Donald Trump Poll News

Library of Congress Accused of Ignoring Trump's Supreme Court Justices Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson (left) and Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., stand on the Supreme Court portico. (Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States via Getty Images)

By Jay Clemons | Friday, 30 September 2022 04:51 PM EDT

The Library of Congress has been called out publicly for hosting this week's gala event celebrating the addition of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson to the United States Supreme Court, but not conducting similar ceremonies for the three justices named during the Trump administration — Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett.

Caitlin Sutherland, executive director of Americans for Public Trust, an organization "dedicated to restoring trust in government by holding politicians and political groups accountable for corrupt and unethical behavior," believes the LOC's actions are bad optics for a governmental entity that's supposed to be unbiased and nonpartisan.

The Trump-era omissions are a "disturbing display of partisanship and favoritism by a government agency, when no comparable events were held for the three previous Supreme Court Justices," said Sutherland.

She added, "No gala for Gorsuch, no concert for Kavanaugh, no bash for Barrett. The Library of Congress has some explaining to do."

The Library of Congress, which serves as the research arm of Congress, stands as the nation's oldest federal cultural institution.

It is also the world's largest library, with a reported 532 miles of shelves and 115 million items, with 7,000 added each working day.

The Library of Congress was designed to be a nonpartisan component of the federal government, and a neutral extension of American history.

Bill Ryan, a spokesperson for the Library of Congress, said the controversy might have been overblown.

Ryan told Fox News Digital the Library of Congress has previously had the "pleasure to host a variety of public and private events with the Supreme Court in connection with many different justices over the years," including Justices John G. Roberts, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor, and Gorsuch.

Ryan added: "Just last year, we were delighted to host Justice Gorsuch and his staff for a lengthy private tour of the Library and a display of rare documents curated to reflect the Justice's particular interests. As an organization that works closely with the Supreme Court … we are always eager to maintain a collegial relationship with our institutional neighbors across the street."

"With respect to this particular event, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson asked through the offices of the Supreme Court if her post-investiture celebration could be held at the Library," Ryan continued. "Given our close working relationship with the Supreme Court, we are happy to accommodate the request. It is a private event and is privately funded."

The event honoring Justice Jackson will be held Friday, with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris slated to attend.

The scheduled performers include several musicians and groups, including the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Quartet and civil rights movement Freedom Singer Rutha Mae Harris.

Original Article

Trump: Haberman's Book Includes 'Pure Fiction' (Newsmax)

By Charlie McCarthy | Friday, 30 September 2022 01:13 PM EDT

Former President Donald Trump blasted Maggie Haberman of The New York Times for including "many made up stories" in her soon-to-be released book.

Haberman's "Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America" is scheduled to be released Tuesday.

"Here we go again! Another Fake book is out, this one, supposedly very boring and stale, by self appointed head case, Failing (unfunded liability!) New York Times writer, Maggie Hagerman," Trump wrote Friday morning on Truth Social.

"In it she tells many made up stories, with zero fact checking or confirmation by anyone who would know, like me. In one case she lies about me wanting to fire my daughter, Ivanka, and Jared. WRONG, pure fiction. Never even crossed my mind. Just have to fight trouble making creeps like Maggie, and all the rest!"

It was not known if the misspelling of Haberman's name in Trump's post was intentional.

Haberman responded to Trump's post by tweeting what appeared to be a marked-up page of bullet points, with comments written in the former president's signature Sharpie-penned handwriting.

In a book excerpt published by The Atlantic on Sunday, Trump told that running for president was good for him.

"The question I get asked more than any other question: 'If you had it to do again, would you have done it?' The answer is, yeah, I think so. Because here's the way I look at it. I have so many rich friends and nobody knows who they are," Trump stated.

Haberman conducted three interviews with Trump after he left office.

The book is anticipated to contain interviews on such matters as to why, according to Trump, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., "kisses my ass" or how Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is a "piece of s***."

Original Article

Grenell's 'Fix California' Org to Hold Two Rallies This Weekend Ric Grenell (AP)

By Charlie McCarthy | Friday, 30 September 2022 12:21 PM EDT

An organization started by former Ambassador Ric Grenell aimed at assuring Californians' voices are heard will hold two outdoor rallies in the Golden State this weekend.

Fix California, a nonprofit group committed to pursuing long-term solutions that advance conservative ideas and causes throughout the state, is scheduled to hold "take action" rallies in Newport Beach, California on Saturday, and in Fairfield, California on Sunday.

Grenell, former ambassador to Germany during the Trump administration, said conservatives should not consider California a permanently lost blue state.

"If you would have told me several years ago that Georgia would send two far-left progressive U.S. senators to D.C. I would have said you are crazy — but we know it happened," Grenell, who also served as acting director of national intelligence, told Newsmax.

"States can flip. Ohio and Florida used to be purple, and they are now bright red. California needs more conservatives engaged and motivated. In order to make change to a state with many problems, we must have more conservatives registered to vote. This is my goal for California."

Flyers promoting this weekend’s Fix California rallies point out that the state has 1.4 million unregistered conservatives.

"Let’s change that. Together," read the flyer, which added that Fix California also was a "voter registration campaign."

"Many counties in California have more registered voters than eligible voting age population citizens," Fix California Executive Director Josh Scott told Newsmax on Friday.

"We found that they are not properly maintain voter rolls, they are not sending out as many postcards [asking voters to verify their active status and address] as they should be and inactive voters … some are being left on the active list."

Scott said former President Donald Trump's data consulting team in Florida has assisted Fix California in its efforts.

He also said that the organization was focused on working with "six or seven of the most problematic counties" to "get them to start complying with the law."

"All of California’s election practices are pretty egregious from voter registration, to universal mail-in ballots, to legalized ballot solicitation," Scott told Newsmax. "But where Fix California is really spearheading an effort right now is to make sure that the counties are at least maintaining their voter rolls and have the right amount of people registered to vote."

Grenell will be the headlined speaker at the rallies, which are also expected to include Reform California Chair Carl DeMaio; Republican National Committee California Committeeman Shawn Steele; Rob McCoy, pastor of Godspeak Calvary Chapel in Thousand Oaks, California; Jack Frost, state director of the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association; and Gun Owners of California Executive Director Sam Paredes.

Original Article

Justice Jackson Makes Supreme Court Debut in Brief Ceremony Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson smiles during a meeting with US Senator Sherrod Brown, D-OH, on her nomination to be an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on April 5, 2022. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty)

Associated Press Friday, 30 September 2022 12:21 PM EDT

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson made her first appearance on the Supreme Court bench in a brief courtroom ceremony Friday, three days before the start of the high court's new term.

President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and their spouses attended the invitation-only ceremonial investiture for Jackson, the first Black woman on the Supreme Court.

Chief Justice John Roberts wished the 52-year-old Jackson a “long and happy career in our common calling,” the traditional welcome for a new justice.

She took her place at the far end of the bench to Roberts' left, just next to Justice Brett Kavanaugh. The justices are seated by seniority.

During the ceremony Jackson also followed the custom of every other new justice since 1972 and sat in a chair that once belonged to John Marshall, who served as chief justice for 34 years in the early 1800s.

Marshall also was a slaveholder, perhaps adding a special poignancy to Jackson taking her place in his onetime possession. She is only the third Black justice in the court's history, along with her new colleague Justice Clarence Thomas and the late Justice Thurgood Marshall.

Friday's ceremony included the reading of the commission appointing Jackson to the court. She also repeated the oath she took when she formally joined the court in June, just after the retirement of Justice Stephen Breyer.

Breyer was among a courtroom filled with dignitaries, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former Speaker Paul Ryan, a Jackson relative through marriage.

Jackson's parents, daughters, brother and in-laws had a front-row seat.

Several wives of current and former justices also attended, including Virginia “Ginni” Thomas. Thomas was interviewed Thursday by the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Jackson was confirmed in April on a 53-47 vote in the Senate, with three Republican senators joining all Democrats to support her.

Biden had pledged during his presidential campaign that he would nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court.

Biden, Harris, first lady Jill Biden and second gentleman Doug Emhoff spent a few minutes with the justices before the court convened, court spokeswoman Patricia McCabe said.

The president said nothing during the five-minute, tightly scripted courtroom ceremony.

Back at the White House, Biden tweeted in praise of Jackson's “brilliant legal mind” and touted his record on filling judgeships.

“In fact, we’ve appointed 84 federal judges so far. No group of that many judges has been appointed as quickly, or been that diverse,” Biden said.

Jackson and Roberts walked down the 36 front steps of the court for photos following the ceremony. They chatted briefly on the court plaza, and when Roberts departed, the justice's husband, Dr. Patrick Jackson, joined her.

“I'm so proud of you,” Dr. Jackson said, as they embraced in front of a gathering of reporters and well-wishers.

Jackson is the first justice appointed by a Democratic president since Justice Elena Kagan joined the court in 2010. Kagan was appointed by former President Barack Obama, who also appointed Justice Sonia Sotomayor in 2009.

It appeared Obama would get a third high court pick when Justice Antonin Scalia died in February 2016. But Senate Republicans refused to take up Obama’s nomination of Merrick Garland, then serving as a federal appeals court judge. Garland, now Attorney General, also participated in Friday's ceremony.

Former President Donald Trump eventually chose Justice Neil Gorsuch, the first of his three Supreme Court appointees, to fill Scalia's seat.

Original Article

Stephen Miller to Newsmax: Biden Not 'Cognitively Present' (Newsmax/"Eric Bolling The Balance")

By Sandy Fitzgerald | Friday, 30 September 2022 08:41 AM EDT

President Joe Biden is "not cognitively present" and is putting the United States in danger as long as he remains in office, Stephen Miller, who served as a senior adviser to former President Donald Trump, argues on Newsmax.

"Every cabinet secretary needs to be asked whether or not they're going to invoke the 25th Amendment," Miller said in an interview on Newsmax's "Eric Bolling The Balance" on Thursday night. "He does not have the mental capacity to serve as the president of the United States of America. If he was in a nursing home, he would be in the assisted living section, not the area where people are in a retirement community who are living their own lives and who are making their own decisions … he would be in the round-the-clock care section for someone who forgets who they are, where they are and what they're doing."

Miller's comments come after Biden, while speaking at the White House Conference on Nutrition, Hunger, and Health on Wednesday, asked the audience where Rep. Jackie Walorski was — almost two months after the Indiana Republican congresswoman was killed in an automobile accident in Indiana in August.

"He is completely cognitively diminished and deteriorated," Miller told Bolling.

And with the world now being "more violent, more dangerous, more unstable than ever before," this puts the United States in a dangerous situation, he added.

"We can talk about Afghanistan, the greatest foreign policy humiliation in American history without even a close second," said Miller. "We can talk about the fact that this administration is now presiding over the first [major] war in Europe since the Second World War … you're talking about someone that could lead us to nuclear war. You're talking about something that could lead us to world war."

He further accused Biden's administration of covering for him, calling them "complicit in putting America and the world in unconscionable danger."

"Our nation's safety depends upon the faculties of Joe Biden, who we know has completely and totally gone mentally," said Miller. "The aides that are covering for him are complicit in whatever horror should befall us in the world."

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre had difficulty explaining Biden's shout-out to Walorski, and Miller said that's because the administration is in a "cover-up operation" for Biden.

"[They are] trying to hide what's happened to him mentally," said Miller. "All the countries around the world are looking at this, friend and foe, and realizing that America is led by a man who does not know what day of the week it is, what month it is … everyone knows it. And that is truly frightening for this country."

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Alina Habba to Newsmax: A Dual System of Justice in This Country

(Newsmax/"Eric Bolling the Balance")

By Jeremy Frankel | Thursday, 29 September 2022 09:56 PM EDT

There is no fairness in the treatment of former President Donald Trump versus the treatment of other former presidents when it comes to handling and storing documents, Trump attorney Alina Habba told Newsmax Thursday.

Eric Bolling, host of "Eric Bolling the Balance," opened the segment detailing how former presidents, including George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, kept their documents in unsecure locations, as opposed to Trump, who kept his in a secure room at his Mar-a-Lago estate, which is also guarded by the Secret Service.

Habba noted that Obama "had his 30 million pages moved into an abandoned furniture store. That furniture store also happened to be adjacent to a McDonald's, where there was frequent people moving in and out of that parking lot. And [the National Archives and Record Administration] recognized that he had — and he admitted he had — classified documents in there, and they stated that was not a secure location. But he didn't get raided. Hunter Biden's not raided. So Barron Trump's room can go get raided, but not Hunter Biden.

"If you can look at what's happening in our country right now and tell me with a straight face that there is not a dual system of justice, I would be shocked — and you must really be committed to stupidity," Habba added. "It is absolutely insane what is happening."

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Rep. Babin to Newsmax: Venezuela 'Sending Their Very Worst Miscreants'

(Newsmax/"American Agenda")

By Nicole Wells | Thursday, 29 September 2022 07:22 PM EDT

Rep. Brian Babin, R-Texas, told Newsmax Thursday that many of the Venezuelans overwhelming the southern border at El Paso, Texas, are "bad actors" who have been released deliberately by the Venezuelan government and sent north.

"This is very reminiscent of what Fidel Castro did a few years ago, trying to empty out his prisons in Cuba," Babin said during an appearance on Newsmax's "American Agenda." "All the evidence points to the fact that Venezuela is emptying their prisons, sending their worst, their very worst miscreants up to the United States through Mexico. And, of course, the United States has no repatriation agreement with Venezuela; so it's almost impossible to deport these people back to their country of origin.

"Let me just say this: 20,000 people coming across in one city, in El Paso, Texas — it's just incredible when you think about it," the Lone Star State congressman continued. "Many of them are bad, bad actors. And so the Department of State needs to put pressure on the countries along the route from South America so that these countries can start deporting these Venezuelans back to their own country, since we don't have a repatriation agreement with them."

Stressing that the U.S. needs to keep its citizens safe from migrants entering the country illegally, Babin said that the Biden administration has "done away with safe third-country agreements, asylum cooperative agreements that had been negotiated and created under President [Donald] Trump.

"This administration has thrown the American people and our national security simply to the wolves," he added.

The Texas Republican also said that, like the mayors of New York City, Washington, D.C. and Chicago, the mayor of El Paso had previously welcomed migrants. Now, Babin said, El Paso's mayor has been shipping migrants out of the city, just as the affluent people of Martha's Vineyard promptly did when Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis recently flew 50 migrants there.

"El Paso simply has been welcoming this type of entry across the border illegally for a long time; and now they're being swamped, absolutely swamped," Babin said. "They're now hypocritically loading these folks up on buses and sending them out again."

According to Babin, "we have 100,000 deaths a year from drugs coming over the border" under the Biden administration.

And it's not just American deaths that are occurring, the congressman said.

"[Nearly] 750 people, migrants themselves — of their bodies — have been recovered on the American side," he said. "It's incredible what we're having: the mayhem, the deaths, the rapes, the children who are being sexually molested.

"All evidence points that many of these kids are going to so-called families that the [Department of Health and Human Services] is not doing DNA tests on, not doing any kind of criminal background checks on," Babin continued. "You hate to even use your imagination to think about what's happening to some of these kids that are coming into our country illegally."

Original Article

Biden: Meloni's Victory in Italy a Warning for U.S. Democracy

(Newsmax/"The Chris Salcedo Show")

By Luca Cacciatore | Thursday, 29 September 2022 06:33 PM EDT

President Joe Biden condemned Italian politician Giorgia Meloni for her coalition's victory last week, warning that her likely election as prime minister is a caution for American democracy, the Daily Mail reported.

During a Wednesday fundraiser for the Democratic Governors' Association in Washington, D.C., Biden warned against a slew of victories worldwide for right-wing populist candidates, arguing that the same zeal could find its home in the U.S.

"You just saw what's happened in Italy in that election. You're seeing what's happening around the world," Biden stated. "The reason I bother to say that is you can't be sanguine about what's happening here, either. I don't want to exaggerate it, but I don't want to understate it."

Meloni and her "center-right coalition," made up of Matteo Salvini's Lega Nord and former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia, won a combined 44% of the vote in the Italian Senate and Chamber of Deputies on Sunday.

Her victory continues similar trends seen around Europe in 2022, with Sweden's right-wing party achieving a resounding victory only several weeks ago. Before that, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban defeated a combined opposition ticket for another term.

Orban himself recently spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference this year in Dallas, receiving the approval of event attendees. The five-term prime minister is also considered an international ally of former President Donald Trump.

"The right-wing European leader hit guaranteed applause lines — including telling the Texas crowd that 'Hungary is the Lone Star State of Europe' — and criticizing liberals, the news media and the Democratic Party," CNN reporter Michael Warren wrote.

Original Article

US Judge Does Not Require Trump to Attest That FBI's List of Seized Records Is Accurate (AP)

Sarah N. Lynch Thursday, 29 September 2022 06:08 PM EDT

A federal judge on Thursday ruled that former President Donald Trump does not have to provide the court with a sworn statement attesting to whether he believes the list of items seized by the FBI from his Florida estate is accurate and complete.

The order from U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon came after U.S. Senior Judge Raymond Dearie, appointed as special master at Trump's request to oversee a review of the records seized from Mar-a-lago, had ordered Trump's lawyers to let him know if they disputed the accuracy of the government's property inventory list.

Trump has claimed, without evidence, that the FBI may have planted evidence when it searched Mar-a-lago on Aug. 8.

Late on Wednesday, Trump's lawyers lodged a complaint with the court about Dearie's demand, saying it exceeded the scope of Dearie's authority.

"There shall be no separate requirement on at this stage, prior to the review of any of the seized materials, to lodge ex ante final objections to the accuracy of [the government's] inventory, its descriptions, or its contents," Cannon wrote in her order.

"The court’s appointment order did not contemplate that obligation," she added.

The government has said it carted away more than 11,000 records, about 100 of them marked as classified.

The Justice Department, which was also ordered to provide a sworn statement attesting to the accuracy of the inventory, has made some amendments to its list, such as adding 53 documents.

Dearie was appointed by Cannon over objections from the Justice Department to review the more than 11,000 records seized from Mar-a-lago on Aug. 8. He is required to weed out any records that could be subject to claims of attorney-client privilege or executive privilege, a legal doctrine that can shield some White House communications from disclosure.

Initially Cannon ordered him to include the classified materials in his review, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit reversed that decision after the Justice Department filed an appeal.

On Wednesday, Trump's lawyers told Dearie they objected to his request to address whether they disputed the accuracy of the FBI's property inventory list, claiming such a demand "exceeds the grant of authority" that Cannon gave the special master.

They said it is hard to find a vendor who can process the records in time to meet the deadlines. The roughly 11,000 records, they say, amount to about 200,000 pages.

Original Article

Ex-VA Secretary Wilkie to Newsmax: Pipeline Attack a 'Putin Escalation' (Newsmax/"American Agenda")

By Jay Clemons | Thursday, 29 September 2022 05:58 PM EDT

Robert Wilkie, the former Secretary of Veteran Affairs during the Trump administration, doesn't believe the United States had an integral role in the supposed attack on two natural gas pipelines under the Baltic Sea — running from Russia to Germany.

At the same time, Wilkie asserts the White House should exhibit transparency on this matter, given how it's only been seven months since President Joe Biden publicly stated, "There will no longer be a Nord Stream 2 [pipeline]. We will bring an end to it."

Regarding Biden's response from February, "What you … saw is more confusion and incompetence from this administration," Wilkie told Newsmax Thursday afternoon, while appearing on "American Agenda" with hosts Bob Sellers and Katrina Szish.

From Wilkie's perspective, the Biden administration essentially turned its back on an earlier commitment to have the Nord Stream 2 pipeline — a 1,200 kilometer-long offshore natural gas pipeline that was completed in September 2021 — being fully operational, and then suddenly wanting it shut down.

Also, Wilkie explains the list of potential saboteurs is a short one, since only the Swedish, British, American and Russian naval units have the capacity to desecrate a pair of natural gas pipelines buried deep in the sea.

"This is a [Russian President Vladimir] Putin escalation," says Wilkie, who, based on the initial evidence, concludes that Russia had something to do with the pipeline attack.

But now, Wilkie reasons this alleged sabotage, coupled with the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, has brought Sweden and Finland — two nations that recently joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) — even closer to its Western allies.

"And those are two powerful militaries," says Wilkie.

As Wilkie sees it, all these events tie into Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which has been ongoing for seven months.

"The Russians are trying to get the European nations to pull out of the Ukraine," says Wilkie, alluding to the various NATO countries giving full support to the Ukrainian troops' defense initiative.

And that includes the United Kingdom, with Wilkie saying the British have been "providing minute-by-minute updates on Russian troop movements" since February.

It's also a economic power move on Putin's part, explains Wilkie, since the Russians have long been threatening an energy holdout to Western European nations, in terms of no longer exporting oil and natural gas to these energy-needy countries.

"This is Russia's way of telling [Europeans], 'You're going to be cold for this winter, and the next winter,'" says Wilkie, who also served under the administration of President George W. Bush as assistant secretary of defense for legislative affairs.

When asked how the Trump administration might have handled these events in Europe, Wilkie maintains that everything would be different, if former President Donald Trump was exerting negotiating leverage with Russia.

"You could bring Russia's economy to its knees overnight" by holding diplomatic talks with China and other countries, discouraging Putin's actions over the last few months, offers Wilkie.

Instead, Wilkie says the Biden administration does nothing but make empty promises that ultimately go nowhere on a worldwide stage.

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Tudor Dixon to Newsmax: Michigan Governor Picked Pandemic 'Winners and Losers' (Newsmax/"National Report")

By Jay Clemons | Thursday, 29 September 2022 04:19 PM EDT

Michigan gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon isn't fazed by reports of incumbent Gov. Gretchen Whitmer currently owning poll leads ranging from 5 to 13 percentage points.

From Dixon's perspective, the fight has just begun.

"[Whitmer's] record is poor enough" to substantiate a shallow lead in the single digits, Dixon told Newsmax Thursday morning, while appearing on "National Report" with hosts Shaun Kraisman and Emma Rechenberg.

And after her upcoming ad blitz, Dixon predicts "we'll able to shorten that [deficit] up and overtake [Whitmer] by Election Day."

When Dixon speaks of Whitmer's record, she's primarily lamenting how the governor kept Michigan businesses closed for most of the 2020-21 pandemic, endorsed severe restrictions on children attending schools during the COVID-19 period, and doesn't favor Michigan residents having their personal freedoms guaranteed at all times.

"The environment [here in Michigan] is not good," says Dixon, who easily carried the Republican gubernatorial primary over the summer, partly thanks to an endorsement from former President Donald Trump.

During the Newsmax interview, Dixon was pressed on her blunt comments regarding the bizarre FBI kidnapping plot indirectly involving Whitmer, with some critics saying the Republican challenger could have shown more compassion toward a sitting governor.

Dixon's response: The national critics "should talk to the people on the ground here in Michigan," while anecdotally referencing how restaurants with curbside delivery couldn't operate during the pandemic in Michigan, but state-approved marijuana dealers could offer the same curbside service during that same shutdown period.

"[Whitmer] was picking winners and losers [in business], robbing people of their livelihoods, and locking people out of their businesses," said Dixon. "And the people want her to be held accountable to that."

Dixon also had strong words for Whitmer campaigning to be Joe Biden's running mate for the 2020 presidential election, while Michigan businesses were being pushed to the brink of bankruptcy, due to governmental restrictions.

"She was on TV every day" campaigning for the vice president role, said Dixon.

But now, Whitmer is "currently hiding" from the challenger's criticism, and "she has no plan going forward," Dixon said.

As for the future, Dixon confirmed to Newsmax there will be two debates on Oct. 13 and 25 — conveniently after the mail-in ballots have already been sent out.

And Dixon's a little surprised that Whitmer will partake in a debate setting.

"So far, she hasn't said a darn thing" to help the people of Michigan, she said.

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Kelly Tshibaka to Newsmax: Aggressive Campaign 'Changing Minds'

By Jay Clemons | Thursday, 29 September 2022 04:09 PM EDT

Alaska Senate candidate Kelly Tshibaka estimates she has knocked on more than 1,000 doors while campaigning within the state — which is no small feat, given the expansiveness of Alaska.

And she may knock on another thousand doors over the next 39 days — whatever it takes to get the edge in a hotly contested Senate race that many polling experts have as deadlocked.

The close polls are "really exciting, and we have multiple [internal] polls showing the exact same thing," Tshibaka said on Newsmax Thursday morning, while appearing on "National Report" with hosts Shaun Kraisman and Emma Rechenberg.

Tshibaka then added about the polls: "This is not good news for a 21-year incumbent with millions of dollars who spent 10 times as much as me in the primary."

The above reference involved Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska.

In the other 49 states, the upcoming midterm elections on Nov. 8 feature primary winners from their respective parties.

However, in Alaska, instead of Tshibaka competing one-on-one against Democrat challenger Pat Chesbro in the general election, it'll be Tshibaka, Chesbro and the incumbent Murkowski participating in a three-way challenge.

Murkowski and Tshibaka may share the same "Republican" label, but the similarities stop there, said Tshibaka.

For example, Tshibaka asserts the majority of her campaign donations come from inside Alaska, but a large chunk of Murkowski's contributions come from other states.

Also, Tshibaka runs on an America First platform, which includes supporting constitutional freedoms, tapping into Alaska's vast natural resources for energy production, putting few restrictions on Alaska businesses and placing the welfare of Alaska and the United States above other countries.

"We're changing people's minds on the spot" with the grassroots campaigning, said Tshibaka, while pointing out the importance in securing a 1-percentage-point advantage over Murkowski over the next five weeks.

"[In a deadlocked campaign], that 1 percent is all we need to get the edge here," said Tshibaka. "And that's exactly what we're going to do to win."

Real Clear Politics has Tshibaka holding an 8-point lead over Murkowski.

"What we see [while going door to door], is people get really upset here when they realize that Sen. Murkowski's enabling the Biden administration," said Tshibaka, who has the full endorsement of former President Donald Trump.

Tshibaka added that Murkowski votes with President Joe Biden more than 80% of the time. She has also voted to confirm Biden's "radical" cabinet picks, including department heads who want "to kill our resource industries [in Alaska], and shut down our jobs."

From Tshibaka's perspective, Murkowski has abandoned her conservative roots for a platform that's now focused on higher gas prices, record levels of inflation and depriving Alaskans of their Second Amendment privileges.

"We're a Second Amendment state — even our Democrats carry guns," said Tshibaka. And yet, Murkowski voted for more restrictive gun laws in the Senate twice, including red flag laws for decent, hardworking Americans.

"And that's the point here. … Do we want a senator who's going to stand behind Joe Biden or a senator who stands up for Alaska? That's really the decision here," said Tshibaka. "We need leaders who are going to stand up for America."

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Sen. Cruz: Senate Should Put AG Garland, FBI on Trial Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas (Getty Images)

By Solange Reyner | Thursday, 29 September 2022 02:41 PM EDT

Merrick Garland has done more damage to the credibility of the Department of Justice and the FBI than any attorney general in history and should explain to Congress why he thought it was fine to raid former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said on Newsmax.

"I think November is going to be a fantastic election, I think we're going to win the House, we're going to win the Senate, and I think one of the very first steps we need is to have real oversight, we need to have hearings, we need to drag the attorney general before the Senate Judiciary Committee," Cruz said on "John Bachman Now."

"We need to drag the FBI, we need to get to the bottom of this, we need to use subpoena power, we need to clean house at the FBI and we need to get rid of corrupt partisans at the senior levels, and the House of Representatives needs to impeach Merrick Garland and they need to impeach (Secretary of Homeland Security) Alejandro Mayorkas, and we need to have trials in the United States Senate on their abuse of power and the incredible damage its doing to the rule of law and to Americans across this country."

Garland approved the application for a warrant to search Trump's Florida home and seize classified information and other presidential material.

Garland still has to decide whether to pursue charges against Trump or any of his allies for their handling of the records at issue.

Cruz told Newsmax there needs to be more oversight at the DOJ.

"We ought to be having hearings, we ought to have the head of the FBI, the attorney general, explaining why he thought it was fine to send FBI agents to raid Mar-a-Lago, to raid the president's house, first time in history that's ever been done," Cruz said.

"That was an abuse of power, but it's routine. This is an attorney general who directed the FBI to target parents as domestic terrorists, why? For daring to speak up at school boards and speak out against woke nonsense, speak out against critical race theory, lies being taught to their kids, speak out against transgender policies being used to cover up sexual assaults of children in school bathrooms, and what is what is Joe Biden says? 'Mom and dad at home, you're a terrorist.'

"And the FBI right now, the FBI is interviewing, is going and interviewing parents all over the country pursuant to this political DOJ. It's disgraceful. I don't want to see a Republican Department of Justice, I don't want to see a Democrat Department of Justice. I want to see a Department of Justice and FBI that enforces the law, that follows the law fairly and is blind to political party, that is not a partisan weapon. That's what it's been throughout most of its history and under Joe Biden, he treats it like the stormtroopers for the Democratic National Committee."

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Original Article

Virginia Thomas Appears for Interview With Jan. 6 Panel Newsmax

FARNOUSH AMIRI and MICHAEL BALSAMO Thursday, 29 September 2022 01:35 PM EDT

Virginia "Ginni" Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, appeared on Thursday for a voluntary interview with the House panel investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection.

The committee has for months sought an interview with Thomas in an effort to know more about her role in trying to help former President Donald Trump overturn his election defeat. She texted with White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and contacted lawmakers in Arizona and Wisconsin in the weeks after the election.

Thomas did not answer questions when she arrived on Capitol Hill for the interview or later when she briefly left for a break. But she did tell reporters she was looking forward to answering questions from the members of the committee.

The testimony from Thomas was one of the remaining items for the panel as it eyes the completion of its work. The panel has already interviewed more than 1,000 witnesses and shown some of that video testimony in its eight hearings over the summer.

Thomas' attorney, Mark Paoletta, said last week that Thomas had agreed to meet with the panel and is "eager to answer the committee’s questions to clear up any misconceptions about her work relating to the 2020 election."

The extent of her involvement in the Capitol attack is unclear. In the days after The Associated Press and other news organizations called the presidential election for Biden, Thomas emailed two lawmakers in Arizona to urge them to choose "a clean slate of Electors" and "stand strong in the face of political and media pressure." The AP obtained the emails earlier this year under the state’s open records law.

She has said in interviews that she attended the initial pro-Trump rally the morning of Jan. 6 but left before Trump spoke and the crowds headed for the Capitol.

Thomas, a Trump supporter long active in conservative causes, has repeatedly maintained that her political activities posed no conflict of interest with the work of her husband.

"Like so many married couples, we share many of the same ideals, principles, and aspirations for America. But we have our own separate careers, and our own ideas and opinions too. Clarence doesn’t discuss his work with me, and I don’t involve him in my work," Thomas told the Washington Free Beacon in an interview published in March.

Justice Thomas was the lone dissenting voice when the Supreme Court ruled in January to allow a congressional committee access to presidential diaries, visitor logs, speech drafts and handwritten notes relating to the events of Jan. 6.

Ginni Thomas has been openly critical of the committee's work, including signing onto a letter to House Republicans calling for the expulsion of Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois from the GOP conference for joining the Jan. 6 congressional committee.

Original Article

Virginia Thomas Appears for Interview With Jan. 6 Panel Newsmax

FARNOUSH AMIRI and MICHAEL BALSAMO Thursday, 29 September 2022 01:35 PM EDT

Virginia "Ginni" Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, appeared on Thursday for a voluntary interview with the House panel investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection.

The committee has for months sought an interview with Thomas in an effort to know more about her role in trying to help former President Donald Trump overturn his election defeat. She texted with White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and contacted lawmakers in Arizona and Wisconsin in the weeks after the election.

Thomas did not answer questions when she arrived on Capitol Hill for the interview or later when she briefly left for a break. But she did tell reporters she was looking forward to answering questions from the members of the committee.

The testimony from Thomas was one of the remaining items for the panel as it eyes the completion of its work. The panel has already interviewed more than 1,000 witnesses and shown some of that video testimony in its eight hearings over the summer.

Thomas' attorney, Mark Paoletta, said last week that Thomas had agreed to meet with the panel and is "eager to answer the committee’s questions to clear up any misconceptions about her work relating to the 2020 election."

The extent of her involvement in the Capitol attack is unclear. In the days after The Associated Press and other news organizations called the presidential election for Biden, Thomas emailed two lawmakers in Arizona to urge them to choose "a clean slate of Electors" and "stand strong in the face of political and media pressure." The AP obtained the emails earlier this year under the state’s open records law.

She has said in interviews that she attended the initial pro-Trump rally the morning of Jan. 6 but left before Trump spoke and the crowds headed for the Capitol.

Thomas, a Trump supporter long active in conservative causes, has repeatedly maintained that her political activities posed no conflict of interest with the work of her husband.

"Like so many married couples, we share many of the same ideals, principles, and aspirations for America. But we have our own separate careers, and our own ideas and opinions too. Clarence doesn’t discuss his work with me, and I don’t involve him in my work," Thomas told the Washington Free Beacon in an interview published in March.

Justice Thomas was the lone dissenting voice when the Supreme Court ruled in January to allow a congressional committee access to presidential diaries, visitor logs, speech drafts and handwritten notes relating to the events of Jan. 6.

Ginni Thomas has been openly critical of the committee's work, including signing onto a letter to House Republicans calling for the expulsion of Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois from the GOP conference for joining the Jan. 6 congressional committee.

US Will Not Nominate Another Candidate for IDB, Treasury Says Newsmax

Andrea Shalal Thursday, 29 September 2022 01:21 PM EDT

The Biden administration will not nominate a candidate from the United States to head the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) after this week's ouster of Mauricio Claver-Carone after an ethics scandal, a Treasury spokesperson told Reuters.

Claver-Carone, the first U.S. president in the 62-year history of the bank, was nominated in 2020 by former President Donald Trump, upending an unwritten understanding that the president of Latin America's largest development bank would come from a borrowing country in the region.

"We will return to the governance understanding that the previous administration shredded, by welcoming candidates from borrowing member countries to compete for the presidency," Treasury spokesperson Michael Kikukawa said. "The Biden administration will not put forward an American candidate."

The United States controls 30% of the voting shares of the bank, its largest shareholder by far.

The governors of the IDB voted on Monday to fire its Cuban-American chief after an independent investigation showed he had an intimate relationship with a subordinate and acted to give her salary increases totaling more than 45% of base pay in less than one year.

Claver-Carone denied in an interview with Reuters on Monday that he ever had an intimate relationship with the staffer and said he was planning legal action against the bank.

Headquartered in Washington, the IDB is a key investor in Latin America and the Caribbean, providing $23.4 billion in financing and other financial commitments in 2021.

President Joe Biden has vowed to "reinvigorate" Western hemisphere institutions such as the IDB, and sees the bank as a key player in responding to the high inflation and slow growth exacerbated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, while working for more transparent lending in the region, U.S. officials say.

The Biden administration wants the bank to move on quickly from the leadership crisis and help lead efforts for greater economic cooperation with Latin America and the Caribbean.

Treasury said it would look for candidates who fully backed reforms aimed at leveraging private sector investment to create more jobs in the region and bolster confidence in the region’s democracies, while addressing climate change.

Under the formal selection process for a new president launched Wednesday, IDB governors can nominate candidates within the next 45 days.

Original Article

Jim Jordan Sides With Big Tech Over Conservative Opposition, Jordan Responds Newsmax

By By Newsmax Editorial | Thursday, 29 September 2022 11:54 AM EDT

With a House floor vote set this afternoon on three antitrust bills that will undermine the power of Big Tech and increase competition, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, is opposing these bills.

With Jordan the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee and likely its next chairman, Newsmax was shocked that the strong conservative would join with Google, Facebook, Twitter and other Big Tech giants in opposing these relatively mild anti-trust measures.

The bills also enjoy strong support from conservative leaders, thinks tanks and media.

But Newsmax’s Wednesday story on the matter, "Rep. Ken Buck Targets Big Tech as GOP Leadership Wobbles," apparently angered Jordan.

On Thursday his Judiciary staff Communications Director fired off this statement to Newsmax:

"I don't know who orchestrated this lazy and disingenuous editorial disguised as a news piece of Mr. Jordan, but there is no one tougher in Congress on Big Tech than him. There are some really important and good provisions in these bills, but the centerpiece of all this legislation is a vehicle to set aside hundreds of millions of dollars for the Biden FTC and DOJ, who have been on a crusade for woke capitalism, and that’s something Mr. Jordan has serious concerns about. This is especially true because we have not yet had the FTC or DOJ antitrust divisions in for oversight hearings and because an important amendment adopted at Committee is not included in the bill heading to the floor. This legislation does not even address Big Tech censorship, but it does empower Joe Biden and Big Government. Giving the Biden DOJ and FTC more money to ‘take on’ Big Tech is an answer only the Swamp can come up with. Mr. Jordan has released a REAL proposal to take on Big Tech, which you can read here. We’re very disappointed Newsmax didn’t reach out for comment prior to this article running."

Here are the facts:

Newsmax did not contact Jordan’s office for comment because our Wednesday report extensively quoted his public statements on the matter.

Jordan's argument is that Republicans should not support these bills, which offer relatively mild limitations on Big Tech, for several reasons.

Jordan claims he has a bigger plan to go after Big Tech, that the bills do not address internet censorship, that the bills provide funding for the Biden DOJ to enforce the anti-competition provisions, and because Democrats support the bill.

All of this strikes us as a clever way of saying Jim Jordan won't put mild restrictions on Big Tech.

So who cares Democrats support it if it's a good bill?

And it’s true, the bills don’t address censorship.

But why not take small steps to limit Big Tech now and address censorship in the next Congress?

Of course, these measures need funding and the GOP will have oversight of that funding soon.

As for the Jordan plan to stop Big Tech, we’d love to see that next year when Republicans take control of Congress.

But send a message now to Big Tech against companies who are taking active measures at this very minute to block, thwart and even close down conservative media like Newsmax.

Remember these anti-trust bills are supported by the conservative Heritage Foundation and many conservatives including Mike Lee, Tom Cotton, Byron Donalds, Matt Gaetz and many others.

We are deeply troubled that Big Tech continues its war on conservative media knowing Jim Jordan is about to become the next Judiciary Committee chairman.

Even the American Conservative publication took Jordan to task for standing up for a “modest proposal” to reign in Big Tech in their must-read piece "Tech Hawks Meet Resistance to a ‘Modest Proposal."

Mike Davis, president of the Article III Project, a group fighting Big Tech, is quoted in the article: "This is a modest proposal. This is time for Republicans who pretend they want to hold Big Tech accountable. This is time for them to put up or shut up."

The American Conservative noted that "when the Facebook Oversight Board upheld the company’s decision to ban President Trump from Facebook and Instagram in May of last year, Jordan tweeted, 'Break them up.'"

But then the publication asked, "Catchy, far-reaching political slogans or common-sense policy?"

And Jordan’s approach the that DOJ’s anti-trust division should be blocked from funding makes little sense to us.

Even the Claremont Institute’s American Mind asked if Jordan’s real goal here is "to defund the (antitrust) police."

Big Tech has their foot on the neck of conservative media.

We're not buying catchy slogans from Jim Jordan or anyone else.

We expect Congress, and House Republicans, to back limitations on Big Tech and their monopolies.

Please note: if you side with Big Tech, you won’t have our vote.

Original Article

North Korea Fires 2 Missiles After VP Harris Leaves South Korea, DMZ (Newsmax)

CHRIS MEGERIAN Thursday, 29 September 2022 10:13 AM EDT

North Korea fired two ballistic missiles Thursday just hours after Vice President Kamala Harris left South Korea, where she had toured the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone which divides the peninsula.

The Thursday launch is Pyongyang's third in five days, continuing the nuclear-armed country's record-breaking blitz of weapons tests this year.

Speaking at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) earlier Thursday, Harris decried North Korea's "brutal dictatorship, rampant human rights violations and an unlawful weapons programme that threatens peace and stability".

She said that the US commitment to South Korea's defence was "ironclad", adding the allies were "aligned" in their response to the growing threat posed by the North's weapons programmes.

Seoul and Washington want "a complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula" — but in the interim they are "ready to address any contingency", she said.

At an observation post atop a steep hill overlooking North Korea, Harris peered through bulky binoculars as US and South Korean soldiers pointed out features, including defences, in the area.

"It's so close," she said.

Harris also visited the Panmunjom Truce Village — where then-US president Donald Trump met the North's Kim Jong Un in 2019 — and talked to US soldiers at Camp Bonifas in the Joint Security Area.

On the North Korean side of the border at Panmunjom, guards in hazmat suits could be seen watching as Harris was shown the demarcation line between the two countries — which remain technically at war.

Seoul said its military had "reinforced monitoring and surveillance" after Pyongyang's Thursday test of the two short-range ballistic missiles, which was also confirmed by Tokyo.

"North Korea's repeated ballistic missile launches can never be tolerated," Japanese defence minister Yasukazu Hamada told reporters.

Yoon Talks

Washington has about 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea to help protect it from the North, and the allies are conducting a large-scale joint naval exercise this week in a show of force.

Such drills infuriate North Korea, which sees them as rehearsals for an invasion.

Harris' trip to the DMZ is also likely to have annoyed Pyongyang, which branded United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi the "worst destroyer of international peace" when she visited the border in August.

Harris visited Seoul after a trip to Japan, where she attended the state funeral of assassinated former prime minister Shinzo Abe.

Earlier Thursday, Harris met President Yoon Suk-yeol for talks dominated by security issues, although Seoul also raised its concerns over a new law signed by US President Joe Biden that removes subsidies for electric cars built outside America, impacting Korean automakers such as Hyundai and Kia.

Harris, America's first woman vice president, also met what the White House called "groundbreaking women leaders" of South Korea to discuss gender equality issues, a topic she said she raised with Yoon during their talks.

Yoon, who has pledged to abolish Seoul's Ministry of Gender Equality, has faced domestic criticism for a lack of women in his cabinet.

Nuclear Test?

South Korean and US officials have warned for months that Kim Jong Un is preparing to conduct another nuclear test.

On Wednesday, the South's spy agency said North Korea's next nuclear test could happen in the window between China's upcoming party congress October 16 and the U.S. midterms on Nov. 7.

North Korea, which is under multiple UN sanctions for its weapons programmes, typically seeks to maximise the geopolitical impact of its tests with careful timing.

The isolated regime has tested nuclear weapons six times since 2006, most recently in 2017. Earlier this month it changed its laws, declaring itself an "irreversible" nuclear power.

"North Korea's growing nuclear missile threat raises concerns in Seoul about the reliability of Washington's defence commitments," said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul.

But sending the USS Ronald Reagan supercarrier and Harris to South Korea demonstrates both America's military capabilities and political will, he added.

Harris also raised the issue of Seoul working more closely with Japan on security issues during her trip.

Seoul announced Thursday it would hold trilateral anti-submarine drills with Japan and the US, the first such exercises since 2017.

South Korean officials said this weekend they had detected signs Pyongyang could be preparing to fire a submarine-launched ballistic missile.

Original Article

Ric Grenell to Newsmax: Russia Had No Reason to Sabotage Natural Gas Pipeline

Ric Grenell (AFP via Getty)

By Jay Clemons | Wednesday, 28 September 2022 10:06 PM EDT

Ric Grenell, formerly the acting director of National Intelligence during the Trump administration, believes the consequences of the supposed attack on two natural gas pipelines under the Baltic Sea — running from Russia to Germany — will be "enormous," given how much of Europe is already dealing with an energy crisis.

"So many people trying to figure out who did it," Grenell told Newsmax Wednesday evening, while appearing on "Rob Schmitt Tonight."

From Grenell's perspective, Germany's manufacturing-based economy cannot handle additional crises involving energy shortages.

"They just don't have the [energy] supply, and they're already scrambling right now," said Grenell.

Under the leadership of former Chancellor Angela Merkel, Germany committed to phasing out nuclear energy and coal-related power, explained Grenell.

But now, with Merkel retired and Germany dealing with its own energy problems before the harsh winter months, Grenell said the Germans, under new Chancellor Olaf Scholz, are trying everything to replenish their nuclear power sources.

"That's historic. … They weren't prepared for this situation," Grenell said.

Regarding the recent pipeline attack, Grenell said pinpointing a potential saboteur could be difficult.

"We certainly know the Russians [occasionally] lie. … That's something they've been doing since the beginning of time," said Grenell.

However, in this case, Grenell said the Russians have no true incentive to sabotage their own pipeline.

"[The Russians are] desperate for money, and this was their pipeline to get more money," said Grenell.

Russian pipelines have been a popular discussion topic, acknowledged Grenell, in terms of shaping world events.

When the Biden administration and Senate Democrats dropped the Trump-era sanctions against Russia in relation to pipeline distribution last year, Grenell said it "signaled to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin a white flag of surrender" on America's part.

And that move, from Grenell's standpoint, subsequently "encouraged" Putin to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February — a war that's still bringing devastation to both countries seven months later.

"This is all chaos that should have not happened, and it wouldn't have happened under Donald Trump," said Grenell.

Trump "does not like war. He wants tough diplomacy," added Grenell.

As for the current administration potentially brokering peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, Grenell said that "there is no diplomacy" in the Biden White House.

"[Secretary of State] Antony Blinken didn't even try to stop this war [before it started]," Grenell said.

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Original Article

Report: Iran Nuclear Deal Must Clear One Last Hurdle Before Reinstatement

(Newsmax/"The Record With Greta Van Susteren")

By Jay Clemons | Wednesday, 28 September 2022 08:09 PM EDT

The so-called Iran Nuclear Deal has one last "huge obstacle" to clear before being reinstated, citing an Axios report.

According to a senior European diplomat, that final hurdle involves the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) closing its investigation into Iran, which allegedly ignored certain security safeguards and did not fully disclose reports of its nuclear activity.

"At midnight on Aug. 15, we thought we had a deal," the European diplomat told Axios, when characterizing the back-and-forth proposals between Iranian and U.S. officials, which, at the time, reportedly included a few lingering technical issues.

Axios also reports that a recent public address from Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi called for the U.N. General Assembly to guarantee the United States would not abandon any future nuclear deals — a likely reference to then-President Donald Trump's rescinding America's commitment to the nuclear pact in 2018.

However, in private settings, Raisi reportedly has been more focused on the ongoing IAEA probe.

Axios reports a senior U.S. official confirmed that information, when briefed on Raisi's recent meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and European Council President Charles Michel.

Axios' European source also revealed the Iranians are convinced the U.S. could simply tell the IAEA to make the problem disappear, but IAEA chief Rafael Grossi and the White House are "adamant" the agency's concerns must be adequately addressed before ending the investigation.

The chief IAEA grievance, according to reports is that U.N. inspectors found uranium particles when making on-site visits to Iran.

"Something happened in Tehran. Maybe the highest authority in Iran decided it doesn't want a deal without being sure the investigations will be closed," the European diplomat told Axios about the August negotiations.

Earlier this month, 50 House Republicans and Democrats implored President Joe Biden to exhibit full transparency with Congress regarding the rumored revival of the Iran Nuclear Deal — before any papers are signed.

The lawmakers requested the White House share the text of any potential nuclear agreements involving Iran with House members.

As Newsmax chronicled then, congressional leaders were concerned that certain provisions in a revised nuclear pact could result in weakening U.S. sanctions on Iran that "are meant to target funding" of terrorist activities, according to the letter.

The Iran nuclear deal, or Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action pact from 2015 (JCPOA), was created under then-President Barack Obama.

As part of the pact, Iran agreed to eliminate its stockpile of medium-enriched uranium and also cut its stockpile of low-enriched uranium by 98%.

In return, the Iranian leaders reportedly collected $150 billion from other countries, including the United States.

In July, former national security adviser John Bolton told Newsmax that diplomacy wouldn't be the answer to defusing Iran's nuclear capabilities.

Iran "can still be stopped, but somebody's going to have to [physically] do it. And it won't come from [reviving] the failed Iran nuclear deal," Bolton said while appearing on "The Record With Greta Van Susteren."

The original Iran nukes deal was an expensive lesson for U.S. officials, Bolton said, since Iran apparently didn't adhere to the terms of the agreement.

Iran's nuclear program, "as we know it, is extremely vulnerable," said Bolton, when brainstorming ways to vanquish the country's means for uranium enrichment and then converting the uranium to a gaslike state.

Original Article