Dave Goldiner – The Virginian-Pilot https://www.pilotonline.com The Virginian-Pilot: Your source for Virginia breaking news, sports, business, entertainment, weather and traffic Mon, 09 Sep 2024 17:53:52 +0000 en-US hourly 30 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.1 https://www.pilotonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/POfavicon.png?w=32 Dave Goldiner – The Virginian-Pilot https://www.pilotonline.com 32 32 219665222 What to know as Trump, Harris face off for first presidential debate Tuesday https://www.pilotonline.com/2024/09/09/what-to-know-as-trump-harris-face-off-presidential-debate-tuesday/ Mon, 09 Sep 2024 17:02:42 +0000 https://www.pilotonline.com/?p=7357701&preview=true&preview_id=7357701 Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris will debate on Tuesday in what is likely to be the most significant single event in their battle for the White House.

With polls showing a tight race, the stakes are sky high because the first debate between candidates typically draws a huge audience and has the rare potential to shift opinions of millions of voters all at once.

This debate is crucial for another reason: Harris and Trump have never met or interacted with one another. Americans will get to judge for themselves how they match up and which one they want to lead the country for the next four years.

“People tune in not so much to hear what a candidate has to say on a specific issue but [to assess] their personal character: what blend of strength and sensitivity they’ll bring to their actual leadership,” said Lawrence Levy, a Hofstra University professor.

Anyone who doubts if 90 minutes can change the course of history need look no further than President Biden’s disastrous performance in the June clash with Trump, which eventually forced him to abandon his reelection bid and hand the Democratic baton to Harris.

That cataclysmic shift shook up the race and allowed Democrats to erase the strong lead Trump had built and put Harris slightly ahead as the campaign turns into its home stretch.

Here’s some things to watch as the debate looms:

When and how to watch

The debate will air on ABC at 9 p.m. on Tuesday. It will run for 90 minutes.

The moderators will be John Muir and Linsey Davis.

US-POLITICS-ENVIRONMENT-HARRIS
US Vice President Kamala Harris disembarks Air Force Two upon arrival at Miami International Airport on April 21, 2023. (Photo by Giorgio Viera / AFP) (Photo by GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty Images)

How are Trump and Harris getting ready?

Harris arrived in Pittsburgh Thursday for a weekend of preparations, including mock debates.

Trump says he doesn’t plan to do extensive prep and doesn’t believe practice debates are helpful.

Donald Trump and Joe Biden debate in June.
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Both campaigns agreed to debate under the same rules as the previous debate between Trump and Biden on June 27. (Getty)

What are the rules?

Both campaigns agreed to debate under the same rules as the previous debate between Trump and Biden.

The candidates’ microphones will be muted when the other one is speaking. There will be no live audience. The clash will be held at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.

Candidates will stand at lecterns. They may only bring a pen and notepad and water. No notes or props are allowed.

There will be no opening statements and two minute closing statements.

Will there be any more debates?

That’s unclear. Trump has proposed three debates with Harris, including an initial one on Fox News on Sept. 4 that Harris never agreed to.

The Harris campaign says it will negotiate terms for a second debate with Trump in October if the first debate goes off as expected.

Tim Walz and JD Vance.
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Vice presidential nominees Tim Walz and JD Vance have agreed to debate on Oct. 1. (Getty)

What about the VPs?

Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz and Republican JD Vance have agreed to debate on CBS on Oct. 1.

Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan will moderate. No other details have been revealed.

What issues will Trump and Harris stress?

Trump has mostly focused his campaign on two policy issues: immigration and the economy.

He will try to tie Harris to Biden’s unpopular record on both issues, even though both inflation and the crisis at the southern border have eased significantly in recent months.

The former president will also brand Harris a flip-flopper for dropping her previous support for a ban on fracking, a major issue in energy-producing Pennsylvania.

Harris will slam Trump over Project 2025, the controversial 900-page right-wing blueprint for a second Trump term that has struck a surprisingly powerful chord with voters. She will call him a threat to democracy for trying to overturn his loss in the 2020 election.

Perhaps most importantly, she will present herself as a strong advocate for abortion rights, which most Americans support. She will tear into Trump for his appointment of conservative judges who overturned Roe v. Wade as well as his opaque position on an abortion referendum in his home state of Florida.

Kamala Harris speaks at a Labor Day event in Detroit, Michigan.
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Kamala Harris speaks at a Labor Day event in Detroit this week. (Getty)

A split-screen for the ages

Harris is a 59-year-old Black woman who says she’s optimistic about America’s future. She presents herself as a candidate of change.

Trump is 78 and would be the oldest president in history. He says America is a nation in decline and needs a drastic change to pull it back from the abyss.

No one can predict whose vision will win out but it will certainly be one of the most dramatic contrasts in presidential debate history.

“She needs to continue to be the younger, far more appealing optimistic candidate of change and a better future,” said Tom Watson, a Democratic strategist.

Can Harris convince middle America she’s just like them?

Even though she’s been vice president for four years, many Americans say they don’t know much about Kamala Harris. That’s both an opportunity and a potential pitfall.

She’ll try to introduce herself as the product of a normal middle-class California upbringing and stress her mainstream political path, a portrait that might sway undecided Midwestern moderate or swing voters.

So far, Harris has sought to downplay the trailblazing nature of her run to become the first Black woman president. Most pundits don’t expect that to change on Tuesday.

“She’s going to let the optics of that kind of speak for themselves,” said Errin Haines, an editor for The 19th, an independent news site that covers gender and politics.

Soft touch or sharp elbows?

Many pundits say Harris should show she has the chops to tell Trump to his face that he is not fit to serve in the White House, especially after inciting the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

Karl Rove, a famed GOP strategist who engineered former President George W. Bush’s two White House wins, said Harris cannot be content to show voters she is smarter or different than Trump.

“[Harris] has to show she can stand up to him, that she can go toe-to-toe with him,” Rove said Saturday at the Texas Tribune Festival in Austin.  “She needs to show she can do the job.”

“She needs to prosecute the case against him,” said Basil Smikle, a Columbia professor and Democratic strategist. “Make us the jury and lay out a case for why he doesn’t deserve to be president.

Watson said Harris must not miss the opportunity to inflict political damage on Trump by laying out the case against him on the debate stage.

“She should sharpen the edges, not soften them,” he said. “Take the hard questions directly at a much reduced and angry Trump. The major pitfall [for her] is in laying back too much.”

Donald Trump speaks during a press conference at Trump Tower on September 6.
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Donald Trump speaks during a press conference at Trump Tower on Friday. (Getty)

Trump’s ‘soccer dad’ problem

Trump inspires unquestioned loyalty from his MAGA base and usually trains all his efforts on winning even more fervent support from them, especially working class white men.

But if there’s an opportunity for Trump in a debate where tens of millions are watching, it’s to try to win a somewhat bigger slice of everybody else.

He could do that by showing he’s just calm and trustworthy enough for a college-educated suburban father, for example, who may prefer Republican economic policies but dislike Trump’s personality.

“Trump would be wise to modulate in ways that Harris may not expect, and which could give him one final look from the moderate voters, particularly suburbanites,” said Levy, who studies political trends in suburbia.

Matt Mackowiak, a Republican strategist, agreed that Trump can win if he keeps his cool and stick to the issues.

“Trump must make her the incumbent, prosecute the case against the Biden-Harris administration, and present a positive vision for the country,” Mackowiak said. “If he does that, he will likely win reelection.”

Can’t they both just get along?

A presidential debate is far more than an exchange of ideas or sparring over issues. It’s a chance for a wide swath of voters to size up the two candidates, side by side, face to face.

Most voters have very strong opinions about Trump. He is likely to say some outrageous things and may even brazenly lie as he has done in past high-stakes appearances.

The spotlight will be on Harris to show how she handles his outsized personality, in part because they may see that as a test of her leadership ability.

“They want to judge how tough she is,” said Larry Sabato, a University of Virginia political analyst. “Everyone knows Trump is a bully, but so are many world leaders she would have to deal with as president.”

Haines predicted there is little chance Trump can resist launching some kind of ugly “racial or gendered” attack on Harris, perhaps by accusing her of being stupid or “nasty” like he did to Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Doing so could be a big mistake for Trump by creating a viral moment that showcases his age and perceived intolerance to a changing America.

“He risks alienating voters the GOP needs,” Smikle said.

David Niven, a University of Cincinnati political scientist, compared sparring with Trump to having “a policy debate with a circus performer.”

“The way to win isn’t to pretend this is a traditional debate, or to start juggling,” he said. “You have to rise above it. Stick to your message. Stick up for yourself.

“And when Trump gets out of control,” he added, “hit him hard.”

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What you need to know about the candidates who could replace Biden on the 2024 ticket https://www.pilotonline.com/2024/07/08/biden-replace-president-democratic-ticket-harris-newsom-whitmer-buttigieg/ Mon, 08 Jul 2024 17:00:17 +0000 https://www.pilotonline.com/?p=7248158&preview=true&preview_id=7248158 With President Biden facing a grave political crisis after his debate debacle against Donald Trump, jittery Democrats are openly considering who could take over their campaign if he drops out — and the smart money is firmly on Vice President Kamala Harris.

The 81-year-old Biden, so far, has been defiant about staying in the race – a message he drove home at a campaign rally in Wisconsin and in an ABC interview Friday. Biden said only the “Lord Almighty” telling him to do do would prompt him to leave the race.

But Democratic leaders, donors and pundits continue to question whether Biden can continue in the race. If Biden were to shift course and step down —  Harris appears to hold most of the cards over a raft of potential Democratic candidates including Gavin Newsom, Gretchen Whitmer and Pete Buttigieg. The sitting veep would likely be the only one who could short-circuit a truncated nomination squabble that could turn the Democratic National Convention into a circular firing squad.

As the first Black woman to serve as vice president, Harris could make a powerful case that passing over her would be an unacceptable snub to the most loyal Democratic voters. Harris, 59, is also much more widely known than any of her potential rivals. Many believe she has the chops to successfully take the case to former President Trump, who is widely despised and feared by Democratic voters.

“It’s like apples and oranges,” said Larry Sabato, a University of Virginia political scientist.

Here’s a breakdown of the potential nominees.

Kamala Harris

Pros:

As Biden’s loyal vice president, Harris would be the obvious choice to succeed him, perhaps by acclamation if he were to enthusiastically back her. She ran a successful campaign by his side and tens of millions of Democrats have already voted for her.

2024 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture™ Presented By Coca-Cola® - Day 2 - Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 06: Kamala Harris speaks onstage during the 2024 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture™ Presented By Coca-Cola® at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on July 06, 2024 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for ESSENCE)

Harris would portray herself as the younger and more capable alternative to Trump, who remains a singularly unpopular figure who lost the popular vote twice. She has the ability to position ehrself as the candidate who represents a vision of what Democrats see as America’s political future: a smart, younger, non-white woman who has proven herself on the highest stages.

Cons:

Some believe America is not ready to vote for a woman, let alone a Black woman, for the nation’s highest office.

Republicans say she has a so-so record as vice president and Trump would certainly rip her for failing to solve the crisis at the southern border.

Harris’s identity as a California progressive could be a particularly tough sell in the Rust Belt battleground states that look likely to determine the next president.

Gavin Newsom

Pros:

The California governor is a popular, young, considered effective and is an articulate leader of the biggest blue state of ’em all.. He showed he can land and take political punches when he battled Gov. Ron DeSantis in a one-on-one slugfest during the primary campaign.

California Governor Newsom Campaigns For President Biden In Michigan
SOUTH HAVEN, MICHIGAN – JULY 4: California Gov. Gavin Newsom campaigns for President Joe Biden at the Van Buren County Democratic Party’s “BBQ for Biden-Harris” event on July 4, 2024 in South Haven, Michigan. Gov. Newsom’s name has been mentioned as a possible replacement for President Biden should the President decide to not run for re-election following his recent debate performance against former President Donald Trump. (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

Like other relatively youthful Democrats, the 56-year-old could make a dramatic contrast with the older and unpopular Trump.

Cons:

Newsom’s slicked-back West Coast image would be a problem in the Midwest.

Republicans would have a field day attacking him for the perceived problems of the Golden State, where they say high taxes and liberal policies have led to an exodus and population decline.

Like any other white candidate, he could likely emerge deeply wounded from what could be an any ugly fight over the nomination and the perception that a capable Black woman was passed over for a white man.

Gretchen Whitmer

Pros:

The Michigan governor is many Democratic strategists’ dream candidate: She’s the successful and extremely popular leader of perhaps the most pivotal Rust Belt swing state.

At 52, she’s younger than many of her rivals, let along Trump, who is 26 years older than her.

US-VOTE-POLITICS-BIDEN
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer speaks at the NAACP Detroit Branch annual “Fight for Freedom Fund Dinner” in Detroit, Michigan on May 19, 2024. US President Joe Biden called May 19, 2024 for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and said he was working on a “lasting, durable peace” that would include the creation of a Palestinian state. Speaking at a graduation ceremony at the former university of civil rights icon Martin Luther King, Jr, Biden said he was pushing for a regional peace deal “to get a two-state solution, the only solution.” (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP) (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

Whitmer has a tough-as-nails Midwest demeanor  that could hold broad national appeal, especially in contrast to Trump.

Cons

Whitmer is still not as well known nationally to Democratic voters as her main rivals and has not yet ran for president.

Some say American voters won’t vote for a woman candidate, pointing to Hillary Clinton’s losing 2016 campaign.

Like others, she would have a tough time repairing the damage from a potential fight with Harris and uniting the party’s base to confront an ascendant Trump.

Pete Buttigieg

Pros:

Biden’s transportation secretary is an effective communicator and popular moderate Democrat who won plaudits for a promising, if losing, Democratic primary campaign in 2020.

The openly gay former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, has spent 3-1/2 years, as a loyal Democratic team player and by most accounts effective member of Biden’s cabinet.

Transportation Secretary Buttigieg Testifies On 2025 Budget In House Hearing
WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 30: U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg testifies before the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee of House Appropriations Committee at the Rayburn House Office building at the U.S. Capitol on April 30, 2024 in Washington, DC. The subcommittee held a hearing on the Department of Transportation’s Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Request. (Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

He brings Midwest authenticity and at 42 would claim a generational mantle for change, a dramatic shift from the 81-year-old Biden and the 78-year-old Trump.

Cons

While it might be hard to imagine after the drama over Biden’s age, but Buttigieg’s youth and inexperience could be seen as a downside especially against a figure like Trump.

Even though Buttigieg rarely talks about his sexual identity, a significant chunk of American voters say they won’t vote for an LGBTQ person.

Buttitieg performed abysmally with Black and Latino voters in the 2020 race. That would make him a particularly tough sell to the party’s base, especially if there is an open fight with Harris over the nomination.

Michelle Obama

The popular former first lady is a surprising darling of pollsters, leading Trump by a wide margin even as most potential Biden alternatives trail the ex-president.

TOPSHOT-TENNIS-USA-OPEN
TOPSHOT – Former US First Lady Michelle Obama speaks during the opening night ceremony of the 2023 US Open tennis tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City, on August 28, 2023. (Photo by COREY SIPKIN / AFP) (Photo by COREY SIPKIN/AFP via Getty Images)

Cons:

Michelle Obama has repeatedly said she isn’t interested in running for any office, let alone the White House.

There’s really no reason not to take her at her word, especially since she knows better than anyone the toll that such a race would take on her and her family.

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Biden says he’s staying in presidential race ‘to the end’ in letter to House Democrats https://www.pilotonline.com/2024/07/08/biden-says-hes-staying-in-presidential-race-to-the-end-in-letter-to-house-democrats/ Mon, 08 Jul 2024 16:55:18 +0000 https://www.pilotonline.com/?p=7248117&preview=true&preview_id=7248117 President Biden defiantly sought to stop the political bleeding Monday, saying he is “not going anywhere” even as support from Democratic lawmakers wavered over his debate debacle.

As Congress returned to Washington, D.C., Biden wrote a letter to House Democrats vowing to stay in the race against former President Donald Trump “to the end.”

“The question of how to move forward has been well aired for well over a week. And it’s time for it to end,” Biden said in the letter. “We have one job. And that is to beat Donald Trump.”

“I am not not going anywhere,” Biden added in a live call to MSNBC’s Morning Joe show.

Several senior Democratic House lawmakers, including Manhattan Rep. Jerrold Nadler, told colleagues in a weekend virtual meeting that Biden should drop out of the race.

Top Black lawmakers said Biden should stay in the race and Democrats should rally behind him.

House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries has so far remained supportive of Biden, but did not take sides in the virtual meeting. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a fellow Brooklyn Democrat, has taken a similar stance.

An in-person House Democratic caucus meeting was planned for Tuesday where members may hash out their differences over Biden. So far five Democrats have publicly called on Biden to pull the plug on his campaign.

Biden reportedly planned to work the phones vigorously as he seeks to firm up support among wavering Democrats.

The 81-year-old incumbent shocked voters with a halting and at times incoherent performance at his debate with Trump last month.

He has sought to bounce back with a series of energetic campaign speeches and a one-on-one interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos. But the effort has not convinced all his Democratic doubters.

Polls have offered a mixed picture. Some surveys showed Trump opening up a modest lead in the neck-and-neck race after viewers mostly declared him the winner of the debate.

Biden loyalists point to some polls that show Democrats rallying behind Biden amid the calls for him to step aside.

The political calendar leaves little time for Democrats to consider their options.

The Republican National Convention is scheduled for next week and will spotlight GOP unity behind Trump. It will also offer Trump a triumphant platform to further deride Biden as too old to serve in the White House.

Democrats will gather for their own convention in early August where Biden holds the overwhelming majority of pledged delegates.

If Biden were to pull the plug on his campaign, the most obvious successor would be Vice President Kamala Harris, his top lieutenant and the first Black woman to serve as veep. But others could jump into the race if he drops out.

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Botox, Onlyfans and Hermes: What Rep. George Santos allegedly splurged on with campaign cash https://www.pilotonline.com/2023/11/17/botox-onlyfans-and-hermes-what-rep-george-santos-allegedly-splurged-on-with-campaign-cash/ Fri, 17 Nov 2023 13:54:20 +0000 https://www.pilotonline.com/?p=5829390 NEW YORK — Embattled Rep. George Santos was hit Thursday with a bombshell new congressional ethics report that has sparked new calls for his expulsion.

The explosive report detailed how the Long Island Republican used campaign donations to splurge on personal expenses like travel, credit card payments, cosmetic procedures and even porn.

Here’s a rundown of some of the eye-catching spending allegedly undertaken by Santos:

Botox

The congressman-to-be spent $1,400 in campaign funds at Virtual Skin Spa in Jericho, New York in July 2022. A notation in spreadsheets provided by his former campaign treasurer described the payment as for “Botox.”

The spa boasts that its owner, Theresa Pinson, is “Long Island’s premier cosmetic injector.”

Santos also paid $1,029.30 in campaign cash to an esthetician associated with a spa in upstate Rhinebeck, N.Y., the report charged.

___

Hermes

In the closing days of his successful campaign, Santos ordered $50,000 of donor money transferred from a political consulting firm to his personal checking account.

He spend $4,127.80 on a purchase at Hermes, the luxury French lifestyle brand that boasts of providing “an audacious and elegant art of living.”

It wasn’t disclosed what Santos spent the cash on. A classic leather-and-canvas bag goes for $3,775, which is close to the total in the report when New York City’s 8.875% sales tax is added on.

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Onlyfans

Santos spent what the report calls a “small amount” at OnlyFans, the subscription online content site that mostly features pornography.

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Atlantic City and the Hamptons

Santos used his status as a candidate to take multiple trips to plush destinations like South Florida, San Francisco and Las Vegas.

At least some of the trips appeared to have nothing to do with politics.

On a July 7, 2022, the campaign spent $3,332.81 on an AirBnb in the Hamptons for Santos. And aide said the candidate was “off at [the] Hampton’s for the weekend.”

The campaign reported $2,281.52 spent at resorts in Atlantic City on July 23 and July 24, 2022.

An ex-staffer said there were no campaign or fundraising events at the New Jersey gambling mecca, but that Santos said “he enjoyed visiting casinos to play roulette, often with his husband.”

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©2023 New York Daily News. Visit at nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Rep. George Santos claims financial firm made millions, but it is located in a Florida mailbox store https://www.pilotonline.com/2023/01/27/rep-george-santos-claims-financial-firm-made-millions-but-it-is-located-in-a-florida-mailbox-store/ https://www.pilotonline.com/2023/01/27/rep-george-santos-claims-financial-firm-made-millions-but-it-is-located-in-a-florida-mailbox-store/#respond Fri, 27 Jan 2023 16:41:35 +0000 https://www.pilotonline.com?p=55408&preview_id=55408 The financial management firm that Rep. George Santos claims funded his campaign and manages tens of millions in assets is headquartered in a Florida mailbox store.

The Devolder Organization, which the GOP congressman now says is the source of his newfound wealth and campaign spending, lists its address as a Fast Mail N More shop in Melbourne, Florida.

It’s located in a strip mall next to a Dollar Tree discount store and a Chinese takeout joint.

Santos originally claimed on campaign finance disclosure forms that he loaned his own campaign $700,000, using money he says was paid by Devolder.

Now in an amended form filed this week the newly elected lawmaker suggests the loan came from some other undisclosed source, not his personal funds.

The campaign finance issue is considered one of the most likely of Santos’ myriad issues to result in criminal or ethics charges that could eventually force him from office.

Up until 2020, he claimed to be making just $55,000 as a call center employee and lives with his sister in her Long Island home.

But in recent filings for his 2022 race, he reported a vastly different story, with hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments from the Devolder Organization. Devolder is Santos’ middle name.

It’s unclear how or if the privately held company makes money, and Santos has made only opaque and vague claims about its supposedly lucrative deal-making business.

He also brought in big donations from the real estate mogul cousin of a Russian oligarch who was accused of being a go-between in the Stormy Daniels hush money scandal.

Santos, 34, flipped a Democratic-leaning Long Island congressional seat in one of the bigger upsets of the midterm elections.

Before he was even sworn in, the self-styled conservative gay immigrant was accused of lying about virtually every aspect of his background.

He admitted some of the lies but denied others, like an open criminal probe in Brazil for allegedly passing bad checks and the claim that he scammed a homeless New Jersey veteran out of $3,000 in donations for his dying dog.

Santos has already lost the support of most New York Republicans, including the entire Nassau County GOP committee.

But he still has the backing of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who only holds a narrow edge in the 118th Congress.

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What happens to Trump now that he’s been referred for prosecution by Jan. 6 committee? https://www.pilotonline.com/2022/12/20/what-happens-to-trump-now-that-hes-been-referred-for-prosecution-by-jan-6-committee/ https://www.pilotonline.com/2022/12/20/what-happens-to-trump-now-that-hes-been-referred-for-prosecution-by-jan-6-committee/#respond Tue, 20 Dec 2022 13:05:39 +0000 https://www.pilotonline.com?p=62879&preview_id=62879 The congressional Jan. 6 committee dealt a serious blow to Donald Trump on Monday when it referred him to federal prosecutors for four potential crimes related to the storming of the Capitol.

But it doesn’t mean Trump will ever be charged with a crime, let alone face a trial or prison time.

Prosecutors led by special counsel Jack Smith were already investigating his scheme to stay in power after losing the 2020 election.

They will surely examine the mountain of evidence compiled by the panel along with evidence gathered in their own probe, which includes grand jury testimony that the congressional committee has not seen.

The Department of Justice has a legal obligation to only seek indictments against people whom it thinks it can get a jury to convict, and maintain that conviction on appeal. That’s a much higher bar than the committee faced in deciding whether to refer Trump and others for prosecution.

—Who will decide whether to charge Trump?

A team of federal prosecutors will determine whether they believe the former president should be indicted and on what charges.

Smith, the former Brooklyn federal prosecutor, would then have to decide whether to recommend charging Trump to Attorney General Merrick Garland. Garland has the final say, although he would have to offer specific reasons if he overrules Smith’s recommendation.

—How long will it take to decide whether to charge Trump?

No one knows. The grand jury is still gathering evidence, and there is no sign prosecutors are close to a decision.

—What happens if prosecutors decide to charge Trump?

If Trump is indicted, he would face a criminal trial. If convicted, he could face significant prison time.

—What’s the deal with the 4 potential charges mentioned by the committee?

The Jan. 6 committee referred Trump for prosecution on four charges: obstruction of an official proceeding, conspiracy to defraud the U.S., conspiracy to make a false statement, and inciting an insurrection.

Each of the charges appear to refer to a self-contained aspect of his scheme.

The first charge relates to the physical effort to block Congress from certifying President Biden’s win on Jan. 6.

The second blames Trump for the broader effort to overturn his election loss, effectively preventing America from getting the leader it elected in 2020.

The false-statement charge is tied to the specific effort to get fake slates of pro-Trump electors to claim they were properly elected in some states, claims that involved sworn statements.

The first two charges have been widely leveled at rioters, making it more likely that prosecutors would use it to charge leaders like Trump, according to legal experts.

The insurrection charge is the most sweeping potential crime. The Civil War-era law is rarely if ever invoked, mostly because the U.S. has not seen anything even close to the Jan. 6 attack in its history.

Prosecutors may shy away from charging Trump or others with the statute because there is a paucity of case law related to it.

Many of the white supremacists and other far right-wing radicals charged in connection with Jan. 6 have instead been hit with seditious conspiracy charges.

—Does Trump’s 2024 presidential run affect the decision?

Not directly.

Trump’s decision to mount a comeback White House run has already been cited by Garland as one of the reasons for his appointment of Smith, who has a degree of independence from him.

The Justice Department also has an unwritten rule against taking actions that could swing a major election. That edict has generally been interpreted to bar announcements or indictments in the couple of months before a presidential vote.

Still, there is no legal rule that protects former presidents or presidential candidates from indictment.

—What about the other people named in the report, like Rudy Giuliani?

Aside from Trump, the committee referred right-wing lawyer John Eastman for prosecution, fingering him for his leading role in concocting the legal foundation for the effort to overturn the election results.

Rudy Giuliani, the ex-NYC mayor and Trump lawyer, is also mentioned liberally in the report, which suggests he was part of Trump’s conspiracy, along with White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, ex-Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark and Trump campaign lawyer Kenneth Chesebro.

But by not referring Giuliani and others for prosecution, the committee may be signaling that it does not believe it uncovered enough evidence to justify indictments against them.

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(c)2022 New York Daily News. Visit nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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https://www.pilotonline.com/2022/12/20/what-happens-to-trump-now-that-hes-been-referred-for-prosecution-by-jan-6-committee/feed/ 0 62879 2022-12-20T08:05:39+00:00 2022-12-20T13:05:39+00:00
‘¡El ANUNCIO IMPORTANTE!’ de Trump es el lanzamiento de naipes digitales de $99 https://www.pilotonline.com/2022/12/15/el-anuncio-importante-de-trump-es-el-lanzamiento-de-naipes-digitales-de-99/ https://www.pilotonline.com/2022/12/15/el-anuncio-importante-de-trump-es-el-lanzamiento-de-naipes-digitales-de-99/#respond Thu, 15 Dec 2022 18:27:08 +0000 https://www.pilotonline.com?p=78924&preview_id=78924 ¿Un compañero de fórmula para 2024? ¿Nuevas publicaciones en Twitter? No y no.

El expresidente Donald Trump lanzó el jueves un juego de naipes coleccionables con el tema de Trump a $99 cada una, después de que hizo vibrar al mundo político con un prometido “¡ANUNCIO IMPORTANTE!”

“Muy parecido a un naipe de béisbol, pero con suerte mucho más emocionante”, publicó Trump en su sitio de redes sociales. “Sería un gran regalo de Navidad. No espere ¡Se irán, creo, muy rápido!

Trump promocionó la próxima revelación el miércoles al publicar una caricatura de sí mismo con un traje de Superman.

“Estados Unidos necesita un superhéroe”, escribió Trump en su sitio de redes sociales.

Resulta que quiso decir: ¡los estadounidenses deben desembolsar más de 100 dólares por un “naipe de edición limitada que presenta el increíble ARTE de mi vida y carrera!”

Los “naipes comerciales digitales” ni siquiera son cartas físicas. Los compradores los envían a sus teléfonos o computadoras.

“Comienza a recolectar 1, 10 o 100?, dice el tono. “Conviértase instantáneamente en parte de una nueva liga de coleccionistas”.

Golpeado por una serie de sombríos resultados de encuestas y reveses legales, se esperaba que Trump hiciera un movimiento serio, quizás destinado a impulsar su tambaleante campaña presidencial de 2024.

Trump ya anunció su regreso, por lo que algunos pensaron que planeaba nombrar a un posible compañero de fórmula para 2024, una forma de llamar la atención y posiblemente recuperar el impulso político perdido.

Recientemente el nuevo propietario de Twitter, Elon Musk, lo reincorporó a la red social, lo que hizo que otros pensaran que iba a decirle al mundo que comenzaría a publicar en la plataforma nuevamente.

Incluso se especuló que Trump planeaba anunciar una candidatura a la presidencia de la nueva Cámara liderada por los republicanos. El cargo siempre lo ha ocupado un miembro del Congreso, aunque técnicamente no es un requisito.

Si bien presentar una candidatura a presidente de la Cámara de Representantes tendría innumerables desventajas, podría obligar a otros republicanos prominentes a tomar partido, lo que le daría a Trump una nueva oportunidad de mostrar su fuerza dentro del Partido Republicano.

-Traducción por José Luis Sánchez Pando/TCA

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https://www.pilotonline.com/2022/12/15/el-anuncio-importante-de-trump-es-el-lanzamiento-de-naipes-digitales-de-99/feed/ 0 78924 2022-12-15T13:27:08+00:00 2022-12-15T18:28:25+00:00
Kanye West dice ‘Me gusta Hitler’ en el programa de Alex Jones https://www.pilotonline.com/2022/12/02/kanye-west-dice-me-gusta-hitler-en-el-programa-de-alex-jones/ https://www.pilotonline.com/2022/12/02/kanye-west-dice-me-gusta-hitler-en-el-programa-de-alex-jones/#respond Fri, 02 Dec 2022 15:58:06 +0000 https://www.pilotonline.com?p=86252&preview_id=86252 Kanye West elogió repetidamente al dictador nazi Adolf Hitler por hacer “cosas buenas” en una nueva pero impactante diatriba antisemita el jueves con el presentador de medios de extrema derecha Alex Jones.

Inexplicablemente, con una máscara facial sobre toda la cabeza, el rapero superestrella que se reunió el mes pasado con el expresidente Trump y el supremacista blanco Nick Fuentes dejó pocas dudas sobre lo que siente por los judíos.

“Veo cosas buenas sobre Hitler”, dijo West en el programa “InfoWars” de Jones. “Los judíos no me van a decir: ‘No puedes decir en voz alta que esta persona alguna vez hizo algo bueno’. Ya terminé con eso”.

“Me gusta Hitler”, agregó West.

West, que se hace llamar “Ye”, repitió el odioso rumor de que los judíos poderosos controlan los medios, incluidas las industrias de las noticias y la música.

“Los medios judíos nos han hecho sentir como nazis y que Hitler nunca nos ha ofrecido nada de valor para el mundo”, dijo West.

El rapero imitó al líder israelí Benjamin Netanyahu sacando una red de mariposas y lanzando una nueva y vergonzosa salva de retórica de odio sobre los judíos.

Usando una voz aguda para imitar a Netanyahu, West dijo: “Tenemos que controlar los libros de historia, tenemos que controlar los bancos, tenemos que matar gente”.

El odio arrojado por West hizo que Jones pareciera razonable en su mayoría en comparación, aunque el fanfarrón de extrema derecha sonrió ante sus bromas e hizo algunos comentarios antisemitas propios.

“La mayoría de los judíos son grandes personas”, dijo Jones, a quien se le ordenó pagar millones a las familias de las víctimas de la masacre de Sandy Hook. “(Pero) estoy de acuerdo en que hay una mafia judía”.

Trump no respondió de inmediato al nuevo estallido impactante de West, a quien afirma ser un amigo.

El expresidente y candidato presidencial republicano para 2024 tuvo tiempo de criticar a un reportero por una historia que cuestionaba por qué la seguridad permitió que West y Fuentes tuvieran una cena privada en su resort de Mar-a-Lago. Trump se negó a disculparse por invitar a West y Fuentes al reunirse dos noches antes del Día de Acción de Gracias.

Trump afirma que la cena fue aceptable porque ni West ni Fuentes le hicieron comentarios racistas o antisemitas en la cara.

Algunos republicanos han criticado la reunión, pero la mayoría se ha callado. La cosecha recién elegida de legisladores republicanos de Nueva York emitió declaraciones casi idénticas que evitaron cuidadosamente criticar a Trump por su nombre.

West también dice que se postula para presidente e incluso insultó a Trump en la cena al sugerir que debería ocupar el puesto de vicepresidente en un boleto ’24 liderado por Kanye.

Su candidatura a la Casa Blanca para 2020, que fue diseñada como un esfuerzo amistoso con Trump para desviar los votos del presidente Biden, resultó mal.

Alguna vez un magnate multimillonario inundado de acuerdos de patrocinio, West ha sido rechazado por antiguos patrocinadores de mucho dinero como Adidas y Balenciaga por sus arrebatos antisemitas desquiciados. El gigante de la ropa también lo está investigando por comportamiento inapropiado en el lugar de trabajo.

-Traducción por José Luis Sánchez Pando/TCA

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https://www.pilotonline.com/2022/12/02/kanye-west-dice-me-gusta-hitler-en-el-programa-de-alex-jones/feed/ 0 86252 2022-12-02T10:58:06+00:00 2022-12-02T15:58:06+00:00
Kanye West says ‘I like Hitler’ in antisemitic rant on Alex Jones show https://www.pilotonline.com/2022/12/01/kanye-west-says-i-like-hitler-in-antisemitic-rant-on-alex-jones-show/ https://www.pilotonline.com/2022/12/01/kanye-west-says-i-like-hitler-in-antisemitic-rant-on-alex-jones-show/#respond Thu, 01 Dec 2022 19:46:59 +0000 https://www.pilotonline.com?p=82461&preview_id=82461 Kanye West repeatedly praised Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler for doing “good things” in a shocking new antisemitic rant Thursday with far right-wing media host Alex Jones.

Inexplicably wearing a face mask over his entire head, the superstar rapper who last month met with former President Trump and white supremacist Nick Fuentes left little doubt how he feels about Jews.

“I see good things about Hitler,” West said on Jones’ “Infowars” show. “Jewish people are not going to tell me: ‘You can’t say out loud that this person ever did anything good.’ I’m done with that.”

“I like Hitler,” West added.

West, who goes by the name “Ye,” repeated the hateful canard that powerful Jews control the media, including the news and music industries.

“The Jewish media has made us feel like Nazis and Hitler have never offered us anything of value to the world,” West said.

The rapper mimicked Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu by whipping out a butterfly net — and launching a shameful new salvo of hateful rhetoric about Jews.

Using a high-pitched voice to imitate Netanyahu, West said, “We have to control the history books, we have to control the banks, we have to kiill people.”

The hatred spewed by West made Jones mostly sound reasonable in comparison, although the ight wing extremist smiled at his jokes and made some antisemitic remarks of his own.

“Most Jews are great people,” said Jones. “[But] I agree there’s a Jewish mafia.”

Trump did not immediately respond to the shocking new outburst by West, whom he claims as a friend.

The former president and Republican 2024 presidential candidate has refused to apologize for inviting West and Fuentes to a private dinner two nights before Thanksgiving at his Mar-a-Lago resort.

Trump claimed the dinner was fine because neither West nor Fuentes made any racist or antisemitic remarks to his face.

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https://www.pilotonline.com/2022/12/01/kanye-west-says-i-like-hitler-in-antisemitic-rant-on-alex-jones-show/feed/ 0 82461 2022-12-01T14:46:59+00:00 2022-12-01T20:11:39+00:00
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries officially announces bid for Democratic House leader https://www.pilotonline.com/2022/11/18/rep-hakeem-jeffries-officially-announces-bid-for-democratic-house-leader/ https://www.pilotonline.com/2022/11/18/rep-hakeem-jeffries-officially-announces-bid-for-democratic-house-leader/#respond Fri, 18 Nov 2022 22:42:41 +0000 https://www.pilotonline.com?p=87996&preview_id=87996 Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) officially announced his bid on Friday to succeed Speaker Nancy Pelosi as Democratic leader in the House of Representatives.

Just a day after Pelosi stepped down, the Brooklyn lawmaker asked fellow Democrats to support his bid to become the first Black leader of either party in either chamber of Congress.

“I write to humbly ask you for your support for the position of House Democratic Leader as we once again prepare to meet the moment,” Jeffries wrote in the “Dear Colleague” missive.

“House Democrats must also continue to advance a forward-looking vision anchored in kitchen table, pocketbook issues,” he wrote. “We can unify around an agenda designed to make life better for everyday Americans from all walks of life, and simultaneously embrace issues of social justice.”

So far, Jeffries is unopposed in the planned Nov. 30 leadership vote. He has the backing of Pelosi and her current leadership team, who are also stepping aside, and is considered an overwhelming favorite even if an unexpected challenger comes forward.

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.)
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.)

Jeffries is expected to be joined in leadership by Rep. Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) in the No. 2 spot and Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) in the No. 3 spot. Others are still jockeying for lower-level positions.

Known for his deliberate decision-making style and eloquent speaking cadence, Jeffries would serve as minority leader for the next two years as Republicans have retaken control of the House in the midterm elections, despite an underwhelming performance.

His main role will be to maintain unity in the Democratic ranks and to organize the effort to retake control in the 2024 presidential election. Jeffries, 52, would be the presumptive speaker of the House if Democrats can retake the House.

Pelosi, who is staying in Congress, for now, assured the new leaders that she is not going to be a back-seat driver under new leadership.

“I have no intention of being the mother-in-law in the kitchen saying ‘My son doesn’t like the stuffing that way,'” Pelosi said.

Mayor Adams praised Jeffries as a “real friend” and a powerhouse for New York City. “No matter what position he holds, he conquers,” Adams said in an interview on WABC radio.

Rep. Richie Torres (D-N.Y.) praised Jeffries as a uniquely talented Democratic leader with strong roots of support in both the progressive and moderate wings of the party.

“It’s in his temperament to be a unifying figure,” Torres said, noting that the Democratic House includes inner-city firebrands and conservative rural power brokers. “You have to be when you represent a coalition as ideologically varied as ours.”

Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) said if both Democratic congressional leaders were to hail from Brooklyn, it would be “gangster,” while Torres said it “means that New York has won the lottery.”

If Jeffries does win, it would cap a meteoric rise through the ranks for the six-term lawmaker from Crown Heights, who only won his current No. 5 post in leadership four years ago.

A product of New York City public schools, Jeffries won a state Assembly seat as a progressive insurgent after a years-long fight against entrenched incumbents. He won his seat in Congress in 2012 after veteran Rep. Ed Towns (D-N.Y.) retired rather than face a tough fight against the up-and-coming Jeffries.

Jeffries lives in Prospect Heights, less than a mile from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s home in Park Slope. If Jeffries wins, it would mark the first time the party leaders in both chambers have been neighbors.

Staying on message, Schumer (D-N.Y.) showered praise on Jeffries and refused to weigh in on which side of Flatbush Avenue rules the roost.

“Every neighborhood in Brooklyn is great,” Schumer said.

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