Trump accuses the government of “indifference” and “treason” toward the Ohio community
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On his Truth Social app, Donald Trump has lashed out at Emily Kohrs, the Georgia grand jury foreman who has been investigating his attempts at election subversion, calling her “an extremely energetic young woman” who is part of a “strict media campaign”. ‘Rampage Conducts Political Sequel to Greatest Witch Hunt Ever’ and dismissed her interview tour as ‘ridiculous’.
This follows a judge’s ruling Thursday that required Mr Trump to answer questions from attorneys representing two former FBI employees seeking redress for what they say was unfair retaliation against them for alleging links between his 2016 campaign and investigated by the Russian government.
US District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson said lawyers for former FBI Special Agent Peter Strzok and former FBI Attorney Lisa Page could remove Mr Trump and FBI Director Christopher Wray under oath and declined to hear requests by the Department of Justice (DoJ) to vacate subpoenas for testimony from both Mr. Wray and the twice-indicted ex-President.
Meanwhile, the DoJ has officially asked a federal judge to force former Vice President Mike Pence to produce testimony for the agency’s Jan. 6 investigation and Mr. Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
Important points
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Why Trump’s comments on Ukraine matter
When Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Donald Trump was no longer President, and both Democrats and Republicans united in their ebullient support to back Ukraine’s defenses. In 2022 alone, Congress approved more than $112 billion in military and economic assistance to the country as it repelled the Russian attack.
But the former president is gearing up to run again in 2024 and is believed to be the favorite for the Republican nomination. How does he feel about Ukraine today, one year after the start of the war? And what did he say about the conflict last year?
Richard Hall of the Independent writes:
What Trump said about Ukraine and why it matters
On the eve of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Donald Trump made his admiration for Vladimir Putin clear. A year later, the former president is refining his attacks on the Biden administration’s Ukraine policy as he prepares for 2024, Richard Hall writes
Alex WoodwartFebruary 24, 2023 2:20 p.m
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The aforementioned US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg visited eastern Palestine, Ohio on Thursday — the day after Mr. Trump — to inspect the cleanup effort following the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern train derailment and chemical spill.
It wasn’t an entirely pleasant encounter, as Mr Buttigieg’s team was eventually forced to ask a group of conservative media figures to stop being “aggressive” towards him and to stop filming their interactions.
Joe SommerladFebruary 24, 2023 2:05 p.m
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Jan. 6 rioter who posted “murdering AOC” after storming the Capitol sentenced to three years in prison
A man who was looking forward to fighting “soft” people and calling for the “assassination” of New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in Washington, DC on January 6, 2021 has been arrested on charges related to the attack sentenced to three years in prison by the US Capitol.
Garret Miller of Richardson, Texas, was sentenced to 38 months in prison on Feb. 22 after pleading guilty to nine counts in December, including assaulting a police officer, three counts of disrupting law enforcement during a civil disorder and making an interstate threat with physical harm or kidnapping.
Miller – who was “obsessed” with bogus conspiracy theories surrounding the 2020 presidential election – brought a rope, a grappling hook and other materials he called “combat gear” when he traveled to Washington, according to the US Justice Department.
He posted threats to “several people” on his social media accounts, according to court documents, targeting New York Senator Chuck Schumer, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey.
Joe SommerladFebruary 24, 2023 1:35 p.m
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Tucker Carlson repeats Kremlin propaganda in Crimea
Fox News host Tucker Carlson attacked the Biden administration while parroting Russian propaganda on the eve of the one-year anniversary of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
The host dubbed the peninsula the “Russian port of Crimea” and hinted that the US government’s goal of retaking the port of Moscow had changed.
“The world laughs, the adults laugh. and in this country it is a measure of the total corruption of our media that nobody ever asks anyone in the Biden administration what the United States hopes to achieve in Ukraine,” he said.
“Well, the original answer was to push Russia back to where it was a year ago, before invading Ukraine, and that seemed like a reasonable and measurable goal. The public seemed to be behind it.
“Then, without fanfare or even official announcement, the objective changed to taking the Russian port in Crimea just because it would be nice to have that. Always wanted it. Why don’t you take it now?”
urgh Alisha Rahman Sarkar has more.
Joe SommerladFebruary 24, 2023 1:05 p.m
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Republicans have scheduled the President’s opening debate for August
The inaugural debate of Republican presidents of the 2024 election season will be held in Milwaukee this August, the Republican National Committee announced Thursday.
Here’s what else we know about the event at this point.
Joe SommerladFebruary 24, 2023 12:35
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Poll results show Biden approval rating rising as Trump sees falling support
The president’s approval rating is the highest in nearly a year, while Mr Trump falls in Republican esteem, a new poll has found.
The NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll was conducted following Joe Biden’s State of the Union address last week and included more than 1,300 people.
The poll shows not only Mr. Biden’s improved performance, but also that a majority of potential GOP primary voters would prefer someone other than Mr. Trump as their nominee. So far, only Nikki Haley has confirmed that she will run, but Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is said to be waiting in the wings.
Here’s more from Gustaf Kilander.
John BowdenFebruary 24, 2023 12:05
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Don Jr. suggested in comments about Pete Buttigieg for “blatant homophobia.”
The former president’s eldest and loudest son, Donald Trump Jr., joined the chorus of left and right voices this week criticizing Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg over the Ohio train derailment, but unlike others was fixated on the secretary’s sexuality .
During a Newsmax interview this week, Don Jr. went on a tirade against Mr Buttigieg, insisting the former South Bend mayor be appointed to his diversity hire position.
Here is John Bowden to the inevitable (and deserved) backlash.
Joe SommerladFebruary 24, 2023 11:35 am
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Steve Bannon sued by his own attorneys for unpaid legal fees
Steven Bannon, Trump’s former White House strategist-turned-convicted felon and conservative podcaster, has been charged with unpaid legal fees totaling more than $480,000 by the law firm that has represented him in numerous state and federal lawsuits in recent years sued for US dollars.
Mr. Bannon was charged in a civil lawsuit filed last week with paying just $375,000 of the $855,487.87 in legal fees he collected while defending himself against allegations of fraud stemming from a privately funded campaign to build border fences along the US-Mexico border. The case was dismissed after Mr Bannon’s last-minute pardon by Donald Trump.
Read more from Andrew Feinberg:
John BowdenFebruary 24, 2023 11:05 am
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Sarah Palin tells DeSantis not to run as Trump allies grow concerned about 2024 rival
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is widely regarded as the top Republican contender to Donald Trump for the party’s 2024 nomination, but another high-profile GOP state leader advises Mr. DeSantis to hold off for now.
Former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin says Mr. DeSantis should wait “a little longer” and stay out of the 2024 race.
It’s a sign of growing panic among Donald Trump’s allies, who fear that Ron DeSantis will be able to do what Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and John Kasich failed to do in 2016: Donald Turmp in a GOP – Defeat area code.
Continue reading:
Joe SommerladFebruary 24, 2023 10:35 am
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Trump claims Kiev air raid sirens were ‘staged’ during Biden visit
Here’s some more fresh madness courtesy of the Big Man over on Truth Social.
“The sirens that went off in Ukraine during Biden’s speech were STAGED, WRONG, WRONG. He knew it and so did everyone else. Fraud!”, he writes completely unfounded.
Joe SommerladFebruary 24, 2023 10:05 am
