The Wall Street Journal
"Biden’s 2024 Problem: Voters Say His Policies Hurt Them"
Story by Andrew Restuccia
17 DECEMBER 2023
WASHINGTON—Robert Gilbert is fed up with high prices for groceries and other necessities, and he has giving up hope that President Biden can help.
“I don’t think he has really done much for us, nothing that benefits me really,” said Gilbert, 65 years old, a retiree living on a fixed income in Fenton, Mo.
He voted for Biden in 2020, but doesn’t think he will support him again.
Gilbert isn’t a fan of Donald Trump either, but he felt that the economy was better when Trump was in office.
“I think Trump did a pretty good job if he shut his mouth,” said Gilbert, who is considering voting for a third-party candidate next year.
More than half the country now thinks Biden’s policies have done them harm and nearly as many voters think Trump’s policies helped them, a foreboding sign for the incumbent heading into a likely rematch with his 2020 foe.
For Biden, the finding in a recent Wall Street Journal poll offers a stark explanation of why support from those who helped put him in office is waning.
It also illustrates why Democrats are increasingly worried about his prospects, even against an unpopular Republican opponent with whom Biden hopes to draw a contrast.
Voters across the political spectrum single out inflation and high prices as a chief complaint about Biden’s presidency, but some also are upset with his broader record on domestic and foreign policy.
Many voters couldn’t cite specific Biden administration policies they disliked, but instead channeled a pervasive malaise in the country that they said was difficult to pin down.
=Several said they were considering supporting an alternative to either party’s front-runner or not voting at all.
In interviews with voters, what’s striking is that the frustration is coming from all sides of the coalition that put Biden in the White House.
Liberal voters are angry about Biden’s approach to Israel’s war in Gaza, and complain that he hasn’t done enough to enact the progressive policies he laid out during the 2020 campaign, including large-scale student loan forgiveness.
Centrist voters want him to do more to secure the border, while left-leaning voters think his immigration policies have moved too far to the right.
Among Democrats and independents who lean that way, 45% say Biden’s policies hurt them personally or had no impact on them, according to the Journal poll.
Among voters overall, 53% of voters said Biden’s policies hurt them, and less than a quarter — 23% — said they were helped by his policies.
Some 49% of voters said Trump’s policies personally helped them, while just 37% said they hurt them.
Democratic pollster Michael Bocian said voters are “hearing a lot right now about how things are bad for them economically and they’re remembering that inflation was lower during the time that Trump was president.”
He conducted the Journal poll in late November and early December with Republican pollster Tony Fabrizio, who characterized the findings as “very startling.”
Fabrizio works for a Trump super PAC.
Voters’ low marks on Biden’s record come as many of them remain pessimistic about the economy despite relatively strong economic data.
During Biden’s nearly three years in office, inflation reached 9.1%, its highest in more than four decades, but has since plummeted to 3.1%.
Meanwhile, the labor market has remained strong throughout his presidency, with relatively low unemployment, and wage growth that started to outpace prices earlier this year.
Stocks reached record highs after easing inflation prompted the Federal Reserve on Wednesday to extend a pause in interest-rate hikes and signal further increases are unlikely.
Biden has presided over one of the most sweeping legislative agendas of any president in decades, including a roughly $1 trillion infrastructure bill, a massive climate change, tax and healthcare package and a multibillion-dollar measure to strengthen the domestic semiconductor industry.
Biden’s $430 billion plan to eliminate student loans held by 40 million Americans was blocked by the Supreme Court.
Trump’s marquee legislative accomplishment was the most far-reaching overhaul of the U.S. tax system in decades, a measure that reduced the corporate tax rate and lowered taxes on most individuals.
He presided over the establishment of a new U.S.-Canada-Mexico trade agreement, while placing tariffs on other major trading partners, namely China.
The Trump administration built nearly 500 miles of border wall to stem unlawful entries, though much of it replaced existing, shorter barriers.
Trump oversaw the initial U.S. response to the Covid-19 pandemic, which featured the federal government shoveling trillions into the economy.
Economists say spending approved by Trump and Biden cushioned the economy during the early months of the pandemic, then sped its recovery.
Still, when the economy began to reopen in 2021, that demand collided with labor shortages and supply-chain bottlenecks to fuel inflation, which was compounded when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 sent gasoline prices up sharply.
Gabrielle Nixon, 24, who lives outside Savannah, Ga., faulted Biden for resuming construction of the border wall, for failing to follow through on his promise to forgive student debt on a massive scale and for not doing more to protect civilians in Gaza.
After the Supreme court struck down Biden’s proposal to forgive up to $20,000 of federal student debt for people making less than $125,000 a year, the Biden administration has proceeded with more narrow loan cancellations for millions of borrowers.
“He’s alienating his younger base,” said Nixon, a manager at a shipping warehouse who voted for Biden in 2020 and said she likely won’t vote for him in 2024.
Like some others interviewed by the Journal, she said she would never support Trump.
But she is considering other candidates like Cornel West and Claudia De la Cruz, who is running for president as the candidate of the Party for Socialism and Liberation.
Stephanie Evans, 38, a business owner who lives in southern Colorado, said the past year has felt extra hard.
“A lot of people are waking up to the economic injustices even more — sending money to Ukraine, sending money to Israel."
"And here we are kind of feeling like the forgotten stepchildren,” she said.
Evans, who voted for Biden in 2020, said she doesn’t plan on voting for either Biden or Trump in 2024, adding that she didn’t feel like their policies affected her in a significant way.
She said she hasn’t decided who she will support, but has been looking into Marianne Williamson.
The president’s allies said they feel confident they can win over voters in the 11 months before the election, arguing that the public will see the contrast between Trump and Biden as the campaign kicks into high gear.
They also noted that Biden’s positions on healthcare, drug prices, abortion and other issues are popular with voters.
“If the media has forgotten, we are happy to remind them of the very similar polls and headlines that said the president was going to be in trouble last November,” said Biden campaign spokesman Kevin Munoz, referring to Democrats’ strong performance in the midterm elections.
“They were wrong.”
Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said, “Americans know that they were better off with Trump as president.”
Biden has often pointed to the labor market’s strength as evidence his economic policies are working.
The unemployment rate dropped from 6.3% at the start of his term to 3.4% early in 2023, matching lows last seen in the late 1960s.
Unemployment has edged up since then, but remains tame.
Unemployment was 4.7% at the start of Trump’s term and fell during his presidency to multidecade lows.
Inflation, as measured by the consumer-price index, was mostly muted during Trump’s term.
Annual inflation averaged roughly 1.9% between January 2017 and January 2021, and consumer prices rose about 7.8% during that time.
Consumer prices have surged 17% during Biden’s term, with annual inflation averaging 5.8%.
The price of a regular gallon of gasoline — which factors heavily into how Americans feel about the economy — was essentially unchanged over Trump’s term.
It is up by more than $1 since the start of Biden’s presidency, though it is down sharply from its post-Ukraine invasion peak.
Trump benefits from having a mostly prepandemic presidency, which might influence the rosier assessment voters give his tenure.
Voters also view the 2024 GOP presidential front-runner as better able to handle many major issues, including the economy, inflation, crime, border security and the Israel-Hamas war, according to the survey.
“He can be pompous at times, but if he says he’s going to do something you can bet he’s going to do it,” said Christine Jung, 73, a Republican and retired Federal Bureau of Investigation agent who lives in Stuart, Fla.
Jung voted for Trump in 2020 and plans to support him again.
“I can’t stand the fact that the border is open."
"Terrorists are everywhere."
"I fear for our country.”
Melissa Garcia Johnson, 33, of Anchorage, Alaska, also expressed frustration that Biden’s efforts to cancel student loans for the majority of borrowers hadn’t moved forward.
“The simplest way to put it is I’m really not a fan of him and his performance,” Johnson said.
She and her husband are struggling to purchase a home.
“There’s a serious issue with interest rates on homes right now."
"I’m in my mid-30s and I’m still renting,” said Johnson, a Democrat who voted for Biden in 2020 and is undecided about how she will vote next year.
Most Republicans and Republican-leaning independents — 88% — think Trump’s policies helped them, the poll found.
Nearly three-quarters of Democrats and Democrat-leaning independents think Trump’s policies hurt, but one in 10 think they helped.
“My 401(k) just went wild when that guy was there, and it’s not the same as it was,” said Patricia Searle, 59, of Waverly, Neb., of Trump’s presidency, even though stocks have risen during Biden’s tenure.
She voted for Biden in 2020 and said she would likely reluctantly support him again.
Aaron Zitner contributed to this article.
Write to Andrew Restuccia at andrew.restuccia@wsj.com and Amara Omeokwe at amara.omeokwe@wsj.com
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... 2b66&ei=73
THE MAGA-MAN DONALD TRUMP
Re: THE MAGA-MAN DONALD TRUMP
State Of The Union
"Resurfaced NYT Report Says Joe Biden Pressured Merrick Garland to Prosecute Donald Trump"
Story by Joseph Ellis
23 DECEMBER 2023
President Joe Biden reportedly pressured Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2022 to prosecute former President Donald Trump.
A New York Times report from April 2022 highlighted Biden’s frustration with Garland’s approach and his belief that Trump posed a threat to democracy and should be prosecuted.
“The attorney general’s deliberative approach has come to frustrate Democratic allies of the White House and, at times, President Biden himself,” the Times wrote.
“As recently as late last year, Mr. Biden confided to his inner circle that he believed former President Donald J. Trump was a threat to democracy and should be prosecuted, according to two people familiar with his comments.”
“And while the president has never communicated his frustrations directly to Mr. Garland, he has said privately that he wanted Mr. Garland to act less like a ponderous judge and more like a prosecutor who is willing to take decisive action over the events of Jan. 6,” the report added.
Since then, Trump has faced legal challenges and indictments at both state and federal levels, with implications for his potential candidacy in the 2024 election.
Biden has made public statements suggesting Trump’s involvement in the January 6 events, although he noted that the courts would ultimately decide on the matter.
“Is Trump an insurrectionist, sir?” a reporter questioned Biden.
“I think … it’s self-evident.” Biden said.
“Whether the Fourteenth Amendment applies, we’ll let the Court make that decision.”
“But he certainly supported an insurrection,” Biden said.
“No question about it."
"None."
"Zero.”
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... 3cc&ei=121
"Resurfaced NYT Report Says Joe Biden Pressured Merrick Garland to Prosecute Donald Trump"
Story by Joseph Ellis
23 DECEMBER 2023
President Joe Biden reportedly pressured Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2022 to prosecute former President Donald Trump.
A New York Times report from April 2022 highlighted Biden’s frustration with Garland’s approach and his belief that Trump posed a threat to democracy and should be prosecuted.
“The attorney general’s deliberative approach has come to frustrate Democratic allies of the White House and, at times, President Biden himself,” the Times wrote.
“As recently as late last year, Mr. Biden confided to his inner circle that he believed former President Donald J. Trump was a threat to democracy and should be prosecuted, according to two people familiar with his comments.”
“And while the president has never communicated his frustrations directly to Mr. Garland, he has said privately that he wanted Mr. Garland to act less like a ponderous judge and more like a prosecutor who is willing to take decisive action over the events of Jan. 6,” the report added.
Since then, Trump has faced legal challenges and indictments at both state and federal levels, with implications for his potential candidacy in the 2024 election.
Biden has made public statements suggesting Trump’s involvement in the January 6 events, although he noted that the courts would ultimately decide on the matter.
“Is Trump an insurrectionist, sir?” a reporter questioned Biden.
“I think … it’s self-evident.” Biden said.
“Whether the Fourteenth Amendment applies, we’ll let the Court make that decision.”
“But he certainly supported an insurrection,” Biden said.
“No question about it."
"None."
"Zero.”
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... 3cc&ei=121
Re: THE MAGA-MAN DONALD TRUMP
Meaww
"Tulsi Gabbard dubbed ‘true patriot' after she calls move to ban Donald Trump from 2024 ballot ‘dangerous'"
Story by Samridhi Goel
30 DECEMBER 2023
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Former Democratic Hawaii congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard expressed that she harbors "no doubt" about Democrats' desire to exclude former President Donald Trump from the ballot altogether and calls ex-POTUS' ban from Maine's ballot as "dangerous."
Gabbard pointed out the irony, noting that both Democratic and Republican "war hawks" are swift to advocate for US intervention when other countries engage in actions against political candidates.
Gabbard's comment came after Maine's Democratic secretary of state banned Trump from the state's primary 2024 ballot.
In her decision, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows invoked Section 3 of the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution, which prohibits individuals who have "engaged in insurrection" from holding office.
Bellows arrived at this ruling in response to challenges from state residents, including a bipartisan coalition of former lawmakers, who contested Trump's eligibility to appear on the ballot.
Tulsi Gabbard calls Donald Trump's removal from ballot ‘dangerous'
Fox News contributor Tulsi Gabbard recently shared her reaction to Donald Trump's removal from Maine's primary ballot.
She told Fox News host Pete Hegseth who took over for Sean Hannity, "I think it's really important Pete for every single American seeing this news alert popping up to recognize how dangerous this is."
She continued, "You have a secretary of state who is a known partisan, who is known to be against Trump."
"She supported the impeachment of Trump, single-handedly making this decision to say the former president cannot be on the ballot."
"Taking away our right as voters in this country to decide who we want to serve as next commander in chief."
"You take away the party labels, you take away the names of Trump vs Biden. recognize how dangerous this is."
Gabbard further said, "Where if this is allowed to stand, one person gets to take away voices and rights of every American to engage in democratic process, that is literally what is at stakes here."
"So, whether people like Trump or don't like Trump, or people like Biden or don't like Biden, that's not the point here."
"If you are a Democrat or republican, now is the time we as Americans must stand up for our democratic process in this country, and out right and our voices to decide our future."
Hegseth then pointed out to the inside political chats admitting that "they might try to remove him (Donald Trump) from ballot in certain states."
He highlighted the recent Colorado and Maine banning Trump and succeeding while other states are "looking to try it."
He asked Gabbard, "Is this in the DNA of the modern democrat party?"
Gabbard responded, "Yes, I have no doubt about that."
"This is the M.O. of the Democrat elite."
"They will stop at nothing to try to maintain their power, even if it means taking away the right to vote of Americans."
"So they have no issue taking Trump off the ballot."
"They have no issue pursuing him and persecuting him through a weaponized and politicized Department of Justice."
She further added, "They have no qualms about doing whatever they feel is necessary to hold onto power."
"It's ridiculous that we are having this conversation here in the United States of America."
"We've seen how the war hawks in Washington, they will see this happen in another country and they'll be very quick to say we must go and intervene."
"We must go and topple this banana republic or this dictatorship."
"Many of these very same people are the people who are driving this."
"And it's not just Democrats."
"They're Republicans who are threatened by President Trump's unwillingness to buy into their establishment ways," Gabbard explained.
Internet backs Tulsi Gabbard and labels her ‘true patriot'
After Tulsi Gabbard shared her remarks against Democrats and views on Donald Trump's ban from Maine's 2024 ballot, many YouTube users supported her argument.
One person wrote, "Tulsi Gabbard, true American. True Patriot!" and another shared a similar view, "I love Tulsi Gabbard. She is a true American!"
One more person lauded Gabbard, "Love how Tulsi doesn't believe in what leader should get in, she just believes in keeping a system from corruption."
"That's how a true leader thinks."
Another wrote, "Tulsi's right, censorship is scary," and one praised the former congresswoman, "Tulsi is a smart, powerful woman."
Many other users acclaimed Gabbard for VP position adding, "Tulsi for Vice President," and another wrote, "This lady should be Trump's VP choice."
"She's articulate, knows her stuff, was a Congresswoman, moved (like I did, from the Democratic Party to Independent), is a 'true American."
"I hope Trumps choses her."
"What team they would make!!!"
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... 0f08&ei=10
"Tulsi Gabbard dubbed ‘true patriot' after she calls move to ban Donald Trump from 2024 ballot ‘dangerous'"
Story by Samridhi Goel
30 DECEMBER 2023
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Former Democratic Hawaii congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard expressed that she harbors "no doubt" about Democrats' desire to exclude former President Donald Trump from the ballot altogether and calls ex-POTUS' ban from Maine's ballot as "dangerous."
Gabbard pointed out the irony, noting that both Democratic and Republican "war hawks" are swift to advocate for US intervention when other countries engage in actions against political candidates.
Gabbard's comment came after Maine's Democratic secretary of state banned Trump from the state's primary 2024 ballot.
In her decision, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows invoked Section 3 of the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution, which prohibits individuals who have "engaged in insurrection" from holding office.
Bellows arrived at this ruling in response to challenges from state residents, including a bipartisan coalition of former lawmakers, who contested Trump's eligibility to appear on the ballot.
Tulsi Gabbard calls Donald Trump's removal from ballot ‘dangerous'
Fox News contributor Tulsi Gabbard recently shared her reaction to Donald Trump's removal from Maine's primary ballot.
She told Fox News host Pete Hegseth who took over for Sean Hannity, "I think it's really important Pete for every single American seeing this news alert popping up to recognize how dangerous this is."
She continued, "You have a secretary of state who is a known partisan, who is known to be against Trump."
"She supported the impeachment of Trump, single-handedly making this decision to say the former president cannot be on the ballot."
"Taking away our right as voters in this country to decide who we want to serve as next commander in chief."
"You take away the party labels, you take away the names of Trump vs Biden. recognize how dangerous this is."
Gabbard further said, "Where if this is allowed to stand, one person gets to take away voices and rights of every American to engage in democratic process, that is literally what is at stakes here."
"So, whether people like Trump or don't like Trump, or people like Biden or don't like Biden, that's not the point here."
"If you are a Democrat or republican, now is the time we as Americans must stand up for our democratic process in this country, and out right and our voices to decide our future."
Hegseth then pointed out to the inside political chats admitting that "they might try to remove him (Donald Trump) from ballot in certain states."
He highlighted the recent Colorado and Maine banning Trump and succeeding while other states are "looking to try it."
He asked Gabbard, "Is this in the DNA of the modern democrat party?"
Gabbard responded, "Yes, I have no doubt about that."
"This is the M.O. of the Democrat elite."
"They will stop at nothing to try to maintain their power, even if it means taking away the right to vote of Americans."
"So they have no issue taking Trump off the ballot."
"They have no issue pursuing him and persecuting him through a weaponized and politicized Department of Justice."
She further added, "They have no qualms about doing whatever they feel is necessary to hold onto power."
"It's ridiculous that we are having this conversation here in the United States of America."
"We've seen how the war hawks in Washington, they will see this happen in another country and they'll be very quick to say we must go and intervene."
"We must go and topple this banana republic or this dictatorship."
"Many of these very same people are the people who are driving this."
"And it's not just Democrats."
"They're Republicans who are threatened by President Trump's unwillingness to buy into their establishment ways," Gabbard explained.
Internet backs Tulsi Gabbard and labels her ‘true patriot'
After Tulsi Gabbard shared her remarks against Democrats and views on Donald Trump's ban from Maine's 2024 ballot, many YouTube users supported her argument.
One person wrote, "Tulsi Gabbard, true American. True Patriot!" and another shared a similar view, "I love Tulsi Gabbard. She is a true American!"
One more person lauded Gabbard, "Love how Tulsi doesn't believe in what leader should get in, she just believes in keeping a system from corruption."
"That's how a true leader thinks."
Another wrote, "Tulsi's right, censorship is scary," and one praised the former congresswoman, "Tulsi is a smart, powerful woman."
Many other users acclaimed Gabbard for VP position adding, "Tulsi for Vice President," and another wrote, "This lady should be Trump's VP choice."
"She's articulate, knows her stuff, was a Congresswoman, moved (like I did, from the Democratic Party to Independent), is a 'true American."
"I hope Trumps choses her."
"What team they would make!!!"
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... 0f08&ei=10
Re: THE MAGA-MAN DONALD TRUMP
Newsweek
"Shenna Bellows' Ruling Trashed by Legal Analysts: 'Mind-Boggling'"
Story by Kate Plummer
30 DECEMBER 2023
The decision by Shenna Bellows to remove Donald Trump from Maine's 2024 ballot has been criticized by legal analysts, with one calling it "mind-boggling and comical."
Shenna Bellows, Maine's secretary of state, barred Trump from the state's presidential primary ballot under the Constitution's 14th amendment.
This bars those ruled to have engaged in insurrection from holding public office.
Trump denies any wrongdoing and has said that he is the victim of a political witch hunt aimed at derailing him as the frontrunner for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.
Newsweek has contacted Bellows by email on Friday to comment on this story.
In a statement about her decision, Bellows accused Trump of encouraging violence among his supporters during the Capitol riot of January 6, 2021, when they stormed the government building to contest Joe Biden's presidential election victory.
"The record establishes that Mr. Trump, over the course of several months and culminating on January 6, 2021, used a false narrative of election fraud to inflame his supporters and direct them to the Capitol to prevent certification of the 2020 election and the peaceful transfer of power," Bellows said.
She added: "I likewise conclude that Mr. Trump was aware of the likelihood for violence and at least initially supported its use given he both encouraged it with incendiary rhetoric and took no timely action to stop it."
However, in response, Brett Tolman, a former U.S. attorney and executive director of Right on Crime, slammed Bellows' decision in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
He called it "mind-boggling and comical."
Meanwhile, CNN senior legal analyst Elie Honig questioned whether the hearings were fair, in an interview with the broadcaster.
He said Bellow heard from only one fact witness, a law professor, to come to her decision.
"She based her ruling on a lot of documents, but also YouTube clips, news reports, things that would never pass the bar in normal court," Honig said.
Maine is the second state to bar the former president from their ballot.
The Colorado Supreme Court ruled on December 19 that Trump should be disqualified from the state's ballot because of his alleged role in the riots.
However, lawsuits seeking to block the Republican in Minnesota and Michigan have failed, and on Thursday night, California's secretary of state formally rejected calls to disqualify Trump from the 2024 ballot in the state.
Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Trump's campaign, released a statement after Bellows' decision was announced calling her a "virulent leftist."
"The Maine Secretary of State is a former ACLU attorney, a virulent leftist and a hyper-partisan Biden-supporting Democrat who has decided to interfere in the presidential election on behalf of Crooked Joe Biden," Cheung said.
"We are witnessing, in real-time, the attempted theft of an election and the disenfranchisement of the American voter."
Cheung added: "Democrats in blue states are recklessly and un-Constitutionally suspending the civil rights of the American voters by attempting to summarily remove President Trump's name from the ballot."
"Make no mistake, these partisan election interference efforts are a hostile assault on American democracy."
"Biden and the Democrats simply do not trust the American voter in a free and fair election and are now relying on the force of government institutions to protect their grip on power."
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... 47cf&ei=93
"Shenna Bellows' Ruling Trashed by Legal Analysts: 'Mind-Boggling'"
Story by Kate Plummer
30 DECEMBER 2023
The decision by Shenna Bellows to remove Donald Trump from Maine's 2024 ballot has been criticized by legal analysts, with one calling it "mind-boggling and comical."
Shenna Bellows, Maine's secretary of state, barred Trump from the state's presidential primary ballot under the Constitution's 14th amendment.
This bars those ruled to have engaged in insurrection from holding public office.
Trump denies any wrongdoing and has said that he is the victim of a political witch hunt aimed at derailing him as the frontrunner for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.
Newsweek has contacted Bellows by email on Friday to comment on this story.
In a statement about her decision, Bellows accused Trump of encouraging violence among his supporters during the Capitol riot of January 6, 2021, when they stormed the government building to contest Joe Biden's presidential election victory.
"The record establishes that Mr. Trump, over the course of several months and culminating on January 6, 2021, used a false narrative of election fraud to inflame his supporters and direct them to the Capitol to prevent certification of the 2020 election and the peaceful transfer of power," Bellows said.
She added: "I likewise conclude that Mr. Trump was aware of the likelihood for violence and at least initially supported its use given he both encouraged it with incendiary rhetoric and took no timely action to stop it."
However, in response, Brett Tolman, a former U.S. attorney and executive director of Right on Crime, slammed Bellows' decision in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
He called it "mind-boggling and comical."
Meanwhile, CNN senior legal analyst Elie Honig questioned whether the hearings were fair, in an interview with the broadcaster.
He said Bellow heard from only one fact witness, a law professor, to come to her decision.
"She based her ruling on a lot of documents, but also YouTube clips, news reports, things that would never pass the bar in normal court," Honig said.
Maine is the second state to bar the former president from their ballot.
The Colorado Supreme Court ruled on December 19 that Trump should be disqualified from the state's ballot because of his alleged role in the riots.
However, lawsuits seeking to block the Republican in Minnesota and Michigan have failed, and on Thursday night, California's secretary of state formally rejected calls to disqualify Trump from the 2024 ballot in the state.
Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Trump's campaign, released a statement after Bellows' decision was announced calling her a "virulent leftist."
"The Maine Secretary of State is a former ACLU attorney, a virulent leftist and a hyper-partisan Biden-supporting Democrat who has decided to interfere in the presidential election on behalf of Crooked Joe Biden," Cheung said.
"We are witnessing, in real-time, the attempted theft of an election and the disenfranchisement of the American voter."
Cheung added: "Democrats in blue states are recklessly and un-Constitutionally suspending the civil rights of the American voters by attempting to summarily remove President Trump's name from the ballot."
"Make no mistake, these partisan election interference efforts are a hostile assault on American democracy."
"Biden and the Democrats simply do not trust the American voter in a free and fair election and are now relying on the force of government institutions to protect their grip on power."
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... 47cf&ei=93
Re: THE MAGA-MAN DONALD TRUMP
FOX News
"Maine Democrat who barred Trump from ballot met with Biden twice, called Electoral College 'white supremacy'"
Story by Kyle Morris
31 DECEMBER 2023
The Maine official who moved to disqualify former President Donald Trump from the state's 2024 Republican primary ballot on Thursday visited the White House this year to meet with President Biden and previously referred to the Electoral College as a "relic of white supremacy."
On two separate occasions this year — once in March and another time in June — Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, a Democrat, was invited to the White House, according to White House visitor logs.
Bellows' first trip came after she was invited to attend a Women’s History Month event held on March 22 at the White House, where she met with Biden and snapped a photo with him.
Bellows took to social media to share the photo she took with Biden at the March event and described the "amazing" experience she had meeting the president.
"Birthday jaunt to DC for a Women’s History Month event at the White House yesterday and walking around today," she added in the post to Facebook at the time, according to the Washington Free Beacon, the initial outlet to report on Bellows' trips to the White House.
Bellows' March trip to the White House was also promoted by the secretary of state's office in a press release earlier this year, in which she said it was "an honor to join" Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and other female leaders from across the country.
"It was an honor to join President Biden, Vice President Harris and amazing female leaders from around the country to celebrate Women’s History Month at the White House yesterday," Bellows said at the time.
"I hope to someday see the last of the ‘firsts’ like myself, but as we continue to see these groundbreaking leaders in new positions of power, I look forward to celebrating them as part of our nation’s history."
Bellows' second trip came on June 6, when she traveled to the White House with more than a dozen others to meet with Justin Vail, a special assistant to Biden.
That trip, according to social media posts by others who made the journey with Bellows, appears to have been organized by Issue One Reform, which describes itself as "the leading crosspartisan political reform group" in D.C. that works to "unite Republicans, Democrats, and independents in the movement to fix our broken political system and build an inclusive democracy that works for everyone."
Responding to a June 8 post to X from Dustin Czarny, a Democrat who made the trip and serves as the Onondaga County elections commissioner and the Democratic Caucus chair of the New York State Elections Commissioner Association, Bellows wrote, "Yes!"
"That was such a powerful part of our trip to DC."
"Democrats, Republicans and nonpartisan elections officials united on issues of protecting election workers and finding critical election infrastructure."
Bellows, who represented Maine's 14th district in the state Senate for roughly four years, has served as the Secretary of State for Maine since 2021.
Shortly after taking office, Bellows penned an op-ed for a progressive platform known as the Democracy Docket.
In her writing, titled "Voting Rights for Our Neighbors Matter As Much as Our Own," Bellows touted her efforts to make "voting more accessible" and said she sought the position of secretary of state in Maine because she "was truly frightened for our democracy" following the 2020 presidential election.
Bellows also took aim at the Electoral College in her column, claiming it is "the relic of white supremacy" that prevents voters from being represented fairly.
In her ruling to disqualify Trump from the state's 2024 ballot, Bellows cited Section 3 of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution that bars people who have "engaged in insurrection" from running for elected office without two-thirds congressional approval.
The clause was originally meant to bar former Confederate soldiers and officers from holding positions in the U.S. government or military.
It was also referenced by Colorado’s highest court in a 4-3 ruling last week similarly barring Trump from that state’s primary ballot.
The decision was challenged by the Colorado GOP, setting up a battle before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Bellows' affection for Biden and Harris and disdain for Trump is no secret.
In an October 2020 post to social media, Bellows said she was "excited to vote for Biden and Harris."
Before that, in October 2020, Bellows questioned on social media whether the "obsession" with 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was because people "just can't deal [with] the magnitude of fears of what Trump presidency brings."
Bellows has faced backlash over her decision to remove Trump from the state ballot from multiple Republicans and those within her own party, including Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine.
"I voted to impeach Donald Trump for his role in the January 6th insurrection."
"I do not believe he should be re-elected as President of the United States," Golden said Thursday night.
"However, we are a nation of laws, therefore until he is actually found guilty of the crime of insurrection, he should be allowed on the ballot."
Bellows defended her move while responding to Golden's criticism during a CNN interview on Friday.
"I reviewed Section Three of the 14th Amendment very carefully and determined that Section Three of the 14th Amendment does not say 'conviction,' it says 'engage,'" Bellows said.
"And, let's go back and keep in mind that the events of January 6, 2021, were unprecedented and tragic," Bellows continued.
"This was an attack, not only on the Capitol and the government officials, the former vice president, members of Congress, but an attack on the rule of law."
"And the weight of evidence that I reviewed indicated that it was, in fact, an insurrection," she added.
"And Mr. Trump engaged in that insurrection under Section Three of the 14th Amendment."
Bellows' office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Fox News' Houston Keene and Liz Elkind contributed to this report.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... 74f0&ei=13
"Maine Democrat who barred Trump from ballot met with Biden twice, called Electoral College 'white supremacy'"
Story by Kyle Morris
31 DECEMBER 2023
The Maine official who moved to disqualify former President Donald Trump from the state's 2024 Republican primary ballot on Thursday visited the White House this year to meet with President Biden and previously referred to the Electoral College as a "relic of white supremacy."
On two separate occasions this year — once in March and another time in June — Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, a Democrat, was invited to the White House, according to White House visitor logs.
Bellows' first trip came after she was invited to attend a Women’s History Month event held on March 22 at the White House, where she met with Biden and snapped a photo with him.
Bellows took to social media to share the photo she took with Biden at the March event and described the "amazing" experience she had meeting the president.
"Birthday jaunt to DC for a Women’s History Month event at the White House yesterday and walking around today," she added in the post to Facebook at the time, according to the Washington Free Beacon, the initial outlet to report on Bellows' trips to the White House.
Bellows' March trip to the White House was also promoted by the secretary of state's office in a press release earlier this year, in which she said it was "an honor to join" Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and other female leaders from across the country.
"It was an honor to join President Biden, Vice President Harris and amazing female leaders from around the country to celebrate Women’s History Month at the White House yesterday," Bellows said at the time.
"I hope to someday see the last of the ‘firsts’ like myself, but as we continue to see these groundbreaking leaders in new positions of power, I look forward to celebrating them as part of our nation’s history."
Bellows' second trip came on June 6, when she traveled to the White House with more than a dozen others to meet with Justin Vail, a special assistant to Biden.
That trip, according to social media posts by others who made the journey with Bellows, appears to have been organized by Issue One Reform, which describes itself as "the leading crosspartisan political reform group" in D.C. that works to "unite Republicans, Democrats, and independents in the movement to fix our broken political system and build an inclusive democracy that works for everyone."
Responding to a June 8 post to X from Dustin Czarny, a Democrat who made the trip and serves as the Onondaga County elections commissioner and the Democratic Caucus chair of the New York State Elections Commissioner Association, Bellows wrote, "Yes!"
"That was such a powerful part of our trip to DC."
"Democrats, Republicans and nonpartisan elections officials united on issues of protecting election workers and finding critical election infrastructure."
Bellows, who represented Maine's 14th district in the state Senate for roughly four years, has served as the Secretary of State for Maine since 2021.
Shortly after taking office, Bellows penned an op-ed for a progressive platform known as the Democracy Docket.
In her writing, titled "Voting Rights for Our Neighbors Matter As Much as Our Own," Bellows touted her efforts to make "voting more accessible" and said she sought the position of secretary of state in Maine because she "was truly frightened for our democracy" following the 2020 presidential election.
Bellows also took aim at the Electoral College in her column, claiming it is "the relic of white supremacy" that prevents voters from being represented fairly.
In her ruling to disqualify Trump from the state's 2024 ballot, Bellows cited Section 3 of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution that bars people who have "engaged in insurrection" from running for elected office without two-thirds congressional approval.
The clause was originally meant to bar former Confederate soldiers and officers from holding positions in the U.S. government or military.
It was also referenced by Colorado’s highest court in a 4-3 ruling last week similarly barring Trump from that state’s primary ballot.
The decision was challenged by the Colorado GOP, setting up a battle before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Bellows' affection for Biden and Harris and disdain for Trump is no secret.
In an October 2020 post to social media, Bellows said she was "excited to vote for Biden and Harris."
Before that, in October 2020, Bellows questioned on social media whether the "obsession" with 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was because people "just can't deal [with] the magnitude of fears of what Trump presidency brings."
Bellows has faced backlash over her decision to remove Trump from the state ballot from multiple Republicans and those within her own party, including Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine.
"I voted to impeach Donald Trump for his role in the January 6th insurrection."
"I do not believe he should be re-elected as President of the United States," Golden said Thursday night.
"However, we are a nation of laws, therefore until he is actually found guilty of the crime of insurrection, he should be allowed on the ballot."
Bellows defended her move while responding to Golden's criticism during a CNN interview on Friday.
"I reviewed Section Three of the 14th Amendment very carefully and determined that Section Three of the 14th Amendment does not say 'conviction,' it says 'engage,'" Bellows said.
"And, let's go back and keep in mind that the events of January 6, 2021, were unprecedented and tragic," Bellows continued.
"This was an attack, not only on the Capitol and the government officials, the former vice president, members of Congress, but an attack on the rule of law."
"And the weight of evidence that I reviewed indicated that it was, in fact, an insurrection," she added.
"And Mr. Trump engaged in that insurrection under Section Three of the 14th Amendment."
Bellows' office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Fox News' Houston Keene and Liz Elkind contributed to this report.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... 74f0&ei=13
Re: THE MAGA-MAN DONALD TRUMP
The Washington Examiner
"David Axelrod warns barring Trump from 2024 ballot will 'tear the country apart'"
Story by Jenny Goldsberry
31 DECEMBER 2023
Barack Obama's former adviser David Axelrod admitted to "very, very strong reservations" about booting Donald Trump from the 2024 ballot.
Axelrod appeared on Erin Burnett OutFront on Friday to react to the news that Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows blocked Trump from the state's ballot because she alleged Trump violated the 14th Amendment through his actions on Jan. 6.
According to the political adviser, this could lead to more division in the country.
“I have very, very strong reservations about all of this,” Axelrod said.
“I do think it would rip the country apart if he were actually prevented from running because tens of millions of people want to vote for him.”
Axelrod also suggested that Trump has only "gained" popularity since the various indictments against him, which include federal charges of mishandling classified documents.
He has pleaded not guilty to all 91 felony charges.
Trump was also blocked from Colorado's 2024 ballot earlier this month, and combined with the Maine decision, Axelrod predicted Trump would only become more popular.
“What you thought might be kryptonite for him has turned out to be battery packs, and this is a big one for him,” Axelrod said.
“I think if you’re going to beat Donald Trump, you’re going to probably have to do it at the polls.”
This warning comes over a month after Axelrod confirmed that he advised President Joe Biden to ramp up his campaign strategy.
Following his advice, Biden reportedly became "irritated," and as a result, Axelrod said he would "live with the fact that the president is unhappy with me."
"Again, my feeling is: either get out or get going," Axelrod said, suggesting it may be wise for the president to consider dropping out of the race, largely due to his age.
Biden is currently the oldest sitting president at 81.
If he wins, he will be 86 at the end of his second term.
Biden's Democratic challengers are Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN), author Marianne Williamson, and YouTube news anchor Cenk Uygur.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... 74f0&ei=29
"David Axelrod warns barring Trump from 2024 ballot will 'tear the country apart'"
Story by Jenny Goldsberry
31 DECEMBER 2023
Barack Obama's former adviser David Axelrod admitted to "very, very strong reservations" about booting Donald Trump from the 2024 ballot.
Axelrod appeared on Erin Burnett OutFront on Friday to react to the news that Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows blocked Trump from the state's ballot because she alleged Trump violated the 14th Amendment through his actions on Jan. 6.
According to the political adviser, this could lead to more division in the country.
“I have very, very strong reservations about all of this,” Axelrod said.
“I do think it would rip the country apart if he were actually prevented from running because tens of millions of people want to vote for him.”
Axelrod also suggested that Trump has only "gained" popularity since the various indictments against him, which include federal charges of mishandling classified documents.
He has pleaded not guilty to all 91 felony charges.
Trump was also blocked from Colorado's 2024 ballot earlier this month, and combined with the Maine decision, Axelrod predicted Trump would only become more popular.
“What you thought might be kryptonite for him has turned out to be battery packs, and this is a big one for him,” Axelrod said.
“I think if you’re going to beat Donald Trump, you’re going to probably have to do it at the polls.”
This warning comes over a month after Axelrod confirmed that he advised President Joe Biden to ramp up his campaign strategy.
Following his advice, Biden reportedly became "irritated," and as a result, Axelrod said he would "live with the fact that the president is unhappy with me."
"Again, my feeling is: either get out or get going," Axelrod said, suggesting it may be wise for the president to consider dropping out of the race, largely due to his age.
Biden is currently the oldest sitting president at 81.
If he wins, he will be 86 at the end of his second term.
Biden's Democratic challengers are Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN), author Marianne Williamson, and YouTube news anchor Cenk Uygur.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... 74f0&ei=29
Re: THE MAGA-MAN DONALD TRUMP
THE CAPE CHARLES MIRROR DECEMBER 31, 2023 AT 10:41 PM
Paul Plante says:
CCM: Are US Elections Really Secure?
ME: As phrased, a hard question to answer, but taking the word “secure” to mean “action taken to guard against attack or loss,” or “to make sure something is protected from danger or threat,” the answer is clearly NO, especially when DEMOCRATS are involved, as we see in that story of ballot box stuffing and repeat voting using ringers above here, which takes us to a Fox News article titled “Maine Democrat who barred Trump from ballot met with Biden twice, called Electoral College ‘white supremacy'” by Kyle Morris on 31 December 2023, where we have as follows, to wit:
The Maine official who moved to disqualify former President Donald Trump from the state’s 2024 Republican primary ballot on Thursday visited the White House this year to meet with President Biden and previously referred to the Electoral College as a “relic of white supremacy.”
end quote
And what a real stupid statement that is, the Electoral College as a “relic of white supremacy,” given that in the DEMOCRAT-controlled third-world ****hole of New York state, one of the prominent electors for Joe Biden and Karmela Harris was none other than “TISH the TRUMP KILLER” James, the AFRICAN-AMERICAN New York Attorney General, but given she is a DEMOCRAT, we cannot expect this Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows to have the brains God gave a goose, which raises the important question of how on earth did the people of Maine end up with this moronic ignoramus whose total knowledge of American history wouldn’t even wet the bottom of a child’s thimble as their secretary of state, and the answer to that question is given to us by the moron Shenna Bellows herself in the website for the Maine secretary of state, as follows:
“The Secretary is elected biennially through joint ballot of the Maine State Legislature …”
Now, given that the Maine House consists of 151 individuals, 80 of whom are DEMOCRATS, versus 68 Republicans, 2 Independents and currently 1 Vacancy, and of the 35 Senators of the 131st Maine Legislature, there are 22 DEMOCRATS and 13 Republicans, it is easy to see how the people of Maine ended up with this DANGEROUS DEMOCRAT IDEOLOGUE as their secretary of state, who just UNILATERALLY removed Trump from the ballot in Maine, after independently making the following EXTRA-JUDICIAL (not forming a valid part of regular legal proceedings) determinations about January 6, 2021, to wit:
“And the weight of evidence that I reviewed indicated that it was, in fact, an insurrection.”
“And Mr. Trump engaged in that insurrection under Section Three of the 14th Amendment.”
end quotes
Put two and two together, and clearly based on that alone, a non-elected-by-the-people DEMOCRAT in Maine unilaterally making an EXTRA-JUDICIAL determination as to who can and can’t run in presidential elections in America, based on her FEELINGS alone, not the law, because OUR laws are something the DANGEROUS DEMOCRATS who are the TRUE ENEMIES of OUR Democracy, WHICH IS BASED ON FREEDOM OF CHOICE BY THE PEOPLE, NOT BY DEMOCRAT PARTY WHIMS, disdain and therefore disregard, MAKING IT UP AS THEY GO BY PULLING IT OUT OF THEIR ASSES, then very clearly, OUR ELECTIONS ARE NOT SECURE, which is to say they CLEARLY ARE NOT guarded against attack by this DANGEROUS IDEOLOGUE Bellows, nor has anything been done in Maine to make sure they were protected from danger or threat by this DANGEROUS IDEOLOGUE Bellows.
End of that story.
Paul Plante says:
CCM: Are US Elections Really Secure?
ME: As phrased, a hard question to answer, but taking the word “secure” to mean “action taken to guard against attack or loss,” or “to make sure something is protected from danger or threat,” the answer is clearly NO, especially when DEMOCRATS are involved, as we see in that story of ballot box stuffing and repeat voting using ringers above here, which takes us to a Fox News article titled “Maine Democrat who barred Trump from ballot met with Biden twice, called Electoral College ‘white supremacy'” by Kyle Morris on 31 December 2023, where we have as follows, to wit:
The Maine official who moved to disqualify former President Donald Trump from the state’s 2024 Republican primary ballot on Thursday visited the White House this year to meet with President Biden and previously referred to the Electoral College as a “relic of white supremacy.”
end quote
And what a real stupid statement that is, the Electoral College as a “relic of white supremacy,” given that in the DEMOCRAT-controlled third-world ****hole of New York state, one of the prominent electors for Joe Biden and Karmela Harris was none other than “TISH the TRUMP KILLER” James, the AFRICAN-AMERICAN New York Attorney General, but given she is a DEMOCRAT, we cannot expect this Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows to have the brains God gave a goose, which raises the important question of how on earth did the people of Maine end up with this moronic ignoramus whose total knowledge of American history wouldn’t even wet the bottom of a child’s thimble as their secretary of state, and the answer to that question is given to us by the moron Shenna Bellows herself in the website for the Maine secretary of state, as follows:
“The Secretary is elected biennially through joint ballot of the Maine State Legislature …”
Now, given that the Maine House consists of 151 individuals, 80 of whom are DEMOCRATS, versus 68 Republicans, 2 Independents and currently 1 Vacancy, and of the 35 Senators of the 131st Maine Legislature, there are 22 DEMOCRATS and 13 Republicans, it is easy to see how the people of Maine ended up with this DANGEROUS DEMOCRAT IDEOLOGUE as their secretary of state, who just UNILATERALLY removed Trump from the ballot in Maine, after independently making the following EXTRA-JUDICIAL (not forming a valid part of regular legal proceedings) determinations about January 6, 2021, to wit:
“And the weight of evidence that I reviewed indicated that it was, in fact, an insurrection.”
“And Mr. Trump engaged in that insurrection under Section Three of the 14th Amendment.”
end quotes
Put two and two together, and clearly based on that alone, a non-elected-by-the-people DEMOCRAT in Maine unilaterally making an EXTRA-JUDICIAL determination as to who can and can’t run in presidential elections in America, based on her FEELINGS alone, not the law, because OUR laws are something the DANGEROUS DEMOCRATS who are the TRUE ENEMIES of OUR Democracy, WHICH IS BASED ON FREEDOM OF CHOICE BY THE PEOPLE, NOT BY DEMOCRAT PARTY WHIMS, disdain and therefore disregard, MAKING IT UP AS THEY GO BY PULLING IT OUT OF THEIR ASSES, then very clearly, OUR ELECTIONS ARE NOT SECURE, which is to say they CLEARLY ARE NOT guarded against attack by this DANGEROUS IDEOLOGUE Bellows, nor has anything been done in Maine to make sure they were protected from danger or threat by this DANGEROUS IDEOLOGUE Bellows.
End of that story.
Re: THE MAGA-MAN DONALD TRUMP
FOX News
"Poll reveals alarming level of fear of whether 2024 elections will be 'fair,' ballot counting accurate"
Story by Brandon Gillespie
5 JANUARY 2024
A new poll released Thursday revealed an alarming level of fear among Americans over whether the 2024 elections will be "fair" and if ballots will be counted accurately.
According to the Suffolk University/USA Today poll, 46% of registered Republicans said they had no confidence ballots would be accurately counted and reported after people across the country head to the polls in November.
When narrowed to those supporting former President Donald Trump, who argued the 2020 presidential election was "stolen" from him, 52% said they lacked confidence ballots would be counted accurately.
The poll found a stark divide, however, when it came to registered Democrats, 81% of whom said they were "very" confident the 2024 elections would be "fair."
Just 14% of Republicans felt the same.
It also found a large majority of voters (83%) worried about "threats to democracy," but they are divided over what they see as the actual threat.
A plurality of 18% said Trump was the greatest threat, while 10% pointed to government corruption and dysfunction and 8% cited immigration and open borders.
When asked which party was more responsible for threatening democracy, voters were split with 40% blaming Democrats and 40% blaming Republicans.
A 59% majority said it was "appropriate" for those participating in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol to face criminal prosecution, while 32% said it was inappropriate and should be reversed.
Fewer Americans, however, placed blame for the riot on Trump nearly three years later.
Forty-three percent said the former president bore "a lot of blame," down from 48% in 2021.
Twenty-eight percent of Americans in both years said Trump wasn't to blame at all.
Concerning prosecutions against Trump in Georgia, Washington, D.C., and New York, 52% said they were appropriate, a majority driven by the 96% of Democrats who agreed.
Forty-three percent said the prosecutions were inappropriate and should be reversed, a number driven by 85% of Republicans who agreed.
Independents were largely split 48%-42% that the prosecutions were appropriate, with 9% undecided.
Trump held a slight edge (44-43%) over President Biden in a hypothetical head-to-head matchup, but that lead grew to 39-37% when voters were asked about a third-party option (17%).
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... eda3&ei=15
"Poll reveals alarming level of fear of whether 2024 elections will be 'fair,' ballot counting accurate"
Story by Brandon Gillespie
5 JANUARY 2024
A new poll released Thursday revealed an alarming level of fear among Americans over whether the 2024 elections will be "fair" and if ballots will be counted accurately.
According to the Suffolk University/USA Today poll, 46% of registered Republicans said they had no confidence ballots would be accurately counted and reported after people across the country head to the polls in November.
When narrowed to those supporting former President Donald Trump, who argued the 2020 presidential election was "stolen" from him, 52% said they lacked confidence ballots would be counted accurately.
The poll found a stark divide, however, when it came to registered Democrats, 81% of whom said they were "very" confident the 2024 elections would be "fair."
Just 14% of Republicans felt the same.
It also found a large majority of voters (83%) worried about "threats to democracy," but they are divided over what they see as the actual threat.
A plurality of 18% said Trump was the greatest threat, while 10% pointed to government corruption and dysfunction and 8% cited immigration and open borders.
When asked which party was more responsible for threatening democracy, voters were split with 40% blaming Democrats and 40% blaming Republicans.
A 59% majority said it was "appropriate" for those participating in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol to face criminal prosecution, while 32% said it was inappropriate and should be reversed.
Fewer Americans, however, placed blame for the riot on Trump nearly three years later.
Forty-three percent said the former president bore "a lot of blame," down from 48% in 2021.
Twenty-eight percent of Americans in both years said Trump wasn't to blame at all.
Concerning prosecutions against Trump in Georgia, Washington, D.C., and New York, 52% said they were appropriate, a majority driven by the 96% of Democrats who agreed.
Forty-three percent said the prosecutions were inappropriate and should be reversed, a number driven by 85% of Republicans who agreed.
Independents were largely split 48%-42% that the prosecutions were appropriate, with 9% undecided.
Trump held a slight edge (44-43%) over President Biden in a hypothetical head-to-head matchup, but that lead grew to 39-37% when voters were asked about a third-party option (17%).
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... eda3&ei=15
Re: THE MAGA-MAN DONALD TRUMP
The Hill
"Biden tells Sharpton he’s running because of Trump’s anti-democratic statements"
Story by Julia Mueller
16 JANUARY 2024
President Biden on Monday told the Rev. Al Sharpton that former President Trump’s “anti-democratic” statements were a factor in spurring him to run for a second term.
“What made you decide to run for reelection?” Rev. Sharpton asked Biden in an interview on Sharpton’s radio show “Keepin’ It Real.”
“What was the thing that really closed in your head saying, ‘I can’t go now. I have to do this four more years?’”
“The things that Trump is saying."
"Trump is saying things that are just off the wall,” Biden responded, appearing on Sharpton’s show on the holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr.
“He’s the most anti-democratic … president in American history."
"The things he’s saying."
"And he means them."
"He’s talking about he’s running to get revenge on people,” Biden said of Trump.
“It’s just outrageous things.”
The president noted his label of “anti-democratic” was in reference to the country’s system, rather than the political party.
Biden is running for reelection to the Oval Office in 2024.
As the likely Democrat nominee, he’s headed toward a possible rematch of his 2020 race against Trump, the front-runner of the GOP presidential race.
The incumbent has faced scrutiny and criticism over his decision to try for another four years, with critics citing poor poll numbers and concerns about Biden’s age.
At 81, Biden would be 86 by the end of a second term — though Trump is just a few years his junior, at 77.
The Biden-Harris team has shrugged off the polling figures at this point in the cycle and stressed that the president’s record will speak for itself.
In warning against another Trump term, Biden and his allies have sounded alarms about threats to democracy.
Biden’s comments to Sharpton come the same day as the Republican Iowa caucuses, which kick off the party’s nominating cycle.
Trump is headed into the contest with a double-digit lead in the polls, as his rivals Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis scramble to cut into his momentum.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... e688&ei=20
"Biden tells Sharpton he’s running because of Trump’s anti-democratic statements"
Story by Julia Mueller
16 JANUARY 2024
President Biden on Monday told the Rev. Al Sharpton that former President Trump’s “anti-democratic” statements were a factor in spurring him to run for a second term.
“What made you decide to run for reelection?” Rev. Sharpton asked Biden in an interview on Sharpton’s radio show “Keepin’ It Real.”
“What was the thing that really closed in your head saying, ‘I can’t go now. I have to do this four more years?’”
“The things that Trump is saying."
"Trump is saying things that are just off the wall,” Biden responded, appearing on Sharpton’s show on the holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr.
“He’s the most anti-democratic … president in American history."
"The things he’s saying."
"And he means them."
"He’s talking about he’s running to get revenge on people,” Biden said of Trump.
“It’s just outrageous things.”
The president noted his label of “anti-democratic” was in reference to the country’s system, rather than the political party.
Biden is running for reelection to the Oval Office in 2024.
As the likely Democrat nominee, he’s headed toward a possible rematch of his 2020 race against Trump, the front-runner of the GOP presidential race.
The incumbent has faced scrutiny and criticism over his decision to try for another four years, with critics citing poor poll numbers and concerns about Biden’s age.
At 81, Biden would be 86 by the end of a second term — though Trump is just a few years his junior, at 77.
The Biden-Harris team has shrugged off the polling figures at this point in the cycle and stressed that the president’s record will speak for itself.
In warning against another Trump term, Biden and his allies have sounded alarms about threats to democracy.
Biden’s comments to Sharpton come the same day as the Republican Iowa caucuses, which kick off the party’s nominating cycle.
Trump is headed into the contest with a double-digit lead in the polls, as his rivals Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis scramble to cut into his momentum.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... e688&ei=20
Re: THE MAGA-MAN DONALD TRUMP
The Western Journal
"Hillary Calls for America to Unify Behind Biden to Fight 'Election Denialism,' Gets Roasted by Social Media"
Story by C. Douglas Golden
26 JANUARY 2024
Sept. 9, 2016, is a day that should live in infamy for Hillary Rodham Clinton. Or, to use the words of a lesser president -- her former boss, Barack Obama -- it should at least be the defining "teachable moment" of her adult life.
On that day, speaking in New York City, Hillary was telling supporters what she was going to get done when -- not if -- she was elected president.
"We’re going to keep working toward an AIDS-free generation, a goal that I set as secretary of state, and with your help we’re going to pass comprehensive gun laws," she said over chants of "Hill-a-ry! Hill-a-ry!" according to a Time Magazine transcript.
"I know there are only 60 days left to make our case -- and don’t get complacent, don’t see the latest outrageous, offensive, inappropriate comment [from Donald Trump] and think, 'Well, he’s done this time.'"
"We are living in a volatile political environment," she said.
And then, in a moment of outrageous, offensive, inappropriate complacency, she said this: "You know, to just be grossly generalistic, you could put half of Trump’s supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables."
"Right?"
"The racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic -- you name it."
I think we can all safely remember how the next 60 days went.
Yes, the loose-lipped "basket of deplorables" didn't singlehandedly sink the Hillary ship -- but if those words don't appear in the first three paragraphs of her obituary, you're probably reading The New York Times version.
If only there were a life lesson to be learned from this one.
Like think before you talk.
Or Tweet.
(Or "X," whatever we're calling it now.)
If there is, Hillary Clinton has been given roughly seven-and-a-half years to learn it. and it still hasn't sunk in.
On Tuesday, Donald Trump easily beat Nikki Haley to effectively erase any "lane" (side note: that political primary phrase of art needs to be kicked to the curb like Don Lemon) she had to the nomination.
Haley has vowed to press on -- undaunted by polling, donor money woes and/or reality, one supposes.
Thus, given the circumstances, Hillary took to social media to urge Democrats to unite behind Biden.
Apparently, the events of Sept. 9, 2016, were far, far from her mind.
They shouldn't have been.
"After the Republican primary in New Hampshire, the choice for November is becoming clearer than ever," she wrote.
"Will you choose expanding freedom and strengthening democracy with Biden, or more abortion bans and election denialism with Trump?" [Emphasis mine.]
"I say: Four more years of progress."
Yes, election denialism is terrible.
Unconscionable.
It must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.
... unless it's Hillary doing it in 2016.
Or the rest of her Democrat brethren doing it in 2000, 2004 and during the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial campaign.
Oh, and that's just the past election denialism that Hillary and the Democrats are involved in.
Here's the ghost of election-denial present: Joe Biden calling Terry McAuliffe the "real governor" of Virginia despite the fact he lost the 2021 gubernatorial election -- and saying it on the same day the New Hampshire primary took place, to boot:
Election Denier Joe Biden: "Hello, Virginia! And the real governor, Terry McAuliffe!" pic.twitter.com/NFU7Uqu0ja
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) January 23, 2024
And here's the ghost of election-denial future: Hillary Clinton herself, predicting that the GOP will rig the 2024 elections before they've even happened:
Let's talk about election denialism. pic.twitter.com/o522HqrCdy
— Kurt Schemers (@KurtSchemers) January 24, 2024
Apparently, though, "election denialism with Trump" is the only thing that matters despite the Democrats fostering febrile conspiracy theories about every major election in the 21st century that they didn't win or that they don't expect to win.
Forget about the laughable idea that Biden represents "progress" or "strengthening democracy," considering he's botched the COVID-19 economic recovery and his party is fighting so hard for democracy that it's indicting the political opposition on wafer-thin charges and trying to get him thrown off the ballot, two of the defining features of a banana republic.
No, forget about all that.
You have the unmitigated gall, Hillary, to tell us that we need to vote against "election denialism?"
Fine.
Resign.
The lot of you.
Resign from your offices, resign from your charities and your corporate boards, resign from everything.
Stay out of public life.
You first, Mrs. Clinton, you and your president, too.
Or maybe -- and this is perhaps the wisest idea -- you just keep your mouth shut until this all blows over and stop pretending you're some kind of political exemplar.
"Basket of deplorables" has taught you nothing three-quarters of a decade after you uttered it, and it apparently never will.
So just be quiet.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... 4306&ei=25
"Hillary Calls for America to Unify Behind Biden to Fight 'Election Denialism,' Gets Roasted by Social Media"
Story by C. Douglas Golden
26 JANUARY 2024
Sept. 9, 2016, is a day that should live in infamy for Hillary Rodham Clinton. Or, to use the words of a lesser president -- her former boss, Barack Obama -- it should at least be the defining "teachable moment" of her adult life.
On that day, speaking in New York City, Hillary was telling supporters what she was going to get done when -- not if -- she was elected president.
"We’re going to keep working toward an AIDS-free generation, a goal that I set as secretary of state, and with your help we’re going to pass comprehensive gun laws," she said over chants of "Hill-a-ry! Hill-a-ry!" according to a Time Magazine transcript.
"I know there are only 60 days left to make our case -- and don’t get complacent, don’t see the latest outrageous, offensive, inappropriate comment [from Donald Trump] and think, 'Well, he’s done this time.'"
"We are living in a volatile political environment," she said.
And then, in a moment of outrageous, offensive, inappropriate complacency, she said this: "You know, to just be grossly generalistic, you could put half of Trump’s supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables."
"Right?"
"The racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic -- you name it."
I think we can all safely remember how the next 60 days went.
Yes, the loose-lipped "basket of deplorables" didn't singlehandedly sink the Hillary ship -- but if those words don't appear in the first three paragraphs of her obituary, you're probably reading The New York Times version.
If only there were a life lesson to be learned from this one.
Like think before you talk.
Or Tweet.
(Or "X," whatever we're calling it now.)
If there is, Hillary Clinton has been given roughly seven-and-a-half years to learn it. and it still hasn't sunk in.
On Tuesday, Donald Trump easily beat Nikki Haley to effectively erase any "lane" (side note: that political primary phrase of art needs to be kicked to the curb like Don Lemon) she had to the nomination.
Haley has vowed to press on -- undaunted by polling, donor money woes and/or reality, one supposes.
Thus, given the circumstances, Hillary took to social media to urge Democrats to unite behind Biden.
Apparently, the events of Sept. 9, 2016, were far, far from her mind.
They shouldn't have been.
"After the Republican primary in New Hampshire, the choice for November is becoming clearer than ever," she wrote.
"Will you choose expanding freedom and strengthening democracy with Biden, or more abortion bans and election denialism with Trump?" [Emphasis mine.]
"I say: Four more years of progress."
Yes, election denialism is terrible.
Unconscionable.
It must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.
... unless it's Hillary doing it in 2016.
Or the rest of her Democrat brethren doing it in 2000, 2004 and during the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial campaign.
Oh, and that's just the past election denialism that Hillary and the Democrats are involved in.
Here's the ghost of election-denial present: Joe Biden calling Terry McAuliffe the "real governor" of Virginia despite the fact he lost the 2021 gubernatorial election -- and saying it on the same day the New Hampshire primary took place, to boot:
Election Denier Joe Biden: "Hello, Virginia! And the real governor, Terry McAuliffe!" pic.twitter.com/NFU7Uqu0ja
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) January 23, 2024
And here's the ghost of election-denial future: Hillary Clinton herself, predicting that the GOP will rig the 2024 elections before they've even happened:
Let's talk about election denialism. pic.twitter.com/o522HqrCdy
— Kurt Schemers (@KurtSchemers) January 24, 2024
Apparently, though, "election denialism with Trump" is the only thing that matters despite the Democrats fostering febrile conspiracy theories about every major election in the 21st century that they didn't win or that they don't expect to win.
Forget about the laughable idea that Biden represents "progress" or "strengthening democracy," considering he's botched the COVID-19 economic recovery and his party is fighting so hard for democracy that it's indicting the political opposition on wafer-thin charges and trying to get him thrown off the ballot, two of the defining features of a banana republic.
No, forget about all that.
You have the unmitigated gall, Hillary, to tell us that we need to vote against "election denialism?"
Fine.
Resign.
The lot of you.
Resign from your offices, resign from your charities and your corporate boards, resign from everything.
Stay out of public life.
You first, Mrs. Clinton, you and your president, too.
Or maybe -- and this is perhaps the wisest idea -- you just keep your mouth shut until this all blows over and stop pretending you're some kind of political exemplar.
"Basket of deplorables" has taught you nothing three-quarters of a decade after you uttered it, and it apparently never will.
So just be quiet.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... 4306&ei=25