A Florida judge has appointed running mate Donald Trump as a special master in the FBI’s investigation into top-secret documents seized by agents from his Mar-a-Lago estate. Judge Raymond Dearie will now review the materials seized during the raid on the former president’s estate after Mr Trump successfully applied for one to be appointed. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon also rejected the Justice Department’s request to continue the criminal investigation into the classified documents. Judge Cannon said she was not prepared to accept the government’s claims that nearly 100 documents obtained from Trump’s estate were classified. “The court does not see fit to accept the government’s conclusions on these important and contentious issues without further review by a neutral third party in an expeditious and orderly manner,” he ruled. Earlier, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows reportedly complied with a Justice Department subpoena related to the investigation into the events surrounding the January 6 Capitol riot. He is the most senior member of the Trump administration to comply with such an order. Meanwhile, Mr Trump took time out to issue a statement attacking “total loser” Mitch McConnell for being the Democrats’ “dog”.
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Trump has gone full QAnon in recent weeks
In the summer of 2020, as a dark conspiracy ideology called QAnon began to grow, then-President Donald Trump said he hadn’t really heard of the movement, but that although its supporters were patriotic and should be commended for supporting the government of. “I have heard that these are people who love our country,” he said he said at a press conference at the White House in August. “I don’t really know anything about it, except that they’re supposed to like me,” she added. The president didn’t seem deterred when a reporter laid out how outlandish the movement’s claims were: that a race of Satan-worshipping pedantic Democrats controlled the “deep state” and could only be defeated by Trump. “I haven’t heard that, but is that supposed to be a bad thing or a good thing?” he said, continuing, “If I can help save the world from trouble, I’m willing to do it.” Two years later, the former president has gone full QAnon as he positions himself as a 2024 presidential candidate. Josh Marcus reports for The Independent what has changed.
Donald Trump has gone full QAnon in recent weeks
QAnon’s support has been linked to violent incidents across the country, including the riot at the US Capitol on January 6 Oliver O’Connell16 September 2022 20:50 1663356300
‘Literally Human Trafficking’: Hillary Clinton Slams DeSantis Migrant Flights
Hillary Clinton called the situation on Martha’s Vineyard “literally human trafficking” after Florida Gov. Ron DeSandis unexpectedly flew a group of immigrants to the Massachusetts island. The former secretary of state appeared on MSNBC’s Morning Joe on Friday morning, where she agreed with host Joe Scarborough that immigrants are being “taken advantage of” by Republican lawmakers.
Hillary Clinton Says Sending Migrants to Martha’s Vineyard Is ‘Human Trafficking’
Ron DeSantis abandoned about 50 immigrants on Martha’s Vineyard Thursday without warning in a pushback against the Biden administration’s immigration policies Oliver O’Connell16 September 2022 20:25 1663354944
John Fetterman seeks votes in Trump’s ‘ruby’ country – will the strategy pay off?
Richard Hall reports for The Independent on how Pennsylvania’s Democratic Senate candidate hopes to cut off Trump’s support in rural parts of the state.
John Fetterman seeks votes in ruby-red Trump country. Will it work?
Trump has dominated rural Pennsylvania in the last two elections. John Fetterman, a different type of Democrat, is hoping to garner that support. Richard Hall reports from Johnstown, Pennsylvania Oliver O’Connell16 September 2022 20:02 1663354560
Trump attacks Chris Christie with nasty body-shaming post
After calling Mitch McConnell a “total loser” this morning, the former president climbed further into the gutter by targeting former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie with a nasty post on Truth Social. Oliver O’Connell September 16, 2022 7:56 p.m 1663352724
Could the January 6th House committee release the interim report before the midterms?
Axios reports that the January 6 committee is on a possible collision course with the November midterm elections. The committee investigating the attack on the US Capitol plans to hold at least one more hearing in late September and release early findings and recommendations before the Nov. 8 election. There is a virtual meeting today to set a schedule for the next hearings, bearing in mind that the committee has a December 31 deadline. Committee members told Axios that the final report will likely come after the election, but there will be plenty of news before voters head to the polls. Chairman Thompson told the agency that the time between the expected Sept. 28 hearing and the election “will not be a quiet period.” He added that “the goal is to have … exploited some information, obviously, before the November election.” The panel can publish its interim report in this window. Some committee members say whatever they do will be denounced as partisan, but they have work to do and it’s too important to rely on a date in November. Oliver O’Connell16 September 2022 19:25 1663351824
National Guard activated to help DeSantis migrants stranded on Martha’s Vineyard
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announced plans to activate the National Guard as part of his administration’s relief efforts for the 50 immigrants taken to Martha’s Vineyard as part of Gov. Ron DeSandis’ controversial relocation program. “The island communities are not equipped to provide sustainable shelter, and state officials have developed a plan to provide a comprehensive humanitarian response,” the governor’s office said in a statement released Friday. Johanna Chisholm reports.
National Guard activated to help migrants dumped on Martha’s Vineyard by DeSantis
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said his administration plans to activate up to 125 members of the state’s National Guard as part of a relief effort Oliver O’Connell16 September 2022 19:10 1663350024
Only 26 percent of voters say it is appropriate for Trump to obtain government documents
A new Fox News poll shows a large two-thirds majority of voters believe it was “inappropriate” for former President Donald Trump to withhold more than 11,000 government documents at the end of his tenure in the White House. The survey also found that just 26 percent of US voters believed Mr. Trump’s actions were “appropriate,” compared to 65 percent who said they were not. Andrew Feinberg takes a look at the latest data.
Two-thirds of voters say Trump’s document removal ‘inappropriate’, poll finds
Only 26 percent of voters surveyed say Trump did the right thing by taking more than 11,000 government documents with him at the end of his term Oliver O’Connell September 16, 2022 6:40 p.m 1663348224
Book reveals Trump tried to replace AG with two cabinet members to fire Mueller
Former President Donald Trump was so intent on firing the Justice Department special counsel tasked with investigating his 2016 campaign’s possible ties to Russia that he offered the attorney general position to two members of his cabinet on the condition that they would carry out his wish. In their forthcoming book The Divider: Trump in the White House 2017-2021, authors Peter Baker and Susan Glasser report how Mr. Trump responded to then-White House counsel Don McGahn’s refusal to order the firing of former FBI director Robert Mueller asking members of his cabinet to relieve then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions and immediately fire the widely respected former attorney general. Andrew Feinberg has the latest excerpt from the soon-to-be-released book.
Trump asked two different cabinet members to fire Robert Mueller, book reveals
Authors Peter Baker and Susan Glasser report that Mr. Trump offered the attorney general position to the labor secretary and EPA administrator with the expectation that whoever accepted would fire then-special counsel Robert Mueller. Oliver O’Connell16 September 2022 18:10 1663346424
Tucker Carlson claims ‘liberal’ Ken Burns compared DeSantis’ treatment of immigrants to the Holocaust
Fox’s Tucker Carlson lashed out at “liberals” for what he perceived as their uneven and hypocritical response to immigrants flown to Martha’s Vineyard by Florida Gov. Ron DeSandis. In an excerpt from his Thursday night program, the right-wing pundit specifically took filmmaker Ken Burns to task over comments the American documentary maker had made earlier in the day comparing the Florida governor to an authoritarian leader. Joanna Chisholm reports on Carlson’s comments.
Tucker Carlson claims Ken Burns compared DeSantis’ treatment of immigrants to the Holocaust
On Thursday, director Burns had said DeSantis’ actions came straight from the “authoritarian playbook” and treated human lives as “political pawns.” Oliver O’Connell September 16, 2022 5:40 p.m 1663344624
Biden slams GOP governors’ immigration flights: ‘Playing politics with people’
President Joe Biden on Thursday criticized Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Florida Gov. Ron DeSandis for using bus and plane loads of immigrants as a way to punish Democratic-led state and local government leaders. Speaking at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s annual gala, Mr. Biden hit out at Democratic governors less than a day after Mr. Abbott sent two busloads of South and Central American…
