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‘Outlandish and Feral’: Trump Plans to Turn DC Trial Into Conspiracy-Fueled Reality TV Show

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Donald Trump is planning to turn his federal 2020 election subversion case into a campaign-style conspiracy-theory-fueled reality TV show filled with falsehoods about the “deep state,” Nancy Pelosi, January 6, Antifa, the FBI, and even his former attorneys – and he’s demanding it be televised.

One person with knowledge of the plans called it a “MAGA freak show,” according to Rolling Stone‘s exclusive reporting. The items Trump and his attorneys have been discussing and planning include:

“Attempts to drag Nancy Pelosi into court to berate her on the stand and, hopefully, on live TV. Claims that the Jan. 6 Capitol attack was an FBI frame job, with an assist from Antifa. Conspiracy theories that the 2020 election was indeed ‘stolen,’ supposedly backed up by still-classified documents. Unhinged assertions that President Joe Biden is now secretly, personally orchestrating an unprecedented act of political persecution. Calls to publicly unmask the federal officials and lawyers investigating the former (and perhaps future) president of the United States. Efforts to blame any illegality on some of the ex-president’s closest confidants and former legal allies. Insinuations of election meddling by the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.”

READ MORE: ‘Video Voyeurism’: Police Expand Investigation Into Embattled GOP Chair Accused of Rape

Rolling Stone calls the defense strategy, “outlandish and feral, even by Trumpland standards, to the point that it’s baffling some of the ex-president’s former lawyers and senior administration officials. One person with knowledge of these strategic and legal discussions bluntly describes the plans as a blueprint for staging a ‘MAGA freak show’ at Trump’s federal election subversion trial.”

The ex-president is facing four federal felony charges in the D.C. case, including conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights, which NPR reports “refers to Trump and his co-conspirators alleged attempts to ‘oppress, threaten and intimidate’ people in their right to vote in an election.”

Former top Trump attorney Tim Parlatore, who has represented far-right Christian nationalist GOP lawmaker and conspiracy theorist Doug Mastriano, spoke to Rolling Stone.

“From what I can tell — as an outside observer and former member of Donald Trump’s legal team — about how the trial strategy is taking shape, all I can say is: It is a terrible idea to try to use a criminal trial to stage a political campaign ad,” Parlatore said. “That would be incredibly detrimental to the client.”

“It is also a surefire way for you to quickly alienate jurors, particularly when you’re dealing with a jury pool like Washington, D.C.’s,” Parlatore added. “If I were still on the team, that is not how I would be doing it.”

Special Counsel Jack Smith, who is also prosecuting the government’s case against Trump on his alleged unlawful removal and refusal to return classified and top secret documents, is opposed to televising the proceedings.

“Smith’s team has warned that Trump and his legal team are requesting camera access because they want ‘to create a carnival atmosphere from which he hopes to profit by distracting, like many fraud defendants try to do, from the charges against him.'”

READ MORE: ‘The People Closest to Him’: Republicans Question Trump’s Mental Health, Reporter Says

“It is clear the [former] president would like to turn the trial into a campaign ad as much as he can,” a source “who has legally advised Trump in recent years,” told Rolling Stone. “I mentioned to him that cameras in the courtroom is not what you’d want to do in a case like this. But he and his team see it very, very differently than I do, unfortunately… [Based on what I know], I think they’re going to make it feel like reality TV.”

Former Trump White House attorney Ty Cobb told Rolling Stone, “It’s not gonna work.”

“Trump and his lawyers, I’m sure, would like to see [the trial] devolve into a chaotic circus, but I don’t think they’re even going to get that… The biggest problem Donald Trump and his lawyers have is that they have no evidence and they have no witnesses… I haven’t seen a single email or document that would be helpful to him… Even if Rudy Giuliani testified for Trump’s defense, Rudy could easily end up making the government’s case for them. So who can they call? They don’t have anybody!”

Rolling Stone editor-in-chief Noah Shachtman, writing on the social media site Threads, calls the Trump defense strategy “batshit crazy.”

 

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Republicans Scuttled Trump Health Care Fix Because They Felt ‘Left Out’: Report

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President Donald Trump was set to announce a two-year extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies, as soon as Monday, to help fix Obamacare premiums that are set to skyrocket, but the White House pulled the announcement and delayed its plans in part because House Republicans reportedly felt “left out.”

The Trump White House is now delaying announcing any health care plan — it “will not be this week,” reported PBS Newshour’s Lisa Desjardins.

“This as Republican members of Congress, including senior members,” Desjardins wrote, “expressed outrage at being left out of any process on what they all know is a critical issue – affecting huge #s of constituents.”

READ MORE: GOP Lawmaker Suggests US ‘About to Go In’ to Venezuela for Oil

Desjardins added that House Republicans are directing their anger not only at the White House but at Speaker of the House Mike Johnson.

“This has been quickly rising and the idea of a WH-only sudden [health care] plan has rank and file fuming at their leader,” she added.

The Trump White House also delayed announcing any fix because House Republicans do not want to extend the Obamacare subsidy premiums, which the president’s plan would have done.

In response to pressure from the House GOP, Trump reportedly pulled the announcement.

READ MORE: Family Food Costs Hit Record High Despite Trump Touting Cheaper Holiday Dinner

MS NOW’s Jake Traylor reported on Monday, “White House to delay healthcare proposal after significant congressional backlash.”

“According to two White House officials,” Traylor noted, “the announcement has been delayed, with one of those officials citing strong congressional backlash to Trump’s proposed plan.”

Some Democrats blasted Republicans for the delay.

“Yet another delay while Republicans wait to see if a health care plan will fall from the sky,” wrote U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).

House Ways and Means Democrats added, “BREAKING: The 15 year waiting period for the GOP health care plan will NOT end today.”

READ MORE: Red State Democrat: How to Turn Rural America Blue

 

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GOP Lawmaker Suggests US ‘About to Go In’ to Venezuela for Oil

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A Republican congresswoman says that the United States is about to “go in” to Venezuela and suggests one of the reasons is oil.

“The U.S. is considering dropping leaflets in Venezuela as the Trump administration ramps up pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, sources say,” CBS News reported.

U.S. Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) told Fox Business on Monday that she expects that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro will succumb to U.S. pressure and step down.

READ MORE: Trump Was Set to Announce Health Care Fix but Republicans Objected: Report

The Fox Business host told Salazar, “I would love to see a change in government. The dictators there rely on Venezuelan oil, but at the same time, a lot of Americans don’t want actual U.S. participation in regime change in Venezuela. They would much prefer the Venezuelans to do it on their own.”

“Maduro is not a brave boy,” said Salazar, who sits on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

“So now that he has understood that he’s on that very nefarious list of the terrorist organizations, that the airspace above Venezuela has been closed off, and the commercial airlines from the United States are not flying, he’s understanding that we’re about to go in,” Salazar declared.

“He understands that he is, he has been our enemy for the last 25 years,” she noted, before explaining her thoughts on why the U.S. should “go in” to Venezuela.

READ MORE: Family Food Costs Hit Record High Despite Trump Touting Cheaper Holiday Dinner

“Venezuela, for those Americans who do not understand why we need to go in — for three, basically for three reasons,” she said.

“Venezuela, for the American oil companies, will be a field day, because it will be more than a trillion dollars in economic activity. American companies can go in and fix all the oil pipe, the whole oil rigs, and everything that has to do with the Venezuelan petroleum companies, or everything that has to do with oil and the derivatives.”

She went on to say, “We’re going to be doing a favor to us, to our children, to our economy, to our oil companies to be able to liberate. And to Venezuelans who want to be free.”

READ MORE: Red State Democrat: How to Turn Rural America Blue

 

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Trump Was Set to Announce Health Care Fix but Republicans Objected: Report

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President Donald Trump was expected to announce as soon as Monday a long-awaited fix for the expiring Obamacare subsidies, to prevent health care premiums from skyrocketing to double and in some cases even triple their current levels, but congressional Republicans reportedly have objected.

Trump was prepared to extend the subsidies for two more years, according to multiple reports including from MS NOW‘s Jake Traylor and Politico.

Traylor had reported that the president would be calling on Congress to send him legislation that would halt the Obamacare premium spikes.

“The announcement is expected to occur at the White House, and is slated to feature remarks from Trump and Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services,” Traylor had reported on Sunday.

READ MORE: ‘Complete Propaganda’: Trump DoD Blasted for Court-Martial Threat Against Democrat

Also on Sunday, Politico had reported that “The White House expects to soon unveil a health policy framework that includes a two-year extension of Obamacare subsidies due to expire at the end of next month and new limits on eligibility, according to three people granted anonymity to discuss the unannounced plans.”

Trump has on his Monday schedule a 4 PM Oval Office executive order signing scheduled. It is unclear if that was to be for the extension of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies.

Now, Traylor reports, “White House to delay healthcare proposal after significant congressional backlash.”

“According to two White House officials the announcement has been delayed, with one of those officials citing strong congressional backlash to Trump’s proposed plan. Trump planned to make an announcement as early as Monday proposing a framework to address health care costs which included an extension of Obamacare subsides.”

READ MORE: Red State Democrat: How to Turn Rural America Blue

Monday afternoon, CNBC reported that “Republicans are proposing direct Health Savings Account payments to ACA enrollees rather than extending enhanced premium tax credits.”

“The White House is expected to make an announcement this week addressing efforts to either renew or replace the Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits, according to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent,” CNBC added, appearing to make clear any decision has yet to be set in stone.

Bobby Kogan, Senior Director of Federal Budget Policy at American Progress, responded to Traylor’s reporting:

“It’s because congressional Republicans want the enhanced subsidies to expire,” Kogan wrote. “That’s why they didn’t extend them in [the One Big Beautiful Bill Act], and that’s why they kept calling them a ‘December problem’ even though open enrollment [began] on November 1.”

READ MORE: Family Food Costs Hit Record High Despite Trump Touting Cheaper Holiday Dinner

 

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