Former North Carolina Republican governor Pat McCrory has just launched a run for the U.S. Senate. As the first Republican to have partisan control of North Carolina’s House and Senate since 1870, McCrory spent much of his four years as governor attacking the LGBTQ and minority communities, and signing conservative legislation so divisive the national news often focused on the Tar Heel State.

Now, after losing re-election in 2016, making him a one-term governor, McCrory has posted a video announcing his campaign that’s filled with falsehoods, has echoes of Trumpism, and targets Vice President Kamala Harris.

“50-50,” McCrory says in his first senatorial campaign ad. “The United States Senate is split right down the middle. 50 Republicans, 50 Democrats, and that puts Vice President Kamala Harris in charge, giving the left everything they want to radically change America for generations to come,” McCrory fear-mongers, despite the fact that President Joe Biden has a staggeringly high approval rating and the legislation he has signed into law, and is currently advocating for, like the infrastructure and jobs bill, is supported by seven out of 10 Americans.

“Harris and Biden are opening our borders before they even open up our schools,” he says, which is a lie on both counts, especially since opening or closing schools is a state and local decision.

“They’re raising your taxes, and even the price of gas,” again, false, unless you make $400,000 a year.

“I took on the tough fights, and the Liberals attack me for it,”: McCrory brags. Except it wasn’t only liberals who attacked him.

Dozens of corporations attacked his policies. The U.S. Dept. of Justice sued him. And there were national boycotts of North Carolina over McCrory’s anti-LGBTQ HB2 law that targeting transgender people through the use of restrooms and voided every local nondiscrimination ordinances, even for veterans.

Because of McCrory North Carolina lost millions in revenue.

“It’s time we joined together and take back the Senate from Kamala Harris,” McCrory says.

“So I’m in,” he declares. “Let’s put America first and bring conservative, North Carolina, common sense to Washington.”

Notice the “America first” dog whistle to pro-Trump voters.

After McCrory lost his race for re-election he became a radio show host and railed against “the African American vote,” and the number of Black people entering public office in his home town.

“We’ve become a very segregated political system in Charlotte-Mecklenburg (county),” McCrory lamented, complaining about the “tremendous change in dynamics” of the political system, and warning that “Democrats” control the city, “unlike the diversity that we had in the political system ten years ago.”

“The Black Political Caucus has total control over the Democratic Party,” in Charlotte, McCrory claimed. “Because in the primaries the demographics is that the African American vote dominates the Democratic primary. So therefore if all elections in Charlotte-Mecklenburg are determined by the Democratic primary, all primaries are then determined by the Black Political Caucus.”

Watch McCrory’s new ad for his U.S. Senate campaign:

For the last few years, I’ve sat on the sidelines and watched people like Chuck Schumer & the far-left drag this country toward radical liberal policies.

I can’t sit on the sidelines anymore.

So I’m in! pic.twitter.com/s2MwtBlalv

— Pat McCrory (@PatMcCroryNC) April 14, 2021

Former congresswoman Michele Bachmann participated in a World Prayer Network prayer call Sunday night during which she declared that Joe Biden’s win in the 2020 presidential election was “coup” and warned that passage of the For The People Act election reform legislation (H. R. 1) will “forever cement that illegal takeover into place.”

On election night, Bachmann boldly asserted that God had “sealed this election” in Heaven on behalf of Donald Trump and she has steadfastly refused to accept that her declaration had been premature and ultimately wrong.

“I want everyone to realize what we’re living through and what we’re witnessing is a coup,” Bachmann said. “This is called a coup, and a coup is a political term, and what it means is an unlawful, unauthorized takeover of a legitimate government. America had a legitimate government, but this is an unauthorized, illegal takeover through voter fraud in last November’s election, and now H.R. 1 [will] forever cement that illegal takeover into place.”

“Make no mistake about it—what we’re watching is a coup,” she continued. “You see this in third-world countries. It’s happening in the greatest country in the world, the United States, but it is a coup.”

This article was originally published by Right Wing Watch and is republished here by permission.

It’s moving day for some Trump administration White House staffers, as President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration day quickly approaches. There are multiple reports of White House aides appearing to take for the personal use items that belong to the federal government, including in one case a bust of President Abraham Lincoln that was on loan from a museum.

Top Trump advisor Peter Navarro, who earlier Thursday was chastised for spreading election lies and continuing to incite insurrection, this time on Fox News, is now being accused of “illegal” activity.

“People need to know that the items inside the White House are not giveaways, they’re not souvenirs you can take home. This is not an estate sale or Antiques Roadshow,” CNN’s Jim Acosta said on-air.

A Yahoo Finance editor posted a photo of Navarro –who is vehemently anti-China – outside the White House, carrying artwork, a large framed photo of President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and other dignitaries.

Former associate director of the White House Office of Management and Budget under President Barack Obama, Kenneth Baer, says removing the framed image for personal use is “illegal.”

“These photos belong to the American people, and go to the National Archives,” says Baer, who clearly would know.

This is illegal. These photos belong to the American people, and go to the National Archives.

(I know this as when I left the WH in 2012, I wanted to take with me the photo I had of @BarackObama and the 2008 World Champion @Phillies) https://t.co/ab6LFCtGXQ

— Kenneth Baer (@KennethBaer) January 14, 2021

The original photo of Navarro was taken by Eric Scott for Reuters and posted to Twitter by a Reuters editor:

Yesterday: White House advisor Peter Navarro leaves the West Wing of the White House with a photograph of U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, in Washington. Photo by @erinscottphoto pic.twitter.com/MoS00tnH07

— corinne_perkins (@corinne_perkins) January 14, 2021

It is possible Navarro paid the government for the photo and frame, which Baer noted.

CNN’s John Harwood weighed in:

what’s the word for taking something illegally? https://t.co/43yBaUq8La

— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) January 14, 2021