing memo, federal prosecutors said Bensch “helped push others towards the violence” and carried a chemical irritant spray, which prosecutors said in court was bear spray. Bensch deployed the spray “against another rioter” that day. Recommended Hunter BidenWho is Mark Scarsi, the judge assigned to Hunter Biden’s new tax charges case? A tearful Bensch did not speak during Friday’s sentencing hearing, but his court-appointed attorney Peter Cooper said the Florida man deeply regretted his actions. Bensch, Cooper said, “didn’t have the maturity to understand what he was getting into” and “carries great remorse for what he did that day.” Cooper went on to say that Bensch hopes to start a career in law enforcement, adding that it’s “not beyond the realm of possibility” that he could do so even with his misdemeanors. Bensch is currently working for a pool cleaning company, and the conditions of his sentence will allow him to leave his home for employment during his 60 days of home detention. Bensch’s case was the impetus for the departure of a self-proclaimed FBI whistleblower to take his complaints to Republican members of Congress. Steve Friend, a former FBI special agent who was based in Florida at the time of Bensch’s arrest, had been scheduled to transport Bensch but refused to do so. Friend, according to a book he authored, told other FBI employees that he didn’t think that rioters who assaulted officers on Jan. 6 should be charged. He later testified before the GOP-led House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, a new panel that is focused on allegations that the government is unfairly targeting conservatives. Friend said he believed that federal authorities were bringing Jan. 6 defendants “to the gallows” because their cases were being tried in Washington, D.C. “They don’t stand a chance if they go to court,” Friend said. Rioters have been acquitted on many charges by both jurors and judges, with McFadden acquitting Jan. 6 defendant Matthew Martin a few months before Friend was supposed to help transport Bensch. McFadden on Friday also sentenced Bensch’s codefendant, Jonathan Rockholt, to five months in federal prison. Prosecutors had sought 13 months in prison. The Senate confirmed McFadden in 2017 in an 84-10 vote, with all opposition coming from Democrats. In a separate Jan. 6 case Friday, Barry Ramey was sentenced to five years in federal prison. Prosecutors had initially requested nine years in prison for the Proud Boy member who struck two officers with pepper spray, but U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich said that would create an unwarranted sentencing disparity. More than 1,000 people have been charged in connection with the Jan. 6 attack, and more than 300 have been sentenced to periods of incarceration. The longest sentence — 18 years — went to Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, who was convicted of seditious conspiracy. Ryan J. Reilly Ryan J. Reilly is a justice reporter for NBC News.

A federal judge nominated by former President Donald Trump gave a “break” Friday to a man who used bear spray during the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, saying he did not deserve the prison sentence requested by prosecutors.

U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden sentenced Tyler Bensch, who pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts in connection with the riot, to two years of probation and 60 days home incarceration. Prosecutors had requested nine months in federal prison.

[https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna93170]

Trump Asked About I.R.S. Inquiry of F.B.I. Officials, Ex-Aide Says Under Oath – The New York Times

Skip to contentSkip to site index Politics Today’s Paper Trump Investigations Where the Inquiries Stand Tracking the Cases How the Cases Compare What if Trump Is Convicted? Possible Trial Dates AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENT Supported bySKIP ADVERTISEMENT Trump Asked About I.R.S. Inquiry of F.B.I. Officials, Ex-Aide Says Under Oath In a court filing, John Kelly, who was a chief of staff under Donald Trump, said the former president had asked about having the tax agency look into Peter Strzok and Lisa Page. Share full article John Kelly, a former White House chief of staff, in 2018.Credit…Doug Mills/The New York Times By Michael S. Schmidt July 7, 2023 John F. Kelly, who served as former President Donald J. Trump’s second White House chief of staff, said in a sworn statement that Mr. Trump had discussed having the Internal Revenue Service and other federal agencies investigate two F.B.I. officials involved in the investigation into his campaign’s ties to Russia. Mr. Kelly said that his recollection of Mr. Trump’s comments to him was based on notes that he had taken at the time in 2018. Mr. Kelly provided copies of his notes to lawyers for one of the F.B.I. officials, who made the sworn statement public in a court filing. “President Trump questioned whether investigations by the Internal Revenue Service or other federal agencies should be undertaken into Mr. Strzok and/or Ms. Page,” Mr. Kelly said in the statement. “I do not know of President Trump ordering such an investigation. It appeared, however, that he wanted to see Mr. Strzok and Ms. Page investigated.” Mr. Kelly’s assertions were disclosed on Thursday in a statement that was filed in connection with lawsuits brought by Peter Strzok, who was the lead agent in the F.B.I.’s Russia investigation, and Lisa Page, a former lawyer in the bureau, against the Justice Department for violating their privacy rights when the Trump administration made public text messages between them. The disclosures from Mr. Kelly, made under penalty of perjury, demonstrate the extent of Mr. Trump’s interest in harnessing the law enforcement and investigative powers of the federal government to target his perceived enemies. In the aftermath of Richard M. Nixon’s presidency, Congress made it illegal for a president to “directly or indirectly” order an I.R.S. investigation or audit. The New York Times reported last July that two of Mr. Trump’s greatest perceived enemies — James B. Comey, whom he fired as F.B.I. director, and Mr. Comey’s deputy, Andrew G. McCabe — were the subject of the same type of highly unusual and invasive I.R.S. audit. It is not known whether the I.R.S. investigated Mr. Strzok or Ms. Page. But Mr. Strzok became a subject in the investigation conducted by the special counsel John Durham into how the F.B.I. investigated Mr. Trump’s campaign. Neither Mr. Strzok nor Ms. Page was charged in connection with that investigation, which former law enforcement officials and Democrats have criticized as an effort to carry out Mr. Trump’s vendetta against the bureau. Mr. Strzok is also suing the department for wrongful termination. Mr. Strzok and Ms. Page exchanged text messages that were critical of Mr. Trump and were later made public by Rod J. Rosenstein, then the deputy attorney general under Mr. Trump, as he faced heavy criticism from Republicans on Capitol Hill who were trying to find ways to undermine him. The sworn statements from Mr. Kelly are similar to ones he made to The New York Times in November, in which he said that Mr. Trump had told him that he wanted a number of his perceived political enemies to be investigated by the I.R.S., including Mr. Comey, Mr. McCabe, Mr. Strzok and Ms. Page. Mr. Kelly told The Times last year that Mr. Trump’s demands were part of a broader pattern of attempts to use the Justice Department and his authority as president against people who had been critical of him, including seeking to revoke the security clearances of former top intelligence officials. In the sworn statement, Mr. Kelly said that Mr. Trump had discussed having the security clearances of Mr. Strzok and Ms. Page revoked, although Mr. Kelly did not take action on the idea. Mr. Kelly said that his notes showed that Mr. Trump discussed the investigations of the two on Feb. 21, 2018. “I did not make a note of every instance in which then President Trump made a comment about Mr. Strzok and Ms. Page,” Mr. Kelly said. “President Trump generally disapproved of note-taking in meetings. He expressed concern that the notes might later be used against him.” Mr. Kelly said that he never took any steps to follow through on Mr. Trump’s desires to have his enemies investigated. Mr. Trump has said he knew nothing about the audits of Mr. Comey and Mr. McCabe and their spouses. The I.R.S.’s inspector general found last year that Mr. Comey and Mr. McCabe had been randomly selected for the audits, though the inspector general’s report acknowledged some deviations from the I.R.S.’s rigorous rules for random selection when the agency made final selections of the returns that would be audited. Mr. Kelly told The Times last year that Mr. Trump had at times discussed using the I.R.S. and the Justice Department to address others in addition to Mr. Comey, Mr. McCabe, Mr. Strzok and Ms. Page. They included, Mr. Kelly said, the former C.I.A. director John O. Brennan; Hillary Clinton; and Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and the owner of The Washington Post, whose coverage often angered Mr. Trump. Michael S. Schmidt is a Washington correspondent covering national security and federal investigations. He was part of two teams that won Pulitzer Prizes in 2018 — one for reporting on workplace sexual harassment and the other for coverage of President Trump and his campaign’s ties to Russia. More about Michael S. Schmidt A version of this article appears in print on , Section A, Page 14 of the New York edition with the headline: Trump Asked About an I.R.S. Inquiry of F.B.I. Officials. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe Share full article AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENT Site Index Site Information Navigation © 2023 The New York Times Company NYTCo Contact Us Accessibility Work with us Advertise T Brand Studio Your Ad Choices Privacy Policy Terms of Service Terms of Sale Site Map Canada International Help Subscriptions Manage Privacy Preferences

John F. Kelly, who served as former President Donald J. Trump’s second White House chief of staff, said in a sworn statement that Mr. Trump had discussed having the Internal Revenue Service and other federal agencies investigate two F.B.I. officials involved in the investigation into his campaign’s ties to Russia.

Mr. Kelly said that his recollection of Mr. Trump’s comments to him was based on notes that he had taken at the time in 2018. Mr. Kelly provided copies of his notes to lawyers for one of the F.B.I. officials, who made the sworn statement public in a court filing.

“President Trump questioned whether investigations by the Internal Revenue Service or other federal agencies should be undertaken into Mr. Strzok and/or Ms. Page,” Mr. Kelly said in the statement. “I do not know of President Trump ordering such an investigation. It appeared, however, that he wanted to see Mr. Strzok and Ms. Page investigated.”

-The New York Times

[https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/07/us/politics/trump-kelly-irs-fbi-strozk-page.html]

The Far Right Is Already Using the Philadelphia Shooting to Smear Trans People

Sign InCreate Account + English VICE Video TV News Tech Rec Room Life Horoscopes Entertainment Games Music Health Money Drugs Identity Environment Travel Sex VICE Magazine Shop Merch The Gender Spectrum Collection VICE Sign InCreate Account Video TV Podcasts Apps Newsletters VICE Voices Rec Room Input for searching articles, videos, shows News Tech Rec Room Life Horoscopes Entertainment Games Music Health Money Drugs Identity Environment Travel Sex VICE Magazine Shop Merch The Gender Spectrum Collection About Jobs Partner VICE Voices Content Funding on VICE Security Policy Privacy & Terms Accessibility Statement © 2023 VICE MEDIA GROUP The Far Right Is Already Using the Philadelphia Shooting to Smear Trans People There’s no evidence the suspect was trans, and he posted repeatedly about his pro-gun stance and his support for former president Donald Trump. by David Gilbert July 5, 2023, 2:03pm Share Tweet Snap Police work the scene of a shooting on July 3, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Drew Hallowell/Getty Images) A 40-year-old man has been charged with five counts of murder after he allegedly shot victims at random at Independence Day celebrations in a working class neighborhood of Philadelphia on Monday. Even before law enforcement officials named the suspect as Kimbrady Carriker on Wednesday morning, Republican lawmakers and members of the far right were falsely claiming the suspect is transgender, and are using this as part of their broader attack on the LGBTQ+ community. Advertisement Police responded to shots fired in the Kingsessing area of the city around 8:30p.m. on Monday evening. The heavily armed suspect shot and killed a 31-year-old man inside his home before randomly shooting four more victims aged between 15 and 59 on the streets. Two other victims, aged 2 and 13, suffered from gunshot wounds to the leg and are in a stable condition in hospital, police said. Police chased the suspect and he was arrested in an alley. Police found an AR-style assault rifle, a pistol, extra magazines, a police scanner, and a bulletproof vest on the suspect. “On what was supposed to be a beautiful summer evening, this armed and armored individual wreaked havoc, firing with a rifle at their victims seemingly at random,” Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said Tuesday afternoon. Police say the shooter acted alone, and they have found no motive for the attack so far. Carriker was formally charged with five counts of murder on Wednesday morning, along with several other charges including assault and possessing a firearm without a license. Appearing in court on Wednesday, the suspect was denied bail. “Public safety is clearly an issue. There are no set conditions to ensure the safety of the community,” Judge Naomi Williams said, local news station 6ABC reported. He will appear in court again on July 24. Advertisement The suspect is a 40-year-old IT professional who lives in the neighborhood. On his now-deleted Facebook page, reviewed by VICE News, he posted repeatedly about his second amendment rights, his pro-gun stance, his support for former president Donald Trump, and his disdain for President Joe Biden. But members of the far right have jumped on a handful of pictures, posted on the account three months ago, that show the suspect with long braided hair and wearing women’s clothing. These images were enough for Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene to conclusively state: “Another trans shooter,” citing an article published in the far-right conspiracy blog the Post Millennial. Beyond the pictures posted to the suspect’s Facebook account, there is no available evidence to suggest that they are transgender. Members of the far right also jumped on a single image of a clenched fist on the suspect’s Facebook page to claim the suspect “has been identified as a Trans/BLM activist,” even though there is no evidence beyond the single picture to suggest they were an activist. Tina Rosette, 49, told the Philadelphia Inquirer that she lived with the suspect for about a year in 2021 and found him to be “really smart, intelligent, creative.” Rosette’s daughter, who also lived with the suspect, said she had to rebuff a romantic advance from the suspect during that time. Advertisement A review of the suspect’s Facebook account by VICE News suggests he was more concerned about stopping gun control legislation than about Black Lives Matter. “This y’all president,” the suspect wrote under a video of Biden. “We said 2A defends our rights. Now its god save the queen while he attempts to take our arms,” referencing a recent gun safety speech the president gave which he ended by saying, “God save the queen.”In another post with a link to a video about Biden pushing gun control measures, he wrote: “I told you he wanted your rights. GOD SAVE THE QUEEN SAYS BIDEN.” In another recent post on his Facebook account, the suspect shared a video of children using guns, and in what was his final activity on the site before he allegedly killed five people, he posted a link to a YouTube video from a gun company teasing the release of a new high-powered rifle. The suspect was also posted repeatedly about Trump. In May, he shared a post entitled: “Who supports Trump in 2024,” which featured an American flag emblazoned with the words “God, Guns & Trump.” In another post, the shooter wrote about doing “community patrols” and being sad at what he observed. “During community patrols I have notice a big shame [sic]. So many of our 50 + 60 + 70 year old elders are influencing the youth negatively. They are without a doubt promoting and participating in robbing, prostitution, scamming, and murder. When one of their monsters is killed they cry foul. Boohoo, these pillars; these old ass people who should know better kill our youth.” The speed with which pundits and politicians on the right exploited the tragedy to spread transphobia hate is part of a much broader campaign by the right to undermine LGBTQ protections in law and endanger the lives of members of that community. In March, many on the right used the shooting deaths of six people at a school in Nashville, Tennessee, to demonize the LGBTQ community, after the 28-year-old shooter was identified as a transgender person. “How much hormones like testosterone and medications for mental illness was the transgender Nashville school shooter taking?” Greene tweeted at the time. “Everyone can stop blaming guns now.” Want the best of VICE News straight to your inbox? Sign up here. Tagged:Philadelphia mass shootingMass ShootingKingsessingKimbrady CarrikerAnti-transtransgenderMarjorie Taylor Greeneandy ngo Get the latest from VICE News in your inbox. Sign up right here. Your Email: Subscribe By signing up, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy & to receive electronic communications from Vice Media Group, which may include marketing promotions, advertisements and sponsored content. Advertisement About Jobs Partner VICE Voices Content Funding on VICE Security Policy Privacy & Terms Accessibility Statement © 2023 VICE MEDIA GROUP

The far-right and the Rupert Murdoch empire, including Fox News and the New York Post, are working together to convince its people that the July 4th mass shooter in Philadelphia was carried out by a transgender woman because the shooter had *one* photo on his social media page wearing a dress, and using it to smear all LGBTQ people as dangerous.

This includes:
* MTG: https://twitter.com/repmtg/status/1676290381002973214
* NY Post: https://nypost.com/2023/07/04/kimbrady-carriker-ided-as-philadelphia-gunman-accused-of-killing-5/amp/

The reality is, there’s no evidence the suspect was trans, quite the opposite, and he posted repeatedly about his pro-gun stance, his support for former president Donald Trump, and false conspiracies about Joe Biden.

(More info about the shooter’s motives: https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/05/us/philadelphia-shooting-wednesday/index.html)

[https://www.vice.com/en/article/epvpqj/philadelphia-shooting-suspect-far-right-transgender-false-claims?utm_source=email&utm_medium=editorial&utm_content=news&utm_campaign=230705]

DeSantis campaign shares anti-Trump video that has drawn criticism from LGBTQ Republicans

A prominent group that represents LGBTQ conservatives says a video shared by Ron DeSantis ′ presidential campaign that slams rival Donald Trump for his past support of gay and transgender people “ventured into homophobic territory.” The “DeSantis War Room” Twitter account shared the video on Friday — the last day of June’s LGBTQ+ Pride Month — that features footage of Trump at the Republican National Convention in 2016 saying he would “do everything in my power to protect our LGBTQ citizens.” Trump had been pledging protection from terrorist attacks weeks after the shootings at the Pulse Nightclub, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, that was the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history at that time. The video also highlights “LGBTQ for Trump” T-shirts sold by the former president’s campaign and his past comments saying he would be comfortable with Caitlyn Jenner, the former Olympic decathlete who came out as a transgender woman in 2015, using any bathroom at Trump Tower and OK with transgender women competing one day in the Miss Universe pageant, which Trump owned at the time of those remarks. The video then suddenly veers in a different direction, accompanied by dark, thumping music and images of DeSantis, the Florida governor who is trailing Trump by wide margins in the polls for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. It promotes headlines that DeSantis signed “the most extreme slate of anti-trans laws in modern history” and a “draconian anti-trans bathroom bill.” The images are spliced together with footage of muscular, shirtless men and several Hollywood actors, including Brad Pitt, seen wearing a leather mask from the movie “Troy.” “To wrap up ‘Pride Month,’ let’s hear from the politician who did more than any other Republican to celebrate it,” the DeSantis campaign tweeted. The video drew immediate criticism from prominent LGBTQ+ Republicans, including the Log Cabin Republicans, which bills itself as the nation’s “largest Republican organization dedicated to representing LGBT conservatives.” “Today’s message from the DeSantis campaign War Room is divisive and desperate. Republicans and other commonsense conservatives know Ron Desantis has alienated swing-state and younger voters,” the group said in a tweet, adding that DeSantis’ “extreme rhetoric goes has just ventured into homophobic territory.” The group said his “rhetoric will lose hard-fought gains in critical races across the nation. This old playbook has been tried in the past and has failed — repeatedly.” The post said DeSantis’ “naive policy positions are dangerous and politically stupid.” Jenner accused DeSantis’ campaign of using “horribly divisive tactics!” “DeSantis has hit a new low,” Jenner wrote on Twitter. Representatives of the DeSantis campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment Saturday. Recommended Politics NewsHunter Biden argues his GOP critics are trying to ‘kill’ him to destroy his father’s presidency But Christina Pushaw, the campaign’s rapid response director, said in a tweet Friday night: “Opposing the federal recognition of ‘Pride Month’ isn’t ‘homophobic.’ We wouldn’t support a month to celebrate straight people for sexual orientation, either… It’s unnecessary, divisive, pandering.” The video comes as Republicans have been wading into increasingly hostile anti-LGBTQ territory, attacking Pride Month celebrations, trying to ban displays of rainbow Pride flags and passing legislation to limit drag shows, along with broad attacks on transgender rights. That rhetoric has seeped into the GOP presidential campaign, taking a prominent role that had been absent during recent past competitive primaries, including in 2016, when Trump, a New York reality TV star, generally presented himself as a supporter of LGBTQ rights. DeSantis leaned in on anti-LGBTQ+ legislation as he prepared to jump into the 2024 White House race. He signed legislation banning classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in all grades, banned gender-affirming care for minors, targeted drag shows, restricted discussion of personal pronouns in schools and forced people to use bathrooms that align with the sex assigned at birth. DeSantis also went after President Joe Biden for prominently displaying the Pride flag at the White House last month. Trump himself pledged in a speech Friday that if elected, he would sign executive orders on his first day in office to cut federal money for any school pushing “transgender insanity” and to instruct federal agencies “to cease the promotion of sex or gender transition at any age.” Hospitals and health care providers offering gender-affirming care for minors should be deemed in violation of federal health and safety standards and lose federal funding, he said. Both Trump and DeSantis have also railed against transgender women participating in women’s sports and have referred to gender-affirming care for minors as “mutilation.” At Trump’s rally in Pickens, South Carolina, on Saturday, the crowd booed when Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., referenced to Pride month. “The rainbow belongs to God,” she said. While such rhetoric appeals to the party’s conservative base, it risks alienating the more moderate and swing voters who generally decide the outcomes of general elections. The video, originally posted by the pro-DeSantis “@ProudElephantUS” account, was shared hours after the Supreme Court’s conservative majority ruled that a Christian graphic artist who wants to design wedding websites can refuse to work with same-sex couples. The decision marked a major defeat for gay rights, with one of the court’s liberal justices writing in a dissent that the decision’s effect would be to “mark gays and lesbians for second-class status.”

When @[100044410750288:2048:Ron DeSantis] released a blatantly bigoted and homophobic ad to attack Donald Trump over his past comments lightly supporting the LGBTQ community, there was very rare condemnation on the right except for the gay Republican group, The Log Cabin Republicans.

The problem is headlines and articles like this @[100059456233501:2048:NBC News] article make it seem as if the Log Cabin Republicans are more influential than they actually are.

For example, for decades the Log Cabin Republicans have been barred from CPAC, America’s largest conservative political conference.
(See: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/2022/08/05/shunned-from-state-gop-convention-gay-republicans-say-they-feel-more-welcome-at-cpac/?outputType=amp)

Log Cabin Republicans are rarely given airtime on Fox News, and are generally seen in conservative circles as a laughing stock.

Modern Republicans are an anti-gay party, writing in their political platform that gay Americans are second class citizens.
(See: https://prod-cdn-static.gop.com/static/home/data/platform.pdf)

The fact that Republicans are a party of hatred and discrimination completely gets missed by national news media who for some strange reason still hold on to an idea that both political parties are working towards an inclusive Western-style democracy.

[https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna92213]

Ron DeSantis criticized over ‘homophobic’ video | Reuters

Skip to main content Exclusive news, data and analytics for financial market professionalsLearn more aboutRefinitiv Reuters home World Business Markets Sustainability Legal Breakingviews Technology Investigations More My View Register United States Ron DeSantis criticized over ‘homophobic’ video By Jason LangeJuly 1, 20238:09 PM UTCUpdated ago Florida Governor Ron Desantis addresses Iowa residents on his second day of campaigning as an official candidate for the 2024 U.S. Republican presidential nomination, at Sun Valley Barn in Pella, Iowa, U.S. May 31, 2023. REUTERS/Scott Morgan/File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights WASHINGTON, July 1 (Reuters) – Gay Republicans criticized as “homophobic” a video posted by Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis’ campaign highlighting rival Donald Trump’s past statements in support of gay rights, and the former president declined at a rally on Saturday to respond to the attack. Florida Governor DeSantis’ campaign posted the video on Twitter late on Friday, saying it marked the end of a month of LGBTQ+ pride celebrations. “To wrap up Pride Month, let’s hear from the politician who did more than any other Republican to celebrate it,” the campaign said in presenting the video. It contrasted Trump’s 2016 pledge to “do everything in my power to protect our LGBTQ citizens” with DeSantis’ own hardline conservatism regarding transgender and other LGBTQ+ rights. It was unclear who originally produced the video, which featured a montage of muscle-bound men, bolts of electricity flying from DeSantis’ eyes, and activists lamenting what they characterized as his efforts to restrict transgender rights. “This is undeniably homophobic,” Richard Grenell – who was the first openly gay White House Cabinet official as acting director of national intelligence during Trump’s 2017-2021 administration – said on Twitter late on Friday. As governor, DeSantis has backed state laws aimed at restricting medical treatment for transgender children and barring minors from attending drag shows in Florida. His campaign did not respond on Saturday to a request for comment. At a rally in Pickens, South Carolina, Trump did not acknowledge the broadside from the campaign for DeSantis, who trails far behind the former president in public opinion polls and is working to build support with hard-right positions on abortion, transgender rights and other issues. Instead, Trump, over the course of an hour-long campaign speech, repeatedly criticized sporting events that have allowed transgender women to participate in women’s competitions. “I will keep men out of women’s sports,” he vowed. Trump pledged at the 2016 Republican National Convention to protect gay rights. But, as president, he was criticized when he banned transgender people from serving in the military and his administration proposed stripping protections for transgender people facing healthcare discrimination. Asked on Saturday for a comment on the video, Trump’s campaign pointed to a tweet posted Friday night in which Trump adviser Jason Miller said “somebody’s getting fired” over the DeSantis campaign’s post. Miller did not elaborate. The Log Cabin Republicans, a conservative group that advocates for gay rights, said Republicans need to stand up against “radical Left gays” but that DeSantis had gone too far. “DeSantis and his team can’t tell the difference between commonsense gays and the radical Left gays,” the group said in a tweet late on Friday, saying the presidential hopeful “has just ventured into homophobic territory.” Reporting by Jason Lange in Washington; Additional reporting by Nathan Layne in Wilton, Connecticut and by David Brunnstrom in Washington; editing by Jonathan Oatis Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. 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@[100044410750288:2048:Ron DeSantis] created the most bigoted advertisement in recent memory because he knows bigotry is key to a Republican primary.

[https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-presidential-hopeful-desantis-criticized-over-homophobic-video-2023-07-01/]

Trump supporters boo, call Lindsey Graham a ‘traitor’ at South Carolina rally | The Hill

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Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., speaks to reporters about the indictment of former President Donald Trump during a media availability on Wednesday, April 5, 2023, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard) Supporters of former President Trump booed and called South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham (R) a “traitor” at a rally in the senator’s home state on Saturday. “Thank y’all for coming. Thank you very much,” Graham said in response to a chorus of boos at the rally for the former president in Pickens, S.C. “Just calm down for a second. I think you’ll like this,” he added, after waiting several minutes for the crowd to settle to no avail. Graham, who has had an on-and-off relationship with Trump over the years, touted the “common ground” that he and the former president have found on Saturday. “It took a while to get there folks, but let me tell you what happened,” he said. “I’ve come to like President Trump and he likes himself and we got that in common. And I’m gonna help him become president of the United States.” “So let me tell you how you win an election folks — you get people together that don’t agree all the time to agree on the most important things,” Graham added. “My hope is we can bring this party together cause he’s gonna be our nominee.” The South Carolina senator, who at one point called Trump a “race-baiting, xenophobic religious bigot” during the 2016 campaign, became one of the president’s fiercest supporters in the Senate during his administration. Graham briefly turned against Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. However, he ultimately endorsed the former president’s 2024 White House bid. The senator has recently defended Trump in the face of two indictments, saying last month that the latest charges made the former president “stronger” than before. Tags 2024 GOP presidential primary 2024 presidential election Donald Trump Lindsey Graham South Carolina Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. 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@[100044463815168:2048:Lindsey Graham] was booed for several minutes by Trump fans at today’s MAGA Klan rally, booed while he was trying to speak, and booed when he exited.

Trump then later insulted Graham to his face, as the crowd again booed at him.

Lindsey Graham will continue to support Trump, not only because he is the Republican leader but also because Trump laveshes Graham with free stuff at Mar-a-Lago.
(See: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/575226-grisham-graham-was-using-trump-to-mop-up-the-freebies-like-there-was-no/amp/)

[https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4077580-trump-supporters-boo-call-lindsey-graham-a-traitor-at-south-carolina-rally/amp/]

Trump and DeSantis court Moms for Liberty in a sign of the group’s rising influence over the GOP | AP News

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Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day. twitter instagram facebook The Associated Press ap.org Careers Advertise with us Contact Us Accessibility Statement Cookie Settings Terms of Use Privacy Policy More From AP News About AP News Values and Principles AP’s Role in Elections AP Leads AP Definitive Source Blog AP Images Spotlight Blog AP Stylebook Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. Israel-Hamas war Hunter Biden’s tax charges Michigan school shooter sentencing Harvard president apologizes Your weekend guide Politics Trump and DeSantis court Moms for Liberty in a sign of the group’s rising influence over the GOP An annual gathering of Moms for Liberty is drawing Republican presidential candidates and criticism from protestors outside the event. The group has quickly become a force in conservative politics advocating for “parental rights” in education. (June 30) Photos 14 1 of 14 | Former President Donald Trump poses for a photo as he visits Pat’s King of Steaks in Philadelphia, Friday, June 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Read More 1 of 14 Former President Donald Trump poses for a photo as he visits Pat’s King of Steaks in Philadelphia, Friday, June 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More 2 of 14 | Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at the Moms for Liberty meeting in Philadelphia, Friday, June 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Read More 2 of 14 Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at the Moms for Liberty meeting in Philadelphia, Friday, June 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More 3 of 14 | Former President Donald Trump speaks at the Moms for Liberty meeting in Philadelphia, Friday, June 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Read More 3 of 14 Former President Donald Trump speaks at the Moms for Liberty meeting in Philadelphia, Friday, June 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More 4 of 14 | Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis arrives to speak at the Moms for Liberty meeting in Philadelphia, Friday, June 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Read More 4 of 14 Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis arrives to speak at the Moms for Liberty meeting in Philadelphia, Friday, June 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More 5 of 14 | Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at the Moms for Liberty meeting in Philadelphia, Friday, June 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Read More 5 of 14 Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at the Moms for Liberty meeting in Philadelphia, Friday, June 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More 6 of 14 | Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at the Moms for Liberty meeting in Philadelphia, Friday, June 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Read More 6 of 14 Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at the Moms for Liberty meeting in Philadelphia, Friday, June 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More 7 of 14 | Demonstrators gather outside the Moms for Liberty meeting in Philadelphia, Friday, June 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Read More 7 of 14 Demonstrators gather outside the Moms for Liberty meeting in Philadelphia, Friday, June 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More 8 of 14 | Demonstrators gather outside the Moms for Liberty meeting in Philadelphia, Friday, June 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Joe Lamberti) Read More 8 of 14 Demonstrators gather outside the Moms for Liberty meeting in Philadelphia, Friday, June 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Joe Lamberti) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More 9 of 14 | Demonstrators gather outside the Moms for Liberty meeting in Philadelphia, Friday, June 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Joe Lamberti) Read More 9 of 14 Demonstrators gather outside the Moms for Liberty meeting in Philadelphia, Friday, June 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Joe Lamberti) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More 10 of 14 | Former President Donald Trump visits Pat’s King of Steaks in Philadelphia, Friday, June 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Read More 10 of 14 Former President Donald Trump visits Pat’s King of Steaks in Philadelphia, Friday, June 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More 11 of 14 | Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley speaks at the Moms for Liberty meeting in Philadelphia, Friday, June 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Read More 11 of 14 Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley speaks at the Moms for Liberty meeting in Philadelphia, Friday, June 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More 12 of 14 | Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley speaks at the Moms for Liberty meeting in Philadelphia, Friday, June 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Read More 12 of 14 Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley speaks at the Moms for Liberty meeting in Philadelphia, Friday, June 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More 13 of 14 | Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley speaks at the Moms for Liberty meeting in Philadelphia, Friday, June 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Read More 13 of 14 Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley speaks at the Moms for Liberty meeting in Philadelphia, Friday, June 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More 14 of 14 | Former President Donald Trump speaks at the Moms for Liberty meeting in Philadelphia, Friday, June 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Read More 14 of 14 Former President Donald Trump speaks at the Moms for Liberty meeting in Philadelphia, Friday, June 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Read More By ALI SWENSON and JILL COLVIN Published [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The two leading contenders for the Republican presidential nomination courted conservative women at the Moms for Liberty conference in Philadelphia on Friday, elevating a group that has gained substantial influence within the GOP with its fierce opposition to instruction related to race and gender identity in the nation’s classrooms. Both former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appeared eager to out-flank the other as they labeled gender-affirming care “mutilation” and talked up their efforts to eliminate critical race theory. DeSantis vowed to “fight the woke,” while Trump blasted what he called “the toxic poison of gender ideology” and “sick creed of woke communism.” While the graphic rhetoric resonates with the most active part of the GOP base, as evidenced by the enthusiastic reception both received, it could turn off more moderate voters in a general election. The group, which was founded in Florida in 2021 to fight local COVID school mask mandates and quarantine requirements, has quickly become a force in conservative politics. But it has also been accused of preaching hate, with the Southern Poverty Law Center recently labeling it an “extremist” organization for allegedly harassing community members, advancing anti-LGBTQ+ misinformation and fighting to scrub diverse and inclusive material from lesson plans. Other news Ex-Philadelphia labor leader convicted of embezzling from union to pay for home renovations, meals Man charged with murder in Philadelphia store stabbing that killed security guard, wounded another 76ers’ Kelly Oubre Jr. scoffs at questions about legitimacy of his injury, calls hit-and-run serious The conference, being held at a downtown hotel, nonetheless drew a handful of leading Republican presidential candidates. DeSantis praised the group for “coming under attack by the left,” saying it was “a sign that we are winning this fight.” He ran through his efforts in Florida to ban discussions of race and sexual identity in classrooms as well as certain books from school libraries. And he pledged to “fight the woke” as president. “I think what we’ve seen across this country in recent years has awakened the most powerful political force in the country: Mama bears. And they’re ready to roll,” he said, predicting moms would be “the key political force for this 2024 cycle.” “2024 is going to be the year when the parents across the country finally fight back,” he said. Trump, too, accused the “radical left” of “slandering Moms for Liberty as a so-called hate group. “But Moms for Liberty is no hate group,” he said. “You are joyful warriors, you are fierce, fierce patriots. You’re not a threat to America.” Trump told them that if he wins a second term he would sign an executive order to cut federal funding for any school “pushing critical race theory, transgender insanity, and other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content on our children.” He called for the direct election — and firing — of school principals by parents. Like DeSantis, he was deeply critical of gender-affirming care. He vowed to sign an executive order instructing federal agencies “to cease the promotion of sex or gender transition at any age.” He said hospitals and health care providers who provide gender-affirming care for minors should be deemed in violation of federal health and safety standards and lose federal funding, and said he would call on Congress to ban it in all 50 states. After his speech, Trump made a stop at Pat’s King of Steaks, a local Philadelphia institution, where he posed for photos and signed autographs for fans. The high interest in the event among GOP hopefuls underscores the influence of Moms for Liberty, which has made connections with powerful GOP organizations, politicians and donors to become a major political player. The group says it doesn’t plan to endorse any presidential candidate in 2024. Moms for Liberty has transformed from three Florida moms opposing COVID-19 mandates in 2021 to claiming 285 chapters across 45 states. Along the way, it has found a close ally in DeSantis, who was presented with a “liberty sword” at the group’s first annual meeting last year and has signed multiple bills that it supported. Beyond remarks from the candidates and other speakers, the summit features strategy sessions on such topics as “protecting kids from gender ideology” and “comprehensive sex education: sex ed or sexualization.” Summit attendees said they liked what they were hearing so far. “I love Moms for Liberty,” said Debbie McGinley, who is running for the school board in Methacton School District outside Philadelphia. As a parent of three kids who lost her business as a hairdresser during the COVID-19 pandemic, she said she appreciated that the group is “fighting for our kids.” Lucy Reyna, a treasurer for a Moms for Liberty chapter in Indiana, said she traveled to the conference to learn more about the national organization. “What am I a part of? I need to know those things,” Reyna said, adding that if the group leaned too partisan in one direction, it would make her reconsider her participation. Outside, roughly 200 parent activists and LGBTQ+ advocates gathered to protest, citing the group’s “extremist” designation from the SPLC. They chanted, “Not in our city” and “Let’s say gay” while holding signs that read, “Hate is not patriotic” and “Philly is the LGBTQest city.” Some protesters said specific incidents prompted their activism, including an Indiana Moms for Liberty chapter publishing an Adolf Hitler quote in its newsletter before apologizing and removing it, and a Tennessee chapter complaining about lessons on Black civil rights figures Martin Luther King Jr. and Ruby Bridges. “I think they stand for fear. And that turns into hate very quickly,” said Molly Roses, a Philadelphia resident who joined the protest. In the days before the conference, several historical associations, state senators, activists and employees at Philadelphia’s Museum of the American Revolution had pleaded unsuccessfully with the museum to cancel a welcome event for the conference Thursday night. The event went on as planned. The museum told The Associated Press that “because fostering understanding within a democratic society is so central to our mission, rejecting visitors on the basis of ideology would in fact be antithetical to our purpose.” In her remarks, Moms for Liberty National Director of Engagement Tia Bess rejected claims that the group is racist. “Do I look like a racist to y’all?” Bess, who is Black, told an overwhelmingly white audience. Tiffany Justice, one of the group’s co-founders, responded sarcastically to the SPLC’s “extremist” label onstage Friday, referring to herself as “the face of domestic terrorism, apparently.” Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, another GOP candidate who appeared Friday, said that, “When they mentioned that this was a terrorist organization … I said well then count me as a Mom for Liberty.” Though Moms for Liberty says it is nonpartisan, it has overwhelmingly drawn conservative support. The group also has fought to elect conservative candidates to school boards around the country. While the group’s status as a 501(c)4 nonprofit means it doesn’t have to disclose its funders, its public donors include conservative powerhouses such as the Heritage Foundation and the Leadership Institute, a national political training organization. Patriot Mobile, a far-right Christian cellphone company that paid to sponsor Trump’s remarks at the conference, has a political action committee that has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in an effort to take charge of Texas school boards. Mom for Liberty’s Florida-based PAC also has received a $50,000 donation from Julie Fancelli, a Republican donor whose family owns Publix grocery stores and who helped fund Trump’s Jan. 6 “Stop the Steal” rally, according to House Jan. 6 committee findings. Fancelli didn’t respond to a request for comment. ___ Colvin reported from New York. Associated Press writer Nicholas Riccardi in Denver and video journalist David R. Martin in Philadelphia contributed reporting. ___ The Associated Press receives support from several private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. See more about AP’s democracy initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content. ALI SWENSON Swenson reports on election-related misinformation, disinformation and extremism for The Associated Press. twitter JILL COLVIN Colvin is an Associated Press national political reporter covering the 2024 presidential campaign. She is based in New York. mailto The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day. The Associated Press ap.org Careers Advertise with us Contact Us Accessibility Statement Cookie Settings Terms of Use Privacy Policy More From AP News About AP News Values and Principles AP’s Role in Elections AP Leads AP Definitive Source Blog AP Images Spotlight Blog AP Stylebook Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. twitter instagram facebook

@[100083379832534:2048:Moms for liberty] is a designated hate group by the SPLC, so of course the top Republican candidates are speaking at their convention.

According to the SPLC: Moms for Liberty is a far-right organization that engages in anti-student inclusion activities and self-identifies as part of the modern parental rights movement. The group grew out of opposition to public health regulations for COVID-19, opposes LGBTQ+ and racially inclusive school curriculum, and has advocated books bans.
(Read: https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/group/moms-liberty)

[https://apnews.com/article/moms-for-liberty-trump-desantis-2024-republicans-8e17f7587bba9cf6dd316c3ef2eb6a19]

Supreme Court rejects Trump-backed Independent State Legislature theory | CNN Politics

The Supreme Court said Tuesday that the North Carolina Supreme Court did not violate the elections clause of the US Constitution when it invalidated the state’s 2022 congressional map, rejecting a broad version of a controversial legal Independent State Legislature theory pushed by supporters of former President Donald Trump.

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the 6-3 opinion.

The case had captured the nation’s attention because Republican lawmakers in North Carolina were asking the justices to adopt a long-dormant legal theory and hold that state courts and other state entities have a limited role in reviewing election rules established by state legislatures when it comes to federal elections.

“State courts retain the authority to apply state constitutional restraints when legislatures act under the power conferred upon them by the Elections Clause,” Roberts wrote.

The court allowed that federal courts can have some role supervising state courts in certain circumstances, with Roberts writing that “state courts do not have free rein.”

“Federal courts,” Roberts said, “must not abandon their duty to exercise judicial review.”

“When state legislatures act pursuant to their Elections Clause authority, they engage in lawmaking subject to the typical constraints on the exercise of such power,” he wrote. “In sum, our precedents have long rejected the view that legislative action under the Elections Clause is purely federal in character, governed only by restraints found in the Federal Constitution.”

Roberts was joined by fellow conservative justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett and liberal justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson.

The decision will have ramifications for the future of elections nationwide.

Former President Barack Obama said the case had the potential to “dismantle our system of checks and balances.”

“This ruling is a resounding rejection of the far-right theory that has been peddled by election deniers and extremists seeking to undermine our democracy,” Obama said in a statement.

The North Carolina controversy arose after the state Supreme Court struck down the state’s 2022 congressional map as an illegal partisan gerrymander, replacing it with court drawn maps that favored Democrats.

After the state high court ruled, North Carolina Republican lawmakers appealed the decision to the US Supreme Court, arguing that the state Supreme Court had exceeded its authority.

They relied upon the Elections Clause of the Constitution that provides that rules governing the “manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives” must be prescribed in “each state by the legislature thereof.” Under the independent state legislature theory, the lawmakers argued, state legislatures should be able to set rules with little to no interference from the state courts.

The justices heard oral arguments in the case last winter and some of them appeared to express some support for a version of the doctrine.

But after the case, known as Moore v. Harper, was argued at the Supreme Court, and before the justices could render an opinion, new developments occurred in North Carolina.

After the last election, the North Carolina Supreme Court flipped its majority to Republican. In April, the newly composed North Carolina Supreme Court reversed its earlier decision and held that the state Constitution gives states courts no role to play in policing partisan gerrymandering.

With the US Supreme Court rejecting the lawmakers’ theory that state courts could not police federal election rules, lawyers for the legislature’s opponents celebrated Tuesday’s ruling.

“As we argued to the Supreme Court, the independent state legislature theory was contrary to precedent and would have called into question hundreds of state constitutional provisions and decisions,” said former Acting US Solicitor General Neal Katyal, who represented Common Cause, one of the voting rights groups that challenged the Republican-drawn map. “Today’s ruling affirms the crucial role state courts play in overseeing federal elections.”

Justice Clarence Thomas wrote a dissent, joined in full by Justice Neil Gorsuch and in part by Justice Samuel Alito, arguing that the court should have dismissed the case as moot, given how circumstances around the case evolved after the justices heard it.

“In short, this case is over, and petitioners won,” Thomas wrote, referring to how a newly-reconstituted North Carolina Supreme Court reheard the case this year and reversed its decision in favor of the defenders of the Republican-drawn map. “It follows that no live controversy remains before this Court.”

In a section joined only by Gorsuch, Thomas went on to criticize the merits of the majority’s opinion Tuesday.

Thomas accused the majority opinion of opening “a new field for Bush-style controversies over state election law – and a far more uncertain one” – an allusion to the blockbuster election disputes that arose in the 2000 presidential race.

Thomas wrote that he “fear[ed]” that the framework put forward by the majority “will have the effect of investing potentially large swaths of state constitutional law with the character of a federal question not amenable to meaningful or principled adjudication by federal courts.”

The court’s ruling was praised by a large swath of voting rights attorneys, including the lawyers who represented the voters who had challenged the North Carolina redistricting map and who opposed the independent state legislature theory in court.

“This ruling is a complete victory for our democratic system and makes clear that state legislatures cannot ignore or defy state law when regulating federal elections,” said Jessica Ring Amunson and Sam Hirsch, partners at the law firm Jenner & Block who represented one of the voter advocacy groups involved in the case.

Hilary Harris Klein – a senior counsel for voting rights at Southern Coalition for Social Justice, another voting rights group involved in the litigation – said that Tuesday’s “decision will ensure that voters will continue to have the full protection of state constitutions against harmful and anti-democratic voter suppression and election manipulation.”

North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore, who was pressing the Supreme Court to adopt the independent state legislature theory, noted in a statement Tuesday the win his side had secured at the state Supreme Court when it reversed its previous ruling this year and upheld the map the legislature had drawn.

“Today the United States Supreme Court has determined that state courts may rule on questions of state law even if it has an impact on federal elections law,” said Moore, who as lead petitioner, gave the case half its name. “Ultimately, the question of the role of state courts in congressional redistricting needed to be settled and this decision has done just that.”

This story has been updated with additional details.

BREAKING: The conservative-majority Supreme Court* rejected John Eastman’s and Trump’s legal theory of the independent legislature, which would have allowed state legislatures to decide who wins elections, with a 6-3 vote.

We were two votes away from forever changing elections in America and people will continue to vote for people who will put more far-right judges who will then take their vote away.

However, this is a big deal as it would have made American democracy irrelevant and was central to Trump’s coup. Eastman’s coup plan was since there are more Republican-controlled state houses, have the decision on who won each state back to state houses, which would have given Trump the win in 2020.

John Eastman is currently on trial over his disbarment from the legal profession.

[https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/27/politics/supreme-court-election-clause-case/index.html]

Exclusive: CNN obtains the tape of Trump’s 2021 conversation about classified documents | CNN Politics

CNN has exclusively obtained the audio recording of the 2021 meeting in Bedminster, New Jersey, where President Donald Trump discusses holding secret documents he did not declassify.

The recording, which first aired on CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360,” includes new details from the conversation that is a critical piece of evidence in special counsel Jack Smith’s indictment of Trump over the mishandling of classified information, including a moment when Trump seems to indicate he was holding a secret Pentagon document with plans to attack Iran.

“These are the papers,” Trump says in the audio recording, while he’s discussing the Pentagon attack plans, a quote that was not included in the indictment.

In the two-minute audio recording, Trump and his aides also joke about Hillary Clinton’s emails after the former president says that the document was “secret information.”

“Hillary would print that out all the time, you know. Her private emails,” Trump’s staffer said.

“No, she’d send it to Anthony Weiner,” Trump responded, referring to the former Democratic congressman, prompting laughter in the room.

Trump’s statements on the audio recording, saying “these are the papers” and referring to something he calls “highly confidential” and seems to be showing others in the room, could undercut the former president’s claims in an interview last week with Fox News’ Bret Baier that he did not have any documents with him.

“There was no document. That was a massive amount of papers and everything else talking about Iran and other things,” Trump said on Fox. “And it may have been held up or may not, but that was not a document. I didn’t have a document, per se. There was nothing to declassify. These were newspaper stories, magazine stories and articles.”

Trump pleaded not guilty earlier this month to 37 counts related to the alleged mishandling of classified documents kept at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.

The audio recording comes from a July 2021 interview Trump gave at his Bedminster resort for people working on the memoir of Mark Meadows, Trump’s former chief of staff. The special counsel’s indictment alleges that those in attendance – a writer, publisher and two of Trump’s staff members – were shown classified information about the plan of attack on Iran.

The episode is one of two referenced in the indictment where prosecutors allege that Trump showed classified information to others who did not have security clearances.

CNN has previously reported that Trump at the time was furious over a New Yorker article about Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley that said Milley argued against striking Iran and was concerned Trump would set in motion a full-scale conflict.

The special counsel’s office declined to comment.

Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said in statement that “the audio tape provides context proving, once again, that President Trump did nothing wrong at all.”

The recording obtained by CNN begins with Trump claiming “these are bad sick people,” while his staffer claims there had been a “coup” against Trump.

“Like when Milley is talking about, ‘Oh you’re going to try to do a coup.’ No, they were trying to do that before you even were sworn in,” the staffer says, according to the audio.

The next part of the conversation is mostly included in the indictment, though the audio makes clear there are papers shuffling as Trump tells those in attendance he has an example to show.

“He said that I wanted to attack Iran, Isn’t it amazing?” Trump says as the sound of papers shuffling can be heard. “I have a big pile of papers, this thing just came up. Look. This was him. They presented me this – this is off the record but – they presented me this. This was him. This was the Defense Department and him.”

The indictment includes ellipses where the recording obtained by CNN shows where Trump and his aide begin talking about Clinton’s emails and Weiner, whose laptop caused the FBI to briefly re-open its investigation into her handling of classified information in the days before the 2016 election she lost to Trump.

Trump then returns to the Iran document, according to the audio recording and indictment transcript.

“I was just thinking, because we were talking about it. And you know, he said, ‘He wanted to attack Iran, and what…,’ ” Trump says.

“These are the papers,” Trump continues, according to the audio file.

“This was done by the military and given to me,” Trump continues, before noting that the document remained classified.

“See as president I could have declassified it,” Trump says. “Now I can’t, you know, but this is still a secret.”

“Now we have a problem,” his staffer responds.

“Isn’t that interesting,” Trump says.

While that’s the last line included in the indictment, the audio recording obtained by CNN includes several additional lines from the conversation:

Trump: “It’s so cool. I mean, it’s so, look, her and I, and you probably almost didn’t believe me, but now you believe me.”

Writer: “No, I believed you.”

Trump: “It’s incredible, right?”

Writer: “No, they never met a war they didn’t want.”

Trump: “Hey, bring some, uh, bring some Cokes in please.”

Listen to the tape of Donald Trump admitting he was in possession of classified documents, knowing they were classified.

[https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/26/politics/trump-classified-documents-audio/index.html]

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