OAN Newsroom UPDATED 12:06 PM PT – Sunday, September 4, 2022
DELAWARE, OH – APRIL 23: J.D. Vance, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Ohio, speaks during a rally hosted by former President Donald Trump at the Delaware County Fairgrounds on April 23, 2022 in Delaware, Ohio. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Ohio Republican Senate nominee J.D. Vance is hoping to best Democrat Representative Tim Ryan for the coveted seat to go to Capitol Hill. The seat that the two men are fighting for is being vacated by Republican Senator Rob Portman. Portman announced his retirement in January.
The Hillbilly Elegy author rose to fame when his best-selling book hit the top in 2016. Analysts say his book was a window into rural Americans. The novel also explained why Ohio swung for Trump in 2016 and 2020. Since then, the venture capitalist has been a thought leader. Vance speaks on the long-forgotten working class American and he has appeared on multiple news outlets sharing his commentary.
During the highly contested primary election this cycle, the Republican was able to win over former President Trump. Vance’s opponent on the other hand acts in lock-step with the Democrat party despite claiming he wants to fight for the working class.
Reports have revealed that Ryan has voted with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Joe Biden 100-percent of the time. Vance on the other hand not only wants to hold his Democrat opponent’s feet to the fire, but he also wants to reform the Republican party. The Senate hopeful shared with One America’s Dan Ball the biggest issue he has with Ryan’s political evolution.
“They pretend that they believe one thing when it’s like look the video clip is right there of you saying something two years ago,” Vance said. “For example, Tim Ryan, who I’m now running against, is trying to claim that he’s really supportive of Trump’s tariffs on the Chinese yet two, three years ago he was one of the biggest fighters against those tariffs. Look, you can have a change of opinion but at least be honest and admit that you believe something different and that the facts made you change your mind. I think when people try to pretend that they’re something they’re not, that’s when politicians get into trouble.”
The Republican is capitalizing on this area of opportunity because he doesn’t think Ryan can represent the best interests of Ohio.
DOJ: Trump Must Comply With Subpoena; His Declassifying of Docs Doesn't Matter
This image contained in a court filing by the Department of Justice on Aug. 30, 2022, and redacted by in part by the FBI, shows a photo of documents seized during the Aug. 8 search by the FBI of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. (Department of Justice via AP)
By Nick Koutsobinas | Sunday, 04 September 2022 06:17 PM EDT
Former President Donald Trump was asked to return all documents marked as classified as part of a grand jury subpoena issued in May, regardless of whether the former president believed he declassified the documents, the Department of Justice wrote in a court filing made public Friday.
According to Axios, since the raid on his Mar-a-Lago estate, Trump has put out several reasons for holding documents marked "top secret" and "confidential."
In mid-August, Just the News founder and journalist John Solomon, during an appearance on Fox News, read a statement from Trump's team indicating that the former president "had a standing order that documents removed from the Oval Office and taken to the residence were deemed to be declassified the moment he removed them."
But former Attorney General Bill Barr and former national security adviser John Bolton have thrown water on the "standing order" claim.
While Trump and his team have alluded to such documents being declassified, they have been careful not to make the assertion in legal proceedings, according to The Washington Post.
On May 11, a grand jury issued a subpoena demanding all documents "bearing classification markings."
But per an "exchange of correspondence" with the DOJ, Trump's team sought a deadline extension to respond to the subpoena. They asked, according to a filing, that the Justice Department "consider a few 'principles,' including the claim that a president has absolute authority to declassify documents (although counsel did not actually assert that FPOTUS had done so)."
In return, the Justice Department stated, "The government notes that the subpoena sought documents 'bearing classification markings,' and therefore a complete response would not turn on whether or not responsive documents had been purportedly declassified."
As Bloomberg reported, even in Trump declassified the documents, they would still have to go to the National Archives.
McConnell PAC Pumps $23M Into New Hampshire Senate Race (Newsmax Special Debate Coverage)
By Eric Mack | Sunday, 04 September 2022 05:41 PM EDT
Showing the importance of flipping the seat of Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's super PAC is placing $23 million worth of television campaign ads to run from the day of the state primary until the general election Nov. 8.
The Senate Leadership Fund (SLF), tied to McConnell, announced the $23 million TV ad buy Friday. Notably the SLF mentions Hassan as a target, but it does not mention the GOP primary candidates vying to challenge the incumbent Democrat.
"Maggie Hassan's weak record of rubber-stamping Joe Biden's inflationary spending and taxes has hurt Granite Staters, and they know it," SLF President Steven Law wrote in a statement. "This is a top-tier pickup opportunity for us, putting the Senate majority within reach."
The Senate currently has 50 Republicans, but the 48 Democrats hold the majority with the two independents that caucus with them and the tiebreaking vote of Vice President Kamala Harris.
The SLF ads will be the first in New Hampshire for the 2022 cycle, but it does not name a Republican candidate before the Sept. 13 final primary vote. Former President Donald Trump has not made an endorsement in the race.
Retired Army Gen. Don Bolduc holds a double-digit lead in polling, according to RealClearPolitics. Bolduc appeared with opponents Bruce Fenton, Kevin Smith, and state Sen. Chuck Morse in August debate moderated by Newsmax host John Bachman at Saint Anselm College's Koonz Theatre in Manchester, New Hampshire.
"Maggie Hassan is going to do the same old things, the same old ways, and that has been hurting our country," Bolduc told Bachman. "She has supported Biden 100% of the time and all his policies that are ruining this country.
"Republicans, independent, Democrats, libertarians — whatever you call yourself, it should not matter. The future of our children is at stake here. The future of our grandchildren is at stake here, and she's at fault for 5½ years. She has not done anything to help Granite Staters.
"And I've been around the Granite State in every town and city for two years, and that is the complaint: We can't figure out one thing that she's done for the Granite State."
Bolduc stressed Trump-era policies during his allotted time during the debate.
"Listen, green energy renewables — that's good stuff, but we need our fossil fuels in order to have green energy," he said. "We cannot divest ourselves from fossil fuels. It is the bread and butter, the heart and soul of our energy independence. And if we don't have it, we're going to be energy-dependent.
"And look what it's done to us: It's made us weak. We are weak. China, Russia, North Korea, Iran are now having their way with us. Our homeland is weak. We are in trouble. And if we don't reverse the energy policies that Biden put in place, that reversed what President Trump had in place, and if we don't get Maggie Hassan out of there, we're gonna be in big trouble."
Trump Blasts 'Radical Left Lunatics' for Lacking 'Love' of MAGA (Newsmax/YouTube)
By Eric Mack | Sunday, 04 September 2022 04:07 PM EDT
After a raucous rally in his return to Pennsylvania, former President Donald Trump praised the revelers for having the "love, energy, enthusiasm, spirit and patriotism" that the "radical left lunatics" lack.
"It's impossible to explain how great the people last night were in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania," Trump wrote in a Save America PAC statement posted Sunday on Truth Social. "The level of love they have for our country is both unbelievable and highly impressive — it is more than anyone would ever know.
"If the radical left lunatics that work so hard to destroy our country could just get a little bit of the love, energy, enthusiasm, spirit and patriotism that we witnessed last night, our country would go to the top of every list like a rocket ship."
Trump, who made his first rally appearance after the FBI raid of his private residence at Mar-a-Lago, spoke at length, contrasting the struggles of President Joe Biden's administration, the weaponization of the Justice Department, and why Republicans should get behind his endorsed Pennsylvania candidates Dr. Mehmet Oz for Senate and Doug Mastriano for governor.
"Thank you to everyone who attended the rally last night," Trump's statement concluded. "It was a two-hour speech, and the only disappointment was that they were screaming, 'Please, please, go longer.'
"They love our country, and I love them!"
Trump does not have a rally scheduled in the final two months before the midterms yet, but there are four states yet to hold their primaries:
Trump Blasts 'Radical Left Lunatics' for Lacking 'Love' of MAGA (Newsmax/YouTube)
By Eric Mack | Sunday, 04 September 2022 04:07 PM EDT
After a raucous rally in his return to Pennsylvania, former President Donald Trump praised the revelers for having the "love, energy, enthusiasm, spirit and patriotism" that the "radical left lunatics" lack.
"It's impossible to explain how great the people last night were in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania," Trump wrote in a Save America PAC statement posted Sunday on Truth Social. "The level of love they have for our country is both unbelievable and highly impressive — it is more than anyone would ever know.
"If the radical left lunatics that work so hard to destroy our country could just get a little bit of the love, energy, enthusiasm, spirit and patriotism that we witnessed last night, our country would go to the top of every list like a rocket ship."
Trump, who made his first rally appearance after the FBI raid of his private residence at Mar-a-Lago, spoke at length, contrasting the struggles of President Joe Biden's administration, the weaponization of the Justice Department, and why Republicans should get behind his endorsed Pennsylvania candidates Dr. Mehmet Oz for Senate and Doug Mastriano for governor.
"Thank you to everyone who attended the rally last night," Trump's statement concluded. "It was a two-hour speech, and the only disappointment was that they were screaming, 'Please, please, go longer.'
"They love our country, and I love them!"
Trump does not have a rally scheduled in the final two months before the midterms yet, but there are four states yet to hold their primaries:
Report: Biden's Struggles With Union Advocates May Hinder Dems in Midterms
President Joe Biden
By Jay Clemons | Sunday, 04 September 2022 03:56 PM EDT
President Joe Biden won't be on the ballot during the upcoming November elections, but his policies and actions over the last 19 months might sway midterm results — particularly in battleground states.
As such, Bloomberg News asserts that Biden's appeal among American union workers has recently come under scrutiny.
"There's a lot of righteous anger on the part of Democratic voters, in particular union voters who tend to vote Democrat," Celine McNicholas, director of policy and government affairs at Washington think tank EPI, told Bloomberg.
In the Detroit, Michigan, suburb of Macomb County, Alyssa Coakley, a 25-year-old Starbucks Corp. employee, who reportedly led a successful effort to unionize her café, said Biden's penchant for helping unions is more show than substance.
Coakley said, "When it comes to labor, it's been a little bit performative. Like, what more are you doing for us?"
Macomb County, as Bloomberg reported, is part of a newly redrawn congressional district that's likely to flip to Republicans, potentially helping the GOP take overall control of the House.
For the midterms, Republicans need a net positive of five seats to claim the majority in the House chamber, and just a net of one seat to control the Senate.
There's historical precedent with the Republicans faring well in this area of Michigan.
During the 1980s, President Ronald Reagan held solid appeal with union voters who had primarily voted Democrat since the days of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his New Deal.
According to Bloomberg, Macomb County "became a symbol of that shift" when a pollster's analysis found that Reagan secured about two-thirds of the local vote in 1984 — almost a mirror image of Democrat John Kennedy's 1960 win.
From these findings, pollster Stan Greenberg concluded that Democrats no longer saw the party as representing the working class.
Former President Donald Trump has evoked comparisons to Reagan, in terms of political platform and willingly appealing to a broader base of conservative voters.
After former President Barack Obama won Macomb County twice (2008, 2012), Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton in the county by 12 percentage points — a differential that helped Trump win Michigan and eventually collect more than 300 electoral votes.
Biden performed better in Macomb than Clinton in the 2020 presidential election, but still lost the county to Trump.
Unions had a firm hold on Michigan voters during the 1960s, 70s, 80s and 90s. But since then, it has transformed into a right-to-work state, seemingly making it tougher for unions to operate from a position of power.
For example, as Bloomberg reported, Lume Cannabis executives allegedly told workers their vacation days and tips were on the table if they unionized; and that played a significant role in marginalizing the pursuit of worker unionization.
Lume denied that news report, characterizing the allegations as "completely false and without merit."
"At Lume we value our employees and recognize our team members are a critical aspect to our success," Lume President Doug Hellyar said in an emailed statement.
Rep. Gallagher: Congress Left to Learn About Trump Raid Through the Media
Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-W.I. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty)
By Sandy Fitzgerald | Sunday, 04 September 2022 03:27 PM EDT
There has not been enough transparency from the Department of Justice and the FBI concerning the Aug. 8 raid on former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, and as a result, members of Congress have had to learn details through leaks that "presumably they're feeding to the liberal media," Rep. Mike Gallagher, a member of the House Intelligence and Armed Services committees, said Sunday.
"For something of this magnitude, something unprecedented, you would expect the FBI and the DOJ to go to great lengths to ensure they are conducting themselves with the highest level of professionalism, but they never notified our committee, which you would expect them to do if, indeed, there was a danger posed by the classified material that was the in Donald Trump's possession," the Wisconsin Republican said on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures."
Gallagher added that it's "unacceptable" that members of Congress are learning the news through the media, and such doings also further increase everyday Americans' skepticism.
The move also comes after the FBI relied on unverified opposition research, funded by Hillary Clinton's campaign, to spy on Trump's campaign in 2016, said Gallagher.
"No one has been held accountable for that massive abuse of power," he said. "I think that is the initial thing that caused a lot of people to lose faith in these institutions."
And then there is Attorney General Merrick Garland, who had been promoted in the media as a "safe, slam-dunk moderate pick" but who has turned out to weaponize the power of the DOJ, said Gallagher.
"Then, of course, you have all these agencies currently being controlled by President [Joe Biden] who just went on prime-time TV and labeled everyone in the Republican Party, effectively, a domestic extremist," said Gallagher.
And if the DOJ moves forward with an indictment against Trump, that would be a "dangerous road to go down," said Gallagher.
"The average American is going to see the way Hillary Clinton was treated and see the double standard," as former FBI Director James Comey "established a new standard there," he added.
Meanwhile, the recent resignation of 25-year veteran FBI agent Tim Thibault, who has been accused of stonewalling the Hunter Biden investigation, appears to be more of a cover-up move by the agency than cleaning house and taking corrective action, said Gallagher.
He stressed that he comes from an intelligence background and has "profound respect" for the rank-and-file members of the FBI, but he does believe their leadership is failing them and that those members are starting to lose faith in their own leadership because of a series of events that have happened.
"It's going to be up to a Republican majority to hold these agencies accountable because we need the American people to trust federal law enforcement," said Gallagher. "There are very important jobs that they do and is right now that trust is fraying. Accountability is very much on the ballot come November."
He also said he believes a GOP-led Congress will end up using a practice called "fencing, "where they draw limits on financing to compel the agencies like the FBI to provide information.
"It's a shame that you have to do that, but that is what's necessary," said Gallagher. "The other thing I think we have to use more effectively, Sean, is our subpoena power … it extends to various other executive branch agencies."
Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., responds to a question at a town hall meeting in 2017. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
By Sandy Fitzgerald | Sunday, 04 September 2022 02:18 PM EDT
The midterm elections can be summed up in one word: "security," Rep. Tom Emmer, the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, said Sunday.
The Minnesota Republican said on "Fox News Sunday": "It's about Americans' economic security. It's about Americans' physical security … they have to make difficult choices every single day about groceries and gas, and on the security side, the physical security, Democrats pro-criminal policies have made our cities war zones."
The border is also a major concern, said Emmer, as it is being "run over by cartels" and every city in the United States is having to deal with the massive amounts of fentanyl that are causing overdoses across the country.
"Parents are wondering if their child is going to be the one that dies next," said Emmer, adding that Democrats have caused the problems facing the nation, and "they are going to pay for it at the ballot box."
And even though polls, such as in The Wall Street Journal, are showing Republican numbers slipping slightly, Emmer said he believes the Republicans will regain control of the House and Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., will become the House speaker.
"I have talked about getting past Labor Day weekend when everybody starts to engage, and I like where we are at," he said. "Right now we are almost 7 points better on the generic ballot than we were just two years ago."
Meanwhile, "money talks, and money is painting a pessimistic future for Democrats in the midterms," said Emmer, adding that former President Donald Trump has been a "fantastic ally" for the party's fundraising efforts.
He added, when asked if the committee is recommending candidates keep their distance from Trump, that that is not the case, and that candidates know best what their districts want and how to run for office based on that.
Emmer also denied that the NRCC has recommended to candidates to back away from Trump or controversial issues like abortion after The Washington Post reported that nine candidates have scrubbed their information of such references.
"If Democrats want to make abortion the main issue when every poll we have seen says that the economy and the cost of living is the No. 1 issue, good luck to them trying to defend their extreme position," he said.
"Everything is more expensive because of failed Democrat policies," he added. "Eight out of 10 Americans believe this country is on the wrong track, and that is why they're going to vote for a change and elect a new Republican majority in the House."
Emmer also predicted that when McCarthy becomes speaker, he'll be the one to determine how to push back on Biden's policies, including stopping his student loan forgiveness decision.
"It's not only illegal, but it also's unfair, and it's wrong," said Emmer. If you think about it, every American who either chose to go into a trade or go to work, or went to college and paid off their debt like a responsible American is now going to pay $2,000 for someone else's debt."
Washington Senate Hopeful Smiley: Focused on State's Endorsement, Not Trump's Republican Tiffany Smiley, who is challenging U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., speaks Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022, at a Republican Party (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
By Sandy Fitzgerald | Sunday, 04 September 2022 12:58 PM EDT
Washington state Republican Tiffany Smiley, who is challenging incumbent Democrat Sen. Patty Murray for the seat she's held since 1993, said Sunday she's "laser-focused" on the needs of her state and on defeating Murray, and that while she'd welcome the endorsement of any Republican — including former President Donald Trump — she's more interested in the endorsement of her state's voters.
"This campaign has been so successful because we have a strong grassroots movement because I am laser-focused on the endorsement of the voters of Washington state," Smiley said on CNN's "State of the Union." "If someone from our party wants to endorse me, get behind me, support us, that's great."
Murray, she added, "has forgotten about Washington State. She cares about Washington, D.C. She fights for Washington, D.C. I will fight for the voters of Washington state, and there are real issues on the ballot."
Meanwhile, abortion is one of the major issues facing voters in Washington state, like across the nation, and Smiley said Sunday she's pro-life, but she still opposes a federal abortion ban.
Washington currently guarantees the right to an abortion up to point of fetal viability, and Smiley called Murray "extreme" for wanting to pass a federal law allowing the procedure.
"I look forward to ensuring that women have access to health care, contraception, that in a time of crisis here in Washington state that they have every resource that they need to make the best choice, and that women know choosing to keep your child isn't a ticket to a lack of education or poverty," said Smiley.
She acknowledged, though, that she had problems with a Texas law that bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, even though other reports indicated she supported it.
"There were a lot of problems with the Texas bill," she said. "I'm focused on Washington state and I'm focused on delivering for the people of Washington state."
Smiley also on Sunday said she was disappointed with Biden's speech this past week when he railed against MAGA Republicans.
A former triage nurse, Smiley fought for her husband's rights to remain on active service in the military after he was blinded during combat, and she said Sunday that when she fought for him and additional VA reforms, "we were fighting for every Democrat, Republican and independent with a disabled veteran in their family."
"Unity is not conformity, and I think President Biden got that really, really mixed up," said Smiley.
But when asked if she believes Biden legitimately won the 2020 election, rather than directly answering, she told CNN that "yes, he's our president," and pointed out that Democrats like Hillary Clinton and Stacey Abrams have also had concerns about elections.
"We need to protect the integrity of our elections," she said. "It needs to be hard to cheat and easy to vote."
And when show host Dana Bash pushed Smiley on the question of legitimacy for Biden, she responded that "yes, Joe Biden is our president…he is our president and, again, I am focused on the voters of Washington state. I'm focused on the future and what I can deliver."
McCaul: President Has 'Different Set of Rules' on Documents Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
By Sandy Fitzgerald | Sunday, 04 September 2022 11:46 AM EDT
Rep. Michael McCaul, while commenting on the FBI's search of former President Donald Trump's Florida home, said Sunday that while he would not have taken boxes of documents to his home, a president has a "different set of rules that apply to him."
"I have lived in the classified world most of my professional career," the Texas Republican said on ABC News's "This Week." "But I'm not the president of the United States…The president can declassify a document at a moment's notice, and we don't have all the facts. I know they were taken out of the White House while he was president, and whether or not he declassified those documents remains to be seen. He said he did, but I don't have all the facts there."
Show co-host Martha Raddatz told McCaul that former Attorney General Bill Barr has dismissed the idea of Trump giving a blanket declassification to all the documents, and the congressman agreed that there is a process that usually happens, but said the matter is different for a president.
"The president's in a very different position than most of us in the national security space, and if this was such a national security threat, why didn't they brief the 'Gang of Eight on this?" McCaul said. "The relevant committees on the Hill have asked for briefings on this to find out what was so important here from a national security standpoint that would merit such an extreme measure to have a search warrant on a former president of the United States."
The congressman said that many Republicans are already not trusting federal law enforcement on the heels of the investigation into Trump and Russia, and that "saddens" him as an alumnus of the DOJ.
"I hate to see people's faith in our institutions being weakened," he said. "I have a lot of questions. Why didn't they enforce the subpoena before they did this unprecedented search warrant on a former president of the United States? This will come out factually as this case moves forward."
McCaul on Sunday also commented on President Joe Biden's Philadelphia speech, calling his words a "slap in the face" to millions of Americans.
"I think that if this was a speech to unify the American people, it had just the opposite effect," he said. "It basically condemned all Republicans who supported Donald Trump in the last election. That's over 70 million people. Saying that Republicans are a threat to democracy is a slap in the face."
He also accused Biden of "teeing up who the enemy" is under the guise of a speech announced to unite the nation.
"A lot of Republicans were very offended by that speech," said McCaul. "This was not a presidential address. It was a political speech and it wasn't even carried by your network or the other two major networks, because it was so political. It was a campaign speech before the midterm elections and that's how I see it."
The congressman, though, acknowledged that the political rhetoric has "been heightened" on both sides, including with Trump's comments referring to Biden as an "enemy of the state," at Saturday night's rally, and he does not think that mainstream America likes that.
"I wish the president could have been more like Abraham Lincoln who did not condemn the Democrats in the South at that time," said McCaul. "He actually brought them into the tent and I think that would be the mission I would advise for the president. I think he failed to do that in this speech that he gave."
Sen. Graham Clarifies 'Riots' Remark, Knocks DOJ for Trump Obsession Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., speaks to supporters at the Charleston County Victory Office in 2020. ( Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images)
By Jay Clemons | Sunday, 04 September 2022 11:19 AM EDT
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., has clarified his comments from last week, when predicting there would be "riots in the streets" if the Justice Department (DOJ) charged former President Donald Trump with a federal crime over classified documents being stored at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
While speaking to CNBC on Saturday, Graham toned down his previous words by saying, "what I tried to do was state the obvious."
Graham continued: "Here's what I said, The raid on President Trump's home, the likely [Republican Party] nominee for 2024, better bear some fruit here. If it's just about mishandling classified information, we've [already] had a standard set when it came to Hillary Clinton."
The former chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Graham says the federal government has seemingly thrown out all the rules — in terms of wanting respectful and prudent law enforcement — when it comes to Trump.
And that pervasive attitude of "Get him, it doesn't matter how you get him" has become problematic, says the South Carolina Republican.
"So I said if [Trump's alleged crime] is similar to what happened to Clinton and he gets prosecuted, it'll be one of the most disruptive events in America," says Graham.
Graham's reference to Hillary Clinton — the 2016 Democratic Party presidential nominee who lost to Trump in that year's general election — involved her stint as President Barack Obama's Secretary of State. During that time, the FBI claimed Clinton had mishandled classified documents on an email server, but was also never prosecuted for the supposed error in judgment.
Regarding the Clinton-Trump comparison, there's a significant difference between the titles of secretary of state and President of the United States.
As such, two weeks ago, while serving as a studio guest on "Rob Schmitt Tonight," Trump attorney Alina Habba told Newsmax the Mar-a-Lago affidavit implied potential guilt for the former president on three fronts — concealment, espionage, and destruction of documents.
To which, Habba responded: If the DOJ claims concealment, "you wouldn't have allowed [federal agents] into Mar-a-Lago," Habba said.
If the DOJ cites espionage, Habba said the Trump attorneys wouldn't have been transparent about federal officials viewing the documents in June.
And if the DOJ argues destruction, Habba says Trump's people wouldn't have responded positively to the feds' request of putting a padlock on the presidential documents.
"What people don't understand: Presidents have different kinds of privileges — executive privileges," said Habba, adding that Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama exercised similar declassification privileges with documents after leaving office in 2009 and 2017, respectively.
At a midterm-election rally Saturday in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Trump lashed out at Democrats, the DOJ, the FBI, and the national media over the Aug. 8 raid his Florida home.
"The shameful raid and break-in of my home at Mar-a-Lago was a travesty of justice that made a mockery of America's laws, traditions and principles before the entire world,"Trump told the crowd of boisterous supporters.
Rep. Fallon to Newsmax: Germany Ignored Trump's Warning on Russian Oil (Newsmax/"Wake Up America")
By Sandy Fitzgerald | Sunday, 04 September 2022 11:00 AM EDT
Former President Donald Trump four years ago warned Germany, in a speech at the United Nations, against being too reliant on Russia for their energy needs, but they were "insulted" and didn't heed his warning, and now it is in a dire situation, Rep. Pat Fallon said on Newsmax Sunday.
"They were insulted, but now look at the situation that the Germans have gotten themselves into," the Texas Republican said on Newsmax's "Wake Up America." "If you look at their price per megawatt, in 2020 for the four months between April and July, and you look at it just two years later, it is 10 times more expensive in Germany right now because they were closing down their power plants and becoming far too dependent on Russia."
His comments come after Russia announced that the Nord Stream pipeline will remain shut down indefinitely, and as lower gas flows before and during the invasion of Ukraine pushed Europe's price up by 400%, leading to the spike in electricity costs.
Europe is accusing Russia of weaponizing the energy supplies, while Moscow is blaming the issue on Western sanctions and supply disruptions.
Nord Stream, which goes under the Baltic Sea to take gas to Germany, was already at 20% of capacity before the flows were shut off last week. Gas from it represents about a third of what's normally exported from Russia to Europe.
"Russia is using energy as a political weapon," Fallon said. "They claim they're not but of course they are. That's why President Trump refused the Nord Stream 2 pipeline but President Biden pulled the sanctions from it and then he had to reinstate President Trump's policies."
Meanwhile, the United States has lost its energy independence under Biden, driving gas prices up this summer, but Fallon said that can be reversed.
"What we need Biden to do is first of all end the freeze on gas and oil exploration on federal lands and seas, stop the regulatory assault, expedite all energy and pipeline projects, and not only issue leases but also permits because leases without permits don't do any good," said Fallon. "He can also fast track liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporting permits but he doesn't do that."
But, he added, it's "unbelievable what Biden has done."
"We can be energy independent," the congressman said. "Trump proved that but Biden has just rolled back the clock, particularly at a time when Europe needs the energy and we have it."
But, the United States does not have any product to sell because of the policies Biden has enacted in his first 20 months of office, said Fallon.
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Video: Naturalized US Citizen Calls Out Biden for Mocking 'MAGA' Movement A person holds an American flag as they participate in a ceremony to become an American citizen during a U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services naturalization ceremony. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
By Jay Clemons | Sunday, 04 September 2022 10:17 AM EDT
The fallout of President Joe Biden's primetime address from Thursday — in which he fixated on former President Donald Trump, openly mocked conservative voters, and referred to the "MAGA Republicans" as a threat to this nation — carried over to the holiday weekend, when an apparent immigrant-turned-American-citizen criticized Biden for being a divisive figure during his speech.
The naturalized U.S. citizen posted a TikTok video, which has already garnered more than 932,000 views, saying that President Biden was wrong to characterize Make America Great Again supporters as "terrorists," while also proclaiming his pride in being a "MAGA" conservative.
"Mr. President, I am also a conservative Republican. Or what you have recently labeled a 'MAGA Republican,'" the man said in the video. "Over the last few days, you have looked into the camera and called me and millions of people like me 'extremists.' You have told me and my children that we don't matter to you because of our beliefs.
"Your spokespeople and the media have labeled us 'dangerous,' 'full of hate,' and a 'threat to democracy,'" the man continued. "You went as far as to suggest that we would not stand a chance against government F-15s in defending our country from tyranny. Your party leaders have taken your cue and called us 'terrorists.' And all this without taking any time to acknowledge our humanity, listen to our concerns, or seek to understand our fears."
The man, possibly in his late 30s, first came to the United States at age 19; and after 18 years of living here and raising four children, finally became an American citizen.
"This is the reason many of us embrace the call to Make American Great Again," the man continued in the video. "It is because we believe our great nation is under a moral, fiscal, and spiritual assault. We're MAGA because we want to restore the promise in the hearts of our children that this is the place where their efforts will be rewarded and where their true potential can be realized.
"We are MAGA because we believe in freedom of speech, the freedom to exercise our religion. We believe in limited government, and the rule of law," said the man. "We are MAGA because we love the Constitution and believe our Founders established a means for 'We the people' to defend it from enemies both foreign and domestic."
The man concluded, "I am MAGA, because I want to be able to look into the eyes of my four black children to assure them that they're not victims, that they hold inside them what it takes to achieve anything they set their hearts on."
On Friday, Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Pa., told Newsmax that Biden doesn't get to walk back his comments, consequence-free, from Thursday's address.
When discussing the presidential speech, along with the ominous background that might have fallen short in projecting American optimism, Reschenthaler says there's a reason why Biden ignored discussing the lagging economy, high inflation, or the chaos at the U.S.-Mexico border.
"That's because Joe Biden has zero wins," says Reschenthaler, while lamenting the White House's era of "stagnation" — a term for when a stagnant economy meets high inflation — and how the American military was "embarrassed" in last year's withdrawal from Afghanistan, which paved the way for the Taliban taking over full control of the country.
Biden Hits New Low for Offshore, Federal Land Drilling Permits Drilling platforms are seen off the southern California coast on October 6, 2021.(Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)
By Sandy Fitzgerald | Sunday, 04 September 2022 09:56 AM EDT
President Joe Biden's administration has leased far fewer acres for oil and gas drilling offshore and on federal land at the early stages of his presidency than has any other leader since Harry Truman at the end of World War II, according to a new analysis.
"The president said he was going to stop leasing, and he’s been remarkably successful," former Trump administration Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, an energy lawyer, tells The Wall Street Journal in response to its analysis, which shows Biden's Interior Department has leased 126,228 acres for drilling in his first 19 months of office, or through Aug. 20.
Only Truman, at this stage of his presidency, leased fewer acres, coming in at just 65,658 in 1945-46. However, notes the publication, at that time, the federal government did not control the deep-water leases that now make up the largest part of the federal energy program, and offshore drilling was just starting.
No other president's administration since Richard Nixon, in his 1969-70 period, has issued fewer than 4.4 million acres by this stage of a first term.
The paper quoted statistics from the federal bureaus of Land Management and Ocean Energy Management, but the numbers exclude the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska and the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Biden, while campaigning in 2020, promised to stop drilling on federal lands but changed his stance some when oil prices climbed after Russia invaded Ukraine. Still, he pushed back from the leasing program that has been used by presidents for years.
The federal program was already declining when oil-and-gas companies turned to fracking shale and away from drilling offshore and on federal land, but under Biden, the decline dropped by 97% from the first 19 months of the year, compared to former President Donald Trump's first months in office.
Interior Department spokeswoman Melissa Schwartz said that industry trends are driving most production in the United States to private or state lands and that the department last year issued a record-high amount of drilling permits for already-existing leases.
She also said that out of the approximately 35 million acres that the federal government already leases, around 60% are not actively producing.
During Biden's first week in office, he placed an indefinite moratorium on new oil leases, while the Interior Department set a requirement for more reviews on drilling permits over the first 60 days of the administration.
The administration has tried just one offshore sale, which a court invalidated in January, and resumed onshore leasing this summer, after a federal judge in Louisiana ruled in June 2021 that Biden's moratorium was not lawful.
Leasing went to record highs in the 1970s and early 1980s under then-Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan, with Reagan holding the record after leasing almost 48 million acres in his first 19 months in office.
"Stepping up domestic production has been a priority of every president from Nixon right up through Obama and of course, Trump," Daniel Yergin, the vice chairman of S&P Global and a noted oil-industry historian, commented. "Whether Democrats or Republicans, presidents have wanted to embrace the idea of energy independence and production."
Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law on Aug. 16, includes a requirement that the Interior Department offers at least 60 million offshore acres and 2 million acres of federal land to oil and gas producers for the next decade for administrations to permit some development in wind and solar power.
Trump: Fetterman 'One of the Most Fringe Far Left Freak Shows Ever' (Newsmax/YouTube)
By Eric Mack | Saturday, 03 September 2022 09:28 PM EDT
Stumping for Pennsylvania GOP Sen.-nominee Dr. Mehmet Oz, former President Donald Trump blasted Oz's opponent, Democrat Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, as a "far left freak show."
"Restoring safety to America starts with defeating the Democrat extremists right here in Pennsylvania," Trump told his Wilkes-Barre Save America rally, which aired live on Newsmax. "Your state's radical Democrat candidate for Senate, John Fetterman, is the most dangerous Democrat.
"He's the most dangerous Democrat seeking to join Congress this year, and one of the most fringe, far left freak shows ever to seek election for any office in any state."
Trump rebuked Fetterman for living out of his parent's basement, wearing casual sweatshirts and sweat pants.
"This guy is a disaster," Trump said. "He comes in with a sweatsuit on – I've never seen him wear a suit – dirty, dirty, dirty sweatsuits. Really disgusting. You know, I'm a clean freak, Oz.
"I don't like those dirty sweatsuits."
Trump said Fetterman dresses "like a teenager getting high in his parents' basement."
"But he's a raging lunatic hellbent on springing hardened criminals out of jail in the middle of the worst crime wave in Pennsylvania history," Trump added, noting Fetterman's past positions on reducing prison populations.
"He wants everybody out of jail, and by the way he wants to get rid of your police. Fetterman is a defund the police marxist, who's just pulling the wool over people's eyes, who literally said that if he had a magic wand and could fix one thing he would end life sentences without parole for murderers, cop killers, rapists, and other monstrous criminals. That's what he said.
"He wants them to get out of jail. Get out of jail."
Trump denounced Democrats for activism to reduce punishment on violent criminals, while pursuing him with relentless investigations that have yet to be successful.
"Let's put Trump in jail; let's get these murderers, let these murderers out, put Trump in jail," Trump said, mocking Democrats. "'That trump is no good. He just works his a** off for this country."
Fetterman is also lax on drug dealers, who Trump said he wants to put in the death penalty for drug dealers who sell lethal drugs like fentanyl.
"He bragged that his goal is to get as many criminals out onto the street as quickly as possible," Trump continued. "Fetterman supports taxpayer funded drug dens and the complete decriminalization of illegal drugs, including heroin, cocaine, crystal meth, and ultra lethal fentanyl."
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Trump: Fetterman 'One of the Most Fringe Far Left Freak Shows Ever' (Newsmax/YouTube)
By Eric Mack | Saturday, 03 September 2022 09:28 PM EDT
Stumping for Pennsylvania GOP Sen.-nominee Dr. Mehmet Oz, former President Donald Trump blasted Oz's opponent, Democrat Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, as a "far left freak show."
"Restoring safety to America starts with defeating the Democrat extremists right here in Pennsylvania," Trump told his Wilkes-Barre Save America rally, which aired live on Newsmax. "Your state's radical Democrat candidate for Senate, John Fetterman, is the most dangerous Democrat.
"He's the most dangerous Democrat seeking to join Congress this year, and one of the most fringe, far left freak shows ever to seek election for any office in any state."
Trump rebuked Fetterman for living out of his parent's basement, wearing casual sweatshirts and sweat pants.
"This guy is a disaster," Trump said. "He comes in with a sweatsuit on – I've never seen him wear a suit – dirty, dirty, dirty sweatsuits. Really disgusting. You know, I'm a clean freak, Oz.
"I don't like those dirty sweatsuits."
Trump said Fetterman dresses "like a teenager getting high in his parents' basement."
"But he's a raging lunatic hellbent on springing hardened criminals out of jail in the middle of the worst crime wave in Pennsylvania history," Trump added, noting Fetterman's past positions on reducing prison populations.
"He wants everybody out of jail, and by the way he wants to get rid of your police. Fetterman is a defund the police marxist, who's just pulling the wool over people's eyes, who literally said that if he had a magic wand and could fix one thing he would end life sentences without parole for murderers, cop killers, rapists, and other monstrous criminals. That's what he said.
"He wants them to get out of jail. Get out of jail."
Trump denounced Democrats for activism to reduce punishment on violent criminals, while pursuing him with relentless investigations that have yet to be successful.
"Let's put Trump in jail; let's get these murderers, let these murderers out, put Trump in jail," Trump said, mocking Democrats. "'That trump is no good. He just works his a** off for this country."
Fetterman is also lax on drug dealers, who Trump said he wants to put in the death penalty for drug dealers who sell lethal drugs like fentanyl.
"He bragged that his goal is to get as many criminals out onto the street as quickly as possible," Trump continued. "Fetterman supports taxpayer funded drug dens and the complete decriminalization of illegal drugs, including heroin, cocaine, crystal meth, and ultra lethal fentanyl."
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Kari Lake, Republican candidate for Arizona governor, waves to supporters prior to speaking at a news conference after the election Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)(Ross D. Franklin / Associated Press)
OAN Newsroom UPDATED 2:03 PM PT – Saturday, September 3, 2022
Following Joe Biden’s prime-time speech where he declared tens of millions of Americans to be a very threat to the republic, one Republican stood up first to condemn the divisiveness. Arizona Republican gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake slammed Joe Biden’s so-called Soul of America speech.
On Thursday, in front of Independence Hall which was bathed in blood red lights, Biden, who was flanked on both sides by armed Marines, declared half of the nation’s voters to be a threat to democracy and to the republic itself. During his speech, the Democrat also cast aspersions on the tens of millions of citizens who voted for 45th President Donald J. Trump.
The first Republican to give a standing response and press briefing on the speech was Lake. She came out immediately following Biden’s address. Lake was not a fan of the speech.
“I have just watched the most absurd, frankly obscene address I’ve ever seen a President give to the American people,” she said.
The Republican defended the tens of millions of Make America Great Again supporters. She said that Biden seemed to hold many of his fellow citizens in complete contempt.
“What I saw was somebody who is trying to divide this Country. I’m not sure what’s wrong with Joe Biden,” Lake remarked. “I know he may have problems that we don’t know about, but what I saw with him was somebody who carries in his heart a great deal of disdain for a whole lot of really good American people.”
Lake pointed a finger at Democrats who claim Trump and his Republican supporters are racist. She highlighted that her opponent in the race for Governor in Arizona has been convicted for being racist in her public life.
“I’m running against a politician named Katie Hobbs, who is a twice-convicted racist,” Lake said. “Who we the people are paying her settlement for because she did not want to pay women and people of color what they were worth in the workforce.”
When she opened up the floor for questions, Lake was asked by a Democrat friendly journalist about how she can claim to want unity while questioning if the 2020 election was the most secure in history.
“How does that divide the country?” Lake questioned. “Questioning an, questioning an election where there are obviously problems is dividing the country? Since when can not ask questions about our elections? I was a journalist for many years. I was a journalist after 2016, and I distinctly remember many people just like you asking a lot of questions about the 2016 election results.”
To close out, Lake was asked if she would concede if she loses to Katie Hobbs. In response, the Republican answered promptly.
“I’m not gonna lose to Katie Hobbs,” Lake remarked
Trump Teases '24 Run: 'I May Just Have to Do It Again' (Newsmax/YouTube)
By Eric Mack | Saturday, 03 September 2022 08:57 PM EDT
Former President Donald Trump made his latest tease for a 2024 presidential campaign Saturday night in his return to the Save America rally circuit, saying, "Our country is paying a terrible price for the rigged election."
"I ran twice; I won twice; and did much better the second time than I did the first, getting millions and millions more votes in 2020 that we got in 2016," Trump told his Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania rally, which aired live on Newsmax, as he stumped for GOP Senate nominee Dr. Mehmet Oz and GOP gubernatorial nominee Doug Mastriano.
"You know that? Doug knows that. We've got millions of more votes."
Trump said his promising poll numbers just may lead him to run again for the White House in the 2024 presidential election, stopping short of making an official declaration.
"We're leading Biden and everyone else, including the Republicans, by record numbers in the polls, so I may just have to do it again," Trump said. "May just have to do it again."
But, he added, "first we have to win a historic victory for the Republican Party this November."
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Trump Teases '24 Run: 'I May Just Have to Do It Again' (Newsmax/YouTube)
By Eric Mack | Saturday, 03 September 2022 08:57 PM EDT
Former President Donald Trump made his latest tease for a 2024 presidential campaign Saturday night in his return to the Save America rally circuit, saying, "Our country is paying a terrible price for the rigged election."
"I ran twice; I won twice; and did much better the second time than I did the first, getting millions and millions more votes in 2020 that we got in 2016," Trump told his Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania rally, which aired live on Newsmax, as he stumped for GOP Senate nominee Dr. Mehmet Oz and GOP gubernatorial nominee Doug Mastriano.
"You know that? Doug knows that. We've got millions of more votes."
Trump said his promising poll numbers just may lead him to run again for the White House in the 2024 presidential election, stopping short of making an official declaration.
"We're leading Biden and everyone else, including the Republicans, by record numbers in the polls, so I may just have to do it again," Trump said. "May just have to do it again."
But, he added, "first we have to win a historic victory for the Republican Party this November."
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Trump: MAGA 'Hopes, Dreams' Were Raided Like My Home (Newsmax/YouTube)
By Eric Mack | Saturday, 03 September 2022 08:37 PM EDT
The Justice Department raided not only the home of a former president, but also the "hopes and dreams" of America-loving citizens, according to former President Donald Trump in his first Save America rally since the raid.
"It was not just my home that was raided last month — it was the hopes and dreams of every citizen who I have been fighting for since the moment I came down the golden escalator in 2015, wanting to represent the people, wanting to stop the massive corruption in this country," Trump told the Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania rally, which aired lived on Newsmax.
"The radical Democrats are engaging in a desperate attempt to keep me from returning to the White House, where they know I will clean this mess up again," Trump added. "They want to stop us from completing our mission to bring back American values."
Trump noted the raid was conducted "on a phony pretext" in order to deflect from Biden's struggles and the impending midterm elections.
"The Biden administration invaded the home of their chief political opponent, who is absolutely destroying him and everyone else in the polls — I hate to say it — even including the Republicans, but we love the Republicans," Trump said, noting the raid began only after "getting permission from a highly political magistrate, who they handpicked late in the evening, just days before the break in and trampled upon my rights and civil liberties."
Even the room of Trump's son Barron, 16, was subjected to an invasive search, Trump said for the first time.
"They rifled through the first lady's closet drawers and everything else, and even did a deep and ugly search of the room of my 16-year-old son, leaving everything they touched in far different conditions than it was when they started," Trump said. "Can you believe it?
"The FBI and the Justice Department have become vicious monsters, controlled by radical-left scoundrels, lawyers, and the media who tell them what to do."
Trump claimed it is a weaponization of the Justice Department in order to meddle in the political process and the midterm elections.
"They're trying to silence me, and more importantly, they are trying to silence you, but we will not be silenced, right?" Trump said. "We will never stop speaking the truth.
"We have no choice, because we're not going to have a country left. The evil and malice of this demented persecution of you and me should be obvious to all and it is. Even media companies that are pretty far left have come out and said, 'We can't believe this is happening in the USA.'"
The politicization of justice under Biden is a "disgrace," Trump said, ripping the leak of a photo of seized documents on the floor at Mar-a-Lago.
"They talk about documents not being properly stored; yet, they go in and take documents, dumped them on the floor, stage a photo shoot, and pretend that I had done it — like I had put them all over the floor," Trump said. "They took that back after a lot of prodding.
"Then they put out for public consumption a picture, which is seen all over the world. This is what they do. It's called disinformation. These are very dishonest, sick people. Very dishonest people. Americans are sick of the lies, sick of the hoaxes, and scams, and above all, sick of the hypocrisy."
This is all going to backfire in the midterm elections, Trump predicted.
"But our opponents have badly miscalculated," he said. "This egregious abuse of the law is going to produce a backlash the likes of which nobody has ever seen.
"They think they can divide us, but they can't divide us. The MAGA movement is the greatest in the history of our country, in the history of the world."
Trump encouraged loyal supporters to stick with him amid the relentless political "persecution."
"I will never turn my back on you, and you will never turn your back on me because we love our nation, and we will save our nation from people who are trying to destroy it," Trump said.
"These are bad people. They're trying to destroy our country, and we can't let it go on any longer because we have too much work to do."
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