Trump supporters and conspiracy theory - Part 2

[Rick Plant]

Prosecutors are closing in on Steve Bannon as 'several' of his close allies get subpoenaed by grand jury



Prosecutors in New York are "moving closer" to slapping Trump ally Steve Bannon with criminal charges and have subpoenaed "several" members of his inner circle to testify before a grand jury, reports CNN.

According to CNN's sources, Bannon is facing scrutiny for allegedly defrauding investors in the "We Build the Wall" fundraising campaign.

Bannon had previously been indicted on federal charges for the scheme, but was subsequently given a last-minute pardon by former President Donald Trump right before he left office in January 2021.

While Trump's pardon wiped out Bannon's exposure to federal charges, they can't save him from charges leveled by state-level prosecutors.

"The subpoenas are the clearest indication that the Manhattan district attorney's criminal investigation into Bannon's fundraising efforts is intensifying and could lead to possible charges against former President Donald Trump's onetime adviser," CNN writes.

CNN's sources say that New York prosecutors have been quietly gathering evidence against Bannon for the last year by subpoenaing bank records related to the "We Build the Wall" scheme.

Bannon is also facing federal charges for being in criminal contempt of Congress for completely refusing to cooperate with the House Select Committee investigating the January 6th Capitol riots.

Read more here:

https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/03/politics/steve-bannon-new-york-grand-jury-build-the-wall/index.html

[Rick Plant]

Trump adviser Peter Navarro gets indicted on two contempt of Congress charges



Former Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro has been indicted by the United States Department of Justice on two contempt of Congress charges.

Navarro, much like Trump ally Steve Bannon, had refused to cooperate with the House Select Committee investigating the January 6th Capitol riots, and the House of Representatives voted to send over a criminal referral to him earlier this year.

"On Feb. 9, 2022, the Select Committee issued a subpoena to Navarro," the DOJ writes in its press release on the indictment. "The subpoena required him to appear and produce documents to the Select Committee on Feb. 23, 2022, and to appear for a deposition before the Select Committee on March 2, 2022. According to the indictment, Navarro refused to appear to give testimony as required by subpoena and refused to produce documents in compliance with a subpoena."

If convicted on both charges, Navarro will face a maximum sentence of two years in prison, as well as fines of up to $200,000.

Navarro is now the second person to be indicted for refusing to comply with the House Select Committee, as the aforementioned Bannon was slapped with criminal charges this past November.

https://www.rawstory.com/peter-navarro-indicted/

[Rick Plant]

Secret Service was alerted Pence was in danger from Trump on Jan 5th: report



According to a report from the New York Times' Maggie Haberman, former vice president Mike Pence's chief of staff sat down with the head of the VP's Secret Service detail on the day before the Jan 6th insurrection to warn them that his boss's life might be in danger.

The report states that Marc Short explained, "The president was going to turn publicly against the vice president, and there could be a security risk to Mr. Pence because of it."

Earlier this week it was reported that Trump had no problems with the crowd who stormed the Capitol chanting "Hang Mike Pence" and the new report indicates that the former vice president and his staff were already worried about what would follow the "Stop the Steal" rally.

According to Haberman's report, based upon her upcoming book due out in October, "Mr. Short did not know what form such a security risk might take, according to people familiar with the events. But after days of intensifying pressure from Mr. Trump on Mr. Pence to take the extraordinary step of intervening in the certification of the Electoral College count to forestall Mr. Trump’s defeat, Mr. Short seemed to have good reason for concern. The vice president’s refusal to go along was exploding into an open and bitter breach between the two men at a time when the president was stoking the fury of his supporters who were streaming into Washington."

Haberman adds that it is unclear what the Secret Service's Tim Giebels did with the information given to him by Short.

"New details from the weeks leading up to Jan. 6 help to flesh out how Mr. Trump and his allies sought to intimidate Mr. Pence into accepting their baseless theory that the vice president had the authority to block congressional certification of the Electoral College results — and how Mr. Pence’s refusal to do so would lead him to peril," she wrote. "A few weeks after Election Day on Nov. 3, 2020, aides to Mr. Pence learned that some in Mr. Trump’s loose network of advisers were discussing the possibility of Jan. 6, 2021 — set under statute as the day of the Electoral College certification — as a potentially critical date in Mr. Trump’s efforts to stay in power."

Haberman reports that neither a spokesperson for the Secret Service nor anyone representing Pence responded when asked to comment on the reported meeting.

https://www.rawstory.com/donald-trump-mike-pence-2657454773/

[Rick Plant]

Michael Cohen: Peter Navarro has made a terrible mistake — and will go to prison for it

On Friday's edition of MSNBC's "The Beat," former President Donald Trump's onetime personal attorney Michael Cohen told Ari Melber that former White House trade adviser Peter Navarro, charged today with contempt of Congress, is needlessly bringing a world of legal trouble on himself.

Cohen, who himself served time in prison for a scheme to help fix hush payments for Trump, warned Navarro that he is effectively destroying his future for no reason.

"What do you think of the potential Trump defense, which we may hear about during these hearings as they start next week, that they tried everything, but when they got near a line, he backed off," said Melber. "He didn't, as you say, didn't really go to the military. Tried Pence. It sort of ended there. What about that defense?"

"Nonsense," said Cohen. "It's not real. It's not legitimate. It's a lie. Something that Donald is so good at doing. Blatantly lies right to your face and says same lie over and over and over again. For what purpose? Ultimately the lie becomes the truth. That's what he wants. Peter Navarro is making a terrible mistake. He'll end up in prison. He's foolish. One quarter of his life could be in prison. If you're watching, I hope you are, you don't want go there. It's terrible. Removed from your family and friends. They destroy your name, your reputation. All for who? All for what? For Donald Trump? For democracy? To be, the democracy in peril? Seriously. What are you thinking?"

Cohen also tore apart Navarro's accusations of misconduct against federal officials.

"What legacy do you want to leave to your children, grandchildren and god willing great-grandchildren?" said Cohen. "Not the legacy you're leaving now. Which he looks like a fool. Oh, my god. Went ahead, picked me up at the airport. It's unconstitutional. First of all, Peter Navarro is not a lawyer. I don't think he understands. He has a PhD in economics. Stick to what he knows. What he's saying now makes him look stupid."

Watch:

[Rick Plant]

Republicans do not care about gun violence or the safety of Americans. Their lack of actions on voting and their words prove it. Plus this leaked memo makes it official. Also remember, global inflation is due to the global pandemic thats happening all over the world. Right wingers lie pretending it's only happening in America. It's worse in Europe and in Asia. Inflation has nothing to do with Biden like right wingers lie about.

'Scare some gun nuts while you can': Leaked GOP memos instruct lawmakers how to blow off Uvalde massacre



Strategy memos obtained by Rolling Stone from a "variety of conservative candidates and organizations" urge changing the topic and letting the news cycle change following the latest string of mass shootings in America.

"Stay cool. Run out the clock. Scare some gun nuts while you can. But don’t worry: this moment will be over soon," is how the magazine summarized the guidance.

A memo for a top GOP Senate candidate urged them to "ignore guns, talk inflation."

"Other documents predictably decried liberal desires for 'gun-grabbing' and 'gun confiscation,' and made whataboutism-type references to gun violence in Chicago," the magazine reported.

The memos come as the National Rifle Association has not been leading the charge as it did following the Newtown school shooting massacre.

The Republican National Committee has also been taking a backseat in messaging guidance sent three days after the Uvalde mass shooting at Robb Elementary School.

"The email began with some pro-forma thoughts and prayers for the victims and their families, then went on to “thank…the members of law enforcement who responded to the scene and killed the shooter.” (That’s despite the fact that 19 such cops inside the school waited and waited while students begged for help — and the gunman continued to fire.) But the bulk of the memo, part of the series of RNC “Pundit Prep” that typically lists the party’s weekly political priorities, had a conspicuous omission. It did not include any actual talking points about the latest school massacre in the U.S. — a mass shooting that dominated American media and political conversation, only to be bookended by news of other mass murders carried out with firearms," the magazine reported.

GOP operative and former Trump aide Steven Chung shared the advice he was giving to his 2022 House and Senate candidates.

“My advice to any Republican candidate would be to not let the moment dictate any political action that may have unintended consequences that leads to widespread gun confiscation,” he said. “Defend the Second Amendment because that’s where the base is, but offer tangible solutions like hardening of schools and more funding for mental health.”

Another consultant told the magazine his advice was for Republicans to "just wait this out."

"The media will start chasing something else soon, and [Republicans] should stick to talking about the issues that affect voters’ lives most … and I’m sorry to say, guns aren’t topping the list," the consultant said.

Read more here: https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/uvalde-gop-trump-guns-strategy-1362970/

[Rick Plant]

'A perverted view of justice': How Bill Barr exposed himself after the Durham investigation flop



In a biting column for the Washington Post, political analyst Dana Milbank claimed an interview given by former attorney general Bill Barr after the John Durham case against an attorney associated with Hillary Clinton flopped with jurors, is a sign that Donald Trump's former AG is not a man who should be trusted or taken seriously.

The case that Durham pursued for three years against campaign lawyer Michael Sussmann went down in flames in just six hours, yet Barr asserted afterward that it was stiil an important pursuit.

As Milbank wrote, Barr pursued the case based on "innuendo" despite members of his own DOJ telling him there was no there there.

"The day after these twin repudiations of Barr’s fantasies, the hoaxster explained himself on Fox News — by arguing that Durham’s failure in court was in fact a triumph. 'While he did not succeed in getting a conviction from the D.C. jury,' Barr said, 'I think he accomplished something far more important,'" Milbank wrote before sarcastically adding, "This is about as convincing as the Washington Nationals saying, 'While we did not succeed in scoring a run for 27 innings, we think we accomplished something far more important.' In a courtroom, a prosecutor either wins or loses."

According to the columnist, Barr's comments exposed him as a partisan fraud.

"Durham didn’t 'crystallize' or 'expose' anything. He packed his court filings with innuendo, and the jury decided he hadn’t made his case," he wrote. "But Barr’s argument, that the innuendo Durham spread is 'far more important' than proving actual wrongdoing, unmasks Barr’s perverted view of justice."

"Running Trump’s DOJ, Barr was all about telling stories rather than prosecuting wrongdoing. He sat on the Mueller report of the original Russia investigation, instead releasing his own purported summary that gave a misleading impression of Mueller’s findings," Milbank accused before adding, "Barr was giving Justice cover to the reckless allegations being made by Trump and his allies. Barr made sure the lies had a lengthy head start to leave lasting impressions before any corrective could be issued."

Writing that Barr has "unmasked" himself with his latest Durham comments, Millbank concluded, "now, Barr is trying to discredit the centuries-old American jury system. It’s just one more 'story' he tells to replace the rule of law with the reign of innuendo."

Read more here: 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/06/03/barr-unmasking-durham-probes-bogus/

[Rick Plant]

'Misinforms people at an industrial level': Steve Schmidt slams Fox News -- but is still hopeful about America's future



Longtime political consultant Steve Schmidt gave a hopeful lesson on U.S. history during a SaPersonay interview by CNN's Jim Acosta.

Acosta asked about the upcoming public hearings by the House Select Committee Investigating the Jan 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol.

The host wondered how Fox News would cover the hearings.

"How is it going to play in conservative media? What are Trump folks going to do to distract everybody? There's reporting that the Trump people are going to distract from the hearings," Acosta said. "It reminds me of if a tree falls in the forest, does anybody hear it, does it make a sound? In MAGA world, if they're distracted by the shiny objects, is it going to sink in, have the same effects the Watergate hearings had 50 years ago and so on?"

"I think the communications that exist in the world today are different than 50 years ago," Schmidt replied.

"The reality is that there's a sophisticated, complex, interconnected, global misinformation network, dubbed as 'Fox News' in this country, that misinforms people at an industrial level," he explained. "Now 25% of the country is completely supportive of the MAGA movement, of Trump, I suppose of the insurrection."

"The reality is though the overwhelming majority of the country is opposed to it. And I think the country will tune in here to the facts. The simple fact is that we live in a constitutional republic, it is the oldest in the world. That republic requires citizens who have a sense of both obligation and responsibility," he continued. "A republic doesn't function without informed citizens and so, the choices ahead, the facts that will be laid out, are important or significant, and the country will be exposed to them."

"And at the end of the day, the facts are the facts. They will be overwhelming, the evidence will be laid out, my view is that the American people -- we're not passive about the future of the country. You can look at the 1930s — took a long time for people in the United States to awaken to the threat. You can look at the 1850s. you can look at other comparable periods of time before the progressive era, the beginning of the 20th century. When people awaken to a threat, they awaken," he explained.

"People who first awaken look at dismay at others. The story is clear, when the American people are confronted overwhelmingly with facts they react to it, particularly when it speaks to the threat that faces a country that contains their children and their futures," he concluded.

Watch:

[Rick Plant]

Paul Ryan is a coward as well. He spent his time as Speaker being a Trump sycophant and now after Donnie is about to go down for treason, Paul Ryan is pointing his finger at other Republicans calling them gutless. They are all gutless, including Paul Ryan, because they were all afraid of doing their job which was to remove a deranged lunatic from power via the 25th Amendment. And the GOP had two opportunities to impeach and convict Criminal Donald and they refused to do their jobs on both occasions. 

Paul Ryan admits a 'lot' of GOP lawmakers were in favor of impeaching Trump but 'didn't have the guts'



Former House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) recently admitted that while many Republicans were in favor of impeaching former President Donald Trump, many “didn’t have the guts” to do so.

On Wednesday, June 1, Ryan appeared at an event in Florence, S.C., where he reiterated his support for Rep. Tom Rice (R-S.C.), whom he has also endorsed, HuffPost reports.

Ryan also commended the lawmaker for having the courage to cast a vote in favor of Trump's impeachment. Rice was one of only 10 Republican lawmakers to vote with Democrats to impeach Trump after the insurrection on the U.S. Capitol. Their unprecedented votes ultimately led to Trump being the only twice-impeached president in U.S. history.

Because of his vote, he also became one of the Republican lawmakers Trump is determined to defeat. Now, he is embroiled in a heated election battle with Trump-endorsed candidate, State Rep. Russell Fry (R-S.C.). However, Ryan still believes Rice is the right man for the job.

“There were a lot of people who wanted to vote like Tom but who just didn’t have the guts to do it,” said Ryan, according to The Myrtle Beach Sun News.

“There are a lot of people who say they’re going to vote their conscious, they’re going to vote for the Constitution, they’re going to vote for their convictions, but when it gets hard to do that, they don’t do it,” he said, adding, “Tom Rice is a man of conviction."

Although Ryan is fond of Rice, the South Carolina lawmaker has made it clear where he stands on politics. Per The Sun: "Rice has argued that Republicans ought to stick with Trump’s policy ideas but abandon the man. He called his House reelection bid a battle between “nerds” like himself and Ryan, who aim to enact conservative policy, and “flamethrowers” who put allegiance to Trump over all else."

Ryan's latest remarks come just days after he criticized what he describes as "entertainer" lawmakers who, according to HuffPost, are more focused on building "a noticeable 'brand' rather than work with colleagues to pass legislation."

At the time, Ryan said, “If you are going to entertain, if you are going to try to show that you’re better than everyone else within your own ecosystem,” it makes compromise more difficult to achieve and ultimately “divides us."

https://www.alternet.org/2022/06/paul-ryan/