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‘Weaponization’: Nadler Blasts Jordan for Doing Trump’s ‘Bidding’ With NYC Field Trip Targeting DA Bragg (Live Video)

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House Judiciary Ranking Member Jerry Nadler Monday morning blasted House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan‘s partisan field trip to New York City to attack Alvin Bragg in retribution for the Manhattan District Attorney’s grand jury indictment of Donald Trump on 34 felony violations.

Chairman Jordan’s unusual hearing in Manhattan, which began Monday morning, is expected to highlight victims of crime in attempt to paint New York City as dangerous and DA Bragg as not doing his job, despite statistics that show the nation’s largest city is also one of its safest.

Jordan has no oversight authority over an elected state or county official.

“Let me be very clear,” said Nadler, a Democrat who represents New York City, as he began  his opening statement (video below). “We are here today in lower Manhattan for one reason and one reason only: The chairman is doing the bidding of Donald Trump.”

READ MORE: Alvin Bragg Sues Jim Jordan to Stop ‘Brazen and Unconstitutional’ Interference in Trump Hush Money Payoff Case

“Committee Republicans designed this hearing to intimidate and deter the duly-elected District Attorney of Manhattan from doing the work his constituents elected him to do. They have demanded access to the inner workings of an ongoing criminal case, information to which they know that they are not entitled. They have subpoenaed a witness who used to work for the district attorney whom they know cannot answer their questions, and they have earned a lawsuit they risks future congressional oversight.”

Nadler said Republicans on the committee have “perpetuated the anti-semitic and racist tropes that Mr. Trump has directed at both the prosecutor and the judge in this case, they are using their public offices and the resources of this committee to protect their political patron Donald Trump. It is an outrageous abuse of power. It is to use the chairman’s favorite term, a weaponization of the House Judiciary Committee.”

Nadler also accused Jordan of using his committee “to undermine” the judicial “process as it unfolds,” calling the chairman’ actions “cynical, unethical, and given the violence unleashed on the capital by the former president, just plain dangerous.”

“Now we grieve for the victims of violent crime here in Manhattan and everywhere. But it is shameful that the Republicans of this committee would use the pretext of violent crime as an excuse to play tourists in New York and bully the district attorney and it is particularly disgraceful that they would use this pretext after doing nothing, nothing to stop the gun violence that terrorizes our nation.”

READ MORE: Everything Ron DeSantis Did Yesterday Is Wrong – And Many People Are Noticing

Nadler noted there have been “at least 146 mass shootings this year alone,” more “than days so far this year.”

“Three people were shot dead and five others injured at Michigan State University. Three children and three teachers were shot and killed at a private school in Nashville, Tennessee. Five people are dead and eight others including two police officers are injured after a mass shooting at a bank in Louisville, Kentucky. These tragedies have taken place in nearly every corner of our nation.”

“Unlike our Republican colleagues, Democrats have consistently advanced policies that make all of our communities including New York, safer places to live, to work, to worship, and to go to school. Last Congress over the objection of every Republican here today, we passed the first gun violence prevention package in decades. We can and must do more. We must pass universal background checks. We must implement red flag laws to keep guns away from those who are a danger to themselves and others and we must reinstate the assault weapons ban. Each of these proposals are overwhelmingly popular with the American public and each is opposed by House Republicans.”

Before the hearing began, Manhattan Borough President Mark D. Levine noted, “Jim Jordan could have done today’s sham hearing near his home in Columbus (murder rate 3x NYC) Or Jacksonville (3.5x NYC) Or Ft. Worth (2x NYc) But he’s holding it in Manhattan. Because it’s not really about public safety. It’s about undermining the prosecution of Trump.”

Early Monday morning, CNN’s Daniel Dale published a deep dive into NYC crime statistics amid Jordan’s claims. In part, Dale writes, “Violent crime in Manhattan and New York City is far below record levels,” “Most categories of major crime in Manhattan, though not all, are down so far in 2023.” He also lists dozens of big cities where the murder rate is far higher than New York City’s.

Watch the full live or the hearing below or at this link.

 

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Fox News Host Suggests Trump ‘Force’ Court to Throw Him in Jail – by Quoting Him

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April 19, 2024

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The Fox News host who targeted a juror serving on Donald Trump’s criminal New York trial is now suggesting the ex-president should violate his gag order and “force” the court to throw him in jail, by quoting the Fox News host.

Jesse Watters came under fire earlier this week for profiling juror number two, sharing possibly identifying information published by a myriad of reporters but then using that information to pass judgment on her ability to serve.

“I’m not so sure about juror number two,” Watters concluded on Fox News.

Jurors, at the judge’s direction, were to remain anonymous, for their protection and the protection of the trial.

The judge excused her, after she said she felt she was not able to be impartial because friends and family were calling her asking if she had been chosen to serve on the Trump trial, after the media blitz.

New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan admonished the press for reporting the information, but some news outlets appeared to ignore his warning.

Watters on Wednesday “did a segment with a jury consultant, revealing details about people who had been seated on the jury and questioning whether some were ‘stealth liberals’ who would be out to convict Trump,” the Associated Press reported.

READ MORE: Gaetz: ‘Corrupt’ Republicans Could ‘Take a Bribe’ and Throw House to Dems, Blocking Trump Run

Trump later posted Watters’ quote on his Truth Social platform, leading some, including New York prosecutors, to ask the judge to cite him for allegedly breaking his gag order.

Judge Merchan ordered Trump to not mention witnesses, jurors, prosecutors, court staff, or the family members of prosecutors and court staff, CNN has reported.

New York prosecutors told Juge Merchan Trump has violated the gag order at least ten times.

“Prosecutor Christopher Conroy described the ‘most disturbing’ example as a social media message Trump posted on Wednesday evening quoting a Fox News host as saying, ‘They are catching undercover Liberal Activists lying to the Judge in order to get on the Trump Jury,'” Politico reports.

That host was Jesse Watters.

RELATED: ‘Afraid and Intimidated’: Trump Trial Juror Targeted by Fox News Dismissed

Friday afternoon, Watters appeared to egg Trump on, urging the ex-president to violate the gag order.

“I would make them put me in jail,” Watters said on Fox News. “I would have a tweet about something perhaps I said on ‘The Five’ or ‘Jesse Watters Primetime,’ and I would force them to throw me in jail.”

Watch Watters’ remark below or at this link.

 

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Gaetz: ‘Corrupt’ Republicans Could ‘Take a Bribe’ and Throw House to Dems, Blocking Trump Run

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9 hours ago

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April 19, 2024

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U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) says some of his fellow House Republicans would “take a bribe” to throw the razor-thin GOP majority to the Democrats if a far-right faction calls up a motion to oust Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, allowing Democrats to hand the gavel to the Minority Leader, Hakeem Jeffries. he warned if that happens, Democrats would immediately declare Trump ineligible to be President, pack the U.S. Supreme Court, and pass numerous laws like the American Rescue Plan.

“I do believe in a one seat majority there could be one or two or three of my colleagues who would take a bribe in one form or another in order to deprive the Republicans of a majority at all,” Gaetz said Friday on his podcast (video below.)

He added, “the risk that one or two of my corrupt Republican colleagues might take a bribe, take a walk, feign an ailment and flip this thing to the Democrats is a risk that is too high for me at this time.”

Gaetz’s fellow far-right Florida Republican member of Congress, Anna Paulina Luna, told listeners, “I heard that when, if and when the motion vacate is introduced, that there will be immediate resignations of a couple of more moderate members of Congress. And in the event that that happens, that ultimately means it does go to a Democrat speaker.”

RELATED: Jeffries Vows Democrats Will Ensure Ukraine Aid Passes as Johnson Defectors Grow

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) last month filed a “motion to vacate,” which she can use at any time to force a vote to oust the GOP Speaker, Mike Johnson. U.S. Rep. Tim Massie (R-KY) and just today, U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) has signed on as co-sponsors.

Congressman Gaetz told listeners if Democrats do take the House through a force vote to remove Johnson, Democrats would “be declaring Donald Trump an insurrectionist and setting up a barrier to him being able to become the president United States.”

“That’ll be their leadoff hitter, and then the chaser to that shot will be a massive spending package that looks a lot more like the American Rescue Plan. They will blow past every concept of every cap ever imagined. You’ll be looking at Universal Basic Income, you could be looking at packing the Supreme Court.”

Watch a short clip of Gaetz’s remarks below or at this link.

READ MORE: ‘Stop Bringing Up Nazis and Hitler’: Marjorie Taylor Greene Smacked Down by Democrats

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Jeffries Vows Democrats Will Ensure Ukraine Aid Passes as Johnson Defectors Grow

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11 hours ago

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April 19, 2024

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Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries vowed Friday the majority of Democrats will support Republicans’ Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and Gaza foreign aid legislation as Republican Speaker Mike Johnson lost support of another member of his conference to a faction determined to oust him.

“Democrats will provide a majority of our majority as it relates to funding Israel, humanitarian assistance, Ukraine, and our allies in the Indo Pacific,” Minority Leader Jeffries said. “It remains to be seen what Republicans will do in terms of meeting the national security needs of the American people, but it was important for House Democrats to ensure that the national security bills are going to be considered.”

Despite Republicans having a one-vote majority, more Democrats on Friday voted to move the critical and long-awaited foreign aid bills forward than did Republicans.

READ MORE: ‘Stop Bringing Up Nazis and Hitler’: Marjorie Taylor Greene Smacked Down by Democrats

The 316-94 vote included 165 Democrats and 151 Republicans voting yes, and 55 Republicans and 39 Democrats voting no.

Axios’ Juliegrace Brufke posted the list of Republicans voting against their party’s legislation.

Calling it a “rare” moment in modern congressional history to have to rely on opposition party votes to pass legislation, BBC News reports Speaker Johnson’s “hold on power is tenuous, and the legislators who oppose him – and his bid to provide aid to Ukraine – occupy some key positions within the House’s power structure.”

Amid the procedural vote to move the foreign aid funding bills forward, U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar, a far-right Republican of Arizona, announced he is joining Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), and Congressman Tim Massie (R-KY) in formally announcing their will vote to oust Speaker Johnson.

Gosar, like Greene, is reportedly a Christian nationalist. In 2022 CNN reported his “lengthy ties to White nationalists, [a] pro-Nazi blogger and far-right fringe received little pushback for years.”

RELATED: ‘Repercussions’: Democrats and Republicans Stand Against ‘Pro-Putin’ House GOP Faction

“We’ve been very honest in our assessment of the situation from the beginning,” Jeffries on Friday also declared. “At the appropriate time as House Democrats, we will have a conversation about how to deal with any hypothetical motion to vacate.”

“Moscow Marjorie Taylor Greene, Massie, and Gosar are quite a group. But central to our conversation is to make sure that the national security legislation in totality is passed by the House of Representatives.”

Watch the videos above or at this link.

 

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