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Democrat Destroys GOP’s Whistleblowers Claims of 2020 Political Interference: ‘Joe Biden Was Not the President’

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During Wednesday’s hearing of the House Oversight Committee, a Democratic U.S. Congressman destroyed Republicans’ allegations of political interference from the U.S. Dept. of Justice with the IRS investigation into Hunter Biden, in a case involving his taxes.

U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), the Ranking Member on the Oversight Committee, slammed House Republicans: “Like every other try by my colleagues to concoct a scandal about President Biden, this one is a complete and total bust.”

Speaking to both of the GOP’s witnesses, who have been presented as whistleblowers from inside the IRS, U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) revealed that delays they felt were unnecessary in potential investigations into or prosecutions of Hunter Biden happened during the Trump administration, when Bill Barr was the Attorney General.

“You were concerned about the complexities of the election cycle and potential delays that arose in connection with the election cycle,” Congressman Krishnamoorthi said to one whistleblower, Gary Shapley. “You said at page 23, ‘And I remember there were always times where we were always on an impending election cycle. It was always the elections being brought up in early 2020. It was the presidential primaries.’ Now, sir. Joe Biden was not the president at that time either. Was he?”

“I mean, the answer to your question is no, he was not,” Shapley replied.

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“You were talking about how the election cycle is delaying decisions by the prosecution. And it turns out that the delay in the election cycle was happening at a time when Joe Biden was not the president,” Congressman Krishnamoorthi continued.

“So, Mr. Ziegler, and you shared concerns about delays related to the election cycle. But at that time, Joe Biden was not the president,” the Illinois Democratic lawmaker added.

“I believe at that time he was the nominee for president,” replied Ziegler.

“Well, he was not the President was he? It’s just a simple question, sir,” Krishnamoorthi said.

“Can you rephrase the question?” Ziegler asked.

“Joe Biden was not the president, in the presidential primaries, in 2020.”

READ MORE: ‘Authoritarianism Will Be on the Ballot’: Experts Sound Alarm Over NYT Bombshell Detailing Trump’s Plans if He Wins in 2024

“Correct. That is correct,” Ziegler replied.

“Finally, Mr. Shapley. You said that warrants were ready as soon as April, 2020 to begin searching for records but actions weren’t taken with regard to those warrants. Again, Joe Biden was not the president in April of 2020. Was he?” the Congressman again asked.

“So I’m confused by a line of questioning. We’re talking about an election to which now President Biden was a part of, so he didn’t have to be the president to have election meddling,” Shapley alleged.

“No, but the question is this: Was he the president at that time, in April 2020?”

“It’s been asked and answered,” Shapley, appearing to grow angered, responded.

“And what’s the answer, sir?” said Krishnamoorthi.

“The election –” Shapley began.

“The answer is” Yes or no?” Krishnamoorthi pressed.

“No,” Shapley said, trying to push back.

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“Thank you. Thank you. I yield back,” the Congressman concluded.

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Rogan on Epstein Files: ‘Looks Terrible’ for Trump

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Prominent podcaster Joe Rogan warned that the handling of the Epstein files “looks terrible” for President Donald Trump and his administration.

“During Tuesday and Thursday’s episodes, Rogan criticized redactions the Department of Justice made from the files,” The Hill reported.

“Who knows what f — — happens with all this Epstein files s — —,” he said, according to video of his streaming show. “It just keeps getting crazier and crazier and crazier and deeper and deeper.”

“Why would your name be redacted if you’re not a victim?” Rogan also asked. “Like, this is what’s crazy about all this. Like, how come you redact some people and you don’t redact other people?”

READ MORE: Far Right Extremist Leader Puts Trump on Notice Over Epstein Files

“Like, what is this?” the podcaster continued. “This is not good. None of this is good for this administration. It looks f — — terrible. It looks terrible. It looks terrible for Trump when he was saying that none of this was real. This is all a hoax. This is not a hoax. Like, did you not know?”

“Maybe he didn’t know if you want to be charitable? But this is definitely not a hoax. And if you’ve got redacted people’s names, and these people aren’t victims, you’re not protecting the victim. So what are you doing?”

“And how come all this s — — is not released?” Rogan asked.

 

READ MORE: ‘No Going Back’: Report Warns Post-MAGA America Will Never Be the Same

 

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Far Right Extremist Leader Puts Trump on Notice Over Epstein Files

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Far-right extremist livestreamer Nick Fuentes — who leads a “Groyper” following of mostly young men and brands himself “America First” — is putting President Donald Trump on notice ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

“I won’t even consider voting in the midterms unless the Epstein Files are fully unredacted, mass deportations resume, and we don’t go to war with Iran,” wrote Fuentes, who has 1.2 million followers on the X social media platform.

Some of Trump’s MAGA allies were furious this week as Attorney General Pam Bondi deflected numerous questions in a congressional hearing on that very topic.

Even before Bondi’s widely-criticized performance, Fuentes had called for her impeachment.

READ MORE: Trump’s Pardon ‘Blizzard’ Grows With Clemency for Five Former NFL Players

“Pam Bondi needs to be impeached,” he said on his February 9 Rumble show, “America First,” as The Daily Beast reported. “You lied about the existence of the files. You lied about unindicted collaborators and accomplices.”

Fuentes has been described by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a “white nationalist,” an “admirer of fascists,” and someone who “frequently relies on antisemitic tropes.”

According to the Anti-Defamation League, “Fuentes has used his platforms to make numerous antisemitic, racist, homophobic and misogynistic comments,” and spreads “white supremacist propaganda.”

President Trump “has not condemned Fuentes,” and Vice President JD Vance “has only criticized him for attacking his wife,” The Week reported last month. “But Vance also appears keen to avoid alienating young Fuentes supporters, who could help him secure the GOP presidential nomination in 2028.”

READ MORE: ‘No Going Back’: Report Warns Post-MAGA America Will Never Be the Same

 

Image via Reuters 

 

 

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Trump’s Pardon ‘Blizzard’ Grows With Clemency for Five Former NFL Players

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President Donald Trump issued another batch of pardons on Thursday, granting clemency to five former NFL players — the latest in what the Cato Institute has labeled a “blizzard” of pardons.

Trump’s pardon czar Alice Marie Johnson praised the move, which covers cases including those involving drug-related offenses and perjury convictions, according to The Guardian,

“Today, the President granted pardons to five former NFL players—Joe Klecko, Nate Newton, Jamal Lewis, Travis Henry, and the late great Dr. Billy Cannon,” wrote Johnson. “As football reminds us, excellence is built on grit, grace, and the courage to rise again. So is our nation.”

Johnson went on to applaud the president “for his continued commitment to second chances.”

“Mercy changes lives,” she added.

READ MORE: ‘No Going Back’: Report Warns Post-MAGA America Will Never Be the Same

The Cato Institute on Wednesday had said the scope and magnitude of Trump’s “blizzard” of pardons are “unprecedented.”

Before this latest round of pardons, Trump had issued 166 pardons — plus the mass pardons of about 1,500 people convicted on charges in connection with January 6 — since taking office just over one year ago. By comparison, President Joe Biden in four years issued 80 pardons.

“In other words,” Cato’s Dan Greenberg wrote, “even putting aside the rioters’ collective pardon, Trump is now issuing pardons at eight times the rate Biden did.”

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Greenberg put Trump’s pardons into several categories.

He noted that Biden’s pardons eliminated about $680,000 in penalties owed to victims or the federal government, whereas Trump’s pardons have wiped away about $1.5 billion.

Greenberg also said that “Trump has normalized the pardoning of disgraced politicians, such as former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernandez (who orchestrated a spree of state-sponsored drug trafficking leading to a 45-year prison term),” and others, such as Nevada legislator Michele Fiore, Virginia sheriff Scott Jenkins, Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada, and Arkansas legislator Jeremy Hutchinson.

Other concerns Greenberg noted are that aspects of some of Trump’s pardons “set off alarm bells for self-corruption—either of the president or of his associates.”

Finally, “Trump has increasingly focused on providing pardons to his campaign supporters who stretched or broke the law, such as John Eastman, Rudy Giuliani, and Jenna Ellis.”

READ MORE: ‘Politically Toxic’: Voters Say Biden Was Better Than Trump

 

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