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Mike Pence Just Lied About Russia. Bigly. Because of Course He Did.

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When The Vice President Lies to Support the President’s Ego 

Vice President Mike Pence just lied about Russia’s actions during the 2016 presidential campaign and about the unanimous consensus by all 17 of America’s intelligence agencies and offices. It’s a big lie, it’s an important one, it’s one that needs to be corrected, and fast.

Speaking at an event hosted by Axios on Wednesday, the Vice President grossly mischaracterized the conclusions of U.S. intelligence.

“Well, the first thing that we all agree is,” Pence said, according to Axios, “irrespective of efforts that were made in 2016 by foreign powers — it is the universal conclusion of our intelligence communities that none of those efforts had any impact on the outcome of the 2016 election.”

That’s a lie, and the Vice President has to know it is.

The truth is the U.S. intelligence agencies “did not make an assessment of the impact that Russian activities had on the outcome of the 2016 election.” None. At all. 

Trump’s CIA Director, Mike Pompeo, made a similar false claim last year and the CIA had to issue an immediate retraction.

President-elect Trump, days before the inauguration, also peddled a similar lie.

Today, there was quick and necessary backlash to Pence’s lie:

CNN’s Marshall Cohen set the record straight:

Others chimed in:

Image by Alyssa Farrah via Twitter

 

 

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News

Manhattan DA Unleashes on Jim Jordan With Stern Warning: You May Not ‘Interfere’ With Trump Prosecution

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After a Manhattan grand jury indicted Donald Trump late Thursday afternoon on reportedly 34 felony charges, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg took one more step to preserve the rule of law: Friday morning, via his General Counsel, he sent the top three Republican House Chairmen attempting to interfere in his office’s investigation and prosecution of Donald Trump a stern warning.

The letter, addressed to House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, Oversight Chairman James Comer, and Administration Chairman Bryan Steil spans six-pages. Its letterhead does not say District Attorney’s Office, but “District Attorney,” and has Bragg’s name in the upper corner, although it is signed by Bragg’s General Counsel, Leslie B. Dubeck. Politico has published the full letter.

It clearly states Bragg is drawing a red line: “What neither Mr. Trump nor Congress may do is interfere with the ordinary course of proceedings in New York State.”

The letter also accuses the trio of “an improper and dangerous usurpation” and “attempted interference with an ongoing state criminal investigation.” And it warns them against “unlawful political interference.”

READ MORE: ‘You Can’t Stand on Fifth Avenue and Just Shoot Somebody’: Donald Trump Indicted – Legal Experts Respond

“The Committees’ attempted interference with an ongoing state criminal investigation and now prosecution–is an unprecedented and illegitimate incursion on New York’s sovereign interests,” the letter reads. “Moreover, your examination of the facts of a single criminal investigation, for the supposed purpose of determining whether any charges against Mr. Trump are warranted, is an improper and dangerous usurpation of the executive and judicial functions.”

In a section titled, “The Committees Lack Jurisdiction to Oversee a State Criminal Prosecution,” the letter points to reports that the Trump team has been working in coordination with House Republicans.

“Even worse, based on your reportedly close collaboration with Mr. Trump in attacking this Office and the grand jury process, it appears you are acting more like criminal defense counsel trying to gather evidence for a client than a legislative body seeking to achieve a legitimate legislative objective.”

Bragg’s general counsel also uses the letter as a warning to all House Republicans that their actions, behaviors, and words are on the record.

READ MORE: Manhattan District Attorney’s Office Says It Is Coordinating With Trump to ‘Surrender’

He holds up U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) as an example, suggesting to others they should moderate their rhetoric.

After dismissing Jordan’s threat in a previous letter to withhold federal funds from Bragg’s office – noting the Manhattan District Attorney’s office has “has helped the Federal Government secure more than one billion dollars in asset forfeiture funds in the past 15 years” – Bragg serves up another warning.

He notes that “some committee members have explicitly stated an intent to interfere with the state proceeding. For example, responding to Trump’s statement that he would be arrested, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene stated that ‘Republicans in Congress MUST subpoena these communists and END this! We have the power to do it and we also have the power to DEFUND their salaries and departments!’ … and that Republicans who ‘do nothing to stop’ the prosecution ‘will be exposed to the people and will be remembered, scorned, and punished by the base.'”

 

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‘Bet He Smiles in His Mugshot’: Trump Allies Think Indictment Will Only Help His 2024 Chances

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Donald Trump’s allies say his indictment in New York should only help his chances in the 2024 election.

The former president was charged by Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg in the hush money payoff to Stormy Daniels, and his Republican allies immediately circled the wagons around him, reported The Daily Beast.

“This only helps Trump — polling shows most voters, including independent voters, see this as partisan,” said one GOP strategist. “The rumor of Trump’s indictment only strengthened his position in the GOP primary, I would expect his numbers get even stronger.”

The strategist insisted the indictment would put Democrats on the ropes because they would be forced to comment on anti-Semitic conspiracy theories involving billionaire philanthropist George Soros.

READ MORE: Former Trump employees secretly cheering ‘wonderful news’ of his indictment: Maggie Haberman

“It will force their hands to comment on a Soros-funded DA, or not,” the strategist said, “which speaks volumes for GOP voters.”

Another source who has spoken to Trump for decades agreed, saying the criminal indictment would put Trump in a stronger position.

“Donald Trump fights his best from the ropes, he really does,” the source said. “Some of his best knockout punches have been from the ropes.”

Even Republicans who believe Trump deserves accountability seem to think the charges will help his election chances.

“No one is above the law, everyone is entitled to due process,” said one longtime Republican strategist and adviser. “If this was politically driven, every American should be concerned… Justice shouldn’t be arbitrary.”

“Bet he smiles in his mugshot,” the operative added. “Maybe he’ll bring back THE KRAKEN.”

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BREAKING NEWS

Trump Indictment Is a Massive 34 Counts: CNN

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When he appears in New York next week, Donald Trump will face a 34-count indictment.

CNN’s John Miller on-air Thursday evening announced, “I am told by my sources that this is 34 counts of falsification of business records, which is probably a lot of charges involving each document, each thing that was submitted, as a separate count.”

Attorney Tristan Snell, who assisted in the successful prosecution of the Trump University case for the New York Attorney General’s Office, responded via Twitter:

“This is WAY more than expected. If this is correct, it could mean that the indictment covers FAR more than the Stormy Daniels hush money — like Karen McDougal hush money or other hush money/catch-and-kill cases.”

READ MORE: Manhattan District Attorney’s Office Says It Is Coordinating With Trump to ‘Surrender’

“My hunch for a while,” Snell adds, “given [David] Pecker’s involvement and the drawn-out timetable of the indictment, plus the TWENTY interviews of Michael Cohen with the DA, showed that something far larger than Stormy might be in the works.”

“May still be wrong, of course. But 34 counts is a LOT!”

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