Russia Today - USA

'He pardoned it': Americans rip Trump for failing to 'drain the swamp' as he rescinds lobbying ...

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 11:38:39 GMT

Many social media users, including some who were once supporters, tore into outgoing President Donald Trump during his final hours in office.

Trump received backlash for failing to "Drain the Swamp" as promised, by revoking a lobbying ban and pardoning a list of US establishment figures.

He had repeatedly promised to "Drain the Swamp," a reference to ridding Washington, DC of corrupt and self-serving career officials, during his 2016 presidential campaign, and it became a popular slogan among his supporters. As part of the draining process, Trump issued an Executive Order, banning former White House aides from becoming lobbyists for five years, at the start of his presidency in January 2017. However, he decided to revoke it this week, ahead of President-Elect Joe Biden's inauguration, prompting many to accuse him of breaking yet another promise.

"Forget about draining the swamp...President Trump just filled it up," reacted journalist Yashar Ali – a sentiment echoed by many others, including conservative journalist Eduardo Neret, who called out Trump for performing "another total one-eighty."

Drain the swamp, etc. https://t.co/UhZ9lji2HT
— Jonathan Swan (@jonathanvswan) January 20, 2021

Others also highlighted the "Drain the Swamp" slogan following the release of Trump's controversial presidential pardons list on Wednesday. The list included white-collar criminals, corrupt government officials, former Israeli spy Aviem Sella, and even rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black, but did not feature WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange or whistleblower Edward Snowden – two men that Trump supporters had overwhelmingly demanded a pardon for.

Trump didn’t drain the swamp.
He pardoned it.
— ken olin (@kenolin1) January 20, 2021

If you thought that Donald Trump was going to drain the swamp he's flipped you a middle finger on the way out of office: pic.twitter.com/chd6UiilO4
— Conor Friedersdorf (@conor64) January 20, 2021

"Trump went to Washington to 'drain the swamp.' Then he hired the swamp. Then his final act as President was to bow to the swamp," tweeted conservative commenter and assistant director of The Plot Against the President, Daniel Bostic. Another user compared Trump's slogan to former President Barack Obama's own "Hope and Change" slogan, which disappointed liberals due to the lack of any meaningful change by the end of Obama's two terms in office.

Trump is going out a loser, his legacy is nothing, he caved like a bitch don't know why but who cares its time to move on, regroup and fight back the next 4 years will be hard for those who want to live the American dream, focus on yourselves create wealth and a family.
— Mark Kennedy (@RealMarkKennedy) January 20, 2021

Trump pardoned Salomon Melgen, a Democrat megadonor who performed unnecessary, excruciating treatments on elderly patients in the biggest Medicare fraud in history. Melgen was also involved in Jeff Epstein-tier gross sex stuff. This is beyond disgusting and indefensible pic.twitter.com/otP4LMNLZM
— Pedro L. Gonzalez (@emeriticus) January 20, 2021

New Zealand-based entrepreneur Kim Dotcom accused Trump of becoming "his own swamp paralyzed by fear and selfishness," while journalist Cassandra Fairbanks questioned, "What did we even get? No wall. DACA still exists. He hired tons of neocons and got people who would otherwise oppose them to cheerlead them. Julian is in prison. Was it even worth it?"

SO many Trumpers told me he'd free Assange. They were 100% certain Trump was going to get re-elected, drain the swamp, end the wars, and free Assange. He did none of these things. If this is you, please overhaul your worldview and drastically change your media consumption habits.
— Caitlin Johnstone ⏳ (@caitoz) January 20, 2021

Though Tuesday was Trump's last full day in office, he will remain president until the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, which is set to start at noon, Eastern Time. Biden reportedly plans to sign as many as 17 of his own Executive Orders during his first day, and will revoke Trump's Executive Orders on immigration, the environment, and the Southern border wall.

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Trump pardons ex-strategist Bannon & rapper Lil Wayne along with scores of others in 11th-hour clemency spree

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Inauguration day: Joe Biden to lead divided America after bitter campaign

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 07:28:52 GMT

In a matter of hours, Joe Biden will take the reins as the 46th President of the United States. After a bitter campaign and a high-security inauguration, his message of “healing” and “unity” will be severely tested.

Upon inauguration on Wednesday, Biden will officially begin his stewardship of the United States. It’s been a long road to the top for Biden, the ultimate career politician. Five decades in Washington, three previous shots at the presidency and eight years as Vice President behind him, Biden officially defeated Donald Trump in November to finally land his dream job at the ripe old age of 78.

Biden ran a muted campaign, preferring to release videos from his Delaware basement than to hold bombastic rallies like his rival. His eventual victory over Trump was also subdued, as a trickle of late-arriving ballots clinched him a squeaker win in key swing states, rather than the landslide repudiation of “Trumpism” some Democrats had hoped for.

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Trump refused to concede defeat and claimed Biden’s victory was fraudulent. Citing changes to election law, closed-doors counting, and computer “glitches,” Trump challenged Biden’s victory in court, but had his cases rejected. Anger among Trump’s supporters came to a head when Congress certified the election result earlier this month, and culminated in a number of Trump supporters forcing their way into the US Capitol, temporarily halting the certification – and earning the MAGA crowd a new mainstream media nickname of “domestic terrorists.”

As a result, Biden’s inauguration will take place behind an unprecedented curtain of security. Washington DC is locked down, more than 25,000 National Guard troops patrol the streets, and the Capitol is walled off behind a razor-wire fence. Such is the atmosphere of distrust that the FBI is vetting every guardsman on site for potential animosity to Biden, and law enforcement across the country prepared for potential pro-Trump protests outside state legislatures – which failed to materialize.

Downtown Washington is basically a military and law enforcement fortress a day before the inauguration. There are checkpoints at nearly every corner, streets blocked off with giant trucks & National Guard troops continue streaming in. pic.twitter.com/As5Q7KSTsD
— Mike Balsamo (@MikeBalsamo1) January 19, 2021

Biden’s platform was light on specifics, and the incoming president would flip between support and disavowal for progressive policies – like banning fossil fuels and defunding police departments. One constant, however, was his disdain for Trump, and his stated desire to “unify,” “heal,” and “restore the soul of America.”

If these aims were vague at the time, they seem downright fantastical now. The 75 million-odd people who voted for Donald Trump are currently being described by American journalists and liberal politicians as potential terror threats – cult victims who should be “deprogrammed” and sent to “re-education camps.”

Reaching across the aisle to these disaffected voters, three in four of whom don’t believe that Biden won the election legitimately, will likely prove hugely difficult for Biden, when so much of his base wants retribution instead of unity.

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‘America is back’: Biden fills State Department slots with more Obama vets, including Ukraine ‘coup plotter’ Victoria Nuland

Biden has apparently decided that the best way to heal the country is by resuming where the Obama administration left off. As such, he has staffed his cabinet with a list of Obama alumni, from former Secretary of State John Kerry in a new role as climate czar, former National Security Advisor Susan Rice in a new domestic role, and former State Department number two Tony Blinken as his top diplomat. None of Biden’s picks thus far indicate a shift away from the interventionism and neoliberalism of the Obama era.

Biden’s first actions as president will likely include “roughly a dozen” executive orders aimed at rolling back some of Trump’s policies, incoming White House Counsel Ron Klain told reporters on Saturday. These will include an order immediately returning the US to the Paris Climate Agreement, and another overturning Trump’s travel ban on several countries judged to pose a terrorist threat. Another order will likely mandate the wearing of face masks on federal property and during interstate travel.

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Klain added that the following days will see a slew of orders relating to the coronavirus pandemic, while the incoming president has also vowed to push a $1.9 trillion stimulus package through Congress.

According to an LA Times article last week, Biden will also immediately introduce an immigration bill that includes a “pathway to citizenship” for at least 11 million illegal aliens who are already living in the US.

Biden can overturn much of Trump’s legacy with the stroke of a pen and the favor of a Democrat-controlled Congress. The real test, emerging from behind the security cordon around the Capitol and proving his mandate to the 75 million voters who opposed him – as well as his own supporters – will likely not be as easy.

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Trump pardons ex-strategist Bannon & rapper Lil Wayne along with scores of others in ...

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 06:14:07 GMT

The White House has published a list of 143 people who have been given a full pardon or commuted sentences on the last day of Donald Trump’s presidency. Julian Assange and Edward Snowden were not among them.

The public campaign to convince President Trump to stop the prosecution of the two whistleblowers – even merely as a snub to his political opponents – has ultimately failed. Neither the jailed founder of WikiLeaks nor the fugitive NSA contractor were on the list of clemencies released on Tuesday.

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Who will Trump pardon? As pundits and activists continue to make the case for Assange, Joe Exotic’s reportedly on the list

Trump did, however, pardon Steve Bannon, his former chief strategist, who was accused of defrauding donors in the “We Build the Wall” campaign. The drive was touted as a way of privately funding some parts of a wall on the US southern border, which was a key campaign promise for Trump. Bannon fell out of favor with Trump soon after helping him win the 2016 election, but some media recently claimed the pair have been on a better footing lately.

Trump also gave a full pardon to Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., who is better known by his stage name, ‘Lil Wayne’. The rapper was facing a decade in prison on a firearms-related charge. The White House statement explained the decision to offer him clemency by citing Carter’s generosity through donations to charities and adherence to family values.

Joseph Maldonado-Passage, known as ‘Joe Exotic’ was widely expected to be granted clemency, but didn’t make it onto Trump’s list after all. The TV star and the protagonist of a hit Netflix documentary will continue to serve his 22-year prison term. Another prediction that failed to materialize is that Trump would pardon himself. Critics of the outgoing president said such a move would have been highly questionable and likely unconstitutional, but claimed it would be consistent with Trump’s character.

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CNN savaged as ‘North Korean TV’ after pundit fawns over president-elect

With one of the pardons, Trump further cemented his reputation as one of the most pro-Israeli presidents in US history. Aviem Sella, an Israeli spy, is no longer considered a convicted criminal by the US justice system. The pardon is mostly symbolic, since Sella was tried in absentia and never saw the inside of a US jail, instead continuing his successful military career in Israel and even becoming a general. Granting him clemency is meant to “close this unfortunate chapter in US-Israel relations,” according to the Trump administration.

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Trump in talks to launch new ‘Patriot Party’ as he prepares to leave office – media

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 05:09:37 GMT

Outgoing US President Donald Trump has reportedly discussed plans to create a new political outfit – the Patriot Party – as his administration comes to an end, a move that could further upend an already-divided GOP.

Trump spoke to several aides and close confidants about the idea for a new political party over the last week, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing “people familiar with the matter.”

The unconfirmed report comes as the president spars with Republican leaders over his handling of the January 6 Capitol riot, which saw a crowd of his supporters storm the halls of Congress to protest the conduct of the 2020 presidential race. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), for example, accused Trump on Tuesday of “provoking” the rioters while insisting “the mob was fed lies,” referring to Trump’s repeated allegations of election fraud.

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‘The movement we started is only just beginning,’ defiant Trump says in farewell speech (VIDEO)

Despite the friction with GOP leadership, however, rank-and-file party members have largely held firm in their support for Trump, with recent polls showing that more than 80 percent of Republican voters oppose both charges and impeachment for the president over the unrest in DC.

Though the Journal noted that it isn’t clear how serious the president is about the new party, and Trump himself has yet to publicly discuss any plans for one, he has hinted that something could be in the works in coming days, telling the country in his farewell address on Tuesday that “the movement we started is only just beginning.” He said much the same in a speech earlier this month, though in both cases left his meaning ambiguous.

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CNN savaged as ‘North Korean TV’ after pundit fawns over president-elect

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 04:45:01 GMT

CNN’s politics editor and VP David Chalian was mocked without mercy after a gratuitously groveling display over Joe Biden, with his flowery metaphor about the president-elect “embracing America” compared to “North Korean TV.”

Chalian took the airwaves on Tuesday night with pre-Inauguration Day coverage, comparing Biden’s preparations to take office with four years of Donald Trump’s administration, calling the latter a “disgraced president” at the “lowest point in his presidency.”

“The contrast on display tonight was so stark. I mean, those lights that are just shooting out from the Lincoln Memorial along the reflecting pool, it’s like almost… extensions of Joe Biden’s arms embracing America,” Chalian, hardly able to contain his enthusiasm, said as images of the National Mall flashed on screen.

It was a moment where the new president sort of came to town and sort of convened the country in this moment of remembrance, outstretching his arms.

Not even North Korean TV would say this. Just listen.

LOL. Damn. https://t.co/yHUnPbdpG2
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) January 20, 2021

The segment was soon ridiculed as a cringeworthy exhibit of unmitigated bias, no less coming from CNN’s top political editor, which journalist Glenn Greenwald likened to news coverage one might find on “North Korean TV.”

“This sort of fawning State TV coverage of Biden-Harris has been going on for about a year now,” one commenter said, asking: “Why do people continue to tune in? How is CNN holding on to their viewership? One would think this would be extremely boring to watch for more than a few minutes.”

They're the exact same image pic.twitter.com/4OByINAtw3
— ivan flores (@floresv_i) January 20, 2021

Countdown to CNN referring to Joe Biden as Dear Leader...

10
9
8
7
.................... https://t.co/q4a8ilQ7mr
— NetboyRick (@NetBoyRick) January 20, 2021

Our lord and savior... pic.twitter.com/LbO2Dr3ZMi
— ???????????????????????? (@keyfob256) January 20, 2021

Others took their mockery in a wholly different direction, joking that some know all too well what it’s like to be “embraced” by the president-elect – with or without their consent.

pic.twitter.com/UqyiFhPNup
— #FreeAssange????Just Another Serf ???? (@KulmZack) January 20, 2021

“Didn't Joe get in trouble for doing this sort of thing? Now he's doing it to the whole nation without asking first,” another netizen quipped.

pic.twitter.com/c2kJCVRGPE
— Conspiracy Mill (@conspiracymill) January 20, 2021

Some know what this feels like more than others... pic.twitter.com/Iy8GctQiTc
— B.T. Mattison (@BT_Mattison) January 19, 2021

As critics predicted four years of “intolerable” coverage of Biden’s presidency, complete with swooning pundits, others recalled similar reactions to Biden’s ex-boss, President Barack Obama – many pointing to MSNBC’s Chris Matthews, who said in 2008 that Obama’s speeches send a “thrill running up my leg.”

Sure, but a true believer is known by his leg thrill. pic.twitter.com/d90vKUhPys
— John Van Osdol (@LowTposterchild) January 20, 2021

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Biden’s Homeland Security pick vows to confront ‘domestic extremists’ as media clamor to ...

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 03:47:51 GMT

President-elect Joe Biden’s nominee to lead the Department of Homeland Security has pledged to tackle “domestic extremism” amid growing calls in the press to treat those who stormed the US Capitol as homegrown “terrorists.”

Biden’s DHS hopeful, Alejandro Mayorkas, told the Senate Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday that he would address the issue of domestic extremism if confirmed for the role, while insisting he would empower the agency to do so in an “apolitical, nonpartisan way.”

“The threat of domestic extremism is one of the greatest challenges that the Department of Homeland Security confronts,” Mayorkas said at the Senate confirmation hearing, less than 24 hours before Biden’s inauguration on Wednesday.

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Mayorkas’ pledge comes weeks after a violent disturbance rocked Washington, DC, in which a swarm of supporters of President Donald Trump forced their way into the US Capitol to protest against the conduct of the 2020 election, leaving five people dead amid the chaos, including one demonstrator who was fatally shot by police.

The unrest on January 6 has unleashed a flood of media commentary demanding that the Capitol protesters and those of a like-mind be handled as “domestic terrorists,” clamoring for the US national security state to bring down the hammer, and all the relevant laws, on the supposedly home-bred militants. Mayorkas, if approved by the Senate, appears willing to heed those calls.

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The American security apparatus has shifted its focus from foreign terrorist organizations, or “FTOs,” to more local concerns in recent years, with the FBI and DHS both increasingly sounding alarms over the “threat” posed by “domestic violent extremists.”

“The domestic threat environment is rapidly evolving,” the DHS wrote in an October 2020 “threat assessment,” warning that “some US-based violent extremists have capitalized on increased social and political tensions in 2020, which will drive an elevated threat environment at least through early 2021.”

As of last Sunday, at least 25 individuals accused of involvement in the Capitol riot have been charged under domestic terrorism laws.

Biden’s pick for Director of National Intelligence, Obama-era CIA Deputy Director Avril Haines, has also pledged to back up the DHS with intelligence on domestic extremists, saying she would help “support their work and look at connections” among suspects. She vowed on Tuesday, moreover, to provide an assessment on the “threat” posed by the QAnon conspiracy community if elevated to the job.

Senate approval for Mayorkas is not yet guaranteed, however, with Republican Senator Josh Hawley (Missouri) stating on Tuesday that he would challenge the nominee’s fast-tracked confirmation over his stance on immigration. Mayorkas was grilled by other GOP lawmakers over border issues during the same hearing, suggesting he may face further Republican opposition in the confirmation process.

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Homeland Security Committee wants all ‘domestic terrorists’ who besieged US Capitol placed on FBI no-fly list

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DC mayor calls to TERMINATE National Guardsmen with ‘conflicting views’ before ...

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 01:43:44 GMT

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser set a chilling standard for what might make someone a terrorist threat, saying soldiers in the US capital must vow “allegiance to their mission” of guarding President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration.

Bowser spoke to reporters on Tuesday regarding the thousands of National Guardsmen being brought to the District of Columbia from all across the nation to help provide beefed-up inauguration security in the wake of the January 6 US Capitol riot.

“It's prudent to make sure that they're being vetted and that anybody who cannot pledge allegiance to...,” Bowser said before pausing. Rather than saying “the Constitution” or “the United States,” she continued by saying, “their mission, and may be pulled by other views, needs not only to be removed from this duty; they need to be removed from the Guard.”

Following the Capitol breach by election-fraud protesters, Washington has its largest troop presence since the May 1965 Grand Review of the Armies following the Civil War, with about 25,000 National Guardsmen deployed to the city.

But Democrats, such as US Representatives Jason Crow (D-Colorado) and Steve Cohen (D-Tennessee), have raised concerns that the troops could themselves be a security threat, given the likelihood that many voted for US President Donald Trump. Cohen went so far as to say that those who voted for Trump “might want to do something” during the inauguration, suggesting that mere differences in political affiliation constitute a security threat in today's America.

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White, male, Trump-voting troops MAY BETRAY Biden at inauguration, Dem Congressman suggests, in prediction even CNN finds crazy

The Pentagon and FBI are racing to vet all 25,000 National Guard troops assigned to the inauguration. A dozen Guardsmen were removed from the detail after they were found to have alleged ties to right-wing militia groups or to have shared “extremist” material online, the Associated Press said on Tuesday, citing anonymous officials. But Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller has said that no “insider threat” has been found through the vetting process, and officials confirmed that the 12 troops who were removed from the mission didn't pose a threat to Biden. Presumably, every major troop deployment in history has involved people of differing political views and affiliations.

Bowser is apparently torn between her desire for strong security firepower and her fears of Republican troops. Fox News reporter John Roberts said the Democrat mayor asked that “crew-served machine guns be included in the National Guard's arsenal,” but Homeland Security official Ken Cuccinelli denied the request, saying such weapons have no place in securing a civilian event.

Unbelievable, thank God it was denied - if used the collateral damage could be catastrophic. @MayorBowser obviously has no concept. Still, it’s the Dems that want to protect themselves w/ an arsenal but want to stomp on your second amendment rights. https://t.co/HhfGNTjthT
— Sara A. Carter (@SaraCarterDC) January 19, 2021

Social media users suggested that Bowser's comments suggested a “witch hunt” and were insulting to the National Guard. Others pointed to the “slippery slope” of questioning whether soldiers can do their jobs based on political affiliations, while still others noted that members of the military swear an oath only to the Constitution, not to a leader or a mission.

“At no time in our history have soldiers been required to swear their allegiance to a single individual,” one observer said on Twitter. “They swear their loyalty to the country, to the Constitution and to their commander-in-chief, not just the commander-in-chief they voted for. This vetting and Joe Biden disgust me.”

At no time time in our history have soldiers been required to swear their allegiance to a single individual. They swear their loyalty to the country to the Constitution and to their Commander In Chief, not just the CIC they voted for.

This vetting and @JoeBiden disgust me.
— BayAreaFrau (@bayareahausfrau) January 19, 2021

Another commenter tweeted, “Surrounded by 23,000 armed troops swearing an oath of allegiance, Biden's installation looks more like a Banana Republic coup than an inauguration of the most popular president ever.”

Surrounded by 23,000 armed troops swearing an ‘oath of allegiance,’ Biden’s Installation looks more like a Banana Republic coup than an inauguration of the “most popular President ever.”????
— Deedee???????? (@_GravityFails) January 19, 2021

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Trump declassifies ‘binder of materials’ related to Russiagate probe, but caves to FBI ...

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 01:22:37 GMT

A binder full of documents pertaining to the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane investigation into claims that President Donald Trump “colluded” with Russia in 2016 may yet see the light of day, but with crucial passages redacted still.

The Justice Department provided Trump with the documents on December 30, but the FBI took until this past Sunday to review them and told the outgoing president they had a “continuing objection to any further declassification of the materials.”

However, the Bureau also “identified the passages that it believed it was most crucial to keep from public disclosure,” according to a White House memo sent out to the press on Tuesday evening.

INBOX: Memorandum on Declassification of Certain Materials Related to the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane Investigation pic.twitter.com/4qONVZgBdy
— Josh Caplan (@joshdcaplan) January 19, 2021

Trump accepted the FBI’s proposal and decided to “hereby declassify the remaining materials in the binder,” according to the memo, addressed to FBI Director Christopher Wray, acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen, and Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe.

“This is my final determination under the declassification review and I have directed the Attorney General to implement the redactions proposed in the FBI's Jan. 17 submission and return to the White House an appropriately redacted copy,” the memo said. It remains unclear when the materials would actually be made public.

The order comes hours after CIA Director Gina Haspel announced her retirement, ahead of Joe Biden’s impending inauguration. One of the things the memo notes is that the FBI’s redactions were made “on the basis of a review that included Intelligence Community equities.”

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Trump originally ordered the declassification of all documents related to the Russia probe in September 2018 – only to cave to the FBI and the spies when they urged him to reconsider to protect “allies.” The issue basically disappeared until after the retirement of DNI Dan Coats in August 2019.

By that point, all sorts of FBI documents were already being released to the public as part of the appeals process in the trial of General Michael Flynn, charged by special counsel Mueller with lying to the FBI as part of the Russiagate probe. Though a number of campaign officials were jailed for process and unrelated crimes, Mueller’s final report found no trace of “collusion” with Russia in the 2016 US presidential election.

Last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee released its own documents about the Russiagate probe, declassifying interviews with the officials involved.

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While Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) described Crossfire Hurricane as “a massive system failure” and “one of the most incompetent and corrupt investigations in the history of the FBI and DOJ,” he merely expressed hope that the FBI and the DOJ would reform themselves and never prosecute people for political purposes ever again.

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With time running out, pressure grows on Trump to pardon Assange amid reports aides persuaded ...

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 00:43:31 GMT

The rising tide of calls for US President Donald Trump to pardon WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange could be for naught, amid mainstream media reports his aides persuaded him not to do so in a last-ditch bid to appease critics.

With Joe Biden scheduled to be sworn in as president at noon on Wednesday, Trump was reportedly preparing one last batch of pardons before he leaves office. Mainstream media outlets cited anonymous sources inside the White House to claim Assange’s name wasn’t on the list.

Aides persuaded Trump that he shouldn’t upset Senate Republicans, who will soon vote on his second impeachment, according to CNN.

CNN: Trump "once entertained" pardons for Assange & Snowden, but "decided against it because he did not want to anger Senate Republicans who will soon determine whether he's convicted," and who told him that "they felt strongly about not granting clemency to Assange or Snowden." pic.twitter.com/b6VT9753Wq
— Aaron Maté (@aaronjmate) January 19, 2021

Taking these reports at face value, NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden said Trump had allowed himself to be “bullied” out of pardoning Assange.

“Once he's out of power, they're going to vote to impeach him anyway,” he said on Twitter, adding, “well – that's one way to be remembered.”

Reports that Trump has let himself be bullied out of pardoning Assange, mistakenly believing Senate Republicans won't vote to impeach him if he caves.

Once he's out of power, they're going to vote to impeach him anyway. Which, well——that's one way to be remembered. #Politics
— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) January 19, 2021

Commentator Mike Cernovich also noted that remarks by Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) on the floor on Tuesday sounded like a “shot across the bow” to Trump to “better keep his dog collar on.”

Mitch’s shot across the bow, letting Trump know he had better keep his dog collar on and NOT pardon Assange and Snowden https://t.co/hULY2WEFfQ
— Cerno (@Cernovich) January 19, 2021

Fox News opinion host Tucker Carlson, who has been known to influence Trump on more than one occasion, made a plea for pardoning Assange on his show on Monday evening. Former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) tweeted a video of that segment on Tuesday, urging Trump to “do the right thing.”

The prosecution of Assange is a direct threat to a free press & freedom of speech for every American.

I urge President Trump to do the right thing: Take a stand for freedom & pardon Julian Assange as one of his final acts before leaving the White House. #TrumpsLastDay pic.twitter.com/eYq6hjjYds
— Tulsi Gabbard ???? (@TulsiGabbard) January 19, 2021

If Carlson hasn’t managed to persuade Trump, however, odds are the last-minute campaign on Twitter won’t succeed either – especially since Twitter has banned him from the platform for “inciting violence” in connection with the January 6 unrest at the US Capitol.

That hasn’t stopped some people from making very creative arguments, such as that a pardon for Assange would steal the thunder from Biden’s inauguration.

Someone get this tweet to Trump immediately: https://t.co/VZEgCBaSay
— The Columbia Bugle ???????? (@ColumbiaBugle) January 19, 2021

Assange spent nearly seven years in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, believing – correctly as it turned out – that the US wanted him arrested for the 2010 publication of State Department cables and Iraq and Afghanistan war documents by WikiLeaks. After the US pressured Ecuador to withdraw his asylum, he was arrested in April 2019 and imprisoned in London’s Belmarsh prison. If extradited to the US and convicted, Assange is facing up to 175 years in prison.

Though a UK judge has rejected the initial US extradition request on grounds of Assange’s mental health, Washington is appealing the ruling.

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Who will Trump pardon? As pundits and activists continue to make the case for Assange, Joe Exotic’s reportedly on the list

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Biden team announces ‘Gender Policy Council’ to eyerolls online

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 00:17:26 GMT

A day ahead of his inauguration, Joe Biden announced the creation of a “White House Gender Policy Council.” What the council will actually do, beyond annoying conservatives online, is unclear.

In an official statement announcement on Tuesday, the Biden transition team said that the new council will “guide and coordinate government policy that impacts women and girls, across a wide range of issues such as economic security, health care, racial justice, gender-based violence, and foreign policy.”

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At first glance, the council appears to be a relaunch of the Obama administration’s White House Council on Women and Girls, which was disbanded by the Trump administration in 2017. Although the Biden team’s statement makes no mention of men, or the transgender, the new name was likely chosen to reflect the more woke world of 2021.

The council will be chaired by gender studies professor Jennifer Klein and lawyer Julissa Reynoso, who is also incoming First Lady Jill Biden’s chief of staff.

Its mandate broad and its mission vague, commentators online mocked the council, with conservative columnist Mike LaChance snarking “The White House will now have a ‘Gender Studies’ department.”

FINALLY! Now we can get rid of those laws that chain women to the kitchen stove, forbid them from being employed, and keep them from voting.

Those laws exist right? https://t.co/kQrCf6KgKv
— Jason Buttrill (@JasonButtrill) January 19, 2021

Woke neoliberalism - coming to you now with #MeToo extremism! https://t.co/BbP2rmTRQc
— Inez Stepman ⚪️????⚪️ (@InezFeltscher) January 19, 2021

Beats me,

how did the US survive for about 250 years without a White House Gender Policy Council?

It is so essential.
— ⁦????️⁩⁦הַחֵלֶק הָרִאשׁוֹן (@The_first_part) January 19, 2021

Biden has repeatedly touted his efforts to build “an administration that looks like America,” by appointing more women and minorities to his cabinet than any of his predecessors. While his cabinet and department picks thus far are diverse in terms of gender and skin color – including a transgender assistant health secretary, what the overwhelming majority have in common is political homogeneity. Roughly 80 percent of his nominations so far worked for or collaborated with the Obama administration.

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Google EXTENDS Trump’s YouTube ban for at least another week as ‘Borat’ actor urges ...

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 00:10:08 GMT

Outgoing US President Donald Trump will remain banned from uploading or live-streaming on his YouTube channel for at least a week, Google said amid a mounting campaign to make the deplatforming permanent.

“In light of concerns about the ongoing potential for violence, the Donald J. Trump channel will be prevented from uploading new videos or livestreams for an additional minimum of seven days,” Alphabet Inc, Google and YouTube’s parent company, said in a statement on Tuesday.

As we shared previously, comments will continue to be indefinitely disabled under videos from the channel.

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YouTube SUSPENDS Trump’s channel for ‘inciting violence,’ becoming 3rd major platform after Twitter & Facebook to do so

The block was imposed last Tuesday, after YouTube said a video that Trump uploaded violated their policies against “inciting violence.” By that time, Twitter and Facebook had already suspended Trump’s social media accounts, echoing accusations from Democrats and the mainstream media that he “incited” the crowd that broke into the US Capitol on January 6.

Since then, Twitter has announced its suspension of Trump’s personal account will be permanent. Facebook and Google are now facing pressure from activists demanding that Trump be permanently removed from all their platforms on Wednesday, when his presidential term expires and Joe Biden is sworn in.

Think Trump is leaving tomorrow?

Think again.

Facebook and YouTube STILL show THOUSANDS of Trump posts & videos with his election lies and calls to "fight!"

RT & tell @Facebook @YouTube:

On January 20th, remove Trump from your platforms, PERMANENTLY!#BanTrumpSaveDemocracy pic.twitter.com/FnYeKMGgyq
— Sacha Baron Cohen (@SachaBaronCohen) January 19, 2021

One of the more prominent voices is Sascha Baron Cohen, a British actor who gained fame – and notoriety – for comedy based on crude ethnic stereotypes. His campaign for woke censorship is apparently oblivious to the possibility the ban may eventually boomerang and apply to him as well.

Trump himself has repeatedly disavowed and condemned the Capitol unrest. In a farewell address on Tuesday – posted on the official White House YouTube channel – the outgoing president said that “all Americans were horrified by the assault on our Capitol” and called political violence “an attack on everything we cherish as Americans,” urging everyone to “unify around our shared values and rise above the partisan rancor to forge our common destiny.”

He also condemned censorship as a violation of America’s core values of free speech, arguing that the US is “not a timid nation of tame souls who need to be sheltered and protected from those with whom we disagree. That’s not who we are.”

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‘The movement we started is only just beginning’ defiant Trump says in farewell speech (VIDEO)

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Ex-Guantanamo chief prosecutor calls for ‘DOMESTIC WAR ON SEDITION,’ suggests GOP ...

Tue, 19 Jan 2021 22:38:17 GMT

Retired US Air Force Col. Moe Davis spent years prosecuting alleged Islamist terrorists at Guantanamo Bay, but now his sights are set on domestic threats, including the Republican congressman who beat him in the 2020 election.

“I was chief prosecutor at Guantanamo for over two years, and there's far more evidence of Congressman Madison Cawthorn's guilt than there was of guilt for 95+ percent of the detainees,” Davis said Monday on Twitter.

It's time we start a domestic war on sedition by American terrorists.

The message was accompanied by photos of Cawthorn (R-North Carolina) and another freshman member of Congress, Lauren Boebert (R-Colorado). Davis, a former Democrat congressional candidate, didn't specify in his tweet what actions by Cawthorn might constitute sedition, but Democrats have called for his removal from office for saying that President-elect Joe Biden's election victory was fraudulent and using such language as “fight back” to allegedly incite the January 6 US Capitol riot.

I was Chief Prosecutor at Guantanamo for over 2 years and there’s far more evidence of Congressman Madison Cawthorn’s guilt than there was of guilt for 95+ percent of the detainees. It’s time we start a domestic war on sedition by American terrorists.@CawthornforNC #MadCaw pic.twitter.com/ImbOB3yHVZ
— Moe Davis (@ColMorrisDavis) January 18, 2021

More than 59,000 people have signed a change.org petition demanding his resignation. Cawthorn, a paraplegic who at 25 is the youngest member of Congress, blamed the violence during the riot on left-wing agitators. He later condemned the “actions of a violent few” as “cowardly and pathetic” and said it was “sickening and infuriating” to see people with American flags and Trump flags storming the Capitol.

At a time when Democrats are branding supporters of President Donald Trump, including members of Congress, as dangerous white supremacist, Davis' tweet took the discourse to an even higher level. Fox host Tucker Carlson said the retired colonel is essentially calling on people like Cawthorn and the millions of Americans who voted Republican to be “subdued by force.”

“Has Twitter seen Moe Davis tweet?” Carlson asked. “Has the Secret Service? Do they care? Will a single one of Col. Moe Davis many allies in the Democratic Party denounce what he said or even tell him to cool it a little bit?”

Cawthorn, who beat Davis by more than 12 percentage points in the November 3 election, responded to the sedition allegation by urging his supporters to “never back down to the violent left.” He added, “My disgraced and defeated opponent wants to declare war on conservatives.”

My disgraced and defeated opponent wants to declare war on conservatives.

Stand with me, stand strong. Add your voice and tell Pelosi and AOC that we’ll never back down to the violent left! https://t.co/xh6qpu5fBn pic.twitter.com/TLCKfuNjKE
— Madison Cawthorn (@CawthornforNC) January 19, 2021

Several Twitter users noted the irony that Davis was accusing Cawthorn of wrongdoing by admitting that he participated in prosecuting innocent people. Davis was reassigned from Guantanamo at his request in 2007, after superiors overruled his policy of refusing to use evidence obtained during waterboarding.

Did you just incriminate yourself in prosecuting 95% innocent people?
— The Red-Headed Libertarian (@TRHLofficial) January 18, 2021

But he showed no lack of enthusiasm in prosecuting detainees, reportedly mocking their defense claims as “nauseating” and saying of their excuses for being caught in Afghanistan: “When these guys went to camp, they weren't making s'mores and learning how to tie knots.” He also defended the conditions at the prison as humane, professional and legal.

“Welp, there it is,” author and retired US Army Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer said. “Another Democrat admits to past wrongdoing on Twitter. So, according to Moe Davis, he knowingly prosecuted innocent detainees at Gitmo 95 percent.”

Welp - there it is!
Another @TheDemocrats admits to past wrongdoing on Twitter!
So - according to @ColMorrisDavis he knowingly prosecuted innocent detainees at GITMO...95%!
So - should @JoeBiden recall Col Davis back to active duty due to this admission of guilt?
Thoughts? https://t.co/sd2eMeoMJR
— Tony Shaffer (@T_S_P_O_O_K_Y) January 19, 2021

Another observer responded with a screenshot of a 2019 tweet that might shed light on Davis' penchant for political vitriol. “Screw they go low, we go high bulls**t,” Davis said. “When GOP extremists go low, we stomp their scrawny, pasty necks with our heels, and once you hear the sound of the crisp snap, you grind your heel hard and twist it slowly side to side for good measure. He needs to know who whupped his ass.”

Remember when you said this? pic.twitter.com/fpPASSJknI
— Marshal Lucky (@tcharleyd) January 19, 2021

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12 US Army National Guard members kicked off inauguration detail for alleged ‘extremist ties’

Tue, 19 Jan 2021 22:17:46 GMT

A dozen of the 25,000 National Guard troops tasked with providing security for president-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration ceremony have been removed for connections with ‘right-wing extremist elements,’ sources claim.

The 12 servicemembers were removed from the detail after alleged ties with right-wing militia groups or “extremist” material they’d shared online were discovered, two military and intelligence sources told the Associated Press on Tuesday.

According to Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller, however, the Pentagon’s vetting process had found no evidence of any “insider threat” to the Biden ceremony as of Monday, and the anonymous officials confirmed none of the removed National Guard members posed a threat to Biden. The FBI has been tasked with running “name checks” on the National Guard members in addition to the Pentagon’s vetting.

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Pentagon chief says no intel on ‘insider threat’ from 25,000 Nat Guard troops as military & FBI vet inauguration security detail

National Guard chief Daniel Hokanson confirmed that 12 service members had been sent home but stated that only two had been pulled for “inappropriate comments or texts related to the inauguration.” The other ten were removed for “security liabilities” related to possible previous criminal activity.

The Secret Service sent a memo to all 25,000 of the National Guard troops involved in security for the inauguration ceremony, reminding them not to share “locations, pictures or descriptions online regarding current operations or the sensitive sites they are protecting.” The agency complained there had been an “uptick” in National Guard service members posting details of their postings online.

Security for Wednesday’s ceremony has been ramped up after the Capitol raid earlier this month that ended with 5 people dead. However, both event participants and after-the-fact observers have remarked on the smaller-than-normal police footprint at the building, while others have pointed to extensive footage showing Capitol police actually letting protesters into the building.

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White, male, Trump-voting troops MAY BETRAY Biden at inauguration, Dem Congressman suggests, in prediction even CNN finds crazy

However, the situation at the building soon became violent, leading to the shooting death of demonstrator Ashli Babbitt and the bludgeoning death of police officer Brian Sicknick. Capitol Police chief Steven Sund resigned shortly after the riot.

President Donald Trump became the first president to be impeached twice as the House of Representatives held him responsible for fomenting an “insurrection” at the Capitol – though there was evidence protesters planned to swarm the building before he addressed them in front of the White House.

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‘The movement we started is only just beginning’ defiant Trump says in farewell speech (VIDEO)

Tue, 19 Jan 2021 21:10:33 GMT

US President Donald Trump struck an optimistic and defiant note in his farewell address, vowing his movement was here to stay and praising his administration’s achievements in restoring America while not starting any new wars.

“We did what we came here to do — and so much more,” Trump said in the speech on Tuesday afternoon. He argued that his administration restored American strength at home and leadership abroad, “built the greatest economy in the history of the world,” and achieved a “series of historic peace deals in the Middle East.”

I am especially proud to be the first president in decades who has started no new wars.

“Above all, we have reasserted the sacred idea that in America, the government answers to the people,” Trump said. “We restored the idea that in America, no one is forgotten — because everyone matters and everyone has a voice.”

He added that he prays for the new administration’s success in “keeping America safe and prosperous.”

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‘We toppled a dictator’: Feminist activist endures howls of derision after tweeting ‘idiotic’ take on Trump departure

The outgoing president also warned, however, that the greatest danger America faces is “a loss of confidence in ourselves — a loss of confidence in our national greatness.”

“No nation can long thrive that loses faith in its own values, history, and heroes — for these are the very sources of our unity and our vitality,” Trump said. “America is not a timid nation of tame souls who need to be sheltered and protected from those with whom we disagree.”

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Cops outnumber protesters at state capitols across the US, as the FBI’s ‘uprising’ evaporates

Commenting on the January 6 “assault” on the US Capitol, Trump said “all Americans were horrified” by it and that political violence “is an attack on everything we cherish as Americans. It can never be tolerated.”

Democrats have blamed Trump personally for “inciting” the unrest, which the House of Representatives described as an “insurrection” in the one-day session ending in a vote to impeach Trump last week.

Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) have also called Trump supporters “domestic terrorists,” while several lawmakers have proposed new laws to allow the US government to crack down on domestic dissent. Democrats will control the White House and both chambers of Congress after Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are inaugurated on Wednesday.

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CNN airs guide to DEPROGRAM MAGA SUPPORTERS as cult expert claims ENTIRE country needs post-Trump help

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CNN airs guide to DEPROGRAM MAGA SUPPORTERS as cult expert claims ENTIRE country needs ...

Tue, 19 Jan 2021 21:09:08 GMT

As calls to “deprogram” Trump supporters mount, CNN has hosted a former Moonie-turned-professional deprogrammer who suggested the whole nation had been “negatively influenced” and needed help. Viewers were not eager to sign up.

Cult expert Steven Hassan was on Tuesday brought on CNN to advise on how to deprogram members of what he described in his 2019 book as the “Cult of Trump.” Perhaps with an eye toward boosting his deprogramming business, however, he suggested the entire country was in need of his services.

After CNN anchor Alisyn Camerota spoke of the Trump supporters who’d thronged the Capitol earlier this month as if they were no longer living, dramatically intoning over footage of the raid that “some of the people that you see here were once elementary school counselors, some of these people were firemen,” she asked Hassan how Trump had “radically changed their personality.”

A former member of the infamous Unification Church (better known as the ‘Moonies’) during the 1970s, Hassan suggested Trump devotees had been “deceptively recruited by an authoritarian political cult” and had undergone a “radical personality change” psychologically diagnosable as “dissociative disorder.”

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While he briefly described how cult leaders use control of behavior, information, thought, and emotion to “create a new identity that’s dependent and obedient,” he stopped short of explaining how Trump would have done this.

As Camerota bemoaned how long Hassan’s one-on-one deprogramming approach would take to brainwash (or re-brainwash) millions of Americans, the cult counselor acknowledged “we’re going to need a top-down approach,” even suggesting he be invited to testify in front of Congress.

“The bottom line is all of America needs deprogramming because we’ve all been negatively influenced by Donald Trump,” he said.

Trump supporters did not take kindly to being deemed cult members.

I am a highly educated adult and I have never been a member of a cult, much less some fictitious “Trump cult.” I resent anyone saying I’m not capable of thinking for myself. I’ve voted both parties in my life. I support the policies of the President, I don’t worship the man.
— Margaret ???????? ???? (@MargaretAUGrad) January 19, 2021

I love my country, no way no how are they going to change that. FU duma$$.
— Ccwill22 (@Ccwill221) January 19, 2021

Some pointed out that the accusations leveled at Trump supporters could just as easily be lobbed back at their accusers – specifically the part of Hassan’s checklist in which the cult member is discouraged from seeking “outside” sources of information and gaslighted with revised versions of the past.

OMG! Do they really think 80 million of us are that stupid that we joined a cult? The arrogance of the left astounds me. We think for ourselves and loved Trump because he loved us and gave us a voice. And by the way, the election was stolen. Just watch the evidence...lot of it. https://t.co/6ezgbd1DjW
— soberandfocused (@Soberandfocused) January 19, 2021

What are his thoughts on people who still believe in Russiagate?
— Pardon Julian Assange & Edward Snowden (@JohnFiliss) January 19, 2021

What you expect from the liberals, they took the play book from the Nazi's.
— Tony (@DeanDearinger) January 19, 2021

Though some seemed to take pride in embodying elements of the cult behavior checklist.

i will NEVER "recover" (read programmed and brainwashed into their thinking) This is some scary scifi shit going on there!
— Angel Patriot of Qanomoly (@AngelGrace1313) January 19, 2021

The liberals are evil. The patriots are good. This is about good vs evil. MSM = EVIL
— MountainMamaforTRuMP2020 (@MMp2020) January 19, 2021

It’s understandable that anyone would bristle at being told they’ve been duped by a cult. But Hassan’s advice for people looking to deprogram their Trump-supporting loved ones ironically bore little resemblance to CNN’s usual derisive coverage of a contingent that – despite the network’s best efforts – comprises millions of Americans. The professional deprogrammer advised his host that to encourage cultists to start thinking for themselves, “the most powerful technique is asking a respectful, thoughtful question and being quiet and really waiting a long time for an answer.”

The network is far from alone in suggesting Trump supporters need deprogramming. Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson appeared on MSNBC earlier this month with New York Times writer Nikole Hannah-Jones to lament that there are “millions of Americans, almost all white, almost all Republicans who somehow need to be deprogrammed…as if they are members of a cult.” Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was more circumspect with her call to deprogram “white supremacists,” though many others in her party have suggested the two categories are one and the same.

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‘We toppled a dictator’: Feminist activist endures howls of derision after tweeting ‘idiotic’ take on Trump departure

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‘Islamic State-inspired’ US soldier arrested over alleged plot to bomb American troops and ...

Tue, 19 Jan 2021 20:34:54 GMT

An American soldier has been arrested on terrorism charges, including suggesting wiring explosives into buildings as part of an Islamic State plot to kill US troops, as well as allegedly planning an attack on the 9/11 Memorial.

Ohio man Cole James Bridges, 20, was held in Georgia on Tuesday, and is charged with the assistance of a foreign terrorist organization and the attempted murder of US military service members, the US Attorney’s Office said in a statement.

The private first class, also known as Cole Gonzales, had expressed his support for the terrorist Islamic State group (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) on social media, according to the criminal complaint unsealed on Tuesday in Manhattan Federal Court.

After joining the US Army in late 2019, Bridges began unknowingly communicating with a member of the FBI in October last year, with the bureau employee posing as an IS supporter who claimed to be in touch with the terrorist group in the Middle East.

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The soldier is then said to have used his army training to guide supposed IS fighters about potential attacks in New York City, including on the 9/11 Memorial.

In December 2020, Bridges allegedly provided diagrams of “specific military maneuvers” to help IS fighters “maximize the lethality of attacks on US troops” while also pledging his allegiance to the terrorist group in videos. He suggested militants should wire particular buildings with explosives in order to kill American troops, the charges claim.

“As alleged, Cole Bridges betrayed the oath he swore to defend the United States by attempting to provide ISIS with tactical military advice to ambush and kill his fellow service members,” said Manhattan US Attorney Audrey Strauss.

If convicted, Bridges faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each of his alleged crimes. He is set to appear in a federal court in Georgia on Thursday.

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Olympic swimming champion apologizes for role in Capitol riot, but leftists are still demanding ...

Tue, 19 Jan 2021 20:04:27 GMT

Former Olympic swimmer Klete Keller has apologized for taking part in the US Capitol riot, but leftists are still demanding the unprecedented step of taking away his medals because of his alleged crimes.

“He apologized to me,” former US national team coach Mark Schubert told the New York Times. “He kept repeating, 'You've done so much for me, and I let you down.' He kept saying over and over, 'I didn't mean for any of this to happen.'”

The 38-year-old Keller, who stands six feet, six inches tall, was seen on social media footage inside the Capitol Rotunda wearing a Team USA jacket. He turned himself in to federal authorities on Thursday, one day after being charged with knowingly entering a restricted building and with two misdemeanors.

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Five-time Olympic medalist swimmer Klete Keller deletes social media accounts amid uproar after being spotted at US Capitol riots

News of the charges prompted President Donald Trump haters, such as former MSNBC host Keith Olbermann, to call on US Olympic officials to demand that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) take back Keller's three gold and two bronze medals. The three-time Olympian’s tearful apology apparently did little to soften those reactions.

“He’s only sorry because he was caught,” one observer said Tuesday on Twitter. “I agree with those calling for him to be stripped of his Olympic medals."

He's only sorry because he was caught. I agree with those calling for him to be stripped of his Olympic medals.

‘I Let You Down’: Klete Keller’s Path From Olympics to Capitol Riot https://t.co/h47svvYWke
— Barbara???????????? (@Barb_Mac68) January 19, 2021

Another commenter said Keller was "part of the MAGA terrorist attack and attempted coup" and therefore must be stripped of his medals. "He meant what he did," she said. "No white-privilege excuses. Fired, prosecuted, convicted, imprisoned." One observer suggested that Keller should also lose the collegiate medals he won when he was a champion swimmer at the University of Southern California.

@USASwimming
Olympic gold medalist swimmer #KleteKeller was part of the MAGA terrorist attack & attempted coup. @Olympics must strip him of his medals. He meant what he did. No white privilege excuses.
FIRED. PROSECUTED. CONVICTED. IMPRISONED.#NoFlyList #TrumpDomesticTerrorists pic.twitter.com/G9UcPIQHHL
— B Victoria Cook (@BVictoriaCook) January 19, 2021

i hope the @Olympics, the @NCAA, and @pac12 have stripped or are gonna strip #KleteKeller of any medals/records/championships he won
— Chuckie (@ChuckieChk) January 19, 2021

The comments were typical of the tone seen from Democrats in the wake of the January 6 riot, which bubbled up from an election-fraud protest. Leftists have called for such penalties as revoking the college degrees of GOP members of Congress who disputed President-elect Joe Biden's victory and blacklisting members of President Trump's administration from getting jobs, book deals or speaking engagements.

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One angry Twitter user said the rioters were "malicious maniacs" and "should have been shot and killed, all of them, by Capitol police." Another commenter stopped short of execution, saying Keller wore his Olympic jacket to the riot and should be given the maximum sentence. Still another was disgusted by Keller's apology, calling it "cover for a terrorist. How white of you."

These rioters & malicious maniacs invading the Capitol were not "jokesters" or "merry pranksters." They should have been shot and killed, all of them, by the Capitol Police.

I Let You Down: Klete Keller's Path... Olympics to Capitol Riot https://t.co/vHS91iUVT2 via @YahooNews
— Andrew G. Bernhardt (@AndreGBernhardt) January 19, 2021

#KleteKeller is now crying the blues because he is facing charges & possible jail time for taking part in the riots at the Capitol. He wore his Olympic jacket to the riots. I hope that they give him the max.
— Vonnie Vonn (@Thelovely_Vonn) January 19, 2021

The felony charge alone could get Keller as much as 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. But much to the chagrin of the virtual pitchfork-and-torch crowd, it would be unlikely for the IOC to revoke his medals. The Olympic Charter doesn't provide for stripping medals based on an athlete's conduct after the games.

The 149 medals that have been taken away since 1968 all related to the integrity of the sport or the athlete's sportsmanship. All but seven of the medal revocations in history related to doping allegations and drug testing. The others related to the athlete's eligibility as an amateur of legal age and sportsmanship issues.

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Nearly 90 Olympians have been convicted of crimes serious enough to merit prison sentences, according to Olympedia.org, including cases involving murder, child sexual assault, treason and trafficking child prostitutes. None was stripped of a medal.

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Biden’s Treasury pick Yellen urged to use sanctions MORE AGGRESSIVELY than Trump administration

Tue, 19 Jan 2021 19:52:15 GMT

Janet Yellen, Biden’s pick to lead the Treasury Department, has been urged by the Democrats to sanction the US’ adversaries even more aggressively than the Trump administration. She said she already has her sights set on China.

In a Senate Finance Committee hearing on Tuesday, Yellen spoke in favor of ?joe Biden’s proposed “fair and progressive tax code,” which Republicans have warned would raise the tax burden on the US’ already squeezed middle class. She also spoke of the need to “go big” with economic stimulus and unemployment benefits.

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However, Yellen was also urged to “go big” in exercising the Treasury Department’s power to sanction the US’ foreign adversaries. “The Trump administration failed to be as aggressive on sanctions,” Washington Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) claimed, before telling Yellen, “I want to be sure you use that as an economic tool."

The Trump administration extensively sanctioned Russia, Iran, Venezuela, North Korea, Turkey, and a host of other individuals, businesses, and governments it deemed unsavory. Far from being shy to sanction foreigners, the Trump-era Treasury, under Steven Mnuchin, issued so many sanctions that even the hawkish neoconservatives over at Foreign Policy magazine warned of a “growing geopolitical backlash.”

Former UN official and human rights lawyer Alfred-Maurice de Zayas has called sanctions a form of terrorism, stating that they “invariably impact, directly or indirectly, the poor and vulnerable.” In Venezuela alone, the Center for Economic and Policy Research estimated that sanctions could be directly linked to 40,000 deaths between 2017 and 2018.

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Should Yellen be confirmed, her use of sanctions will be dictated by the foreign policy of the Biden administration at large. Biden has thus far packed his State Department with Obama administration alumni, many of whom favor an interventionist foreign policy.

Yellen did, however, say that her department will be taking aim at Beijing. Speaking to Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), Yellen said she was prepared to use a “full array” of tools to combat what she called China’s “illegal, unfair, and abusive” economic policies.

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CIA director Gina Haspel resigns a day before Biden inauguration

Tue, 19 Jan 2021 19:09:58 GMT

The Trump-appointed director of the CIA, Gina Haspel, has left her post after 36 years with the intelligence agency, announcing her resignation on Tuesday – a day ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden.

In a statement posted to Twitter by the CIA, Haspel said she was “deeply proud of the work [she and the CIA] have done together,” which – while largely classified – included running one of the agency’s notorious “black site” prisons.

The #CIA workforce thanks Director Haspel for her 36 years of dedicated service to the American people.

You have broken barriers and empowered the next generation of CIA officers. pic.twitter.com/ELzP8XzIKt
— CIA (@CIA) January 19, 2021

She was appointed director of the CIA in 2018, becoming the first woman to hold the role, and replaced Mike Pompeo, who had been promoted to Secretary of State.

While Haspel reportedly threatened to resign last month as President Donald Trump prepared to name Kash Patel, former aide to Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) as her deputy, the plan was apparently cancelled at the last minute when she got wind of it. Trump had apparently grown to distrust Haspel, who had worked as London CIA station chief under former agency director John Brennan.

Despite her apparent involvement in the CIA’s torture program, Haspel narrowly squeaked by confirmation to run the US spy agency after writing in a letter to the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee that the program had “ultimately done damage” to the US’ “standing in the world.”

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Earlier in her career, Haspel oversaw a CIA “black site” prison in Thailand, known as Detention Site Green. Since-declassified cables have revealed the brutality used to interrogate suspects there, including one detailing the harrowing waterboarding of a prisoner periodically for 17 days.

While a report alleging Haspel ran the site at the time of that incident has since been retracted, she took over management of the site shortly thereafter and reportedly presided over similar ‘enhanced interrogation techniques’ of other prisoners.

Last week, Biden named William Burns, who served as Deputy Secretary of State under the Obama administration, as Haspel’s replacement, though he must be confirmed by the Senate to officially take up the post.

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‘We toppled a dictator’: Feminist activist endures howls of derision after tweeting ...

Tue, 19 Jan 2021 18:09:37 GMT

As the sun sets on the Trump presidency, commenters are falling over themselves to cram in nonsensical hot-takes. Perhaps the daftest of all has been offered by activist Amy Siskind, who claimed America had “toppled a dictator.”

High on the endorphins of inauguration week, Siskind took to Twitter on Tuesday to emphatically exclaim: “Can’t be said enough: we toppled a dictator.”

Can't be said enough: we toppled a dictator.
— Amy Siskind ????️‍???? (@Amy_Siskind) January 19, 2021

While it might sound like a parody, a cursory glance at the feminist’s feed reveals she posted the message entirely in earnest.

She even doubled down on the hyperbole, issuing a follow-up message that read: “We can celebrate how dangerously close we came to becoming an authoritarian state – and how the good people of our country rose up against it.”

He wasn't much of a dictator if the people could literally vote him out of office
— Italian-American Advocate (@TheEpicDept) January 19, 2021

Unsurprisingly, Siskind was quickly inundated with people informing her that she had gone way over the top and, while she may not have liked the Trump presidency, the US did not become a dictatorship.

Numerous memes mocking the hysterical tone of Siskind’s comments quickly became popular.

Ah yes, ending a dictatorship by, “checks notes”, voting. pic.twitter.com/vFj6Yrrvpk
— Trump's Burner Account (@jusmas27) January 19, 2021

pic.twitter.com/btBVszw8mo
— Chef Gaykwon ????️‍???????????? (@GramsciFag69) January 19, 2021

The claim particularly got up the noses of conservatives. “He was voted out of office, in accordance with the Constitution and state election law. So no, you didn't,” pundit Ben Shapiro was prompted to respond.

Amy Swearer of the Heritage Foundation think tank added: “If you can vote the guy out at the very next possible opportunity, using the prescribed constitutional mechanisms...it wasn't a dictatorship. There are literally billions of people who *wish* toppling a *real* dictator was so simple as voting.”

He was voted out of office, in accordance with the Constitution and state election law. So no, you didn't. https://t.co/uTfw7fJuYR
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) January 19, 2021

Some people were less kind with their rebukes, with many cutting to the chase and branding Siskind an “idiot.” A message that racked up more than 2,000 Twitter ‘likes’ read: “If you get any dumber, you’re going to need a helmet.”

If you get any dumber, you're going to need a helmet.
— Sydney Watson (@SydneyLWatson) January 19, 2021

Dictator... pic.twitter.com/lXb3r1H5Mr
— Kevin Dalton (@NextLAMayor) January 19, 2021

Despite the slew of corrections, some actually expressed their agreement with Siskind’s dramatic embellishment. I guess a diet of hyper-partisan news will do for ya.

I was thinking about that Saturday when they announced Biden's win how we danced in the streets in NYC and how close we really came to a dictatorship. I don't think I will ever forget the feeling that day.
— CrissCrossApplesauce (@jackytalksmacky) January 19, 2021

An interesting analysis came from a Canada-based Twitter user named Sidney Cole who wrote: “God, why do Americans think they’re exceptional at everything? It’s so counterproductive and self-congratulatory and aggrandizing and precisely the very thing that landed them here in the first place.”

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